An Ace and a Few Gems
What a difference a day (or three) makes. The Tribe that took the field tonight, were not the same bumbling sad sacks of the first half that made the Bad News Bears look like all-stars. No, the Tribe came back from the break looking like the team they should be. The team they can be (remember think happy thoughts, guys).
Cliff Lee was attacking the strike-zone with a vengeance. Once again proving he is an THE Ace and deserves way more than his 5-9 record gives him credit for. And here is the kicker. The team actually got him some runs for a change ( albeit, 4 runs do not exactly light up the scoreboard, but they were enough).
Some slick fielding also helped boost Cliff and the Tribe to a much needed victory. First, Grady Sizemore ran to the wall and snagged a ball a la Willie Mays. Later, Asdrubal Cabrera started a sweet double play— he charged from short, flipped the ball behind his back to Jamey Carroll, who finished the twin-killer by throwing it to Victor Martinez at first. If this is not the top Web-gem I don’t know what will be(apparently the answer to that is Brandon Phillips).
*It should be noted that the bullpen did not make an appearance in this game. Who knows if three days rest and a mental vacation was enough to cure this diseased ‘pen. Here’s hoping…
Happy Thoughts
I read a quote from Eric Wedge the other day where he said he wanted the players to think “happy thoughts” in the second half of the season. I did not believe he said that when I read the quote, so I read it again. Yes, the words “happy thoughts” were right there in front of me.
This was a few days ago. Today, I Googled it trying to find his exact words, but came up empty. Now, I am partly convinced I imagined the whole thing since this is a Major League baseball team and not Little League. Maybe if they are good after the All-Star break, Wedge will take the team out for ice cream.
In the mean time, I have some concerns about this ball club that holding hands and singing Kumbaya will not fix. Don’t get me wrong, a positive attitude is a great asset in life, but all the happy thoughts in the world are not going to help the bullpen get outs and put up 0s. About two months ago I would have said that positive thinking would be enough to turn the team around. Believing that you can do something and putting out a positive energy can be very helpful in actually accomplishing that goal. However, being 14 games back in the division sort of squashes that optimism.
I still have hope that this team can turn things around. Do I think this turn around will lead to October baseball for the Tribe? Probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to hope. I don’t think any Tribe fan would still be watching or going to games if they didn’t have some shred of hope left that this team could do something. Even if that something is just making it above the .500 mark.
Now what needs to be done:
BULLPEN- Complete overhaul. Betancourt, Sipp, Wood can stay…..maybe. The rest? I think we need to get 2 or 3 solid bullpen guys for the remainder of this season. Sowers might be a viable option as a long-reliever. Maybe a trade could be made, but I don’t know who would want to come to this ‘pen or who we could get and if they would be any good long-term (if at all). Also, a new bullpen coach seems to be in order.
STARTING ROTATION- Cliff = Ace. Mr. Dolan, do whatever you need to to keep him. There are not many prospects in the minors and no other pitcher in the current rotation that could fill his shoes. It may take some begging and pleading for him to stay in Cleveland beyond next season, but it is worth it. He is the heart of the rotation and as we have seen, pitching is key to a success. As for the second half, Sowers need not see another start, unless he is taken out immediately after the fifth inning. A Pavano trade might be beneficial.
HITTING- Maybe Derek Shelton is telling these guys sound advice and it is just not sticking. Maybe he has been doing this for years. I don’t know, but what we have now, and for quite some time for that matter, is a schizophrenic offense. I want to see consistency. I would like to stop seeing certain players making the same mistakes over and over again. How much of this can be fixed by the hitting coach? I don’t know. A new approach is needed most definitely.
LINEUP- No more tinkering. You have had three months to figure out what players you have to work with. And please, no more Garko in the outfield. He is not horrible. He is just not an outfielder. Leave him at first where he belongs (and more often).
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT- Not so much for the short-term, but if we hope to contend in the future, playing in such a small market, high-quality players coming through the system is a MUST. This clearly is not happening. I think the entire systems needs to be analyzed and possible revamped from top to bottom. Scratch that, AA Akron seems to be consistently good, at least the past few seasons. What goes wrong when they get to AAA then? Fix it! Also, why does every outfielder have to be turned into a first baseman? And where have all the pitchers gone?
