Best Draft in Heat History?

Tough to say, but I'd have to go with yes. The year we got Caron and Rasual Butler was a very productive draft for us, but Thursday night was the best night in Heat history aside from June 20th, 2006.

Drafting Michael Beasley, and keeping him, was the best move Riley could have made all night. I'm aware of his "character concerns", especially in a town like Miami, but he's a young guy and is a risk anywhere in the country. If he wants to go out on the town, he will. Face it. If the worst thing he does is go to a couple of clubs the night before a game, then I'll take the 25/20 he'll drop on any team in the league.

Granted, if he ends up failing in Miami, he'd be the most colossal bust in Heat history, and one of the biggest busts in NBA draft history. The thing is, the value we could have gotten for him in a trade was minimal. The Heat wanted OJ Mayo, and couldn't have known Minny would trade him to Memphis. He was going to go at 3 and there was nothing we could work out with Minnesota. The best option at that point was to stick with Beasley and go from there.

The funny thing is that I am almost as excited about our 2nd pick, Mario Chalmers, as I am about the Beasley pick. Michael can easily become our best player in time, yes even better than Dwyane Wade. But Chalmers is everything we need in a point guard and more. The guy plays D, shoots from the outside, and is clutch. That last shot against Memphis was a classic and proves he's got the leadership to take on the pressure when the time is right. Landing him for a couple of second rounders (we got one back after trading useless Darnell Thornton, nice player but no room) was a steal.

In a year in a half he should have molded into a starting caliber point guard. He won't be Derrick Rose or Steve Nash, but he can become good enough to run a championship team with Wade in the backcourt and Beasley at the 3 or 4. It really was a great day for the organization and for its fans, and everyone seems to agree we got the best draft in the league. Just hope for the best at this point. Wait out a rocky season that should see us get a 6 seed and maybe bounced in the first or 2nd round. Then 2009 will be our rise back to the top.

Please Draft Beasley

Enough of all the trade talks and speculation. My head is spinning from all the possibilities. Marion, the 2nd pick, Mark Blount, and even Dwyane Wade have all been discussed in rumors involving Miami and the NBA Draft.

As much fun as it would be to play fantasy NBA GM, I just want to draft Beasley tonight and sign him before Pat Riley does something foolish, like trading him. I understand they love OJ Mayo, but it's iffy if he can play the point in the NBA and Beasley is a force on the inside. You have a huge trade chip in Marion's expiring contract. Find someone who needs cap space and move him for an asset.

I still don't understand the problem with just signing Elton Brand this summer. If Brand is indeed interested in playing for Miami, why doesn't he just opt out and sign here? Wouldn't you prefer the 50+ million guaranteed over the next few years than a one year deal worth 16+? This isn't the NFL where you can get cut and lose all that money. If he would just opt out, it would save us a huge headache.

The problem then, of course, is that we would be way over the luxury cap without a way to dump salary. Micky Arison won't allow it. I think he should. I suppose it is a little too late, with our draft pick so close. Had we gotten a chance to sign Brand this summer, then we could have traded Haslem or Marion for a point guard, and draft Beasley, or kept them both and drafted Mayo. Who knows?

At this point, the only way to get Brand is to trade Marion or wait till next year. Instead, it is looking more and more likely that the Heat will just opt to dump salary through Blount and trade Beasley away just so they can sign Brand next season. It's a calculated risk. I'm not saying OJ Mayo isn't a special player, because he is, but Beasley is ridiculous. You'd be putting your job/legacy on the line by passing on him in an attempt to rebuild using other assets. We'll see.

Heat Pursuing Brand?

ESPN's Chris Broussard had an interesting tidbit of info on his blog yesterday.

The Clippers Elton Brand is in the same position as Shawn Marion. He's got one year left on his contract for a bloated 16-17 million bucks, but has the option to opt out if he wishes. Word has been for months that he might opt out to sign with Philadelphia, but Broussard says otherwise.

Apparently, the only way Brand would opt out of his current deal and take a paycut would be if he would be matched up with Dwyane Wade in Miami. That sound like a plan to me. Unfortunately the only way to make sure we get brand would be to trade Marion in a sign-and-trade. Broussard doesn't seem to think that's likely, but I would think that the Clippers would rather have Marion in exchange for Brand instead of seeing their star player walk away for nothing.

And if Brand opts out and is indeed looking to team up with Wade, then wouldn't we be free to sign him as a free agent? Then we would have the ability to trade Marion for some role players and/or picks. Then possibly draft Beasley anyway and march out a front line of Beasley, Haslem, Brand and Alonzo Mourning. Marion could bring us a point guard or a small forward, or both. Problem is matching up contracts and making sure we aren't a billion dollars over the luxury tax.

Or we could draft Rose if he falls to us, keep Marion and trade Haslem for a small forward. Or maybe keep Haslem as a role player, since I think the team could live with Ricky Davis/Dorell Wright at small forward.

