Monday, Monday. So good to me. Let’s get ready to rumble.
Later this week, I will bring you my top ten teams in NCAA football this season, as well as an in-depth look at the state of Florida teams.
The Dolphins continue their pre-season slate of games this weekend, as they travel to AT&T Stadium just outside of Dallas to take on the Dallas Cowboys. Game time on Saturday is at 7pm, and all of the Dolphins preseason games will be broadcast on Channel 4, CBS in Miami. More on the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL later in the blog.
Let’s go to the diamonds first.
The Marlins have been playing very good baseball, and they are back at the .500 mark at 62-62, after taking two out of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Marlins Park over the weekend. The 62-62 record for the Fish is significant, as the team finished 62-100 last season. That, folks, is quite an improvement. Kudos to the players, manager Mike Redmond and his coaching staff, who are doing more than most people were expecting.
We know that Giancarlo Stanton is having a MVP-type season. After Jose Fernandez went down with the season-ending elbow injury and Tommy John surgery, it has been The Entertainer, Henderson Alvarez, who has kept the Marlins’ pitching staff afloat. Since May 22, Alvarez has a 1.70 ERA. Only Clayton Kershaw (1.39) has a better ERA than Alvarez during that span. Alvarez has gone seven or more innings ten times, and leads MLB with three shutouts this season.
This week, the team will enjoy a day off on Monday, before taking on the Texas Rangers in a brief two-game interleague series. On a side note, the Rangers will have Belen High School product Nick Martinez on the mound on Wednesday afternoon in a 12:40 pm encounter. They will then also have an off-day on Thursday, as they head out to Denver for a weekend series against the Colorado Rockies.
Here are the starters for the series with the Rangers:
Tue 7:10 pm Miles Mikolas vs Jarred Cosart
Wed 12:40 pm Nick Martinez vs Nathan Eovaldi
The Fish will continue the road trip in Anahaim, as they face Albert Pujols, Mike Trout, and the rest of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Marlins will again have that Thursday off, as they will travel back east to Atlanta, to play the Braves in a weekend series. They will open the month in Miami, with two three-game series against the Metropolitans and the Braves.
For the latest Marlins news and stories, follow make sure you follow my good friend Larry Walansky on nbcmiami.com.
The Yankees’ blog is here, thanks to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News:
Even though the trade deadline has come and gone, the waiver trade period is upon us. Here are the rumors around baseball, up to the minute.
Click below for yesterday’s recaps and results in the major leagues:
Here are the standings in MLB:
Here are the individual leaders in the majors:
Things I’m watching and following in MLB:
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention other teams that have shown dramatic improvement over last season. The Houston Astros won their 52nd game of the season on Sunday, surpassing last year’s win total. The last time the Astros won more than 56 games was 2010. The Milwaukee Brewers won 74 games all of last season, and this year they have already won 70. The Seattle Mariners own 71 games last year, they have won 67 so far in 2014.
Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies is quietly becoming the best defensive third baseman in the National League, if not in all of baseball. I sincerely hope that the people that vote for Gold Gloves include his name on this year’s ballot. Make sure you don’t miss this guy when the Fish take on the Rockies next weekend.
TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: Staying with the Colorado Rockies theme, OF Michael Cuddyer returned to action after a 2 ½ month stint on the DL with a fractured shoulder. Cuddyer came back with a vengeance, and became the first player this season to hit for the cycle. In doing so, he is now only the third player in major league history to hit for the cycle in both leagues. Who are the other two players on this elite list? The answer comes later, alligator.
I told you last week about Cubs prospect Javier Baez. He got off to a rousing start after being called up to the major league team, blasting three homers in his first two games. He still has a lot to learn, but this young man has the potential to be a great one. His swing does remind me a little bit of Gary Sheffield’s stroke. It will take some time, but the Cubbies are going to be very good in the the not to distant future.
Another young stud to look at in Chicago is White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia. Garcia, who came over to the Sox in the three-team trade that also saw pitcher Jake Peavy go to the Red Sox and SS Jose Iglesias go to Detroit, has missed the entire 2014 season so far after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in April. Garcia returned way ahead of schedule, and after hitting .340 in 50 at bats during his minor-league rehab stint in AAA Charlotte, joined the White Sox this weekend and went 3 for 7 with two doubles in his first two games.
