The Florida Marlins have it all figured out.

Laugh if you must. But if you can get passed the awful record and microscopic payroll, you may realize the Marlins are right on schedule.

I have these tricky Marlins all figured out. While large market giants like the Yankees and Red Sox continue to shell out hundreds of millions of dollars each year, only to fail to accomplish the ultimate goal more often than not. The Marlins stay steady to their organizational plan – Win a World Series every 6 years.

If you remember back in 1997, the Marlins defeated the Indians in the World Series with a roster that was completely loaded with talent. On the mound they featured Kevin Brown, Al Leiter, Livan Hernandez and Robb Nen. In their everyday lineup they sent out studs like Gary Sheffield, Moises Alou, Edgar Renteria, Bobby Bonilla, Jeff Conine and Devon White. Almost reads like an all-star team.

After the ’97 Championship, the Marlins promptly gutted the team. By Opening Day 1999, only Hernandez and Renteria remained from the aforementioned group. Those two would be shipped out that season.

The same grumblings could be heard then that we hear now. How the Marlins bought a championship. How they are cheating the fans and rumors of moving the franchise were rampant.

Then came 2003.

With a new stockpile of young talent mixed with a few veteran acquisitions, the Marlins once again were crowned World Champs, for the second time in the franchise’s 10-year existence. At the time, they had accomplished twice in a decade what the big market Red Sox had been striving for all of 86 years.

After 2003, the same thing.

Gone are Josh Beckett, Brad Penny, Ivan Rodriguez, Derrek Lee and Juan Pierre. But in their place is yet another impressive core of young talent. Guys like the dynamic 22 year old Hanley Ramirez, who is hitting .331 while playing a solid shortstop. Second basemen Dan Uggla, 26, is hitting .312 and center fielder Reggie Abercrombie has displayed outstanding speed and athleticism.

On the mound, the Marlins have nine pitchers aged 24 or younger. Leading the way is Dontrelle Willis, one of the few holdovers from the 2003 squad. Another holdover is all-star Miguel Cabrera; himself only 23.

Had the Marlins hung onto the five players just mentioned from the 2003 team, Beckett, Penny, Pudge, Lee and Pierre, they would be paying them a combined $35.3 million based on their 2006 salaries. As it is, the Marlins total payroll is a hair under $15 million for the entire roster, and while the won-loss record doesn’t show it yet, they are getting better.

So laugh at the Marlins now. Crack jokes about their payroll or place in the standings. But remember, this franchise is designed to strike every six years. Dontrelle Willis will be 27 when he starts game one of the 2009 World Series.

The baseball world has anointed teams like the Oakland Athletics and Minnesota Twins as prototypes for small-market success, yet I don’t see those two with any recent titles. Maybe the Marlins didn’t invent sabermetrics, but their method, as unconventional as it is, is netting rings, and is not that, after all, the ultimate goal?

 

Accuse Albert Belle of being hot-tempered. Accuse him of being a lunatic who probably isn't fit for society based on his history of violence. Even accuse him of cheating during his playing days with corked bats and "alleged" steroid use.

But one thing you CANNOT accuse Albert Belle of is not having a romantic side when it comes to the LADIES!! In his latest Prince Charming exploit, Belle "tracked his ex-girlfriend with a GPS tracking device and repeatedly threatened her...and has been charged with stalking," according to the Associated Press.

Now if you are man reading this, you are probably cursing Belle for making the rest of us look bad. If you are a woman, you are probably blushing and hoping against hope that your husband/boyfriend would engage in such timeless acts of chivalry.

In all seriousness, I have just one thing to say to the unnamed woman who fell victim to Belle's stalking. WHAT THE HELL DID YOU EXPECT, HE'S ALBERT FREAKING BELLE!!

I mean who was her next choice for boyfriend, the Unabomber? I realize there is always an element of risk when entering a relationship, but when the guy is a public figure who spent the majority of his career disproving even the staunchest of believers in his sanity, how did you think this would end up?

Here's the funny twist to the story. When the AP attempted to extract a comment form the volatile Belle, he responded with, "You didn't write a story about my Hall of Fame induction. You guys never report the good stuff I do."

Mm hmm. Um psst, Albert. Uh you didn't make the Hall of Fame bro. I really hate to be the one to break that to you.

And about the "good stuff I do" that hasn't been reported, I distinctly remember hearing about an incident on Halloween when he tried to run down kids in his SUV after they peppered his house with eggs, oh wait that wasn't good.

Well what about the time he pelted a fan in the chest with a ball he threw from the playing field, wait that wasn't good either.

So what good stuff have you done Albert? Oh thats right, we don't know because it was never reported!