Haslem could be moved at any time for a point guard as well, and in a scenario where we get Brand and Beasley, I would be happy to ship Haslem away. The possibilities are endless and my head hurts just trying to think of what the Heat could do if Brand were to force the Clippers' hand and get himself sent to Miami. Let's hope for the best, because the next 4 or 5 days are crucial for the success of this franchise.

Tiger's Dramatic Victory

This is something I really wished I had time to write about on Monday or Tuesday night. How often is it that a single man captivates the entire country to care about something that otherwise ranks among going to the dentist and paying taxes on the list of things people find entertaining?

All I know is that I watched Sunday's final round, invested in Tiger's success as much as I am when one of my hometown teams is in a playoff hunt. I don't have any personal attachment to Tiger. I don't know him. I wasn't born in his hometown. I have no real reason to root for him other than I want to see history made.

But there is something special about a guy who is the best at what he does in the world. Maybe more so than anyone else is at their job. He is that good. Watching him is simply a privilege. I can't stress that enough. When he drained that putt on 18 to send the US Open into a playoff, I exploded. And millions of people around the world did so as well. For golf!

Then on Monday, as I watched online updates show Tiger's 3 shot lead shrink away with only holes to spare, I was legitimately worried. I snuck away from work into the break-room and stood with half a dozen other guys, all neglecting their duties, just to see Tiger somehow pull off yet another miraculous comeback with a birdie on 18. Then we all stuck around, risking our jobs, huddled around a crappy TV, just to watch him clinch his 3rd US Open title on the ensuing sudden death hole.

And if you read the papers or ESPN.com, you would have seen we weren't alone. People everywhere simply stopped what they were doing. Thousands of people who otherwise couldn't give a damn about golf had a vested interest in how the playoff between Mediate and Woods turned out. That's pretty impress. I think pretty soon, Tiger's legend will grow to the point that everyone will know where they were the day he sank that 25 foot birdie putt to win his 19th major.

What makes it all amazing is that he did it on a knee so badly injured, that he won't be able to play the rest of the season. For everyone who assumed he was faking it, you look pretty foolish now. He risked his health and his future for one shot to prove to himself and the world just what he could do. Unfortunately, it cost him a chance to win the British Open and PGA Championship, but Tiger will be back. If Tiger can win the US freaking Open with an injured knee, then a revitalized Tiger will do just fine on a rehabilitated knee next season.

Last weekend's tournament really was one of those special events in sport where you think to yourself "Wow, am I glad that I was a part of that. Even if all I did was witness it live on television, that is something people will talk about for years to come." Those sorts of sporting events come around once a year maybe, but what makes it most impressive is that America collectively celebrated Tiger's win despite having no allegiances to him.

This wasn't the Miracle on Ice, where the country rallied behind a team that stood for something more. It wasn't any single fanbase celebrating a team's first title in decades, or a legion of hometown fans toasting to their hero's success after a long career, like John Elway or Alonzo Mourning. Absolutely none of us had any logical reason to have such undying support for Tiger, so that makes what he does to us that much more special.

Griffey and Joe

I never made much of a statement regarding the situation involving "Joe" and Ken Griffey's 600th home run ball. I myself wanted to be out there to try to catch it, but like I said, Miami sports fans are unsupportive but aren't dumb when it comes to money-making opportunities. The outfield was sold out for the entire series so I couldn't make it. (Some hypocrite I am, seeing as how I too, would only go to catch the ball. But I digress...)

The fan who caught Griffey's ball hasn't given it back, despite pressure to do so from the star outfielder. Is it his right to ask for compensation? Or should he just give it back, which seems like the right thing to do?

Honestly, I would have to say Griffey will need to pay up to get that ball back. It's just way too much money to turn down in an honest situation. It's not like the guy stumbled into an open bank vault and would be breaking the law, or would have the guilt of finding a wallet loaded with cash. He paid money to see a game and he caught a baseball that 99 times out of 100, nobody cares about.

For that ball, he could get 5 figures, easily. Maybe up to 100k if someone were desperate enough. I'm sorry, but I would seriously consider just holding on to it before just handing it back to Ken for free. People work too hard and make too little to turn down overtures of tens of thousands of dollars. I'm sure most people would feel the same way. The self-righteous would say Joe should give it back, but they aren't in his position.

And this is coming from someone who idolized Griffey as a kid. He was my favorite ballplayer. I'm sure many of you felt the same way about The Kid. I feel bad that he is put in this situation, but he makes millions of dollars and could easily afford to give what probably amounts to a year's pay to a guy named Joe for the ball. My heart says Joe should give it back, but the reality of the situation is that he would really be dumb to do it. That or wealthy enough that he can afford to do so.

Where Will Rose Land?

The big news this week was a statement made by point guard Derrick Rose, stating his desire to be drafted by his hometown Bulls #1 overall. Before I say anything, can we all just agree that the Bulls are freakin lucky to have the top pick? 1.7%?! They had no business getting the #1 overall selection when there were teams as bad as Miami and Seattle in the league. I hate the lottery system, and it needs to be fixed.

