Sunshine State SkySeries?

ST. PETERSBURG -- George Richards here getting ready to watch the Marlins take on Tampa Bay's Devil Rays (I know, I know) tonight from the Thunderdome on Florida's west coast.

Finally, these two teams meet up and there is some interest from outside Florida (or even these two metropolitan areas).

Yes, even Sports Illustrated is here to take in the Sunshine State Series -- or whatever the heck you want to call it.

Little bit of news to get to (the Panthers hired a new head coach BTW) but first the lineups. Will be back with some of the other stuff as we go on. As the Herald's hockey writer, the Panthers making such a big move has made today just a little more hectic.

Please be patient. Thanks.

And now, your lineups:

FLORIDA: Hanley Ramirez SS; Jeremy Hermida RF; Jorge Cantu 3B; Mike Jacobs 1B; Dan Uggla 2B; Luis Gonzalez DH; Cody Ross LF; Alfredo Amezaga CF; Matt Treanor C; Pitching tonight, Ryan Tucker (1-0, 1.80)

TAMPA BAY: Akinori Iwamura 2B; Dioner 'Nick' Navarro C; B.J. Upton CF; Eric Hinske LF; Evan Longoria 3B; Willy Aybar 1B; Cliff Floyd DH; Gabe Gross RF; Jason Bartlett SS. Pitching tonight, Andy Sonnanstine (6-3, 4.88).

-- Josh Willingham is set to begin his Double-A rehab assignment tonight with the Carolina Mudcats (great name). He's going to be playing in left field, getting in at least three at-bats as he tries to work his way back into the Marlins' lineup. Fredi Gonzalez says Hammer can't DH during Greensboro's upcoming games, so he'll likely get a day off the field on Monday.

-- Josh Johnson, working his way back from Tommy John surgery, pitches again tonight for Single-A Greensboro. He went five innings in his last start on Monday (one run, five hits) in an extended spring game up in Jupiter. JJ has a 70-75 pitch limit in this game with the Grasshoppers.

-- Sergio Mitre continues his rehab, threw 30 pitches off a mound today.

-- Luis Gonzalez the DH tonight against the D-Rays, Fredi Gonzalez says former D-Ray Jorge Cantu may get that slot on Saturday, with Hanley Ramirez and Mike Jacobs also seeing time during this nine-game American League swing.

-- It's thundering and raining here at the ballpark. But they have a roof on the building, which works out nice tonight. PLAY BALL

-- The Rays are without a couple of players, serving suspensions for that fun-loving brawl in Boston on June 5. The Bad Rays: RHP James Shields (6 games), OF Carl Crawford (starts tonight, out 4 games). RHP Edwin Jackson (5 games) starts his sit-down on June 16, with Iwamura taking three games off starting on the 18th.

-- FYI: Quite a few Marlins fans in the house tonight, sure most of whom made the quick jaunt up I-75 sometime today. Either that, or they live here in the Tampa Bay area. Whatever. Sure the Rays are glad they are here.

-- Also, no television for tomorrow's 6:10 start; will be here with a live blog for those who like their baseball, well, blogged.

-- For you Super Saturday fans, the Marlins announced their concert series for the second half of the season. Think the Bangles might be a decent show. Anywho: July 19 -- Jerry Rivera; August 2 -- The Bangles; August 16 -- Jaci Velasquez; August 30 -- Olga Tañon; September 13 -- Victor Manuelle and Albita; September 20 -- Lou Gramm of Foreigner (with a few decent solo hits) fame.

Freezing at Shea

OK,it may not be freezing at Shea, but the writers from South Florida (two of us didn't bring our fleece wear) can barely type because it's so cold - and it's only the third inning. It's going to get a lot colder as this game wears on and we might be pouring hot coffee on each other before we get to the seventh-inning stretch.

Idon't know what is harder to believe -- this cold weather or the fact Luis Castillo hit a home run.

According to the big league stats, Luis has hit two homers this season (the first came against Tom Glavine on May 20).

Luis never had this kind of power with the Marlins. He was with Florida for 10 seasons, and in the Castillo Decade Luis hit only 20 homers as a Marlin.

