Back in the Basement

After a long weekend in Denver (where we hit Coors Field and looked for reminders of John Elway to defile), it's nice to come back to a couple of solid games. It is amazing, though, how the Tribe continues to get no love nationally, which becomes apparent the moment one steps out of Northeast Ohio. The reaction that I got from most people who I was talking baseball with was akin to the lady at the party telling Jake Taylor, "I didn't know Cleveland still had a team."

Yet, I won't let the naysayers get me down tonight as the Tribe heads into a critical stretch of games against Minnesota and Oakland. This has been said many times before, but this could be the biggest stretch of games that they play all year. As we get closer to October, every series (and game, for that matter) is of utmost importance. And as long as the pitching remains stellar (how about Elarton and Lee?) and the hitting picks up a touch, the last 3 weeks of the season should be very entertaining and exciting.

While on vaco (with no access to the Internet), the Tribe called up Jeremy Guthrie (who will be available to throw some innings if a starter falters early) and Andrew Brown (who may be up to stay), while activating Art Rhodes. Those three, with the return of Matt Miller, allow the Indians enough arms for the stretch run. And this is all while letting the Bisons keep some top prospects (Davis & Carmona - and even adding Jeremy Sowers to the rotation) for the AAA playoffs. That's depth.

Ryan Garko and Jason Dubois also got to take the car ride on I-90, though neither should see real significant AB's. Garko may see action in a laugher just to get rid of some jitters, and Dubois will only get up if the Tribe really needs a K.

Victor Martinez was the subject of a Tim Kurkjian article in ESPN The Magazine, in which the Tribe's lineup was described as one of the game's "scariest" and The Stick's offensive numbers were favorably compared to Mike Piazza's in his heydey. To look at Vic's numbers since May 28 (when he was hitting .193), they are absolutely incredible.

I received the Season Ticket-Holder Playoff Packet in the mail today. For some perspective, my season tickets are in the Mezzanine section for 20 games. A partial package, but enough to be at the Jake fairly regularly. Without telling secrets, the 4 seats run $12 a game, so the math works out to less than $1K a year. My postseason packet indicated that those 4 seats for the 11 possible games of the playoffs (3 in the ALDS, 4 in the ALCS, 4 in the WS) run cost...wait for it...$3,440! I called our friends at the Indians, thinking there had been a miscalculation (it works out to $78 a seat!), but was told that it was correct. ALDS games are $25, ALCS are $55, WS are $140. And they'll sell them all, as if it's predetermined to go 7 games.

Now, do the Indians offer a special discount to season ticket holders or make only certain games available for season ticket-holders? NO! You have to buy the whole package, or you get shut out. If the Indians don't make the playoffs, the money is put towards the 2006 regular season (or the 2006, 2007, 2008, and part of 2009 for me). I was in college during the '90s, so I'm not sure if this is how it's always done, but it is curious.

Needless to say, I'll be passing on giving the Tribe nearly $3,500 to tie it up for the next four years. If the Tribe makes the playoffs, there's no question that I'll be first in line for tix, but there has to be some middle ground for the loyal fans of the Indians, and the current situation is certainly not the way to endear yourselves to a fickle fan base.

6-0 in the 8th. Go Devil Rays!

Thanks Blue

The umps' non-call for Wicky's balk (and it WAS a balk) allowed the Tribe to steal their 9th consecutive victory on the road. It also allowed us the pleasure of seeing one of the truly entertaining moments in sports - a Lou Pinella meltdown. After he launched bats everywhere after Coco's triple in the 7th, Lou really lost it after the non-call. Even the most elementary lip-reader could tell that Lou was not quoting Scripture.

Those types of games, though, are the types of games that the White Sox, not the Indians, were winning earlier this year. Now the Tribe seems to have all sorts of momentum (and a little bit of luck) on their side. Don't look now, but the Tribe is only 7 games back of the "uncatchable" ChiSox with 36 games (including 6 more against the White Sox) remaining. How great would it be if that last weekend series over the end of September/beginning of October at the Jake against the Sox was for the Central? I'll file that thought away for the moment to focus on the business at hand, keeping pace in the Wild Card.

