* Congrats to Alonso High grad Jose Fernandez, a pitcher for the Miami Marlins, who has been named to the National League All-Star team. The 20-year-old rookie is only five years removed from his native Cuba and a harrowing story of courage: surviving four attempts to flee Cuba, including the near-drowning of his mother.
Fernandez becomes the second Marlins’ All-Star from a Hillsborough County high school. Hillsborough High’s Gary Sheffield (1993, ’96) was the first.
The Tampa Bay Rays have had two All-Stars from Hillsborough County: Jefferson High’s Fred McGriff (2000) and Armwood High’s Matt Joyce (2011).
* When popular, professional athletes reach that free-agent crucible with the franchise they seemingly grew up with, the fans root for the player to accept a home team “discount” and stay off the open market. Failing that, they hope the player doesn’t sign with a bitter rival. Tampa Bay fans have now been disappointed twice in the past three years.
The Rays’ Carl Crawford signed with the Boston Red Sox three years ago–and later regretted it. He never fit in. Now the Lightning’s Vinny Lecavalier, whose bloated, salary-cap-impacting contract was bought out by the Bolts, has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. One word, Vinny: Yo!
* When the Rays’ TV analyst Joe Magrane left the local broadcast booth after the 2008 season to join the MLB Network, the impact was apparent on play-by-play announcer Dewayne Staats. He was subsequently teamed with former big league manager Kevin Kennedy, and the chemistry was not nearly the same. Last year former MLB pitcher Brian Anderson worked the booth with Staats.
Here’s hoping MLB Network doesn’t recruit Anderson next. He’s that good: knowledgeable, candid, funny and a perfect complement to Staats, the consummate professional. The Rays have been lauded for the winning product they’ve put out on the field since the World Series year of 2008. But no franchise–regardless of market size or reputation–has a better broadcasting tandem than Staats and Anderson.
* I root for the Tampa Bay Bucs because I live here. But I’m not a generically big NFL fan. Most years, for example, I’m doing something other than watching the Super Bowl. So, I’m really taken aback by details of the New England Patriots’ jersey (No. 81) exchange prompted by the arrest and first-degree murder charge against Pats’ tight end Aaron Hernandez. Fans actually paid as much as $249.95 for a shirt with somebody else’s name! I understand ardent fan support and vicarious thrills–but $249.95 for a shirt with Hernandez’s name on it?