Opinion

One thing is for sure about these Florida Marlins: They are streaky.

They were the hottest team in baseball in April. Then in May they flat-lined and fell several games behind the NL East leading Phillies. Then in June they were one of the hottest teams in baseball again.

Now the Marlins find themselves one game out first in the NL East with a bright future.

Why a bright future you ask?

Because the much-hyped Marlins pitching staff is finally living up to its expectation.

Seventy years ago today on July 4, 1939, New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig made one of the most famous speeches in sport's history with his "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech.

In this speech, Gehrig told fans at Yankee Stadium he was grateful for the great career he had, and for all of the support he got from everyone around him during his life.

Bobby Cox is a smart manager, but his old-school approach to managing a bullpen cost Tommy Hanson a win on Saturday.

A big reason why the Boston Red Sox have won two World Series in the last five years is because a bunch of arms in the bullpen are rested after they've pitched two or three days in a row.

The Braves do have that luxury—as Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez are closers. Both have been very good this year, but Cox has for years depended too heavily on his most reliable relievers.

Saturday afternoon's game in Washington was a prime example.

Today's game versus the Nats is one that just makes you sick to your stomach.

Seven innings of one-run ball from your starter, a solid performance from your offense, and your normally shut-down eighth and ninth inning guys are coming in to finish the job.

Just the recipe that had won the Braves five straight before today.

Accredit it to arm fatigue, lack of focus, the Nationals' offense, or whatever you want. It's still a heartbreaker to blow a lead late, especially when your team's 30-1 (I believe that's right), when leading after seven.

Jason Giambi apologized when he returned to the Yankees after testifying before a grand jury to admit he had used steroids. Friday night, at a postgame conference, it was Manny Ramirez doing the exact same thing, just in a slight difference.

My, how things have changed in baseball with fan perception of players using performance-enhancing drugs. In a span of less than a decade, we have gone from running players out of the game completely to adapting to the situation.

Friday night’s return of Manny Ramirez from a 50-game suspension due to testing positive of banned substances was a sign of the times where a majority of baseball fans have collectively said, “I love the game and this is what it is, Play Ball!“

1. Bruce Bochy

Bochy has frustrated fans all season long with his in-game decisions. He also irritates fans with his starting lineups. Bochy is known as a manager who likes to pay veterans, and this is probably why youngsters like Nate Schierholtz did not get a lot of playing time in the beginning of the season. Bochy seems to always not know when to pull a starter or a reliever, and that has cost his team many games this year already. The Giants are winning in spite of Bochy's poor managing skills.

2. Barry Zito

In 1933 at the World's Fair in Chicago, an event was held at Comiskey Park. The best of the best from all across the American League and National League gathered for an unprecedented exhibition game...an All Star Game. 

The result was a sweeping success that it became part of the baseball season each year, scheduled for midsummer. 

The Midsummer Classic provided fans a unique opportunity to see the best and brightest from either league competing against one another, an opportunity that could only have taken place in the World Series. 

70 years ago, a man stood on the field at Yankee Stadium and told the world that he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth. That man was dying, but no one knew it.

He told them that he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth. He spoke about the great teammates and managers he played with, how blessed he felt for the family he had, and how good the game of baseball had been to him. 

That man was Lou Gehrig, and on July 4, 1939, the man more commonly known as "The Iron Horse," had to walk away from baseball. 

The Atlanta Journal Constitution's, David O' Brien is reporting that Atlanta may be close to making a deal. Frank Wren and Bobby Cox were holed up in an office for more than an hour on Thursday before the game, leading to rampant speculation about an imminent trade for the Braves.

According to O' Brien the Braves could get someone who is not a free agent next year for Vazquez.