MarlinsMY

This is sad news to me. Matt was the last player left in the organization to have played for the Portland Sea Dogs when they were a Marlins affiliate. That team is why I became a Marlins fan. I know both Fredi and Carlos Tosca are with the team (and they both spent time as manager of the Sea Dogs), but it's not exactly the same as seeing players go through the system. It truly feels like the end of an era. Good luck Matt - I look forward to continuing to follow your career. Thank you for showing the team the right way to play the game, and your perseverance and leadership will be missed.

The Nationals did officially unveil new uniforms - you can view them here. I think the "Washington" text looks snazzy, but I could do without the blue alternate jersey. The Orioles re-vamped their logos/jerseys a bit as well, and for the first time in 36 years the road jersey actually has "Baltimore" on it.

Happy Birthday, Admin! :balloons

Also wots the general thought on Joba for 09 - starter or reliever? I guess if they managed to get 2 of Sabathia, Burnett and Lowe then he would be more valuable to keep in the set up role The Yankees have said he'll be a starter in 2009, but I wouldn't be surprised if they switch him back given the situation you described.

Are they expecting much from Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy in 2009? Well, they expected huge things of both of them coming into 2008 - and here's what happened: Hughes: 0-4, 6.62 ERA Kennedy: 0-4, 8.17 ERA Last year, there wasn't enough options for the starting rotation, and they both just were handed jobs without earning them. This year, the plan seems to be to get as much starting pitching as possible and have both of them actually compete for a spot in the rotation. With possible free agent signings, however, there may not even be room for them on the Opening Day roster, and they'll both be in Scranton...

So our AA and AAA teams are no longer in Albuquerque and Carolina? Right. The new AA team is the Jacksonville Suns, and the New Orleans Zephyrs are the new AAA affiliate. (Carolina is now with the Reds organization, while Albuquerque has returned to the Dodgers.)

:balloons Happy Birthday! :balloons

During the Yankees/Tampa Bay game, a hit by A-Rod was initially ruled fair and a home run. It appeared to hit behind the foul pole. After a conference, the umpires decided to go to instant replay. Three umpires went in the tunnel, while one stayed on the field. The umpires left at 10:20 PM, and two minutes later, they upheld the call.

If their schedule actually does feature a lot of home games now (I haven't checked), it was probably done because of Shea Stadium's last season.

Thanks for making those! I'll add them to the Avatar Gallery today. You're welcome - I'm glad people like them!

Here are a few avatars for players (and Fredi) that aren't currently in the Avatar Gallery: Rhodes Baker Cantu Fredi Gonzalez Luis Gonzalez Nelson Volstad

where can one see the results....I don't see a link to the results. I voted a couple of times, is Billy still ahead ? There is a "Results" button next to "Vote" on the ballot page. As of this post, Billy is still ahead .

Get well soon!

It's good to see the Yankees wear the stripe on their uniforms to honor Bobby. I wish I could see all of the tributes the YES Network is showing tonight, but unfortunately it isn't available in Maine. (Although through MLB.TV and Extra Innings, I do see many YES game broadcasts.) He was definitely one of my favorite Yankee announcers .

will it be on espn tbs or fox let me know :whistle :thumbup :shifty :whistle :notworthy :mischief :blink: :mis2 :thumbdown :banghead It will be on FOX.

Happy Birthday!

Congratulations and good luck to Chris (even if it's with the Mets)! I've been a fan since his days in Portland.

1994, when Portland was picked as one of two cities to recieve a new AA team because of the expansion, and they would up as the affiliate of the Marlins. Although the local paper did cover the Marlins a bit because of the Sea Dog-Marlin connection, it was still pretty hard to follow the team because it was far away. My brother and I could see the games broadcast on TBS, and that was about it until 1997, when the playoffs were nationally covered.

I've never been a fan of the term "twin killing". :|

I like the teal look. I would still like to see a black hat with a teal brim, kind of like the ex-Marlins AA affiliate Portland Sea Dogs. :thumbup The black hat with the teal brim was great, as was the rest of the uniform. With the hat and the black undershirt, teal pinstripes and lettering don't look like "overkill" at all. I wish the Marlins would have uniforms like that... and that they still had Portland as their affiliate. Boston has ruined the entire experience of going to a game. Eric Fox, (unforunately) the 2002 manager of the Sea Dogs, their last year as a Marlins affiliate (and as a respectable organization).

:balloons Happy Birthday!

is it just me or is the camera angle at the nats stadium slightly different to the norm? on several fly balls to the outfield my judgement of distance seems to be off It's not just you - it looks like the cameras are placed higher up than most stadiums. Maybe they neglected to build camera wells... (In my opinion, it makes the broadcasts look really unprofessional.)

From MLB.com: MEXICO CITY -- Julio Franco finally called it quits. The 49-year-old announced his retirement from baseball after a 23-year career in the Major Leagues and stints in his native Dominican Republic, South Korea, Japan and Mexico. In 2007, he became the oldest player to hit a home run in the Majors. "It was the hardest decision in my life," Franco said in an interview published Saturday by Mexican Sports Daily Record. "I always said I would be the first one to know the exact moment. I think the numbers speak for themselves, the production speaks and this is the right moment. "I understand that my time has passed, and the great men and athletes know when to say enough." The infielder announced his retirement Wednesday night to his Mexican League team, the Quintana Roo Tigers. The league posted the news on its Web site the next day. Franco last played in the Majors in 2007, when he played in 55 games with the New York Mets (40) and the Atlanta Braves (15). He batted .222 with one home run and 16 RBIs in 90 at-bats. Franco hit his last Major League home run against Randy Johnson on May 4, 2007. At 48, he became the oldest player to homer in the majors. The Dominican retired with a .298 average, 2,586 hits and 173 home runs in 23 seasons in the Majors with eight teams. Franco began his professional career in 1980 with the Escogido Lions in the Dominican winter league, and debuted in the Majors in 1982 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He also played for the Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. In Japan, he played with the Chiba Lotte Marines, in South Korea with the Samsung Lions, and in Mexico with the Angelopolis Tigers and the Quintana Roo Tigers. It's too bad, in a way... I would have liked to see him get to 50.

From ESPN.com:

:balloons Happy (belated) Birthday! :balloons