Jason Taylor Needs to Wake Up

Jason Taylor needs to wake up. As earlier posted on TSFFB here , there is an apparent feud brewing between JT and Bill Parcells. The Tuna is upset over Jason Taylor missing out on the voluntary offseason workouts that are going on.

Let's look at things from Bill's side. You are Bill Parcells. Your team had the worst record in the NFL last season. You are the new "executive vice-president of football operations" of said team. You have a new coach, Tony Sparano, who has never been a head coach before at this level. Sparano was hired because of his widely recognized ability to get along with players and develop young talent. You don't have to be the players' friend, because you aren't their coach. You aren't their sitter. You are there to build a team up from the bottom of the NFL barrel. You have been shopping your aging captain, Jason Taylor, hoping to get more young talent in return. Unfortunately, you received little to no attention from other teams. Then, said captain leaves your young team for a reality dancing show on network TV during an offseason that his leadership is needed more than ever before. There are no other leaders, no other faces to look up to. One day, said captain "pops in" for a visit to say hi to teammates, and decides to come in to your office while you are studying tape. Would you welcome him with open arms?

Now clearly, from a human relations standpoint, Bill Parcells has a lot to learn. Could he have handled it better? Of course. But does he have a right to be peeved? I certainly think so. Emmit Smith and Jerry Rice had great careers on "Dancing With the Stars," but they were retired. Jason Taylor is the face of the Dolphins, the leader of a 1-15 team trying to take a good draft class and prepare them for a long season. He can't dance around his responsibilities.

Olsen vs. Billingsley: Marlins Have the Edge?

When I saw the pitching matchup for last night's game (Andrew Miller vs. Derek Lowe), I knew the odds would be steep. Fortunately for the Marlins, things appear quite the opposite tonight:

Scott Olsen: 3-0, 2.06 ERA
Chad Billingsley: 0-4, 6.53 ERA

Of course, that also puts a lot more pressure on the Marlins. They've gotten to the point where they have to win the Olsen starts (a situation unlikely to change until Andrew Miller gets blasted down to AAA...please???).

Now here's some more discouraging news. Take a look at their 2007 stats:

Scott Olsen: 10-15, 5.81 ERA
Chad Billingsley: 12-5, 3.31 ERA

So the bigger question: Has April, 2008 has been a fluke or a legitimate trend? Things can change quickly...we'll find out tonight.

Canes Basketball Gets Big Man Out of Michigan

The Miami Hurricanes basketball team landed their first oral commitment for the 2009 class in 6-8 power forward Donnavan Kirk out of Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Country Day School also produced NBA stars Chris Webber and Shane Battier). Kirk is a four-star player according to rivals.com (who rates him as the 21st-ranked power forward in his class), and is a consensus top 100 player. Michigan State, Iowa, and USC offered Kirk before he chose the Canes today. The word on the streets is that Kirk finishes strongly around the basket and is a strong post presence, in addition to being a superb athlete and free-throw shooter for a big.

Next on the Canes 2009 basketball wish list - point guard phenom Kenny Boynton out of Plantation. Boynton appears to like Duke and UF, so the Canes are considered longshots, but one can wish, eh?

Bill Parcells Needs to Grow Up

Those who have faithfully read our blog would know we've been highly supportive of Bill Parcells, especially in regard to the draft. He's a veritable sage when it comes to evaluating personnel, and his steady hand is just what the Dolphins need to right their ship (which had fallen somewhere near the place Captain Jack Sparrow found himself in the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie).

With those praises out of the way, it's time for a little criticism. What was it that made Parcells ineffective as coach of the Cowboys? His people skills, namely when applied to outspoken superstars like "the player" (that's T.O. if you didn't recall).

The childlike antics seem to have surfaced again, this time with Jason Taylor. There's no excuse for this:

"Two weeks ago, Taylor took a break from his dancing gig and visited the Dolphins. He visited with teammates in the locker room and, after a warm reception, decided to call on Parcells.
Taylor walked into a room where Parcells was watching tape, and Parcells ignored him. He looked at Taylor and went back to his work without saying a word.
That incensed Taylor."

In cases like these, Bill Parcells needs to rediscover that thing called puberty, which supposedly raises the mind to a more adult form.

Later Hammel

In case any one out there has actually listened to my podcast then what I'm about to write won't come as much of a surprise, but for those of you with a life I'll try to make this short and sweet. I've had a bit of a conspiracy theory involving the Rays that dates back to the end of spring training, and basically it goes as follows.

The only real problem about having so much raw, untapped talent is that it's hard to single out who's in and who's out as quickly as you would want. And this formula becomes even more difficult when these fringe players are out of options, and just happen to be good enough that you can't cut them out right. So what do you do? Well if you're the Rays you send down the players with options even if they are the best player (Longoria). And you put a guaranteed starter on the DL even if he's not that hurt (Kazmir). All of this was done just to try to get a few extra weeks to evaluate the talent that's left.

Now for the last few weeks with the team playing quite well management has been almost hoping for a bad outing just to help them make there minds up. And now that Kazmir is coming back time is running out fast. Well last night Jason Hammel gave them the excuse they needed. After giving up three runs and putting a lot of base runners on, Maddon had no choice but to pull him after only going 2 2/3 innings. Now we will go over the reasons why Hammel has drawn the unlucky chamber in this game of Rays Roulette. Kaz, Sheilds, and Garza are absolute locks which leads only two starting positions and with success of Sonny and the hard on they have for Jackson the chances of the starting five changing is slim to nill.

And with the bullpen playing out of their minds the only changes that will be made is dropping Birkins for Reyes, but even Birkins is playing well, unless of course they release Reyes and keep Hammel but I just don't see that happening. And if you look to the bench Haynes is the one they might move but then you have to take in to consideration what to do when Aybar and Zobrist are healthy. Now all of this is of course is speculation but no matter how you look at it Hammel's days are numbered, and it's not because he can't cut, but because he's on a team with too much talent.

UM's Hernandez Continues To Impress

UM freshman pitcher Chris Hernandez, 7-0 on the season and boasting a 2.77 ERA, was named ACC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. Last Friday, during UM's 1-0 victory over No. 16 Virginia, Hernandez struck out eleven batters and gave up only two hits in eight shutout innings.

The Canes are 36-5 (20-2 in the ACC) and will face St. Mary's for a weekend series beginning Friday. Canes fans will remember St. Mary's as the victim of a Jack McClinton onslaught in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last month. We'll see if the Gaels can fare better in baseball. My money is on "no", but the Canes have lost to Sun Belt powerhouse FIU (I'm laying the sarcasm on pretty thick this morning) this year, so anything is possible. Starting pitching like that exhibited by Hernandez and Erik Erickson, combined with the unbelievable play all season of super-hitters Blake Tekotte and Yonder Alonso, should propel the Canes this weekend as they look to cap off one of their best regular seasons in school history.

Please Send Andrew Miller Down

I've just gotten back from the Marlins game. It was a disheartening 7-6 defeat, made all the worse by the hope of a near comeback gone wrong. Throw in a couple annoying Dodgers fans and I was ready to throw my Cracker Jack prize at the nearest orange seat.

But of all my mixed emotions, there was one thought that could not be shaken, altered, or excused. The Marlins MUST SEND DOWN ANDREW MILLER.

What more do they want to prove? They may as well have put a batting practice machine out there in his place. The Dodgers smacked Miller around for 6 runs, 9 hits in just 3 innings. Then Doug Waechter came in and threw four shutout innings. Hmmm. Perhaps Waechter ought to just start the game?

All you need to know is that after having Andrew Miller bat in the bottom of the 3rd, Fredi Gonzalez still chose to make the change for the top of the 4th. Fredi knows it, the fans know it, and the management should know it...Andrew Miller is in desperate need of refinement. Send him down NOW!

Come What May

The game is in the top of the eighth, and the Marlins have again surprised even some of their most ardent supporters, me among them, with an amazing comeback from a 5-0, and later a 6-1 deficit. Much of the credit goes to Jorge Cantu, 3-3, and now batting .312. I had to write this post right now while the conclusion of the game remains in doubt.

Regardless of how the score ends up, this is another game typical of how this season is going for the Marlins. Pinto is pitching in relief and Andrew Miller only lasted 3 innings as a starter. Nothing unusual here. Just another day at the stadium.

I look up, and sure enough there is a play at the plate. The throw comes in from right field from Hermida, the relay by Uggla, and Rabelo tags out DeWitt at the plate to preserve the 6-6 tie. You simply can't ask for much more from any team, let alone one with the lowest payroll in the Majors. It's rally time in the bottom of the eighth. Lead-off hitter, Hermida, on base with a single. Gotta go!

Bye Baker and Farewell Fafita!

Baker was gone as soon as Foster was signed. There was no way Miami was going to keep more than four QB's going into training camp. McCown, Beck, and Henne are safe, for obvious reasons, and now they have Foster as a training camp arm while they groom him to whatever position they best feel his skills lend themselves to.

As for Fafita, I noted in my last blog that his days in Miami were coming to a close. First of all, he isn't a "Parcells Guy". He was inherited from a regime that Parcells CLEARLY has no respect for. That is why it is being written by some news outlets that Beck may be gone at the end of 2008. Second, and more importantly, Fafita just didn't show enough potential compared to the defensive lineman that Parcells drafted. With JT apparently sticking around until, at least, the trading deadline, the DLine rotation has become VERY crowded!

Bottom line: Parcells trusts his judgement more than he does Cameron and Saban's! That means we have to say "Bye to Baker and Farewell to Fafita"!

Cantu Loves it Here, Fredi's Been Here a While

Not only do the fans (especially The South Florida Fan) love Jorge Cantu; apparently the feeling is mutual. Jorge Cantu expressed his love for the Marlins franchise and the city of Miami. Here's a specific quote:

"I love this team," Cantu said Sunday in Milwaukee shortly before the Marlins won the series two games to one. "This team hustles, day in and day out. Look at the way we're playing. We're in first place. Everything is rolling for us. It's a great feeling to be part of a winning team."

With comments like that, it's hard to slam a guy for swinging on 3-0 with the bases loaded...then again, that was poor.

It's still unclear whether Fredi Gonzalez loves the Marlins as much as Jorge Cantu, but he's now the longest-tenured coach in South Florida. Fish Stripes finds that pretty amazing, and we have to agree. A city once led by the holy trio of stalwarts Jimmy Johnson, Jim Leyland, and Pat Riley (with the not-too-shabby Doug MacLean rounding the quartet), now has Fredi Gonzalez (2nd season), Tony Sparano (just started), Erik Spoelstra (really just started), and Coach X (Panthers don't even have a coach yet). Amusing stuff.

Immortalizing Pat Riley

In hindsight, Pat Riley should have retired from coaching after the Heat won the championship in 2006. He could have retreated from the hardwood on the highest note, scraping a yacht-sized legacy across Key Biscayne, the slew of idolaters lining up to scream their euphoric praises. That was, as Riley himself admitted, the culmination of his career, the championship that validated his years of just-shorts after a blessed first chapter (four championships in LA).

Now? Riley goes out as a controversial figure, his virtues extolled, but his vices discussed as well. That's the downside to leaving the game on the lowest note, abandoning a team when they're poised to claim the most lottery balls. Is it fair? Of course not, and I suspect the acclaim will be what most people remember once a few years trickle by. It just seems he should have gotten that unconditional respect now.

Let's examine the post-announcement reaction:

- Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel puts out a well-crafted eulogy, highlighting Riley's talents not only as a coach, but as a master of the English language. How true.

- Greg Cote of the Miami Herald defends the move, both from Riley's perspective and the team. Beautifully written.

- ESPN's J.A. Adande exalts Riley for his greatness, suggesting (as I did above) that the good will outweight the bad.

- Chris Sheridan of ESPN offers some cautioning words for those who think Riley is done with coaching. He doesn't doubt Riley's sincerity, but his ability to hold true to his current thoughts. Sheridan certainly has a point.

- Lastly, here's a well-assembled montage of Riley through the years.

As for Erik Spoelstra, the Palm Beach Post's Tom D'Angelo paints a brilliant picture of who the guy is and why he has a bright future ahead of him. We couldn't agree more. We bid adieu to a true paladin of the game and welcome a potential great.

First Look at 'Canes 2009 Recruiting Class

From talk of Hurricanes drafted in last weekend's draft, to talk of those whose names will be called in 2012. It is never too early to begin acquainting yourself with your school's future. And in that spirit we take a first glance at the Miami Hurricanes' verbal commitments for the 2009 recruiting class.

The undisputed stud of the class so far is Wichita, Kansas five-star RB Bryce Brown. Brown is the #1 overall prospect according to scout.com and brother of Canes 2008 #1 linebacker signee Arthur Brown. Brown had offers from UF, FSU, USC, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among dozens of others. Besides having excellent vision, and explosive breakaway speed, he is a small (6 feet if you're generous) but powerful back in the mold of WVU's Noel Devine. He is also by all accounts a fantastically quirky and eccentric character (at this year's UM spring game, Bryce showed up in a tuxedo T-shirt revealing his freakish strength for a 16 year old; additionally, he is an outspoken advocate of yoga).

Besides Brown, the Hurricanes have received an early oral commitment from Miami American High's Olivier Vernon, a 6-2, 225 lb. four-star defensive end. Vernon dominated the Miami Nike Camp, and boasted offers from Alabama, Auburn, and USF before ending all speculation and picking the Canes. He runs a 4.53 forty, according to scout.com.

The Hurricanes also fortified their interior defensive line by picking up tackle Luther Robinson today. Robinson, from Ft. Pierce Westwood High, is 6-2 and 270 lbs. He visited just this weekend and was sufficiently blown away that he decided to end all suspense about his recruitment. The Canes also have picked up TE Billy Sanders of Phoenix, Arizona. He has great size, hands, and blocking ability, and received offers from Washington, Washington State, 2008 Orange Bowl champion Kansas, and Arizona. Finally, the Canes received a legacy pickup - Ft. Bend, Texas' A.J. Highsmith, the son of Hurricane legend Alonzo Highsmith and cousin of recent LSU standout LB Ali Highsmith. A.J. is considered a dual threat quarterback, but he is tiny for his position (6-0, 186) and will most likely find himself playing defensive back at the next level.

It is heartening to see that Randy Shannon has not rested on his 2008 stellar recruiting class laurels. There is much work to be done. They still need cornerbacks and offensive linemen badly. They will need such help if the 2009 recruiting class will be considered in time as another integral stop in the official Hurricanes Comeback Tour.

Can the Marlins Hit the Slow Stuff?

Reader Paul posed an interesting question yesterday: Can the Marlins hit changeups? It seems simple enough, and yet the answer is fairly complex.

The Marlins have whacked their way to 15-10 not through any sort of patience, but by exploding through fastballs. If this were a high school dance, the Marlins would be the kids who rest during the slow songs to save energy for Alice DJ. So far it has worked, but will it continue to?

If you watched the Marlins-Brewers series this weekend, you would have noticed a fundamental change in strategy. The Brewers hardly threw any fastballs, tempting the Marlins with low curveballs and frequent changes of pace. For the most part it worked.

It was especially evident during first pitches. Clearly, the scouting report is in; the Marlins are best in the league when it comes to first-pitch hitting. Teams just aren't going to give them the high heat anymore, at least not to start off the counts.

How do the Marlins respond? They have to show patience on those early pitches, either staying back or taking altogether. Many of those pitches were balls, and if the Marlins can work the count up to 1-0, they'll start to get those fastballs they so dearly love. The added benefit? Become successful at waiting and teams will go right back to first-pitch fastballs again. Who knows? Maybe Joe Torre and the visiting Dodgers haven't even caught on yet.

One additional note: It's worth reading Future Fish's disheartening soliloquy on the failed Luis Castillo trade. The trade was already criticized at the time, and now it's made worse by the fact that the Fish released both players they acquired in that deal (Travis Bowyer and Scott Tyler). The Marlins have made a number of fine trades, but this was one of their worst.

Marlins and Rays in First Again

Earlier this year (on April 5th to be exact), I wrote a post chronicling the rarity of the Marlins and Rays being in first place at the same time. In that piece, I noted that it had happened only ten times in baseball history, with April 16th, 2004 being the furthest into a season.

Not so anymore. Both April 27th and 28th, 2008 shattered all previously conceived notions. The Marlins currently lead the NL East at 15-10 and the Rays the AL East at 14-11 (riding a dominating 6 game winning streak). As amazing as that sounds, there are intangibles that make it even more improbable. I'll state the reasons for each team:

1. Florida Marlins - Not only were the Marlins predicted last in the division by every analyst, but the Braves, Phillies, and Mets were supposed to be dominant. Could the Marlins conceivably be in first place after 10 games? Certainly. Any team can ride a 6-4 start out of the gate. What about after 25 games? NOBODY would have predicted it. In fact, most people would have been shocked by a third place standing.

2. Tampa Bay Rays - There was a good deal of optimism surrounding the team this year, but not the kind that has them leading the Yankees and Red Sox. They were the lovable losers, who just might squeak the engine that could to third place for the first time. Somewhere along the way, the Rays forgot to listen. They just dismantled the Red Sox for a punishing three-game sweep, and the division has taken notice. This Rays team is a legitimate threat.

How long will these expected bottom-dwellers slurp the cream at the top of the crop? You can't expect too much, but let's relish it while it lasts. After all, it could be for a while.

Riley Out, Spoelstra In!

The Pat Riley coaching career is officially over... until new coach Erik Spoelstra makes the team good again. No, seriously, it's over. Riley insisted he was "definitely sure" his days as a coach were numbered, leaving behind an illustrious Hall of Fame legacy unmatched by more than two or three in the coaching pantheon, if that. We've been critical of Riles this year, but there's no doubting the great service he's done for the Heat and more generally, the NBA universe. We say farewell to one of the colossal legends of the game.

As for Erik Spoelstra, I couldn't be happier! He's the perfect guy to take over this team. Not only is he a strategic genius when it comes to on-court execution, but he possesses those key player-friendly skills that make coaches popular in the clubhouse. We should also expect a seamless transition, as he'll be retaining assistants Ron Rothstein and Bob McAdoo.

Erik Spoelstra may not exude Riley's stature or experience, but he's going to be a fantastic coach. I'd go so far as to say he might join Riles in the Hall of Fame some day. That's how much I think of him.

YOUR thoughts on the Dolphins draft....

As for MY view of the draft:

J Long - Safest pick but also the biggest need! Does not make mistakes (penalties/sacks) and that is a Parcells kind of guy.

P Merling - Was projected as a 1st rd pick w/o the hernia. He is the first of MANY Dolphin picks this year that beg the question: The problem is figuring out where he fits? DE?OLB? THAT is where I have to trust Parcells.

C Henne - Good value! I hope both he AND Beck become quality QB's so we have some depth (or, better yet, trade fodder for the future). Tough kid with intangibles but he doesn't stand out in any area.

K Langford - Another pick that experts love but is he the next Jason Taylor or the next Matt Roth? Sounds like he can rush the passer but does nothing to anchor the end against the run.

S Murphy - Are we supposed to believe he is our starting LG? I think Miami wanted Greco and settled for Murphy. This pick surprised me because he is known for his finesse, not power, which makes him the Anti-Parcells guy! Also, am I supposed to be impressed that his father is Dale Murphy?

J Parmele - I like this pick because I don't trust our R&R Team (Ricky & Ronnie) to be fully healthy by training camp. I was surprised we got rid of Booker, since he was a PLAYMAKER whenever he got on the field, but we needed a third every down back. I believe that Parmalee has the ability to get the 3.5-4.0 yards/carry until the starters are healthy. (I don't believe Brown will be 100% till 2009.)

D Thomas - Major project that hit a fast food worker for slow service? It's the 6th rd but this just doesn't seem like a Parcells guy (bad character/major project).

L Hilliard - New Fullback or poor man's HB? (BTW, I thought Parcells didn't like small school players: 4 picks were from smaller schools)

L Dotson - NT project? 7th rd pick that I am not going to pretend that I know anything about.

I guess, in summary, what I am saying is that I like this draft only because I want to give Parcells the benefit of the doubt. I want to believe that this jumble of players will strengthen our roster. I wish we had traded JT and got some decent value (either in 2008 or 2009 draft) and I hope we sign a couple of impact college FA (DJ Hall, Highsmith, Robertson, and/or Henderson).


Matt

Post-Draft Thoughts Around the Blogosphere

The general feeling, at least locally, is that the Dolphins rocked the draft. Perhaps it's a bit of hometown optimism, but I think we can safely assume that wasn't the case last year (nobody thought Cam Cameron deserved anything above an F). Maybe it's more polarization than homerism that occurs. Regardless, here's a quick summary of what's being said.

FinsNation was so pleased with the draft, they likened Parcells' performance to a comic book character. Phinsider seems pleased enough that Parcells and Ireland have a plan for this team. Phin Fever gives a breakdown of each draft pick. Here's the full draft board if you missed any picks.

We at The South Florida Fan are also pleased with the draft, with the lone exception of Lorenzo Booker being traded and Jalen Parmele/Lex Hilliard replacing him. I have my doubts on Chad Henne, but it was a very solid pick for the end of the 2nd round. We want to thank everyone who followed along with us. Congratulations also to FinsNation, Phinsider, and Phin Fever, for providing such excellent coverage throughout the weekend.

Canes Extend 1st Round Streak, Make Barely a Whimper Rest of Draft

The wait was longer than any Hurricane fan wanted, but the relief when Kenny Phillips was named as the 31st overall pick of the Super Bowl champ New York Giants resonated throughout Hurricane nation. That makes it 14 years in a row that the Hurricanes have had a player chosen in the 1st round of the NFL Draft. Many draft analysts saw this pick coming. The Giants needed safety help, and Phillips was at the top of the board for safeties, so it was a no-brainer for the Patriot-slayers. The pick made Giants fans ecstatic - they were chanting Phillips' name moments before the pick, and let out a thunderous roar when he finally was picked. Phillips is a ball hawk, and a punishing hitter, and teams making evaluations this draft season were wowed by Phillips' football acumen. He will be an impact player from the starting line.

Calais Campbell was the 50th selection in the draft, going to the Arizona Cardinals. Campbell dropped to the middle of the second round because his productivity suffered his junior season (after a stellar sophomore season) and because of poor combine numbers. Many say in Campbell's defense that he was getting double-teamed quite a bit during his junior season.

A Hurricane whose numbers did not suffer in 2007 was MLB Tavares Gooden. He was the team's defensive MVP, making a career-high 119 tackles. Gooden was selected No. 71 overall by the Baltimore Ravens, where he joins fellow Cane alumni and current Ravens defensive stalwarts Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. Gooden possesses impressive strength, and his 4.5 speed is extraterrestrially fast for a linebacker. He could be looked upon as the steal of the 3rd round, I predict. His career was slowed by injuries, and when he finally started to recover, he showed that he can be a force on the defensive side of the ball.

And that was it as far as Canes being drafted. Rounds 4-7 came and went, and no more Hurricanes' names were called. Some, however, have already signed free agent contracts. WR Darnell Jenkins, nicknamed "nuke" because of his nuclear speed, was signed by the Houston Texans. Cornerback Glenn Sharpe, of phantom 2003 Fiesta Bowl pass interference call fame, was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons. DT Teraz McCray was signed by the Buffalo Bills. And OL Andrew Bain joins teammate Phillips in the Big Apple.

IN baseball news, my thesis last week was correct - the Hurricanes are the best team in the land, and they are their own worst enemy. After falling to lowly FIU last week, the Hurricanes swept 16th-ranked Virginia in ACC play at Mark Light Field. The Hurricanes pitching was scintillating - they held the Cavaliers to a .144 average during the series. The Canes are 36-5, and 20-2 in the ACC, with only ten regular season games remaining.

