Marlins Back on Track

The Marlins put a horrible month of May, in which they went 9-20, behind them and rallied back to place themselves in position to take the division lead just one week before the All-Star break.

Florida finished the month of June 17-11 and are 1.5 games behind divison leader Philadelphia. The surge can be attributed to major contributions from four players.

P Ricky Nolasco - Ricky was supposed to be our ace this year after a strong performance last year, but he struggled at the start of the season. He wasn't able to drop his change-up and his curve lacked movement. He was 2-5 with a 9.07 ERA before being sent down to AAA Las Vegas. This has been the smartest move Fredi Gonzalez has done all year. Ricky made his return on June 7 and has been nothing short of stellar.

June Stats - 3-1, 1.91 ERA, 33 SO, 5 BB, 0.97 WHIP

Total Stats - 5-6, 5.99 ERA, 70 SO, 18 BB, 1.45 WHIP

P Josh Johnson - Josh picked up right where he left off last year when he returned from Tommy John surgery. He is having a Cy Young caliber year and is on the brink of making his first All-Star team. The Marlins are 12-4 in games that Johnson starts. If the Marlins are going to go deep they will need Johnson to stay sharp.

June Stats - 3-0, 2.95 ERA, 30 SO, 10 BB, 1.06 WHIP

Total Stats - 7-1, 2.76 ERA, 94 SO, 28 BB, 1.08 WHIP

SS Hanley Ramirez - Last year Ramirez hit .239 with runners in scoring position. This led people to believe that he couldn't get the big hit when his team needed it. This year, Fredi dropped him to 3rd in the batting order and now he leads the Majors with a .441 average in the same situation. He is living up to his expectations and has even improved defensively. Hanley leads National League shorts stops in the All-Star voting, but needs help to keep it. Voting closes on July 2nd at 11:59 pm est.

June Stats - .356 AVG, 29 RBI, 4 HR, 18 R, 14 SO

Total Stats - .339 AVG, 52 RBI, 12 HR, 48 R, 46 SO

CF Cody Ross - Cody started off the season slow, as usual, but is now on pace to set career highs in hits, doubles, home runs, and RBIs. He has gone from a streaky to consistent on offense and is doing it at number seven in the batting order. He has been outstanding playing center field, as it seems like every night he is on ESPN's top 10 web gems.

June Stats - .309 AVG, 18 RBI, 6 HR, 13 R, 20 SO

Total Stats - .273 AVG, 46 RBI, 13 HR, 38 R, 55 SO

Panthers Trade Jay Bouwmeester to Flames

Florida Panther fans knew this day was coming, they just didn't know when.

Jay Bouwmeester has been on the trading block since the All-Star game this past year. The Panthers kept him in an attempt to make a playoff push.

Draft Day came around on Friday and again fans thought this was the day, but the Panthers surprised us. The Panthers are known to make big trades on Draft Day.

This gave hope that the Panthers might attempt to re-sign Bouwmeester when he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Day two of the draft began and the Panthers announced that they traded Bouwmeester to the Calgary Flames for another unrestricted free agent, defenseman John Leopold, and this year's 67th draft pick.

Both teams have a four day exclusive negotiating period starting July 1st to attempt to sign the players. The Panthers will sign Leopold, if the price is right.

Calgary took the biggest risk since there is no guarantee that Jay will sign with them. They could come out losing a draft pick and an defenseman with nothing in return.

Florida wasn't expected to meet Bouwmeester's contract demands, so they came out on top by receiving the draft pick.

Florida took 18-year old defenseman Dmitry Kulikov with the 14th overall pick on Friday who might become Bouwmeester's immediate replacement.

Florida expects for Kulikov to compete for a roster spot once training camp begins in a couple of months.

Mourning Re-signing with Heat

The Miami Heat are bringing back Alonzo Mourning to the organization, but this time it will be in a different capacity.

During a team golf charity, Mourning and Heat President Pat Riley confirmed that a partnership that will bring Mourning back to the team was agreed upon - just three months after Zo's retirement.

Mourning will be given an official title and will become part of the Heat's front office basketball operations. Even though his official duties have not been outlined, Zo will most likely serve as a mentor to young players and draft picks as they adjust to the NBA life in South Florida.

Pat Riley and staff want to make sure the players they bring in stay out of trouble and concentrate on one thing: basketball.

It's no secret that the temptations of South Beach can be a handful for players. For instance, it's a known fact that visiting playoff team coaches choose hotels in Ft. Lauderdale, 25 miles north of South Beach, to keep their players away from these very temptations.

It might have just cost Detroit the Conference Championship in 2006, when the Heat defeated them and went on to win their first championship. Many people saw Rip, Billups, Prince and Sheed on the strip the night before game three. Detroit lost all three games in Miami and lost the series 4-2.

Alonzo will also assist Heat players with charities and getting involved in the community.

This year Alonzo Mourning brought in Dwayne Wade to assist him with his popular Zo's Summer Groove, which runs from July 8th to July 12th.

Zo might even travel with the team during the season and join the coaching staff. There is nothing like a half time speech by the warrior himself to bring up the team's morale.

Whatever his role, it's good to see Mourning back with the team.

Good Idea, Bad Idea: The 2009 NBA Draft

The 2009 NBA Draft came with selected NBA-ready talent, but contained plenty of solid players that could emerge into definitive role players in the NBA. Just as any draft brings potential, 2009 brought potentially good and bad picks for the talent-hungry lottery teams.

With so much pressure on these lottery franchises to dig themselves out of a hole, the GMs were put in a position to make smart, progressive picks for their teams. So which GMs had good ideas and which had bad ones? We weigh in on the first 14 picks.

The Los Angeles Clippers made the smartest and most definitive choice in the NCAA Player of the Year, Blake Griffin. The big man brings plenty of toughness on defense and demands lots of attention in the paint. He also makes way for payroll dump offs in the form of LA's surplus forwards/centers (i.e. Chris Kaman and Zach Randolph). Verdict: Good Idea.



The 2nd overall pick went to the Memphis Grizzlies and they had a wealth of talent available to them. Their choice in Hasheem Thabeet was as good as it could get for a team in need of a defensive presence. Now with Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo, Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Hasheem Thabeet the Grizzlies are filled with youth and immense talent. The only thing left is for their potential to convert into performance on the court. Verdict: Good Idea.






Then came the 3rd and 4th picks in the draft, owned by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings. Both made solid choices in James Harden and Tyreke Evans, which are not instant all-stars, but almost certainly future studs in the league. Harden brings an all around game that fits well into the NBA system, while Evans harnesses an explosive ability to get to the basket. The Verdict: Good Idea (for both).