He hit a career-high six for the 2003 World Series champs.

Those darn Nats

The Marlins didn't get back into town from their recent road trip in Cincinnati until well after 1 a.m. Friday morning. That's about right after a night game, but their final game in Cincy was called off because of rain at 5:30 p.m.

The holdup?

Blame the Washington Nationals.

The Marlins' charter flight home was the same plane that took the Nationals, who played a day game Thursday, from Washington to New York. The Nationals left about 5:30 p.m. from D.C., but got stuck because there were 30 planes ahead of them.

The Marlins had to wait for the Nats to land in New York, and left Cincy after 11 p.m..

Mother's Day Matinee -- LIVE from D.C.

WASHINGTON -- Everyone seems to be doing the Fish once more, South Florida's pro baseball team doing quite well in case you haven't heard.

The Marlins are winning games on the field and making winning deals off it, locking up Hanley Ramirez to a six-year deal. Good feelings about the deal in the Marlins clubhouse on Saturday, players saying they are happy to see this organization make a commitment to the future.

Sure this news also quiets some of the low payroll talk these guys face in every city (including Miami Gardens) they visit. The Marlins are playing well right now, helped along by a favorable schedule, sure. But, as a guy who covers the Florida Panthers can attest, wins early in the season count just the same as ones in the final weeks.

The Fish are eight games over .500 and they have the pitching and the offense and right now even the defense to keep up these winning ways. You have to think the Marlins are going to win a good portion of their next eight (today with Olsen throwing against the Expos, four games at WKRP in Cincinnati and three at home against the KC Royales with Cheese) before the NL West leading D-Backs come to South Florida.

But lets not get ahead of ourselves. No local television on today's game, and not sure if you can catch it at your local watering hole on Center Ice, err the MLB Package, or not. If not, catch Dave Van Horne and Glenn Geffner on the radio and remember to check back here throughout the day. Will be working Fish Bytes old school for those without a radio but with a laptop handy.

-- Come on, call your Mom. Tell her we all send her our best.

-- Fish Bytes and On Frozen Pond send out congratulations to San Diego's Greg Maddux for getting his 350th career victory last night. Think he's a Hall of Fame candidate now, or does he need to do more?

-- Do you realize the Marlins .611 winning percentage coming into today is second only to the D-Backs in the National League, and third overall (Boston is at .615). Florida's 22 victories rank them fifth in baseball. That's pretty heady stuff there.

-- Couple changes on the lineup today. As planned, Alfredo Amezaga back in center, leading off. Mike Rabelo also behind the plate (Matt Treanor played past three games and it's a night-day dealio). For the Expos, old pal (unless you're a Red Sox fan) Aaron Boone starting at first and batting fourth. He pinch-hit last night and was robbed thanks to a terrific catch in left by Brett Carroll.

THE LINEUPS

Florida: CF Amezaga; RF Hermida; SS Ramirez; 3B Cantu; 2B Uggla; LF Gonzalez; 1B Helms; C Rabelo; P Olsen.

Montreal: SS Lopez; 2B Belliard; 3B Zimmerman; 1B Boone; CF Milledge; LF Pena; RF Dukes; C Flores; P Hill.

-- Here are some bonus quotes on the Hanley Ramirez signing from yesterday:

Manny Acta: “He’s special. He’s one of those few guys that you can say that. Hanley can do whatever he wants int the game. It’s that simple. He can hit a home run. He can bunt and steal second and third and score on anything. He’ll take a walk. He’ll hit over .320, almost guaranteed. He can do everything he wants in the game. He’s one of those legit five-tool players. there are a lot of guys a lot of people throw the five-tool guy at them and they’re not. This guy is a five-tool guy – legit.”

Dan Uggla: “I think it’s a great move. He’s going to be one of the best players in the game for a long time. He’s a winner and I think it’s really smart on their part. I’m real excited for Hanley. He plays his butt off.’’

Josh Willingham: “Fans want to be familiar with their players and they want to know the team is going to be commited to them. For him, to know he’s going to be around for a long time, maybe that’ll bring more fans out. I don’t know. It is good.’’

