Series Rewind: Indians-Yankees

Most of the time splitting a four game series in New York with the Yankees is cause for celebration for the Cleveland Indians. While the Tribe has many things to be encouraged about after the inaugural series in New Yankee Stadium the thought that they had the chance to christen the new venue by sweeping the Yankees out of their new home has to eat them alive.

The first game of the series featured the last two AL Cy Young award winners in Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia. Unlike some Cleveland fans I wish CC Sabathia no ill will. He resigned here when he was younger and never had any qualms about saying he was going to test the market. That being said, I hope he pitches like crap every time he faces the Tribe.

Both aces labored in and out of trouble all game with Lee somehow scattering seven hits and three walks over six innings while Sabathia surrendered five hits and five walks in only five and third.

After Lee left the game after the sixth with the score tied at one the Indians erupted for nine runs in the top of the seventh off the Yankee bullpen. This included a grand slam by Grady Sizemore and a solo shot my Victor Martinez. The Indians finished off the game with a final score of 10-2.

The struggling Rafael Perez pitched two rough innings, giving up one run while Eric Wedge trotted out Rafael Betancourt to pitch the meaningless ninth. We’ll come back to this point later in Bullpen Management 101.

Game two began what looks to be the rechristening of Yankee Stadium as Coors Field Northeast. The Yankees hit five solos homers en route to a 6-5 victory over the Indians. Anthony Reyes pitched decently but did not make it beyond five innings. Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi did not help either he or Yankees starter Joba Chamberlain with one of the most inconsistent strike zones I have seen n quite some time.

The Yankees held a 3-2 lead going into the fifth inning but the Tribe managed to plate three in the top of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead. Here is where the Bullpen Management 101 would have been beneficial to Eric Wedge.

Wedge pitched Perez and Betancourt in the 10-2 blow out the day before, therefore neither was available to pitch in the second game. Perez has been horrid so pitching him two innings in a meaningless game made sense. Betancourt has been up and down and is coming off a bad 2008 but why pitch one of your bullpen stalwarts and leave yourself shorthanded for the next game.

Well that is what Wedge did and long man Zack Jackson cam on to pitch the sixth. He lasted 2/3 of an inning (four batters) giving up two hits including a homerun to Robinson Cano to make it 5-4 Indians. Then Joe Smith came on for one batter to end the sixth.

Instead of rolling with Smith in the seventh Wedge went with veteran Vinnie Chulk, who is the last man in the bullpen. Let me repeat. Vinnie Chulk is the last man in the bullpen. Why is he pitching the seventh inning of a 5-4 game? Because Wedge pitched Betancourt the day before instead of Chulk.

Yes, hindsight is 20/20 but Wedge left himself short in the pen on a day he knew he had a starter in Reyes who struggles to get past five or six innings routinely. Chulk promptly gave up a couple of walks and made an error himself to turn a 5-4 lead into a 5-5 tie after seven. Would have Betancourt done better than Chulk? Who knows but the ODDS were that Betancourt would done better than Chulk.

So with the game tied in the bottom of the eight Jensen Lewis came on struck out two and surrendered a pop up to Derek Jeter. Unfortunately, the New Yankee Stadium jet stream turned this routine pop up into the worlds weakest homerun and a 5-5 tie into a 6-5 Yankee lead.

Phil Cuzzi then reared his ugly head again with another inconsistent inning behind the plate as he rang up Mark DeRosa in the bottom of the ninth with two men on and Mariano Rivera on the hill. Not the reason the Indians lost but the poor game called by Cuzzi was extremely noticeable.

If the Tribe was upset with their pissing away a game they came out like gang busters on Saturday on National TV. They drubbed the Bronx Bombers 22-4 behind a 14 run second inning. The Indians belted 25 hits, including six homers, tied a club record with 50 total bases, and set a club record with 52 at-bats in the game.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit a grand slam to highlight the 14 run second and Mark DeRosa continued his hot streak with six RBIs. DeRosa, Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner also went yard for the Erie Warriors. Fausto Carmona gave up four runs in six innings but looked more consistent than his previous two starts.

Up two games to one, the Indians had a chance to take the first ever series at New Yankee Stadium but the Tribe bullpen would not let that happen. Carl Pavano ignored the Yankee venom and turned in a stellar six inning, four hit, one run performance and left the game with a 3-1 lead.

The Indians failed to capitalize on a bases loaded situated in top of the seventh and Wedge called for the scuffling Perez to start the bottom of the seventh. Two hits and one run later it was 3-2 lead for the Tribe. Jensen Lewis relieved and after getting one out dug in to face pinch hitter Jorge Posada.

Posada lifted a fly ball to deep right field that Trevor Crowe had a bead on. He got back to the wall and was met by the outstanding arms of two Yankee fans in the front row. Cuzzi, umpiring second base this time, signaled home run as Wedge came out to argue.

The play went to MLB review and the umpiring crew left the field while replays appeared to show the fans reaching over the wall and making contact with Crowe’s glove in the field of play.

This is the key issue of the play. Whether fan interference occurs is decided by whether (1) the player is reaching into the stands or (2) the fans are reaching into the field. In situation (1) the ball is fair game and a home run. In situation (2) the ball is in the field of play and the batter should be out.

In my humble opinion, it definitely appeared to be situation (2) but the umpires thought otherwise and the play stood, 4-3 Yankees. Once again not something that caused the Indians to lose the game but it definitely didn’t help things. Rafael Betancourt then squashed all hopes of an Indians comeback by relieving Betancourt and allowing three more runs to make it 7-4 Yankees. Ball game.

So while the Tribe did put two whoopings the Yankees and somewhat ruin their opening series the fact that potentially let a sweep of the Bronx Bombers slip away is disconcerting. The offense has begun to wake and the starters have shown signs of life but the bullpen, that was supposedly improved, can’t get the game to lock down closer Kerry Wood to save their life.

The Indians sit at 4-9, 3.5 games behind the Royals, Tigers and White Sox who are at 7-5. The Twins sit a game behind the AL Central leading tri-fecta with a 7-7 record. Even though they could, and I argue should, be 7-6 or 6-7 they have a chance to make up ground this coming week. Their next six games are against the Royals and Twins, all at home.

Series Rewind: Indians-Royals

The Tribe dropped their third series in a row, losing the first two of three to division rival Kansas City. Fausto Carmona started off very rough giving up three runs in the bottom of the first. He rebounded from there to give up only one run the next four innings but that’s where the Indians’ trouble for the first half of the season lie.

Their starting pitcher only went five innings, taxing an already frail bullpen. Carmona tossed 106 pitches in just five innings and was pulled. In this game Rafael Betancourt and Masa Kobayashi were able to hurl three combined innings of scoreless baseball to keep the Tribe in the game. Unfortunately, it was the Indians’ offense that kept them out of it.

Royals’ starter Zack Greinke was good but not great, needing 104 pitches to get through five innings himself. The Indians helped his out by going 4-13 with RISP, with most of those hits in the ninth inning, and starting 12 men on base. Once again failure to get the clutch hit doomed the Tribe.

In game two, the Indians’ bats came up empty again. Tribe starter Carl Pavano improve on his opening performance of 1 IP, 9 ER with a six inning effort in which he yielded four ER. His only real fault was allowing two runs in the bottom of the fifth after the Tribe had tied the game at two in the top of the inning.

The Indians’ bullpen could not jeep the Tribe in this game as after Rafael Perez came on in the 7th inning with a 4-3 deficit. He looked shaky in that inning but manager Eric Wedge sent him out in the 8th and the game derailed. Perez promptly game up a run to widen the gap to 5-3. He then loaded the bases with one out when Wedge finally pulled the plug and called on Vinnie Chulk, who promptly game up a grand slam to Kansas City catcher John Buck. 9-3. Ballgame Royals.

The Indians’ managed to avoid the sweep with a 5-4 victory on Wednesday. Recently promoted Aaron Laffey was solid in his 2009 debut giving up only 2 ER in 5 1/3 innings. He had a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth but a fielding gaffe by Shin-Soo Choo put runners on second and third instead of first and third.

By overthrowing the cut-off man Choo turned a ground ball double play into a run scoring out and allowed the runner on second to eventually score and tie the game at two. He did redeem himself later in the game, nailing Mark Teahan at second but when a team is scuffling, things like hitting the cut-off man are magnified ten fold.

The Indians broke through for three runs in the 7th to take a 5-2 lead but another managerial head scratcher by Wedge almost cost them the game again. Jensen Lewis worked out of a jamb in the bottom of the sixth, getting the final out of the inning. He then worked a sketchy seventh inning, giving up a run to make the score 5-3.

For the bottom of the eighth, Wedge sent Lewis back into the game after struggling to get through the seventh. Just as he did the night before, sending a struggling Perez back in for a second inning. However, this was Lewis’ third inning he was pitching in which is odd for any reliever who in not the long man or mop up guy. Teahan drilled his single that Choo threw him out at second at and Mike Jacobs immediately followed with a home run to make it 5-4. If SHOULD have been 5-5 if Teahan had not gotten greedy, but thanks to Choo redeeming himself it was only 5-4.

Cue Rafael Betancourt v.2007 for 2/3 of a hitless inning and Kerry Wood for a seven pitch, perfect, 1-2-3 ninth for the save and the Indians hung on to win 5-4 and move to a putrid 2-7 for 2009. It’s nice to have a legit, flame throwing closer. It may make the ninth inning anti-climactic but it’s a nice change of pace.

