NL East Race is Riveting

With the Phillies playing the Mets (and making tremendous ninth inning comebacks) and the Marlins battling the Braves, the NL East is rocking right now.

The Marlins have held their own. They could have overtaken first place with a win on Monday, but they kept pace with a nice recovery last night. The decision to call up Rick Vanden Hurk? Brilliant! He only gave up 0 hits in 5 innings.

By all accounts, Andrew Miller will be out until the end of July and Annibal Sanchez will be back soon. That means Vanden Hurk will probably make one more start, at most. When Miller gets back, the Marlins will have 6 starters for 5 spots. My hunch is that Chris Volstad gets sent back down, but performance could change that. It would be a shame, considering how well he's pitched.

A Rotation Without Clasps

Nolasco. Miller. Olsen. Johnson. Volstad. Not a weak link among them. Shake it, slam it against a wall, strike at any point...it still holds strong.

That's how I feel about the current state of things. For the first time, Marlins fans can feel confident in their starter, no matter the day or game. Each one has demonstrated an ability to pitch well, especially of late.

From now on, opponents will glance ahead at the Marlins series and think: "I don't feel good about any of these matchups."

Marlins Give One Away (again)

Add another one to the "remember-these-losses-in-October" file. Despite Jorge Cantu's 2-run, lead claiming home run in the 8th, despite Wes Helms' game-saving play in the 10th, and even despite Cody Ross' RBI double in the 11th, the Marlins lost the opening game to the Rockies, 6-5.

A well pitched start from Andrew Miller will be forgotten (6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K), as it was the Fish-pen that lost this one. Relievers gave up lead off walks in the 9th, 10th, and 11th innings. While able to wriggle out of trouble in the 9th and 10th, the Marlins came up just short of a miraculous escape in the 11th to fall 2.5 games back of the Phils. Kevin Gregg was the actual culprit who earned the loss, and I do mean earned. Following a leadoff walk, he follwed that up with a throwing error on a sac bunt attempt, a walk to load the bases, a grounder that was able to get the runner at home just to give us Fish fans a glimmer of hope, and then the game winning, 2 run single you knew was coming. If the Marlins hope to keep pace with the big boys, they're going to have to learn how to close games out. There have been far too many losses snatched from victory in the first half of the season.

An interesting side note; when Rockies' manager Clint Hurdle was asked on Tuesday how he would respond to increased criticism of the team, as expressed by e-mailers to newspapers, he responded with this: "Stop coming, then. That's the best statement you can make." How did the fans respond? They sold out the place tonight, 48,000+ ... against the Marlins.

Hey, Marlins fans, stop coming!

Nolasco Splendid

Ricky Nolasco is becoming the Marlins' definitive ace. He was superb today, going 8 2/3 innings on route to his seventh victory. It was a shame he couldn't get the complete game, but Fredi had no choice but to take him out after 130+ pitches.

The Marlins are 2-3 in their last five games, but the rotation (usually the weak point) held its end of the bargain. Miller and Nolasco were phenomenal in their wins, while Scott Olsen pitched extremely well and Hendrickson was adequate in losing efforts. Only Ryan Tucker performed poorly, and he settled down after a shaky start to the game.

With the next three games in Seattle against the struggling Mariners, I like the Marlins' chances of regaining some lost momentum. Look for strong showings from Miller and Olsen in the next two, with a bounce back game from Ryan Tucker on Wednesday.

There's Something About Hanley

This post isn't solely about the Marlin's superstar, Hanley Ramirez, I personally just wanted a clever name. Because with this 2008 Florida Marlins team, theres more, theres something, and words can't properly describe it. These particular Fish have an extra spark, a sense of relentlessness a group of "young, inexperienced players" should not have. It's not just Hanley Ramirez, Andrew Miller, or the almighty Dan Cooley Uggla. This whole team is in way over their heads, but is it possible that these fish float in water?

Is it meant to be? I mean, since when does Robert Andino have the right to hit a walk-off homer. Or since when does Mike Jacobs have the right to speak up against the world(specifically the media). And can you please explain to me how a team without 3 of their top pitchers and the guy that has had the highest OBP on the team, can possibly be 7 games over .500.

There is one answer, using a quote from an aforementioned 2nd baseman,(hint: his name is Daaaaannn Ugglaaa),"We know we have talent." So while the rest of the world underappreciates this Florida Marlin team, they know they're better. So go on, underestimate the fish, just try to stay afloat.

Who Your Favorite Athletes Are Voting For - Does It Matter To You?

