Wahoo Week of Wonderings

The Indians have have made a whole bunch of news over the past 7 days. Games were won, trades were made, and the real possibility of two Indians All-Stars donning other MLB uniforms after July 31st is a real possibility. Here now is the week that was...

With the chase for the playoffs long gone in the rear-view mirror, the Indians have put together a nice little winning streak. They have won 5 games in a row going into tonight's game with a sweep of the Mariners mixed in. The keys to the club's longest winning streak of the season has been the contribution of the starting staff and the offense. Cliff Lee's greatness, a sprinkle of solid starts from Jeremy Sowers and Aaron Laffey, and an offensive hot streak sparked by Jhonny Peralta have keyed the success of the Tribe. Apparently trades and innuendos have little effect on this club. Also, winning like they have on the road is interesting since their performance at Progressive Field has been less than stellar this season. The bullpen hasn't been bad either, adding to the makings of a solid baseball team. The 2009 season will be analyzed at length at its conclusion, from the GM, to the manager, to the mental psyche of the whole club. I don't think anyone has a clue what the answers to the early season stuggles are, but it is beginning to look like there are the same issues come the second half of the season for some unexplained reason.

Rafael Betancourt was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Class A right-hander Connor Graham. Graham, a traitor who grew up in Bowling Green, Ohio but chose the khaki pants and sweater vests of Miami, OH, is 6'7, 235 lbs and rated the 12th best prospect in the Rockies system by Baseball America. Here is a quick blurb from Mark Shapiro...

Graham is headed to Double-A Akron. Here's Mark Shapiro: "Strike zone command is his area of development, clearly. But he's a guy who has power stuff. Pitching prospect depth is our

greatest area of need."

My fondest memory of Raffy Right will always be him jumping into the arms of Victor Martinez after beating the Oakland A's to cling the Central Division crown. He also entered games to this, which was always entertaining. He posted a 3.25 career ERA for the Tribe over seven seasons, pretty much being a mainstay in the bullpen. Betancourt may have took awhile on the mound and touched his cap a few times, but he was one of the best relievers in Indians history.

Ryan Garko was traded Monday to the San Francisco Giants for minor league lefty Scott Barnes.

The 21-year-old Barnes is 12-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 18 starts for Class A San Jose in the California League. He leads the league in wins, is second in ERA and his 99 strikeouts are tied for ninth overall. Barnes was an eight-round Draft pick in 2008 out of St. John's University. He is listed at 6-foot-4, 185 pounds. Baseball America named him the ninth-best prospect in the Giants' system before this season.

Garko was a solid contributor to the ballclub since 2006. Prone to the more than occasional cold streaks, Gark was a high on base guy who could almost carry a club for a few weeks but look terribly lost (knee hitting the dirt on swings) when he was going bad. Ryan constantly had to prove himself to Manager Eric Wedge, and seemed to do so just in time for him to get traded. He compiled a lifetime .283 batting average and .355 OBP for the Tribe over 4 years, but showed too little pop in his bat to man first base consitently. He tore up 2006 when he was called up, capitalizing on Travis Hafner ending the season on the disabled list. But in 2007, Wedge relegated him to the bench for the first few months in favor of Casey Blake at first when Blake was better suited and needed in the outfield (see Michaelucci). After a solid 2007, Garko stuggled for most of 2008, sans a huge hot streak in September catipulting his stats to level really indicative of his performance.

2009 brought on the experiment of finding time for him elsewhere around the diamond, which meant to even Garko's surprise, the outfield. That experiment worked out horribly, as the 12 games he was forced to play out there to maintain his "position flexibility" was a disaster. Garko to the outfield was also thought up to get both his and Kelly Shoppach's bat in the lineup, and we all know how that went (currently hitting .199). He got a bad rap for being a terrible 1st baseman (when he started off as a catcher), but I thought he was actually getting more comfortable and developing into a solid fielder. Wedge really jerked around with this good natured, good clubhouse guy. Not that I think the Indians trading him was a bad move or that I think he is the long term solution, but the organization always thought they had a betteri internal option than Ryan Garko, and they didn't. I will remember Garko for his great interviews, big smiles, clutch hitting (.314 batting average in 39 post season plate appearances) and solid effort. Here's to raising a Budweiser to ole' Ryan!

As for all of the Trade talk, it is really hard to speculate. Trading Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez raises the white flag on 2010 and really kind of alienates the fan base. If they keep just one, I would bet it to be Cliff Lee as you just can't replace an ace starter, where internal options, although not proven, seem to be more plentiful in the organization at the 1B/C slot. We will just have to wait until Friday and see.

The Indians also acquired reliever Jess Todd as the player to be named later in the Mark DeRosa trade. Todd led the Cardinals Triple A squad with 24 saves and adds to hopefully the increasing depth of relievers in the minors.

The return of Andy Marte happened Tuesday, and as hard as Tribe Times has been on Ole Andy, he deserved the call-up. Marte, once considered the organization's third baseman of the future, has risen from the ashes of the waiver wire. The Indians removed him from their 40-man roster during Spring Training, and he went unclaimed on waivers before being reassigned to Triple-A. All he's done since is rake, to the tune of a .327 average with 24 doubles, one triple, 18 homers and 66 RBIs in 82 games with the Clippers. Who knows if he can translate that success to the big leagues, but it would make for a great story as he is still only 25 years old. He will play mostly first base with the occasional hot corner mixed in.

