Monday, April 14, 2014

It’s MONDAY!  Snap out of it!  Time to hit the ground running.

The Masters Tournament was played this weekend, and a great one it was.  As I predicted here on the blog last week, Bubba Watson took home the green jacket for the second time in three years.  Bubba finished at 8 under par, including a round of 3-under on Sunday.  That’s the way you close it out.  

In the NBA, the Heat find themselves looking up at the Indiana Pacers, a half-game behind them for the top spot in the Eastern Conference race.  Miami has two games to play, Indiana has only one game left, and hold the tie-breaker advantage over the Heat, who will be on the road for their final two regular-season contests.  Tonight, the Heat take on the Washington Wizards, and take on the 76ers on Wednesday.  

As it stands now, Indiana will face Atlanta in the first round, Miami will go against Charlotte, Toronto vs Washington, and Chicago will take on Brooklyn.  

The Western Conference is yet to be decided.  There are three teams battling it out for the final three position standings.  Golden State is #6 this morning, holding a half-game lead over Dallas, and the Mavericks also hold a half-game lead over Memphis for the seventh spot.  The Phoenix Suns are one full game behind the Grizzlies for the eight and final spot, and both of those teams have two games to play.   

The playoffs begin on Friday.  I’ll have my analysis and fearless predictions for the first round later in the week.



Let’s go to the Marlins, the Rays, and the rest of MLB:

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Who is the only player in MLB history to ever record a multi-homer game in game seven of a World Series?  The answer comes later, alligator. 

The Marlins are asleep at the wheel.  (More on the Marlins a little later in the blog) After winning five of their first six games, the Fish have managed to lose seven in a row.  They got swept by both the Nationals and the Phillies this week, and now return home to face the Nationals tonight.  Here are the probable pitching match ups against Washington:

Monday Jordan Zimmerman vs Brad Hand 7:10 pm

Tuesday Stephen Strasburg vs Tom Koehler 7:10 pm

Wednesday Tanner Roark vs Jose Fernandez 7:10 pm

The team will then enjoy a day off on Thursday, before Robinson Cano and the Seattle Mariners invade Marlins Park for a weekend series.  

The Tampa Bay Rays took two out of three against the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend, and are now in Baltimore as they face the Orioles in a a three-game set.  Here are the probable pitchers for the series against the O’s:

Monday Chris Archer vs Wei-Yin Chen 7:05 pm

Tuesday Jake Odorizzi vs Miguel Gonzalez 7:05 pm

Wednesday David Price vs Chris Tillman            12:35 pm

The Rays return to the Trop to take on my Yankees in a four-game weekend series starting on Thursday.  

Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:



Click below for today’s complete schedule in the major leagues:


Some little things I’m keeping my eye on around the diamonds:

Why is anyone surprised at the Marlins’ record so far this season?  While I truly believe this team is much better than last year’s 62-100 edition, but it is unreasonable to expect anything better than a .500 team, which would be a huge improvement of 20 games (19, to be exact).  Rome was not built in a day.

It is always very entertaining to see a series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, especially when the Yankees take three out of four games against the Sox.  In the standings, the Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays are all 7-6.  Over in the Central, Detroit is 6-4, while the Oakland A’s are on top in the West, with an 8-4 record.  Moneyball is alive and well in Oakland.  If only they could figure out a way to get a new stadium.  

The Milwaukee Brewers have the best record in the major leagues so far this season, at 10-2 and have won nine in a row.  The Dodgers are 9-4 to lead the West, after sweeping the Arizona D-Backs, and the Atlanta Braves are on top of the NL East at 8-4, after taking care of the Washington Nationals and sweeping their weekend series.   The Nationals lost third baseman Ryan Zimmerman yesterday.  He will be out at least a month, after breaking his thumb while diving back to the bag and getting picked off.  

Adrian Gonzalez is on a tear with the Dodgers, and has homered in four straight games.  Speaking of “RED HOT”, the Braves’ Justin Upton is 11-14 over his last four games, with 4 homers, two doubles, and eight RBI.  Freddie Freeman is also on fire so far this season, hitting .442 with 4 homers, and has only struck out four times in 52 plate appearances.