Luis Gonzalez:“It shows people that this organization is committed with the stadium coming. In the past, they’ve had to make moves to accomidate things because of the lack of fans coming out. By agreeing with Hanley, that shows there’s a commitment there where we’re going to do what we have to do to keep players like that and lock them up long time. That’s a commitment to the fans.’’

Fredi Gonzalez: “He’s one hell of a player, a good player. We’ve hit him third the past six, seven days and he gets on base, drove in some runs, walks, steals. His game hasn’t changed from being leadoff now that he’s in the three hole. If he gets on, he’s a threat to score.’’

-- Other news from today: Mike Jacobs still out, could play in the Natti. Josh Willingham will not do anything today, Fredi G saying his back was bothering him in BP yesterday. Willingham will travel with team to Ohio, maybe get in some BP there before getting his minor league rehab assignment.

-- About to get started here at Nationals Park, a number of the Marlins sporting some kind of pink today as park of baseball's annual Cancer awareness day. Some guys are wearing pink sweatbands (good luck breaking a sweat today), cleats or batting gloves. A good number of pink bats coming out as well. The Nats are giving out white caps with the Walgreens W in pink with the Cancer ribbon on the bill.

GAME TIME -- GAME TIME -- GAME TIME

-- First pitch from Shawn Hill (not the former Panthers defenseman) at 1:36 p.m. Alfredo Amezaga took a ball, did not hit the first pitch over the left field wall like Cody Ross did Saturday night...

Ironically, Sean Hill the hockey player is from Minnesota; Shawn Hill the baseballer is from Missasaugua, Ontario (which is outside of Toronto, home of the airport and, more importantly, Woodbine Racetrack.)

-- The US National softball team is here. I did not notice Jenny Finch. I was looking.

T1: Fish go 1-2-3; B1: Very efficient inning by Scott Olsen, puts down Nats in order on a mere six (yes, six) pitches.

T2: Marlins lead 1-0; with one out, Dan Uggla hit by pitch; races to third on bloop single by Luis Gonzalez and scores on sacrifice fly to center by Wes Helms. FLA 1-0. B2: And on pitch No. 9, Aaron Boone ties 'er up, line drive homer to center. 1-1. But, that's it for Nats. Hanley robs Lastings Milledge for the second straight night as Wash goes 1-2-3 after homer. Olsen now at 18 pitches.

T3: Jeremy Hermida and Hanley single with two outs, Cantu ends it by grounding out 5-3. Going on WQAM here for a few minutes, shall return.. B3: Nationals pick up three runs in the inning; Ronnie Belliard's 2-run homer to left makes it 3-1, then Aaron Boone doubles, error on Amezaga in center allowing Zimmerman to score. WASH 4-1.

T4: Marlins go out quietly 1-2-3. Abe Lincoln wins the President's Race (a cool rip-off of Milwaukee's Sausage Race) after Teddy Roosevelt runs into the crowd! That crazy president....B4: Wily Mo Pena walks to lead off the inning, but he didn't go anywhere as Olsen puts the Nats down after that. Still 4-1.

T5: Mike Rabelo singles to lead things off, gets taken out at second on Olsen's fielder's choice; Olsen out at second on Amezaga's fielder's choice for out No. 2; Amezaga makes sure he doesn't get into that mix, steals second before Hermida grounds out to second. Still 4-1. B5: Felipe Lopez walks to open things, moves to second on a Belliard groundout and is caught trying to steal third (larceny!). Zim flies out to deep center. Still 4-1...

T6: Nothing really happened, except Dan Uggla homered to center to pull Miami within two at 4-2. B6: Boone leads off with single, gets wrapped up in a 6-4-3, then Pena grounds out. Still at 4-2...

T7:  Two outs and Olsen is out; Brett Carroll pinch-hitting; no win for Olsen (6 ip, 6h, 4r, 4ER, 2HR) today...Carroll grounds out, it's uno-dos-tres...Also, a scoring change from the third. No error for Amezaga and a triple for Boonie...Still 4-2. B7: Jesus Flores doubles off Logan Kensing with one out, pinch-hitter Nick Johnson strikes out for No. 2 and Felipe Lopez flies out deep to center as Amezaga tracks it down on the track..

