Sunday, May 07, 2006

Scott and Sidney Scheduled Today...

...in the second straight week of "Trying-to-Avoid-the-Sweep" Sunday.

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SUCK-CAP: That wasn't just a sweep - that was a vacuuming. Fish lose 9-1. Nats and Braves win, Mets lose. Phillies win, too.

Willis, Cabrera May Stay For A While?

"(O)ne general manager recently contacted the Marlins about their two young stars and was told, in no uncertain terms, that they wouldn't be traded."....AND AT LAST THE TRUTH COMES OUT: "The Marlins think they know why they've struggled at home. There is a black cat living behind the dugout at Dolphin Stadium and players have tried to lure it out without success." (AuburnCitizen)

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Will Marlins Stop Taking Off These 3-Day Weekends?

Fish haven't won on a Saturday, Sunday or Monday so far this season. Dontrelle set to work for a win today.

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RE-CRAP: Fish almost come back from a bad start. Mets beat Atlanta. Phiilly wins. Nats lose in 11.

Little Boys Allowed in Marlins' Office (I mean other than you know who), But Not Little Girls?

Former 13-year employee sues the Marlins, claiming she was fired for bringing her daughter in during lunch hour on "Take Your Child to Work Day", though another employee was allowed to have his son at the office all day. (SunSentinel)

Friday, May 05, 2006

State Legislature Gives Marlins Something

The spring-training-helping-Orlando-Magic-subsidy bill that was passed tonight "also includes language that would allow a county or city to vote to use its local half-cent sales tax to help a Major League Baseball team, such as the Florida Marlins, build a stadium." (SunSentinel)

MORE: Sun-Sentinel at 10:10 PM reports the Marlins subsidy bill still could come up for a vote tonight. (SunSentinel)

THE BELL TOLLS: Marlins subsidy bill dies in, ironically, the state House (where it was always expected to pass) after the clock struck midnight, officially ending this year's legislative session. The bill had just been passed in the Senate(!) and was rushed to the House just before closing time. (MiamiHerald)

Can Marlins Break Their 7-Losses-In-A-Row Home Streak?

...and do it against the Cardinals? (and on Cinco de Mayo, too?)

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NOPE: Marlins lose 7-2. Phillies, Nats win. Mets beat Atlanta in 14 innings.

Subsidy Slippage in State Senate

(MiamiHerald)(PalmBeachPost)

Slightly Odd Standings Situation Today...

As services like Yahoo has Florida ahead of Washington, while ESPN and Sportsline puts Washington ahead of Florida.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

FSN Slowing Down Games So Fewer Viewers Will Linger Longer

'FSN Florida will use a super slo-mo camera on Marlins games Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. ... Marlins ratings for April were 2.6, down from 4.3 a year ago. FSN Florida said it is "happy" with them.' (SunSentinel)

Marlins Go for Sweep Today

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DOUBLE-CAP: Marlins slap Livan and the Nats silly 11-3. It's been 20 days since the Marlins last won 2 in a row, so drink in the sensation. Philly beats Atlanta, and Mets win.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Marlins Boosters (All 3 of Them) Hold Surprise Coup in State Legislature

Not only will the Senate vote on a tax subsidy for the team, another vote wil be held to allow the county and Hialeah to use state sales-tax money to fund a ballpark.

(Some fun quotes from today's action...)

Sen. Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton says, "Anyone who can afford $90 million to have a guy throw a ball can build his own stadium." (What $90 million Marlin player is he talking about? We don't even have a $9 million player.)

Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey says, "I love the Marlins. I go down and watch them whenever my New York Mets come in to play." (Yeah, that really sounds like the definition of Marlins love to me.) "But if I live in Tampa Bay or the Panhandle, why should my dollars be used to build a stadium 300 miles away?" (Because, the last time I checked a map, South Florida is still a part of Florida, and state money usually goes to some part of the state. Until it's decided to chop Miami off the peninsula and let it float off towards Cuba, then Miami can get some state money, too.)

'"I don't know why people here are so anti-Marlins. The Marlins are a great group of guys. They won two world series. With a $72 billion (state) budget, help the home team out," said (senator and coup-plotter) Villalobos.' (SunSentinel)

MORE POLITICS: Sales-tax-break amendment is attached to a bill giving the same break to the Orlando Magic.

Check out our goverment inaction...

