:cripwalk:
IN MY OPINION
Marlins' playoff push must happen now
Posted on Tue, Jul. 29, 2008
We briefly interrupt South Florida's reinfatuation with the Dolphins for a bulletin: The Marlins (that's our baseball team) are this week playing the most meaningful games we have seen in any pro sport down here in more than two years -- since the Heat's 2006 playoff run.
I know baseball is hard-pressed here to compete with urgent imperatives from early Dolphins training camp, such as John Beck launching a wobbly pass as Josh McCown appears to suppress a smile, but there is something rather notable going on at the temporarily misnamed Dolphin Stadium.
It answers to ``playoff chase.''
Also to ``pennant race.''
It features not practices for a season still five weeks away, but games of actual significance.
One of those occurred Monday night, a taut-turned-terrific 7-3 Marlins victory over the New York Mets that halved Florida's division deficit to a scant one game.
The Fish were opening a seven-game homestand with three against the Metropolitans and entered this series with a chance to take over the NL East lead or to fall a precipitous five games behind -- with taking over the lead a possibility still in play.
PLAYOFF ATMOSPHERE
These are the defining days for the Marlins, since following this homestand come six in a row on the road vs. the division rival Phillies and Mets.
That sense of significance, of a season approaching its stretch run, was evident as stakes and atmosphere enjoined Monday, each suggesting a long season getting late, and a postseason getting close.
The buoyant crowd of 23,165, seventh-biggest home gate of the year, found warring factions of fans vying for supremacy in the stands as their teams worked the diamond -- the home side winning both ways.
Cody Ross delivered what proved to be the winning RBI single to right field in the eighth as the crowd roared, ``Co-dy! Co-dy!''
Apparently it was a chant for Ross. For a second, I thought the crowd was chanting ''Co-te! Co-te!'' so that I might be inspired to make deadline.
(By the way, I hope this column made it to you OK, as these are austere times for a newspaper industry beset by drastic cutbacks. For example, I was recently made to give up my laptop and etched this column on small stone tablets transported back to the paper by night-flying carrier pigeons).
NEVER SAY DIE
The victory was vintage '08 Marlins, because for all of this team's imperfections, all that can be said with resolute certainty is that the Fish don't quit.
They don't do a lot of things right, including play defense.
But they don't quit.
The Marlins lead the major leagues in excitement by a number of criteria, leading every other team in home runs, standing second in walk-off wins, and leading the NL in come-from-behind triumphs, with Monday's the 31st.
The alliterative-minded might call this team the Miracle Marlins, although I might suggest appropriating Amazin', if only to tweak the Mets.
HITTING WAKES UP
Monday's offensive show, including 14 hits, had to be a welcome sign to fans as well as to manager Fredi Gonzalez, because -- for all of the headline-grabbing home runs -- this hasn't been a great or great-hitting team lately.
Entering Monday's game, the team's record since June 1 had been 24-27 and the team batting average since then a mere .243, including the most strikeouts by any team and one of the lowest aggregate averages with runners in scoring position.
Clutch hitting hasn't often been a hallmark of this season, no thanks to signature star Hanley Ramirez's .200 average with runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded strikeout in Monday's five-run eighth inning.
But six hits in the eighth including five in a row to start it made Monday's victory all about clutch.
LOOKING FOR LOVE
This was a team needing to get on a serious roll, and this was the kind of victory to offer a serious shove in that direction.
This franchise has delivered two World Series titles to South Florida in the past 11 years and is contending this year on a shoestring budget. Yet it's constantly begging for love compared to the losing-yet-adored Dolphins.
The Marlins have needed wiggling Mermaids, jiggling Manatees, giveaways, free concerts, fireworks (and opposing fans) to attract any kind of decent flock.
Add to the attractions a contending team. A playoff chase.
In February, that notion seemed incredible, as in utterly lacking credibility.
On the doorstep of August, it's incredible, as in simply astounding.
