yandro

Hate to say this, but Atlanta has the best shot of any team other than the Rockies to claim the Wildcard. They've got seven of their last ten games vs the Nats. The other three are vs the Fish. I'm not a Braves fan, just saying.....

Only reason we are on ESPN is because we're playing the Phillies and they have an outside shot of clinching the division on wednesday if they sweep us and the Braves lose the next two nights.

Must suck to lose the streak on a walk off walk with the bases loaded!!

The guy is gonna be 30 in two weeks. It's expected of him to be dominating AA hitters.

Tommy Mendoza pitched against the Marlins AAA team, tonight. Kid from Monsignor Pace High School...my brother was his coach; he's now one of the Angels top prospects. We were listening to the game, and he had the Marlins AAA team scoreless through 4, but NO scored like 4 in the 5th, I think. If I'm not mistaken I remember that name and him dropping a bomb off of one of my friends. Was he a good hitter in HS because I'm pretty sure it was him. I'm not sure if he was ever a hitter in high school. You might be thinking of "Nene" Marrero or Adrian "The hit doctor" Cardenas...Pace has had a lot of good players over the years. Gio Gonzalez, currently pitching for the A's, spent a year at Pace, as well. Pace was actually undefeated the year he was there, and then his mom had a fight with the coach; Gio left the team, and they lost the first game in districts, which sucked for them. And I just totally went off-topic...lol. Tommy Mendoza was a First Team All Dade selection in 2005 as a senior at Pace. His stats: 7-1 with a 2.38 ERA. He also was a pretty good hitter, hitting .459 with 5 home runs. He was selected in the 5th round (163rd overall).

Nice game by Anibal. How come he was lifted in the fourth inning? He threw 45 pitches. Was that his pitch count, or did he leave with an injury? EDIT: Never mind, just read on the site that he was scheduled to throw 50 pitches.

Apparently it was only an "emergency start" since he already left the Suns and made the four hour drive to Jupiter to rejoin the Hammerheads. Hopefully Jeff keeps up the good work!

LOL

I'm looking for CHEAP tickets for this friday's game vs the Phillies. Upper deck or Fish tank. If anyone is selling, please PM me. Thanks.

VandenHurk will begin the season on the DL.....Penn is out of options.

Well right off the bat, there were only two commissioners present at roll call.

2 tickets for sale for tonight's game. Puerto Rico vs USA. These seats are in Section 129, row 1 (right behind the right fielder). Truly great seats. Asking for face value, which is $25 for each ticket, so $50 for both. Email or PM me if interested. I live near the stadium.

Tickets are sold.

Tickets are in Section 129, Row 1, Seats 1 and 2. They are commemorative tickets.

Hi everyone, I have two tickets for the sunday night game (elimination game) at 7:30pm. They are FIRST ROW in the Outfireld reserved (right center field). Asking for $50 for both. Let me know if you are interested. I will only sell them both together, sorry. I can meet you near the stadium that afternoon, or if you go on saturday, I will be at both games.

I saw it last night. It was very refreshing to see someone cover the Marlins so in depth as this one hour special. The best part was the interview with Dan Uggla!

