I Left My Water Weight In Los Angeles

As the DiaBride, myself, my brother, and his fiancé headed out to La La Land, it just so happened that the Tribe made their trip out to Dodger Stadium in an attempt to stop the bloodletting that they experienced in Coors Field and take advantage of the White Sox squaring off against the Cubbies in the Windy One. The trip began innocently enough, ambling around Long Beach, catching the Tribe-Dodgers game on TV (with Himself, Vin Scully, broadcasting as only he can) on Friday night, followed by a trip south to Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach on Saturday.

Despite the fact that all of the national news stations were covering the blistering heat in SoCal, the weather we experienced was marvelous as we stayed close to the Pacific Breeze and soaked in the rays while benefiting from the proximity of our locales to the ocean. With the weather so perfect, we obviously bellied up to a bar in Laguna Beach (which was open air and had sand in the front portion…so we weren’t TOTALLY indoors while the Pacific was 50 yards away on a sunny Saturday afternoon) and reveled in the majesty of C.C.’s power stroke and power pitching.

After spending the afternoon watching the 7-2 win at the bar, we ventured out into the ocean, then returned home where the “festivities” that had commenced at Hennessey’s in Laguna Beach continued well into the night, including a trip to a liquor store in North Long Beach (walking distance from the hotel) where my brother and I were greeted by a (how shall I say this) “lady of the night” at the front door, kept our heads down, and bought some drinks to accompany our card game at the hotel.

When the alarms went off on Sunday, we were worse for the wear, but all excitedly donned our Tribe gear and headed up towards Dodger Stadium as we would no longer be simply watching our Erie Warriors on Fox Sports, we would be representing in Chavez Ravine to see if the Tribe could sweep their way out of town and continue to gain ground on the scuffling White Sox.

Arriving to Elysian Park, we were blown away that this stadium was just sitting in a big ravine in the middle of LA. I mean, I know that everyone refers to it as “Chavez Ravine”, but this was ridiculous as all sides of the stadium were essentially surrounded by hills…something we would later learn is not ideal in the conditions we were about to enter, given the way that hills block wind. We made our way to the stadium, walking about a mile (the park is in the middle of an ocean of parking lots) and went to find our way in.

Now, nobody clued us into a unique feature of Dodger Stadium, which is that you have to enter the level at which you have tickets. Our thought was that we would go into the closest entrance and, having arrived early, we could explore the park and make our way to our seats when game time approached. Such is not an option at Dodger Stadium as we were turned away from our first option, then told the wrong direction to head by the ticket-taker who turned us away. After being turned away a second time, we finally headed to our proper gate going up and down stairs about 5 time because…the ballpark is built into a hill and there’s no easy way to get anywhere.

Nevertheless, we finally found our entrance and moved over to our seats, which happened to be on the 1st base side…under the glare of the sun that may have been the same one that melted Icarus’ wings. To read that the temperature at first pitch was 94 degrees does not do justice as to what we experienced sitting in the still, hot air with the sun baking our skin and turning the ice cubes that we were dropping down our shirts into hot water by the time they made their way to our waistline.

It was hot…damn hot….and the fact that the first four Dodgers who faced Paul Byrd scored did not make the beginning of the day any more enjoyable. We suffered through the first few innings trying to cool ourselves and focus on the game while admiring the sightlines in the stadium (which were magnificent as long as you could wipe the sweat off of your brow quick enough to keep your eyes open), but the sun continued to bear down on us and we made our way over to a shady section of the stadium, which is about 2,000 of the 56,000 seats there.

We found some refuge in the shaded sections, but now we had to deal with the Dodger fans that were…um…not happy to see people in opposing teams’ gear. Before I go further, let me say that I’ve been to a number of ballparks to watch the Indians as the visiting team and usually run into a knucklehead or two who rides you a little bit, but eventually loses interest or is easily put in his place by a witty remark or an innocent, “hey, thanks for the warm welcome”.

Most fans in the cities I've visited are more than cordial and show an interest in the fact that you came to visit and ask various pleasant questions. Not so with Dodger fans, who went after us to “go back to Cleveland” (and worse) or just followed us around the concourse to a chorus of boos. After using my better judgment NOT to come back with a quick rejoinder as I don’t think the Latin Kings were going to get my reference to Dante’s Seven Layers of Hell, we finally settled into the only place that had a semblance of a breeze and put up with the guy standing behind us who booed (quietly and loudly…but constantly) until we parted.

The Tribe had lost 4-3, but all we could think about was getting to the LAX Hilton pool in an attempt to return our core body temperatures to what we thought would be “safer” levels. After a little more harassment in the parking lot, we finally made our way out of what felt like Death Valley and headed to our hotel with the pool, some AC, and a tall, cool drink on our minds.

All told, it was very cool to see Dodger Stadium, to admire the architecture of the ball park itself, and to see the Indians play there (with the obvious head nod to other Tribe fans in attendance from time to time) against the Boys in Blue. The heat, however, was the overriding factor in the day being more of something that you had to ENDURE rather than something to ENJOY. The fact that the Indians weren’t able to complete the sweep was ancillary at a certain point as heat exhaustion was more of a concern than whether Peralta should have tried to score on Ethier in the 5th.

For now, I’ll continue to rehydrate myself in anticipation of the Indians hopefully beating up on Little O and the Giants, then the Reds while the White Sox head out to Chavez Ravine before facing the Cubbies again. It could turn out to be a VERY interesting week that tells us a good deal about where 2008 is headed as the Indians face off against the White Sox one week from today.

Big thanks go out to T-Bone for captaining the ship in my absence yesterday (or this morning) as I attempted to cool off and…it’s nice to be home.

It's Already Monday Lazy Sunday

So I’m sitting at Flannery’s with a few buddies after “work” Sunday night, playing the touch screen sports trivia game (yes, after playing several rounds of photo hunt), when the second-ever call to the bullpen came. PC, out in sunny SoCal, was unavailable to turn in the Lazy Sunday. Thus, here is your very much abbreviated version of the LS, courtesy of little ol' T-Bone. Please be gentle, this LS comes after stops at Zocalo, Flannery’s, then concluded with a couple/few Great Lakes Moondogs (my new favorite beverage) at Winking Lizard.

But to first touch on the comments since Paul’s last post…

• a) I’ve been on the FireFox bandwagon for the past 3 years. If you’re still using Internet Explorer, you’re silly.
• b) Vin Scully is the bomb diggity. Due to STO’s technical difficulties Friday night, I also was able to take in most of the game with Vin telling the story. Within the first 30 seconds of switching over to the Fox Sports Cali broadcast, as Vin went into a story dating back to Ebbets Field, I knew I was in love. And CSUSI, I too learned more about the Tribe players in that couple hours than I have in the past 5 years. I agree that he must have a lot of interns looking up info for him, but he ran with it and there was never a dull moment with him calling the game. Sure, there were a few miscues here or there the deeper we got into the game (ala Herb Score’s last few years), but for the most part, it was amazing to listen to, and it furthered my… loathing of Mr. Underwood’s work. Sorry, Matt.

Alas, let’s get to the LS. And trust me, it’s going to get pretty lazy, pretty quick…

I don’t get the PD, but upon strolling into the Winking Lizard restroom, above the urinal I saw that the Plain Dealer turned their Sunday sports page into an Omar Vizquel tribute, as Omar makes his return to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario this Tuesday. Bills Livingston (cover story) and Lubinger talk about the greatest shortstop I’ve ever seen, and Cleveland.com links to their 2004 Omar tribute page. Here’s what Omar has done in San Fran. In a related note, here’s T.Pluto piling on Jhonny.

Also in the PD, here’s an article about the newest member of the Tribe, Sal Fasano. Unfortunately, Sal arrived sans awesome mustache. Hopefully he gets that going soon.

I don’t feel like linking to Sheldon.

I only link to the Morning Journal because a MJ truck passed me on I-90 west (well over the speed limit, mind you) on my way home out of downtown.

Ken Rosenthal talked in the FOX pre-game on Saturday about the Tribe trading CC, and wrote about it here.

I close giving mad props to the Bernie Kosar-lead Cleveland Gladiators, who clinched an Arena Football League playoff spot in their inaugural season at the Q. In 2007, in Las Vegas, the Gladiators went 2-14, averaging 5,383 fans. Upon moving to the Great Erie Coast in 2008, the Gladiators have compiled a 9-7 record, averaging 14,031 a game, and are hosting a home playoff game against the Gruden-lead Orlando Predators. Obviously, everything BK touches turns to gold. I attended the playoff-clinching victory Saturday night, and although I couldn’t get my BK bobblehead due to the fact that the bobblehead shipment was stuck in Colorado because of the Midwest floods, it was a great night nonetheless. Gladiators HQ, I will be there on July 1^st with my voucher to pick up my BK bobblehead… receding hairline and all.

OK, time for bed for this guy. Sorry for the half-arsed version of LS, our fearless leader will be back at it soon.

Oh, and if you didn’t catch C.C. hitting it out of Dodger Stadium on Saturday, check it. Does anyone else wonder if it wouldn’t be worth trying him over Dellucci at DH???