Jhonny Peralta just smoked another homerun to put the Indians on top of the Angels 4-3 in the fifth. It will be interesting to see if our Wahoos can keep up their solid play and be worth watching for the last two months of the season

Eyes wide shut

Not much but more losing has been happening for the Tribe lately, so sorry about the lack of posts. I just started a new job last week and will need to budget my time better to post for the site. The Indians have also made it difficult due to the fact that they stink and are muddling through the season with very few changes. Losing 3 out of 4 to the Mariners is more of the same for the team, as the offense looks as lifeless as the pitching. Most of the Indians's potential moves (Trade of Lee, Martinez, Garko, Peralta) has been discussed at nausea here and various other sites. Until a deal is made or some younger prospects (we all know the names) are called up, the season has become a giant yawn. Cliff Lee's starts are about all that is worth watching anymore, and he will probably be dealt within a year. Personally, I try and catch a few innings when I can, but as a diehard fan, I even have trouble watching this debacle of a season.

I went to the game Saturday and it was just really boring to watch. Between Martinez and Choo struggling and Hafner being a shell of his former self, it is just frustrating to watch. Even though old Tomo pitched well, he is not an option for 2010 and should not be on this roster any longer. Let's see what talent the Indians can build on for the next 70 this season to see if contenting in 2010 is a reality. So from now on, look for posts revolving more around prospects, transactions, and overall synopsises rather than series recaps. I look forward to Shapiro and company moving forward with some minor league talent rather than watching guys like Garko, Francisco, and Shoppach being "showcased."

Trade Cliff Lee Today

After the Tribe dropped another lifeless loss to the Tigers Friday, I have come to the conclusion that Cliff Lee needs to be moved this season. He is getting more frustrated everyday with this team and we all know that he is a hot head. Here are his comments after yesterday's defeat...

Brandon Inge and Magglio Ordonez started the second with singles. Gerald Laird sent a fly toward the right-field corner that Garko dove for and missed. Inge scored, Ordonez went to third and Laird pulled into second for a double.

Asked if he felt the ball should have been caught, Lee said, "Do you? I don't pass judgment on that. I throw the pitches. Where it goes it goes. It's not up to me to move the outfielders or infielders. All I do is pitch.
Duane Burleson/Associated PressA frustrated Travis Hafner reacts to his harmless fly ball to left field in the eighth inning against Detroit reliever Bobby Seay. Trailing 3-1 at the time, Hafner's fly out left three runners on base."It did seem like it was in the air a long time. I don't know if they had him shaded the other way or what. You'd have to ask him or Wedgie."

It isn't Garko's fault that he is being forced to play in the outfield. He should never play out their again, ever. Lee is frustrated, just like everyone else about his run support and this lost season. He needs to keep to himself about his views and not throw his teammates under the bus.

Since 2009 is over and 2010 looks like it won't be much better, I say trade Cliff Lee to the San Francisco Giants. Package Lee with his buddy Garko (Giants always in need for hitting) to the Giants for the no-hit wonder Jonathan Sanchez, their #1 Prospect Madison Bumgarner (who looks like the real deal), and a few more prospects. Sanchez is a bit older (will turn 27 in November) and walks a lot of guys, but he is a pitcher who can be slotted immediately into the rotation. He struck out 11 batters Friday with zero walks, missing out on a perfect game by one error. Bumgarner is a 20 year old stud who's ERA is under 2 and rarely walks anyone, and if you look at the Giants track record, they know a little about starting pitching. If San Francisco acquired Lee, their rotation would be Lincecum/Cain/Lee/Zito/Big Unit, instantly becoming the best in baseball.

Who knows if this is even being discussed, but the Indians should be really targeting the Giants as a potential trade partner. The Bumgarner kid may be a few years away, but he is exactly what the system needs, an ace in the making.

The Beat Goes On

The Indians head to Detroit today for their last three games before the All-Star break. The two teams could not be any more opposite. Both came into 2009 looking to rebound from a disappointing previous season, but the Tigers were able to stabilize their shaky bullpen and have to stud pitchers anchor their rotation, while improving their defense and team chemistry which has led them to first place in the Central Division. The Tribe has had a lousy starting staff and a horrendous bullpen to go along with shaky defense to position themselves last in a mediocre division. There really isn't much left to say about this team that hasn't already been said. I imagine the Indians will go on a bit of a run in the second half as they always do, taunting the fans with solid baseball. Oh, and they also dropped 2 of 3 against the White Sox, playing horribly in the first two games. Until guys like Brantley, LaPorta, Brown, and Rondon are added to the roster, the season has little left to be excited about. It really can put a damper on a summer when your favorite team is out of it by June, but life does go on. On with the randomness...

• Aaron Laffey looked ok in his start Tuesday, I anticipate him getting better as the season slugs along.


• Does anyone really think they will be able to trade Carl Pavano? I don't, even if he strings together more solid starts.


• They better try Sowers in the bullpen at some point this season because he is out of options in 2010.


• Ryan Garko has played the outfield 6 times this season when David Huff pitches. Give Huff a break already.


• Speaking of Garko, I like the guy but he has no place left on this team. I anticipate the Indians moving him sometime this July.


• Wedge needs to let Luis Valbuena bat once in awhile against lefties. We know what Jamey Carroll is, we don't yet know about Valbuena.


• I really like Tony Sipp and believe he will help stabilize the bullpen.

Jeremy Sowers was sent back to Columbus while Rafael Betancourt was brought back. The Indians still have 13 pitchers on the roster, which is amazing because most of them stink. It will be interesting to see if they make any changes at the All-Star break, because the Indians are losing the interest of the diehard fans (including me).

Frowns Town: Tribe loses another series

More of the same from the Sons of Geronimo, as the Indians lost 2 out of three to the Reds. The series started off so well, with a 9-2 thumping Friday. Saturday and Sundays performances were a giant yawn with Cincinnati dominating their cross state rivals. If you want to relive this awful year, read this great article, it pretty much sums up everything. More random thoughts from a lost season.

