Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Embarrasing


This is just sickening. Paul Byrd doesn't have it tonight, which you get with him here and there, and gives up 3 in the first but the Indians battle back to go up 4-3. They do so by doing what got them off to a fast start... taking pitches and just trying to hit, not trying to kill the ball. Byrd gives up another run to tie it up at 4 but the Indians go up 6-4... by taking pitches and just trying to hit. Perez wiggles out of a bases loaded jamb but he and Betancourt combine to let the lead slip away an inning later. It's was going to happen eventually with these two. So be it.

But the offense reverts back to the putrid, strikeout, pop up, try and kill the ball mentality that we've been subject to for the past few weeks. That coupled with Jensen Lewis' 10th inning implosion including a text book "how not to field your position" documentary and the Tribe swallowed their 4th consecutive loss. The third consecutive day they had a chance to tie Detroit for the division lead and failed.

This team is good, but its complete (and utterly frustrating) inability to put teams away is excruciating to watch. I seldom get pissed watching a game, the Browns play since their return has numbed me to it, but WTF guys? Do you want to try and win this thing? You are playing a team that traded away 3 of its best players and has been shorthanded and you can;t do jack. My tempered optimism that has been around all year is beginning to waiver. I see no signs of hope from this team over the last few eeks.

Show me a sign guys, show me a sign...

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Offensive


Thank God July is over.

12-14 in July (first losing month in 2007) including losing of 14 of the last 23.

Barely 4 runs a game.

Shaky defense.

Failing to capitalize on series versus lowly Toronto, Chicago and Texas.

Not putting the nails in the Twins coffin.

The Yankees and Marines coming on strong.

Yet they remain only 1 game behind Detroit for the AL Central lead and 1 1/2 games ahead of Seattle for the Wild Card. The tables have turned as the starting pitching (minus the recently departed Mr. Lee) has been great but the Indians can't buy a run. Travis Hafner looks awful, Jhonny Peralta is swinging at the crap that made us cringe in 2006, and Victor Martinez is in a huge slump. The strikeouts and double plays continue to be a staple of the Tribe offense which, hello boys, is not good.

The Trade Deadline has come and gone without a move. Not a huge deal, IMHO, but maybe everyone can be comfortable that they are here for the long haul and we can refocus. The Tribe looks lost and disinterested. Uncle Eric needs to refocus the troops. It a new month and a new beginning. Let's hope it a new hope for all Indians fans.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Indians Strike Out Against Twins


Well that awesome feeling that the return of Kenny Lofton brought to the club on Friday disappeared as the Indians squandered two great outings by Jake Westbrook and C. C. Sabathia to lose 2 of 3 to the Twins and let them hang around the wild card race. It also is another failure to capitalize on a slumping Tigers team that has lost 7 of their last 10. Once again the Tribe fails to come through in the clutch, in more ways than one.

The main problem again is situational hitting with runners on base. The Indians struck out 12 times on Saturday AND Sunday. Combine that with 9 strikeouts in Friday's win and that's 33 strikeouts in 3 games!!! That is ridiculous. They also grounded into 5 double plays in the series. Listen, in baseball if you fail 7/10 times you are pretty f'n good. But of those 7 times you need to advance runners and stay out of the double play. The Indians flat out don't or can't do it. It is very frustrating to watch. After seeing Sizemore and Lofton get on to start today's game and then have Martinez, Hafner and Garko strike out in rapid succession was extremely debilitating.

The defense reared its ugly head as Josh Barfield's double error and Trot Nixon's horrible misplay of a fly ball led to the demise of C. C. Sabathia's attempt to win game #14. I believe that the Tribe has now squandered 4 superb outings by C. C. that would have him at 17 wins and by far the #1 Cy Young Candidate. But worse that that it cost them a game today. Just embarrassing.

The Indians need to get their heads out of their collective asses if they want to stay in this thing. They just let the Twins back in while the Yankees continue to charge hard. Seattle lingers as well. Detroit is not going to stay cold forever. The Tribe just can not seem to get all phases of their game to align at the same time for an extended period of time.

I don't know what's wrong with these guys but in the immortal words of Lou Brown... "We just need something to bring it all together."