A Lazy Sunday with Real* Baseball

It is a sad day in Cleveland. Paul Cousineau has announced his retirement from the world of sportswriting. Saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family, Cousineau is currently in beautiful Shipshewana, IN with his wife, in-laws and two young sons. He’s enjoying his time out of the spotlight, and has no plans to return. At least not until tomorrow, when he will pull a Favre and quickly un-retire himself and resume his rightful place at the top of the Indians sportswriter mountain. So if those first two sentences gave anyone out there a heart attack, I apologize. Paul is away for the weekend, and I’m pinch hitting for him on this Lazy Sunday, the first of which we have “real” baseball being played with “real” stats and observations to analyze! Forgetting for a moment that me pinch hitting for Pauly C. is akin to Jamey Carroll pinch hitting for Albert Pujols, let’s jump right into this week’s links…

Your Cleveland Indians currently stand at 4-4 in Cactus League play after winning one and losing one yesterday in split-squad action. TCF colleague Adam Burke did a nice rundown yesterday of how various players have been performing so far this spring, and not a whole lot has changed since then. To update the competition for the last couple of open slots on the 25-man roster, both Travis Buck (.500) and Chad Huffman (.571) are working hard to stake their claim to a reserve OF role. The 5th starter competition is intense as well, with David Huff going three shutout innings yesterday and recording two strikeouts. Huff has thrown 5 innings so far this spring, allowing just two hits, no runs and striking out five. Meanwhile, Jenmar Gomez got roughed up in his start against Seattle, giving up four ER in 2 1/3 IP. The third amigo fighting for the final spot in the rotation is Josh Tomlin, who has matched Huff’s 5 scoreless innings so far in Arizona. The smart money here is on either Tomlin or Huff to break camp with the team, and it will be an interesting competition to monitor throughout the spring. As for the final spot in the bullpen, Vinnie Pestano had an impressive outing against the Pale Hose yesterday, striking out the side in order in his one inning of work, giving him 5 K in 2 innings so far this spring.

Paul Hoynes has a nice feature on Huff that talks about his struggles last year, both on the field and off. "Twittergate" is now pretty common knowledge at this point, and Huff and the club seem to have moved past it. Far more interesting for me is this little tidbit:

While he was in the big leagues, former Tribe catcher Mike Redmond introduced him to Mets lefthander Johan Santana. Huff asked Santana to show him his famous change-up. Its a pitch Huff has been throwing 50 percent to 60 percent of the time this spring. Along with his fastball, the occasional slider and curveball, it has helped him get off to a fast start.

Mike Redmond...the gift that keeps on giving. If Huff masters his changeup and is more effective against righthanders this year, he will at the very least have to send Redmond a fruit basket.

This brings us to the two players I consider the Most Important Indians (MII’s) for 2011. Conveniently, we have one position player and one pitcher. My MII position player for this year is 1B Matt LaPorta. It’s no secret that LaPorta has been a disappointment at the ML level since he was acquired from the Brewers in the C.C. Sabathia trade. His career OPS is .694, with 19 HR in 557 at bats. This after posting a career .956 minor league OPS, with 56 HR in 884 at bats. Clearly, something has been lost in the transition from AAA to The Show. LaPorta has struggled with various injuries, including hip and toe problems. Are these ailments sapping him of his power? Or does he simply not have the physical tools to be a presence in the middle of a major league lineup? Either way, we should find out in 2011 as LaPorta is now 26 years old and is running out of excuses. He finally had a normal offseason this past winter, and was able to work out and condition himself for the grind of a 162 game regular season. The Indians have two very important building blocks in the middle of the lineup with Carlos Santana and Choo. A healthy and mashing LaPorta would give them a 3-4-5 capable of contending for the division. If he can become the .280/.380/.480 guy that we envisioned when he came over from Milwaukee, that would make him a crucial building block in The Plan v2.0 that would still be under club control for quite some time. LaPorta is hitting a sluggish .158 so far this spring in 19 at bats. The Silver Lining Department reports that all three of his hits have been for extra bases, with a HR and a pair of 2B. LaPorta is saying that he feels better this spring than he ever has, and hopefully the numbers reflect that once the games actually count.

Moving on to the MII (Pitcher Division), we have a young starter that Pauly has waxed eloquently on in this very space at quite some length in the past. I’ll not rehash all of his points here again, but suffice to say that I think some people have given up on him a little early. It seems like he’s been around forever, but Car-Car doesn’t turn 24 until later this month. He posted a 3.83 ERA and 7.7 K/9 in 44 2/3 innings last season, and needs to take another step forward this year if the Indians are going to contend in the near-term. He has the talent to be a solid #2 starter in the major leagues; the question has always been his ability to manage the game from the mental side of the house. Age and experience will only help, and I still am really expecting big things out of a guy who was considered a top 50 prospect in all of baseball from 2007-2009. Carrasco had a solid outing in his first start of the spring, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out a pair. On a personal note, he left the club on Friday to head to Florida to be with his wife as she delivers their child. He missed a start yesterday as a result, but will be back early this week and still has plenty of time to get up to speed. Carrasco earning the #3 role (or better) in the Tribe rotation this year or next is another keystone in the development of The Plan v2.0,

Speaking of top prospect lists, the “Big Three”have their top 100’s out, and Kevin Goldstein, Keith Law, and Baseball America all agree that the Indians have at least three of the top 100 prospects in baseball. Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis and Drew Pomeranz appear on all three lists. Goldstein and BA both list Alex White as well, and Law has White in his “just missed” article. Law listed 10 players as having just missed the top 100, so for argument’s sake let’s say White is his #105 overall prospect. If you average out the rankings from those three sources (which are universally considered to be the industry standard), you'll see that the Indians have four of the top 74 prospects in all of baseball according to outside experts with no attachment to the club. This is not coming from internal sources like Antonetti/Shapiro, nor from writers like myself, Pauly C. or Tony over at IPI who were admittedly Indians fans before we started writing about baseball.

In addition to the four top players in the system, the Indians are pretty much universally regarded as having one of the deeper systems in baseball. Guys like Jason Knapp, Nick Weglarz, Chun Chen, Felix Sterling could leap into the top 100 next year with healthy and productive seasons. Baseball Prospectus has pulled together a spreadsheet compiling several top 100 lists, and those guys appear on a number of lists from around the industry. There is plenty of depth available, especially when it comes to power bullpen arms. No club can ever have too much pitching, and a number of the internal options could find their way to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario at some point in 2011 for a cup of coffee or more.

All of this should of course be taken with the caveat that prospects are what they are, and placement on any top 100 list is no guarantee of future success. One needs only to look to the Baseball Prospectus series on the top 50 “most disappointing” prospects of all time to see that (I’m looking at you, Andy Marte). But the core of this team is still very young, with Santana, Chris F. Perez, Asdrubal, Carrasco and others still shy of their 25th birthdays. So while there is talent in the pipeline, there is also plenty of reason for optimisim when looking at the youth movement already in Cleveland.

This seems like as good a time as any to remind everyone that I am headed to Arizona in two weeks to check out both the minor league and major league squads as they prepare for the upcoming season. It’s a trip that I took last year for the first time, and highly recommend it to any baseball fan that can make it. Better weather than Cleveland, better player access than in Cleveland, less stress over who wins and loses than there will be in Cleveland, and more prospects that you’ll see in Cleveland. Not to seem like I am running down my hometown, but spending a 75 degree day in March watching Chuck Nagy throw BP to Carlos Santana, Choo and Weglarz is a pretty darn good time. I’ll be posting several articles from Goodyear, as well as letting my consciousness stream away on the Twitter. So if you have a question for a prospect or player that hasn’t already been answered by Bastian or one of the other beat writers, send it my way (@alciammaichella) and I’ll be happy to try and get it taken care of. I promise not to tweet pictures of the Arizona sunset, or constant weather updates that make you long for the dog days of August while you’re digging out of another blizzard on the snowy North Coast.

In the “news that should surprise absolutely no one” category, Bud Shaw reports that Manny Acta has named Fausto Carmona as his Opening Day starter. The dreams of Fausto’s 2007 season becoming the mean for his career are long gone, but he put up a very solid 3.77 ERA in 2010, and his 3.1 BB/9 rate was the lowest since that magical 2007 campaign. I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Carmona, as his 2007 performance against the Yankees in the ALDS was probably the most memorable baseball game I’ve ever seen live. Carmona’s defeat over both the Yankees and the Canadian Soldiers had me convinced that he was going to be a mainstay at or near the top of the Tribe rotation for many years to come. He’s the #1 starter this year more by default than by proven himself to be an “ace” in the truest sense of the word, but it’s not unreasonable to think he can at least repeat his 2010 numbers.

Anthony Castrovice continues his fantastic work even though he’s not the assigned Indians beat writer for MLB.com anymore, taking a look at the media guide and extracting some interesting minutia. I for one was both intrigued and shocked to hear that our opening day starter’s favorite movie is Major League II. It’s a fantastic opportunity and I don’t begrudge him a bit for taking it, but a small part of me dies inside when I read a Castro article about the Red Sox in their role as AL East favorites. Fortunately he still writes about the Tribe on a pretty regular basis, and his replacement on the Tribe beat Jordan Bastain is fantastic as well.