Good article by Terry Pluto on the attendance at the Jake this year.

On the topic of attendance, to watch the camera pan the crowd at the Trop, there's no way that 8,500 people (as it's being reported) are there. How long can the Rays stay in Tampa? They entered the series with the Tribe on a bit of a hot streak, with the bizarre looking Jorge Cantu, and their other young talents, leading the way. Yet, there have probably been 15,000 people ACTUALLY at the first 3 games, with reported ticket sales around 25,000. It's kind of sad.

The Atomic One said that the Tribe will probably call up a third catcher, an extra starter (Jason Davis and Fausto Carmona were specifically mentioned), an extra outfielder, and an infielder for the September call-ups to go with the reinforcements in the bullpen when Miller and Rhodes return. It sounds like Phillips, Dubois, and Davis will join Tallet and Cabrera (who will likely stick around when Miller and Rhodes return) as the September call-ups. An appearance by Andrew Brown or a Kaz Tadano wouldn't be too surprising in that they're both on the 40 man and can add innings to the pen after a long season. I'm not sure what third catcher they'll add as The Stick and Bardo are the only catchers on the 40 man. They could always add Garko (who was drafted as a catcher) and make a move on the 40 man to get him on (dropping off Juan Gone, if his contract allowed it?).

Fausto Carmona's name was mentioned as a potential call-up, but the Tribe will probably opt for the more experienced Davis for now. Carmona will be an interesting pitcher to watch this coming Spring, though, as he has dominated AAA as a 21 year old, going 4-4 with a 2.51 ERA in the 10 games since he's gotten called up. He's gotten 44 K's in 68 innings, while giving up only 55 hits and 11 walks. I wonder if his success will allow the Tribe to move Davis to the pen (to battle Cabrera, Brown for available spots) in Spring Training and give Carmona a legitimate shot to make the rotation next year. Between Carmona (he's the starter) and Cabrera (he's the reliever), the Tribe can add some serious firepower to the pitching staff from within for next year.

The business at hand, of course, though is still keeping pace for the Wild Card and Elarton's egg tonight (it was bound to happen sooner or later) more than likely means that the Tribe can only scoreboard watch for the Yankees (Toronto up 9-0 in the 6th) and A's (Oakland up 9-0 in the 7th).

Can't win 'em all.

The Cure-All

Looks like Royals pitchers D.J. Carrasco and Jimmy Gobble were just what the doctor ordered for the struggling bats.

The way that the Tribe plays against the Royals, in comparison to the tone of the team when playing the Yanks or the Pale Hose, is remarkable. The Tribe comes out hungry and takes advantage of mistakes made by the lesser Kansas City team. Actually, it's similar to the way that the White Sox came out against the Indians on Friday night.
The only exception to this rule was when the Wahoos went into Boston, then Baltimore, and went right after some good teams in their stadiums. That attitude, or maturation, is the next step for this team. Whether it comes this year or not is unknown, but you have to think that the Atomic Wedgie knows WHAT needs to be done, maybe just not HOW to teach this team to do it yet.

Cliff Lee was dealing tonight when the rain hit. The Royals were obviously overmatched when Lee had his good stuff going (striking out the side in the 5th as the tornado siren blared). Also, Lee didn't let a rough first blow up into a 6 on the board and toughened up to shut the Royals down, giving the Tribe a chance to take the lead and take advantage of the Royals pitchers. Can C.C. watch tape of that, and take notes...please? Lee's got great stuff and could be a solid 3 or even a 2 starter for a long time on the North Coast. His attitude is second to none either: no frills, just his best stuff challenging hitters.

It was reported by WTAM tonight that the Soriano rumor (Soriano for Brad Snyder & Andrew Brown) from ESPN.com was created by a Dallas columnist, completely from his imagination. In reality, the Rangers asked for SuperSizemore and Le Pronque for Soriano. OUCH! Can we throw in the complete Aeros roster while we're at it, Mr. Hart?
Gammons also reported that the Reds are looking for 3-4 Major League ready prospects for either Randa or Kearns, essentially making them unattainable/undesirable.
That RH bat might be more unlikely as the calendar draws closer to August, particularly if the Rangers stay in the Wild Card (and Mench becomes entrenched as a vital cog of their offense).