EDIT: Here's a link to Castro's story on the bomb, and also a nicer, bigger, cleaner MLB.com clip.

Fear and Worrying in Los Angeles

On the cross-country flight to the Left Coast (a few rows on the plane behind Rafael Betancourt’s wife, unless you can think of another smoking hot Latino woman with a diamond necklace that says “63” with a reason to be flying from Cleveland to LAX on Thursday), awful thoughts filled my head about where this 2008 season is headed for our beloved Erie Warriors. The Indians, presented with a portion of the schedule to take advantage of to make up some ground in the AL Central, have continued to scuffle and watched EVERY other team in the AL Central blow up their Interleague opponents while getting swept by the Rockies.

Losing ground when they should be gaining ground, or at least keeping pace. Ugh.

Now sitting 8 ½ back, with 3 teams ahead of them in the Central, perhaps it’s time to start asking some very hard questions about this team…and none of them even getting into a certain 300+ pound lefty. Sitting now in my sister’s house in Long Beach (for the record, we’re out here because she just had a baby, not because the Tribe is playing in Chavez Ravine the next few days…which doesn’t hurt), let’s throw some of those questions out there that need to be answered in the next week, month, and few months.

Not many answers, but the questions are plentiful:
If 2008 is an afterthought (which is looking more likely by the day) is it time to flip Paul Byrd in a Chuck Finleyesque nature to see if the Indians can fill some organizational holes that have become apparent? Do the injuries of Westbrook, Fausto, and Miller make you think twice about keeping Byrd around for another year to help fill out the rotation? If the team does decide to move him or if he is reticent to talk about re-upping for next year, it's time to put the feelers out there, even if he’s not going to bring much in return, in terms of anyone close to being MLB-ready or being a shiny prospect.

Continuing on the same vein regarding veterans not under contract for next year, isn’t this situation almost exactly like what happened in 2006, when the Indians were able to flip Benuardo to Seattle for Asdrubal and Choo and jettisoned Wickman and Belliard?
Is it time to look to move anything not nailed down?

If so, what other veterans, besides Byrd, could be fodder for a trade?
Blake to a team looking to strengthen their bench?
Dellucci to a team looking for a LH bat, given that Choo is filling the “Dellucci” role on the team?
Borowski to a team desperate…please note, I said DESPERATE…for bullpen help?

If we’re talking about players that may be fungible, what other players on the Indians may have more value to another team and could be moved to augment the suddenly shifting “core”? That is to say, are there young players that are not seen as “core” players that are young enough (and under club control at known salaries) that they could net some talent in return from a team that may have a greater need at a certain position than the Indians?

If Victor figures to come back at a certain point, are BOTH Garko and Shoppach needed on the roster? Victor will, at some point, settle into 1B or C, meaning that one of those players figures to remain a backup (unless Pronk, as we once knew him, is gone forever and Garko becomes the DH) and wouldn’t it be a good idea to deal from a relative strength to fill some other holes on the team rather than stockpiling similar players?

Given Frank the Tank’s superb play in the OF (and his relative struggles at the plate), is he attractive to other teams as a defensive wizard in CF (and that role is filled in Cleveland for the foreseeable future), where he can play everyday? Is he essentially blocked by Grady, making him more valuable to teams not playing in Cleveland? Couldn’t an NL team, able to sit Gutz at the bottom of the lineup and happy to benefit from his defensive prowess, be a better spot for Gutierrez?

With the organization down on Jhonny Peralta (and there’s no question that they are), is it time to look into moving him to a team that needs offense more than defense at SS? Asdrubal looks to be the long-term answer at SS (anyone notice he’s playing SS in Buffalo), so where does that leave Jhonny? Trying to figure out how to play 3B (with no guarantee that his defense would improve by moving to his right on the infield? Not with the way that Wedge and Shapiro have PUBLICLY said that Peralta is not where they want him to be as a player.

Are the signings of Morgan Ensberg and Sal Fasano simply for “organizational depth” or are they harbingers of things to come where a player like Blake or Shoppach could be moved?

Is Andy Marte alive? No…seriously. Isn’t it time to just cut bait with a player so obviously not in this team’s plans? The Indians have had chance after chance to work Marte into the lineup because of ineffectiveness or injury and haven’t done so, portending that Marte simply will not see the field any time soon in Cleveland…regardless of how obvious opportunities for him may seem to some.

Again, no answers today…just food for thought. Answers are for another day.
For today, it’s time to go walk to the Pacific Ocean with my new niece and take in some ocean air. They’ll be plenty of time to consider the answers as I get to watch all of these Dodgers’ games ending before midnight local time (although I got up at 5:00 AM “local time” this morning) and head to Dodger Stadium for Sunday’s game.
If you’ve been to Chavez Ravine, any input is appreciated as I try to figure out a way to get Matt Kemp into my carry-on.

It Takes Two to Tango

With CM Wang out until September and the rumors flying fast and furious regarding the effect that a broken foot by a Yankee could have on the next month for our beloved Indians (and one in particular), I thought it was finally time to address this whole C.C. thing before it spirals away too quickly.

Now, by no means do I think that trading C.C. today, tomorrow, or next week is a good idea as I think I’ve been pretty clear that the AL Central remains a very winnable division, that the Indians’ offense is showing signs of life just as they approach a very winnable stretch of games, and that the Indians with C.C. are certainly more likely to get back into the AL Central race (not that 6.5 games behind means they’re out of it) than they are without him.

If, however, the Indians fall out of this thing in the range of eight to ten games out by the middle of July or so (and news that Hafner is going to see famous orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Birmingham and that Carmona’s feeling hip pain is not good news), there’s no question that C.C. is the biggest chip to play…but only if the right package is coming back, and that’s what I think bears addressing.

As soon as the Indians had fallen off the pace earlier in the season, the doom-and-gloomers came to the immediate assumption that C.C. would head to New York as the Yankees are “the only team that can afford to keep him in Free Agency”, so why not get something for the Hefty Lefty before he makes the assumed trip to the Bronx? Now with Wang out until September and the Yankees’ already thin pitching rotation looking anorexic, there are certainly some fascinating perspectives emerging on the “C.C. to the Bronx to replace Wang” firestorm that seems to be descending over the East Coast. While so many of the national media have almost reached the “foregone conclusion” stage that Sabathia is gonzo to don some pinstripes, take a look at these thoughts from the other side of the ledger from Joel Sherman of the NY Post and Tyler Kepner of the NY Times.

Sherman points out that these are not the Yankees that you think you know, no longer the team simply using the rest of MLB as their farm system, dipping into the trade market as soon as a need arises, mainly because GM Brian Cashman has realized the value of young talent and its importance in building a perennial winner:
“The only major in-season deal the Yanks have made since 2005 was for Bobby Abreu. And Cashman waited two months, until the price dropped from Phil Hughes to a bunch of non-entities and the Phillies agreed to throw in Cory Lidle, too. Last year, despite a yearning need for a set-up man to Mariano Rivera, the Yanks refused the Rangers' requests for Melky Cabrera and Ian Kennedy although it meant Eric Gagne would go to Boston.

In the old days, Steinbrenner simply would have overruled his GM and Gagne would have been a Yankee.

The Gagne non-deal is instructive to how the Yanks are likely to act now. Like Gagne last year, Sabathia is in his walk year. The asking price for a top, one-inning reliever - even in his walk year - was Cabrera and Kennedy. So anybody dreaming up trades should recognize how much greater the demand is going to be for the defending Cy Young winner.”
Let me point out also that the Gagne deal was done when Ian Kennedy still had quite a bit of shine on his apple and before the struggles of his 2008 season.

Kepner echoes many of the same views as Sherman, analyzing the situation from all angles:
“Cashman will surely consider the downside of a Sabathia deal: he trades valued young players, Sabathia proves to be a bad fit in New York, and the Yankees let him walk after the season. The upside there is that the Yankees would get two high draft picks in return, replacing some of the talent they would lose in the trade.

Another potential downside is this: the Yankees sign Sabathia to a rich contract extension (six or seven years, $19 million or so per year) and he breaks down physically like Mike Hampton or Kevin Brown, or turns into a 2-10 pitcher like Barry Zito. Cashman understands the horrible track record of pitchers who sign $100 million deals. But the upside is alluring. If the Yankees trade for Sabathia, who is a very large man but has no injury history, they instantly replace one ace with another for 2008 and continue the business of contending for a playoff spot.

They would get a three-month trial run with the best pitcher on the free-agent market, and then they could re-sign him and enter the new ballpark with three ace-type pitchers – Sabathia, Wang and Chamberlain – born in the 1980s…”

Interesting that Kepner points out the value of the two high draft picks that would come as compensation for the YANKEES losing Sabathia if they were unable to re-sign him or deemed it to be too risky.

I find these thoughts fascinating because it illustrates the point that it’s going to take two to tango if C.C. does hit the block (and, AGAIN, it is far too early to make that determination), rather than the Indians simply naming their price for the Yankees, or any interested team, to fetch the youngest, most talented players that they find to their liking.

