Shaq Brings the House Down on Day One
July 2, 2009Cleveland Cavaliers, Free Agency Wasteland
July 3, 2009
While We’re Waiting aims to be the round-up of the recent WFNY-esque information for your morning viewing. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email in the sidebar.
If you didn’t see the “Witness Protection” introductory press conference yesterday, make sure you give it a look. It’s about as enjoyable of a presser you will ever see. [Shaq Arrives in Cleveland/Cavs.com]
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The Big Freeze on Cavs nemesis Dwight Howard: “He cracked a few jokes about the playing career of general manager Danny Ferry and then turned to coach coach Mike Brown, seated next to him, and said, emphatically, “We will never have to double team anybody again.” The first doesn’t matter because Ferry is a good sport. The second we will see about. It was a reference to the rain of destruction Orlando unleashed from the 3-point line when the Cavs cluster-guarded Magic center Dwight Howard.” [Cleveland Plain Dealer/Bill Livingston]
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Cross Ron Artest off your wish list Cavs fans. He is now a Laker: “Be surprised by the news of Artest agreeing to sign with the Lakers only if you haven’t been paying attention. L.A. was always prominent in his mind. Kobe Bryant for years has loved the possibility of Artest being there, the feeling was mutual, and the sides made nonstop eyes at each other.” [SI.com/Scott Howard-Cooper]
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Have I ever mentioned my man-crush on the great Paul Cousineau? It was Monday June the 15th, I was in my seats at the Jake, enjoying what I thought was a mini-Tribe renaissance, when disaster struck: ” The Brewers were in town and the Indians were up in the first game of the series by a 12-7 count headed into the 7th inning. A mere nine outs away from another step closer to .500 and hopefully another step up the ladder in the AL Central. What happened on the way to those nine outs can best be summarized here and I was going to embed the video, but it’s just too painful.” [The Diatribe/Paul Cousineau]
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Where is the Tribe’s leadership? Victor Martinez? Grady Sizemore? Travis Hafner? Someone has to wake up and step forward: “What is this? Where is the leadership? Is someone going to do anything or say anything? Phony rants that are contrived is not the answer, but, the one thing that Jim Leyland has done in Detroit and Ozzie Guillen has done in Chicago, is that they have delivered a message to the fans that losing is not acceptable and they will not stand for it. Apparently, the Wahoos just show up everyday and as Choo says are “having fun”. Bulls__t. Total BS man. If these types of streaks would have popped up in 2007, C.C. Sabathia and Trot Nixon would have put these fires out.” [Bench Ben Francisco/King Diesel]
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Fausto Carmona may be closer to getting back, but don’t get too excited despite his minor league numbers: “I had a chance to talk to the Bowie Baysox coaching staff before last night’s game to get their thoughts on Carmona. By way of background, Baysox manager Brad Komminsk managed the Aeros when Carmona was pitching in Akron, so he has a history with Fausto and has seen him at/near his best. When I asked Komminsk what he thought about Fausto’s start, the first thing he said was, “that is just not the same Fausto.” He said that Fausto used to be a power pitcher, aggressively attacking hitters with his fastball to set up his devastating sinker as his out pitch. He thinks that Carmona is a good 8 MPH slower on average with his pitches, and is trying to be a finesse guy.” [Indians Prospect Insider/Al Ciammaichella]
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Ever wanted a Willie Mays Hayes T-shirt? How about Chief Wahoo (sorry Frowns) with a Lebron-style headband tee? Pennant Race Gear has got you covered: ‘[64 and Counting/Vince Grzegorek]
9 Comments
If we’re proclaiming man-crushes, then here goes: Paul Rudd.
“If these types of streaks would have popped up in 2007, C.C. Sabathia and Trot Nixon would have put these fires out.”
Right. Just like when Fireman CC stopped the team slides in 2006, and in 2008 before he was traded. Trot Nixon? Oh, yeah, Mendoza-line guys always do that. And here I assumed 2007 was about unlikely pitching health and a couple of guys like Fausto, CC and Betancourt careering. Never imagined until today that it was a washed up role player like Nixon who terminated the losing streaks. Must have been his “magic chemistry.”
TD-I repeat, you need to stop looking at the symptoms and start looking at the problems with the Indians. Take a macro view…….move off the micro view that Shapiro wants you to focus on.
I agree with Isis. Can we please wake up to the real problem. Everyone is quick to jump on the Randy Lerner is a bad owner, and I agree to a point. At least he will spend the money (sometimes too much on players and coaches). Larry Dolan is the worst owner EVER!! The guy won’t spend money, because he spent most of the money he had just to buy the team. Dolan sounds like Roger Dorn when he makes the statement “I will spend money on players when the fans fill the seats.” So I agree it is the owner and GM. They need to do what the Browns did. Blow it all up and start over.
and the macro view makes 2007 look like a fluke
that lebron shirt is sweet. i wish i had thought of that; i did create a wahoo with a combover & tie in case we change the name of the team to the ‘white dudes’.
as for the cavs, does it look like ferry is not going to make another move? who is left out there? should we be worried?
so, apparently, we are stuck in Major League 2 right now……Pronk as the power hitter who can’t hit for power….Carmona as the power pitcher who can’t pitch for power…..we even have the asian RF. we just need Sizemore to start openly mocking Lofton (best part of that movie was Epps openly making fun of Snipes throughout…)
No marbles!
Symbolism aside, have to admit that’s a clever shirt.