Malman

Juan Encarnacion appears to be back in his 2003 form and swinging the bat well. He is an impending free agent and is a cheap option to have in right field. Juan Encarnacion is only 29 and could still be improving his numbers. If we could sign him to a four year deal worth on average for $5 million a season, he would a great bargain. P.S. I think Lowell will have a monster if my MVP 2005 game is correct. I simulated the entire season and he batted .305 with 42 HR and 108 RBI, Miguel Cabrera batted .310 with 36 HR and 118 RBI, and Carlos Delgado batted .295 with 44 HR and 102 RBI. 737466[/snapback] I thought you weren't going to make stupid posts anymore??? What happened? :blink:

nice to see this franchise establishing itself to the point that a player can actually do this. 737225[/snapback] Yeah, I think Lenny Harris needs to open a Soul Food place next...

Sounds very cool! Too bad its pretty far from my home 737219[/snapback] Well, it might be far from your home...but it is close to the stadium. You could enjoy a meal before or after a game that you attend. :whistle

Sounds like a great spot for a post or pre=game meal. Can't wait for it to open! :thumbup NINER DINER Mr. Marlin, Jeff Conine, can add restaurateur to his resume. Jeff Conine's Clubhouse Grille, a sports-themed restaurant with an emphasis on gourmet food and Cheesecake Factory-size portions, is scheduled to open in June at 5181 Sheridan St., in Hollywood. "I taste-tested everything on the menu. I helped them design the place and pick out the furniture," Conine said. "It's going to be everything, steaks and seafood and pizzas and sandwiches." Conine is partnering with Bob McCarthy, Howard Shiller and Bob Burness, a trio that has operated several sports-themed restaurants, including the Eddie George Grille in Nashville. McCarthy said sales of at least one item on the menu will benefit Conine Clubhouse at Joe DiMaggio Hospital, where families with children in the hospital can stay. He said Thanksgiving dinner for the families at Conine Clubhouse will move to the restaurant. The restaurant will have high definition plasma TVs and will focus on all South Florida sports teams, not just the Marlins, McCarthy said. Among the fare: crispy tuna rolls, firecracker shrimp, barbecue ribs, macaroni and cheese, a variety of pastas and Conine's Club: smoked gouda, turkey and pancetta on ciabatta bread. (Sarah Talalay, Sun-Sentinel)

Even though their ballpark-financing plan is on shaky ground in Tallahassee, the Marlins are moving ahead with their plans. They are negotiating a contract with Mortenson, a Minneapolis-based construction firm, to be construction manager on the $420 million ballpark east of the Orange Bowl. Mortenson partnered with HOK -- also the Marlins' architect -- on the building of Coors Field, the Denver home of the Colorado Rockies. (Sarah Talalay - Sun-Sentinel)

IMO, this scenario would be the best for the fans...imagine a new baseball stadium along side a refurbished Dolphin Stadium along with all of the hotel, restaurant and entertainment facilities close by! truly awesome. If only theses two rich owners could put their differences aside...it could be a win-win for all. Please see the Hicks-Cuban relationship in Dallas as a perfect example on how this could work...

