Friday, April 29, 2005

Marlins Squeak By Phils, 6-4

Jones makes it exciting, Mota makes it back to Miami with stiff arm. (Yahoo)

"We Stink In April", Say The Phillies

"The only time the Phillies ever started a season under .500 after the first 20 games and went on to make the playoffs was in 1977. The Phils started 9-11, but went on to win the NL East before losing to the Dodgers, 3-1, in a best-of-five series for the pennant." (PhillyBurbs.Com)

MORE: Mike from A Citizen's Blog compares Fish and Phillies. (ACitizensBlog)

More Crappy Weather in Philly This Weekend

Oh boy - tripleheader on Sunday! (NWS)
UPDATE: McKeon P.O'ed over unclimatical scheduling. (PalmBeachPost)

Doubleheader Postponed, Too Many Penguins on Field

Aug.7, Fish at Cincinatti - Aug.8, Doubleheader at Denver - Aug. 9, Fish Home Against Arizona.(SignOnSanDiego)

Rockies Flip Coin To Decide Game 2 Starter

Either Acevedo or Kim, or some call-up, or maybe that fat guy in the bleachers. (RockyMountainNews)

Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board Likes Stadium State Tax Break

It "is not an exorbitant request. It will not deprive Tallahassee of money for much higher priorities like education." (SunSentinel)

Marlins' Latest Reliever Now Marlins' Latest Starter

Travis Smith is pencilled in to start Game 2 of today's potential doubleheader. (MiamiHerald)
(Weather permitting, of course.) (Weather.Com)

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Atlanta, Phillies Win - Nats, Mets Lose

35 degrees and rain, and a late-starting game in Denver.(Yahoo)
And then the snow, and the cancellation, and the coming doubleheader. (MiamiHerald)

Victory For The Poor Who Need Dentures, Defeat For Those With Ravaged Homes

``This is where we get the money for the eyeglasses and the dentures for the poor, all the special projects we want,'' (Rep. Juan-Carlos) Planas said. ``It's by people coming here (to Florida and its entertainment facilities) and spending their money.''...

``I can't stand here and help build stadiums when I still have 30,000 families (in my community) who can't move into their homes (after Hurricane Ivan),'' said Rep. Holly Benson, R-Pensacola.

- (SunSentinel)

Al's Got Something to Prove Tonight

He seems to have trouble pitching in the Leiter air. (MiamiHerald)

Oh By The Way, Fish Won Last Night, 9-3

Pierre finally homers at Coors. (Yahoo)
Gonzo homers after getting in an 0-2 count. (CBSSportsline)

Armando Benitez Injured?

MRI to be done this morning. (ESPN)
UPDATE: Yep, he's about 4 months worth of injured. (Tallahassee.com)

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Marlins Stadium Subsidy Sneaked In As Amendment, Will Get Final Vote in State House

"When is this going to stop?", "This is bad tax policy, a bad idea." (HeraldTribune)
EXTRA: Senate wants name of team to stay as 'Florida' Marlins as condition of approval,Miami leaders mumble incoherently. (SunSentinel)
MORE: Republican Senator headlocks Democrat, drags him back into room. (MiamiHerald)

Tonight's Preview

Delgado looking to score his 900th run. (RockyMountainNews)

Jeffrey Loria: Maybe He's For Real

"I was in Baltimore close to five years, and I never met (Orioles owner) Peter Angelos one time," Conine said. "I was in the clubhouse 5 minutes in Florida before Jeffrey came up and said, 'Hello. Glad to have you. Have fun. Let's do good things here.'" (RockyMountainNews)

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Marlins Lose 2-1

Mohler gives up 1 earned run in 7 innings, Pierre's 2nd strikeout this year ends game. (Yahoo)

"Last Weekend, The Mets' Mike Piazza -- Standing On Second Base, Turned To Gonzalez And Said, 'You Are The Best!'"

Question is, who told this to Barry Jackson? Mike? Alex? Both of them? Jose Reyes? (MiamiHerald)
Note: This had to have been in the bottom of the 8th in the game on Saturday the 16th, when Piazza had that ground-rule double, the only time he reached second that day. It was then because Gonzo sat out Friday's game, and Piazza the game on Sunday.

The PC/IP/CG Brouhaha Deepens...

Science says it's pitch counts, with a bit of innings pitched added. (CNNSI)
EXTRA : More McKeon/Wiley received wisdom (ESPN)

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Fish Win Again 4-2

Williis goes 6 innings, striking out 7...Encarnacion drives in winning runs...Griffey whiffs twice, batting .200...Mota gets 2nd save. (Yahoo)

Padres Pine For The Days of Ismael

"Since they traded Valdez to the Florida Marlins at last year's July 31 deadline, the Padres have lost 11 consecutive games in which a No. 5 starter took the mound." (NorthCountyTimes)

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Who Needs Players? Who Needs Attendance? Hell, Who Needs Fans?

D-Rays have 2nd highest operating income in MLB. (TBO.com)
UPDATE: And yet, there are those who are pissed. (Drays Bay)

Tonight's Preview

With an eye to the betting line... (Covers.com)

It Must be Coincidence...

...that Todd Jones' most recent blog post looks somewhat similiar to his most recent Sporting News article.

