Monday, July 7, 2014

Monday, Monday.  Hope your Fourth of July weekend was excellent!

Here’s the blog.

We begin with Major League Baseball.

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The Marlins have won ten games in a row started by Henderson Alvarez.  That is a new team record for the Fish.  Who held the previous record at nine consecutive victories?  The answer comes later, alligator.

The Fish took two out of three against the Cardinals in St. Louis this past weekend, putting a nice finishing touch to a good week’s work, as they also managed to win two out of three contests in Philadelphia against the Phillies.  This puts the Fish on pace to at least get back to .500 when they reach the All Star break.  On the agenda this week are three games in Arizona against the D-Backs, an off day on Thursday, and a weekend three-game set in New York against the Metropolitans. After the All Star break, the Marlins will be home to face the Giants for a weekend series July 18-20 at Marlins Park.

Here are the pitching match ups for the series with the Diamondbacks:

Monday Tom Kohler vs Chase Anderson         9:40 pm
Tuesday Brad Hand vs Vidal Nuño 9:40 pm
Wednesday Nathan Eovaldi vs Josh Collmenter 3:40 pm

For more Marlins news and stories, follow make sure you follow Larry Walansky:

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



Here are the standings in MLB:


Today’s complete schedule in the major leagues:


Here are the individual leaders in the majors:


The All Star game rosters were announced on Sunday, and, of course, there are some glaring omissions and some totally asinine selections.

National League starters American League starters

C Yadier Molina, STL C Matt Wieters*, BAL
1B Paul Goldschmidt, ARI 1B Miguel Cabrera, DET
2B Chase Utley, PHI 2B Robinson Cano, SEA
SS Troy Tulowitzki, COL SS Derek Jeter, NYY
3B Aramis Ramirez, MIL 3B Josh Donaldson, OAK
OF Andrew McCutchen, PIT OF Jose Bautista, TOR
OF Carlos Gomez, MIL OF Mike Trout, LAA
OF Yasiel Puig, LAD OF Adam Jones, BAL
DH Nelson Cruz, BAL

 Cardinals manager Mike Matheny already announced that Giancarlo Stanton will start for the NL as their DH.

National League pitchers American League pitchers

LHP Madison Bumgarner, SF RHP Dellin Betances, NYY
LHP Aroldis Chapman, CIN LHP Mark Buehrle, TOR
RHP Johnny Cueto, CIN RHP Yu Darvish, TEX
RHP Zack Greinke, LAD LHP Sean Doolittle, OAK
LHP Clayton Kershaw, LAD RHP Felix Hernandez, SEA
RHP Craig Kimbrel, ATL RHP Greg Holland, KC
RHP Pat Neshek, STL LHP Scott Kazmir, OAK
RHP Francisco Rodriguez, MIL LHP Jon Lester, BOS
RHP Tyson Ross, SD LHP Glen Perkins, MIN
RHP Jeff Samardzija, CHC         LHP David Price, TB
RHP Julio Teheran, ATL RHP Max Scherzer, DET
RHP Adam Wainwright, STL RHP Masahiro Tanaka, NYY
LHP Tony Watson, PIT
RHP Jordan Zimmermann, WAS

National League reserves American League reserves

C Jonathan Lucroy, MIL C Derek Norris, OAK
C Devin Mesoraco, CIN C Salvador Perez, KC
1B Freddie Freeman, ATL C Kurt Suzuki, MIN
2B Dee Gordon, LAD 1B Jose Abreu, CWS
2B Daniel Murphy, NYM 1B Brandon Moss, OAK
SS Starlin Castro, CHC 2B Jose Altuve, HOU
3B Matt Carpenter, STL 3B Adrian Beltre, TEX
3B Todd Frazier, CIN SS Alexei Ramirez, CWS
OF Charlie Blackmon, COL OF Michael Brantley, CLE
OF Josh Harrison, PIT OF Yoenis Cespedes, OAK
OF Hunter Pence, SF OF Alex Gordon, KC
OF Giancarlo Stanton, MIA DH Edwin Encarnacion, TOR
DH Victor Martinez, DET

As bad as Marlins fans feel about Casey McGahee and Henderson Alvarez being left off the All Star team, they are not alone in their indignation.  There are just as many people questioning why Buster Posey of the Giants, Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, Anthony Rendon of the Nats, Justin Upton of the Braves, and Justin Morneau of the Rockies aren't on the NL roster.  On the AL side, how do you keep Chris Sale and Garrett Richards off the team?  (Check out my All Star “Snub” team, and “Why are they hear” selections a little further down in the blog).