One of the really good guys in the game, Raul Ibañez, reached a career milestone on Saturday.  The Angels’ DH blasted a game-tying three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Mets, his 2,000th career hit.  Ibañez may not end up in Cooperstown after his career is over, but he has made quite an impact on the game and a hall of fame person.

I refuse to join in on the bashing of the replay system, because it should have been obvious to everyone concerned that there is NO PERFECT SYSTEM.  If some calls are corrected, great.  If some calls are missed, so be it.  Managers need to get over it.  

Injuries are in the news, as are the inordinate number of season-ending injuries lately, especially among pitchers.

One of the factors for the large number of Tommy John surgeries for pitchers (20 so far this season) could be due to the scheduling of games, both in the spring and during the regular season.  More and more, we are beginning to see pitchers undergoing second Tommy John surgeries, like Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy of the Atlanta Braves just had.  Up to now, that was unheard of.  

It is very difficult to get 162 regular season games into roughly 180 days.  Sunday night games, followed by late night travel and a game on Monday takes a toll, even though teams have been sending their starting pitcher for that Monday ahead a day early.  Spring scheduling can also be a factor, with additional night games, multiple games in a day, and spring trips to different locales.  That idea of starting the regular season a week early in somewhere overseas is probably to blame as well.  Could it be that with all the PED testing, pitchers are trying to come back way to early?  Maybe there is something to the healing quality of some of the banned PED’s.  Who knows? 

My feeling has always been that a lot of these injuries can be traced back to youth baseball.  Kids are competing year-round in tournaments, showcases, as early as eight years old, and these pitchers are putting undue strains on their young arms, throwing sliders and a complete assortment of pitches way too early.  The damage that is done at that early age cannot be undone by “pitch counts” and otherwise managing workloads later in high school, college, or when they get to the professional level.  This is probably even more of a problem in foreign countries, such as the Dominican Republic, where prospects are considered over-the-hill at 17.  Pitch-speed is valued way too high, especially at a young age.  There is probably such a thing now as too much training for young pitchers.  Weight training and the strain and stress it puts on young bodies is also to blame.  Something needs to change, and the change has to begin at a much earlier age.  

More from MLB:



What’s up from the gridiron?

Here’s the latest on the Miami Dolphins from Armando Salguero:


2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Home schedule: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Kansas City, San Diego, Green Bay, Minnesota and Baltimore.

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Road schedule: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Oakland (in London), and Jacksonville.

Here is the 2014 draft order.  The Houston Texans are on the clock.


The NFL Draft is just over a month away.  Mark your calendars for May 8th, at 8:00 pm.  

What are the Dolphins going to do with the 19th pick in the first round?  Most people would point to the offensive line, especially after last season.  Names to watch along the OL as possibilities in the first round include:

Jake Matthews OT Texas A&M
Taylor Lewan OT Michigan
Zack Martin OT Notre Dame
Morgan Moses OT Virginia

Two names that intrigue me in the first round for the Fins that are not offensive linemen:

CJ Mosley LB Alabama
Eric Ebron TE North Carolina

I understand the glaring need to improve the offensive line, but regardless of need, if Mosley is available for them at #19, that is the guy I would pick.  He will be a difference-maker throughout his career.  The Fins have helped themselves in free agency, and there is a lot of depth and talent to choose from in the offensive line in later rounds.

For the latest news from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:


In our "NOT THE BRIGHTEST LIGHT BULB ON THE CHRISTMAS TREE" item today, we bring you Aldon Smith:

Aldon Smith arrested at LA airport after telling authorities he had a bomb

Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs. 

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have the latest from Coral Gables, and the University of Miami.


From FIU,  David J. Neal of the Herald has the latest in his blog:


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Who is the only player in MLB history to ever record a multi-homer game in game seven of a World Series?     

Lawrence Peter (Yogi) Berra did it in game seven of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Yogi hit .360 in that series, with three homers and 10 RBI.  Of course, he was behind the plate for Don Larsen’s perfect game in game five of that series.


Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.

Friday, April 11, 2014

It’s FRIDAY!  

