Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Franky G, Frankly Gone


Ken Rosenthal and Anthony Castrovince are reporting that the Mets, Mariners, and Indians have consummated a 12 player deal...


The Mets are working to acquire a setup man for new closer Francisco Rodriguez — and that setup man would be another closer from the American League West.
J.J. Putz could be headed to the Mets in a three-team trade with the Mariners and Indians, according to major-league sources.
Under terms of the deal, the Mets would get Putz, outfielder Jeremy Reed and reliever Sean Green from Seattle. The Mariners would receive reliever Aaron Heilman, outfielder Endy Chavez and first baseman Mike Carp from the Mets. They'd also get Franklin Gutierrez from the Indians and minor leaguers. The Indians would get reliever Joe Smith from the Mets and infielder Luis Valbuena from Seattle.
From the Mets' perspective, the deal would be Heilman and Smith for Putz. Chavez and Reed would be an exchange of backup outfielders, Smith and Green an exchange of right-handed groundball specialists.


Joe Smith player profile here

Luis Valbuena player profile here


Although I believe Franklin Gutierrez is probably one of the best defensive outfielders I have ever seen play for the Tribe, this trade seems to be pretty solid. Gutierrez was a man without a role on this team, but don't count out Franky G from possibly making an impact someday soon. Most fans may easily forget how great he played in the second half of 2007, eventually showing his struggles in the ALCS (sans a homerun at Fenway in Game 2). Tribe Times will miss Frank and wish him all the best!


Joe Smith pitched in an astounding 82 games last year and posted a solid 3.55 era. Seems odd that the Mets would deal such a solid reliever, but now adding Putz as a setup man for K-Rod seems like quite an eighth and ninth inning tandem. Even better news is that now two dominate AL closers have jumped ship to the National League, while the Indians are close to nabbing a stud of their own in Kerry Wood. Pairing Smith with Wood, along with Lewis, Perez, Betancourt, Kobayashi, and possibly Adam Miller immediately makes the 2009 bullpen extremely deep and miles ahead of last years gas can of a relief corps.


I honestly had never heard of Luis Valbuena before this past hour, but he seems pretty similar to a certain Venezuelan middle infielder Cleveland acquired from the Mariners a few years back (Asdrubal Cabrera). Some talk out of Seattle suggested that he would be in the mix as the Mariners starting second baseman in 2009, so I imagine he will me in the mix here as well. To net a solid bullpen arm and a marginal prospect for essentially a fourth outfielder seems to be another solid move by Shapiro, Antonetti and the gang. More moves to come I imagine as the Rule 5 draft kicks of Thursday. Hooray for Activity!
Castrovince Update:
UPDATE No. 2 (11:50 p.m. ET): Holy Lord, this thing just keeps growing. It's actually a 12-player swap, and it does involve other Minor Leaguers. Nobody from the Indians, though.
In addition to the players previously mentioned, the M's are getting right-hander Maikel Cleto, left-hander Jason Vargas and outfielder Ezekiel Carrera from the Mets.
Wow.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Winter Wonderings with Wedge


As the visions of Wood dance through the heads of Tribe fans everywhere, my thoughts have immediately move towards the infield. After viewing STO's Matt Underwood interview Eric Wedge about everything Indians, some items up for debate have become clearer.



  • Basically said if no infield moves were made, Peralta would remain at Shortstop which can't be good for Barfield.

  • When asked about Shoppach/Martinez/Garko First Base/Catcher situation, Wedge said that Shoppach's role would increase behind the dish, but the league will adjust to him at bat. He stated that he won't commit to anything at the moment, leading me to believe that they are shopping him hardcore (with 3 catchers on the 40man) for a middle infielder.


  • The team is looking at probably after January 1 for a starting pitcher but Shapiro and Antonetti have been kicking the tires on every possibility.


  • Tribe is exploring everything at closer (trade/free agent) so it seems they are coming up with a back up plan if the Kerry Wood deal falls through.

The skipper seems pretty optimistic about the Indians addressing the needs of the team. I am relieved to know that Wedge doesn't see a Cabrera/Barfield double play combination in 2009. The next 48 hours may paint a more clearer picture of what team will be taking the field come opening day

Would Wood Work in Cleveland?


Indians.com is reporting that the Tribe is close to signing Free Agent closer Kerry Wood to a two year deal with an option for a third. Now I would prefer the Indians to utilize the little cash they have on an infielder, the signing of Wood solidifies the bullpen, a major problem in 2008. With this signing, you can probably pencil in either Josh Barfield or Jamey Carroll in at second base this year, which is not good for the offense at all. As for another starting pitcher, there is word that Shapiro may be interested in Kris Benson on a minor league deal. As long his contract is not guaranteed the move would be fine with me, plus his wife is crazy hot, well more crazy than hot. Hopefully we wouldn't have a repeat of this guy with his significant other.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Sayonara Tom Mastny


The Tribe's 40 man roster is now down to 38 as reliever Tom Mastny was sent packing off to the far east. The Yokohama Baystars purchased the contract of the Cleveland reliever who spent parts of the prior three years with the club. Tom terrific posted a 10.80 era in 14 games and one memorable June start in Texas. His two claims to fame as an Indian were taking over the closer's role after Bob Wickman was traded away in 2006 and pitching well in the ALCS against Boston, hurling 4 2/3 scoreless innings in 3 outings. Here's to you Tom, good luck and make sure to buzz a fastball in on the chin of Tuffy Rhodes.

Tribe interested in Rafael Furcal?


As astutely speculated over at the DiaTribe Sunday, SI.com is reporting that the Indians have an interest in LA Dodger shortstop Rafael Furcal. This is just the kind of signing the Tribe has lacked and would get the fan base charged up. If they have to go with less of a closer, fine. A journeyman starter? Good by me. This team is in need of a jolt and adding Furcal, although injury prone, would be a giant step in the right direction. With the way the hot stove has burned cool for the past 3 years, Tribe fans would surely welcome the front office attempting to make a splash for once. Don't bet on this happening, but we can dream.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Tribe Signs Tomo Ohka


The Indians today signed veteran hurler Tomo Ohka to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. Ohka should add depth to triple-a Columbus add be a Spring Training buddy to Masa Kobayashi. He has apparently never appeared in any gay porno movies, which immediately vaults him into being the second greatest Japanese pitcher in Indians history.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Tribe possibly interested in Mike Lowell?


This post is complete speculation, but if the Red Sox are indeed interested in free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira, then Boston would have one to many 3rd Baseman. With the success Kevin Youkillis had manning the hot corner late last year and his popularity among bean town fans, I would imagine GM Theo Epstein would be looking to find a suitor for Lowell and his 2 year contract. Also, with Scott Boras prized catching free agent Jason Varitek looking for $50 Million, the Sox are in the market for a catcher. Would a deal with Kelly Shoppach involved entice Theo? These two teams have made deals of substance before, so we will just have to wait and see.

Tribe Times is Back!


I am going to again be posting some rumors, opinions, what nots from time to time if anyone is out there checking this. I kind of gave up on the blog thing, but will still post from time to time. Congrats to Cliff Lee on his Cy Young. He was one of the first topics I discussed back in March, wondering if he would be traded or possibly being sent to Buffalo. Boy was I wrong!!!

Thursday, August 28, 2008

10 in a row!


