This weekend, I was invited to a mini-high school reunion/get-together in south Florida. One of my best buddies and future subject of tennis elbow surgery, Mario A, invited me down a day early for a Florida Marlins game. (Mario and I once played tennis alongside the Swedish national team featuring Mats Wilander and a young Stefan Edberg, bombarding them with newly released, over-sized tennis balls but that's a story for another time). As it's unlike me to refuse a free ticket to a sporting event of any kind, I cordially accepted his invitation and off we went to Dolphin Stadium to see Florida take on the NL West leading Arizona Diamondbacks.

Starting for the Marlins was (7-4) Ricky Nolasco. Despite the fact that the Marlins were recently swept by the best team in Florida, the Rays, they seemed likely to bounce back against D-backs' starter Micah Owings, who must be allergic to hitting 90 mph on the radar gun.

Now I know it's a Friday night in South Florida and there's plenty to do, but let's just say the reported 15,290 spectators in the crowd was an EXTREMELY generous figure. In fact, there were so few people in the stands, every fan had the luxury of having their face on the Jumbotron TWICE! And on Venezuelan appreciation night, even the pretty Marlin media rep walking around the stadium asking fans random trivia questions honored Venezuelan heritage by mispronouncing the name of infielding great Luis Apar-A-cio.

After attending a game in Fenway Park earlier this season, Friday night's Marlins game really had the feel of a triple AAA contest and this is with two of the better teams in the National League playing. Despite the fact that the young Marlins are having a fantastic season (currently three games over .500, 1 games back in the NL East), their fan support is sorely lacking. How south Florida can approve funding for a new stadium is beyond me. Perhaps I should inform whichever governing body approved that move that I have a bridge to sell.

Those who chose not to attend the game missed an outstanding pitching performance from starter Ricky Nolasco. Nolasco had a rough first inning. After giving up ten pitches and a base hit to lead-off hitter Stephen Drew, Nolasco tallied 33 pitches in the first inning. Drew eventually scored on a misplayed fly ball by Marlin left-fielder Josh Willingham. It looked like it was going to be a short night for the starter in teal.

Then Nolasco settled in nicely. Combined with a perfectly called

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