Saturday Games

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WIN-CAP: Marlins win, Phillies lose. Mets and Braves win, Nats lose.

Where Can We Tune in Marlins Games Next Year?

Capefish joins in the discussion with radio guys over where the Marlins (or Panthers for that matter) will end up on the Miami dial. (Radio-Info.com)

Fish at Filladelphia

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REVERSE-CAP: Another 9th-inning rally goes the other way as the Phillies beat the Marlins 6-5. Nats beat Mets. Braves win.

...And the Orgy of Hatred Continues...

Craig has revealed to us bloggers that hate the Marlins.

The state Senate, including at least one Miami senator, hates them.

Even the Marlin's flagship radio station hates them.

At least the Orlando Sentinel has come out for the sports subsidy.

No-Fun-At-All Facts

"With four games left in April, the pitching staff is next-to-last in the National League in ERA (5.05), runs allowed (118) and walks (101). Only the Washington Nationals have worse numbers.

"The Marlins are on track to finish with the franchise's second-highest ERA for any April and worst since the 1998 team posted a 5.19 ERA to start the season. And this month, opposing hitters are batting .290, the highest allowed in April by any Florida staff....

"Of the 118 runs the Marlins have allowed this year, 49, or 41.5 percent have come with two outs - the worst percentage in the league."

After all that it's amazing the team's record is 10-11. (PalmBeachPost)

Day Off

Washington at Philadelphia is the only NL East game tonight.

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UPDATE: Nats beat Phils.

"Braves, Marlins Play Series in Bizarro World"

Braves fan Charlie Hatton explains the Braves-Marlins series. (Bugs&Cranks)

Brand New Day

Maybe Dontrelle's new baby will bring us good luck. Scott Olsen is set to go against Tim Hudson tonight. Here's the 411...

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GOO-GOO-GOOD: Fish trounce the Braves in the 9th inning (Correction: Maybe 'trounce' is not the word Probably 'just barely squeaking past' is more accurate.) . Mets and Nats lose. Philly wins.

Vanden Hurk Out

Rick got rocked for 6, was lifted in the 2nd and dropped down into Double A - Nate Field has been brought up.

"Tuesday marked the third time since April 15 a starter has failed to complete three innings." The Fish are now 6-7 at home.

And at This Point...

...the Mets have 13 wins and 6 losses, Atlanta is 13-7, Florida is 9-11, Philly is 8-11, and the Nationals are 6-14.

Time to Flee

Now that the Fish are 1-5 in their last 6 games, it's time once again to take some time off, and maybe do some baseball-god-appeasin' stuff to get that luck twisted back around. I think I'll have more possible Internet access during this hiatus as opposed to previous times. But the powers that lord over all my vacations will still have the final say. So if I can't log in regularly, at least here are the next 7 days' worth of scoreboards....

Wednesday, April 18
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Thursday, April 19
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Friday, April 20
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Saturday, April 21
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INTERRUPTING-SATURDAY-NIGHT-IN-VACATIONLAND-TO-FINALLY-SAY: Yippie!

Sunday, April 22
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Monday, April 23
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Tuesday, April 24
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RESULTS?: Well, 3 wins out of 7 is better than 1 out of 6.

Place-marking

At this point in the NL East - Atlanta is at 9 wins and 4 losses, the Mets are 8-4, Florida is at 6-7, the Nationals are 4-10, and the team to beat is 3-9.

Mitre vs. Oswalt Tonight

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DISASTER-CAP: A horrible loss - not only is Mitre injured, but Jorge isn't. Julio has taken so many steps backward that he's now pitching from the bleacher section.

They'll probably change it, but the 10:09 ET AP story of the game said, and I quote,...

"Julio allowed six runs and five hits in one inning for the victory."

Well, if the Julio experiment ends tonight, then yes, maybe it would be a victory.

AND: The Mets beat Philly, and the Nats lose to the Braves.

Alex Carver Says "We Deserved This In Every Sense Of The Word"

"This was one of the sloppiest played and managed games I¹ve seen from of the Marlins in fourteen years." (MarlinsToday)

The Plunkers and the Plunked

A dissertation on the recent history of the Marlins as it relates to hitting batters or being hit while batting. (The Marlins set a franchise record for hitting batters last season.) (PlunkBiggio)

Texas Two-Step

Here's a pretty comprehensive preview of the two-game Marlins-Astros series. Anibal and Wandy projected to start tonight.