The greatest golf tournament teed off yesterday, as the Masters Tournament started in Augusta.  The most beautiful backdrop for any sports event.  No Tiger Woods this year, so everybody has a shot.  My pick this week - Bubba Watson.

In the NBA, the Heat find themselves a half-game behind the Indiana Pacers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference race, and the two teams square off tonight at the AAA.  Indiana has been in a tail-spin, and they sat their entire starting five in their last game against the last-place Milwaukee Bucks.  They managed to beat the Bucks, and when Miami lost to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, they flip-flopped in the standings.  After tonight’s encounter, the Pacers have two games remaining, while the Heat will have three more games to play.  You can watch tonight’s critical game on Sun Sports, starting at 7:30 pm.  It will also be aired nationally on NBA-TV.

In the rest of the east, the rest of the positions are almost set, with Charlotte and Washington tied for the with spot, and the Atlanta Hawks are pretty much in control of the eighth and final spot for the playoffs, two games ahead of the New York Knicks, with only four games to play.  

Over in the west, Golden State is in sixth place, holding a one-game lead over Phoenix and Dallas, while Memphis sits in ninth position, one game behind the Suns and the Mavs.

Here’s the Heat’s remaining schedule:

Tonight 4/11 7:30 pm Indiana SUN SPORTS, NBA-TV
Sat 4/12 7:30 pm @ Atlanta SUN SPORTS
Mon 4/14 7:00 pm @ Washington SUN SPORTS
Wed 4/16 8:00 pm @ Philadelphia SUN SPORTS




My take from around the Association:

The Heat have more to worry about than just the playoff seeding.  They need to get healthy real quick.  Dwyane Wade and Greg Oden have both missed the last eight games.  Chris Andersen, Ray Allen, and Udonis Haslem have also been out of action.  They need all these guys to be at 100% if they want a chance to three-peat.

Let’s go to the Marlins, the Rays, and the rest of MLB:

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  In this, the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron passing Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list, a three part question:
What pitchers did Aaron hit #714 and #715 against?  What pitcher did Aaron hit his last home run, (#755) against?  The answer comes later, alligator. 

The Marlins wasted no time in leaving Washington, DC after getting swept by the Nats in a three-game series.  The Fish looked awful, especially the bullpen who got hit around quite a bit.  Not to be left behind, their offense sputtered as well, as the team struck out a franchise-record 17 times in the final game of the series on Thursday.  The Marlins are in Philadelphia, as they open a weekend series with the Phillies.  The probable pitchers for the Phillies’ series are:

Friday Jose Fernandez vs AJ Burnett 7:05 pm

Saturday Nathan Eovaldi vs Jonathan Pettibone 7:05 pm

Sunday Henderson Alvarez vs Kyle Kendrick 1:35 pm

The team returns home for a homestand after this weekend, kicking it off with another three-game series against the Nationals.  After a day off on Thursday, Robinson Cano and the Seattle Mariners will invade Marlins Park for a weekend series.  

The Tampa Bay Rays lost two out of three against the KC Royals this week, and after an off day yesterday, are now in Cincinnati to take on the Reds in an inter-league series.  Here are the probable pitchers for the series against the Reds:

Tonight David Price vs Johnny Cueto 7:10 pm

Saturday Alex Cobb vs Alfredo Simon 1:10 pm

Sunday TBA vs Tony Cingrani 1:10 pm

Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:



Click below for today’s complete schedule in the major leagues:


Some little things I’m keeping my eye on around the diamonds:

It is always very entertaining to see a series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.  The Yankees took game one of their four-game series yesterday at Yankee Stadium, behind Michael Pineda.  

White Sox rookie Jose Abreu had his second two-homer game of the year yesterday.  He looks like a player.  The Sox got some bad news yesterday, as outfielder Avisail Garcia suffered a season-ending injury.  

Good move by MLB as they announced that the top relief pitchers in their respective league will get awards named after Mariano Rivera (AL) and Trevor Hoffman (NL).  

In case you missed it, check out the ESPN story on the NY high school pitcher who not only pitched a perfect game, but took it one step further by striking out all 21 hitters he faced.  