Speaking of Bastain, he updated a variety of topics late Friday evening on his blog for MLB.com. Among them, he touched on the Sizemore situation:

Center fielder Grady Sizemore (left knee) took another step forward –pun intended?—in his rehab on Friday. Sizemore took part in outfield group drills, catching fly balls and fielding grounders. He also upped the intensity of his agility and sprint drills, nothing that the day’s excercises had him moving in ‘all directions.’ He also took part in batting practice as usual.

As of right now, there’s still no plan to move Grady from CF when he is healthy enough to play again. Sizemore’s status effects not only the top of the lineup and the OF defense, but the club’s bottom line as well. He’s one of the players that casual fans will still pay to see, and like it or not is especially key to the female demographic. Sizemore’s return will help put wins in the scorebook and fans in the seats, and I for one would be pleasantly surprised if he were available by tax day.

Moving on to some of the newest Indians in the tepee, Baseball Prospectus’ Christina Kahrl does a fine job pulling together her thoughts on the recent roster moves, from Durbin to Johnson to Lawson. She points out that Johnson’s recent success occurred under Acta’s watchful eye in Washington, when he put up a .291/.426/.405 line in 133 games in 2009. She believes that Johnson can be an effective part of the 1B/DH rotation once he’s back to full health, and I agree. Although he and Hafner both hit from the left side, Johnson has actually put up a higher career OPS against lefties (.857) than righties (.840). So he and Hafner are not mutually exclusive, and Johnson can start as well as be a valuable bat off the bench regardless of who is on the mound. Kahrl is also cautiously optimistic on the Durbin signing:

As for Durbin, it is perhaps a mild surprise that he lasted this long on the market, especially after giving the Phillies two excellent seasons out of three, wrapping a 19.1 ARP campaign in 2008 and a 10.4 ARP in 2010 around a -4.8 season in '09. What's sort of surprising is that Durbin has managed to improve his strikeout rate in each of the last three years, topping out at a very nice 21.6 percent clip last year. What makes that even more surprising is that he's not a power pitcher by any stretch, relying on a sinker/slider mix where his heat sits around 89-90 mph, providing his best value by getting spotted carefully against right-handers and weaker lefties. His flyball tendencies will no doubt lead to negative nattering, but happily the Tribe's home park isn't a high-offense environment.

So while the Durbin signing remains much maligned in Cleveland, writers on the national scene seem much more optimistic on his chances to improve the Indians in 2011. Add to that the potential that if Durbin does manage to put together a solid season, there’s a possibility that he could fetch draft pick compensation if he chooses to ply his trade in greener pastures in 2012. Bullpens being what they are, there will still be plenty of chances for the plethora of power arms in the upper reaches of the minor leagues to make their mark on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario this season. The talent will rise to the top, whether they begin the season down south in Columbus or not.

The Ides of March are approaching, the first week of spring games are in the books, and the 25-man roster is starting to take shape. If you’re not getting excited for Indians baseball now…well, I don’t know what to tell you.

Boobie Sunday

Please allow me to get something off of my chest:
THE CAVS ARE GOING TO THE FINALS!!!

Behind the young man who may be Robin to LeBron’s Batman, the Cavs rode the hot hand of a man called Boobie to set up this moment that was only a dream on that night when the ping pong balls bounced the Cavs’ way.
On to San Antoine to see if the Cavs can continue their roll through the playoffs on the substantial shoulders of our King.

Meanwhile, across the plaza (which looked like this), the Indians fell victim to the law of averages (and another effort by Cliff Lee to head to Buffalo) and finally lost to the Tigers.

This despite Grady Sizemore not only going retro in his uniform, but in his stirrups as he took that next step to look like a baseball player in 1977.
I hope this becomes a new look for SuperSizemore, but it’s unlikely.

Without dwelling on the only negative thing that happened last night, let’s take a Lazy Sunday:

No sooner had the word “negative” appeared in the intro, does Sheldon Ocker throw some cold water on everybody who’s feeling pretty good about the Indians these days. Let’s see, according to the Bitterman, the Indians have given up on Marte and are unlikely to have Casey Blake on the roster next year.

Does anyone ever wonder if Ocker actually goes to these games or really “talks to scouts”? His write-up of the heart pounding victory on Friday is laughable in that it focused ONLY on the negatives. I was at the game, and sure there were negatives, but if the ABJ ever wonders why their circulation is down, they need to go no further than this dreadful “recap” of what my brother described as “the most exciting game at the Jake in 10 years”.

It is almost a weekly desire stated here, but please…PLEASE, ABJ – take Ocker off of the Tribe beat and promote Stephanie Storm, who covers the Akron Aeros so well.

Here’s the weekly Brad Lidge trade talk, as well as the weekly Rangers’ fire sale talk.

Andy Call has a great story on Pronk’s signing with the Texas Rangers over Frostys at Wendy’s.

Jim Ingraham finally addresses the elephant in the room regarding Cliff Lee in print. While it’s been discussed here (and dissected very well in the comments section by new serial poster Halifax), Ingraham is the first newspaperman to put it in print that Cliff Lee has just as much of a chance to vacate the rotation as Jeremy Sowers does when Jake Westbrook returns from his rehab stint.

While Westbrook certainly didn’t impress in his first rehab start (1 1/3 IP, 4 ER 7 H, 1 BB), Lee is making it a two-horse race to be sent to Buffalo as he still retains two options.

Consider the numbers in their last 3 starts:
Sowers
18 2/3 IP, 12 ER, 5.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

Lee
13 2/3, 16 ER, 13.66 ERA, 2.16 WHIP

While Sowers certainly hasn’t evoked those comparisons to a young Tom Glavine recently, Cliff Lee has performed significantly worse. Sowers at least has moments of being in control and has been victimized by poor relief pitching after him (CaBBrera), while Lee continually walks the tightrope and taxes the Tribe bullpen because of his short starts.

Each will probably get one more start (not counting Sowers this afternoon), but it will be interesting to see which direction the Indians decide to go and if, by chance, Lee becomes trade bait to shore up a beleaguered bullpen (which I promise to dissect at some point this week).

Not to just throw something against the wall (OK, maybe just to throw something against the wall), but would San Diego be willing to part with a piece (or pieces)of their magnificent bullpen (Scott Linebrink or Heath Bell perhaps) to see if Lee’s fly ball tendencies play out well in Petco?

Or maybe the Dodgers (with Jonathon Broxton or Joe Biemel) to get Mark Hendrickson or Brett Tomko out of their rotation and see if Chavez Ravine is kind to Five and (F)Lee?

The Indians will have to part with a valuable piece to shore up their bullpen at some point this season. And Brian Slocum and Ben Francisco aren’t bringing Akinori Otsuka, so the question needs to be thrown out there – is Cliff Lee that piece?

He has a track record of winning (ugly, yes…but still winning), with a fairly reasonable contract ($2.75M in 2007, $3.75M in 2008, $5.75M in 2009, club option for $8M in 2010) that runs for quite a while. So, he is an attractive commodity to other teams. But, are the Indians confident in their current stable of pitchers and their arms just below the surface (Atom Miller, Chas Lofgren, etc.) to trade Lee to shore up the back end of their bullpen?

It can certainly be argued (and has been, by me) that solid starting pitching is a commodity too valuable to trade, particularly for a team in contention. But, if Lee no longer falls under that “solid” category, and is on a downward spiral that will result in him either eventually being moved to the bullpen or falling out of favor in the organization altogether, isn’t it time to at least explore those options, when a 28-year-old pitcher with 51 career wins has some trade value?

Today’s start by Sowers and the next starts by the two LHP will go a long way to determine how this all plays out, but don’t be too surprised if that arm that we all assumed at the beginning of the season to be Paul Byrd to shore up the bullpen becomes Cliff Lee.

Still a great chance for the Tribe to take 3 of 4 from the Motor City Kitties today, as Bonderman has struggled since coming off of the DL.
It’s time to go all LeBron and put that foot on the Tigers’ throat and announce the Central as Indian Territory once more.

Finally, the most poignant moment of the night – LeBron searches out Z, the only player remaining from LBJ’s 1st practice with the Cavs who has endured some hard times in a Cavs uni, to give him this bear hug at center court.Cleveland is rising, enjoy the ascent.

Tomahawkin' from the Top

Rather than subscribe to the belief that losing a series in Boston means that the Tribe can’t hang with the “big boys” of the AL, I’ll take the contrarian view that the Indians faced the Red Sox best 3 starters (while their best two didn’t see the mound), won the game that their best pitcher in the series started (anyone who wants to join Paul’s Byrdies can see the sidebar for membership info), and had a chance to win each of the first two games in the 9th inning.

At last count, the Tribe went 4-2 against the other 2 best teams in the AL on the road.
I’ll take that every day of the week and twice on Saturday.

Does the series expose some flaws? Sure, but we knew that Grady strikes out a lot and that the platoon of Dellucci and Michaels is not exactly setting the league ablaze.

But, let’s take the series for what it was – a difficult series that didn’t set itself up well (pitching match up-wise) for the Indians against a team that is very likely to be in the playoffs.

With that little confidence boost, let’s release some tomahawks:
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Has anyone heard that Ryan Garko chokes up on his bat with 2 strikes and changes “his approach” to make contact? I JUST heard that. Fascinating stuff.
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It’s time for Lonnie Soloff to come over to Fernando CaBBrera’s locker (which HAS to be Jason Dangerously’s old locker the way that Ferd is pitching) and say, “It looks like that heel injury from last year is flaring up.”
It should be said not a question. It should be a statement.

