So we leave July pretty much the way we came in -- limping. Tonight was an ugly, sad loss. It was disheartening, really. Our offense cannot be this streaky.
There should be a rule that if your offense doesn't supply at least as many runs as your ERA, you should get a no decision, because Fausto clearly didn't deserve a loss.
On the upside, Jensen Lewis is getting more experience and he's learning to pitch in a variety of situations, including trouble he gets himself into. He could end up being key to our bullpen as the season goes on.
I'm currently watching the Giants/Dodgers game because a) there's nothing else on and b) baseball in HD is unbelievable. And while I'm sure the rivalry between these two teams and the fact that Bonds is one home run away from tying Hammerin' Hank probably have a little bit to do with it, the turn out at Dodgers' stadium tonight -- and every night -- is so great that it makes me sad.
In fact, Los Angeles is the greatest baseball city in the country. Seriously. The Angels and Dodgers combined out drew the Yankees and Mets combined last year.
And while it would be nice to have the money to buy big ticket players, the real downside of supporting a small/mid market team is having to watch so many home games that are poorly attended. It's simple math, though; there are half a million people in Cleveland and just shy of four million people in Los Angeles.
Look at it this way: it would take 10% of Cleveland's population to fill the Jake.
It would take 1.5% of L.A.'s population to fill Dodger Stadium.
It's too bad. It's nice to see a full baseball stadium.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Weekend Recap
I've given it some thought, and I'm actually going to say that this weekend had more positives than negatives, although that's probably due to the fact that the Tigers are losing to the Angels by a score of 12-1 right now.
Okay, so those two losses were perhaps the worst type of losses we could have had. I have to wonder if Wedge would have pitched someone like Dotel in the 9th on Saturday instead of going with his closer. And, of course, the loss today was really painful, but there will be days like that.
And not to nitpick, but the hit that drove in the Twins' first run? Gutierrez would have made that play. I know that Trot's been hitting well lately, but Gutierrez would have gotten back to that ball in time to catch it. Harsh, but true.
Let's look at the positives. Clearly, this was Westbrook's best outing in a long time. It really looks like a start he can build on. He's got Texas next, so fingers crossed.
Obviously, Kenny Lofton made a considerable impact his first game back. He does give our line-up a nicer look. We're stronger 1-9.
Paul Byrd got another win, which is nice. I'd love to see him get to double digits this week.
And, of course, the Tigers are on the verge of being swept. The saving grace to the fact that the Tribe has been so average since the break is the fact that so have the Tigers. The Yankees worry me, though. It would be just my luck to have a team I hate so completely compete for a wild card spot with the Indians.
Still, we look to end the week a half game back and still in the lead for the wild card. I'll take it, and hope we'll see some improvements after a much needed day off.
Okay, so those two losses were perhaps the worst type of losses we could have had. I have to wonder if Wedge would have pitched someone like Dotel in the 9th on Saturday instead of going with his closer. And, of course, the loss today was really painful, but there will be days like that.
And not to nitpick, but the hit that drove in the Twins' first run? Gutierrez would have made that play. I know that Trot's been hitting well lately, but Gutierrez would have gotten back to that ball in time to catch it. Harsh, but true.
Let's look at the positives. Clearly, this was Westbrook's best outing in a long time. It really looks like a start he can build on. He's got Texas next, so fingers crossed.
Obviously, Kenny Lofton made a considerable impact his first game back. He does give our line-up a nicer look. We're stronger 1-9.
Paul Byrd got another win, which is nice. I'd love to see him get to double digits this week.
And, of course, the Tigers are on the verge of being swept. The saving grace to the fact that the Tribe has been so average since the break is the fact that so have the Tigers. The Yankees worry me, though. It would be just my luck to have a team I hate so completely compete for a wild card spot with the Indians.
Still, we look to end the week a half game back and still in the lead for the wild card. I'll take it, and hope we'll see some improvements after a much needed day off.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Putting the Pieces Together
Lots of things going on with the Tribe with lots of different implicatons.
First and foremost, we traded for Kenny Lofton. We gave up Max Ramirez, the Class A catcher we got for Bob Wickman. I'm happy that we didn't give up much (Yamid Haad in Buffalo looks great as a catcher).
Lofton will clearly help on the field, although there's some question as to how he'll be in the clubhouse (anyone who agrees with Gary Sheffield on ANYTHING has to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic). But he'll definitely strengthen the offense. There's even talk of moving him to lead-off to give Grady a shot at taking advantage of his power.
I have to wonder if this deal clears the path for the Dotel deal. I would imagine that to make room for Lofton they'll have move one of the rookie outfielders -- but perhaps they'll move that person to Kansas City and not Buffalo? Honestly, I think Ben Francisco would be a much better trade for the Royals than that AAA short stop from Los Angeles, but I'm clearly biased.
As I pointed out before, Aaron Laffey's schedule was adjusted to match up with Cliff Lee and given last night's performance there can be no doubt that Laffey will get the call. He pitched well yesterday for Buffalo, going six innings and giving up two earned runs -- and that was on short rest.
Aaron Fultz is supposed to start throwing today, with rehab appearances coming as soon as Sunday. It can't come soon enough, really, as my faith in Mastny and even Stanford has begun to waver. I think Fultz's return and Dotel's addition would make a huge difference.
Big changes coming in the next week. I can feel it. And, honestly, if it goes down like it could or should, I think we have a good shot at the post-season and even the division.
First and foremost, we traded for Kenny Lofton. We gave up Max Ramirez, the Class A catcher we got for Bob Wickman. I'm happy that we didn't give up much (Yamid Haad in Buffalo looks great as a catcher).
Lofton will clearly help on the field, although there's some question as to how he'll be in the clubhouse (anyone who agrees with Gary Sheffield on ANYTHING has to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic). But he'll definitely strengthen the offense. There's even talk of moving him to lead-off to give Grady a shot at taking advantage of his power.
I have to wonder if this deal clears the path for the Dotel deal. I would imagine that to make room for Lofton they'll have move one of the rookie outfielders -- but perhaps they'll move that person to Kansas City and not Buffalo? Honestly, I think Ben Francisco would be a much better trade for the Royals than that AAA short stop from Los Angeles, but I'm clearly biased.
As I pointed out before, Aaron Laffey's schedule was adjusted to match up with Cliff Lee and given last night's performance there can be no doubt that Laffey will get the call. He pitched well yesterday for Buffalo, going six innings and giving up two earned runs -- and that was on short rest.
Aaron Fultz is supposed to start throwing today, with rehab appearances coming as soon as Sunday. It can't come soon enough, really, as my faith in Mastny and even Stanford has begun to waver. I think Fultz's return and Dotel's addition would make a huge difference.
Big changes coming in the next week. I can feel it. And, honestly, if it goes down like it could or should, I think we have a good shot at the post-season and even the division.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
What We Learned
Hey, it's my 100th post! And no one's reading this anymore, judging by the comments section.