More from MLB:



What’s up from the gridiron?

Here’s the latest on the Miami Dolphins from Armando Salguero:


2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Home schedule: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Kansas City, San Diego, Green Bay, Minnesota and Baltimore.

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Road schedule: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Oakland (in London), and Jacksonville.

Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill says he has to be a lot better in 2014.   Here’s the rest of the story from the Sun Sentinel:


Here is the 2014 draft order, according to ESPN.  The Houston Texans are on the clock.


The NFL Draft is less than a month away.  Mark your calendars for May 8th, at 8:00 pm.  

More mock drafts.  Here is the latest from ESPN’s Todd McShay:


In police news, Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers is being investigated my Miami police, no less:


For the latest news from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:


Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs. 

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have the latest from Coral Gables, and the University of Miami.


The Sun Sentinel talked with Canes RB Duke Johnson:


From FIU,  David J. Neal of the Herald has the latest in his blog:


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


We welcome the Central Florida Knights to the blog:


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  In this, the 40th anniversary of Hank Aaron passing Babe Ruth on the all-time home run list, a three part question:  What pitchers did Aaron hit #714 and #715 against?  What pitcher did Aaron hit his last home run, (#755) against?    

Home run #714  -  Jack Billingham of the Cincinnati Reds.  
Home run #715  -  Al Downing of the LA Dodgers.
Home run #755  -  Dick Drago of the then California Angels.  Aaron finished his career playing for the Milwaukee Brewers.


Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.  HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The NCAA Men’s basketball tournament is a done deal, and the University of Connecticut defeated Kentucky 60-54 to capture the title for the second time in the last four years.  Great job by the Huskies, who lost their coach, were terminated from the Big East Conference, and were ineligible for the tournament last year.  

The U-Conn women’s team has a chance to duplicate the men’s effort, as they take on Notre Dame in tonight’s championship game.  Both teams come into the game undefeated this season.  Game time tonight is 8:30 pm and you can watch it on ESPN on your cable or satellite system.

By the way, the UConn men and women both won the national championship in 2004.   

Here is Yahoo Sports’ preview of tonight’s men’s championship game: 



In the NBA, the Heat lost a double-overtime thriller against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, and came back with a vengeance against the New York Knicks yesterday, knocking the Knicks out of the eighth and final playoff spot.  They now find themselves in ninth place in the conference, two games behind the Atlanta Hawks.  Atlanta has six games to play in the regular season, while New York has only four games left.  

The Heat is now 53-23, one game in front of the Indiana Pacers, who stand at 53-25.  Miami has six games to play, the Pacers have four games left.  The Heat host the Brooklyn Nets tonight at the AAA.  The game tips off at 8:00 pm, and it will be telecast by TNT. 

Here’s the Heat’s remaining schedule:

Tonight 8:00 pm Brooklyn TNT
Wed 4/9 8:00 pm @ Memphis ESPN
Fri 4/11 7:30 pm Indiana SUN SPORTS, NBA-TV
Sat 4/12 7:30 pm @ Atlanta SUN SPORTS
Mon 4/14 7:00 pm @ Washington SUN SPORTS
Wed 4/16 8:00 pm @ Philadelphia SUN SPORTS



My take from around the Association:

You have to believe me . . . . I’m really not a conspiracy theorist, however, the Indiana Pacers look like a team that is tanking it right now.  losing seven out of their last ten contests.  The first round match ups, if the playoffs started today, would have Miami, as the #1 seed in the east, playing the Hawks, and the Pacers would take on the Charlotte Bobcats.  It even gets more difficult for the #1 seed in the second round, as they would have to face the winner of the series between the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets, where the #2 seed would face the winner of the Washington-Toronto matchup.  I’m just sayin’. . . . . 

Over in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks are in seventh place, ½ game ahead of the Phoenix Suns, who hold a 1-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8th and final playoff spot.  

Let’s go to the Marlins and the rest of MLB:

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  There are only two ACTIVE players in the major leagues who have hit 20 or more home runs in each of the last 12 seasons.  Who are they?  The answer comes later, alligator. 

