It's the time of year to honor Mom and go to bat against breast cancer .

A pink bat advisory has just been issued for Major League Baseball.

Here they come again.

What began two years ago as a bold statement has grown into a full-scale baseball tradition, driving massive proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to fight breast cancer. It is now officially and dramatically how Major League Baseball celebrates each Mother's Day, as hundreds of players again will be swinging pink bats this Sunday and giving everyone, including fans, the opportunity to get involved.

Those signed bats will gradually show up in coming weeks at the MLB.com Auction, with all proceeds again going to Komen.

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During games played on Mother's Day, players will wear pink wristbands and pink titanium necklaces made by Major League Baseball licensee Phiten. Pink ribbons will be displayed on player uniforms, as well as those of all on-field personnel. The breast cancer awareness theme will be carried throughout the game, including pink ribbon logos on the bases and commemorative home plates, and pink dugout lineup cards.

But some of the Marlins won't just limit their involvement to those above.

On Friday, a few Florida Marlins received pink-lined cleats and batting gloves. Hanley Ramirez, Cody Ross and Luis Gonzalez -- all of whom wear Easton Sports gear -- plan on wearing the shoes and gloves in honor of Mother's Day on Sunday.

A tradition on Mother's Day is players using pink bats.

The black cleats with pink trim have the word "Mom" written in small print on them. They also sport tiny pink ribbons, to bring recognition for breast cancer awareness.

The players who received the gloves and cleats also were sent a form and a black marker. After they wear them on Sunday, the players have been asked to sign their autograph on a designated spot on the shoe. The cleats will be returned, and be put up for charity.

Maybe Danny said it best :

'Everybody loves their mom,'' said Dan Uggla, who will use a pink bat Sunday. ``It's a cool thing to do. Obviously, we're out there raising awareness, but it's fun, too. The guys get a kick out of it.''

This is without a doubt my favorite promotion of the year and it goes to such a good cause.  If you like to learn more, just go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure website.

And, oh, call your mom. 

Norman Braman had his first day in court and there was some good news and some, maybe, bad news.

Sarah Talalay keeps us up to date .

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Pedro Echarte Jr. let stand Braman's claims that the proposed $515 million ballpark at the site of theOrange Bowl violates Florida's constitution. Braman's suit says the deal relies on public funding for a private business and uses $50 million approved by voters in 2004 to renovate the Orange Bowl, not build a ballpark.

Echarte dismissed claims that County Manager George Burgess violated the state's public records law by negotiating the agreement in private. 

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The case is scheduled to go to trial on July 1. 

If I'm reading this correctly, here is where it stands at moment: initially Braman will argue that the $50 million agreed to by the voters shouldn't be used to build a new baseball stadium since it wasn't what they voted for.  That argument probably won't have legs to stand on especially since a new baseball stadium brings in more revenue to the community than a renovated Orange Bowl ever could.

Also, if I understand county procedure when it comes to bond financing, they can move monies around as long as the proper conditions are met.  And they were.

The next thing he will argue is that CRA money is being used for the performance arts center in order to free up tourist dollars to pay for the stadium.  But since the stadium deal stands alone, as I understand it, from the mega-plan, that's the county's headache should the court agree with Braman.  They still have to come up with the money or default on the agreement and pay the City of Miami and the Marlins back all of their cost.

The final thing he will try:

whether the stadium "serves a paramount public purpose."

If the court decides the new stadium doesn't "serves a paramount public purpose" then government money can't be used to build it.  This argument is a shot in the dark given the amount of public money that has been spent on facilities in the past that serve a small number of the population.

His lawsuit reminds me of the Racehorse Haynes  theory on defense (in this case, offense).  Mr. Haynes was once asked his style of defense to which he said (and I paraphrase):

Let's say my dog bites you.  My first defense is my dog doesn't bite.  If you bring in witnesses who have been bitten by my dog then: my second line of defense is that my dog was tied up in the back yard on that day.  If you bring in witnesses who say my dog was roaming the neighborhood on the day in question then: my last line of defense is:  I don't have a dog.

I don't think Braman's lawsuit is going to fundamentally change anything.  The county has lawyers and they, presumably, looked over everything before it was approved.  The only thing the lawsuit has the potential of doing is causing a delay in the construction of the park.  But right now, given a construction agreement hasn't been approved, this may not end up being a big concern

Mike Jacobs is claiming he could be ready to go today .

He said he is "95 percent sure" that he will be in the lineup tonight when the Marlins start a three-game series in Washington.

I bet he isn't.  Given that last night's game was so long and the Marlins left the park and had a plane ride to D.C., I doubt he will feel up to challenge and Helms will once again man first.