• Just when you think Jeremy Sowers is dead an buried, he throws 7 shutout innings? I can't figure him out at all, but he probably has a place somewhere in the Indians bullpen potentially in 2010 as a long reliever.
• Tomo Ohka needs to be back in Columbus where he belongs.

David Huff's performance Sunday was a bit of a disappointment. I was sure he had settled into a groove, due to him stringing together some very good starts. Hopefully it is just a blip on the radar because the Tribe really need him the rest of this year and next.

• My new favorite Indian Luis Valbuena is in a huge slump (1-22 i think). He needs a day off, but should still get a chance to play a ton for this last place club.


• The more I see Garko out in left, the more I realize he is terrible out there, but at least he gives effort and doesn't complain when he is benched for 3-4 days in a row. Garko is a good guy, just probably not an everyday 1st Baseman.


• So long to Mark DeRosa, we hardly knew you. You really didn't have a great glove at 3rd like you were supposed to, but you hit pretty darn well and played everywhere. I wish you the best!

Also, look for newly aquired reliever Chris Perez to be activated today with Josh Barfield riding the long bus back to Columbus.

The White Sox come to town Monday for a 3 game series. Don't miss it, because I am pretty sure most will.

Wedge Watch

After watching the Tribe lose its sixth straight game and blunder away any hope to a surge this season, the Eric Wedge watch is officially on. Is he canned tomorrow? Does he last the season? Who will be his interim replacement? What about 2010? All of these questions are on the minds of Tribe fans today and is only the middle of June. As for the Windy City debacle, well the series was downright pathetic. I was originally planning on going this weekend, but I am sure glad I didn't because eventhough Wrigleyville is a great time, it would have taken a blacked-out bender to recover from these games. Random thoughts as always...

Luis Valbuena is looking more and more like the second baseman of the future.

There is really no way the Indians can trade Cliff Lee. He is literally the only starting pitcher the team has in the organization that could legitimately be in another MLB teams rotation. If he walks after 2010, then shake his hand and wish him luck. At least he gives you a shot to win every fifth day.

The Ben Francisco and Ryan Garko eras in Cleveland are quickly coming to an end.

Tomo Ohka is the 2nd best starter on the staff right now. That is really, really sad.

You can make the excuse that Kerry Wood is underused, but he still has to get it done. He is making 12 million dollars to pitch one inning and win your team a game. Just a joke.

What can be said about the bullpen that hasn't already been said. Nothing. Mike Gosling should not have picked the #20, it may be cursed by this guy.

Victor is in a bit of slump, which does not bode well for the club at all.

You will not see Jeremy Sowers in an Indian uniform in 2010.

If Wedge is canned, I would promote Clippers Manager Torey Lovullo into the interim role (along with his pitching coach Scott Radinsky). No coach on the current staff should even be considered, the team needs a new voice. Give the guy a shot this season with the promise that if he succeeds, he will be strongly considered for 2010 and beyond.

My 2010 Manager.... John Farrell. He is the pitching coach for a great staff in Boston and has plenty of knowledge of the Indians system.

Don't be surprised if Mark Shapiro steps aside either this season or before 2010 and becomes the teams President, allowing Chris Antonetti to take over. They may sound like clones, but I think Antonetti has his own ideas on some ways he would do things differently.

Trevor Crowe needs to be sent down immediately. I really liked what he did in spring training, but I have seen enough of him to know that he is a 4A guy and the Indians have way too many of those kind of players.

Kelly Shoppach may be on his way back to Triple A pretty soon. Being the personal catcher for Cliff Lee can only save your job for so long.

With the club currently 29-43 (most games under .500 all season), and reports that the Manager is possibly out the door, the question out there is who to blame? Let me know in the comments section below. The Wahoos are off to Pittsburgh to hopefully right this sinking ship.

Walking Disaster

The Bullpen walked 14 batters over the 3 game series. These guys (above) can't believe it.

The Indians were swept today by the Milwaukee Brewers in just agonizing fashion, losing 9-8 in 11 innings. The bullpen gave up six runs in six innings. The only guy to not give up a score was Kerry Wood. The Tribe rallied for four in the ninth to tie the game, but Ryan Garko was tagged out after delivering a bases loaded double by rounding second too widely, twisting his ankle, and finally collapsing to the ground in a big heap. Even when the Indians do something good, they manage to look bad doing it. It just adds the misery that has been the first half of the 2009 season, the Season of Bullpen Nightmares.

After Wood's scoreless 9th, the immortal Greg Aquino walked some guys like he usually does, and then a sac fly got home the go ahead run. The Wahoos did get runners on first and second with one out, but Shin Soo Choo struck out in an actual good at bat, and finally Ben Francisco (playing due to Garko's injury) stuck out on a ball slider that would have loaded the bases. The team could have pulled within 5.5 games, but slid back into what they are, a last place team. Now for some random thoughts...

Here is the understatement of the century.. The bullpen blows. Besides Wood, they all stink, every single one of them. 18 runs in the 16 innings they threw in the series. This is probably a good thing that the pen had to pitch so much as it exposes them to what they really are, a bunch of fringe major league jobbers. The Triple A train better be bring back Tony Sipp and possibly Vinnie Chulk (another stiff) because they really really are awful. Just terrible.

Ben Francisco is completely lost and needs to be either sent to Columbus or glued to the bench. Bring up Michael Brantley to play center if Grady is out for an extended time. He can't be any worse than what is currently on this team.

Why not let Kerry Wood throw another inning. I know the "plan" says Wood has had arm trouble and is only to throw one inning, but he only threw 13 pitches. The team only had Greg Aquino left, so you know he is bound to give up a run. Most managers extend the guy, the Indians are too afraid.