*sigh*
I would imagine that Mark Shapiro is currently on the phone with Kansas City telling them they can have Ben Francisco for Octavio Dotel, assuming that's a better deal than the AAA short stop the Dodgers are offering. Because I don't think the Tom Mastny experiment is working out.
And, of course, let's just get this out of the way now:
Welcome to the Majors, Aaron Laffey!
Clearly, there's no way the Indians can keep Cliff Lee on their roster. Really, the argument with Victor and the sarcastic tipping of his hat wouldn't matter if he didn't out and out suck this year. It's kind of mind boggling.
Here's hoping a guy who started the year in Akron can do better.
I would also have to guess that a choice on whether to keep Gutierrez or Francisco became less of a big decision after the last two nights.
Hopefully, the Tribe can get that deal done (throw in Cabrera for good measure!) and we can get some kind of a hold on that bullpen. Then we can bring Choo up, who everyone likes.
Now all we have to do is hope Jake turns it around.
That said, according ESPN, the STO guys were wrong; Santana pitches on Sunday against Sabathia. Jake will face off against Garza on Saturday and with the way the Twins have been hitting lately, this could be a chance for him to start building himself back up.
Sixty games left. We're going to need to win close to forty of those.
*sigh*
I would imagine that Mark Shapiro is currently on the phone with Kansas City telling them they can have Ben Francisco for Octavio Dotel, assuming that's a better deal than the AAA short stop the Dodgers are offering. Because I don't think the Tom Mastny experiment is working out.
And, of course, let's just get this out of the way now:
Welcome to the Majors, Aaron Laffey!
Clearly, there's no way the Indians can keep Cliff Lee on their roster. Really, the argument with Victor and the sarcastic tipping of his hat wouldn't matter if he didn't out and out suck this year. It's kind of mind boggling.
Here's hoping a guy who started the year in Akron can do better.
I would also have to guess that a choice on whether to keep Gutierrez or Francisco became less of a big decision after the last two nights.
Hopefully, the Tribe can get that deal done (throw in Cabrera for good measure!) and we can get some kind of a hold on that bullpen. Then we can bring Choo up, who everyone likes.
Now all we have to do is hope Jake turns it around.
That said, according ESPN, the STO guys were wrong; Santana pitches on Sunday against Sabathia. Jake will face off against Garza on Saturday and with the way the Twins have been hitting lately, this could be a chance for him to start building himself back up.
Sixty games left. We're going to need to win close to forty of those.
Last Chance for Cliff?
The last two days HAVE been incredible. I don't know that I'd be making that statement had we not won last night, though.
Aside from a much needed win, last night also underscored another point: we have two aces. This is huge. We would be a very, very dangerous team in the post-season. Now we just have to make it there.
There's some interesting info here:
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1185439373128710.xml&coll=2
No word on the Dotel deal, although last night on Baseball Tonight Gammons said he was most likely to go to the Dodgers now.
What I found most interesting was this bit:
"Laffey (7-3, 3.24 at Buffalo) has been involved in some interesting gyrations of late. Over the weekend it looked like he was coming to Cleveland after being pulled out of a start in the third inning. The Indians denied that report, but the Buffalo News reported that Laffey's locker was cleaned out after that shortened start. He'll be pitching on short rest Thursday."
Basically, they're pitching him on short rest so that he'll be on the same rotation as Cliff Lee. Someone somewhere decided to give Cliff one last shot, against the Red Sox, no less.
What I find even more interesting about that is that this means they have no intention of moving Jason Stanford back to the rotation. I understand that completely, as we really don't have a reliable long man in the bullpen other than Stanford.
Tonight should be interesting.
Aside from a much needed win, last night also underscored another point: we have two aces. This is huge. We would be a very, very dangerous team in the post-season. Now we just have to make it there.
There's some interesting info here:
http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1185439373128710.xml&coll=2
No word on the Dotel deal, although last night on Baseball Tonight Gammons said he was most likely to go to the Dodgers now.
What I found most interesting was this bit:
"Laffey (7-3, 3.24 at Buffalo) has been involved in some interesting gyrations of late. Over the weekend it looked like he was coming to Cleveland after being pulled out of a start in the third inning. The Indians denied that report, but the Buffalo News reported that Laffey's locker was cleaned out after that shortened start. He'll be pitching on short rest Thursday."
Basically, they're pitching him on short rest so that he'll be on the same rotation as Cliff Lee. Someone somewhere decided to give Cliff one last shot, against the Red Sox, no less.
What I find even more interesting about that is that this means they have no intention of moving Jason Stanford back to the rotation. I understand that completely, as we really don't have a reliable long man in the bullpen other than Stanford.
Tonight should be interesting.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Trade Rumors
The most prominent rumor involving the Tribe (mentioned in Buster Olney's blog today at ESPN.com) is a deal with Kansas City for Octavio Dotel who, if you haven't been paying attention to the Royals lately (and you should, as they're a fun team to watch), has been lights out as their closer. However, they have a young guy on the team they feel can be just as good, so they can move Dotel (who's a free agent after this year).
From what I've read, the Royals have asked for either Ben Francisco or Franklin Gutierrez.
It's becoming more and more clear that we're going to have to stick with Jake and possibly Lee as well, so improving our bullpen would mean a lot if we can only count on four or five innings from our #5 starter.
Is it worth it to trade a young guy like Francisco or Gutierrez? Maybe.
We still have Shin-Soo Choo in Buffalo, who has not only been great every time he's come up to the Majors, but was also supposed to get the call when Delucci was hurt, but happened to be on the 15 day DL at the time.
We also have a guy named Jonathan Van Every in Buffalo who currently leads the team in nearly every offensive category even though he spent half the year in Akron.
For that matter, we still have Brad Snyder down in AAA.
So who do we deal, Ben or Franklin? Ben's numbers are roughly half of what Franklin's are which makes sense, as he's played in a little less than half as many games. But does that give Franklin the edge because he has more experience? Or do you give Ben the edge because he has more potential power?
It's a tough call, but either way I think I'd make that deal. I think we're in too close of a race to hold on to all of our chips for the future.
Besides, picture this: Borowski, Dotel, Betancourt, Perez, Lewis, Fultz, and Mastny or Stanford. I'd be pretty happy with that bullpen going forward.
I guess we'll see in the next few days.
From what I've read, the Royals have asked for either Ben Francisco or Franklin Gutierrez.
It's becoming more and more clear that we're going to have to stick with Jake and possibly Lee as well, so improving our bullpen would mean a lot if we can only count on four or five innings from our #5 starter.
Is it worth it to trade a young guy like Francisco or Gutierrez? Maybe.
We still have Shin-Soo Choo in Buffalo, who has not only been great every time he's come up to the Majors, but was also supposed to get the call when Delucci was hurt, but happened to be on the 15 day DL at the time.
We also have a guy named Jonathan Van Every in Buffalo who currently leads the team in nearly every offensive category even though he spent half the year in Akron.
For that matter, we still have Brad Snyder down in AAA.