T8: Marlins tie score...Hermida deposits pitch in right field bleachers after Amezaga runs out an infield single...4-4, no outs in the 8th..Marlins lead again...Uggla homers again, puts this one in right field as well...Fish up 5-4 with two outs in the eighth ('The Ocho').....end of the inning, a big one indeed, Fish up 5-4...B8: Renyel Pinto in for the Marlins; gives up a walk to Belliard to start things off, then the slumping Zimmerman grounds into a 6-4-3 double play for outs 1 and 2. Boonie just flew out to right.

T9: Marlins go 1-2-3, here comes Gregg (and the usual 'It Ain't Over' clip from Bluto on the big screen). Here's the full scene, minus the F-bombs courtesy of IMDB.com:

D-Day: War's over, man. Wormer dropped the big one.
Bluto: Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
Bluto: And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough...
[thinks hard]
Bluto: the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!
[runs out, alone; then returns]
Bluto: What ---- happened to the Delta I used to know? Where's the spirit? Where's the guts, huh? "Ooh, we're afraid to go with you Bluto, we might get in trouble." Well just kiss my [grass] from now on! Not me! I'm not gonna take this. Wormer, he's a dead man! Marmalard, dead! Niedermeyer...
Otter: Dead! Bluto's right. Psychotic, but absolutely right. We gotta take these bastards. Now we could do it with conventional weapons that could take years and cost millions of lives. No, I think we have to go all out. I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part.
Bluto: We're just the guys to do it.
D-Day: Let's do it.
Bluto: LET'S DO IT!

B9: Kevin Gregg in relief to close things out. Milledge up first, takes a free pass to first. Willie Harris has a broken-bat flare caught in right by Hermida for out numero uno. Elijah Dukes pops out to Uggla in foul territory for out number two. Jesus Flores up with two outs and a man on, sends shot back to Gregg how tossed to first for final out.

Your final from Washington, Florida 5-4 over the Nationals. Been fun covering the Marlins these past few weeks. See you all later.

Lineups and More

WASHINGTON -- Getting ready for some baseball here in the Nation's Capital. Jeffrey Loria and David Samson are here checking out their old team (one country removed) and it hasn't rained in some time -- although the tarp is now covering the infield (5:40 p.m.).

It is chilly. Look for some of your favorite Marlins in jackets and toques (that's hockey/Canadian for 'wool cap'). It's now 59 degrees in DC.

As promised, here is tonight's starting lineup for the Marlins: CF Ross; LF Hermida; SS Ramirez; 3B Cantu; 2B Uggla; LF Gonzalez; 1B Helms; C Treanor; P Nolasco.

The Expos: 2B Lopez; SS Guzman; 3B Zimmerman; 1B Johnson; CF Milledge; RF Kearns; LF Pena; C Nieves; P Redding.

-- Mike Jacobs is obviously still out of the lineup with his sore left quad, although he says he wants to play. "It's out of my hands,'' he said. Says Fredi Gonzalez: "If he had a bone sticking out of his leg he would say that. And I love him for it. But I have to be careful with him.''

-- LF Josh Willingham took BP today and looks on track to rejoin the team (he's on the 15 day DL with a sore back) next week in the Natti.

-- Various injury updates from the Marlins PR department: Alejandro De Aza is jogging, hitting, etc; Josh Johnson threw a 25 pitch BP session today, next one coming on Thursday; Sergio Mitre is up to a light toss; Henry Owens threw a BP today, as did Anibal Sanchez.

-- More as we go....

It's Raining in Baltimore -- Updated

And in Washington too.

Hello Marlins fans, George Richards here. Covering the Fish this weekend up here in Capital City, hoping to get some baseball in.

It's been raining here since last night, but it's let up here the past hour or so (it's 3:45 p.m.) so we may just get this one in. Still cloudy and cool (currently 59) but the tarp is off and the grounds crew is doing what they do best.

Beautiful ballpark here in DC, by the way.

At left is a picture I took today at Arlington Cemetery. It's Abner Doubleday's final resting place. Most baseball fans know Abner for the popular game he helped invent, beach volleyball.

Will be here all weekend folks, check in early and often.