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RECAP: The Nats defeat the Braves, and the Fish and Astros are tied 3-3 in the 8th at 10:55 ET.
6:25 AM DOWN-DATE: Fish lose 4-3.

Jorge's ERA Drops to 13.50

And he did it while going backwards. (SunSentinelMarlinsBlog)

Happy Jackie Robinson Day

2 games are already rained out (get a dome Boston and Queens).

UPDATE: 3 more games postponed (get a ditto Philly and Pittsburgh). The skies are crying on No. 42's day (must have something to do with Imus).

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BOO-CAP: Fish lose to Atlanta 8-4.

Fun Facts

"The Marlins are first in the National League in batting average (.295), hits (104), runs (60), RBI (59), doubles (29) and triples (6) and are second in home runs (11)...

"Cabrera is leading the NL in batting average (.429), RBI (13), total bases (31) and on-base percentage (.543).

"Jacobs, who hit .194 this spring, is hitting .343, two points behind Hanley Ramirez (.345). Rookie Alejandro De Aza is hitting .313, and just about everyone in the lineup is hitting well." (MiamiHerald)

Son of Borat Attends Game

'Jason Wood said he jumped several feet Friday when -- while he was at the plate -- a fan threw a baseball that almost hit him.

'"It scared the life out of me," Wood said. "I even looked over to [Braves manager] Bobby Cox and he was shaking his head. I've never seen anything like it. It almost hit me. I jumped out of the box. I didn't know what would follow."

'The fan was escorted from Turner Field, but he might have made an innocent mistake. According to stadium personnel, the fan was a foreigner who was attending his first baseball game.

'He had seen fans throwing home run balls back on the field, so when he caught Wood's foul ball in back of home, he threw it back on the field.' (MiamiHerald)

Baseball Everywhere

Last night was a treat - my cable company (Comcast) was showing a free preview of the MLB Extra Innings package. Since I'm too cheap to purchase it I was glad to at least see what I will be missing. Hopefully it will continue for a while - Comcast gave me absolutely zero advance notice of this, and I wouldn't have known if I wasn't just stumbling around the dial. Great to see and hear Vin Scully continuing to excel in his trade.

Fo' da Fish, it's Olsen vs. Davies tonight. Here are the contests....

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WELL-NOT-EXACTLY-EVERYWHERE: The Marlins/Braves game gets rained out (get a dome Atlanta). First indications are that Olsen will still start on Sunday, but Tim Hudson will pitch for Atlanta. Philly wins, and the Nats beat the Mets.

Closer by Committee

Craig expounds on his concerns over Fredi's decision to hold off on deciding. (FishStripes)

Stadium by Committee

One bill meets its last committee, another bill is scheduled for its last committee, and then if all goes well there'll be one big final committee to smash it all together. (MarlinsBallparkNews)

Friday the 13th in Atlanta

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D-CAP: Dontrelle does good as the offense smacks Redman around - Fish win 11-4. Mets beat Nats, and Phillies lose.

Rich and Tommy Recognize Bloggers

Not only did they use info on their April 11th broadcast from this guy's site, but they gave him on-the-air credit too, which was mightly apprieciated. (ThePastime.Net)

Verification - Jorge Not Closing

First the Sun-Sentinel, and now the Post, reports the joyous news.

(SunSentinel) (PalmBeachPost)

No Marlins Game Today

But Philly's still at Shea, and Washington's still at Turner Field.

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RECAP: The Mets beat the Phillies, and Washington actually beat Atlanta.

3RD SERIES RESULTS: The Marlins lose 2-of-3 to Milwaukee, the Mets win 2-of-3 from Philly, and the Braves won 2-of-3 from the Nats.

NEXT-SERIES: Florida starts 3 games at Atlanta tonight, Houston spends the weekend at Philly, and the Nationals play at New York.

Injury Exchange: De Aza Out, Taylor Activated

Alejandro has a "bad ankle. Gonzalez said the injury would be reevaluated Friday"...And it's too bad, but Lee Gardner had to be sent down to make room for Tankersley. (MiamiHerald)

Un-fun Facts

"Of the 11 home runs hit by the Marlins this season, nine have come with the bases empty" (MiamiHerald)...