Now the Minnesota Timerwolves had the NBA draft world at the tip of their fingers with the 5th and 6th picks. It cannot be argued that Ricky Rubio is the most exciting and NBA-ready point guard in the draft as he played on the world stage for multiple years, even as a young teenager. Rubio addresses an unsure point guard spot in Minnesota, currently held by Sebastian Telfair. What was a head-scratcher move was the ensuing pick of another point guard with the selection of Jonny Flynn. Not to downplay Flynn's talent and potential, but Minnesota just drafted a world-class point guard. Addressing another position could have been a wiser choice for the Wolves. The Verdict: Good Idea (5th pick) / Bad Idea (6th pick).

The next pick stole the show in New York as the Golden State Warriors nabbed Stephen Curry from the Knicks. Could you tell by the crowd's reaction? They definitely got a player that is en route to becoming a premiere player in the league. The issue with this pick is the conflict that may arise between him and Monta Ellis. Who will be the starter? Both have a similar game and can't be on the court at the same time, so it brings up some questions. Questions that may be answered by the rumored trade that would send Curry to the Suns and Amare Stoudemire to the Warriors. The Verdict: Good Idea.

After the NY fans got over their missed opportunity on Curry, the New York Knicks went ahead and went for toughness and hustle with Jordan Hill. There were mixed feelings on the pick, but generally the team was satisfied with the pick. Hill can score, rebound and grow his potential with the Knicks and bring that hard-nosed approach to the game that David Lee already brings every night. The Verdict: Good Idea.

With the 9th pick, the Toronto Raptors took (probably) the highest risk and reward player available in the draft - DeMar DeRozan. Analysts have compared him to Tracy McGrady with his high vertical leap and volume scoring ability. The Raptors are hoping that he turns out like T-Mac and not Harold Minor (remember, the next Jordan?). DeRozan is likely to end up on the right side of fate with Toronto's legacy of breeding some explosive players (Vince Carter and T-Mac). The Verdict: Good Idea.

With a blockbuster trade already behind them, the Milwaukee Bucks went next with the 10th pick and chose the young and highly talented Brandon Jennings. Jennings went from high school directly to Europe and gained experience overseas - something that was very questionable by NBA scouts. His quickness and strike ability are there, but maturity and NBA-readiness are up in the air with this kid. Eventually, he could become a threat in the league, but it doesn't seem so for quite a few seasons. With that said, a top 10 pick should have instant impact and the Bucks may have just missed out on that. The Verdict: Bad Idea (in the short-term).

The New Jersey Nets took a solid player at number 11 by choosing Louville's Terrence Williams. Great shooter, dynamic position player and a nice addition behind Devin Harris, Courtney Lee and Bobby Simmons. I don't think you can complain with a pick like that since their center and point guard positions are already filled. Why not take a SG/SF? The Verdict: Good Idea.

With the 12th pick, the Charlotte Bobcats took a high-flying Duke Blue Devil that just finished having a breakout season for the Dukies - Gerald Henderson. This kid can definitely "rise up" to the occasion and rock the rim at any given point in a game. He could end up being a surprise player in the league that outperforms some of his previously chosen draft classmates. With some already athletic pieces (i.e. Gerald Wallace and Raja Bell), the Bobcats added a nice versatile talent to the organization. The Verdict: Good Idea.

Tyler Hansborough displays hustle, competitiveness and genuine desire to win - traits that overshadow many of his weaknesses. He isn't the most athletic, graceful or dominant player on the court, but he brings priceless intangibles to a team. It would not be farfetched to see this kid be a model for the Indiana Pacers alongside their star player, Danny Granger. He's just a Pacer kind of guy. He could be the Udonis Haslem, Emeka Okafor and David Lee prototype player that does all the small things to win games for his team. Hansborough seems like a 12 PTS-10 REB NBA prospect, which is welcomed by any NBA team. The Verdict: Good Idea.

With the last lottery pick, the Phoenix Suns took Earl Clark out of Louisville in an effort to bring height and hustle amidst the Shaq departure and Amare trade talks. Clark currently does not have the body type to dominate at the PF/C position in the NBA. He will need to beef up if he hopes to translate his success in college into the NBA. It is clear that Phoenix is always aiming for athletic players that will fit into their run-n-gun system, but it seems doubtful that Clark will replace Amare Stoudemire's pure talent. With Shaq gone and Amare on his way out, Clark has big shoes to fill and pressure will be heavy on his shoulders. The Verdict: Bad Idea.

* * *

On a side note, the Minnesota Timberwolves had the most opportunities in this draft and seemed to put most of them to waste by initially drafting four point guards and investing their first two picks on potentially conflicting picks. If we had to rate their decisions, it would be poor. Primarily because they had a pool of talent atop the draft to pick and choose from - they opted for two small guards that may fail in playing simultaneously on the court.

On another note, the San Antonio Spurs emerged as our winners in the draft, given their position. They took DeJuan Blair and Jack McClinton (who we wanted here in Miami) in the second round. Blair is a big man who can push some bodies around like Glen Davis, Jason Maxiell and maybe even Al Jefferson - injury proneness shouldn't be too big of an issue. Jack McClinton is a shooting specialist that will be great in San Antonio's role player dependent style of play. You can't ask for more if you're a Spurs fan: acquiring Richard Jefferson and drafting two solid picks.

P.S. The New York Knicks trade Quentin Richardson for Darko Milicic...really?

P.P.S. What's up with all the foreign picks that were drafted with the accompanying "you won't be seeing this guy for a few seasons" comment? How many times have we heard that and have never seen those guys come back to the league? Tiago Splitter was highly touted a few years back (yea some Brazillian player picked by the Spurs) and he's nowhere to be seen today. There are other international players, whose names are too difficult to even spell out, that suffered the same fate. So, can we really expect to see any of this year's picks on this list:

• Omri Casspi
• Christian Eyenga
• Segio Llull
• Jonas Jerebko
• Henk Norel
• Nando De Colo
• Ahmad Nivins
• Emir Preldzic
• Chinemelu Elonu

*I'm sure we might see a couple, but the majority will probably stay overseas - sad but true.

Eastern Conference Beefs Up, Miami Heat Watch?

The Cavs got their Christmas present early from a permanent visit from Shaqaclaus as Orlando did their magic with a swap of their own by bringing in swingman Vince Carter.

The Wizards summoned an improved offensive game with two legit scorers in Randy Foye and Mike Miller. While Atlanta reached new heights with the addition of Jamal Crawford.

It is clear - the Eastern Conference is in an arms race for title contention.

At the same time, Miami sits aside watching their foes improve drastically while their core stays intact.

Is this a smart strategy for Miami?

When you think about it, it isn't a bad strategy at all.

The biggest offseason rumor involving the Heat has involved Raptors big man Chris Bosh. Assuming that a blockbuster trade gets done and Miami acquires the All-Star/Olympian, will it solve Miami's greater problems and lead them to the promised land? It's tough to believe Bosh would be that end all, be all.