CaBBrera needs to figure out how he went from a magnificently effective reliever (1.50 ERA in April) to the second coming of Gas Can Graves (11.57 ERA in May). At this point, there’s no way that the Atomic Wedgie can use CaBBrera in a game of any importance (how he was allowed in Tuesday night’s game is beyond me, especially with Sowers pitching reasonably well), so it’s time for Fernando to take a 15-day DL stint, followed by some rehab assignments to get his mechanics back. I don’t care what puts him on the DL (or what the team reports); just get him some help out of the spotlight of a MLB game.
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On the flip side, can we please see more of Raffy Perez? In 5 IP, the kid has 6 K’s and 1 BB, which garners some consideration as the anti-CaBBrera. Realizing, of course, that 5 IP does not a career make, he’s been vicious against LHP (no hits, walks, etc.) and pretty effective against RHP (.690 OPS against).

With Hernandez (please, make it stop), CaBBrera, and Koplove taking up spots in the bullpen, what’s the harm in seeing if Perez can stick as the 2nd LHP out of the bullpen?

While we’re at it, how about giving Hernandez a spot on the coaching staff and call up someone with a chance of being useful – like recalling Eddie Mujica and actually pitching him?
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Has anyone else noticed that STO has a problem coming out of the “Update Desk”, generally coming back with the pitch en route to the batter or with the first pitch having already happened?

Not a big deal. Just annoying.
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Anyone hear during the telecast that Coco Crisp isn’t talking to the Boston media? Add his name to those cuddly characters Milton Bradley and Brandon Phillips as former Indians who have a much higher opinion of themselves than anyone has of them.

Seriously, do you think that the Boston media comes into the locker room dying for a quote from Crisp, only to be regularly crushed when they realize that he’s not talking to them?
How in the world do they finish and article without the words and wisdom of Covelli?
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The pronounced splits for the Tribe OF platoon members were expected, but how about this:
Against LHP
Dellucci - .150 AVG / .190 OBP / .250 SLG / .440 OPS
Nixon - .225 AVG / .283 OBP / .300 SLG / .583 OPS

Against RHP
Dellucci - .248 AVG / .314 OBP / .394 SLG / .709 OPS
Nixon - .294 AVG / .376 OBP / .412 SLG / .788 OPS
How is either of those guys even seeing LHP?

And, surprisingly, the player who has the better numbers (almost against both) is everyone’s favorite whipping boy, Jason Michaels:
Against LHP
Michaels - .279 AVG / .295 OBP / .442 SLG / .737 OPS

Against RHP
Michaels - .265 AVG / .339 OBP / .388 SLG / .727 OPS

There’s no way, with Shoppach and Michaels on the bench that Dellucci or Nixon should see a LHP…ever. Accept each player for what he is, a LH bat incapable of hitting LHP. Allowing either Dellucci or Nixon to hit against LHP at any point during the remainder of the season is irresponsible.
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And what, exactly was wrong with giving Andy Marte some AB’s against LHP to move Blake to RF and give him some looks at some ML pitchers? Fully understanding the rationale of giving the Indians some bullpen depth for the Boston series in case of a 2 inning outing from Lee or Sowers, the seemingly insignificant move has larger ramifications.

The Indians have now used Marte’s last option, meaning that he will go into the 2008 season out of options. And for what? For Mike Koplove to be in the bullpen for the series? For a team so aware of players’ options and service time, it certainly came as a bit of a surprise.

As it looks right now, though, Marte figures to be in Buffalo until later in the season.
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Does the Red Sox pitchers’ effectiveness against the Tribe for most of the series have anything to do with former Tribe front office cog John Farrell being the pitching coach for the Red Sox? You have to think that Farrell has intimate knowledge of all of the Indian hitters and had a pretty good game plan for pitching to those players.

Handing a well-thought-out game plan to the likes of Curt Schilling and Josh Beckett makes good pitchers great.
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Am I the only one cheering for the Devil Rays to beat the Tigers, but not because of the way that it would affect the AL Central race? The D-Rays and Yankees are tied at the bottom of the AL East and nothing would please me more than being able to cut the AL East standings out of the paper with the date attached.

That would be Tampa and their $24,123,500 payroll putting up the same record through nearly 1/3 of the season as the Yankees and their $189,639,045 payroll.

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The posting fee for Dice-K? $51.1M. The Tribe’s 2007 payroll? $61.1M.
Score one for the good guys.
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After a tremendous road trip that further established the Indians as a player in the AL, it’s back to Cleveland for a BIG series against the Motor City Kitties.

I’ll be heading down to the Jake for Thursday (until I can no longer take the fact that I am missing the Cavaliers’ systematic breakdown of the Pistons) and Friday, so I’ll do my part.

Time to lay the smack down on Detroit, from a couple different angles.

Jelly on a Roll

Wednesday night's game at the Jake was the closest to playoff baseball that I've experienced since the late 90's. From Jake's no-no until the 6th to Bell-i-YARD going deep in typical Jelly fashion (a swing-out-of-your-shoes effort that he admired as it went deep in the SRO area in left), to Wickman's exciting 9th.

Best scene of the night:
A fan in the right field seats catches the HR that Sticky gave up in the 9th. The fans start chanting, "Throw it back, throw it back". Realizing that throwing a ball onto the field gets you ejected from the Jake, I find the usher to see if she's telling the guy not to. But, she's cheering and pumping her fist to throw it back like everyone else. As the ball flew over Blake's head onto the field, I saw her look up towards the concourse (presumably to another usher), shrug her shoulders, mouth the words "no way", and sit down to watch the final two outs.

The atmosphere was electric, giving high-fives to anyone around you, on your feet for the last 3 innings, giving standing O's to anyone - Belliard, Westbrook after his 5th inning of no-hit ball, Wickman coming out of the pen, Broussard during his PH at-bat in recognition of his two bombs on Tuesday. Even the grounds crew got one for clearing the field after a monsoon reminiscient of the Steve Miller Band Concert in 1992 at Blossom...if you were there, you know what I'm talking about.

21,000+ was pretty loud last night, though I think most of them are the same people who have been there all year, who know and enjoy baseball, and are taking great enjoyment out of seeing a talented team mature in an exciting playoff race. This is going to be a great couple of weeks here, right up to and including the final showdown with the White Sox.

Speaking of the Pale Hose, they dropped a game to KC today, meaning that the Tribe is 4.5 games back in the Central. Ozzie Guillen called out another one of his players, Damaso Marte, for a "questionable injury". The White Sox may be coming apart before our very eyes.

As I looked at the standings this morning, the Tribe has the 4th best record in all of baseball! Then I check out the official site, where this quote appears:

"If we don't sign Jim Thome, it'll erode a significant core [of the fan base], and we need to sign Jim Thome for performance and for that core. But I think the only thing that'll bring fans back to the three million range is for us to build a winning team again. That's what we have to do." -- GM Mark Shapiro, in 2002

Mission accomplished, on your end, Mark. Now it's on the fans to realize it.


Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle said on PTI yesterday that he thought the Yankees would win the Wild Card, but Indians' fans shouldn't fret because the Tribe will be good for at least the next 10 years. Actually Rich, I think we'll take our cake and eat it too this year.

Just got the new SI (with Aaron Brooks on the cover) and there's a 3 page article about the Indians. A great shot of Super Sizemore, Jhon, Coco, The Stick, and Pronk (shown here) starts the article off and, surprisingly for the national media, it almost presupposes that the Tribe will make the playoffs. If you don't subscribe to SI, it's worth the time and newstand price.

We're talkin' baseball...Indians baseball...TALKIN' TRIBE!!!

Power Outage, Until...

A very strange scene at the Jake tonight with about half of the lights going out, causing about a 15 minute delay in the game. Up to that point, the Tribe bats had been ice cold and the team hadn't even had a chance to be fired up from Wedgie's meltdown and ejection. Why weren't they hitting? What, was Millwood starting?

But the lights came back on and the light operator may have turned the switch as well on Benny B., who popped a 2 run HR in the 7th to tie the game, then a 3 run jobber in the 8th. I also love how Millwood didn't miss a beat and came back after he delay to get the third out of the inning.

What a game, though as Benny's bat (Garko who?), Millwood's grittiness (he now leads the AL in ERA), and Sticky's ballet moves in the 9th (imagine seeing that keg of beer falling down in front of you as you move down the first base line) contributed to the Tribe improbably coming back to win.

The power outage did allow me to catch some of the classic New Jack City on BET, with the incomparable Wesley Snipes (pre-Passenger 57's "Always bet on black") as Nino Brown. The movie is such a blatant attempt at recreating Scarface, having Nino quoting Tony Montana the whole movie, it's ridiculous. But to an 8th grader, the movie and the soundtrack (which includes Color Me Badd's I Wanna Sex You Up) were great. Speaking of Nino Brown, did anyone catch Braylon Edwards' press conference upon signing with the Browns, when he wore a New Jack City T?

After Jelly Belliard turned some of those magical DP's (particularly the one where he faked the flip to Jhon and tagged the runner, so Swisher didn't go Belle-Vina on him), Shapiro should have his contract extension in the locker room to be picked up.

Art Rhodes left the team for the year on personal reasons, which means that Rocky B-Court, Sauerbeck, Riske, and the F-Cab will move up in the bullpen as well as meaning that some of the young arms (notably, Andrew Brown) may see more action than originally thought. Watching Cabrera throw in the second half of this season makes me think that he could have a similar impact to the one that K-Rod had in the playoffs a few years back for the Halos. I'm not saying that Cabrera is K-Rod, but F-Cab's stuff is filthy and Rhodes' departure may expedite his trip towards the back end of the bullpen.

