Spring Training is almost coming to an end. The Tribe Roster is set. From where I sit, it seems to me that finishing at 81-81 would be an extremely daunting task.
The club, as constructed on opening day, will include the following starters:
Jake Westbrook, who is coming off nearly 3 years of injury.
Fausto Carmona, who is coming off 2 full seasons of ineffectiveness.
Justin Masterson, who still can't seem to get lefties out.
Mitch Talbot, who still hasn't pitched 10 major league innings and is coming off injury.
David Huff, who seems to give up hits and hand out walks but doesn't have a dominant out pitch to stop runs from crossing the plate.
The bullpen is as much a question mark as the rotation. I won't spend much time on the bullpen because pens change a lot during the year. To evaluate Jamey Wright, Jensen Lewis, and others who will be shuttled in and out is not worth the time. All that we need to know is if Tony Sipp and Chris Perez can stop walking people, if Raffy Perez can get his slider over and be that dominant setup guy, and will Kerry Wood be healthy enough to help until he is traded.
The infield will be Lou Marson, Matt LaPorta, Luis Valbuena, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Johnny Peralta. Mark Grudzielanek will split time with Vabluena and get most of the at-bats versus lefties. Andy Marte will split time with Matt LaPorta who still can't play everyday due to his offseason surgeries to his hip and toe. Mike Redmond will be the backup catcher and will serve as Fausto Carmona's personal caddy.
The outfield sees the return of a healthy Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, and Michael Brantley who wno the job in spring training. Austin Kearns will be the fourth outfielder and get at-bats against lefties.
Russell Branyan will open the year on the DL but should return, barring setbacks, to the team in Mid-April. At that time, either Brantley will prove to be overmatched and LaPorta will be ready to log some time in LF or Andy Marte will be heading to the waiver wire. The Indians also have a decision on Jordan Brown at some point.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Mid-March
As the calender indicates Daylight Savings Time is upon us and the sports calender directs our attention to March Madness, it is as good of time as any to take a mid-March look at the Tribe.
As we all know, 2009 was not only a disappointing season in terms of wins and losses but it was a sad separation of players that were not only talented but very respected as well. To add even more insult to Tribe fans was the World Series Game One matchup between former aces CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. In addition to a very uninspiring 2009 campaign, the ownership had its financial committment questioned for dealing Lee and Martinez while both still had a year left on their contracts at very reasonable costs (Lee 8M and Martinez 7M). The financial committment in the negative direction seemed to continue on into the 2010 winter. The Tribe made three significant signings, Austin Kearns, Mike Redmond, and Russell Branyan. None of the three players signed are long term everyday solutions for the Tribe (An offseason review can be found at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/02/offseason-in-review-cleveland-indians.html).
So, as the snow thaws in Cleveland, the anger and frustration of the fans will remain. This is not to say that the fans will not root for the Indians, it will just mean that the enthusiasm will be hard to capture at the gate and the trust gap between ownership and fan is at its largest point since the 80's.
With all the negative feelings put aside, as it is spring and the whole hope eternal dynamic in full swing, the Tribe is in Goodyear preparing for the 2010 season.
As it is only mid-March, there is not much to report as of today. A few good signs are that the pitchers seem to be able to control the ball with much greeater precision this spring. Now, this may be due to the El Nino and additional moisture effect or it may be the Indians have more experienced healthy arms throwing the ball.
Health, both mental and physical, is one of the main concerns that the Tribe faces. Jake Westbrook, who is relied on to be the ace of the staff is coming back from nearly two years of inactivity. His health is the primary factor that needs to be evaluated and over the winter and through the first few weeks of spring Westbrook hasn't had a setback. A sidenote on Westbrook is that when he is referred to an ACE it isn't in reference to a true #1. Westbrook needs to lead this staff to respectability by keeping his composure on the mound, showing guys how not to limit the damage when faced with trouble, and how to pick up the defense after an error ratehr then lose focus and magnify the mistake.
