It’s a lot like 1985 in Florida

OK… the Marlins finally did what I thought they should do. Edwin Rodriguez’s managerial tenure ended.

Someone named Brandon Hyde managed today. Technically Hyde is the 6th manager that the Marlins have had since Jeffrey Loria took over the team in 2002.

I am guessing that there will be an 8th manager in 10 seasons.

But wait.

What’s this coming from the woodwork?

Jack McKeon could be coming back!

Look, I know he showed up midway through the 2003 season and led the fish to the World Series title… but Jack McKeon was no spring chicken when he took over the Reds in 1997, let alone 2003!

He was 74 when he last managed in 2005.
That was 6 years ago.

He’s an 80 year old man.

Seriously, why not sign Earl Weaver? He’s still alive.

Suddenly the Marlins are reminding me of two of my favorite movies from 1985.

With McKeon they are going Back to the Future.

But McKeon could use something to make him young and vibrant. Well, Cocoon DID take place in Florida!

If I could have found a connection to Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, then I would have hit the 1985 movies jackpot.

Wait… are the Mariners GOOD?

Did you notice what happened today?

The Mariners beat the Phillies in a series.
They took 2 out of 3 from the best team in the baseball.
The won a series against a team that everyone (including yours truly) think are going to win the whole damn thing.

Yeah, every team has a bad series against a bad team.
But guess what?

The Mariners are tied with the first place Rangers in the loss column.
Did you know that?
I didn’t.

And do you know what tomorrow is? Late June.

The Mariners are 44% of the way through their season. If the Mariners hang around in July and the Rangers have their usual bad August (even last year they had a losing August) then the Mariners could actually be contenders.

How the hell did THAT happen?

Glance at their Baseball Reference page.
Ichiro is having a mediocre season. Chone Figgins and Franklin Gutierrez have stats that are embarrassing.

Milton Bradley had 115 plate appearances.

Sure Justin Smoak has some pop and someone named Greg Halman has been hitting.

Felix Hernandez is having an OK year, but not a Cy Young type season. Brandon League went through a stretch where he looked like he should be scrapped.

There is nothing about this team that strikes me as above average.
Yet here we are. They are contending.

Sure it has a lot to do with the fact that being 3 games above .500 is good enough for first place. And maybe people like me overrated the Angels and others overrated the A’s.

And maybe the Mariners are following true to a recent pattern.

2007 they had an unexpected solid season when they won 88 games.
That was followed in 2008 with a 101 loss season.
Then in 2009 they had an unexpected 85 win season.
And last year? Another disastrous 101 loss year.

So maybe it makes sense.

I’ll need whatever I can get to make sense of the Mariners contending.

Does Wakes have 10 more wins in him?

Is winning 10 games this year out of the question?
I mean he’s going to start every 5 days now… and with the Sox playing at this high level, he might win a bunch of games he has no business winning.

Not today. He was terrific today and helped make the whole Papelbon suspension thing moot.

But is it insane to think he could win 14 games this year?
And then he would pass Roger Clemens and Cy Young as the all time Red Sox leader in wins.

It’s going to happen.
It’s kind of strange isn’t it?

Keep winning, Sox. Before you know it, #49 will be retired.