Nolesmarlins' Power Rankings

Imagine how good the Marlins rotation would be if we still had Penny and Beckett.

1. Detroit: Just disgusting. Kicking a$$ and taking names. The Tigers are a winning machine. Start printing those playoff tickets.

2. Los Angeles of Anaheim: Almost up there with the Tigers, but they need to improve their offense, especially in the power department. If they don't solve that problem by the deadline, they will in the off season when they inevitably get Arod.

3. Boston: I would question whether Josh Beckett has the makeup and the experience to lead a pitching staff in the playoffs, but then I remember how sick he was in 2003 for the Fish.

4. Los Angeles: Brad Penny is pitching the lights out, and they might have found something special in James Loney.

5. Cleveland: I think they should try to make a deal for Livan Hernandez. How ironic would that be... and he would really help this team. They really could use another innings eating starter. Imagine Livan coming to Cleveland and leading them to the title ten seasons after he helped beat them.

6. Seattle: They need to pull off some sort of trade deadline coup if they expect to take the Angels for the division, but they still have the talent right now to sneak past the Indians for the wild card.

7. New York Mets: Lastings Milledge might be of some use after all. This team has really no need to trade for another starter, remember they have Pedro coming back.

8. Chicago Cubs: They have definitely turned around their season, but as it stands now they won't catch Milwaukee.

9. San Diego: Need a hitter even worse than the Angels. It would be a shame if this team doesn't make the playoffs, they have the pitching staff to go very deep into October.

10. Milwaukee: Losing Ben Sheets to the DL doesn't help one bit, but he will be back. Look on the bright side, he will be fresher by the time the playoffs come around.

11. Atlanta: Chipper Jones just caught on fire.

12. New York Yankees: They aren't winning with him having the best season of his year, so they don't need to pay him $25 million a year to lose. It makes sense for everyone for Arod to leave.

13. Minnesota: I wonder how long this team will keep Maurer and Morneau together...

14. Colorado: The most schizophrenic team ever. They have a lot of young stars on this team, they just need to find some pitching that works for their environment.

15. Arizona: They were bound to fall off. Unfortunately for them, I think they may have shot themselves in the foot with this latest swoon, especially when you consider the talent in this division. Only San Francisco is a pushover. They should see what they can get for Byrnes and Hernandez.

16. Philadelphia: I hope Scotty O gets to start in the upcoming Phils-Fish series. There is no difference at all between this year's Phillies and any Philly team over the last five years. Either get Arod and Santana or something, or trade off the high priced guys vets to build a young team around Howard, Utley, Hamels, and maybe Rowand. Why spend $100 million in payroll on a team that can't even make the playoffs?

17. Florida: Well at least their rotation leads the league in something: DUIs. They have been quietly playing pretty well since the all star break, but have no illusions, they'll be very lucky to finish above .500.

18. Toronto: Why do they have Astroturf in the Skydome... oops, the Rogers Center? Its a retractable roof, they can open the thing for sunlight to shine in... Just never made any sense to me.

19. St. Louis: They should have a better second half, but losing Carpenter for a year to Tommy John surgery has pretty much screwed them over for the next two seasons. At least they won one in '06, that might have to satisfy birds fans for a while.

20. Kansas City: They WILL win at least a playoff spot within the next three seasons, I guarantee it. They just need to develop their pitching.

21. Oakland: Talk about your all time stumbles out of the gate...

22. Chicago White Sox: The unluckiest team in the game. They might even finish in fifth place.

23. Cincinnati: Have been playing slightly better under their new manager, although they just got bitch-slapped by the Marlins over the weekend.

24. Washington: Is it 2008 yet?

25. Texas: Texeria would definitely help the Yankees, but they probably won't trade for him. The problem is nobody really matches up well with Texas.

26. Houston: Maybe they should try to see if they can rob some desperate contenders (the Mets maybe) farm system by trading Oswalt.

27. Baltimore: they suck

28. San Francisco: See above. I somehow don't see Barry leaving San Fran after this year.

29. Tampa Bay: B.J. Upton has been playing pretty well fresh off the DL.

30. Pittsburgh: Have been absolutely atrocious after the ASB.

Scottie O: Oh My God What Now?

Scott Olsen is now officially a train wreck.

Sure, you got the whole fighting/tantrum thing and most of us, including yours truly, has written it off as simply Scottie O being an intense competitor.

And now this.

Our friends over at SporTech have done a pretty good job covering this story, but not enough can be said about Scott Olsen's situation: He needs help. Badly.

This is a situation the Marlins cannot take responsibility for but if they value their employees' health, they need to enforce a temporary suspension and give Olsen the vacation time and facilities to get help. Seriously.