It goes hand-in-hand with a conversation that I had with my future brother-in-law (who is an enormous Cubs fan who pores over the denizens of Wrigley Field as I do our Erie Warriors) over the weekend. As we settled in to watch the Twins crush the Brewers in Miller Park on Friday night, I asked him to make me an offer (on behalf of the Cubs) to add a LH stud to the Cubs’ rotation. His answer surprised me as he said, “I can’t do it”.
Wait…WHAT!?! He wouldn’t want the reigning Cy Young Award winner to pair with Zambrano and do just about anything to make it happen?

He clarified to say that he’d love to have C.C. pulling a Cubs’ hat on cockeyed, but that the Cubs simply didn’t have what it would take to compel the Tribe to make a trade. I pressed him on it, saying that they were set at so many positions with young talent (namely C, 1B, 3B, LF) that there surely must be a guy ready to break out, blocked by Lee or Ramirez. He told me that they didn’t, although they did have a number of middle-to-back of the rotation starters (Sean Gallagher and Sean Marshall), a glut of middling middle infielders (Mark DeRosa and Ronny Cedeno), a platoon OF (Matt Murton) and some prospects that were thought to be studs-in-waiting (Felix Pie and Rich Hill) who are now entering what he called “Corey Patterson Territory” in that he thought that both were more highly regarded than they should be who could be bundled in some sort of trade to acquire C.C.

His best offer to pry C.C. out of the North Coast was to throw in A LOT of quantity without a lot of quality…but even he knew that a package of roster filler, without an impact centerpiece, would be unacceptable. Hearing a package of what would equate to guys like Sowers, Barfield, and Marte in the Indians’ system, I broached the one name that would make me think long and hard about a trip to the NL Central for the Crooked Cap…Carlos Marmol. After he picked himself off the floor essentially saying, “we’re going to destroy our bullpen for 2008, a strength this year after it has sabotaged so many seasons, by giving you a stud 25-year-old reliever who could anchor the 9th inning for us for the next 6 years…for 3 months of Sabathia and PRAY that we win a World Series with him?”, he politely passed on the idea of creating a hole to fill a hole.

And I guess those two examples underscore where this whole C.C. thing lies for me:
How many teams are willing to give up that most valuable commodity in MLB these days (which are young, club-controlled, inexpensive, impact players) for a 3-month rental of C.C. in the hopes that he can bring them home a ring?
And how many teams even HAVE that type of talent close to the Bigs that could be deemed fungible by their current team?

Look at it this way - do the Indians want to trade C.C. for the marginal MLB players or low-level prospects that the Cubs would be throwing on the table? How about a team like the Phillies, with the scorched Earth of their farm system, and the fact that (much like the Cubs or anyone else for that matter) they’re not going to create one or two holes on their roster to fill one hole at the top of their rotation. Is a return of Shane Victorino and a few mid-to-low level prospects something you might be interested in?
Me neither.

Additionally, if you think that the Indians are going to net a player who is contributing for a contender this year, without that team having a viable 2nd option ready and able, you’re fooling yourself. So hold off on the deals that center on Geovany Soto and Chase Utley for a moment and realize how this thing (if it were to happen) figures to go down. That is, the Indians need to find a trade partner that has a player that is a bona-fide impact player either in MLB or MLB-ready that is essentially blocked by a player currently on the parent club…and is willing to deal them, which is not a certainty anymore given the landscape of how GM’s are approaching roster construction.

To me, the most intriguing matches from teams that could be interested (as per Gammons) would come from the Red Sox, the Dodgers, and the Rangers. Boston fits the mold with their pitching depth (although Theo Epstein seems to subscribe to the same magazine that Shapiro does called “Waves of Arms”) and the fact that some of their recent drafts have started to bear fruit. But it’s important to remember that the only regulars in the lineup under the age of 32 are Youkilis (29), Pedroia (24), Crisp (28), and Ellsbury (24) and they’ll be looking to reload from within in the very near future. Just as an aside, Casey Blake (34) and David Dellucci (34) are the only Indians’ position players OVER the age of 32.

The Dodgers have a good deal of young talent that has been bandied about ad nauseum in these discussions before (Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, James Loney, Andy LaRoche, Chad Billingsley, Jonathon Broxton, etc.), have a GM in Ned Colletti with a tendency to go with veterans over youngsters (with a history in SF as the Assistant GM before he got to Chavez Ravine) and a manager in Joe Torre who doesn’t figure to be interested in growing with a young team and would likely prefer to win right now. I suppose if Colletti and Torre are shortsighted enough to part with some of the best young talent in MLB, rather than watch them mature into the perennial contender that they look poised to become WITH all of that young talent, there’s no question that Shapiro and the boys should burn up the lines to La-La Land. However, the Dodgers’ issue this year has not been their pitching (even considering that Brad Penny just hit the DL), as they rank 4th in the NL in team ERA. Rather, their issue is scoring runs (295 runs in 70 games) and short of them making another trade for a bat ALONG with netting C.C., I don’t see how adding Sabathia solves their problems, regardless of Cy Cy’s pedigree and his ability to shift the balance of power in any division he would join.

The Rangers, or the “Dark Horse”, are the Wild Card as they have a history of irrational, short-sighted moves when they sit anywhere close to the top of the division (acquiring Carlos Lee on July 28, 2006 with a losing record and 3 GB in the AL West with hitting being the least of their problems at the time springs to mind) and a glut of attractive players. If the Rangers think that C.C. is that “one missing piece” for a prolonged run at the division (and he isn’t, given their pitching as a whole…which one person won’t fix) and are willing to part with a player like Ian Kinsler because Hank Blalock gets healthy and Ramon Vazquez can slide over to 2B without their obscenely loaded offense suffering too greatly, I'd take the 26-year old Kinsler with open arms. But, to a rational person, it’s the same principle as the Soto or Utley dreams as the Rangers would be giving up their table-setter for a top-of-the-rotation starter for all of 3 months, while trying to run down the A’s…THEN the Angels.

If we get closer to the Trading Deadline and the Indians have not been able to right the ship, I’ll get much more into possible destinations and packages (trust me, this is not in detail); but I think that this idea that the Indians are going to fill their holes at 2B and 3B while adding another starter and a reliever for Sabathia (all at the ML level) is ignorant to a certain point when you consider the potential trading partners and their limitations in terms of available talent or their organizational philosophies. If they can find that sucker out there willing to part with young impact players for a look at it this year, a deal should be done if the determination is made that the 2008 season is lost.

Interestingly, consider where these teams that are “allegedly” interested in C.C. all reside in the standings and how it relates to the Tribe, as not all of the teams linked to the Crooked Cap are division leaders:
Dodgers – 4.5 GB
Yankees – 5.5 GB
Rangers – 7.0 GB

Indians – 6.5 GB

Obviously, the mounting injuries (and the longer stays on the shelf for the principals already residing there) play a huge role in the difference of being a “buyer” and a “seller”, but let’s continue to take a wait-and-see approach on this thing. If the Indians can get hot at the right time, they could catapult themselves right into the thick of the AL Central race. If they don’t, however, and C.C.’s leaving on a jet plane, the Indians need to make sure that the return that they’re netting is more than just roster filler or lower-level prospects and include that impact player (or, better yet, two of them) because they only have one chance to do this (if it comes to that)...and I’m not so sure that perfect deal is out there.

LS in the Waukee

Sitting in the Milwaukee, sipping some Spotted Cow (which, if you’re ever in Milwaukee…just order it wherever you go), it’s time for a quick run around a LS before we watch “Tiger Tiger Woods, y’all” take a run at this thing at Torrey Pines and try to get the image of K2 (the other one) out of our heads from Saturday night.

First off, Ron Vallo of Tribe Fan in Yankeeland comes strong (as always) with a theory on the differing views of the 2008 Indians’ season from the differing perspectives of age groups. It certainly makes a compelling argument, though this 31-year-old got hooked on the Tribe thanks to the likes of Pat Tabler and Brook Jacoby and spent much of the late 1990’s wondering where the party was and whether girls would be there, with the juggernaut Tribe taking up only a piece of my adolescent brain. Regardless, I think there’s something to it as most Tribe fans who lived through the lean times (and it was a LONG time) draw immediate corollaries to disappointing teams of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s before considering the more immediate past. I suppose it raises the age-old question of whether ignorance is truly bliss or whether experience gained is more valuable in the enjoyment and analysis of a situation.
Me? I’m going to enjoying my half-full glass.

Somewhat related, Joe Posnanski has a brilliant (and I mean, utterly brilliant) piece on the rise and fall of Super Joe Charboneau, told against the backdrop of being a Clevelander, and a wide-eyed 13-year-old Clevelander at that, which puts into better perspective than I think I ever could. It so perfectly encapsulates what I imagine so many of our childhoods to be like, with our own Joe Charboneaus giving us hope, and often false hope…just go read it.

