Schedule Adjustment

Now that the Dolphins have released their 2009 schedule, the Marlins have to make changes to accomodate them, as the Fish are the second-class tenants at what was once known as P.P. Park. The Dolphins' Monday night national cablecast on Sept. 21 will force that date's scheduled Marlins game with the Phillies to July 16, reducing their All-Star break to 3 days.

Historically July 16 doesn't look so great. The Marlins have lost 4 of their last 5 July 16th games, while the Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 on that date (one of those games was against each other, won by the Phils in 2005). They both lost their most-recent July 16th game. if that's any consolation.

But that's okay, since September 21 may actually be worse for the Fish. In their last 9 Sept. 21st games, the Marlins' record is 2-7 and the Phillies' record is 8-1. They played each other 3 times in that span - in 2001, 2004, and 2008 - and those were all Fish losses.

So maybe the Dolphins have changed something terrible for the Marlins into something merely bad. That's what good neighbors are for.