By staying away from the race and keeping the team united, Miami is saving a lot of money and leaving their options open for a more viable 2010 offseason that could fill up the many holes that the Heat have.

Pat Riley will continue to drive home the campaign for re-signing Wade to an extention in order to ensure that he is Miami's franchise player, today and tomorrow. Now it's up to Wade to decide whether he wants to fight it out with his teammates and wait another year before major improvements are made.

Let's not weigh out the possibility of Michael Beasley emerging as a better, more refined player that lives up to his hype. It would also be unwise to dismiss Mario Chalmers and his continued development at the point guard position. Potential is in abundance in Miami.

While many critical fans will shun Riley for his urgency to make a move (or lack thereof), there is a possiblity that the best move is to make no move at all. Patience is a virtue and sticking to your guns could be the best solution for a team.

A second round playoff appearance would likely be considered a success for Miami next season. Whether they make a trade or not, it is unknown as to how Miami will match-up against the revamped Eastern Conference - particularly against the Magic, Wizards and Hawks, which are all in Miami's division.

Dolphins Add Tinge of Hispanic Flavor

Reporting from the Miami Dolphins press conference:

On the eve of Thursday morning's press conference, the South Florida sports community anticipated Gloria and Emilio Estefan's minority ownership announcement with the Miami Dolphins. With the atmosphere filled with Miami Sound Machine music and Hispanic classics created by the Estefans, the stage was set for the moment.

Stephen Ross stepped up to the podium and let the people know of his reasoning behind such a deal. Mixed feelings had already been swirling as a result of the recent Jimmy Buffet partnership that stamped a new name on the stadium. Ross felt it was proper to explain the logic behind such a move.

The Dolphins owner emphasized the importance of reflecting the South Florida community's identity through the ownership of the team, stating that "nobody reflects the community better than Emilio and Gloria Estefan." He went on to explain how owning a team is not about "paying lip service" but rather serving the community and its constituents. After his brief statements, Ross introduced the new minority ownership duo and gave way to what they had to say.

Gloria addressed the press first with a seemingly soothing attitude towards the deal that had been made between Estefan Enterprises and the Miami Dolphins. Her words mainly aimed at expressing the joy she and Emilio had in becoming a part of a team that they had followed since their youth. She went on to joke around by assuring everyone that she "will not be calling any plays" and "Emilio will not be playing quarterback" - a subtle way to offset any rumors of actual personnel and team involvement.

When it was Emilio's turn he mimicked Gloria's sentiments of happiness and summarized his feelings by stating that his heart was "in the right place."

A few highlights in the conference included one reporter's question towards Ross' strategy and a touching statement by Emilio.

A reporter asked Ross if he was implementing a "hollywood strategy" towards running the Miami Dolphins, referring to the Jimmy Buffet deal and the newly inked Estefan partnership. Of course, Ross did not see it that way and reassured that he was not exactly aiming for a Los Angeles Lakers type of atmosphere, but he did explain that we are seeing more and more conjunction between entertainment and sports because "sports is entertainment."

As for Emilo Estefan's touching statement, he verbalized how his emotions for the team are beyond setting a model for the Hispanic community. He referred to the unity that exists in sports, particularly in the sport of football within the U.S., and stated that "it's like September 11, no matter who you were you loved this country." He went on to compare that to the Miami community when it comes to sports.

Overall, the press conference was brief and concise, but contained hopeful words that instilled excitement in Dol-fans as the season nears. Steven Ross has already made two notable deals to generate such excitement and it seems evident that another move may be on its way to fruition.

The question is: Who else will join Stephen Ross' Dolphin family?

Marlins Beat Orioles, Surpass .500 Record

The Florida Marlins beat the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night, pushing their record above .500 for the first time since May 12th. This was the fourth straight win for the team and a part of the greater success that the team has had in recent times.

The Fish are 14-8 in the month of June and are 8-3 in their last 11 games. It's great to know that Florida has gotten their act together, for the most part, and regained their competitive edge in the N.L. East. They now stand two games back from the division leading Philadelphia Phillies and two and a half games back from a Wild Card spot.

The A.L. East match-ups have generally favored the Fish so far and they will finish interleague play with the Tampa Bay Rays in what is called The Citrus Series. Whether they get swept or lose the series, the Fish will leave interleague play with a winning record against the A.L. East.

It seems as though the attention and exposure that the Yankees-Marlins series brought has carried over and given the players some added confidence and the fans something to cheer about. We may be inching closer to the point where it can be said that "The Florida Marlins are officially back."

This Day in Miami Heat History: June 24, 1988

With the 9th pick in the 1988 NBA Draft and their first pick in franchise history, the Miami Heat selected Center Rony Seikaly from Syracuse. A player that brought passion, toughness and energy to a brand new Miami team.

Seikaly averaged 10.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in his rookie season with the Heat. After that, he won the NBA's Most Improved Player Award his Sophomore year after averaging 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds.

Rony led the Heat to their first playoff appearance in the 1991-1992 season, averaging a playoff career high of 20.7 points and 10 rebounds. He would continue to play for the Heat through the 94-95 season before being traded to Golden State.

You can occasionally spot Seikaly on the Heat sidelines still supporting his original team. His memory is still imprinted on Miami's rich, yet short NBA history.

Bring Jack McClinton Home

The Miami Heat have decided to shy away from this month's NBA draft, and for good reason. They traded away their first round pick last season for current-day starting point guard, Mario Chalmers. With that said, this does not mean that they should toss away their two second round picks.

The Heat should give the hometown kid, Jack McClinton (A.K.A. J-Mac), a chance with the team. Whether they draft him at #43 or #60, J-Mac should have a shot with the team for various reasons.

For one thing, the kid can shoot lights out, which is a similar trait in Daequan Cook, but can create some competition that will ultimately make them both better players. If indeed Jack is a better shooter that Daequan, then he will get some playing time and Cook can become a trading piece. Not that we want that to happen, but that's a worst case scenario - one that isn't very bad at all.

McClinton is listed as a shooting guard, but his height might limit him to point guard status, which is a necessity in Miami's depth chart. You never can have enough back-up point guards (just look at the Orlando Magic last season). J-Mac may not be known for his handling skills, but is definitely known for his quick first step and his ability to get open. Miami still may need a veteran guard to help the back court, but a little bit of Jack can't hurt.

Let's not forget that the UM alumni will have a bond with former Hurricane, James Jones, and expand his relationship with back-up forward, Dorrell Wright. These aren't game-changing factors, but chemistry is important. Not to mention, D. Wade has already given him some shout outs via Twitter - in his own words, "@JackMcClinton I c u hood." That must mean, "Let's bring you to my hood (Miami)."