Some props come from Mike Harrington, who covers the Buffalo Bisons for the Buffalo News and also writes his “Inside Pitch” blog (which has been up on the sidebar for some time). One of the more disappointing effects of the Indians (probably) moving their AAA affiliate to Columbus next year (OK, there’s no probably about it) is that Harrington won’t remain the go-to source that he has become for all thing related to the Bisons, as well as providing an insightful perspective on the Tribe from outside the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan area. My dad, who often spends weekends up in Lake Chautauqua, is constantly referencing Harrington on Sundays and Mondays as to the pulse of the Indians…seen from the environs of Dunn Tire Park, so unless the Harrington continues to follow the Tribe or follow Jim Rosenhaus West on I-90 to cover the parent club (fingers crossed), we’ll have to visit the old “Inside Pitch” for Harrington’s general baseball takes, which figure to become decidedly less and less Indians-centric as the 2009 season dawns.
By the way, as per serial poster Cy Slapnicka, The “I’m Big in Buffalo” t-shirt is already en route.

From the fishwraps today, Terry Pluto jumps on the “play Marte against LHP” discussion that sounds vaguely familiar, and Sheldon Ocker touches on the reporting of injuries (or lack thereof) and believes that all of the cloak-and-dagger handling of players’ injuries is counterproductive and benefits no one.

And, oh yeah…um…you guys over there…in the bullpen.
How about a little help here?

Sitting Down with Mr. Blue Sky

Just as the Family Truckster took on the last of its cargo for a trip to Milwaukee, word came down that Victor’s elbow was much more than a “balky” elbow and that Josh Barfield is going to see the same hand specialist that shut down Atom Miller’s season. After channeling my inner GOB and yelling, “COME ON” about 15 times (by the way, if you don’t get that reference or the link – just do yourself a favor and go get hooked on “Arrested Development”), I piled the fam into the car for the 7-hour trip with the highlight being the 12-2 win on WTAM (which you can get clear into Wisconsin, amazingly) en route.

Upon arriving, with my spirits in the dumper because in case you haven’t heard…the season’s over, I decided to call my good buddy Mr. Blue Sky, who always has a way of brightening my day with his unbridled enthusiasm and perspective on all things Tribe-related:

The DiaTribe: Mr. Blue, I wish we were talking on better topics…but it’s good to see you.
Mr. Blue Sky: Great to see you too. What do you mean? What’s going on?

DT: You didn’t hear? Victor’s out for 6 to 8weeks and Barfield could be a goner for the season.
MBS: No, I heard that…so, what’s the problem?

DT: Maybe you didn’t hear me right…Victor’s on the shelf until MAYBE the end of July, joining Fausto, Jake, and Travis on the DL. Going into the season, that’s our #2 and #3 starter and #3 and #4 hitter. Season’s over…raise the white flag.
MBS: But, with this news what has changed since, say, Wednesday? Victor’s been at 50% for the LAST 6 weeks, thanks to his hammy and elbow. His inclusion in the middle of the lineup was doing more harm than good when you consider what he’s done since the beginning of May:
May - .221 BA / .269 OBP / .279 SLG / .548 OPS, 5 extra base hits, 8 RBI in 86 AB
June - .207 BA / .333 OBP / .241 SLG / .574 OPS, 1 extra base hit, 3 RBI in 29 AB
THAT’s what you’re so worried about leaving the lineup? You’re confusing your perception of the type of hitter Victor HAS BEEN because of the player you’ve seen in the last few years with the player that he IS right now, which is a shell of his former self, incapable of power or anything more than a well-placed single. If anything, this will hopefully give him some rest to get back to the player that you remember, with his return (as you say) slated right around the Trading Deadline. If the team happens to be floating around the top of the AL Central, could you name another hitter (assuming that Victor’s at full capacity) that you’d rather see the team add in terms of a bat?

DT: I guess not, but it’s VICTOR! If one player were to don the “C” of a Captain for this team, wouldn’t it be The Stick?
MBS: Look, these numbers are by no means designed to diminish Victor’s worth to the team and his leadership and presence in the clubhouse will undoubtedly be missed and his efforts to remain in the lineup through these injuries is valiant (if perhaps misguided); but the fact has become very apparent that his bat (as it has been contributing) simply won’t be missed in the lineup. Regardless of the intangibles that Victor brings, wouldn’t you rather see if Kelly Shoppach at 100% is able to contribute more to the team than Victor at 50%? Isn’t it time to find out if those “Shoppach could be an everyday catcher for a number of MLB teams” phrase we always hear has anything to back it up? Isn’t this why Shoppach wasn’t dealt in the off-season, to retain the depth that this team is relying so heavily upon right now?

DT: Boy, I know a lot of people will say that you’re just “Mr. BS”, but I feel better about Victor…but what about Barfield?
MBS: What about him? You didn’t actually think that his promotion was going to magically result in production from 2B, did you? His promotion had very little to do with him, and much more in getting Asdrubal right in Buffalo in the hopes that Asdrubal could return at some point later in the season to contribute. Barfield was posting a .679 OPS in Buffalo with 48 K to 13 BB this year…did you think that he would suddenly improve against the MLB pitching that he would face after struggling against AAA pitching? Barfield’s injury changes very little, except for Jamey Carroll getting more playing time and the depth of the team at the big-league level being thinned out a little bit more. You may not know anything about Jorge Velendia…but it won’t matter as he’ll see less time than Andy Marte.

DT: OK, but the Westbrook thing…that’s just crushing.
MBS: For 2009, yeah that causes some issues…
DT: No, I mean right now.
MBS: I suppose if by “right now” you mean until Fausto comes back…which looks to be soon. Aaron Laffey has been as good as Westbrook has ever been in his career for almost two months now and Carmona’s scheduled to throw 50 pitches in a bullpen session on Saturday which means that, barring any unforeseen setbacks, he should be back to replace Sowers (who, for most teams, is more than a suitable #5 starter…today) and get the rotation back in line. It certainly affects the depth of the rotation, but enlighten me as to another team that would lose their #2 and #3 starter heading into the season (and the pitcher that is arguably their top prospect in AAA) and survive as the Indians have.

DT: Then what about 2009?
MBS: That’s another topic for another day; let’s keep this conversation about this year.

DT: Fair enough. But these injuries mean that C.C. will be gone sooner rather than later, right? I mean, the writing is on the wall.
MBS: Again, why the rush to judgment? Did the road just get a little tougher for the Tribe? Sure, but Victor wasn’t contributing (and neither was Hafner before his DL stint) and the starting pitching depth has stepped in admirably to keep this team in the race, relatively speaking. They’re 6.5 games out with an optimal part of their schedule coming up. Hold off on the “what would the Cubs give up for 3 months of C.C.” talk until this thing has some time to play itself out in the next three weeks.

DT: But what about all these reports that the Indians have sent scouts out to watch other teams’ prospects?
MBS: I’m not in the business (nor do I pretend to be), but doesn’t this happen regardless of whether a team is looking to make a deal…or at least shouldn’t it? Shouldn’t the Indians have a scout trolling around different organizations’ minor league affiliates at all times to see if they can find another Asdrubal for Eduardo Perez deal or see if they can pluck Sizemore out of A ball if the time to trade should present itself. I think that the national media has grabbed onto this C.C. thing and convinced all of us that it’s going to happen. There’s still lots of baseball to play before July 31st and who’s to say the return for 3 months of C.C. (if it comes to that) isn’t a couple of high-ceiling, low-level prospects? If that’s as good as it gets, why wouldn’t the Indians hold onto him in the off chance they can keep it close until these guys (Carmona, Hafner at 80%-90%, Victor at 100%) come back and make a charge?

DT: OK, so it’s still too early on C.C. What about the bullpen?
MBS: Ummm…well…Scott Elarton is…hmmmm…sorry, I have to be honest on this one – I’ve got nothing for you on that one. I guess my best advice would be to see what kind of bulk packaging BJ’s has for TUMS…because you’re going to need it unless somebody (anybody) steps up to protect a lead.

DT: You know what? That’s OK, Blue Sky…you allayed most of my fears this morning. You know you’re my boy Blue, right?
MBS: Always.

DT: Hey, we’re headed to the Brewers-Twins “Showdown” tonight with an extra ticket…any interest in rooting on the Brew Crew to see if they can help the Tribe out tonight in the Central with a W over the Twinkies?
MBS: Wrong ELO song (great link, though), but you know I’m in. Let me just grab my Dave Bush jersey and the cornhole board and cooler because we’re tailgating, right?
DT: We are in Wisconsin. When in Rome…

My Second Home

After spending a disappointing (but enjoyable) night in the Mezz last night, I figured it was as good a time as any to post a piece that I did at the bequest of Yahoo’s Big League Stew as they run through descriptions of different ballparks throughout MLB and asked your humble host to provide his thoughts on the ballpark a the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
As we go a little something like this…hit it:

Already in it’s 15th year of existence, Progressive Field (which has been known by the more familiar Jacobs Field and more familial “The Jake” prior to this season when the naming rights transferred from the former Indians’ owner Dick Jacobs and his family to Cleveland-based Progressive Insurance) has maintained the luster that it brought to downtown Cleveland those many moons ago when Manny and Jimmy were just a couple of kids batting 7th and 8th (seriously) in the Indians’ lineup.