Imagine for minute, it had been the Toronto Raptors that won the NBA draft lottery May 22, 2003. Now imagine LeBron James' entire career up to this point had played out exactly the same, only with the Raptors.

Had the Raptors just defeated the Detroit Pistons tonight to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series, it would still be a stunning turn of events. People would still marvel at LeBron's ability to turn a sputtering franchise into a legitimate contender in just three short years.

Here's the kicker - he's doing it in CLEVELAND. Cleveland, Ohio, where absolutely nothing ever goes right under any circumstances for the home teams. Everyone wants to have a "curse" nowadays. The Red Sox Nation have almost made it sexy. I actually read a fellow Fox Sports blogger's diatribe about his "cursed" Detroit Tigers.

Nobody can understand the feeling of being cursed like Clevelanders. The Cavaliers are in its 36th season and have never even appeared in the NBA Finals. The Browns last won a championship the year after President Kennedy was assassinated, subtract the 3-year "Art Modell hiatus" and you have 39 seasons. And the Indians, oh the Indians; they have gone 58 inglorious seasons without the ultimate prize.

Add it together and its 133 combined seasons without a championship between Cleveland's major sports teams.

Cleveland fans are conditioned for the disaster. Don't believe me? Watch game six of the Pistons series very closely. Listen for the audible "aww's" followed by silence anytime something bad happens on the court. A Cleveland sports fan is like an abused puppy at the animal shelter, cowering at any sudden movement or loud noise.

But the arrival of LeBron James has begun to chang attitudes. I, for one, can never remember watching such a significant playoff game with a Cleveland team involved, in such a relaxed state as I was tonight. I’m not saying I did not get nervous, but it was not the feeling of impending doom that normally accompanies playoff games.

I’m not sure sports fans outside Northeast Ohio can or ever will understand how much LeBron means to true Cleveland sports fans. We are like a 64 year old loading dock worker who finally gets promoted to shift supervisor. Or the teenaged girl who spent her entire childhood as an ugly duckling, only to blossom in high school to become the homecoming queen.

No city in this great nation is as starved for something like the LeBron James era to come along as Cleveland and I’m pretty sure no other city wants that distinction. But Clevelanders know what is happening here and maybe, just maybe, a few more games like game five will begin to heal past scars that run so deep.

The impact of LeBron James on the Cleveland sports scene simply cannot be overstated and I have a feeling James himself even has a good idea.

Just like another number 23 a couple decades earlier, he is writing history wearing a jersey not normally associated with winning.

Still think he is bolting to Los Angeles first chance he gets?

 

It is a truly magical night at the NBA second-round playoff party.

Held at the prestigious Larry O’Brien mansion, the guests begin to arrive to the red carpet gala as countless camera flashes illuminate the night.

The first to arrive are the most distinguished guests, the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs, dressed remarkably from head-to-toe. Emerging from the stretched limousine, they don the most expensive Armani suits available; custom-made just for them. The only thing shinier than their freshly polished shoes is their diamond studded platinum designer wrist watches and multi-karat diamond studded earrings. On their arms are women that would make Halle Berry jealous.

The two are truly the class of the party and carry themselves with the swagger and arrogance that suggests they know it.

Next to arrive are the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and New Jersey Nets. While their appearance is not quite as breathtaking as Detroit and San Antonio, they still garner attention from slightly dwindled media corps.

After the Nets have walked the red carpet and made its way into the O’Brien mansion, most the buzz begins to die down. Just as workers begin plans to roll the red carpet up, a final duo of unexpected guests arrive in an early ‘90’s model minivan minus one hubcap.

As the wretched vehicle pulls up, most of the haughty onlookers begin to frown and mutter to themselves. The valet, truly repulsed by the sight, fails to even greet the unsightly guests, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers, who have arrived, dressed plainly in blue jeans and simple collared polo shirts.

People begin to wonder audibly how such pair was invited to such a prestigious event. Surely there was a mistake. The same people arrogantly sneer as the disheveled duo walk past.

Then, something strange begins to take place. The Cavaliers and Clippers begin to crack jokes and engaging party goers in captivating conversation. After a while, they take to the dance floor and slowly begin to win the crowd over. People slowly let go of their inhibitions to join the fun, cackling with delight. The party has truly become a “party.”

The Pistons and Spurs, feeling threatened and becoming increasingly snarky, begin to turn up their noses at the young upstarts, making bold predictions of their demise.

Yet everyone else in attendance is beginning to believe the Cavaliers and Clippers actually do belong at this party. More importantly, the Cavaliers and Clippers themselves believe it.

When will the party end? To be continued..

With all the off-field negativity surrounding professional athletes nowadays, its easy to become disillusioned with professional sports. With player salaries out of control, rookies failing to report to training camp, players switching teams on an annual basis. There are plenty of reasons for a fan to wash his or her hands of it all.