The Tribe has been able to rattle off 9 straight wins since my last post. Some friends of mine believe this blog is a jinx on the Indians and said that the next time a put something up the team will subsequently lose. Whatever the case, I will continue to post weekly and it is nice to talk about some positive developments. Although the last 3 teams seem to have given up their respective seasons (Royals, Rangers, Tigers), a team still has to play these games and the Indians seem to be collectively succeeding. The keys to the Indians streak has been clutch hitting and a bullpen that is finishing games. After the installation and execution of Jensen Lewis as closer, the rest of the bullpen (Betancourt, Perez, Donnelly) have settled into their respective roles. Ryan Garko and Franklin Gutierrez have been a hot streak, and Kelly Shoppach and Jhonny Peralta have provide much needed power. Grady Sizemore and Cliff Lee have continued their All-Star seasons, and the potpourri of pitchers (Reyes, Jackson, Sowers) have been just good enough to put together quality starts. Now back to the hear and now...


The Indians currently have a record of 65-67, with 30 games left. If the Indians go a respectful 20-10 to end the season, here is what the rest of the teams in the races would have to go for the Tribe to make the playoffs.


Red Sox 7-23

Yankees 14-16

White Sox 8-22

Twins 9-21


Basically, barring a complete meltdown by 3 of these four teams, the Indians are still done. The frustrating part is give the Indians just 5 more wins somewhere amongst the first 4 months, and they would still be in the race. Oh well, we might as well just enjoy our Tribe playing well now and wait until next year for contention again

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Wahoo Roundup


Random thoughts from a less than active blogger...


Not much interesting going on with the Tribe, they are battling for last place, their most interesting youngsters are still years away from the bigs, and football season is almost here. It is hard for me to get too involved with this team on a daily basis with updates as it is just not that compelling. When Hafner and Martinez come back, that should infuse my fandom a bit again.


The Paul Byrd trade saved the Indians 2 million dollars, let's see them spend it next year.


Jensen Lewis' velocity is up and is closing now. He looks good, but can he pitch this way in April and May?


The 2009 Tribe thirdbasemen will not be Andy Marte.


Adam Miller will be in the bullpen in the Majors in 2009.


Francisco and Choo are a lock next season, unless one is traded.


Sal Fasano is still awesome.


Two pitchers between Laffey, Sowers, Reyes, and Huff will be in the starting rotation at the start of next year.


Asdrubal is hitting in August, can he hit in April?


Ryan Garko will be on this team next season.


The Kansas City Royals come to town in the battle for the basement tonight.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

100th Post, Worst lineup in 100 years

Well it toook about 5 months, but we have officially reached the one hundred post mark, whatever that means. If there are any readers still out there feel free to post a comment on your feelings about the Tribe in 2008. I will give you a topic, here is the batting order for the Indians today...


CF Franklin Gutierrez,
3B Jamey Carroll
LF Ben Francisco
SS Jhonny Peralta
RF Shin-Soo Choo
DH Ryan Garko (Andy Marte replaces Garko for not running out a ground ball)
1B Andy Gonzalez
C Sal Fasano
2B Asdrubal Cabrera
LHP Jeremy Sowers



This has got to be one crappiest lineups the Tribe has trotted out in decades. Only 3 of the guys (after Garko was benched) started in the playoffs last year. The sad state of affairs really makes me wonder how this team expects to contend in 2009. Their offense is weak, their bullpen is horrific, no closer, and only two starting pitchers penciled in (Lee, Carmona). This may be a one and done type of team, where they can contend to a point and then have to start over. I can't even begin to think about what they could do in the off season as there are too many holes to fill. This front office has really no track record of signing any free agent besides fill in guys, so how do these questions become answered? Unless this team promotes guys who look like future solutions (Crowe, Reyes, Huff, Hodges), the rest of 2008 will continue to be one giant yawn.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Weekly Wahoo Update


Sorry for not updating as often, it has been a busy summer (baby on the way). Casey Blake was traded to the Dodgers and is playing well (5-13, 1 ejection). The 2 guys they picked up (Jon Meloan and Carlos Santana) seem like a pretty solid return for a player in his free agent year. I will miss Casey as being a constant in the lineup, wherever in the field he was playing. He was one of GM Mark Shapiro's best moves over the years and would not mind seeing him back next year on a 1 year contract. I imagine someone will give him at least a two year deal because of his great versatility in the field. Also, the Indians traded for Cardinal starting pitcher Anthony Reyes, while shipping out Akron reliever Luis Pedromo. Reyes will serve as a reclamation project as he started game one of the 2006 World Series, but since has struggled. Look for him to jump to the majors sometime in August, especially if Paul Byrd is traded. Finally, Aaron Laffey was sent down to "straighten things out." Why he can't do that at the major league level for a last place team is beyond me.

On the field:

The Indians are so far 2-3 on their current homestand. I went to the game on Saturday and witnessed Fausto get pounded in the first but was OK with things since we had club seats and I was eating nachos in air conditioning while Carmona was lighting the mound on fire. Andy Marte hit a homerun, which was ok I guess. While we were leaving my friend Scott kept mumbling, "maybe next year," which seems to be the theme of Cleveland sports. Other random thoughts:

Jhonny Peralta seems to be back.

Cliff Lee surprised everyone this year besides one, himself.

When Ben Francisco is in a slump, it gets magnified. He is an aggressive hitter who swings often early in the count.

Grady Sizemore is only going to get better.

Betancourt has completely lost all of his confidence. He won't even talk to reporters anymore.

Victor Martinez seems to be only a few weeks away from returning, which will help the lineup out immensely. The season of Nightmares continues today as Cliff Lee goes for win number 15 tonight against Nate Robertson. Are you in the Tribe? Still?

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Split the Road, Tribe


Tribe Times has been on hiatus for a week and not much really happened. The Indians have been playing better of late sans Aaron Laffey's last two starts. The team as a whole seems to be having more fun actually playing the game rather than "grinding." It will be a long last few months of the baseball season, so I am going to add another addition of Random Thoughts.
The Retro 1989 jerseys need to be sold in stores and uses next year. Paul Hoynes said that the Mariners gave the 25 man roster a chance to buy their respective jerseys for charity and a whopping 20 did so. Bring them BACK!!!

Casey Blake may not be traded, which is not necessarily a bad thing. If they can sign Casey to a one year contract with a club option for 2010, I would be all for bringing him back. He is a definite team leader and a good guy to have around. Blake may not take such a deal since this is his first opportunity at Free Agency and he may want the security of a multi-year deal. That would be risky since he is 35.


Aaron Laffey better straighten things out our the 2009 rotation is looking thinner by the day.


Tom Mastny introduces himself with an "I'm Tom Mastny," meatball everytime he pitches.


Edward Mujica may not be as bad as I thought he was.


Juan Rincon may be worth a 2009 look, but will probably end up like Jorge Julio/Roberto Hernandez.


David Dellucci should be duct tapped to the bench.


Andy Marte is playing better, but is not the long term solution at 3rd Base.


Ryan Garko should not be our starting firstbaseman in 2009.


Jhonny hit good, field bad.


Travis Hafner may be done for the year.


Would you sign K-Rod to a 5 year, 65 million dollar contract if it meant no offensive help next year? I would.


Matt LaPorta will be an Indian in May of 2009.


Shin Soo Choo and Ben Francisco will form a platoon next season. Book it!


Fausto will be one of the few players to watch left this season.


