Keeping Pace on a Lazy Sunday

As a quick progress report, with today’s W against the Royals, the Tribe stands at 54-37. Using the overly simplified formula of winning 2/3 of home games (54-27) and going .500 on the road (41-40) to go 95-67, the Tribe has gone 33-13 (.717) at home and 21-24 on the road (.467).

Not an exact science, but a nice way to gauge a team’s progress through the year and see that the Tribe is keeping pace with the projection.

With that out of the way, it’s on to Lazy Sunday:
An excellent piece from Terry Pluto’s newsletter on the Cleveland fan experience. If you’re not getting Pluto’s newsletter, do it right now for the most even-handed and rational commentary on Cleveland sports that the local writers have to offer.

On the flip side, Sheldon Ocker takes some time in his infinitely entertaining (tongue inserted firmly in cheek) mailbag to unnecessarily mock a reader’s misstep in Westbrook’s first name and a misspelling in C.C.’s last name.
Really, did Sheldon have to include this letter so he could mock this guy? Are there that few letters coming in, or did he want to project his air of superiority and condescension that everyone finds so lovable and informative?

Paul Hoynes continues his “Best I Ever Saw” series, with Manny manning RF on Hoynes' squad.
I like the “Manny being Manny” story as the first one hits so close to home.
The date was October 3rd, 1995 and a certain verdict was being meted out in Southern California, but more important to this college freshman, the Indians were playing the BoSox in Game 1 of the ALDS as El Presidente was scheduled to face the Rocket.
On my way back from class to the freshman dorm, a guy stopped me to ask what I thought of O.J.
Me - (incredulous) “Ogea!?! What the hell is he pitching for? What happened to Martinez!?!”
Guy - “What are you talking about?”
Me - “Chad Ogea allegedly pitching Game 1, according to you.”
Guy - “I’m talking about O.J. Simpson being found innocent, you idiot.”
Me - “Oh…yeah…O.J….well, that’s nuts…um…I gotta go.”
I had bigger fish to fry than the verdict of the Trial of the Century, race relations in America, and whether or not a glove fit.
The Tribe was playing in the playoffs for the first time in my life and (since the game was not on locally in Dayton and the bouncers at bw-3, which would carry the game for the over-21 crowd, did not believe that I was Peter Allegra from Danbury, CT) I was going to have to listen to the game in my dorm and had to make sure that the reception was OK.
Of course, we all know how the game ended with Pena’s extra frames HR and the jubilant Clevelanders taking to the halls of Stuart Hall about 1AM to celebrate.
Oh, yeah, and O.J. was found innocent.

Moving on, Andy Call has a nice piece on Grover hanging it up in Seattle, bringing the fact that these guys are still husbands, fathers, and grandfathers into the “conspiracy theory”-rich story.

If I’m STO, I welcome Grover back with open arms to join the STO either to have an occasional 3-man booth with Manning and Underwood or to invite him to the STO set to incorporate a “Baseball Tonight” type show with Al Pawlowski and Brian Anderson. It would keep Grover in NE Ohio, close to the fam, and close to the game he loves. With analysis from BA and The Human Rain Delay, it would certainly offer an intriguing alternative to the sinking ship of BBTN.

SI.com’s John Donovan likes the Hafner deal and the other deals that lock up a teams’ own stars instead of overpaying for someone else’s on the open market.

And from the rumor mill:
Here’s the weekly dose of Astros’ relievers on the block rumors.

Here’s the story that reports that the Indians (and Brewers) have sent scouts to look at Kenny Lofton, and probably some of the relievers in Arlington. The Brewers have already (allegedly) offered Tony Gwynn, Jr. and have been rebuffed by the Rangers, so it may take a nice little package to get Kenny and Otsuka into Tribe unis. As was discussed by Hammy and Hegan during today’s game, Kenny could bat 8th, in front of Barfield and offer the Indians more athleticism and “small ball” ability.

According to Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi, the Blue Jays aren’t throwing in the towel yet, so forget those Troy Glaus to 3B, Casey Blake to RF dreams.
Does this also apply to Johnny Mac? Just wondering.

Heading down to tomorrow’s game versus the White Sox, when the DiaperTribe (pushing 7 months) will make his Jacobs Field debut in Pronkville.