There you go. That’s all I have for now. I know there are many more issues to be addressed and options to be debated, but my happy thoughts are getting lost just talking about the mess the first half of 2009 was. Remember Tribe fans, keep thinking happy thoughts so we can fly away to Never-neverland with Peter Pan and Tink. Maybe they can help us in the second half.
Shoulda Seen That One Comin’
A Jeremy Sowers start makes me feel a bit prophetic.
Five innings. Bullpen implodes. Game over.
Last night Jeremy did not let me down. He pitched 5 1/3 solid innings of baseball. Then in typically Sowers fashion, things got out of control in a hurry. Bases loaded. Enter the bullpen. Who gets the call? Chris Perez. Yeah, the guy, who in his Cleveland debut, beaned Alexi Ramirez in the head followed up by plunking Jermaine Dye on the hand. So obviously, he has control in high-pressure situations. Anyway, bases loaded, one out, Paul Konerko up. Again my Spidey-sense was tingling—- I knew what was about to happen was not going to be pretty. Grand Slam. And just like that a 3-1 Indians lead disappeared. The Sox ended up winning 10-6, despite Grady Sizemore’s best efforts (he hit two homers).
On an unrelated note, Paul Konerko hit three homers in the game. Each time a barrage of fireworks were shot into the air. The spectacle lasted almost as long as it took him to round the bases. I mention this because every time the Indians play the Sox this irks me. In Cleveland, when a player hits a home run 2 fireworks are set off. They barely last by the time the player gets to first (and if it’s Victor Martinez, he is still in the batter’s box). Ridiculous. They might as well just have a guy standing on the walkway with two sparklers. Ben Francisco isn’t busy. I nominate him.
A second random observation: Doesn’t Winston Abreu just sound like the name of a man that wears glasses?
81 Down, 81 To Go
It has been a long 81 games. With a 32-49 record, the 2009 Cleveland Indians have left much to be desired.
Something like 75 different lineups have been used so far this season. Our starting catcher, Victor Martinez, has played 40 games at first. Meanwhile, our regular first baseman has made 9 appearances as an outfielder. Shortstop Jhonny Peralta was railroaded into becoming a third baseman, which had to contribute to his struggles on both sides of the ball. Cliff Lee, the reining Cy Young award winner, cannot get run support to save his life. Disappointing considering that he is still pitching like a stunner (despite a few rough outings). Then there is the bullpen. No lead is safe with these guys. And offensively, the Tribe has been bi-polar. One day scoring 22 runs against the Yankees. The next day making some no-name rookie look like a pitching savant.
The injury factor also played a big role these first 81. At one point, I think we could have made an entirely new roster of solely injured players. Most of our starting rotation, big bats like Hafner, Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera, and key bullpen guy Raffi Betancourt all made the disabled list so far. To top things off, a few days ago trainer Lonnie Soloff said there is a “high index of suspicion” of Grady Sizemore having elbow surgery at the end of the season. What does that even mean? Seriously, I think Lonnie is just messing with the media after having to do so many briefings on the injured players.
Of course, this type of failure on all fronts or bad luck or voodoo curse, whatever you want to call it, makes fans frustrated to say the least, resulting in the backlash at Mark Shapiro and Company. Wedge’s job is on the line. I don’t think firing him would do much. Shapiro would just hire a yes-man to run the team the way he wants it run (sorry, that was the cynical Cleveland sports fan in me). At this point, I am not sure whether to be angry at Wedge or feel sorry for the man.
Amidst all the frustration and turmoil, there were a few glimmers of hope. A few come from behind victories, some solid baseball games where everyone (offense, defense, pitching, bullpen) all clicked, and some good defensive plays.
Tonight, game 81, things looked good. It was one of those glimmers of hope. The Tribe beat Oakland 15-3. Choo was spectacular going 4 for 5 with 7 RBI, 2HR, 4 runs scored and throwing in a stolen base just to mess with Grady Sizemore.
The good news, there are still 81 games left to do something. I know the odds of the Indians making the playoffs now are slim, but at least they can salvage their reputation in the next half. That is something to look forward to. So there you go Tribe, you set the bar pretty low. All we ask is that you finish above .500 or just play a game that doesn’t make us want to chuck the remote at the TV. Simple as that. Now get to work.