So the Indians shuffle off to New York for a four game series with the Yankees to christen New Yankee Stadium. The only way the Tribe is going to get back into the swing of things is to start winning series. Three out of four would be ideal but is going to be tough even with the Yankees starting slow.

Series Review: Blue Jays-Indians

Well at least they won one. The Tribe dropped the first two in almost the same fashion they dropped all three to the Rangers to open the season. They got behind early thanks to poor starting pitching and then failed to come through with the clutch hit with runners in scoring position. The ugly numbers:

Game 1 - 1-5 RISP, 11 K, 8 LOB, 1 DP
Game 2 - 1-9 RISP, 9 K, 8 LOB, 2 DP
Game 3 - 2-7 RISP, 11K, 11 LOB, 1 DP
Totals - 4-21 RISP (.190), 31 K, 21 LOB, 4 DP

The strikeouts totals are maddening. The Tribe striking out over 10 times a game is just a killer. Teams are going to make outs but when a third of those outs are completely unproductive it makes it very difficult to win.

Not that advancing runners into scoring position would have mattered with the prestine .190 average with RISP. Add into in that your first two hitters Grady Sizemore (10 K in 25 AB for the season) and Mark DeRosa (11 in 26) are your main culprits it means the table isn't getting set as much as you need either.

Victor Martinez looks to be back to a hitting machine and Travis Hafner is actually showing signs of life despite still look a bit slow on his swing. Shin-soo Choo has started to rake and Rayn Garko has been an OBP machine. If the Tribe can cut down on the strikeouts and improve in the clutch this team will score a boatload of runs in 2009.

The starting pitching remains horrid. Scott Lewis landed himself on the DL with elbow soreness that he has had the last few starts of spring but never said anything about. Aaron Laffey will start in his place on Wednesday.

Cliff Lee had another poor outing giving up four runs in five innings pitched. He did rebound in the last two innings of the start by working out of jams for the first time in a while but had already worked his pitch count over 100.

Anthony Reyes was the first Tribe starter to last over five innings going six strong on Sunday. He gave up four runs but three came after Shin-soo Choo lost a ball in the sun in right field. Still he put the Indians in position to win and beat out the Washington Nationals for last remaining win less team... phew!

The bullpen was very bipolar as Vinnie Chulk looked decent in his Tribe debut and Jensen Lewis bailed the Tribe out of a mess on Sunday to help secure the victory. And what can you say about Kerry Wood? An Indians closer blowing away the side, all via strikeout, in the 9th inning was a sight for sore eyes.

On the other end of the spectrum Rafael Perez now sports a 14.73 ERA with three walks and no strikeouts. Joe Smith and Masa Kobayashi continue to walk opposing batters at an alarming rate and Rafael Betancourt has been so-so at beast in his appearances.

But hey they finally won one, and even at 1-5, only sit 2.5 games behind the 4-3 Detroit Tigers. A seven game road trip to Kansas City and having the honor of opening up New Yankee Stadium await them this week. Anything less than a 4-3 trip may leave them in an April hole that they are all too familiar with under Eric Wedge.

Series Rewind: Indians-Rangers

The Texas Rangers wiped the floor with the Indians in Arlington, Texas to kick off 2009. Three games, three losses for the Erie Warriors: 9-1, 8-5 and 12-8. Yup, that’s 9.7 runs/game allowed. Easy to do when your starters rattle off the following gems:

Cliff Lee: 5 IP, 10 H, 7 R/ER, 1 HR, 0 HBP, 1 BB, 5K, 12.60 ERA
Fausto Carmona: 5 IP, 7 H, 6 R/ER, 1 HR, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 4 K, 10.80 ERA
Carl Pavano: 1 IP, 6 H, 9 R/ER, 2 HR, 0 HBP, 3 BB, 1 K, 81.00 ERA

With 22 earned runs in 11 innings that is a cumulative 18.00 ERA by the starting staff. It’s tough to win when you are behind by 6 or more runs after three innings gentlemen, and I use that term loosely. Scott Lewis the bar has been set low for the home opener, my friend, god speed.

The offense slowly got itself together after looking putrid versus Kevin Millwood on Monday. The actually had a few extra base hits on Wednesday before jacking five homeruns on Thursday. It is difficult, however, to win a game when you are playing catch up after just a few innings.

A few feathers for some caps and some guys who need to be scalped.

FEATHERS IN THEIR CAP
· Masa Kobayahi – 2 Scoreless IP, 1 H, 1 BB in 2 appearances. No alternative lifestyle adult movie appearances. I don’t know which was more unlikely.
· Joe Smith – An easy scoreless inning of relief. Nice Tribe debut.
· Zach Jackson – Showing why he won the long relief spot in the pen.
· Victor Martinez – 5-12 with a long HR. Power slowly coming back but still a hitter.
· Travis Hafner – You hit the ball fair over the wall on a fly. It’s a start I guess.
· Trevor Crowe – Looked smooth in RF despite taking an 0-5 collar at the plate.
· Grady Sizemore – Two 2-R HR on Thursday. Three of his four this in the series were XBH.
· Asdrubal Cabrera – 2-2, 2 BB, 2 R, 1 RBUI on Thursday after looking overmatched the first two games.

SCALP ‘EM
· Starting pitching – See above. Special recognition for Carl Pavano for getting the Tribe down 5-0 after 14 pitches. FOURTEEN F’N PITCHES!!!
· Hitting with RISP – 1-4 on Monday. 1-16 on Wednesday. 1-5 on Thursday. That’s 3-25 overall. A sparkling .120 clip. Not good.
· Grady Sizemore – He led of each game with a strikeout. Table setting 101 says this is poor form. Six Ks in 14 ABs is also way too high.
· Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez, Rafael Betancourt – You all pitched pretty well but you all gave up a home run in one of your appearances. Shame!
· Kerry Wood – Struck out the side but looked shaky giving up 2 hits, a walk and a run.
· Mark DeRosa – 0-12 collar for the series with 5 Ks. No a good debut. Hopefully the friendly confines of Progressive Field lead you to many hits.
· Travis Hafner – He still looks over matched to me despite the HR.

The Indians return home to Progressive Field for a 3 game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Tribe is 0-3, 2 GB Kansas City in the AL Central. Toronto is 3-1 and leads the AL East by ½ game over Baltimore and Tampa Bay.

A bad start for the Indians but keep this in mind… the last time the Tribe started 0-3 was 1996 and they won the AL Central that season.

Texas Baseball Masacre

Well the only way to go is up. The Tribe got rolled by the Texas Rangers 9-1 getting outplayed in all aspects of the game. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee came off a brutal spring with an even worse opening day performance: 5 IP, 10 H, 6 R/ER, 1 monster HR to Hank Blaylock.

He got hit in his pitching arm in the 2nd and promptly gave up 4 runs with two outs for a 4-0 Texas lead. He went unscathed in the 3rd and 4th before Blaylock's jack in the 7th. He couldn't spot his fastball and most of his stuff was up in the the zone and against the potent Rangers, that is a recipe for disaster.

Cliff Lee's worst game last year was at Texas where he gave up 6 runs in 5 innings. He had a 6.17 ERA versus Texas last year. He had a 6.42 lifetime ERA versus Texas coming into today's game and it just went up. He historically struggles versus Texas. But let's see how he does on Saturday versus Doc Halladay and the Blue Jays before going ballistic.

I was more disappointed in the Indians managing only 5 hits and a walk versus the Rangers. Kevin Millwood was brilliant but other than a Shin-soo Choo liner in the 7th none of them were hard shots. I expect nothing from Travis Hafner until I see something that looks like Travis Hafner and a slap hit to left is not Travis Hafner.

He got into a number of 0-2 counts and those rarely turn out well. He did battle but produced an easy, inning ending double play with runners on first and third in the 3rd. I will say he actually looks a bit athletic after his weight loss. He scored the only run on a wild pitch that I don't think he scores on at his previous weight. But the Indians need the Pronk version of Travis Hafner not the slap-hitting version.

One game but a crappy one at that. Fausto Carmona looks to rebound from an awful, injuried plagued 2008 on Wednesday. New day, new ballgame. Go Tribe.

Tribe Looks to Rebound in '09

The Cleveland Indians stumbled to a disappointing 81-81 record in 2008 after an ALCS appearance in 2007. Injuries on offense decimated the Tribe in the first half of 2008 and forced the trade of veterans CC Sabathia and Casey Blake for prospects. The Indians’ 2008 bullpen rivaled their infamous “Bullpen from Hell” of the 1980’s as they did everything in their power to torture Tribe fans on a nightly basis.

But as the Cleveland Indians’ 2009 campaign gets sets to begin there is cause for optimism along the shores of Lake Erie. Despite those injuries on offense the Indians scored the seventh most runs in MLB with 805 and led all of MLB with 379 runs in the second half.

The offense should be as good, if not better, than last year with a healthy Victor Martinez, the heart and soul of the ball club. Infielders Ryan Garko and Asdrubal Cabrera came into Spring Training in shape and focused. Shortshtop Jhonny Peralta looks to build off of a 40 double, 20 homerun season while Grady Sizemore looks for an encore to a 30 homerun, 30 steal campaign.

The wild card is DH Travis Hafner. Can he return to his 2004 to 2006 form where he averaged 34 homers, 38 doubles, 111 RBI and hit well over .300? A nagging shoulder injury led to a substandard 2007 and a disastrous 2008 that saw Hafner hit .197 with little or no power. If he even returns to 75% of his previous form the Indians’ offense could be one of the elite in 2009.

