Sports Agenda For Thursday (6/16/11)
Big Story:
Couple of big stories, but only one has local interest.
The Marlins have completed their epic free-fall in the NL East and are now tied for last place in the division.
And, the Boston Bruins captured the Stanley Cup last night…primarily because they had the best goalie with the best name, Tim.
Let's hit this agenda harder than Charlie Sheen hits a speedball.
Marlins: (@ Philadelphia Phillies, 1:05 p.m., Fox Sports Florida)
Wow, just wow.
There's epic fail, and then there's the Marlins losing 17 of 20 and winning exactly 1 game in the month of June.
Yesterday, the Marlins got skunked in the first game and then Anibal Sanchez out dueled Phillies ace Roy Halladay only to see the Fish's closer choke away the game at the end.
Seriously, you have to try to be this bad as a team.
Poor Gaby Sanchez is the only Marlin worth watching right now. He's hitting .310 and jacked another homer last night in the first inning of the second game. Gaby has an .386 on-base percentage, 12 home runs, 43 RBI's, and .510 slugging percentage.
He and Sanchez are the highlights on the miserable team known as the Marlins right now.
Sanchez pitched 7 strong innings, striking out 6 and only giving up 2 runs on 4 hits.
Then, just like last year, the Marlins bullpen coughed up a lead faster than a cat does a hairball.
And if that's not bad enough, with another loss likely today, the Marlins will be all alone in dead last.
Congratulations management, way to go.
If you want to know where part of the problem is, look at Hanley Ramirez. He gives no effort, is pathetic at the plate this year, and has already had one good manager run out of town.
He needs to be traded asap. He's one of those players, kinda like a Terrell Owens and others, who are locker room cancers. They think they're entitled to something and will eventually bring a team down.
Ramirez is that way and it's time the Marlins tell him to either put-up or shut-up and get out.
But given how poorly run the Marlins have been over the last 7-8 years, they'll probably work up a contract extension when his average drops below .200.
Josh Johnson is reportedly throwing again, but not off the mound yet.
Reports are he's at least another month away from returning to the lineup.
I don't know, I still think the injury was a lot worse than just shoulder inflammation.
Sounds like someone has gone to the Bill Parcells school of "massaging" injury reports.
Heat notes:
The Heat extended a qualifying offer to point guard Mario Chalmers.
This makes him a restricted free agent, which means if he signs a free agent deal with another team, the Heat have the right to match it.
Of course if it's a big enough offer, the Heat would probably have to let him walk.
He had a good playoff run and the light may finally be going off in his head how to play.
Whether he can do it night in and night out in as a starter remains to be seen.
NHL quick hit:
Congrats to the Boston Bruins for capturing the Stanley Cup and again denying Canada the chance to celebrate winning the cup!
The Bruins rode the wave of emotion after one of their players was tattooed out of the Finals.
Good job Bru Crew!
Today's recommended reading: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Miami-Dolphins-not-city-favorite-sports-franchise-061411