So who do we deal, Ben or Franklin? Ben's numbers are roughly half of what Franklin's are which makes sense, as he's played in a little less than half as many games. But does that give Franklin the edge because he has more experience? Or do you give Ben the edge because he has more potential power?
It's a tough call, but either way I think I'd make that deal. I think we're in too close of a race to hold on to all of our chips for the future.
Besides, picture this: Borowski, Dotel, Betancourt, Perez, Lewis, Fultz, and Mastny or Stanford. I'd be pretty happy with that bullpen going forward.
I guess we'll see in the next few days.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Red Sox @ Indians, 7/24/07
My friend Matt is a Red Sox fan. Today I explained to him how we had to win all of C.C., Fausto, and Byrd's starts to make the post-season. He asked me if our season would be over if we lost tonight. I told him yes.
Season over!
Okay, okay, I kid. But it's getting to that point. When was the last time you looked at a start by any of the three GOOD pitchers we have and didn't think to yourself "man, we really need to win that game because we'll lose when Westbrook and Lee pitch?"
That said, you couldn't have asked for more from C.C. tonight.
I feel like the team has the same view that the fans do, and that's troubling. Yes, we left the bases loaded. Yes, Grady was tagged at third when he shouldn't have been. And that just proves my point.
I feel like the team KNOWS they need to win every time C.C. is out there. And it makes me think they're forcing it to the point of not performing.
Hey, maybe it's just me. But I you know that the guys on that team are seeing the same things that we are. You know they feel the same way.
Season over!
Okay, okay, I kid. But it's getting to that point. When was the last time you looked at a start by any of the three GOOD pitchers we have and didn't think to yourself "man, we really need to win that game because we'll lose when Westbrook and Lee pitch?"
That said, you couldn't have asked for more from C.C. tonight.
I feel like the team has the same view that the fans do, and that's troubling. Yes, we left the bases loaded. Yes, Grady was tagged at third when he shouldn't have been. And that just proves my point.
I feel like the team KNOWS they need to win every time C.C. is out there. And it makes me think they're forcing it to the point of not performing.
Hey, maybe it's just me. But I you know that the guys on that team are seeing the same things that we are. You know they feel the same way.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Red Sox @ Indians, 7/23/07
Show of hands, who didn't know we'd lose tonight? Let's count the many reasons why we were bound to lose:
1) Nationally televised game (kiss of death for the Tribe)
2) The return of Jon Lester after battling cancer (akin to playing the Saints in New Orleans)
3) Jake Westbrook
I haven't seen the story on the game yet, but I can only assume that Wedge will go with the party line he used after Cliff's last game, something along the lines of "he turned it around after that first inning and we saw the pitcher we know he can be" or some load like that. Yet the fact will remain that yet again the back end of our rotation dug our team into a hole they could not get out of, right from the start.
Evidently, Adam Miller (who has been awful since coming off the DL) has been shut down for the year because of a sore elbow. The upside here is that this means there's a reason why he's been awful. The downside, obviously, is that he's yet another pitcher lost to us.
Jason Stanford might have given up a run tonight, but it was unearned, which means after his first inning it was 1-0...after Westbrook's it was 4-0.
The big question, of course, is whose spot to you put Stanford in? At this point I say Lee, although I don't know why. Wait, he has options left, that's why.
From what I've been told (by one of the fine folks on the Indians livejournal), Aaron Laffey is the next to get a call up. Matt Miller has actually started returning to form, which is a good sign, as we clearly need to bolster the bullpen, particularly if we move Stanford to the rotation.
And, as usual, we have to hope that C.C. and Fausto win their next two starts...their next twenty starts, for that matter.
1) Nationally televised game (kiss of death for the Tribe)
2) The return of Jon Lester after battling cancer (akin to playing the Saints in New Orleans)
3) Jake Westbrook
I haven't seen the story on the game yet, but I can only assume that Wedge will go with the party line he used after Cliff's last game, something along the lines of "he turned it around after that first inning and we saw the pitcher we know he can be" or some load like that. Yet the fact will remain that yet again the back end of our rotation dug our team into a hole they could not get out of, right from the start.
Evidently, Adam Miller (who has been awful since coming off the DL) has been shut down for the year because of a sore elbow. The upside here is that this means there's a reason why he's been awful. The downside, obviously, is that he's yet another pitcher lost to us.
Jason Stanford might have given up a run tonight, but it was unearned, which means after his first inning it was 1-0...after Westbrook's it was 4-0.
The big question, of course, is whose spot to you put Stanford in? At this point I say Lee, although I don't know why. Wait, he has options left, that's why.
From what I've been told (by one of the fine folks on the Indians livejournal), Aaron Laffey is the next to get a call up. Matt Miller has actually started returning to form, which is a good sign, as we clearly need to bolster the bullpen, particularly if we move Stanford to the rotation.
And, as usual, we have to hope that C.C. and Fausto win their next two starts...their next twenty starts, for that matter.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Indians @ Rangers Saturday AND Sunday
So last night I had the Chelsea/LA Galaxy match on the TV, the MLB.tv feed for the Indians/Rangers game on my laptop, and the new Harry Potter book. After only a few minutes of juggling these things, I realized that something was going to have to give.
Cliff Lee made that decision pretty easy for me.
I'm actually considering not watching any games he starts anymore. It would certainly free up some time in my life.
And today we get Paul Byrd, who does what he always does when he starts: gives the Tribe a chance to win.
Considering we're up 8-3 heading into the ninth, it would appear he did his job well.
My kingdom for a #4 starter!
Cliff Lee made that decision pretty easy for me.
I'm actually considering not watching any games he starts anymore. It would certainly free up some time in my life.
And today we get Paul Byrd, who does what he always does when he starts: gives the Tribe a chance to win.
Considering we're up 8-3 heading into the ninth, it would appear he did his job well.
My kingdom for a #4 starter!
Friday, July 20, 2007
RCR Extra: Beckham
My two favorite sports are baseball and soccer. As you might have noticed, soccer in this country has been getting a lot of air time lately and I feel very strongly about exactly what is being said during that air time.
Some thoughts:
1) The next person to say that Beckham won't "save soccer" in America gets my foot up their ass.
Here's a question: what happens if Beckham sucks? Will the millions and millions of kids who play soccer every weekend suddenly stop? Will the phrase "soccer mom" be replaced by "basketball mom"? Will sales on mini-vans plummet? Beckham won't save soccer in this country because soccer doesn't need saving. If it did then it wouldn't be so ingrained in our growing suburban society.
2) The next person to compare Beckham coming to the MLS to Pele coming to the NASL also gets my foot up their ass.
Where to even begin with this idea? The most obvious is the simple fact that Pele was the greatest soccer player who has ever lived and Beckham, while good, isn't. But that's probably not even the biggest distinction to make in this horrible comparison.
