What to Do, What to Do?

With the trading deadline mere days away, Indians' fans still seem to be on the fence about whether to be a buyer or a seller. The Indians, though, apparently have no such reservations. Shapiro told Kenny Roda (that awful hack who, somehow, broadcasts in afternoon drive on the only all-sports station in Cleveland) that the Tribe is definitely on the "Buyer" section of the ledger.

I love this organizational statement, but I don't think that there is one player (who is going to be available) that's going to join this team before the Yankees series. All the critics say, "Dolan won't spend money to go get a RH bat that can produce runs". Folks, if it was that easy, wouldn't most teams in the playoff chase just go down their grocery list and check off needs. The Yankees (the team with no limitations...and no prospects) just made the HUGE acquisition of Shawn Chacon to remedy their starting pitching woes. And people complain about Let's Hear It For Dubois not being a big name.

The trade that I think will be more likely is the Indians, dealing from a strength (bullpen), trading to another team in contention, who will also deal from a strength (offense).

So, who are these teams? The obvious is Texas, who apparently would like Hafner, Sizemore, and The Stick for Gary Matthews (do you think Hart is afraid of another Giles for Rincon deal?). However, John Hart's hair plugs must be invading his gray matter with his recent counter-proposals, regardless of how awful their pitching is, so they're out. Other options include Florida, the Angels and the Mets. While Mike Cameron and Juan Encarnacion are both veteran RH bats that can play RF, I'm not sure that the Metropolitans or the Fish would be willing to part with them.

If I were Shapiro, I would dangle Arthur Rhodes (not to be confused with his half brother Dusty Rhodes), Jose Hernandez, and maybe a Billy Traber and see if anyone bites. Another piece that could go as part of a package would be Benny B. Broussard might be attractive to a team in need of a good defensive 1B who has some power (Boston).

Losing those four players would not register under the "Seller" side to the fans (who are terrified of seeing that White Flag), particularly if you can add a nice bat. Rhodes can be replaced by Riske taking the Art role. Then Betancourt, Miller (when he returns), and Cabrera can combine with Sauerbeck to keep the pen strong. Kasey Blake can move into the role of Hernandez, which hopefully will mean less AB's with runners in scoring position for the farmboy. And Traber seems to have fallen behind not only Davis and Tallet, but also Carmona in the pecking order at AAA , so he may become bait (maybe they should mail out video of his masterpiece against the Yankees a few years ago). Broussard would be expendable if the Tribe brass felt that Garko was ready (not bloody likely) or if they felt Jason Dubois could carry the load.

I've started to look at the FA list for after 2005 and the pickings are slim and none. More on that later.

Why have Gammons' articles gone to the ESPN Insider? Is it because he's a Hall of Famer? What a crock! A man who made his name as a baseball WRITER is now only available on TV or for a monetary fee. And while I'm on ESPN.com, why do they break up those long stories (re: Sports Guy) into multiple pages or make it more effort to make it a single page view. No, keep it on multi-page view, I love it.

ESPN.com also listed 40 current players bound for the Hall. Of note, #14 The Baby Bull (plus this comment is great, "Prediction: Manny's Hall of Fame speech will be the shortest of all time.") and #39 Little O. Noticeably absent is the Thomenator, whose injuries may prevent from ultimately getting the numbers he needs. Had he only stayed and played DH until he hit his 600th, he would've seen #25 under #455 on the right pillars.

My computer illiterate mind figured out how to do links without listing the whole website's URL. Only took about 5 months to figure that out.

3 games out of the Wild Card with 59 games to go, 20 of which are against KC, Seattle, and TB.

All we need now is for Lou Brown to (magically and accurately) predict the number of wins needed to go to the playoffs and get a cut-out for the locker room, and it's on.

At the Break II

After the enthralling Midsummer Classic last night (has anything good happened in the All Star Game in the last 20 years outside of Bo Jackson and Sandy Alomar's HR in the Jake?), it's one more night without baseball.

You would think the PD would have an analysis on the first half today, but nothing. Maybe Hoynes is getting it together for tomorrow, or maybe they'll do a big piece on Doug Johnson (the new backup QB). We wonder why the town hasn't embraced this team yet and you have to look no further at the negativity and overall lack of optimism in the local sports page. People read the same sarcastic comments from the luminaries at the PD and scoff at the progress being made. Don't even get me started on WKNR.

This perception that Dolan is a cheapskate (despite the Tribe spending the most of any ML team on player development in the past few years) is truly ignorant. People rant and rave that Omar and Thome and Manny aren't here, neglecting to remember that Dolan offered Manny $18M to stay here, Shapiro was right on the length of Thome's contract because of his back, and Peralta is a budding star at age 23.