Jamey Carroll has a future being a jockey at Thistledown.


Sal Fasano is one of my favorite Indians of all time.


Two roster moves happened over the past week, as Asdrubal Cabrera was called up and Jorge Velandia was sent to Buffalo. Also Fausto Carmona is due to pitch on Saturday for the first time since the middle of May, so look for Matt Ginter to be sent down.


Browns training camp opened today so I imagine not many people but the diehards are reading this anymore. Thanks to those who do, whoever and wherever you are.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Lee, Sizemore help lead A.L. to Victory


The American League won yesterday 4-3 in 15 innings with the help of Cleveland's own All-Stars Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore. Lee pitched two scorless innings, striking out the first two batters he faced. Grady went 1-5, scored the game-tying run and stole a base. It has been a solid 7 days for the Indians in an otherwise disasterous season. Tribe Times will be on hiatus pretty much until Sunday as I am on vacation in that crummy state up north. If anything of importance happens I will post when possible. The Indians head to the west coast Friday to face Seattle for three. Let's hope they can salvage something out of the rest of the season

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Matt LaPorta Update


Akron Aeroes Left Fielder Matt LaPorta went 3-6 today in a two game double header. All of his hits were singles, and in the second game he had 2 of the teams' 4 hits. Hey, he is the future, so might as well check up on him. The Aeroes now possess most of the position player talent in the Indians farm system (LaPorta, Hodges, Rodriguez, Crowe) so they seem to be much more interesting to follow than our floundering ballclub.

Tribe loses 10th in a row.


Wow what a finish! I actually thought the Indians would win tonight after they were up 6-0 in the fifth inning. The bullpen of nightmares continues to haunt my dreams. Why did Wedge only let Rafael Perez pitch to one batter in the eighth when he is clearly the best reliever on the team. I guess he wanted to boost Jensen Lewis' confidence by having him face the meat of the Tigers order in a tie game. Wedge has had issues all year with the gas cans out beyond the fence, but he needs to develop some type of continuity. Grady had three hits and two rbi's, while Jhonny continued his hot streak with 2 hits and 2 rbi's. Paul Byrd pitched well, but let 2 batters on in the seventh which ended up killing them. If this game was in April Wedge would have yanked Byrd after six, but the way the pen is, I can't really blame him. Striking out three times in a row (Choo, Garko, Marte) with the bases loaded didn't help either. Thankfully there is only 4 games left until the All-Star break. With Wednesday's loss, the Indians have now lost 10 consecutive games for the first time since 1979, when I was 7 months old. The record for most losses in a row was 12 set in 1931. Let's hope that record is not broken

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Juan Rincon added to roster, Elarton to DL


Juan Rincon was added to the worst bullpen in the major leagues today, as Scott Elarton was placed on the DL. Rincon was lighting up Buffalo with a 6.75 ERA but showed good arm strength and has late innings history on a playoff club, according to Eric Wedge. The Indians lost to the Tigers tonight 9-2 on 2 hits. CC looks great as a Brewer. I am going to go throw up now.

Down on the Farm Report: David Huff


Since the Cleveland Indians are in the basement of the A.L. Central, we decided to further investigate the talent in the minor leagues. Today's topic is AAA pitcher David Huff. This southpaw was drafted in the 1st round of the 2006 amateur draft out of UCLA. While Huff is no fireballer (often topping out in the low 90's), he has rapidly moved through the Indians system. He has in two years went from rookie ball to AAA. Huff will turn only 24 in August and will be an option for the big club rotation in 2009. Ross Atkins has compared him often to Tom Glavine with his pinpoint control. His strikeout to walk ratio is outstanding in Buffalo (11-1), but I don't expect the Indians to rush him. With the season a loss cause, look for Huff to debut sometime in September. Here are his stats this year...



Akron 5-1 1.92 ERA 10 Games Started 65+ innings, 62 K's, 14 Walks.

Buffalo 2-2 3.79 ERA 7 Games Started 38 innings, 42 K's, 4 Walks.


Huff needs to show a bit more dominance in Buffalo to show the parent club he is ready for prime time. I hopefully think he will become more like Aaron Laffey than Jeremy Sowers as his strikeout numbers are higher. Don't see all three in the rotation next year because that would be way too many soft tossing lefties. The Indians pitching depth has been depleted over the past few months severely so Huff will definitely be a factor next season.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

It's official, CC to Brewers for LaPorta and 3 others.


Multiple sources are reporting that 2007 AL Cy Young winner CC Sabathia will be traded to the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow for OF Matt LaPorta, pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson, and a player to be named later who is likely 3B Taylor Green. Laporta is the main player in this deal, so expect him to be start out at Buffalo and make his way up to Cleveland after September 1st. Here are their stats...


Matt LaPorta: .291 (.404 OBP) 20 HR 66 RBI AA Huntsville

Zach Jackson: 1-5 7.81 ERA 22 Appearances (6 starts) AAA Nashville

Rob Bryson: 3-2 4.25 ERA 22 Appearances (5 starts) A West Virginia

Taylor Green: .297 (.381 OBP) 10 HR 50 RBI A Brevard County


I was hopping the Tribe could snag the Escobar kid, but we won't know how good this trade will be until 3-4 years from now. LaPorta seems to be the real deal, and the Bryson kid has 73 K's in 55 innings pitched. CC was one of the best players ever to don a Tribe uniform and will be sorely missed. It is a sad day to be a Indians fan as our best pitcher in the past 30-some years will now be pitching elsewhere. More to come over the next 24 hours.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Indians sign Jeff Weaver, wahh wahhhhhhh.


The Indians today signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league contract. Weaver looks to be CC's replacement when he traded sometime in the coming weeks. I would assume the Tribe is looking to move Paul Byrd also, but he has been pitching horribly lately. So if Byrd and Sabathia leave, look for David Huff and Jeff Weaver to replace them, while Fausto Carmona will probably be in line for Jeremy Sowers' spot. By the way, I have always hated Jeff Weaver, so it will suck to see him give up five runs a night in Cleveland.

Friday, July 4, 2008

CC to Brewers?


The Hefty Lefty may be gone sooner than we think! Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Indians and Brewers have been in recent talks about CC going to the land of cheese. Through some rumors I have read on the web that I can't confirm, apparently the proposed trade is CC and Masa Kobayashi to the Brewers for OF Matt Laporta, SS Alcides Escobar, 3B Taylor Green, and P Alexandre Periard. All four players are in Milwaukee's top 20 prospects according to Baseball America. The rumor stated that this traded could go down befor Sabathia's next scheduled start. Apparently Milwaukee radio, newspapers, and Internet forums are abuzzed with these speculations. Laporta seems to be the real deal as he was selected 7th in the 2007 draft and has hit 19 homeruns, while Escobar is batting .333 with 7 homeruns and 52 rbi in double-a at age 21. Who knows if it is legit, but it makes the season a bit more interesting as if this deal goes down Peralta's future at shortstop seems bleak. Any news I hear I will pass on over the next day.

2007 A.L. Saves Leader Joe Borowski Designated for Assignment, (Bauer too).


The Joe Bo era in Cleveland is officially over. Joe Borowski was released Friday, as was Rick Bauer. Borowski amassed 45 saves in 2007, but arm trouble and ineffectiveness plague his 2008 season. Ole' Joe Bo did get the last out of the ALDS, so he does have a place in Cleveland Indians history. The rest of the season will see a closer by committee set-up between Masa Kobayashi, Rafael Perez and (gulp) Rafael Betancourt. Relievers Jensen Lewis and Brian Slocum were recalled to try and revive one of the worst bullpens in the major leagues.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

As the Tribe Turns.....