If Wayne wasn't such a greedy prick...this might be the best solution for everyone in South Florida... Commentary: Marlins, Dolphins could unite By Charles Elmore Palm Beach Post Columnist Wednesday, April 06, 2005 MIAMI GARDENS ? Jeffrey Loria's Marlins enjoyed the most successful opening day in franchise history Tuesday in large part because he was willing to do the unexpected. The owner of the supposedly small-market Marlins agreed to pay Carlos Delgado a team-record $52 million over four years. The most people to watch a regular-season Marlins game, 57,405, responded to watch player-of-the-game Delgado bang four hits in a 9-0 rout of the Braves. Bravo. Loria should respond the same way to a dark cloud on the northwest horizon, from the direction of Tallahassee. A state Senate economist has blasted the idea that a proposed $60 million stadium subsidy benefits Florida taxpayers. The Marlins say state help is critical to build a $420 million stadium beside the Orange Bowl. "I'm very confident the legislature will do the right thing to keep baseball here in South Florida," Loria said. The Marlins have until the session ends May 6 to make their case, but Senate leaders remain unconvinced that taxpayers should subsidize millionaire owners and athletes. If the plan fails, the Marlins face a decision. They could ramp up the talk of moving to Las Vegas or another city, the threat implicit in Loria's answer. They could reach some other deal with city and county leaders in Miami to finance the remaining $30 million in construction bonds, or the Marlins could cover it themselves. Or the Marlins could do the unexpected. They might even talk about becoming a long-term part of Wayne's World ? on the site where they now play for landlord Wayne Huizenga, owner of the Miami Dolphins. Far-fetched? Dolphins Enterprises CEO Joe Bailey said Tuesday about the Marlins: "We've always been working under the assumption they're going to get this done. I guess the best thing to say is if that doesn't happen, that's not the end of the world. We're willing to work with them as best we can." Huizenga himself said last month, "We're not against the Marlins staying on a long-term basis." The roof Huizenga wants to build on Dolphins Stadium, either retractable or permanent, would solve a big problem for the Marlins: rain delays. The Marlins say they are crippled by the lease in Dolphins Stadium, which cuts off a big chunk of money from suites, advertising, parking and concessions. Fair enough. But there's room for bigger thinking here. Huizenga wants to spend hundreds of millions to build a mecca capable of hosting events including Super Bowls on a semi-permanent basis. There's talk of hotels, restaurants, shops and a facility beside the main stadium to accommodate big events and preserve the turf on the main field. Bailey called it "sort of like a World's Fair." A baseball stadium could be built there, too. The city of Miami might not help pay for a project outside its boundaries, but the city's contribution to the current plan, $28 million, is relatively small compared to Miami-Dade County's pledge of $138 million. Another $32 million comes from parking fees. The Marlins are pledging $192 million from future stadium revenue. One advantage: No access problems for fans in Broward and Palm Beach counties, who have at times formed up to two-thirds of the season-ticket base. The team's current lease with Huizenga ends in 2010. Bailey said there has been no active discussion of a Plan B, either to have the Marlins play in a revamped Dolphins Stadium or some adjacent facility. Marlins President David Samson said, "We've had no indication that there's been any change to our lease situation. " The team remains focused on the plan now before state legislators, Samson said. "I'm hearing from the county that things are going well," Samson said, referring to Miami-Dade County officials following state proceedings. As for playing in Dolphins Stadium or next to it, Samson referred the question to Huizenga: "That's a question you should ask him." Some in baseball are wary of banking on Huizenga, who as a former Marlins owner incurred the wrath of fans by selling off talent after winning a World Series. He also has declined to ease lease terms. A representative from the office of the baseball commissioner watched opening day as a guest of the Marlins. "I grew up in South Florida, and I've come back to visit my parents, and all I've got to say is, I don't think Wayne Huizenga is committed to Major League Baseball," said Howard Smith, senior vice president of licensing and marketing for Major League Baseball Properties. "All of a sudden the Dolphins are in turmoil, and Wayne says, 'You know what, maybe we can do something with these guys.' " But if the alternative is leaving for Las Vegas, the Marlins should look at every option. Jeffrey Loria has already shown what a man can accomplish by doing the unexpected.

Apparently he reads the boards 734209[/snapback] He's Chin High. :mischief 734213[/snapback] :lol

Luis dropped to #7. :mischief2

Israel, Mideast Foes Shake Hands at Pope's Funeral By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli President Moshe Katsav said he shook hands with the leaders of Syria and Iran at Pope John Paul's funeral on Friday, when the Pontiff in death brought together Middle East foes as no man alive ever had. Katsav's encounters with President Bashar Assad of Syria, formally at war with the Jewish state, and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami occurred when hundreds of international dignitaries crowded together at the Vatican funeral. No immediate comment was available from Iran or Syria on the encounters, believed to be the first time an Israeli president had shaken hands with Syrian and Iranian leaders. It was unknown whether the handshakes were captured on film. "I told him 'Good morning' and he shook my hand," Katsav, who holds a largely ceremonial post as head of state, told Israel's Channel 2 TV on his encounter with Assad. The Israeli and Syrian delegations had been seated next to each other. Iranian-born Katsav said he spoke in his native Farsi to Khatami about their common city of birth. Iran officially seeks Israel's destruction. "The president of Iran extended his hand to me, I shook it and told him in Farsi, 'May peace be upon you'," said Katsav. As part of the Roman Catholic Church's Mass, people are invited to offer each other a sign of peace such as a handshake accompanied by words like "Peace be with you." Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom later told CNN that the handshakes gave Israel a "glimmer of hope that something can change in the Middle East," but that peace between Israel and the two countries was still far off. "LONG WAY TO GO" "We have to remember that these leaders are very extreme and there is still a long way to go before we can reach a compromise. But sometimes things can start with one gesture," Shalom said. Katsav said he later shook Assad's hand a second time during the funeral. "The second time ... was his initiative -- he extended his hand to me," Katsav said. Israel's largest-circulation daily Yedioth Ahronoth headlined its Web site report "Historic encounter in Rome," but Katsav said the exchanges lacked any political significance. "We are cultural people and say hello nicely and shake hands. It still doesn't means the differences are gone." Israeli and Syrian negotiators last held peace talks in 2000 that foundered over the future of the Golan Heights occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war. Syria has called repeatedly for the talks to resume. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said Syrian forces must first pull out of Lebanon and stop supporting Lebanese guerrillas and Palestinian militants before Israel would consider negotiations. Katsav has tried before to carve out a role in restarting Israeli-Syrian contacts. In 2004, he invited Assad to Jerusalem for talks, an offer Syria dismissed as a propaganda stunt. Israel has accused Tehran of supporting anti-Israeli militants and has fiercely criticized Iran's nuclear program. "It's hard to tell the significance of a handshake," an Israeli official said. "The question is whether there is going to be a change in these countries' policy, which is to destroy the Jewish state."