Fausto Carmona is the mental aspect. Carmona had a nightmare 2009 campaign after a very disappointing 2008 campaign and is looking to find that 2007 groove again. An adjustment to his positioning on the rubber was suggested by Jose Lima (Carmona's winter league manager) and he had great success in the Dominican League. But as a good friend of mine commented to me, you can't walk off the island, meaning that the hitters were probably hacking at Carmona's pitching and not making him work. Carmona has been effective this spring and looked great in his debut, pitching from the middle of the rubber has seemingly given him more plate to catch with the natureal movement. Only time will tell if the change will stick or if Carmona will rebound. The one thing we know is that Carmona does possess the physical attributes of a true ace.
Justin Masterson seems to have a nasty dispostion about him on the mound and is starting to take advantage of his huge frame and is driving through the ball. He is also beginning to mix in a changeup and working on getting lefties out. Masterson is slotted to be the third starter in the rotation and could really add some depth to the rotation if he can prove that he is a major league starter. Mentally, the Indians are helping by naming him a starter prior to the spring, removing the doubt of bouncing between rotation and bullpen as he has most of his major league career.
Aaraon Laffey, Mitch Talbot, and David Huff have all pitched well thus far. Talbot is probably more secure then Laffey and Huff based on options. The best thing that can be said about the triad is that they aren't all pitching equally bad, but they are all pitching well. It will be interesting to see who between Laffey and Huff is the odd man out. My guess, is that David Huff will find himself in Columbus to start the season.
The bullpen guys haven't really shown too much negative in the limited time that they've been tested. Kerry Wood has some discomfort in his arm but it isn't considered serious. Joe Smith has been knocked around by lefties again but that is standard fair for him. The best story in the bullpen thus far has been the pitching of Rafael Perez. Perez is coming off a disastorous 2009 campaign, one where he seemingly lost his confidence, control, and composure all at once. Perez pitched as a starter this winter and was very successful. That success has carried over to Goodyear, which is another good sign for the bullpen as a healthy and dominant Perez really shores up the bullpen.
Their really is not much in the way of offense to speak of. The stories thus far are that Grady Sizemore appears 100% recovered from a lost 2009 campaign (common theme here). Travis Hafner has not had any setbacks this spring and the Tribe is very hopeful that Hafner will be able to put together a full season of health and supply the power in the middle of the lineup. Matt LaPorta seems to be on track to break camp as the 1b/LF for the team. He hasn't had any setbacks from his hip/toe surgeries over the winter. Russell Branyan has been unable to play in any cactus league games as he continues to rehab from his off-season back surgery.
A few of the younger players seem to be taking advantage of the playing time early this spring. Michael Brantley has been fantastic as has Wes Hodges. Lou Marson has played well enough to give Tribe fans belief that he will be an adequate catcher to start the 2010 campaign.
We'll see how things shake out over the last couple of weeks of spring training. A few roster decisions based on injury progress and two slots may open up elsewhere based on performance. Other then the #5 starter, the Tribe needs to know if Kearns will be the 5th outfielder, will Trevor Crowe and Kearns be on the opening day roster, will Branyan be ready by opening day, will the Tribe be bold enough to hand over LF to Michael Brantley, and how does the bullpen shake out. Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis are both on the bubble.
As we all know, 2009 was not only a disappointing season in terms of wins and losses but it was a sad separation of players that were not only talented but very respected as well. To add even more insult to Tribe fans was the World Series Game One matchup between former aces CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. In addition to a very uninspiring 2009 campaign, the ownership had its financial committment questioned for dealing Lee and Martinez while both still had a year left on their contracts at very reasonable costs (Lee 8M and Martinez 7M). The financial committment in the negative direction seemed to continue on into the 2010 winter. The Tribe made three significant signings, Austin Kearns, Mike Redmond, and Russell Branyan. None of the three players signed are long term everyday solutions for the Tribe (An offseason review can be found at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/02/offseason-in-review-cleveland-indians.html).
So, as the snow thaws in Cleveland, the anger and frustration of the fans will remain. This is not to say that the fans will not root for the Indians, it will just mean that the enthusiasm will be hard to capture at the gate and the trust gap between ownership and fan is at its largest point since the 80's.
