Thursday, May 15, 2014

In the NBA playoffs, Miami and San Antonio became the first teams to advance to their respective conference finals.  The Heat were down by eight points with under five minutes left in the game, but staged a furious comeback in the fourth quarter to eliminate the Brooklyn Nets, 96-94.  A three-pointer by Jesus Shuttleworth (Ray Allen) was the dagger in the heart and some tough defense sealed the deal.  Put the ball in Ray Allen’s hands at crunch time and good things tend to happen.

Heat fans need to pay attention to the series between the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers to learn when and where the Conference final series begins.  The Pacers lead that series 3 games to 2, with game six being played tonight in Washington.  If Indiana wins, the Heat would be the road team for games 1,2,5 and 7 and would play at home in games 3, 4, and 6.  If Washington advances, the Heat would hold the home-court advantage.  If Indiana wins game 6 tonight, game 1 of the conference final series would be on Sunday at 3:30 pm in Indianapolis.  If Washington wins game six tonight, the series would start on Tuesday, either in Indianapolis or in Miami.

Out west, the San Antonio Spurs clinched yet another Western Conference finals appearance, eliminating the Portland Trailblazers in five games.  The Spurs were very impressive against a very good Portland team, beating them by double-digits in all four of their wins in the series.  The LA Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet tonight in game six of their semifinal series in Los Angeles, with the Thunder holding a 3-2 advantage.  If the Clippers win tonight, game seven would be played on Sunday.  

Believe me when I tell you that the Spurs are rooting for the Clippers tonight and the Heat are rooting for the Wizards to force a game seven as well.



Let’s go to MLB:

Jose Fernandez has received two medical opinions that suggest Tommy John surgery, keeping him out of action until at least June of 2015.  Jose and his family are reviewing all the data and the possible scenarios before reaching a final decision.  He will be missed.  

In last night’s game in Los Angeles, Anthony DeSciafani made his major league debut a memorable one, and the Marlins’ minor league pitcher of the year last season notched his first victory as the Fins exploded for 13 runs and pounded the Dodgers 13-3.  

The Fish kick off a four-game weekend series tonight in San Francisco against the Giants.  Here are the starters for that series:

Thursday Nathan Eovaldi vs Matt Cain            10:15 pm

Friday Henderson Alvarez vs Tim Hudson   10:15 pm

Saturday Tom Koehler vs Tim Lincecum           9:05 pm

Sunday Jacob Turner vs Ryan Vogelsong        4:10 pm

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:


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

The Marlins added veteran hurler Randy Wolf to the roster.  Good guy to have available, either in the bullpen, or as a starter if one of the youngsters struggle.   

Masahiro Tanaka is the real deal.  He improved his record to 6-0 last night, throwing his first major league shutout as my Yankees finally beat the Mets, 4-0.  

Speaking of real deals, Jose Abreu of the White Sox continues to pummel major league pitching.  Last night, he blasted his MLB-leading 15th homer, a three-run blast in the eighth inning to give the White Sox the win over the Oakland A’s. 

Major League Baseball is taking a look at the situation with Cuban slugger Alfredo Despaigne.  Despaigne was playing in the Mexican League with a falsified Dominican passport, joining Leo Nuñez (now Juan Carlos Oviedo) and Fausto Carmona (now Roberto Hernandez) in this list of shame.  Look for MLB to launch an investigation in Dominican Republic to try and control this continuing epidemic.  Sadly, there are more fake passports out there, and more names will be coming out very soon. 

Here is a very interesting article by Dan Szymborski of ESPN that shows that PEDs have had little or no noticeable effect on hitting stats.  Click below:


TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  I guess that David Ortiz qualifies as a late bloomer.  Big Papi signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2003 at the age of 27, after being released by the Minnesota Twins.  What team did Ortiz sign with originally as an amateur free agent and how did he get to Minnesota?  The answer comes later, alligator.

More from MLB:



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

Thanks to the Sun Sentinel, here is the latest breakdown of the Dolphins 2014 roster:


Here’s the list of the Fins’ draft picks, with player bios:


The Sun Sentinel has a photo gallery of Miami’s undrafted free agent signings, including Ryan Lankford, a WR from Illinois, who is the son of former Dolphin defensive back Paul Lankford:


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


The countdown begins until the Dolphins take the field.  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. 

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have more 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:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  I guess that David Ortiz qualifies as a late bloomer.  Big Papi signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2003 at the age of 27, after being released by the Minnesota Twins.  What team did Ortiz sign with originally as an amateur free agent and how did he get to Minnesota? 