* * *

A.J. Price is another prospect that has worked out for the Heat and has grabbed their attention this offseason. It is unknown whether Miami will sway towards drafting two guards, but they have some promising players within reach, considering their late draft opportunities. Don't expect any of these players to be the next star on the team, at least not just yet, but with every draft comes potential - potential brings hope.

Steroids, Performance Enhancers and Baseball...Oh My!

The recent allegations about Sammy Sosa reportedly taking performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) reinforces one thing for the MLB - that the 21 century has not been good for baseball.

The notorious list of 104 MLB players that admitted to taking PEDs has been in the news for seemingly ages. The question is who is in possession of this list of 104 players?

It's ironic that only two names have been released. Both names belong to players that are significant to baseball. Alex Rodriguez was supposed to be the savior of baseball amidst all the Barry Bonds allegations and Sammy Sosa is one of six elite players to hit more than 600 home runs.

Now they became a part of the plague that haunts the Major Leagues incessantly.

The results of the urine samples taken were meant to be anonymous under the agreement between the commissioner's office and the players association. Major League Baseball coded the results and stored them in two different labs, so that both lists were required in order to determine which results belonged to what player.

In 2004, a search warrant served by the feds in both locations changed that.

They were only supposed to be looking for names connected to their Balco investigation, but confiscated the entire report. That means there are two organizations with knowledge of the guilty: 1) Major League officials who administered the exam, and 2) the feds who investigated the Balco case.

MLB would not put themselves in a predicament by incriminating themselves, so that leaves the Federal Government responsible for the leak of information.

The New York Post cites lawyers with knowledge of the 2003 results who spoke under anonymity. Currently, the result are under seal in California in the middle of a legal conflict between the Government and MLB. It's a federal offense to divulge information under court seal.

Sammy Sosa's name arose after he announced his formal retirement from baseball and stated "I will calmly wait for my induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Don't I have the numbers to be inducted?"

How much is someone getting paid for this information?

Let's take it one step further. Why is congress still interfering with baseball? There are plenty of other important issues (i.e. the economy, health care, the War on Terror - just to name a few) that should be the focus of their attention, instead of meddling with the game of baseball.

At the end of the day, the MLB and the game of baseball continues to be tainted by unnatural and unfair advantages that players continue to use to "make it to the top."

There are two solutions to this problem:

A) Release all the names on that list and put this in the past and enact a strict PED policy moving forward. That way the MLB can look forward to a clean, fresh start to the great American sport.

B) Urge the feds to destroy all traces of the list and internally stop the leaking of those names. This will end the tragic consequences that come to these players who believed they were taking an anonymous survey.

Both sides can be argued, but one course of action must be taken if the Major Leagues want to stop the bleeding and begin at Tabula Rasa (with a clean slate). The final decision will determines whether this will drag out the destruction of America's favorite pastime or not.

This Day in Florida Marlins History: June 20, 2003

In 2003 the Florida Marlins saw the emergence of a truly special player and eventually an intricate piece to their 2003 World Series run.

With the injury to Todd Hollandsworth, the Florida Marlins had a void to fill in left field. They called up amateur LF Miguel Cabrera. At that time, little was known of this young player.

The Marlins were going to begin a three game home series against the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. Miguel was 0-4 before his at bat in the bottom of the 11th inning. With one out and SS Alex Gonzalez on second base, Cabrera received one pitch from Alan Levine and that was all that he would need. Miguel blasted the fastball to center field for his first Major League hit, homerun and a walk-off at that.

He went on to play third base when Mike Lowell went down with an injury. He finished 5th in the rookie of the year voting and received 27 MVP votes.

Water Washes Away Boston's Sweep Dreams

Thursday night's rained out game gave the Florida Marlins a win by default and ensured that the Boson Red Sox would not come back once again to complete the three game sweep of the Fish. The Red Sox had scored over five runs in the first two games (eight in game one and six in game two) and seemed to have the Marlins' number on offense.

Fortunately, the Marlins had a great five inning showing from Ricky Nolasco, which resulted in a makeshift one-hitter. Sox fans will claim that Florida was "lucky" to leave Boston without getting swept, but Nolasco's pitching was sharp and convincing enough to think otherwise.

Dan Uggla and Ronny Paulino each provided the Fish with a solo home run against a hot Jon Lester. Both shots were over the green monster and no-doubters once they left the bat. Fish fans should be glad to know that Paulino's 2-for-2 night placed him just a spec away from .300 and gave him three home runs in the last two games he has played. As for Uggla, his .218 batting average still spells struggles, but his home run total stands at 12 for the season.

The top of the sixth inning marked the beginning of a heavy downpour and the end to a rain plagued game. Dustin Pedroia had a valid point in saying that he hopes that the loss does not come back to determine division standings at the end of the season.

Knowing that Boston has a wealth of talent and experience, it should not be a problem for them. Truly great teams do not dwell on the past, but rather focus on there future and how they can make it successful.

The Marlins will head back home as the New York Yankeess roll into town for a Father's Day weekend special, including a Saturday night concert after the game by Hispanic artist Tito Nieves. The Red Sox may have been rooting against Florida just a few days ago, but I'm sure they'll be in full support of the Fish for the upcoming series versus the Yanks.

Heat See Opportunity in Magic's Dump Offs

A recent story by SI.com reports that Hedo Turkoglu and the Orlando Magic have not completely parted ways. In the article, Hedo voiced his inclination towards returning to Orlando, if contract negotiations work out and Orlando presents the best offer. Hedo's reasoning for opting out is to see what the best opportunities will be available to him and his family. According to the Magic, they are not not afraid of exceeding the salary cap and paying luxury tax for Turkoglu.

All this talk heightens the possibility of Marcin Gortat leaving the team due to the lack of space available after a potential Turkoglu signing.

This is where the Miami Heat come in. Gortat is a cheap way to sure up Miami's center position - after all he made around $700,000 last season. I'm sure Gortat would be fine with a $1.5 million offer, which is definitely within Miami's reach.

Gortat brings height, rebounding and some other small things to a team (i.e. pick and roll awareness). He's a great option as a cost-benefit alternative to making big trades and shaking things up this off-season for the Heat.

Another significant fact with Orlando is their surplus at the point guard position. With Jameer Nelson back and healthy, they now have four PGs on the roster: Jameer Nelson, Rafer Alston, Anthony Johnson and Tyron Lue.

Two factors to consider are Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson's conflicting issues with the Magic.

Alston believes that he will be traded, claiming that many teams don't trust his PG skills. Alston is not a likely pick up for the Heat, but his departure will weaken Orlando's depth - Miami's division rival.

Johnson has had issues with coach Van Gundy and rumor has it that he has a "big mouth." It would not be surprising to see him shipped off if tempers flare. This would further weaken the depth at PG, but would also open up opportunities for Courtney Lee to play the point.

Don't expect Miami to go after any of these two, primarily because of their price tags, but also because they aren't considered mentoring PGs that could assist with Mario Chalmers' development.