Former White Sox great Orestes “Minnie” Miñoso was hospitalized this past weekend after falling off his boat on Friday. The 88-year old known as "The Cuban Comet" during his playing days, was pulled from the water and rushed to an area hospital in Chicago. Thank God, he is reportedly doing fine. The nine-time all-star made his major league debut in 1951, and played in his final game in 1980. Tell me again why Miñoso is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Yankee pitcher Masahiro Tanaka continues to rehab his torn elbow ligament. He threw 25 pitches off a mound, all fastballs, on Saturday. He felt no pain or discomfort afterwards, and will do it again this week, while incorporating some breaking pitches in his session.
Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman continues to be one of the NL’s premier players, and the two-time all-star is hitting .292 so far this season, and hitting .368 so far in the month of August. The incredible stats to look at are his numbers this year against the Marlins. Freeman has only three hits in 51 AB’s against the Fish so far this season, a .059 batting average. Freeman is hitting .320 against the rest of MLB in 2014.
At the beginning of the year, I thought that the Detroit Tigers would be the runaway winners of the AL Central, and I did’t think that the KC Royals were going to be able to improve on last season’s 86-76 record. I still think that the Tigers will end up winning the division, but hats off to the Royals for their performance so far this season. They lead the division by 1 ½ games over the Tigers, and by 6 games over the Cleveland Indians, who have struggled to play better than .500 baseball so far this season.
Another surprising team this season . . . the Baltimore Orioles . . . . continue to lead the AL East, and by a whopping 7 games over the depleted NY Yankees. Great job by O’s manager Buck Showalter. Consistency at the top usually ends up bringing positive results in the long term. The Blue Jays are just a half-game behind the Yankees, and the surging Tampa Bay Rays are now just three games out of second place in the division, two games under .500. The Red Sox being in last place in the AL East is surprising to a lot of people, but it doesn’t really shock me. However, has there ever been a team in MLB that went from last to first to last in three consecutive years? Methinks not.
Out west, I knew that the Angels would bounce back and compete after a horrible 2013 season, but all the teams in the AL West have surprised this year . . . the A’s have been in first place pretty much the entire season, although after a four-game losing streak, they now find themselves in a virtual tie with the Angles. The Seattle Mariners, who are only 5 ½ games off the pace, and lead the race for the second wild card team. Their starting pitching has been incredible, with a team ERA around 2.95. The Texas Rangers, who occupy the cellar, even behind the Houston Astros, have been the negative surprise this season.
Not that many surprises so far in the NL. In the East, I figured it would be a two-team race between the Braves and the Nats, with the Marlins improving to around the .500 mark. So far, so good for those predictions. In the Central, I thought it would take a dramatic improvement in their pitching for the Brewers to overtake the St. Louis Cardinals, and, so far, it has, as the Brew Crew holds a three-game lead over the Cards. Out west, I saw a two-team race between the Dodgers and the Giants, and that is what we have seen in 2014.
My pick for NL MVP at the beginning of the season was Giancarlo Stanton, and he has held up his end of the deal quite nicely, leading the NL in homers with 32, and in RBI with 88 so far this season. The Marlins are going to have to continue to play reasonably well and stay in the running for the post season in order for the Man-Child to win the award. My pick in the AL was Miguel Cabrera, with his biggest competition coming from Mike Trout. Can’t go wrong with either one.
Speaking of surprises . . . . . the leading hitter in the American League is Jose Altuve, the Houston Astros’ 5’4” second baseman. In the National League, former AL MVP and now Colorado Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau is leading the way. Did anyone out there see that coming?
If someone other than Jose Abreu wins the American League Rookie of the Year . . . in fact, if the vote is not unanimous, I am going to demand that MLB launch an immediate investigation. Abreu’s stats line so far this season: in 109 games (426 at-bats), the Cuban rookie has a batting average of .305, 31 home runs and 869 RBI, a slugging percentage of .596, and an OPS of .958. By the way, Abreu was named the AL player of the month AND the AL Rookie of the month in both April and July, the first rookie to receive the player of the month award twice in the same season.
In the rookie award in the National League, Braves second baseman leads an undistinguished list of first year players. La Stella came out of nowhere to replace the released Dan Uggla and is hitting .273 in 70 games (249 AB’s) and has been playing a terrific second base. The 25-year-old has struggled so far in the month of August, hitting only .182, dropping his batting average from .296 at the end of July.
Let’s go to the hardwood, and here is Ira Winderman reporting on the Heat and the NBA in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:
Back to the Dolphins and the NFL.