With all the negative feelings put aside, as it is spring and the whole hope eternal dynamic in full swing, the Tribe is in Goodyear preparing for the 2010 season.
As it is only mid-March, there is not much to report as of today. A few good signs are that the pitchers seem to be able to control the ball with much greeater precision this spring. Now, this may be due to the El Nino and additional moisture effect or it may be the Indians have more experienced healthy arms throwing the ball.
Health, both mental and physical, is one of the main concerns that the Tribe faces. Jake Westbrook, who is relied on to be the ace of the staff is coming back from nearly two years of inactivity. His health is the primary factor that needs to be evaluated and over the winter and through the first few weeks of spring Westbrook hasn't had a setback. A sidenote on Westbrook is that when he is referred to an ACE it isn't in reference to a true #1. Westbrook needs to lead this staff to respectability by keeping his composure on the mound, showing guys how not to limit the damage when faced with trouble, and how to pick up the defense after an error ratehr then lose focus and magnify the mistake.
Fausto Carmona is the mental aspect. Carmona had a nightmare 2009 campaign after a very disappointing 2008 campaign and is looking to find that 2007 groove again. An adjustment to his positioning on the rubber was suggested by Jose Lima (Carmona's winter league manager) and he had great success in the Dominican League. But as a good friend of mine commented to me, you can't walk off the island, meaning that the hitters were probably hacking at Carmona's pitching and not making him work. Carmona has been effective this spring and looked great in his debut, pitching from the middle of the rubber has seemingly given him more plate to catch with the natureal movement. Only time will tell if the change will stick or if Carmona will rebound. The one thing we know is that Carmona does possess the physical attributes of a true ace.
Justin Masterson seems to have a nasty dispostion about him on the mound and is starting to take advantage of his huge frame and is driving through the ball. He is also beginning to mix in a changeup and working on getting lefties out. Masterson is slotted to be the third starter in the rotation and could really add some depth to the rotation if he can prove that he is a major league starter. Mentally, the Indians are helping by naming him a starter prior to the spring, removing the doubt of bouncing between rotation and bullpen as he has most of his major league career.
Aaraon Laffey, Mitch Talbot, and David Huff have all pitched well thus far. Talbot is probably more secure then Laffey and Huff based on options. The best thing that can be said about the triad is that they aren't all pitching equally bad, but they are all pitching well. It will be interesting to see who between Laffey and Huff is the odd man out. My guess, is that David Huff will find himself in Columbus to start the season.
The bullpen guys haven't really shown too much negative in the limited time that they've been tested. Kerry Wood has some discomfort in his arm but it isn't considered serious. Joe Smith has been knocked around by lefties again but that is standard fair for him. The best story in the bullpen thus far has been the pitching of Rafael Perez. Perez is coming off a disastorous 2009 campaign, one where he seemingly lost his confidence, control, and composure all at once. Perez pitched as a starter this winter and was very successful. That success has carried over to Goodyear, which is another good sign for the bullpen as a healthy and dominant Perez really shores up the bullpen.
Their really is not much in the way of offense to speak of. The stories thus far are that Grady Sizemore appears 100% recovered from a lost 2009 campaign (common theme here). Travis Hafner has not had any setbacks this spring and the Tribe is very hopeful that Hafner will be able to put together a full season of health and supply the power in the middle of the lineup. Matt LaPorta seems to be on track to break camp as the 1b/LF for the team. He hasn't had any setbacks from his hip/toe surgeries over the winter. Russell Branyan has been unable to play in any cactus league games as he continues to rehab from his off-season back surgery.
A few of the younger players seem to be taking advantage of the playing time early this spring. Michael Brantley has been fantastic as has Wes Hodges. Lou Marson has played well enough to give Tribe fans belief that he will be an adequate catcher to start the 2010 campaign.