"Before Tuesday's play, the Marlins were averaging 6.43 runs through seven games, second in the National League. They scored only four runs in 22 innings against Milwaukee pitching, dropping that average to 5.4 runs." (SunSentinel)...

"The Marlins struck out 27 times over the past two games." (PalmBeachPost)

Wednesday's (And the End of Tuesday's Suspended) Games

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DOUBLE-CRAP: The Marlins lost Tuesday's game and Wednesday's game. Philly beat the Mets, and Atlanta beat the Nats.

Donut Disaster

"Fans can exchange their tickets from Tuesday's suspended game for tickets to today's game or can exchange their tickets plus $1 for any remaining Monday through Thursday regular-season home game this year." So if the Marlins get a grand-slam to win last night's game, and then score 6 or more in the 'night-cap' those fans that exchange their tickets won't get double the donuts?

Meanwhile it was reported on a TV news program that some Dunkin' Donuts weren't honoring the give-away. Supposedly the wording of the offer has now been changed from 'breakfast and coffee' to 'two doughnuts and coffee'. No congressional investigations have been called for.

Game 2 Today

Claudio Vargas is scheduled to start for the Sausage-Race-less Brewers.

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SUSPEND-A-CAP: Another first for the Fish - the 1st MLB game to be suspended under the new rules. Jorge's latest disaster will be finished tonight if the weather allows. Atlanta beats the Nats.

Injury Exchange: Willingham Comes In, Nolasco Goes Out

Rick Vanden Hurk takes the leap from SingleA to the Majors tonight, and his parents make a leap over the Atlantic to watch...ALSO: Jorge knows what's wrong after viewing tapes of his performance - "''It's too fast,''...."It's not me.''... ''I don't care,''..."I don't listen.'' (MiamiHerald)

Suppan vs. Sanchez Tonight

The Marlins haven't lost to the Brewers since 2005. Hopefully the tradition continues...

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RE-RECAP: Fish win, and the Mets beat the Phillies.

Hanley and Hammer Hurt

Both are listed as day-to-day. MEANWHILE: Fredi's neighbor/buddy is in the other dugout tonight. (PalmBeachPost)

Scott Hates The Phillies

Let's see if he can channel that frustration into a positive evisceration of their lineup. Rookie Zack Segovia is to pitch his 1st big-league game today for the Phils. Here's the games...

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WHEE-CAP: Fish win 6-4. Lee gets his first MLB save, and Jorge improves his ERA to 16.88.

2ND SERIES RESULTS: The Fish win 2-of-3 from Philly. The Braves win 2-of-3 from the Mets. The Nats lose all 4.

NEXT-UP: Brewers play 3 in Florida, the Nats play 3 at Atlanta, and the Phils play 4 at Shea.

Thanks For The Memories

It was nice that Alfonseca showed up on a night honoring the '97 Championship team. It wasn't so nice that he also shut the Marlins down for 1.1 innings last night.

Well, it's Game 2 today. Myers will be up against Dontrelle. Here's today's matchups/scores...

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RECAP: Marlins beat the Phillies 8-5, as Hammer almost hits for the cycle, Cabrera keeps up his .500 average while Dan's drops to .098, and Jorge brings his ERA down to 19.29. Atlanta finally stops the Mets. The Nats lose again.

Marlinsbeisbol.com Finally Started

11 other teams had Spanish web sites before the Marlins (including even the Devil Rays).

ALSO: Tank and Josh and Logan are improving...and a half-dozen Marlins runs at a home game will get the fans who see it free breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts. (MLB)

Jeffrey, Ironman Fixate on Downtown Site

Jeffrey: `"I'm very happy and optimistic that the city and the county are talking about the stadium being downtown, which is where we belong." (SunSentinel)

Ironman: '"What [owner] Jeffrey [Loria] was saying is he is optimistic and hopeful the county and city are continuing to work toward a downtown site stadium deal," team president David Samson said. "To the extent that they are, which we believe they are, we are very excited about that."

'Why do the Marlins favor a downtown location?

'"I think that having a downtown site as a priority makes sense because an urban facility with mass transportation, with people having the ability to walk downtown and park once when they go downtown as opposed to parking twice, I think that all adds up to a better chance of success," Samson said.' (MLB)

QUESTION: Uh,..park twice?