Which makes this next story and other stories like it so important. It is stories like the one I'm about to tell that remind us all why we love sports so much.

Growing up as a frisky lad in Sacramento, Calif., Onterrio Smith would seldom be seen without his football, carrying it everywhere like a mother with a newborn child. Sprinting down the aisles at the grocery store, he would pretend he was charging through pursuing linebackers en route to the end zone, always culminating in the same familiar phrase, "TOUCHDOWN BLUE BOMBERS!"

Yes, this week the childhood dream of former Minnesota Vikings running back Onterrio Smith became reality as he inked a deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.

Sure, excelling at the University of Oregon was nice. Rushing for over 1100 yards and 7 touchdowns in just nine starts over two years for the Vikings was a blessing. But Smith could never have called himself fulfilled until he had a chance to lead the blue and gold to the incomparable Grey Cup.

The Bombers said it best in an official press release that proudly stated, "The Winnipeg Blue Bombers could have the best offensive backfield tandem in the CFL this season..."

The other half of the highly touted tandem to which the Bombers are alluding is Charles Roberts, or as I like to call him, "Chucky Rob."  Chucky Rob led the CFL in rushing last year with 1624 yards. Who knows how many games those stats were compiled in, but who cares!

Brendan Taman, Bombers general manager could hardly contain his excitement when he said, "Onterrio Smith is an exciting, dynamic player who will add a lot to this team."

Of course by "add a lot to this team," we can only assume he meant rushing yards and touchdowns as opposed to killer bong hitting techniques and Original Whizzinators.

There will be some who will try to label Smith harshly, claiming he has "ruined his career" and he is an "####" or a "pot head."

Well I say, If being kicked out of the NFL for repeatedly smoking weed only to end up as a member of the storied Winnipeg Blue Bombers franchise makes someone an ####, then Onterrio must be an ####.

But I choose to call him a young man who is not afraid to chase his dreams...and a killer buzz!

Few basketball players receive as much ink-time as LeBron James, so already I'm in danger of losing you, the reader, when you realize the topic of my blog.

If you'll stick with me a minute, I would like to show a different side of the LeBron story. Its not about his defense, or his ability to make teammates better, but rather the unique position he is in playing in Cleveland, from a perspective only a native Clevelander can provide.

Allow me to briefly remove you from your world, all safe and cozy, and bring you into our world. Let me warn you, it is not pleasant and you may want to tie a length of rope around your waist so you can be pulled out should it get too intense.

Plainly stated, life in Cleveland sucks. Its freezing cold more than six months of the year. The sky is rarely sunny, but rather a depressing overcast gray. If you can survive icy road conditions that should be illegal to travel on in anything that moves faster than a zamboni, then you have to worry about the road salt turning your vehicle into rusting junkyard fodder.

Among the things we are known for, having our river, the Cuyahoga, burn from waste materials in 1969, and Randy Newman subsequently recording a song, "Burn On" to serve as an everlasting reminder. Gee thanks.

And then we get to the sports teams. I remember Boston Red Sox fans once complaining about always being the "bridesmaid" before the 2004 World Series. Well in Cleveland, we are just happy to be invited to the wedding.

Our most treasured athletes only have championship rings if they won them in other cities. Our teams launched the legends of Michael Jordan and John Elway, among others. We had Bill Belichick, perhaps the greatest professional football coach since Vince Lombardi, here for five years - he won nothing.

Despite having three professional sports teams, the last championship the city can claim occured the year after President Kennedy was assasinated and long before the first Super Bowl was played.

During my lifetime each team has, in fact,  enjoyed a brief period of success. The Browns and Cavs in the late 80's and the Indians in the mid-to-late 90's. But the 21st Century has brought nothing but pain. The expansion Browns are still trying to figure out how to get out of "expansion" mode - seven years and four head coaches later. The Indians have fallen on hard economic times, wtih an owner who doesn't seem to have the wallet for winning. And the Cavs have been just brutal, all the while, people who were born the year of our last championship are celebrating their 42nd birthdays.

A funny thing is happening with LeBron, however. For the first time since Jim Brown, the best player is actually on our side. Instead of playing the role of Washington Generals to superstars like Jordan or Elway, all of the sudden we are becoming the Globetrotters.

At 21-years-old and only three years into his career, LeBron has transformed a 17-win team into a 50-win team in the second round of the playoffs.

While nobody expects the Cavs to beat the Pistons this year, 2006 Lebron is looking eerily similar to 1988 Michael Jordan. Check it out.