Anyway, I don't blame the guy for wanting to be picked by his hometown team. And it turns out the claims that he wouldn't meet with the Heat were unfounded, as the Memphis guard is in Miami this weekend to meet with Heat brass.

The interesting part is that despite all the speculation that Rose is our guy and that Riley wants to stay away from Beasley, it seems that Riles might have played us all the whole time. Michael Beasley was the top draft prospect since LeBron James and somehow he's turned into a guy the Heat can't wait to trade away once they draft him 2nd overall. We've all continually heard the Heat express an interest in Rose, and teaming him up with Wade in the backcourt. And all the while, the Bulls have been shifting their interest to Rose as well.

Could it be that Riley was purposefully showing a false interest in Rose, just so the Bulls would pass on Beasley and give us the most talented player in the draft. Sources have said the Heat aren't looking to have two slashers in the backcourt, and Rose is anything but a jump-shooter. And the fact we have yet to extend Shawn Marion (more on that later) suggests there might still be room for Michael Beasley in our front court.

I've said it all along, I really don't give a damn who we get, as long as it is one of those two. Either one would make a huge impact on this team and instantly make the Heat a playoff team again. A couple of moves here and there, with some 2009 cap space, and we're looking at a serious contender for 2009-2010. If we get Rose, excellent. Wade will have the ballhandling duties taken away and can focus on being the star. If not, then Beasley dropping 30/20 every other night will do just fine.

Packers and Jason Taylor

Honestly, I hope it happens. At this point, Taylor seems pretty adamant about either retiring after this season or refusing to play for the Dolphins at all. I love the guy, but the offseason drama has been a pain in the ass, and this team is bad enough without having to deal with all these issues. Losing Zach Thomas hurt, but we might as well rip off the memories of a glorious past (if you can call playoff failures glorious) like a band-aid.

The biggest problem isn't the price tag. I think the Dolphins could legitimately squeeze a 3rd rounder out of the Packers, and maybe even a 2nd. The problem is that Taylor is being a prima donna and sources say that the Green Bay market isn't "big enough" for him. It's possible this is just a smokescreen for the fact that Taylor simply doesn't want to play on a team led by Aaron Rodgers at QB. I would hope it is the latter, and JT doesn't want to insult the quarterback by outright saying it.

Regardless, we need to get rid of Taylor. It's clear that he will serve no use to us in the near future. Even if he plays this year, the chances of us winning a title are slim to none, and slim just left. We might as well get as much value as possible from the talent he has and prepare for the future. It makes sense for all parties involved. I really don't know why it hasn't happened yet.

It could be that the organization just doesn't want to admit to it's fans that it doesn't plan on winning many games this year. Trading your best player for a 2009 draft pick reeks of rebuilding mode. But they need to get over that, if that is the problem. Any fan who thinks a 1-15 team has any chance of making a difference this season is delusional. We all know by now the team sucks. They should just make the best decision possible for the future of the franchise and trust that it won't make a dent in ticket sales.

Recaping the Season

It was a nice run for the Miami Hurricanes, but much like the 1998 season, a talented roster came up empty when it mattered most. I stressed that this team needed to be clicking to win the title, but they never got things together. The pitching stumbled towards the end, both the bullpen and starting rotation failed to live up to our high standards and ultimately cost us a shot at a championship. But what really failed us was the high-powered offense that just couldn't get it done.

Despite the lineup laden with power bats and 1st round picks, Miami simply couldn't get runs on the board. With runners in scoring position, our batters continually struck out. Aside from the home run (much like their pro counterparts, the Marlins) Miami couldn't get anything done offensively. It was a joke, really. A joke, and an absolute shame that such a promising season ended so badly.

Realistically, to ask a title or bust of any team is asking a bit too much. That being said, Miami was taken to the brink and then eliminated by the likes of Arizona, Stanford, or Georgia, none of which strike me as top teams. Had we lost to UNC in the title game, or LSU or Rice, or even the hated Seminoles, I would have understood. However, the Canes played down to their opponents and ended up being sent home packing by inferior squads. Now they'll have to watch on as other teams get a chance to win that ring.

What's sad is that we will have to wait while now before having another shot at a title. Most of our great players got drafted in the first few rounds, so I wouldn't expect guys like Weeks or Alonso back. Chris Hernandez will be back for a couple of seasons, but the class that is leaving will be leaving huge holes to fill.

Then again, the same was said of our 98 team, which featured #1 overall pick Pat Burrell. The Canes then went on to win the title the following season, and then took home the championship in 2001 as well. I'd take that. In any case, despite the disappointing end to the year, congratulations to the team for having a great season. They were the undisputed #1 team for most of the season, but just lost steam towards the end.

Tiger Being Tiger

I know golf is typically seen as the least-possible entertaining thing to watch on TV by sporting enthusiasts, but I have to say my piece about Tiger Woods and his performance this weekend.

Say what you want about the sport, but plain and simple yesterday's back 9 was the Jordan Flu Game of golf. And today's clutch 12 foot putt on the 18th hole was absolutely stunning.