The NASL INTRODUCED a sport to America. There was no such thing as youth soccer when the NASL came along. Part of the reason they imported so many player in from other countries is because there simply weren't that many native Americans who even knew what the game was, let alone were able to play it. The MLS has a feeder system in place, basically because the NASL led to the establishment of the largest youth oriented sports movement this country has ever seen. If even a tenth of a percent of the kids playing soccer today go on to play pro, that's a thousand people at least. The NASL didn't have that. It's also why the U.S. National team actually makes it to the World Cup tournament.
3) The next person to say Beckham wasn't worth it gets my foot up their ass.
It's frightening when a man who used to run around the field looking like the lead singer for the Spin Doctors makes more sense than any reporter or writer around. As Alexi Lalas pointed out, they signed Beckham because he will give the L.A. Galaxy a chance to win. As he's also pointed out, they've already earned back what they will pay him in sponsors, endorsements, and ticket sales.
People seem to forget that Los Angeles isn't Portland (aka, a city that had an NASL team and failed). The market for soccer here is so large that we actually have TWO teams (Chivas USA being the other). Unlike most cities, our teams even have their own soccer-specific stadium. David Beckham is not going to make or break either the L.A. Galaxy or the MLS.
4) The next person to say Beckham has to play Saturday night gets my foot up their ass.
While it would be nice if Beckham's highly touted premiere actually happened on Saturday night, there's no need for it if he's hurt. It's an exhibition game, so if his goal is to help the L.A. Galaxy win, this game is meaningless. Yes, it would be nice to see him face off against Chelsea, but unlike most sports you RUN for 90 minutes in soccer, and a sore ankle isn't going allow for that.
Besides, people should be watching that match regardless. It's freaking Chelsea, for god's sake. They came in second in the Premiereship. Their owner is a Russion tycoon. It's the cold war all over again. L.A. should get shelled -- even with Beckham -- but it will be great to watch.
Some thoughts:
1) The next person to say that Beckham won't "save soccer" in America gets my foot up their ass.
Here's a question: what happens if Beckham sucks? Will the millions and millions of kids who play soccer every weekend suddenly stop? Will the phrase "soccer mom" be replaced by "basketball mom"? Will sales on mini-vans plummet? Beckham won't save soccer in this country because soccer doesn't need saving. If it did then it wouldn't be so ingrained in our growing suburban society.
2) The next person to compare Beckham coming to the MLS to Pele coming to the NASL also gets my foot up their ass.
Where to even begin with this idea? The most obvious is the simple fact that Pele was the greatest soccer player who has ever lived and Beckham, while good, isn't. But that's probably not even the biggest distinction to make in this horrible comparison.
The NASL INTRODUCED a sport to America. There was no such thing as youth soccer when the NASL came along. Part of the reason they imported so many player in from other countries is because there simply weren't that many native Americans who even knew what the game was, let alone were able to play it. The MLS has a feeder system in place, basically because the NASL led to the establishment of the largest youth oriented sports movement this country has ever seen. If even a tenth of a percent of the kids playing soccer today go on to play pro, that's a thousand people at least. The NASL didn't have that. It's also why the U.S. National team actually makes it to the World Cup tournament.
3) The next person to say Beckham wasn't worth it gets my foot up their ass.
It's frightening when a man who used to run around the field looking like the lead singer for the Spin Doctors makes more sense than any reporter or writer around. As Alexi Lalas pointed out, they signed Beckham because he will give the L.A. Galaxy a chance to win. As he's also pointed out, they've already earned back what they will pay him in sponsors, endorsements, and ticket sales.
People seem to forget that Los Angeles isn't Portland (aka, a city that had an NASL team and failed). The market for soccer here is so large that we actually have TWO teams (Chivas USA being the other). Unlike most cities, our teams even have their own soccer-specific stadium. David Beckham is not going to make or break either the L.A. Galaxy or the MLS.
4) The next person to say Beckham has to play Saturday night gets my foot up their ass.
While it would be nice if Beckham's highly touted premiere actually happened on Saturday night, there's no need for it if he's hurt. It's an exhibition game, so if his goal is to help the L.A. Galaxy win, this game is meaningless. Yes, it would be nice to see him face off against Chelsea, but unlike most sports you RUN for 90 minutes in soccer, and a sore ankle isn't going allow for that.
Besides, people should be watching that match regardless. It's freaking Chelsea, for god's sake. They came in second in the Premiereship. Their owner is a Russion tycoon. It's the cold war all over again. L.A. should get shelled -- even with Beckham -- but it will be great to watch.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
RCR Extra!!
It's interesting how, a week after the All Star game, you can start to see the cracks in all of the best teams in the AL.
Boston's bullpen might actually be worse than ours, with the exception of Okajima and Papelbon. Their offense just got out scored by the Royals. And the back end of their rotation is nearly as questionable as ours (I say nearly because they have options).
The Angels just sent down Ervin Santana and Bartolo Colon has been less than stellar. And while they produce runs as well as anyone, they clearly lack power aside from Vlad, something that can be a problem if you're not always in a position to manufacture runs.
The Twins, as they usually do, came out of the break firing on all cylinders. But they just got swept by the Tigers. They scored all of 5 runs in those three games. They've always had a great bullpen, but does anyone even know who their rotation is these days?
Speaking of rotations, can anyone name all five guys in Seattle's rotation? If there's a more illogical team than the Tribe to be in the race, it's the Mariners. They have a great closer, of course. They've got some big guns in the line-up. But they don't really match-up against the rest of the league the way a contender would.
The scariest team in all of baseball right now has to be the Tigers. They have Kenny Rogers back, giving them perhaps the best rotation in baseball 1-5. Their bullpen has been the main issue this season, but even if they don't make a deal by the break, they're supposed to get Zumaya and Rodney back in August. And, of course, they have the best offense in the AL.
I still think the Tribe can make the post-season, and in some ways it's almost a bonus that the Tigers are in the Central, because if we both make the post-season than we won't face them until the ALCS.
Tribe Prediction: If Cliff Lee doesn't turn it around by the time Aaron Fultz comes off the DL, they'll send him down and move Stanford to the rotation, giving that bullpen spot to Fultz.
Boston's bullpen might actually be worse than ours, with the exception of Okajima and Papelbon. Their offense just got out scored by the Royals. And the back end of their rotation is nearly as questionable as ours (I say nearly because they have options).
The Angels just sent down Ervin Santana and Bartolo Colon has been less than stellar. And while they produce runs as well as anyone, they clearly lack power aside from Vlad, something that can be a problem if you're not always in a position to manufacture runs.
The Twins, as they usually do, came out of the break firing on all cylinders. But they just got swept by the Tigers. They scored all of 5 runs in those three games. They've always had a great bullpen, but does anyone even know who their rotation is these days?
Speaking of rotations, can anyone name all five guys in Seattle's rotation? If there's a more illogical team than the Tribe to be in the race, it's the Mariners. They have a great closer, of course. They've got some big guns in the line-up. But they don't really match-up against the rest of the league the way a contender would.
