Over six years ago I made my first post at FishStripes and 6,215 posts later, I'm making my last.

Now don't worry, FishStripes will continue on but just not with me at the helm. GameFish and I had long talks about this and we both decided to move on. On to where, I don't know, but to somewhere. The SB Nation has found another blogger to take our place and it should be seamless.

FishStripes has probably the smallest community among the baseball sites on the SB Nation, but that said, it has the best. I want to thank you one and all for our time spent together. You can never know how much it has meant to me.

As for Ichthyomancy, I don't know what will happen, that is up to the person taking over. So I leave it for them to decide.

I won't even start thanking people individually, there are really too many to thank and I fear leaving someone out. But be it known, you are the best and it has been a honor, a privilege and a pleasure to be the lead blogger for all these years. Now it is time to put my right hand on the starboard rail and my left on the tiller and sail for the horizon.

It's Been a Lovely Cruise.

I thank you all.

Javier Vazquez. Greg Dobbs and Jose Lopez have filed for free agency.

The Marlins' most effective starting pitcher and top situational player in 2011 are now officially free agents.

As of 12:01 a.m. ET on Sunday, Javier Vazquez and Greg Dobbs joined a list of 148 MLB players who have formally filed for free agency. Infielder Jose Lopez rounds out the eligible members of the '11 Marlins who will test the market.

By league rule, free agents have a five-day period to negotiate exclusively with their most recent clubs. So the Marlins are able to talk exclusively with Vazquez, Dobbs and Lopez through 12:01 a.m. ET on Thursday.

Javy has a place in the Marlins starting rotation should he desire to pitch another year. Hopefully he will, but it is really up to him and his family. He has earned the right to finish his baseball career on his own terms, and that has yet to be decided.

Greg Dobbs should be re-signed. I mean how often do you come across a player who hits .370/.400/.519 as a pinch hitter? Trust me, it is not often. The problem is that Dobbs will probably want a two-year contract, which is understandable. While the Marlins are willing to spend money in the free-agency market, that doesn't mean they will do so on a bench player.

Jose Lopez if he re-signs with the Marlins it will be to a Minor League contract, meaning he will just be an insurance policy in Triple-A. Which is what he was this last season.

Let the offseason begin.

Playoff Ichthyomancy crowns its 2011 Champion and the honor falls to LadyFish. It was a very close race with LadyFish and FishNFinz battling right down to the end. But when all the dust cleared it was LadyFish by one point. Congratulations!

So what does LadyFish win? Uh, nothing but the bragging rights to say she won. And for a second time. 

I would like to thank everyone who participated in this season's Playoff Ichthyomancy. Though the numbers of participants were fewer this year, the one's who did play were all top notch. 

Thank you all.

It seems that if you want to watch the Marlins via DirecTV you may not get to next season.

DirecTV has threatened to drop several prominent Fox cable networks and 19 regional sports channels if an agreement isn't reached by Nov. 1, affecting most of its 19.5 million viewers. In South Florida, that includes Fox Sports Florida and Sun Sports, which broadcast Marlins, Heat, Panthers and Rays games as well as coverage of the state's major college teams.

---

DirecTV contends that Fox is seeking a 40 percent increase in carriage fees from the previous contract which expired Sept. 30.

Fox, in an official statement, says: "That's just not true. We have proposed to keep Fox Networks on DirecTV for the same price, and on the same terms as they are currently carried while we attempt to work out a fair agreement. Unfortunately, DirecTV has decided unless they get their way, they are going to pull your favorite networks, shows and sports programming."

---

DirecTV Director of Public Relations Robert G. Mercer said: "We hope to resolve the situation before any action is taken, but we'll do what's necessary to protect our customers from excessive and unwarranted fee increases. We already pay News Corp. nearly a billion dollars a year for their channels and we have no problem continuing to compensate them fairly and paying no more than what other TV providers pay."

This will probably all work out before April of 2012. It normally always does. Dish Network went through the same thing last season and it was somehow resolved. But don't expect it to be quick, the two companies are playing the game of who will blink first. And it is not clear to me who has the stronger position, but if I had to guess it would be DirecTV. But I could be wrong about that.

The Rangers could win it all tonight and history may be on their side, or maybe not.

This from Joe Lemire:

Though nearly two-thirds (27 out of 41) of the tiebreaking Game 5 winners ended up winning a World Series that was knotted 2-2, oddly six of the nine most recent Game 5 winners actually lost the series.

---

What's more, in the nine previous World Series in which the Cardinals were tied 2-2 through four games, they won the championship in seven of them, including four times after losing Game 5.

Okay, it may be a toss-up according to history. But in order to break the toss-up we turn to Nicktoons.

Continue reading this post »

As of now, the Marlins are planning for Hanley Ramirez to open the season as the Marlins' short stop.

Hanley Ramirez is doing well in his rehab and is still hoping to open spring training on time in February. Ramirez also plans to be back in his usual position — shortstop.

Ramirez said no one from the Marlins has approached him about playing another position next year, according to one of his representatives, Andy Mota.

This was backed up by David Samson today.

"There has been no conversations with that," Samson said. "I suppose if we sign a free-agent first baseman who would only sign with us if he could play shortstop, I guess that is the conversation we'd have with all of our players.

"But Hanley is our starting shortstop."

If the Marlins are trying to sign a first baseman who will only sign if he gets to play short, they are trying to sign the wrong player.

Continue reading this post »

The Florida Marlins and the Clevelander have joined forces to enhance the pool experience at the Marlins New Ballpark.

The press release:

Continue reading this post »

The Miami Marlins manager, Ozzie Guillen, will be giving his opinions on ESPN's Baseball Tonight about the World Series.

New Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen will offer his commentary throughout the World Series on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight. Guillen primarily will take part in the pregame and postgame shows along with Karl Ravech, John Kruk and Barry Larkin. This is the third consecutive season Guillen does postseason broadcasting work. He was part of Fox’s World Series team in 2009 and 2010.

I've got to admit I remember him being on on FOX but I didn't listen to a word he said. Frankly, I rarely care about what the so called analysts say seeing how they mostly get everything wrong. However, I will probably pay attention to what Guillen says this year, if for no other reason than the possible entertainment value.

I really can't recommend you do the same, but it could prove interesting or possibly insightful into how he thinks about various baseball related activities. While I'm sure you already have an opinion about what Ozzie thinks, he has been known to rethink things.