Time to get fat on some Kansas City BBQ.

Concession of the Central

To say that the Indians conceded the AL Central this weekend is not entirely true. The White Sox went out and took away any chance that the Indians had of making a run at the division. They did so with their superior pitching, defense, and timely hitting. While the Indians left an alarming amount of runners on base, it seemed that every White Sox player that got to second (or first for that matter) scored. The Sox are a very good team who do most everything correctly in their victories, by making very few mistakes and capitalizing on ANY and ALL opportunities afforded to them.

The bats have gone silent again, and typically at the worst times. GIDP's are becoming more frequent (usually after the leadoff hitter of an inning gets on) and the patience that was the hallmark of the lineup during their hot June is gone. No White Sox pitcher was forced to throw a lot of pitches the way that C.C. was on Friday (comments on C.C. and his emotions are an upcoming topic), and it was apparent as the Chicago starters dominated what looked like an overmatched team.

Not a great start to the second half, but as our little red-headed friend said, "the sun will come out tomorrow", in the form of the Royals, then the Mariners. An 0-4 start to a homestand could still end up at 5-6 or 6-5. And, the Twins haven't exactly put a winning streak together to pull away in the Wild Card, while the AL East continues to batter each other. The Tribe is still very much in this (despite the humiliating sweep), but they need to cure what ails them in a hurry, before the Wild Card becomes a distant memory.

All indications from different sources indicate the discussions to acquire that desired RH bat (Soriano, Mench, Kearns, Pena, Randa, Alou) are not going very well. Most articles that address the issue end with phrases like, "it doesn't look like anything is going to get done soon".

Matt Miller hit the DL on Saturday and, after a little Buffalo shuffle, prized prospect Fausto Carmona joined the parent club (presumably until Rocky Betancourt is ready). This was an interesting move in that there are more experienced relievers in Buffalo (Brown, Robbins, Diaz) that were passed over to give Carmona a look. Now the two pitching prospects most confused for each other, Fernando Cabrera and Fausto Carmona (also two of the brighter prospects), will be taking some throws in the CF pen. Could this be precursor to trading a veteran bullpener, to see what the young guys can do to determine if Howry, Riske, or Rhodes is expendable?

After a loss on Friday night, I'm passing up tickets to Tuesday and Thursday's games to do my part.

Indians Fever feels more like a hangover right now.

Squarely on These Shoulders

I'll be hitting the game tonight, then getting out of town. The next three days will be the real test of my 1-8 record (including 6 losses in a row).

I couldn't help but envision Soriano in the lineup last night as a WHOPPING 21,000 watched the 1-0 game with me. I would make the trade of Soriano for Brad Snyder and Andrew Brown in a heartbeat (mentioned in the comments by TB, straight off of the ESPN pay to read section). In fact, I'd give up A LOT more. Can he play RF? Who's the odd man out? Hernandez? Blake?

Actually, the 21,000+ crowd was the most into the game that I've seen this year (no wave, standing up for 3rd strikes, nice ovations to Millwood).

I'm in for retiring Olin's #31 jersey (again, see the comments if you're confused). Though I think that the current set-up probably makes more sense.

If they lose tonight, I may never go back to the Jake.

Damn Yankees

Why is it that it's much more painful to watch Yankees cross home plate more so than any other team? I cringe every time I see anybody in that lineup (which is truly incredible) trot up to the box. It's funny though how to Indians' fans this is one of our big "rivalries", while to the Yankees, this is like a series against the Royals.

Who is the Indians big rival? The Twins? The White Sox? Let me know what you think.

I was at a wedding last night, where I had a conversation with a guy who thinks that the Indians are on the cusp of being a great team. The way that they play the "elite" of the AL (Chicago, Twins, Yankees, Red Sox) shows that they're close, but not there yet. The always play those teams tough, but always seem to get eked out in the end (usually in one-run games).

