FanHouse Brendan Donnelly

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

The Florida Marlins finished second in the NL East, six games behind the Philadelphia Phillies and were in the thick of the wild-card race up until the final weeks of the season. When you think of the bright, young pitching staff in Florida anchored by Josh Johnson and featuring Ricky Nolasco and Chris Volstad, you reason that the Marlins finished well in 2009 because of their hurlers. That notion is actually a fallacy -- only Johnson finished with an ERA under 4.00 among the starters who compiled at least 25 starts. The Marlins stayed in the race because of their hitting, plain and simple. Three hitters -- Dan Uggla, Hanley Ramirez and Cody Ross -- bopped 24 or more home runs, and as a team the Marlins finished fifth in the National League in runs scored.

The landscape in Miami might change a lot this offseason. Florida has already shipped under-performing Jeremy Hermida to Boston and many expect Uggla to be exchanged soon for a multitude of cheap, young players.

In a move that says: "Hey, the Tigers got Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera ... we had to do something", the Indians signed reliever Brendan Donnelly to a minor league deal on Wednesday. It's a risky move not only because Donnelly will miss the first few months of the '08 season after Tommy John surgery, but because Donnelly was mentioned in baseball's Mitchell Report. But rather than harp on that, let's revisit Jose Guillen's thoughts regarding Donnelly after a near brawl last season:

"This goes way back, back since I was with the Angels and got traded," Guillen said. "I caught him cheating once. Unfortunately, he keeps running his mouth like he's going to hit me. He's got to be man enough to hit me and not hit a catcher."

"Let me tell you something, bro: I'm not afraid of getting hit. If he says he's going to hit me, I just want him to hit me, and then we'll take care of this as a man. Don't be running your mouth like a chicken."

"I caught him cheating once. He don't play the game clean, the way it's supposed to. If you're cheating, you're cheating. I catch you, that's it. Take it like a man."

It should be noted that the cheating that Donnelly was referring to was wearing an illegal mitt, and not steroids (although wtih Guillen being suspended for PED's while Donnelly was only mentioned in the report, the irony is somewhat delicious.) And with Guillen joining the Royals this season, that provides ample opportunity for more fireworks between the two divisional rivals. Get well soon, Brendan.

Previously on FanHouse:
Jose Guillen wants a piece of Brendan Donnelly

Someone once told me, "Pat, you can say you're sorry all you want but just because you say it enough to think you mean it doesn't actually mean that you do." That's a pretty true statement, I think, and it certainly applies to baseball right now. Since the release of the Mitchell Report last week, the en vogue thing to do has been for players to immediately cop to whatever Mitchell accused them of (well, most players). But are they really sorry? I'm not so sure.

Name: Gary Bennett
Mitchell Accusation: "Radomski recalled one transaction with Bennett in July 2003 for two kits of human growth hormone. Radomski produced one check from Bennett payable to Kirk Radomski in the amount of $3,200 dated
July 13, 2003."
Admission: "As far as the report is concerned to me, it's accurate ...Obviously, it was a stupid decision ... It was a mistake. It was something that quite obviously, you regret now." (link)
Gut Reaction: Wait, Gary Bennett took steroids? This Gary Bennett? Really?
Believability: Look at it this way, it's way more embarrassing for Gary Bennett to admit to steroid use in his career than it is for him to deny it. Since he's not offering any qualifications or anything, I believe him.

You may remember the incident between Jose Guillen and Brendan Donnelly a couple of weeks ago, and let me assure you, that was just a warmup. There is a lot of anger inside the body of Jose Guillen, and only some is reserved for Donnelly.

Guillen' s made no secret of his contempt for Mike Scioscia and the Angels, and even before the season started he had his eyes set on April 20th. That's because today Jose Guillen and the Mariners roll into Anaheim to face his arch enemy.

You might think that with a few years passing since Scioscia and Guillen got into a fight that resulted in Guillen's being released from the Angels in September of 2004, that maybe tempers have quelled a bit. They haven't.

Asked if he would seek out Scioscia, Guillen - who has been with eight organizations in the last eight years - snapped back with, "Nope. No chance."

Would he accept Scioscia reaching out to him?

"Nope. No chance."

Scioscia said he thought Guillen had put the incident behind him.

"It was an unfortunate incident, and we've certainly moved on," Scioscia said in a telephone interview from his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif., on Thursday - an Angels day off.

"I hope Jose grows from it. He told me he took anger management classes and put the whole incident behind him and was going to grow from it."

Well, Mike, he hasn't. I'd watch my back tonight if I were you.


Previously at the Fanhouse:
Jose Guillen Wants A Piece of Brendan Donnelly
Jose Guillen Does Not Forgive and Forget
Jose Guillen Wants To Play the Fued

We covered it at the Fanhouse yesterday, but Jose Guillen and Brendan Donnelly have a long history of hating each other. It all stems from their days together with the Angels.

Guillen was then traded to the Washington Nationals, and before he left Anaheim he had some choice words for the Angels and Mike Scioscia. Of course a few months later the Angels and Nationals met, and Guillen tipped umpires on the fact that Donnelly kept pine tar in his glove.

Benches cleared, words were exchanged, and grown men hugged each other in anger.

The two met again yesterday in Boston, and once again they nearly came to blows after Donnelly struck out Guillen.

Kenji Johjima was the next Mariners batter and he received a fastball to his thigh.

After the game though, Guillen wasn't finished talking about Brendan Donnelly, and he went on a long rant/threat.

You can read the highlight's of Guillen's rant after the jump.