When push comes to shove, we'll see what Orlando does with their roster. Will they be able to keep their depth intact or will they lose out on some role players? It seems like the impending results are in favor of Miami.

Playing Fantasy Draft with the Miami Heat

If we were to turn off the switch labeled "reality" and turn on the switch labeled "fantasyville," we can venture into the realm of what ifs with the Miami Heat and a first-round draft pick. Would you be willing to participate?

It is fairly clear that Miami's "ready now" answers are not to be found in the form of another rookie player, but it never hurts to ponder the thought. With a young core of Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook, the Heat already have built a fountain of youth ready to pour out for seasons to come.

But what about a young big man that could take the reigns behind an older, more seasoned veteran Jermaine O'Neal? It wouldn't hurt right? There are a handful of those that seem to be available in the first-round.

The most NBA-ready center out of this elite few seems to be UConn's very own, Hasheem Thabeet. Standing at a daunting 7'3, 267 lb. stature, he has the physique to dominate in the NBA. His defense is very impressive and can be compared to the games of Alonzo Mourning, Patrick Ewing and the 2009 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard. He still needs work on his offensive game, but time and work can solve that issue.

Just imagine that 7-foot, 3-inch mammoth coming off the bench for Miami next season. I guess we can keep on dreaming because Miami hasn't had many great 7-footers in its recent history (cough Wang Zhu-Zhu, cough Mark Blount).

The other decent, but not-so-ready NBA prospects are B.J. Mullens and Tyler Hansborough. Mullens was Ohio State's 7'1 big man and the 6'10 Hansborough was North Carolina's star player the past few years.

Toughness is a probable question with these two guys, as the NBA is a much more physical game than the NCAA. Hansborough is arguably the tougher one of the two, but neither have shown that dominance that great centers dictate.

At any rate, I'm sure that the addition of Mullens or Hansborough would be better options than Mark Blount, Jamaal Magloire or Joel Anthony down the road.

According to ESPN, these three draft prospects are projected to go out in the top 20. It is unclear if Riley has the intention of trading up to the first-round, or the top 20 at that.

If Beasley materializes into that definitive SF/PF swingman, Chalmers matures into a mature NBA point guard and the rest of the team improves as a unit, then we can expect a better turn out than last season and forget about all these draft dreams.

There is only so much time before potential must turn into performance. Next season is will be that defining moment.

Marlins Reunite in Boston

It will be a trip back to nostalgia when the Florida Marlins head on to the field at Fenway Park. The Fish will get to see some of their former players, many of which were an intricate part of Florida's 2003 World Series run.

The Marlins won't be able to see their 2003 World Series MVP on the mount, but that's a good thing since he has 7-3 record so far this season. I'm sure a friendly wave from the dugout will be enough for the Marlins.

The Fish will get to see Brad Penny as he is scheduled to face Andrew Miller on Wednesday night. Penny has not been his usual self lately, but was given a shot to start with Boston still trying to find a solid starting five rotation. Either way, Penny still has a better record than Miller as he's 5-2 compared to Miller's 2-2.

Mike Lowell will be holding his ground at third base for Boston, but he will still give Marlins fans a chance to remember the good ole' times when the roles were reversed. Born and raised in Miami, Lowell still has feelings for South Florida, especially since he played high school ball at Columbus Prep School and college ball at Miami-Dade College.

Another notable former Marlin who was not part of the '03 squad is Mark Kotsay. He played briefly during the 1997 season, when the Fish took their first title, and stayed with the crew until 2000. His batting average rose each season with Florida going from .197 in 1997 to .289 in 2000.

Although the faces have changed and jerseys have switched, the Marlins will always remember their rich history along with the players that created it. The Boston Red Sox's roster holds sprinkles of the past that harbor those very thoughts. Lucky for them Lowell and Beckett have helped bring the same magic to Boston that they brought to South Florida in the form of two World Series titles.

* * *

On another note, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez return to Boston to visit their original ball club, which they played for under one of Boston's minor league affiliates. The Marlins have benefitted from these two young guns coming down to South Florida. Anibal has already recorded one no-hitter with the Marlins and has shown signs of potential when he's healthy. Hanley Ramirez is the face of the Marlins and has made it to the All-Star game multiple times already.

At first the Marlins were nor getting the better end of the deal, but with time the cost-benefit analysis for Ramirez and Sanchez compared to Lowell and Beckett seems pretty even now.

Kobe Wins One Without Shaq

In a convincing Game 5 performance, the Los Angeles Lakers fought their way to a 15th NBA title. History was made as Kobe Bryant locked in his 4th championship ring and Phil Jackson surpassed Red Auerbach in all-time title wins at 10.

Kobe got the media-hyped monkey off his back as he won his first title without the Big Aristotle, Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq himself insisted that he wanted Kobe to win his 4th title via Twitter, but the media kept supressing his statements and pushing the "Kobe can't win without Shaq" agenda. After Sunday night, all the hype was silenced.

As for the Orlando Magic, it was a disappointing end to a series that had the potential of six or seven games. It was uncharacteristic of the Magic to finish a series in such a short time span as they had battled in two long playoff series against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Now how does this all relate to the Miami Heat? Well, for one thing it could have free agency implications.

Knowing that the Magic have Hedo Turkoglu and Marcin Gortat and the Lakers have Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza all becoming free agents, there could be one of two scenarios for each team. We'll just call it Option A and Option B.

Option A
The free agents decide to go back to their respective teams, which would solidify each team's roster for next season. In the case of the Magic, Turkoglu and Gortat could re-sign with even more hunger and drive to win a title in thse blue jerseys. In the Lakers case, Odom and Ariza could decide to come back in order to defend the championship and make a run at a second straight. Both scenarios rely on a trust factor where the players believe that their team has another shot to win and their resigning helps that cause.

Option B
The free agents decide to part ways and seek a new contract with a new team, which could benefit a team like the Miami Heat. If Turkoglu and Gortat don't see the Magic making another run, they could very well pack their bags and run. Miami could benefit from any of those two players on their roster. On the same token, Odom and Ariza could be satisfied with their new shiny rings and look for a fresh start somewhere else. Having Odom and/or Ariza in a Miami uniform would also be a plus for the Heat. The issue would obviously be in salary cap space and contract length as Miami would need to dump off some existing contracts and make a deal that extends beyond 2010.

Obviously some players could stay, while others could go, but the results do affect next year's chances for the Miami Heat, particularly in the case of the Southeast Division Champion Orlando Magic.

Orlando's Turkoglu and Gortat add much-needed height to the Heat lineup and Hedo brings a dynamic offensive option to Miami's system. What a great help either player would be to Dwyane Wade.

L.A.'s Odom and Ariza are more versatile options and would bring energy and length to an already athletic Miami team. Ariza would load up the SF position, but Odom would be a great PF option for Miami.