In a world that is seemingly getting crazier and crazier each day, where stories about NBA referees possibly shaving points to help with their bookies and pro-bowl quarterbacks getting involved in illegal dogfighting activities (to say the least), something like an out of control pitcher with a penchant for tantrums is probably somewhat low-key, but in need of serious attention.

Add to this latest incident that he was arrested for a DUI and resisted arrest and fought with the police officers in front of his home in Aventura. Now, the details are not official, but that is the gist of it. How does he go from being suspended, pitching great, then going out and pulling a stunt like this? You can almost feel the vibrations of insanity here, like a volcano getting ready to explode.

Olsen needs help. His teammates, his team, his fans and especially his family all need to reach out to him. This kid is so young and has a very promising major league future in front of him. Just ask Jeffrey Allison, the once promising future Marlins starting pitcher who was highly touted and compared to a then precocious Josh Beckett.

Of just ask Josh Hamilton, who is now starting to fulfill the promise of his talents several years later with another team, the Cincinnati Reds.

Who knows what exactly is wrong with Olsen the person. Who knows what trouble is stirring in his mind and what types of ailments he could be suffering from. Maybe he is bi-polar? Maybe he is depressed? Whatever the diagnosis is, it needs to be examined by professionals as this kid is quickly burning up his chances for a bright future.

Bad Loss Shows Fredi is Not Ready

There is no such thing as a good loss. I know some will say there it, but there really isn't. You lost.

Tonight's game against the Freds was a good example of terrible. Mitre started off demonstrating what that adjective means, but pulled it together and got through 6 innings while only surrendering the 3 runs from the first inning. The Marlins' bats woke up and they took back the lead to make it 5-3.

Then it all went wrong.

Armando Benitez comes trotting out and immediately gives up hit after hit after hit. Nothing was fooling the Freds batters, Benitez might as well have been throwing beach balls up there. Yet, Fredi did not budge. He kept Benitez in and the lead evaporates and becomes a 7-5 deficit.

Now, we could go on about how the Marlins threated to come back and that they made some noise but ultimately, they still choked. Then again, why blame it all on the team when it was clearly Benitez who couldn't do anything other then throw ropes at the plate.

Yet, even that wouldn't be right. Fredi Gonzalez never made a move. Never even blinked. Tommy Hutton, long time Marlins announcer, was on the border of criticizing Fredi but let's face it, the things he said on the air were scathing criticisms, if we want to twist words like media pundits do.

And all that criticism is worth it because the Marlins never got to keep that lead and really it shouldn't have gotten that bad. In the 7th Tank loaded up the bases and Gonzalez had nothing else better to do but trot out Justin Miller. And quicker than a case of beer at a frat party, the Freds bases-loaded threat was over.

Yet, in the 8th Fredi went too long with Benitez and it cost his team a win. The lack of direction and the unwillingness to embrace confrontation when needed is keeping Fredi from growing as a manager and retarding the growth of this young Marlins ballclub. Of that, I am totally convinced now.

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Miggy Hits Two, Marlins Hanging in There

Still 7.5 games back of the NL East lead, but the Marlins are looking better these days taking two straight against the Washington Nationals.

And it couldn't come at a better time.

With David "Little Napoleon" Samson mouthing off over the Ichiro extension, the Marlins need to make some noise of their own - and for the positive.

Still, climbing back into the NL East race is a remote possibility. The pitching has started to come around - the Marlins bullpen is as good as ever with Kevin Gregg putting up incredible numbers as the team closer - and the hitting is, too.

Check out Miguel Cabrera hitting two bombs to help the cause, and Josh Willingham dinging his 14th on the season. For Miggy, that is numbers 20 and 21 sailing over the fences.

Who knows, maybe a nice little run is there for the taking? We'll see. Next up will be the Cardinals, who have had their share of controversy as well.

Josh Johnson Out; But for How Long?

Double J has been stashed on the 15 DL but there are discrepancies as to how long he will actually be out.

That is a good thing.

Johnson has been out for most of the season already, including spring training, and is finally starting to get his game back together when he was hit with a nagging injury. Stiffness in his right forearm, right below the elbow - the same area that shut him down previously.

Yet this time seems a bit different - the medical examination recommended that no further testing needed to be done; just simply give it some rest. So Johnson has been shut down for 15 days, at least.

Johnson said his arm remained sore Thursday but felt "a little bit better" than it did Wednesday. He was asked if he expected to pitch again this season.

"Yeah," he said. "Hopefully it's just 15 days and I'll be back."

Palm Beach Post

Craig Minervini, on today's Marlins broadcast against the Padres, reported that Johnson will make his next start and that the shoulder and elbow are fine.

We are still awaiting official word from the Marlins as this does seem to be only a precautionary measure. Initial reports were not favorable yet now, it seems like Johnson will rest and give it another shot after his 15 day stint is over - starting yesterday.