He signed with the Seattle Mariners as a 17-year-old in 1992 and was traded by the Mariners in 1996 to the Twins as part of a trade for Dave Hollins.  That trade worked out pretty well for the Red Sox.

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

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Tuesday, May 13, 2014

In the NBA playoffs, specifically the series between the Nets and the Heat, Miami went into last night’s game four facing the possibility of seeing that series tied up at 2-2 if the Nets could hold serve at home.  Paul Pierce of the Nets was all full of himself after the Nets won game three, and lobbied his coach to let him guard LeBron James.  Mr. Pierce put on a “defensive clinic”, soon to be a documentary film on ESPN, tentatively titled, “How not to guard LeBron”, against LBJ last night in game 4, “holding” him to only 49 points as Miami took a commanding 3-1 lead in their conference semifinal series, with a 102-96 win.  The Heat will try to end this series once and for all Wednesday night in Miami at the AAA.  Game time for Game five is 7:00 pm, and it will be broadcast on TNT on your cable or satellite system.

Note to Paul Pierce:  

Be careful what you ask for.  

Note to Paul Pierce (2):  

To paraphrase Jack Nicholson, “LeBron can handle “The Truth”

In the west semifinals, the Portland Trailblazers delayed the inevitable, defeating the San Antonio Spurs last night, 103-92.  The series now moves back to San Antonio for game 5 tomorrow night.  Game time is 9:30 pm, right after the Heat-Nets game.

Tonight, Indiana hosts Washington in game five of their series, with the Pacers holding a 3-1 advantage.  Game time tonight is 7:00 pm, on TNT.  Game five between the LA Clippers and the OkC Thunder will tipoff right after the Caps-Pacers, at 9:30 pm.  That series is tied at 2-2.



Let’s go to MLB:

Horrible news out of Marlins World.  The Fish have probably lost ace Jose Fernandez for the rest of the season with an elbow injury.  Although the initial diagnosis was a right elbow sprain, sources are reporting that the team is anticipating that Fernandez will need to undergo season-ending surgery.  If Fernandez needs Tommy John surgery, Fernandez wouldn't probably pitch again until at least June of 2015.  

In last night’s game in Los Angeles, the Marlins gave up leads of 1-0 and 3-1, and lost their fourth straight game, 6-5.  The series against the Dodgers continues tonight, with Jacob Turner taking the hill for the Marlins against Josh Beckett.  Game time is 10:10 pm, and all of you night owls can watch the game on Fox Sports Florida.  Here are the pitching match-ups for the rest of the week, Wednesday against the Dodgers, and the four-game weekend series in San Francisco against the Giants:

Wednesday ??? vs Paul Maholm 10:10 pm

Thursday Nathan Eovaldi vs Matt Cain 10:15 pm

Friday Henderson Alvarez vs ??? 10:15 pm

Saturday Tom Koehler vs Tim Lincecum     9:05 pm

Sunday ??? vs Ryan Vogelsong              4:10 pm

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:


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

We are rapidly coming to the conclusion that their is no “magic formula” or “master plan” that protects pitchers from elbow injuries.  The more you listen to doctors, the more you hear that it all begins in youth baseball.  

Interesting confrontation last night in the game between the Orioles and the Tigers.  Ian Kinsler blasted a two-run homer against Bud Norris, and then, two pitches later, Norris hit Torii Hunter with a pitch.  Why do pitchers believe it is OK to throw at hitters after giving up a home run?  

By the way, Detroit is the best team in the American League.  Period, end of story.  

The Cubs are not anywhere close to being a juggernaut offensive team, but yesterday went and pounded the St. Louis Cardinals ()in St. Louis, no less) 17-5.  How does the worst team in the NL put up 17 against the Cards?

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Junior Lake of the Chicago Cubs drove in six runs in last night’s 17-5 drubbing of the St. Louis Cardinals.  Who holds the all-time record for RBI in a game for the Chicago Cubs?  The answer comes later, alligator.

More from MLB:



The NFL draft is now history, so let’s take a look at what the Dolphins did:

Here’s the list of the Fins’ picks, with player bios:


ESPN’s analysis:


The Sun Sentinel has a photo gallery of Miami’s undrafted free agent signings, including Ryan Lankford, a WR from Illinois, who is the son of former Dolphin defensive back Paul Lankford:


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.

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. 

Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have more 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:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Junior Lake of the Chicago Cubs drove in six runs in last night’s 17-5 drubbing of the St. Louis Cardinals.  Who holds the all-time record for RBI in a game for the Chicago Cubs?

Two players drove in nine runs in a game for the Cubbies - Heine Zimmerman in 1911, and Sammy Sosa in 2002.


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

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Friday, May 9, 2014

TGIF!  Happy Mothers Day weekend!

The Miami Heat took a 2-0 lead in their conference semifinal series against the Brooklyn Nets last night, with a 94-82 win.  So much for thinking that the regular season results were going to have an impact in this series.  The series now moves to Brooklyn.  Game three is on Saturday at 8:00 pm, and it will be broadcast on ABC.  Game four will be on Monday, again at 8:00 pm, on TNT.  The series is not over, by any means, but . . . .

In the other Eastern conference semifinal series, the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards play tonight in Washington, with that series knotted up 1-1.  That game will be on ESPN tonight at 8:00 pm.

In the west semifinals, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trailblazers last night, 114-97 to take a 2-0 lead in their series.  Tonight, the LA Clippers host the OkC Thunder in the third game of their semifinal clash, with the series tied at one game apiece.  Game time tonight on ESPN is 10:30 pm.



Let’s go to MLB:

The first-place Marlins (yes, they are in first place in the NL East), started their eleven-game California road trip on a winning note last night, beating the San Diego Padres 3-1 in 11 innings.  The hero last night was Giancarlo Stanton, who blasted a two-run homer into the beach area in center field.  Trust me when I tell you he hit it off the end of the bat and it still left the park in impressive fashion.  The man-child leads the majors with 40 RBI and leads the National League with 11 dingers.  Here are the pitching match-ups for the rest of the series against the Padres:

Friday Jose Fernandez vs Tyson Ross 10:10 pm

Saturday Nathan Eovaldi vs Eric Stults             8:40 pm

Sunday Henderson Alvarez vs Robbie Erlin        4:10 pm

The Tampa Bay Rays were swept by the Baltimore Orioles, and will now take on the Cleveland Indians at the Trop.  Here are the probable starting pitchers for the series:

Friday Corey Kluber vs Jake Odorizzi                7:10 pm

Saturday Zach McAllister vs Erik Bedard           7:10 pm

Sunday Josh Tomlin vs Chris Archer                 1:40 pm

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:


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

The Atlanta Braves continue to struggle offensively.  After leading the NL last year with 1,384 strikeouts, the Bravos are tied for fourth this year in the majors with 297 K’s so far.  The problem this season has been the lack of walks.  Last year, they drew 542 walks, the second most in MLB, and that helped them finish fourth in runs scored in 2013.  This season, they are 12th in walks, and are next to last in the major leagues in runs scored.  On a related note, how long can they afford to keep putting Dan Uggla in their day-to-day lineup?

How good is Dave Dombrowski?  Probably, the best GM in baseball.  If I was a general manager, I’m pretty sure I don’t want to listen to Dombrowski if he calls me to suggest a trade.  The guy just doesn't miss.

The Yankees have now officially run out of single-digit numbers.  They will retire Joe Torre’s number 6 in July.  Derek Jeter will be the last player in Yankee history to wear a single digit (#2).  His number will most definitely be retired after he calls it a career at the end of this season. 


Congratulations once again to Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies.  The young Cuban-American has a 28-game hitting streak going and is rapidly opening some eyes around the baseball world.  If you have the chance to watch a Rockies game, check him out on the field.  He will win many gold gloves during his career.

Speaking of the Rockies, I know it is early, but you can’t help but be impressed by Troy Tulowitzki, who is leading the world in hitting with a blistering .407 average.  How about Justin Morneau (.331), Charlie Blackmon (.348), and Arenado (.322) ?  If they ever figure out how to pitch up there, look out.

More from MLB:



From the minor leagues, the Clinton Lumberkings beat the Burlington Bees 20-17 in twelve innings.  The reason this game is noteworthy is that Clinton was losing 17-1 after 5 innings.  Here’s the full story:


By the way, the Lumberkings also overcame an eight-run deficit last Saturday, scoring five times in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Wisconsin, 16-13.

What’s up from the gridiron?  The NFL Draft, of course.