On the other side of the equation, I miss my bets a lot, so we will see.

Luis Gonzalez has the attention of the younger the players .

(Note: I'm having to put some post together very quickly due to time constraints.  Sorry.  And this is one.)

''He's been a huge part of the next step to us becoming a complete team,'' said catcher Matt Treanor, whose three-run homer Thursday night sealed a 7-2 victory that ended a nine-game homestand with a three-game sweep of Milwaukee. ``It's instant credibility. I call him E.F. Hutton, because when he speaks, everybody listens.''

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'Our leader,'' Jorge Cantu puts it simply.

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Gonzalez has seen a difference in the team he met this spring and the one trying to prove itself a playoff contender. He doesn't take much credit. But he should.

'I've seen a change in guys' attitudes, the way they approach games. Their preparation,'' he said. ``I see more guys staying later after games, sticking around, watching other games on TV, talking baseball. That's what fosters teamwork.''

That isn't something you find in a box score.

It is too big to put a number on.

Read the whole story, if you have time.  It really is pretty well done.

Matt Lindstrom made his first appearance on the mound since his back slippage problem .

Right-hander Matt Lindstrom had been ready and able to pitch to for several days, but he didn't get his first opportunity to test his back in a game until Thursday. Lindstrom hit 99 mph in striking out J.J. Hardy, but he also walked a batter and gave up a pair of hits in allowing an eighth-inning run. The appearance was his first since April 30, when he left after one-third of an inning with back soreness.

"You can't really simulate games out in the bullpen," said Lindstrom, who threw three side sessions between outings. "Everything's good. I can throw 100 percent with my back. I'm not favoring it at all."

Matt looked a little rusty last night, which is to be expected after his time off.  The only thing he had going for him was a very straight fast ball and his breaking ball was nonfunctional.

Fredi picked a good time to send him out to the mound, unfortunately, Lindstrom wasn't up to the task and it required the bullpen to get a little extra work.  Assuming he is healthy, and he claims he is, it shouldn't take too many more outings to get him up to speed.

Mark Hendrickson couldn't find the feel for any of his pitches last night, but he proved to have a sense of humor along the way .

Hendrickson said it was a strange pitching night for him.

"I've never really had another one like this," he said. "Nothing was working."

He said Treanor came out to talk to him at one point when he was struggling, and suggested they go with Hendrickson's best pitch.

"I told him, 'Do I have a fifth pitch? Because the four I'm using aren't working.' "

By Marlins early season standards for starters, he wasn't that horrible giving up only one run and walking two in the 4.1 innings he pitched.  Naturally, we anticipate a little better outing for Hendrickson. but if that is an off-night, it can be lived with.

The Fish have an excellent bullpen and they can take the game home from there, as long as they don't have to do it every night.  Fortunately the pen was well rested thanks mostly to Ollie and the Hopper chipped in to the cause.

Hendrickson even unnecessarily accepted the blame for the length of the game .

"I just apologized to everybody for the pace of the game," Hendrickson said about the 3 hour, 19 minute affair. "That was a long game. Too long."

No apologies necessary.  The Brewers pitching staff probably had more to do with the length of the game than anyone.  And anyway, if a win for the Marlins takes all night long that is something we can live with.

Also, if any Marlins player happens to make the starting roster for the NL in the All Star game, they only have last night's game to thank, since it gave us ample time to vote our butts off.

Fredi Gonzalez took to heart something Bobby Cox told him during his time in Atlanta.  Or at least I assume it was when he was with the Braves, but it really doesn't matter when it happened, so onto the story .

Again, though, Gonzalez dismisses any suggestion of complicated theory as an explanation for Florida's success so far. It requires no genius, he said, and instead he made reference to something mentor and Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox once told him.

"He said most managers get fired for one reason - they don't handle the bullpen right," Gonzalez said. "We have some pretty good guys out there."

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"It's almost to the point where anybody could do any job at any point," Gonzalez said of his bullpen after the win. "It's a nice problem to have.

Fredi's greatest in game strength as a manager this season has been his ability to manage the bullpen.  While I'm sure he gets advice from Mark Wiley, it is Fredi's decision to make.

The real test will come in July and August if most of the starters can't go deeper in the games than they are now causing the pen to become arm weary.  While he did sit at the feet of Yoda and all, there isn't much one can do with a dead arm pen.

Hopefully over working the bullpen won't be a season long problem.  Olsen should be good all season, if they don't allow him to throw an inordinate number of innings.  Hendrickson is looking solid.  Badenhop has promise.  I still think Nolasco will come around.  And then there is Andrew Miller, we will see about the young Mr. MIller.

If the starters can do their part, Fredi knows how to handle the relief.