Waltz will be fine. Sounds like there is no love for Len in Chicago as of yet... Here's a quote from Jay Marriotti's column today... They've hired a play-by-play automaton named Len Kasper, tamer than a friendly ghost by the same name. :lol

The truth of the matter is, Cox didn't use Kolb until he had to either. If one of the Marlins connected on one of the earlier pitchers in extra innings Braves fans would be up in arms too. Your closer is suppose to be the last guy out and your best pitcher. You want to bring him into a jam, not have to take him out because of one. Its not like Bump was struggling, has 2 guys on or anything. I think if Bump got into trouble, 2 guys on 0 or 1 outs then you probably would have seen Mota. But both offenses were sucking and after Mota I think we only had 1 other pitcher, so if Jack put Mota in, that would have given us 2 innings at the most, then plus whatever else we had. He just didn't want to get too close to having to use the SPs before he had to. 732465[/snapback] Sorry, but this is just flat-out wrong. The situation when you are the home team is completely different. Cox was correct in using Kolb when he did. You only use the closer to close. In the Marlins case after the game went to extra innings there was no opportunity for a save. See how Mike Scioscia utilized K-Rod last night as an illustration of this.

B-Y-E Japanese league veteran Cromartie to manage team TOKYO -- Former Montreal Expos and Yomiuri Giants outfielder Warren Cromartie has been named as manager of the Japan Samurai Bears of the Golden Baseball League, team officials said Thursday. Cromartie, who played for the Expos from 1974 to 1983, joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1984 and spent seven years with the Central League team. The all-Japanese Samurai Bears are one of seven teams that will form the Golden Baseball League, which will play games in California and Arizona. The regular season will kick off May 26 and run until September. AP NEWS The Associated Press News Service

Doesn't sound good. Huizenga is an ass. :banghead Is there any other way to come up with the $30 million??? Can CapeFish write a check to cover the deficit?

I have to agree. The Angels were in a similair situation last night and K-Rod gave them two solid shutout innings while in extra innings. Seems like the logical choice would to have been Mota before Bump. :mischief2

4/6/05 Florida Marlins - Claimed OF Reggie Abercrombie off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and optioned him to Single-A Jupiter. :mischief2 Anybody ever hear of this guy?

Root for the Marlins in good times and bad. Root for all the players - even Lenny Harris. :thumbup

I don't think you'll see anything along these lines until the stadium deal is finalized...until then all bets are off. Keep your fingers crossed...the biggest battle is not on the field...it is taking place in Tallahassee.

Fine. But if they continue to suck...I don't see how you can blame Robinson. You knock him for the failures of ENC and Gonzalez, but don't give him credit for the successes of Cabs, Lowell, Pierre, Luis, etc. Seems like a double standard to me.

How about the opposite? If the bats remain hot does Robinson get the credit? :mischief2

Who was the batting coach in 2003? Please refresh my memory... :confused

Right...my point exactly. Making a point after one game is almost as assinine as making a determination on one's batting coach in Spring Freakin Training... :mischief2

Great day for Bill Robinson. He really had the bats working today. I guess the calls for his dismissal were a bit premature. :whistle

Cape, no need for play-by-play, the game is on national TV. 729592[/snapback] Ummm...I'm at work. Keep up the PBP. Thanks.

'Crowd of better than 40,000 here...' says the TBS announcer. Isn't it over 50k? 729508[/snapback] Certainly doesn't look like it... :confused 729517[/snapback] Don't forget a lot of people will be coming from work...I expect a late arriving crowd today.