Why do the Indians keep babying Travis Hafner? I know they have been saying 2 games, 1 day of rest, but the club is going to play National League ball the next six games and Hafner will have plenty of days to rest his shoulder as he will be limited to pinch hitting duty. At least have him pinch hit for Shoppach, who is also lost.

Trevor Crowe (pictured left) was terrible today. Misplayed 2 balls in center, ran to third base when the ball was hit in front of him and was subsequently thrown out. He is a 4th outfielder at best and is way overmatched. He also seems to be scared to communicate with his fellow fielders (ask Grady Sizemore). Having the pleasure of watching Sizemore man center, (and even Franklin Gutierrez last year), Crowe is average at best.

Jhonny Peralta is a moron. He fielded a ball in the first and had an easy throw to home to get Craig Counsell, and for some reason he went for the out at first. Just a nightmare. How many to the Indians lose by?

Laptop Manager Eric Wedge played Ryan Garko in left and Mark DeRosa in right. Combined with Trevor Crowe-hop, that is a scary outfield alignment. I guess Wedge wanted to rest Choo and have him DH, but Jesus, Ryan Garko? Let him DH and give your pitchers a chance. Garko was nowhere to be seen when Crowe layed out for a ball he had no chance at in the first.Jeremy Sowers and David Huff's 5 inning and fly routines just aren't going to cut it with this Disaster of a bullpen. Coupled with Hot Carl looking how we expected (not good), the starting staff is also at fault for the bad bullpen because they are forced to pitch so much. With Tomo Ohka scheduled to throw Saturday because Pavano has apparently a shoulder injury, but he is fine? OK. Join the club.

Batting Chris Gimenez after Travis Hafner Tuesday was not a good idea Tuesday. The Brewers intentionally walked Pronk twice and Gimenez struck out with the bases loaded and looked overmmatched. I know Wedge is always trying to send messages (benched Peralta that game), but make those mental moves after you look at your lineup and noticed you have Gimenez/Francisco/Barfield as your 7-9, you may have already lost.

The Brewers lineup is really impressive, similar to an American League Club. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are the real deal, and Corey Hart, Matt Gamel, and Casey McGehee will be part of their core for a long time. If they can add a few more starters, Milwaukee will run away with the NL Central.

As for positives, I really like the way Luis Valbuena plays the game. He makes hard outs, works the count, and plays a great shortstop. This kid is definitely a player to watch.

Martinez/DeRosa/Choo are all saving the offense. Batting DeRo second is actually a very good move by Wedge because it at least gets the best hitters up to bat more often. Besides those three, the lineup is not good at all (Hafner does not count yet).

These past three games were some of the worst baseball I have seen the Indians play in a long time. Monday's debacle just led to more ugly things to come. It will be practically impossible, as bad as the AL Central is, for the Tribe to stay competitive if their pitching continues to be this bad.

Thank God Cliff Lee pitches Friday at Wrigley to hopefully save this team from slipping into the depths of sucktitude.

29-39, 10 games under .500. Instead of being 3 games back in the win column behind Detroit, they are in sole possession of last place in the worst division in baseball. I am now going to bang my head against my keyboard

Lee Masters Cardinals, Tribe wins Season-Best 3rd Series in a Row

Cliff Lee successfully no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals for 7 innings Sunday, bringing the Indians to within 6 games of the first place Detroit Tigers. Lee was utterly brilliant, using just 93 pitches (70 strikes) to dispose of the redbirds while cooling off the red-hot Albert Pujols (0-3, BB). Even more amazing, Lee threw first pitch strikes to 26 of the 32 batters he faced. He stuck out six, gave up three hits and 2 walks while shutting out St. Louis, lowering his ERA to 2.88. I didn't even realize that he was flirting with the no-no until the 6th when the crowd began to cheer louder after each out. Clifton really has solidified his place among baseball's elite, proving that his 2008 Cy Young campaign was no fluke. His starts have vaulted into the category of must-see events, hopefully getting him onto the All-Star team despite his 4-6 record that is definitely not his fault. Here are some of the highlights below...



The bats were not really around for the past 2 games, scoring just four runs total over Saturday and Sunday. I would say that the lineup is finally settling down, with Jhonny Peralta seemingly positioned to man the hot corner most of the time. Luis Valbuena has been outstanding in the field at short, but his bat has not progressed as quickly. He has been getting robbed of hits a bunch over the past week. Wedge said that he plans to stick with him.

Kelly Shoppach needs to be given some major credit in the starting staffs' revival. He is currently the personal catcher for Lee, Carl Pavano, and lately David Huff. All seem to be really comfortable with him behind the dish. Shoppach has struggled at the plate lately, but went 2-3 with a homer and a double Sunday. The offense may look a little weaker with Valbuena and Shoppach in the 8 and 9 hole, but the defense and game managing more than makes up for it. When Asdrubal and Grady comeback hopefully soon, look for Valbuena to platoon with Jamey Carroll and Shoppach to play at least 5-6 days a week. These moves will definitely cut into the regular playing time (with DeRosa your Left Fielder) of Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco, which really isn't a bad thing.

The Milwaukee Brewers come to town Monday for a 3 game series. Here are the pitching matchups...

David Bush vs. Carl Pavano Monday
Yvonni Gallardo vs. Jeremy Sowers Tuesday

Jeff Suppan vs. David Huff Wednesday

The Tribe has a real shot to get back in this the way the schedule is shaping up with 12 of their next 18 games at home with a short 6 game roadtrip covering just Chicago and Pittsburgh. If they can get to 4 or less games back by the All-Star break (when the team should be at full strength) this season just get a bit more interesting.