I have been on a self-imposed writing ban over the past week to see if the teams fortunes would change. Well they haven't as they have lost 5 of their past 6. I will update here probably still about 3 times a week but with less about the day to day games and more about roster moves, minor leaguers, and teepee tales. The season is officially over, so I am more interested in potential trades and young call-ups than discussing a crappy bullpen and an anemic offense. Here are just a few random thoughts about the Tribe in bullet point form.



  • Jeremy Sowers is really bad, I don't think the Indians can count on him in 2009.

  • I am going to read Paul Byrd's new book (Free Byrd). hopefully it won't eject itself from my backyard like his fastballs.

  • Grady Sizemore should be an All-Star this year because he leads the league in Homeruns and has had to play with this crappy lineup all year.

  • The Indians boast the ERA leader and Homerun leader in the American League but still are 11 games under .500.

  • Speaking of Cliff Lee, I am truly amazed at how good he is this year, his command has been unbelievable. Between him and Carmona, we now have 2 aces for 2009.

  • Shin Soo Choo is a fourth outfielder, nothing more, nothing less.

  • Ben Francisco is a solid everyday outfielder, just not a guy who should bat in the 3 hole.

  • Kelly Shoppach strikes out too much for an everyday catcher.

  • David Dellucci is washed up and I hope he is released so we can stop watching him play every year.

  • Casey Blake may be on the Indians in 2009, and that not be a bad thing. He also has more range at shortstop than Jhonny Peralta.

  • Ryan Garko kind of sucks this year, should he be the first baseman of the future? I say no.

  • The Andy Marte experiment was over in 2007.

  • Edward Mujica sucks.

  • Jhonny Peralta should start taking ground balls at third base today.

  • Jamey Carroll is a grinder.

  • Asdrubal Cabrera should be playing everyday in Cleveland, at shortstop.

  • Franklin Gutierrez is a great defender, but an offensive hitter.

  • Jorge Velandia and Sal Fasano should never be on a contending team, and they are not.

  • Joe Borowski should retire.

  • Raffy Left is way better than Raffy Right.

  • Masa Kobayashi shouldn't worry so much about stretching his back, he should worry about stretching his neck.

  • I excuse Mark Shapiro for this team's injuries, but I don't excuse the inactivity of the offseason.

  • I don't excuse Mark Shapiro for overvaluing his existing talent.

  • Eric Wedge says grinding way too much.

Supposedly the management and Wedge are having meetings today. Hopefully moves will be made because this team is pretty much unwatchable. Also props to North Olmsted High School product Adam Russell gaining his first 2 major league wins against the Indians. As a fellow alum of the baseball program, I couldn't be happier for him, but I just wish he didn't pitch for the White Sox.



Also, check out The Tribe Time Report for daily updates on the Indians. I give him big props for doing a great job writing and linking daily as I can't bring myself to do that for this crummy season. My RSS feeds do update frequently, which is nice.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Giant Misses


6 runs in 3 games = 1 win. The lineup the Indians have been trotting out has been just plain terrible. I understand not having Martinez and Hafner hurt, but I never realized how much since watching the past 12 or so games. Besides Sizemore (who has had a down year also), the lineup has a severe lack of power. Batting Garko and Peralta in the four hole is unfortunately their only option, which is not a good one. Also, when Sowers and Byrd have been on the mound lately, it has resulted in a loss. They both pitched admirably after giving up runs in the first in their respective last starts, but they are no Fausto Carmona or Jake Westbrook. This team is unfortunately a bad one, with half of the season to go. Crazier things have happened (2007 Rockies), but I just can't see this team putting together any kind of winning streak. The hitting is weak, the bullpen is bad, and two of the starting pitchers are inconsistent. When you mix that all together, you have a team that is just not very good. The Reds come to town this weekend, another under .500 team the Indians will probably lose to.


The remaining 2008 season will be probably rough to watch. Trading CC seems to be the only interesting facet left, and that may or may not happen. The Indians may feel 2 1st round picks is a better option than any of the proposed packages they may receive. If that is the case, at least we will get to watch a great pitcher throw in an Tribe uniform for August and September. This is how I would manage the rest of the summer months. I am tired of seeing David Dellucci strike out so they just need to Trot Nixon him and glue him to the bench. Andy Marte has been ruined by the Indians, so might as well throw him out a 3rd for a few weeks to see if he can get that elusive first RBI. Stick Casey Blake at first base, he is more productive than Ryan (right knee in the dirt) Garko. Platoon Shin Soo Choo between DH and right field, and let Sal Fasano grow out his mustache. Ship Edward Mujica out of here because he is terrible and bring up Jeff Stevens. Finally I would get rid of Paulie Byrd (even though I said earlier we should keep him) and bring up David Huff to see what we got. The Indians literally now have nothing to lose, they have lost enough.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Omar Y Amigos


Well Omar is back in town tonight. I imagine the Indians will have a very good crowd tonight to cheer on one of Cleveland baseball's favorite adoptive sons. His 11 years here were memorable and his flare for fielding is unprecedented. I remember watching him grow from an all glove no bat guy in 1994 to slugging 14 homeruns in 2002. His 8 gold gloves as an Indian will probably never be matched, and his basestealing prowess was great in his prime. Although he is struggling this year batting only .171, Tribe fans everywhere will be tuned in this week to remember how much he meant to this organization during the golden era of Cleveland Indians baseball (1994-2001).
Many of the talk shows have said that Cleveland should bring him back so he can retire as an Indian. It would have been a treat for that to happen if we were in contention (like last year with Kenny Lofton), but unfortunately the Wahoos are 7 games under .500 and look dead in the water. I would like to see him get traded to Boston or the Cubs as a late inning defensive replacement so he can have one more October to make barehanded stabs and get a chance to win a ring. Omar Vizquel will always be one of my favorite Indians of all-time and tonight will be a chance for all of Cleveland to celebrate his career.

Wahoos take 2 from the Dodgers, Sign Tony Graffanino and Juan Rincon


Two more journeyman were added to bolster Triple A Buffalo, as infielder Tony Graffanino and relief pitcher Juan Rincon were signed to minor league deals. The Tribe has now added an abundance of thirty something year old jobbers to the organization, possibly to fill in when the parent club makes a trade. Not what any of us expected, that is for sure.


