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Mixed reviews for Marlins' Gonzalez

The Marlins praise Fredi Gonzalez publicly, and realize pitching injuries make it difficult to assess him. That's reasonable -- no manager would contend with a pitching staff so injury-ravaged and inconsistent. Still, we've received mixed feedback on Gonzalez:

• Before Florida lost 12 of 13 recently, two players said they hadn't once heard Gonzalez yell at the team, unlike Joe Girardi. We're told he has become more stern addressing the team during the losing skid, but without any eardrum-popping tirades.

Even one Marlins official said he wants to see Gonzalez, who is liked by the players, to get angrier with them at times, and another clubhouse presence said ''more tough love'' is needed. (It should be noted that general manager Larry Beinfest, who has praised Gonzalez, was not a source in this column.)

''Fredi is maybe a bit too much of a pleaser, whether it's painting a rosy picture or wanting players to like him,'' one scout who follows the Marlins said. 'Sometimes it's a good motivational tool to say, `I'm really upset.' You don't always have to end on a positive note. Good managers don't have a problem with confrontation. He'll get better at that.''

Gonzalez insisted, ''You can't be something you're not. If you try to be fake, the players know it. As far as being hard, it's not screaming and yelling. We get the same message across.'' Are there times he wishes he would have been harder on players? ``No, no, no, no. They bust their [butt].''

• One person closely involved with the team said Gonzalez has given the players ''a lot of leeway'' to do pregame work without being on their back like Girardi was. ''That didn't work,'' the person said, because ``guys didn't take it upon themselves to get better.''

• One Marlins official said Gonzalez should have addressed Miguel Cabrera's weight with him sooner. Another pointed to a laxness in spring training.

• Gonzalez is very involved before games -- throwing batting practice, partaking in infield drills -- but people internally say staff changes have hurt.

One Marlin said infield coach Andy Fox has a bright future, but that Perry Hill (who retired in March) is missed, especially ''in terms of repetition and emphasis on technique.'' Catcher Miguel Olivo said he has had much less personal instruction than in 2006 under Gary Tuck, who was fired with Girardi.

In the staff's defense, the Marlins -- who lead the majors in errors -- are subpar defensively at several positions and entered Friday on pace for just two more errors than last year's 126.

• One move fans understandably question is Gonzalez's continued use of Armando Benitez (seven blown saves) to preserve eighth-inning leads. (Gonzalez said that won't change.) ''Part of the manager's job is to protect the front office,'' an NL scout said. ``He didn't trade for Benitez, but he has to use him.''

Like all managers, Gonzalez leaves himself open to fans' second-guessing with debatable sacrifice bunts. But two scouts said Gonzalez generally has done ''OK'' with in-game decisions.

CHATTER

• Linebacker Channing Crowder finds it telling that the players Dolphins coach Cam Cameron critiques the most in practice are Ronnie Brown and Derek Hagan. ''He sees untapped potential, and he wants to mold them into Cam guys,'' Crowder said.

• Credit the Dolphins for being the only team that pursued Jesse Chatman last spring. And although Chatman played for Cameron in San Diego, Cameron said it was GM Randy Mueller's idea. . . . Something to keep in mind entering next Sunday's Dolphins-Redskins opener: The last time Will Allen covered Santana Moss (Giants-Redskins in December '05), Moss burned him for three touchdowns (17, 59, 72 yards).

• If the Marlins' ballpark is built on the Orange Bowl site (which local politicians expect), Miami city manager Pete Hernandez wants somehow to retain the Orange Bowl name, even if it's the equivalent of ''Camden Yards'' in ''Oriole Park at Camden Yards.'' Hernandez said a name change to ''Miami Marlins'' -- demanded by the city during the last round of talks -- hasn't been raised.

• With James Posey and Eddie Jones gone, where does the Heat turn for perimeter defense? Pat Riley mentioned three names -- Smush Parker, and borderline roster prospects Jeremy Richardson and Marcus Slaughter. Figure on Dwyane Wade and Dorell Wright defending top perimeter scorers a lot. FYI: Posey -- who took a two-year, $7 million deal with Boston -- was offered one year at $3 million by Miami.

See more at www.miamiherald.com