The Marlins coaching staff is taking shape, and added a touch of class yesterday.  The team announced that former Yankee first baseman Tino Martinez will be the new hitting coach for the team.  After finishing 29th in the major leagues in runs scored, 28th in RBI, and 24th in hitting, they can only get better.  Martinez posted six 100-RBI seasons and retired after the 2005 season with 1,925 hits, 339 home runs, and 1,271 RBI.  He can also show off four World Series Championship rings.  Next up for the Fish is deciding on a pitching coach and a bench coach.   

The Colorado Rockies decided on their new manager, and they handed the reins to former shortstop Walt Weiss.  Weiss was the AL Rookie of the Year with the Oakland A’s in 1988, and was the Marlins’ first shortstop in 1993 before going to the Rockies from 1994 to 1997, and then to Atlanta from 1998-2000.  After retiring, he worked with the Rockies as a Special Assistant to their general manager from 2002-2008, before leaving to spend more time with his family.  Last season, Weiss coached Regis Jesuit High Scho0l just outside of Denver, where his son Brody is a senior.

MLB announced yesterday the winners of the Silver Slugger Awards, given out to the best offensive players in baseball.  The winners:

American League National League

C AJ Pierzynski CWS C Buster Posey SF

1B Prince Fielder Det 1B Adam LaRoche Was

2B Robinson Cano NYY 2B Aaron Hill Ari

SS Derek Jeter NYY SS Ian Desmond Was

3B Miguel Cabrera Det 3B Chase Headley SD

OF Josh Hamilton Tex OF Ryan Braun Mil

OF Mike Trout LAA OF Andrew McCutchen Pit

OF Josh Willingham Min OF Jay Bruce Cin

DH Billy Butler KC P Stephen Strasburg Was

The parade of awards continues next week.  On Monday, the AL and NL Rookie of the Year awards will be announced.  On Tuesday, the managers of the year will take center stage; on Wednesday, the AL and NL Cy Young Award winners, and on Thursday, the MVP’s will be named.

I will not predict the winners, but here are what my selections would be:

AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout LAA

NL Rookie of the Year Todd Frazier Cin

AL Manager of the Year Buck Showalter Bal

NL Manager of the Year Davey Johnson Was

AL Cy Young Award David Price TB

NL Cy Young Award Gio Gonzalez Was

AL Most Valuable Player Miguel Cabrera Det

NL Most Valuable Player Buster Posey SF

The Miami Heat return to the court tonight in Atlanta as they take on the Hawks in the first game of a two-week, six-game road trip.  Miami comes into tonight’s encounter 4-1, the Hawks are 2-1.  Game time tonight is 7:30 pm, and you can watch the game on Sun Sports on your cable or satellite system.  In the NBA yesterday,

Oklahoma City Thunder 97 Chicago Bulls 91

Kevin Durant scored 24 points, including 10 points in the final 6:35 to overcome a 6-point Chicago lead

LA Clippers 103 Portland Trail Blazers 90

Jamal Crawford scored 25 points coming off the bench, DeAndre Jordan and Chris Paul added 21 points apiece

TODAY’S GAMES IN THE NBA

Miami Heat @ Atlanta Hawks 7:30 pm Sun Sports

Milwaukee Bucks @ Washington Wizards 7:00 pm

Brooklyn Nets @ Orlando Magic 7:00 pm

Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics         7:30 pm

Dallas Mavericks @ New York Knicks 7:30 pm

Houston Rockets @ Memphis Grizzlies 8:00 pm NBA-TV

Charlotte Bobcats @ New Orleans Hornets 8:00 pm

Detroit Pistons @ Oklahoma City Thunder         8:00 pm

Indiana Pacers @ Minnesota T-Wolves 8:00 pm

Cleveland Cavaliers @ Phoenix Suns         9:00 pm

San Antonio Spurs @ Sacramento Kings 10:00 pm

Utah Jazz @ Denver Nuggets 10:30 pm ESPN

Golden State @ LA Lakers 10:30 pm

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Walt Weiss, who yesterday became the new manager of the Colorado Rockies, was the Marlins’ opening day shortstop in their inaugural game in 1993.  Who comprised the rest of the starting lineup that day? Tell you later, alligator. 