General Manager Mark Shapiro was aggressive in the off-season in addressing the Tribe’s much maligned bullpen. Shapiro inked bona fide closer Kerry Wood to provide stability to the Indians’ weak link in 2008. Submarine reliever Joe Smith was also acquired via a three team trade to help provide an established hierarchy in the bullpen.

With Wood penciled in for the ninth inning it allows Rafael Perez, Jensen Lewis and Smith settle into their set-up roles in the 7th and 8th innings. Rafael Betancourt could work his way back into the back end of the bullpen after a horrendous 2008. After a dominant 2007 Betancourt was lit up for 11 homeruns and a 5.07 ERA in 2008. The Indians also have a wave of arms waiting in the minor leagues in case of injury or performance issues.

The starting pitching, which has been the stalwart of the Indians during the past few years, is now the main cause for concern. Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee is coming off a 22-3 season with a sterling 2.54 ERA. That may me too much to expect in 2009 but you could put Lee down for 15-16 a year prior to his poor 2007.

But after Lee there are a bunch of question marks. Is the real Fausto Carmona the 19 game winner of 2007 of the wild throwing, emotional wreck of 2008? Having Martinez back behind the plate for his starts may prove to be the calming influence he needs. Carmona responded by having an excellent spring.

Carl Pavano, Scott Lewis and Anthony Reyes round out the Tribe’s starting rotation to start the season. Pavano looks to rebound from four injury riddled years with the New York Yankees. Reyes brings his own injury concerns after arriving in 2008 from the St. Louis Cardinals. Lewis was a late 2008 surprise going 4-0 in four September starts for the Indians but was roughed up in the Arizona spring after winning the job.

The Indians also have depth sitting in AAA Columbus if one of the previous three starters struggles. Aaron Laffey was the Scott Lewis of 2007 and is looking to rebound from an injury filled 2008. Jeremy Sowers was the Laffey of 2006 and has struggled mightily in the majors since the start of 2007. David Huff has torn up each and every level of the minors and looks to be primed and ready if and when the Indians call. Zach Jackson starts the season as the long reliever but odds of him starting a game at some point are good.

Tons of questions for the 2009 Tribe but there are a plethora of options for answers to those questions. Manager Eric Wedge has the versatility in the field to mix and match line-up which always seems to be his MO. The season may hinge on Wedge’s ability to keep his bullpen fresh while dealing with a lot of uncertainty in the rotation.

If Wedge can effectively use the bullpen and not wear out the back end, a la Perez and Betancourt in 2007, the Indians should be able to stay in more games than not with their offense. Wedge will also have to be aggressive in addressing and shortcomings in the shaky starting rotation. If one the starters can not perform Wedge and Shapiro can not hesitate to make a change.

The Indians face a brutal start to 2009 with ten of their first 13 games away from Progressive Field. They also play the powerful Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays 21 times in the first two months of the season. The Indians have been notorious slow starters throughout Wedge’s tenure. The only season they started out well was in 2007… the only season they have made the play-offs under Wedge.

There are a lot of questions and some adversity to face at the start of the 2009 season for the Cleveland Indians. That shouldn’t damper the Indians’ outlook for the new season. They are healthy, hungry and looking for redemption from a bad end to 2007 and a sub par 2008. They just need something to bring in all together…

Thank God it's Over...

Thank the lord. The NFL season is over, finally.

Not only did the Browns devolve from 10-6 to 4-12 but we had to witness the Steelers take home NFL Championship number six and an AFC Championship Game where they faced off against the Ravens. We should be thanking our lucky stars that we at least have the Bengals… what’s that? We finished behind them, too? F@#$.

The only thing we can really hang our hats on is that many are asking questions about the Appalachian Inbred title once again. Where was the clipping call on James Harrison’s Pick Six to end the first half? Did he even get into the endzone? Why didn’t Santonio Holmes get a personal foul for using the ball as a prop after his tippy toe TD? Why wasn’t the last play reviewed? It looked like a fumble but why not make sure? Was James Farrior’s 15 yard penalty for his Dwayne Rudd impersonation part of it?

I’ll channel by inner Lt. Frank Drebin one more time just for shits and grins [time stamp 6:30 to 7:07]…

“The attempt on Nordberg's life left me shaken and disturbed, and all the questions kept coming up over and over again, like bubbles in a case of club soda. Who was this character in the hospital? And why was he trying to kill Nordberg? And for whom? Did Ludwig lie to me? I didn't have any proof, but somehow, I didn't entirely trust him either. Why was the 'I Luv You' not listed in Ludwig's records? And if it was, did he know about it? And if he didn't, who did? And where the hell was I?”

Bottom line they still won the game and made plays when they had to. But after number five was shrouded with some referee controversy in of itself and numbers one through four have always had a steroid cloud around them, number six doesn’t seem totally clean either. But they should be saluted. Being a Browns fan the proper way to salute them is to extend your right arm and extend your middle finger. To paraphrase Ron Burgundy, “GO F@#$ yourself, Pittsburgh.”

So now we can worry about the more important things like the painting over of murals, the lack of any witty repartee from the head coach and soccer in England. These are what are really important in the NFL. Not the need for an impact draft with only four selections. Not the fact that the owner hired the head coach before the GM. Not the fact that we have no President of Football Operations. We painted a wall. “We can build on this!” as Herm Edwards would say.

No offense to Joe Thomas, Shaun Rogers or Ryan Pontbriand but it’s over. Have fun in Hawaii boys, don’t get injured but thank God this stink pickle of a 2008 NFL season is complete.

I can now relax and focus on the fun prospects for the spring. First off, the Cavs’ quest for an NBA Title and LeBron’s drive for an MVP trophy. The way the team actually enjoys playing together is magnificent to watch and they are all very likable characters unlike that Appalachian Inbred team (and fanbase). If they can lock up home court over the Celtics and Magic their odds of making our dreams come true in June and July are increased dramatically. The excitement builds with each game the Wine and Gold tip off.

The Tribe breaks camp with just as many questions as there are about Super Bowl XLIII. Is Travis Hafner going to be anywhere near to himself, circa 2004-2006? Can Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona anchor a shaky starting rotation? Can Masa Kobayashi be effective in his second MLB season? By effective I mean not appear in any alternative lifestyle Japanese adult films again.

Will Asdrubal Cabrera give me reason to text people with “AS-MAN! AS-MAN! AS-MAN!” on a routine basis? How the hell is this whole first base/catcher/designated hitter platoon thing going to work out? Will Kerry Wood, Mark DeRosa, Joe Smith and (gulp) Carl Pavano be key pieces to the Indians’ puzzle?

I have a very weird feeling about the Indians in 2009. Like a good weird. I can’t explain it. It isn’t like in 2007 when I thought they had a shot or in 2008 when I thought they’d win it all. It’s different, but I can’t put my finger on it. But I do know on thing, it’s a hell of a lot better than I felt 24 hours ago when it was still the NFL season. Thank the heavens that it is over.

Cliff Lee Wins 20, Makes 1974 Irrelevant

CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona got to 19 wins apiece at the end of the 2007 MLB season for the Cleveland Indians, but neither got a chance to go for win number 20. Brandon Webb has had two chances in 2008 to reach that milestone but was unable to seal the deal.

For Cleveland’s Cliff Lee win number 20 was never in doubt as he cruised to a 5-0 complete game, shut-out victory over the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox. With the win, Lee became the Indians’ first 20 game winner in 34 years when Gaylord Perry went 21-13 for the Erie Warriors in 1974. It may have not been 1948, the last time the Indians won the World Series, but at least the team got to check off one year in an otherwise disappointing 2008.

Lee gave up back to back singles to Orlando Cabrera and A. J. Pierzynski to start the game but worked out of trouble with the help of an unassisted double play by second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera. He followed that up by retiring 21 batters in a row before Paul Konerko singled with one out in the eighth inning.

The only threat the White Sox were really able to muster were singles by Joe Crede and Cabrera to start the ninth. But Lee hunkered down and got Pierzynski to fly out left field before getting AL home run leader Carlos Quentin to ground into a game ending double play. In a matter of 2 hours and 26 minutes and 109 pitches the number 1974 was made obscure in Cleveland Sports history.

Early on, one had to wonder if the Indians’ up and down offense would be able to put up enough runs against Chicago’s high powered offense. After Shin-Soo Choo plated the Tribe’s first run in the second with a single off Konerko’s glove, the Indians had runners on first and third with no outs. But the next three hitters were unable to get the ball out fo the infield and had to be content with a 1-0 lead.

The White Sox handed them a run in the third on a throwing error by pitcher Clayton Richard and a Ben Francisco single to make the score 2-0 Indians. With two outs in the fourth inning Franklin Gutierrez, Kelly Shoppach and Cabrera hit consecutive doubles to make the score 4-0.

The Tribe had a chance to break it open in the sixth as Choo singled, Gutierrez walked and Shoppach sacrificed them over to second and third. But the Indians offense was unable to come through, stranding both men in scoring position after getting them there with one out. There were able to add an insurance run in the eighth on a Cabrera sacrifice fly. It should have been more after loading the bases with no one out, but in the end it didn’t matter.

Cliff Lee was in control from the outset and the game was never really in doubt. It was just like any other Lee start in 2008. He didn’t do anything special or spectacular, he just commanded his fastball in the strike zone and kept hitters off balance with his breaking pitches. He got ahead early and often and made the White Sox hitters try to adapt to him, which has been futile for most teams that face Lee in 2008.

