Miami Marlins: Derrek Lee easily franchise all-time best first baseman

Contrary to an MLB.com article released the other day, Derrek Lee is easily the best first baseman in Miami Marlins franchise history. Not Jeff Conine.

With baseball idle until who knows when, we’re all scrambling for ways to scratch our baseball itch. One such attempt was launched by MLB.com the other day, ranking the best first baseman ever from every franchise.

Per beat reporter Joe Frisaro, the Miami Marlins top option at first base is Jeff Conine.

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Per actually considering playing the position though, and it becomes clear that the only possible answer to that question is one Derrek Lee.

Again, baseball fans everywhere are jonesing for content. And actual professional, paid baseball writers are scrambling for actual content to provide them. By the time play actually does resume, we’ll probably know the Top Middle Relief Options To Have Appeared On Tuesday from each franchise.

By the way, in the case of the Marlins, the answer to that question is clearly Nate Bump.

Conine is probably my favorite Marlins player of all-time. Well-deserving of his selection as one of the Marlins Franchise Four members. Played for both of the franchise’s World Series winners. Made two All-Star games as a Marlin. Was actually called Mr. Marlin. As Frisaro notes, he was absolutely clutch down the stretch in ’03 and was part of the greatest play in team history during that postseason. Lastly, he’s second all-time in games played with the Marlins, eclipsed only by Luis Castillo.

But it is that games played a number that really warrants attention here. Of those 1014 games…only 423 featured any time playing first base. What’s more, of those 423 games, only 253 featured Conine as the starting first baseman. For most of his Marlins career, he was playing left field.

The Case For Lee

Then there’s Derrek Lee.

In 884 games as a member of the Miami Marlins, Lee played…844 games at first base.

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For their Marlins careers, Lee edges out Conine .9936 to .9924 in fielding percentage at first. That alone really ends the debate, as the real disparity is far greater considering the massive innings gap between the two of them.

Furthermore, Lee won a Gold Glove playing first base for the Marlins in 2003. Lee would go on to win three in his career. Conine has never won one for any position, let alone first base.

Conine’s 2-0 advantage in All-Star appearances deserves a closer look as well. Conine was absolutely deserving both of those years, but it needs to be said he played for some considerably less talented teams than Lee did. Three Marlins made the All-Star team in Lee’s Gold Glove year of 2003. Lee’s Marlins career also intersected with multiple superstars like Mark McGwire, Todd Helton, and Albert Pujols clogging up the ballot.  Between that and the joys of playing for a small-market team, All-Star nods should hardly be used as a tiebreaker here.

It’s no coincidence Derrek Lee started finding his way on to All-Star Rosters once he joined the Cubs.

At the plate, Conine is admittedly a better hitter, beating Lee .290 to .264 in Marlins career average. The OBP advantage goes to Conine as well, although it’s a razor-thin .358 to.353 difference. However, Lee does hold a sizable 129 to 120 lead in Miami home runs. For their entire careers, Conine still sports a slim .285 to .281 average lead. But the homer advantage for Lee skyrockets, with 331 to 214 being the final tally.

Ultimately though, if you’re going to say someone is the best ever to play a position for a team, they probably need to have spent the bulk of their time with that team playing that position.

Otherwise, we might as well just go ahead and make Ichiro Suzuki the best pitcher in Miami Marlins history right now.

Lee was a defensive wizard at first base, easily the best the Miami Marlins have ever had. From 2000 to 2003, out of 647 regular-season games, Lee played in 635 of them. If it was remotely possible for him to play, he played, and he did so ninety feet from home plate. The Marlins never wanted him out of the lineup, and more importantly, never wanted him not playing first base.

In Conine’s case, the same just cannot be said. The Marlins preference was for him to play the outfield. In 1997, they traded for Darren Daulton, who would start at first pretty much every game after joining Miami. In 2003, when the Marlins traded for Conine, history did not repeat itself.

The one year both Jeff Conine and Derrek Lee were teammates, Conine didn’t make a single appearance at first base.

So go ahead, believe Conine is the best first baseman to ever wear a Miami Marlins uniform. Just know that the Marlins themselves don’t agree.