The Marlins took two out of three against the San Diego Padres this weekend, and the Fish are off to a terrific start.  Jose Fernandez, my pick for the Cy Young award this season, and Giancarlo Stanton, my selection for MVP, are off to the races.  

The Marlins are in Washington, DC, where they will pen a three-game series against the Nats.  The probable pitchers for the series are:

Tuesday Henderson Alvarez vs Gio Gonzalez        7:05 pm

Wednesday Jacob Turner vs Tanner Roark            7:05 pm

Thursday Tom Koehler vs Jordan Zimmerman       4:05 pm

After the Washington series, the Fish head to Philadelphia to take on the Fighting Phillies in a three-game weekend series. 

After a pretty good weekend, when they took two out of three against the Texas Rangers, the Tampa Bay Rays got off on the wrong foot yesterday against the KC Royals, losing 4-2.  After the three-game series vs. Kansas City, the Rays will enjoy an off-day on Thursday, when they will travel to Cincinnati for an inter-league matchup against the Cincinnati Reds.  Here are the probable pitchers for rest of the series against the Royals:

Tonight Chris Archer vs Yordano Ventura 7:10 pm

Wednesday Jake Odorizzi vs Jeremy Guthrie 1:10 pm

Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:



Click below for today’s complete schedule in the major leagues:


Some little things I’m keeping my eye on around the diamonds:

Derek Jeter is now in ninth place in the all-time hits list with 3,321, passing Hall of Famer Paul Molitor.  He is 98 hits behind Carl Yastrzemski, 99 hits behind Honus Wagner, and 114 hits behind Cap Anson, who is in sixth place.  The top five:

Pete Rose 4,256
Ty Cobb 4,189
Hank Aaron 3,771
Stan Musial 3,630
Tris Speaker 3,514  

Some teams are extending six-year contracts for non-arbitration eligible players, including the Angels (Mike Trout), the Indians (Yan Gomez and Jason Kipnis), the Braves (Julio Teheran), and Tampa Bay (Chris Archer).  Isn’t it about time that the Marlins jumped in and did the same with Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Fernandez?  Wouldn't that send out a great signal to the rest of the teams and the much-maligned fans in South Florida?  

Bad news for the Yankees, who lost closer David Robertson for at least two weeks due to a groin injury.  He went on the 15-day DL yesterday.  The Yankees will resort to “closer by committee” until D-Rob’s return.  Shawn Kelly will get the first shot at it.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, an unnamed baseball executive told him that MLB should reduce the length of the games from nine innings to seven innings.  I don’t know who this “unnamed executive” is, but he qualifies as a total buffoon.  

I was worried about how the Atlanta Braves’ current starting rotation would respond, after losing two of their starters to season-ending injuries.  Fredi Gonzalez’ team has started the season with a 4-2 mark, and in the two losses, the pitching staff only gave up two runs each time.
Keep your eyes on former starter Mike Minor and recent acquisition Gavin Floyd, who are looking pretty good in their minor-league rehab assignments.  

From ESPN, check out their story on the NY high school pitcher who not only pitched a perfect game, but took it one step further by striking out all 21 hitters he faced.  


Here’s an example of how time flies . . . It has now been 25 years since the movie “Major League” debuted back in 1989.  Only time I rooted against my beloved New York Yankees. 

More from MLB:



In case you missed them last week, here are my sure-fire picks and predictions in MLB this year:

AL East

1.  Tampa Bay Rays         Led by the best manager in the AL and a very astute front office, the Rays just keep on keeping on.  Evan Longoria is headed to an MVP-type season, but he could use a little help, and the Rays are hoping that James Loney, Wil Myers and Desmond Jennings will fill the bill.  

2.  New York Yankees      The Yankees added Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, and Jacoby Ellsbury to an anemic offense.  Can Derek Jeter and Mark Teixeira come back from injuries?  Will they miss Robinson Cano?  The addition of Japanese pitching sensation Masahiro Tanaka will make the starting rotation a lot stronger.  Can David Robertson come close to filling the humongous shoes left behind by Mariano Rivera?  Alex Rodriguez’ suspension is addition by subtraction.  One last playoff run for Derek Jeter.

