Mike Jacobs Day to Day

Mike Jacobs left during an at bat in the 6th inning yesterday against the Brewers with a sprained right middle finger. The finger had been bothering Jacobs for some time, and it was aggravated in last night's at bat.

"My finger has been bothering me, and sometimes, I take some swings and it just kind of catches," said Jacobs. "It's one of those things where it kind of goes numb after that. It's hard to explain. It's something that catches real fast, hurts real bad, and then once I came back in here, I am fine."

Yet, precautionary x-rays came back negative. With a lefty on the mound today in Manny Parra, it was likely that Jacobs was going to get the day off. No immediate plans to call up a player are expected at this time.

Injuries Offer More Optimism for Marlins

When Josh Johnson went down and under the knife with Tommy John surgery, the Marlins were most obviously losing out on a valuable prospect. He had finished the 2006 season with 24 games started, 157 innings pitched, and a 12-7 record. He definitely was maturing as a pitcher and ready to take a step forward in 2007.

But the Marlins suffered another major blow in 2007 - they lost another Rookie of the Year candidate in Anibal Sanchez to shoulder surgery. Winning 10 of the 17 games he started - throwing a no-hitter along the way - the Marlins had placed great expectations on the young Venezuelan right hander.

Both are likely to be returning this season. How big of a lift would that be for this team, which is currently 14-9 and in first place?

He sports a goatee and whip-like hair, but that isn't the only thing that distinguished Sergio Mitre on this young Marlins staff: his high ERA helps. But Mitre has proven himself to be a solid middle of the rotation pitcher at times and has helped the Marlins lineup wins. He was 5-8 last season in 27 starts and 149IP, sometimes not getting the run support he needed when he did pitch well. Yet he made some strides, he was able to increase his strikeout ratio and decrease his walk/strikeout ratio as well once he became a regular starter. And it looks like he will return in June. Mitre, placed on the 60 day DL on April 18th because of a right forearm strain, has been resting his arm on a no-throw diet.

Getting these pitchers back only supplements the Marlins pitching staff and will help push them further along towards possibly shocking baseball - again.

They stand to get Mitre back in June and Sanchez, possibly, not far behind him. Then Josh Johnson is looking for a September return. Add these three to the possibility of a Chris Volstad callup and the Marlins are sitting very snuggly at the table with the other contenders in the bigs.

Olsen Leads Marlins to Victory

Scott Olsen is grown up? The same guy who was in as much drama last season as an afternoon glimpse of Telemundo? Well, it seems to be the case.

We all know Scotty O has big time talent. The lefty has shown us his abilities before. But now, Olsen has strung together a pretty good stretch of starting pitching, which is helping give the Marlins bullpen some needed rest and stability.

Friday night Scott Olsen goes 7 1/3 innings pitched, of what would become a 10 inning shutout, on his way to helping his team win their 14th game of the season. He is 3-0 right now, but also lowered his ERA to 2.06. Opponents are batting just .187 against him.

Can you say staff ace?

The scary thing is he didn't have his best stuff. He walked 5 batters and of his 99 pitches, 54 where for strikes. Yet Olsen attributes a big part of his success so far this season is working at a quicker pace on the mound. It must be working; it might be helping him stay more focused. Whatever it is, Scott Olsen is growing up and turning into that front line pitcher the Marlins envisioned him to be.

Unproven Marlins Smack Braves in the Mouth

Unproven?

Hanley Ramirez is probably the best hitting shortstop in the game today, hitting .292 with 17 home runs as a rookie and pushing it to 29 home runs last season with a .332 average. And now?

Dan Uggla has shown himself to be one of the most powerful bats at his position, logging over 25 home runs for two straight seasons. His bat is starting to heat up again this season.

Yet both are unproven.

Josh Willingham has steadily had an OPS over .850 these past two seasons. He has always shown himself to be a patient hitter, but his offense hasn't translated into a .300 batting average. Right now he is showing that.

And according to the Braves, he is unproven.