Marlins Win, But Play Poorly

Wes Helms smacked the game-winning homer in the 10th inning, igniting the Marlins to a 3-2 win, a 15-10 record, and an impressive series victory in Milwaukee. That's the good.

Now let's focus on the bad. Marlins fans shouldn't be blinded by Helms' late heroics; the Fish were awful this afternoon. It just so happens that the Brewers were even worse (0 for 8 with runners in scoring position). More games like this and the Marlins will quickly plummet out of first place.

Let me highlight one situation in particular:

7th inning, bases loaded with nobody out. Hermida strikes out in humiliating fashion (a truly gruesome at-bat). Willingham follows with a strikeout of his own. Then Cantu comes up and gets the count to 3-0. WHY ON EARTH WOULD HE BE SWINGING AT 3-0???? I can only think of three reasons:

1. Cantu lost all semblance of common sense and defied the team's orders.

2. Fredi Gonzalez gave him the green light (a move so utterly idiotic, it's baffling).

3. Cantu lost track of what the count was.

It was a truly disgraceful situation, and Fredi Gonzalez ought to be held accountable. Don't be fooled by the victory today; the Marlins were lucky as four-leaf clovers.

Now that I've cleared the air, let me close with something more positive. The Marlins return home for a nine-game homestand against the Dodgers, Padres, and Brewers. We should welcome these victors home with open arms, to a city which - as Miami-Forum reminds us - can boast exceptional artistry.

Undrafted Free Agent Signings

Just a quick post of some UDFA signings for each Florida team here. Picks in Italics are my "players to watch" from this list, or players who I at least feel were good signings to at least try.

Miami

WR Davone Bess (Hawaii) - I really love this signing, Bess can be a great WR for us.
LB Kelly Poppinga (BYU)
T Mike Byrne (Delaware)
T Dan Gore (Boise State)
QB Jayson Foster (Georgia Southern)

Jacksonville

QB Paul Smith (Tulsa)
WR Adam Bishop (Nevada)
DE Alex Boston (Florida State)
TE Chris Brown (Tennessee)
WR Rudy Burgess (Arizona State)
FB Anthony Catrone (Maine)
WR Clyde Edwards (Grambling)
CB Isaiah Gardner (Maryland)
CB Michael Grant (Arkansas)
WR Jeron Harvey (Houston)
DT Theo Horrocks (Vanderbilt)
OL Drew Miller (Florida)
LB Lamar Myles (Louisville)
CB Brian Witherspoon (Stillman)

Tampa Bay

DB Jonathan Hefney (Tennessee)
DT Tywain Myles (Tarleton St.)
DT Chris Bradwell (Troy)
CB Elbert Mack (Troy)
K Chris Gould (Virginia)
WR Amarri Jackson (USF) tryout
T Jared Carnes (USF) tryout
T Walt Walker (USF) tryout

Other Florida College Notables:

Redskins T Shannon Boatman (Florida State)

Titans S Tony Joiner (Florida)
Cardinals G Carlton Medder (Florida)

Vikings DT Leger Douzable (Central Florida)

Texans WR Darnell Jenkins (Miami)
Giants OL Andrew Bain (Miami)
Bills DT Teraz McCray (Miami)
Vikings QB Kyle Wright (Miami)
Browns WR Lance Leggett (Miami)

90% of all of these guys will probably either be cut, buried in the depth charts, put on the developmental list or used with the practice squad, but it's still interesting to see who goes where. Besides, to be a Super Bowl contender, you have to have a complete roster top to bottom. Even the quality of a team's practice squad is important.

Sun Belt Draftees Don't Include FAU

FAU seniors Josh Pinnick, Cerge Sincere and Taheem Acevedo have not heard their names called at the NFL's college player selection meeting - as expected. But a few Sun Belt guys have ...

Troy's Leodis McKelvin, a defensive back and kick return specialist, was taken by the Buffalo Bills with the 11th overall pick, tying a record for a Sun Belt player. Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Ware was selected 11th in 2005 by the Dallas Cowboys.

McKelvin, a 2008 Senior Bowl attendee, returned seven career punts for touchdown at Troy. Over his final two seasons, he started all 25 games at left cornerback for the Trojans, recording 126 tackles (3.5 for losses), five forced fumbles, three interceptions and 16 pass breakups.

McKelvin ran a 4.38 40-yard dash during his workout at the NFL Combine.

Also: Arkansas State’s Tyrell Johnson was selected with the 12th pick in the second round (43rd overall selection). Johnson was the 2007 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He finished his career as the Sun Belt Conference’s career leader in tackles.

Middle Tennessee DE Erik Walden was selected with the first pick in the sixth round (167th overall) by the Dallas Cowboys.

Seems like the Cowboys like to scout the Sun Belt. Maybe a couple of the FAU seniors will have a chance to latch on there as free agents ...

Just for the record, FAU defeated Troy, Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State this season.

The Owls still have never had a player drafted or even play in an NFL regular season game. That will all change in the next year or two, however.

Dolphins Add Depth in 6th

After taking OG Shawn Murphy in the fourth and RB Jalen Parmele in the sixth round, the Dolphins doubled up. The last two picks of the 6th round were OG Donald Thomas (UConn) and RB Lex Hilliard (Montana). Hillard should battle Parmele for the third RB spot, while Thomas should find another place on the ever-evolving offensive line.

Both of these guys are projects, but that's what you expect in the 6th round. Thomas could use more size, but he plays with unusual determination. Hilliard was a second choice to Mike Hart (I know, another Michigan guy) for me and the Dolphins, I suspect, but Hart went two picks earlier. Hilliard's the kind of unknown player from a little-watched team that could make Parcells look good come next year...or, he could make a fine practice squad filler.

With the 10th pick in the 6th round...

See? Someone at Dolphins HQ was reading our blog and said, "Hey, we need a RB to backup Ronnie!" Well the Dolphins drafted Jalen Parmele, RB from Toledo. You would think I'd be a little happier with this pick, but, alas, I'm not.

While Parmele might be a good #3 back in years to come, there were 2 or 3 RB's still on the board who could have had a more immediate, long term impact. Mike Hart (Michigan) and Chauncey Washington (USC) surpringsly are still available. Hart could turn into a great 3rd down back. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in vision and quickness. And you have to think, after being projected as a 3rd round pick, not being taken until 6th or 7th round, he might have a little chip on his should (see 2008 Citrus Bowl to see what Hart can do with a chip on his shoulder). Personally, I don't see Parmele making it through training camp.

Clearly, Miami's first 2 picks were stellar, filled vast holes. Since then, there hasn't been much for me to get excited about.

SFDB Gets An Interesting View of the Draft

Contrary to popular belief, ESPN does not have a monopoly on NFL Draft coverage, at least not in the Miami area. Read about The South Florida Daily Blog's sojourn to Dolphin Stadium for the Dolphins' Draft Day Party/Select a Seat event.

The pictures are pretty intriguing, and I have to highlight one quote:

"Throughout the stands, small groups of people relaxed in a kind of surreal setting not unlike a regular season Marlins game."

Rick's observation is reason #2011 why the Marlins need their own stadium.

Horton Hears a Boo?

One of the most controversial players on the Florida Panthers roster is winger Nathan Horton. Drafted in preference over Eric Staal, the Panthers have always thought very highly of him. He's a sniper with an absolutely deadly shot, but he's always had one major problem. He's lazy.

I'm talking Garfield-the-cat-like.

Horton has shown some major flashes of brilliance but his constant lack of effort is his major flaw. He skates hard when he gets mad or when there's a scoring chance, but when it's time to do the dirty work of getting a puck out of the corner, he is simply stuck in second gear.

Who can blame him though? He's played for a coach that gives the team the day off after blowing a third period lead. He's been taught to only give what you feel like, and nothing more. With Martin finally being removed from the bench, this is the year for things to change. Out of all the Panthers stars, I've found myself booing Horton's effort more than anybody elses (except maybe Olli Jokinen -- post Zednik era).

Speaking of Jokinen, I'm still one of the lone people that thinks he should be dealt at draft day. This is a talent rich draft, and the Panthers don't pick until the third round. Jokinen has never truly fit in with the Panthers, shown by his overall lack of chemistry with just about everybody. Jokinen is a great player, but he is not the superstar that the Panthers are forcing him to be. The only way I think Jokinen stays around next year is if the Panthers finally decide to add some talent, and bring him in a real star so that Jokinen can go back to just being very good. Brian Rolston anybody?

All I am trying to say is that my patience is running thin with Horton. While Staal was the NHL All-Star game MVP this year, Horton was struggling to reach 20 goals at that point. That is simply unacceptable for the amount of talent he has. Especially now that he has found a line that shows unbelievable chemistry, and now that he's going to have a real coach behind the bench next year (we hope), Horton is out of excuses in my book. If he doesn't net 40 goals next year, I'm going to be extremely disappointed.

Just a Thought...

As the Dolphins continue to draft, I can't help but wonder where the 'fins are going to get their points from. There's the so-far unimpressive John Beck or Chad Henne calling the plays. Ronnie Brown should be back, but healthy? He remains to be their one, lone threat. Ricky Williams will be back, for a few weeks anyways until he remembers he's Ricky Williams and disappears into the Amazon. Ted Ginn, Jr. is their biggest threat at WR, and he didn't exactly stand out in his rookie year. Behind Ginn on the depth chart is Greg Camillaro, Derick Hagan, David Kircus, Tab Perry, and Ernest Wilford. Not exactly a yellow brick road to the endzone.

I think its clear Parcells wants to build up front. But even if you give Beck (or Henne, or McCown) 10 mississippi's, if no one's open he's gonna be in trouble. I'm a little nervous that defenses will simply stuff 8 or 9 in the box to stop Ronnie and force the Dolphins to beat them through the air. I would have loved to seen Miami take an Early Ducett or Mario Manningham or Andre Caldwell in the 3rd round. We'll see what is left for the 'fins in the last few rounds.

Dolphins Add Another Trench Warrior

I mentioned a few minutes ago how Bill Parcells was trying to build the offensive and defensive lines. With the Dolphins' 4th round selection, I was proven right again.

The 'Fins grabbed OG Shawn Murphy out of Utah State. His strengths are in his quickness and agility, which don't normally fit the Bill Parcells mold (Parcells is known for treasuring strength and size). That being said, Parcells must have seen a lot of potential in Murphy, enough to pull the trigger here.

Murphy should be a nice complement to Jake Long along the refurbished offensive line. Once again, Parcells gets a positive grade.

NFL Draft: Day 2

The Dolphins should be quite active in Rounds 3-7, as they possess a plethora of picks.

They've already shown their trade savvy, moving down from the #64 to #66 pick in exchange for an extra 6th rounder. Even better, they still got the guy they wanted: DE Kendall Langford out of Hampton.

This proves the oft-recited theory that Bill Parcells wants to build the trenches first. He has now taken a T and two DE, and with Jason Taylor still there, this should be a formidable squad. Langford should stand in as a great 3-4 player with position versatility, so I like the pick a lot.

Marlins Fail to Overshadow Dolphins

This may have been the Dolphins' day, but the Marlins also played. It was a disappointing 4-3 loss, decided by a late Prince Fielder home run. The Marlins wasted a good start from Hendrickson while exhibiting an uncharacteristic sloppiness throughout.

A win tomorrow would really further the Marlins' cause as legitimate contenders. They need to demonstrate that they can win a series against a decent team like Milwaukee, especially on the road. 15-10 would sound nice too.

With Nolasco vs. Parra, it's basically a toss-up. It's time to stop hiding in obscurity and show the town who's best. Which Nolasco will show up?

2008 NFL Draft Day 1 Recap

And we have reached the end of Day One. Lots of interesting events today.

• 12 Trades in the first round. 9 trades in the 2nd round.
• No WRs picked in the first round, with teams instead choosing to pick 9 offensive lineman and 7 defensive lineman. HALF of the first round was for players in the trenches.
• The WR rankings that most sites and mock drafts were going by were also completely turned on their heads. Donnie Avery was the first WR picked, and the WR that most people thought was #1, Limas Sweed, was the 9th WR off the board, with Donnie Avery, a guy most people projected in the 4th or 5th round, was the first WR off the board at #33.
• Because of the way players fell, I think that the Steelers really lucked out in this draft, landing Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, both players who were once consider out of their reach at #23 in the first round, much less landing both of them.
  
• The new 10-minute format kept an aura of suspense around everything in the draft, instead of seeming slow and drawn out like the draft from last year. I gotta say I really loved that.

Now, onto the evaluation of the Florida team's drafts. We'll start with Miami.

Miami Dolphins

Rd 1 - #1(1) Jake Long (OT) Michigan
Rd 2 - #1(32) Phillip Merling (DE) Clemson
Rd 2 - #26(57) Chad Henne (QB) Michigan

You can read below on why I liked each of these picks. I think that Long filled a huge need and will be a team leader. Merling fell to us to be an absolute steal at #32, and filled another need. Henne was a decent pick for that late in the 2nd round, but I don't think he was a huge need for us. Again though, it's not a bad pick because of intangibles, and he may beat out Beck in camp and prove me wrong. Finally, we got a 4th round pick in exchange for Lorenzo Booker. I gotta say, if it wasn't for this trade, I would probably grade Miami's first day as an A, but I think we really lost a lot of potential when we gave up Booker for a lousy 4th rounder, so that hurts them.

Miami's Day One Grade: B+

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Rd 1 - #20(20) Aqib Talib (CB) Kansas
Rd 2 - #27(58) Dexter Jackson (WR) App St

I questioned Tampa Bay passing on Devin Thomas and other receivers in the first round to pick up Talib, but it seems that later on they got the WR they wanted anyways. According to ESPN's "Hashmarks" blog, Talib had this to say:

"(Gruden) told me that I reminded him a lot of (former Oakland defensive back) Charles Woodson,'' Talib said. "He said that if he had an opportunity to coach a player like Charles Woodson again, he didn't want to pass it up.''

And then they picked up Dexter Jackson, the fastest player from the combine, and apparently want to bring him along slowly under the guidance of Joey Galloway. Defensive Tackle was probably the Bucs' biggest need, but the DT class simply wasn't deep enough for them picking at #20.

Tampa Bay got who they wanted and addressed their next two biggest needs. Aqib Talib was considered by many to be one of the best CBs in the class, and Jackson, while ignored by many, is certainly the fastest.

Tampa Bay's Day One Draft Grade: B+

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Jacksonville Jaguars

Rd 1 - #8(8) Derrick Harvey (DE) Florida
Rd 2 - #21(52) Quentin Groves (DE) Auburn

I said it all last year, the one thing separating the Jaguars from taking control of the AFC South away from the Colts was a better pass rush. Needless to say, I think they nailed that here. The Jags made a bold move to go all the way from 26th to 8th to pick the guy they coveted most: Derrick Harvey. In order to do this they had to surrender the 26th, 71st, 89th, and 125th to move up. According to the draft value chart, the Jags got a steal here, giving up 1,127 points for 1,400 points. Even if you use the new chart, the Jags only gave up 1,127 for 1,505 from the Ravens. Some people will say that it was too much, because 4 draft picks for just moving up in a round looks expensive, but I actually admire the Jags going out and getting exactly who they wanted.

I really like the Derrick Harvey pick for reasons mentioned before, but Quentin Groves is also a huge steal for the Jags at #52. Groves is a player that can stand up and play OLB for the Jags, and is going to be a pass rushing force. With these two picks, Jacksonville adds two speed-rushing players who will, at least in my opinion, take the Jaguars to that next level they've been chasing for years now. Getting past the competition in the AFC will be tough, but at least they're better suited for it now. The only way to stop Tom Brady and Peyton Manning is to pressure them, and now the Jags have the tools to do that.

Jacksonville's Day One Draft Grade: A+

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And that is going to about wrap up my draft coverage. I will be at work for all of Day Two, so someone else will be taking over the live coverage of the draft for tomorrow. I'll post one more wrap-up/grade blog after everything is said and done, either late Sunday or early Monday.

Thanks for reading.

With the 57th pick, the Miami Dolphins pick...

Chad Henne, QB, Michigan.

Why he was #57: Henne is a 2nd/3rd QB like any other from all of the other drafts. Analysts will talk about how strong his arm is etc. etc. but the fact is, he's the 4th best QB in a draft class that might've seen a QB like John Beck go #1. He does have a strong arm, but he doesn't look off receivers, has a slow release, and doesn't always make the greatest decisions. Manningham and Arrington made him look better then he was.

Why the Dolphins need him: In my opinion, they don't. Beck has just as strong of an arm, but has a faster release and is more accurate. Josh McCown is also a good enough backup. Henne is a depth pick.

Why I Like the Pick: Wait, what? Didn't I just say that we didn't need him, yet I still like the pick? There's a few reasons here. One, if you look at the available players, there wasn't too much there that would be better then Henne. Maybe Justin King or Charles Godfrey at CB, but really, in terms of value, Henne is the only one that really fit. Plus, as I mentioned about Harvey/Nelson, having a familiar face around helps rookies with the transition to the NFL. Chad Henne and Jake Long were teammates for 4 years, and were both strong leaders for their team. Besides, competition is always important at any position.

Now the only question is, are we going to go after Mario Manningham or Mike Hart in round 3, too? Maybe we'll hire Lloyd Carr next.

Tampa Bay trades 2nd round pick to the Jaguars.

News that involves all three Florida teams :)

This was a pick that was supposedly a part of the rumored Jason Taylor trade. So apparently it isn't going to happen.

Jacksonville uses the pick to take Quentin Groves, a player that I was really hoping would end up with Miami. What this does mean, however, is that Jason Taylor will very likely be in a Dolphins uniform next year, as Groves was probably one of the best options for replacing him.

The Jags have plugged their holes in defense now, and done it with some very good SEC players in Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves. Jacksonville's defense is going to be absolutely ridiculous next year.

Edit: Great, now there's reports that the deal is still in the works, and that the Jags moving up to grab our guy might even be part of it, or that maybe Tampa Bay was just trying to get another pick before trading to us..... I'm just going to leave it alone until something actually happens, I'm reading this all as speculation now.

Edit 2: Yet ANOTHER radio report of a Jason Taylor deal, this time with Green Bay for the #56 and #60.... this is getting out of control. Edit 3: Green Bay used #56 on Brian Brohm, so there's nothing to this rumor, either.

Lorenzo Booker traded to the Eagles

Lorenzo Booker was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for their 4th round pick. #16 in the round, #115 overall.

While it is good that we are stockpiling picks to rebuild, I have to admit that I was somewhat excited by the idea of the Fins using LoBo as a Reggie Bush/H-back type of player next season. Using a player like that in dual-RB sets with some back-field dump-offs can be pretty dangerous.

On the bright side, however, this could also mean that Sparano and Parcells have been impressed enough with Ricky Williams that they do not think they need LoBo anymore.

With the 32nd pick, the Miami Dolphins pick...

Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

Why he's #32: Many people had Merling as a mid-first round pick, but his injury problems dropped him this far. He has good size (6'4", 276) and he's fairly quick (4.71 40 yd dash). However, he isn't very strong (only 17 reps) and stands up a little too much for my liking. But, in terms of playing well in games, he's the opposite of Glenn Dorsey. Merling recorded 7 sacks last season - 1 against FSU, 1 against VTech, 2 against Wake, 2 against BC and 1 against Auburn. He had similar effectiveness in his tackles for a loss, again recording most of them in Clemson's biggest games.

Why the Dolphins needed him: Jason Taylor is about to be traded.

Why I Like the Pick: Merling was an absolute steal at #32. He has a lot of upside and will need to be coached up some after coming back from sports hernia surgery. I only "like" this pick instead of loving it because he's another Jason Allen in that we have to wait for him to get healthy before we can do anything with him, and we could've had a more immediate impact player like Brandon Flowers or Devin Thomas at the same position. It's a good pick, but it's tempered by a little disappointment at the same time.

Did that just happen?

We somehow just managed to make it through the entire first round without having a team draft a single wide receiver. To make it worse, there was even a TE taken before any WRs.

The Dolphins almost have to go with the best available player here. Devin Thomas at #32 would be an absolute steal.

Of course, we also have to replace Jason Taylor now because of the Tampa Bay trade, so Quentin Groves is still a possibility. Brian Brohm and Chad Henne are also both still available, though I'd hate to see us take a QB right now.

More Jason Taylor rumors

XM radio and FinHeaven have reports that a deal between the Fins and Bucs is a done deal. Apparently Tampa Bay is giving Miami the 2nd and 4th from this year, and next year's 6th (probably a conditional).

Just a rumor, but it would be nice to get that much for him.

EDIT: Another rumor is that Lorenzo Booker was traded to Philly for a 4th round pick.

The JT trade I wouldn't mind. The LoBo trade would, quite frankly, tick me off.

EDIT 2: Both trades have been confirmed in some respect. SIRIUS radio is confirming the JT trade, and NFL Network is confirming the LoBo trade.

Three trends so far that could favor the Dolphins

Trend #1: DTs and DEs are flying off the board. There's a lot of teams in the bottom of the first round that need DEs. We could very well see a last-minute Jason Taylor trade.

Trend #2: CBs are falling fast, and with no WRs taken so far, a lot of teams are going to be looking that direction instead. Few thought that Devin Thomas or Limas Sweed would fall this far, I expect them to be taken up soon. We could very well see a guy like Antoine Cason or Brandon Flowers fall to us at #32.

Trend #3: As mentioned in Trend #2, WRs are falling. This shifts everyone back, so a guy like my Sleeper pick, Andre Caldwell, could fall to us even into the 3rd round at pick #64, leaving #57 for a guy like Chilo Rachal.

Tampa goes with... who?

The Buccaneers have chosen Aqib Talib, CB from Kansas. While he was probably one of the top 5 CB's available, I think the Bucs had other, more pressing needs, most notably the WR position. And with their pick of the WR litter, it is a little perplexing as to how they came to the Talib decision.

Perhaps they're thinking since no WR's have been taken so far, they can still get a high level WR in round 2, but the high level CB's may be taken? Who knows, but I, for one, would have liked to see the Bucs take the WR from Texas, Limas Sweed. We'll see what is available come round 2.

And Tampa Bay chooses....

Wow, lots of trades in this draft. The Panthers came in from nowhere and surprised me there.

Tampa Bay had the opportunity to pick any WR they wanted, a position they definitely need with an aging Joey Galloway and an inconsistent Ike Hilliard, but they instead chose Aqib Talib.

While Aqib should be at least a decent CB in the NFL, and the Bucs have always been a defensive minded team, I feel like he was picked here more as a "best player available" because of how far he fell, rather then as a real team need for Tampa Bay. I guess they're thinking that perhaps Ronde will be following his brother into retirement soon.

Tampa Bay's pick coming up soon.

So who are the Bucs looking at? I think the Bucs biggest needs are at either DT or WR.

Looking at what's left, and the fact that no WRs have been drafted yet, I think TB should be looking especially at the Wide Receiver position. Detroit shouldn't pick a WR, Houston will probably go with Jeff Otah, leaving Philly and TB taking the top two WRs out of these guys:

Limas Sweed, Texas
DeSean Jackson, California
Devin Thomas, Mich State
Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma

My gut feeling is that Philly will go with the bigger guy (Sweed 6'4" 215) and Tampa Bay would probably love to have a speedy guy like DeSean Jackson (4.34 40 yd). However, Jackson's size (5'9" 169) may be just a little too small for Gruden's taste, so he might go for Devin Thomas instead. Thomas is 6'2" 216 and ran a 4.4 40 yd dash, so he's kind of the happy medium between Sweed and Thomas.

