NFL News: Matt Barkley, Ziggy Ansah and Dee Milliner to visit Cleveland
April 8, 2013Raiders “badly” wanted to re-sign Desmond Bryant, per Peter King
April 8, 2013It is finally here. An exciting off season for the first time in a long time put a big circle on this date for months. The Home Opener. Our Indians holiday every year. (And while I realize it isn’t technically opening day, I’m using the phrase. It’s opening day for the city.)
Every year at this time we have hope for our beloved Indians. Hope that the season won’t be over by mid-July. Hope that the team can compete into September or day we say October. Hope that we will have another “post season to remember” as Tom Hamilton eloquently put it so many years ago.
This year there are reasons for optimism. Yes, there are plenty of concerns and question marks about the 2013 version of the Tribe, but what better day to dwell on the positive than Opening Day in Cleveland?
Top Ten Reasons for Opening Day Optimism-
10- Have you seen the blasts coming off of Mark Reynold’s bat? These are not fly balls that just manage to squeak over a short porch. These have been dead center mammoth blasts. Yes, he is also going to strike out. We knew this. But when he makes contact, that ball is scorched. Consider this- Reynolds has six base hits on the season (.300 average so far) and four of them have been home runs. Another was a double. That’s five out of six hits for extra bases.
He’s fourth in the league in slugging percentage. His seven RBI also put him among the league leaders in that category, and only two players have hit more home runs in the first week of play.
No, he won’t keep this pace up, but he will provide power, and from the right side of the plate which we haven’t seen in a while. Maybe today a lucky fan in the bleachers will get his first home run at home.
9- You also have to like what Michael Brantley has done. It isn’t just the high average (.353), it’s that he is a tough out in the middle of a group of free swingers. Brantley is using the entire field so far, and when he does that he is locked in. It’s like having another lead off man for the bottom half of the order.
8- DEFENSE. We thought that this outfield had the potential to be great. We’ve seen a few hints at how much ground they can cover. Stubbs made a play on a ball in the Toronto series that Choo never gets to. I have a feeling we’ll be saying that all season. Let them play a few more weeks and really get comfortable next to each other. Let them figure out how much space the others need.
What I didn’t realize was the quality of first base play we would get from Nick Swisher. He has made some nice plays that your average converted outfielder doesn’t make. He is no handicap on the defense out there.
7- Carlos Santana. He’s on a hot streak no question about it. But this year there is so much less pressure on Santana. You watch the line-up and see legitimate hitters up and down the order. You don’t watch Cabrera and Santana and then hope the Indians score the next time the top of the order is up in a couple innings. This could be his star season. The year he breaks out. Optimism.
6- No Sabathia. A four game series with the Yankees that doesn’t include CC Sabathia? Sign me up.
5- Speaking of the Yankees, what happened to the super-power? Fortunately for the Indians, they limp into town without their biggest guns healthy. But even when healthy, this team is stocked with players that are on the down side of their career. Andy Pettitte is 39. Ichiro is 38. Youk is 34. Vernon Wells is 35. Derek Jeter is 38. Yankee fans are used to seeing an All-Star team in pinstripes. They still do, except it’s the 2002 All-Star team.
4- Depth. The Indians have some options finally. Aviles and Raburn are legit options to go to late in a game or for a start. And they are versatile. Raburn could play either corner outfield spot, and Aviles could play some left field as well. Both can play multiple infield positions as well. Reynolds can also play first base.
There are also pitching options in Columbus should our pitchers (cough, Myers, cough, Ubaldo) struggle early on. How soon the Indians would be willing to go to those options remains to be seen.
3- It isn’t a bright spot for today necessarily, but Justin Masterson has looked good early. In his first start he wasn’t particularly sharp early on, but some nice defense got him out of jams and in the win column. Yesterday was a big game for Masterson and the Indians. They had a chance to come home with either a 3-3 or 2-4 road trip and Masterson really put the clamps down on the Rays. One of the biggest keys to this season is going to be Masterson or another pitcher becoming that number 1 starter. I feel it needs to be Justin, and he took his first steps toward that beating both reigning Cy Young award winners in his first two starts.
2- Cabrera, Kipnis, Swisher and Stubbs. None of them have really gotten it going offensively yet. And yet the team is 3-3 and fifth in the AL in runs scored. Your 2-4 hitters are batting .132 and you are fifth in the league in scoring runs? That’s a nice problem to have. Players go through dry spells at the plate, everyone knows this. That is why seeing the team compete and score runs while these three are struggling is so encouraging.
1- It’s Opening Day. Who can’t get jazzed about the home opener? Go Tribe!
To celebrate, we’re giving away a Wahoo Red and Blue WFNY shirt. Leave a comment before the end of this game telling us why you are optimistic about the Indians today. We’ll pick a random winner from the entries.