Last night in the NFL, 

Indianapolis Colts 27 Jacksonville Jaguars 10 Jax +3

Andrew Luck ran for two touchdowns and Darius Butler returned an interception for a touchdown.  The Colts improved to 6-3, the Jags are 1-8.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins will take on the Tennessee Titans at the Seven Names Stadium on Sunday. I look for the Fins to recover from the loss against the Colts last Sunday and get back into the win column.  Game time against the Titans is at 1:00 pm.   You can watch the game on Channel 4, CBS in Miami.

The rest of this week’s games in the NFL:

SUNDAY

Tennessee Titans @ Miami Dolphins

Mia -6 1:00 pm CBS Channel 4

New York Giants @ Cincinnati Bengals

Cin +4 1:00 pm

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

Min +1 1:00 pm

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

NE -11 1:00 pm

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

NO +1 1:00 pm

San Diego Chargers @ Tampa Bay Bucaneers

TB -3 1:00 pm

Denver Broncos @ Carolina Panthers

Car +4 1:00 pm

Oakland Raiders @ Baltimore Ravens

Bal -7.5 1:00 pm

NY Jets @ Seattle Seahawks

Sea -6 4:05 pm CBS  Ch. 4

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles

Phi +1 4:25 pm FOX Ch. 7

St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers

SF -11 4:25 pm

Houston Texans @ Chicago Bears

Chi -1 8:20 pm NBC Ch. 6

MONDAY

Kansas City Chiefs @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Pit -11.5 8:30 pm ESPN

Bye week for the Cleveland Browns, Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins

In college football last night, the Florida State Seminoles, #10 in the country, scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game to get past Virginia Tech, 28-22.    

The University of Miami Hurricanes can clinch the ACC Coastal Division championship with wins over Virginia tomorrow and Duke on November 24.  The 2012 version of the Canes is 97th in the country running the football, averaging 130 yards per game, and 84th in the nation in points defense, allowing over 30 points per game.  This team is not anywhere close to getting back to the level of prominence it has enjoyed in the past.  This saturday's game between the Canes and Virginia is a 12 noon kickoff and you watch the game on ABC, Channel 10 in Miami.

In top ten action tomorrow:

#1 Alabama hosts #15 Texas A&M 

#2 Kansas State visits TCU

#3 Oregon travels to California

#4 Notre Dame goes on the road to play Boston College

#5 Georgia is at Auburn

#6 Florida takes on Louisiana-Lafayette at the swamp

#7 LSU entertains #21 Mississippi State

#8 South Carolina hosts Arkansas

#9 Louisville visits Syracuse

The FIU Panthers are off this weekend, and will return to the field on Friday, November 16th, in Boca Raton, against Florida Atlantic.  Game time will be 8:00 pm.  Remember, you can catch the FIU game broadcasts (in English, no less) on your smartphone or on the computer at www.fiusports.com.  I will be handling the play-by-play, and Pete Pelegrin will be handling the color analysis. 

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Walt Weiss, who yesterday became the new manager of the Colorado Rockies, was the Marlins’ opening day shortstop in their inaugural game in 1993.  Who comprised the rest of the starting lineup that day?  Scott Pose led off  in centerfield, Bret Barberie was the 2nd baseman and hit second, Junior Felix was stationed in rightfield and batted third, Orestes Destrade hit cleanup and played 1st base, Dave Magadan was the third baseman and hit fifth, Benito Santiago hit sixth and was behind the plate, Jeff Conine started in left field and batted seventh, Weiss hit eight and played shortstop, and Charlie Hough opened on the mound for the Fish and manager Rene Lachemann.    

Don’t miss my two “Descarga Deportiva” segments (for the Spanish-challenged, “Sports Jam Session”) every day, Monday through Friday, at 9:25 am and 12:15 pm on Radio Esperanza, 1550 AM or on the internet on www.miradioesperanza.com. 

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