Fredi Gonzalez didn't inherit a healthy starting rotation, and he obviously didn't get a lot of payroll help.

At the same time, his first season as Marlins manager was not impressive. It became clear as the season progressed that he didn't have a tight rein on the clubhouse -- all you had to do was look at Miguel Cabrera's expanding waistline. And I wrote a couple of columns questioning his in-game decision-making.

Players have commented that Gonzalez has better control of the environment this season, and that there is more attention to detail. The team still is making a good number of errors, and seems to be winning mostly with power. But he has handled the bullpen well, and has made a couple of lineup changes (like finally moving Dan Uggla down).

It is almost impossible to quantify how much a baseball manager means.

But many of you were critical of Gonzalez last season.

Is he doing a better job?

Or is he just along for the ride?   

I'm rooting for them in this series.

What turned me?

The way the Jazz fans treated Derek Fisher the past two games.

I understand when fans get upset about a player deserting them for more money (even though they would do the same thing), or about a player giving less than his best effort (even though most people aren't at their best in their jobs every day).

I don't understand how any fan can blame Fisher for getting out of his Jazz contract to move to a city that could best care for his daughter's serious eye condition.

Fisher is regarded as one of the classier men in the sport. He has never been in any trouble. He was so devoted to the Jazz last postseason that he flew from New York to appear in a playoff game -- and then made a critical contribution.

The Jazz did a classy thing by letting him explore other options last offseason.

We say we want our athletes to be family men.

And then, every time Fisher touches the ball, he's booed.

This is just another example of why I find it harder to relate to many sports fans these days, particularly the ones who act like the athletes belong to them.

Jazz fans have embraced Carlos Boozer, who went back on his word with Cleveland, strictly for financial reasons. Yet they hammer Fisher, who simply did what any good father would try to do: move to a place that could provide the best possible care. 

Did anyone think the Salt Lake reception for Fisher was appropriate?  

First, I wrote that the Heat would be better-served if he skipped the Beijing Games.

Second, I wrote that the Olympic team would not miss him.

I expected to get some resistance to the first point. After all, new head coach Erik Spoelstra has apparently said that he thinks the Olympics could be good for Wade, because it might help him get his legs before training camp. I hadn't considered that, though I still suspect it would be better if Wade just rested.

But that's not what bothered some readers.

A few objected to my contention that the Olympic team would be fine without him.

So I looked again at the Olympic roster.

And honestly, I'm struggling to see where he fits.

Jason Kidd is aging, but he will be the regular starting point guard, because Olympic officials were enamored by the way he conducted the offense. Chauncey Billups is his primary backup. Deron Williams is the third-stringer.

Kobe Bryant starts at the two-spot, and he can play heavy minutes. Michael Redd is a necessary addition, because the squad requires a sure-thing long-range shooter.

That's five guard spots.

LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are locks, obviously, and may even start together if the team goes small. Otherwise, Chris Bosh will start with James at forward.

Dwight Howard and Amare Stoudemire are set in the middle, and Tyson Chandler is an option if either gets injured.

That's 10 spots total, not counting Chandler.

Tayshaun Prince and Mike Miller have been on the team. Each fills more of a necessary role than Wade, who is duplicative of Bryant and James to some extent. Miller, like Redd, stretches the floor. Prince would give the team a strong on-ball defender to harass a hot scorer. So my guess is that one of the two will make it. Probably Prince.

That leaves one spot.

Would you take a healthy Chris Paul over a rehabbing Wade?

Sure, Paul would be a fourth point guard, but both Billups and Williams are capable of playing off-guard in international play when the team goes small and Bryant is on the bench.

Is Wade a top-12 American player when healthy?

Absolutely.

He may even be top-3, with Bryant and James, especially since Tim Duncan isn't playing.

He was a tri-captain with James and Anthony not long ago.

But I wouldn't be stunned if he's told to get his body right.

Which, in my view, is what's best for the Heat anyway.

Others criticize D'Antoni because of his teams' short benches and defensive indifference.

He may come to regret passing on the Bulls' job, where there's more long, athletic talent than in New York. It will take Donnie Walsh at least two years to get the Knicks roster in decent shape. I don't see many D'Antoni players on that roster, and he certainly doesn't have the necessary point guard.

At least the Knicks will be more exciting on the court than in the courtroom for a change. And others, including ESPN's Chad Ford, have made the point that players like D'Antoni's style, which could lead to the acquisition of a LeBron James or (gulp) Dwyane Wade in 2010.

How much difference do you think this hire will make for the Knicks?

Ramirez was an easy call.

These four are not as easy.

Josh Willingham. Dan Uggla. Mike Jacobs. Scott Olsen.

I would extend Willingham long-term. He is proven run producer, and he has become an adequate outfielder. I'm not as sure about the other three. Jacobs is hurt a lot. Uggla strikes out a lot. Olsen seems to have matured, but he hasn't proven so over a full season yet.

Which guys would you want to be part of the future? 

The Marlins extended Hanley Ramirez?

Seriously?

Apologies are in order from this corner, because I didn't see this coming.

It's a fair deal, for Ramirez and the team.

And it's a better deal than the Tigers signed with Miguel Cabrera, when simply considering the respective futures of the two players -- and the fact that Ramirez plays a less offensive-oriented position and thus gives his team a greater advantage.

Two questions remain:

If the Marlins can keep up this remarkable run, will they spend (as they did in 2003) to add additional pieces, like an innings-eating starting pitcher and a centerfielder?

If they do, will you go?

Dierdorf offered his endorsement of, and advice for, Dolphins first-round pick Jake Long. And he spoke about second-round pick Chad Henne, another Michigan product.

A clip of the interview is posted elsewhere on the site.

This is the entire six-minute conversation.

Download dan_dierdorf_050908.mp3

(And yes, for those confused by something you might have read today, I am co-hosting the show four mornings per week -- usually Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.)

Tape 1 is of a 10-3 loss to the Dolphins in 2000. The teams played later that year, and New England lost 27-24 in the infamous come-back-on-the-field-to-finish finale.

Tapes 2 and 3 are of a 30-10 loss to the Dolphins in 2001. The teams played later that year as well, and the Patriots won 20-13 at home during their surprising run to a Super Bowl. That was the final regular season game at the old Foxboro Stadium. I was at that game, and remember it reasonably well, including Tebucky Jones' hit on Lamar Smith.

Here's the boxscore.

Here's the story.

Do the latest revelations, which were apparently known to Roger Goodell, change the way you look at this story? 

That was before the shoulder and knee injuries.

Before the sweep by Chicago.

Before 15-67.

Now, he's not regularly mentioned among the elite -- out of sight, out of mind during the 2008 playoffs.

It's not just Kobe and LeBron.

Chris Paul has emerged as the league's new "it" guard. He will soon start getting a lot of Wade's potential endorsements.

Deron Williams isn't all that far behind.

Dwight Howard keeps growing more dominant.

Kevin Durant, while still flawed, is on the horizon.

Just take those five players -- Wade, Paul, Williams, Howard, Durant:

Which one has the most promising future?

Which would you take to start a team?

He made numerous mistakes last year, and he deserved the criticism he received.

But when I got a chance to spend some time with him last year, for a story about how he prepares for a start (in a very low-maintenance way), I didn't view him as a lost cause.

The Marlins didn't either, in part because they had little choice. Of the five young starters in the rotation, Olsen was the only healthy one left after Dontrelle Willis' departure.

Olsen has commanded the strike zone (and his emotions) this year.

Will he compete for the Cy Young? I doubt it. But he looks like a 15-game winner.

Did you believe the Marlins should have dumped him after last season?

And have you seen enough to trust him?