The scariest team in all of baseball right now has to be the Tigers. They have Kenny Rogers back, giving them perhaps the best rotation in baseball 1-5. Their bullpen has been the main issue this season, but even if they don't make a deal by the break, they're supposed to get Zumaya and Rodney back in August. And, of course, they have the best offense in the AL.
I still think the Tribe can make the post-season, and in some ways it's almost a bonus that the Tigers are in the Central, because if we both make the post-season than we won't face them until the ALCS.
Tribe Prediction: If Cliff Lee doesn't turn it around by the time Aaron Fultz comes off the DL, they'll send him down and move Stanford to the rotation, giving that bullpen spot to Fultz.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
White Sox @ Indians, 7/18/07
Mark Shapiro isn't stupid.
He was up in the call box at one point during the game today. He was asked about the trade deadline and bullpen help and he basically said -- without actually saying it -- that we have what we have; there's simply nothing out there, and what is out there is too costly.
And then he pointed out what everyone is thinking, yet I don't see a whole lot of people actually saying: our biggest problem is Cliff and Jake.
I know, I know, I sound like a broken record. But we can't count on C.C., Carmona, and Byrd to win every one of their starts.
Buster Olney mentioned in a column the other day that the Tribe had someone at Contreras' last start for the White Sox. But will 5-11 with a 5.32 ERA really help us, even if the White Sox would deal with us? And at what cost? That doesn't seem like a positive move.
It's just insane that we don't really have any options from within right now. I mean, think about it, of our projected starting three of them have, well, bombed pretty badly! It really is a miracle we're anywhere close to in it at this point.
I stand by my suggestion to give Stanford some more time, at least to give us a chance.
So what about our bullpen? Well, even though he gave up a run today, I really like Jensen Lewis. I think he's got potential. I also think he makes a nice addition to Perez, Betancourt, and Borowski.
Mastny is inconsistent and worrying. I think we miss Fultz.
Like I said, I think our bullpen is going to come from within.
I have more faith in that than in the back end of our rotation working itself out.
He was up in the call box at one point during the game today. He was asked about the trade deadline and bullpen help and he basically said -- without actually saying it -- that we have what we have; there's simply nothing out there, and what is out there is too costly.
And then he pointed out what everyone is thinking, yet I don't see a whole lot of people actually saying: our biggest problem is Cliff and Jake.
I know, I know, I sound like a broken record. But we can't count on C.C., Carmona, and Byrd to win every one of their starts.
Buster Olney mentioned in a column the other day that the Tribe had someone at Contreras' last start for the White Sox. But will 5-11 with a 5.32 ERA really help us, even if the White Sox would deal with us? And at what cost? That doesn't seem like a positive move.
It's just insane that we don't really have any options from within right now. I mean, think about it, of our projected starting three of them have, well, bombed pretty badly! It really is a miracle we're anywhere close to in it at this point.
I stand by my suggestion to give Stanford some more time, at least to give us a chance.
So what about our bullpen? Well, even though he gave up a run today, I really like Jensen Lewis. I think he's got potential. I also think he makes a nice addition to Perez, Betancourt, and Borowski.
Mastny is inconsistent and worrying. I think we miss Fultz.
Like I said, I think our bullpen is going to come from within.
I have more faith in that than in the back end of our rotation working itself out.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
White Sox @ Indians, 7/17/07
All praise Ryan Garko! Fantastic stuff --and more reason to love this team. It's nights like tonight when you're also reminded of just how young the Tribe is, which I consider good thing. They just have so much enthusiasm. I can't even imagine how Gutierrez and Francisco must be feeling.
And let's not ignore the old guys! It's nice to see Trot Nixon come through when it counted tonight.
But what's the big news tonight? Well, the AP write-up of the game included this little tidbit:
The Indians have had a season-long obsession with "RBI Baseball," the old-school Nintendo video game popular in the 1980s. Since Sunday, players and clubhouse staffers have been competing in a 16-team tournament, complete with seedings.
As a man who lives in an apartment with not one but TWO original Nintendo systems, this is awesome.
How could anyone NOT love this team?
And let's not ignore the old guys! It's nice to see Trot Nixon come through when it counted tonight.
But what's the big news tonight? Well, the AP write-up of the game included this little tidbit:
The Indians have had a season-long obsession with "RBI Baseball," the old-school Nintendo video game popular in the 1980s. Since Sunday, players and clubhouse staffers have been competing in a 16-team tournament, complete with seedings.
As a man who lives in an apartment with not one but TWO original Nintendo systems, this is awesome.
How could anyone NOT love this team?
Monday, July 16, 2007
White Sox @ Indians, 7/16/07
Okay, it's time to send Cliff Lee down. We're not going to win the Central with the back of our rotation like this.
Geez.
UPDATE: My friend Brett and I are debating as to when Lee should/could be sent down. Any thoughts?
While Lee's ice might have gotten thinner tonight, it's got to be completely gone for Cabrera. I'll be honest, I usually give Wedge the benefit of the doubt, but I can't believe he put Cabrera in there tonight. I suppose you have to use him at some point, but following up our least effective starter with our least effective reliever didn't seem too smart, particularly given that we were still in the game.
If there was a bright spot tonight (besides our offense), it had to be the new guys coming out the bullpen. Sure, Jensen Lewis walked two guys, but I think that would be easy to chalk up to nerves in his first big league appearance. Rafael Perez struck out the side and looked dominant as he usually does and Jason Stanford looked good.
So what DO we do with Cliff Lee, who's 5-6 with a 5.67 ERA? Well, Lee has options left, so I think we need to do the same thing with him as we're doing with Sowers. Then we move Jason Stanford back to that spot, because while we're not exactly stocked with great relievers in Buffalo, we're even thinner on starters.
We let Stanford pitch in the fifth spot while Lee regroups, or Sowers regroups, or Miller gets back on track. Because right now I don't feel like Cliff ever gives us a chance to win.
Geez.
UPDATE: My friend Brett and I are debating as to when Lee should/could be sent down. Any thoughts?
While Lee's ice might have gotten thinner tonight, it's got to be completely gone for Cabrera. I'll be honest, I usually give Wedge the benefit of the doubt, but I can't believe he put Cabrera in there tonight. I suppose you have to use him at some point, but following up our least effective starter with our least effective reliever didn't seem too smart, particularly given that we were still in the game.
If there was a bright spot tonight (besides our offense), it had to be the new guys coming out the bullpen. Sure, Jensen Lewis walked two guys, but I think that would be easy to chalk up to nerves in his first big league appearance. Rafael Perez struck out the side and looked dominant as he usually does and Jason Stanford looked good.
So what DO we do with Cliff Lee, who's 5-6 with a 5.67 ERA? Well, Lee has options left, so I think we need to do the same thing with him as we're doing with Sowers. Then we move Jason Stanford back to that spot, because while we're not exactly stocked with great relievers in Buffalo, we're even thinner on starters.