Mike Jacobs, Jorge Cantu - if they are unproven, then that should be a compliment. Because they are actually working on proving themselves to be much better hitters than they have shown in the recent past. For Jacobs, it is about hitting better in situations and manufacturing runs. Cantu just has to show his 2005 season was not a fluke.

As with the rest of the Marlins, they are all, collectively, showing signs of massive improvement. So, if they are unproven, then perhaps that could be construed as a good thing as the Braves found out just how unproven the Marlins offense is - to a tune to a 7-2 rout.

The Marlins jumped out with 3 early runs in the first inning - a home run from Hanley Ramirez and another from Mike Jacobs. Both have 7 on the season.

This Marlin offense has proven something after 21 games - they are confident and they are not just about the longball. They are starting to generate runs the old fashioned way, too.

The Braves, in their arrogance, represent what the rest of the baseball media has become - a bunch of money chasing prognosticators. Gone are the days when the talking heads would actually talk about baseball skill, instead they focus on who spends the most money. As if that were a testament to worth. Check 2003 when the lowly Florida Marlins shocked the world - except for this fan - and won the World Series.

Funny thing is, I picked this team to grab 87-90 wins this season. After 21, they are well on the pace.

Marlins Still Get No Love From ESPN

I bet you won't see that on ESPN.

Marlins win tonight 10-4 against the Pirates. They are fighting for sole possession of 1st place right now in the NL East over the Mets. And they are doing it with sexy offense.

Also, who would have thought Mark Hendrickson would be 4-1 right now? Well, he is. And the Marlins are off to a pretty good start - the likes of which none of the pundits foresaw.

Still, it won't be on ESPN. Why? The Marlins are playing the Pirates. That and the Marlins are the Marlins - and no one even knows they still have a team except us here in South Florida.

Hanley Ramirez hit his 6th home run tonight and is pushing himself to be considered one of the best in the game. Dan Uggla has come around and is starting to hit the ball. Josh Willingham is quietly putting together a pretty good resume for a LF in the NL offensively. Jorge Cantu's bat speed is there and he is hitting over .300. There are a ton of reasons to watch this team - none less than the amazing fact that they Marlins are competing despite their $21M payroll.

And still you won't see it on ESPN.

Anibal Sanchez Throws In Bullpen

One step closer to returning from shoulder surgery last June, Anibal Sanchez threw off a mound on Friday in front of pitching coach Mark Wiley.

"It was only his fifth time off the mound, but he looked good," Fredi Gonzalez said. Sanchez is feeling pretty motivated, saying that he hopes to return to the rotation by the All Star Break. The Marlins have not set a return date, but the session was for 60 pitches and the results were quite encouraging.

Sanchez's session comes only a day after Josh Johnson threw off the mound. Both pitchers are recovering from surgeries and no return date yet is expected but both could be back sometime this season.

Josh Johnson Throws Bullpen Sessions

Looks like Double J is working his way back a little bit more quickly than perhaps anticipated.

Today he threw about 65 pitches off the mound and looked very good to both pitching coach Mark Wiley and manager Fredi Gonzalez.

The Marlins are willing to err on the side of caution, and are not urging their young starter to push himself too hard. They are keeping it to a very conservative approach for the young Marlin. Keep an eye on Josh Johnson but don't expect too much even if he does get penciled in as a starter this season.

Now Will You Take the Marlins Seriously?

With 2 straight wins over the favored Braves, the Marlins aren't just sitting on top of the standings in the NL East - they are creating space.

The Marlins won a gutsy game tonight by eeking out enough runs against the Braves. They started by pounding on Tim Hudson, who is off to a very good 2008 campaign, and knocking him out in 4 innings. A dramatic pinch hit home run from Luis Gonzalez gave the Marlins the insurance they needed to keep the lead.

The Marlins are not just winning with the long ball, and with Jeremy Hermida back in the lineup everyday, they have a very deep bench that makes things a bit interesting. Gonzalez and Wes Helms both provide clubhouse leadership while also giving them a legit presence for later in the game.