Tiger simply is out of this world good. He finished 2nd in the Masters with a bum knee and had to have surgery to repair the damage. He comes back weeks later, rusty and in pain, and still manages to take hold of the lead entering Sunday's final round thanks to three amazing shots on the final 6 holes of Saturday's 3rd round.

But after going +3 in the first two holes of the final round and in considerable pain, things looked bad for Tiger. His 13-0 record in major tournaments when leading after 54 was in serious jeopardy. I was legitimately concerned he might pull out after the 3rd tee shot, where he was grimacing and doubled over in pain. Everything he had worked for seemed in doubt.

Somehow he stayed the course and things fell in place for a dramatic final hole, needing birdie to force a playoff against fan-favorite Rocco Mediate. Even after making a mistake and putting himself in a tough position, he managed to set himself up for the dramatic tying birdie putt. As if there was any doubt that he would do it, Woods barely made it, as his birdie attempt trickled in just before rolling past the cup.

I can't overstate just how amazing Tiger Woods is. He has continually proven that he is the best in the world at what he does. There is no Rafael Nadal to his Roger Federer. Nobody is better than him, on any field, in any situation, under any circumstances.

What makes his greatness even more amazing is the pressure that he performs under. This wasn't just your run-of-the-mill final round. Not only was he trying to protect his 13-0 streak, but he is fighting the course (a final 3 holes that fit Mediate's style to a tee), history (Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors looming ahead) and his own physical limitations at the same time. Not just that, but Woods certainly had to be thinking about his recently passed father. What a fantastic Father's Day present he gave to his late mentor and friend. Every one of these things had to be weighing on him as he prepared to take the final stroke.

A normal human being would have folded under the pressure. I myself was a wreck, with knots in my stomach turning, hoping Woods would succeed. Instead of caving, Woods ignored all the distractions. The pain, the pressure, the cameras. Calmly he sank the putt and then erupted like we've never seen. It might have been the biggest shot of his career. The mere fact we can't say that for certain is a testament to his illustrious achievements. He's had so many of these shots that we could sit for days arguing which is the best. Anyone else and it would have easily been the pinnacle of their career. That's just how good Tiger Woods is.

If he ends up losing tomorrow, it would definitely be an anticlimactic finale to an otherwise compelling weekend. Regardless, to see the very best in the world perform at such a high level is a privilege. What is amazing is that Woods puts more pressure on himself than what he receives from the media and his fans, and continues to surpass those expectations with every round of golf he plays.

Miami on the Brink

I waited until about 24 hours after the game was over to post because I simply was still fuming over the result of last night's game with the Georgia Bulldogs. I have said time and again that this team needed to be clicking on all facets of the game, and that you need a little bit of luck to win a championship. So far, neither has proven true of the Miami Hurricanes baseball team.

Credit the Bulldogs for sticking around, but don't pretend for a second that they have the superior team. The Canes simply didn't take advantage of the chances they had, and the Bulldogs pounced on their good fortune. The near-home runs of last week (batted down by wind) turned into the dropped strikeout last night. Miami just can't seem to catch a break, and rather than respond with fortitude, they have recently been showing less than championship caliber mental toughness.

In case you don't already know, Miami had the late 4-3 lead, with 2 outs left in the game. Georgia had a man on base, but Gutierrez looked good and just struck out the Bulldog batter for the 2nd out. Instead of being a mere 3 strikes away from the winner's bracket, Yasmani Grandal made a bonehead play, dropped the ball, and then lost it, giving the oblivious batter a chance to recognize the situation and make it to first.

From there, the Bulldogs tied the game and then tried to bunt the runners over. Whereas we saw a poised Chris Hernandez field a tough bunt earlier in the game with success, closer Carlos Gutierrez, a 1st round pick with all the promise in the world, launched the throw well past 1st baseman Yonder Alonso, letting 2 more runs score on the error. The game eventually ended 7-4 and left the hapless Canes stunned.

I honestly don't expect them to bounce back from this. They've had to deal with more than their fair share of bad luck, and right now they aren't playing well enough to make up for it. The pitching has been average at best, and our only reliable starter has already been used up. The defense, which was Top 5 in the nation, has failed us of late. And the star-studded offense has had trouble putting runs on the board when they aren't knocking the ball out of the park. We need more than 4 runs out of this lineup. Especially against hot-hitting FSU tomorrow afternoon.

Things look bad, but I suppose as long as you're alive there is always a chance. Miami would have to win 4 straight games just to make it to the championship series, and I don't think we have the arms to get there. Hopefully we do. I still think when they are at their very best, this team is the best the country has to offer. Unfortunately they haven't been playing like it, and now face elimination against the rival Seminoles, who feature the #1 offense in the country. Hope for the best, but one can't but help fear the worst: the disappointment of not winning a title in what was "our year" to do so.

Wade's Finals Performance

A lot has been made recently on ESPN.com regarding statistician and columnist John Hollinger's rankings of the Greatest Finals Performances by an individual player. The cause for the uproar: Hollinger ranking our very own Dwyane Wade's 2006 Finals performance as the best all time.