JUPITER -- Aaron Thompson rattles off their names and draft numbers, knows them by heart the way one does the alphabet or multiplication table or the words to Hey Jude. ''Chris was 16,'' Thompson begins. ``Me, 22. Marceaux was 29, Tuck was 34 and Sean was 44.'' Thompson was a member of a baseball Fab Five, a quintuplet of pitchers the Marlins selected with their five first-round draft picks in 2005: Chris Volstad, Thompson, Jacob Marceaux, Ryan Tucker and Sean West. Volstad and Tucker reached the majors for the first time last season. Thompson is hoping his turn is next. ''The other day I saw [Marlins owner] Jeffrey Loria all by himself, just sitting alone, and I started thinking to myself that he made an investment in me a long time ago and he's probably ready to see something of it,'' Thompson said. The payoff could come as early as Opening Day, or perhaps later in the season, or maybe next. But he knows he's close, as close as he has ever been. Thompson is routinely mentioned in the group of names vying for a bullpen position, a wide-open competition in which as many as five left-handers have a legitimate chance to win the two relief jobs that are expected to go to southpaws. Renyel Pinto and Taylor Tankersley, and newcomers Dan Meyer and Zach Kroenke, are the others. And though the Marlins still view the 22-year-old Thompson as a potential future starter in the long run, it's conceivable he could land the long relief role coming out of spring training. ''I just need to outperform people,'' Thompson said. At least Thompson is pleased to see signs that he has drawn closer to the top. He was given a better locker this spring, not one of the temporary stalls set up in the middle of the clubhouse for the least-experienced players. And equipment manager Mike Silverman asked Thompson to start thinking about a uniform number in case he makes the club. ''That's something fun to think about,'' Thompson said. ``Upgrading numbers [he's wearing No. 75 this spring]. Upgrading lockers. Upgrading paychecks. Upgrading teammates. That's kind of what it's all about.'' Thompson would enjoy nothing better than to reunite with Volstad, who was his first roommate in the minors and is a lock for the starting rotation, and Tucker, another close friend from the draft class of '05 and candidate for a bullpen spot as a right-hander. It would be the culmination of a journey for the friendly rivals, one that began when the four high-schoolers -- Thompson, Volstad, West and Tucker -- were assigned to the same Rookie League team in '05, went to Low A Greensboro in '06, and continued to High A Jupiter in '07. ''That was the cool thing,'' Thompson said. ``We were 18-year-olds in rookie ball. We were a pitching staff in Greensboro. We were a pitching staff in Jupiter. We knew it was only a matter of time before someone got to the big leagues first.'' They agreed that the first member of the group to reach the majors had to send the others his first paycheck. But they didn't see a dime when Tucker got there first, receiving a mid-summer promotion from the Marlins and making his debut last June 8, only a month before Volstad. ''Nobody was passing out paychecks when Tuck got to the big leagues,'' Thompson said, laughing. ``It's all talk until you see that paycheck.'' Thompson remembered watching Tucker and Volstad make their major-league debuts and longing to be in their shoes. 'Your original feeling is, `Man, I'm so jealous of those guys,' '' Thompson said. ``But we're such good friends, and it was so cool. It was a confidence boost for me, and to see them succeed just made me want it more.'' Thompson struggled at Double A last season and also spent time on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis. He said he is completely healthy now and hungrier than ever. ''It's been a long time since the '05 Draft,'' Thompson said. ``This is the first year where I feel like it's up to me. It's that time of my career. You can count the jobs all day, but at the end of it all, they're not giving those things away.'' http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-n...ory/906844.html Nice to see the friendly competition. Best of luck to Aaron!