What is VERY encouraging is the fact that they beat up on bad teams. Looking at their second half schedule (as has been noted by ESPN's Buster Olney), the Tribe faces Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Seattle 31 times in their last 74 games! One can only hope while the AL East beats each other up, the Indians can quietly take care of business against the dregs of the AL.

I don't want to dwell too much on the Yankees series, but I did have a lousy husband moment over the weekend (due to Tribe Fever). Between the wedding and the reception, I forced my bride to sit in a smoky, hole-in-the-wall bar to catch the game, then sit in the car in the parking lot outside the reception until the end of an inning.

It was reminiscent of the Simpsons episode when Homer sues the Seafood Restaurant on their "All You Can Eat" Policy. What reminded me of the situation is Marge on the stand, testifying that after being kicked out of the restaurant, Homer had taken her to the dock to go fishing. As we sat with the Saturday afternoon crowd at this awful bar, pounding down Miller Lites, I felt a little like Homer at the end of the dock, fishing pole in hand.

Pending the result of today's game (it's currently 6-3 bad guys), it looks like the Tribe will hit the All Star Break at 47-41, just as I had hoped for (after going 8-7 in the last 15) on June 26th. Though the record certainly could've been higher, considering the way they started in Boston and Baltimore, I'm pleased with the record. This team needs the break too.

Watching Brandon Phillips last night reminded me why I didn't like him the last time he was up. He's cocky with no real good reason to be cocky. He was hitting .250 in Buffalo, yet walks around the dugout like a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I have no problem using him as trade bait (to the Reds, who need a 2B?) as part of a package. I'll take Jhonny P., with his even demeanor and solid, if unspectacular, play any day over B-Phil. Is Peralta the second best hitter on this team?

The suspension of Rocky Betancourt should surprise nobody. How a former SS, cut by the Red Sox, suddenly pulls off a mid-90s fastball is eerily reminiscent of the Juan Rincon "Rags to Riches" story. I still hope that Rocky is a part of the pen, but Shapiro's written statement didn't sound like he was too happy with the Rock. The pen in Buffalo is stacked (with Cabrera, since called up, Tadano, Robbins, Diaz, and even Cruceta and Brown) and all are a quick trip westbound on I-90 from helping out the parent club.

I'll work up some statistical analysis for the All Star Break, along with getting up an updated Depth Chart.

Prospect Update

With the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft happening today (which I've never heard anyone refer to as their Christmas), I thought it would be interesting to see what the Tribe's Top 10 Prospects, as determined this off-season by Baseball America, are faring in the 2005 campaign.

