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Florida Marlins ship Anibal Sanchez back to the Minor Leagues

The second year pitcher was demoted on Friday-

The team optioned Anibal Sanchez to Class AAA Albuquerque on Friday, two days after the shortest outing of his brief career.

“He wasn’t the same as he was last year,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “We need to get him straightened out for his own good and also for the team.”

Sanchez, 23, is 2-1 with a 4.80 ERA. He has pitched 30 innings in six starts and has posted 19 walks and 14 strikeouts. He allowed seven hits, three runs and four walks in just 31/3 innings Wednesday in a loss to the Mets in New York. He went 10-3 with a 2.83 ERA and finished ninth in NL Rookie of the Year voting last season.

Gonzalez and pitching coach Rick Kranitz said Sanchez was unhappy with the team’s decision.

Sanchez has several issues, Kranitz said. They include the command of his pitches, his work tempo, a tendency to become too predictable, an inability to adjust to hitters, and a slight mechanical flaw that keeps him from throwing on a downhill plane, like he did last season.

“He’s throwing too many pitches,” Kranitz said. “He’ll get ahead 0-2, and then it’s 3-2. And he’s thrown blocks of four balls in a row.”

Sanchez is scheduled to start for the Isotopes on Tuesday against Portland, Ore. Kranitz does not believe Sanchez will spend much time in New Mexico.

“I have no doubt in my mind he will come back up here, whether it’s after two or three or four starts, and he will be better,” Kranitz said. “This will make him better.”

Sanchez pitched a no-hitter for the Marlins last September. In 1953, rookie Bobo Holloman pitched a no-hitter for the Philadelphia Athletics in his his first ML start. Two months later, Holloman was shipped to the minors. He never made it back to the majors. I think Sanchez will be back, as to future effectiveness, I’d only be guessing. His poor control isn’t a good omen.

 
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