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.

Draft Day Thoughts

With the Big Event (whom one person has called "his Christmas") happening at noon today, a few random thoughts:

• I woke up this morning to find my paper completely soaked through, thanks to a beautiful 4o degree rainy day in Cleveland. As I pulled out the hair dryer muttering to myself, "of all the days that I actually want to read Grossi" and "there goes your tip Helen Malloy" (our local paper carier, whose name for some reason I know off of the top of my head), I was hoping that the heat would kick in so I could dry the paper from 2 sources. My bride then bounced down the stairs and said, "you want me to go out and buy you a dry paper?" Gentlemen, when you find someone who is able to know you better than you know yourself (without immediately judging or mocking a 27-year old in his pajamas sitting Indian style on the dining room floor holding a hair dryer over the sports page), don't let her go.
• Am I a loser to sit by myself in a Browns jersey in the middle of April, surrounded by draft magazines and depth charts? Don't answer that.
• I'm watching Channel 19's pre-draft coverage with Bob Golic and I'm reminded when I ran into Golic at a bar before a Browns game this year. After marveling at the size of his head and admiring his mullet, my buddy C-Badd asked him what the most challenging part of playing "Mike" on "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" was. End of conversation.

On to some Tribe thoughts, as I did watch the game last night with the Crooked Cap looking very strong. Maybe the light switch has finally been switched on for C.C.

Here's a note from Peter Gammons latest column on the potential free agent pitchers after the 2005 & 2006 seasons:
Soon C.C. Sabathia, who would be a top free agent after the 2006 season, will begin working on an extension because of his belief in what the Indians are building. For some perspective: Sabathia won't be 25 until July. He has 54 career wins. The next highest total for any pitcher under 25? Jake Peavy has 33.

Think about that. C.C. (after last night) has 55 wins. Let's do the math-if C.C. pitches for 10 more years, until he's 35, and averages 15 wins a season; he's got 205 wins. And that's a pretty cautious estimate. Say he pitches until he's 40 (15 more years) and averages 16 wins a year-that's 295! In this day and age when, after Greg Maddux got his 300th win, most pundits said that the era of 300 game winners is essentially over, that's incredible.

C.C.'s return means even more to this team when you look at the impact of his place in the rotation to Westbrook. If C.C. can bring it against the #1's (Santana, Buehrle, etc.) that frees up Jake to take on lesser pitchers, which (hopefully) means more wins for Sinkbrook.

Does Travis Hafner look skinnier all of the sudden? I know that is difficult for a man who's 6'3", 240; but his neck, in particular, suddenly looks thin. Maybe it was just the TV's at the West End.

Question: Who got the best of the Randy Winn-Lou Piniella deal? Answer: Every other team in the AL West.

Carlos Silva and Justin Morneau came off the DL for the Twins yesterday. Did you see how Gassner (who shut down the Tribe in his first start, and was sent down when Silva came back) got shelled in his second start? I don't want to think about that.

I still can't get used to seeing Grover in another uniform. It would be like seeing Thome or Omar in another uniform. Oh, wait...

The Other Jake in Progress

Lest anyone think that I'm shamelessly plugging the new John Stamos sitcom (which I can sum up in one sentence: Unbelievably hot girls can't resist Stamos' smirk and charm - chaos ensues.),

I am not. I'm referring to Jake Westbrook. At the beginning of the game, it looked like the Twins were swinging early, knowing that Jake puts it over the plate-making pretty solid contact. Then he had his high throw into center, and suddenly started mowing 'em down. He stayed pitch for pitch with Santana (no easy task) and really had his sink going in the middle of the game. It seems that Westbrook really responds well to adversity and buckles down when things get tough. Let's hope that C.C. and Jason Dangerously (Davis), who seem to get very agitated and unglued when things go wrong, use Westbrook's ability to deal as an example to follow.

Watching Grady "Super" Sizemore (say it out loud, while thinking of Extra Value Meals), it makes me hope that Gonzo's hammy stays tweaked. The comparison of Sizemore to Erstad (which I heard when he was coming up) doesn't do justice to the potential completeness of Grady's game that he shows flashes of.

I hope that the Jose Hernandez in the 3 spot experiment has one test case. I know he kills left handed pitching (allegedly), but he whiffed 3 times, and looked bad each time doing it.

As I said in past reports, the Central should be tight all year, which I'm really looking forward to.

Honey Peralta (the J is silent as far as I'm concerned) has looked a lot more comfortable at short in the past few games. To quote the the great 80's poet, "All we need is just a little patience...patience."

Time to watch the Tribe in a rare day Saturday game, something there should be a LOT more of.