In total, we must wait until after the confetti and parade boats are swept off the Los Angeles streets and the bitter sweet feelings in the Orlando air dissipate before we can even contemplate any of these moves.

Some teams have already made offseason moves, such as the Toronto Raptors' trade with the Philadelphia Sixers that sent Jason Kapono to Philly for Reggie Evans. I doubt these decisions will be made anytime soon, but with much time and thought they will be made.

So, will Pat Riley make way for an Odom return? Will he take a chance on a costly, yet productive Hedo Turkoglu? How 'bout Gortat as a cheap back-up center? Or Ariza as an energy guy in an open court offense under Spoelstra's regime?

Those are questions that will be answered after this group of alluring free agents put ink on re-signing contracts or decide to leave the pen on the table.

Marlins Fly By Blue Jays

Knowing that the Florida Marlins were 14-4 all-time entering the cross-national series in Toronto, there was plenty of confidence that the Marlins would continue their success against the Blue Jays. On Sunday afternoon, the Marlins turned that possibility into a reality by sweeping the Jays. This is the third time since the begining of inter-league play that the Marlins have swept the Blue Jays.

The Fish gained two games on Philly, New York and Atlanta who all went 1-2 in their respective series. They now sit in 3rd place, just one game under .500 and 5.5 games behind division leader Philadelphia. The Marlins are 9-5 in the month of June.

All three Marlins starters pitched well with Josh Johnson pitching a complete game on Sunday afternoon. Florida's bullpen has been over used this year in part to a lot of injuries in the starting rotation. It's a breath of fresh air to see our starters getting back into form.

The starting five is one of the most dangerous rotations in the league. It's hard to find a gap when everyone is on. The emergence of Sean West, the Cy Young-like pitching from Josh Johnson, the maturing of Andrew Miller, the consistency of Chris Volstad and the return of the real Ricky Nolasco has opponents and analysts talking about the Marlins living up to their pre-season expectations.

Here's a look at their game stats:

• Friday: Ricky Nolasco - 6.0 IP/5 H/2 ER/1 BB/9 K/ND
• Saturday: Sean West - 5.2 IP/4 H/4 ER/4 BB/ 0 K/WIN
• Sunday: Josh Johnson - 9.0 IP/7 H/3 ER/3 BB/6 K/WIN

No Blue Jays starter made it out of the 4th inning this weekend thanks to the Marlins' bats coming alive and it was more than the extra hitter in the line up. They reverted back to their small ball strategy and tagged Toronto pitchers for double-digit hits in each game, including a season high 18 hits on Sunday. Home runs still accounted for 11 of the 24 runs scored.

There was one negative in the Marlins-Blue Jays series this weekend. The Marlins showed a weakness when it came to capitalizing on their opportunities and putting the nail in the coffin. They stranded 25 runners this series and 21 runners the previous series against the Cardinals. This has been an issue all season long.

If the Marlins want to continue their win streak they are going to need to keep the runs coming. The Rays, Yankees, and Red Sox lead the Majors in runs scored, respectively. Florida begins a three-game series at Boston on Tuesday before coming back to the Shark Tank for a three-game series with New York over the weekend.

On a high note, Cody Ross was able to raise his average by 13 points to .271. Ross went 6-13 with 2 home runs and 6 RBIs in the series. Ronny Paulino went 4-5 with 2 home runs and 3 RBIs on Sunday and raised his average to .281.

Marlins Take on A.L. East

Since the inception of inter-league play in 1997, the Florida Marlins have compiled a National League best 111-93 record. Out of those 204 games, 67 percent of them have come against the American League East.

The N.L. East and A.L. East faced each other every year until 2002 when the Commissioner decided to have teams face a different division every year. Here's a breakdown of a team-by-team match-up between the Marlins the A.L. East teams.

• All time vs. Toronto 14-4: This weekend the Marlins begin a 15 game stretch against thier A.L. counterparts. They begin with a trip to Toronto where they will face thier 5th Cy Young winner in 7 days. Roy Halladay an early front runner for the Cy Young Award this year. He is 10-1 with a 2.52 era in 13 games.


• All time vs. Boston 8-12: From Toronto, Florida flies to Boston. They will not see former Marlins pitcher and World Series MVP Josh Beckett. Big Papi has not been him self this year and that's good news for the Fish. We will see if Florida can enter a raucous Fenway Park and win a few games on Boston's home field.


• All Time vs. New York 7-10: The Marlins will just miss another former pitcher in the Yankee rotation - A.J. Burnett. The Marlins have only played one series against the Yankees in Miami since the 2003 World Series. Both teams have retooled and revamped themselves since that 2003 face-off and are ready to see what the other squad brings to the table.


• All Time vs. Baltimore 13-5: It's obvious that Florida has historically dominated Baltimore in their occasional match-ups. Both teams have young, rising stars that can be a handful for the opposing team on any given night. Adam Jones (.329), Brian Roberts (.307) and Nick Markakis (.287) are batting well for the Orioles and will be present tough at bats for Marlins pitchers. At the same time, Hanley Ramirez and Jorge Cantu should be back and healthy to help out the Marlins offense.


• All Time vs. Tampa Bay 36-28: The Citrus Series is always a friendly rivalry between the Marlins and Rays. This will be another match-up between two young teams with offensive firepower, yet sporadic pitching poise. Expect to see plenty of runs and exciting plays, but don't be surprised with all the pitching changes that will go on. May the best Florida team win.

The Verdict

In general, the Marlins have had success this season against A.L. teams. Before the Cardinals came into town the Marlins had compiled a short run of decent pitching and they hope to recapture those pitching performances from their starters once the A.L. East match-ups begin. We expect the Marlins to either finish with an overall winning record versus the A.L. East teams or break even by the end of the stretch of inter-league play.

Wade Joins Zo in Community Efforts

When Dwyane Wade came to the Miami Heat in the 2003 NBA Draft, the team knew they had a special player on their hands - one that gave his heart on and off the court. Six seasons later, Wade has continued to be the face of the team everywhere he goes. Just a few seasons back, Alonzo Mourning found himself in Wade's position and now both players have teamed up once again to make a difference in the lives of South Floridians.

The dynamic duo has recently started The Summer Groove Hosted by D. Wade & Zo, formerly known as Zo's Summer Groove, partnering up to host a bevy of events to raise funds for the Alonzo Mourning Charities and Wade's World Foundation.