We let Stanford pitch in the fifth spot while Lee regroups, or Sowers regroups, or Miller gets back on track. Because right now I don't feel like Cliff ever gives us a chance to win.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Royals @ Indians, 7/15/07
Show of hands, who thought the Indians would be the first franchise to 10,000 losses?
Let's face facts, any game that has Pronk go 3-4, Garko continue his hot streak, and Carmona get his 11th win is a good game. These are the things that need to happen for us to stay in the race for the remainder of the year.
Granted, I'd prefer it if we could sweep a team like the Royals, but I need to learn to accept that aside from the fact that they always play us tough, they're also a better team than their record lets on. Honestly, Kansas City would be one starting pitcher away from being a good team if they played in any other division. As it is, they're probably still a good two to three years away.
And now we get the White Sox, who are just about as far out of it as a team can be. I hate the White Sox. I really do. But they always play us tough, so it should be an intense series.
Let's hope the Twins can take the Tigers down a bit, although the prospect of the Twins winning isn't that comforting, either. They've won four straight and I think we all know what they're like when they start rolling.
Beckett lost today, which means C.C. has yet to lose his top spot in wins in the AL. I think both he and Lackey go on Thursday.
Any bets on when we see Jensen Lewis?
Let's face facts, any game that has Pronk go 3-4, Garko continue his hot streak, and Carmona get his 11th win is a good game. These are the things that need to happen for us to stay in the race for the remainder of the year.
Granted, I'd prefer it if we could sweep a team like the Royals, but I need to learn to accept that aside from the fact that they always play us tough, they're also a better team than their record lets on. Honestly, Kansas City would be one starting pitcher away from being a good team if they played in any other division. As it is, they're probably still a good two to three years away.
And now we get the White Sox, who are just about as far out of it as a team can be. I hate the White Sox. I really do. But they always play us tough, so it should be an intense series.
Let's hope the Twins can take the Tigers down a bit, although the prospect of the Twins winning isn't that comforting, either. They've won four straight and I think we all know what they're like when they start rolling.
Beckett lost today, which means C.C. has yet to lose his top spot in wins in the AL. I think both he and Lackey go on Thursday.
Any bets on when we see Jensen Lewis?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Around the Majors
A few statements with long digressions:
While most sports writers keep saying that the Yankees still have a shot at the wild card (this is insane for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that they are 8.5 games out and behind five other teams, two of which are the Twins and the A's who, you know, NEVER make runs in the second half -- and let's not even mention that ridiculous "the Yankees have 28 games against sub-.500 teams" as they were 17-17 against .500 teams up until now), they all seem to come around to four teams making the post-season in the AL: Angels, Tigers, Indians, Red Sox.
It's disconcerting to hear the Indians in that mix. Clearly, I'm from Ohio, or else such things would fill me with joy instead of dread.
As I'm sure everyone knows by now, we locked Pronk in for the remainder of his productive years, at very least. The hope, obviously, is that the contract issue was one which was taking away from his performance. It's not that he's been having a bad year, just an un-Pronk like one.
Another forgone conclusion that most sports writers are making these days is that A-rod will go to the Angels next year. I actually like this move even if I do think A-rod is a putz. One opinion piece I heard on the radio mentioned that A-rod's choice of destination will either show that he's all about money or that he's all about winning and I think it's clear to pretty much everyone that the West is not only an easier division to win, but the Angels have crazy, crazy depth.
I like the Angels (great team, great stadium), so it would be interesting to see a guy I have little respect for move to an organization I have a lot of respect for.
Also, the word on the 'net is that the Tribe are putting feelers out there for Eric Gange and Brad Lidge. I mentioned Lidge way, way, way back when. I just don't know what we could part with. Suddenly it seems that we don't really have the rotation depth we used to have, as Sowers is struggling in Buffalo and Miller's rehab starts aren't going well.
Anyway, I enjoyed the break. I hope to enjoy the rest of the season, too.
While most sports writers keep saying that the Yankees still have a shot at the wild card (this is insane for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that they are 8.5 games out and behind five other teams, two of which are the Twins and the A's who, you know, NEVER make runs in the second half -- and let's not even mention that ridiculous "the Yankees have 28 games against sub-.500 teams" as they were 17-17 against .500 teams up until now), they all seem to come around to four teams making the post-season in the AL: Angels, Tigers, Indians, Red Sox.
It's disconcerting to hear the Indians in that mix. Clearly, I'm from Ohio, or else such things would fill me with joy instead of dread.
As I'm sure everyone knows by now, we locked Pronk in for the remainder of his productive years, at very least. The hope, obviously, is that the contract issue was one which was taking away from his performance. It's not that he's been having a bad year, just an un-Pronk like one.
Another forgone conclusion that most sports writers are making these days is that A-rod will go to the Angels next year. I actually like this move even if I do think A-rod is a putz. One opinion piece I heard on the radio mentioned that A-rod's choice of destination will either show that he's all about money or that he's all about winning and I think it's clear to pretty much everyone that the West is not only an easier division to win, but the Angels have crazy, crazy depth.
I like the Angels (great team, great stadium), so it would be interesting to see a guy I have little respect for move to an organization I have a lot of respect for.
Also, the word on the 'net is that the Tribe are putting feelers out there for Eric Gange and Brad Lidge. I mentioned Lidge way, way, way back when. I just don't know what we could part with. Suddenly it seems that we don't really have the rotation depth we used to have, as Sowers is struggling in Buffalo and Miller's rehab starts aren't going well.
Anyway, I enjoyed the break. I hope to enjoy the rest of the season, too.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
All-Star Break Report Card
There's an interesting article by Jim Ingraham. You can find it here: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18567556&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46370&rfi=6
He grades the team player by player (more or less). He's harsher on Westbrook than he is on Lee, although maybe that's because Westbrook just signed a new deal. He also gives Barfield a C, which I think is a bit low, as you really have to take into consideration his average with runners in scoring position: .318 and .378 with two outs.
He also gives Nixon a D, which might be accurate for his performance, but takes away from his value in the clubhouse. I'll be the first to admit that Nixon's willingness to thank Jesus for his success is disconcerting, but his profesionalism and attitude have made a noticeable difference. I'd actually knock his grade up a full letter just for the impact he's had on the younger guys. I think that's been key.
He gives Rouse a D as well, which is understandable. If we have a weak spot off the bench, it's clearly Rouse. I have to wonder if they'd ever consider making a move there, particularly if Joe Inglett makes a strong recovery. Asdrubal Cabrera has been making a name for himself in Akron and I'd be surprised if he didn't get bumped up to Buffalo before the end of the year. I have to think he'll be the favorite for the utility gig next year.
The most interesting part of the article, however, has to be the litany of bad luck the Tribe has had to overcome so far this season. It is pretty amazing that we've got 52 wins. Imagine a team with some consistency from the back end of our rotation, guys like Francisco and Gutierrez playing every day, a stronger bullpen, and Pronk back to normal.
Sounds like a team that can go deep into October to me.