Edit: disregard the Houston comment, they just traded with Baltimore so the Ravens can get Flacco.

Reunited!

Gotta love Jacksonville taking Derrick Harvey and reuniting him with the Eraser, Reggie Lewis. The Jags are turning Gainesville into it's own private recruiting grounds!

First CB picked at #11.

With the first CB not being picked until #11, it's becoming more and more possible that an elite CB like Antoine Cason or Brandon Flowers could fall to us at #32.

Originally I was saying we should go with a guy like Quentin Groves at #32, but that was assuming that the top CBs were already gone. If Flowers or Cason were available at #32, however, I'd love to see us catch either of them.

And there's the Surprise.

Apparently Jack Del Rio did have a trick up his sleeve.

Jags move up to #8 to take Derrick Harvey.

I LOVE this pick. A lot of people will say it was a "reach," but Harvey is exactly the kind of player the Jags need to really become a Super Bowl contender, and it's good to see them being active in the draft to move up and get who they need. When Jake Long was asked who the toughest two DEs he faced in college were, he mentioned Vernon Gholston but spoke very highly of Derrick Harvey. Harvey will really be a force on the outside, a good current NFL player to compare him to, in my opinion, would be Dwight Freeney.

Not to mention, reuniting Harvey with Jags safety and former Gator Reggie Nelson. Having a familiar face around helps smooth the transition for rookies.

The Jags gave up their first, two 3rds, and a 4th for the pick, which is a bit expensive, but I still think it's going to be a great pick. With the way they've been going, the Jags may just beat out the Colts in the AFC South this year.

No Surprises So Far.

I don't think anyone would be surprised with how things have worked out so far. I really thought KC would trade down, but it doesn't surprise me that they stayed put, either. I also think that Oakland should've looked elsewhere, but this is Al Davis we're talking about.

New Orleans and Baltimore tried to move up for Dorsey and Ryan, but neither could pull it off. Still, keep an eye on those teams to try to move elsewhere for other top prospects. They're obviously willing to play ball with their picks.

A radio show in Jacksonville had an interview with Jack Del Rio, and, although I didn't listen to it, the prevailing idea from people that did is that JDR has a trick up his sleeve, so that's another team to watch as well.

Week 1 - Dolphins vs. Jets. Jake Long vs. Vernon Gholston. Tell me that won't be a heated matchup.

Trade Rumor.

We made the first pick, so now Dolphins fans must sit and wait until #32 for our next pick. Or do they?

Matty I @ The Phinsider is reporting rumors that Tampa Bay has offered up their #52 2nd round pick for Jason Taylor. I still think we can get better if we hold out until later in the round. For instance, if the Redskins are targeting Merling @ #21, but he doesn't fall to them, they may decide to make a last minute trade out of the position for Jason Taylor to get that immediate impact. At the very least, I'd like to see either a pick earlier in the 2nd round, or some more later round picks packaged with the #52.

1 Hour Left.

The NFL Draft begins in one hour. Let's start this off by talking about Miami's first pick, Offensive Tackle Jake Long.

Why he's #1: 6'7" 315 lbs. Benches 225 37 times. 7.44 3-cone. 27.5 Vertical. 32 7/8 arm length. 10 1/4 hands. Basically, he's a beast. In his entire college career he allowed 2 sacks and had 2 penalties. He even remembers when the sacks were, which shows that he obsesses over things like that. Jake Long is tenacious and finishes every play, he's the kind of guy that will pancake you, then if you try to get up, he'll pancake you again. Big 10 Offensive Lineman of the year for two years in a row. Beat Joe Thomas out of the award as a junior. Smart kid, hard worker, a "Parcells guy."

Why the Dolphins need him: Championship teams begin with the offensive line, and end with the defensive line. People can talk about RBs and QBs and WRs all they want, but without strong trench play, it doesn't matter how good your "skill position" players are. If you can't control the Line of Scrimmage, then you can't control the movement of the ball. Think about it: What is the most important player-to-player ball transfer in a football play? QB to RB? Nope. QB to WR? No way. C to QB? Now you got it.

Our offensive line play last year was, to be frank, absolutely horrible. Vernon Carey and Samson Satele had great seasons, but two guys can't control 4 when the other 3 aren't playing up to par. Before drafting Jake, our depth at offensive line was so short, that we didn't technically even have the RT spot filled.

Why I Love the Pick: The free-agency addition of Justin Smiley and Jake Long as our draft pick will create a solid, young line. Carey at RT, Smiley at RG, Satele at C, Mormino at LG and Long at LT. Mormino isn't great, but has a lot of upside. Putting him in between two great young players like Satele and Long will take a lot of pressure off of him and allow him to grow into a decent player himself. The Dolphins also have a young QB in John Beck that will benefit greatly from the added protection, and a strong backfield that will run behind a road-grader like Jake Long all day long (pun intended). Ronnie Brown was leading the NFL in rushing before he was hurt. Now imagine the same but with a much better offensive line.

So basically, adding a guy like Jake Long not only brings his own personal set of skills to the team, but also allows the players around him to play up to, or above, their potentials as well.

Finally, It's Draft Day

Now like most people I too believe the NFL draft is Christmas in April. And since Rate has been doing such a good job covering everything, I have sat back and kept my mouth such. But now that we are only hours away I just can't stand it anymore. So I'm going to touch on the needs of two cities, the one I live in now, and the one I'm from and love.

Starting with my current home of Tampa the buzz is that the Bucs have to draft a "play maker" receiver to replace Joey Galloway. The only problem is of all the the big three projected first rounders none of them come close to the speed the Bucs desire. All the really fast guys are all under six foot and do not fit the Gruden mold of a play maker, also since the Bucs have only five picks for the entire draft the chances of a Desean/Dexter Jackson slipping into the second day are slim to none. Now corner is another need for them and the organization has already said if USF standout Mike Jenkins is sitting at #20 they will definitely grab him but if he's not that might look at going D-Line. And even though there are four QB's on the roster expect them to try to move Chris Sims for a late round pick and use it to grab Garcia's possible successor.

Now to touch on the Bucs division rival to the north we make a stop at my old stomping grounds of Charlotte, N.C. Now I will be upfront and say that I'm a Panther fan since the day they won the expansion rights and much like the rest of the NFC South you're good one year then bad the next. Now the Cats don't have too many glaring holes. For the most part their problems are depth related and with several extra second day picks the chances of the trading up or down are not very likely. Now as of last week their first pick was a no brainer, the best OL available preferably Ryan Clady or Jeff Oath. But with the retirement announcement the other day from Mike Rucker there is only one pick that really makes sense, and that is DE Derrick Harvey.

Now I'm not the most knowledgeable guy on Mr. Harvey but I have seen enough to know that he is a beast of a pass rusher and would compliment Peppers very well. Plus I have heard rumors that Chris Leak, who is from the Queen City, has been pimping his buddy to the organization. The Panthers have been very good on draft day and hopefully the future menu of the Cardiac Cats will include a little Gator.

Navarro Good, Bullpen Better, C.C. Best

The two biggest question marks coming into this season have, by all means, been the two biggest surprises so far. Dionar Navarro came into this season with a make or break attitude hell bent on proving to every one that he more then belongs to be in the Bigs. Average fielding and sub-par hitting had him closer to the exit than his locker, and after another freak accident where he had to get stitches in his hand slipping in the dugout, it looked like just another mishap that has seemed to follow him through out his career. But since coming of the DL he has been nothing short of fantastic. In four games he has gone 6 for 14 with 2 walks and 3 R.B.I.'s. Not to mention the starting pitchers he's caught in those games have all looked quite impressive. He has almost single handily kept the team in competition over those games.

I say almost because the biggest surprise by far has been the pen. After setting records for worst relief pitching in baseball history, the Rays now hold the title of best bullpen in the majors with an E.R.A. at 3.4, and if you were to take Reyes out of the equation it would about 2.9. Hats off especially to Scott Dohman, who has been more then effective as both a long reliever and a situational pitcher. But to be the best you have to beat the best, and after a slow start there is no one hotter right now than Carl Crawford. Last night he hit two triples and a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games and give the Rays (and my fantasy team) the boost it most desperately needed.

What is really impressive though is that during this streak, 12 of those games have been multi-hit games and 6 have been three hitters. As of now Carlos Pena is really the only one slumping and I think Maddon giving him a night off will be good for him, and I do believe he will bounce back shortly. So hopefully the team can keep this winning streak rolling and when you can get production from you superstars and your "scrubs" then only pennants can follow. Wait, did I just say that?

Dolphins Trade 4th Rounder to Dallas

The only question remaining about the Dolphins and Cowboys ongoing relationship is which airline they're flying: American or Southwest? Both have pretty decent Dallas-Miami transit (I'd bet on Southwest...these trades seem boarded like cattle calls). Just to remind you, Bill Parcells, head coach Tony Sparano, and Jeff Ireland all came from Dallas while Zach Thomas went to the Cowboys, and those are just the stars.

The deal sends linebacker Akin Ayodele and tight end Anthony Fasano to Miami for a 4th round pick. Want to know more about these players? Phin Fever breaks it down as well as can be done. The comments at FinsNation seem pretty supportive too. And at Phinsider? Matty likes the deal so much, he thought he was being pranked when texted about it.

My thoughts? I absolutely love this trade. Right now, the Dolphins need serviceable players, and Parcells landed two for one. It's the best value he could possibly get for a 4th round pick, and it stands as yet another glowing moment in the Bill Parcells' Miami Dolphins legacy.

A Magic Brew?

Fillet of a Fenny Snake,
In the Cauldron boil and bake;
Eye of Newt, and Toe of Frogge,
Wool of Bat, and Tongue of Dogge,
Adder's Fork, and Blind-worm's Sting,
Lizard's leg, and Howlet's wing,
For a Charm of powerful trouble
Like a Hell-broth boil and bubble.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616),
Macbeth (IV, i, 14-15)

This line, uttered by the second of the three ugly witches in Macbeth as they stir their boiling cauldron, is one of the most familiar phrases associated with traditional witchcraft. Maybe the Marlins have something in common with the three witches.

There is something to be said for team chemistry, and the Marlins this year seems to have just that. With the right mix of ingredients, the flavors blend into a delicious and savory dish whereas individually the components are dull and lackluster. Add a Cantu, a Hendrickson, a Gonzalez, and throw in a Helms and a Miller or two, into a pot already containing a Ramirez, a Willingham, and a Jacobs, and you might just drool over your home plate. Uggla even sounds occult, like the mysterious incantation in a magic brew.

Double, double toile and trouble ;
Fire burn and Cauldron bubble.

So, who are the real Brewers?

At 14-9, Who's All-Star Bound?

Riding the coattails of the newly immortalized Scott Olsen, the Marlins eeked out a 3-0 extra-inning win over Milwaukee. It was a victory in which the Marlins showed their versatility; we knew they could win the slugfests, but now we know they can take the pitchers' duels too. A truly superb win.

Olsen's magnificence got me to thinking about the All-Star game. Here's my list of potential all-stars, with a brief explanation and probability estimate:

Hitters:
1. Hanley Ramirez, SS - He won't be voted in as a starter, but he's destined for a spot. Probability: 90%
2. Dan Uggla, 2B - Even with his early struggles, 2B is the least competitive field. Utley's the certain starter, but Uggla should squeeze in behind. Probability: 55%
3. Josh Willingham, OF - He'll have to keep things up, but right now he stands a decent chance. Probability: 40%
4. Mike Jacobs, 1B - Too competitive a position for Big Jake, but his ridiculously hot start at least puts him in contention. Probability: 5%
5. Jorge Cantu, 3B - Chipper Jones and David Wright are locks, so Cantu would have to be good enough to earn a third spot. Probability: 2.5%

Pitchers:
1. Scott Olsen: At 3-0, 2.06, Olsen would make the team today, but his lack of name recognition and competition still make the odds steep. Probability: 25%
2. Kevin Gregg: He'll need to rack up more saves, but the 3-0 record should help too. Probability: 20%
3. Renyel Pinto: Rarely does a non-closer make the squad, but Pinto has been brilliant enough to deserve a mention. Probability: 1%
4. Mark Hendrickson: If Olsen goes, he certainly won't. Still, at 4-1, I had to list him. Probability: .25%

Total Odds: At least two should make it, with the third a 50/50 shot.

Scott Olsen Does it Again

Another fantastic start from Scott Olsen. He pitched 7.1 innings against Milwaukee allowing ZERO earned runs and gave up only 4 hits on just 99 pitches. He kept the Marlins in the game and gave them the opportunity to win it in extras, 3-0. His ERA has fallen to 2.06 - and that's including his first start, coming out of injury, where he gave up 4 runs in five innings against the Pirates.

People can say what they want such as, "the Marlins pitching will falter eventually," or, "this team is on a hot streak and will cool off quickly," or "Hendrickson certainly won't last...he's a 5th starter on any other team," but nobody is going to tell me that Scott Olsen is having a surprise beginning to the season. I just won't hear it.

I am convinced that he will remain a bright spot in the rotation throughout the year for the Marlins. This is not a fluke, this guy is for real. How comforting it is to know that the Marlins will likely win every time he pitches.

And by the way, I have taken note of Olsen since the SFF was in its infant stages. Go all the way back to March 17 with one of my first pieces: The Scott Olsen Turn-around. Anyone who disagrees with me, do not hesitate to comment on this post.

12:01 AM - Draft Day Begins

As ASponge mentioned, I'm going to blogging about the first round of the draft all day today, so keep checking back here to see my rants and ramblings. Most of the coverage is going to focus on Miami's picks, but I wanted to kick-start the day with a my predicted top Bust and Steal.

BUST - Glenn Dorsey - Somehow, Dorsey's injury problems are being swept under the rug, a luxury that not many players get to enjoy. Yes, he has great size at 6'2" 297 lbs. Yes, he has strength (225 27 times) and good speed (5.14 40). But, I want everyone to think about that for a second. Where were these strength and speed numbers pulled from? His Pro Day, where numbers are often inflated, and a running assumption that he's been primed for the NFL by the SEC. Now, I'm a die-hard SEC fan, and would argue that as true for just about any other player, but there's one thing that people seem to forget about Dorsey. He disappeared against major SEC teams. In his senior season at LSU he had 7 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss. Here's those stats broken down by game: Miss St (1 Sack, 2 TFL) V-Tech, (0,0) Middle Tenn St. (1,1.5) South Carolina (1,1) Tulane (0,0) Florida (1,1) Kentucky (0,0) Auburn (0,1) Bama (1,2) La.Tech (1,3) Ole Miss (0,0) Arkansas (0,0) Tennessee (0,0) and Ohio State (1,0). Puts it a little into perspective, doesn't it? With the exception of his 1 and 1 against Florida, Dorsey accumulated most of his stats either against scrub schools, or from the bottom of the SEC. Also, remember how good LSU's lines just about always are. If there really is such thing as a "system QB," then I think that Dorsey is a "system DT."

SLEEPER - Andre Caldwell - Obviously, being a Gator grad makes me a little biased here, but I just cannot understand why Bubba isn't getting more attention. For one, his "injury" that people stigmatize him for was a freak accident on a kick return. How does that make him injury prone? Caldwell also turned in the 2nd fastest WR 40 time (4.37) at the combine, and displayed good hands in drills. But, what really sets Bubba apart from everyone else is that he has to be the most well-rounded WR in the draft. We've seen him run out of the backfield, he's even thrown a few times, and he's a very good blocker. The NFL player that always comes to mind when I think of Caldwell is Hines Ward. They're both similar weights (Caldwell is 6'1" 200, Hines is 6'0" 205), they both have great hands, and they both not only are good at blocking, but really enjoy blocking. Is Caldwell going to be a 4-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl MVP like Ward? Let's not give him too much credit. But I do think that he is going to be a very solid contributor for some team. Personally, I'd love to see the Dolphins take him at #57. A great blocking receiver like Caldwell on the outside can really open up the field for Ronnie, Ricky, and especially LoBo.

That's all for now, much more to come as the day rolls on. Make sure to follow along with the live-updating comments (basically a chat) at The Phinsider in addition to your coverage here at The South Florida Fan.

Here's hoping for a great draft! Now I'm off to get some sleep.

Interesting Pitching Matchups in Marlins - Brewers Series

For the Marlins, this weekend features a series against the Brewers in Milwaukee. Each game in the series could go either way due to the even pitching matchups:

Friday:
FLA: Olsen (3-0, 2.60 ERA)
MIL: Gallardo (0-0, 1.29 ERA)

Saturday:
FLA: Hendrickson (4-1, 3.82 ERA)
MIL: Villanueva (1-2, 5.09 ERA)

Sunday:
FLA: Nolasco (1-2, 5.91 ERA)
MIL: Parra (1-1, 5.40 ERA)

Normally I would say that the Marlins must win the Olsen game and the Hendrickson game to take the series. But as you can see, the Marlins have a great chance on Sunday even though Nolasco's on the mound. There is potential for a Florida sweep, whether it be in or out of our favor.

The Twins in South Florida?

And I am not talking about the Minnesota Twins!

With the trade to bring in Luongo to Vancouver, the Canucks had a formula that hoped to result in a Stanley Cup Championship. Missing the playoffs this year has not been good for the Canucks and their fans as they hope to make major changes to their team this off-season.

A rumor around the trade deadline was that JM called up the Canucks asking for Henrik and Daniel Sedin for Olli Jokinen. At the time the Canucks turned that offer down but would they again if the offer presents itself again? I feel that this trade would be great for both teams. Both teams are in desperate need of a HUGE change and this would be very huge!

Yes the Panthers basically get a full top line in acquiring the twins and they would only get Jokinen in return and possibly a 2nd or 3rd round pick in this years or next years draft. This would not be so bad for the Canucks because they would have Jokinen and his deal of a contract plus they would still have cap space to bring in another player that could fill one of the holes they need to fill. The Twins also come at a bargain because their contracts are:

Henrik: 3,575,000/year
Daniel: 3,575,000/year

The only problem with this is that they both are UFA after this coming season!

I personally love this deal. If the Panthers can acquire them, they would not have to overspend on a top line winger and they can use that money to get a puck moving defenseman and a role player. The one thing I can say is that they would have to offer the twins a contract extension just so this trade would not look like a flop! AKA: Luongo for Bertuzzi deal! YIKES. I still have nightmares about that deal, oh and the Bure deal (me shaking my head as I type).

The one thing I want to stress is that having the Sedin twins on this team would give guys like Frolik, Matthias, Olesz, and Kreps a chance to become superstars. The Sedin twins are known for their teamwork and passing ability. If you put a kid like Frolik or Olesz on a line with the twins then you might be looking at a 40 goal rookie season out of Frolik!

These are just some things you Panther fans need to be aware of. The organization has to think what is best for the kids who are ready to come up very soon with the Panthers. I love this deal and would do it in a second. What are your thoughts?

GO PANTHERS!

Draft Day Excitement

Excitement is starting to creep its way across the South Florida blogosphere, but will it result in euphoria? Only this weekend will tell. Here's a rundown of what to read while you watch (yes, it's a multi-tasking endeavor):

First Stop: Naturally, your first stop should be here. The South Florida Fan and Dolphins' expert Rate will be blogging throughout the day, providing instant opinion on the Dolphins' three draft choices. Expect participation from other members of our staff as well (but you should listen to Rate the most...he's the biggest expert).

Second Stop: FinsNation will be tearing up the Internet with their commentary. We'll be reading them all day, so you should too. Here's FinsNation's specific rundown of their upcoming festivities.

Third Stop: Phinsider should be just as compelling. They've already let Dolphins enthusiasts know their idea of the ideal draft, which features Quentin Groves at #32 and Chilo Rachal at #57. Those may be reaches, but the Dolphins just might get lucky.

Last Stop: Come back here, and we'll direct you to the next best place. See you all tomorrow!

Owls Try to Top WKU This Weekend

Sorry to steal the top spot from ASponge. Grading the Marlins is my favorite South Florida Fan feature. However, I need to relay some information to the growing number of Owls supporters that frequent this blog.

This weekend it's the FAU Owls and the WKU Hilltoppers in a Sun Belt series between two pretty evenly matched teams. FAU is in 3rd place and WKU is in 4th. ULM is running away with the leauge at 17-4 but the Owls and Tops are within striking distance of 2nd place Troy (12-6).

The Owls are 10-6 SBC, 23-16 overall
The Tops are 10-8 SBC, 23-17 overall

Tonight's pitching matchup is the Owls' embattled ace Mickey Storey (2-4, 6.80 ERA) against WKU lefthander Bart Carter (4-3, 5.79 ERA).

From the looks of the numbers on the offensive side for both teams and the high ERAs of both pitches, we could be in for another loooooooooooong one at FAU Stadium.

None of what you read was the important part ... this is: ON THE RADIO (well, computer): Steve Bishop and Jay Warman will have the call on fausports.com.

Yep, you read that right. I will be the color man on tonight's broadcast at 6:30. I have hardly any experience but figured I'd give it a try. How hard could it be? I'll probably regret those words.