The events hosted by the two Miami Heat greats include:

• ZSG Golf Classic - July 9th, 2009 @ Doral Golf Resort & Spa (Miami, FL)
  
• ZSG Comedy Show - July 10th, 2009 @ Hard Rock Live ( Hollywood, FL)
  
• ZSG Benefit Dinner - July 11th, 2009 @ Hard Rock Live (Hollywood, FL)
• ZSG Block Party - July 12th, 2009 @ American Airlines Arena (Miami, FL)
• ZSG All-Star Basketball Game - July 12th @ American Airlines Arena (Miami, FL)

Miami is blessed to have players like Dwyane Wade and Alonzo Mourning who bring so many memories on the court and leave so many legacies off it. They've brought prosperity to Heat fans in the form of a magical 2006 NBA championship run, while bringing hope to underprivileged people in the South Florida region.

I'm not sure Miami could ask for any better role models for the city. Two class acts with one great cause.

To find out more about The Summer Groove events e-mail us at info@miamisportsgeneration.com or check out The Summer Groove website at www.ZSG.com.

Marlins Draft Chad James

Coming into Tuesday's MLB draft, the Marlins were looking to bolster their pitching prospects. They did just that when they selected LHP Chad James out of Yukon High School in Oklahoma with the 18th overall pick.

Before the draft, the Marlins made it clear that they were going to take the best player available. They felt that the 6'3, 205 lb James was it.

Chad James went 9-1 with a 1.36 era this past year. During his first varsity start as a freshman against Shawnee High School, James threw a no-hitter. He is currently committed to Oklahoma State University.

James has 3 pitches - fastball, curve and change-up - but is currently mixing a slider into his arsenal. His fastball ranges from 91-93 mph (an increase of 10 mhp from his freshman year).

"I was talking to my brother about it and decided it would be good to add,” James said about adding the slider. "I like the movement it gives me.”

The last high school pitcher the Marlins drafted in the first round was Chris Volstad in 2005.

Sean West Out-Duels Randy Johnson

One start after his 300th career win, Randy Johnson faced off against the Marlins on a balmy Monday night. Sean West was entering his 6th career start and was presented with a counterpart that he idolized as a child. To say the least, West was up for the challenge.

West went six no-hit innings and ended his night after eight scoreless innings, only allowing two hits when it was all said and done. The soon-to-be Hall of Famer Johnson finished the night after just five innings and allowed seven hits and three earned runs. It was impressive to see a rookie pitcher out-duel a legendary baseball player.

This could be Sean West's coming out party as he already had shown signs of potential in his previous starts. He will play a big role in the Marlins' final decision for the five-man starting rotation. The longer Ricky Nolasco and Anibal Sanchez are off the mound, the greater chance West has to be a solidified starter for the Marlins all season long.

* * *

Side Note

A flash of memory was temporarily struck for long-time Marlins fans as Edgar Rentaria stepped up to the plate in the 9th inning with two outs left in the game. Leo Nuñez threw him a pitch down the pipe and he shot right back down 2nd base in a moment that resembled the winning play in the 1997 World Series. The only thing wrong was that Renteria was wearing the wrong jersey and Craig Counsell didn't come jumping home in celebration of the Marlins first ever World Series Championship.

Marlins Starting Pitching Stabilizes

Being a batter in baseball involves accepting failure in many plate appearances. Great hitters average a career batting average of over .300 - meaning that they have are retired 7 out of every 10 at bats.

On the other hand, pitching is an entire different realm of baseball. Great pitchers have low ERAs and winning records - something that the Florida Marlins pitching rotation is beginning to shape into.

It seems as though the Marlins have finally stabilized themselves from their turbulent beginnings, particularly in the pitching department. The pieces are beginning to fall into place with our starters as more consistent and lengthier starts are starting to characterize the Marlins' pitching performances.

Josh Johnson has emerged as the team's Ace and is beginning to make his money's worth out on the mound. He even hit a 3-run HR recently in order to help out his own cause. The Marlins won that game 4-3.

As for the other starters, there have been surprisingly good performances coming from Chris Volstad and Andrew Miller. If you break down the top three Marlins starters you will see a dip in the ERA charts and a rise in the innings pitched graphs.

Josh Johnson

• Pitched at least 7 innings in last three starts
• 20 strikeouts in those games
• No more than 3 earned runs in those starts
• Season ERA = 2.63
  

Chris Volstad

• Averaged over 6 innings pitched in last three starts
• 14 strikeouts in those games
• No more than 3 earned runs in those starts
• Season ERA = 3.65

Andrew Miller

• Has averaged about 5 innings pitched in last three starts
• 13 strikeouts in those games
• No more than 3 earned runs in those starts
  
• Season ERA dropped from 6.43 (April 15) to 4.31 (June 6)

There is obviously a trend in earned runs by the top three Marlins starters in that they have not allowed more than 3 earned runs in their last three starts. The innings pitched statistic is still in need of some improvement, but the starters are generally lasting through half of the game whereas they used to be pulled out by the 4th inning earlier on in the season. If things keep going in this direction, the L's will be replaced by W's for these starters down the road.

Even rookie pitcher, Sean West has put together some solid starts with a decent earned run average of 3.31 in his five starts this season. West has shown signs of veteran-like poise on the mound during his outings, even when the opposing team has piled a few runners on base. For a young pitcher he looks promising to this Marlins organization. He has filled in nicely while Anibal Sanchez has been on the disabled list.

This creates competition between Rick Nolasco, Anibal Sanchez and Sean West for those 4 and 5 spots in the starting rotation when Sanchez gets healthy. When is the last time the Marlins had competition for a pitching spot? It's usually a struggle for the Fish to find a 4th or 5th starter.

In the greater scheme of things, the Marlins are beginning to shape up and have reached equilibrium. Now fans believe that the Marlins have a decent shot to win every game, whereas everything was doom and gloom just a few weeks back.

Offense will come and go, but pitching must stay consistent if you wish to be a successful team. Let's see if the Marlins can continue to get deep starts from their pitchers and give their bullpen some much needed rest.

A Lack of Magic?

Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic shouldn't worry too much about being down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Lakers. It is not impossible to win a championship being down 2-0. Dwight should just ask his good friend, Dwayne Wade, about it. After all, the Miami Heat found themselves in the same situation against the Dallas Mavericks in 2006, before they took the next three games in Miami and returned to Dallas to close out the series.

The Magic are headed home for the next three games where they are 7-2 during the playoffs. Orlando is now 0-6 all time in the NBA Finals. Their only other appearance came in 1995 when they were swept by the Houston Rockets.

If the Magic want to beat the Lakers they will need their starting guards to join them in the trenches - until now they have been caught missing in action. Rafer Alston is averaging only 5 points, while Courtney Lee is averaging a mere 4.5 points in the first two games.

Courtney Lee had two good looks at the basket to try to win the game in regulation. One came with 9 seconds left as he slashed in between Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, and the other came with 0.6 seconds left on a beautiful out of bounds alley-oop from Hedo Turkoglu. Neither shots fell. 