Good Friday in More Ways Than One

It's Opening Day in South Florida! There'll be many festivities and celebrations of the team of 10 years ago. So join Greg Cote and scoff at those 'experts' who predict a drop-off season for the Fish. Hey, the weather should even clear up by this afternoon.

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OKAY-BACK-TO-BEING-MISERABLE-RECAP: Fish not only lose 8-2, but Olivo's day-to-day with a bruised right thumb.

MORE: Washington loses, and the Mets wallop the Braves.

Fishy Notes

The Marlins infielders are error-free so far and are hoping to stay that way....

D-Train will be wearing No. 42 on April 15....

The 0-3 Phillies are a little down right now. They have acquired Francisco Rosario from Toronto to try to help their bullpen and hopefully keep their fans from attacking the players.

At Least One Stadium Subsidy Bill Still Survives

(MarlinsBallparkNews)

MORE: Team official doesn't expect results until May. (PalmBeachPost)

Marlins Off Today

...giving them time perhaps for some more charitable work. Atlanta plays Philly this afternoon.

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FIRST SERIES RESULTS: Atlanta win 3 games off of Philly; Mets win 3 too; Marlins win 2 out of 3 from Washington.

NEXT SERIES START: Arizona already beat the Nats tonight. On Friday the Fish start playing the visiting Phils, and the Mets start 3 at Atlanta.

Julio Promises More of the Same

"We're just starting this season. This is the career I've chosen. You just have to keep at it and keep moving forward. These moments are important for me to help the team and give the people of Miami confidence I can do the job here like the previous closers."

(Sun-Sentinel)(MiamiHerald)(FutureFish)

Sweep Potential Today

Anibal starts this afternoon. Rookie Matt Chico emerges from an alley behind a warehouse to start for the Nats.

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DE-SWEEPED: Maybe it was the cold dark clouds that suddenly covered the sky...Maybe it was the missed opportunities through the middle innings....Maybe it was the latent effects of Anibal's giving up 3 runs in the 6th and a few luckily-placed Washington hits....Nawwww, it was Jorge. Atlanta beat Philly, while Maine and the Mets trounce St. Louis.

Did You Know...

...that the Marlins do not have the lowest MLB payroll this year?

...that "(w)ith a win this afternoon, the Marlins can match the 1997 team for the best start in franchise history"?

...that a 103-year-old woman threw out the first pitch at last Thursday's spring game?

Game Number 2 2-Night

Olsen goes against Hill. Let's see if the Fish keep it up.

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UP!-UPDATE: Marlins win again 9-3. Mets beat St. Looey (fooey).

Check Out "The Sports Fan Base of South Florida" Series

Over at 'Fish or Cut Bait', Henry Gomez's analysis unfolds like the multi-layers of an onion, charting step-by-step the mystery of the SoFla Fish fan. Hopefully the series last another 500 or so episodes.

(Part 1)(Part 2)(Part 3)(Part 4)(Part 5)

Boo!

Marlins start the season already in second place...

Here's an "Opening Day is special, even when it really isn't in the overall scheme of things" story.

Dontrelle thinks the Nats will be tougher than most people think. He also thinks the Marlins won't have a letdown this year either. The team's still loose and still having fun out there. So Let's get the Show Started!

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YAY!!!: The Marlins (including practically everyone who participated) beat the Nationals 9-2, and are now embroiled in a brutal, cut-throat, no-holes-barred three-way race down to the wire for the division championship. Fredi is already drinking the champagne.

No Foolin'...Season Starts Tonight

Mets at St. Louis (not Japan, not Mexico, not even Timbuktu, but St. Louis) start off the bumpy road to October. Check the score through the service that works for you...

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Fish Finish Exhibitions With a Win

Marlins beat Reds in Fifth Third park by the score of sixth to twoth. Mitre pitched well, Miguel homers.

One of Your Nastier Marlins Previews

...with links to more problematic previews from Batter's Box and Deadspin. (OutOfLeftField)

MEANWHILE: Mr. Pinto gives a more even-tempered preview of the NL East. (BaseballMusings)

Beinfest Makes Another 'Huh?' Trade

(FutureFish)

Spring Stats Are Meaningless, But...

