Is Tonight The Beginning For Which We All Hope?

Tonight begins the LME, or to not put it so awkward, the Lou Marson Era.

Sweet Lou takes the backstop tonight with Carlos Ruiz on the shelf and Chris Coste on the icebox. Marson is coming off a scorching calendar year playing for the Reading Phillies, Mesa Solar Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and U.S. Olympic team. His first major league experience came in the final game of the 2008 season, when he notched his first career hit, and then, his first career home run, a liner that cleared the fences easily and caused an uproar at Citizens Bank Park.

Now Marson gets the start for the Phillies in game No. 8. His prime duty is to catch Joe Blanton. Other than that? Show us he’s the man.

I think you all know by now that I hold high hopes for Marson. The 23-year-old catcher seems primed for a nice, long career. And despite always being a franchise-quality catcher, public opinion of Marson has been shaky. Recently, scouts have said Marson is no more than a career backup, and is more than likely fodder until Travis d’Arnaud reaches the big leagues. Sure, d’Arnaud looks like a stud prospect, but the real deal is here, kids, and he’s Sweet Lou.

Now, maybe I’m jumping the gun, but I predict good things for Marson, and they start tonight in Washington. Look for him to ignite the Phils offense from the bottom while calling a nice game for Blanton, who could use the help after a shaky start Wednesday against Atlanta. From there? The sky is the limit in the LME.