A sign seen Monday night on FSN - "Super Sizemore". Looks like the copyright office is going to be keeping my checks.

C.C., although he lost his first game in 8 decisons Monday night, showed the maturity that has often been lacking for the (Not so) Crooked Cap. C.C. didn't have his best stuff, but still limited the A's to 1 ER in 6 innings. I realize that the A's are not the 1927 Yankees, but C.C. was able to bear down and work his way out of jams, something that has always been lacking in his repertoire. It seems as though Millwood's composure on the mound has had the desired effect on C.C., Cliff, and Jake. All three calmly work their way out of jams, rather than letting the big inning kill them.

Great game tonight. As Johnny Cougar Mellencamp tells me as I'm leaving the Jake after a good night, Again Tonight.

HRD (Home Run Derby)

With the Tribe taking 4 in a row from the Tigers, it's amazing that the last 15 runs scored by the Tribe have all come on home runs. All of that with Jhon and Pronk in extended slumps. To show how prevalent the HR has become recently, Casey Blake knocked his 20th HR today!

Before Wednesday's game, The Architect (Shapiro) was on the radio with some interesting insight. The thing about Shapiro's comments is that you often have to read between the lines for his true meaning. The high points and some thoughts:

• Shapiro said that SuperSizemore projected to eventually become a 25 to 30 HR guy, "once his power comes around". He also said that Grady will become the "prototypical #3 hitter". Let's think about this, Grady is having one of the most exciting seasons in recent Indians history, particularly for a 23 year old. Adding 25-30 HR power to what he's already shown may make Gammons sound prophetic when he said earlier in the season that the American League should write Grady's name in for CF in the All-Star Game for the next 10 years! Shapiro's other comment that Grady was the prototypical #3 hitter blew me away. Not in that it was a surprise, but let's do some math. How many current Indians are legitimate #3 or #4 hitters? I count 4 (SuperSizemore, Jhon, Pronk, and Tthe Stick) with another solid young hitter in Coco. I think that makes up 5 of the 9 batters in the lineup. With that kind of talent in the lineup for the next few years, other players (like Boone and Belliard) don't have to be spectacular, only solid. If they do, however, add one more big bat, we're on our way to watching an offensive juggernaut.
  
  
• When asked about Sticky's future, Shapiro said that he'll first find out if Wickman wants to come back. If he does, the Indians will determine if Wickman fits into their plans. When asked about moving a young arm to the closer role, Shapiro firmly stated that the closer role is not one that he would entrust to a youngster. He went on to say that if Wickman did not return, there were some solid options already in the Tribe pen. Translation: Wickman is unlikely to return (either by his choice or the Tribe's choice) and Shapiro will keep someone that he's comfortable with (saw pitch this year) to close games effectively (Howry/Rhodes). He also said that the bullpen's success will be difficult to duplicate. But you have to think that there's only three guys eligible for FA (Wickman, Howry, Sauerbeck). If they bring back Howry and sign a situational lefty, there's Cabrera, Brown, Miller, Tadano, and possibly Davis battling for one spot.
  
  
• Shapiro said that Peralta is going through an adjustment period as pitchers have now seen him and know what he's been successful against. It's now up to Peralta to adjust (as he has at every level to become a consistent presence in the lineup). Coincidentally, it was mentioned in today's PD that Peralta has been to the postseason for the past 5 years in the minors. Did someone say something about an environment of winning?
  

Enough of Shapiro-speak and analysis.

Today's PD also mentioned that with the Tribe likely to pick up Jelly Belliard's option, the only spot for Brandon Phillips next year (when he's out of options) is as a utility IF. Is anyone upset about this? I realize that B-Phil was the big name in the Colon deal, but if he doesn't work out (and it doesn't look like he's going to), are we upset? We only got an All Star LH starter and Stud CF in the deal. I have no problem cutting ties with Phillips this offseason and seeing if we can get something for him, while his stock may still be relatively high.

There's a good analysis of off-season questions, as well as how perceptions and realities change quickly in the analysis of players in Mistake by the Lake Sporting Times.

After a long weekend in Chicago (where I'll miss the Tribe, Buckeyes, and Browns - but will see a baptism), I'll analyze the holes for the 2006 season and the best way to fill them, pitting building from within against adding Free Agents.

On another Cleveland sports-related note, as if the Browns weren't up enough this season, here's more bad news.

Tampa Bay's up 2-0 in the 5th. If the D-Rays hold on, the Tribe moves into first place, all alone, for the Wild Card, with 22 left to play. The Tribe stands at 79-61 with a legitimate shot at 92-95 wins.

Browns' Town

The Tribe did it again last night as they pulled victory from the jaws of defeat through persistence, solid bullpen work, and surviving a Wickman 9th. My buddy Dozer, who was among the 17,000 actually in attendance (his estimate, not mine), said that the standing ovation that the team received after coming back to take the lead in the 1st was like nothing he's ever seen at the Jake. This from a guy who STILL wears a Thome jersey regularly and has Chief Wahoo on his ankle. It must have been a pretty special moment, which could've been more special if more than 20,000, much less 40,000, people were there.

I'm not going to harp on attendance much more, but please don't ever tell me that Cleveland is a baseball town and that 455 consecutive sell-outs proves anything. I remember mocking Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and (particularly) Atlanta for not selling out playoff games, thinking, "How could people be that nonchalent about an exciting baseball team". Well, it's happening here, so let's hope that the Jake is filled if the Tribe makes the playoffs in 2005.

With Katrina dumping water on the North Coast and Tuesday's game cancelled (with Wednesday's game very much in question), I thought that I'd share a letter written to Bud Shaw, in response to his column in Tuesday's PD. The letter was written by serial poster Cy Slapnicka and articulates many of the issues that I'm having with the support that this team is receiving, both from the fans and the local media.

Bud,
After reading your column today, I have a question. How was it a throwback night? Was it because they came from behind to win or was it because they won based on runs and not pitching?

This team is completely different than the 1995 Indians. They embody the word team. They are well rounded and seem like quality people. While they have taken some time to gel, the result is far supierior to that of the late 90's Indians. Not to take anything away from that team, as I still fondly remember that summer working as an usher at games and watching them hit the cover off the ball. However, that is the past and I've moved on to the new team. The Kool-Aid Shapiro is serving tastes like wine.

I find it a lot more fun to watch Grady evolve into one of the best players in the AL. Jhonny Peralta has shed Omar's shadow and become his own brand of SS. The class clown Hafner brings a constant threat to the plate and a smile to everyone's face. Boone's bat has reappeared to complement his glove and leadership. And of course, there is the pitching. Bob Wickman wears his heart on his sleeve and as Joe Ladd (wickman's warriors) said in an ESPN article, "He looks like he's from my neighborhood." Kevin Millwood has shown this staff what veteran leadership is, both in the clubhouse and on the mound.

I am tired of Cleveland media comparing this team to the team of the late 90's. Can we just embrace this team as its own and get over 1995? What is not to like? Yes there are flaws, but the Indians of 1995 had theirs as well. And why hasn't the media questioned the faith Indians fans? Where have they gone? Is it because the novelty of the Jake has worn off? Did we ever have that many fans or was it just the thing to
do at the time? Its obviously not good baseball that will lure them to the park.

How can the PD not be interested in this? If attendance at Browns games dropped off to 30,000 a game (their play warrants it), I can only imagine the media uproar. Especially if that continued even after they started winning. I am not sure if you or anyone at the PD will respond to this (I've grown used to responses from Beacon Journal writers). But I'd be very interested to hear why you aren't writing about some of these things.

Why isn't this a big deal and why are there only fluff pieces on this? Lets face it, the Indians are a good baseball team and are contenders, yet the fans refuse to come. That's not worth writing about?

Well said. I'll let you know if he gets a response.

Rumor has it that Todd Walker may be coming to town, which is fine with me as an extra bat off of the bench and glove in the field.

While most are excited that Walker can also play 1B, did you realize that Broussard, after a hot stretch, now has the 9th best OPS for 1B in the AL, ahead of Morneau, Millar, Erstad, and Hatteberg? The position is certainly in line for an upgrade next year, but let's remember that when Benny gets hot, he adds another run-producing bat to an increasingly potent lineup.

Wednesday is the last day that the deal can go down though. With the second trade deadline on Wednesday and rosters expanding on Thursday, how could you not love this game?

I'll work in the "building through FA" vs. "building from within" soon.

1994 vs. 2005

Despite taking the series (2 of 3) from the Jays, the Tribe finds itself behind the Yankees, who took advantage of playing the Royals to stake a lead in the Wild Card. Interestingly, the A's have pulled ahead of the Angels, who were swept by the Rays in St. Pete, in the West. That's right, those same Rays, that the Tribe took 3 of 4 from, knocked the "mighty" Halos off of their perch in the AL West.

Elarton will lead the Tribe into the Jake tomorrow to face Jeremy Bonderman. I'm hoping that a crowd of more than 20,000 show up; we ARE in a playoff race at the end of August. I guess that taste of letting Sandy Alomar go is still bitter in a lot of mouths.

Speaking of Sandy, I was thinking about how this year's Tribe reminds me of the 1994 team, with young talent sparking the way to meaningful games late in the season (strike notwithstanding). This team, however, seems to be made up of more players that fit into the "Cleveland" profile of hard-workers, accessible players, and overachievers.