2009 MLB Draft: Who should the Tribe Take? (Drew Storen)

With the anticipation growing for Tuesday's MLB 2009 Draft (not really), it will be interesting to see which way the Cleveland Indians go. The consensus can't miss, once in a lifetime stud $50 million dollar Scott Boras client, San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be going #1 to the Washington Nationals. After that (as always) the draft is a crapshoot, basically revolving on projections, signability concerns, and internal organizational strengths. I have narrowed the Indians choices down to 5 possible picks at their slot at 15, and am almost positive I will be wrong. 4 college pitchers and one high school hurler round out the list, mainly because the Indians are in desperate need for polished young arms that can move through the system quickly (hence the college choices.) Most of them have mid 90's fastballs which is also important because the bulk of their current farm talent are location guys. Finally, some of these guys project to be relievers, a position that is definitely a gaping hole of a problem in the Cleveland system.


After pouring over hours of college and high school film, ripping up 7 mock drafts, and downing a case of Red Bull, I have slimmed the Tribe's choices down to this collection of arms. Here goes, the fab 5 for 2009 of guys most people have never heard of.

Drew Storen: (pictured top left) High character citizen, current Stanford Cardinal closer. Indians have a tendency to draft guys from his school (Ryan Garko, Jeremy Guthrie, and Cord Phelps last year). Could move through the system quickly. Scouts and Coaches alike have raved about him..

"That kid is everything that is right about college baseball," Georgia coach David Perno said shortly after his Bulldogs faced Storen in last year's College World Series. "He handles himself the right way, he's a great student and he throws bullets. Those are the guys you build programs around."

Because of Storen's advanced age (he turned 21 in September), the Indiana native is a rare draft-eligible sophomore. So when scouts got a gander of his early-season numbers, he rocketed to the top of most midseason draft-projection lists as the best reliever available, outdistancing Arizona's much-hyped Jason Stoffel.

"Storen could be in the big leagues by the end of the season," one MLB scout said. "His fastball was always good, but now it's popping. His curve may even be better than his fastball, but more importantly, he's learned how to use the two together. He's a pitcher now."
An informal poll of big league talent personnel produces as much praise for how well Storen carries himself off the mound as how he hurls pitches from it, a longtime trademark of Marquess-coached players. But with Storen, the mixture of brain and brawn is particularly attractive. There are plenty of smart players and there are plenty of guys with a closer's death-to-the-hitter mentality. Rarely do the two come in the same package.

Storen has the stuff to be a starter and it's not unheard of for a team to take a college closer and let him start as a pro. That being said, there's a reason Stanford has him in the bullpen ... his command hasn't always been sharp. Even as a short reliever, though, his fastball-curve mix is more than enough to get hitters out, especially from the right side. Good college closers usually get drafted well and Storen should be no exception.

Eric Arnett (pictured below): Indiana University right hander has been scouted heavily by the Tribe and tops his fastball in the mid 90's. At 6'5, 230, he is an imposing prospect.

One of the biggest late risers in the Draft class, Arnett is a big right-hander who put himself into first-round consideration with a breakout junior season. He's got an above-average fastball and a slider that, while inconsistent, could be an out pitch as well. He struggles at times with his release point and arm angle, which hurts the effectiveness of the slider. He's come a long way in a short time, and the lack of track record may make some pause, as will the high pitch counts he had late in the year. But if he can develop an effective offspeed pitch, he's the kind of workhorse who could be a future No. 2 or 3 starter in the big leagues.

Rex Brothers: Lefty with a plus fastball from a small college (Lipscomb U) but tops out at 97 MPH. Here is what the MLB.com scouts say...

Brothers' fastball has been as high as 96, maybe even touching 97 mph. He gets swings-and-misses with it.

Brothers (happily pictured above) was gaining as much "helium" as any pitcher in the draft class as the spring wore on. He'd always been intriguing because of his arm strength that delivers a fastball that can touch 96-97 mph and a pretty good slider. He took a leap up this season, thanks to a better understanding of how to pitch and the ability to find the strike zone more consistently. If that continues throughout the remainder of his season, he'll go off the board in a hurry.

Alex White (pictured below): Solid right-handed college starter with multiple pitches and good size (6'3, 220). Strange throwing motion may give him arm issues. MLB.com analysis below...

White has an above-average fastball and he threw it 89-95 mph. It sat comfortably at around 91 mph. He's got good life, with some tail and hard sink.

White was a top high school prospect in 2006, but went to UNC instead. He's still one of the better arms now, though his performance in the spring has been a little uneven. He does have plus stuff with a fastball-slider combination along with the makings of two other pitches. He doesn't always command his fastball that well, but that could be correctable with some mechanical tweaks. With his stuff and his track record, he's likely to go pretty early on Draft Day.

Matt Purke (pictured below): One of the top high school lefties who has 3 solid pitches. 6'3, 180 and has room to grow. May be a tough sign and a project, but has huge potential upside. Seems to be rising across draft boards.


Purke showed velocity a tick above average, sitting at 92-93 mph. He topped out at 95 mph. It has tailing life to the arm side.

When conversations arise about the top prep lefties in the class, Purke is on the short list. With three excellent offerings and command of them, to go along with a projectable frame, Purke's name comes up early and often. There might be a small concern about his durabilty because he's a little too slender, but that won't be enough to keep him from being taken high up on Draft day.

