Q & A with Marlins Beat Writer Joe Capozzi

To get ready for the upcoming interleague series with the Florida Marlins, Fenway West interviewed Joe Capozzi who covers the Marlins for the Palm Beach Post and writes The Fish Tank blog.

FW: Do you see any way that the Marlins will ever trade Hanley Ramirez back to Boston?

Joe Capozzi: With the Marlins, it’s always “never say never.” Marlins fans never thought they’d trade Josh Beckett, the 2003 World Series MVP. But Hanley is a different player than Beckett, in terms of someone the organization believes can be a franchise player. Hence, the $70-million, six-year extension Ramirez got last May. They’d like him to be the centerpiece when they open their new ballpark in 2012. I’d say a Hanley reunion in Boston is a long shot for now. By the way, Hanley seems to rise to the occasion playing in front of big crowds. It will be fun watching him this week. Hanley told a group of Marlins reporters on Saturday that he believes he’d be playing with the Red Sox today if general manager Theo Epstein had still been in Boston’s front office when the trade was made on Nov. 24, 2005. At the time, Epstein was on a sabbatical, having briefly resigned in October 2005 before returning in January 2006. “Theo didn’t want to trade me,’’ Ramirez said. “But it happened and now I’m in Miami and I’m happy to be here."

FW: Do the Marlins have a shot at the Wild Card?

Joe Capozzi: With the exception of Washington, I think the NL East is wide open. The Phillies and the Mets seem to have the most legitimate shots but I’m still wary of the Mets pitching. The Marlins are starting to play more consistently; they’re a game under .500 and the starting rotation looks like it is taking a turn for the better. And Josh Johnson (6-1) is emerging into one of the best pitchers in the NL.

FW: Is the new stadium going to get done and will the fans show up?

Joe Capozzi: That’s a great question. Yes, I believe the stadium will get done. They’ll break ground in July. But quote a few of us in the media have asked the same question — If they build it, will fans come. I’m not convinced that will happen. The ballpark will be in downtown Miami, a major city, but it will be farther away from the core of the team’s fan base, which comes from the north. Fans will show up for the first year, for sure. After that, it could be a repeat of what has happened at PNC Park in my home town of Pittsburgh.

FW: Was Hanley Ramirez justified is saying his team did not protect him?

Joe Capozzi: Hanley is frustrated because this happened at least once earlier this year, when he was drilled by the Mets in April. As Hanley told my colleague Juan Rodriguez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel after being drilled in Toronto on Sunday, “There's going to come a point where I'm not going to feel protected. I'm going to be scared to hit a home run because I know I'm going to get hit."

FW: What are your predictions for this series?

Joe Capozzi: Hopefully the Marlins won’t suffer another 25-8 loss like they did the last time the were in Boston in 2003! As I said earlier, the Marlins are on a roll after sweeping the Blue Jays. But the Jays have been scuffling lately and the Red Sox ... Well, the Red Sox are the Red Sox. Too bad the Marlins can’t throw Josh Johnson (complete game Sunday). Their Tuesday starter is Chris Volstad, who has lost his last three starts. Andrew Miller (Wednesday) has showed progress and Ricky Nolasco (Thursday) is still looking to regain his form. But the Marlins can hit the ball. If they show patience with Wakefield’s knuckleball and get a win Tuesday, that might breed enough confidence for them to win the series. No sweep, though.