Get Out Of Bed!

Get your lazy butts up and start getting the popcorn and soda ready! (Doesn't sound so healthy either!) Summer vacation is going to be over and no more staying up and watching movies or texting your boyfriend at 3 AM. It's more like pulling 'all-nighters' to study for finals or waking up at 4 AM to finish a long assignment.

Bright side to this! School teams! NFL! playoff races! NASCAR! You name it. All this summer you've wondered if your school team will beat their biggest rival or if Tom Brady will come back and help the Pats get another perfect season or will Jimmie Johnson be holding the trophy again at Homestead-Miami Speedway? We can finally get closer of knowing that summer is over!

What about college football! Students head back for fall semester and players gear up to honor their schools. Tim Tebow looks to win another Heisman and win yet another National Championship. How about them Broncos! Boise State has a chance to finally play in the Rose Bowl if they are able to go the season undefeated. Who will be this years Utah and upset a heavy favorite in a BCS game?

Playoff races! Who will win the NL Wild Card? It's is so hard to tell now because all the teams in the chase are playing so well. Rockies with Troy Tulowitzki, Giants with dangerous arms like Tim Lincecum, Marlins with young star power like Hanley Ramirez and the Braves with classy veteran Chipper Jones. Let it be a battle 'till the end.

How about the younger athletes? Where it all begins for some future stars. High school football is starting and we get to hear of some 5-star talent that could be a major playmaker in college. Recruiting is always a fun thing to follow and state championships are even better. As kids, some players dream of wining the state championship for their schools of rich tradition. Don't forget to check out rivals.com once in a while to check future stars for your favorite college team or the local newspaper to check on your high school.

Well summer, you've been pretty good to me and I hope to everyone else also. Good luck in school and remember, always strive for best.

Marlins Future Looking Great

But with confusion? The Florida Marlins have always been a team to look for years to come. They have players that are top prospects in all of Minor League Baseball and almost all of them are projected to have big numbers when they reach "the show". From First Rounders Matt Dominguez and Kyle Skipworth to almost USC football star Mike Stanton to big arms like Brett Sinkbeil and Ryan Tucker. The talent is everywhere on the field! But what are the Marlins supposed to do with so much kids!

Right now current LF, Chris Coghlan, is having a good rookie campaign so far. The second basemen turned left fielder was one of the Marlins top prospects ever since he got drafted. I've been a huge fan of his ever since I saw him play in the MLB Futures All Star Game a few years back and from there, I followed him through out his Minor League career to the day he got called up. I wasn't really sure where he would play since Dan Uggla is in 2nd but he sure found himself a home out in the outfield. About one month ago he was batting around 250. and now has 12 game hitting streak and batting 286. He has tremendous plate discipline and is a natural contact hitter. I really hope he sticks around with the Marlins because he can really help the team in the top of the order. But is he to stay in the outfield forever? Or will he be another Miguel Cabrera type, infielder turned outfielder turned infielder again. ( Those who didn't know, Cabrera was a shortstop before playing outfield when he got called up)

If Coghlan goes back to 2nd, where would Uggla play? Some said the deal was Uggla was to move to 3rd base to make room for Coghlan. So what happens to 3b Matt Dominguez, their 07 first round draft pick? He is known for his fancy glove but continues to shine with his bat in the Minor Leagues. Is Uggla the odd man out?

How about in firstbase? Gabby Sanchez vs. Logan Morrison. A lot of people haven't heard of Morrison, but those who have say he is the 2nd best prospect for the Marlins. They also have Morrison projected to play in the outfield for the Marlins. -What?- Mike Stanton, ranked #26 in Milb.com Top 50 prospects, should be playing RF, Cameron Maybin, #5 on the list, plays CF, and so far Coghlan is playing LF. Marlins aren't in the AL so none of them can't DH. (That will be great for the team if they had a DH)

So what do they do with the talent? Keep them in the Minor Leagues until they die? Trade them away for short term veterans? This is the bad thing about having so much fire power in your system. You might have to give away long time players of the future to make the team a contender right away. 2003, Marlins trade away their first round draft pick, Adrain Gonzalez to the Rangers for closer Ugeuth Urbina. He did help the Marlins win the World Series but look now. Urbina is in prison and Gonzalez is one of the best hitters in baseball. Another situation is trade prospects for another one, but look what happened in 1999. Marlins got Johan Sanatana in the Rule 5 draft but then gave him away to the Twins for Jared Camp. I know, who in the world is that? I don't even know!