I have to say, that was a bold statement by Mr. Hollinger. Wade is my favorite player in the NBA right now, but to put him above Jordan is a stretch. The thing is, Hollinger backs it up with some serious stats and arguments. Wade's PER (a stat Hollinger uses to determine efficiency, basically adds up positive plays and subtracts negative ones) was 6% higher than the next best performance of any player in NBA Finals history. You might remember Wade led the league in PER in 2005, but didn't receive any credit for it in the MVP race. Or was it 2006? Either way, it's a widely accepted stat that people have to respect at this point.

What helped Wade's performance was his constant trips to the free throw line and a well-rounded game the included steals, rebounds and assists to go with the nearly 35 points a game. The former is the reason for contention amongst so many fans. Any Heat fans knows that the 2006 Finals is notorious for non-Miami fans because everyone is convinced that the refs were in our favor. This despite the face the stats show that Dirk got more foul shots than any other player in playoff history that year, and the refs have historically been against us. Notice how we lost Games 2 and 5 in the ECF to Detroit, coincidentally reffed by Dick (Knick) Bavetta, who has a long and negative history with the Miami Heat.

It's frustrating to see nobody give credit to Wade, even 2 years after the fact. Hacks like Bill Simmons keep bringing up the foul shots like it was some conspiracy. Yeah, some of the fouls were ticky-tack. But the foul shots would never have been taken if Dallas didn't play Hack-a-Shaq halfway through every quarter. That was their own damn fault. Shooting 37% in the series didn't help either; it was clear that Miami outplayed them from Games 3-6, foul shooting aside.

I also hate the argument that Shaq was the sole reason we won and that Wade without Shaq is just Penny. These are the same people who call Shaq a fat and slow liability on the court. Pick one, guys. Either Shaq was an asset or a detriment to the team, he can't be both. The truth is that Shaq was a non-factor offensively and defensively in that series. Mourning was the guy who made all the plays. The only thing Shaq did was force Dallas to foul him and rack up the fouls shots. People will never seem to understand, and I just don't get what the problem is.

Even without the foul shots, Wade was clutch in Games 3, 5 and 6. He made some of the toughest shots in Finals history when it mattered most. And yes, maybe he took a lot of free throws, but he didn't choke and miss them either. He made those shots, so he deserves far more respect from the general public than what he gets now. I really wish people would see just how many of his foul shots were intentional fouls at the end of games (I've done the stats, it is impressive), just how many of his foul shots were due to Hack-a-Shaq, and I really wish people would see the following three plays of Game 6:

1) Udonis Haslem being called for traveling in the closing seconds of the game while trying to wrestle a rebound away. I've never seen anything that ridiculous called. He never fully got possession of the ball and the second he did, the refs handed the ball to Dallas.
2) James Posey's "double dribble", again in the final 2 minutes. How can you double dribble when you are hustling to grab a loose ball from going out of bounds. That is yet another iffy call that I have never seen called in that situation in any game in the NBA. Once again, Dallas ball.
3) And finally, up 3 with 10 seconds left, Gary Payton got beat by Jason Terry and purposefully yanked on his jersey as he turned a screen, BEFORE Terry could take a potentially game-tying shot. Rather than give us the foul, forcing Dallas to take foul shots and not allowing them a 3-point shot, the refs held their whistle and allowed the play to continue. Luckily the shot missed and the rest was history.

I challenge anyone to watch those three plays and tell me the refs were so in love with the Miami Heat that they planned on giving them the series. Go ahead. The great part is that it doesn't matter. No matter what anybody says, the Heat won a title. They were champs. We had the parade. I bought the DVD set. Try as they may, nobody can ever take that away from that 2006 team or its fans.

Canes Gear Up For Georgia

FSU just allowed 11 runs in the 9th as I write this, moments after coming back from 3 down in the 8th. Tough luck for Seminole fans, whose team now faces elimination against either Miami or Georgia in a couple of days, barring a miraculous comeback.

Even then, I wouldn't be too worried about the Seminoles, who survived a handful of elimination games in the process leading up the College World Series. I wouldn't be too surprised to see them bounce back. Hopefully they won't and Miami will have an easier time of it on the road to the title game.

What's more important is how the Canes do against a formidable Georgia team today. The Bulldogs have 2 1st round picks on their squad in SS Gordon Beckham and reliever Josh Fields (considered to be a huge stretch in the 1st, like Carlos Gutierrez). They are to be taken seriously in my opinion. I didn't say the same about the Arizona Wildcats and look how much of a challenge that proved to be.

If Hernandez is on his game, the Canes should be fine. Georgia's starters are hittable and we happen to have a Top 3 lineup in the country, if not the best. The problem is that the pitching, hitting, and defense haven't all been on the same page recently. If the Canes don't start running on all cylinders soon, I don't expect them to make it through the CWS as champs with only one starting pitcher who is really throwing well. Hopefully I'm wrong, but I do have faith that Jim Morris knows what he is doing.