The weekend series with the Dodgers provided some comfort as winning a series is always a positive. The hitting has still be spotty, but they did come out victorious in two extra inning games. Without a middle of the order with any semblance of power, this season is unfortunately going down the crapper. Also watching the pitchers' spot come up time in and time out with runners on base becomes increasingly rough to watch. The NL is just not as fun to watch with an automatic out in the lineup. Now I know CC slugged a homerun, but the rest of the pitchers did not fair as well. Omar comes to town Tuesday with his Gigantes.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Good Grief


Sal Fasano is not happy with the way his new team is playing. The Indians were swept by the Colorado Rockies this week, subsequently ending any talk of contention this year. I know there is 90 games left, but with four of our best players gone for considerable time and the lineup looking amongst the worst in baseball, it is time to look toward 2009. Terry Pluto officially announced the Tribe season over today, so I will follow suit. Also the DiaTribe has a nice piece about which tough questions the Indians Management is asking themselves today. CC Sabathia is scheduled to start next Friday against the Reds, so buy your tickets today because I have the sinking feeling it may be his last home start ever as an Indian. Other players I feel will be dealt before July 31st are David Dellucci, Joe Borowski, and possibly Ryan Garko. I can't see Wedge allowing Casey Blake to be traded due to their man-bond, but he should be since he is a free agent and would be quite valuable as a utility player for a contending team. I am just sold on Garko being the long-term solution for the Indians at first, as he really isn't a power guy. Also watching him strike out while his right knee scrapes the ground drives me crazy. Jhonny could be traded to a team in need of a shortstop who can hit every other year and not field, maybe a team like the Orioles or Cubs. With Asdrubal playing everyday at shortstop, Jhonny''s future is either at 3rd or somewhere else. The 2009 version of the Indians will probably be drastically different than the past 3 with all of these questions flying around. One thing that will happen if CC and Byrd are traded are losses. This rotation will be instantly awful with not much in Triple A depth-wise. As for Highlights and Areas of Concern, I am going to put in my highlight video of 2007, dream of whip cream pies, and wonder why the Cleveland Indians successfully ruined my summer this year.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Sal's Pals


If anyone thought this Indians' season was depressing, well things just got outstanding! The Wigwamers today traded for catcher SAL FASANO! This 36 year old journeyman has compiled a career .219 avg through parts of 10 major league seasons. His career milestone was set in 1998 where he was second in the league in hit by pitches, with 16. The main attribute he brings to this team is his outstanding facial hair. Whether it is a mustache, foo man choo, or goatee, Mr. Fasano consistently brings a finely manicured scruff each and every day. When a team is struggling the way the Tribe is, the more hair on your face, the better. I will now go cry myself to sleep.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Barfield out 6-8 weeks, Indians sign INF Morgan Ensberg to minor league deal

Josh Barfield may have more of a forgettable 2008 than 2007. At least last year he was healthy. Barfield had surgery to fix his finger and will be out 6-8 weeks. Tough luck for Josh as he was only able to appear in 2 games, going 0-6. The Tribe also signed former Yankee Morgan Ensberg to a minor league deal and sent him to Buffalo. He is pretty much a depth signing for the parent club. The Bisons have been pretty awful this year so hopefully he helps them win a few games. Asdrubal Cabrera has been ripping the ball all over the yard down there, so hopefully he can continue his progress and be back up in Cleveland around the All-Star Break.

Indians take 2 out of 3 from Padres, off to Colorado

Winning a series will always bring hope to a struggling team. Winning consecutive series's may unfortunately bring false hope. If the Indians would have went 2-4 or 1-5 over the past homestand, I believe the "trade CC" talk may have been elevated to sooner rather than later. Now that the Tribe is only 5 1/2 games back, I imagine Sabathia will be around until the end of July. This is in no way inferring that I want the Indians to lose. I just think the front office really has no idea what path to take with the remainder of the 2008 season.
If they trade CC, they are telling the fans that they are raising the white flag and giving up. If they keep CC, they risk not getting anything for him besides two first round picks next year which won't help the big club for 4-5 years. Is this team good enough to contend with four of their top six players on the disabled list? My answer is I have no idea. The team has hit better, and I attribute it to Hafner and Martinez being OUT of the lineup. They were obviously hurt and not the best option at their respective positions everyday. Once they were removed, a healthy nine seemed to take pressure off of each other instead of relying on Victor and Travis.

These injuries should ultimately make the rest of the lineup stronger as guys like Francisco, Choo, Shoppach, and Carroll are racking up major innings played and confidence. The way this team is currently constructed, I don't think they can win the AL Central mainly due to the inconsistent bullpen and Jeremy Sowers pitching every fifth day. If I were a betting man, I would wager the CC is an Indian for the rest of the season, due to the fact 2 1st rounders may be more valuable than medium grade prospects and Mark Shapiro relationship with Sabathia. They are very close and I believe Mark may still feel he has a chance to resign him (a pipe dream at best.)


Here were some of the Highlights:


Grady Sizemore: 3-12 3 HR's 4 RBI's. Grady is second in the A.L. with 17 homeruns. He is just mashing right now, but I would keep him in the leadoff spot because, well he likes hitting there. Why mess with a good thing?


Jamey Carroll: 5-12. Scrappy Doo is a solid utility guy, I will have to admit. Now I wouldn't keep him as out starting 2nd Baseman for more than a month, but he is playing extremely well.


Shin Soo Choo: 3-10, 3 RBI's. I like Choo as a platoon option in right and DH. He drives the ball pretty wll and has a good approach. I don't think he will ever be an everyday guy, but a very useful 4th outfielder on a contending club.


CC Sabathia: 8 IP, 3 earned runs, 10 K's. The hefty lefty pitched another gem. Every time out he has been outstanding, increasing his trade and free agent value along the way.


Areas of Concern:


Jeremy Sowers: 4 1/3 IP, 9 Hits, 4 earned runs. Now I know he had to sit for like 3 hours during Friday's rain delay, but don't you just have the feeling he is nothing better than an average 5th starter? He is a guy who relies on hitting spots, so when he doesn't, he immediately becomes batting practice. Looking forward to Fausto coming back sooner rather than later.


Edward Mujica: 1 IP, 3 hits, 2 Walks, 5 earned runs. He just plain sucks, always has, always will.


Ben Francisco's Defense: He looked like he was getting better in spring training but he has seemed to regress. He is adequate at best in left, and a total nightmare in right. He sure can mash, though.


Jhonny Peralta's eye commercials: No one will go and get Laser eye suregery at the Cole eye institute of the Cleveland Clinic off of Mr. Peralta's recommendation. He claims he see better than 20/20 now. I would prefer him batting better than .220.


More interleague play for the Tribe as we get to watch Paul Byrd bat tonight! Woo Hoo! He takes on Colorado Rockies' ace Scott Reynolds. At least Scott believes he is an ace.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Tribe Wins Series, Dodge Beanballs

The Indians finally won a 3 game series, beating the Minnesota Twins yesterday 12-2. It was their first since mid-May. Two outstanding pitching performances led to victories, along with an offensive explosion Thursday. Manager Eric Wedge showed some vigor as he exchanged multiple profanities with Twins manager Ron Gardenhire after Andy Marte was hit with a pitch, apparently in retaliation of Alexi Casilla being plunked the inning earlier, which was in retaliation of Jamey Carroll being plunked even earler. The next series with Minnesota will be more interesting than usual. With the rash of injuries plaguing the team, maybe they can come together and win a few. The White Sox were swept by the Tigers, so it shows you that this season is long from over. If I were to tell you names like Haad, Tyner, Elarton, Velandia, Mujica, Snyder, Aubrey, and Bauer would all be on this team before July, you would have probably laughed or punched me in the face. Although the batting order looks downright bleak at the moment, stranger things have happened. You figure some of the hitters are due. If the bullpen can straighten themselves out (they are due too), the Tribe could be .500 before the All-Star break! Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

Here were some of the Highlights:


CC Sabathia: 9 IP, 5 Hits, 0 earned runs, 5 K's. Who said we should trade CC? Continues to prove why he is on of the top pitchers in baseball. Need his consistency more than ever now with Westbrook and Carmona on the shelf


Grady Sizemore: 5-14, 2 HR's, 4 RBI. He is now the greatest threat in the Indians lineup. Can the team afford to keep in the leadoff spot? Time will tell.