Marlins' playoff push must happen now
Posted on Tue, Jul. 29, 2008
We briefly interrupt South Florida's reinfatuation with the Dolphins for a bulletin: The Marlins (that's our baseball team) are this week playing the most meaningful games we have seen in any pro sport down here in more than two years -- since the Heat's 2006 playoff run.
I know baseball is hard-pressed here to compete with urgent imperatives from early Dolphins training camp, such as John Beck launching a wobbly pass as Josh McCown appears to suppress a smile, but there is something rather notable going on at the temporarily misnamed Dolphin Stadium.
It answers to ``playoff chase.''
Also to ``pennant race.''
It features not practices for a season still five weeks away, but games of actual significance.
One of those occurred Monday night, a taut-turned-terrific 7-3 Marlins victory over the New York Mets that halved Florida's division deficit to a scant one game.
The Fish were opening a seven-game homestand with three against the Metropolitans and entered this series with a chance to take over the NL East lead or to fall a precipitous five games behind -- with taking over the lead a possibility still in play.
PLAYOFF ATMOSPHERE
These are the defining days for the Marlins, since following this homestand come six in a row on the road vs. the division rival Phillies and Mets.
That sense of significance, of a season approaching its stretch run, was evident as stakes and atmosphere enjoined Monday, each suggesting a long season getting late, and a postseason getting close.
The buoyant crowd of 23,165, seventh-biggest home gate of the year, found warring factions of fans vying for supremacy in the stands as their teams worked the diamond -- the home side winning both ways.
Cody Ross delivered what proved to be the winning RBI single to right field in the eighth as the crowd roared, ``Co-dy! Co-dy!''
Apparently it was a chant for Ross. For a second, I thought the crowd was chanting ''Co-te! Co-te!'' so that I might be inspired to make deadline.
(By the way, I hope this column made it to you OK, as these are austere times for a newspaper industry beset by drastic cutbacks. For example, I was recently made to give up my laptop and etched this column on small stone tablets transported back to the paper by night-flying carrier pigeons).
NEVER SAY DIE
The victory was vintage '08 Marlins, because for all of this team's imperfections, all that can be said with resolute certainty is that the Fish don't quit.
They don't do a lot of things right, including play defense.
But they don't quit.
The Marlins lead the major leagues in excitement by a number of criteria, leading every other team in home runs, standing second in walk-off wins, and leading the NL in come-from-behind triumphs, with Monday's the 31st.
The alliterative-minded might call this team the Miracle Marlins, although I might suggest appropriating Amazin', if only to tweak the Mets.
HITTING WAKES UP
Monday's offensive show, including 14 hits, had to be a welcome sign to fans as well as to manager Fredi Gonzalez, because -- for all of the headline-grabbing home runs -- this hasn't been a great or great-hitting team lately.
Entering Monday's game, the team's record since June 1 had been 24-27 and the team batting average since then a mere .243, including the most strikeouts by any team and one of the lowest aggregate averages with runners in scoring position.
Clutch hitting hasn't often been a hallmark of this season, no thanks to signature star Hanley Ramirez's .200 average with runners in scoring position, including a bases-loaded strikeout in Monday's five-run eighth inning.
But six hits in the eighth including five in a row to start it made Monday's victory all about clutch.
LOOKING FOR LOVE
This was a team needing to get on a serious roll, and this was the kind of victory to offer a serious shove in that direction.
This franchise has delivered two World Series titles to South Florida in the past 11 years and is contending this year on a shoestring budget. Yet it's constantly begging for love compared to the losing-yet-adored Dolphins.
The Marlins have needed wiggling Mermaids, jiggling Manatees, giveaways, free concerts, fireworks (and opposing fans) to attract any kind of decent flock.
Add to the attractions a contending team. A playoff chase.
In February, that notion seemed incredible, as in utterly lacking credibility.
On the doorstep of August, it's incredible, as in simply astounding.