Marcus Vick In Trouble Again

Some people you just can't save. After a short career at VT mired by run-ins with the law, Marcus Vick seemingly blew a future in the NFL before the Dolphins gave him a shot as a WR. I actually thought he did pretty well for himself, but things didn't work out. It was unfortunate, but he did his job while he was a Dolphin.

However, Vick has continued following his brother's footsteps by getting himself into trouble. Any chance he had of returning the NFL probably got washed away now with the news of his recent arrest. Marcus was caught driving drunk and evading officers who tried to pull him over. It's just a sad story because both of the Vick brothers had immense physical talents, but could never pull things together in the head.

NFL teams will forever think they can take a chance on a bad apple and hope he turns the corner. Look at what's happening for the Rangers and Milton Bradley. He's been tearing it up. However, for every success story like that, there is a catastrophe laying in wait. Often times it is the success stories themselves that end up falling apart. Bradley has been on his best behavior, but the recent incident where he almost stormed up a flight of steps to confront an announcer who was less than flattering to Bradley shows that he hasn't fixed all his issues quite just yet.

It goes to show some people never change. Then again, some do. Ricky Williams has been given umpteen chances, but he finally seems like he's got it. You really are rolling the dice when you take chances on guys like that, because it is the ultimate boom or bust scenario.

Evaluating the Urbina Trade

During the 2003 season, the Florida Marlins felt they had a chance to win a championship and pulled the trigger on a very risky trade. In exchange for closer Ugueth Urbina, the Marlins sent a trio of players to the Texas Rangers. Among the three was former #1 overall pick 1B Adrian Gonzalez.

Many Marlins fans may not have known that Gonzalez was a product of the Marlins farm system. A wrist injury early in his career heightened concerns that he would not regain his hitting form, so the trade was made. At first glance, it looked like a success. Though Urbina could be shaky at times, he was a key component of a 2003 championship run. That alone suggests the move was a good one.

However, the wrist injury did not hamper Gonzalez's ability to hit the ball. On the contrary, he has excelled for the Padres. Last year he smashed 30 home runs and drove in 100 RBIs. This year he is on pace for even more of each, while still batting nearly 300. That's pretty impressive for a guy the Marlins pretty much gave up on. It looks like he has lived up to his billing as a #1 overall pick.

Seeing how well he is doing, I thought about whether or not the trade was a good one. It's a lot like the Shaquille O'Neal trade back in 2004. I think if you win a title after making a deal, then the deal has been justified no matter what. In the long run, yes I think the Marlins might have been hurt. It's uncharacteristic of their front office to make a long term mistake, but you have to appreciate the fact they won a title. It's not easy to win a championship in any sports, so if you have to forsake the future in order to win now, sometimes you have to make the move.

It would have been nice to see him in this lineup though. Jacobs is a good player, but isn't at the level that Gonzalez is either offensively or defensively. Adrian would be a key piece to a successful playoff caliber squad. Still, I'll take that title from 2003 and be happy with the move that was made. There's no guarantee that keeping Gonzalez would have worked out or resulted in a World Series championship for this franchise.

Ross Saves the Day

In what has been a seesaw couple of weeks for the Marlins, the overachieving Fish rallied from 2 down in the 9th to come away with a victory against the visiting Reds. Cody Ross' walkoff HR off Francisco Cordero helped avoid a 3-game losing streak at a time when the Philadelphia Phillies are starting to run away with the division lead.

Unfortunately for money-grubbing South Florida sports fans, Ken Griffey did not hit his 600th home run. Right field has been pretty full of late, as the left handed slugger tends to pull his long balls to that area of the park. It's amazing how people go to Marlins games more for the opponent than for their home team. People have no idea who Cody Ross is, yet will rush to go see Ken Griffey from the Reds try to hit a home run. It's a little sad, but I have to admit, I wanted to be there today too in case he hit it. It's history, after all.

Still, it's a shame, because guys like Cody Ross have been doing great for the Marlins and nobody bothers to see them. Part of it has to be that the park is so far away from everyone. Sure it's in the center of the South Florida population center, but it's nowhere near any massive concentrations of people. I'd bet a Downtown site would produce a lot more attendance, but I digress. The Marlins are up 4-1 as I write this, so hopefully they can take 2 of 3 from the Reds, who embarrassed us a few weeks ago.

Canes Rally, Force Game 3

You have to admit, even knowing as Canes fan that Miami has the best team in the nation, it was a pretty scary sight seeing the scoreboard with us down 4-0. That 4th inning was absolutely crucial to the survival of our season.

Miami's lineup came up big with 14 runs a day after producing a season low 5 hits in a disappointing 6-3 extra innings loss. Yonder Alonso was one of many to defy the swirling winds at the Light last night, smashing a 3 run shot to break a 4-4 tie in the 4th. Yasmani Grandal added another a few innings later to help solidify the lead and help the Canes hold on another day.