Despite the relative age of the park (time flies when you’re having fun, I suppose), the structure at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (Clevelanders are still wrestling with the proper term for the stadium with the name change…“The Prog”?) has held up very well and has been enhanced over the years with improvements to the park that have added to the allure of visiting, long after the consecutive sellout streak of 456 games in a row has passed.

Best Way to Get There?
Unlike many other stadiums, Progressive Field is easily accessible by car from all directions as it sits where the main arteries of NE Ohio (I-77, I-90, and I-71) converge downtown. This being the case, most fans make their way down via car and park in one of the lots surrounding the stadium. Parking prices vary from around $5 to $25 and will change depending upon the day of the game (higher on the weekends) and the opponent (always jacked up for games when the Boston and New York “fans” who grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland show up). I generally park at a lot between Bolivar and Prospect, just west of E. 9th street, that has two levels and offers a quick walk to the game or to local establishments prior to the game with the price varying from $7 to $20 (those high-end contests on the weekend are the games when the RTA Rapid becomes a better option if you have easy access to an RTA station as the train lets you off in Tower City, a 10-minute walk to the ballpark) and quick on-off access to the highways to get out of downtown after a game.

While the guide is a little over a year old, the boys at Mistake by the Lake Sporting Times did a comprehensive breakdown of parking lots in terms of cost and distance that is absurdly exhaustive. While some of the prices may be outdated, the guide provides a nice thumbnail sketch of where to hone in on a lot and where to avoid.

Progressive Field…er, The Jake…er, whatever – here are the specifics if you’re going:
Tickets Online or call 216-420-HITS

Seating Chart

Best Spots to Hit Before or After the Game
The area around Progressive Field (known as Gateway) is home to a number of nice restaurants and bars that are within walking distance to the ballpark, so figure on heading down early to hit up some hot spots in the general vicinity before making the trek over to enjoy some baseball.

If you’re looking to put down some adult beverages and grab some grub prior to making the trip into the game, the area just east of East 9th Street on Prospect is full of bars to whet your appetite for some baseball. Between The Clevelander and Panini’s, which share an outdoor patio on the sidewalk, and the Winking Lizard (if you’re more inclined to stay inside to sip some suds), there’s more than enough to entertain you before you head over to the game. If you do head to Panini’s, be sure to try out one of their famous overstuffed sandwiches, on par with (if not directly based on) the Primanti Bros. sandwiches in Pittsburgh.

If you’re more inclined to just fill up on a liquid dinner, Local Heroes is right across the street from the entrance of Jacobs Field and always provides a raucous atmosphere before and after ballgames as does the Thirsty Parrot, which is just across Bolivar from Progressive Field and boasts an outdoor deck that fills up quickly, particularly after weekend games.

Of course, I realize that not everyone heads to the game just to get their drink on, so be sure to check out the Bob Feller Statue at the East 9th Street entrance and marvel at the career numbers of Rapid Robert on the base of the statue, made more incredible that he didn’t pitch for three years (when he would have been 23, 24, and 25 years old) because he was serving his country in WWII.

If you head into the park prior to the game starting, head over to centerfield to check out Heritage Park, which recognizes those who excelled in a Tribe uniform (and, yes, there were some prior to the 1990’s, smart aleck) as well as housing a bronze plaque commemorating Ray Chapman, the only MLB player to pass away as a result of on-field action as he died after being hit in the head by a pitch in 1920.

On Sunday, the plaza between Progressive Field and The Q (where the Cleveland LeBrons play) is filled with all sorts of kid-related activities to entertain the youngsters to wear them out before the game starts so they’re not antsy and wanting to walk around the park while your stomach is in knots because Joe Borowski just came on to protect a one-run lead in the 9th with his 82-MPH fastball and beguiling mix of “veteran savvy” and “closer mentality”.

Best Concession Stand Item
What trip to a baseball game would be complete without the requisite Hot Dog? In Cleveland, that requisite Hot Dog comes only with a slathering of Stadium Mustard, a brown, spicy concoction that takes you back to the days of old Municipal Stadium, when the Hot Dog was actually the highlight of the game. Of course, there’s a distinction to make here as the Hot Dog one should buy is not the coney dog that is sold for $1 on Dollar Dog Night…oh no. Stadium Mustard should only grace the All Beef Hot Dog, preferably grilled at the Beers of the World stand in the lower concourse of Right Field, near the visitors’ bullpen. While at the BotW stand, you can sample some of the finest local microbrews from Great Lakes Brewing Company (Dortmunder Gold remains the “gold” standard).

If a Hot Dog doesn’t appeal to your sensibilities, The Market Pavilion in Center Field has a decent selection of different types of food, as well as butting up against the popular Batter’s Eye Bar, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Best Place to Sit
Speaking of the Batter’s Eye Bar in Center, the most economical way to watch a game is to buy a standing room only seat or the cheapest possible seat that is available in the upper deck and heading to the Batter’s Eye Bar (a full-service bar with plasma TV’s and good view of the game, if you get there early enough) or to the Home Run Porch in Left Field to try to catch a HR off the bat of Victor Martinez…assuming a HR actually figures to come off the bat of Vic the Stick at some point this year.

For the most bang for your buck, I’ll take the seats in the Mezzanine ($18 advanced, $20 gameday) in RF, or the Bleachers ($16 advanced, $18 gameday) in LF for unobstructed views in good seats at reasonable prices. If you end up in the bleachers, be sure to say hello to John Adams, who has been sitting at Indians’ games, banging the drum (literarally) for the Tribe since 1973.

If price is less of a factor, the Club Seats (which hang over the lower deck on the 1B side) offer a great view of the game as well as the ticket price ($110 per seat) including all food and non-alcohol related drinks throughout the game.

What’s So Great About It?
After years of trudging down to the lakefront to the dilapidated Municipal Stadium, I remember most Clevelanders’ reaction upon entering (what was then) Jacobs Field. It was a feeling of “are we still in Cleveland” as everything gleamed like new and shined brightly in a city not used to bright, shiny things. Even 15 years later, that luster has not dulled as the park remains a jewel of the city and the delightful experience of going to a baseball game in downtown Cleveland on a beautiful summer night still holds that special spot in my heart. At Progressive Field, visitors are right on top of the action, privy to the best sight angles I’ve seen at any stadium I’ve visited with the convenience of an easily accessible ballpark without the obscene prices that are found at many other MLB parks.

After attending Game 4 of the Cavaliers-Celtics playoff series, I remember exiting The Q with my ears bleeding from the noise and my synapses overloaded (from T-shirts flying at me and being commanded to clap and jeer…but only when instructed to do so) longing for my perch in the Mezzanine with a frosty beverage in my hand to watch some baseball where my thoughts are my own, the accompanying denizens of the park are like-minded baseball fans.

To me, there’s no better way to spend three hours of my day than watching my Tribe…and no better place to enjoy it than at the ballpark (whatever you want to call it) at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario in downtown Cleveland.

There you have it…everything from the recesses of my brain on the old ballpark.

Tribe tries to go for a series win tonight against the Twins with Victor’s elbow joining Victor’s hamstring, Hafner’s shoulder, Westbrook’s elbow, Fausto’s hip, Brodzoski (The Close)’s “tricep”, Barfield’s finger, and Senor Slo-Mo’s back (I hope) on the laundry list of what’s gone wrong in terms of Indians and their collective health.

Hold That Obit

While most people probably have a similar story of where they were when they heard of the extent of Jake Westbrook’s elbow injury, I was sitting in the 3rd base boxes of Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon, sipping some adult beverages and readying myself for what was once thought to be a “must-see” game in the AL Central, if not the whole Major Leagues. The cell phone in my pocket vibrated and the text simply read “westbrook out for year”. After asking (via text) whether or not the surgery that would put him out for the year had any connection to a former Yankees pitcher with two first names (“tj?” I believe was the exact text), my phone came back with the words “probably…who cares”. And I think those final two words get to the crux of the way that a lot of people are feeling about the Indians these days – who cares?

Between sports talk radio-fueled conjecture that the whole team should be blown up because “everyone outside of Sizemore and Carmona should be fair game…and the Indians should entertain offers for them because this team is going nowhere as it is currently constructed” (I think I have that flawed logic right) and questions of “how long until Browns’ Training Camp starts”, let’s hold off on the doom-and-gloom that pervades the Cleveland sports psyche for a moment.

Is the news that Jake Westbrook is essentially out for this year, probably most of next year, and may never be the same pitcher a crushing blow in a series of them for the Erie Warriors? Certainly…and it’s made worse by the fact that he’s getting paid $33M for this season and the next two seasons.

Does this news, along with the fact that the Indians have endured a nightmare month from C.C., a catastrophic drop in effectiveness from several key cogs in the bullpen, and playing without 2 of their 3 best hitters (Victor on one leg does not make a full Victor) have the I-480 bridge filling up? I hope not, but the storm that this team is weathering just picked up some extra steam with the Westbrook news, furthering the unlikelihood that the Tribe can climb its way back into the Central race.

But, contrary to popular belief, all is not lost for this once-promising team or even this once-promising season…even as the White Sox get hot as the Indians tread water in the Central. It is still June and while the White Sox are doing their damnedest to pull away in the AL Central, there is a lot of baseball left to play in this season.

