It is "unfortunate for South Florida" that Marlins RF Ichiro Suzuki's 3,000th career hit came Sunday on the road against the Rockies, but it "underlined the idea that ... they've changed the way they go about business," according to Dave Hyde of the South Florida SUN-SENTINEL. The fact the Marlins "based his playing schedule on winning and not markeing tells fans that owner Jeffrey Loria is wising up and following his baseball people's lead." Hyde: "They're not a circus show like in recent years. They're about building the product in a winning manner" (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 8/9). MLB Network’s Brian Kenny yesterday talked to Marlins President of Baseball Operations Michael Hill and said, “Nobody would blame you (Sunday) for saying, ‘Hey, don’t start this guy now, we’re about to go back home. It’s not only a big series but we can improve the gate.’” Hill said, “It's all about the ‘W’ at this time of the year. ... We’ve given our team an opportunity to win ahead of everything else.” Hill said the team plans to hold an "Ichiro Day" later this season in which it will "celebrate his career and just how great he’s been for so long” (“High Heat,” MLB Network, 8/8).
PART OF HISTORY: In Miami, Andre Fernandez reports the jersey, gloves, cleats and elbow pad Ichiro wore on Sunday "are on their way to Cooperstown." Baseball HOF & Museum President Jeff Idelson said that "anyone with a Marlins game ticket from this season" can enter the HOF "for free" for the rest of '16 (MIAMI HERALD, 8/9).
