Heading into extra innings, the Florida Marlins did something they have done many times this year — they pulled out the victory. In the top of the 11th, Jeremy Hermida hit a three-run bomb to put the Marlins up for good by a final count of 9-6.
With the win, the Marlins are now 10-1 on the season. That marks the best start in franchise history after 11 games.
The team that took the loss on Saturday isn’t new to the loss column. The Washington Nationals are now 1-9 after ten games.
The Nationals actually appeared to be heading to a victory with …read more

Ivan Rodriguez, who is regarded by many as one of the best catchers in the history of the game, is still a free agent. While no deal appears imminent, rumblings have started to connect Rodriguez with the Florida Marlins.
Rodriguez has a history with the Marlins. Not only does he live in Miami, he spent one season of his career with team. That happened to be in 2003 when the Marlins won the World Series while Rodriguez was one of the team’s biggest stars.
After that season, he signed a big free agent deal with the Detroit Tigers. Last year, the Tigers …read more

The 2008 baseball trade deadline saw a flurry of trades involving some of the biggest names in the game. Players who were traded include future Hall of Famers Manny Ramirez, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Pudge Rodriguez.
Here is a breakdown of who got traded and to where.

Manny Ramirez traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Ken Griffey, Jr. traded to the Chicago White Sox
Ivan Rodriguez traded to the New York Yankees
Jason Bay traded to the Boston Red Sox
Kyle Farnsworth traded to the Detroit Tigers
Arthur Rhodes traded to the Florida Marlins

Manny Ramirez and his bat are headed to the Dodgers.
Photo: Newscom

The Florida Marlins run a bargain basement operation. With a total team payroll less than what Alex Rodriguez will make this year with the New York Yankees, it’s a bit surprising to hear the news that the Marlins and Hanley Ramirez have agreed a six-year, $70M extension.
Then again, if there is anyone in the major leagues to bank on, Ramirez might be that player. The 24-year-old shortstop is one of the best players in baseball. He’s currently hitting .338 with eight homers, 21 RBIs, 33 runs scored and an on-base percentage of.429. Last season, Ramirez hit …read more

Chase Utley, Philadelphia Phillies
Chase Utley isn’t only the hottest hitting second baseman, he’s the hottest hitting player in the major leagues – period. He’s hitting .357 with 13 homers, 26 RBIs and 28 runs scored. On top of that, he has a .432 on-base percentage. The 29-year-old has arguably been the best player in baseball in 2008.
Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Ian Kinsler has really been hitting the ball well as of late. For the season, he has two homers, 14 RBIs, 21 runs scored and a batting average of .288. The 25-year-old is quickly becoming one …read more

Hanley Ramirez, Florida Marlins
At 24, Hanley Ramirez is already a superstar. He’s off to a fantastic start as he’s hitting .337 with eight homers, 18 RBIs and 22 runs scored. Ramirez also has nine stolen bases and an on-base percentage of over .400.
Miguel Tejada, Houston Astros
While there are controversies surrounding Tejada regarding everything from his age to his name to his steroid use, there’s no denying how well Tejada is swinging the bat this year. He’s hitting .340 with four homers and 20 RBIs.
Rafael Furcal, Los Angeles Dodgers
The 30-year-old shortstop for the Dodgers is off to an amazing start to …read more

A couple weeks into the baseball season, let’s take a break and check out the hottest fantasy baseball players. In this top five list, there will be a few players who could remain near the top for the duration of the 2008 season.
1) Mark Reynolds, Arizona Diamondbacks
A lot of people liked the Diamondbacks coming into the season. Few thought that they’d be this dominant this early. Mark Reynolds, the 24-year-old third baseman for Arizona, has been a monster in this early season.
2) Lance Berkman, Houston Astros
Lance Berkman has been an enigma in recent years. He has massive potential but for …read more

The Florida Marlins have optioned young outfielder Cameron Maybin, acquired in the Miguel Cabrera giveaway, to Double-A Carolina. He’s 20 years old, so there’s no hurry. Besides, now he might get to learn what winning feels like.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have traded right-hander Jorge Julio and cash to the Florida Marlins for right-hander Yusmeiro Petit. The Marlins will use Julio as their closer, a role he filled for the Orioles from 2002 to 2004.
Julio enjoyed a tremendous rookie campaign in ‘02, finishing with a 1.99 ERA and 25 saves, enough to place him third in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting behind Rodrigo Lopez and winner Eric Hinske (talk about a weak crop!). Julio throws extremely hard but has trouble throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the park — a deadly combination. He just …read more