Jamey Carroll: 8-9, 2 RBI. Continues to slap base hits around the yard, raised his batting average like 50 points in 2 days.


Areas of Concern:


Paul Byrd: 3 IP, 6 Hits, 5 earned runs, 0 k's. He got absolutely shelled. I sat behind home plate for his last start and the ball Jason Kubel hit for homerun was the loudest crack I have ever heard. It was like a firework going off. Paulie has been pitching good one game, bad the next for a lot of 2008.


Joe Borowski: 1 IP, 2 earned runs. He should really only pitch in save situations, this tends to happen often when Wedge brings him out when the team is losing.


Victor Martinez: Apparently Victor had a bum elbow to go along with his bum hamstring. Why the Indians insist to keep these things quiet is beyond me. If he is hurt, put him on the DL. He may have overcompensated for his early hamstring injury and put too much pressure on his elbows/arms when swinging. I understand he is a "gamer" but we have a capable backup (Shoppach). 80% of Victor as we apparently were watching for most of 2008 is not as good as 100% healthy Victor. Hopefully he will heal and be back sometime in August.


Interleague play starts up again as the San Diego Padres come to town for a three game series. Jody Gerut makes his triumphant return to the NorthCoast, so buy your tickets today!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield to DL: Yamid Haad and Jorge Veladia called up


Who in the heck are Yamid Haad and Jorge Velandia? This just goes to show how injuries can kill a team. Haad is 30 a career backup, and currently batting .159 in Buffalo and Veladia, a 33 year old career minor leaguer was picked up in April after the Toronto Blue Jays cut him. Jorge was batting a crisp .235. Victor may be out awhile, and Barfield just got some bad luck. I can't wait to watch the double play combo of Velandia to Carroll! Did 2007 really happen?

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Down on the Farm Report: Chris Gimenez


Chris Gimenez has been one of the many shinning stars currently playing down I-77 for the Akron Aeros. This converted catcher is putting up huge offensive numbers, batting .309 (with an eye-popping .472 On Base Percentage), 4 Homeruns and 18 RBI in 46 games played. If he continues to get on base at his current pace, look to see him up at some point with the big club in 2009.


Gimenez was drafted in the 19th round of the 2004 Draft out of the University of Nevada, where he played all over the diamond. Indians Director of Player Development Ross Atkins has raved about this prospect, saying he is a natural leader who takes charge in the clubhouse. Atkins also stated that Chris is currently one of the most productive minor league bat in the system. At 6'2, 200 lbs, he is an extremely durable player who has been transitioning to the catching position pretty well.


The Akron starting staff has been up and down (with David Huff and Ryan Edell being the "up"), but the coaching staff has still allowed Gimenez to call 100% of his pitches. Roving catching instructor Tim Laker has been working with him often, even utilizing a catching machine that delivers real live pitches (Fastballs, Curves, etc) as if it were a live game. Atkins stated that he still needs to be consistent throwing down to second in order to control the running game.


Chris Gimenez has raked at every minor league level. Through 2007 (387 games), he has amassed 60 HR's and compiled a .374 OBP. With Victor Martinez possibly eventually being moved over to first, I believe Gimenez may be a guy who may not be the best defensive catcher, but provide a bat this team and system is in dire need of.


Note* The majority of this articles' information was researched from Cleveland Indians Minor League Insider, and you can find even more about Gimenez here.

Tribe Splits with Tigers


You win one, you lose one. That has been the theme of the Tribe for about one month. The Indians latest series split with the Tigers was nothing spectacular, just the same old story that has been told all season long. Spotty hitting and a shotty bullpen has been popping up all year long. The total self-destruction of Dontrelle Willis also aided in the series split, as he was downright horrible Monday. The Tribe again attempts to win its second game in a row since May 15th.


Here were some of the Highlights:


Ryan Garko: 3-12, 2 HR, 7 RBI. At least someone in the order is driving in some runs finally.


Shin Soo Choo: 3-7. I like his bat, his defense is not too great. His best fit is as a platoon player.


Paul Byrd: 7 IP 4 Hits, 2 earned runs, 0 Walks, 2 K's. Paulie is a gamer.


Cliff Lee: 5 IP, 6 Hits, 2 earned runs, 2 Walks, 5 K's. Cliff is now 10-1 and one of the few bright spots on this team.


Franklin Gutierrez: Made an unbelievable catch on Sunday to save Betancourt from serving up yet another homerun. His defense is outstanding, but his bat seems to be just average.


Areas of Concern:


Rafael Betancourt: (Saturday) 1 IP, 4 earned runs, 1 Grand Slam. Killed the potential winning streak Saturday, I sure miss the 2007 version of Raffey. CONQUEST!!!


Ben Francisco: 1-14 4 K's. Benny cooled off considerably over the weekend, as did the rest of the offense. Has real trouble with the outside fastball. If he can start seeing and taking that pitch the other way, he could be even more dangerous.


Jeremy Sowers: 4 IP, 7 Hits, 5 earned runs, 2 Walks, 2 K's. Never had any flow to the game, his long 7 day layoff from his previous start in Buffalo may have got to him.


2008 Season: Slowly slipping away as the Indians are 8 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox.


The Minnesota Twins invade Progressive Field Tuesday as Scott Baker takes on CC Sabathia.

Monday, June 9, 2008

J-Barf all smiles while slumping Drubal sent down.


Josh Barfield was probably the happiest man in the Tribe dugout today as he finally is back with the big club after a little over two months in Triple A Buffalo. He didn't really improve on his problem areas (too many K's, not many walks) but Asdrubal Cabrera has been downright inept at the plate. Wedge loved having him on the roster with due to his superior glove, but his at bats were not improving. Hopefully Cabrera will be back soon as currently the only back-up for Peralta at shortstop is Jamey Carroll and that is not a good sign. With Andy Marte entrenched on the bench, we will see if J-Barf can finally develop into the talent the Indians brass projected him to be.

Sowers Called Up, Slocum sent down, Tribe loses again.


The Indians lost Sunday 5-2 to Detroit. As it stands today, they are currently 8 1/2 games out of first place and 7 games under .500. Barring a miraculous winning streak, the 2008 version of the Cleveland Indians looks about done. With all of their major extension signings on the DL (Westbrook, Carmona, Hafner), the starting staff looking vulnerable, the bullpen crapping the bed, and the offense mired in a season long slump sans one four-day stretch in Texas, it is becoming increasingly painful to watch them play day in and day out.


The papers today are pondering the question of whether or not to trade CC Sabathia. I say might as well, it would be better than letting him walk in 2009 and he has more value now than at the trading deadline (July 31st). I would consider hanging onto and then resigning Paul Byrd next year if he is looking for a modest 1 year deal with a club option (like $4-5 million per season). Although he does have the propensity to allow the big innings, the guy is a workhorse and really enjoys being an Indian. As a 5th starter I cannot think of better guy to have on this club.