Let's look at what we would have if we had kept that "Golden Era" team intact (just counting the players still in the league):

• Manny - too much $, remember the Sawx tried to cut him
• Thome - will be unproductive for the remainder of his contract, which runs through 2008
• Omar - the Giants are already trying to move him, and he's under contract until he's 41
• Lofton - once he lost his legs, was exposed as an athlete playing baseball
• Sean Casey - would look nice here, but has no power
• Sexson - again, would look nice here, but not for his contract
• Giles - a mistake
• Colon - I'd make that trade every day and twice on Tuesdays
• Sandy - a backup catcher

Who am I missing? Where have you gone Albert Belle, Carlos Baerga, Matt Williams, Travis Fryman, Robby Alomar?

There's such a thing as fiscal responsibility in baseball. That's why what the Indians are doing is the right way to approach building a baseball team. Call it the Atlanta Braves method: develop home-grown talent and add pieces, where needed, to put a consistent product on the field. Is anyone arguing that the Braves do it correctly? Right now, the Indians are at the stage where they're developing young talent and finding out what they have before adding the needed pieces.

As as been said many times, it's time for the fans of this town to turn the page and embrace this team. Root for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back.

Moving on to the pitchers, here's what the starters are on pace to achieve:
The stats are listed as Wins - Losses - ERA - K's - WHIP
C.C. Sabathia
11 - 9 - 4.50 - 129 - 1.33
Kevin Millwood
5 - 13 - 3.58 - 133 - 1.30
Jake Westbrook
11-20 - 4.67 -127 - 1.23
Cliff Lee
17 - 7 - 3.89 - 145 - 1.31
Scott Elarton
11 - 5 - 4.72 - 114 - 1.31

The Sticky one is on pace for 42 saves. Looking at these numbers, you can't help but be optimistic for the second half. No way that Westbrook continues his losing, or Millwood doesn't get W's.

Biggest Surprise:
The consistency of Lee and Elarton has given the Indians a shot all 5 days of the rotation. Expect Lee to get Westbrook money in the off-season, with Elarton getting a long look.

Pitching MVP:
Wicky gives balance to the strong bullpen and, though he quickens the heart rate, gets the job done.

Biggest Disappointment:
The Crooked Cap, in a landslide. I can't get into it right now, or it will ruin my night. Just for a snapshot, look at C.C.'s numbers against Elarton's.

Enjoy the second half. Against the protests of everyone, I'll be in the stands for the first game of the White Sox series tomorrow.

Ace? More Like a Joker!

The first loss in 10 games falls squarely onto the large shoulders of #52. Despite the Indians scoring 9, C.C. couldn’t keep a lead. It was a very exciting game at the Jake, despite the presence of about 10,000 Sawx fans, 100,000 Canadian Soldiers (that descended on the stands like a plague of locusts in the 7th), and two wave attempts by Indians’ fans (both at critical junctures of the game).

Some Tomahawks:

• I was waiting at the gate next to some guy saying, “You know, if we start to fill this place and Dolan still doesn’t spend money, I’ll stop being an Indian fan.” All of the sheep around him nodded in agreement. It took everything I had not to blurt out, “Good, don’t come back here, because you’re not a fan. You probably haven’t been here since 1999 and wouldn’t even know where good money could be spent. Go home, put on your Thome or Omar jersey, and remember the good old days.”
• Then, I have to sit in front of some guy who felt that the solution to every problem was for an Indian to “go yard” and say “Swing, and a miss” like Hamilton for every whiff. Down 9-4, with a nice rally going and no outs? “C’mon, Hernandez, go yard!” The bashers of the ‘90s made Indians fans dumb in that they simply do not understand good, fundamental baseball. Ronnie Belliard was booed for a sac fly in the 6th for not “going yard”. Maybe I’m a snob, but get a clue.
• C.C., a “#3 pitcher…at best” said the guy next to me, letting the big inning get the best of him again. Why doesn’t Willis come out to the mound to settle the Crooked Cap down, when it’s obvious to everyone at the Jake that he’s becoming unraveled?
• I’ve got to agree with my neighbor last night, and will take it one step further. Right now, I’ve got:
  1) Millwood
  2) Lee
  3) Westbrook
  4) Sabathia
  5) Elarton
  Any arguments?
• Only 30,500 last night, on a 9 game winning streak, against the defending world champs. People must’ve been looking up Doug Johnson’s career stats at home (a “Here We Go, Brownies”, not Indians, chant started in the Batters’ Eye Bar at one point).
• The Wickmans’ Warriors T is 0-1 after last night.
• Saw a #99 Vaughn jersey in the men’s room. It was more of a T-Shirt than a jersey, but not bad.
• Slider is becoming Public Enemy #1 very quickly as I attend more games.
• Can you tell yet that I was disappointed in the results last night?
• Finally, I made my first appearance on the JumboTron, due to the knuckleheads a couple of rows back who had painted their chests. Not knowing if I was on, I simply waved and the camera was off of me. It went against everything that I had ever said, that I would flash the “4” for Four Horseman, to honor the great Ric Flair. I’m only disappointed in me.

See you tonight at the ballpark.

6 and Counting...