Whatever tweaked means.  Mike Jacobs experienced some tightness in his left quad last night in what should've been a home run trot .

The Marlins first baseman was removed in the third inning on Wednesday after he experienced tightness in his left quad while getting out of the batter's box on a two-run double at Dolphin Stadium.

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While approaching first base, Jacobs began limping, and he trotted slowly into second base. The Marlins went on to win, 6-2, securing a series victory over Milwaukee.

Actually, Jacobs first tweaked the quad during his third-inning, two-run homer in a 3-0 win on Tuesday night.

"I didn't think the ball I hit out [Tuesday] was going out, so I came out of the box pretty hard," Jacobs said. "It kind of tightened up on me a little bit. The same thing tonight. I came out hard, and running the bases, I just felt it a little bit."

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"He felt a little tightness," Gonzalez said. "We'll check him out tomorrow."

Pressed more, Gonzalez sounded more like he would opt for using Wes Helms at first base, giving Jacobs more time to recover.

 

The encouraging thing is the Marlins and Jacobs don't believe the problem is serious.

Who knows what Jacobs could do if he ever remained healthy for a full season, but given the data we have so far, we may never know.  If there is an injury floating around in space, it will find Jacobs and make a home.

I have no idea why one player is cursed by nagging injuries and another is not.  It's kinda like I have friends who drive twenty miles per hour over the speed limit and they never get a ticket.  Me, however, I get speeding tickets for driving 35 mph in a 30 mph zone, complete with a lecture from the officer.  I guess some people are lucky and others aren't.

Hopefully, it is as everyone thinks and his quad tweak is nothing to be concerned about.  And anyway, Helms has a history of making Brewer fans cry so giving him some playing time in the last game of the series ain't all that bad.

I doubt that the purpose of this workshop is to go grow young Marlins fans, but it can't hurt .

Broward County teachers returned to class Tuesday to learn how to teach American history using baseball.

Studying the evolution of the baseball uniform, for example, will teach students about significant social and technological changes during the 20th century. Changes in textiles and styles correspond with advances in transportation, technology, and communication, as well as historical events such as world wars, the Great Depression and the Space Age. 

Former Florida Marlins manager Tony Perez, who was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000, was on hand to help drive home the curriculum for teachers during the workshop.

Ah, the Space Age.  The time of astroturf fields, cookie cutter multi-sports ballparks and possibly some of the ugliest uniforms to ever grace the diamond.

Maybe the young ones can learn from the mistakes of the past and somewhere along the way they will become fans.

But baseball is an excellent choice to see how America has changed threw the ages.

As James Earl Jones, playing the character Terence Mann in the movie Field of Dreams , so eloquently stated .

...The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come. 

Of course, baseball wasn't all good in the past, but there is no reason to bring up all of the problems at this moment.  Especially since it is good news that the youth of today will be learning about the ages by using baseball.  And that is a good thing.

Burke Badenhop may end up with very career as a major league pitcher, but he doesn't know squat when it comes to publicity .

The fact the Brewers' pregame notes listed him as ''Bradenhop'' didn't even bother Badenhop.

''Maybe they can give the two earned runs to that guy,'' said Badenhop, joking, after holding the Brewers to two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings. ``If they misspell Joe Smith's name, then I would say something.

``It's happened. I think they were calling me Bruce when I pitched in Atlanta.''

Look, I'm no public relations expert but even I know the first rule of publicity: I don't care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right.

Then again whom am I to give pointers when next to no one, other than FishStripers, spells FishStripes correctly.

But back to Burke.  He has a very real chance to be a good major league pitcher.  All it requires is that his sinker works and he keeps throwing low in the zone. And gets a little help from his friends along the way.

Just the way it happened last night.

Call him a long shot, a sleeper, but call him out to the mound every fifth day because the Marlins believe he has the potential to emerge as a valuable piece of the rotation.

''I have always had confidence in him,'' Gonzalez said. ``He was terrific tonight. He had a good sinker early, and he kept the ball down and threw strikes and got ahead in the count.

``We made some great plays behind him, but that's a by-product of good pitching.''

A couple of those great moments came from Alfredo Amezaga, who made two incredible plays in center field. He raced to left-center and made a diving, somersault catch to rob Corey Hart of an extra-base hit in the second, and then made a diving, over-the-head catch in deep center to rob Rickie Weeks.

''Amezaga was awesome. That was Mr. Amazing in center field,'' Badenhop said.

The Hopper only gave up only three fly balls last night's game and Alfredo's circus act took care of the majority of them.

The movement on his pitches is definitely major league and when he keeps everything down and under control he can be extremely productive on the mound.

When the trade with Detroit took place I never imagined that Badenhop would be the first player to spark my interest, but he has potential.