It may not have been 1948 for the Indians, or 1964 for Cleveland Browns fans, but on Labor Day 2008 Cliff Lee made 1974 a footnote in Cleveland history. The Indians have their first 20 game winner since then. Lee has been one of the few bright spots in this disappointing 2008 for the Indians and give Tribe fans a reason to watch.

So what’s left for a Tribe fan to watch now… Why to see Cliff Lee go for 25, of course!

Enigmatic Indians Swept Away by Lowly Mariners

Everything was set up perfectly for the Indians to extend their ten game winning streak. They were coming home after back to back sweeps of the Rangers and Tigers in Texas and Detroit, respectively. This followed taking two of three from the powerful Los Angeles Angels and sweeping the Kansas City Royals at home.

They were getting arguably their best player, Victor Martinez, back in the line-up after a couple of months on the disabled list. The ten game winning streak had pulled them to within two games of .500 at 65-67 and they looked crisp, focused and hungry in each game.

But they ran into the buzz saw that is the Seattle Rangers, the team with the worst record in the American League and the Mariners swept them out of Progressive Field in a three game series. Sadly, it was some of the same disturbing trends that got the Tribe into the sub-.500 hole that got them swept by the American League’s bottom dwellers.

During their ten game tear, the Indians scored 73 runs (7.3 runs/game) and consistently came through in the clutch and with runners in scoring position. In the three game series with the Mariners they scored only nine runs total and hit an abysmal 3 for 29 as a team with runners in scoring position. In all three games, the Tribe was able to getting runners in scoring position with less than two out late in the game, but were unable to cash in enough to make it count.

In game one Friday, the failure to come through in the clutch wasted four scoreless innings by the Indians’ bullpen who picked up started Jeremy Sowers who existed after five innings of three run ball. The motley crew of Juan Rincon, Brendan Donnelly and Eddie Mujica held Seattle to one hit and one walk over those four innings.

On Saturday, they wasted a brilliant seven inning, seven hit, one run performance by starter Anthony Reyes who looks like the change of scenery from Saint Louis to Cleveland has done him well. The Tribe did rally in the 9th against Mariners’ closer J. J Putz but closer Jensen Lewis was unable to close the door in the 10th inning and the Tribe bats could not come through in the home half of the tenth.

Sunday, they were able to overcome a poor start by Zach Jackson with their Jeckel and Hyde bullpen one again putting up four scoreless frames on the board. This time it was Masa Kobayashi, Rincon and Rafael Perez performing the deed, allowing only one walk and no hits. But once again the offense could not come through late and the Tribe was left to wonder what happened.

That is the beauty of baseball. You never know what is going to happen. With the Indians riding high you never would have given the Mariners a chance to win the series let alone sweep it, but they did. In this enigmatic 2008 for Cleveland, you just have to shake your head and laugh.

It doesn’t diminish the fact that this club; after jettisoning CC Sabathia, Casey Blake, Paul Byrd and countless other veterans; was able to pull off ten in a row against teams not named the Seattle Mariners. Not many contending teams can pull off that long of a streak in a season.

So they need to regroup as the AL Central Division leading Chicago White Sox come into town on Labor Day. But the day after former Indian Jim Thome hit his 536th home run to tie Mickey Mantle for 14th all-time, it is the Indians who are looking for history as Cliff Lee guns for his 20th victory of the season.

It will be Lee's first attempt to win his 20th game, something no Indian has done since Gaylord Perry in 1974. He will have to do it against one of the American League’s most powerful line-ups as the White Sox lead all of Major League Baseball in home runs.

After being swept by the worst team in the American League who knows what will happen to the Indians today? Hopefully for the Progressive Field faithful and Cliff Lee, it will be back to the Indians of the ten game winning streak and not the Indians of the last three games.

Cleveland Indians Get Kicked En Route to 66

After showing some life with a three game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays north of the border and taking the first two games of a four game series with the Baltimore Orioles back home at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Indians returned to their losing ways dropping the last two games to the Orioles, 6-1 and 11-6.

I will spare you the gory description as you probably know the sequence of events by now. A solid but not brilliant effort from the starting pitcher, failure to come through with offense when given a chance to break the game open and a total meltdown by The Son of the Bullpen From Hell. All in all, par for the course for the Wig-Wamers. If you are a masochist and want the brutal details, check out Bleacher Report’s David Wiley’s recap here.

But the bigger story is that the loss Thursday night dropped the Indians to 54-66, a .450 winning percentage. Why is that a huge story? Last year the Indians went 96-66 (.593) en route to the AL Central Division Title. They have already matched last year’s total of losses and still have a whopping 42 games to play. That is a quarter of the season left to play out.

To expect to win 96 games again might not have been a realistic goal for the 2008 Tribe but being a contender in the AL Central was not. Heck, just being a good or above .500 baseball team should not have been an unreasonable thought. But it all seemed to derail before the season even started.

It started in the off-season when Indians GM Mark Shapiro sat on his hands and decided not to address some of the team’s obvious offensive shortcomings. It continued in Spring Training when injuries to closer Joe Borowski and DH Travis Hafner (and perhaps C/1B Victor Martinez) were kept under wraps and the players were allowed to play instead of being placed on the DL.

Those injuries were then accentuated by Martinez’ injury on opening day, for the second year running, and the revelation that he has had been playing through a nagging injury for over a year. The starting pitching kept the team in the hunt early on but a hip injury to Fausto Carmona and season-ending Tommy John Surgery for Jake Westbrook placed both on the DL and derailed the any hope of the Indians contending.

To top it all off the young players who flourished in 2007 came back down to earth, and even lower, in 2008. 2007 catalyst 2B Asdrubal Cabrera earned himself a trip back to AAA Buffalo by hitting under .200 for the first half of the season. OF Franklin Gutierrez and 1B/DH Ryan Garko look lost at the plate on a nightly basis. Relief pitches Jensen Lewis and Tom Mastny fell off the wagon and were hit more often than a piñata.

The bullpen itself completely imploded starting with Borowski’s injury and subsequent release. This put the spotlight on Rafael Betancourt who responded with a 6.02 ERA in 2008 after a 1.47 ERA in 2007. Rafael Perez has been the only bright spot in the bullpen but even he is prone to starting a fire now and again. Japanese import Masa Kobayashi has already pitched more innings through three-quarters of the season than he did regularly in Japan and is burnt out.

In the end only CC Sabathia, Casey Blake and Paul Byrd remain in the play-off chase in 2008. Unfortunately for the Tribe faithful, it is with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, respectively, as all three were traded to help replenish the farm system. A farm system that may have a few pieces for the 2009 Indians, but not many.

So the last quarter of the season is left us to watch auditions for 2009, Cliff Lee’s pursuit of a Cy Young Award and 20 victories, Grady Sizemore’s brilliance night in and night out, and for signs that 2007 was no fluke and that 2008 is not as bad as it seems.

But we are left shaking our heads at this wasted 2008 Indians season. Not because the Indians fell but how they did so, so hard and so fast and without warning. There is no way to ignore that the Indians have serious issues like Mark Shapiro did after 2007. The fact that the Tribe has been kicked to Route 66 on August 14 should be reminder enough of that.

The As-Man Return-ith?!?

The Cleveland Indians demoted IF Jorge Velandia to AAA Buffalo today. Velandia was promoted when 2B Josh Barfield went on the DL after finger surgery. Velandia played sparingly in a utility role as Jamey Carroll took change of second base in Barfield's absence.

Reports have 2B/SS Asdrubal Cabrera returning to C-Town from Buffalo. Other than my being able to use the "As-Man" moniker I saddled him with last season it does present an interesting serious of questions for the Tribe.

Cabrera was sent down for his woes at the dish. The sub-.200 average and poor plate approach were obvious to everyone. He has responded by hitting well over .300 at Buffalo and it will be interesting to see how he responds to his re-exposure to major league caliber pitching.

The bigger question takes place in the field. No one has questioned Cabrera's glove. It has been phenomenal. Turning the DP smoothly, making all the throws and even an unassisted triple play are all on The As-man's resume.

However, while being the starting 2B at the start of the year, Cabrera has been primarily playing SS at Buffalo. What does this mean for his return?

Jhonny Peralta is entrenched at SS and swinging a hot bat since being moved into the clean-up spot of the line-up. Move him to 3B you say? Well, Andy Marte has recently been granted some playing time there and has shown signs of life after sitting on the bench for weeks at a time. The Indians desperately need to get a read on Marte to see if he is a part of their future.

Even if he does go back to 2B what happens to Barfield when he comes off the DL? An up-the-middle combo of Cabrera and Barfield is a pitcher's dream defensively but can they generate enough offense for a team that in no where near an offensive juggernaut.

No matter how you slice it, it will be interesting to see how Eric Wedge handles the situation. With Peralta is a comfort zone right now and Cabrera, Barfield and Marte needing playing time to be properly evaluated there seems to be one too few spots.

This is where Uncle Eric will earn his keep during this lost 2008 campaign. He needs to effectively utilize all four players to give the Indians the best chance to compete and contend in 2009.

It will be something to watch in an otherwise disappointing season, but for now..

THE AS-MAN RETURN-ITH! THE AS-MAN RETURN-ITH! THE AS-MAN RETURN-ITH!

Cleveland Indians Midterm Report Card

It has been a season to forget so far for the Cleveland Indians as the sit dead last in the American League Central Division at a woeful 41-53, 13 games behind the division leading Chicago White Sox. Only the Seattle Mariners have a worse record in the American League.