We'll see how things shake out over the last couple of weeks of spring training. A few roster decisions based on injury progress and two slots may open up elsewhere based on performance. Other then the #5 starter, the Tribe needs to know if Kearns will be the 5th outfielder, will Trevor Crowe and Kearns be on the opening day roster, will Branyan be ready by opening day, will the Tribe be bold enough to hand over LF to Michael Brantley, and how does the bullpen shake out. Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis are both on the bubble.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Additional Notes
Good news for the Tribe as December comes to an end. Jake Westbrook was able to complete his winter league sting pain free and thus far Fausto Carmona has shown the ability to command the strike zone.
As the month of December winds down, I don't look for the Tribe to make any moves. The player to be named later in the Shoppach deal will be announced but other then that, it appears the Tribe front office will hold off on adding anyone and seem more willing to give their younger players an opportunity rather then bringing in a vet to take a roster spot.
As the month of December winds down, I don't look for the Tribe to make any moves. The player to be named later in the Shoppach deal will be announced but other then that, it appears the Tribe front office will hold off on adding anyone and seem more willing to give their younger players an opportunity rather then bringing in a vet to take a roster spot.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Introductory Feelings
Well, here it is mid-December. A lot has happened to the Tribe since the end of the 2009 season.
I, like many of the fans, was very unhappy with the direction of the team under Shapiro and Wedge. Many other fans were happy to see Wedge go but many more wanted Shapiro replaced as well.
As we head into 2010, the feeling is that the season is a lost season, one that has no promise, no upside, and will be another example of baseball stoking emotions of Tribe baseball of the 70's through the 93 sesason.
As of today, my initial feelings are that the season is not going to be as dismal as some may expect. I see an upside to the team that may give the fans of hte Indians hope for a quicker turn around then 3-4 years, more like 1-2 years.
A quick look at the News that has developed since the end of the regular season:
1. Manny Acta has been named manager.
2. Matt LaPorta and Grady Sizemore went under the knife. Grady was expectd, LaPorta not so much.
3. Kelly Shoppach was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.
4. Carlos Santana has undergone surgery.
5. Chuck Lofgren was claimed in the Rule V draft.
6. The Indians claimed Hector Ambriz in the Rule V draft.
7. Adam Miller underwent yet another finger surgery.
A rather mundane list. Of course, we have hired Sandy Alomar Jr and Joe Nunnally and some other coaches....still not doing it for you? Well, the Indians are not going to make any headlines this upcoming offseason, none that are expected at any rate.
Several issues that will be discussed about the Tribe will take shape over the winter and how they shape up heading into spring training will depend upon health and any moves that may be made up to spring training.
Can Johnny Peralta put together a solid season or will he prove to be as vanilla as he appeared in 2009?
Can Fausto Carmona put together a season where he doesn't fall apart and lose his control?
Can Jake Westbrook reestablish himself as a big league starter after his injury woes.
Can Rafael Perez make a comeback to his 2007 form?
Can Andy Marte become a major leaguer and drop the prospect/4A label?
Can Luis Valbuena be the 2b who put up such great offensive numbers and shore up his defense?
Can Lou Marson or Jason Donald become adequate Major League players right out of spring training.
Are Aaron Laffey and Justin Masterson starting pitchers or a releivers?
Is Chris Perez a viable option as a closer?
Can Jensen Lewis fill the old Raffy Bettancourt role in the bullpen?
Can Travis Hafner put his health woes behind him and reestablish himself as a dominant middle of the order hitter.
Can Grady Sizemore reestablish himself as a MVP candidate and be mentioned as one of the most exciting young players of the game.
Is Choo ready to break out into All-Star Status and put together a monster year?
Is Matt LaPorta ready to be a middle of the order power hitter?
Is Micheal Brantley or Trevor Crowe ready to take over the everyday duties in LF?
Will Grady Sizemore continue to bat leadoff or will he be dropped down in the order?
Can Asdrubal Cabrera become the most dominant shortstop in the American League?
Will Carlos Santana come up and be everything the Indians thought when they acquired him.
Will Carlos Carrasco, Jenmar Gomez, or Hector Rondon emerge as a solid major league starter?