I’m old enough to remember when they played two All Star games every year, something that could be done now without much difficulty (play the games on Tuesday and Wednesday).  Think of making the game more accessible to the hometown fans who otherwise cannot afford to go to the game, more access to the kids (still the future of the game), while possibly raising money for former players and other worthwhile causes.  

Regardless, they need to increase the roster to 30 (in addition to the starters), especially if you want to continue to select a large number of middle relievers, and if you want to leave the voting of the starters to the fans.  Ballot box stuffing in Milwaukee, for example, kept the man-child, Giancarlo Stanton, out of the starting outfield, even though he will be the starting DH for the National League.  

MY ALL-STAR SNUB TEAM (in no particular order):

Casey McGahee, Miami Henderson Alvarez, Miami
Steve Chisek, Miami Tim Hudson, San Francisco
Ian Kinsler, Detroit Alcides Escobar, Kansas City
Kyle Seager, Seattle Anthony Rizzo, Cubs
Justin Upton, Braves Buster Posey, San Francisco
Justin Morneau, Colorado Garrett Richards, Angels
Chris Sale, White Sox Anthony Rendon, Washington
Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers Alfredo Simon, Cincinnati
Josh Beckett, Dodgers Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati
Huston Street, San Diego Wade Davis, Kansas City
Corey Kluber, Cleveland Stephen Strassburg, Wash

Although I am not including him in my “snubs” list, Jeff Samardzija should be allowed to pitch in the game.  He was selected by the National League, and not letting him pitch because he was traded to the “other league” is ridiculous.

MY “WHY ARE THEY THERE?” TEAM:

Josh Harrison, Pittsburgh Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee
Devin Mesoraco, Cincinnati Brandon Moss, Oakland
Madison Bumgarner, SF Tyson Ross, San Diego

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

After asking you what is wrong with Tampa Bay Rays, the Rays went out and have now won 9 out of their last 11, finally getting out of the cellar in the AL East, overtaking the lowly Boston Red Sox.  

Even though the time frame may be delayed (and even shelved) after this current good run, I still believe that the Rays are going to end up trading David Price, and I believe that it will be a bidding war between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves.  I don't see the Rays trading Price to an American League team, much less one in the AL East.  Another guy that the Rays may trade is Ben Zobrist.

I’m hearing that the Marlins may be thinking about bringing back Dan Uggla in a trade with the Braves.  Dan has been riding the bench in Atlanta, and none of the trio of Rafael Furcal, Donovan Solano, and Derek Dietrich have done nothing to give the Marlins and the fans any reason to brag.   

The Cubs traded both Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland A’s for a couple of their top prospects.  The best team in the AL, if not all of baseball, just got that much better.

It now looks like CC Sabathia will be out for the remainder of the season, possibly his career.  The Yankees went out and made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and got a starting pitcher, Brandon McCarthy.  Hopefully it works out for them.  In another roster move, the Yankees parted ways with Alfonso Soriano, designating him for assignment.  Soriano is contemplating retirement at this point.  The Cubs, who are paying him $13 million this year NOT to play for them, should probably just bring him back and let him finish out his career in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

I was in the mood to try and come up with a Top Ten list of “unbreakable” records in baseball, so here they are.  

They are in no particular order, as NONE OF THESE RECORDS WILL EVER BE BROKEN:

Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak

 Cy Young’s 511 career wins

 Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 career strikeouts

 Walter Johnson’s 110 career shutouts

 Ty Cobb’s .366 career batting average

 Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games streak

 Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits

 Yogi Berra’s 10 World Series Championship rings

 Mariano Rivera’s 652 career saves

 Connie Mack’s 3,731 career wins as a manager


 More from MLB:



Let's go to the NBA and the Miami Heat:

What’s the latest with the Heat and the NBA?