Before getting into this, let’s get the simple math out of the way in terms of the AL Central. Assuming that the AL Central is going to take about 88 games to win, here’s how the Indians and White Sox would have to close out their remaining games to reach 88 wins:
Indians: 59-39 (.602 winning percentage)
White Sox: 51-48 (.515 winning percentage)

A .602 WINNING PERCENTAGE!?! THIS TEAM!?!
Surely, you jest.

But hear me out on this as I’m not ready or willing to throw in the towel on this thing…yet. The only reason that I’m holding out hope on this (and, yes, I do watch the games every night) is that the Indians figure to play in what SHOULD be some very winnable games for the next three weeks before they head out to face the White Sox in Chicago at the end of June.
The schedule for the next three weeks:
MIN (31-33) @ home
SD (28-37) @ home
COL (24-39) on road
LAD (30-33) on road
SF (29-35) @ home
CIN (31-34) @ home
Could these teams be licking their lips at the anticipation of facing the 29-35 Tribe?
Sure, but the Indians’ offense has shown signs of life (aided admittedly by the launching pad in Texas…but those games and their results still count) as they’ve scored the 3rd most runs in MLB in June, while their starting pitching remains strong despite the absence of Carmona and Westbrook and figures to get a boost when Carmona returns. The Indians have the opportunity get fat on the NL West while the White Sox are forced to play the suddenly dominant Cubs (40-24, by the by) six times over the next three weeks and attempt to close the gap before their June 30th tussle with the South Siders.

Could the Indians continue to fall on their collective face and be done in by a bullpen that seemingly remains undeterred by escalating gas prices as they always bring their handy gas can to the mound with them or an offense incapable of cobbling together strings of extra-base hits? Of course, but despite reports that the Indians are dead in the water and that the White Sox are running and hiding with the AL Central pennant, it all seems a little premature given the date on the calendar.

Even if the Indians don’t make a huge dent in the White Sox lead heading into the month of July, have we all forgotten what happened in 2005 so quickly?
June 10, 2005
CHI: 41-19
MIN: 35-24 (5.5 GB)
CLE: 29-30 (11.5 GB)

July 31, 2005
CHI: 68-35
MIN: 54-50 (14.5 GB)
CLE: 55-51 (14.5 GB)

September 8, 2005
CHI: 87-52
CLE: 79-61 (8.5 GB)
MIN: 73-66 (14.0 GB)

September 24, 2005
CHI: 93-61
CLE: 92-63 (1.5 GB)
MIN: 78-76 (15.0 GB)

Obviously, we all know that the Indians fell just short of making the playoffs in 2005 after making one of the more spirited runs at a White Sox team that faded down the stretch. But look at those dates again above and consider where we are today:
June 10, 2008
CHI: 37-26
MIN: 31-33 (6.5 GB)
CLE: 29-35 (8.5 GB)

Not that dissimilar at this point in the season from 2005, and the Indians slipped further out of it before they quickly closed a 7-game gap in a three-week stretch in September of 2005. Surely that represents and exceptional case, but it at least sets a precedent (involving the same two teams a mere three seasons ago) for the Indians to continue to attempt to gradually dig out of a hole that, at this point, seems to be getting deeper by the day.

Now, if the Indians are sitting as far out as they were in 2005 this year at the Trading Deadline, there’s no question that the Tribe would be looking to move some pieces as the construction of the two clubs are at different stages of their maturation. But that date is over seven weeks away and the Indians still have the possibility to make up some ground in the Central prior to that date. Based on how quickly the Indians closed that gap in a three-week stretch in September of 2005, it’s not completely outside of the realm of feasibility…as hard as that may be to see given the recent road trip.

As frustrating as it is to watch this team scuffle (and the White Sox thrive), it remains early in a division that could tighten up in the next few weeks, so let’s hold off on the concession speeches and declarations of death for this team. With the caveat that if the Indians continue to go as they are (which is, playing about .500 ball against beatable teams and coughing up leads in winnable games) they’ll be fitted with a toe tag soon enough as they look to move some pieces (but, PLEASE, nobody not scheduled to become a FA after this season), the Indians are not out of this race based on precedent and what lies ahead.

All is not yet lost.
Don't get me wrong, it still could be...but not yet.
I'm still holding onto that towel in the corner.
I may be alone, but the towel hasn't hit the canvas by my hand.

Lazy Sunday in The D

If golf is a good walk spoiled, I’m not sure how to feel about the trip I took to Detroit yesterday that was enjoyable…if you don’t count the actual game. Chatting up some Detroit fans in front of us during the game, we discussed with them which team was more disappointing, what has happened this year, and argued about which team’s bullpen would ultimately blow the game. Unfortunately, I “won” the last point of contention as Kobayashi surrendered the lead and Betancourt served up a pitch to Renteria that cleared the fence and wrecked what was a very winnable game.

Alas we trudged on through the night, hitting Chris Chelios’ bar after the game, where I had a chance encounter with the Stanley Cup as we traipsed in through the back door just as Chelios and some other guys that I assume to be Red Wings were walking to the outdoor area carrying The Cup. Intrigued by the presence of this enormous silver trophy, we followed the players out to the stage set up in the lot next to the bar and watched the Detroit faithful gleefully get covered by champagne as the players took turns chugging Bud Lights from The Cup. As the contingent moved inside, we were shocked to see Art from Everclear step up on stage and lead one of the best cover bands in recent memory as we shouted “Santa Monica” and “Father of Mine” at the singer who was so obviously ignoring us. As it became apparent that Chelios’ bar was turning ugly quickly (it was about 7:30 at the time and the beers were going down fast), we hiked over to the Greektown neighborhood for some pizza at a place called Pizzapopolis (I think) and headed over to the casino to lose some money with some fellow Clevelanders (anything to help that Detroit economy). We ended the night listening to some music at the Old Shillelagh, having only defended the Indians, or Cleveland in general, a few choice times.

All in all, it was a good time…unless, as I said before, you consider the game.
But move on we will, with a Lazy Sunday a little later than normal as the cobwebs are still clearing:

Terry Pluto touches on the effect that the Westbrook injury (which I’ll touch on later this week) has on the Indians’ pitching situation as a whole, correctly asserting that the Indians’ pitching depth is being tested and figures to face more tests after the 2008 season.

Sheldon Ocker contributes an excellent article (shocker, I know…pun intended) that pleads for patience in terms of the “blow it up” talk that some people are intent on pushing.

In a similar vein, Jayson Stark shares his feelings on the AL Central, pointing out that up is down, down is up and the whole Central has baffled a good number of people who know quite a bit about baseball.

In case you missed it, the MLB draft took place this week and, since Mel Kiper had few thoughts when I contacted him for his thoughts, we’ll turn to the fellas at LGT, penned by site friend Tyler (goes by fleerdon there, Tyler here). It’s an easy-to-understand, even-handed analysis of an event that isn’t even close to many peoples’ radar highlighted by some terrific prose.

For perspective on the crapshoot that is the draft, Terry Pluto examines the draft for the AL Central teams from 1997-2005 with some interesting results that debunk the thought that anybody can judge these drafts accurately without the benefit of a crystal ball.

Lastly on the draft, anyone notice the Tribe’s 31st pick…Trevor Cousineau?!?
No relation…I think, and sadly it looks like he’s slated to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks next year, so the legitimate Indians' jersey with my last name on the back looks to remain a fantasy.

On the lighter side, there’s a guy in the Bay Area that mimics batting stances and has the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox, and Cardinals in his repertoire (available to be seen via YouTube). Anywho, site lurker Jon Leisinger (who is a fellow Wildcat…about 6 years after me) asked him to put the Indians on his radar and see how his powers of imitation stack up. As you can see here (as well as being able to view his other efforts on the sidebar)…yeah, he’s pretty good.
Thome and Kenny are my favorites.

Speaking of Kenny, reader Kenny Weinblatt spotted the reason that Hafner may be experiencing some weakness and general malaise. Kenny snapped the picture to the right in Israel (no joke, that’s where he keeps up on his Tribe) advertising the “House of Hafner Family of Wines”. So, if I have this right, Hafner is spending time overseeing a “Family of Wines” (it looks like the wine is made in Austria) and thinks he can still perform at 100% as a ballplayer?
Do you know what the time difference of owning a European company while keeping American hours alone would do to someone? By the way, I can’t get the image of Hafner stomping on grapes wearing some culottes out of my head after seeing this.

Finally, in a case of something I’ve never done here but feel that it represents a worthy cause, serial poster Cy Slapnicka asked if I would post a link for something very near and dear to his heart. With some secondhand experience of the horrors of ALS, I gladly oblige and provide the link to Mike (Cy)’s missive.