The teams of the late '90s had players that, while immensely talented, never embraced the city the way that Cleveland begged to be embraced, particularly after the Browns left. In addition to the obviousness surliness of Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton always carried himself with an arrogance (remember how he dropped his bat on home after ball 4?) that Cleveland fans believed was a "swagger" that set the tone. In fact, I think that most of those players were out for themselves and their stats while subscribing more readily to the old "25 players, 25 cabs" relationship, allowing their unbelievable talent to make up for shortcomings in chemistry. How many of those players were genuinely likable? Carlos Baerga was, as was Alvaro Espinoza. The argument can be made that Manny, Thome, and Omar were likable; or was it that we wanted SO badly to have that one true hero that we threw the mantle of "Cleveland's Best" on those three, in that order, until they ultimately left town for greener (pun intended) pastures.

Those teams were likable for the brand of baseball that they played (pummel opponents into submission) and because of the improbable 1995 season, when it seemed like they won every other game in the bottom of the 9th. That season is what truly captured the city's attention. You feared to miss a game, lest you miss Belle's bomb off of Lee Smith or Eckersley walking off the mound saying,"WOW" after Manny did what he does. The players became heros because of what they did individually, not how they played as a team.

The 2005 team, however, seems to have players that play well together, often conveying a chemistry that probably isn't seen too often in an MLB clubhouse. Between Victor's ridiculous handshakes, Grady's almost otherworldly confidence (not to be confused with Lofton's arrogance), and Pronk's quotability (he said that he finished in the top 10 academically in his high school class, later chiming in that it was a class of 8), I cannot help but root for this team.

Since 2001, I've been determined to live by the idea that you cheer for the name of the front of the uniform, not the back. As the end of the '90s showed, becoming emotionally attached to individual players only leads to resementment towards the modern professional athlete.

However, I'm on board of this talented group of players, who seem to play their guts out every game (to use a Butch Davis term), never giving up.

Let's look at this weekend. Grady had a straight steal of home with 2 strikes on the player with the 3rd highest Average in the AL! Hafner hit two MONSTER bombs! The Stick had 7 straight hits! Millwood responds to the fact that he gets ZERO run support by saying, what's he going to do cry about it? He'd rather have a beer.

How is this town NOT embracing this team?!?

Off of the soapbox, with Miller and Rhodes on the DL, the bullpen remains lights-out as Bobby Howry seems to have hit another level as a set-up man. Seeing as how Wickman, Howry, and Sauerbeck are the only relievers not under contract next year, I see the 2006 bullpen shaking out like this:
Howry, assuming we sign him to close
Riske
Rhodes (not a true match-up lefty)
Cabrera
Betancourt
Miller/Brown
A Match-Up LH (either a FA or Tallet, Stanford, Traber, etc.)

Now, assuming that Scott Elarton signs a deal with the team (he apparently realized after Colorado that being in a comfortable situation is more important to him than counting every last dollar, which Millwood and Boras will certainly do this off-season), the Tribe has 4 starters in line:
Lee
Westbrook
C.C.
Elarton
The fifth spot could go to a FA, though the names out there aren't going to set the Cuyahoga on fire, or giving Fausto Carmona a shot at the fifth spot, with more young stud starters (Sowers, Miller, etc.) in the pipeline. I'd like to see what Carmona could do, though I'd like to see it as an open competition to force him to earn a spot, as C.C. memorably did a few years back.

Who's noticeably absent from this list? Jason Davis, who I believe will be part of a trade to land either a 1B or RF for next year. I would guess a RF because Ryan Garko (the top 1B prospect) seems a lot closer to being major league ready than the outfield prospects (Gutierrez, Snyder, and Cooper, to a lesser degree). Davis is still young and has a live arm, but as has happened to Tallet, Traber, and Cruceta (claimed off of waivers by Seattle), more talented arms have emerged and staked their claims into figuring into the future of the organization, perhaps more than Jason Dangerously.

With all of the thoughts and options on my mind about next year, I'll touch on building through Free Agency (a la the Yankees and the Cardinals) vs. building from within (a la the A's and the Braves) in the next post.

In the meantime, if you're anywhere near the Jake in the next three days, head to the game. I'll be there on Wednesday, which coincidentally is my anniversary. The Bride's comment after sweeping the Orioles, "If they're hot when they get back to town, we'll skip dinner and hit the game". That date will also be the year anniversary of the 22-0 drubbing of the Yankees in the Bronx.

Keeping Pace

Big win tonight as the Tribe keeps pace to stay tied at the top of the Wild Card Standings. Tonight's game was indicative of how crazy baseball can be, losing 13-3 one night and winning 12-4 the next. The ability to put a bad loss behind them is a sign that this team is maturing, in stark comparison to the 9 game slide of 2004 after the tough Minnesota loss.

Cliff Lee looked great again tonight to run his record to 14-4 and has actually been mentioned in some articles as a Cy Young candidate, in only his second full year! Is he ace material? I'm not sure, but you can't argue with his record over the past 2 years (28-12). The only certainty about Clifton is that he should be getting his best pen ready to sign the contract that will be offered by the Tribe this offseason. Westbrook's deal, signed this past offseason, is probably a good barometer of what the Tribe will offer Lee (maybe 3-4 years for $12-$16 million).

Nice to see Wedgie give a couple of days off to Peralta and Grady the past few nights as young players do tend to wear down over the course of the 162 game grind. It is amazing how much better the lineup looks with both 23 year olds on the card.

The goal posted here (on August 7) was to end August with a 75-59 record to remain relevant in the Wild Card. After tonight, they're 71-57 with games against Toronto and Detroit, hoping to close the month out strong. If they can take both series, they'll hit that goal with the opportunity to take advantage of a Toronto team that took a couple on the chin in Gotham and a Tiger team minus Rondell White.

Tomorrow night's Browns exhibition and Tribe game happening at the same time is the reason that TiVo was invented.

Tied at the Top

Heading into Tuesday's game with the Rays, the Tribe has tied the A's and the Yanks atop the Wild Card standings (though they are behind in percentage points, due to playing 2 more games). And, watching Monday's game, nobody can argue that this team is peaking at the right time.
Think about these stats from Monday's game:

1. Grady and Coco each had 3 hits
2. Jhonny went 2 for 4 with his third hit being robbed by Gaithright in DEEP centerfield
3. Hafner went hitless (though his sac fly was about as good of an at-bat as there's been this year) and the team still scored 11 runs
4. The always streaky Broussard hit his second HR in 9 at-bats

The top 5 of the lineup seem to be likely to always produce a few runs, so anything that 6 through 9 can get is gravy. That's why that last point is so important. If Broussard is getting hot and the other Filler B's (Belliard, Boone, & Blake) can produce in the last month, the Indians are looking at a great combination of pitching and hitting for the month of September.

If, in fact, the offense turns the faucet on to a full pour after Monday's game, it may be traced to Grady beating out an infield hit in the 7th. For those who have not seen it, Grady pounded the ball off of the carpet towards second and looked like a sprinter coming out of blocks as he began his trip down the line. About halfway down, the look on his face changed to such determination that, watching later in slow motion, you knew he was going to beat the ball down the line. As he tore down the line, he looked like a halfback putting it into another gear when he hits the secondary. Finally, as Grady barely beat the play out, he reacted as you would expect only Grady to react. He simply clapped his hands once, while his face showed only his constant look of confidence and determination. He didn't go nuts or try to get rah-rah to pump up his teammates. He acted like it was an everyday occurence and sparked the 7 run seventh.

There was a question earlier this year about who the leader of this team is. I don't know if a 23 year old, with less than two years in the majors, can be the leader of a playoff team, but the whole team followed Sizemore's lead and put their collective foot on the throats of the Devil Rays. At the time that he beat out that grounder, the game was still 4-4 and Casey Blake had what could have been a disastrous K in the 6th.

That is what a leader does - he doesn't get up on the top step to lead a hollow cheer - he simply becomes the best player on a team by busting his hump every day, and carries himself in a way that makes other players want to do the same. Isn't that what Jeter does?

A big thanks to Tim for putting his ESPN Insider subscription to use for the common good as he put all of the Tribe articles on ESPN.com in yesterday's comments. Also listed on ESPN's MLB home page was a point that Jhonny has become the OPS leader among SS. But what's even more amazing is the fact that Jhonny has only 2 less HR and 16 less RBI than Tejada in 123 less at bats(!) and 2 more HR and 6 less RBI than Michael Young in 145 fewer at bats!

Omar who? Which leads me to a great comment I heard on the radio today, as WTAM was singing the praises of Jhonny and making fun of the people who are STILL upset that Omar is no longer an Indian. A Vizquel fan made the comment that Omar did more for the city than any other player since Rocky Colavito. The quick retort was that what she meant to say was that Omar had done more women in the city than any other Indian in recent memory. Well played.
Please note in the above link that Omar is 11th in OPS.

As the Tribe tries to pull themselves out of an early Westbrook sink hole (it's 4-2 in the 5th), the feeling that this offense can pull it out is starting to become a regular feeling. Not quite 1995 "we're never out of it" feeling, but it's a start.

Hitting Their Stride

With the Tribe 1/2 game out of the Wild Card and an opportunity to pull into a tie with the A's if they can pull out the series opener in Tampa Bay, this team really seems to be running on all cylinders.

The solid starting pitching and bullpen work has been complemented by a lineup that looks to be cemented. Those factors should be enough to keep the Tribe in the Wild Card race deep into the season. Watching the national highlights while in Milwaukee, though, made me realize that the out of town posters are certainly correct in their complaining about lack of national coverage of the Indians, or even their inclusion in playoff discussions. It's almost as if the Indians aren't even involved, which is very frustrating.

