While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com.
“Perez’ words were not meant as a way to be traded, nor were they a lack of respect towards the Clevelanders who do buy team merchandise, come out to the park and help pay his salary. But respect, appreciation and praise are not hand-in-hand on a leisurely stroll. For the fans of a team which has not won a championship since 1948 to demand excellence from a player who makes a living playing a game often decided by fluke is egregious at best. For a town that opts for hand-wringing and excuse-hurling when free agents opt for greener pastures — it’s the system, its the owners! — and one which could be in the hunt to acquire more talent once again this very summer, this incident potentially stands as the worst sales pitch in recent memory.” [Scott/Still WFNY]
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“Thirty-four players have started a game at second base since the club traded Alomar following the 2001 season. Ricky Gutierrez, Brandon Phillips, Ronnie Belliard and Josh Barfield all came and went. Even Cabrera joined the big league club as a second baseman in 2007 to pair with shortstop Jhonny Peralta, who succeeded Vizquel. Cabrera was deemed too talented defensively to keep sequestered at second, so the club shifted him to the left side, which reopened the black hole next door. The Tribe shuffled through Luis Valbuena, Jamey Carroll and Orlando Cabrera before finally settling on Kipnis last July.
In his first season at second base in 2010, Kipnis committed 23 errors in 121 games. He cut that down to 11 gaffes in 80 contests in 2011 before his promotion. The Northbrook, Ill., native made six errors in 36 games with Cleveland last season, and he has committed just one through 41 contests in 2012. Kipnis’ gradual reduction in defensive miscues is no coincidence.” [Meisel/MLB]
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“The Browns have not stopped the run since 1999 and, quietly, the Browns are taking steps to improve that deficiency. Run the ball, stop the run. It’s a pretty simple philosophy that has won a lot of professional football games. For now, there is not much the Browns can do to drastically improve their linebacking corps. The Browns could be OK if Johnson and Acho adapt quickly to the professional game; If Fujita and Jackson stay healthy and if the improved defensive line could mask issues with the linebackers.
That’s a lot of ifs.” [Delco/The OBR]
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Profiling Beal- “Bradley Beal, as a player, has been called “Ray Allen meets Eric Gordon.” Sign me up. The former Gator is another player in this draft that gives the Cavs that scorer to go next to Kyrie Irving. He is a prototypical shooting guard, in terms of his game and scoring prowess. Beal is a great shooter; he has had scouts attention since high school. He has a great shooting stroke and is able to stretch his range well past the 3-point line. He also thrives in the clutch, never in fear of taking that last shot.” [Mancini/Stepien Rules]
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Finally, a license plate we can get behind. [@Buckeye7254]