Marlins Hitter Evaluations: 2nd Edition

After being prodded enough by Jay Warman and a few readers, I've decided to come out with the next edition of Marlins Hitter Evaluations. You may recall that in the first edition, I had some choice words for Jorge Cantu, while praising Robert Andino to no end. Things have evened out a bit, so prepare yourselves for a brunch-like meal of crow:

1. Hanley Ramirez: .333/.406/.622, 20R, 17RBI, 7HR, 8SB - The average has dipped, but the power has become explosive. Even more impressive are the 7 steals since my last edition. The best news? His defense has improved considerably from last year. My only concern is that he's becoming homer-happy, turning himself into an all-out slugger instead of the placesetter they need him to be.
Full Season Projection: 147R, 125RBI, 52HR, 59SB (Wow!)
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: A+)

2. Dan Uggla: .262/.333/.488, 10R, 10RBI, 3HR, 8 Doubles - Uggla has been on an absolute tear over the last two weeks, benefiting in part from The Great Andino's bat. The OBP is steadily rising, while the power continues to show. This generation's "Charlie Hustle" is now on track for another excellent season.
Full Season Projection: 77R, 77RBI, 23HR, 61 Doubles
Grade: B+ (Previous Grade: D+)

3. Mike Jacobs: .277/.307/.614, 13R, 17RBI, 7HR, 7 Doubles - The much-discussed Mike Jacobs is rarely walking (4BB), but he's taking advantage of everything he swings at. Jacobs not only carries the distinction being the Marlins' top slugger, but he also hit the fastest HR in the majors this year (4/11/08 at Houston).
Full Season Projection: 100R, 130RBI, 54HR, 54 Doubles
Grade: A (Previous Grade: B-)

4. Josh Willingham: .329/.396/.659, 15R, 16RBI, 6HR, 5 Doubles, 2 Triples, 2SB - Willingham has been steadily and consistently mashing the ball. While Hanley and Jacobs have gotten all the attention, Willingham has been nothing short of phenomenal. Just look at those numbers!
Full Season Projection: 110R, 118RBI, 44HR, 15 Triples, 15SB
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: C)

5. Jeremy Hermida: .246/.295/.421, 8R, 10RBI, 2HR, 4 Doubles - Hermida's totals are down because he missed the first week of the season (see projections). That being said, the OBP is disgusting for a player of his caliber. The power has been nice, but he needs to start lacing more singles and walking a whole lot more.
Full Season Projection: 88R, 110RBI, 22HR, 44 Doubles
Grade: C (Previous Grade: Was on DL)

6. Jorge Cantu: .325/.381/.532, 12R, 8RBI, 3HR, 7 Doubles, 2SB - WHAT??? Where the hell did this come from? I can't argue against this anymore. While it would be foolish to expect him to keep this up and his defense is still poor, this man deserves the highest accolades. By the way, crow has a bitter taste.
Full Season Projection: 96R, 64RBI, 24HR, 56 Doubles, 16SB
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: F)

7. Alfredo Amezaga: .306/.424/.429, 8R, 5RBI, 4 Doubles, 10BB - The average and slugging have dropped, but that .424 OBP is stupendous! For a speedy singles hitter to get on base at that rate, all we can do is applaud. The defense has been terrific too. He has earned the nickname Amazin' Amezaga tenfold.
Full Season Projection: 64R, 40RBI, 32 Doubles, 80BB
Grade: A+ (Previous Grade: A+)

8. Cody Ross: .146/.163/.220, 3 Doubles - It's been a slump-ridden season for the likable Ross. I still believe he'll pull out of it (see our piece on his Wonder Boy moment). Don't be discouraged, codyross.org. We still believe!
Full Season Projection: 29 Doubles
Grade: F (Previous Grade: F)

9. Matt Treanor: .211/.268/.263, 3R, 2 Doubles, 1RBI - No matter how often Misti May gives it to him, the power just won't come (okay, that was wrong...I meant gives him encouragement). Even so, he's been an impenetrable fortress behind the plate, and his defense makes him worthy of a roster spot.
Full Season Projection: 41R, 14RBI, 27 Doubles
Grade: D+ (Previous Grade: D+)

10. Mike Rabelo: .216/.250/.324, 4R, 4RBI, 1HR - Another near waste of space in the lineup, at least Rabelo has a little power (just a little). Any gains he may have made there on Treanor, however, are quickly forfeited by his much inferior defense.
Full Season Projection: 55R, 55RBI, 14HR
Grade: D+ (Previous Grade: Was on DL)

Others:
Luis Gonzalez - Any drop in average has been more than made up for by his patient plate appearances in key situations, power, and salubrious clubhouse influence
Robert Andino - The Great Andino hasn't gotten much playing time, and his numbers are a lot more human. We'll still never forget his walkoff shot and stellar defense. Also, he gets credit for giving Dan Uggla his magic bat.
Wes Helms - Wes hasn't shown much yet, but we should give him time to work out of his slump

MVP: Hanley Ramirez/Josh Willingham (a tie)
Most Improved: Dan Uggla
LVP: Cody Ross
Most Likely to Improve: Cody Ross
Most Likely to Decline: Jorge Cantu
Most Likely to Break Out: Jeremy Hermida
Who to Watch: Dan Uggla

Meet the Marlins Prospect: Ryan Anetsberger

Ryan Anetsberger - Third Base - 6'1 - 215lbs - 22 years old - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Ryan Anetsberger	AB	XBH	HR	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
Jamestown	222	22	7	1	15	39	.266	.331	.446

A 15th round pick out of Illinois State University in this year’s draft, the Marlins feel like they got a bit of a sleeper on their hands in Ryan Anetsberger. When he first showed up on the Illinois State campus, he was a thin shortstop known more for his glove than his bat. Ryan’s now a legit bat at the hot corner with good gap power, and of course the glove/arm combination is still there.

The Marlins liked how he looked in the Cape Cod League, and were more impressed after he was named the MVP at the National Baseball Congress World Series from another summer league. In his final season at Illinois State, Ryan hit .328/.398/.484 with 5 homeruns in 186 at bats. That performance got him named to the 2nd team All-Missouri Valley Conference. The Marlins decided to skip the Gulf Coast League with him and have him go straight to short season Jamestown. In 222 at bats with the Jammers, he hit .266/.331/.446 with 7 homeruns and was selected to the NYPL All Star Team.

Ryan should be in Greensboro all year as a 22 year old and like many of the college players in the SALLY league, I would expect him to put up big numbers. He has never been a big homerun guy, as he has just 15 homeruns combined dating back to when he was a 19 year old at Illinois State. It will be interesting to see if there is a big power spike, or if he continues to be a gap to gap hitter. Of course, there’s already talk about moving him somewhere else on the diamond as Matt Dominguez and/or Ben Lasater may join him in Greensboro next year. For now though, Ryan is still at the hot corner.

Update: .282/.354/.324 3xbh 3bb 17k in 71 at bats in Greensboro

Still playing 3b because Matt Dominguez has mono

Countdown to NFL Draft: 1 Day

Believe it or not, the NFL Draft is just one day away. Months of suspense, permeated by year-long NFL media coverage, will finally come to a close. Is it as J.A. Adande candidly remarked, "Just a bunch of guys putting on hats," or one of the greatest days in sports? There are certain to be some in each camp, but the historically high ratings give ESPN enough reason to slam the issue down our throats.

As for our coverage, we'll be following right along, providing analysis with each Dolphins pick. For those who don't know, the first two rounds are on Saturday and rounds 3-7 on Sunday. Here's the Dolphins' draft board for each of those days:

Day 1 (Saturday):
Round 1, #1(1) - Jake Long, OT Michigan
Round 2, #1(32) -
Round 2, #26(57) - (acquired from San Diego for Chris Chambers)

Day 2 (Sunday):
Round 3, #1(64) -
Round 4, #1(100) -
Round 6, #29(195) -
Round 6, #38(204) -
Round 7, #1(208) -
Round 7, #38(245) -

Phinsider opines on what the Dolphins might do in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. They envision the team considering defensive end/outside linebacker, defensive end/defensive tackle, tight end, and wide receiver.

One position Phinsider doesn't discuss is quarterback, which FinsNation thinks is just fine as is. FinsNation makes a strong argument for current project John Beck, while also confessing a liking for Brian Brohm. John Beck is hardly the big man on South Beach these days, but he deserves a little more time. Even so, I admit to harboring a secret desire for Brian Brohm as well. He may lack the arm strength, but his well-chronicled accuracy and terrific in-game instincts should make for a splendid NFL quarterback.

Lastly, one aspect of the draft that shouldn't be ignored is Bill Parcells' obsession with character. We all know how poorly the Parcells-Terrell Owens experiment turned out in Dallas. With Parcells now on the Dolphins, the Cowboys seem to be acquiring as many troubled players as possible, such as suspended cornerback Pacman Jones. As Pasik seems to illustrate, this never would have happened under Parcells' watch. Look for the Dolphins to avoid those kinds of players like the plague this weekend.

The Marlins' Achilles Heel Exposed

Everything went according to literary form in last night's 7-4 loss to the Braves, as if scripted directly from Homer's "Iliad." Let's break down the mythology:

Achilles Heel: The back of the Marlins rotation, namely the unreliable Burke Badenhop. He proved to be the weakness tonight, allowing five runs in the first inning.

Achilles the Warrior: The bullpen, which has obliterated all things in its path since Opening Day. Much like Achilles' triumphant return to the front, the bullpen relieved Badenhop and surrendered just one run. It was a solid enough performance to slay Hector, but the Trojan lead was too great.

Achilles' Friends (Agammemnon, Aias, Odysseus, and co.): The Marlins lineup, which never gave up despite the odds. Special credit must go to Josh Willingham, who powered all four of the team's RBI.

The final result? The Marlins, like Achilles, may have been slain for the night, but the division battle is still looking promising. Nobody saw this Marlins team coming, and that's why they're the Trojan Horse of the National League.

A Strange Thursday in Boca

Some things to tell you:

1st: Tonight the FAU athletics people had a schmooze fest for the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce at the site of the new football stadium. It was preceded by the football team's final spring scrimmage. After scrimmaging behind the Oxley Center, the team headed to the site of the stadium and held a bonfire and pep rally.

2nd: Brooke Hogan. Yes THAT Brooke Hogan, was at the scrimmage and the bonfire. Apparently she is considering attending FAU. I say let her in if the Hulk wants to make a nice donation towards the new stadium. Howard Schnellenberger Field at Hulk Hogan Stadium anyone? And we would always have someone good to sing the national anthem.

3rd: There was a press conference today at 3:30 and FAU baseball coach Kevin Cooney announced his retirement after 21 years on the job. He coached future big leaugers. He coached in regionals. He coached the Owls to a super regional, just one step away from the College World Series. He brought FAU baseball into Division I. He had a winning record in 18 of 20 seasons. This season will make 19 out of 21.

Associate Head Coach John McCormack is expected to succeed Cooney. Mac has been with the Blue Wave/Owls for 18 years.

More Dolphins draft tidbits

As recently reported on espn.com, the Dolphins are seeking a 1st round pick for DE Jason Taylor. Apparently Jason has been seeking a trade, and the 'fins have a list of players they want who may not be available come 2nd round (Florida DE Derrick Harvey, Auburn DE Quentin Groves, Michigan QB Chad Henne and Delaware QB Joe Flacco).

It seems as though Parcells is looking to go young. Personally, if they can pull of a trade, I think it would be an amazing deal for the 'fins. They'd then have 2 first round picks (one being Jake Long) and the first pick in the 2nd round. The Dolphins defense was old 3 years ago... Channing Crowder has been a nice touch, but he's still a couple season away from being a solid MLB. Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor have been the face of the Dolphins D for 11 years (Thomas started with Miami in '96, Taylor in '97). I think Harvey or Groves would be a great 2nd pick for the 'fins, even at the cost of losing a veteran captain like Taylor. Preferably Harvin; as a Gator alum, I'd love to see Crowder and Harvin together. Then maybe in round 4 or 5, they could pick up Bubba Caldwell!

What Will the Dolphins Do Next?

Perception around the league is that the Dolphins did well in choosing Jake Long. Of course, some of this ought to be attributed to a nationwide belief that Bill Parcells knows what he's doing. Sometimes, though, it's not even the player you choose but the professionalism with which you act. Parcells clearly had control over the whole operation, and that alone makes me optimistic.

One last note on Jake Long: Phinsider backs up my claim that Jake was the safer pick, showing that offensive linemen have a 75% success rate compared to 50% from defensive linemen among early draft picks.

In regard to the next pick, FinsNation throws out two names: DE Derrick Harvey (Florida) and DE Quentin Groves (Auburn). Harvey ought to excite a number of people on this blog, as we all remember his heroics in the 2006-07 National Championship game against Ohio State. The only concern is whether Harvey will make it to #32.

If you want some more in-depth analysis, take a look at Phin Fever's comprehensive draft board:

PICK #32
ILB - Connor, Dan Penn State 6/3 231 4.67 Late First
QB - Brohm, Brian Louisville 6/3 230 4.81 Late First
OT - Cherilus, Gosder Boston College 6/7 314 5.14 Late First
QB - Henne, Chad Michigan 6/3 230 4.92 Late First
TE - Keller, Dustin Purdue 6/2 242 4.53 Late First
QB - Flacco, Joe Delaware 6/7 236 4.84 Late First
CB - Cason, Antoine Arizona 6/1 191 4.45 Late First
OLB - Groves, Quentin Auburn 6/3 259 4.53 Early Second
WR - Hardy, *James Indiana 6/6 217 4.45 Early Second
DE - Campbell, *Calais Miami 6/8 290 5.04 Early Second
OLB - Avril, Cliff Purdue 6/3 253 4.51 Early Second
OT - Baker, Sam Southern Cal 6/5 309 5.43 Early Second

They go on to analyze the later picks as well. It's definitely worth a look.

The Marlins Turn a Profit?

Perhaps no franchise has been examined, dissected, and judged more closely under the microscope than the Marlins, and yet the team continues to compete. Nevertheless, I've been alerted to some new happenings on the Marlins business scene, and some of them are quite insulting.

It's not surprising that Forbes rates the Marlins as 30th in franchise value, although David Sampson was still good for one of his obligatory rants. That's not even what caught my eye. It's this, which Reader Nathan pointed out, that disturbs me:

"According to Forbes's numbers, Florida brought in the second-highest profit last year, at $35.6 million. This is a team that not only spent just $30 million on payroll last year, the lowest figure in the National League, but then shipped off 24-year-old superstar Miguel Cabrera and 25-year-old star pitcher Dontrelle Willis, neither of whom was due to make anything like his market value, to lower this year's payroll to $21 million. That's about a third of what they'll get this year in revenue sharing payments and national broadcast money. There's a reason they're worth $40 million less than any other team, and it isn't that Miami is a small market."

Ouch! I knew the Marlins were getting a nice cut of their salary paid by MLB, but not to this extent. The payroll is 1/3 of the OUTSIDE money they receive! With information like this, it's no wonder some people like Imber feel inclined to abandon the team.

Now to the good news. One thing Forbes does not account for is the dreaful lease the Marlins have on Dolphin Stadium. That's the real reason the Marlins are losing some money, but they're clearly still turning a hefty profit.

The better news? As Tom D'Angelo of the Palm Beach Post proudly reports:

"The Marlins can say they had something to do with the Pirates dropping below them for the lowest average paid attendance in the majors. Because just 10,185 fans bothered to watch the Marlins and Pirates on Tuesday at PNC Park, the Pirates' average attendance for their eight home games fell to 14,766. The Marlins are second-lowest with an average of 15,033."

29th never felt so good! As a last note, I leave you with this interesting piece commending those athletic women depicted in "A League of Their Own." Congratulations, ladies, on the Hall of Fame honors!

Mini-Broom Closet Today

Yes, the Marlins are going for yet another sweep. Of course, this is just a two-game series, so it's nothing to get too excited about. That being said, it would be an incredible result to gain two whole games on the Braves in Atlanta.

So how does this hot 13-8 start compare with previous seasons? As the articulate Alex Carver of Marlins Today points out, the April franchise record for wins is 16, achieved in both 1997 and 2004. With six games remaining, the Marlins need to play .500 ball to tie the 16. Win four games and they'll be the best April team in franchise history!

How does this season compare with 1997 and 2004? In 2004, the Marlins got off to a torrid 8-1 start and then fell apart. In 1997, the Marlins started strong, dropped a bit, but then started winning again. This year? It's been pretty steady winning, which could lead one to argue it's the most consistent, and thus best of the three.

Meet the Marlins Prospect: Kris Harvey

Kris Harvey - Outfielder - 6′2 - 195lbs - 24 years old - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Kris Harvey	AB	XBH	HR	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
Jupiter	420	31	12	6	34	100	.238	.301	.376

Taken in the 2nd round of the 2005 draft out of Clemson, it made sense for the Marlins to be the one to draft Kris Harvey. After all, his father Bryan was a former all star and the first closer in Marlins history. In his final season at Clemson University, Kris hit .339/.386/.678 with 24 homeruns in 245 at bats. He finished 2nd in the country in homeruns. Those numbers landed him on the 2nd team All American squad.

After signing for $575,000 Kris went to short-season Jamestown and hit .300/.320/479 with 9 homeruns in 263 at bats. Although he had an alarming 9:60 walk to strikeout ratio, the Marlins still saw lots of promise in the young third baseman. Kris really took a step back after his solid professional debut in 2005. The problem in 2006 seemed to be pitch selection, as some of the better arms in the SALLY kept him off balance most of the season as he failed to get into even a mini groove at the plate. Kris does not have very good strike zone judgment and that continued to cause problems for him all season in Greensboro. He loves punishing off speed hangers, but scouts believe he should lay off them more to improve his plate discipline. After splitting time between 3b and the OF in Jamestown, he was used primarily as an outfielder in Greensboro.

His final line in the SALLY was .245/.291/.428 in just 367 at bats. He missed nearly half the 2006 season due to a strained oblique muscle. Kris’ bat speed is no problem as he can turn on any fastball. He has easy power and has the ability to handle high breaking balls as well. Right now though, breaking balls are giving him fits. Harvey has a solid glove and takes good routes on balls in the gap. He has above average speed to go with his great athleticism. He has a very strong arm as well. Although lanky right now at 6′2, 195lbs frame, he could stand to add on 10-15 pounds of muscle to eventually generate more power.

This season in the pitcher friendly Florida State League, Kris had even more problems than in Greensboro. In 420 at bats, Kris hit just .238/.301/.376. He had only 31 extra base hits, to just 34 walks compared to 100 strikeouts. There is a silver lining on his overall abysmal season with Jupiter. After hitting .201/.256/.261 with 2 homeruns in 184 pre-All Star Break at bats, something soon clicked after. In 236 at bats after the break, Harvey hit .267/.355/.466 with 10 homeruns and 21 walks. he still struck out 50 times, but his rate went down from the first half.

His numbers after the break are what get him some prospect leeway. He hasn’t shown anything resembling a top prospect’s numbers over the past few seasons but hopefully those final 240 at bats of the 2007 season are a sign of things to come. Kris will more than likely be in Carolina this year, and the Southern League has been a bit more gentle on hitters so I expect him to continue off the last few months of 2007. The strikeouts are always going to be there, but the Marlins are hoping the power finally comes with them.

Update: .157/.271/.196 in 51 at bats, 2 doubles, 0 homeruns, 7bb 17k

Can Canes Keep First Round Streak Alive?

The Miami Hurricanes have had at least one first round selection in the NFL Draft in the last 13 seasons. This year that streak, a source of uncontained pride for most Canes fans, is in jeopardy. None of their seniors or early-departing juniors (Kenny Phillips and Calais Campbell) stood out last year.

Their best hope at perpetuating the streak lies in the 6-2, 212 lb. free safety Phillips, of Miami Carol City High School. Most draft gurus have him as the best available position at his position, but that position has rarely seen such scant pickings. In other words, he is a light, not necessarily shining, at a notoriously weak (for this year) position. But Canes fans will take it anyway they can get it. Phillips said he had three goals for his Hurricane career - to lead his team in INT's, to be an All-American, and to win a national title. He accomplished the first two, but never came close to achieving the last. Everyone knew that he possessed impressive speed, great coverage skills, and a penchant for hard hitting. But what NFL GM's have been most pleasantly surprised by is his intelligence. Kenny says he studies film for 3-4 hours a day. He is highly coachable and has all the innate ability in the world. He will likely go in the late 1st round.

Calais Campbell is a hulking physical specimen at defensive end. He is 6"8 and 283 lbs, and whichever team lands him will get an A-grade "character guy" who puts his all into each snap. After the 2006 season, most draft experts were projecting him as a top-10 pick. He had 10 1/2 sacks and 20 1/2 tackles that year. His sack total was down to 6 in 2007, and honestly he was a non-factor in most games. Additionally, he has tested poorly in the combines this spring, posting a 5.03 forty yard dash and only completing 16 bench press reps at 225 lbs. Mel Kiper projects Campbell as a late 1st round, early 2nd round pick.

My 2008 draft sleeper is linebacker Tavares Gooden. He will not be picked in the 1st round, but there's a chance he'll slip into the 2nd. He is most likely a 3rd or 4th rounder. Gooden has insane speed (he clocked last year at 4.47 in the 40 yard dash) and improved drastically in 2007, after missing 2006 due to injury. Look for him to start in the NFL one day.

As for the Hurricane Baseball team, they fell (quite embarrassingly) to FIU last night 6-3 at Mark Light Field. Losses happen. But FIU was 13-29 entering the game, and that was against relatively woeful competition. The Canes, who are now 33-5 on the season, have played with fire many a time this season, seeming to take pride in getting down early and needing heroics to eke out victories. They have all of the pieces in place for a national title run, but their worst enemy is themselves, as they exhibited last night. After taking 2 of 3 from FSU in Tallahassee, they had no business losing to the Golden Panthers on their own home field. Miami...you've gotten your wake up call.

Sonics Update: Messy But Good

The faithful Seattle Sonics fans at Sonics Central have been pouring their hearts out for days. We've been arguing all along that their success would come down to sending out e-mails...little did we know it would be e-mails from Clay Bennett.

Hero-villian-hero Howard Schultz of grand mocha latte fame is suing Clay Bennett for fraud and good faith clause violations, and it seems he has a bubbly case. Even more encouraging is the way the Seattle government has finally rallied around the cause, vowing to hold Bennett to his 2010 lease. There's a lot of uncertainty here, but the odds seem to favor Seattle...at least through 2010 (which gives them more time to launch a better stadium plan/case).

Why have we become so passionately involved in this? Watch these two videos and you'll understand.

Scorched Earth:


We'll Meet Again:


Keep going Seattle!

An Ode to The SFDB

I mentioned The South Florida Daily Blog (or SFDB) earlier today, with a promise to discuss them further. I probably shouldn't even refer to it as "them," since "him" would be the more operative pronoun. It's a one-man show, spearheaded by "multi-faceted genius" Rick.

Why am I sharing this again? Because The SFDB has been inordinately kind to us. He links to us nearly every day, without expecting any sort of reciprocation. His Morning and Evening Sifts are exhilarating enough to eliminate the need for any real caffeine, and his Coolers have the first legitimate claim on community discussion since Seinfeld.

So please frequent The South Florida Daily Blog when you can, and make sure to thank Rick for all he's done for us. We are just so appreciative. Thanks!

Winning Cures All Wounds

I'm still not ready to relinquish all emotions after yesterday's umpiring mistake, but I'm feeling a lot better about things. That's what happens when the Marlins pummel the rival Braves in Atlanta.

It was a beautiful 7-2 victory, led by decent enough pitching from, yes, Andrew Miller. Don't be too fooled though; he still gave up 9 hits in 5.0 innings while scoring 0 strikeouts. That he surrendured only 2 runs is incredibly lucky, but I think the Marlins will take it. Any game won with Miller on the mound is worthy of celebration.

Where does this leave the team? Still up 1.5 games on the Mets (who defeated the lowly Nationals) and 3 ahead of the Braves. A win tomorrow can push that lead to 4 over Atlanta, and that's not something to take lightly. It's also worth mentioning that Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs each launched their seventh homers of the season. Who could have predicted that? (Not Contributor Mike, we know that much...he hates Jacobs with a passion)

Florida Panthers Off-Season!

Well ladies and gents, there has been something looming during the past 24 hours. Panther success is hard to use in one sentence, and yes I just used it in one sentence. Doug MacLean the coach as we all know during the YEAR OF THE RAT has been whispered to be interested in taking the coaching job for next season. I bring up success because I personally do not think MacLean is the right choice for this team, if they want to win and win soon they better go with Randy Cunneyworth.

Randy was one of the reasons why Horton progressed so quickly, he obviously works well with younger players and that makes him a perfect fit in the Panthers organization. Olesz, Booth, Kreps, and hopefully Frolik, Matthias, and McArdle can look up to Cunneyworth and progress as quick as possible.

There is no option next season, it's playoffs or BUST! This off season IS the most important off season in the short history of this franchise. They have got to fill the needs to the best of their ability and bring a winner back to South Florida. I have said it time and time again that you have got to build around the young core of this team with TOP TIER talent. Zednik/McLean/Dvorak were not the answer to the Panthers problems. It was an obvious move by Cohen to bring in the cheapest players possible to fill the needs of the team offensively. They did not get the job done!

Jokinen is in need of a top line winger, will they get one? We shall see. The front office of this team is on edge with their fans for the simple fact that they have missed the playoffs in over 7 years. There have been rumors about JM wanting to acquire a puck moving defensemen. I personally do not think the Panthers are in much need of a puck moving defensemen. Mike Van Ryan will be healthy, Cory Murphy is healthy, Noah Welch will finally get in his groove, and of course the best defensemen during the second half of the season Cullimore will be consistent. Don't forget superstar Bouwmeester! Oh, that brings up another point! SIGN BOUWMEESTER!

Take your pick, there are several FA's to pick from for that first line job. Jokinen will be much happier having someone feed him the puck, rather than him doing his patent spin around shot because he can't find anyone who is open.


There have been a lot of names rumored to be the next Florida Panthers coach, what is your reaction? As a Panther fan, who do you want to be the next Panthers coach? Potvin? Hartley?

