Who Are These People?

Early this season, the Florida Marlins were firmly entrenched in next-to-last place in all of Major League Baseball. Of course we sympathized with the batch of underpaid rookies, but they did seem comfortable hanging out at the bottom of the barrel. Then, all of a sudden, they did something funny: They went on a massive winning streak, plowing down Devil Rays and Braves and even a couple of Brewers. They ruined the Red Sox’s error-free streak; Josh Johnson and Dan Uggla earned National League Rookie of the Month honors; and a bunch of players began scooping up All-Star votes. Okay, so the streak didn’t last forever, and the Marlins’ winning percentage is still under .500, but they are better than at least five teams, and some dreamers are even fantasizing about the Fish landing a wild card – an idea that would have banished a fan to the loony bin just a few months ago. Find out which team shows up tonight – mighty Marlins or a bunch of disorganized minnows -- when our guys face the Nationals at 7:05 at Dolphin Stadium. The Fish play at home through July 23. Tickets range from $6 to $90. Call 877-MARLINS, or visit www.floridamarlins.com.
Mon., July 17