Will Jordan Brown be given a chance to play with the Indians or be moved to another organization?
I, like many of the fans, was very unhappy with the direction of the team under Shapiro and Wedge. Many other fans were happy to see Wedge go but many more wanted Shapiro replaced as well.
As we head into 2010, the feeling is that the season is a lost season, one that has no promise, no upside, and will be another example of baseball stoking emotions of Tribe baseball of the 70's through the 93 sesason.
As of today, my initial feelings are that the season is not going to be as dismal as some may expect. I see an upside to the team that may give the fans of hte Indians hope for a quicker turn around then 3-4 years, more like 1-2 years.
A quick look at the News that has developed since the end of the regular season:
1. Manny Acta has been named manager.
2. Matt LaPorta and Grady Sizemore went under the knife. Grady was expectd, LaPorta not so much.
3. Kelly Shoppach was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays.
4. Carlos Santana has undergone surgery.
5. Chuck Lofgren was claimed in the Rule V draft.
6. The Indians claimed Hector Ambriz in the Rule V draft.
7. Adam Miller underwent yet another finger surgery.
A rather mundane list. Of course, we have hired Sandy Alomar Jr and Joe Nunnally and some other coaches....still not doing it for you? Well, the Indians are not going to make any headlines this upcoming offseason, none that are expected at any rate.
Several issues that will be discussed about the Tribe will take shape over the winter and how they shape up heading into spring training will depend upon health and any moves that may be made up to spring training.
Can Johnny Peralta put together a solid season or will he prove to be as vanilla as he appeared in 2009?
Can Fausto Carmona put together a season where he doesn't fall apart and lose his control?
Can Jake Westbrook reestablish himself as a big league starter after his injury woes.
Can Rafael Perez make a comeback to his 2007 form?
Can Andy Marte become a major leaguer and drop the prospect/4A label?
Can Luis Valbuena be the 2b who put up such great offensive numbers and shore up his defense?
Can Lou Marson or Jason Donald become adequate Major League players right out of spring training.
Are Aaron Laffey and Justin Masterson starting pitchers or a releivers?
Is Chris Perez a viable option as a closer?
Can Jensen Lewis fill the old Raffy Bettancourt role in the bullpen?
Can Travis Hafner put his health woes behind him and reestablish himself as a dominant middle of the order hitter.
Can Grady Sizemore reestablish himself as a MVP candidate and be mentioned as one of the most exciting young players of the game.
Is Choo ready to break out into All-Star Status and put together a monster year?
Is Matt LaPorta ready to be a middle of the order power hitter?
Is Micheal Brantley or Trevor Crowe ready to take over the everyday duties in LF?
Will Grady Sizemore continue to bat leadoff or will he be dropped down in the order?
Can Asdrubal Cabrera become the most dominant shortstop in the American League?
Will Carlos Santana come up and be everything the Indians thought when they acquired him.
Will Carlos Carrasco, Jenmar Gomez, or Hector Rondon emerge as a solid major league starter?
Will Jordan Brown be given a chance to play with the Indians or be moved to another organization?
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Doubting Thomases
So many Tribe fans are angry, frustrated, and have given up. I am not one to throw in the towel and am willing to weather the storm a little while longer. As I watched the Rays get shut down by Danks and the Chisox, the lead was extended to six games.
I am of the belief that the Tribe has the necessary framework of talent to play much better fundamental baseball. The framework includes individuals who have proven to know how to hit at the big league level in the past.....Sizemore, Peralta, Hafner, Martinez, Blake are all much better then they are showing. Fraklin, Francisco, Choo, Cabrera, and Aubrey all have to find a certain rhthym that included playing fundamental offense.
The bullpen needs to settle down. Raffy B, Raffy L, Masa need to take the reigns and settle things.
Quick Note: It will be exciting to see how the Tribe handles not only Andy Marte over the season, but Adam Miller. Like Papelbon, its time to bring him up here in late August or September and let him pitch one inning at a time. Let's assume in 2008, if he pitches again, it should solely be limited to the pen. AFL can be used to stretch his arm out and see how the finger reacts. Spring training next year, he should be made the closer, if he someday is transitioned into the rotation, great (Wainwright Plan).