It could have been worse if not for a four game sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays to end the first half of the season. It was worse when the Indians lost the ten games prior to those four. On May 15, the Tribe sat at 22-19, 1 ½ games ahead in the AL Central, and have been in a complete free fall since, going 19-34.

The same issues have been prevalent throughout the season. Hitting, especially that of the situational variety, has been so awful that it would be comical if it were not so depressing. Add to that a total 180 degree turn by the bullpen, the strength of the team in 2007, and it has been a recipe for disaster. The Son of the Bullpen from Hell has the potential to ruin your night on any given day.

Injuries to key cogs like Fausto Carmona, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez and Jake Westbrook have also contributed to the Indians’ downfall but this team was treading water when those guys were on the active roster. The injuries haven’t helped things out but are not the underlying factor as some may believe.

I graded the Indians at the quarter mark of the season and with the All-Star break behind us it’s time for a re-review of the team. I will spare you my grades for Tribe skipper Eric Wedge and GM Mark Shapiro. Sports Illustrated’s John Heyman couldn’t have said it any better in my opinion.

Those who have departed us, CC Sabathia, Iron Joe Borowski, Jorge Julio and Craig Breslow are all spared from my wrath. Unfortunately these guys are not…

The A List
Casey Blake (A-), Aaron Laffey (A), Cliff Lee (A+), Grady Sizemore (A)
What Blake has done this year with his limited talent is amazing. He is the perfect jack off all trades guy who is under appreciated and over criticized. He should not be an every day player but it’s not his fault the Tribe has no one better.

Maybe he does have those pictures of Uncle Eric, a midget, a donkey and a parking cone that some cynics think he does. It wouldn’t hurt I guess. He is one of the few position players who have been productive all season. Hopefully they can turn him into some mid to upper level prospects before the trade deadline. That would be the smart thing to do.

Laffey has had a few bad starts here and there but we often forget he is a young, raw rookie. When you remember that, what he has done can not be overlooked. His averages are actually better than that of Jake Westbrook right now in his second season. That is something to hang some optimism on even if the kid gets carded buying a Slurpee.

What else can be said about Lee and Sizemore that hasn’t been said already? Lee started the All-Star games and has some how won 12 games in half a season with an offense that prevented him from winning 15. The only real questions are can Lee keep it up the rest of 2008 and beyond.

My only thought on Sizemore is can he bump up the average a bit and cut down on the Ks just a little bit more. I am hard on Grady because I firmly believe he can be one of the elites in MLB. He needs to hit close to .300 and have a little better discipline to reach that level. He is so damn close he can taste it. You can do it!

The B Squad
Jamey Carroll (B), Shin-Soo Choo (B), Ben Francisco (B), Masahide Kobayashi (B+), Rafael Perez (B-)
Carroll has been a pleasant surprise if only for the fact that he is NOT Ramon Vasquez or Mike Rouse. He plays the game hard and is just one of those guys who you love to watch. He has come up with a few clutch hits here and there and seems to be a nice little piece of the puzzle. His wacky eyes still freak me out but hey he plays hard.

Choo and Francisco have had little hiccups here and there but continue to hit. Francisco also looks to be an above average fielder which is something I did not expect from him. The fact that these guys are hitting 3rd and 5th in the order has to be taken into account. That is not where they are going to hit normally but with injuries they need to take advantage of the experience.

Kobayashi has been a pleasant surprise out of what has been a bad bullpen. He has had his share of rocky outings but has given the Tribe more than I expected. It will be key to see if he can get enough save chances in the second half to evaluate if he is a future closer or not. Also, still no appearances in any Japanese alternative lifestyle films! Glorious!

Perez has been very shaky all year but his flare ups seem to be less frequent and less dramatic than some of the other relievers. I attribute it to more of the league adjusting to him in his second full year than any sort of performance drop off. How he throws so hard when he may weigh as much as Kate Moss is beyond me but who am I to complain.

The C List
Scott Elarton (C+), Sal Fasano (C), Andy Marte (C-), Edward Mujica (C), Jhonny Peralta (C-), Kelly Shoppach (C)
Elarton was a solid long man out of the pen but doesn’t fit into the team’s long term plans. I hope he gets his personal issues worked out. Fasano gets a C just for his mustache alone but has hit surprisingly well and definitely has a little of the fire that others on this team lack.

Marte and Mujica have come on a bit lately as they have actually gotten to play for a change. It is imperative to see what they can get from these two guys in the second half as they need to make a decision on both by the end of the year. This is my main frustration with Uncle Eric. Why did these guys rot for so long on the bench when almost everyone else was stinking it up? I will give him credit for finally giving them a shot but the fact it took him so long to do it is a head-scratcher.

Peralta continues to drive me and many other Tribe fans insane. He shows you these flashes of brilliance but then had days were he looks lost and disinterested. He is like a poor man’s version of Manny Ramirez with less talent.

I want to like him but I can not. Not right now. Maybe because he plays shortstop and Omar Vizquel spoiled us, maybe because he wear’s Bret Butler’s old #2 or maybe I just don’t think he is a “core guy”, whatever it is I need to see the consistent Peralta of 2005 and 2007 for me to lay off him. No more of this bipolar crap.

D is for Derailment
Paul Byrd (D), Asdrubal Cabrera (D+), Ryan Garko (D), Franklin Gutierrez (D), Jensen Lewis (D-), Jeremy Sowers (D-)
Derailment is the one word that can explain all of these guys. In 2007 it looked like all of these guys could be part of that “core” that the Indians need to complete for the playoffs consistently. In 2008 these guys don’t even look like they should be in the big leagues sometimes.

Byrd has continued his trend of following a good year with a bad one and was, at one time, on pace to break the MLB record for homers allowed in one season. He has always been hittable but this year has been ridiculous. It’s a nightly conga-line around the bases when the Byrdman pitches in 2008.

Cabrera, Garko and Gutierrez have been horrible at the plate after solid 2007 campaigns. For how outstanding he is in the field, the As-Man has been equally awful at the plate. Hopefully, his stint at AAA Buffalo will right his ship. I got spoiled yells “The As-Man Cometh!” every time he got a clutch hit during the 2007 stretch run. I miss those times… (A single tear running down my cheek.)

Garko is streaky and looks to be nothing more than a weak hitting, unathletic corner man at some moments. He’s been so bad that Casey Blake is getting regular time at first base. Gutierrez just looks lost at the plate and went almost a month at the plate without a hit. He may be only a 4th outfielder down the road unless he shows signs of life.

Lewis and Sowers have been bad but have shown glimpses of their 2007 and 2006 forms, respectively. Is Lewis’ problem his motion, velocity or both? Or is it the fact that the short form of his name is Jenny?

Sowers I am at a loss for any sort of reasoning. For a guy who looked so good in 2006 he had a rough sophomore year in 2007 but seemed to have a great attitude on getting back to where he could be. 2008 has shown nothing but the fact that if his control is anything short of pinpoint, he is in trouble.

The second half will go a long way in seeing where these guys fall into the Indians’ long term plans. They need to step it up or they may not be here in 2009.

What the F happened?!?
Rafael Betancourt (F), David Dellucci (F-), Tom Mastny (F), Brian Slocum (F-)
These guys have been worse than bad. Betancourt has been so, so bad it makes me want to puke. When you go from being the best set-up man in baseball to the worst you get and F. I expected a drop off but this is ridiculous. I now shudder when he comes into the game where as in 2007 you knew the game was over when he entered.

I gave Dellucci a B in my First Quarter Report Card with the comment that I wanted to punch myself in the face for it. Do you see why now? He teases us with an extra base hit now and again but it is the long stretches of strike-outs and pop outs to the catcher that are maddening. I bet you want to punch yourself in the face, too, when he is at bat.

Mastny has pitched a little better lately but overall has been a train-wreck. This is after looking like a real player two years ago and most of last year. Slocum I don’t have words for. He’s been that bad. It’s like I ate five Fiber One bars in one sitting and pooped eight times in 24 hours when he pitches. That’s the only description I can come up with. Way to step it up when you have a shot, guys.

Incomplete – Injured
Josh Barfield, Fausto Carmona, Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Jake Westbrook
It is a shame Barfield got hurt because it would be nice to know if he fits into the Indians’ long term plans. Carmona and Martinez will hopefully be back after the All-Star break so we adequately judge if they are on their way back to being upper-tier players.

If Westbrook contributes significantly in 2009 I would be surprised. Let’s hope he is one of the guys who comes back stronger after Tommy John Surgery and not a guy who never regains his stuff. Jake is a likable, solid middle of the rotation guy that a lot of teams don’t have. He is another player who is often overlooked by the fans.

The 500 pound gorilla in the room is Hafner. Will the Pronk we all know and love return or will we be stuck with this Travis Hafner fellow who stinks? If it is the latter, there is a huge hole in the Tribe line-up in 2009. My fear is that he is done. He has just lost it mentally and that he will never regain it physically because of it. I hope and pray I am wrong. To see him hit from 2004 – 2006 was must see TV.

Incomplete – Too Little Time
Michael Aubrey, Matt Ginter, Juan Rincon, Jorge Velandia
Aubrey hit a couple of homers and played a great defensive 1B while he was here but did nothing to make be think he is more than an athletic, lighter hitting Ryan Garko. Ginter did a nice job in a spot start while Rincon has looked wild as hell since his promotion. Velandia is just filling a spot until Barfield or Cabrera return. Aubrey is the only one I see being here in 2009 and even that is a stretch due to his lack of power at a power position.