Tomahawks in the Heat

As the heat we’ve been watching for the last few nights has apparently settled up on the North Coast, let’s open up the cooler for some…what else…tomahawks:

Is this Texas Rangers squad a John Hart built-team or what?
Don’t tell me that Jon Daniels is the GM and not Hart, because Hart is somewhere on a golf course, pulling the strings on his marionette in the offices in Arlington.
Texas averages 5.54 runs a game, while the next most potent AL offenses, Boston (almost a full ½ run less at 5.06) Minnesota, and Detroit (both nearly a full run behind the Rangers at 4.69 runs a game) simply pale in comparison to the output of the Texas lineup so far this year. Meanwhile, their pitching has posted a team ERA of 5.10, far and away the worst in the AL.
Sound familiar, Tribe fans? It should.

After watching three games in the bandbox in Arlington, with the ball shooting out of the park or pushed by a blustery wind from the Texas plains, how terrifying would it be if this was the team (playing in this stadium) that you had to watch every night? No lead is safe as every ½ inning you spend enjoying offensive fireworks is followed by gut-wrenching ½ innings where you just sit and hope that the opposing team doesn’t put multiple runs up on the board. Say what you will about how some people feel that a 2-1 game is “boring” (I don’t), but the stress of watching your starting pitcher get blown up night after night by the 3rd inning, followed by seeing the bullpen douse the flame in gasoline is something my stomach simply couldn’t handle.
__________

As one who was openly critical of Mr. C.P. Lee last year as he (gasp) went after Victor in the tunnel and doffed his hat to the booing crowd in his last start last year, I know that it is hypocritical to say that I was loving the fire in his belly last night...but I did. In case you missed it, he got squeezed on a few pitches by the umpire in the 5th, which ended up with the Rangers being able to plate their 6th run, tying the game before Cliff got the third out of the inning…effectively ending his night.

On the way off the mound, though, Lee had some choice words for Home Plate Ump Tim Timmons, saying them in the fashion that Kevin Garnett made famous – staring straight ahead, screaming obscenities directed at the target while not looking specifically at the target. Getting to the dugout, though, Cliff showed that he was just getting started in on Timmons, pacing the dugout like a caged lion, alternating between muttering to himself and stepping back up to the top step to share his thoughts with Timmons. To say it was not a PG-rated affair would be an understatement as the rest of the Indians kind of sat there like the crowd of kids around Ralphie in a “Christmas Story” wailing on Scott Farkas, vitriol spewing from his mouth.

After Lee decided briefly that the drink cooler would be his sparring partner, The Looch pulled him aside and had some words with him, which settled him down…to a degree. The camera continued to cut to Lee, with his eyes wide and his expression one of incredulous anger that Timmons could do that to him. It was like Lee’s lunch money had been stolen and he was just pacing the schoolyard trying to come to grips with what had just happened to him.

My first thought was that the Indians’ offense had better do something to get Lee’s mind off of this or Cliff was going to go George Brett-Pine Tar berserk on Timmons (yes, he looked THAT upset). Now, not to rip off the old play-by-play or anything, but here’s how the Indians’ offense (admittedly helped by some sloppy Rangers’ defense)reacted in the top of the 6th:
Carroll reached on infield single to second.
Sizemore flied out to center
Francisco singled to left, Carroll to second.
Carroll to third, Francisco to second on wild pitch by Ramirez
Martinez walked
Garko singled to center, Carroll and Francisco scored, Martinez to second
Peralta flied out to left
Dellucci homered to right, Martinez and Garko scored
Blake singled to center
Choo struck out swinging

And the death blow was struck.
Around the time that Garko hit his single, the camera cut to Andy Marte mugging with the Caged Lion, trying to get him to smile…somewhat unsuccessfully. After the Dellucci dong, the camera caught a calm Lee pleading his case to C.C. on the top step, decidedly more reserved and rational than he had been mere moments earlier.

What’s the point of all of this, other than that C.C. is the calming presence on this team, all 300+ cuddly pounds of him? Not having any idea of whether emotional outbursts like this have happened behind closed doors, this meltdown came in full view of the cameras and lent an idea as to how a group of players can feed of the emotion (however unstable that emotion may be) of one player to get some life back into a tenuous situation. Obviously, the Tribe offense had been experiencing success in the Rangers’ series prior to that moment, but it seemed that Lee’s emotion spurred the team onto putting the game ostensibly out of reach (no matter how hard the wind was blowing out).

Regardless of whether it was a mere coincidence or there is some relation between the two events, emotion has seemed in short supply on this team (publicly at least) and seeing the emotion of Lee (which had seemed so erratic in years’ past because it was triggered by his failure, not the failure of others…in this case the ump) was a welcome respite from watching a team that looked like it was going through the motions, convinced that they would simply emerge from their doldrums by “grinding through it”.

Whether or not the moment represented something more than just an isolated display or emotion or it becomes a turning point in the season to rally around will be determined in the coming weeks; but for last night, it was good to see the flame of Lee’s temper light a fire under the team.
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Realizing fully that the Indians are playing the Rangers in a stadium with what seem to be Little League dimensions and a stiff wind at their back, how do these numbers strike you for the last 7 days for the Tribe offense:
Frank the Tank – 1.345 OPS
Lacey Cake – 1.340 OPS
The BLC – 1.250 OPS
The Looch – 1.165 OPS
SuperSizemore – 1.156 OPS
The Ben Francisco Treat – 1.059 OPS
Asdrubal – .957 OPS
Gark – .915 OPS
Small sample size be damned. If everyone’s going to complain about the Indians’ offense being in a tailspin for weeks, nay months, at a time…can we just sit back and enjoy those numbers instead of playing the “Yeah, but…” game?

I’m really enjoying this Chootierrez kid in RF, by the way.
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Does anyone else feel an irrational amount of optimism that Rick Bauer is coming to save our bullpen? I know that he’s failed to stick on teams desperate for pitching (Baltimore and Texas) and that Jack Bauer of “24” fame is a fictional character so they couldn’t be related, but I can’t help but let my imagination fly.

Stay with me on this – Bauer dominates hitters, moving further and further into the back end of the bullpen, culminating in his ascent to closer. After he thrusts himself in to the closer role, the scene is set at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. As the bottom of the 9th starts, the JumboTron says (in “24” style) “Previously in 2008”, followed by the montage of highlights (that will be supplied in the next few weeks as Rick Bauer becomes a beguiling combination of Trevor Hoffman and Mo Rivera), ending in “The Following Takes Place Between the 24th and the 27th out” (whether or not Kiefer Sutherland would say that is up in the air), closing out with the digital “24” on the scoreboard.
My heart is pounding already…
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Off to Detroit this weekend for Saturday’s game. As I’ve never been to The D (unless you count driving through en route to some bachelor parties in Windsor), I'd appreciate any input as to places to go or places to eat. I’m staying at the Downtown Marriot (which I understand to be a couple of miles away from Comerica), and I figure that the casinos are a given, but anything else is appreciated.

By the way, had the Red Wings not pulled off Game 6 last night, Game 7 of the NHL Finals was scheduled for Saturday night in Detroit...let’s just say, I was disappointed by the results as the general debauchery I was looking forward to has already occurred.

Nevertheless, the “Suggestion Box” is open.

The Walking Wounded

Just when you thought that the Indians’ season was teetering on the brink after the Royals series, news that Victor’s power has (at least, according to The Atomic Wedgie) been sapped by his hamstring injury from the season opener was followed up by news that Jake Westbrook will hit the 15-day DL again, this time with right elbow inflammation (which doesn’t have a nice ring to it). All of that comes after the not-so-subtle intimation that Hafner’s shoulder has bothered him since Spring Training, laying waste to his swing, and that the TWO cortisone shots that he received in said shoulder did not lessen the pain there. Whether or not the shoulder contributed to the lack of a menacing Pronk in the lineup remains a mystery (and don’t expect a straight answer from the Tribe brass), but it raises an interesting question:
Does the slow start by the Tribe offense sting any less if their #3 and #4 hitters have been less than 100% since Game 2?

That is, let’s say that Hafner started the season on the shelf and Vic hit the DL after the first game…would the scuffling offense be given a longer rope with the knowledge that the Indians were playing without the muscle in the middle of their lineup? If both have been there in name only and Hafner and Martinez have been playing hurt (and why they just wouldn’t have admitted their injury and rehabbed rather than “grinding” through their injury raises question after question), hasn’t that really been the case and aren’t the Indians’ offensive struggles at least explainable?
Would we all be sitting here saying, “well, when Vic and Travis come back, the offense will wake up”?

While the Indians pride themselves on their pitching depth (which makes Westbrook’s injury at least a little more palatable, with Sowers likely coming up for Sunday’s game in Detroit after tonight’s bullpen game), their offense is designed to revolve around Grady, Victor, and Hafner. Grady’s held up his end of the bargain (to a degree) this year, but Victor has similar numbers to Rays’ 2B Akinori Iwamura thus far (with 3 fewer HR) and Travis Hafner has a lower Slugging Percentage than San Diego LF Scott Hairston…yes, Scott Hairston. It’s been said many times before, but it bears repeating – the majority of the Indians’ lineup is filled with role players and complementary pieces because those three are supposed to be the pillars of the offense. Furthermore, with Grady’s role designed to be that of the table-setter (he’s finished in the Top 10 in runs scored the past three years, scoring the most runs in the AL in 2006) – the reliance on Martinez and Hafner to drive in runs is painfully obvious.

