Last February, Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez signed an extension that would keep him in Miami until 2011, and after his team finished the season in second place in the NL East you wouldn't think there'd be any reason why the team wouldn't honor that contract. Then word broke out that the Marlins were interviewing Bobby Valentine for a position with the team, but they wouldn't say what that position was.
This fueled speculation that Gonzalez wasn't going to be back for the 2010 season, but on Tuesday sources confirmed that Fredi has nothing to worry about.
L.A. is the last team in the majors to have a losing streak longer than two, and by not doing so until games 98-100, it set a franchise record.
And while the Dodgers' lead in the NL West is still eight games, there are causes for concern. In two losses at St. Louis, Los Angeles has had 20 hits -- but scored just one run. The Dodgers went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position in those games and had only three extra-base hits, all doubles.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead. You Oughta Know ... That the Rays seem to be putting it all together. The reigning American League champions left New York with a series victory over the Mets thanks to a big Sunday afternoon from B.J. Upton, who homered and had four hits. Tampa Bay is now 12-6 in the month of June and two games back of the Yankees in the AL wild-card race.
Upton has played a big part in the surge after slumping for the first two months of the season. The center fielder came into June hitting .204, but he's hitting .329 this month.
The Florida Marlins have been playing a lot better in June than they did in May, and have won five of their last seven, including a three-game sweep over the Blue Jays in Toronto this weekend.
So why are they so angry?
During their 8-3 victory over the Jays on Sunday Hanley Ramirez was hit by a pitch on his left elbow by a Dirk Hayhurst fastball with two outs and a runner on third. In Ramirez's mind the Jays didn't want to pitch to him so instead of throwing four balls and running the risk of leaving a fastball over the plate, they just plunked him.
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When Willy Aybar's home run Thursday in Cleveland was upheld by a video review, it marked the sixth time in six days umpires made use of baseball's instant-replay rule.
So the natural question to ask Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, is why the flurry of trips to the secret chamber to watch replays? Are the umps more willing to consult the tape than in the past?
"These things come in bunches," Solomon told FanHouse.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
At least we know Alex Rodriguez will have plenty of help from Yankee Stadium as he makes his way back from hip surgery.
Just ask Johnny Damon, who's suddenly turned into one of the hottest power hitters in baseball after hitting only 17 home runs all of last year. Damon has already knocked seven out this season, including three this month. The Rays joined in on the ball-smashing fun Thursday, launching six homers as a team. So is a trip to Yankee Stadium the same as visiting Arlington now?
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what's ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That the Marlins have had an interesting opening three weeks. After Sunday's 13-2 loss to the Phillies, which was so ugly that outfielder Cody Ross pitched the ninth inning, the Fish have dropped six in a row. That came immediately after they started 11-1.
"We're not an 11-1 team, and we're not an 0-6 team -- we're somewhere in the middle," manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
So now the Marlins are 11-7, having scored 93 runs and allowed 89 runs. That type of run production ought to leave them at a little over .500, which is where many prognosticators figured they'd be when the season began.
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They have been almost inextricably linked for years now. The Mets' Jose Reyes and the Marlins' Hanley Ramirez are both shortstops, both 25 years old and both Dominican. Both play for NL East teams and both have taken the mantle at their position from the Jeter-A-Rod-Nomar troika that dominated the beginning of the decade.
Say what you want about the National League West. The Diamondbacks and Dodgers might only need 84 wins to capture the division crown, but at least both teams are trying toget better. The NL East appears to be a stronger overall than its counterpart in the West, but there's a whole lot more desperation and angst to go around on the Atlantic seaboard.
In Queens, there is plenty of reason to panic over the shape of the Mets' bullpen, which blew another lead in the ninth inning in a loss to the Pirates Monday afternoon. Whether it has to do with having a certain mentality or not, it's clear that Billy Wagner is the only New York reliever who is reliable in the ninth inning, and he's going to be out for a few weeks.
Wagner and the bullpen is a microcosm for the problem the Mets seem to keep stumbling on -- they have no depth on their roster. (It's worth noting, too, that GM Omar Minaya did nothing to fix that problem at the trade deadline.) A season-ending injury to Wagner, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran or Johan Santana would devastate New York in a way unlike a similar injury to one of Philadelphia or Florida's stars.
The Marlins are prepared to enter the season with the lowest salary in the majors ... again. Their highest paid player is Kevin Gregg, whose $2.5 million salary is less than what a lot of players elsewhere make in a single month. So when this team spends money, people notice. What's prompting manager Fredi Gonzalez to open his wallet this year? How about a little peace and quiet. From the Miami Herald (via FishStripes):
[...] Gonzalez lowered the volume by several decibels Monday by banning boom boxes. Some players have complained that ear-splitting music became a distraction last season.
Gonzalez laid out the new team rule when he addressed pitchers and catchers in a closed-door meeting before the first workout. The manager underscored his edict by promising to buy iPods (with noise-buffering headphones) for those players who didn't own one.
Honestly, wouldn't it just be cheaper for him to buy an iPod and noise-canceling headphones for himself? I'm surprised he didn't think of that.
Last February, Florida Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez signed an extension that would keep him in Miami until 2011, and after his team finished the season in second place in the NL East you wouldn't think there'd be any reason why the team wouldn't honor that contract. Then word broke out that the Marlins were interviewing Bobby Valentine for a position with the team, but they wouldn't say what that position was.
Starting Five
Starting Five
The Florida Marlins have been playing a lot better in June than they did in May, and have won five of their last seven, including a three-game sweep over the Blue Jays in Toronto this weekend. 
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in 
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
Starting Five
The 
The Marlins are prepared to enter the season with the lowest salary in the majors ... again. Their highest paid player is 