In the most recent Sports Illustrated, Tom Verducci names his All Under 25 Team (players younger than 25). The only Indian on the team is Grady Sizemore, who is compared to a young Jim Edmonds, with Jhonny Peralta getting a mention at SS (Bobby Crosby was Verducci's pick). C.C. also gets a mention as the youngest active pitcher to reach 50 wins, but doesn't make the team.

Shapiro was also quoted in the article as to how the quality of young talent is much more evident in pitching than position players. He added, "At the trading deadline it seemed everybody was looking for a hitter, and there was a reason they couldn't find one: They're not there. It's a cyclical thing - and now it's a down cycle for position players."
If that's true, the fact that the Indians are very talented and young at C, SS, CF, and DH bodes well for the future of this team and franchise.

Let's hope that the Tribe can take a couple from the red-hot Devil Rays (is that an oxymoron?) to keep their momentum going into the stretch run.

Minor Matters

Rather than dwelling on the aberration that was last night's loss to the Rays, (the team flight did get in at 3:30 AM and anyone who has ever flown knows that means that they actually probably got home closer to 5:00 AM), I thought that we could take a look at what's happening on the farm and how the September call-ups may be affected by recent movement on the farm.
Pitching
The pitching staff at Buffalo has been loaded with some of the best young arms in the organization. And, I do mean young. Their starting rotation, with ages listed, is as follows:
Jason Davis - 25
Fausto Carmona - 21
Dan Denham -22
Brian Tallet - 27
Jeremy Guthrie - 26
The old men in this rotation, Tallett and Guthrie, probably figure into the bullpen in the future or will be packaged in the off-season to acquire more depth at positions of need. Billy Traber, who is the long reliever in Buffalo (you read that correctly), would fit into that category as well. It will be interesting to see if the Tribe tries to turn Tallet or Traber into a left-handed specialist in the event that Scott Sauerbeck moves on for 2006.

For September, I would expect Davis, Carmona, Tallet, Guthrie and more bullpen arms (Francisco Cruceta, Andrew Brown, Jose Diaz) to be brought up to give some depth and also to audition for (presumably) 2 spots that will open in the bullpen for next year. All of these players are currently on the 40 man roster. Those arms would probably be replaced by the studs in Akron (Jeremy Sowers, Jake Dittler, Mariano Gomez, Bear Bay, Edward Mujica) for Buffalo to make a run at the International League title.

Looking at the pitching in this organization (and even realizing that injuries are inevitable and not everyone will pan out), the depth and quality of arms is alarming. Every minor league affiliate's pitching staff is talented, with a nice mix of arms.

Offense
The recent call-up of Franklin Gutierrez to replace the DL-bound Ryan Ludwick gives the Bisons an outfield of Gutierrez, Jason Dubois, and Jason Cooper. The only missing major prospect in that mix is Brad Snyder, who remains in Akron.
The Bisons lineup looks like a who's who of upper-tier hitting prospects, with the exception of 2B Joe Inglett (who is a nice little player) and DH Andy Abad. Every other player - 1B Garko, SS B-Phil, 3B Gatreau, and C Cardona (to a degree), and the outfielders listed above - represents a viable option for a September call-up and for a push in Spring Training in 2006.

For September call-ups, don't be surprised if Garko, Phillips, Gatreau, and Dubois are the only prospects getting called up. There remains a possibility of calling another catcher up to rest Victor, but do we really want to rest Victor for Dusty Wathan in the middle of a pennant race?
A catcher will probably get called up, if only for insurance purposes, as well as a few veterans - probably Ernie Young, Andy Abad, and Jose Morban (if only to give the Tribe 40 warm bodies). Those players, again, would probably be replaced by deserving Akron prospects (Ryan Mulhern, Eider Torres, Pat Osborn, and Brad Snyder), to keep Buffalo in the mix for another IL title.

In addition, the way that Buffalo and Akron are lining up for next year look like the Indians should be able to add impact rookies into holes for the next few years. This would avoid the mess of Free Agency as well as allowing the Tribe to lock up their own young in-house talent (Sizemore, Peralta, Lee, etc.) not already signed to long term deals, by not overspending on an aging FA who may or may not pan out. Compare today's situation to the dearth of minor league talent at the end of the 90's, and the scouting department and Front Office (as well as the Dolans for pouring money into the farm system) have to be commended.

Let's hope thatlast night's hiccup against the Rays is rectified tonight and tomorrow.

Unfortunately, I won't be watching tonight, as I'll be witnessing the (miraculous) nuptials of loyal poster Cy Slapnicka in Akron. Interestingly, Cy's namesake was mentioned in a recent Sports Illustrated article as the REAL Cy Slapnicka was the Indians scout who signed the greatest Indian of the all, Rapid Robert Feller.

Congrats Cy and good luck finding Tribe broadcasts in the Mexican Riviera (I couldn't find a Browns' game for the life of me there in 2002). Then again, if you're looking for Tribe broadcasts every night on your honeymoon, we need to have a talk.

The St. Margaret Mary Royals

Some scenes from the last 24 hours:

1. After Berroa's HR off of Tallet in the 8th, I say to myself, "Well, there's no way they're going to get 6 in the 9th without some divine intervention." And headed to bed.
2. The Hand of God came down and apparently holds the Royals' gloves hostage (seriously did you see the Berroa and Ambres drops? They looked like a rec league softball team I knew sponsored by Merry Arts) for the 9th inning, allowing the Tribe to score 11 runs in the 9th, winning the game! 40 winks were commencing for yours truly.
3. Driving into work, WTAM reports, "And after the news, we'll tell you how the Indians won that game last night." I let out an audible, "What?!?" and nearly blow through a red light.

Unbelievable comeback (truly facilitated by the Royals' ineptitude and the fact that I wasn't waching) last night. Mark your calendar for August 9th as a possible turning point of the season - the moment that the pendulum swings all of the momentum into your favor. As I wrote that sentence, SuperSizemore just hit a Grand Slam. Did someone say momentum? Nothing like having Old Mo' on your side.

The CIR pointed out that Wedge's comment after the game was that he wanted Liefer to bat in place of Broussard in the 9th is interesting in that Broussard has actually been swinging a hot bat. Do you think that Benny is in the plans for 2006? Me neither.

Speaking of 2006 and beyond, here are some snippets from Paul Hoynes' Tuesday article about the Tribe's "Young Guns" - SuperSizemore, Jhon, The Stick, and Pronk:

The best thing about those four players is they could still be together at the end of 2007. Hafner signed a three-year deal in April. It includes a club option for 2008. Martinez is signed through 2009 with a club option for 2010. The Indians control Peralta and Sizemore through 2010.

Not a bad way to spend the next 3 (at least) summers, watching these players mature and improve with each other while the young arms in the majors and the minors provide a steady stream of solid innings. I call that a blueprint for success.

FSN's video montage of showing the Bad News Bears clips (the Mattheau version, of course) interspersed with the lowlights of the Royals' 9th inning was pretty great. How bad did the Royals look that inning? I don't think I've ever seen anything like that happen before, outside of a 5th grade CYO game.

Yankees lost today, so a victory puts the Tribe all by themselves in second place for the Wild Card. It's time to pile on the reeling Royals, and Wedgie seems to have this team primed and ready to do just that.

Eyes on the Prize

After last night's BRUTAL loss in the 9th (which proved that the victory on Tuesday with me in attendance was an aberration as I saw Giambi's homer come into my kitchen in the 9th), I could rant and rave about Millwood, Wickman, and Wedge. But I can't force myself to revisit the pain.

Not surprisingly, Terry Pluto's article sums up many of the emotions felt last night and this morning. Pluto always clearly articulates the emotions of Cleveland fans.

And we did take 2 of 3 from the Yankees in August, so let's not get greedy. It would've been great (I was chanting SWEEP, SWEEP up until the A-Rod moon shot), but I think that this team realizes now that they can play with any team at any time - a huge step for a young team. One can only hope that the swagger that they took into Boston and Baltimore in June is back for a very winnable stretch of the schedule.

The next three weeks schedule should be a cause for optimism as the Tribe has a chance to really make some ground up (assuming that the A's don't remain on this tear).

Breaking it down, the Indians have games against the following teams to end August (rankings in parentheses refer to ESPN's current power rankings, out of 30 teams):
Tampa Bay - 7 games (25/30)
Detroit - 6 games (23/30)
Kansas City - 3 games (30/30)
Baltimore - 3 games (18/30)
Texas - 3 games (16/30)
Toronto - 3 games (10/30)
For comparison's sake, the Tribe is ranked 9 out of the 30 ML teams.

What all of that means is that all but 3 of their next 25 games are against teams in the lower half of the league. This is the time of the schedule to put together a major run and put some pressure on the other teams fighting for the Wild Card. Maybe then, the fickle PD writers will decide if this team is good or bad, as opposed to taking a different view every day.