No Cubs No
No Cubs No. No Cubs No. Hey Cleveland, what do ya say? The Indians were swept today.
I am speechless.
At present, I am operating on the theory that Kerry Wood is a mole, a double-agent, a sabatouer, sent by the Cubs to throw this series. Motives are still unknown. And I can’t tie Wood to today’s loss, but I’m sure he had a hand in it somewhere.
This video from SNL sums up my feelings toward the Tribe right now…..
At a Loss
After last night’s sluggfest against the Brewers and yet another Tribe bullpen meltdown that gave the game away I am left scratching my head.
I’ve come to this conclusion. Eric Wedge puzzles me.
Raffi Perez clearly was rattled after giving up the grand slam to Prince Fielder. I understand leaving him in to build his confidence, but he didn’t really come back from that blast . He should have been pulled two or three batters earlier than he was. This would have made it an entirely new ballgame. Secondly, Ryan Garko was still available to pinch hit. He can hit, he just hasn’t been given the chance this year. The Tribe was only down by two runs in the 9th. But Buck Ninety Louis Valbuena still stepped to the plate. Although he hit the ball hard, it was still an out. It all looks the same in the box score.
This is not the first time Wedge has left me baffled regarding his managerial choices. I have some lingering questions for the Skipper:
What does Louis Valbuena’s batting average have to be before he goes back to Columbus? .125?.110?.100?
Is there really such a thing as a “good out”?
What has Ryan Garko ever done to you? OR Is it that you just enjoy his company so much that you want him in the dugout all the time?
Why do you say you want to put the best lineup out there every night, but you load it with rookies who have yet to prove themselves at the Big League level?
Why do you put some players in the doghouse after they do something wrong, but others get a free pass? (Exhibit A: Garko didn’t run out a ground ball last year and was benched for several games. Victor Martinez never runs out ground balls and he never gets called out for this.)
If you want Jhonny Peralta to be the third baseman and not the shortstop, why do you give him false hope that he will play shortstop?
Why do you always wait too long before pulling a pitcher?
What does Derek Shelton do exactly?
If you want to keep Victor’s bat in the lineup, but want him to rest his legs, why don’t you make him share the DH role with Haf, and leave Garko in at first?
Why do you preach consistency, but put a different lineup every night? Why not give one a few weeks and see if it works?
I’m not one of those fans who is calling fro Wedge to be fired [To be honest, I'm not sure Mark Shapiro would ever fire Eric]. I’m just frustrated that he seems to keep making the same mistakes. Ah, there is his beloved consistency….
Cliff Rocks!
Another amazing performance by Cliff Lee last night. Three-hit complete game shutout of the Cardinals. He took a no-hitter into the 8th.
Reasons Why Cliff Lee Rocks:
1. Almost pitched a no-hitter. [It's worth repeating.] I blame the ESPN announcers for this not happening. They mentioned it….. NEVER TALK ABOUT A NO-HITTER AS IT IS IN PROGRESS… NEVER! And secondly, Choo let the ball drop in RF, but not so sure he had a chance at it. If we still had Franklin Gutierrez, Cliff Lee would have had his no-hitter. Even though it won’t go in the record books, I say it was close enough Cliff. What’s six outs amongst friends?
2. His response to the ESPN announcers question of how he felt when Yadier Molina got the first hit: “Whatever”. Classic Cliff.
3. Two years ago Cliff was sent to the minors. Last year he won the Cy Young. This year he was sooooooo close to a no-hitter.
4. His team is in last place and rarely gives him any run support this season, but he goes out every five days and gives them more than enough opportunity to win.
5.He once threw a cup of water at the Hot Dogs when they ran passed the dugout during the Hot Dog Derby. And for this, he is my hero.
On a Wing and A Prayer
Over the last few weeks a flock of seagulls has taken up residence in the outfield of Progressive Field. They tend to congregate in center and right field mostly. One night there were so many in RF when Choo was out there that I dubbed him the Seagull Whisperer. Last night his fine feathered friends ran interference on a single to center in the bottom of the 10th. Choo shot the ball up the middle, scattering the seagulls that were strutting in CF, clipping the wing of one, which caused the ball to ricochet, passed the Kansas City centerfielder Coco Crisp. DeRosa scores from second. No throw (He would have scored anyway). Indians WIN!
http://flash.fandome.com/sportsbox.swf
To make this even better (I know folks, how can this get any better?) this weekend’s games are 1980′s themed. Complete with fireworks set to ’80s tunes, retro jerseys and of course a Choo bobble head dressed in Miami Vice duds. What better way to usher in ’80s weekend than with A Flock of Seagulls?
