Nothing fishy about these Marlins
Viewers hungry for NFL. What's the record attendance number?
Good morning, all! Here’s hoping your Monday is off to a terrific start.
On June 9 the Miami Marlins owned a 24-40 record, seemingly spinning toward another season of oblivion. Only problem was, somebody forgot to tell them. Following their scintillating three-game sweep of the New York Yankees over the weekend, the Marlins now stand at 55-55 and are very much in the National League’s divisional and wild card races. The Marlins, with the second to lowest payroll in baseball, are 31-15 over the last eight weeks. The stumbling, bumbling Yankees, with the third highest payroll, are 60-52. Putting it another way, Miami has just three more losses than the deep pocket Yankees.
The Yankees are a mess. I’ve chronicled that all season, even when they were in first place. Now they are in third place, 4 1/2 games behind first place Toronto and 1 1/2 behind the Red Sox. And anyone who thought last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, was going to be their savior, wasn’t paying attention.
Gil, recovering from an oblique injury, pitched a game against the Hartford Yard Goats, which I broadcast, a couple of weeks ago. Some baseball people I talked to raved about him. I was not impressed. In fact, although Gil has at times an electric fastball, I have always thought him inconsistent and a crapshoot, when he takes the mound. Sunday he did not disappoint with that assessment. Making his first start of the season - since being sidelined in spring training - Gil gave up five runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings. Now its on to Texas for the slip-sliding Yankees. Do not be surprised if the Rangers sweep them.
But this is about the Marlins, who are becoming the feel-good story of the season, even more than the Milwaukee Brewers. They have built a young, talented team, which is giving other clubs fits, especially the Yankees, who were never swept in a series by the Fish, until this weekend. If you can believe it, Miami is in third place in the NL East, just seven games behind the front-running Mets and Phillies. They are 5 1/2 games back in the wild card race. That is why I am glad the Marlins were not sellers, leading up to the trade deadline. Yes, they made a deal or two but they resisted the temptation to blow up everything yet again and start anew.
There are certain fans who believe teams like the Marlins exist to be poached by the big market clubs. They can keep their myopic viewpoints of the game. The Marlins have every right to outsmart and outplay the opposition, when it comes to building a team. They do not have to be the Kansas City Athletics to the New York Yankees. And after this weekend’s action, and since the way they have played after being embarrassed by the Dodgers in late May, it may be the Yankees who are playing more like the Kansas City Athletics. Could it be 2003 all over again for the Marlins? Perhaps. For the Yankees, meanwhile, it’s beginning to seem more like 1965.
Some other thoughts for Monday, August 4, 2025:
Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti is in a tough spot. Sunday the UConn basketball legend spoke to the media, saying “contrary” to reports, the WNBA franchise has not been sold. The Boston Globe reported Saturday that minority Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca had made a record (for a WNBA franchise) $325M offer to buy the team and move it to Boston. She then went on to say “I think from the beginning, the priority has been to find the best option, right, whether it’s investment or full sale.” You could drive a Rizzotti dribble through that statement. Translation: the team is going to be sold, but to whom? The Hartford Courant is now out there with a story a Connecticut group is competing with the group headed by Pagliuca. Is the Courant miffed it got scooped by the Globe on a major story in its own backyard? Are we going to get the classic “according to sources” story? Is the Globe serving as a lobbying wing for Pagliuca? After all, the Globe has been running stories repeatedly about a potential Sun move to Boston. Is this an attempt to sway the verdict? Whatever the outcome, do not blame Jen when the inevitable happens. She’s just the front person for ownership.
How hungry are fans for the NFL? Last Thursday’s NFL Hall of Fame game between the LA Chargers and Detroit Lions on NBC was the highest rated Hall of Fame game in four seasons. The game drew a 3.3 rating, attracting 6.21M viewers. And that does not count those who streamed the game. The numbers blow away a regular season MLB game. Fans want their NFL football, even if the games don’t count.
Speaking of baseball, Saturday night’s much ballyhooed game between the Reds and Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN was suspended because of rain, but they finished off the game on Sunday. MLB listed the attendance as a record 91,032 to watch a regular season baseball game, although no one is saying how many returned on Sunday to witness the finish.
As Vin Scully would say: “It is interesting to note” Game 5 of the 1959 World Series between the Dodgers and the White Sox attracted a record 92,706 at the LA Memorial Coliseum. All three World Series games at the Coliseum drew more than 92,000. Many of the stories I have read about the MLB Speedway Classic seem to leave out that fact, choosing to specifically not mention postseason attendance. Why destroy the narrative, I guess.
Meanwhile, thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. Your support means a lot. Have a great start to your week!
DAN