As expected, Jadeveon Clowney, the monster defensive end from South Carolina, was the first pick of the NFL draft on Thursday, selected by the Houston Texans.  Tough to pass up.  OT Greg Robinson of Auburn went second to the St. Louis Rams, and, in the first true surprise of the evening, the Jacksonville Jaguars stayed close to home and selected Central Florida QB Blake Bortles.  The Jags needed a face for the franchise and they desperately need to get some fans into their stadium.  The fourth pick of the night brought us the first trade, as the Buffalo Bills traded up to get the very talented WR from Clemson, Sammy Watkins.  This guy will be a stud in the NFL, if he can stay out of trouble.  The Minnesota Vikings also made a move, trading up to get the last pick in the first-round to draft Louisville QB Teddy Bridgewater.  The Houston Texans, who pick first in the second round, were ready to pick up Bridgewater.  Look for the Texans to still select a QB with their first pick on Saturday, probably Jimmy Garoppolo from Eastern Illinois.  I don't think they would pick Derek Carr from Fresno State, after the Texans took his older brother, David Carr, with the first pick in the 2002 draft.  Guilty by association?  Probably.  Derek Carr will end up being a better QB than his older brother was.  I'm just saying . . . 

Here’s the rest of the first round, including analysis from the ESPN draft gurus:


The Miami Dolphins stayed with the number 19 selection in the first round, and chose Ju’Wuan James, offensive tackle from Tennessee.  James was a four-year starter at Tennessee, all at right tackle, where he is projected to play with the Fins.  The team was DESPERATE to repair an offensive line that allowed QB Ryan Tannehill to be sacked a total of 58 times last season.  That cannot happen again.  

My only reason to second-guess this pick is simple:  As I posted on Facebook yesterday, the Fins could have probably traded down and get an additional lower round pick.  They would have still been able to get James, or any one of the best remaining tackles in the draft - Morgan Moses, Joel Bitonio, or Cyrus Kounadjio, or guard Xavier Su’a-Filo,for example.  In all fairness, it takes two to tango, and the Fins may have tried but weren't able to complete a trade-down deal.  I can’t argue too loudly about getting much-needed help in the offensive line, however.  

What to do in the second and third rounds?  Maybe one of the offensive linemen above, or . . .

TE   Jace Amaro              Texas Tech
CB   Stan Jean-Baptiste   Nebraska
WR  Davante Adams        Fresno State
WR  Jordan Matthews      Vanderbilt

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Four Miami Dolphin draft picks have ended up in the hall of fame.  Who are they?

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.

For more from around the NFL, here is NFL NATION, with more on what to expect on day two of the draft:


The NFL Draft continues tonight, and concludes on Saturday. Here is the draft order.  The Houston Texans are once again on the clock.


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 more 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:


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Four Miami Dolphin draft picks have ended up in the hall of fame.  Who are they?

Bob Griese Round 1 1967
Larry Csonka Round 1 1968
Dwight Stephenson Round 2 1980
Dan Marino Round 1 1983

Of course, there are other Dolphins in the Hall of Fame, but they were not drafted by the team:

Paul Warfield Jim Langer  
Larry Little Don Shula  
Nick Buoniconti Thurman Thomas        
Cris Carter                Bill Parcells

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

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Monday, May 5, 2014

It’s Cinco de Mayo!  Snap out of it!  Time to hit the ground running.

In the NBA, the first round of playoffs were anything but predictable, except for the Miami Heat sweeping their series with the Charlotte Bobcats.  The Indiana Pacers squeaked by the Atlanta Hawks, the Brooklyn Nets just got past the Toronto Raptors, and the Washington Wizards eliminated the Chicago Bulls in five games.  In the West, only the Portland Trailblazers won in less than seven games, disposing of the Houston Rockets in six contests.  The San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Los Angeles Clippers all needed the full seven games to defeat the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors, respectively.  Six of the eight first round series went to a seventh game.  I expect more of the same in the conference semifinals that tip off today.  

Tonight, we have game one between the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers in the East, and the LA Clippers traveling to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder.  The other series have Portland visiting San Antonio and the Miami Heat hosting the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday in the openers of their respective series.

The games tonight and tomorrow start at 7:00 pm and 9:30 pm, and will be televised nationally by TNT on your cable or satellite system.

Although there were some surprises in the first round, I really don't expect any shockers in the East.  Even though Miami struggled mightily against Brooklyn in the regular season, losing all four contests against the Nets, we’re in the playoffs now.  Different story.  Ditto for the helter-skelter Indiana Pacers against the Wizards.

In the West, it is a little different.  The LA Clippers can give the Oklahoma City Thunder a run for their money, and the Portland Trailblazers will be a formidable foe for the San Antonio Spurs.  I believe the Clippers will defeat OkC, and San Antonio will just get past Portland, although it wouldn't surprise me in the least if either or both of those results are reversed.  