So there you have it. It has been a rough go of it for the Tribe, and their fans, in 2008. They need to use the rest of the season to get everyone healthy, see what they have in some of the younger guys and not be afraid to make moves to acquire some young talent. For if they do not do that, they have little chance of completing in 2010, let alone 2009.

Say Goodnight to 2008 and Prep for 2009

I can’t take anymore after last night. It’s the same script day in and day out. Take one exceptional starting pitching performance, sprinkle in minimal support from the offense to tie or take the lead only to have the bullpen hand the game right back to the opponent in painfully excruciating fashion. Ladies and gentlemen… Your 2008 Cleveland Indians!

Last night was even more painful as revitalized Cliff Lee was once again a victim on the Tribe’s tragic 2008 formula. Lee could conceivably be 15-1 or even 14-0 if the offense was somewhat existent and the bullpen was just cohesive. Just as they failed C. C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona last year, the team looks to be squandering Lee’s attempt to be the Indians’ first 20 game winner since Gaylord Perry in 1974.

I will give the offense a pass last night as John Danks has been just as impressive as Lee this season, but it doesn’t help that the team continues to struggle to score three, let alone four, runs on any given night. If anything they battled all night long as Casey Blake’s solo homer in the 10th gave the Tribe the lead for mere moments. But that is one of the Indians’ few weapons, the solo home run. I reiterate: two runs make it difficult to win.

Ironically, on a night when Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez actually looked like Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez circa 2007 the bullpen still collapsed under the pressure of a close game. I’ll be nice. Joe Borowski looks done. When Alexei Ramirez, DeWayne Wise and Orlando Cabrera beat you with relative ease, it’s time to say sayonara.

Realistically, 2008 has been over for the Tribe for weeks. They went 6-12 in Interleague Play when no other team in the AL Central went worse than 12-6. That 6-12 was also against the last place Cincinnati Reds and every team in the NL West that is below .500 in a division where the leader is 42-42.

They are 13-18 versus the AL Central after going 48-24 in 2007. Now they sit in last place, all by their lonesome and 11.5 games behind the White Sox, who have beaten them five straight times. Even the usually hapless Kansas City Royals look to have more spark than the Erie Warriors.

Because of all of this I think it safe to dole out some things that I’d like to see the rest of the year to prep for 2009. So here are Ten Things I’d Like to See the Tribe Do for the Rest of 2008:

10. See What Andy Marte Can Do
Listen I know he has been horrible this year. I know he did nothing out of camp last year. But give the kid a couple weeks of playing time and see what he’s made of. He hasn’t exactly gotten an extended look this year. If anything you can unequivocally cut bait if he fails.

9. Make Kobayashi the Closer
Iron Joe is d-o-n-e done. Masa has a history of closing in Japan. Let’s see if he can do it over the course of a few months here in the US. If anything you can mix in a few of the young arms here or there when he needs a rest but he is the only arm on the staff now that I even have an inkling of faith in. Plus he has not appeared in any Japanese alternative-lifestyle films to date and should be rewarded for that.

8. Bring Back The As-Man!... At Shortstop
I have already spewed by venom towards Jhonny “Don’t Call Me Honey” Peralta in this forum I don’t need to do it anymore. Bottom line, if you are going to build a team around pitching as the Indians are inclined to do, then you need excellent defense at the important positions. Asdrubal Cabrera has been playing SS exclusively since his demotion to AAA Buffalo and it is his natural position. He seems to be working out his swing and hopefully it will translate when he returns. I don’t care what you do with Honey… 3B, DH, trade him or cane him, whatever. He is not the answer at SS for this team.

7. Bid Adieu to The Looch
I thought David Dellucci could help this team. He is not. Not even a little. All he is doing is stealing ABs from the younger guys who need them. Trade him, trade him and pay part of his contract, buy him out, release him but he’s only hurting this team. Seeing what a Brad Snyder or a Trevor Crowe can do at this point is much more important.

6. Get Some Athleticism
This may be the most unathletic, uncoordinated and slowest baseball team I have ever seen. Ever. I think the Browns offensive and defensive lines could outrun half the guys on the team. Is it any coincidence that the most athletic player on the team, Grady Sizemore, is the best player on the team right now? Or that when the athletic Ben Francisco and Shin-soo Choo are in the line-up the Indians can actually do things other than play station to station baseball? And solo home runs! The Tribe loves them some solo home runs!

5. Find Out if Ryan Garko is a Viable MLB First Baseman
In a season of disappointments, Garko is often overlooked because so many other guys have been worse. But his lack of power, so-so defense and streaky hitting this season are disconcerting. I thought he’d make big strides this year. He has… backwards.

4. Get Uncle Eric a Personality
I am neither pro or anti Eric Wedge. But I have grown tired of the monotonous press conferences and sound bites. It has worn stale on me and I think it has in the clubhouse as well. A manager has to evolve just as his players do. This see-sawing of even and odd number years has to stop. I don’t put 2008 on him as much as I do Mark Shapiro but Uncle Eric needs to evolve if he wants people to think he is the man to lead this team for years to come.

3. Shop Anyone Not Named Sizemore, Martinez or Carmona
Anyone who can help the Indians is already here. The farm system is not as deep as it once was. Mark Shapiro needs to listen to any and all offers to try and restock for 2009 and 2010. Most of our talent is signed through then. If Shapiro wants to reload rather than rebuild then everyone should be fair game. There are too many holes to fill to not listen to offers.

2. Bring Up the Young Arms
I hope Scott Elarton is all right as he was placed on the Restricted List but he serves no purpose for the Indians. Neither does Rick Bauer who, by the way, stinks. Jensen Lewis has been tweaking his delivery and velocity in AA long enough. Let’s see how he does in the bigs. Let’s see if Brian Slocum has made the conversion to reliever. Rich Rundles, Jeff Stevens and anyone else worthy should be up here seeing if then can contribute to the Tribe. Elarton and Bauer are just taking up space for no reason at this point.

1. Aggressively Shop C. C. Sabathia
Sabathia isn’t resigning here. I don’t blame him for that and appreciate all he has done for the team and city. Every start until he leaves should be treasured by Indians fans. He should be cheered when he eventually comes back to Cleveland as an opponent. The Indians have been scouting potential trade partners and sending out feelers for interest. Shapiro and company need to aggressively shop the hefty lefty. Go to Team A, set the bar high, and tell them what you want. Do the same for Team B and so on and so forth. Someone will get desperate and pull the trigger and overpay. It may not be a Bartolo Colon type deal but Shapiro has every opportunity to get the maximum return on his investment. Do not let the other team drive the negotiations. The Indians have the asset that other covet, they should be using leverage to their advantage. Anything less will set the franchise back.

There are probably ten more things I could mention but these are the ten that ramble around my warped mind on a routine basis. The success of 2007 has made it difficult to let go of 2008 so quickly. Last year, this team was such a joy to watch, write about and discuss that the performance in 2008 has been such a tremendous let down. 2008 has also exposed so many flaws in the organization that it has flipped Indians’ fans topsy-turvy. But the Indians have a chance to set some of the foundation for 2009 and beyond. They just need to realize its time to say goodnight to 2008.

42 Days of Hell

On May 15th the Indians stood in first place of the AL Central at 22-19 holding a 1.5 game lead over the Chicago White Sox. They were getting ready for the opening series of Interleague Play versus the cross state rival Cincinnati Reds in the Battle of Ohio.

As they ready for the conclusion of Interleague Play on June 27th, against those same Reds, the Indians fans are in the midst of what can only be described as “42 Days of Hell”. A stretch of baseball, based on the opponents they faced, has caused the hearts of the Cleveland faithful to sink into their stomachs.

Going in to the Reds’ series on May 16 the Indians’ schedule looked to set up favorably. All their games were against the last place Reds, marginal Texas Rangers, weak NL West and the teeter-totter that is the AL Central. A perfect time to pad that 1.5 game AL Central lead.

Quite the opposite happened. The Tribe was swept in back to back three game sets by both the Reds and Chicago White Sox. Then they lost three straight three game series to the Rangers, White Sox and lowly Kansas City Royals.

They split two consecutive four game series to the Rangers and Detroit Tigers to at least stop their consecutive series lost at five. They did show a little life by taking the next two series against the Minnesota Twins and San Diego Padres, but struggled to do so.

But is was only a tease as they were swept by the Colorado Rockies in three games as the Indians were only able to muster seven runs total in three games… in the thin air of Denver. A series win was attained versus the Los angles Dodgers but that work was undone by a series loss to the San Francisco Giants.

In what was the perfect opportunity to shine, the Indians fell flat on their face. Not included in the win-loss column were the losses of Fausto Carmona, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez to the DL. Jake Westbrook was lost for the season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery. Even Josh Barfield was lost for two months after only appearing in two games.

Forty-two days. Thirty-seven games. A 13-24 record against the bottom of the MLB circuit. Simultaneously, the rest of the AL Central was beating up on the NL West. When it was all said and done the Indians sat at 36-43, 7.5 games behind the White Sox, and every other team in the AL Central leapfrogged them.

Yes, even the Royals. The Indians found themselves in last place for the first time since June 25, 1993. Fifteen years. Back when there were only two divisions per league and no wild card berth. That’s how long it has been.

But not as long as the last 42 days. 42 Days of Hell. Hopefully that's as long as it will last or God help us all.

Mark Shapiro Faces His Defining Moment

He is the reigning MLB Executive of the Year according to The Sporting News.

