Marlins Lose 5-4

(Yahoo)...Braves, Mets lose, while Nats, Phillies win.(Yahoo)

Uncle Wayne Swooping in to Save Marlins...

...in his usual selfless fashion(Local10)...defending us from those dreaded online casinos!(FishStripes)

I'm Back... Did I Miss Anything?

Let's see....

As of yesterday, May 30, the Marlins are leading in the NL East on percentage points over the Braves, and are 2.5 games ahead of the Mets and Nats, and 4.5 games ahead of the Phillies - really not that different from May 20....

After winning 6 in a row, the Fish have lost 5 of their last 6 games....

Much discussion about Leiter's future....

Maverick is P.O'ed about the recent callups (or the lack of them)....

.... and, gee, where did all those bugs in Pittsburgh come from?

MLB Scoreboards

Friday, May 20
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Saturday, May 21
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Sunday, May 22
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Monday, May 23
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Tuesday, May 24
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Wednesday, May 25
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Thursday, May 26
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Friday, May 27
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Saturday, May 28
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Sunday, May 29
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Monday, May 30
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Tuesday, May 31
(Yahoo)(ESPN)(Sportsline)(MLB)(FOX)(CNNSI)

Time For Vacation

My Chunky persona is being forced to take a hiatus, because throughout the entirety of this upcoming 10-day home stand (and a few days afterwards), I will be out in a desert somewhere, trying to survive heat emergencies, and staring at dirt and rocks and rattlesnakes - a trip that was planned and finalized many moons ago by the Chunky wife. I suppose Internet access will not be impossible so I may pop in on occasion, but extensive sessions might be frowned upon.

So, for updated news specific to the Marlins, I suggest clicking on my featured links - and to still make this place more useful (probably more so than usual), I'm linking to each day's basic MLB scoreboards for the duration of the vacation, from a number of different websites. You can access the scores from whichever site you wish, or you can play 'scoreboard speed test' and see who updates the fastest. If the Fish go 11-0, or are on some sort of winning streak, I may continue not to post so as not to jinx anything. But otherwise I'll attempt to return once again to validate the web with my crackpot presence. Have fun.

As of Today, May 20...

Atlanta leads the division, with the Marlins and Nationals back by a half-game, the Mets by 1.5 games, and the Phillies by 5 games.

FishStripes Going to Shea...

...bringing a few doses of class to that venerable old park. (FishStripes)

Ozzie Thinks Marlins Made a Mistake in Trading Derrick Lee

"Guillen, who coached in Florida when Lee played for the Marlins, called the red-hot Cub his favorite player from those days and the best first baseman he has ever seen." (DailyHerald)

Miami-Dade County, Looking for More Stadium Money, Is Auditing Miami Beach's Tourist-Tax Spending

First audit in 9 years called "not out of the ordinary". (MiamiHeraldThruGoogle)

And Now, The Scores in Italian...

(Basilicatanet.It)

Marlins Win 8-3

Weaver stunned over the 3 homers he gave up. (CNNSI)
Atlanta and Philadelphia lose, New York and Washington win. (Yahoo)
UPDATE: Weaver pitching with sore shoulder. (DailyBreeze)

When It Rains, It Hails

Struggling Mike Lowell listed day-to-day after popup causes 'facial contusion' (MLB)

Looks As If Pedro Will Probably Pitch In Florida After All...

...Since the cortisone shot he had Tuesday pushes his next start from Friday to Sunday, and then his turn after that comes up next Friday against the Fish. (YahooAP)

Dillon, Kensing Called Up, Smith Sent Down

Plus notes on Cabrera, Harris, Castillo and Mota, and the upcoming Devil Rays series. (MLB)

Apparently, Along With The State of Florida, MLB Also Hates Handing Money Over to the Marlins

Uncle George may want some of that dough back. (FishStripes)
And, remember, it seems Jeffery gets a break if the stadium doesn't come "within five years". (TheBookOfMike)
Ray Ratto sees Vegas threat as "the new Tampa"..."the business end of an extortionist's gun."(SanFranciscoChronicle)
'Senator' Al Leiter slyly puts the screws on Bud Selig. (PalmBeachPost)
EXTRA: I didn't link to this before, as the phrase "team supporters" could mean just 2 guys in a bar, but what the hell...(Local10)

Marlins Lose 14-5

D-Train had one bad inning, Crowell impressed enough to be sent back down. (SunSentinel)
No $2 Tuesday - only thugs that showed up were wearing Dodgers uni's and smacking the ball around. (LATimesThruGoogle)
Mets, Phils move up a game in standings. (Scoreboard)(Standings)

Sunshine and Roses Recaps

(SunSentinel)(MiamiHerald)(SanBernardinoSun)

Padres upset at "The Chicken"

(BenMaller.com)

Marlins Beat Dodgers 6-2 - Braves Lose, Mets and Nats Win

(Yahoo)

Where Are They Now?