Other tomahawks:

• Millwood and Riske's suspensions (though deserved) are made difficult by the fact that Hasegawa, the pitcher who started the beanings, only received a fine and no suspension. The reasoning by MLB is that K-Mill and Riske hit players after warnings had been issued. To me, that's just semantics, not a legitimate reason.
• The way that this lineup is set up now (with the streaky Broussard apparently getting hot) looks good for the stretch run. Did you ever think you would hear that? Seriously though, Peralta and Martinez stepped up in Pronk's absence and should only improve with the return of the big North Dakotan. The top 5 players in the lineup (Sizemore, Crisp, Peralta, Hafner, Martinez) should be written in ink for the next 4 years. With Boone and probably Belliard (assuming they pick up his option) coming back for next year, you have 7 of the 9 positions set for next year. The only holes are at 1B and RF. With that in mind, I'll get the available 2006 Free Agent List up this weekend.
• Great crowd at the Jake last night (40,000+), but it would've been even better if the Yankees fans didn't have the last laugh. I've come to a conclusion: There is no reasoning with a Yankees fan, because they lack the ability to be reasonable.
• Two great jerseys spotted last night - Rocker 49 & Torre 6. Who wears these out of the house? Wouldn't the whole "John Rocker released by the Long Island Ducks" thing prevent that jersey from making it out of the drawer? And who wears a manager's jersey? I mean, I've got a Charlie Manuel jersey, but that was because I lost a bet.

With the upcoming schedule, I feel like the Indians' next few weeks should be accompanied by the song "Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good" that plays over the "Falling in Love" montage in Naked Gun (with the classic beach clothesline). Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but with our pitching and young hitters coming around - Confidence is High.

Bring on the Bombers

Assuming Pronk has a good rehab start in Akron tonight, he should be in Tuesday's lineup against Al Leiter and the Yankees. B-Phil was sent down to Buffalo to make room for the big North Dakotan today.

With Hafner's return, it will be interesting to see what Wedge does with the lineup. This is the way that I see the lineup shaking out:
CF - SuperSizemore
LF - Coco
DH - Pronko
C - The Stick
SS - Peralta
1B - Broussard
2B - Belliard
3B - Boone
RF - Dubois

I'm still at a loss for what to do with Broussard, but (unbelievably) he's suddenly the left handed bat to break up the right handers at the bottom of the lineup.

With the Yankees still hurting in the rotation, it's time for the Tribe to make a statement that they're in this Wild Card race for the long term. Taking the series from the Yanks would (finally) force the boys from Baseball Tonight to pay attention to the Tribe and their relevance in the Wild Card.

Hopefully, it will also drown out the inevitable thousands of Yankees fans who make their homes in Cleveland who will cheer on "their" team. You know, the one that they followed through the lean 80's and early 90s.
If you go to a game, challenge a "big Bombers fan" to name their shortstop before Jeter.
It was Tony Fernandez, whose double play partner in 1995 was the memorable Pat Kelly.

There is nothing in this world more infuriating than the fan who loves the Yankees/Bulls/Cowboys/Duke/Miami or any combination of random geographic teams only because they've "always been huge fans of those teams".

Raffy Palmiero's suspension is only surprising in that he got caught.

Here's a philosophical debate: Palmiero (allegedly) began taking steroids in 1992, when he met Jose Canseco in Texas. Through 1992, he had made $5,989,500 in his career with a career high in HRs of 26. Since then, he has made $80,306,496 for a career total of $86,295,996.

If you could make that much money by breaking the rules, never have to give back the money, and only live with the humiliation IF you got caught, would you take steroids?

Get down to the Jake for the Yankees series so I am not alone.

Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick...Nothing

The July 31st trading deadline has come and gone with the Indians (and most teams, for that matter) standing pat. One of the bigger trades involved two familiar names as Matt Lawton was traded for Jody Gerut (making a short stay in Chicago for Gerut); but the Tribe, A's, Twins, Yankees, Rangers, and Orioles made no moves today. The Blue Jays were the only Wild Card team to make a significant move, trading John McDonald to the Tigers for a PTBNL on July 22nd (oh wait, they traded him away). The Tigers, interestingly, traded Kyle Farnsworth for a highly touted Braves prospect (despite the fact the Tigers are 3 games behind the Tribe).

While there is disappointment for not adding the needed right handed RF or 1B, it sounds like the "Sellers" are asking for the sun, moon, and stars to make significant moves. The report this morning from the New York Times that Soriano was going to the Twins for Lohse, Bret Boone, and two minor leaguers was probably the most ridiculous one that was circulated. That would be like the Tribe trading Elarton, Aaron Boone, and two minor leaguers for Soriano. Nice work, did Jayson Blair come back to write that article?

While looking at the Wild Card standings and seeing those teams stand pat made me realize that the teams in the hunt for the Wild Card are all "flawed" teams, just like the offensively-challenged Wahoos. So, here are the contenders (assuming that the Red Sox, White Sox, and Angels win their respective divisions) in their current pecking order with a bit of analysis:

• A's - The A's are probably the most dangerous team in the hunt due to their momentum, their tremendous starting pitching, and the fact that GM Billy Beane filled their two needs with the additions of Jay Payton and Jay Witasick after the All Star break. Oakland's offense, though, is still not the strongest. Though the pitching staff can overcome a lot of their offensive flaws, the A's have 33 less HRs, and only 20 more runs, than the Tribe. The A's look like the front-runner, riding Harden and Zito for the rest of the season.
• Yankees - Despite a ridiculously strong lineup, the Bombers were forced to acquire Hideo Nomo, Shawn Chacon, Al Leiter, and Alan Embree (with 3 of the 4 being released by their former teams) to shore up a pitching staff that looks like a Veterans' Hospital. With Kevin Brown, Carl Pavano, Jaret Wright, and Chien-Ming Wang (not to be confused with the immortal Long-Duck Dong) on the DL, the Yankees are going to have to outslug their way into the playoffs. Unable to add another arm, the Yanks are going to have to go with what they've got on the mound and hope that they can win a lot of 12-9 games (when the Big Unit and Mussina aren't pitching).
• Twins - The injury to Torii Hinter and the struggles of Justin Morneau have made the Tribe offense look like the 1927 Yankees compared to the current Twinkies O. Bret Boone has knocked all of 9 hits (all singles) and 13 Ks since joining the Twins. On a sidenote - this is the same guy that hit 37 HRs in 2001 and 35 HRs in 2003, before the advent of any kind of drug testing; not that I'm saying anything. Santana, Radke, Mays, and the bullpen will be pressured to throw some gems with the way that the Twins offense is producing. For comparison, the Twins have 16 fewer runs, 29 fewer HRs, and 18 fewer hits that the "anemic" Tribe offense. And now Spiderman is gone for 4-6 weeks, which means mid-September is the target return date. Can Kirby Puckett still suit up?
• Rangers - Failing to move Soriano for any pitching help means that the Rangers are going to have to MASH to try to stay in this. Factor in that Kenny Rogers will be suspended for 20 games and Chan Ho Park is in sunny San Diego, and Chris Young will be their "ace" through August, not to mention their only available pitcher with more than 8 starts this season (the immortal Ricardo Rodriguez has 8). Is that enough to discount the Rangers, despite a phenomenal offense (does that sound familiar to any Tribe fans?). If the consensus is that pitching wins championships, why hasn't John Hart caught on?
• Blue Jays - Despite a strong push by this forgotten team, Ted Lilly just hit the 15 day DL, leaving Gustavo Chacin, Dave Bush, and Josh Towers behind the dominant Roy Halladay. Toronto is capable of a run, but seeing as most of their remaining games will come against the Red Sox, Yankees, Angels and Orioles (with a series at the Jake in late August to boot), the Blue Jays have a tough path to follow to October.
• Orioles - The Orioles' young pitchers have struggled and injuries have mounted for the fading O's. Unless Tejada can pitch from the SS position and Sammy gets back on the juice (allegedly), the O's are on their way down. The O's dropped under .500 yesterday and look like more of a spoiler down the stretch (against the Sox, Yanks, and Jays) than an actual player in the Wild Card race.

Feel any better about the Tribe's chances? With Millwood, Lee, and Westbrook leading to a solid bullpen, the Tribe needs a few offensive players to find their groove to really stay in this.

Combine The Stick's revival, SuperSizemore's hot streak, and Jhon's nice transition to batting higher in the order to the return of Hafner (who is 2nd in the AL in OPS, behind the other-worldly A-Rod) and I like our chances. With all of the negativity surrounding the team, though, I feel like the only optimist in town. I feel like Lloyd Christmas telling Mary Swanson (after being told his chances are "more like one-in-a-million"), "so, you're telling me there's a chance".

Seriously, watching the Baseball Tonight Deadline Special, the focus on the Indians was whether they would be "Sellers", with Steve Phillips saying that Millwood and Wickman were their two biggest chips. Meanwhile, according to Harold Reynolds, Minnesota just needs to add that one big right-handed bat. What!?!

Wait, aren't the Indians one game back of the scuffling Twins? And isn't the Indians' schedule littered with games against Tampa Bay and Kansas City? Why the lack of respect or national attention? It's baffling.

On another note, with the Tribe not making a deal for a bat, Terry Pluto has an interesting suggestion to get a RH bat into the lineup. Call up Ryan Garko (the Sharko), when B-Phil goes to Buffalo to test his "Atomic Wedgie Hitting & Life Lessons", to platoon with Broussard. Broussard has been shredded by left-handed pitching, while Garko's hit .292 with 15 HRs and 60 RBI in Buffalo. Sounds good to me - as always, the level-headed Pluto simply calls it like he sees it.

A win today puts the road trip at 6-4. 16 of 28 games in August against the Royals, Devil Rays, and Tigers.