Free agents can start signing new contracts on Thursday of this week (July 10th).  

Depending on what you're reading, the rumors are too numerous and too overwhelming to speculate.  Is LeBron going back home to Cleveland?  The Lakers?  Phoenix?  Dallas?  Houston?  Alaska?  Somewhere else?  The media, of course, feels that it is more interesting, more romantic, and more controversial to discuss the possible exit LeBron and the Big Three than to “boldly” predict that they will be returning to Miami.  

I’m going to stick to my original prediction that LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh will all be back.  Of course, that really does depend on what Pat Riley wants to do.  The reality of the situation is that bringing back LeBron, even at the maximum dollars, is a mega money-maker for the Heat, even if you just take in ticket sales as a factor.  In total, it is estimated that the Heat will rake in over $120 million in profit, even after paying LeBron max dollars for three more years, for example.  Can you spell “no-brainer” ?

From what I am hearing, Riley and LeBron will be meeting in the next day or two and should finalize any decision at that point.  Riley needs to convince LeBron on what he is going to do to improve the Heat, both short-term and long-term.  In order for him to do that, he needs to get the Big Three on board immediately so that he can go and complete the team’s roster.

Here is more from Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel:


The Heat is participating in the NBA’s Pro Summer League, and rookie point guard Shabazz Napier is in the middle of the action.  You may also want to keep your eye on James Ennis, last year’s second round draft pick.


Let us move on to the Miami Dolphins and the NFL.

The Dolphins got more bad news as last year’s first round draft pick, Dion Jordan, was suspended after testing positive for a banned stimulant. 


This team just cannot get out of its own way.


Miami Dolphins blog from Armando Salguero:


Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:


The countdown is on until the Dolphins take the field.  Their first preseason game is just a month away.  Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule: 

Aug. 8         at Atlanta Falcons           (Fri)      7:00 pm
Aug. 16       at Tampa Bay Bucs           (Sat)     7:00 pm
Aug. 23       Dallas Cowboys                (Sat)     7:00 pm
Aug. 28       St. Louis Rams                 (Thu)    7:00 pm

2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Regular Season schedule:

Sep. 7         New England Patriots                    1:00 pm
Sep. 14       at Buffalo Bills                              1:00 pm
Sep. 21       Kansas City Chiefs                         4:25 pm
Sep. 28       at Oakland Raiders  (London)         6:00 pm
Oct. 5         BYE
Oct. 12       Green Bay Packers                         1:00 pm
Oct. 19       at Chicago Bears                            1:00 pm
Oct. 26       at Jacksonville Jaguars                  1:00 pm
Nov. 2        San Diego Chargers                         1:00 pm
Nov. 9        at Detroit Lions                              1:00 pm
Nov. 13      Buffalo Bills              (Thu)              8:25 pm
Nov. 23      at Denver Broncos                           4:25 pm
Dec. 1        at New York Jets      (Mon)              8:30 pm
Dec. 7        Baltimore Ravens                           1:00 pm
Dec. 14      at New England Patriots                  1:00 pm
Dec. 21      Minnesota Vikings                           1:00 pm
Dec. 28      New York Jets                                 1:00 pm

For more 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. 

From around the universities,

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have news from 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:


In other sports,

That soccer thing continues over in the jungles of Brazil.  They seem to be down to the final four teams - the match ups are Brazil vs. Germany on Tuesday; Argentina vs.The Netherlands on Wednesday.  Both games will start at 4:00 pm.  

Here is the latest from Brazil, where the girl from Ipanema is waiting for me:



Here is Santos Perez’ weekly boxing column in the Miami Herald, including his story on an upcoming card at the American Airlines Arena this Thursday:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  The Marlins have won ten games in a row started by Henderson Alvarez.  That is a new team record for the Fish.  Who held the previous record at nine consecutive victories?    

Tough one.  It was none other than Chris Hammond, way back in 1993. 


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