Ramon Castro on DL, DiFelice called up to Mets (TSN.ca)...Blaine Neal now with Rockies (MLB)

Tonight's Dodgers-Marlins Game is Scott Delaney's N.L. Game of the Year

"It's a Guaranteed Selection. If Scott doesn't deliver a winner, all purchasers will get the rest of May's baseball action 15 days of service absolutely free." (Question: If it's 'guaranteed' and it loses, how good could the next 15 days of picks be?) (FOXsports)

Another Rumor Bites the Dust: Karsay Signs With Rangers

(PostIntelligencer)

(EDIT: Got Tired of this Dopey Headline)

...as only a Biblical-style deluge (or beyond) will be stopping play these days. (MercuryNewsThruYahoo)

Grandpa Jack and Those Old 'Pitch Count' Stories Again

Uncle Leo chimes in, also. (LADailyNews)
'Grampa' "isn't a chummy sort of manager with his players by nature," writes Clark Spencer. (MiamiHerald)

Former Marlins Meet Former Dodgers in Another Edition of 'Who'll Stop The Bleeding?'

Brad Penny making his 1st start against Fish. (Yahoo)(MiamiHerald)
Paul Lo Duca finally at peace with not being a Dodger. (SanBernardinoSun)
Dodgers lost 5 out of the last 7 games, including yesterday - drop to 3rd in NL West. (LATimes)

10-run 7th Inning Fricassees the Fish

Conine went 3 for 4, though. (Nola.com)

Sunday's Game....

...is looking like a struggle...(SunSentinel)
...even though the last game A. J. pitched in San Diego was a no-hitter. (GoogleMercuryNews)

Unhappy Recaps

"The Padres won for the 12th time in 15 games, overcoming a combined three-hitter by Al Leiter and John Riedling....Padres pitchers retired the last 12 batters in a row....The Marlins have scored just six runs in Leiter's four losses, and just 21 total in his seven starts....The Marlins' 2-7 record in one-run games is the worst in the NL." (Yahoo AP)

"In two games, Padres pitchers have held the Marlins to two hits in 18 at-bats with runners in scoring position. Just two of the Marlins' last 20 batters reached base....Though he held the Padres to two runs on three hits, Leiter did walk five during the 106-pitch outing....He threw first-pitch strikes to just nine of 24 batters. Three of the first four he faced had 3-0 counts and two of them walked. Eleven Padres hitters worked three-ball counts, but for he most part Leiter stayed out of trouble. The Padres drew a walk in all but one of Leiter's six innings, but only one came around to score....(The San Diego Chicken) put on a better show than anyone wearing a visitors' uniform." (SunSentinel)

"(Trevor Hoffman) needed four pitches to retire the side in order for his 11th save, and second in as many nights....For the third straight game, the Marlins have failed to score more than two runs....Saturday marks the first time the Marlins have dropped a series to the Padres in San Diego since they went 1-2 in 2000...McKeon said,'Let's face it, you have to ask the hitting coach [Bill Robinson] about the hitters. I'm tired of answering it.'" (MLB)

Maverick says it's decision time on Mike Lowell. (MaverickBall)

And, needless to say, the Braves won, too. (Yahoo)

Cliff Floyd Hit 2 Homers Tonight, 10 for the Year Already

(Yahoo)...Mets, Phillies win, Nats lose - plus the rest of the scores. (Yahoo)
UPDATE: Marlins lose, but Braves lose spectacularly. (Yahoo)

Here's Some Nate Bump Audio

Remembering his Penn State days, and more. (FightOnState)

Delgado Gets 15-Game Suspension For Steroids

No, not Carlos,... Wilson. (BaseballAmerica)

Previews of Tonight's Game

(SunSentinel)(UnionTribune)(Ducksnorts)(Local10)

Mike Lowell Stands Up for the Slumping and Drugless

(HoustonChronicle)

Lasorda Defends Dodger Stadium's $2 Tuesday Against 'Bad Guys'

(PreviousPost) ...And does it in his new Blog.
EXTRA: Also at MLBlogs is the Deep Fried Fish Blog.