He grades the team player by player (more or less). He's harsher on Westbrook than he is on Lee, although maybe that's because Westbrook just signed a new deal. He also gives Barfield a C, which I think is a bit low, as you really have to take into consideration his average with runners in scoring position: .318 and .378 with two outs.
He also gives Nixon a D, which might be accurate for his performance, but takes away from his value in the clubhouse. I'll be the first to admit that Nixon's willingness to thank Jesus for his success is disconcerting, but his profesionalism and attitude have made a noticeable difference. I'd actually knock his grade up a full letter just for the impact he's had on the younger guys. I think that's been key.
He gives Rouse a D as well, which is understandable. If we have a weak spot off the bench, it's clearly Rouse. I have to wonder if they'd ever consider making a move there, particularly if Joe Inglett makes a strong recovery. Asdrubal Cabrera has been making a name for himself in Akron and I'd be surprised if he didn't get bumped up to Buffalo before the end of the year. I have to think he'll be the favorite for the utility gig next year.
The most interesting part of the article, however, has to be the litany of bad luck the Tribe has had to overcome so far this season. It is pretty amazing that we've got 52 wins. Imagine a team with some consistency from the back end of our rotation, guys like Francisco and Gutierrez playing every day, a stronger bullpen, and Pronk back to normal.
Sounds like a team that can go deep into October to me.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Indians @ Blue Jays, 7/7/07
I would love for someone to explain to me WHY the game today was blacked out by MLB.tv. But I'll get by listening to WTAM.
Carmona is more than likely going to get his 10th win, giving the Tribe two 10 game + winners before the All Star game for the first time in 51 years.
Borowski seems to be getting better as the season goes on, which is a nice surprise.
Here's a fun quote that a friend of mine sent me:
"All-Star shortstop Carlos Guillen won't be surprised if the Red Sox are back for the AL championship series."We are the two best teams, maybe with Anaheim," Guillen said, referring to the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels."
Nice, Guillen, you conceited jackass. Not only do you currently SHARE first place with a team that came in FOURTH last year, you're 4-6 against them this season.
What a jackass. The Tigers just give me more and more reasons to hate them.
Victor's day to day with a bruised knee. They should just use Shoppach tomorrow and let Victor enjoy the break (skip the All-Star game, V-Mart, if needed). I'm sure that's what they'll do.
The back end of rotation still worries me, as does our bullpen. Unfortunately I don't know that we have a lot of help ready to go. Maybe some time off will help Cliff and Jake (although Jake seems to be far closer to normal than Cliff).
Carmona is more than likely going to get his 10th win, giving the Tribe two 10 game + winners before the All Star game for the first time in 51 years.
Borowski seems to be getting better as the season goes on, which is a nice surprise.
Here's a fun quote that a friend of mine sent me:
"All-Star shortstop Carlos Guillen won't be surprised if the Red Sox are back for the AL championship series."We are the two best teams, maybe with Anaheim," Guillen said, referring to the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels."
Nice, Guillen, you conceited jackass. Not only do you currently SHARE first place with a team that came in FOURTH last year, you're 4-6 against them this season.
What a jackass. The Tigers just give me more and more reasons to hate them.
Victor's day to day with a bruised knee. They should just use Shoppach tomorrow and let Victor enjoy the break (skip the All-Star game, V-Mart, if needed). I'm sure that's what they'll do.
The back end of rotation still worries me, as does our bullpen. Unfortunately I don't know that we have a lot of help ready to go. Maybe some time off will help Cliff and Jake (although Jake seems to be far closer to normal than Cliff).
Friday, July 6, 2007
Indians @ Blue Jays, 7/6/07
The less said about yesterday, the better (although at least we're still in first).
Cliff Lee is killing me.
I know, I know -- it looked like he was back to his old self. But as Rick Manning pointed out, that was against the freaking Devil Rays.
It's 5-1.
We have four relievers who didn't throw yesterday.
Oh, yes, it's going to be Cabrera. As if things weren't bad enough.
*sigh* Come on, Red Sox...
Cliff Lee is killing me.
I know, I know -- it looked like he was back to his old self. But as Rick Manning pointed out, that was against the freaking Devil Rays.
It's 5-1.
We have four relievers who didn't throw yesterday.
Oh, yes, it's going to be Cabrera. As if things weren't bad enough.
*sigh* Come on, Red Sox...
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Indians @ Tigers 7/4/07
Man, I can't stand Sheffield.
One inning down and Jake Westbrook seems to be pitching from behind a lot so far. I'm sure that's being pointed out to him as I type.
I'm only watching the first few innings at home (the rest at a party, where I requested the game be on because I'm that guy), so I figured I'd get in some commentary early.
This would be a good game for Pronk to step up.
One inning down and Jake Westbrook seems to be pitching from behind a lot so far. I'm sure that's being pointed out to him as I type.
I'm only watching the first few innings at home (the rest at a party, where I requested the game be on because I'm that guy), so I figured I'd get in some commentary early.
This would be a good game for Pronk to step up.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
More Strangeness
Here's an interesting fact for you, courtesy of the fine folks at AP:
Mastny's six relief wins lead the AL.
Our bullpen is so strange. I mean, it really is. Let's face facts, we have a righty (Betancourt) and a lefty (Perez) that are just lights out. Joe Borowski would save me a lot of stress if he pitched like he did tonight every time out. And, as stated above, Tom Mastny leads the AL in relief wins, not to mention appears to be a magician.
I felt good about our chances after that tenth inning, karma aside. I looked at the box score and noticed that, while Mastny was our 3rd pitcher of the night, the Tigers were on their 6th. And if anything, that's why we're able to win like we do. Our starters go so deep and our hitters beat pitchers down so well that we're simply out lasting everyone.
It's just amazing, really.
I'm starting to get greedy; I want to leave Detroit up five.
Mastny's six relief wins lead the AL.
Our bullpen is so strange. I mean, it really is. Let's face facts, we have a righty (Betancourt) and a lefty (Perez) that are just lights out. Joe Borowski would save me a lot of stress if he pitched like he did tonight every time out. And, as stated above, Tom Mastny leads the AL in relief wins, not to mention appears to be a magician.
I felt good about our chances after that tenth inning, karma aside. I looked at the box score and noticed that, while Mastny was our 3rd pitcher of the night, the Tigers were on their 6th. And if anything, that's why we're able to win like we do. Our starters go so deep and our hitters beat pitchers down so well that we're simply out lasting everyone.
It's just amazing, really.
I'm starting to get greedy; I want to leave Detroit up five.
Indians @ Tigers, 7/3/07
I've never had anything against the Tigers. I mean, it's not like they're the White Sox.
That changed a bit when they trade for Sheffield, who is a thug and a moron. So that gave me are reason to like the Tigers a little less.
It's bottom of the ninth as I type this, so I should point out that the result of the game is unknown and not a factor.
But, man alive, did the Tigers do some whining tonight.