3.  Boston Red Sox          After going from last to first last season, the Red Sox will come back to earth this year.  Look for shortstop Xander Bogaerts to make a big impact.

4.  Toronto Blue Jays      The most disappointing team in the AL last year.  Can they bounce back?  Jose Bautista, Jose Reyes, Edwin Encarnacion, and Melky Cabrera should provide a lot of offense.  RA Dickey and Mark Buehrle have to be there every fifth day.  

5.  Baltimore Orioles      The Orioles were aggressive in the offseason, adding Nelson Cruz to try and bolster the offense, that was all Chris Davis last season.  Was he a one-hit wonder?  You still need to pitch to compete in the AL East.

AL Central

1.  Detroit Tigers             Too much talent for anyone to pass them in the division, although the rest of the division is much-improved.  Miguel Cabrera will benefit from moving to first base, and their pitching staff is still tough to beat.

2.  Chicago White Sox      Look for this team to improve from the 99-loss season in 2013.  They will look more like the team that won 85 games in 2012.  Avisail Garcia is the real deal, and new addition Jose Abreu brings some pop.

3.  Cleveland Indians        The Indians won 92 games under Terry Francona last year, finishing only one game behind the Tigers.  Starting pitching will be a question mark, as they have to replace the departed Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir.

4.  Kansas City Royals       The Royals were much better last year, but I just don’t see them improving on last year’s 86-76 record.  Keep your eyes on rookie starting pitcher Yordano Ventura. 

5.  Minnesota Twins          Minnesota added starting pitchers Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes, but that will not be enough to get them out of the cellar.  They do have Joe Mauer, however, and playing him at first base should keep him in the lineup.

AL West

1.  Texas Rangers             The Rangers added Prince Fielder and added Shin-Soo Choo goat that strong lineup.  Is Yu Darvish the real deal?  Injuries in their starting rotation have set them back a little as we start the 2014 season.

2.  Los Angeles Angels       Can Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton take advantage of Mike Trout’s presence in that lineup?  Adding David Freese and the presence of Raul Ibañez both in the lineup and in the clubhouse will help.  Can their pitching lead the way?  This may be the last year for manager Mike Scioscia if they don’t make it back to the postseason.

3.  Oakland A’s                  Some injuries to the A’s pitching staff and an offense that is still full of question marks.

4.  Seattle Mariners            The addition of Robinson Cano will not be enough to lift this team out of mediocrity.  Who starts after Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma?

5.  Houston Astros               A furniture dealer in Houston is promising free furniture to the Astros fans if the team doesn’t lose 100 games in 2014.  A name to watch out for - outfielder George Springer could make an impact later on this season.

NL East

1.  Atlanta Braves               Their every-day lineup is scary, but they need for Dan Uggla and BJ Upton to come back from horrific seasons last year.  Manager Fredi Gonzalez will have to perform some magic with the starting rotation, after losing Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen to season-ending injuries.

2.  Washington Nationals      The addition of Doug Fister to an already impressive starting rotation makes them a favorite to at least make the playoffs as a wild card.  They are very solid.

3.  Miami Marlins                  I truly believe that this team has the ability (at least on paper) to win 20 more games than last season.  With any luck, they could reach 86 wins and be a factor in the NL East.  If Giancarlo Stanton is able to stay healthy, he will put up MVP-caliber numbers.  Jose Fernandez is already a candidate for the Cy Young award, after winning the Rookie of the Year award last season.  Watch Nathan Eovaldi, Henderson Alvarez, Jacob Turner, and Tom Koehler.  If  the starters can keep the bullpen fresh, the Fish will be a lot more fun to watch than they were last year. 

4.  New York Mets                It will all come down to the pitching with the Mets.  Matt Harvey will miss the season, and the other starters have to pick up the slack.  Picking up Bartolo Colon and Daisuke Matsuzaka may not be the answer.  Curtis Granderson will bring a quality bat and a quality person to the clubhouse.  