When one of them isn’t going well, usually one of the other players can pick up some of the slack (Peralta goes through a hot stretch or Casey Blake becomes Al Pujols for a night). But when two of them aren’t going well, it becomes nearly impossible for the rest of the lineup to fill the void. How much do Indians lean on those two for run production?
2005
188 RBI for Martinez and Hafner
760 Team RBI (not runs scored, RBI)
24.7% of Team RBI from Martinez and Hafner

2006
210 RBI for Martinez and Hafner
839 Team RBI (not runs scored, RBI)
25.0% of Team RBI from Martinez and Hafner

2007
214 RBI for Martinez and Hafner
784 Team RBI (not runs scored, RBI)
27.3% of Team RBI from Martinez and Hafner
So for the past three years, those two have contributed approximately ¼ of the team’s RBI, with the percentage growing (and the amount of RBI growing) for the past 3 years.

How about this year?
2008
40 RBI for Martinez and Hafner
230 Team RBI (not runs scored, RBI)
17.4% of Team RBI from Martinez and Hafner
Considering that the Indians have played just over 1/3 of their season, those two are on pace to COMBINE for 113 RBI…and that’s with Hafner being out of the lineup for about a week of games due to the shoulder.
That catastrophic drop-off cannot simply be chalked up to regression for both players, can it?

Consider that Martinez’s lowest RBI output (prior to this year) in the past three years was an 80 RBI season in 2005, with Hafner’s low-water mark coming last year with 100 RBI. If Martinez and Hafner were having THOSE types of seasons…that is, equal to their worst totals in three years, their RBI total (prorated for the 57 games played thus far) would be 63 RBI instead of 40. Not that big of a difference over the course of 57 games, you say? If the Tribe was dealing with an offensive output of 253 RBI instead of 230 (that 23 RBI shortfall from the middle of their lineup), the Indians’ offense would have the 5th most RBI in the AL, ahead of the Yankees, instead of 10th of 14 AL teams.

All sorts of questions can be asked about why these two players (if they have in fact been hurt all season) didn’t simply get placed on the DL to heal with rest and rehabilitation as the Yankees did with A-Rod (quad) and Posada (shoulder), but what’s done is done at this point and crying over spilled milk is going to get you about as far as wondering how Joe Borowski gets people out while having zero swings and misses.

But all is not lost on this injury to the pillars front.
Hafner and his perpetually sore shoulder HAVE hit the DL and he probably won’t pick up a bat until later this week and doesn’t figure to rejoin the team until the last full week in June. In his absence, the Indians have the opportunity to “rest” Martinez hamstring while not removing him from the lineup. With Hafner’s DH spot open, the Indians need to start cycling Martinez through the DH/1B role to allow his legs to rest in the hopes that they will get stronger (as I couldn’t imagine squatting for about an hour a day with sore legs is conducive to healing, much less building strength) and return some semblance of his power.

If the Indians are “so fortunate” to have a backup C of the quality that Kelly Shoppach allegedly is (and he has looked as bad at the plate as any, some of which could be a result of him only having 67 AB at this point in the season), isn’t this the time to use him? Garko has one extra base hit in his last 12 games, couldn’t some sort of rotation be worked out here to have Shoppach catch full-time and let Garko and Martinez switch back and forth between 1B and DH? Since Lacey Cake’s outburst in Arlington probably means that the Andy Marte Experiment is off again, it would seem that he’ll be out of the 1B mix. Of course, if the Indians REALLY wanted to get The Looch in there against tough RHP, fine…throw Garko and Dellucci in there at DH depending on the starting pitcher. At this point, though, putting Martinez behind the plate every night, when other options exist to keep his bat in the lineup WHILE lessening the strain on his sore legs, is just furthering the ineffectiveness of Martinez. Which, combined with the absence of Pronk (and even the absence of that “Hafner” guy), is not something the Indians’ offense can overcome.

Now, with the injuries mounting and the cavalry not only called in but leading the charge on some occasions, the Indians need to recognize that the offense cannot thrive without a healthy Martinez (at least) in the lineup and give him some rest, using their depth, to do so. Otherwise, the team will continue to spin their bad wheels offensively.

A Lazy Sunday of Should He Stay or Should He Go

This lovely morning, I awoke to see a text on my phone from serial poster Cy Slapnicka, who pointed out that “Major League” started on Bravo as soon as the Tribe put the finishing touches on their latest adventure in Left On Base. Cy found the transition apropos as it certainly seems that “Hats for Bats” is as good an option as any at this point as that elusive big hit, and ensuing big inning, remain out of the grasp of the Indians’ hitters.
And with that, we’re off:

Someone must have sent out the “Will the Indians trade C.C.?” memo around to the national writers because it was touched on this week by Ken Rosenthal (who suggests, among other options, that 4 months of Adam Dunn may be a good fit), SI’s Jon Heymann (in his “Inside Baseball” column for the print edition), and ESPN’s Buster Olney (in his video blog, who points out that the trade market may not be what other people think it is).

Not to be left out of the party, Paul Hoynes and Terry Pluto both come correct and in full effect on the same topic this morning, with Pluto suggesting that the Indians approach C.C. with a contract offer and a accompanying message of “take-it-or-get-traded”. As I just don’t see the offer that gets C.C. signed (regardless of the team offering it) with the riches of an open market mere months ahead of him, I can’t see how this would be beneficial to anyone or how an ultimatum is going to leave anyone feeling good.

Look, I get the fact that C.C.’s going to walk at the end of the year with only draft picks coming as compensation and that starting pitching is our deepest commodity. But does anyone truly believe that this team is better without C.C. than it is with him? Does anyone think that the White Sox or Twins are going to run away with the Central and leave everyone else (particularly the Indians) so far in their rearview mirror that the Indians are going to simply fade away? I certainly don’t, given the flaws of the teams above (and below) the Indians in the Central.

I understand the argument that Pluto lays out in the above linked piece that the Indians need to start considering options for trades because of what history tells about records and games behind as the season progresses, but ALL of these pieces feel about 4 to 6 weeks premature.
Is there a breaking point for trading C.C.?
Absolutely.
If the team is out more than 10 games in the Central in mid-July (which I don’t see, regardless of the struggles of the offense and bullpen given the strength of the starting pitching and the parity in the AL Central), burn up the phone lines. You may say, “10 games? More like 6 in mid-June” (as Pluto does); but, again, does the rest of the Central look that invincible compared to the Tribe? No, so short of that large margin, I’d say make sure that the Crooked Cap he’s wearing bears the Chief.

What’s even more interesting to me than the premature “trade C.C.” talk is the disparity between what the national writers feel would be out there for Sabathia in the trade market. Rosenthal states that the Indians “could almost name their price” (which sends images of Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, James Loney, AND Jonathon Broxton donning the Chief dancing through my head) while Olney says that a team like the Phillies would offer someone like a Jayson Werth or a Shane Victorino. I don’t know where to go down on this as both writers are generally the more well-connected reporters in terms of sources. Truthfully, I tend to see the Olney argument a little more clearly, only based on the types of contracts that have been doled out to Evan Longoria and Ryan Braun recently, which does validate his point about the value of young talent. And if what Olney says in the linked video blog above is true (and, to me, Olney is approaching Gammons in terms of having his finger on the pulse of MLB as a whole) that no team is going to be willing to part with the type of package that the Indians should demand (which is young MLB-proven hitters, particularly given the dearth of high impact hitters in the upper levels of our system…not you, Jordan Brown), I keep him.

Outside of all things C.C., Sheldon Ocker has declared the Indians’ slump over and has some biting remarks for the manner in which the Indians are handling their communication with the media regarding injuries. If what Socker is saying is, in fact, how things have been handled in terms of relaying information to the media about players (and I have no reason to believe that it isn’t as he says), there’s a growing abyss of credibility in terms of the team being forthright and honest about what’s happening with certain players and the team being overly secretive about relevant questions posed by reporters. Granted, I’ve never stood in a locker room or a press conference (nor do I think I would want to listening to some on the radio or seeing them on TV as it looks about as interesting and informative as watching C-Span), but the Indians have to, on some level, realize that the media (print or Internet) is the way that information is disseminated and that planting the seeds of distrust with those that are still (to some degree) the opinion-makers in town isn’t the way to gain confidence or to be given the benefit of the doubt as new situations arise. The cloak and dagger stuff makes no sense in terms of keeping these things secret (unless HIPPA laws are applicable) and I would hope that the conspiratorial handlings of the Brodzoski and Hafner injuries become the exception and not the norm.

Finally, around the blogroll, Pronk Needs You has turned its attention to Andy Marte with some fascinating statistics about the Dominican Dandy and how he compares to Lacey Cake. Speaking of Blake, if you missed the Photoshop session over at the LGT regarding the relationship between a couple of Wichita State alum, make sure you aren’t drinking anything (lest it come out of your nose) and take a gander.

By the way, I’ve sent a couple of these to Arlington to arrive tomorrow. I put them to the attention of one Derek Shelton….here’s hoping we see them in Texas for the Monday game, because how great would it be to see the Indians’ hitters rip them off their bats before walking to the plate?