Curse of Ismael Ends

Tim Stauffer finally wins in the 5th starter position for Padres, wrapping up a 5-2 road trip. (SignOnSanDiego)

Dontrelle 'Easley' Wins Over Astros 2-1

Fish gain a game in the NL East, now half-game behind Braves. (Yahoo)

It's 9 years Since Marlins 1st No-Hitter

Can You-Know-Who do it again? (GrandForksHerald)
How 'bout tonight with Dontrelle? (SunSentinel)

Former Fish Stories

Articles today on Derrick Lee (ESPN), Jason Grilli (PostStandard), Blaine Neal (Philly.Com), Kevin Millar (Zwire.com), Hee-Seop Choi (SunSentinel)

Pedro Not Pitching Against Marlins Next Time Around?

Willie's having him start against the Yanks next week. (AlwaysAmazin)(Posting)

Marlins Come Back to Win 6-2

Mike Lowell does the deed. (SunSentinel)
Mets, Phils, Nats drop back a game in NL East. (Yahoo)

Marlins on a 2-Game Streak of Ending Their Opponents' Losing Streaks

Astros' were on a 6-game losing streak, and an 11-game road losing streak, both ending last night. The Rockies snapped a 10-game losing streak by beating the Marlins the night before. (Prediction: This streak will be snapped tonight.) (SunSentinel)

Luis Day-To-Day, Mota Probably in May,...

...Ismael - who knows what day? (PalmBeachPost)

Will The Stands at Next Tuesday's Game Be Filled With Goons??

Dodger Stadium and the terrors of $2 Tuesday. (LA-Times,thruGoogle)

Marlins Get Rocketed 2-1

(Yahoo)
The rest of the scores...(Yahoo)

Gregg Zaun Hopefully Okay After Collision at 2nd Base

(SLAM!)

Pirates Release Benito

Hoping for his 11th MLB team (or a re-do). (Yahoo AP)

'Part-Time Player', 'Locked-In Maniac' Pitching Tonight

(SunSentinel) "Burnett said of tonight's showdown with Clemens: 'It's the test of all tests. If you ask me, I'm in.'" (MiamiHerald)
Previews of Tonight's Game (MiamiHerald)(SunSentinel)

Marlins Lose, And So Did All the Other NL East Teams (Except the Braves, Dammit!)

(Yahoo) "Leiter's mental process has deteriorated." (SunSentinel)

Piles of Rumors

Marlins interested in Danys Baez, Jorge Julio, Felix Rodriguez. (SunTimes)
Phillies possibly shopping Billy Wagner? (Zwire.com)

Marlins Win, And So Did All the Other NL East Teams

(Yahoo) Beckett overcomes early shakiness - LoDuca goes 0-2, 1 RBI, wins mucho dinero on Giacomo. (SunSentinel)

Okay, What's So Great About 'That Other Place' Anyway?

Well, there's that big chunk of stadium-sized Downtown land with which (wouldn't you know?) they're Just Now deciding what to do. And also they are considered "the strongest potential market for a baseball team" (no matter that their potential TV Network would reach perhaps three double-wides and a whore house, inspiring some gaming schemes that would have Pete Rose spinning in his bar stool, as they're still "going to have to get very creative with the financing" to pay for it all). And, ultimately, it's just fun to pronounce the word "Ralenkotter." (Review-Journal)

UPDATE: Vegas big whig gives Joe Capozzi the lowdown about any possible Marlins move. (PalmBeachPost)

D-Train Whups Rockies 7-0

10 strikeouts, 3 against Helton - 110 pitches, 80 for strikes. (Yahoo)

Thank God That Stadium Junk is Over - Now Let's Have Some BASEBALL!!

Hey, Greg Cote says not to worry... (KnightRidder)
It was suicide, anyway - "The Marlins killed the Marlins," says Lee... (SunSentinel)
...and the Devil Rays are happy. (StPeteTimes)
So enjoy - the upper deck is open tonight. (TicketMaster)

Braves Squeak Ahead of Fish in Standings; Mets Beat Phillies

(Yahoo)(Yahoo)

If You Think You've Got Problems...