Winger or Dman?

This is my first Blog! GO PANTHERS!

Home Sweet... ORLANDO?

For the second year in a row the Rays have made the trip down I-4 to The Magic Kingdom for a three game home/away series in Orlando. And for the fifth straight game they have won. Tonight's game was especially exciting with Evan (MAN CRUSH) Longoria getting a two out, two R.B.I. single off the great Roy Halladay in the sixth to tie the game. Jason Hammel was good enough (again) going six full and grabbing the W. My only question is, why are the Rays so freaking good in Orlando?

It's been hard for them to do anything successful in bunches since the formation of the organization and all I want to know is, why not play more games there. Now just to let you know, I am not the biggest fan of them having "home" games on the road but I do understand what they are trying to do. For those who do not follow ratings, the Tampa and Orlando markets combine to be the number six market in the country. And that's a lot of money if every one is on board.

But the reality is, how many of these Disney based homes are going to make the two hour drive to St. Pete to catch a game. I don't know one person going from here to Orlando to see the Magic, and they're in the playoffs! So even though I support the spread of Rays mania, I don't think the experiment is going to be much of a success. But if they keep winning out there I have no problem sacrificing a couple of extra games just to pad the stats.

Magic Win Nail Biter; Up 2-0

The Orlando Magic should be heading to Toronto with a swagger after a 104-103 nailbiter at Amway Arena last night. The question was whether Orlando could legitimately win if their three pointers were not falling and win the Magic did.

If you would have told me that Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis would combine for an 0-13 behind the arc night, I would have called you crazy. These two have shot the 3 ball well all season and last night was completely the opposite. The Magic persevered however dominating the paint in the first quarter, racing to a 20 point lead in the meantime.

Dwight Howard once again showed his power and went for 29 points and 20 rebounds, his second 20-20 night in two games. Four men can claim to the same feat in the past 30 years and what company they are. Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin Garnett, and Charles Barkley. Dwight is already a superstar in my book but he is just showing the nation that he truly is. Imagine this guy with a jump shot...Who could stop him? Well I guess that's just something he'll have to learn to play without considering his age. Oh wait, the kid is 22 years old! Had he played college ball, this would be his senior season and I think a lot of Dwight's critics forget this fact. This KID is going to be phenomenal and the critics just need to accept that. Move over Toronto, the Magic are coming to Canada and I predict a sweep.

Notable Performances:
Dwight Howard - 29 Points; 20 Rebounds; 3 Blocks;
Jameer Nelson - 18 Points; 66% Shooting Beyond the Arc;

More on Instant Replay

Earlier today, I made the case for instant replay in baseball. Sure, I was stung by the iniquity that befell the Marlins last evening, but it's a league-wide problem nevertheless.

Well, our trusty Reader Tom pointed me to something that should help solidify my claim. Take a look at this truly awful call in the Braves-Nationals game. This egregious error makes Hanley's call seem innocuous. Absolutely horrendous!

These umpires are way out of control.

Something Great Happened On the Way to Miami-Forum

I found Miami-Forum through our dear friend, The South Florida Daily Blog (more to come on them later today). Needless to say, I was quite impressed.

Miami is desperately in need of its "ist." If you don't know what that means, it's the popular movement developing in many cities, such as Gothamist (New York). Fortunately, the aforementioned Miami-Forum and South Florida Daily Blog are doing their part to fill the void, and they do it excellently. We've already put The South Florida Daily Blog in our leftside link bar. Today, we're proud to announce the inclusion of Miami-Forum. We strongly encourage all readers to follow Miami's top stories there.

Baseball Needs Instant Replay

The instant replay movement in baseball has been gaining a lot of steam lately, mostly because of atrocious umpiring (Rob Neyer advocated for it yesterday in his chat). I've long been a proponent of it, and I'm incited to write this piece based on the game-changing mishap in the Marlins' 3-2 loss to the Pirates last night. If you missed it, Hanley Ramirez clearly beat out an infield hit to tie the game at 3-3 but was inexplicably called out.

There are three main arguments against instant replay:

1. Human error is part of the game
2. It will prolong games that are already too long
3. It undermines the umpires

All three are poor arguments. I refuse to accept that human error is a part of the game. Sure, human error was part of baseball's storied tradition when technology wasn't advanced enough, but now it is. There are some plays that aren't up for interpretation. Hanley's foot touched the bag before the throw got there. Case over.

As for prolonging games? This has the most merit, but it can easily be circumvented. I would propose a system reserved for only the biggest calls, such as close plays at the bases, homeruns, catch/traps, or fair/foul debates. We can leave balls and strikes alone for now.

Lastly, umpires ought to be undermined, becausing they're not doing their jobs well. If anything, it should give them piece of mind to know that they won't accidentally alter games the wrong way. They should see it as a security blanket, not a jagged sword.

Baseball needs instant replay badly, and it needs it fast.

Desmond Howard on the 'Canes

Desmond Howard spent some time this Spring with the Miami Hurricanes football team as a part of ESPN's redoubled spring football coverage. I actually saw him at the UM-Duke basketball game in the midst of it, schmoozing with fellow UMich alum and Heat legend Glen Rice. His reports from Coral Gables are nothing if not glowing. Yesterday, he was on ESPN's College Football Live, and expressed excitement over the direction that coach Randy Shannon is taking the program.

Howard loves redshirt freshman Robert Marve (to give Gator fans an indication of what Cane Nation thinks of this kid - think of the savior status you bestowed on Tim Tebow as early as 2006, a year before his well-deserved Heisman glory) and the parade of Miami Northwestern recruits the Canes nabbed - Jacory Harris, Aldarious Johnson, Marcus Forston, and Sean Spence, in particular. Howard said that Shannon is the 2nd year coach most poised to make serious noise in the 2008 season, and it's hard not to agree with him.

My take? Yes, the promise of this team is mostly incredibly young. But I cannot say enough how revolutionary the 2008 recruiting class was for Miami. It reminds Hurricanes fans of the 1997 freshman class which included Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne, Andre King, Damione Lewis, Joaquin Gonzalez and Dan Morgan, which of course will forever be remembered as the class that resurrected the giant. The giant was emasculated with Captain Clappy, I mean Larry Coker, and it'll take another 1997-like class to match what the aforementioned legends of a decade ago did. I see old Hurricane flash in safety Vaughn Telemaque, old Hurricane brash in DT Marcus Forston, old Hurricane linebacking smarts and fire in Sean Spence, old Hurricane glue hands in Aldarious Johnson, old Hurricane sick defensive speed in Arthur Brown, old quarterback acumen in Jacory Harris, and I'm going to stop simply because I feel for the readers. This group has amazing talent, but it certainly does not lack attitude, as the Hurricane teams of the very recent past did, which is the thing which provides me the most inspiration for the future of the program.

Jake Long and Beyond

My favorable opinion of Jake Long has been clear since The South Florida Fan's inception. Could it be that Bill Parcells was persuaded by our unwavering support (I certainly hope not, or the Dolphins are in real trouble...then again, I hope he reads the blog). All joking aside, I love what Parcells did here.

Offensive line is the most underappreciated position in football, and yet it plays such a critical role. Look at the time Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have had the last few years. It's all due to the pass protection of their offensive line. A great line can make an average quarterback and a mediocre running back look extraordinary. Jake Long doesn't just prevent sacks; he pushes the line forward.

Not everyone agrees with my analysis. Our friend Pasik (who always claims to be right) is woefully wrong here. He thinks the AFC East caught a break, his Buffalo Bills in particular. Just wait, I say.

As for what happens now, the Dolphins can go in a number of directions. Do they take a quarterback with the #32 overall pick? Chad Henne, Joe Flacco, and Brian Brohm would be the leading candidates. I'd prefer they address their other needs, such as CB and Defensive Line. I know Rate agrees with me.

The even bigger question, however, surrounds Jason Taylor. As Phinsider reports, the Dolphins are trying desperately to trade their all-pro ballroom-dancing sack machine for a 1st rounder. Why? He's 34, unhappy, and probably at peak value. As a hardcore Taylor fan, I'd like to see him stay, but if the 'Fins can get an early 1st rounder and replace him with a Chris Long type, it would be hard to complain. Don't expect that to happen, though. From what I'm hearing, no team has shown that kind of interest.

Marlins Come Up Just Short in Frustrating Loss to Pirates

The Marlins lost 3-2 today at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, snapping a 3 game winning streak and marking their first one-run loss of the season.

Today's game was not all bad as Ricky Nolasco pitched for 7 innings, allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits through 6 innings. He had great command of his fast ball and curve ball, and for the first 5 innings, Pirates hitters found themselves constantly staring at called strikes over the plate. Also, the Marlins offense was not asleep as it managed to push across 10 hits including a 3-4 day with a HR from Jorge Cantu (the Marlin worshiped by many TSFF writers including Jay Warman, JSponge, and myself; but not by ASponge until recently). But the Marlins found themselves abandoning runners at crucial times and finished with 8 LOB. In the 9th inning the Marlins were able to get Jeremy Hermida to 2nd with 1 out but Mike Rabelo and Hanley couldn't come through with the much-needed single.

However, the breaking point for me came in the Top of the 7th with the Marlins trailing 3-2. With 2 outs, Hanley Ramirez came up with Amezaga on 3rd and Luis Gonzalez (after a pinch hit) on 1st. Hanley hit a slow rolling ground ball to Pittsburgh 3rd baseman Doug Mientkiewicz who skillfully picked up the ball and threw a dart to 1st. With Hanley's speed it appeared that he easily beat out the throw but 1st base Umpire, Mike Winters, begged to differ. In watching the replay it was clear to me that Hanley beat the throw and the Pirates announcers concurred. So did Fredi Gonzalez as he immediately protested and got tossed from the game.

What angers me is not the fact that the Umpire botched the call (you see, part of the game of baseball is Umpire interpretation). What does is that he called Hanley out to reverse a previous decision in the bottom of the 6th, where Nate McClouth was thrown out at 2nd and was clearly safe. The Pirates ended up converting in that inning anyway with 3 runs. I don't feel it is fair for an official to appease the other team by making a later call at a point in the game where everything is on the line.

Nevertheless, the Marlins lost and have fallen to 12-8 on the year. I guess I shouldn't be so upset, after all, I would have taken 12-8 any day of the week before the season.

Marlins Taste Their Own Medecine

Last night's 3-2 heartbreaking loss to the Pirates was reminiscent of several Marlins wins this year. It was bound to happen, but it doesn't make me any less bitter...I mean angry (bitter doesn't seem to be a good word choice these days).

I'm convinced that Hanley Ramirez was safe on the infield hit that should have tied the game 3-3 in the 7th. The fact that the Pirates' broadcast refused to air the replay should tell you all you need to know. To lose that way stings, and yet it's just one game. The Marlins are still in first place at a very respectable 12-8.

More good? How about Ricky Nolasco finally pitching well. That's a welcome improvement, and a sign of better things to come.

As for that rotten call...I suspect I'm not the only one fuming.

ODB on the road

So in the interest of the Florida Fan Blog (and to do some hard core gambling at the Hard Rock) the ODB took it on the road this weekend to Tampa and took in a Devil Rays, er, whoops, Rays game. Here are my thoughts from the live action Saturday night against the White Sox.

-It was a good crowd. The line to get tickets before the game was about half an hour long and at least half the seats were filled up. Granted there were some loud go White Sox chants but the painted, inebriated college kids(USF maybe?) all decked out in Rays gear more than made up for it.

-Jonny Gomes is a stud. With two outs he got picked off first only to run his way out of a pickle with a diving slide past an old groaning Mark Buerhle. This led to a four run inning that pretty much put the game away. His next at bat he hit a shot that should have been out but hit the top of the wall. Didn't bother Gomes. He didn't stop to admire the blast. He ran the whole way through and cruised in with a triple.

-Andy Sonnanstine(I just looked up the spelling) threw strikes. It might not sound like much but all he did was throw strikes. He was ahead on every hitter and never being behind in the count led to no rallies for the White Sox.

-Other than the Rays mascot(what in the world is that thing?) I was impressed with the experience. Here's to the Rays continuing to sign their young talent and putting fans in the stands.

With the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft...

The Miami Dolphins have signed offensive tackle Jake Long to a five year, $57.75 million contract, with $30 million of that guaranteed. Not bad for a kid who hasn't played a down in the NFL yet. Signing Long early will also avoid a holdout the likes of which the Oakland Raiders had last year in signing JaMarcus Russell.

After unsuccessfully trying to trade the top draft pick, the Dolphins went after the guy they had at the top of their draft board. Offensive line is just one of many needs the 'fins have going into the 2008 draft, however, but new coach Tony Sparano was the offensive line coach in Dallas last year, and now has the #1 overall offensive lineman in the draft. It seems as though Miami is going to try to improve the big uglies first, then work on the playmaker positions. Surely, there is no other way to go for the Dolphins. Without an O-line, there is no hope for any kind of offense to perform effectively. I'll be more interested to see where the 'fins go with rounds 2-5, and who may still be available.

Jake Long Signed?

Today, our resident Dolphins expert Rate went out on a limb and said Bill Parcells would do the most surprising thing of all: the unsurprising, namely signing Jake Long before the draft begins.

Well, here's some BREAKING NEWS from our new favorite blog, FinsNation. According to them, it's a done deal. Their source? The fairly reliable FOX Sports, so I'm inclined to think this is a real story. I caution you, however, not to take every report at face value. This story could still have some legs.

Update from Phinsider: It's a done deal! The press conference is scheduled for 1:45PM ET. Welcome aboard Jake!

(We'll have more on this story as the day goes on, including opinion and analysis)

Luck, Chucks, Hacks, and Politics - Marlins Style

We've had several discussions here at The South Florida Fan about the role luck has played in the Marlins' success. Just today, JSponge referenced the upcoming series against Atlanta as evidence; the Marlins will bypass Hudson and Smoltz. Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald makes a similar point, but is quick to point out: "But that's an improvement over last season, when they struggled with their fellow dregs."

According to Hermida? "''I think [it's] the sign of a good team [that] you're supposed to beat those guys,'' right fielder Jeremy Hermida said. 'That's something we didn't do last year. We played to our opponents' level sometimes. We knew we were better than certain teams, and sometimes we'd play down to those teams.'' I like what I'm hearing.

Fish Stripes may have the inside scoop on why Dan Uggla is hitting better. He's using Robert Andino's bat! We've already coined our favorite walkoff slugger "The Great Andino," but if he keeps helping the rest of the squad, there may be no bounds to his greatness.

Another key to the Marlins success? First-pitch hitting, according to Juan Rodriguez of the Sun-Sentinel. In his words: "Entering Monday's game against the Pirates, the Marlins were pacing the circuit with a .408 average (29 for 71) when putting the first pitch in play. No other NL team had a higher slugging percentage in those situations than the Marlins (.817). Only the Rockies (.425) had a higher on-base percentage (eight points higher)."

First-pitch swinging has its ups and downs. It's hardly effective in tiring out pitchers and pitchers will catch on quickly, but it also seems to be working. Furthermore, if opposing pitchers are afraid to throw first-pitch fastballs, the Marlins' hitters could find themselves repeatedly ahead in the counts. While I would normally be worried, I can't argue with the current results.

Lastly, don't expect to see Jeremy Hermida at any of the "Count our delegates" campaigns down in Florida. Not only was he unaware of the big primary today in Pennsylvania, but flatly admitted, "''I don't pay too much attention to it,'' Hermida said. ``I've never even actually voted [in any election].''"

Don't worry, Jeremy. It's not as if Florida votes count anyway. You're just saving yourself the trouble.

UM Undisputed #1; Yonder Alonso a Pimp

The Miami Hurricanes, after their hotly contested series victory over the Florida State Seminoles over the weekend, are now the unanimous #1 in all major polls. Competition is unprecedentedly fierce in the ACC, where the Noles and the North Carolina Tar Heels are second and third, the order depending on which poll you look at.

Yonder Alonso garnered ACC player of the week honors after batting an unbelievable .556 with 9 RBI's in games against FAU and FSU. On the year, he posts a .380 batting average with 11 HR's (1st in team) and 42 RBI (tied for 1st in team with fellow pimp Jemile Weeks, who for the record leads the team with a .404 batting average).

Rays Securing Future

First off let me apologize for just now hitting on this topic. Birthdays and busted transmissions made for an interesting last couple of days, but any way.....

On Friday the Rays front office gave the fans another reason to have confidence in the team by signing prospect and phenom Evan Longoria to a long term deal. The contract, in a nutshell, will give the club control of Longoria for the next nine years, assuming they pick up all the options. Evan will be paid about 17.5 million of guaranteed money and has the chance to make as much as 45 million if all incentives are met.

Now the signing has been met with mixed speculation from around the baseball community. On one hand critics are surprised the Rays would put so much stock in a player with a whole two weeks of big league experience and the flip side of the argument is wondering why Evan would commit to such a long term deal when he could potentially make three times as much on the open market (assuming he lives up to all the hype). Personally I see it as a "win win" for both sides. The Rays get a gold glove, silver slugger, instant impact guy for nearly a decade, for what could be a very cheap price in the long run. And Longoria gets a sweet pay day now, and even if the contract goes the distance he will only be 31 and still be more or less in his prime.

So kudos to every one involved. Now if the Rays can just start playing like our friends to the south of us.

Better To Be Lucky...?

The Marlins are not only good, but they also seem to be lucky. Maybe the stars are aligned just right this year. Case in point:

There is a brief, 2-game series coming up this week with the Braves in Atlanta, on Wednesday and Thursday. Barring a rain-out tonight, the Marlins will be facing Jeff Bennett tomorrow (ERA 4.19, 2 starts) and Chuck James (ERA 7.88, 2 starts) on Thursday, and will miss Hudson, Smoltz, and Jurrjens. Of course, the Marlins also have problems with starters three through five, but this is a fortunate turn of events all the same.

It's these kinds of breaks that make for winning seasons. Not so for the Nationals, losing to Tim Hudson yesterday. Let's see how the weather holds up tonight in Atlanta. Smoltz is scheduled to start against the Nats.

FinsNation Is a Must-Visit

We're not shy about promoting other blogs at The South Florida Fan, but we're very selective about doing so. Keeping that in mind, let me extol FinsNation with the highest of high recommendations.

At first, I was a bit skeptical of their claim: "The Greatest Miami Dolphins Blog In The Universe!" Sure, it's not exactly high on the humility scale, but they talk the talk (which is walking the walk in blogging). Their commentary is absolutely outstanding. Not only will I be referencing them throughout the week as we approach the NFL Draft, but I'll be reading their material with as much eagerness as any other fan.

So jump aboard FinsNation - The Greatest Miami Dolphins Blog in the Universe!

Oh, and you can also find them on our left link sidebar (once you've made it there, then you know you can make "best in the universe" claims).

Nothing Diet About These South Beach Bombers!

I forced myself to go back and read some of our Marlins pre-season posts. I had to put myself back in the March frame of mind, when the Marlins were considered a 65-win team with a blue moon's chance at .500. They traded away their two most recognizable stars. They had no starting pitching. They stacked their bench with long over-the-hillers like Luis Gonzalez and Jason Wood. They had nobody to play center field, third base, or catcher. With Mitre, Sanchez, and Josh Johnson injured, they'd be lucky to win 12 games in April.

How times have changed. Did we really just witness the Marlins expanding their division lead to 1.5 games, blistering their way to a stellar 12-7 record? My eyes don't deceive me, right? This is really happening? Somebody pinch me.

The best part about it? The biggest weakness, starting pitching, is beginning to come around. Scott Olsen has been magnificent at 3-0, and Mark Hendrickson claimed his fourth straight win tonight. Even bitter Miller time is starting to turn the corner, and when Nolasco and Badenhop take their lumps, the bullpen is so lights out, the management doesn't even have to come around for curfew.

Simply put, it's impossible not to become excited about this team. As I watched the Marlins jack three more HRs tonight (26 now, second in MLB), I was reminded of the October magic of 2003. There's something special in the air.

The Later Rounds

So much attention has been focused on what the Dolphins will do with the #1 overall pick, and rightly so, but it's usually the later rounds that define a draft. The Dolphins happen to have a full slate of picks this weekend, which should be ample opportunity for Parcells and Co. to place their stamp on the team.

Phinsider examines those other rounds, focusing on the Fins' previous draft struggles. It's hard to argue with the label "a decade of ineptitude" after all that's gone wrong with this team. Let's hope this year commences a decade gone right.

Special note: Rumors are swirling that the Dolphins like Michigan QB Chad Henne. He certainly played well in the Capital One Bowl, but I question his decision making. A Jake Long/Chad Henne 1/2 combo might be a bit too Wolverine for my blood too.

Bill Parcells is Going to Surprise Us All.

By doing absolutely nothing at all.

During the whole pre-draft you've been hearing stuff about Parcells being the "draft-guru" and the "master-of-smokescreens" and everyone seems to think that he always has some devious plan up his sleeve ready to surprise us all.

So wouldn't it be the greatest hoodwink ever if Parcells just... picked a guy, and signed him?

No smokescreens. No trades. No passing on the pick to try to get a better contract (which, by the way, was one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard, I can't believe it gained any steam). Just pick a guy, choose what you want to sign him at, and hammer out the details with his agent.

It's that easy. No, really, it is.

I want to make it clear that I have no connections with Parcells or Jake Long. These so called "sources close to ________" are usually just random coaches or relatives who only have a vague idea of what's going on anyways. If Jake actually talked about his contract negotiations with anybody who wasn't his agent, Ireland, or Parcells, then his agent, Ireland, and Parcells would all be very, very, very mad at him. Not his parents, not Lloyd Carr, not the neighbor of this third cousin twice removed. Nobody. The fact is, no matter how much people want to put guys like Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter, or John Clayton up on pedestals, they've all been wrong before, probably more often then they've been right (I have plenty of proof of that if anyone wants to question it).

All of these "sources" and the people who claim to have them is nothing but an elaborate system so people can act like they're important. Do people honestly believe that so many players, agents, and GMs would openly talk with anybody who doesn't need-to-know? Especially once you consider what's at stake. $60 million isn't exactly chump change.

So when talk like this comes out, always take it with a grain of salt. Use your head, think logically. Just because some talking heads say something doesn't mean it's true, no matter how "credible" they want you to believe they are.

Just look at the facts.

FACT - Miami has opened contract negotiations with Jake Long.
FACT - Miami wants to have the deal in place so their investment is in training camp.
FACT - Miami has a major need at Offensive Tackle (along with many other positions....)
(almost) FACT - Miami hasn't opened contract negotiations with anyone else.

We have a pretty good idea that they haven't opened any other negotiations. Of course, for reasons mentioned before, we can't be completely sure, but it's closer to fact then any speculation of smokescreens, rumored trades, or passing on the pick.

Based only on facts, and forgetting the rest of the media fabricated drama, Jake Long is going to be the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft.

And Bill Parcells is going to surprise the world.

Marlins Putting on a Show!

The Florida Marlins are putting on quite a show tonight. 9 runs on 12 hits... and it's only the 5th inning. While the Fish are certainly playing far above pre-season expectations, we have to look a little deeper to see what really is going on this season. The Marlins schedule so far includes the Mets, Braves, Nationals, Astros, and Pirates. The Pirates, Nationals, and Astros combine for an awe-inspiring 19-37. The Marlins went 8-4 against said teams. Against the Mets and Braves (a combined 19-16), the Fish are 3-3. While the Marlins have beaten the teams they should have, it leaves for plenty of skepticism, and cautious optimism at best. (It's now 10-2 Marlins over the Pirates in the 6th.) And it will be some sort of miracle, in this writer's opinion, to keep up with the Mets and Braves for 162 games. But that's why they play the games on the field, and not in online blog-o-spheres, right?