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, Fla. (AP)?Ivan Rodriguez looked as feisty as ever, explaining why he?s physically and mentally ready to play baseball. The 14-time All-Star catcher, though, is still looking for a place to play. Rodriguez said he might sign soon with the Florida Marlins, Houston Astros or New York Mets. Or, he might need to stay patient. ?I don?t know where I?m going to play, but a team is going to win the lotto when I sign,? Rodriguez said Sunday night in an interview with The Associated Press. ?I still feel I can play three or four more years, to be honest, because of the way I take care of myself.? The way Rodriguez took care of himself in the past has been questioned, most notably by former teammate Jose Canseco. Rodriugez?s mood changed when that subject was broached during a wide-ranging interview in his 44th-floor apartment overlooking Miami Beach. Is the 37-year-old star known as Pudge on the list of 104 players who tested positive for steroids during baseball?s 2003 survey? ?Only God knows,? Rodriguez said softly. Canseco, a former teammate in Texas, has alleged he injected the steroids into Rodriguez. Another former teammate, Alex Rodriguez, recently said he used performance-enhancing drugs while with the Rangers. ?Alex is a great guy, he?s the best player in baseball and he?s going to be OK,? Ivan Rodriguez said. ?People don?t know how hard he works.? Alex Rodriguez said the culture of the game was different when he used drugs to improve his performance. Ivan Rodriguez begrudgingly agreed. ?It happened and everybody has to move forward,? he said. Looking back, no one can match some of feats that Ivan Rodriguez has accomplished since his career began in 1991 with the Rangers. He is the only player in baseball history with at least 13 Gold Gloves and a career .300 average or better. He has three more Gold Gloves, earning one as recently as 2007, give him three more than Johnny Bench and almost double the total by Bob Boone, who is third on the list. Among position players, only Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has more Gold Glove awards. Rodriguez has caught 2,173 games, trailing only Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Boone (2,225) in terms of longevity behind the plate. ?Absolutely, I?d like to break Mr. Fisk?s record,? he said. ?And, another goal is 3,000 hits. ?But really, my love of the game of baseball is what motivates me to work out five days a week to stay ready.? Rodriguez, who has 2,605 career hits, would likely have to play a few more seasons to join the 3,000-hit club. And, he?d have to play much better than he did last season. Rodriguez hit .295 in 82 games last season for the Detroit Tigers, then finished with a .276 batting average after struggling at the plate with the New York Yankees. The Tigers dealt Rodriguez, who sparked the turnaround when he signed with them in 2004 after helping Florida win the World Series, and didn?t re-sign him because they didn?t think he was a No. 1 catcher and knew he disagreed. ?I still think I?m an everyday catcher and that?s one of the things that disappoints me when I hear people say I can?t play every day or I?m a part-time player,? Rodriguez said with piercing eyes as the Atlantic Ocean crashed on the beach and dusk led to orange, yellow and shades of gray to fill the sky. ?People don?t know how hard it was on me to go through a divorce from my wife of 15 years and how much that drained me physically and mentally. ?But now, I?ve been happily married for two years to a great woman, my kids are great, my ex-wife is good. I just want to play baseball because I know I have a lot left in me.? While Rodriguez can?t hit like he did in the past, his play behind the plate is still strong. His caught-stealing percentage ranked third in the AL last season after ranking fifth and first the previous two years, among catchers with a minimum of 600 innings behind the plate, according to STATS. Rodriguez is excited to play for Puerto Rico at the World Baseball Classic next month, but he?s eager to join a Major League Baseball team. ?It?s hard to be sitting here at home a few days after pitchers and catchers reported,? Rodriguez said. ?I hear Florida, Houston and the Mets are trying to do some things to sign me. ?I would love to be with any team right now, but I can get ready quick because of the way my body and mind are prepared to play right now.? http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AvfL...p&type=lgns

Ummm, how is Dustin Pedroia in the way of Hanley's MVP chances? Am I missing something here? He just got traded to the Marlins for Dan Uggla

The translator is cracking up inside, I'm sure!! lol

Harold Reynolds just mentioned 2009 NL ROY will be Cameron Maybin. He says that with enough playing time, his skills will take over and he will win it!

I hope Marlins video people take note and can make some sort of video (hurrincane/tornado) when Stormy comes into the 9th. Now that would be AWESOME!

Oh my goodness, stop repeating people. Stevie B & TKA sounds good. KC & the Sunshine Band is repeated, but good. I like The Village People as well. But please let Sept. 26 be Pat Benatar. Good thing July 18 is someone I don't care for that much. Bad Cuban! I know you have better things to do that day anyway...

Totally awesome!! Let's get the signatures to get this baby done!!!!!!!!

Love the idea but do we even have anyone on the Triple A roster right now? The Suns should kick any other team ass with their talent I'm sure a couple of the guys we picked up and offered ST Invites to will be on the AAA team, not to mention the leftovers from last year's club and some promotions.