Opening day

While it may be far-fetched and absurd, I'm going to try to create a scenario that puts the Marlins in contention right through the end of the season. (Personally, I think that's all a fan can expect--there's so much luck involved in the last few weeks and the playoffs.) After all, today is opening day.

So, here's what needs to happen:

1. Marlins pitching coach Mark Wiley is able to work some of the magic that he worked with Dontrelle a few years ago, and Olsen, Hendrickson and Miller win 15 games apiece. VandenHurk pitches 150 innings, and gets his ERA below 5. Perry Hill returns as fielding coach, and the Marlins become a league-average defensive team. Hanley and Uggla are among the league's leaders in double-plays.

2. We relearn the lesson of 03, when the Marlins brought up Dontrelle and Miggy in midseason to get an extra year of control over their salary (or so said fired manager Jeff Torborg), and Chris Volstad joins the team midyear and make an immediate impact. If any Marlins outfielder goes down, Maybin comes up and also has an immediate impact.

3. Outfielders Jeremy Hermida and Cody Ross prove that their '07 second halves were not flukes, and continue to hit for average and power as they did after last year's all star break.

4. Josh Willingham again is among the league leaders in BA w/ RISP while Hanley Ramirez has another monster year with the bat.

5. Dan Uggla strikes out less than 100 times, while hitting 30 HR and batting .270; Jorge Cantu has league-average stats at 3B. 

6. The Marlins have a hot streak when they are facing their division rivals the Braves, Mets, and Phillies. They also beat their traditional AL rivals, the BayRays (or whatever they're called) 6 times, while the Braves, Mets and Phillies are splitting their interleague games against stronger schedules.

Like I said, its opening day . . .