Peace
I am of the belief that the Tribe has the necessary framework of talent to play much better fundamental baseball. The framework includes individuals who have proven to know how to hit at the big league level in the past.....Sizemore, Peralta, Hafner, Martinez, Blake are all much better then they are showing. Fraklin, Francisco, Choo, Cabrera, and Aubrey all have to find a certain rhthym that included playing fundamental offense.
The bullpen needs to settle down. Raffy B, Raffy L, Masa need to take the reigns and settle things.
Quick Note: It will be exciting to see how the Tribe handles not only Andy Marte over the season, but Adam Miller. Like Papelbon, its time to bring him up here in late August or September and let him pitch one inning at a time. Let's assume in 2008, if he pitches again, it should solely be limited to the pen. AFL can be used to stretch his arm out and see how the finger reacts. Spring training next year, he should be made the closer, if he someday is transitioned into the rotation, great (Wainwright Plan).
Peace
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
All things being equal
Tribe is 16-9 over the last 25 games. Still, the cockroaches can complain about hitting, individual performances, and lack of a dominant record. If anyone tries to point out optimism or point to other teams with similar problems, the roaches attack the poster with accusations of using other failures to cover up inequities of the Tribe.
I am not 100% certain, but I believe that the Tribe is only 3 games or so away from the best record in the A.L. The Tribe is beating teams with the best Starting Pitching in the league. Tribe is beating teams that historically give them problems...Oakland (except for late last year when Embree was struggling at closer and starters were injured), New York, Boston, and Anaheim.
Now, I can't wait for the Tribe to head to some warmer weather, get away from Jacobs field and get the early batting practice. Should be fun to allow the Tribe a respite from the cold damp weather and fans groans.
Should be fun to see where the Tribe is in the standings in a month or so.
Onto the topic of off-season acquisitions...how good was it to pay attention to the pen and get Kobe and Julio in here. Having Mastny in the minors for a call up rather then havi to go to Mujica and Bauer.
How about not dealing Cliff Lee, Aaron Laffey, or Jeremy Sower?
How about picking up the options on Borowski and Byrd. Borowski has yet to pay dividends, but Joe gives the Tribe an option at Closer, set-up man (like in Tampa), mop-up, or trade bait later on.
How about picking up Fultz and dropping him and picking up Breslow, who could be a decent reliever if he's not overexposed and used in mop up roles....he is not as good as Bettencourt and Perez, not Kobe, Lewis, or Julio, but he's better then Fultz, Mastny, and Mujica.
Now, we've survived the lack of offensive production and have survived not having a "off-season" bat picked up. We now have enough time to get a look at Francisco and Choo over the next 4-6 weeks.
We have a chance to offer Barfield an opportunity at redemption. We have a chance for Laffey to garner major league innings...don't ever overlook the "investment in innings" that a team has to make in a pitcher.
Sowers is returning to his once promising form which is nice to see.
Garko, Hafner, Peralta, Victor, Grady, and Blake need to hit at their 2007 averages to get a true barometer of the offense.
Jumpin around a bit here...but its a 40 game mark post...I guess.
Peace
I am not 100% certain, but I believe that the Tribe is only 3 games or so away from the best record in the A.L. The Tribe is beating teams with the best Starting Pitching in the league. Tribe is beating teams that historically give them problems...Oakland (except for late last year when Embree was struggling at closer and starters were injured), New York, Boston, and Anaheim.
Now, I can't wait for the Tribe to head to some warmer weather, get away from Jacobs field and get the early batting practice. Should be fun to allow the Tribe a respite from the cold damp weather and fans groans.
Should be fun to see where the Tribe is in the standings in a month or so.
Onto the topic of off-season acquisitions...how good was it to pay attention to the pen and get Kobe and Julio in here. Having Mastny in the minors for a call up rather then havi to go to Mujica and Bauer.