In overtime, Pau Gasol proved too much for the Magic. He scored 24 points in the game with 7 of those coming in overtime. It was a 1-point game until 1:14 remaining in OT when the Lakers opened it up to a 6 point lead. That's all the Lakers needed to close out the game. The Magic didn't help themselves by commiting 3 turnovers in OT and were unable to match the onslaught that L.A. had brought against them. 

Game three will be the turning point in this series. A 2-game deficit is difficult enough to overcome, but a 0-3 situation is very dangerous territory. If Dwight relays the message that D. Wade has to offer, it would be the exact words that Wade told himself in the 2006 NBA Finals, when the Heat were down by 16 in the 4th quarter with under 7 minutes to play:

"I'm not going out like this."

Now each and every Magic player must tell that to themselves if they wish to revive the hopes of an entire Orlando city.

Throwback Saturday: Tim Hardaway

If you don't know Tim, then you don't know Miami Heat history. Number 10 was a special player during a special time in Heat history and is arguably the best Point Guard in the franchise's existence.

He was known for his deadly crossover moves and dangerous three-point shot. Hardaway was a part of the Heat's original elite era and ran the court alongside Alonzo Mourning, P.J. Brown, Dan Majerle, Voshon Lenard and other notables in Heat history.

Hardaway was the reason why the Miami Heat because such an electrifying team during the mid-1990's. His handling skills drew the crowds and the media attention ad it only was magnified by the team's multiple appearances in the NBA playoffs.

Had it not been for the Jordan-era, Tim and Zo would have probably led Miami to an NBA title during their prime. Timmy was just a great overall player that had the confidence to take those late game shots as well as the trust to pass up the ball to an open team mate.

He drove left, crossed right, back left and made his decision - one which was probably a smart choice. Tim Hardaway will always be remembered for his on-the-court magic.

Here's a mix of some of Tim's famous crossover moves. Strap your ankles tight, you might get broken just by lookin' at this video.

Bonifacio's Struggles Continue; Sanchez back on D/L

Emilio Bonifacio can't seem to find his swing. He has been moved up and down the line-up from first to second to, back to first, then back to second on a daily basis. It doesn't seemed to be working.

Bonifacio went 0 for 4 twice in the four game series against the Central Division leader Milwaukee Brewers. In both of those games he batted second in front of Hanley Ramirez. A spot where you would think you would get pitches to hit. He finished the series 3 for 16 (.187) and is 9 for 43 (.183) in his last 11 games. Along with his struggles at the plate, Bonifacio is struggling defensively. He is the Major League leader in errors with 9.

Is it time for a change? A lot of the Marlin fans think so. Some think he should be dropped down to the 8th spot. He is not getting the job done where he is hitting now, so hopefully something gets done soon. The Marlins pulled the plug on Maybin when he wasn't cutting it - why haven't they done the same with Bonifacio?

On another note, Manager Fredi Gonzalez said in his the post game conference that Anibal Sanchez will be returning to the D/L. This comes after the Marlins rushed him back up after two rehab starts. He got the win on Tuesday but was not it worth losing him again. Gonzalez says to expect Ricky Nolasco to be called up to start Sunday's game.

How Important is Game One of the NBA Finals?

If you listen to ESPN, they love to tell you all these obscure statistics that you never thought of asking, such as "over 90% of the teams that win game one of an NBA playoff series win the series." A statistic such as that leads you to question how important the first game between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers actually is.

With the way both teams are playing, it's difficult to make such a prediction.

The Orlando Magic are 2-0 versus the L.A. Lakers in the regular season and the Magic went 3-0 at home in the Eastern Conference Finals. With that said, L.A. lost one game at home to the Denver Nuggets, but went ahead and took two in Denver later on.

What does all this tell you? Don't expect a predictable series.

There are already plenty of position-by-position analysis articles out there touting L.A.'s overwhelming advantages over the Magic. If anything, you have to give more credit to the Magic than the Lakers.

The Lakers might have a legendary coach, the experience of being in the Finals a year before and the all-star that is Kobe Bryant, but the Orlando Magic have formidable match-ups in those areas as well.

Stan Van Gundy has already outcoached Doc Rivers (last year's championship coach) and Mike Brown (this year's Coach of the Year). The Magic team as a whole has gained experience throughout these playoffs similar to how the Celtics gained experience during last year's championship run. As for Kobe Bryant, Mikael Pietrus could give him some fits on defense (i.e such as he did against a much larger LeBron James) while Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu will give him some problems on offense (i.e. isolation switch-ups against a much shorter Kobe Bryant).

All of this still may not give Orlando the edge over L.A., but it does even things out and settles the score on all these "L.A. in five" predictions. Quite frankly, many analysts thought that the Cleveland Cavaliers were going to trounce the Magic in five or six games, instead the result was the opposite.

These playoffs have left everyone in a bit of a surprise, from Denver's Western Conference Finals appearance to Houton's seven game series versus L.A. to Orlando's dominance over Cleveland. Don't sell yourself just yet because the NBA Finals will be quite a spectacle to watch.

Passing Up or Sticking to Their Guns?

With the Wide Receiver market populated with a few premier NFL players many teams have had their eyes on the likes of Anquan Boldin, Plaxico Burress and to some extent Marvin Harrison. As for the Miami Dolphins, they have taken an alternate route and decided to stick with their receiving core.

So are the Miami Dolphins passing up on a prime opportunity, or are they making the right decision by sticking to their guns?

When you weigh the behavioral and publicity baggage that come with a potential Boldin/Burress pick up, it would not align with the "no nonsense" doctrine that Bill Parcells has brought into the organization.

The management believes in their players and have their reasons to do so.

According to historical trends, Wide Receivers have "broken out" in their third year. Guess which Ohio State receiver will be entering his third year? That's right - Ted Ginn Jr.

Between Ted Ginn, Greg Camarillo and Davone Bess, Tony Sparano believes that "there is a number one receiver on the team." Some experts may disagree with his statement, but last year the team did enough on the offensive end to win 11 games. With a healthy receiving unit, the young core only has room for improvement.

There is no doubt that Boldin or Burress would be a significant upgrade and an instant impact, but the style of football that Miami plays is not based on primetime receivers. Instead, Sparano pushes for athletes that have an all-around game and can fit well into a dynamic system, hence the draft pick of combo player, Pat White.

We all know that Miami is not aiming for a traditional passing offense such as found in Indianaopolis, thus a great receiver that demands plenty of touches in a game would not fit well on the team. Why take up cap space on one player, when you can sign solid players that will get the job done as a squad and not as individual players.

In this case the Dolphins are sticking to their guns, even with Plaxico Burress' open interest in Miami. It just sends a message to the rest of the league that the Fins are ready to play some old school X's and O's football with a twist under Ireland, Parcells & Sparano regime.

The team might as well remove all the names off the back of the jerseys because it's obvious that the focus is on the name stitched accross the chest of each player.