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**Kitty** · 05-01-2008, 11:51 AM

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The Marlins' bullpen is a lot like other bullpens, with its own distinct culture and personality. There's the tasing thing they've got going, and the reliever who artfully destroys a baseball every day, and the usual good-natured fraternal badgering that goes on, as the innings and hours pass by.

But the Florida bullpen has been very different, so far, in its performance. The Marlins are leading the NL East, and the Florida bullpen has been excellent, racking up six victories and a 3.16 ERA, the sixth-best in the majors.

The Florida bullpen has done in spite of an extraordinary workload, exacerbated by the growing pains of some of the Marlins' young starting pitchers. The Florida relievers have handled the shared responsibility. "We know we're only as good as the guy next to us," said Kevin Gregg, the Marlins' closer.

Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez has diligently spread the workload through the bullpen, usually limiting the relievers to appearances of three outs or less, an approach that can be successful only if the bullpen is effective collectively -- and so far, so good. "Fredi knows what he's doing," said Gregg. "And we're giving him the opportunity to handle it that way, because everybody is getting the job done."

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