Who knows if any of these guys will be good or not, but my pick is Drew Storen due to the Stanford connection and his attitude and demeanor. MLB Network's coverage starts at six, so be sure to tune in. Ellis Burks and Jason Bere will be there for the Tribe to apparently walk the picks up to some sort of designated podium or write the choices down on little pieces of paper. They also will probably be shown on a telephone shaped like an Indians batting helmet as well. I personally can't wait for all of the excitement

Tribe Sweeps the Rays; The Evil Empire comes to Town

Well maybe that 10 run comeback may have done something to kick start this team into gear. The Indians are playing there best ball of the season, bailing out 2 bad starts and a rain shortened start with excellent bullpen work and timely hitting. Now only 6.5 games back in the Central, the Tribe will be looking to carry their momentum into their tough upcoming 4 game series against the New York Yankees. But first. let's take a look back..

3 Down

• Grady Sizemore must still be playing with a sore elbow, as he DH'd all four games. He went 4-16 with 3 walks, 2 RBI and 3 doubles. The pop still seems to be in his bat, but his swing seems long at times. I imagine they will leave him at DH until Hafner comes back. Some have speculated that it may be a disabled list situation, but I would be surprised if that happened since he still is playing every day.


• Fausto Carmona looks to be quite lost out on the mound. It seems as if the opposing hitters are just letting his slider go by since it is usually below the knees anyways. If he can't spot his fastball, his walks rise and the innings get longer. There must be something wrong with his delivery too as he seems to be unable to repeat it effectively as the opposing team seems to know what he is about to throw each time. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings, allowed 5 earned runs on 3 hits while walking 5 and striking out three. Fausto needs to straighten things out pretty quickly as the rotation is in need of a third starter to depend on.


• Shin Soo Choo's swing is looking longer and more of an uppercut. He did slug one home run, but went 2-16 in the series and may be in need of a day off against a lefty soon. Choo looked this way for a stretch in early April, but I am sure he will straighten things out as his walks are down too. His pitch selection is off right now and that is a major key in his success at the plate.
  

3 Up

• Jeremy Sowers had a huge hand in allowing the Tribe to claw back into the game Monday. He threw 5 shutout innings while allowing only 3 hits and a walk. Sowers earned the right to get another shot at the rotation Monday, so let's hope he can take advantage of it.


• Ryan Garko started all 4 games of the series and really found a groove, going 6-15, with 3 HR's and 7 RBI. Garko is a player who needs regular AB's to develop his groove at the plate and he seems to be doing just that. You may not see him in the lineup tonight (only if Grady goes back to center), but expect Ryan to get at least 5 starts a week if he is hitting like this.


• Ben Francisco had an outstanding series, playing center field and left while absolutely owning Rays pitcher Andy Sonnanstine. B-Franc went 6-13 with a HR and 5 RBI while single-handidly bringing the club back Wednesday. His career stats against Sonnanstine are video game like, going 8-9 with 5 HR and 12 RBI. The former high school team mates (Francisco/Garko) have found a nice little groove over the past week and that is why I imagine Matt LaPorta was sent down in favor of Trevor Crowe playing the role of 4th outfielder.

The pitching matchups for the weekend are as follows:

Friday Lee vs Pettitte Saturday Carmona vs Sabathia Sunday Pavano vs Hughes Monday Sowers vs Chamberlin.

It will be interesting to see the reaction ole' Carston Charles gets in his homecoming return to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. If I was going, I would cheer him initially, then boo him mercilessly then after.

Vic-tastic Victory, Where to go from Here?

The last six days have seen the Tribe go 4-2, lose two pitchers, and score 7 runs in the ninth to win. I honestly can say I turned the game off tonight in order to flip between the Western Conference Finals, Deadliest Catch, and Jon & Kate Plus 8 (I know, just awful) because the last I saw of the Indians they were losing 10-3 as Matt LaPorta grounded into a run scoring double play. It must have been exciting (and gratifying for the Indians team leader Victor Martinez to get the 2 out 2 run hit), and I will catch the replay tomorrow, but I am going to stop short as this is what the team needs to turn this thing around. I have done that way too many times. If for some reason they actually get to .500, then we can discuss momentum shifting games. For tonight, just enjoy, if you stuck with it, a great come from behind win.

As for the current pitching staff, this is how it looks...

Rotation

Cliff Lee

Fausto Carmona

Carl Pavano

?

?

With Anthony Reyes pretty much done for the year and Aaron Laffey on the shelf for 4-6 weeks (Rundles and Sowers were called back up), the starting staff is in a current state of flux. Best buds Cliff and Carl have been solid, but Carmona has been really bad. Whether the organization needs to go back to the drawing board with his delivery or something, he is way too wild and is effectively killing the bullpen even more than they are killing themselves. David Huff may or may not get one of the starts this week as the Tribe has two "undecideds" pitching Wednesday and Thursday. With Jeremy Sowers throwing admirably tonight, he has removed himself from consideration. Hopefully Huff will get a last shot at one, with the outside shot of one Hector Rondon making a spot start for his major league debut. Unfortunately, it will probably be Kirk Saarloos or Tomo Ohka, a scary, scary thought. As for the bullpen...

Luis Vizcaino

Greg Acquino

Matt Herges

Jensen Lewis

Rich Rundles

Rafael Betancourt

Kerry Wood

That just felt awful to type. Herges has been actually ok, but who would have thought he even had a shot to pitch for this team, especially in May. This squad has been better of late, but they collectively are still a giant question mark.

As for the position players, Ryan Garko proved tonight that he needs more PT, and I sure would like to see Matt LaPorta more than 3 times a week. Let's see some more "Mo" out of the Tribe (and the Cavs).

"If you ain't first, you're last."

The Indians are sure in last. They have lost three in a row, are 11 games under .500 and looking worse as the days go by. The bullpen still stinks, their starting pitching overall is average at best, and most of the lineup is under achieving. I really have nothing much else to say about this hapless ball club that lost to a team that had to bat their pitcher in the 3 hole and allowed him to hit a double over your left fielder who should be playing first. Here are some random thoughts...