How about not dealing Cliff Lee, Aaron Laffey, or Jeremy Sower?
How about picking up the options on Borowski and Byrd. Borowski has yet to pay dividends, but Joe gives the Tribe an option at Closer, set-up man (like in Tampa), mop-up, or trade bait later on.
How about picking up Fultz and dropping him and picking up Breslow, who could be a decent reliever if he's not overexposed and used in mop up roles....he is not as good as Bettencourt and Perez, not Kobe, Lewis, or Julio, but he's better then Fultz, Mastny, and Mujica.
Now, we've survived the lack of offensive production and have survived not having a "off-season" bat picked up. We now have enough time to get a look at Francisco and Choo over the next 4-6 weeks.
We have a chance to offer Barfield an opportunity at redemption. We have a chance for Laffey to garner major league innings...don't ever overlook the "investment in innings" that a team has to make in a pitcher.
Sowers is returning to his once promising form which is nice to see.
Garko, Hafner, Peralta, Victor, Grady, and Blake need to hit at their 2007 averages to get a true barometer of the offense.
Jumpin around a bit here...but its a 40 game mark post...I guess.
Peace
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Improvement
Last year the Tribe did not pull away in the division, nor did they have the electric hot streak to capture the fans enthusiasm. This year, we are seeing the same type of play over the last 19 games. The Tribe record en over the last 19 games is 11-8. This includes a series win over the Yankees, a series split with the Yankees, and a 2-game sweep at the hand of the Royals.
This is pretty much the way it was last season. This year, we have to overcome the poor offense, remember chicks dig the long ball. The Tribe has made one move this year, the dealing of J-Mike to the Pirates and recalling Ben Francisco. Typical of the Tribe, do moves in baby steps for fear of upsetting the apple cargt.
We all seem to be scratching our heads as to why Marte isn't get his shot...but I am sure they are going to give him more time over the next month or so. What is the down side to playing Marte more often? The upside is having the manueverablity to use Blake as a utility outfielder/infielder.
The key to the Tribes offense though is not Blake, Marte, or Asdrubal. Grady has to become the dynamic guy that he once was. He has to get his average back around .300 and start producing extra base hits. Victor has to drive the ball and start showing some power. Garko has to be more consistent, lets hope his annual 0-25 streak is over and he can pickup where he was last year when he began to show more power. We can't overlook the importance of getting Travis Hafner back on track. Some would like to say Hafner has lost it, I am one who believes that he will find it....to look at others that have struggled mightily in recent memory, look to A-Rod post-season 2006 and Giambi start of season 2006.
Well, Toronto is up next for the Tribe, time to put sexy back in baseball and start a long winning streak to capture the fans emotions as the Celtics end the Cavs season and Browns training camp is still a few months off in the distance.
Peace
This is pretty much the way it was last season. This year, we have to overcome the poor offense, remember chicks dig the long ball. The Tribe has made one move this year, the dealing of J-Mike to the Pirates and recalling Ben Francisco. Typical of the Tribe, do moves in baby steps for fear of upsetting the apple cargt.
We all seem to be scratching our heads as to why Marte isn't get his shot...but I am sure they are going to give him more time over the next month or so. What is the down side to playing Marte more often? The upside is having the manueverablity to use Blake as a utility outfielder/infielder.
The key to the Tribes offense though is not Blake, Marte, or Asdrubal. Grady has to become the dynamic guy that he once was. He has to get his average back around .300 and start producing extra base hits. Victor has to drive the ball and start showing some power. Garko has to be more consistent, lets hope his annual 0-25 streak is over and he can pickup where he was last year when he began to show more power. We can't overlook the importance of getting Travis Hafner back on track. Some would like to say Hafner has lost it, I am one who believes that he will find it....to look at others that have struggled mightily in recent memory, look to A-Rod post-season 2006 and Giambi start of season 2006.
Well, Toronto is up next for the Tribe, time to put sexy back in baseball and start a long winning streak to capture the fans emotions as the Celtics end the Cavs season and Browns training camp is still a few months off in the distance.
Peace
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