What have I seen so far for the Dolphins this preseason? QB Ryan Tannehill has looked good in running the new offensive scheme brought in by new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. If there was any question as to who the Fins’ backup QB would be, the ever-present Matt Moore answered that question against the Buccaneers this past weekend. Believe me when I tell you that a quality second-string QB is much more than just a nice commodity in today’s NFL. Although connections with WR Mike Wallace have been few and far-between, WR Rishard Matthews continues to look good in the offense. Rookie wideout Jarvis Landry has impressed me a lot, as well. The offensive line continues to be a work in progress, and they need to figure out what is going to happen at the center position and at right guard, where Dallas Thomas has been less than under-whelming. He got physically abused by the Bucs’ first and second team D-Line. Rookie third-round pick Billy Turner will probably get a chance to start. Turner has shown he is a very good run-blocker, but needs to continue to improve in pass protection. Another area of concern has to be who will hold down the center position until Mike Pouncey returns from his hip injury. The signing of Samson Satele is nothing more than a stop-gap, so the Fins are counting on Pouncey to return before expected. Pouncey is almost ready to resume practices. On the defensive side of the ball, I know it is preseason, but the D-Line has looked very good against the run so far, a problem area last season. Linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, Koa Misi, and Phillip Wheeler all showed signs of life. Cornerbacks Brent Grimes, Cortland Finnegan, Will Davis, and Jamar Taylor have to step it up a bit, as do safeties Jimmy Wilson and Louis Delmas, especially due to the fact that Rashad Jones will be out the first four games of the regular season because of his suspension for use of PED’s.
In the NFL, in today’s edition of Monday Night Football on ESPN, we’ll get the opportunity to watch Johnny Manziel and the Cleveland Browns take on Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. Game time is 8:00 pm.
Here is next weekend’s complete NFL schedule:
Thu Aug 21 Steelers @ Eagles 7:30 pm NFL Network
Fri Aug 22 Jaguars @ Lions 7:30 pm
Fri Aug 22 Panthers @ Patriots 7:30 pm
Fri Aug 22 Giants @ Jets 7:30 pm
Fri Aug 22 Raiders @ Packers 8:00 pm CBS
Fri Aug 22 Bears @ Seahawks 10:00 pm NFL Network
Sat Aug 23 Buccaneers @ Bills 4:30 pm NFL Network
Sat Aug 23 Titans @ Falcons 7:00 pm
Sat Aug 23 DOLPHINS @ COWBOYS 7:00 pm CBS 4 (Miami)
Sat Aug 23 Redskins @ Ravens 7:30 pm
Sat Aug 23 Rams @ Browns 8:00 pm
Sat Aug 23 Saints @ Colts 8:00 pm CBS
Sat Aug 23 Vikings @ Chiefs 8:00 pm
Sat Aug 23 Texans @ Broncos 9:00 pm
Sun Aug 24 Chargers @ 49ers 4:00 pm FOX
Sun Aug 24 Bengals @ Cardinals 8:00 pm NBC
Remember that the NFL Network carries all the games on a delayed basis as well.
What are the Dolphins up to?
Miami Dolphins blog from Armando Salguero:
Chris Perkins and Omar Kelly bring us their Dolphin blog:
Here are both the Preseason and Regular Season schedules:
2014 MIAMI DOLPHINS Preseason schedule:
Aug. 8 at Atlanta Falcons L, 10-16
Aug. 16 at Tampa Bay Bucs W, 20-14
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 news from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION:
The NFL’s experiment with moving back the extra point attempts back to the fifteen-yard line is over for now. They’ll probably re-visit it next season. Obviously, they wanted to make it less of a “freebie” than what it has been. Last season, the conversion rate was 99.6%, this preason, the success rate was 93.7. If what they’re trying to do is get coaches to try two-point conversions from the 2-yard line instead of kicking from the 15, it hasn't shown up as the reason this year. Most of the two-point attempts these past two weeks were to avoid ties or build or cut a lead to three points. Time will tell, and I can probably guarantee that they will try it again.
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 all the latest 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:
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THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION: Colorado Rockies OF Michael Cuddyer returned to action after a 2 ½ month stint on the DL with a fractured shoulder. Cuddyer came back with a vengeance, and became the first player this season to hit for the cycle. In doing so, he is now only the third player in major league history to hit for the cycle in both leagues. Who are the other two players on this elite list?
Bob Watson did it with the Houston Astros in 1977, and then again with the Boston Red Sox in 1979. John Olerud hit for the cycle with the New York Mets in 1997, and again while playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2001. Cuddyer had previously hit for the cycle in Minnesota in 2009 while with the Twins.
Behave yourselves, and always remember that tomorrow will bring us a brand new day.