The Herald has an excellent article this morning about political activism among local professional athletes. Usually, athletes will stay away from the subject because (a) they don't want to spark any sort of clubhouse antipathy with different-minded teammates, (b) they don't particularly follow politics or current events all too much, and/or (c) they fear losing endorsements or fans with their public pronouncements about political issues.

A handful of South Florida professional athletes, however, have been willing to come out with their 2008 presidential preferences. On the Obama side, we have Heat players Alonzo Mourning (who has previously donated $25,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) and Shawn Marion. For McCain, we have Dolphins kicker Jay Feely, Marlins outfielder Luis Gonzalez (who has actually stumped for the Arizona Senator), and pitcher Andrew Miller.

So I ask South Florida sports nation, knowing this information about some of your beloved athletes - does it matter to you? Do you think any more or less of Zo or Gonzo because of their professed political leanings?

Many will say, as with entertainers of any stripe like actors or musicians, that these people should simply "shut up and act/sing/play". These types will actually acquire vitriol for the entertainer who doesn't pledge allegiance to their vision of America, and may even launch boycotts against said entertainers. I probably fall on the milder side of this response. I strongly believe in freedom of speech, and definitely applaud any athlete who deigns to speak out on any matter of national/world consequence. But I will say, "I still love Athlete X, I just wish he wasn't a rabid member of Party Y." I will still attend his games, still cheer my heart out for him, still purchase his jersey. But there's that little bit of "Aw, shucks" in the back of my mind when I get to thinking about how "wrong" he may be politically.

What say you?

How About a Broom?

Just when the Phillies were on the verge of pulling away in the standings, once again the Marlins rise to the occasion and play some of their best ball of the season. Last night's dramatic win with Uggla's walk-off grand slam sets up a very unlikely scenario, a Marlins sweep of a 3-game series over the Phillies. The last time that happened? A 4-game sweep July 26-29, 2004 at home.

Speaking of unlikely scenarios, how about the Marlins leading the Major Leagues in homeruns, once again poised to climb to only one game out of first place in mid-June, Jorge Cantu posting better numbers at this point in the season than Miguel Cabrera, Andrew Miller pitching brilliantly against a potent Phillies offense while Dontrelle Willis joins the single A Lakeland Tigers of the Florida State League with an ERA of over 10, and the Mets at 2 games under .500, the Yankees at an even .500, with the Marlins at 7 games over?

When I was sitting in the stands on Tuesday night, surrounded by Phillies fans on the third base side just above the visitors' dugout, it seemed very unlikely that by Thursday night I might be back at the stadium thinking about a sweep. So when I head out to the game tonight, I would be bringing a broom along if they let me, but they don't even allow umbrellas let alone brooms at Dolphin Stadium. Nonetheless, I wish there would be a large proactive crowd of fans there tonight to watch the possible unfolding of another championship year, long before the thousands of latecomers join the bandwagon in September. At least I can count on the Sign Guy in my section supporting the Marlins through thick and thin, even if surrounded by a sea of red.

It may be June, and it may be way too early to hope, but that is what going to a baseball game is all about. Dreams and possibilities, unlikely heroes, and lots of food (even junk food) for thought and discussion. That is also what this blog site is all about! Maybe I'll try to sneak in a broom.

Redemption's Name? DAN UGGLA!

How noteworthy was Dan Uggla's walkoff grand slam against the Phillies? Important enough to merit its very own post from our good friend Rick at The South Florida Daily Blog. It seems rather fitting - in our eyes anyway - since Rick has been the MVP of the South Florida blogosphere, hands down.

You won't find a more interesting game. The Marlins scored twice on Jorge Cantu HRs, only to scuffle time and time again against Cole Hamels' commanding stuff. Fortunately, the Marlins had an ace of their own. Andrew Miller was unbelievable, stifling one of the top lineups with blazing velocity and pinpoint control.

Kevin Gregg, now in a shaky stage again, coughed up the 2-1 lead in the 9th with his wildness, but that just made the victory even more satisfying. Thank you Dan Uggla, thank you Andrew Miller, thank you Jorge Cantu, and most of all, thank you Rick of SFDB. You guys are all superstars in our book.

Cole Hamels, Take Two

As has been mentioned previously at The South Florida Fan, the Marlins have the great (mis)fortune of facing the same three Phillies starters again: Myers, Hamels, Moyer. In the first series, Hamels was probably considered the toughest game (although Moyer has owned the Marlins), but that's the game the Marlins won. Can they do it again?

Much of that will depend on which Andrew Miller shows up. The Marlins already avenged a loss to Brett Myers last night. It's time for Miller to exact a similar vengeance. A strong showing in tonight's game can put Miller in a more favorable spotlight. With all the negative Dontrelle Willis press circulating today, all eyes will be on Miller to further cement the case that the Marlins won the trade.