• Trade Mark DeRosa for some pitching prospect. If Peralta is now your third baseman, no one wants to see this guy learn first base on the job.


• Matt LaPorta and Luis Valbuena need to play 5-6 games a week. This team is lifeless and if the team is going to struggle all year, I would rather see young guys than Dellucci or Carroll.


• Anthony Reyes needs to turn it around soon or he should be out of the rotation.


• Move Grady down in the lineup for his mental well being. Can't hurt.


• Play Garko more than every other day. He is one of the few batters in the lineup who has confidence at the plate.


• Do not trade Victor Martinez, try and sign him to extension and make him a solid part of the future. A deal for V-Mart probably won't happen because of Hafner's long awful contract.

Catching up on some roster moves not posted here because I was having a garage sale, (apparently the Indians have had one in their bullpen) Masa Kobayashi, Tony Sipp and Jeremy Sowers were all sent to Columbus, while Greg Aquino, Luis Vizcaino, and David Huff were added to the major league roster. Huff was unimpressive in his debut (3 3 2/3 Innings, 7 earned runs) as an Indian, but hopefully he can turn it around to add some punch to the big yawn (besides Lee) that is the Tribe rotation. The club limps into Kansas City for a three game roadtrip. UGHHH!!!!

Hafner to DL, Rich Rundles Returns!

Travis Hafner's comeback attempt has been on hold for now, as he was placed on the 15 day DL with shoulder soreness. Pronk has been out of the lineup off and on for the past 4 days. He is off to visit Dr. Death (James Andrews) soon so he can evaluate Hafner's now chronic shoulder condition. Hafner has been pretty solid so far, so hopefully he will be ok and rest is only needed. I am happy the Indians made their decision to DL him early so we weren't forced to watch a 60% healthy player again. Rich Rundles is back, if only for a night as the bullpen was heavily taxed yesterday (7IP 1 ER). He is on the 40 man roster so it was an easy decision. I would imagine everyone's favorite Italian Double-D David Dellucci will be called up to take Hafner's roster spot tomorrow, which is unfortunate. Josh Barfield is an option, but Wedge really doesn't seem to like him very much. Chris Gimenez has an outside shot as well due to his position flexibility, but he is hitting a woefull .137 with 18 K's, not exactly numbers that show promise. Other options that most fans would like to see are Matt Laporta and Luis Valbuena, but the club usually waits until the team is in a really big hole to call up promising rookies. The move opens up more playing time for Ryan Garko, who has been swinging the bat well as of late and getting on base.

Striving for Mediocrity

The Tribe took two out of three from K.C., and salvaged one win over the weekend against the Twins. What does this mean? The Indians are a team in a state of flux. It seems that they can't put any sort of solid baseball together over the stretch of a few games. The starting pitching has been much better over the 6 games, but the hitting has been basically non existent. It will be interesting to see what will happen against Boston and see if the team can turn their game up a notch as the Red Sox are riding a ten game win streak. The weather can't be an excuse this April as it has been gorgeous the past 4 days. More Random Thoughts:

• Tony Sipp was definitely the player of the game yesterday and hit 94 MPH on the gun. I liked his energy coming off the mound after striking out both Morneau and Kubel with the bases loaded. Could be a big add to the pen.


• Another Tony (Graffanino) needs to be sent packing. He is old, slow, and can't hit. If Wedge starts him again I may vomit.


• The last Tony (Anthony Reyes) reminds me of Paul Byrd in that he is an soft tossing escape artist on the mound. If he limits his walks and pitches 6 innings a start, I will be satisfied.


• Masa? More like "No Mas!"


• Asdrubal is just raking right now and it is a good sign that Wedge put him in the number 2 hole. Guys with and OBP above .400 should not be hitting last on a team that struggles to score runs.


• I would play Garko more in Right Field if Choo wasn't so terrible in left.


• Peralta looks more awful than he usually does in April. His vision is still quite good , though.


• Jensen Lewis' season is best described by this picture.


• Matt LaPorta is hitting over .400 in Columbus while Ben Francisco and Trevor Crowe make up a below average platoon out in left. The Indians need to forget all of the Super 2 shenanigans and not worry about his 6th year of arbitration. The guy has 5 dingers and is ripping up AAA. Call him up now, it immediately makes your lineup that much stronger, especially with the Manager resting Hafner so often.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes on Cliff Lee tonight as the Indians, 19 games in, have still yet to string 2 consecutive wins together.

Opening Day is Here!

With the snow falling in Cleveland, thankfully the Tribe is out in Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers. Now we all have read about a million predictions about our beloved Indians, so make mine number one million and one. The Cleveland Indians will go 90-72 and win the American League Central. Here are the rest of how the A.L will shake out.

East

Red Sox 97-55

Rays 92-70

Yankees 86-66

Orioles 78-84

Blue Jays 71-91

Central

Indians 90-72

Twins 87-75

White Sox 86-66

Royals 80-82

Tigers 70-92

West

Angels 84-78

A's 82-80

Rangers 80-82

Mariners 75-87

ALDS Red Sox vs Angels

Indians vs Rays

ALCS Rays vs Red Sox

World Series Red Sox vs Dodgers

Winner Red Sox

If the Red Sox do win again for the third time in six seasons, I may vomit. The Tribe loses a close five game series to the Rays and looks to retool their starting five in 2010. Matt LaPorta takes over in left field full time in July, David Huff becomes the de facto third starter, and Tony Sipp becomes a big time contributor out of the pen. Team MVP goes to Grady, as he hits .278, 37 HR, 98 RBI. David Dellucci, Ryan Garko, and Carl Pavano are not on the active roster at seasons' end. I personally would be pretty happy with a playoff appearance, so let's let the 162 game marathon begin and see how it shakes out.