Which to Watch?

Every year, the NBA and NHL playoffs begin and end around the same time. One with SportsCenter specials, hour long previews, and player-by-player match ups. The other, a 2 minute segment here, a quick blurb there, far from the national attention as the other. (In case you can't figure it out, the NBA is the attention getter, the NHL is the forgotten step-child.) There are many, many reason why this is. Hockey has long been the 4th, if not the 5th sport in this country behind the NFL, MLB, NBA, and now probably NASCAR. The canceled 2004-2005 season certainly didn't help. The NHL's banishment to the cable nether-regions of the Versus network is another reason for the sport's decline. But is this all deserved? The NHL set attendance-records this season. People are going to the games more than ever. Let's discuss why (and hopefully by the end of this, you'll be able to tell on what side of the center ice line I stand).

Now related to Florida sports, as this blog clearly is, only the Orlando Magic are competing in the 2008 Spring Playoff season. But for discussion's sake, let's pretend the Panthers and\or Lightning qualified for the postseason.

Let's begin with the pure adrenaline pumping, action packed, heart stopping excitement factor. Everyone knows NBA games don't begin until there are 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Both teams generally will score at least 70 points, so why bother watching them get there? The last 5 minutes of the game then take, on average, 30 minutes to complete. In hockey, the play easily continues for 3 to 4 minutes at a time, and then once the whistle does blow, there is an actual rule in the books that the puck must drop within 18 seconds of the play stopping. NHL plays 3, 20-minute periods for a total of 60 minues. The NBA? 4, 12-minute quarters for a total of 48 minutes. So why do the two sports take about the same amount of time to complete? Far too much dead time in basketball. Hockey has an actual flow to the game.

So clearly, an NHL playoff game is more exciting. What about the game itself? Both hockey and basketball are "team" sports. Yet watching Kobe Bryant score 81 points, or Shaq Diesel turn around, raise an arm, and score 32 points without rising more than 4 inches above the floor, seems impossibly individual. Is it really just a coincidence that Michael Jordan, I mean the Chicago Bulls... won 6 straight NBA titles? Try watching the great ones in hockey go from one end to the other to score a goal... he'll be crushed by a 6'3", 220 lb defenseman moving at 25 mph before he gets to the blue line. I've heard basketball described as a contact sport... but apart from Steve Nash (a Canadian, mind you) being checked into the boards last year, I'd hardly call slaps to the hands while trying to shoot or "bodying up" a hard foul.

If you're still skeptical about the NHL, I have just one request. Tonight, Tuesday the 22nd of April, there are 2 game 7's in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Take a moment of your time, tune your digital cable box into the triple digits and find Versus network, and check it out. I promise you will not find a more intense, thrilling game on television. Even if the hockey doesn't do it for you, you can't go wrong with playoff beards.

Dwyane Wade or Hanley Ramirez?

Greg Cote, blogger extraordinaire of the Miami Herald, put forth an interesting question today:

Who do you think will retire having had the greater career: Hanley Ramirez or the Heat's Dwyane Wade?

It's been well documented that we love these kinds of questions at The South Florida Fan, and I'll commence the discussion with my opinion. A month ago, the answer would have certainly been Dwyane Wade, in a Flash if I may say. Even on the heels of a horrid, injury-plagued season, Wade has the insurmountable distinction of having won a championship single-handedly, willing his team from down 2-0 and 13 points halfway through the 4th quarter. That Finals performance was one for the ages, and he deserves every accolade imaginable in the NBA universe.

So how has Hanley Ramirez managed to creep his way into the conversation? Through sheer brilliance, that's how. The 2006 Rookie of the Year may have been grossly underappreciated before this year, but his statistic prowess can no longer be ignored:

2006: .292/.353/.480, 17HR, 46 Doubles, 119R, 11 Triples, 59RBI, 51SB
2007: .332/.386/.562, 29HR, 48 Doubles, 125R, 6 Triples, 81RBI, 51SB

Those numbers are well beyond any predecessor. Simply put, he was in a league of his own. This year (18 games)?

2008: .366/.444/.634, 5HR, 16R, 14RBI, 5SB

We're looking at a phenom of all phenoms, a potential all-time great in the game of baseball.

Furthering Hanley's argument is Dwyane Wade's propensity for injury, especially in a sport so infamous for career-stunting wounds.

Even with all that, the nod has to go to Dwyane Wade. He's just accomplished so much more, and Hanley Ramirez is just an infant. The fact that it's close, however, is very much to Hanley's credit. Personally, I just hope we have the pleasure of watching both of them for a long long time in South Florida.

Did I Say Chris Long? I Meant Jake

As Rate astutely pointed out in a comment to my Chris Long piece, I may have jumped the gun a bit. Fortunately for Dolfans, more evidence seems to support that theory.

In Phinsider's latest nugget, the jury seems to go back to Jake Long again. Not only do they suggest that Jake Long is the pick, but that the Dolphins are finalizing contract negotiations. This would be good news if you ask me, but you can never be certain of anything in a process so dominated by smokescreens, hype, and overdramatized speculation.

Perhaps Rate has more of a read on this.

Chris Long Gaining Steam?

Our resident Dolphins expert, Rate, seems to agree with me on what the Dolphins should do with the #1 pick; we both like Jake Long.

If our preference wasn't enough, Rate's amusing story from yesterday highlights some more concerns about Chris Long. Apparently, the guy not only knows how to make an endorsement, but to shamelessly exploit it. Could he be another self-promoter son like Kellen Winslow Jr.?

Well today, Chris Long got some non-commercial endorsements from Dolphins blogs:

According to Phinsider, Jake Long is a decoy, at least in the words of Ozzie Newsome, Ravens GM. Considering Jeff Ireland's gaffe, you have to wonder if he's right.

And at Phinfever, those 'Fins experts went with Chris Long in their final Mock Draft. Sure, they've done like 55,000 of them, but the last one has to hold a little more significance.

As of right now, I think Chris Long is the pick.

Nats Broadcasters High on Marlins...& Nats

As promised, here's my rendition of the Nationals' broadcasting team. Bob Carpenter and Don Sutton are quite the Marlins enthusiasts, though I've yet to see more blatant homerism than here. Let me point out a few specifics:

1. The cardinal sin in broadcasting is to never refer to the team you broadcast as "we." The Nationals team made this error repeatedly, even as they continued to plug the Marlins as an impressive squad.

2. Their opinion of Hanley Ramirez is beyond what I ever could have expected. They twice referred to him as "the best hitter in the league," and they were inordinately impressed with his two laser shots over the center field wall. The thing is, they may actually be right. He's a phenomenal talent.

3. They also thought extremely highly of Josh Willingham. It's not that I don't agree, but I'm puzzled that they would choose him of all players. In their words, "anything over the plate and this guy will hit it anywhere he wants."

4. Mike Jacobs? Not as high. Maybe they read Contributor Mike's piece.

All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. I'm looking forward to hearing Rich and Tommy's familiar voices again tonight, even if they're homers too.

FAU Spring Game Photos

If you weren't there ... it was a beautiful scene. Blue skies. Green, synthetic grass with little pieces of rubber beneath instead of dirt. A standing room only crowd of over 1,000. It was a real American day with the red, white and navy blue jerseys, the tailgate picnics and the festive atmosphere on the Boca Raton campus. The countdown to TEXAS has officially begun ...

Above, Rusty Smith winds up to fire a pass while LB Ted Czepiga leaps in his way. A RS senior, Czepiga played a great game, mostly on the second team. The half-built building in the background is the new student rec center, opening in August.

RB Charles Pierre carries the ball through a hole in the second team defense. WR Cortez Gent looks to throw a block on DB Erick McIntosh who is ready to make the tackle. Pierre had two rushing TDs in the game while E-Mac had his share of great plays too.

TE Jamari Grant shows off his impressive wing-span while blocking for K Warley Leroy. Erick McIntosh can't get around the edge in time. Grant played with the first team offense for most of the day after starter Jason Harmon was knocked out on the first play with a knee injury following a reception.

Photos by UP photographer Kelsey Hamilton.

Canes and Noles Fight (Literally) For #1

Yonder Alonso provided the fireworks during the game, hitting a grand slam which helped propel the #1 Canes to an 11-10 victory over the Seminoles in Tallahassee, and a 2-1 series victory, sealing their place at the very top of the college baseball world. Both teams, and Noles' fans, provided fireworks aplenty after the game. Let's set the stage...

Miami was up 11-3 in the 4th inning, thanks in large part to Alonso's blast the previous inning. Miami starting pitcher Eric Erickson (6-0), making his first start in a month due to elbow soreness, was looking in top post-injury form. FSU surged when Erickson left the game, rocking Hurricane relievers David Gutierrez and Kyle Bellamy to reduce the Canes' lead to 11-9. The furious comeback would fall short, however, as the game ended after seven innings to accommodate UM's travel plans.

FSU's players were crestfallen, and refused to make it out to home plate to engage in standard post-game handshakes with Hurricane players. This prompted the Canes to jump around and celebrate their victory near home plate. FSU's entire squad raced to home plate, where heated words, but no punches, were exchanged, as team staff and security personnel were able to restore peace before the situation got out of control. As the Canes were exiting the stadium, several FSU fans began cussing their rival's players and throwing things at them. UM players not unexpectedly began flashing the team "U" logo with their hands and mocking FSU's tomahawk chop.

Classlessness prevailed on both sides. I think the Noles players were wrong to not come out and shake hands with Canes players. Yes, it was a hard-fought series, and college baseball supremacy was on the line. But anyone who knows college baseball knows that it is customary, and wholly in keeping with the spirit of collegiate athletics, to shake hands with the other team after the game - the Hurricanes were justified in feeling that such a no-show at home plate was an affront. The Noles also came off as the aggressors in the whole affair, and did not have to come out to begin what could have been an all-out brawl just because the Canes celebrated a huge series victory over their hated rival. The Canes players, on the other hand, were wrong to elevate themselves in a haughty and demeaning manner in enemy territory. I fancy myself a tad old-school, and think that a team's play on the field should do all of the talking. There was really no need to rub in the series victory - it happened, and you solidified your place atop college baseball. Now go home, rest up, go to class, and ready yourself for a run through Omaha.

This is Miami and FSU, so confrontations are to be expected. But one thing that Canes and Noles have shown each other consistently over the past several decades was respect. Neither side seemed willing to continue that tradition on Sunday afternoon.

Rate's Mock Draft

01 MIA Jake Long OT Michigan
02 StL Chris Long DE/OLB Virginia
03 ATL Matt Ryan QB Boston College
04 OAK Vernon Gholston DE/OLB Ohio State
05 K_C Branden Albert OG Virginia
06 NYJ Darren McFadden RB Arkansas
07 N_E Keith Rivers OLB Southern Cal
08 BAL Leodis McKelvin CB Troy
09 CIN Sedrick Ellis DT Southern Cal
10 N_O Glenn Dorsey DT Lousiana State
11 BUF DeSean Jackson WR California
12 DEN Ryan Clady OT Boise State
13 CAR Jeff Otah OT Pittsburgh
14 CHI Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt
15 DET Rashard Mendenhall RB Illinois
16 ARI Dominique Rogers-Cromartie CB Tennessee State
17 MIN Derrick Harvey DE Florida
18 HOU Jonathon Stewart RB Oregon
19 PHI Devin Thomas WR Michigan State
20 T_B Aqib Talib CB Kansas
21 WAS Phillip Merling DE Clemson
22 DAL Felix Jones RB Arkansas
23 PIT Malcolm Kelly WR Oklahoma
24 TEN Limas Sweed WR Texas
25 SEA Dustin Keller TE Purdue
26 JAX Calais Campbell DE Miami
27 S_D Gosder Cherilus OT Boston College
28 DAL Mike Jenkins CB South Florida
29 S_F Jerod Mayo ILB Tennessee
30 G_B Brandon Flowers CB Virginia Tech
31 NYG Kenny Phillips FS Miami
32 MIA Antoine Cason CB Arizona

Notes:

-If any deals are made in the top 10, I expect it to be the Pats at #7. I think they'd actually like to move back a few spots and pick up Rogers-Cromartie more.
-I think Sweed to Tennessee is a natural fit with Young.
-I really think that a lot of teams have Ellis ahead of Dorsey on their draft boards, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Ellis go before Dorsey.
-I also think that Buffalo is going to make a bit of a reach for DeSean Jackson because of their success with another Cal player, Marshawn Lynch.

Treanor or Rabelo?

Eighteen games into this young season, the Marlins are faced with a conflict as to who should be considered the starting catcher.

Matt Treanor, better known for his marriage to Volley Ball star, Misty May, began the year as the #1 catcher on the depth chart because Mike Rabelo, acquired from the Detroit Tigers this off-season, was on the 15 day disabled list with a left knee sprain. Rabelo made his Florida major league debut on April 11th against the Astros and went 2-5 with a HR. Rabelo has made the majority of the starts after coming out of injury, playing in 6 games. Treanor, on the other hand, has started 10 games this season, but only 3 since Rabelo's return.

Treanor is without question the better, defensively, of the two. He has been terrific at blocking the plate and picking out balls in the dirt. People don't realize this, but there were a few games this season, including last Wednesday's 6-5 win against the Braves, where Treanor made some crucial stops on breaking pitches from various Marlins relief pitchers with runners on 3rd. Also, Treanor has shown to have a strong arm to 2nd base, and has picked off 5 base-stealers this season.

However, Treanor, batting .229, has struggled at the plate over his career in the big leagues with very little power and an inability to come through with runners in scoring position. For example, in today's game against the Nats, he came up four times, doubling, walking, and striking out twice. His double came with two outs in the 2nd inning with the pitcher Scott Olsen on deck. His two strike outs came in the 4th and 8th, each with one out and a runner on 3rd.

Rabelo is a guy who is known to have power and is supposed to be a better hitter than Treanor. Currently he is batting .160 with 1 HR, but has only appeared in 7 games. In Saturday's game against the Nats, Rabelo was able to get the ball in play with one out and Jorge Cantu on third in bottom of the 6th. Unlike Treanor, he didn't strike out and managed to score the run.

So far, Rabelo has been anything but efficient defensively. In the 9th inning on Saturday, he let two Kevin Gregg pitches in the dirt get by him, one of them allowing the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd. This proved costly as Austin Kearns singled to right with 2 outs, evening the game at 5-5. It would have only made it 5-4 if Rabelo had stopped the wild pitch. Treanor likely would have. Fortunately, the Marlins were able to win it in the bottom of the inning on a Wes Helms walk-off single.

All in all, each player has his upside and downside. Treanor is more experienced and more skilled defensively while Rabelo is probably a little better of a hitter with much more power.

For now, I say let's just give them even playing time. Eventually we'll see who is more essential to the team.

In The Shadows of Venus

Tennis players like to imagine themselves playing on Center Court at Wimbledon, the focus of attention, and at the top of their game. You might call it a kind of delusion of grandeur, the feeling that your game is a whole lot better than it really is. The sense that you could hold your own against the very best players in the world, even if you are just an above average club player competing against someone of similar ability in your own age group.

This past Saturday, my usual game against one of my regular opponents took on added significance when a certain tall, lanky, and muscular young woman suddenly appeared on the court next to mine. At first I failed to recognize her, but as soon as she completed her warm-ups and started hitting those rocket forehands and backhands, it was perfectly obvious that Venus Williams was that person. Suddenly, my perfectly ordinary and mundane match was the opportunity to showcase my talents, and to allow myself to be inspired to rise to new heights well beyond my abilities.

There was quite a crowd assembled there, watching Venus gracefully slide from side to side, reaching out with those long arms and legs to reach the far corners of the court, hitting wicked down the line shots just like at the Grand Slam tournaments. She took many breaks, resting or stretching on the sidelines, while my friend and I continued to battle it out right next door. I realized that the spectators during these lengthy interludes had no other option but to watch our match, and that in a way I really was on Center Court, even if it was not in London, Paris, or New York. This was my chance to shine, to excel, to impress.

I won my match quite easily, three straight sets, and managed a few rather spectacular shots along the way, at least by my own standards. I could catch Venus every once in a while glancing over at our court, watching two 50+ year old men trying to act like 21 year olds in their prime. Maybe one of my forehands even looked good to her, or maybe that occasional smile was her reaction to the vast gap between our games. It really does not matter all that much. After all, at least for one Saturday in April, I played tennis next to Venus Williams, almost on the same court, at the same time, and I held my own.

I Found This Funny.

So I was going through the ESPN chats with draft prospects over the past few months, and I started reading the one with Chris Long.

And in his fourth question, Chris Long turned this into an advertisement.

Chris Long: I'm doing a media tour for *****, who is an NFL sponsor, whom I'm working with. Be sure to watch the NFL draft LIVE on your ***** phone. And read my and Matt Ryan's blogs on your ***** phone.

And then he ends his chat with this:

Chris Long: Thanks a lot for coming through and asking all these interesting questions. Be sure to check out my blog on your ***** phone as well as *****'s coverage of the NFL draft. Wahoo UVA all day long!

Isn't it funny how even the smallest ounce of celebrity status can already be selling phones? The kid is barely removed from his protection from advertisers under NCAA rules, and has yet to play an NFL down ever, yet he's already banking on endorsements. If you remember from the 2006 Draft, Vernon Davis, Jeremy Bloom, and A.J. Hawk were all in the "click-clack" commercials before the draft, too.

I also have to question Long's choices here a little as well. Sure, it shows dedication to his sponsor, but it also, at least to me, shows a little lack of class as well. ESPN brings people into these chats to talk about their experiences leading up to the draft, not to advertise phone companies. From the chats I've read, Chris is the only one who brings up an endorsement deal in his chat.

Is he really in this for the football?

The Marlins Have Real Fans Too

If you've ever been to Dolphin Stadium for a Marlins game, you know that there will be at best 20,000 people there, 1/3 of them rooting for the away team.

If you've ever been to a Sunday afternoon or weekday game (as I did today and last Wednesday), you know that there might be 10,000 fans, maybe 11,000, and everybody is sure to be gone by the 8th inning.

But...if you've ever been to any Marlins game, for the 16 years of the franchise's existence, from Joe Robbie to Pro Player to Dolphins to Dolphin Stadium, you know that the few Fish fans who do show up are some of the best fans around. And that miniscule number of fans is not afraid to show it.

The true fans who go to every game, like the famous Sign Guy, know about as much about our players and history as any fanbase, especially the ridiculous fans of the rapidly growing "Red Sox Nation." In fact, most Red Sox fans know nothing except that they are wearing a navy blue hat with a red "B" on it, and that their team plays in Boston.

So, people can "diss" the Florida Marlins all they want with ignorant comments like "Marlins suck, or why do you like the Marlins, they can't hold on to any good players," but they can't argue with the fact that the Marlins had won TWO World Championships in 11 years, second only to the New York Yankees - A conveniently forgotten truth.

Magic Take Decisive Game One

The Magic came out today and answered every question facing them in the playoffs except one; Can they hold onto a lead?

The 3 ball was there, the defense was there, the inside game was there. Even though they won the game 114-100, the Magic had an unbelievable first half with an NBA record 11 three pointers which can be credited as a major factor in the win. Orlando letting a 24 point lead creep down to 5 in the 4th quarter may be a little worrisome. Even though they won the game 114-100, the Magic had an unbelievable first half with an NBA record 11 three pointers which can be credited as a major factor in the win. To the Magic's credit, they closed out the 4th quarter scare with a 10-0 run to put the game in the books which goes to show how much this team has matured this year. Early in the season I would have put my money on the Magic losing today's game by three points once the lead got down to 5, but along with a team maturation it seems Dwight Howard has stepped into the spotlight and accepted his responsibility. At one point he was 8-8 from the free-throw line which is an amazing accomplishment for Dwight. If he can continue his solid three-throw shooting, the Magic might have a "magical" run in them. How can the Superman Nay-Sayers argue with 25 points, 22 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 81% at the line compared to his regular season 59%.

An unsung hero of the game was Jameer Nelson whom in pre-game interviews told the media he was ready to step up and prove he can shut down the excellent point-guard duo of T.J Ford and Jose Calderon. Jameer backed his words up today as Ford and Calderon shot an uncharacteristic combined 4-20 from the field. Jameers defense or bad day by the two? I'll take Jameer stepping up and getting the job done.

The series is by no means dictated by this first game but you have to love the way the Magic got up early and responded to a charge by the Raptors. In the NBA, teams are going to make runs and today the Magic showed they can handle it as well as the best teams in the league.

Notable Performances:

Dwight Howard - 25 Points; 22 Rebounds; 5 Blocks
Jameer Nelson - 24 Points; 7 Assists
Hedo Turkoglu - 21 Points; 6 Rebounds; 6 Assists
Maurice Evans - 14 Points; 66% from 3 Point Line

6 Days to Draft Prediction

The Dolphins will make (not pass...confirmed by Jeff Ireland) the #1 overall draft selection in just 6 days. Here's my current prediction:

Jake Long, OT - Michigan

I just have a feeling that's who they'll go with, especially after Jeff Ireland's famous Freudian Slip.

The other possibility is that they trade the pick. The only way that happens is if another team decides it's worth it to deal up for Darren McFadden. Don't rule out the possibility, but it's not looking likely as of today. We'll see what happens.

NBA Playoffs & Popcorn

You may remember Terrell Owens once saying, "get your popcorn ready." Even more amusing is when Sean Merriman sent Jason Taylor a bowl of popcorn when the Dolphins missed the playoffs two years ago (as revenge for Taylor's outspoken remarks about Merriman taking steroids and not deserving Defensive Player of the Year because of it).

Regardless, popcorn is often synonymous with watching from your couch. That is exactly where the Miami Heat are viewing things from right now (Dwyane Wade for the last month). Today, the Magic will get their shot against the Raptors, but in the meantime, let's do a quick review of yesterday's games:

1. Cavaliers-Wizards (1-0 Cleveland) - The Wiz are certainly doing their share of talking. I won't lie...I'm an unabashed Gilbert Arenas fan. I find his trashtalk more hilarious than obnoxious. They'll need to defend better down the stretch if they're going to have a chance in this series, though.

2. Spurs-Suns (1-0 Spurs) - The NBA's premier 1st round series far exceeded its billing in Game 1. The Suns just don't seem to have the luck in those close, late games, and it's not their fault. Tim Duncan hitting a 3 to send it into 2OT??? The Suns could really use a win in Game 2.

3. Hornets-Mavericks (1-0 Hornets) - Everyone is overlooking the Hornets. Chris Paul is absolutely fantastic, as he proved yesterday. Look for favored Dallas (even though they're the #7 seed) to go down quickly if they don't stop Paul soon.

4. Jazz-Rockets (1-0 Jazz) - Tracy McGrady's nightmare may be happening again. Another year, another 1st round exit. Sure, the Rockets would trounce a number of East teams, but the world isn't fair (just ask the Sonics fans, who could care less about the NBA Playoffs when their team may not even be there soon). McGrady's legacy is going to take another big hit when the Jazz take this 4-1 (my prediction).

Anyway, enjoy the year off. I expect the Heat to be right back in the thick of things next year, and the Magic should play well against the Raptors today.

Rich and Tommy Under Review

The Marlins may have great TV ratings, but how much of it is due to stellar announcing from Tommy Hutton and Rich Waltz? We at The South Florida Fan don't have an official opinion, but unofficially?