The key for Miller has always been the first three innings, especially the first. He usually performs better once he settles in, but the monstrous Phillies lineup won't give him any breaks. The most obvious indicator is his control...if you see a lot of 2-0 counts, grab the gin. As for Hamels, I'd like 4 runs, with a 5th and 6th to feel safe.

Will the Tigers Rue the Day?

It is an interesting question. One that was laughable over the winter and has become more and more serious as this strange season has progressed.

Will the Tigers rue the day that they traded Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, Burke Badenhop, Eulogio De la Cruz and Dallas Trahern for Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis? I think they already do.

The pitching-needy Tigers sent a wildly ineffective Willis to the minors today. Cabrera just keeps eating his way towards worsening numbers and more games at DH. Slow-footed Detroit is the biggest bust in baseball.

Meanwhile, without Cabrera the Marlins are better offensively than they were a year ago (the Fish lead MLB in homers). They replaced Willis, the spark of 2003's magical run, with Miller, who even in his youthful inconsistency has been eons better than the man-who-used-to-be-called-the-D-Train this season. The potential of Miller, Maybin, De la Cruz and Badenhop outshine Cabrera and Willis at this point.

With tonight's win the Marlins are six games over .500 and three games out of first. The Tigers wallow at 27-37, 10 games behind the surging White Sox in the AL Central.

Would Cabrera (.270/8 HR/36 RBI) and Willis (0-1/10.32 ERA/21 BB/5 K) have been this bad had they remained in South Florida? Would the Marlins be so close to the top of the league with the moody Miggy and off-track D-Train still in town?

Sure, Cabrera is underachieving as his weight and batting average remain in far-too-close proximity. He probably will regain some semblance of his old self. No, Dontrelle isn't this bad, although his final days in teal weren't so pretty either. But the trade that was supposed to sink the Marlins to the NL seafloor and boost the Tigers to the World Series isn't delivering expected results.

I wonder if Detroit regrets it already.

Most Dependable Starter? Ricky Nolasco

Tonight, Ricky Nolasco will battle Braves somewhat-sensation Jair Jurrjens for Game 4 of the series. As I'm sure you all know, the Braves lead the series 2-1, despite each team blowing a late lead in all three games.

The first three games may have been screwy, coming down to fluky bullpen mishaps, but I expect tonight's game to play out more traditionally. Ricky Nolasco has been very solid lately, regaining his pre-injury 2006 form (remember, he beat Brandon Webb). It's a rotating circus, but he leads my current list of most dependable Marlins starters. Here it is:

1. Ricky Nolasco
2. Scott Olsen
3. Andrew Miller
4. Mark Hendrickson
5. Burke Badenhop

Scott Olsen is barely hanging on to the second spot, but a solid performance Monday gave him some breathing room. Andrew Miller seems fine when he can get past the first couple innings, but that's a big if. Hendrickson was mediocre yesterday, but that was after three bad starts in a row. And Badenhop? He was never good enough to earn confidence, though he could very well ascend after a couple more starts.

Putting it bluntly, the Marlins rotation is consistently inconsistent, excellently mediocre, and erratic as a sugar-high toddler. And maybe that's beautiful; on any given night, they can be Sandy Koufax...or Anthony Young.

Either way, I like the ball in the hands of Nolasco tonight.

2-4 Road Trip Not So Bad

How am I going to put a positive spin on a 2-4 road trip against NL East rivals? It's difficult, but it could be a lot worse.

So they lost two series. On the road, they were almost supposed to lose, and they had the lead in a couple games...imagine if they hadn't squandered those. They could easily have been 4-2 for the trip.

Salvation lies in Atlanta, where I like their chances. The pitching matchups are favorable, Hanley seems to have emerged from his slump (at least partially), and Nolasco and Miller have become dependable starters. Don't forget that post-April Cody Ross is a hitting machine!

There's plenty of good to scrape up from this weekend's carnage, and it just might show itself over the next four games.

ASponge Crow Bucket: Miller Joins Cantu

Yes, I'm borrowing a bit of terminology from our pal Craig at Fish Stripes (if you didn't know, he puts up a "Chum Bucket" whenever the Marlins have a day off).

So far, there has been one entry in the ASponge Crow Bucket: Jorge Cantu. I had no choice but to relent there, after every contributor at The South Florida Fan (TSFF) was blasting me. While Cantu has certainly dropped off some, he's still been a lot better than expected and still inhabits a spot.

It's now time to add Andrew Miller. In this case, I have some friends. JSponge may have been the only member of The South Florida Fan crew to campaign for Miller. We all wanted him sent down, which is probably why Larry Beinfest has a World Series to his resume and I don't.