”And I ran, I ran so far away. I just ran, I ran all night and day. I couldn’t get away.”
Movin’ On Up
It may not be a de-luxe apartment in the sky-y, but the Indians are finally not last in the Central Division standings. The first time since opening Day. Baby steps.
The move was made after beating the Royals last night. Mark DeRosa’s grand slam broke up a 4-4 tie and gave the Tribe the “W”. It was a strange game. Once again for the first several innings the offense did not support Cliff Lee’s efforts. The victory can be attributed to the Royals misplays and brain freezes, which doesn’t make me feel all too optimistic about the offensive capabilities of the Tribe. The tie was achieved without an RBI hit. Just a combo of fielder’s choice plays and errors. I guess it doesn’t need to be pretty as long as the job gets done.
DeRosa was the unlikely hero last night. And he has been the unlikely hero of the team. Surprisingly he leads the team in RBIs with 42 [Probably because last year's RBI leader Garko is spending more and more time on the bench. But this is an issue for another entry]. He’s got a .267 batting average. Not bad. Where did this come from? He doesn’t normally have spectacular games. He just seems to be sneaking under the radar. Rumors are that he is trade-bait. I’m not so sure we should part ways with him just yet, unless we can get an amazing arm for the rotation.
Not only does DeRo lead the team offensively, he also seems to have the Casey Blake-esque veteran presence. And I love his interviews. He tells it like it is. No BS. None of the tired clichés or excuses. Just calls ‘em as he sees ‘em with his Jersey accent. DeRo is a refreshing voice in this organization that seems to cloud truth with generic statements and politicking. Perhaps it was the 59 games of being last or the frustrations of this wild season that have brought about this tinge of cynicism. Either way, things are looking up for the Tribe today. Again, one game at a time. Time will tell if we’ll finally get a piece of the pie-ie.
Get out those brooms
Fans were wielding brooms today at Progressive Field (I can’t call it the Pro or Prog. It will always be The Jake.). And no it wasn’t to sweep up the remnants of their shattered hearts. The Indians completed the four game series sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays. It also marked the 17th consecutive loss for the Rays at Progressive Field. The last time they beat us at home was 2005, when we were contending for a playoff spot. The only games we really needed to win. As a witness to the knockout punch on that chilly September night, the Rays hold a special place on my list of teams I want to crush, along with the obvious Evil Empire Yanks (we’re gunning for you this weekend, get your pinstripes ready!) and those pesky Red Sox. Harboring old wounds, I am going to relish this four game winning streak over the Rays. Is it just me or ever since they made it to the World Series last year have they been a little too cocky? Their fans too, with their cowbells. Considering the bad blood that was brewing from last series in Tampa (Crawford’s fake catch, Upton running amuck, and bench clearing brawl) makes this victory even sweeter. So forgive us Tampa if we gloat. Wins have been few and far between this season for us. We must enjoy them when we can get them. And four of them against you guys was pretty sweet. Looking forward, I hope the Tribe can build on this and finally turn things around. Matter of fact, I know they can.
Winning , even a little, really does strange things to Tribe fans this season. We act like crazy people. Personally I can attest to this. After Monday’s unbelievable rally back from 10 down I lost my mind temporarily. Usually I’m pretty soft spoken. When Vic got the game winning hit I screamed and jumped up and down like Oprah had just given me a new car (You get a walk-off victory, and you get a walk-off victory!). I could not contain my excitement. I’m not alone. Many fans have lost their minds. After sweeping the Rays I heard people talking about the Indians going to the World Series now. A bit premature don’t you think? Horse. Cart. Not that it’s their fault. We don’t know what to do with ourselves when we see this team win. I don’t mean to be downer, but we are still 7 under .500. Not exactly tearing up the standings. I still believe in this team. I am an eternal optimist. But relax. Enjoy the ride.One game at a time. Let’s see what happens.
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