Rich has certainly improved since his first year. He has a few expressions I could do without, such as every walk being "and Pitcher loses him" and every single veteran being "a wily veteran who leads by example...see Brian Moehler circa 2006 for evidence of that" even when the player sucks.

Tommy Hutton also has his share of, shall we say, less impressive moments. His jokes are usually on the lame side, and even more amusing is when Rich decides to go along with it. As soon as Len Kasper left the booth, Tommy Hutton embraced the role of senior announcer, and Rich does his bidding.

Their finer aspects? They may display too much homerism from time to time (that's an understatement), but they clearly love the team. I also like the Tuesday e-mail feature.

If you found the above interesting, then you MUST visit/subscribe to Stupid Things that Rich and Tommy Say, a new blog chronicling some of their mishaps. We'll be adding it to the link list as well, along with Fire Michael Kay (FMK), a beautifully written blog about Yankees' voice Michael Kay (I think you can tell by the title that they aren't the biggest fans).

FAU's Depth Apparent in Spring Game

One play ... one injury to one great player.

In the FAU spring game, star TE Jason Harmon was one and done with a knee injury. It didn't appear too serious but we shall see.

Later in the game DB Tavious Polo tackled an offensive player with his head. However, he was coherent and able to answer questions after the game.

As for that game ... The defense won, for what it's worth, as the offense couldn't score on a two minute drill at the end. The defense showed great depth and speed in throttling the high-powered FAU offense.

The usual stars were out as Frantz Joseph and Jervonte Jackson led the hard-hitting first team. Before he knocked himself out of the game, Polo had his customary interception.

But the spring game isn't about the stars, it's about hope for the future and unknown players making names for themselves. There were a few nice surprises on Saturday:

LB Ted Czepiga, a RS senior was great in for the second team. He even had an interception.

DB Erick McIntosh, E-Mac is BACK after lotsa injuries. The RS junior had a phenomenal game and was the most pleasant of surprises. He got his day started with a fumble recovery for a TD. He also had an interception and several pass break-ups.

RB Alfred Morris, A RS freshman fresh from the scout team played solid tailback in relief of DiIvory Edgecomb and Charles Pierre. Morris played with the first team and had a TD catch and a two-point conversion run.

As expected:

The D-Line is much, much better. Jervonte Jackson is the anchor but add in Robert St. Clair, a healthy Josh Savidge, a stronger Michael Hancock and a beastly Dino Cox and you have your self a hell of a line.

Rusty Smith to Cortez Gent. I write it all the time and it never gets old. Just enjoy it. Smith just knows where Gent is going to be before he gets there and seems to always put the ball on the numbers. When they screw up it is shocking because they are usually perfect.

The running game is solid. Pierre, Edgecomb, Morris, Jeff Blanchard and Xavier Stinson coming in. And don't forget about Willie Rose who runs, catches and blocks with the best.

There are still battles at many positions and some guys you may never have heard of are pushing the current starters. It is a good problem to have. This is the deepest and most talented team in Owls football history.

Don't know who these guys are? Check this out.

And follow the Owls all season long at upsports.blogspot.com

Another Marlins Miracle on Passover

Tonight I had the good fortune to be attending a Passover Seder in the company of an enthusiastic group of Marlins fans. From the moment I arrived, plans were already in the works to go through the Seder ritual and then turn on the game. That was an unexpected turn of events, to say the least.

I expected to be sitting there at the table, sneaking a peak every once in a while at the score of the Marlins/Nationals game on my cell phone, hoping that my wife would not catch me red-handed. When I arrived, the guests who had already assembled were largely glued to the Mets/Phillies game, discussing the pennant race (if you can call it a pennant race in mid-April). The Seder soon started right on schedule, and, sure enough, ended just about in time to watch the second inning of the Marlins. The best part of all was that I did not have to embarrass myself by asking to turn on the TV. Someone else had already done the dirty work for me.

At the start, things did not look very bright for the Marlins at all, and maybe watching the game on Passover was not such a great idea. By the sixth inning, we were all shouting and clapping as the Marlins climbed back from a 3-0 deficit and eventually took the lead 5-3. By the top of the ninth, the Seder was almost forgotten as Kevin Gregg blew the save and then almost the entire game.

This turned out to be a Passover to be remembered for the ages. The Marlins bottom of the ninth heroic victory may not rank up there with the ten plagues and the parting of the waters, and Wes Helms may not measure up to Moses, but we were all feeling thankful for our past and present miracles all the same. I hope they invite me back next year.

Viewing the Marlins From Washington Eyes

One of the great luxuries of viewing the Marlins from another city is the objective perspective. Those with MLBTV often get the visiting broadcasts too (if you're out of blackout range). One of my favorites, for instance, is Gary Cohen with SNY (Mets). His objective analysis is excellent.

Well, today I find myself not far from our nation's capital. Much as I miss the friendly confines of South Florida, I'm looking forward to watching the Marlins-Nats on Nationals television (that's whatever I can manage to watch during/after a Passover seder).

If I see anything interesting, I'll be sure to report it. Most notably, I'll be keeping an eye out for their disappointment when the Marlins seal the game. Go Fish!

Dolphins Hype Nearly Over

Honestly, I can't wait for the NFL Draft to be over already. There's good hype and bad hype. Let me give some examples:

Good Hype: A college basketball team wins the NCAA Championship, then brings all its players back for another run. And they win.

Bad Hype: Your team just completed a 16-0 season, won the AFC, and is expected to trounce the heavy underdog Giants in the Super Bowl. Oh, and you lose. (chuckle)

Good Hype: Your baseball team is predicted last in the National League, then goes on to win 9 of the first 14 games in impressive fashion.

Bad Hype: After going 9-5, a supposedly competent blogger proclaims the team "good" and they go on to lose two in a row. Shit.

Good Hype: A star WR injures his ankle, but manages to make a shocking comeback for the Super Bowl. The team loses, but he plays great.

Bad Hype: Immediately after said performance, that player completely alienates the entire community and becomes hated everywhere.

So now that you get the picture, let me just say that having the #1 pick, accidentally revealing your direction with a Freudian slip, and choosing from a less than desirable pool of candidates constitutes bad hype. I can't wait for the Dolphins to just make the pick and move on.

Marlins Playing Me for a Fool

Once upon a time, the Marlins were 9-5, they had an unhittable bullpen, and I felt safe in claiming "the Marlins are good." What happens yesterday? The bullpen blows the game, one day after the team strikes out 16 times and gets trounced 8-0. Come on Marlins...my credibility is on the line here!

Amid my despair, I was able to take comfort in one thing; my reputation isn't nearly as open to slander as fellow blogger Pasik. I highly recommend that you visit his blog, Pasik's Always Right, to judge whether he is, well, always right. To his credit, he's been right an awful lot, but not always. Let's stick it to him when he isn't.

You'll also find Pasik on the left link sidebar, along with the other blogs we find worth reading. It's a selective group, so I highly recommend giving it a look.

Meet the Marlins Prospect: Andy Jenkins

Andy Jenkins - The Ultimate Utility Man - 6′0 - 205lbs - 24 years old - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Andy Jenkins	AB	XBH	HR	SB	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG
Jupiter	425	27	4	1	24	74	.289	.326	.379

Taken in the 11th round of the 2005 amateur draft, Andy Jenkins had an interesting season in high-A Jupiter. He started off terribly, hitting .212 in April. After that start, he hit .303 the rest of the way. Now he did only get 52 at bats in April because of an injury and it took him a while to get into a groove. Coming off a season in Greensboro where he hit .288/.353/.382, it was expected that all of those numbers would drop in the Florida State League. As we all know how much harder the FSL is on hitters than the SALLY. Well the only thing that took a big hit was his on base percentage, but he was hit 9 less times in Jupiter than the previous year. So his walk rate was not effected much.

Like his position says above, he is the ultimate utility man. Last year in Jupiter, he played atleast 10 games at catcher, first base, third base and in the outfield (both corner spots). While he was drafted primarily as a third baseman, the Marlins have been trying to turn him into a catcher and so far, the results are good. While his catch and release still isn’t up to speed, he has a very accurate arm behind the plate and is a solid game caller. At third base, he has a sure glove and a strong arm as well. While he has played the outfield successfully, he is better suited somewhere in the infield.

As of now, he’s a guy who gets most of his value because he can play all over the diamond. Because he doesn’t walk much, his on base percentage depends mostly on his batting average. Luckily for him, he has been able to keep it in the .280s or better for his career. He hasn’t shown the ability to hit for power yet, but things could change as he goes onto Carolina. While the Southern League isn’t a hitter’s palace, it’s definitely better than Jupiter and the Florida State League. If management feels that Andy can turn into a full time catcher, his value would sky rocket.

Update: .235/.278/.324 with 1 hr and 8 rbi in 34 at bats

Seattle-OKC Alliance Proposal

Today, the owners voted 27-2 in favor of the Sonics relocating from Seattle to Oklahoma City. It didn't come as much of a surprise (the previous two relocations had 1 dissenting vote combined), and it certainly doesn't mark the end of the fight. As third-party observers in favor of the Sonics staying in Seattle, however, we at The South Florida Fan feel in good position to propose an alliance mutually beneficial to both suffering Sonics fans and conscience-struggling Oklahomans:

Proposal Stipulations:

1. Seattle Supersonics fans and sympathizers relinquish all animosity towards Oklahoma residents. This is not their fault. They proved last year that they were viable enough to support an NBA franchise, and they have the potential to become a great NBA city.

2. Oklahoma residents accept that while they eagerly anticipate receiving an NBA franchise, they understand and empathize with the city of Seattle's pain.

3. From this day forward, the combined Seattle and Oklahoma communities vow to work towards obtaining a new franchise in Oklahoma City. This must be a combined, sincere, and extremely persistent effort, including lobbying of NBA personnel and influential media personalities.

4. Both the Seattle and Oklahoma groups advocate that the Seattle Supersonics stay permanently in Seattle.

I know this is a bit of a compromise, but this is a best-case scenario and the most just. I think fans from both communities will have the interest and desire to join hands and work together towards a happy solution.

Please post this proposal on any team's blogs/message boards, but especially in Oklahoma City and Seattle. I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
The South Florida Fan - some well-wishing Miami Heat fans

Jeff Ireland's slip, and what it means.

Every other media outlet is talking about it, so I want to clear something up here.

It doesn't mean anything.

For one, all of us make simple slips in conversation all of the time. Speaking in front of a large press crowd with the most intimidating boss in the NFL aka Bill Parcells staring at you the entire time is about as stressful as it gets, so you can't really blame the guy.

Sure, you can speculate. Maybe it was a Freudian slip. Maybe he actually meant to say "offense." Maybe he meant to say "team." Maybe it's an elaborate Parcells smokescreen.

Maybe it's being completely overblown by a media that's desperate for NFL content.

The fact is, nobody knows anything more about the Dolphins draft plans then they did before the conference. Anything people say at this point is pure speculation.

Besides, the first pick is not what is going to determine the future of the Miami Dolphins. Nearly everyone agrees that Jake Long, Chris Long, or Vernon Gholston are can't miss talents. I really can't see any of them being major busts. They would all also fill a position of need. So the first pick, quite frankly, doesn't mean nearly as much as what people are making it out to be just because of the prestige that goes along with being the first pick of the draft.

What is really going to make or break the Dolphins is how well our talent evaluation works in the middle rounds of the draft. Even if we nailed a first year Pro Bowler with the first pick, if all of the other picks were busts or development squad players, the Dolphins would still be looking at another 1 to 3 win season. However, if the first pick ends up being only an average starter, but we can get 2 to 4 more solid starters in the 2nd to 5th rounds to fill all of our positions of need, the Dolphins could be back to playoff contention within 2 or 3 years.

Of course you hope you can get lucky and land your Tom Brady in the 6th, but the entire point of the draft is to build depth and youth on your team, and if you don't consistently bring in 5 to 6 young players every year that remain in the league with your team, then you end up in exactly the position the Dolphins are in now.

Our Presence at the Miami Herald Chat

Our array of contributors got in 6 questions at the Miami Herald's Dolphins chat. We'll leave it to you to decide whether they were of appropriate caliber:

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from West Palm Beach, FL
Q: In light of Jeff Ireland's now-famous "Freudian Slip," do you think the Dolphins can spin it to their advantage? You can't create a better smokescreen than that.
Answered 04/18/08 13:01:14 by Greg Cote
A: The Dolphins won't spin it. They'll allow the media to spin it for them. But I have to tell you, it was a pretty obvious mistake.

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from West Palm Beach, FL
Q: Darren McFadden has been practically ruled out by analysts and experts nationwide, yet HE is arguably the best athlete in the draft. I know he doesn't fit their needs, but do you see any chance at all of the Dolphins turning to him at the last second?
Answered 04/18/08 13:06:25 by Greg Cote
A: No. It would be dumb given all the other needs. With Ronnie Brown healthy and the eighth or ninth life of Ricky Williams, there are far greater needs.
(Note: Armando had a different take later, so the question wasn't so dumb: Q: Armando. Money aside, who would you pick for the Dolphins as the number one pick in the upcoming draft? Why?
Answered 04/18/08 14:03:32 by Armando Salguero
A: Darren McFadden. He's the most explosive player at the top of the draft. He runs a 4.3. He dominated in the SEC. And even though there are questions about him, there are questions about all the other guys at the top of the draft also.)

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from West Palm Beach, FL
Q: Thanks for answering our questions! When you look back on the history of defensive linemen in the draft, a lot of early picks haven't turned out well. Courtney Brown comes specifically to mind. I remember Mel Kiper et. al assuring that he'd be a superstar for the Browns. When you look at guys like Orlando Pace, for instance, doesn't Jake Long seem the safer Long?
Answered 04/18/08 13:13:59 by Armando Salguero
A: Well, plenty of high-pick OL busts too (Tony Mandarich), but i agree jake Long probably is the "safest" pick.

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Q: The Rams have speculated that they're prepared for the Dolphins to actually PASS on their pick. Forgetting all the negative PR, etc. and assuming they couldn't trade the pick, wouldn't the move make sense for salary cap reasons? Why not take Chris/Jake Long/Gholston at #3 instead for less money? (This is just a hypothetical)
Answered 04/18/08 13:21:18 by Greg Cote
A: The Dolphins will not pass. I asked Jeff Ireland this specifically on Thursday and he said it would absolutely not happen.

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from Boca Raton, FLQ: We've been leading a very active campaign in Miami to try and help Save the Sonics. We were wondering what your thoughts were on the whole thing, especially as we've been through stadium-relocation nightmares with the Marlins for years?
Answered 04/18/08 13:58:09 by Greg Cote
A: A save the Sonics campaign in Miami is a great idea. Can you start a save the heat-dolphins-marlins-panthers campaign in Seattle?

Submitted by The South Florida Fa from Boca Raton, FL
Q: Thanks for the support, Cote. The only people who can really help Seattle are those from other NBA cities. I've been personally told that if you write anything in their favor, Save Our Sonics will augment you to hero status.
Answered 04/18/08 14:04:08 by Armando Salguero
A: Don't get me wrong. I feel for longtime Sonics fans in that area. But I have enough parochial concerns and interests to limit my inclination to delve into the woes of other markets.

Good day to be a Rays fan, another slap in the face to Marlins fans

According to Fox Sports, the Rays are about to sign uber 3B prospect Evan Longoria to a long term deal. The deal is believed to be in the 6 year, $17mil range and there would be options for them to buy out his last 2 seasons of arbitration. A fantastic deal from both sides and it just makes you sigh as a Marlins fan. When you see guys like Troy Tulowitzki, Fausto Carmona, Curtis Granderson, and Grady Sizemore (not to mention many other young stars) get these reasonably cheap long term deals you feel like punching things.

I don't know if it's more the Marlins don't believe in this kind of thing (which would be beyond idiotic) or that they don't want to shell out money (sigh) but we could have signed Hanley to a 6-7 year deal in the $30-35mil range after his rookie year and we did nothing. Now he's en route to having a HUGE deal at some point when he's done with arbitration. Maybe we're waiting till Opening Day in the new park and Hanley will be still be locked up, but it's definitely disconcerning.

At this point, Hanley is not going to go for a smaller deal. What they need to do though is try and lock up Jeremy Hermida now and when Cam Maybin comes up, him too. Those are the 2 "musts" I see right now. Uggla? Absolutely not. I like Josh Willingham alot but by the time he starts making real time money, he'll be 30-31 and there probably won't be room for him on this team anyway. Same goes for Jake.

Here's a breakdown of some of the contracts listed above.

Dolphins Chat at Miami Herald: 1-2PM ET

For those of you who want to learn/talk about the Dolphins draft situation, I encourage you to participate at the online chat, taking place at the Miami Herald.

Greg Cote and Armando Salguero will be taking questions. They should be discussing, among other things, GM Jeff Ireland's now-famous Freudian slip (that the Dolphins are going Defense) and whether there's actually any truth to it. See you there!

Canes Football Position Changes

So there are 3 confirmed position changes heading into 2008: Luqman Abdullah moves from defensive tackle to offensive line; Ryan Hill moves from wide receiver to cornerback; and Damian Berry moves into the logjam at running back. Berry was a safety last year and this spring.

Abdullah's move is a virtual non-story. The junior has been buried in the depth chart at defensive tackle, where the depth chart was gossamer thin last year, so my hunch is that he will stay buried in the depth chart at offensive line, though he does have impressive size for the position, at 6"3 and 307 lbs. He was always considered a project with tantalizing upside, which has heretofore gone unmaterialized.

Ryan Hill's move is the least surprising, in my opinion. He was recruited by UM as a cornerback, and his past two years at receiver have been uninspiring. Although he has blazing speed, he lacks the glue hands coaches have been looking for at the receiver position for several years. Besides, cornerback is probably the thinnest position on the roster currently, and has been aching for increased numbers. Even after this Hill switch, fans and coaches cannot wait for Booker T. Washington's Brandon Harris to arrive in the fall to shore up the secondary.

As for Damian Berry, his move is the most intriguing. The Hurricanes are STACKED at running back, and the depth chart looks like this - Graig Cooper, Javarris James, Shawnbrey McNeal, Derron Thomas, and Lee Chambers. The likely 2009 #1 high school running back prospect, Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kansas, arrives next year ready to compete for immediate playing time. Although Berry played running back as well as safety at Glades Central in 2006, people were expecting him to shine at safety, where many compared his instincts to Ed Reed and his hard-hits to Sean Taylor. I suppose his production failed to match his hype in the coaches' eyes, and they like what they currently have at safety (and they get true freshmen in the fall that were among the top 10 at their position in Ramon Buchanon and Vaughan Telemaque). Berry's best chance at running back is as a second "power back" option to Javarris James. We'll see how all of these experiments fare in the fall.

8 Runs and 16 K's Later...

Those fond of HBO's Sex and the City are familiar with Carrie's narrative style. She'll often say, "2 hours and 3 martinis later.." or something like that.

Well that's how I feel about the Marlins. I went into the game all excited, ready for the second sweep of the season. Now? All I can think about is how THEY STRUCK OUT 16 FREAKING TIMES!

This coming, of course, on the heels of my pronouncement that the Marlins are officially good. Well I still think it, but tonight sure didn't help the cause. If you examine the 8-0 box score, you'll find 3 hits and 16 strikeouts. Here's the K tally:

Hanley Ramirez, 3
Robert Andino, 3
Luis Gonzalez, 3
Matt Treanor, 2
Josh Willingham, 1
Mike Jacobs, 1
Cody Ross, 1
Jorge Cantu, 1
Wes Helms, 1

So as I was saying...8 runs and 16 K's later...#@#$@*&#!#

Now let's take that out on the Nats tomorrow!

Magic get playoff TV snubbed

So for those of you who didn't get to watch the Magic during the regular season, you won't get much of a chance in the first round of the playoffs either. Here is a look at the schedule:

Game 1 - Sunday, April 20, 12:30 p.m., TNT (Orlando)

Game 2 - Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV (Orlando)

Game 3 - Thursday, April 24, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV (Toronto)

Game 4 - Saturday, April 26, 3:00 p.m., TNT (Toronto)

If necessary. . .

Game 5 - Monday, April 28, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV (Orlando)

Game 6 - Thursday, May 1, Time and TV TBA (Toronto)

Game 7 - Saturday, May 3, Time TBD, TNT (Orlando)

As you can see there are only two (maybe three) nationally televised games on the schedule. Instead, the Magic have been relegated to NBA TV, where no one will watch them. If the Magic want to get some respect (and some national attention) they are going to need to get out of the first round. I am sure everyone in the country will want to see the Detroit Pistons and hear their ever-annoying Deeee-troit Basssket-balll chant.

P.S. If you live in the state of Florida there is a good chance that SUN SPORTS could pick up the NBA TV games, and maybe more.

Sonics Update: Phone Numbers

Thanks, all of you, for the great work. I know Sonics Central is extremely appreciative. They've been running with our proposed campaign, along with some others, and the results have been staggering. Odds are looking steeper for Clay Bennett and his band of crooks by the day, especially when it comes to the Key Arena lease.

We now have the phone numbers for all the owners:

Atlanta 404-878-3800 (corporate owner)
Boston 617-854-8000 Wyc Grousbeck
Charlotte: 704-688-8600 Robert Johnson
Chicago: 312-455-4000 Jerry Reinsdorf
Cleveland: 216-420-2000 Daniel Gilbert
Dallas: 214-665-4660 Mark Cuban
Denver: 303-405-1100 Stan Kroenke
Detroit: 248-377-0100 Bill Davidson
Golden St.: 510-986-2200 Chris Cohan
Houston: 713-758-7200 Leslie Alexander
indiana: 317-917-2500 Herb and Mel Simon
Clippers: 213-742-7500 Donald Sterling
Lakers: 310-426-6001 Mitch Kupchak
Memphis: 901-205-1234 Michael Heisley
Miami: 786-777-4328 Mickey Arison
Milwaukee: 414-489-2120 Herb Kohl
Minnesota: 612-673-1600 Glen Taylor
New Jersey: 201-935-8888 Shawn Carter
New Orleans: 504-593-4700 George Shinn
New York: 212-465-6471 James Dolan
Orlando: 407-916-2400 (corporate owner)
Philadelphia: 215-339-7666 (corporate owner)
Phoenix: 602-379-7900 Robert Sarver
Portland: 206-342-2000 Paul Allen
Sacramento: 916-286-3400 Joe Maloof
San Antonio: 210-444-5000 Peter Holt
Toronto: 416-815-5600 (corporate owner)
Utah: 801-325-2500 Larry Miller

Let's flood them to death with calls, urging them to save one of the NBA's greatest cities!

Miguel Cabrera Update, Anecdote

As has been previously mentioned, Miguel Cabrera did not get off to a smashing start with the Tigers. We already discussed the woes of Dontrelle Willis today, so here's my Cabrera update.

Cabrera has pulled out of his slump, bigtime. In yesterday's game, he went 4 for 6 with a HR and 5 RBI. The Tigers have won three in a row, and Cabrera's stats stand at a respectable .264/.350/.472. That's amazing considering what they were three days ago (.175/.283/.275). It's safe to say Miggy is back.

Speaking of Cabrera, I stumbled upon this hilarious story from Calm Bobby. You simply have to read his ex-girlfriend's exploits with Cabrera. Don't miss this, and please send Calm Bobby your sympathies. I have to commend him on how he handled the situation.

Too Much O in TB?

Well, since this blog site has everything from the Rays to the Magic, why not a little Tampa Bay Lightning insight every now and then?

The Bolts have always been one of my top five favorite teams, and they will start next season as my number four team (behind the Panthers, Canucks and Sabres). That being said, I've never gone out of my way to watch the Lightning play. However, I do get the pleasure of seeing them play our beloved Panthers eight times a season thanks to Gary Bettman's genius schedule *insert sarcasm*.