Keeping Miller in the majors has turned into a brilliant move. How could I not get the bag of crow ready when Miller shuts down the best team in the NL (or should I say formerly best team) on route to their first zero of the season? Miller has REALLY matured. I think we're all fans of Miller Time now.

P.S. I've also been right about a lot of things, like Matt Treanor for instance. Eat that Beinfest!

Marlins On Top of the World

There are so many positive things to say about this week's shocking series sweep of the Diamondbacks. I'm almost at a loss for words...but I found a few. Here are 10 things to be excited about if you're a Marlins fan:

1. The combined record of the three Diamondbacks pitchers (Owings, Webb, and Haren) was 19-3 coming into the series. Now? 19-6. Wow!

2. At 8 over .500, the Marlins have regained their stride after showing signs of decline.

3. The Marlins won all three games, despite missing Scott Olsen. He goes tonight.

4. Andrew Miller is becoming fantastic. I know, it's amazing. He's throwing fireballs out there and is being referred to as "the ace of the staff" by some.

5. The national media is fully on board now. While many doubt the Marlins' ability to stay the course, they've become, as Tim Kurkjian said, "the most exciting story in the National League."

6. Ricky Nolasco is molding into that solid third starter the Fish have desperately needed...oh wait, fourth starter if Andrew Miller's suddenly the ace.

7. You'll never hear anything again about the Marlins beating up on bad teams.

8. All this was done without Josh Willingham, who was having an All-star level season.

9. It happened with Hanley Ramirez in one of the worst slumps of his career.

10. A torrid Matt Treanor is now the starter...thankfully!

Calling for the Super Broom

The Marlins get swept in Cincinnati, lose two of three to the Royals, and then go out and take the first two from the Diamondbacks. Go figure.

As improbable as the first two wins were (especially Nolasco over Webb), it doesn't get any easier tonight. We get our old pal, Andrew Miller, against the sizzling Dan Haren.

Miller will have to be Nolasco-esque to pull off the sweep, while the Fish need to chip away for at least 3-4 runs. The Marlins have had some success against top pitchers this year, such as Hudson and Oswalt, but they've also struggled (Smoltz and Volquez). Could last night's conquering of Webb open the bats up for a strong showing?

The one thing Miller absolutely CANNOT do is put the game out of reach in the 2nd inning. That's always my fear with him. If he gets it to the 4th without significant damage, then I like the chances. It's those early innings. We'll see.

Marlins Look to Home For Comfort

The four-game series in Cincinnati that wasn't (both in terms of expectations and logistics) was a nightmare concocted by some Riverfront demons. Three crushing losses, the last of which the Marlins scored 6 in the 9th just to blow it in the 10th, left many a Fish fans cringing.

The Marlins - believe it or not - are still in first place, and they can right the ship tonight. Reports are that Andrew Miller will still get the start (on an extra day's rest), to see if he can build on his previous two gems. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually looking forward to it. I really think he could be the guy who stops the bleeding.

Also of note: Matt Treanor is now being called the starter. Thank god! This should have happened four weeks ago.

The Marlins Game SUCKED Last Night

Please excuse my colloquial diction (sucked), but we are, after all, the voice of the fan. Last night's Marlins game was dreadful, awful, terrible, ghastly, frightening, appalling, repulsive, redoubtable, abhorrent, noxious, odious, repugnant, despicable...have we reasserted our claim to eloquence?

To come back from 6-0 in the 9th inning, only to cough it up in the bottom of the 10th was impossible to endure. If you can't tell, I'm still seething.

The good thing about baseball, of course, is that you can go out the next night and erase those horrible memories. Our hopes rest in the hands of Andrew Miller, who amazingly has turned in two solid starts in a row. I've been his harshest critic, but even I have some optimism for tonight. With the less than formidable Matt Belisle his adversary, I like the Marlins' chances.

So Who's For Real?

East is east, and west is west,
So which one of our teams is really the best?

As we wake up this Monday morning, the Marlins have the best record in all of major league baseball, at 23-14, and are riding a 7-game winning streak. The Rays have the third best record in the American League, at 21-16, and are riding a 4-game winning streak. Both teams are greatly exceeding any forecaster's wildest predictions, and yet neither team is really taken very seriously for the long haul, especially when it comes to the Marlins.

The point was driven home during my doubles tennis game yesterday morning. In response to my comment about the recent success of our team, my opponent, a diehard Yankee fan from Scarsdale, calmly remarked, "They're playing well for a weak team." Perhaps he should have referred to the payroll, not the quality. A more appropriate comment might have been, "They're playing well for a poor team." Looking at the inflated payroll of both New York teams, it is hard not to cringe. But even that is about to change somewhat with the long term 70-million dollar contract soon to be signed by Hanley Ramirez.