Now we have to rely on Enrique Garcia to pitch the best he has all year, or at least do well enough to keep us in the game so that we can advance to Omaha. Any loss would render this amazing season an utter failure and a complete disappointment. A #1 ranking means nothing without the ring to show for it. I think we're in good shape if we can get to the Arizona starter early. One of their better relief guys will be unavailable, so we have to take advantage if we can.

Canes Facing Elimination

Man, that was a heartbreaker. I don't know how---with our lineup--- your pitching staff can strike out well over a dozen opposing batters and still lose. If any of you didn't catch the game last night, you would understand just why people say you need luck to win a championship.

No matter how good this UM team is, it's still baseball and anyone can beat anybody on any given day. Last night was a great example. A below-par Arizona starting rotation featured a guy who did a nice job keeping UM's offense in check and the game went into the 9th tied at 3.

After Kyle Bellamy held things down for the Canes, the bad luck started. Catcher Yasmani Grandal led off the innings with a shot that easily should have cleared the center field fence. Everyone knew it when it left the bat. Somehow, the wind knocked it down before it could clear the fence for the winning home run and Grandal had to settle for a double.

That's fine, seeing as how the top of the lineup was up. But after a check-swing strikeout by Blake Tekotte, the bad luck continued. On a wild pitch, Jemile Weeks got hit on the foot and advanced to first. Had he just pulled his foot away at the last second, the pinch runner Jonathan Weislow would have been at 3rd on the wild pitch and a sac fly with 1 out would have been more than enough to close the game out. Instead Weislow had to return to 2nd.

It's still good, with our superstar Yonder Alonso up to bat. I remember specifically saying "Come on Yonder, show us why you were a Top 10 pick." Just as those words left my mouth, he absolutely hammered a pitch to deep center field. Without that crazy wind, that ball would have easily cleared 450 feet. There was no doubt in my mind it was a walkoff home run and I celebrated as soon as I heard the smack of the ball. Instead of the ensuing jubilation, however, was the absolute shock of seeing a perfectly hit ball get knocked down by the wind YET AGAIN and get caught by the outfielder. To make matters worse, Weislow had also assumed the pitch was long gone and was halfway to home by the time he realized he hadn't tagged up and the inning ended on a double play.

From there, I knew it was over. You just can't recover from bad luck like that. The game ended on that play, not on the 3 run shot allowed by Carlos Gutierrez in the 11th. Hopefully the Canes can regroup in time for today's game, because if not, the season is over in extreme disappointment. I know for a fact we have one of the top 3, if not the top team in the country. Losing at any point in the College World Series shouldn't be an option for these guys.

Three Canes Drafted in 1st

I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed that the Marlins didn't draft Yonder Alonso with the 6th pick in yesterday's draft. We do have Mike Jacobs, but Alonso presents an upgrade in my opinion. Jacobs has experience at catcher so I thought that possibility might be intriguing enough for the Marlins to consider. Instead they decided to draft high school catcher Kyle Skipworth. Instead, Alonso went to the Reds with the next pick and can join young guys like Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce in what looks like a bright future for Cincinnati.

After Alonso came Jemile Weeks, who I had seen go as early as 12th or as late as the 3rd round. Indeed he went to the A's at 12th, who apparently don't have a whole lot of faith in Mark Ellis. Weeks projects to be a pretty solid player at the next level, but a lot of scouts aren't sold on him as a hitter. Regardless, he should make Oakland and fantasy players alike happy with his stolen bases.

The surprise 1st rounder was Carlos Gutierrez at 27 to the Twins. Carlos is coming off an injury and doesn't have a 2nd pitch, but Minnesota saw his dominance this year and felt he was worth the risk. I'm not entirely sure why they would draft him since they have Joe Nathan, but whatever. It was surprise because the other guy I thought would go in the 1st, Dennis Raben, did not.

Instead, Raben slipped to the mid-2nd to Seattle, which is still pretty good. He and Blake Tekotte (who ended up with the Padres in the 3rd), were projected by some as late 1st round picks. Regardless, both outfielders were drafted pretty high and it goes to show just how much talent is on this Hurricanes roster.

Another draftee of note was Mark Sobolewski who went in the 4th.

Bailey, Harris Hurt

As if we needed more reason to doubt that Miami can make it 7 straight wins against the hated Gators, recent news these past couple of weeks have added fuel to the fire. Allen Bailey will be out the entire summer and possibly part of the season thanks to a pectoral injury (thats the worst...working out to get better and you get hurt). Hopefully he can be back in time to be the Tebow killer we need him to be.

But what's certain is that DE Courtney Harris out of the picture the whole season. That's a big loss, because Harris is a solid contributer. His injured Achilles tendon will mean that we will need huge contributions from the freshmen and from Adewale Ojomo if we plan on having a successful season. I was already skeptical that this team could win 9 games, and now I don't know if they'll make it to 7 or 8. The DL is thin enough as it is without the injuries.

