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“This 2012 season ought to serve as a lesson that, no, the almost completely left-handed lineup and the right-handed rotation do not lend themselves to the kind of sustained winning stretches it takes to be a true contender. Both of those issues absolutely need to be addressed, one way or another, if the Indians are going to contend in 2013, and perhaps Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore coming off the books will help Antonetti do so. You can look at the Indians’ lineup, factoring in a healthy Lonnie Chisenhall and matured Jason Kipnis, and see the seeds of a competitive club. But as I wrote earlier, if the Indians do ultimately decide to deal Choo, they’d almost assuredly be taking a big step back with regard to their 2013 outlook, and that’s a tough sell to a fractured fan base.” [Castrovince/MLB.com]
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“After a national championship and ten-year period of unprecedented dominance in the Big Ten, such success that could have been perhaps been even greater never was. In the wake of major NCAA violations involving the former OSU coach, Tressel was urged by athletic director Gene Smith to step down.
On the Monday morning of May 30, 2011, he did exactly that. Almost exactly 14 months later, Tressel finds himself full-circle at the University of Akron, a place where he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant.” [Maks/The O Zone]
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“Practice after practice, Hardesty would either be held out of practice or was “limited” in what he was allowed to do. Even after he had returned full speed to practice, Shurmur questioned whether he was mentally over his injury. Hardesty’s load was expected to be light at the beginning of last season, until Brandon Jackson unexpectedly landed on injured reserve with a turf toe.
This year? The expectations, at least in the eyes of many fans, were low. The team drafted Trent Richardson. After being the darling of camp last year, Jackson was returning from injury. It was believed that a roster spot might come down to a side competition between Hardesty and second-year back Chris Ogbonnaya, who was second on the team in rushing yards a year ago. If things ended today, I don’t think there is much of a decision to make: Hardesty will be on the team’s 53-man roster.” [Pokorny/Dawgs by Nature]
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“You have to wonder if we just witnessed Derek Lowe’s final start for the Cleveland Indians. For a team that is desperately trying to cling to the fringe of the postseason discussion, it seems too high a risk to keep sending the veteran out there. As great as Lowe was on the mound early this season, as great a pitcher as he’s been throughout his career, and as much as he has been liked by teammates and coaches and reporters throughout his career, he has undoubtedly reached a turning point.” [Bastian/MLB]