Fun in the Sun

Since the Indians will still not be on STO for another 3 weeks, I found some clips of the Wigwammers in action.

This first clip is of the March 3rd game against the Royals, first inning (Trevor Crowe,Jamey Carroll,Jhonny Peralta, and Ryan Garko).



This one is of Kelly Shoppach, Tony Graffanino and Luis Valbuena in action against the Royals. Shoppach really gets into one off of Zack Greinke.



Anthony Reyes' first spring training outing.



Hopefully the pitching will get better over the course of the next four weeks as these softball-type scores are getting a bit to frequent, but it is Spring Training.

Winter Press tour Sandusky Style

I was able to attend the Indians Winter Caravan on Monday at the Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio where David Huff, Ryan Garko, Derek Shelton, and Matt Underwood answered the fans questions, signed some autographs, and met the fans. Not much of any substance came from the 1 hour session, other than David Huff seems shy, Garko seemed a bit surprised by Wedge's thoughts of him in the outfield, and Derek Shelton speaking the company line. Garko further talked about the possible transition...

Garko expressed surprise that he may be asked to play the outfield.

‘‘One of my friends sent me a text message saying that he read in the paper I was going out there,’’ Garko explained. ‘‘That’s fine with me, though nobody has said anything to me. If Eric Wedge thinks it helps the team, then I’ll do everything I can to help.’’ from the Sandusky Register

The event was quite large and had games, ball park food and beer. I went to one similar to this last year at Stampers bar in Fairview Park that was much more interactive and interesting. The three following videos will give you the gist of the whole event.

Part 1 with David Huff



Part 2 with Ryan Garko

Part 3


Only 3 weeks until Pitchers and Catchers report!

Answering the Fans

I was lucky enough to attend an Indians season ticket holders' Town Hall event held at Westlake High School Tuesday where Assistant GM Chris Antoneti and Manager Eric Wedge, among others (Bob Dibiasio, Dennis Lehman) answered some questions from the common folk. The usual softball questions were asked as I expected, since we all were pretty much just fans excited to talk to the leaders of our favorite club. The panel was extremely cordial and answered even the stupid questions about signing big name free agents. I was able to record about 15 minutes of it, (I am the guy who asked about the teams' philosophy on injuries and if the Tribe would resign Manny) and took a few mental notes as well. This first video is about Travis Hafner and Jake Westbrook.

Here is a synopsis of what I heard

When Wedge was asked about Andy Marte, he basically said they haven't been able to tap into his full potential in Cleveland and that it might have to happen somewhere else. Said for some guys sometimes their ability to stay consistant just clicks on one day(used the example of Casey Blake after 8 years in the minors and Jamie Moyer, saying he remembers facing him in the minors). I would say Marte is pretty much done as an Indian.

Wedge said they wouldn't have guessed Cliff Lee would accomplish the season he had after his first spring training start (joked that he asked Carl Willis what the two had been working on all winter). After his amazing April continued into May and June, Wedge knew Lee's season would be special. Told Cliff after CC was traded, he was the man, his ace. Also mentioned Kelly Shoppach while speaking about Lee prominantly, so don't be surprised to see a Lee/Shoppach battery most of the time.

Antonetti spoke about how the Indians decided to bring in Carl Pavano. Said he was in the best shape he had been in 4 years. Pavano also bluntly talked about that he pretty much sucked in New York and was ready for a big comeback. Apparently the team was impressed with his desire to bounce back and Pavano seemed to be the most physically recovered reclamation project out there. Stressed it was a low risk/high reward signing.

Wedge spoke about how Josh Barfield needs to develop some more "flexibility" in his game to make the club, saying that he may need to learn the outfield to become more versatile. Also talked about Ryan Garko learning some left field (yikes!) for when Victor Martinez plays first. Doesn't have any illusions that Garko will be the next Willie Mays out there, but just being serviceable would add to club overall. Also said DeRosa would play some right field for Choo against tougher lefties and that Jamey Carroll may patrol the outfield as well. The skipper seems to really want to be able to juggle his players around to find the right fit any given day. Stressed it was a 162 game season and needs to be treated as such. (never overact to any situation).

Antoneti mentioned 3 players to watch in AA Akron, Carlos Santana, Beau Mills, and Hector Rondon as well as hyping up the AAA Columbus outfield of Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, and Trevor Crowe (compared him to Coco Crisp).

Wedge spoke a bit about the usual question that comes up at these type of events, Cleveland's market size and players coming and going. He said that the 10 game losing streak was more of a product of the players' uncertainty about the CC trade talks and felt the team didn't really give their best effort. Said a lot of players got exposure last year to the big league team that they normally would not have, and will help come 2009. Mentioned that the two biggest team leaders left (Sabathia, Blake) but more talent will come on through (mentioned Matt LaPorta, David Huff). Antonetti talked about even though the season was a disappointment, they were able to replenish the farm system more than expected through their various deals.

When I asked about the teams feeling concerning disclosing injuries, Wedge and Antonetti both basically said that the team would lose a competitive advantage if they told the media every little bump and bruise. (The video is below).

It was a fun experience for my wife Lynsey and I to go out and hear about our beloved Tribe (It was also the first time we left our 1 month old son at Grandma's house). The event gave the fans an up close feeling of where the front office hopes and feels the team will be in 2009. We will be off to the winter caravan tour in Sandusky with Ryan Garko and David Huff Monday so I will have some stuff up here about that as well. Here is the last clip which is really just financial talk and kind of boring. For all you Derek Jeter fans there is some drooling over him in here as well. Enjoy!

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

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.