1. Adam Miller RHP - Currently on the DL in Kinston, with an eye for a return in the near future. This 20 year old, whose fast track to Cleveland has hit a little road bump, needs to prove that he is healthy before continuing his seemingly obvious trip to Jacobs Field.
2. Michael Aubrey 1B - Also currently on the DL in Akron after playing 27 games, hitting .288 with 4 HR and 19 RBI. A modestly impressive OPS of .816 shows that Aubrey can certainly hit, if he can only stay healthy. BA's timetable of a midseason call-up to Buffalo with an eye to challenging Broussard in 2006 may be premature.
3. Franklin Gutierrez OF - AGAIN, currently on the DL in Akron after playing 44 games, hitting a paltry.238 with 3 HR and 17 RBI. His OPS, a miserable of .694 (though not bad when compared to some in the Tribe lineup) may be an indication that Gutierrez tried to play through pain unsuccessfully. Again, he may still full need another full season in the minors before challenging the mighty Coco Crisp (wait, what?).
4. Brad Snyder OF - Hitting .274 in Kinston, with 5 HR and 24 RBI is less than what the Tribe expects from this former 1st round pick, who continues to develop rather slowly. The hope is that his body will fill out, transforming him into a corner outfielder; but it doesn't look like that's happened yet for the Ball State grad.
5. Jeremy Sowers LHP - The 2004 first rounder has impressed at Kinston, with a 7-3 record and a 2.63 ERA. He's also punched out 65 batters in 61 2/3 innings while posting a 1.04 WHIP. Look for Sowers to move up to Akron as the season goes on and the parent club dips into the minors for some help.
6. Fausto Carmona RHP - Currently 4-4 in Akron's rotation, posting a 3.89 ERA and the opposition hitting .262 against him. Though still only 21, his fast track has hit a snag in Akron, where he's spending another year. If Buffalo loses someone in the rotation, look for Carmona to get the call-up, but some feel that his stuff may translate better in the bullpen for the future.
7. Fernando Cabrera RHP - The last man out of the pen in Spring Training has pitched like a man possessed in Buffalo, posting a 5-0 record, a 0.84 ERA, 43 K's in 32 IP, and an improbable WHIP of 0.91! He's doing it as the set-up man for Jake Robbins, so he's not ready to close just yet. But those numbers are hard to ignore. Cabrera's monster start in Buffalo gives the parent club some options to possibly move a bullpen piece for some offense (more on that later). Cabrera should be in Cleveland at some point before the All-Star break. Does anyone else get Fernando Cabrera and Fausto Carmona mixed up, or am I the only one who lies awake at night trying to remember which is which?
8. Ryan Garko C/1B - His right handed stick continues to mash, though at a lesser pace than last year, compiling 8 HR and 28 RBI in 52 games. His average of .250 could certainly use some work, but his OPS of .786 keeps him in the discussion. The big problem with Garko is that he is blocked at the ML level by some long-term contract players. He is first a C (The Stick), then a DH (Le Pronk), and finally a decent 1B (Broussard). The Tribe brass will struggle to find a spot for Garko, but let's hope that his hitting forces his bat down I-90 into a spot (right-handed, no less) into the lineup.
9. Nick Pesco RHP - Currently 6-4 with a 3.45 ERA in the Kinston starting rotation, Pesco has adapted well to High A hitters and should tag along with Sowers on the path to Akron as the season progresses.
10. Andrew Brown RHP - Brown has disappointed in Buffalo, going 0-2 with a 5.02 ERA. There are other arms in Buffalo who have passed Brown up in the pecking order for a bullpen arm, notably Kaz Tadano and Chad Zerbe (a lefty).

Having impressive seasons thus far, but missing from the list from each level (AAA to High A) are:

Buffalo - Jake Gatreau, 3B, who was acquired for Corey Smith from the Padres in a swap of 1st Round Busts. All Jake has done is hit .295 with 11 HR and 30 RBI, while posting a .891 OPS. While the Aaron Boone Experiment (good name for a band) continues, Gatreau is blocked; but keep your eye on this 3B.

Akron - Dan Denham, P, who is 4-2 in Akron, with a 2.98 ERA and the opposition batting .198 against him. Denham, a former 1st round pick, may find himself leap-frogging some of the pitchers listed above if he continues his solid year.

Kinston - Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B, is another purveyor of the hot corner in the bushes who is impressing early on in the 2005 campaign. Hitting .346 with 9 HR and 45 RBI in 49 games is not even the most impressive stat. His OPS tops the 1000 plateau, sitting at 1.014! With Akron's offense struggling, Kouzmanoff shoud get the call to come up north soon.

In response to What Can Be Done of yesterday, I ran across an interesting trade proposal from the Indians Compendium (http://www.insidethecomp.blogspot.com) a couple of days ago. He writes:
The Phillies Get:
RHP Bob Howry
IF Jose Hernandez
The Indians Get:
2B/3B Placido Polanco
All of the players involved in this proposed trade are free agents at the end of the year. Polanco makes more than Howry and Hernandez combined, but not too much. The Phillies are looking for a "proven" setup man, and Howry fits that bill. The Indians need a competent third baseman and a top-of-the-order hitter, and Polanco fits that bill. If the Indians are out of the race by July, they could easily flip Polanco to another team for a prospect. David Riske would replace Howry in the setup role, and Fernando Cabrera, who's been dominating AAA hitters, could be brought up to fill Riske's previous role. Aaron Boone would get moved to the bench, or he could agree to accept an assignment to Buffalo, in which case Mike Kinkade would be brought up to fill Jose Hernandez's role.

Makes sense to me, but staying up to watch the Tribe play the Padres until 1AM doesn't. Looks like Casey Coleman will have to let me know the results at 7:40.