Now that we've got that out of the way, I'll get to why I'm writing this. The Lightning hold the number one pick of the NHL draft this June (wow, is it just me or is this number one pick thing a pattern in Florida?). The consensus number one draft pick is Steven Stamkos, a Center with raw talent. This past season, he netted 58 goals and 47 assists for 105 points for the Sarnia Sting. Not every day you'll see an article about why he should NOT be picked number one.

Today is one of those days.

The offensive heavy Lightning need everything but another scoring threat. Despite the losses of Vaclav Prospal and Brad Richards, the Bolts still have way too much salary tied up in Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. With the next three picks of the draft expected to be franchise defenseman (Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian, and Alex Pietrangelo), the Lightning could really do themselves some favors by trading down a few spots, picking up another early draft choice, and grabbing one of these defenseman.

The Lightning finally look to have solid goaltending for the first time since they had Nik Khabibulin, with the acquisition of Mike Smith from Dallas and the development of Kari Ramo. Tampa will never be short in the offensive department. All they have left to do is make their defense less, well, offensive. One of these three players could go a long way in doing so.

A solid draft could help the Bolts get back to the Cup before anybody could possibly dream.

Is Mike Jacobs the New Chris Shelton?

Contributor Mike cautioned us to be wary of Mike Jacobs' hot start. I levied against him, but now he has some support.

According to Jayson Stark's Rumblings, Mike Jacobs is "not for real." Here's the blurb:

Like that team he plays for, Jacobs is mashing right now, much the way he did after the Mets called him up in 2005. But his big uppercut swing and lack of selectivity scare people, no matter how much raw power he has. (And he'll need it all, playing in that canyon in Miami.)

"Not real," said one scout. "He's swinging from his butt, and right now he's hitting it. But it won't last. He's this year's Chris Shelton."

Ouch! In addition to trashing Mike Jacobs, Stark also reported some concerning news about ex-Marlin Dontrelle Willis:

A baseball man who is tight with members of the Tigers' brass said that, in a way, they were almost relieved when Dontrelle Willis headed for the disabled list last weekend. Dontrelle's wildness was getting so out of hand, he was bordering on being pronounced as having contracted The Thing.

"So now they can send him out on a rehab start and see where this thing is at," the same baseball man said. "Now they can let him figure out his control issues in the minor leagues instead of in the big leagues. And if he's still wild, they can attribute it to the knee. But this [lack of control] has been there for a while. I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I think this is going to turn out to be a bad signing. And that's very unusual for that group."

Future Fish has been arguing that the Marlins unloaded Willis at the right time, and all the evidence is backing him up.

At the Broom Closet Again

This is getting tiresome. Am I really going for the broom again? It appears so, as the Marlins prepare themselves for another sweep. Could it also be possible that our dear friend Imber's interest might be augmenting a bit too? We'll have to hear an answer from him about that.

As I said yesterday, the Marlins are good. Will it last? The South Florida Daily Blog took notice of our statement, so I think we'll have to live and die by it. Now my credibility is on the line, though perhaps his is too for giving us the platform. Either way, we very much appreciate the link. Brown-nosing works on us too.

A sweep tonight would mark a savory end to a torrid 15-game stretch. Win and the Marlins are on pace for a 108-54 season. It's not going to be easy though, with John Smoltz taking the mound for Atlanta against the anything-but-certain Ricky Nolasco. Then again, the Marlins have rocked the last two aces they've faced (Oswalt and Hudson). Let's see them go for it again.

Heat D-League Hero Champion!

Our loyal fans have endured 6 rounds of meaningless Heat D-League Hero Watch Editions. I thank you all for putting up with my whims.

The good news is that this marks our final edition, and WE HAVE A CHAMPION! The highest accolades are in order for STEPHANE LASME, who totaled 12 points on 6-8 shooting in the Heat's dominating 113-99 win over the Hawks. How about that for going out in style?

Speaking of the Heat, you have to give them credit for finishing the season on a high note. The last time they scored 113 points? February 12th in a 114-113 loss to run-and-gun Denver. Congratulations to the Heat and Stephane Lasme, who deserves a look for serious time next season.

1st Edition - Alexander Johnson
2nd Edition - Blake Ahearn
3rd Edition - Kasib Powell
4th Edition - Stephane Lasme
5th Edition - Stephane Lasme
6th Edition - Kasib Powell
7th Edition - Stephane Lasme

CHAMPION: Stephane Lasme

Dolphins Draft News, Bits

We've been very Marlins-centric here at The South Florida Fan as of late. I admit ... we've neglected our most appreciated and historical team: the Dolphins. Why? Let's chalk it up to the Marlins being so damn good.

We'll be providing much more Dolphins coverage as we get closer to the NFL Draft. In addition, we've gained some prime Dolphins contributors, so be ready for lots of great Dolphins content.

The biggest news, of course, centers on how the Dolphins will "spend" the #1 pick. PhinFever put together a great assimilation of mock drafts (74 to be exact). The order?

1. Chris Long (34 times)
2. Jake Long (32 times)
3. Matt Ryan (3 times)
4. Vernon Gholston (2 times)
4. Glenn Dorsey (2 times)
6. Darren McFadden (1 time)

Suffice to say, popular opinion has it between the two Longs. Speaking of Jake Long, I recommend Phinsider's exposee on his abilities. Very informative.

Lastly, let me just throw out the possibility of Darren McFadden being the surprise pick. He's considered the best player in the draft by many, and it just might be the kind of surprise move from Parcells and company. It's not likely (they already have Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams), but I can't shake it entirely.

Meet the Marlins Prospect: Don Czyz

Don Czyz - Relief Pitcher - 6′2 - 200lbs - 24 years old - Bats: Right - Throws: Right

Don Czyz	W	L	ERA	IP	BB	K	BAA	WHIP	HR/9
Greensboro	3	5	4.61	66.1	15	72	.281	1.34	0.68

Taken in the 7th round of the 2006 draft, Don Czyz was signed by the Marlins coming off a season where he led the country in saves with the Kansas Jayhawks. The 6′2 righthander struggled a bit in his professional debut with the Jamestown Jammers. Known for having good control, Don gave up 4.5 walks per 9 innings, something he hadn’t done since 2003, as a sophomore at KU. With his shaky command, he still allowed opposing hitters to hit just .225 off him.

He spent the entire 2007 season in hitter-happy Greensboro where most of his peripherals went down. His era, walks per 9, and whip went down, while his innings pitched and strikeouts per 9 went up. Of note is his era vs righties was at 5.28 yet his overall numbers against righties would suggest otherwise. He struck out 57 in 44.1 innings, gave up just 49 hits, walked only 9 and gave up 4 homeruns. Perhaps Czyz was more unlucky than anything in Greensboro as his numbers suggest a better earned run average.

Don throws a 91-93 mph to go along with an improving slider and changeup. While is his overall size and arm action aren’t ideal, Don is a bulldog on the mound and loves to compete. Being that he is a college guy, he could be promoted at a moment’s notice. At this point, he is scheduled to be in Jupiter for 2008, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in Carolina at any time.

Update: 7ip 6h 4r(3er) 4bb 8k .214baa 3.86era

SHIELDS, YOU'RE KILLING ME

Never in my life has my hand been so close to slapping the panic button. The man who was supposed to come into this season and be the corner stone of a new era has been about as good as Shawn Camp pitching the 8th with a two run lead. I looked over Shields numbers so far (including last nights start), and there was nothing pretty about them. In four appearances this season he has only gone 23 innings. That's less then six innings per start, or an average of about five and a third. No starting pitcher should average those numbers, especially when he is the ace of the club.

He has also already allowed 14 runs in those four starts. Now granted only nine of those fourteen are earned, but the fact is that a lot of balls are being put in play. Not only that but they are being hit in spots that make it difficult for fielders to make plays therefor leading to errors. And if you do the math from a couple of sentences ago, you get roughly three runs per five innings. And that is just putrid. To top all of this off he has also given up 28 hits, which is equal to about five hits per inning, WOW. Oh, and don't forget the w.h.i.p. of 1.473, AAAWWW.

Now to try to be some what positive, his E.R.A. is under four (barely), and his s.o./walks ratio is almost 3 to 1, which isn't too bad but not as good as last year. So for now I will keep both hands tied behind my back but the writing is on the wall. If this team is ever to become competitive then we can't have our franchise players spending the first two months of the season "warming up." For this team to be taken seriously they have to start playing like they belong, and that begins with your best players setting the example.

Sigh of Relief from Hurricane Baseball Nation

Jay had a nice recap below of what transpired in Boca Raton last night, but I want to let out an enormous sigh of relief on behalf of Hurricanes Baseball fans everywhere on account of the cardiac special served up by UM and FAU, as UM snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and vanquished the Owls, 12-10. FAU was actually in control for the most of the game (up 10-3 in the 5th inning) and it took a frantic comeback in the 9th with two outs and Miami down 10-9. UM wins the season series 2-1 (to say "barely" would be a monumental understatement).

My hat is off to FAU - fabulous hitters all and a gutsy group of players that embrace rather than shrink from the challenge of taking on the number #1 team in the land and punching them in the mouth. Fortunately, however, the Canes aren't much into shrinking from challenges either. The quality experience in the clutch from Jemile Weeks and Yonder Alonso were the difference in this game, and the reason that the Canes are 31-3 and blowing into Tallahassee with renewed fervor and confidence for an must-watch series with #2 FSU. It is games like last night's which test a team's character, and it cannot be said that Miami's character is wanting, and this baptism by fire courtesy of Florida Atlantic will prove to be invaluable heading into the postseason.

Save the Sonics Virus Spreads With Conviction

As you know, we've been working around the clock with Sonics Central and other NBA blogs to get the word out about our proposed campaign. Let me show you where things stand right now (this courtesy of Sonics Central):

"Our viral effort to spread our passion for keeping the Sonics in Seattle has been joined by a great group of people across the land on NBA fan blogs. I would like to point them out and thank them for the effort.

True Hoop - Henry Abbott you rock!
Yahoo! Blog Ball Don’t Lie
South Florida Fan (absolute ROCKSTARS on this blog)
Cleveland Cavalier Fans petition
Red’s Army
Addicted To Quack
AltRaps and Rap’s Petition
Basketball John
Mike and Mike show talks to Commissioner Stern
Bull RidingFast Break
Celtics Blog
AOL FanHouse - Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam weighs in
Sons of Steve Nash
Third Quarter Collapse
Cavalier Attitude
With Malice
Sactown Royalty
Phoenix Suns Blog
BlazersOG
Fan Nation
Sports by Brooks
Sun-Sentinel "

It's now time to take this to newspapers and radio. For this campaign to be successful, we need more national headlines. We have to create a story within a story. The viral campaign needs to become the story itself. Let's keep plugging away!

Alonso's Big Blast Beats FAU

Boca Raton -- As Yonder Alonso’s towering ninth inning homer sailed up and out of FAU Stadium, so did the Owls’ hopes of defeating top-ranked Miami for the second time in as many games.

The Hurricanes beat the Owls 12-10 in the deciding game of a three game series in front of an FAU near-record crowd of 2,348. After splitting the first two games in Coral Gables, Miami came back from a 10-3 deficit to beat FAU in Boca Raton.

“Pretty good game,” said FAU coach Kevin Cooney. “We were up by a bunch and couldn’t finish it off. A great relief pitcher got bitten.”

Freshman closer Glen Troyanowski entered with one out in the eighth inning to try to protect a 10-7 FAU lead. He escaped the eighth with the Owls lead at 10-9, but after recording two easy outs in the ninth, Jemile Weeks singled and Troyanowski fell behind the Hurricanes’ first baseman. He served up a 2-0 fastball and Alonso deposited it over the batting cages and into the forest behind the right field fence.

“I just got a good pitch,” said Alonso, who let the FAU fans seated along the right field line know that it was time to quiet down by bringing his finger to his lips as he rounded first base. As Alonso approached home plate he was engulfed in a celebratory mob of teammates.

“This time it was their day,” Cooney said.

The Owls let an early lead and a gutsy pitching performance by starter Adam Morrison go to waste. Morrison struck out four and gave up seven runs in five innings of work. But the Owls played some shoddy defense behind him and four relievers.

After a two out walk to Weeks in the fifth, Alonso hit a high pop into shallow left-center field. Four Owls converged on the ball but none caught it, as it plopped harmlessly onto the outfield grass.

In the eighth inning third baseman Troy Bubley, inserted for defensive purposes, had a routine ground ball get stuck in his jersey. The freakish error led to two Hurricanes runs, setting the stage for Alonso’s ninth inning blast.

“[Troyanowski] was one pitch from being the hero and now he’s the goat,” Cooney said.

The Owls got off to a torrid offensive start to open up a big lead against Miami starter Michael Rudman. FAU scored multiple runs in each of the first four innings. Shortstop Nick Arata was one of FAU’s offensive stars. He had three hits, including a two-run homerun, and scored three times. Catcher Alex Silversmith went 4-for-5 with an RBI.

The near-record crowd filled the stands behind home plate and the grassy berms along the baselines. There was believed to have been a bigger crowd when Miami visited FAU in 2001, but FAU didn’t start keeping official attendance figures until 2003.

The Hurricanes improved to 31-3 with the win as the Owls fell to 21-13. This weekend the Owls travel to New York for a four game series against New York Tech.

Time to Face Facts: The Marlins Are Good

This joyride of a season has now reached 14 games, and the Marlins sit atop the National League East at 9-5. Predicted by nearly every analyst to finish last, there were clearly some miscalculations. What were they?

1. Hermida and Jacobs: Contributor Mike had some choice words for Mike Jacobs this week. Regardless of what any scouts or sabermetric proponents say, the guy keeps hitting homeruns. I watched his ABs carefully tonight. Yes, he's been feasting on fastballs, but I maintain what I argued before; he set himself up for it. In his HR tonight, he patiently waited for a 2-0 count before getting the juice. Maybe his greatest gift is that he knows his limitations and bats around them.

Hermida, on the other hand, is finally achieving his early potential. When I think of a South Florida parallel, Olli Jokinen comes to mind. It's as if the light bulb went off last summer, and now everything is falling into place. Between Hanley, Hermida, and Jacobs, the Marlins have a bit of a murderer's row.

2. Supporting Cast: In 2003, a number of Marlins had career years. It seems to be happening here too, with the likes of Alfredo Amezaga, Jorge Cantu, Robert Andino, etc. Luis Gonzalez has fit in beautifully as the 4th OF (homered tonight), and with Wes Helms replacing Jason Wood, there isn't a weak spot on the offense.

3. Bullpen: The bullpen has been nothing short of Fish-tastic. So Marlin-ous has this group been, that they've completely covered for the starters to date. The bullpen hasn't failed in a single game, maintaining every lead they were given. If this keeps up, the Marlins could be showing some resemblance to the 2006 Angels.

I don't blame the experts for undervaluing the Marlins. Few could have seen this coming, but for the above reasons, we can now say the Marlins are officially a good team.

Save the Sonics Gaining Steam!

UPDATE (5:15PM, ET): From Bill Simmons Today: (Note to David Stern: This was your Bay of Pigs. This was your Watergate. This seedy, incomprehensible saga stained your legacy -- it did -- and the sooner you admit publicly that you handled this situation appallingly from start to finish and do your best to make amends, the better off you will be. I'm speaking for all of us here: We don't want to follow a league where anyone's franchise can be basically hijacked on a billionaire's whim. You need to fix this. You need to fix this right now. Back to the column.)

Go to sonicscentral.comto find all the support. Join their discussion!

UPDATE (2:45PM, ET): Henry Abbott comes through: Third Bullet Point

UPDATE (1:00PM, ET):
Henry Abbott of TrueHoop e-mailed me this: "I'm on it. I have also been interviewed this morning by NPR, and a Raleigh NC station about the Sonics." Thank you so much, Henry!!!

Yahoo is now promoting the story: Look Here

We've been working around the clock with Sonics Central and other NBA blogs to get the word out about our proposed campaign. Things are really taking off, but we need as much participation as possible.

If you need any motivation, look at how appreciative these emotionally distraught Sonics fans are for our help. Pleaaaaaaaaaase do what you can to help their cause:

WE CALL ON EVERY NBA TEAM BLOG, EVERY NEWSPAPER, EVERY RADIO TO POST THE ADDRESS OF THEIR CITY'S NBA OWNERS. THIS INCLUDES PEOPLE LIKE BILL SIMMONS AND TRUEHOOP. IN ADDITION, LETTERS SHOULD INCLUDE:

"As a form of protest, we vow to boycott any game next season in which the Oklahoma City Sonics play, whether it be in our arena or watching it on television."

Send all Miami Heat letters to:
The HEAT Group
AmericanAirlines Arena
601 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132

Call: (786)777-1000

Also, please join this petition started by some altruistic Cleveland fans: Petition Here

Orange and Blue and Rate's Debut

Hey everyone, I'm a new contributor here at TSFF, going to be covering mostly football for the Dolphins and Gators. Shoot me an e-mail sometime if you wanna know more about me, otherwise, lets get to the important stuff.

Here's a couple of game notes I put together for the first half of the Gators Orange and Blue Debut. Just some quick observations, I might do a little better writeup/analysis later, since these notes assume that you've seen the game.

-I LOVED the TD run from Mon Williams on the opening drive where he literally carried 4 defenders into the endzone. Mon is a guy we've been looking for some production out of for awhile now, one of those "potential" guys. Hopefully we can see some more out of him this year.

-Cam Newton may have dispelled any rumors that the Gators will return to a dual-QB system. He still shows his flashes of greatness, but overall his play was very sub-par. I still have some hopes for him, but I'm willing to bet that Brantley will be our backup QB this year once he gets healthy again.

-First play of Blue's second drive. Tebow jukes the defender in the backfield, and still manages to get off the option pitch. Stuff like that shows why people talk so much about Tebow being a spread QB, Leak couldn't of done that.

-Kudos again to Tebow on the play that his first interception happened. He drops the ball and picks it up to continue the play, and made a great pass. He made the play, and that's what we want to see. Rowley just juggled the pass. The second interception wasn't his fault, either.

-Kestahn Moore is really a good kid, and a hard worker. He's improved his ball handling, but when he runs the ball, he still lacks that killer instinct that I like to see in a running back. I'd really like to see him hit the holes a little faster if he's going to be the guy.

-Carlos Dunlap is a BEAST. I was really excited to see him come in last year, and after he's had a year to improve, he really impressed in this game. Remember, Dunlap is the guy who was starting defensive end and kick returner for his high school team.

-The Gators are ridiculously deep at Wide receiver. Just look at players like Justin Williams, who's probably our 5th or 6th string receiver.

-I wonder if the Gators can make it the entire season without a single punt return yard this season? Remember, all season, we only had 5 punts returned... for 22 yards. Brandon James has 5 punt returns for MORE then 20 yards. The combination of Chas Henry's leg and Brandon James' return skills are going to help the Gators win a lot of field position battles this year.

-Chris Rainey is going to make a lot of big plays this year. They say that speed kills in football, and with the combination of Percy, Rainey, and Deonte, we have speed that will make greased lightning look slow.

-People want to talk about our troubles in the secondary, but if we can improve our pash rush, then it will help our corners tremendously. Haden and Pierre-Louis are going to be solid corners this year either way with the experience they gained last year, but with a strong enough pass rush, they could be All-SEC'ers.

-One thing that does concern me is the play of the offensive line. Now, a few factors comes into this. For one, the first and second team was split between the two teams, so the line wasn't at it's best. But it does show that we have holes in our depth. Another thing to remember is that the position that is the most effected by a lack of consistent game-time is the offensive line. Look at the bowl games, after 2-3 week layoffs, teams normally let up more sacks in their bowl games then any other time in the season. Need more proof? Look at how the Giants beat the Pats. As we get into the season, our offensive line will really solidify themselves, but, I'm still a little worried about our depth there. We have to stay healthy.

-Sturgis looks really, really impressive. He hit the 47 and 52, and only barely missed the 57, and the 62 was only BARELY short. He's got a serious leg, and we finally have a kicker.

-Poor Major Wright. Because of the red shirt rules Major couldn't really hit Tebow, but Tebow levels the poor guy anyways. And for a guy that really takes a lot of pride in being a hard hitter, that's especially gotta hurt.

-I love the play of our linebackers. There were a few busted coverages that will need to be improved, but they were hitting hard and hitting fast, with good wrap-up and tackling technique. And I don't care what anyone says about QBs, a good football team begins and ends with solid blocking and tackling.

-Another player that I'm excited to see develop is Aaron Hernandez. He's still a little raw and needs more work, but I feel like he could be an All-SEC TE by his senior season. He definitely has the size and hands.

-WOW at that jump into the endzone for Rainey. The guy is the size of Carlos Dunlap's leg, but he has no fear. I love the kid already.

-I really want to see more out of Emmanuel Moody. I've heard that he did better in the second half, but we also didn't play a lot of starters in the second half. I'll reserve judgement for now.

Overall, I gotta say that I'm really excited about this coming season. After watching "The Rain Man's" performance, if you aren't excited too, you probably don't have a pulse. I also think we have a ton of depth at linebacker now (Hey, how about a 3-4?), our secondary is improving to be at least decent now, and the defensive line looks COMPLETELY different then it did last year, which is a very, very good thing. We still have some depth issues on the offensive line, and I still don't know if we have our elusive 1,000 yard running back, but at the very least Tebow shouldn't have to run as much next season.

So then, what's the answer to the big question? Are the Gators a championship team? Maybe. I think we have some of the pieces to be national champions, but not all of them, and the pieces that we do have aren't all working together perfectly, either. Not to mention how tough the SEC is, and how good Georgia is looking as well. It's still just the spring though, and we have a long way to go.

This writer's prediction? Circle Saturday November 1st on your calender, because it could very well be a #1 vs #2 matchup.

I'VE BEEN THERE SEATTLE

Growing up in basketball crazy Charlotte, there was nothing better then heading out for a night of Hornets basketball. See, for the longest time, that was the only professional sport in town, let alone the entire state. And while Kemp, Payton and Shrempf were tearing it up out west, Bouges, Zoe, and Grandma Ma were putting on a show in the Queen City. Then, almost at the same time, both franchises started a slow and dreadful descent downwards. Then Hornets owner, George Shen, decided the only way to attract good free agents was to build a new stadium. Now Independence Arena was incredibly out dated and the fans were more then willing to fork over several million dollars to help out there beloved team. Then after construction was complete, the flaws started raining down like Dell Curry three's. Then after only a couple of years the Mr. Shen and company decided that this arena wasn't what they wanted and decided that a new one was in order, at the tax payers expense of course, and we all know how that worked out, and the city was devistated.

Now there are some similarities between the Sonics and Hornets that should be taken into consideration, the main one being taxes. The city of Seattle is still paying for not one but two of the most state of the art stadiums not only in the country, but in the entire world. And you don't get the best money can buy with out shilling out some serious coin. So I completly understand why the fans don't want to spend any money at this exact moment. With Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Microsoft all having there headquarters in town, you would think that they ( especially Gates ) would join forces to help the community in it's time of need but I guess that would make to much sense. Now the differences between the Sonics And Hornets are what really have me seeing red. When David Stern approved the sell of the team to it's current owner he knew he was selling it to a man from O.K. City, with investors from the O.K. City, and knowing that O.K. City has put a bid on the last five expansion teams. And for Stern to sit back like he had no idea that they would want to move the team is pure bull. Actions like this would have you cleaning out your desk at any other job. So I encourage every one to let their voice be heard and good luck Seattle.