Let’s go to MLB:

TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies extended his hitting streak to 24 consecutive games yesterday.  Who has the longest hitting streak in Colorado Rockies history?  The answer comes later, alligator. 

The Marlins are on a nice roll once again, having won five of their last six games, sweeping a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves and taking two out of three against the LA Dodgers over the weekend.  Yesterday, it was Giancarlo Stanton leading the way, with two home runs and three RBI as the Fish beat the Dodgers 5-4 in walk-off fashion.  Surprisingly, every team in the NL East is playing better than .500 baseball, and the Marlins host the NY Mets for a three-game series before they leave on a long west-coast trip, beginning Thursday in San Diego against the Padres.  Here are the probable pitching match ups against the Metropolitans:

Monday Jon Niese vs Nathan Eovaldi 7:10 pm

Tuesday Bartolo Colon vs Henderson Alvarez 7:10 pm

Wednesday Zach Wheeler vs Tom Koehler           12:40 pm

The Tampa Bay Rays enjoyed their weekend in the Bronx, taking two out of three against my Yankees over the weekend.  The only highlight for the Yanks was the effort by rookie Masahiro Tanaka on Saturday, as he won his fourth game of the young season without a loss.  The Rays are home at the Trop as they host the Orioles for three games, starting on Tuesday.  Here are the probable pitchers for the series against the O’s:

Tuesday Chris Tillman vs Chris Archer 7:10 pm

Wednesday Bud Norris vs Cesar Ramos 7:10 pm

Thursday Ubaldo Jimenez vs David Price 7:10 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:

I really am surprised to see that all the teams in the National League East are playing better than .500 baseball.  The Mets and the Phillies have been better than I expected, and the Marlins are keeping their heads above water, winning and losing almost equally.  The Fish are 14-5 at home.  That’s impressive.  The Atlanta Braves have lost six games in a row, and they are just not clicking offensively.  Their pitching has them still in first place in the division, but it is very difficult to consistently win all your 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 games.  

In the NL Central, the Brewers have a five-game cushion, with the best record in baseball, at 21-11.  The Cardinals and the Reds are right around .500, and neither team is lighting it up offensively.  Over in the west, the San Francisco Giants have won five in a row and nine out of their last ten to take a two-game lead over the Colorado Rockies in the division.

In the AL, the Yankees have a slim ½ game lead over the Orioles, with the Rays and Red Sox two games back.  Yanks are not pitching well, especially CC Sabathia.  In the Central, no surprise, as the Tigers are leading the pack and are in the middle of a five-game winning streak.  In the West, it is the Oakland A’s ahead of the pack, with the Rangers two-games back.

After just a little more than a month into the regular season, the Marlins have two legitimate candidates for the Cy Young and MVP awards.  Jose Fernandez has been lights out so far this season, with a 4-1 record, a 1.74 ERA, and leading the majors in strikeouts with 65.  Giancarlo Stanton is still tearing it up, leading the National League with ten home runs, and his 36 RBI lead the major leagues.

How about Jose Abreu of the White Sox?  The rookie leads the majors with his 12 home runs, and leads the AL with 34 RBI.

Nolan Arenado of the Rockies has a 24-game hitting streak going.  The young Cuban-American has been equally impressive in the field, and should be winning gold gloves for a long time.  Fun to watch him play the hot corner.

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.

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


Endless coverage on the draft on ESPN and the NFL Network leading up to Thursday.  

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

Regardless of need, if by some miracle, either Mosley or Ebron are available for them at #19, that is the direction I would go.  Love Mosley, but Ebron is a physical freak.  A tight end of his caliber would make Ryan Tannehill that much better iimediately.

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. 

In college news, we are learning that University of Miami offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson failed a drug test (marijuana) at the NFL draft combine.  ESPN has the details here:


Manny Navarro and Susan Miller Degnan have more 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:


This needs to be cleared up for last year’s Heisman trophy winner Jameis Winston . . . FSU does not mean Free Seafood University.

From Gainesville and the University of Florida:


The Central Florida Knights are in the house:


In boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr. is still unbeaten, after a majority decision over Marcos Maldana this weekend.


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

THE ANSWER TO TODAY’S TRIVIA QUESTION:  Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies extended his hitting streak to 24 consecutive games yesterday.  Who has the longest hitting streak in Colorado Rockies history?      

Michael Cuddyer had a 27-game hitting streak last season for the Rockies.


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