PRO FOOTBALL: Miami at Pittsburgh
A couple of baseball thoughts on 2 of my favorite teams before I get to the no-brainer TOTW.
Firstly, how perversely cool is the 14 year history of the Florida Marlins? Last night rookie pitcher Anabel Sanchez ended MLB's 2 year no-hitter drought by mowing down the D-Backs. And this guy Sanchez is still only the 4th best ROOKIE starting pitcher in the Marlins rotation! The Red Sox traded Sanchez and stud SS Hanley Ramirez to Miami in a much-maligned firesale trade for one-time ace Josh Beckett. Have you seen Beckett this year? Who's laughing now, Red Sox fan? With a $15 million payroll, 6 of the top 12 contenders for the NL Rookie of Year are Marlins. And Sanchez is not one of them!
In 14 years the Marlins have won 2 world championships and have now enjoyed 4 no-hitters. No division titles, mind you, but 2 world series victories. And that's with 3 pathetic owners in Wayne Huizenga, John Henry, and now Jeff Loria. Each has been more anxious than last to build up the team and win, only to then stick it to the fans and start putting players on Ebay. But the Marlins are in Miami to stay. And they'll probably win another championship within a couple of years. With baseball's thriving Latino fanbase and player base, MLB needs that town. So fate favors the lowly Marlins, even if nobody else from their own fans to their owners to Miami-Dade County to Bud Selig will look kindly on them. Like a punching bag, each time you hit it, they just keep coming back at you harder.
Secondly, yesterday is the lowest point in already low year for the Atlanta Braves. For some time now I have been willing to overlook the end of the division winning streak in favor of finding positives in this season. After the disastrous month of June, I only asked for a .500 record and to see improvement in the club as the year went on. So many times that appears to be happening and then there's a moment like yesterday. Swept in a life-on-the-line doubleheader by the stinkin' Mets. 1 meager run in 18 innings against a series of journeymen like Dave Williams and Oliver Perez.
So I finally give up on the Braves in 2006. But I will remain an optimist. There have been good things this season from kids like Brian McCann, Adam LaRoche, Jeff Francoeur, and Chuck James. And veterans like Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Edgar Renteria, and John Smoltz have reminded us they can still play at a high level. Bigger concerns indeed lie with the future of guys like Tim Hudson, Marcus Giles, and Horacio Ramirez, as well as the entire dud of a bullpen. But I think Bobby Cox and John Schuerholtz have earned the right to a slip-up. Let's not forget that. They've also well-earned the right to take 1-2 years to turn things around. So I'm disappointed, but willing to be patient. In fact, Mets fans can well remind us that every year is not a 100 win season, right? You take the good with the bad.
Finally, on to TOTW. I'm naturally picking the 1st game of the 2006 NFL season. NBC's new Sunday Night Football kicks off with a Thursday game featuring the Dolphins and Steelers. I'll be rooting for Miami. And I expect Coach Nick Saban to make this team a playoff contender in year 2 behind QB Daunte Culpepper and RB Ronnie Brown. On the other hand, the Steelers were a great story for about 2 months of the 2005 season. Beyond that, they again look rather ordinary to me. But they are at home and there's sure to be a lot of emotion in the air as they begin the defense of their Super Bowl. However, QB Ben Roethlisberger will be watching from the sidelines after an appendectomy. As goes Big Ben, so go the Steelers.
My pick: Miami.
Here's a picture of two diehard Alabama fans watching their Crimson Tide beat Hawaii 25-17 this past weekend. These girls may be hot - I really don't know. I just can't get past the loudest dose of red I've ever seen, the laces of a football painted across their faces, bras that make Madonna jealous, and the Bear Bryant fedoras!! Yeah, That's How We Do It In Dixie, as Alabama-native Hank Williams, Jr. would say.
posted by Jeff Briscoe @ 11:58 PM
4 Comments:
Cox can receive a pass. I still blame Schuerholz. LaRoche cost them 2-3 wins this year singlehandedly, and Chipper will miss a total of 60 games for the season so I wouldn't consider that top-flight.
Besides, it'll be a test of character if nothing else to see if they finish decently or just stink it up and get to 90 losses.
Right now, 66-73, so that would mean 6-17 over their last 23 games. If they can't even do that, then I still say it needs to be ripped up because then you've got a lot of character flaws walking around and a lot more moves that need to be made.
I was trying to figure out how to write the obituary, as I didn't even hear about the double-dip death day until this morning. 7 games out is worlds different from 5 games out, where they've been lingering forever.
Hopefully they at least make some moves this offseason, with this deplorable finish.
Nah, forget it. I don't think I want to write a new article on it now. I think I'll keep linking to pandas.
Didn't you already write their obit back in April...and then June...and then August? With some CPR articles somewhere in between? Ha!
Yes, LaRoche cost 2-3 games with mistakes but he has more than made up for that with offensive production. Look at the numbers. And he's finally starting to hit lefties, a little.
A little. Not much. And he still has some incredibly stupid at-bats.
I did write it in June. I shut up after that point, though, so I haven't done as much bobbing and weaving. Just a few times, not dozens.
Which is about how one could characterize this team anyway: wildly inconsistent.
Very true, about your last point!
I still say LaRoche's numbers in 2006 have earned him the 1B job next year unquestionably.
No thougts on the picture today? Those crazy Alabama girls. Love those football bras!
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