He is the only active General Manager to win the award twice. Last year, and in 2005 when he was also named Executive of the Year by Baseball America.

The Cleveland Indians won TOPPS’ Organization of the Year under his watch in 2006. The only time the Indians have ever held that honor.

He oversaw the Indians dramatic reconstruction that began in 2002 and had produced a 93 win season in 2005 and a 96 win season in 2007 that include a trip to the ALCS.

Despite all of those accolades Cleveland Indians General Manager, Mark Shapiro, faces his defining moment in the summer of 2008. After a spring full of high expectations from experts and fans alike, the Indians have fallen flat on their face and reside in the basement of the American League Central with a 35-43 record.

Only the Seattle Marines have a worse record in the American League. In the National League, the Washington Nationals, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres have worse records that the Tribe. The Rockies swept the Indians last week and the Giants are on the verge of doing the same thing tonight.

Where Shapiro takes this franchise over the next few months will ultimately determine his legacy in Cleveland sports. In 2002 he instituted “The Plan”, his vision of how to keep the Indians continually in contention despite being a small to mid-size market in a non-salary capped sport.

The Plan began by trading off established veterans in order to restock a weakened farm system short on talent due to the low draft picks the Indians received during their most successful run in team history from 1995 to 2001. The idea was to build from within while making savvy trades and logical free agent signings to accentuate the young talent pool.

While The Plan saw consistent improvement each year, minus a hiccup in 2006, and almost bore fruit in 2007, 2008 has been a totally different story. While the Indians organization appears to “Waves of Arms”, as Shapiro likes to say, the offensive talent in the minors, and majors for that matter, is marginal at best. With most of their young talent only locked up through 2010 or 2011 their window at a legitimate run as contenders is small.

The good news is that Shapiro does not face a complete rebuilding project as in 2002. Tony Lastoria does a great job of following the Indians’ minor league system for The Cleveland Fan and from all indications the “Wave of Arms” does exist and is itching for promotion to Cleveland. Most of the issues are at the plate and in the field as evident in the Indians struggles to put even four runs on the scoreboard on a nightly basis.

The bad news is that there are many experts who feel that the Indians’ draft strategies and selections have been poor under the watchful eye of Shapiro. Included in that group is Dennis Nosco, who detailed the Tribe’s 2008 draft here.

Add in the fact that none of the Indians’ top selections in the past few years have made an impact at the MLB level and it does raise an eyebrow. Adam Miller has been hurt and Jeremy Sowers inconsistent but can you name another Tribe first round selection?

Free Agent signings haven’t been a giant strength of the ball club since 2002 either. For every Rafael Betancourt, Paul Byrd or Casey Blake there has been a David Dellucci, Roberto Hernandez or Jorge Julio. And these iffy veterans always seem to block the Indians’ young talent from breaking into the bigs. The big name free agent that could make an immediate impact has avoided Shapiro as well.

Where Shapiro has excelled has been in trades. The Bartolo Colon for Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Cliff Lee started “The Plan” in 2002 and remains signature deal. Jake Westbrook from the Yankees for David Justice, Travis Hafner from the Rangers for Einar Diaz and salvaging Franklin Gutierrez from the Dodgers for the enigmatic Milton Bradley also were some of Shapiro’s better moves.

Even the smaller deals like Tom Mastny from Toronto for John McDonald and the acquisitions of Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-soo Choo from Seattle for Eduardo Perez and Ben Broussard, respectively, have paid some dividends. Shapiro has shown is a very adept trader.

He is not without his share of clunkers. The Brandon Phillips situation is his biggest sin, despite possibly getting a steal in Jeff Stevens in return, and has haunted this franchise as much as the Colon deal revitalized it. In response he had to trade 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff to the Padres for Josh Barfield, a deal that San Diego looks to have gotten the best of, leaving a giant hole at 3B that has been there since the departure of Travis Fryman.

The Coco Crisp for Andy Marte and Kelly Shoppach deal with the Red Sox also looks sketchy as the highly touted Marte has done nothing in his tenure in Cleveland. Netting Jason Michaels for Arthur Rhodes was a wash, but it did create the infamous LF platoon that has driven Indians fans crazy for three years.

Whatever Shapiro does it has to be bold and it has to be decisive. He can not sit on his hands as he did in the off-season between 2007 and 2008. It was that lack of foresight and indecisiveness that has put the Indians in the position that they are today. He needs to roll the dice, take a chance and be creative. That is what good GMs do. That is what he did in 2002. He needs to get back to that philosophy to right the Indians’ ship in 2009 and beyond.

The Cleveland Indians’ 2008 season may not yield a championship but what happens off the field will be Mark Shapiro’s defining moment, good or bad, establish his legacy in Cleveland, good or bad, and shape the direction of the Indians for the next few years, good or bad. If anything it will be more interesting than the current product on the field.

The Cleveland Indians Fooled Me

I grew up going to old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the mid-80s when the announced crowd may have been 10,000 but if you were there you knew if there were quadruple digits in attendance it was a good night at the gate for the Tribe despite what was announced.

My Dad’s employer at the time happened to be the president of The Wahoo Club and had season tickets in the first row behind the visitor’s dugout. The Indians were so bad we used to get to go to 20-30 games a year, for free, because you literally couldn’t give them away to clients, no one wanted them.

The Indians were a bad baseball team, for the most part, in the 1980s and early 1990s and because of that I have always considered myself an optimistic realist when it comes to the Erie Warriors. No matter how bad they were I always had hope that they could be the surprise team of the year but knew that the odds were slim against that.

When the Jacobs Brothers/John Hart regime took over and changed the direction of the Cleveland Indians Baseball Club it was a dream come true to have a contending team for the first time in my life. The optimist always felt the Indians had a shot at the title but the realist in me was always skeptical about the offense first make-up of the team when it came to playoff baseball.

It has always been a pretty even balance with me. I have never been one of those “woe is me” they will find some way to blow it, Cleveland is cursed or any other line of BS that sometimes, and too frequently, permeates from a Cleveland sports fan. I have always been a firm believer in the team but have always realized their weaknesses.

But for some reason, before this season started, I let the optimist in me blind my realism. I wrote prior to the season that the Indians may be the team to beat because of their incredible starting pitching and lights out bullpen. The fact that their offense was sub-par in 2007 had me thinking that there was only one way to go, up.

But as this dreadful 2008 season drags on and I get increasingly demoralized at watching the same game over and over each and every night I realize that the Cleveland Indians fooled me and fooled themselves and it makes me sick to my stomach.

I wrote a month ago about whom I felt was to blame for this debacle and named everyone from Mark Shapiro to Eric Wedge to my pride and joy, The As-Man, Asdrubal Cabrera as culprits. But it just hit me today that I wrote this about the time the Indians broke camp for the final time in Winter Haven, Florida.

I can take the fact that they fooled me. I am a fan not a paid executive of a Major League Baseball team. But the fact that they fooled themselves and are in this situation has brought out the realist in me and my outlook is not good.

I outlined in my previous article that there is a baseline for veterans like Joe Borowski, David Dellucci, and Casey Blake. How I expected anything beyond that, I don’t know. But it’s blatantly obvious that Dellucci and Iron Joe are D-O-N-E, done, and that Blake is the ultimate jack-of-all-trades player, great veteran clubhouse presence and all around good guy but not an everyday major league third baseman.

I expected a little too much out of the young arms of Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez and Tom Mastny and should have expected some ups and downs from them. The same goes for the bats of Franklin Gutierrez and Asdrubal Cabrera. It looks now that Gutierrez may be more of a 4th defensive outfielder and The As-Man needs a little more seasoning.

To think that Ryan Garko would develop into a prototypical power hitting first baseman may have been a stretch and a 20 HR season is all we can realistically expect from him. It appears obvious that Andy Marte is a bum, and there was a reason he was traded by both the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox, two teams that have impeccable scouting departments and farm systems.

The one whom has fooled me the most… Jhonny Peralta. All I wanted was another solid defensive season, continued improvement in pitch selection and no laziness. He has failed on all accounts. Yes, he only has six errors but he’s not getting to ground balls he was last year. Not only is he susceptible to the breaking stuff sway but now he loves the high-heat up and in. The low RBI total despite 11 HRs is evidence of that. And his laziness is back.

I’ve seen it here or there earlier but I realized I was covering for him last night. It took the return of the great Omar Vizquel to notice it but when Jhonny bounced two throws on routine ground balls to first in the game last night and Omar made a patented spectacular play in the 9th to save a hit, and inevitably a run, to preserve the game and I realized that Peralta epitomize all that is wrong with this team right now.

He is lazy, unmotivated and appears to be walking through the motions on every single play. And that is the vibe that the Indians are giving off this season. I’m not saying that they are not trying or giving effort but to watch this team you can’t honestly say that there are not two or three plays each game, usually in critical situations, which just make you shake your head. Whether it’s someone getting thrown out at home, a piss-poor at-bat at the worst time or a bonehead defensive play that cost them a run and the game, it is a nightly occurrence.

The injuries to Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez are a factor as well, but the St. Louis Cardinals among other teams have the same problem but generally look like a good baseball team. The Cleveland Indians do not.

At this point to say they are would be fooling myself. You know what they say… “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.” Well I’ve already been fooled once, and despite the optimist in me, the realist in me tells me not to be fooled again.

The Cleveland Indians Conundrum

The Cleveland Indians find themselves in a very interesting and puzzling situation. After a spectacular 2007 which saw them win their first division title since 2001 and come within one win of the World Series, they sit at a disappointing 33-37.