The bullpen is the strength of this team but the starters are starting to turn things around a bit. With pitching coach Mark Wiley stressing throwing strikes and picking up the pace of their deliveries, the starters are starting to be more consistent which will help keep the bullpen well-rested for when they are needed.

Things are coming together in Miami. How long until the rest of the media realizes it?

Marlins: The Best Team You Will Never See

"We can't even get on SportsCenter. We swept the [Nationals], and we couldn't even get on SportsCenter. That's amazing."

Mike Jacobs is right. Marlin fans have long cried conspiracy over the national coverage of the major league franchise, and this fan in particular has always believed it. What the Marlins did last night was practically unbelievable.

They were down three runs to ace Roy Oswalt, who has struggled to start the season but was finally looking like he was getting back on track. The Marlins, without warning, went on an offensive binge and launched 8 runs in the 3rd and 4th innings to take this game over.

Jorge Cantu, emerging as a capable third baseman and trying to replace, in some fashion, the departed Miguel Cabrera bombed the top of the train tracks with his home run. It then bounced out of the park onto Crawford Street.

Hermida, on a 3-2 count facing a 3-nil score on Oswalt, tied up the game with one swing.

The Marlins are 7-3 with a $21M dollar payroll. The next closet team in payroll? The Tampa Bay Rays with $35M.

The way the Marlins are playing is scary good. They have won 4 in a row, swept the Nationals in DC and now overcame the Astros best pitcher to steal a game and blow it open. Oswalt's season is now being doubted internally and the Marlins bats, of all teams, are the ones creating this anxiety for Astro fans.

And this team can't get on any highlight reels. Why?

Totally Sweep: Marlins Sweep Nats

Of all the surprise teams, none should surprise the baseball fans around the nation more than the 1st place Marlins. Why? A $21M payroll, which is almost half of what the next lowest payrolled team in the league maybe?

That is a start.

With tonight's win, the Marlins were able to do something they haven't done in three years - sweep the Nationals in DC. In their brand spanking new ball park, nonetheless, the Marlins defeated the Nationals with timely hitting, solid defense and gasp - good pitching.

The holy trinity for baseball success has seemed to allude this team at times over the past few seasons, but tonight it all came together in what is shaping up to be a very interesting season for the young ball club.

Jorge Cantu, a Devil Ray castoff, has come into camp and won the starting third base job with impressive hitting in spring training and solid defense. Tonight, he was three for four with two RBIs and helped the Marlins to their 6th win while also building his hitting streak up to 5 games now.

Sprinkle in some defense: three double plays tonight up the middle for the Marlins, the most dramatic coming in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. Solid defense for a team that showed a big dropoff last season, especially up the middle of the field. Yet it was Josh Willingham's drop that actually saved the game tonight. In the bottom of the ninth, Nick Johnson hit a rocket to left field that would have gone over the wall if not for Willingham's desperate attempt to snag it - the ball fell out of the Hammer's glove, but saved a run for the Marlins.

A little pitching - Mark Hendrickson got the Marlins through 7 innings which is almost a miracle at this point considering no Marlin starter has been able to get through 7 innings so far this season. Kevin Gregg braved the ninth, even though he wasn't sharp he got it done by inducing the double play from ex-Marlin Paul Lo Duca.

And that is how a sweep is built: Marlins show off their bats in the first two games, then show off their growing games as they fight and scrap for runs and eek out a heady win with timely defense, solid hitting and gutsy pitching.

Look out everyone. The next test will be Houston.

Vandenhurk Down, Badenhop Hops Up

Today the Marlins sent Rick Vandenhurk back to AA Carolina and called up Burke Badenhop from the same minor league team.

Vandenhurk really has struggled since winning a spot in the rotation out of Spring Training, being weighed down with an ERA over 11. Badenhop, however, has been pitching quite well for AA Carolina since being optioned there after his stint with the Marlins in Spring Training.

Badenhop will likely make his MLB debut this weekend.