...'the Marlins finished their Grapefruit League season with the fewest runs scored (105) and the lowest batting average (.218) in the Major Leagues.' (BareBaseball)

Reed's Plight Frustrating

'"I don't want to say anything because I'll probably say something I'll regret." - Eric Reed, when asked for his reaction to being reassigned to minor-league camp despite hitting .351 for the Marlins in 15 spring games.'(PalmBeachPost)

Uggy's Plight Ugly

First his mother's kidnapping, and now sentenced to 14 years in prison. Loria, Dontrelle, Miguel are beside themselves. (LJworld.com)

Roster Man Vibrations

Former bully De Aza is the Marlins' new centerfielder. Here's Fredi's thoughts on Alejandro...

"Every time he gets in the game something good happens. He has won me over. He has won the staff over and he has won the team over."

"Eric Reed did everything he was supposed to do but De Aza came out of nowhere,...We had an open competition and he won.

"It's just his overall play. You can't say it's because he hit 350. It's the way he handled himself. He can play all three outfield positions above average. He's an above-average runner."

Reed was sent to AAA. Alex Sanchez was released, along with pitchers Felix Rodriguez and Mike Koplove. Tankersley and Hermida start the season on the DL. (PalmBeachPost)

ALSO: Right-field will be the Cody and Joe show for a while. And "catcher Paul Hoover, infielder Zach Sorensen and pitcher Roy Corcoran were told they would be reassigned to the minors when the Marlins break camp." (SunSentinel)

MORE: Wood and Gardner tell their families they're in.

Andy Fox Arrives

The papers converge...(SunSentinel)(PalmBeachPost)(MiamiHerald)

'Metstradamus' Previews The 2007 Marlins

(ClickHere)

Interleague Scheduler a Marlins Fan?

'The only reason the Mets are not playing all eight playoff teams from last year is that they were one of them. The Mets have wound up with an interleague schedule with three-game series against the Yankees (twice), the Twins, the Tigers and the As, 2006 postseason teams all. Their interleague opponents average 2006 winning percentage is .590, by far the highest among the 30 teams.

'Meanwhile, the Marlins, going for the same National League East crown, get two series against the Devil Rays and one each against the Royals, the Twins, the Indians and the White Sox. The combined winning percentage of their six A.L. opponents is .461, or 29th over all.' (NYTimes)

(Hat tip to Balls, Sticks & Stuff, after another hat tip to Baseball Musings)

Craig Asks (And Answers) 5 Questions About the Florida Marlins

Check them out at the Hardball Times.

Fish Finally Do the Deal

Jorge Julio is coming to close for the Marlins, and Yusmeiro is cast to the Snakes. (MLB)

MORE...

1. Beinfest has wanted Julio since 2005. (MiamiHerald)

2. It's hard to find a commenter on the Marlins blogs who likes the deal. 'alex' is one of the few I found. (SunSentinelBlog)

3. There's some question about how much money Arizona is throwing into the deal. "Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes... wouldn't say specifically how much of Julio's salary the Diamondbacks will be paying, but he did say that the deal did not require the approval of the commissioner's office, which would suggest that less than $1 million changed hands. Reports out of Florida said the opposite, that the trade had to be approved." (AZcentral)

De Aza, Gall Still Have a Chance?

And a hopeful report from Gall: "I said the other day to my wife, 'I can't remember having this much fun in a clubhouse and with a group of guys.' I really like the chemistry here."

MORE: Tank's throwing, and an early Opening Day weather forecast. (PalmBeachPost)

EDITED: Sorry, Alejandro.

See You Later, 'Superstar'

Robert Andino's back has healed well enough for him to be shipped back to Albuquerque. (MLN)

Old Marlins Player Now New Marlins Coach

Andy Fox coming down from Spokane to take over from Perry Hill as the Marlins' first-base/infield coach. (PalmBeachPost)

Hanley and Dan Made PROTRADE's 2006 MLB All-Lucky Team

In case you're wondering, that's not good. (BaseballMusings)

Bye Bye Perry

All the best wishes possible to Mr. Hill and his family.

MEANWHILE: How can you replace the irreplaceable? Maybe Ed Romero, maybe Cookie Rojas (shhh, don't mention Jack). (SunSentinel)

Bye Bye Orange Bowl?