The Indians future is still somewhat bright, but this is the time for GM Mark Shapiro to make some key decisions. His free agent track record has been sub par, so trades have been one of his only avenues of player acquisition success. We fans need something to talk about concerning the Tribe, or the next 2 months will be extra long until Training Camp begins for the Cleveland Browns.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Texas-Sized Split


Just when you think the Indians potentially may string together a few wins... they don't. While hitting in The Ballpark in Arlington is similar to hitting at Softball World, at least the offense got going a bit. I will give the rotation a pass for the past 4 games as it must be extremely difficult to pitch there, but the bullpen is an utter mess. 11 pitchers have been used in relief and a total of zero of them have been consistent. General Manager Mark Shapiro laments the fact that bullpens are volatile, and he has never been more correct. If the Tribe's relievers were even average, this team would be over .500 and probably tied for first place.


This team is now at a crossroads. There are 102 games left in the season, so I would say the next 20 games will tell the tale of how management proceeds the rest of the season. If they tank, I say deal CC Sabathia when you have a chance to get value for him. Now I realize that they probably won't deal CC since Carmona and Westbrook are on the DL, but might as well try and build for 2009 while maybe pulling together something for the rest of 2008. If the Tribe can string any type of winning streak together over 4 games, they are immediately back in the race. I personally don't feel to encouraged right now, and here is why:


  • Victor is obviously hurt and not the same player. Just end his misery and place him on the DL.

  • No meat in the middle of the order. Garko had a great series, but he is not a clean-up hitter. The Indians have no legitimate middle of the order hitters.

  • Jhonny Peralta's inconsistency at the plate has been excruciating to watch. He flails away at the high fastball, waves at curveballs in the dirt, and has actually less range in the field than he did last year. I wrote back in early April that Jhonny was destined for a breakout year, boy was I wrong.

  • Injuries to Carmona, Westbrook and the myth Adam Miller has quickly dwindled the teams pitching depth. One more injury to the starting staff and guys like Jeff Harris and Matt Ginter are in discussions about starting. EESSHH.

  • Travis Hafner is also on the DL and hopefully he is searching for his stroke because it is gone. Along with Sizemore and Martinez, he is vital to the success to this team. Without him performing at least average, the Tribe has struggled mightily.

  • Guys like Blake/Dellucci/Carroll/Choo/Gutierrez/Cabrera have to over perform to make this team a contender, and they have not. This team lacks punch, and besides a few great single game feats of strengths, these guys have all collectively been well below mediocre.

  • The Bullpen as I stated before is awful. Nothing deflates a team more than the blown save, and this squad, (especially Betancourt) has blown a bunch. Names such as Bauer, Mujica, Elarton, and Slocum do not strike fear into the hearts of opposing batters, (all of which are actually sitting out in the pen). The Wahoos will not go anywhere this season without a decent bullpen, and that is looking less likely game by game.

The team did hit the past four days sans a 15 batter stretch Thursday. No lead is safe in that park, so with the Rangers pitching looking pretty terrible, I assume they will not be a contender in the AL West.


Here were some of the Highlights:


Ryan Garko: 11-20, 6 runs, 7 RBI's. The singles machine sure got some confidence back over the past 4 days. If he can consistently bat around .300 it will help this team immensely.


Ben Francisco: 9-20 HR, 5 RBI. One of the few consistent hitters on this team. Had some pretty bad at bats Thursday, but everyone is entitled to bad days. Will play everyday in this lineup as long as he continues to hit.


Casey Blake: 6-18, 2 HR 8 RBI's (7 in one game). Casey had a great Tuesday, would love to see him in a super sub roll instead of an everyday player.


David Dellucci: 6-10, 2 HR, 7 RBI's. Double D raked in his former ballpark, which was nice.


Areas of Concern:


Victor Martinez: 4-15, 5 RBI's. Drove in some runs, looks uncomfortable at the plate. I would stick him on the DL, looks like Victor will continue to "grind."


CC Sabathia: 6 IP, 4 earned runs, 9 hits, 3 walks, 8 K's. CC pitched ok but seemed to lose his composure after infield hits and defensive misplays (Choo). Needs to work through these situations and lose his cool.


Rafael Betancourt: (Thursday Game): 2/3 IP 2 hits. 2 walks, 3 earned runs. Has been up and down (mostly down) all year. Apparently he almost went on the DL a few days ago, might be there soon. Mr. Conquest was a main key to this team last year, and his terrible pitching this year is killing them.


Tribe Decision Makers (Shapiro, Wedge, Willis) I understand that the team was in a bind Wednesday with Westbrook going on the DL, but how could they have not known of this potential issue beforehand? Having to start a reliever in a major league game is inexcusable. They basically threw away the game and chalked it up as a loss. The way the Indians have played in 2008, can they really afford to do this? Call up a guy in Akron or Kinston, someone who can pitch more than 2 innings. If it means you may lose an arbitration year or a crappy guy like Elarton, Mujica or Slocum off of the 40 man roster, than so be it. This is not 2007, every game counts now after the proverbial hole they have dug for themselves being 6 games below .500.


I am not ready to kick dirt on the 2008 Wahoos, but am really close. They can't gather any momentum and seem to just float on by series by series. Since sweeping Oakland on May 15th, the team has went 5-14. That just is not going to cut it, even in a division as bad as the AL Central this season. Expectations were huge going into this season, as many pundits (including myself) predicted a World Series appearance. I knew I shouldn't have done it, since the last time I predicted such success was 2006, when the team fell apart. I predicted a 3rd place finish in 2007 which was smart since I wanted to avoid my self-inflicted jinx. This blog and my prediction may have jinxed the 2008 Indians, but who believes in such things? Every time the Tribe has people expecting big things, they fall on their face. I am now predicting the 2009 Cleveland Indians will finish in last place with the worst record in baseball.

Indians Select Infielder Lonnie Chisenhall with First Round Selection


The Cleveland Indians just selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft shortstop/third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall Pitt Comunity College in North Carolina. Only 19, this left handed hitter projects to be a corner outfielder in the majors who has a crisp line drive swing with potential power. He was arrested as a freshman at the University of South Carolina on charges of burglary and grand larceny and was subsequently kicked off of the team. The Indians front office is very thorough in their background checks of players, so they must feel confident that Chisenall's past digressions are now behind him. With the lack of high ceiling position players in the minors, the Tribe was almost forced to go with a bat with this selection. Baseball America ranks him as the 74th top prospect so Shapiro and Company may be reaching here a bit. Minor League Baseball has an excellent write-up on him here, and also check out Cleveland Indians Minor League Insider with up to the minute draft news.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Breaking Blockbuster News: Mastny and Lewis sent down, Brian Slocum and Rick Bauer called up.