Their #2 and #3 starters, Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook, find themselves on the disabled list, with Westbrook out for at least a calendar year after Tommy John Surgery. Their #3 and #4 hitters, DH Travis Hafner and catcher Victor Martinez, are also on the DL after succumbing to nagging injuries that apparently have been affecting them for months.

Young, up and comers Jensen Lewis, Tom Mastny and Asdrubal Cabrera who were supposed to be part of the foundation of the team mind themselves in AAA Buffalo. On top of that their staff ace, C. C. Sabathia looks poised to leave the team via free agency for richer pastures after the season.

Until recently, the offense has been atrocious and unbearable to watch on a daily basis. Journeymen Jason Michaels and Jason Tyner have been jettisoned while Jorge Velandia and Yamid Haad occupy roster spots due to injury. Andy Marte continues to be glued to the end of the bench with no decision on his future with the team seemingly imminent. The magic number of four runs has only been achieved in barely half of their 70 games played to date.

The only thing worse than the offense may be the previous rock of the team, the bullpen. Closer Joe Borowski had injury/strength issues out of Spring Training which forced a realignment of the bullpen. Once un-hittable Rafael Betancourt now regularly brings a gas can to the mound in the late innings. Young lefty Rafael Perez is suffering through an inconsistent sophomore season. Japanese import Masa Kobayashi still has his moments where he struggles with location. Jorge Julio, Craig Breslow, Lewis and Mastny are either no longer with the team or in the minors.

But despite the injuries to two of their best starters. Despite missing their two best power hitters. Despite the offense woefully underperforming for 70 games. Despite the bullpen inconsistencies. And despite their 33-37 record they still only sit 5.5 games out of first place in the American League Central and have 92 games left to play.

The offense has seemed revitalized with young OFs Ben Francisco and Shin-soo Choo joining the line-up. Grady Sizemore has been on an incredible slugging streak and may be developing into the "superstar" player the Indians have lacked since 2001. Ryan Garko looks to have regained his hitting stroke which propelled him through the Indians minor league system.

Jamey Carroll looks to be the #2 hitter the Tribe has been sorely missing after basically being handed the second base job by default. Even oft criticized 3B Casey Blake continues to deliver in the clutch after being putrid in the same situation in 2007.

The starting pitching continues to drive the team and keep it in contention as Sabathia has looked like the reigning Cy Young Award winner his last 12 starts. Aaron Laffey has picked up the slack, providing almost a carbon-copy of Carmona's 2007 breakout performance. And what can be said about Cliff Lee? After looking like he may have lost it last year, all he has done is lead the AL in wins (10) and ERA (2.55) and could have 12+ wins if not for the stagnant offense.

Even the bullpen has started to be a little more consistent as Borowski has given up a run in only one of his appearances since returning from the DL. Perez and Betancourt still have moments of self-combustion but they are less frequent recently. Kobayashi seems to have tightened his control and veteran Scott Elarton keeps eating innings and keeping the Tribe in games when long relief is needed.

It all sets up a very interesting conundrum for the Cleveland Indians. Buy or sell? Make a playoff push in 2008 or realize it may not be their year and start planning for 2009? The fan base may be split right down the middle but I think each side can see the other's viewpoint.

If you are in the camp of it's not even June and they are only 5.5 games back you will point to the 2007 Colorado Rockies or the 2003 Florida Marlins. Teams left for dead that came out of nowhere to make it to the World Series.

You will say the offense has been a lot better in the last two plus weeks and can only improve once Hafner and Martinez return from the DL. When Fausto returns we have four good pitchers in Sabathia, Lee, Carmona and Laffey. The bullpen shows signs of getting sorted out and Lewis and Mastny will be back once they get sorted out in AAA.

If you are in a seller's mind set you will say the Indians have never made it to the playoffs when they haven't been within a game or less this late (as early as it may be) in the season as outlined by Jesse Lamovsky of The Cleveland Fan.

You will say that the starting pitching can not continue at it's amazing pace for the entire season. That the offense still throws in a clunker every now and again and shows no sign of bucking that trend. That Sabathia must be dealt for proven talent at his highest value as the two #1 draft picks they'd get if he leaves in free agency just aren't enough. And that this team just doesn't have the look, feel or vibe that last year's team did and may not find it this season.

The difficult part about the conundrum is that both sides are right and their points are valid. It is too early to tell where this offense will go from here, how far the pitching will drop off, if the bullpen can return to some sort of coherent form and what the injured players will do after their recovery. That's the great thing about baseball.

Personally, I think The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto said it best. The Indians need to actively shop Sabathia to get an accurate gauge of what they can get for him. Some team will be desperate come the end of July and will be willing to overpay. In the meantime, offer him a more than generous 4-5 year deal that doesn't break the Indians' bank but will have him set for life. It will put the onus on Sabathia to make a decision, take the deal and stay here or be traded. It puts you in a position to be set both ways.

If the Indians falter, they can already have the offers on the table to evaluate and make a decision and can start sending out feelers on other veteran's that would be attractive to contending teams.

If they return to somewhat of a 2007 form, they can reevaluate their position, put out feelers on a young bat they may be interested in and hope the retuning sticks from the DL revert to their old, ball-crushing ways.

Other than that, they just need to wait and see how things play out. The minor don’t have anything more to offer than a few players who have already seen the big leagues this year. There will be no "blockbuster" trade due to the recent injury bug. All the Indians can do is suck it up, play baseball and show the fans what they are really made of.

Until then, it's just another Cleveland Indians Conundrum.

Padres-Indians: Tribe Falls As Disturbing Trends Continue

You should never let the team with the ugliest uniforms win. It is 1970’s weekend at Progressive Field for the Interleague Series versus the San Diego Padres and both teams sported uniforms from 1978. Unfortunately, despite wearing the 1978 garb, the Indians decided to turn the clock back to mid-May when they couldn’t buy a win for a number of recurring themes.

The Tribe took an early lead in the 1st as Grady Sizemore and Ben Francisco walked and were brought home by a Ryan Garko single and Shin-Soo Choo double, respectively. Now up 2-0, with runners on second and third and only one out, Jhonny Peralta stepped to the plate. The Jhonny Peralta of 11 homeruns and only 21 RBIs. Well Peralta at least made it 22 RBIs and a 3-0 lead by grounding out to short. Casey Blake flew out to center to end the inning.

Putting a three-spot on the board is great but when you are in the heart of your batting order, and I use that term very loosely, and you have two runners in scoring position with less than two outs you need to score them both. In essence, the Indians let the Padres off the hook and failed to potentially put the game out of reach right out of the gate and failed to do so. Even by just scoring that one additional run is important as we would find out later.

Worse than letting the Padres off with only a three run deficit was the offensive production in the next 9 innings. That would be none. The Indians went the next seven innings without getting a hit. Yes, you read that correctly. In innings two through eight the Tribe managed zero hits. Zero. Zip. Nada. A big friggin’ doughnut.

Well the Padres do have some great pitching with Jake Peavy and Greg Maddux you say? Yeah, it was Cha Seung Baek who was pitching, not Peavy or Maddux. After, making working Baek in the first inning the offense took the rest of the night off. In fact Baek, and Heath Bell combined to retire 23 of 24 hitters from the 2nd to 9th innings, including 19 straight. After getting two hits working two walks in the 1st inning the Indians got two this and one walk the rest of the game.

Thank the heavens for Cliff Lee as he was dealing again. He did give up eight hits in 6 1/3 innings but held San Diego to only two runs over that time. Lee knows first hand that if you do the math, you can’t let the opposition score more than 2 runs with the Indians offense. Tribe fans held their breath as Rafael Betancourt was summoned from the bullpen to get Lee out of a 7th inning jam. But Betancourt did his job as he retired the two batters he faced to hold the score at 3-2 Cleveland.

Disturbing trend number two reappeared in the 8th however as Rafael Perez took the hill. Perez promptly gave up a solo shot to former Indian Jody Gerut and it was tied 3-3 in a heartbeat. The trend with the Tribe bullpen hasn’t been that it’s been one guy going through a slump here and there. It is the fact that night in and night out it seems that whoever Eric Wedge sends to the hill could, and usually will, hand over the lead to the opponent. Perez was the culprit in the 8th.

Unfortunately, with Betancourt, Perez and Joe Borowski used after nine innings, and Masa Kobayashi unavailable after pitching consecutive nights, Uncle Eric had to turn to rookie Ed Mujica to pitch the 10th. It did not go well. Five runs, three hits and two walks that included Mujica walking in the go ahead run and then giving up a monster grand salami over the wall in left to another former Indian, Kevin Kouzmanoff. The 3-3 tie was now a 8-3 San Diego lead and the fat lady had sung.

After a decent, and once again I use that term loosely, run which saw the Indians split series with Texas and Detroit, and win their first series since May 15th by taking two of three from Minnesota, the Tribe failed to make it two series in a row.

More disturbing is how they lost. The Indians still have a tough time generating runs but lately they have been putting themselves in scoring opportunities. Saturday night the complete lack of opportunities, and base runners, returned. This coupled with the continued inconsistencies of the bullpen continues to plague the Tribe in 2008.

They still have a chance to win their second consecutive series on Sunday afternoon, but they won’t be stating down Cha Seung Baek. They get to take some hacks at 350 game winner and future Hall of Famer, Greg Maddux. With the second worst offense and second worst bullpen statistically in MLB that is not a good for the Indians. The only team worse that the Indians? The Sand Diego Padres.