One UM official thinks that "only if the Marlins' stadium plan collapses soon, and the city uses its $108 million Marlins contribution toward renovating the OB" would keep the Hurricanes from moving to Joe-Pro-Phin Stadium.

Sounds as if the 'Canes would get a better stadium deal than the Marlins play under right now...

"Unlike at the OB, UM would get some parking and concession revenue and pay less rent."

However, did you know that, according to "Dolphin Stadium president Bruce Schulze....the Marlins have scheduling priority even over the Dolphins." (!)

MEANWHILE: Fredi thinks Hanley will be eventually a middle-of-the-order hitter. (MiamiHerald)

Pitching Duel in Jupiter Yesterday

Willis outlasts Carpenter, De Aza drives in the winning run, Messenger closes. (MiamaHerald)

Down the Stretch They Come!

It's Reed and Sanchez coming down to the wire, and Mitre and Petit mow down the minors vying for spot No. 5... ALSO: Andino returns. (PalmBeachPost)

Redevelopment Agency Money Won't Be Needed For Stadium

So says Yorty...(MiamiToday)

Voters Asked to Protect Us From Who They Voted For

'Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, and Rep. Scott Randolph D-Orlando, said Tuesday that their bills would give voters the final say on such (sports) tax breaks.

'Bennett said it was "absolutely crazy" to give $60 million to the Marlins while Floridians are suffering from high property taxes and insurance costs.

(Of course he's right. It's obvious that if the subsidy's voted down, all of Florida's tax and insurance problems will disappear.)

'"If you're going to ask somebody in the Panhandle to help pay for a football stadium in Tampa or a baseball stadium in Miami, I believe they should have a right to vote on it," he said. "It's their money."

(But the gracious people of Pensacola and Destin want us to have our stadium out of the goodness of their hearts. We should send them a card thanking them when they pay for it. Although I don't know if they will like paying even more money to add referendums to their ballots or, heaven forbid, set up a special election to decide if they are willing to pay for something we all know they would love to pay for in the first place.)

'Randolph used a number of sports analogies to make his case at a press conference that featured hockey sticks, mini basketball goals and footballs covered in fake dollar bills.

'"In a democracy, our voters should be the referees. If they see local government step out of bounds they should get to call a foul," he said.

(Continuing the analogy, if players from Orlando and Bradenton cross into the south side of the field to try to take the Pensacola pigskin away, the southern team should do a little hat trick on their facemask and personally foul them all the way up to Ocala. Yay, democracy! )

'The bill would also require a local referendum if a county or city wished to give tax breaks for a local effort to help a sports team.

(Too site-specific. Why not a national vote to determine whether the state and the county and the city votes can be substantiated? How about a UN resolution? Take it to Intergalactic Court!)

'Bennett said the $60 million that the Marlins want to help build a new stadium could be used to pay for health care for 355,000 children, for 30,000 police officers or 12,600 teachers.

(Maybe, if the 60 mil was flung all at once, but unfortunately, it's $2 million for 30 years. By the time 2037 comes along, $2 million will get you an aspirin tablet and a couple of slabs of soylent green.)

'"If the Florida Marlins or any other baseball team can spend $52 million to pay a guy to throw a ball 90 feet, I think they can kind of fix their own stadium," he said.

(True. The only thing those blood-sucking Marlins have done is make over $200 million in committments to construct a building that they wouldn't even own. The sheer audacity to imagine that they could possibly hoard some extra cash so that they could brazenly pay for someone to throw a ball 90 feet or, even worse, 60!)

'Bennett said Crist supported the idea of requiring a vote before tax breaks were given. But Crist said he hadn't decided yet.

'"I wouldn't rule it out," Crist said, after explaining why the teams were important to Florida.

'"I look at sports as an economic development opportunity," he said. "It's not outside the realm of reasonableness for us at the state level to feel that it's worthwhile to nurture the teams that are already here."

'But many economists say public financing of sports teams does nothing to help local economies since money spent at sporting events would be spent elsewhere anyway.

'"I'm sure it's better to have them than to not have them," Crist said.'

(For clarification I called the Governor's office and got this message: "Hello, this is Governor Crist. I agree with everything you want. Please say anything at all at the tone, and I'll agree with it too...*beep*.) (LakelandLedger)

The Story Since Thursday...