"So, you're telling me there's a chance"

Right in the Thick of It

Despite the woeful home stand, the Tribe remains 2 1/2 back in the Wild Card with series' against Oakland and the Yankees (two main competitors for said Wild Card) in the next week and a half. This has been said many times, but the next few series are going to be huge for this team to set a tone going into August and September. If they go 6-4 or 7-3 through the Yankees series, they'll be in a great place with the next three series against the Motor City Kitties (who are tearing the Twinkies a new one), KC, and the Devil Rays.

If the team lays down and lets the A's and Yankees run over them, not even a four game set in Seattle will offer a silver lining. If this team (and particularly the offense) wants to make a statement to the league about where they plan on being for the rest of the year, this is the time to do it. It will be interesting to see how the youngsters on this team respond. Will it be a replay of last year's meltdown, or will this team gel and realize that they're just as good as the rest of the AL and regain the swagger they had in Boston and Baltimore? Looks like the TIVO will be running overtime as 10:05 starts are way past bedtime.

Enough about Wedge and his "inability" to manage. Last year, the beef was his handling of the bullpen. That had a little bit more to do with the arms available in the pen than it did Wedgie's handling of them (Scott Stewart and Jose Jimenez were slated to set-up and close). Much the same is true of the offense this year. Yes, I hate the constant juggling of the lineup and the insistence of giving Casey Blake and Jose Hernandez AB's, but unfortunately (barring a big move), Wedge has to play with the hand that's been dealt.

That being said, I would hope that he continues to find AB's for Dubois to see if we've got anything, keeps Jhon in the 3 or 5 hole (even when Hafner returns), and forgets to tell Jose Hernandez and Josh Bard when the team bus is leaving.

The only major issue that I have with Wedge is the lack of fundamentals that becomes more apparent almost on a daily basis. The inability to bunt, move a runner over, or hit with runners in scoring position is the difference between pulling away with the Wild Card and fighting tooth and nail to stay in it. Look where the issues are again, though - the offense. Wedge can't go out there and make the plays for them. That being said, there should be a new face in Spring Training next year to explain situational hitting and baserunning (and please don't say Rick Manning).

Let's see what C.C. does tonight against Zito. Historically, the Crooked Cap has pitched to the level of his competition (can anyone say "Lima Time?), and Zito is a former Cy Young winner. He will be playing in the Bay Area, as well, so it will be good gauge of emotional stability.

A warm Wahoo welcome to the new posters on the blog, both former members of the Little Indians' Fan Club.

I caught Wedding Crashers last night and, if you have not seen it, stop reading this and go see it. Watching the middle portion of the movie is akin to the first time you saw Fletch (for those who don't feel as strongly about Fletch, rent it again). You miss half the jokes because everyone is laughing so hard. It immediately joins Old School, There's Something about Mary, and (some would argue) American Pie (the first, not the 97th time, you saw it) as great modern comedies of the past 5 years.

Sadly, I think those are the only recent comedies that I left the theater wanting to buy a ticket right then and there to see it again, or at least anxiously awaiting the DVD (if for the extras alone). It's that funny.

Vince Vaughn has become the first actor in a long time whose movies I would see solely on the basis of his starring in them. He and Owen Wilson are unbelievably funny together, as are the bevy of beauties that populate the film. Every comedy should star Vaughn, a Wilson, and Will Ferrell (whose cameo makes you really want meatloaf).

Let's hope Jhon, the Stick, SuperSizemore, and a healthy Le Pronque can figure out some Oakland pitching, because we need it.

Back on Track?

After the debacle of the last 2 games, the offense exploded for 10 runs today to give Jake a W. With C.C.'s performance and the anemic offense against the Royals, this was a much needed boost for the skidding Tribe.

Casey Coleman had an interesting point in today's pre-game that had to do with last night's lineup (which looked like the Buffalo Bisons', maybe worse). His comment was that with the night game followed by the day game, Wedge had to sit some starters for one of the games. One could argue that Wedge would want to play them in the game that he thought he had a better chance of winning (with Westbrook or Sabathia on the mound). Whether or not that was the case, it was certainly an interesting perspective.

Looking at this team, there are some things in an overview that are becoming obvious:

• The starting pitching will continue to be the strength of this team for years to come. Guys like Millwood and Elarton may come and go, but the groundwork is laid with Lee, Westbrook, and C.C. (warts and all) to consistently put a strong rotation together. Mix in the fact that the rotations in AAA and AA are absolutely stacked with young talent (not to mention High A players like Adam Miller) and the future looks good, assuming of course that championships are built on pitching (which they are).
• The core offensive players on this team right now are Sizemore, Hafner, Peralta, and Martinez (slow starts and all). The complementary players on the team are Coco and Boone (if healthy). The rest of the positions, as far as I'm concerned, are up for grabs at the end of the year. Much more consistency is needed from 1B, 2B, and RF. Broussard, Belliard, and Blake are all decent players in their own right; but, if and when the Indians put a serious push together, I don't anticipate any of them to be around. Broussard and Blake are too streaky (and when they're cooler than cool...they're ICE COLD), and Belliard's annual swoon (coupled with the fact that it looks like he's not trying half the time) lead me to believe that FA's will be added in those spots (unless Dubois or prospects like Garko or Gatreau are given a chance). An All-Star is not needed at every position, but a player who doesn't constantly leave runners on the bases by whiffing or hitting into DP's is needed (and would be a welcome change).
• The bullpen will remain a work in progress, as evidenced by the high expectations and dismal performance of 2004 and, conversely, the early uncertainties and steady production in 2005. The pieces are there for the future in Riske, Cabrera, Betancourt, and even The Frisbee Thrower, Miller. There will always be relievers available in the offseason, and there are a few nice arms in the minors who translate well into the big league bullpen (Brown, Mujica, and Sipp). After 2004, the Indians' front office will never take this aspect of the team for granted.
• This team still needs to do a lot of maturing and learning how to win by playing smart baseball. A veteran presence (who's not hitting .220) is necessary to help this team establish some consistency, rather than letting streaks dominate their season. This team still gets too high and too low and can't find that middle ground of consistency. That, though, comes with time and experience of being there.

This team still has a legitimate shot at this Wild Card. Despite a lot of teams making a STRONG push right now (A's, Spankees), it is the middle of July. There are 2 1/2 months left in the season, where a lot can happen.

The Saturday Seattle game is on FOX nationally at 3:15. Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one? What's the angle? Grover coming back? Rhodes facing his old mates? My guess is the programmer who scheduled this one is back working at the FOX Tulsa affiliate.

How bad is summer TV? Between the 2nd rate reality shows (The Scholar, I Want to be a Hilton), and reruns of those AWFUL shows on during the normal schedule (Joey, every comedy on ABC), I find myself watching those VH-1 and E! "lists" more and more. If I see 101 Celebrity Oops' one more time, I might throw up. God forbid I go outside, for fear of melting. Seriously, though, when do Lost and Arrested Development start back up? Thank God (and the in-laws) for the Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld DVD's.

But I digress. Tribe faces Moyer tomorrow, who turns into Sandy Koufax in his prime whenever he faces the Indians' lineup. Hopefully, the Tribe can sweep and finish the homestand at 5-6 after a disastrous start.

Goodbye, Joseph Diego

The trade of Jody for Jason Dubois is probably not the kind of splash that Shapiro was hoping to make in his pursuit of a RH upgrade. I doubt that the walk-up ticket lines tonight exploded to see Jason "Let's Hear it For" Dubois (a dime to TB) bat 8th and DH.
But could this move be the first of a few to get this team ready for the home stretch?

Dubois looks like a solid RH minor leaguer who hasn't had much of a chance in Wrigley, blocked in years past by Sosa and Alou, and by his own defensive shortcomings this year. Whether he is this year's Ryan Ludwick/Josh Phelps or can become another Tribe "find" (in the vein of Broussard, or dare I say, Hafner) remains to be seen. We'll have to see how the next few weeks play out before passing judgment on Dubois.

Jody wasn't fitting into the Indians future, with Grady and Coco entrenched in the outfield, and Wedge forcing Blake into the lineup. Add into the equation the strength of the Indians' farm system (offensively) is in the outfield and at 3B, and Jody becomes expendable (and probably marketable as a 4th outfielder). Better to get something for him now before his already long swing gets longer and he is further exposed as a career singles hitter who burst on the scene in 2003 after a new summer "training regimen".

The question now is whether Dubois will be banished to the bench (as Phelps was) in favor of Blake, Boone, and Broussard or if Wedge will give him some AB's. The guess here is that he gets some AB's quick, but at whose expense? The most likely candidates are Blake, Broussard, and Boone; as Dubois is a RF, 1B, and DH (with Pronk pretty entrenched at DH). Blake may be used as more of a 4th outfielder and reserve 3B/1B, with Hernandez becoming trade bait (along with Howry, Broussard, and Blake).

As I said earlier, I think that this is a first small step to re-creating this lineup to compete for the Wild Card. Shapiro sees what he has and realizes the strengths and the deficiencies.

The positions that have been lacking in production all season are 1B, 3B, C, RF, and to some degree LF. Dubois MIGHT be able to fill one of those holes. But with the asking price so high on the established hitters on the market, Dubois presents a nice alternative without disrupting the team too much.

Now, though, I have to convince the bride (whose 2 favorite players are Gerut and Blake) to embrace Dubois for putting on the Tribe uni. It did not go over well that he chose Jody's #9. It was likened to taking the clothes off of a corpse at a funeral.

New links on the right bar to check out at your leisure.

At 2-0 in the 6th, let's get some offense for Millwood tonight. He's earned it.

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.