Heilman's Pan Has Flashed

Also, Fish lineup stays the same...Pierre starts new streak. (MiamiHerald)

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Washington and Florida Tied For First - Only 148 Games To Go

Mets come into to town for two-game series, used up their weekly allotment of home runs last night. (SunHerald)

Bowa and Kerrigan Had Pierre on the Brain All Last Year

"Ask everyone on the staff what they talked about, it was Pierre. I said, 'We're only going to play the Marlins 19 times.'" (MorningCall)

Marlins Review Nation's Security Apparatus...

...Working with Secret Service (SunSentinel)...Chairman of Joint Chiefs runs after them with documents. (PalmBeachPost)
UPDATE: Much more thorough discussion of these articles here. (FishStripes)

Monday, April 18, 2005

Fish Win 9-4

Nats' streak Screeches to a halt. (Yahoo)

Interesting Thomas Boswell Article

Beyond the stats showing the improvements in the performance of the Nats over the Expos, he shows how "the underlying trends in attendance that have been revealed" makes for sobering comparasions between the Nats and other MLB teams, including the Fish. (WashingtonPost)

EXTRA: Okay, I'm not sober any more, here's Tony Kornheiser.

Screech Can't Fight Youppi! Love

Mike Berardino sifts through the depths of emotion. (SunSentinel)
EXTRA: The views of Youppi! (FishStripes, Part2)

Mr. Willis Goes to Washington

Also, Mound problems at RFK...No action for Alfonseca...(PalmBeachPost)
(...Except being ejected) (MiamiHerald)

Sunday, April 17, 2005

Top 5 Reasons For Saturday's Loss

5. McKeon having Todd Jones pitch in the 8th (MaverickBall)
4. Pedro was the main catalyst (Newsday)
3. The lack of offense in the 3-4-5 positions (PalmBeachPost)
2. The blown call at the plate in the 9th (NYPost)
1. A lax criminal justice system (ESPN, link found here)

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Have No Fear, Fish Fans...

Barnacle Bill told Iffy the Dopester the Marlins are going all the way. (DetroitFreePress)

Mets Bloggers Stunned Over Heilman's One-Hitter

(MLC)...(Betty's)...(Chuck'n'Duck)...

ALSO, as of 8 A.M. EDT, only 3 NYC-area media outlets have used the phrase 'One-Hit Wonder' in their headlines...
(NewYorkPost)...(NorthJersey.Com)...(NewarkStarLedger)

Friday, April 15, 2005

Studes Says Fish are Best Team in NL

And they have a pretty good interleague schedule, too. (HardballTimes)

"I LOVE YOU, WASHINGTON!"

"I have had a lot of highlights, like winning the World Series with the Marlins in 1997, but I'll tell my kids about throwing the first pitch for a strike as baseball returned to Washington," Hernandez said. (TorontoSun)

Will Jack Fry his Arms, Or Not?

Discussion continues...(GoogleGroups)
Update: Jack's recipe...(MLB, fixed link)

Season Hinges on A.J.'s Pants?

Lo Duca: "If we can score runs, we're gonna win a lot of ball games." (PalmBeachPost)

Fans Telepathically Sense Defeat

Lowest crowd since May 24 sees...5 innings, 114 pitches from Leiter...Castillo flail fruitlessly...Burrell essentially wins game in first inning. (Yahoo)

Monday, April 11, 2005

Citizen Fights For Marlins Subsidy

Staffer for Tom Lee denies Super Bowl, World Series helps Florida. (MiamiHerald)

Interesting Paul Hagen Article

He describes the Phillies' confidence coming into Florida, the grumblings of the Cardinals, and puts out this intriguing stat -

"In the 10 years since baseball went to the wild-card system, 80 teams have advanced to the playoffs. Of those, 65 - 81.25 percent - had at least five wins after 10 games.

And 76 - a staggering 95 percent - were at least 4-6 at that oh-so-early juncture." (PhillyDailyNews)

Sunday, April 10, 2005

Oh, No - The Braves Can't be Pulling Irretrievably Ahead ALREADY?!?

Can Pedro stop the bleeding? Can the Nats staunch the steamroller? (MLB)
Update: It's probably a little too early to be overreacting. (HardballTimes)

Deja Vu All Over Again?

Marlins win the series opener against Atlanta 9-0, then lose the next 2 games. They win the series opener against Washington 9-0, then lose the next game. Will history continue to repeat? (TSN.ca)

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Mets Fans Probably Already Know This, But...

...the performance of past 0-4 teams provides some food for thought. (FlushingLocal)

D-Train Flattens Nats

Traditionalist Cabrera pointed his shot towards the REAL name of the stadium. (MiamiHerald)

Marlins Blogosphere Ripe For Growth

Translation: There are fewer blogs about the Marlins than for any other MLB team. (AlwaysOnNetwork)

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Monday, April 04, 2005

Samson Concerned, Only Predicts 93 Wins

"We put it all through the Dr. Seuss-like belly-off machine, and out came 93." (MLB)

Saturday, April 02, 2005

Roster's Set, Team's Ready,

...almost time to face the brutal Grasshoppers. (MiamiHerald)

The pain has left Pierre's leg,...

...and is now wandering up and down Riedling's shoulder. (MercuryNews)

Friday, April 01, 2005

Fish Swat the Nats,....

(BaltimoreSun)....while the Mets get DiFelice... (oh, and some Fish Transactions, too). (ESPN)