Marlins win 3 of their last 5 games...Paul Hoover has a talent, but don't tell anybody...Willis and Cabrera and all that money...Fredi has Dontrelle starting in the 1st opening day in D.C. since 1969...It's also the last opening day for RFK...Rest of the rotation - Olsen, Sanchez, Nolasco and Petit/Mitre...Jeremy needs knee relief...

Ouch

Andino's back is still sore, and so is Willis' right thumb. (MiamiHerald)

Hurdles? What Hurdles?

Stadium sales tax bill flies through two legislative committees on its way to about 900 or so other committees. So get with it, Marlins fans! Prove the state economists wrong, and get an extra job just so you can buy those tickets!

Quickies

The Fish beat O's again, Reggie's sent down, and the Marlins are checking out trades with the BoSox.

Stadium Stories

Next hurdle the Marlins need to cross for state assistance coming on Thursday. (MarlinsBallparkNews)

MEANWHILE: Miami commissioners are serious about having court trials for children, and putting the Marlins where the Orange Bowl may not be for long. (MiamiHerald)

Fish Beat O's 4-1

(MiamiHerald)

Twins Rough Up Fish 9-1

Dontrelle gave up 9 hits and 6 runs in 3 innings...Mildren sent down. (BrainerdDispatch)

Freespirit Fredi vs. G. I. Joe

'(T)hough it's a sensitive topic that some Marlins are reluctant to discuss, players have noticed differences.

'Matt Treanor said Gonzalez "is more relaxed with the guys. You knew where Joe was all the time. Fredi is letting us do what we need to do."

'Josh Willingham said Girardi, who sometimes ran with the players, was "a little" more hands-on: "Girardi told us more things early in spring training, where Fredi is kind of letting us get our feet wet."

'And Mike Jacobs said: "Girardi was a little more strict the way he wanted things done. Fredi is a little more loose."

'So is it better to have a manager who is more easygoing, or do these young Marlins need someone such as Girardi, who constantly is pushing them?

"I don't know. I kind of like the constant push," Jacobs said. "My biggest thing this year is hopefully we don't take the success we had last year for granted. We're still young. We have a lot of things to learn and work on."

'Another returning Marlin who requested anonymity (!) said the ideal approach would be "in the middle" between Girardi (who the player said micromanaged) and Gonzalez (who he said doesn't). That player likes how Gonzalez is "allowing guys to show their individuality," but wonders how some of the young players will respond if they're not being constantly pushed as they were last year, when Girardi called team meetings to express displeasure.

'Gonzalez, who likes to throw batting practice, said his style won't change in the regular season: "That has always been my approach every team I've had. I let the guys play and my coaching staff work. When I was coaching, I didn't like someone micromanaging me."

'Because he has a young team, does Gonzalez think he needs to push more? "No, I don't. If I see something that needs to be addressed, I will address it with that individual. And if that doesn't work, we'll try it again. And if that doesn't work, we'll get [GM Larry Beinfest] involved and we'll make it work somehow. I'm not here to embarrass anyone. I'm not calling a team meeting every other day."

'Said Miguel Cabrera: "He's a nice guy, but you have to respect him and play hard for him. If you don't, he will say something. That's good."' (MiamiHerald)

Another Unfinished Finish

Former hockey prospect Glavine and Sergio Mitre both pitch well, and the Mets and Marlins skate to,...er, ah, Play to a 5-5 tie. (SLAMSports)

Mucho Games

Cardinals beat the Fish on Friday. On Saturday Split-Squad Day the Marlins won over the Dodgers in Vero and lost to them in Jupiter.

City Commission Dittoes County

They want the stadium, and at the Orange Bowl too. (SunSentinel)

Marlins Beat Dodgers 2-1

(MiamiHerald)

The Tale of Tosca

Fredi and Carlos seem to make a good team. (MiamiHerald)

Some Legislators Want Voters to Decide on Stadium

'Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, said any money spent to build or refurbish pro sports facilities should be decided by the voters instead.

'"Every person who thinks their property taxes are high right now should be contacting their Legislature and the governor's office and demanding that we not use their hard-earned money to support a professional sports franchise," Bennett said. "If they want to have taxpayers' money, then let the taxpayers vote on it."

