Left on Base

After listening of the Tuesday night game against Jaime Moyer, stranding runners in each of three innings, I have gone several web sites trying to see if Marlins lead majors in total runners left on base ... I haven't been able to find it on mlb.com, si.com, espn.com and washingtonpost.com -- but I'd love to know. ...

Worst Loss of the Year

From our usual half-price Sunday seats in Section 245, it started nice, with Olsen doing six shut-out innings, especially good since he gave up three straight doubles to start the game again the Mets Tuesday night. But ... but my buddy, Mr. Super-Marlin, ranted Fredi blundered by bringing in Pinto in a crucial situation. Pinto hit a batter and then erred on a bunt. Pinto should be in Double AA says Mr. S-M. But they had the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth with one out and their three-four hitters up, and they couldn't deliver. Arg. Worst loss of the year, said Mr. Super-Marlin and he may be right. Certainly the Tuesday loss to Mets and then the Sunday game were the two back-to-back losses I've seen in person. And now tough road series against Phils and Mets....

Why George Steinbrenner Should Be in the Hall of Fame

There's a big push on, you know. My buddy French is outraged. He looks only at the negatives. Twice banned from baseball -- once in 1974 for two years for a felony conviction on illegal campaign contributions, the other time in 1990 when he was suspended for life for paying a small-time gambler $40,000 to get "the dirt" on Winfield, after Winfield complained The Boss failed to deliver on a promis to give $300,000 to Winfield's foundation. What French argues is that George is best known basically for firing Billy Martin (five times) and for spending a lot of money on ball players. In his first 23 seasons, George fired managers 20 times.

But now let's look at the positives. Ronald Reagan pardoned George (all he did was make illegal contributions to Republicans, and what's wrong with that?) and the suspension "for life" lasted a mere three years, because ballball loves him so.

The real reason George belongs in the Hall of Fame is because -- yes! yes! yes! -- of all the money he spent. Underlying the money is how incompetent George is with that money. When you're spending twice as much money as most contenders -- and 10 times what the Marlins pay -- the Yanks should be winning World Series every year. But look at his record.

From the time that Ruth arrived as a gift from the Red Sox, the Yankees have been regular champions. From 1923 to 1962, the longest they went without a World Series was a mere four years. Then arrived the CBS ownership and George (in 1973)... and the Yankees went a record 15 years -- 1962 to 1977 without a World Series victory. Free agency arrived in 1975, when the big pocket book of the Yankees could really made a difference. But after titles in 1977 and 1978 -- an astonishing 18 years went by under George without a World Series title. Now, he's in the midst of a seven-year drought -- and counting. This year he's still struggling to catch up to the lowly team formerly known as the Devil Rays, which must cause great suffering, since he lives in Tampa. (Have a little sympathy!)

For George to give so much money to needy baseball players is indeed a reason to be in the Hall. He has justified today's system in which poor small market teams (Kansas City, Pittsburgh) have very little chance. If he had been competent and the Yanks had rolled to title after title, baseball probably would have to revamp. But every once in a while (think 2003) a small market team with a payroll a fraction of the Yankees) wins .. and that continues to justifiy the system. And so, for his utter incompetence to spend dollars to get titles, I hearby nominate for the Hall of Fame, George ... well, on second thought, forget it...

Oh, Hanley

I love him, but look at these batting averages -- first 2008 and and then three-year, from espn.go.com:

Leading off inning -- .323 -- .342
Bases loaded -- .167 (one for six) -- .313
Runner on first only -- .345 -- .272
Runner on second -- .200 (7 for 35) -- .289
Runner on third -- .222 (2 for 9) -- .382
Runners on first and second -- .192 (5 for 26) -- .255
Runners on first and third -- .143 (1 for 7) -- .200
Runners on second and third -- .000 (0 for 4) -- .346
Runners in scoring position -- .193 (16 for 83) -- .293
Runners in scoring position, two out -- .200 (10 for 50) -- .270
Close and late -- .286 -- .337

Maybe he's pressing too much this year to justify his big contract, or maybe he's not bearing down enough cuz he has the big contract? Dunno ...

No Manny!

You know, I'm happy. Putting him with Marlins would be like putting A-Rod with the Rangers, just a weird fit, bad chemistry, etc. ... LA is a great place for Manny .... as far as Arthur Rhodes, our new Tankersly, well, let's hope for the best.... remember Dennis Cook in 1997? Man, throughout the play offs he mowed them down... Rhodes too is a veteran reliever (38 years old) ... Rhodes underwent Tommy J surgery last year ... Beinfest was on radio Thursday night during rain delay and though he couldn't talk about deals not made, he said Marlins didn't want to give up its young pitchers, which is what maybe the Pirates wanted ... (Though he gave up Gaby Hernandez, a young pitcher, for Rhodes, so they must have given up on him) ... And maybe we can still pick up a catcher on waivers... and now, during the rain delay, the guys are talking about Andrew Miller coming back -- "a lot of reasons to be excited" -- oh, no, i don't want to see AM any more this year....

For the Record

The Marlins have played their last 7 games against two first place teams. Four of those games were on the road, three at home.  They won 4 and lost 3.  They sure feel like contenders to me, but I hope they don't give away too much to get Manny. . .

Pudge at 36 is not the player he was '03. Great player, past his prime, a catcher coming into a new league on August 1, doesn't know the pitching staff or the other teams. Not sure how much he would have been worth to the Marlins. 

I want PUDGE

Forget Manny, over-priced baby. Pudge was on the market, and he went for Farmsworth, an over-priced reliever who chokes in key situations (see Marlins Cubs playoffs 2003) ... Was Detroit asking more for Pudge than Marlins were willing to give? Heck, Pinto is better than Farnsworth. Maybe Dombrowski didn't want to do another trade with Marlins cuz he doesn't dare look like a chump twice in one season in dealing with a $22 million team. ...