Then, in listening to ESPN radio last night, the discussion revolved around these two Florida over-performing teams, with the consensus being that the Rays were the more likely team to prevail over for the duration of the season, with the Marlins the more likely team to collapse. After all, the Marlins have been winning on scoring runs and power, while the Rays have the stronger pitching with Kazmir back in form and a better team ERA overall.

I predict exactly the opposite. The Marlins pitching will only improve, with Miller and Badenhop showing signs of belonging above triple A, Mitre and Sanchez on the mend, and a strong corps of relievers and closers. The lineup is also likely to strengthen, with Willingham and Jacobs due to return any day now. History favors the Marlins as well, need I say more?

There may be a ray of hope for Tampa Bay, but, at least in the mind of this reporter, the Marlins are the big fish in Florida.

No Respect In Panthersland

This past season in the National Hockey League was one of the worst in history in terms of bad officiating, blown calls, and contested goals. Never before have the men in stripes resembled walking zebras so much. However, one team in particular seemed to bear the brunt of this incompetence.

No team had a worse powerplay differential than the Florida Panthers. At -59, the Panthers spent nearly two hours more this season shorthanded than on the powerplay. A ridiculous number like that might be understandable for a dirty team like the Anaheim Ducks, but the Panthers? The not scrappy, not grinding, not physical Panthers? It doesn't add up.

If that wasn't bad enough, one of the Panthers main rivals, the Carolina Hurricanes, had over a +60 powerplay differential. That means the Hurricanes spent over 4 hours more than the Panthers with an extra guy on the ice.

That's four whole hockey games with a man advantage.

If that's not ridiculous enough, the Panthers had two goals waived off towards the end of the season that, upon further review, were both clearly goals. One of these didn't even go to replay, and the other was obviously not reviewed long enough. Both of these goals ended up costing the Panthers games, and arguably, their season.

So why do the Panthers get every blown call against them? The answer may be simpler than you think.

What other team can you think of that has less star power than the Florida Panthers? Yes, many of us like to think that Olli Jokinen is a superstar, but he's simply the best player the Panthers have. He's no Ovechkin, or Jagr, or Kovalchuk. Those guys get calls because they're stars, and the refs hold them in higher places.

Think about baseball. If Tom Glavine is on the hill and he throws a borderline strike, he's probably going to get the call because he's well respected and he gets that kind of call. If that same pitch is thrown by say, Andrew Miller, he probably won't get that call.

It's the same deal in hockey. Without a genuine superstar, the refs will continue to walk all over the Panthers. The only difference is hopefully next season the Panthers will have a coach that might actually give a damn, instead of staring at the refs with a blank look every time the Panthers took a phantom penalty with two minutes to go in a one goal game.

Or maybe one of the higher powers will read this and go out and get that superstar. The Panthers will continue to get no respect until they do.

The "Bad," "Ill," and "No!" Games

We've had copious discussions here at The South Florida Fan about the disparity in the Marlins rotation. Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson have excelled, collectively boasting a 9-2 record, while the unholy trinity of Burke Badenhop, Andrew Miller, and Ricky Nolasco account for 4-7.

Considering how poorly the bottom three have pitched, 4-7 is pretty startling. Here are their ERAs:

Badenhop: 6.31
Miller: 7.96
Nolasco: 6.10

Those are unacceptable numbers for any starting pitcher in the Major Leagues, let alone three on the same team!

So how have the Fish managed to work around it? You could argue timely hitting, but the real answer is through inconsistency. Badenhop, Miller, and Nolasco have essentially been good or terrible, with little in between. The games where they racked up the high ERA points, they blew the game wide open. In their other starts, they gave up only 2-3 runs.

Whenever the Marlins win when these guys pitch (such as last night, when Badenhop pitched extremely well), it almost feels like an extra win. DSponge and I have been speculating that the Marlins need to win the Olsen and Hendrickson starts and then one of the bottom three each week to stay in contention. That's not going to last forever, so ultimately one of these bottom three will have to join the ranks of respectability.

Nickname Note: These games will from heretoforth be referred to as the "Bad, Ill, and No" games (for BADenhop, MIller, NOlasco). This constitutes the second coined nickname from The South Florida Fan:

The South Florida Fan Record Book:
1. Coined The Great Andino for Robert Andino.
2. Coined "The Bad, Ill, and No" games.

We encourage all fellow Marlins bloggers to follow our lead.