Both the '88 Bulls and the '06 Cavs finished 50-32. In '88, the Bulls beat us in the first round 3 games to 2 before losing to the Pistons in the second round, 4 games to 1. This year, the Cavs defeated the Wizards in the first round 4 games to 2 and trail the Pistons in the second round 2 games to none.

The following year the Bulls would advance to the Eastern Finals, losing to Detroit again. The same result in 1990, before they won their first of six titles in 1991.

To think the Cavs might be three years away from a title is almost too exciting a thought to entertain. And we are Clevelanders, we don't need six titles, just give us one, we'll be like a baby with a bouncy ball. Just give us our championship t-shirts, hats and our commemorative Sports Illustrated championship offer, that's all we want.

I believe people outside the Cleveland area fail to realize the impact LeBron has on local culture. We carry around our inferiority complex due to our sports teams like a burlap sack full of bricks.

Just one championship would change everything. Never again would we be forced to watch games with the apprehension of a nervous parent, hoping for the best but assuming the worst, and all of it out of our control.

If fact, I think the only people in the city that would not be happy to see a Cleveland team win a championship are the psychiatrists, due to all the business they would lose.

For once, we have the caliber player that may, one day, God-willing, deliver us our obsessively coveted prize. Yes the weight of the entire city of Cleveland rests on LeBron's shoulders and to this point, there is reason to believe he won't drop us on our heads like so many before him.

Its a happy time at ESPN headquarters in Bristol Conn. With their main man Barry Bonds within one single home run of tying legendary Babe Ruth's career total of 714, ESPN is about to win the Super Bowl.

Never before has an athlete received such preferential treatment from the network giant. We have live cut-ins to his at-bats. I'm pretty sure the network has lead into its signature program, SportsCenter, with a Bonds highlight in just about one out of every two episodes since the baseball season started. On the bottomline scores ticker, the Giants can lose 14-2, yet the first individual stat noted is: "Bonds 1-3 1B, BB."

With is obsessive coverage, ESPN has attempted to recreate the buzz and fanfare that accompanied Ruth throughout his career. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked. Sure Bonds is talked about, mostly for negative things, such as alleged steroid abuse or his surly attitude and extramarrital affairs.

But Barry Bonds has never, and will never come close to approaching the level at which Babe Ruth played professional baseball. Juicing up in your late 30's so you can turn each baseball season into your personal 162-game home run derby does not equate to what Ruth accomplished throughout his career.

Despite his mind-boggling run since 1998, Bonds stats still pale in comparison:

-Ruth hit 714 homers in 8398 at bats for an average of one homer per every 11.76 AB.

-Bonds has 713 dingers in 9205 career ABs, or one jack per every 12.9 AB, a figure that has been significantly enhanced since he turned 35-years-old.

People tend to forget Ruth was a .342 lifetime hitter. Bonds is hitting 42 points lower.

Yet another factor to consider. Had Ruth not been such a great hitter, we may be talking about him as one of the greatest pitchers of all time. Before being wisely moved to the outfield, Ruth compiled some sick pitching stats. A career 94-46 record with a sparkling 2.28 earned run average, as well as 17 career shutouts.

The argument made by most Bonds apologist is simply that Ruth somehow benefitted by not having to face African-American pitchers who were pitching in the #### leagues at the time. There are two ways to answer that. First, tell me what percentage of Bonds' home runs were hit off African-American pitchers. I would guess it is not many. Pitchers, like NFL quarterbacks, tend to be predominantly white for some reason.

Secondly, many conveniently choose to forget aspects of history that worked against Ruth when being compared to Bonds. If you take a snapshot of America in the early twentieth century, when Ruth was playing ball, you will notice one thing. Just about all the youth in America are playing one sport and one sport only - baseball.  Baseball was king in America and there was nobody, I mean NOBODY in second place. The highest probability told you the best athletes in the nation were on the baseball diamond, with no other sport around to steal them away.

Basketball did not even have a professional league until 11 years after Ruth retired. the National Football League began in 1922, but with a team made up of all native-americans and sponsored by the Oorang dog kennels, it was hardly the monster product we see today.

Now lets fast forward to Bonds era. Most the kids are on the basketball court. Basketball has become the "it" game for kids on the playgrounds. Even I never played organized baseball past little league, yet played both football AND basketball in high school, and I was not the exception.

Barry Bonds will hit home run number 714, and soon after number 715. He has spent the last five plus years of his life chasing Ruth, something Ruth never did. There simply was not anybody to chase for the Bambino.

When Bonds passes Ruth, ESPN will most likely tout it as the most significant sports event of the last half-century. The Bonds coverage might even be elevated, if you can imagine that.

The true baseball fans, however, know that while both Ruth and Bonds are larger than life figures. Only one of them positioned himself to achieve such a status using an illegal performance enhancing substance.