First, there was Pronk's foot. Even had there been a visible chalk line still there, his foot was basically on it. You have to love the fact that when Pudge (I'll get to him in a minute) complained about it, Pronk inched forward and proceeded to hit the next pitch he saw.
Then, there was Betancourt.
Now, let me first say this: the Tigers are completely right. Rafy does take too long and there is a rule about it and he should get called. The only problem is that in the particular instance they called it, the batter had STEPPED OUT. How does that have anything to do with Betancourt's timing? It doesn't.
Hey, they just called it again...and the Tigers still went down 1-2-3.
You have to love Wedge's reaction that time, too. Just waved it off: whatever.
On to better news...
Ben. Francisco. Unreal. If the Tribe manages to pull this one out, Eric Wedge gets a free pass for a while just for making that move (especially considering the fact that there was righty/lefty number reason to make that move).
Hell, runners on the corners with one out. And we walk the bases loaded, so it's all or nothing now, kids...
Pop up! Two down...ohhhhh, this is killing me.
Man, of course, it's Mr. "I Don't Actually Deserve To Start the All-Star Game Over Victor" Pudge. This has all the makes of a Greek tragedy.
Nice, Mastny! Okay, don't we need to win this now? Doesn't escaping such a thing give us karma points? Please?
And it's the magic beard!! Hell, yeah, Casey!
Oh, god...I don't know if my heart is going to be able to handle Borowski...
That changed a bit when they trade for Sheffield, who is a thug and a moron. So that gave me are reason to like the Tigers a little less.
It's bottom of the ninth as I type this, so I should point out that the result of the game is unknown and not a factor.
But, man alive, did the Tigers do some whining tonight.
First, there was Pronk's foot. Even had there been a visible chalk line still there, his foot was basically on it. You have to love the fact that when Pudge (I'll get to him in a minute) complained about it, Pronk inched forward and proceeded to hit the next pitch he saw.
Then, there was Betancourt.
Now, let me first say this: the Tigers are completely right. Rafy does take too long and there is a rule about it and he should get called. The only problem is that in the particular instance they called it, the batter had STEPPED OUT. How does that have anything to do with Betancourt's timing? It doesn't.
Hey, they just called it again...and the Tigers still went down 1-2-3.
You have to love Wedge's reaction that time, too. Just waved it off: whatever.
On to better news...
Ben. Francisco. Unreal. If the Tribe manages to pull this one out, Eric Wedge gets a free pass for a while just for making that move (especially considering the fact that there was righty/lefty number reason to make that move).
Hell, runners on the corners with one out. And we walk the bases loaded, so it's all or nothing now, kids...
Pop up! Two down...ohhhhh, this is killing me.
Man, of course, it's Mr. "I Don't Actually Deserve To Start the All-Star Game Over Victor" Pudge. This has all the makes of a Greek tragedy.
Nice, Mastny! Okay, don't we need to win this now? Doesn't escaping such a thing give us karma points? Please?
And it's the magic beard!! Hell, yeah, Casey!
Oh, god...I don't know if my heart is going to be able to handle Borowski...
Monday, July 2, 2007
The Elusive Four Game Sweep!
Just remember this, no matter what happens, at least we're not Tampa Bay fans.
Granted, I think there are only about a dozen of those.
It was good to see Fausto back. Like I said, he's allowed to have an off game every once in a while. And Grady with the grand slam!
Speaking of Grady, how amazing is our outfield core? And we still have Choo in Buffalo. It's a little ridiculous how good our future in the outfield looks.
How nice is to head into Detroit with a two game lead?
Granted, I think there are only about a dozen of those.
It was good to see Fausto back. Like I said, he's allowed to have an off game every once in a while. And Grady with the grand slam!
Speaking of Grady, how amazing is our outfield core? And we still have Choo in Buffalo. It's a little ridiculous how good our future in the outfield looks.
How nice is to head into Detroit with a two game lead?
Sunday, July 1, 2007
All-Stars
So the Tribe has three players going to the All Star game, although in the spirit of objectivity, it's probably safe to say that only two of them have performed at the level needed to go.
I mean, let's face fact, even though he's picking it up recently, Grady really shouldn't have gotten the vote over, say Curtis Granderson. But I'll except it, particularly since it was the player vote that got him in, not the fan vote.
The fact that Victor isn't starting just shows how ridiculous letting the fans vote is.
None of the Indians are on that team because of the fans, not a shocker given a) most fans are stupid, b) people vote for names they know, and c) judging by attendance numbers, the Tribe only had about 30,000 people who would vote for them.
Dan Haren should get the start. Yes, it's great that C.C. has 12 wins, but wins are an overrated number and have just as much -- if not more -- do due with the rest of the team. ERA is the real stat.
I mean, let's face fact, even though he's picking it up recently, Grady really shouldn't have gotten the vote over, say Curtis Granderson. But I'll except it, particularly since it was the player vote that got him in, not the fan vote.
The fact that Victor isn't starting just shows how ridiculous letting the fans vote is.
None of the Indians are on that team because of the fans, not a shocker given a) most fans are stupid, b) people vote for names they know, and c) judging by attendance numbers, the Tribe only had about 30,000 people who would vote for them.
Dan Haren should get the start. Yes, it's great that C.C. has 12 wins, but wins are an overrated number and have just as much -- if not more -- do due with the rest of the team. ERA is the real stat.
Devil Rays @ Indians, 7/1/07
And we're half way there!
The Indians finish the halfway mark at 49-32, which means they're on a pace to end the year 98-64, which would be the most wins we've had since '96. Hey, at this point we're just 30 wins shy of topping last year's record...
And the Tigers are off tomorrow, which means we have a chance to add a 1/2 game to our lead before the big series kicks off on Tuesday.
Again, the big story today was Cliff Lee going seven innings and only giving up one run. Unbelievably, he's gotten his ERA under five and now has a winning record.
For that matter, Westbrook has dropped his ERA nearly two runs since returning and appears to be moving back to form. The idea of Lee and Westbrook pitching like we know they can is exciting as hell and, really, makes me feel like we have one of the top rotations in baseball again.
And while it's going to be annoying if Victor doesn't make the All-Star game, it will be good for the Tribe to get some time off; they've been playing non-stop for a while now.
The Indians finish the halfway mark at 49-32, which means they're on a pace to end the year 98-64, which would be the most wins we've had since '96. Hey, at this point we're just 30 wins shy of topping last year's record...
And the Tigers are off tomorrow, which means we have a chance to add a 1/2 game to our lead before the big series kicks off on Tuesday.
Again, the big story today was Cliff Lee going seven innings and only giving up one run. Unbelievably, he's gotten his ERA under five and now has a winning record.
For that matter, Westbrook has dropped his ERA nearly two runs since returning and appears to be moving back to form. The idea of Lee and Westbrook pitching like we know they can is exciting as hell and, really, makes me feel like we have one of the top rotations in baseball again.
And while it's going to be annoying if Victor doesn't make the All-Star game, it will be good for the Tribe to get some time off; they've been playing non-stop for a while now.
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