“Camp Colt” Proving to be Well-Received Amongst Browns Players
May 3, 2011Da Clip Show: Keeping an Eye on the Tribe’s AAA Squad – 5/3/11
May 3, 2011One year ago, things were drastically different in our city. Think about where we were on May 3rd, 2010:
The Browns were coming off of a 5-11 season, but had won four straight to finish the season. Eric Mangini was still the coach, but had been stripped of all of his power. The Big Show era was in full swing after a draft where Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert used their first two draft picks to bolster a weak defensive backfield; Florida’s Joe Haden and Oregon’s TJ Ward.
The offense would be led by the newly signed veteran QB Jake Delhomme, he was going to be backed up by Seneca Wallace, a trade import from Seattle who formerly played under Holmgren. Heckert and Holmgren then took a developmental QB with their third round pick. A short kid from Texas who did nothing but win in college; Colt McCoy. The Running Back position was supposed to be a committee situation, but the hope was that second round pick Montario Hardesty would be the main guy. Jerome Harrison and Peyton Hillis would also be somewhere in the mix.
Everyone looked at the first two games on the schedule (home vs Kansas City, at Tampa Bay) and saw two wins. There was lots of optimism and OTA’s were underway.
The Indians had just lost in Toronto 5-1, where they were two- hit by lefty Brett Cecil. The loss moved their record to an underwhelming 10-15. Asdrubal Cabrera was the leadoff man. An unhealthy Grady Sizemore was hitting behind him. Austin Kearns was your cleanup man hitting a whopping .355. A sore-shouldered Travis Hafner was hitting .189 with seven RBIs. Lou Marson was the everyday catcher and Sweet Luis Valbuena was your second baseman (and hitting .172).
The bullpen was littered with guys who had no idea what their roles were still. Jamey Wright, the great Hector Ambriz, Aaron Laffey, Jensen Lewis; quite a group. Rafael Perez was still trying to find himself after a year plus of struggles with his out-pitch. Tony Sipp and Chris Perez were the only reliable relievers in front of closer Kerry Wood, who wasn’t exactly the second coming of Mariano Rivera.
The starting rotation consisted of a guy who hadn’t won since August (Justin Masterson), a guy coming off of two years of idle time after Tommy John surgery (Jake Westbrook), a soft-tossing lefty with control issues (David Huff), a rehabilitated “ace” who was still inconsistent (Fausto Carmona), and an unheralded surprise (Mitch Talbot).
Yikes.
The only team we really “had” on May 3rd, 2010 was the Cavaliers. Think about how much we all worshipped at the alter of LeBron James 365 days ago? He could do no wrong. On the night of May 3rd, the Cavs were blown out of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Boston Celtics 104-86. They lost the home court advantage in the process. That wouldn’t last as the Cavs took it back four days later with a 29-point win in Boston. None of that would end up mattering.
Again though, lets focus on our thoughts on May 3rd. Despite that Game Two home loss to Boston, we had LeBron James and Boston didn’t. The way we all looked at it, that fact trumped everything else. Last year, more than any, was going to be the year when we slayed the beast. They ended the season with 61 wins, and added veteran Antawn Jamison to the mix at the trade deadline for the playoff push.
Nobody in this town could even fathom that LeBron was leaving. We were all under his spell. He dazzled us on the court every night and seemingly never let us down. We always blamed the supporting cast or coach Mike Brown if something went wrong, which is rarely did.
But again, on May 3rd of 2010, the Cavs were “it” in Cleveland. Everyone was wearing Wine and Gold. Games weren’t “just games,” they were events. Its was the “in thing” to see them at The Q and everyone wanted a piece of the pie. In the winter and especially come late April into June, Cavs playoff games were the place to be.
Oh, and 365 days ago, Jim Tressel was still “The Senator” and the most popular/powerful man in the state not named LeBron James.
Imagine if you knew then what you know now. If I had told you that the Indians would have the best record in baseball, McCoy would be the QB of the Browns while Hillis would be the Face of Madden ’12, the Cavs would have the second worst record in the NBA after LeBron disgraced our city on national TV, and Tressel would be in the line of fire with the NCAA and on thin ice for his job, nobody would have believed it.
Quite an amazing turn of events in just one year.
10 Comments
Good piece. If you wrote this as a prediction last May 3, people would have said you are absolutely nuts.
Naturally, 365 days from today we will be celebrating an Indians World Series win and continued dominance in the 2012 season, the Browns will have made the playoffs and McCoy won league MVP, and the Cavaliers will be the 3 seed in the East (ahead of Miami) and in the second round of the playoffs.
Tell me I’m crazy…
i love posts like this.
Hillis on the COVER OF MADDEN?! haha – no one would have believed that!
Think about a year from now – May 3, 2012. What if the Browns have just made the Playoffs, have multiple pro-bowlers, and just drafted 2 stud 1st rounders?
Or, in an alternate version, the Browns finished 3-13 and just drafted 3rd in the NFL draft, McCoy’s arm is too weak, Hillis is broken down, and all our 2011 picks were underwhelming.
It should be a crazy year.
@ TD: “Austin Kearns was your cleanup man hitting a whopping .355”
Is that true? Maybe .155?
It’s crazy the difference a year makes.
Excellent article. Thanks for putting those 365 days in context.
Ok, a couple other points on the difference in time.
5 months ago (January 3, 2010)
Cavs had the worst record in the NBA and were in the middle of what would be a 26 game losing streak
Browns fired Mangini after 2nd straight 5-11 season
Indians had just signed Travis Buck, Jack Hannahan, Adam Everett, and Austin Kearns. This was largely met by the fans as another queue that the 2011 Indians were going to be among the worst in MLB. Snow Days was seen as the suspected highlight of the year.
How about January of 2008? (was this really only 3.5 yrs ago?)
Cavs coming off the heels of a NBA Finals trip have the best record in the NBA.
Browns miss the playoffs only because the Colts rest their starters against the Titans.
Indians had just finished up a playoff season where they were 1 win away from a WS trip against an underwhelming Rockies team.
I think it would be a good idea if the Heat win the NBA Championship for everyone that does not think LeBron deserves it would be to take an envelope and buy one stamp and take a single piece of paper and write in big letters BOOOOOOOO and print off a picture of the King of Hearts and mail it to either his home or to the Miami Heat. Tear the King of hearts in half, put in both pieces. Do Not write anything other than BOOOOOOO on the paper. NOTHING DEROGATORY OR SLANDEROUS!!!!!! It would accomplish two purposes and just might make some sports writer talk about it. Even ESPN. It also would benefit the USPS with all those stamps being sold. It would not be illegal either because it does not violate the post office rules. It’s called FAN MAIL!!!!!!!