Marlins in First Place

As dramatic as a walk off home run last night was for this team, Mike Jacobs raised the stakes and pulled off another amazing feat - a grand slam home run.

It didn't directly win the game, but was a large factor in the 7-3 result. Jacobs' grand slam all but took the wind out of the Pirates sails, and no raid was to be had. With this win, the Marlins assured their first home series win of the season, but more importantly moved into sole possession of 1st place atop the NL East standings.

Need proof? Just look at the standings in the column at the right!

Imagine that. The Marlins are playing spirited baseball with a can't lose attitude. They looked outmatched in a few games against the Mets but seemed to have bounced back this series. Just look at the pitching of Mark Hendrickson tonight as compared to how he performed in the season opener a few days ago. Instead of tripping up in the 4th, he made it to the sixth inning tonight. And for the bullpen, that is two nights in a row the starters have made it the 6th, sparing their arms for a few more days.

Tomorrow in the afternoon the Marlins will look to close out the Pirates and possibly remain in 1st place. Even if it is just for now there is no harm in dreaming about a possibly great season.

And Wes Helms, acquired by the Marlins tonight, is coming along at just the right time.

Welcome Back Wes Helms

Per Tommy Hutton and Rich Waltz from tonight's FSN telecast of the Marlins' 7-3 win over the Pirates, Wes Helms has been "re-acquired" from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash.

What this means: the Marlins now gain much needed depth for 1B and 3B, a strong bat off the bench and another great veteran influence in the dugout. Combined with Luis Gonzalez, the Marlins are now adding more strength of character to their roster with Helms.

Remember, Helms as a Marlin fared very well. He batted .329 with 10 home runs in 240 at bats. It was because of that production that he was priced out of the Marlins pockets and into Philadelphia after the 2006 season.

Welcome back, Wes. Let the good times roll.

Marlins 2nd Win is the 2nd Walkoff

I don't know if I can take a season full of walk off wins, but hey, the first two this season for our boys in Teal have been just that - exciting.

The first hero was Robert Andino, a shortstop prospect that I have been writing off ever since we drafted him. But he is emerging as not just another slick-fielding prospect but one with, gulp, a bat. I still can't believe I am saying that.

Tonight's hero, however, was Mike Jacobs. The 3rd year 1st baseman has been hitting the ball very well all season but tonight finally broke through - and he knew it. Big Jake has always had a kind of swagger to me, a kind of gunslinger assurance that kind of reminds me a bit of Will Clark. Not the cocky gunslinger type so much, but his smooth lefty swing. Well tonight, after he got a nice pitch from Franky O (I am not going to try and spell the Pirates' relievers name...), he dropped his bat head about belt high and watched the ball sail into the right field bleachers for the Marlins 2nd win of the season - which, incidentally, was their 2nd walk off of the night.

You could tell it was gone, too. Jacobs spit a minor rainstorm out of his mouth after he hit it and started his trot around the bases. Immediately, the bench cleared, tossing helmets and gloves back toward the dugout as the win was ensured, and gave Jacobs his victorious beat down at home plate.

And he escaped without getting a cream pie in the face.

So, the Marlins will face the Pirates for 2 more games to close out the series. Perhaps the most exciting thing after all won't be the Brett Michael's concert after the game tomorrow night. And that is how it should be - your Marlins are playing gritty and fun baseball. Now, it is just about making it more consistent and who knows how things will progress for this team this 2008 season.

Bartman and Marlins Vindicated

Section 102 seat 113 row 1. Steve Bartman must have been extremely excited to get a ticket to the NLCS game 6 when the Marlins we coming back to Chicago to face certain defeat. The entire city was abuzz over the prospect of getting back to the World Series for the first time in literally generations.

But a foul ball, hit over to the seat Bartman was sitting in, would prove to be disastrous for Cub fans' hopes. Moises Alou raced over and tried to catch the ball in the stands, but it was not to be. Frustrated, Alou begins pointing and shouting and throwing his glove around. Very uncharacteristic for a veteran player who has seen his share of playoff games over a foul ball. And that was exactly why it proved to be something more.

