--SS Hanley Ramirez hit his sixth leadoff home run of the season and 21st lead-off shot of his career. He hit the first pitch of the game off Colorado RHP Greg Reynolds for his 21s home run of the season.
--2B Dan Uggla (left ankle sprain) took batting practice in an indoor cage Friday, but he might not be available to pinch hit until Sunday.
--In what could have been his final rehab start, RHP Josh Johnson showed Friday night that he's ready to pitch and hit. Johnson threw 111 pitches over eight scoreless innings for Class AA Carolina, allowing two walks and striking out seven. He also hit a home run. Johnson, who had reconstructive elbow surgery on Aug. 3, could start for the Marlins on Wednesday in San Diego.
--Marlins pitching coach Mark Wiley, a special assistant with the Rockies last year, received his 2007 National League championship ring on Thursday from Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd.
Wiley has a World Series ring from the 1983 Baltimore Orioles and two League Championship Series rings from the Cleveland Indians (1995 and 1997).
--SS Hanley Ramirez switched to a bigger bat a little more than two weeks ago, setting aside his 33 1/2-inch bat and using a 35-inch model that was first loaned to him by first baseman Mike Jacobs.
"They just felt good," said Ramirez, who has hit safely in his last 11 games and in 16 of his last 17.
Ramirez hit two home runs using Jacobs' bat then ordered his own batch of 35-inchers. Against pitchers with higher velocity, Ramirez will go back to his original bats. But he said he mostly uses the 35-inch models.
BY THE NUMBERS 0 -- Wins for LHP Scott Olsen in six June starts. It was the first winless month of his career.
QUOTE TO NOTE "It's all about managing the symptoms. It's manageable now, so that's why I can play." -- LF Josh Willingham, on the lower back strain that kept him out of action from April 28 until Tuesday.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
Small payroll? Minor problem for Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Working with limited financial resources comes with the territory for whomever is managing the Marlins. Without the luxury of paying for high-priced talent, Gonzalez found a way to keep his youthful, $22 million squad competitive in 2008.
Let's get some original thought in here since we all have brains to think for ourselves.
I am curious though: Why doesn't anyone ever mention anything from Marlinsbaseball.com? I check that site out all the time and there is some good stuff there.
Any way, what about anyone's original thoughts about the Marlins offse