...check out Armando Benitez's new situation. (AP,thru Yahoo)

Rumors: Yanks Thinking About Encarnacion, Marlins About Karsay

(Bergen.Com)(SunSentinel)

Braves Defeat Fish 5-2

Cabrera got half of the Fish's hits, Encarnacion whiffs bad, Chipper homers on A.J.'s first pitch to him. (Yahoo)(MaverickBall)(FishStripes)(BaseballMusings)

Just a Reminder: After Friday, Start Thinking 'Las Vegas Marlins'

Senate Leader Lee could waive the rules, but won't if bill doesn't have the votes - not even a Spanish sports show in Tallahassee can change his mind. (SunSentinel)
Lee's top priority bill could be held hostage in House (heh, heh, heh). (StPeteTimes)
Quotes from the carnage: "I don't even drink the water up here. I'm just getting the hell out." "And if they want to blame me for the four hurricanes last year, that's all right, too." (PalmBeachPost)
Here are 4 choices if/when State says No. (MiamiHerald)
Mike Berardino prepares us for the possibly inevitable. (SunSentinel)

Marlins Stadium Bill Screwing Up What we Really Need - a NASCAR Museum!

Frank Cerabino knows what's necessary. (PalmBeachPost)

Ivy League Graduates Infiltrating Baseball

Like Dan Noffsinger and Mike Hill with the Fish . (HarvardCrimson)

Marlins Best Braves 11-6

Leiter gets his 1st win this year, Mecir 'puts out the fire' in the 8th. (Yahoo)
Ted Turner shows up in Braves clubhouse, Braves promptly lose. (MiamiHerald)

More Quotes...

"Florida Marlins pitcher Josh Beckett had the Kobe beef burger while lunching Saturday with his accountant at the Moshulu on Penn's Landing. The next day, he served up five runs on five hits in two innings."
- Michael Klein (PhiladelphiaInquirer)

"This is a funny game when (hitters) can fail 70 percent of the time and be considered good. What other business could you be in and consider that a success? In baseball you do. The toughest thing in baseball for an individual is to learn to deal with failure, but there is more failure than there is success.''
- Marlins bench coach Harry Dunlop (PalmBeachPost)

Charles Elmore's 'Yes' Vote on Rich Waltz

"Despite the tough acts to follow, Waltz is a good call. His pace has improved in the past 10 games. Familiarity with the club, and learning how to hand off more smoothly to Hutton, are only helping. He even shows a little spark that Kaspar -- now particularly super-cautious under a microsope with the Cubs -- sometimes kept in check too much in Florida." (PalmBeachPost)

D-Train Pitcher of The Month

(MLB)
UPDATE: Using the proprietary VtPSE metric, Brian Moehler is pitcher of the month. (FishStripes)

Len Kasper's "Tiptoeing On Eggshells" In Chicago

"(Bob) Brenly has bent over backwards to avoid the appearance of second-guessing (Dusty) Baker, a man he served as coach with the Giants after leaving the Cubs booth in 1992. Yet, the net effect in all this has been to stifle Kasper and make for a bland broadcast." (ChicagoSportsReview)

Mota Out; Spooneybarger Out Longer; Smith, Crowell In

Marlins looking? (TransactionGuy)

Isotopes' Frank Castillo Hoping To Be Called Up

He's trying for 2 World Series rings in a row. (TimesPicayune)

Some Quotes

Josh Beckett, after yesterday's loss -
"I threw batting practice. [Now,] I've five days to think about it." (MiamiHerald)

Charlie Manuel -
"I want to play with a full deck." (CourierPost)

Agent Tom O'Connell, on client Dan Miceli's desire to pitch for the Rockies -
"That's where he wants to be, but it has to make sense." (DenverPost)

Forecast for Atlanta - Good on Tues., Iffy on Wed.

(NOAA)

One Advantage For Fish in Playing Aug. 8 Rockies DoubleHeader?

Probably no Preston. (DenverPost)

Todd Jones' Two-Year-Old 'John Rocker Moment' Remembered

...as the play that sparked his remarks opens in Denver. (DenverPost)
FLASH: Kinder, gentler Todd Jones tosses goodies to fans. (FishStripes)

"Multiple-Jersey Disorder Happens To Be Endemic Among The Teams With The Least History"

(KansasCityStar)

"It's Not April Any More", Say The Phillies

Philadelphia rocks Josh for 5 runs (68 pitches in 2 innings) - Fish lose 8-6. (MercuryNews)
Lo Duca 3 for 4, 2 RBI; Moehler pitches 4 innings. (MLB)

D-Train and Fish Win 2-1 in Rain-Shortened Game