5.  Philadelphia Phillies        The Phillies have gotten old very fast.  If Cliff Lee, AJ Burnett, and Cole Hamels pitch to their old level, they'll be ok.  Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Marlon Byrd, Ryan Howard, and Carlos Ruiz need to stay healthy and perform at their career levels.  The bullpen, especially closer Jonathan Papelbon, will need to be much better in order to stay out of the cellar.

NL Central

1.  St. Louis Cardinals           Year in and year out, the class of the NL.  They are loaded.  Watch for outfield prospect Oscar Taveras to possibly make an impact at some point during the season.  

2.  Pittsburgh Pirates             The Pirates will not catch anyone by surprise this season.  MVP Andrew McCutchen has a great supporting cast with Sterling Marte, Pedro Alvarez, and Neil Walker.  Russell Martin handled their pitching staff very well last season, and they will be very good again in 2014.

3.  Cincinnati Reds                 Can Billy Hamilton steal first base?  He can fly, but he needs to get on base in order to have an impact with his blazing speed.  The middle of their lineup is scary good, and their starting rotation is very, very good.  Aroldis Chapman needs to return quickly from his injury.

4.  Milwaukee Brewers             If the Brewers’ pitching can hold up, they'll make some noise in the division.  Their offense, especially with the return of Ryan Braun, will keep them in a lot of games.

5.  Chicago Cubs                      They are headed in the right direction, but  Rome wasn't built in a day, or in just one baseball season.  There are a lot of prospects in their minor league system, but they are not ready to help at the big league level just yet.  Remember these names - Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, and Albert Almora.

NL West

1.  Los Angeles Dodgers             The Dodgers are stacked, and that should be enough for them to win the West.  However, injuries have affected them.  Clayton Kershaw is out for a while, and they could use Matt Kemp back in that lineup at his best.  Yasiel Puig is a terrific player, but his head is not on straight.  He needs to grow up and mature immediately if not sooner.

2.  San Francisco Giants            Love their everyday lineup, and their starting pitching is rock-solid.  They will be much better than they were in 2013.  

3.  Colorado Rockies                  Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, and last year’s NL batting champ, Michael Cuddyer get some help from a healthy Justin Morneau, who should really flourish playing at Coors Field.  It will all come down to pitching, especially a bullpen that struggled last season.

4.  Arizona Diamondbacks          Their starting rotation is young and talented, with more help on the way.  Look for Archie Bradley to join the team during the season and make a huge splash.  Paul Goldschmidt gets some help with the addition of Mark Trumbo.  The return of Cody Ross and Miguel Montero will help.

5.  San Diego Padres                  Not enough firepower in the every-day lineup for this team to be a factor in the NL west.  The starting pitching needs help.  They added former Marlins ace Josh Johnson, but he begins the season in his customary place on the disabled list.  

Individual awards:

MVP 

National League  - Giancarlo Stanton

American League - Miguel Cabrera

Cy Young

National League  - Jose Fernandez

American League  - David Price

Manager of the Year

National League  - Fredi Gonzalez

American League  - Joe Maddon

Rookie of the Year

National League Archie Bradley

American League  Masahiro Tanaka

That is my story, and I’m definitely sticking to it.

What’s up from the gridiron?

Here’s the latest on the Miami Dolphins from Armando Salguero:


2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Home schedule: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Kansas City, San Diego, Green Bay, Minnesota and Baltimore.

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Road schedule: Buffalo, New England, NY Jets, Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Oakland (in London), and Jacksonville.

Here is the 2014 draft order, according to ESPN.  The Houston Texans are on the clock.


The NFL Draft is just a month away.  Mark your calendars for May 8th, at 8:00 pm.  

Mel Kiper has a three-round draft where he plays GM for every team.  Check it out here:


For the latest news from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:


Of course, we can all continue to sleep at night, knowing full well that Aaron Hernandez remains in jail, where he belongs. 

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have the latest from Coral Gables, and the University of Miami.


From FIU,  David J. Neal of the Miami Herald has the latest in his blog:


Here’s the latest from Tallahassee and the Seminoles:


From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  There are only two ACTIVE players in the major leagues who have hit 20 or more home runs in each of the last 12 seasons.  Who are they?    

David Ortiz and Alfonso Soriano.  


Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.