Can you believe it? I sure can't. In a move that is sure to change the Indians fortunes, Tom Mastny and Jensen Lewis were sent to Triple A. You cannot really blame Mastny for his performance Tuesday, but he was really, really bad. Lewis was more of an emergency call up as the front office still wants him to sort out his velocity issues. Rick "Jack" Bauer was called up and his minor league stats are impressive (1.55 era, 15 saves). Hopefully it will translate to the majors. Brian Slocum on the other hand has been getting pounded down in Sabres country, posting a 5.44 era in starting duty. Apparently that performances warranted a call up. Slocum is also apparently the clubs barber in Spring Training, so I guess with the way the economy is today, a player with multiple skills is a plus. Either one of these guys (or possibly Elarton or Mujica) will be sent down Sunday when Jeremy Sowers is called up to start. One of the strengths I felt going into 2008 was the bullpen. Boy was I wrong. Watching the army of arms toting the rubber last night gave me flashbacks of Mark Wohlers and Jose Jimenez, which is never a good thing. And by the way, Edward Mujica is horrible. Also, pictured to the right is Brian Slocum, I had no idea what he looked like so here he is!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Westbrook to DL again, Lewis back up, Mastny to start tonight


Jake Westbrook is being placed on the 15 day DL for the second time this year tomorrow with elbow issues. Jensen Lewis has been recalled, and Tom Mastny will start tonight in Texas. With the Rangers starting a minor league pitcher due to Vincente Padillas' family issues and the Tribe going with the pen, the score may resemble a beer league softball game. That puts three key guys on the Disabled List (Carmona, Hafner, Westbrook), and another hobbled (Martinez). They won yesterday, so let's make it two in a row for the first time in three weeks!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Mastny up, Aubrey down.


Tom Mastny has been recalled by the Cleveland Indians, and First Baseman Michael Aubrey has been sent to Buffalo. I understand sending Aubrey down because he has struggled for a week (along with the rest of the team), but bringing up a pitcher? I guess it really does not matter, but carrying 12 pitchers on a team who can't hit is kind of ridiculous. Another blockbuter move by the Wahoos.

Royal Rubbish

The Cleveland Indians have lost their fifth series in a row Sunday by losing to the hapless Kansas City Royals Sunday 6-1. Paul Byrd pitched terrible, the team continues not to hit, and the Tribe is barely even watchable. Apparently Manager Eric Wedge believes this team is close to coming out of it, but I have no idea how that is possible. The middle of the lineup looks pathetic, and the team collectively looks like they are going through the motions. Will they make a trade? Probably not until July, and unfortunately that will probably to dump CC. I predicted a successful May for the Indians, and I was way off. Oh well, better to be an optimist.

Here were some of the Highlights:

Grady Sizemore: 3 Homeruns, drove in 4 of the 8 runners who scored over the weekend. He single-handedly won the game Friday with his 2 homeruns and amazing catch to end the game. Only player on the team that strikes any fear within the lineup.

Areas of Concern:

Starting Pitching: Was less than stellar over the weekend. If they struggle at all, more losses will occur due to the utter crappiness of the hitting.

Hitting: What can possibly be said that hasn't been rehashed? They suck.

Victor Martinez: Wedge said yesterday that Martinez is still nursing a sore hamstring for TWO MONTHS! Great job by the Indians brass covering up these injuries, we could never figure it out. The guy has 0 homeruns and bats cleanup. Stick him on the DL so we don't have to watch him struggle anymore.

Cleveland travels to Arlington today to take on the Texas Rangers for 4 games. Aaron Laffey takes on Vincente Padilla. The beat goes on.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Pronk to DL, Choo to the Rescue

Friday the Indians placed Designated Hitter Travis Hafner on the 15 day DL with a shoulder injury. Hafner should be out for at least a month due to interleague play coming up in the middle of the month. This is the best case scenario for Hafner, as he has struggled all year. Hopefully he can heal and straighten out these massive batting struggles. Shin Soo Choo is back, and will be added to the various platoons going on throughout the lineup. We will get to see what type of hitter he is as he will be used 3 or 4 times a week. With Victor Martinez continuing his own personal power outage, the middle of the lineup looks bleak. Still the team is only 5 games out, so who knows.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Tales from the Teepee Volume 8: Alex Cole

With the Cleveland Indians of 2008 in desperate need of a true leadoff hitter, (Grady should be batting third), we decided to go back 18 years and look at who the Tribe felt would be their leadoff hitter for the next decade.

The year was 1990, and the John McNamara led Cleveland Indians were in need of a spark. Hank Peters had noticed that the St. Louis Cardinals possessed a slick fielding speedy outfielder who sported motorcycle goggles. With Mitch Webster not exactly tearing the cover off of the ball, the Indians went ahead and traded catching prospect Tom Lampkin for Centerfielder Alex Cole.
When Cole arrived in Cleveland, he was immediately put into the leadoff spot during a double header against the New York Yankees on July 27th. He went a combined 3-8 and stole his first base off of pitcher Jeff Robinson. That was the first of 40 stolen bases he would accrue over the next 63 games, a staggering feat. Just one week later he would set a Major League record by stealing 5 bases against the lollypop arm of Kansas City Royals catcher Mike MacFarlane. He ended the season batting .300 and driving in 13 runs. As an 11 year old back then, he instantly became my favorite player and I waited over 2 hours to get his autograph at a local baseball card shop that summer.

The Front Office was so excited about this projected future phenom patrolling center field for years to come they immediately moved back and increased the height of the center field wall in old Cleveland Municipal Stadium for the 1991 season. This was done to apparently maximize Cole's range and potential gap hit opportunities. Alex Cole was subsequently caught stealing 17 times that year and never showed his gold glove potential. The wall experiment didn't work as the Indians finished a dismal 57-105 and John McNamara was fired in the middle of the season. Murray Chass wrote about Cole's struggles in the New York Times on July 28, 1991. Here is what he said;
Alex Cole of Cleveland has posed this season's greatest stolen-base puzzle. As a rookie last season, starting a year ago yesterday, he had 40 stolen bases in 49 attempts in only 63 games. This season, he got his 12th stolen base last Thursday night in his 64th game, and he has been thrown out 12 times.
Ironically, Cole's performance in 1990 was pivotal in prompting the power-poor Indians to move back the Cleveland Stadium fences. They figured they would win with speed, primarily Cole's.

"I think it goes back to spring training when Alex fell coming out of the batter's box and dislocated his shoulder," Mike Hargrove, the Indians' manager, said, trying to explain the outfielder's enigmatic effort. "He's been tentative as a baserunner since. He's been hesitant about sliding headfirst, especially going back into first base. It's made him more cautious. He's not aggressive, and he doesn't get a good jump like he did."

Cole, Hargrove added, has played "like he doesn't want to make a mistake" and that, too, has made him cautious. "We did some things to calm his fears," the manager said. "We said if we make mistakes on bases, do it on the base ahead and not on the base behind. Go out and put pressure on the other team. We've let him know that no one's going to shoot him for being thrown out. No one's ever given him that idea. It's just a perceived notion of his that he's under pressure not to make mistakes."

Even though he has tried to steal only 24 times, Cole ranks second in the American League in number of times caught.
It was the beginning of the end for Alex Cole in a Tribe uniform, as he was traded on July 4th, 1992 to the Pittsburgh Pirates for minor leaguer Tony Mitchell to give way to former University of Arizona point guard Kenny Lofton. Cole bounced around the majors the next 4 1/2 years with the Pirates, expansion Rockies, Twins and Red Sox. He was out of the league after the 1996, while bouncing around the minors a few years after that. Unfortunately this is not where the Alex Cole story ends.
In 2002 he plead guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin and served 18 months in jail. Four years later, a judgment in excess of $30,000.00 was entered against him for running up credit card bills under a friend's name and then not repaying them (i.e. stealing money).

I prefer to remember Alex Cole as I did 18 years ago, as a speedy centerfielder with the cool goggles. There wasn't much to root for with the Wahoos back then, and he provided hope for a prosperous future. Hopefully the current Indians regime can find a spark plug that they can stick at the top of the order to set the table so we don't have to suffer through anymore disappointing summers.