"The Senate was divided and paralyzed Wednesday morning in the fallout from the defeat of two education votes dear to Gov. Jeb Bush. (Senate Pres Tom) Lee had managed to resurrect one of the defeated items the previous night on a procedural move, so Democrats retaliated with a maneuver of their own Wednesday morning: requiring a few bills to be read in their mind-numbing entirety.

"Democrats dropped the tactic after they proved they could stop the Senate in its tracks.

"Villalobos, who sided with the Democrats in defeating the education initiatives, angered Miami-Dade leaders last year when he backed Lee's opposition to the stadium. Lee fired Villalobos Monday night as leader of the Republicans, freeing the Miami senator to stitch together the ballpark plan with the aid of Democrats....

"The Marlins' Samson said he knew nothing of the plan but was so ''excited'' by the news he could barely watch Wednesday's game against the Washington Nationals." (MiamiHerald)

Marlins Not Cepicky, Pick Up Borchard

(SI.com)

Game in D.C. Today

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HAPPEE-RECAP: Okay, you can build them a stadium now - the Marlins finally win a game. Philly beats Atlanta, Mets win in 12 innings.

Marlins Visiting SA, But With Hialeah in Their Heads

"We'll see how it plays out, what happens," (Judge) Wolff said Tuesday. "I had a long, long talk with David on Friday, and I think they really are struggling with what to do and exploring every opportunity there is so they can come to their decision. It's a tough deal for them. I don't envy them." (MySA.com)

More Stats

"The last-place Marlins completed an 0-5 homestand, their first winless homestand since Aug. 20-26, 1999, when they also went 0-5. They fell to 2-9 in Miami, and they've lost eight of their last nine overall." (AzStarNet.com)

"They have been outscored nearly 3-1 from the seventh on this season and haven't won a game they trailed after six." (MiamiHerald)

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Olsen vs. Lieber Tonight

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MONOTONY-CAP: Marlins had the lead twice, but finally lose to Phillies 7-5. Nats beat Mets. Braves win.

Ups and Downs

"Marlins catchers have thrown out 11 runners trying to steal, tops in the majors. Through Sunday, their 35.5 percent success rate was second in the NL and sixth overall. The Marlins entered the week having committed at least one error in 16 of 22 games (23 total). Their .972 fielding percentage is the majors' worst." (SunSentinel)

"Major-leaguers have hit home runs at the fastest pace in the past five years, 1.124 per game, according to ESPN.com. But Marlins pitchers allowed 21 in their first 22 games, the fewest in the National League...(T)he team would take more pride in that number if pitchers weren't issuing so many walks. Florida's 102 walks allowed going into Monday ranked third-worst in the NL." (ALSO: Vargas bumped, Martinez a month away.)(PalmBeachPost)

"Despite the team's well-documented struggles catching and hitting -- entering Monday's game, the Marlins had the lowest fielding percentage and the most strikeouts per game of any team in baseball -- Florida's pitchers have done well.

"The staff's 4.39 ERA was seventh in the National League..."

(ALSO: Hermida's still sore, and here's some happy stadium talk...

'Marlins president David Samson met with Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina, Miami Dade County manager George Burgess and Miami Dade County commissioner Jose Diaz to continue discussing using property tax money from a yet-to-be-developed industrial park area in Hialeah to bridge the funding gap toward a new stadium.

'It was very positive. It looks great for the future," Diaz said.") (MiamiHerald)

Rollins Knows Dontrelle From Way Back...

'The Phillies' shortstop and the Florida Marlins' ace pitcher grew up in the same neighborhood in Oakland, Calif. Their mothers are close friends. In some ways, they're like brothers.

'So, Rollins knows Willis gets chatty with his fielders, particularly when things aren't going the Marlins' way...

'"Dontrelle likes to go over and talk to his guys," Rollins said. "I looked at Uggla, and once he and Dontrelle started talking, I took off."' (DelawareOnline)

Monday, May 01, 2006

Pair of Double-Shots Coming Up

First against the Phillies, then up in Washington.

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DOUBLE-CRAP: Fish take 5-1 lead into the 7th, Phillies score 7 runs in the 7th and 8th. Nats also lose, Mets and Braves win.

Fish Interested in CF Joe Borchard

ALSO: Cabrera gets errors at 3rd...and Hermida's in Jupiter. (SunSentinel)