The news on the recruiting front regarding the DE position isn't too great either. Oliver Vernon has gotten several other offers from prominent schools, and it has been well known for some time that he is considered a soft verbal. Nick Saban has offered to play him the in flex position that Jason Taylor does for the Dolphins and that is appealing to Vernon. Hopefully he doesn't change his mind, because people are quickly realizing how good he is despite playing for a relatively small school.

Running back Jamaal Berry is another one of the big names out there, but don't expect to see him in a Canes uniform, unless the NCAA allows schools to start trading players. With our already loaded backfield and a commitment from Bryce Brown (as well as a silent from Lamar Miller, supposedly), we have no need for Berry unless he wants to switch positions. It's a shame because the kid really wants to be a Cane, but will likely end up elsewhere, probably for a rival, and with a chip on his shoulder.

Canes to Meet 'Zona

If you caught any of the Regionals action this weekend you saw the best team in the nation in action. Miami withstood a late Missouri rally before responding in the 8th for a close victory on Saturday. Then they completely dominated an outmatched Ole Miss squad on Sunday night.

Granted, I don't think it's fair that Ole Miss had to beat Missouri and then get an hour of rest before suiting up against the top ranked team on the road. I don't understand the scheduling there, but hey, I'll take it. Eric Erickson allowed an early home run against the Rebels, but regained his composure and the Canes didn't allow a run the rest of the game. Much of that had to do with fantastic shortstop Ryan Jackson, who hasn't received any publicity on this blog, and for that I have to apologize.

Now the Canes host another top seed in Arizona, but I wouldn't be terribly worried. I fully expect Miami to come out strong against a relatively weak pitching staff from the Pac-10 visitors. All the Canes need is to win 2 of 3 and they are heading to Omaha. Perhaps they'll meet FSU there, who barely squeezed into the Super Regionals after having to beat 3-seed Tulane twice to advance.

One thing I was surprised about from this weekend was Jim Morris deciding to go with Enrique Garcia in Game 1 of the Regional. That's fine and dandy until you lose that game and then need to call on your weakest starter to pitch in an elimination game on Sunday night or Monday night. I don't understand why you wouldn't just go with your best guys at the offset. I suppose Morris is thinking that if they win the first two, then they'd have to rely on Enrique to close out the Regional, likely against a better team than 4th seeded Bethune Cookman. Then a loss would kill the momentum. So I see his line of thought there, but it's a risky move. Looks like it paid off though.

Wade Trade Rumors

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Rather than post every day, which has become difficult recently, I believe that I will post fewer times a week, but with several pieces a day. That way I can still get my thoughts across to you guys.

In any case, I thought the whole Dwyane Wade to Bulls trade rumor should be addressed. I personally have never heard anything dumber in my entire life. Supposedly, the rumor is that Wade would go to the Bulls in exchange for moving up one spot in the draft, where the Heat would then select Derrick Rose. I have to say, only a fan blog could come up with something that ridiculous.

It's one thing to say we would trade Wade for the #1 overall pick and draft Rose and Beasley, planning for the future without Wade, who might opt out soon. That's still absolutely ridiculous. That itself would be stretching the limits of stupidity. So then try to imagine how incredibly dumb the real rumor is.

Wade is the cornerstone of the franchise. Period. I wouldn't trade him for anyone outside of LeBron James or Chris Paul. Maybe Deron Williams or Dwight Howard. Other than that, he is untouchable. And he is bordering on flat-out untouchable simply because he means so much to this community now that Jason Taylor is on his way out and Alonzo Mourning is at the tail end of his career. You can't trade the face of sports in Miami. You just can't.

I'm shocked that such a dumb rumor, and clearly a fabricated wishful thought on the part of a Bulls fan at that, would make it in a local paper and be addressed to Wade himself. Maybe if I say in this space: "LeBron James to the Heat for a 2nd round pick and Mark Blount", the papers up in Cleveland will go ask LeBron how he feels about joining his buddy Dwyane down in Miami.

Marlins Lose Rubber Match to Phillies

In what was a crucial series ending game for the Marlins, the pitching staff blew a 5-1 lead and cost the Marlins the division lead heading into the upcoming series in Atlanta. Instead of being comfortably ahead with a 1.5 game lead over Philly, we head into one of the toughest places to win this season down half a game and reeling from losing two straight NL East series.

It figured that at some point the bottom would start to fall out for this pitching staff. They've done a nice job keeping the Marlins in close games for the most part, but I think they are starting to wear out. The absences of Josh Johnson, Sergio Mitre and Anibal Sanchez have been a killer to the starting rotation, who have had to rely on unproven young players and journeymen to get by.

Still, there is reason to believe the Marlins can keep the pace. The Phillies won the series but have been playing as well as any team in baseball of late, so there is no shame in losing to them. Especially when it just as easily could have been the Marlins coming out of the weekend with a 2-1 record. When their young pitchers return, at least one of them can be counted on to give us a quality start more often than the current guys in the rotation. That means less pressure on the offense. It also means the impact of our crappy defense is minimized.

In any case, tough weekend for Marlins fans, but still it is nice to be following a team that is still in contention 1/3rd of the way through the season.