It just sucks to see a player who could have been part of the Marlins having success with another team, but hey, that's baseball! A business. As a boss you wouldn't like to see a former employee selling more products for your rival and not your business. Yeah you can be happy for them but that one special talent could have made the team closer to being an elite squad.



My future Marlins lineup:
C- Kyle Skipworth
1B- Gabby Sanchez
2b- Chris Coghlan
SS- Hanley Ramirez
3b- Matt Dominguez
RF-Mike Stanton
CF-Cameron Maybin
LF- Maybe a veteran or Morrison, still up for grabs.
SP- Josh Johnson

A True MVP

Angry Prince

Last night the Brewers were playing vs. the Dodgers and it wasn't very pretty. Literally.

A) The Brew Crew lost 17-4. Not what you need when you're in a middle of a getting a playoff spot.

B) With two outs in the ninth, Dodger pitcher, Guillermo Mota, hits Brewers first baseman, Prince Fielder in the thigh and Fielder wasn't very happy about it.

In the bottom of the seventh when the Dodgers were batting, Manny Ramirez, was hit and it looked intentional. As we all know, when a player gets hit by a fastball, the other team wants revenge and goes after a player from the opposing team. "You hit our best player, we'll hit yours."

Now Prince has a right to get mad about this. His team suffered an ugly loss and I know no one would like to get hit by a pitch with one out left in the game. But the acts that Prince Fielder took...

After the game was over, the 270 lb Fielder went charging into the LA clubhouse to confront Mota. Just imagine someone as big as Fielder screaming and charging. It doesn't sound very pleasing. Dodger Stadium security and players from the Brewers had to hold Fielder back, so he actually wasn't able to reach the double doors of the clubhouse. 30 ft more and he was in! But would Prince Fielder let anger get to him and risk a suspension just to get back at Mota? I don't think the Brewers would want their best hitter (Or 2nd, Ryan Braun could be 1st) out for the season and their playoff chances are over because of the absence of Fielder.

It should be interesting to see what actions do both teams take when they play again today. All I know is, I wouldn't like to be in the bad side of Prince Fielder. He is one really big dude.

2009 Rookies Unsigned

Training camp has officially started and some rookies are still a no show due to their contracts situation. It's surprising the teams actually care about how much money they spend in the rookies. Oh wait, it doesn't look like it. Paying them millions and still don't know if they will become a draft bust.

Players that were picked 1-10, 6 remain unsigned and a camp holdout.

• 3. Tyson Jackson DE, Kansas City Chiefs
  
• 4. Aaron Curry LB, Seattle Seahawks
  
• 6. Andre Smith OT, Cincinnati Bengals
  
• 8. Eugene Monroe OT, Jacksonville Jaguars
  
• 9. B.J Raji DT, Green Bay Packers
  
• 10. Micheal Crabtree WR, San Francisco 49ers
  

Players selected from 11-15, only 3 are unsigned.

• 11. Aaron Maybin DE, Buffalo Bills
  
• 12. Knowshon Moreno RB, Denver Broncos
  
• 14. Malcolm Jenkins DB, New Orleans Saints
  

The rest have all been signed to million dollar contracts and participating in their team camp. Let's get these top draft pick signed so they can show us if they're worth every penny!

Trade Deadline

A day in which trades make or break a team. We saw many teams in the playoff race making a run for a player who can help the team come on top and win the division or get a Wild Card berth.

During the whole week we heard rumors that the Phillies were in the hunt of getting Cy Young winner, Roy Halladay, but in the end he stayed put in Toronto. They did get another AL Cy Young winner in Cliff Lee. After this trade, many said this was the ticket to the World Series for the Phils.

We also saw a team that looked like if they would trade away the whole team. The Pirates have been known as one of the worst teams in baseball in the last few years and they just want to get the young players so they can start from zero. We've seen some teams doing this and have done well, but the Pirates traded their middle infielders Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson, probably the two best players in the team get traded away and Nate McLouth, the All-Star was traded to the Braves earlier this season. The Pirates traded 10 of their players and in return received 17 players. Big time gamblers.

Another team that gambled was the Chicago White Sox. Earlier in the day, AL central rival, Detriot Tigers got pitcher Jarrod Washburn and that may have been the move that won them the central division. Then the White Sox managed to get former NL Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy. Peavy has been injured this season and we still don't know if he would pitch this season. So making a trade for a player that might not even pitch this season doesn't sound very smart...

Other notable trades: Red Sox get Victor Martinez, Twins get Orlando Cabrera, Braves get back Adam LaRoche, Marlins get Nick Johnson from the Nationals and Matt Holliday to the Cardinals.