Sitting in the Right Field Mezzanine (where we got a great view of Joe D-G's catch) with my buddy TC tonight brought up some interesting topics:

• If the Indians fall out of the race by the trading deadline, do you trade Millwood, Wickman, and Howry?
• If the Indians are right in the race by the trading deadline (which I think they will be ), what do they add? What does this team need? Everyone harps on Dolan's "unwillingness to spend money", but really what would you add to the mix here and who would go? The only pressing need that I see is a RH bat, possibly as an OF. It seems that the two-headed monster of Hernandez and Blake is not doing the job.
• What starter conveys the attitude of an "ace" the most? Or, what starter, when on the mound, gives you the most confidence? Consensus in the Mezzanine was Lee, Millwood, Sabathia, then Westbrook. Sabathia #3, you say? The reasoning is that despite his claims that he wants (and needs) to be this team's ace, C.C. still seems to let things pile on when the inning gets tough. The other 3 don't seem to have that problem.
• Is Bob Howry expendable to get a RH bat in the lineup? With Cabrera tearing it up in AAA and Howry's contract up at the end of 2005 (he's sure to get a multiyear deal with the way that he's pitching), do you trade Howry with a minor leaguer to get a RH bat?
• Who are the core players on this team? Super Sizemore is obviously the best position player on this team right now (the Baldelli comparisons have started), but who else will be here in 3 years? With no obvious Manny, Thome, or Vizquel here, who's going to stay for a few years, and who will pull a Paul Sorrento?

Other things seen and heard at the Jake and afterwards:

• The Team Shop is selling #48 Pronk jerseys. If I see a #52 Crooked Cap or a #41 The Stick at the Team Shop, I'm asking for a commission.
• The lineup was introduced to The Crue's "Kick Start My Heart" to get the crowd in the mood. Very well done video montage that got me ready for baseball, more so than "We're talkin' baseball...Indians Baseball...talkin' Tribe!" Who still hits the play button on that one? Is someone in the Indians' front office related to this singer? Let's bring back "Indians Fever, Be a Believer".
• Why does the crowd start the wave with a Tribe runner on first and nobody out? Because Cleveland is not a baseball town. I'm sorry, but it's not.
• WTAM's postgame with Kevin Keane and Mark Schwab gives a voice to the intelligent Tribe Fan. They give a cautiously optimistic view on the team while not getting too high or too low, while also remaining subjective and sometimes critical.
• At a street vendor's stand on Bolivar en route to the game, I saw the script "C" on a hat, which I feel should be incorporated into the uniforms. The other symbol that REALLY needs to be brought back is the silhouette of the full Chief Wahoo against the baseball (think the old Chief sign at Municipal Stadium). Why can't that be the depiction of the Chief, rather than just that big, smiling, red face?

D-Backs in time for the weekend. In the words of Lou Brown, "starting to come together, Pepper...starting to come together." Still shooting for 40-33 out of the homestand.

Torched

After missing the first portion of last night’s game while visiting friends who had just welcomed a new son (Ryan Michael Joyce – UD Class of 2027), I stepped into the elevator at the hospital and learned (via text messages) that Westbrook was getting shelled and the Tribe was down 10-1. Is there anything more deflating than hearing news like that, especially when you’re excited to hear good news?

I was reminded of the day in 1995, when the Indians were in the World Series while another national event was happening in L.A. On my walk back to the dorm after a shocking outcome to the event in L.A., a friend asked me what I thought of Ogea (Chad Ogea was starting the World Series game that night). I frantically asked, “What happened to Ogea?” When I was told that he was acquitted, I said, “Oh that O.J.” It’s all a matter of perspective.

Since the Tigers suddenly have Westbrook’s number (after he dominated them last year), and the end result was depressing, I’m not going to wallow in my misery by recapping the game.

Just one question to ponder: Maybe the Indians aren’t as good as we thought they were going to be, or maybe the Central is stronger than we originally thought. Things have to turn around soon; timing it with the ChiSox imminent fall to earth would be ideal.

On a lighter note, C.C. signed a two year extension, which puts him in the teepee through the 2008 season (they also picked up his 2006 option). The contract numbers aren’t that big, especially when you look at what Clement/Lieber/Wright got last off-season. This signing (even more so than Martinez, Hafner, Westbrook, etc) is a fantastic sign at the Dolans’ willingness to spend money to keep their home-grown, talented players in an Indians uniform. Call it the Twins Model for Small Market Teams: to keep core players by signing them early and using an abundant farm system to fill holes as players hit arbitration, free agency, or become unproductive. It just stinks that the Twins figured this out three years ago...and are in our division.

I’ll be at a wedding in Milwaukee all weekend, so I’ll see I can put in some posts from the In-Laws' house; though the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel doesn’t give a lot of ink to happenings of our beloved Wahoo Warriors.

Great Article

Sheldon Ocker hits the mark again on how C.C. Sabathia's contract status will be the litmus test for the Dolan ownership and their commitment to spend.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/11358897.htm