We know the rest of the history. The Marlins went on to score 8 runs in that inning and took Game 6. The Cubs never recovered and squandered the series in what was one of the best postseason matches in MLB history. Certainly, one of the most entertaining.



Until now, however, the book could not be closed. At least, not entirely. Alou, now a member of the Mets, said something pretty significant while on this opening road trip to the 2008 season in Miami. The ex-Marlin, who won a title with the '97 team, said in regard to the incident some 5 years ago "I wouldn't have caught it, anyway."

Say what? Did you hear that Chicago? Did you hear that Steve Bartman? Both of you can finally wake up from your denial and embrace reality. And at the same time, the 2003 Marlins can finally be recognized as a legitimate champion.

Wrapped in all of this is not only the fact that the Cubs and its fans were in denial, or that they were simply cursed. In fact, what had happened is the whole thing led everyone rooting for the Cubs to a massive psych-out. Alou didn't catch the foul ball, but he did overreact. It was as if he was expressing the intensity of the moment everyone in Chicago was feeling. Alex Gonzalez goes on to boot a perfectly good double play opportunity - and really faces no penalty because of it. What about Prior choking all over that mound? You can still see him pointing vehemently at Bartman and Alou and begging the umpires for some kind of appeasement.

Not to mention all the naysayers of the Marlins title, which there are but a few. They shouldn't have been there because they had a payroll that was around 52M whereas teams like the Cubs and Yankees had easily double or triple that figure. In Chicago, most of the fans were in a slumber of denial as they continued to say that the Marlins were lucky and they were cursed.

But now you have proof that isn't the case. Cold, hard evidence. Unlike the ball that was destroyed to somehow release the demons from Wrigley. Or was it all just a cruel April Fool's joke by Alou on all you Cub fans out there - to make you all actually own up to the fact that your team choked?

Or perhaps the Marlins were really just the better team.

South Florida Media Still Cynical

If someone was a manic-depressive, strung out on prescription drugs all the time, would you go hang out with them? Would you discuss the finer points of life with them? Heck, would you even go to a baseball game with them?

Is it any question then that the Marlin fan, ever anxious here in Miami, has been suffering from shell-shock while reading the papers for the last 15+ years? Just look at the coverage from yesterday.

Nothing of note to begin with and any coverage is tinged with negativity.

I know it is Le Batard's nature to pee on things. That is how he shows ownership. Instead of celebrating something, he has to bring it down to his level and pee on it. Get a whiff.

The Palm Beach Post, actually, is the best source to read on the Marlins and as usual, they are exemplary here. They at least note that it was a bad 4th inning that did in the Marlins yesterday instead of choosing to focus on negative ideas about how bad the season is supposedly going to be. No digs at the ownership, no attacks on the attempts at making the game more of an event for the fans, no slams on the players. Just good coverage.

I was surprised by the Sun Sentinel's Opening Day coverage for a change. They at least tried as hard as they could to put something more positive together. They wrote an article about Loria bringing in his old professor from Yale to watch the game, someone he greatly admires. Which is shocking because Mike "I hate the Marlins" Berardino wrote it. They also put together a snippet of photos from Opening Day and had a sound bite running with the photos. What emerged was a strong illustration of why Opening Day is important to this franchise and this community. Of course it ended with a Met fan bragging about being a Met fan in Miami and Dolphins Stadium is basically Shea with some Marlin fans. Of course, in typical NY mook mode, the guy refers to the Mets winning a "national championship". Well, they have the colors of the Florida Gators...but they are professionals. At least, last I checked.

So there was Opening Day. A day for Marlin fans to celebrate another season - something that hasn't been easily expected for about a decade now but can now become a fixed event in the minds of South Floridians. Who knows, maybe in a few years the games will actually have more Marlin fans than Mets. And maybe even better coverage of our franchise that has, after all, won two World Series titles.

Wouldn't that be something?