'Bennett's bill (SB 1008) would require a voter referendum at the state, county or city level to finance enhancements to attract or keep pro franchises. A similar measure (HB 687) in the House is sponsored by Rep. Scott Randolph, D-Orlando.

'Miami lawmakers in both the House and Senate, however, are pushing legislation designed to provide a $60 million tax rebate to help the Florida Marlins build a half-billion dollar, retractable-roof park at a site yet to be determined.

"I'm really not understanding why (Bennett would) want to put that on a referendum at this point," said Sen. Rudy Garcia, R-Miami, who is sponsoring one of the measures to help the Marlins. "It's not tax dollars going to the stadium, it's a rebate." (Bradenton.com)

Split Results

Fish tie the Orioles (Dontrelle looked good) and lose bad to the Dodgers (Jeremy's still hitless).

County Commission Throws Gyroball at Bob DuPuy

Commissioners voted 11-1 to continue to pursue a stadium for the Marlins. But, in response to threats by the Hurricanes to move their football team to Dolphin Stadium, several commissioners now want the baseball park to be built at the Orange Bowl. 'We were surprised at the discussion regarding alternative sites," Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy said.' (SunSentinel)

Dice-K Today

The man with the winning smile faces his first test against Major-League bats today (it would be a good day for the Marlins to reverse their recent batting slump). Roger Dean will be over-filled with international media. Petit is scheduled to start for the Fish.

RESULT?: Matsusaka pitched well, but Petit pitched better. Hanley homered. Fish lose 14-6 in the 10th inning. (MLB)

'Fish Or Cut Bait' Revived

Same address, but now fully reconditioned.

Marlins Back in Ft. Lauderdale to Play O's Again

"Fredi Gonzalez said he hoped to give Borchard some time in center field today..." (SunSentinel)

WHA' HAPPENED?: Fish lose 5-3. Nolasco was scheduled to pitch but didn't, owing to back spasms that he started having on Friday. Borchard went 0 for 1. (MLB)

SOME GOOD DEFENSE, THOUGH: "After losing a fly ball in the sun, resulting in a third-inning single for Baltimore's Aubrey Huff on Monday, Reggie Abercrombie threw Huff out trying to advance to third on Ramon Hernandez's RBI single. ... Josh Willingham made a strong throw to second, nabbing J.R. House, who was trying to stretch out a double in the fourth." (MLB)

Loria Speaks

(PalmBeachPost)

Cards Beat Fish Again

(MLB)

Marlins Lose to Cardinals 8-1 - And Play Them Again Today

(MiamiHerald)

Blog Re-invigorated

The blog of Juan C. Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel has been laying low for a long while, but recently, with the new season coming and with the addition of fellow Sun-Sentinel writer Mike Berardino, it's now pretty close to can't-miss reading. I'm now calling it the Sun-Sentinel Marlins Blog on my list.

Fish Against O's Again Today

Roger Dean was only a third full for yesterday's game. Maybe they'll draw better in Ft. Lauderdale, now that Anna Nicole's finally flown the coop.

RECAP: Marlins lose 3-0. (MiamiHerald)

Someone Does The Math - State Makes Money If They Give Marlins Tax Break

Barry Becher writes, "A new domed stadium would easily increase attendance to at least 20,000 per game. That means that at least 1.6 million people would attend Marlins games. Average ticket price would probably be $25, therefore generating $40 million in ticket sales. A 6 percent tax on these ticket sales would bring in $2.4 million to the state's coffers.

"Add in the sales tax on all the food sales and Marlins merchandise, figured conservatively at even $25 per person, and the sales tax number doubles. It would be easy to generate $4.8 million a year in sales taxes, thereby giving the state a profit of $2.8 million every year on their investment. That's a return of over 100 percent and $84 million that the state will lose if they don't keep the Marlins here." (SunSentinel)

Marlins Beat Orioles 8-6

SLAMsports

Possibly The First Anti-New-Stadium-Proposal Editorial

Courtesy of the alternative alternative, the Miami Sun Post. Hat tip to Stuck On The Palmetto.

Matsusaka Learning New Pitch?

Daisuke, who will pitch his first big-league spring-training game against the Marlins on Tuesday, and who already throws about 58 different pitches besides the Gyroball, checks out Wakefield and 'in a joking manner' says he wants to learn the knuckler. (WHDH.com)