59 Comments
Tito!
Tribe fever, catch some!
This year it seems as though you can and will have a few guys on fire at each point in the season. Almost every batter 1-9 has the ability to really get hot at times, and your worst hitter batting 9th will probably swipe 35 SB this year. Pitching may be an issue, but I can see these guys putting up a lot of 5-6+ run games. I think it will all come down to how everything shakes out with the other teams in the AL. We may be in the position to be in the hunt for that extra wild card spot, and if so, i don’t think any team will be looking forward to facing the tribe.
I was optimistic for the Home Opener today with our off-season moves in getting Francona as manager, Reynolds as 1B/DH, Swisher as 1B/OF, Bourn as CF, and the key trades with Toronto and Cincinnati/Arizona (the three-team trade that was more like 2 separate trades). Plus, we don’t have to rush youth like Bauer due to the Myers signing (although he looks like the rotation’s weakest link), Masterson and Jimenez are looking good and possibly turned things around. The bullpen looks dynamite, and mettles tested (Allen bounced back after his rough outing). The final reason is we got the fake surfaces done with in the first week, leaving the rest of the season on real grass.
Tito gives the Indians a legitemate leader for the young guys. Also you have young guys like Kipnis Chiz and Santana who if they can step in and gel with the older veterans could be a scary lineup.
I’m optimistic because between ownership/management finally making some encouraging off-season moves and the schedule-makers finally realizing a Cleveland team should probably be playing in a dome(s) in March, everyone seems to be getting their stuff together…this team is long overdue in so many ways.
Optimistic for all of the reasons mentioned above, and also because of the effect of Terry Francona and Nick Swisher on the clubhouse. Things just feel different — GOOD different.
I’m optimistic because of the new look lineup. On point with number 7 from above, it’s nice not having to rely on two guys to produce all of your runs. We can score from anywhere in the lineup, and although I do expect we will see a lot of Reynolds, Chiz, and Stubbs striking out one after another, the potential is there as we saw from both Reynolds and Chiz yesterday. It’s the first time in a while we’ve had a complete lineup like this and they will be able to win some games despite our pitching.
Pettitte is in the NY rotation … really? People keep saying “it feels like Brantley and Chisenhall have been here forever.” Compared to them it feels like Pettitte’s been pitching since Mickey Rivers was hitting lead off.
Ah, to be a lefty.
I am optimistic because of the 3 headed monster in the bullpen.
I love the new lineup!
Because we’ll never see a lineup that has Shelley Duncan, Jose Lopez, Aaron Cunningham, Johnny Damon, Casey Kotchman, and Derek Lowe.
I’m optimistic this year because we can tell the difference between the starting lineup for the Indians and the starting lineup for the Clippers. For too long they’ve been too similar
(cough, Myers, cough, Ubaldo)
after their respective first starts, you are putting Ubaldo in the same category as Myers? Ubaldo at least used to be a good starting pitcher and had a good outing his first time up.
i’m not giving up on him, which is optimism, right? 🙂
Brent Lillibridge would like to see you immediately!
I’m stoked because I’m a chick and I dig the long ball! Seriously offensively & defensively I’ve anticipating a great season to watch. Plus I love that Swish is starting the home opener off by making a donation to Providence House. So Yankees – Thank you for NOT signing Swisher, and for giving Pronk a home
This probably makes many Indians fans happy, but I’m bitter about the 4:05pm start time… if the game starts at 1:05 or 2:05, I can listen to the whole game on the radio while at work. Not as easy to do with a 14-month-old running around at home demanding a different book be read to him every 30 seconds.
I’m optimistic about being able to watch meaningful Tribe baseball in August… come on Tribe!
I am optimistic because of the lineup. These guys are going to hit the ball a lot this year. I also am a huge Francona fan.
I love the versatility that Tito has with his lineup. Holy crap do I love seeing a lineup that can knock around a left-handed pitcher, and I will be extra happy to see it happen to Andy Pettitte.
A vibe on the team that they can win a lot of games this year and a sense of life in the city.
I’m optimistic about the Tribe because for the first time ever I invested in MLB.TV to follow them all season long. I hope I’m still happily using the service come September…
I’m optimistic because we finally have a competent manager in Terry Francona. The players trust and believe in everything he is saying, something we haven’t had since the 90’s and Mike Hargrove.
can you blame Tim for erasing Brent from his memory? 🙂
Brent’s mother would like to see you immediately!
I am pumped to be eventually let down by this team! #RollTribe
It shouldnt snow!
his OPS+ is negative 100 right now. I don’t think his mom is leaving the house these days for fear of running into anyone.
(how does that happen? well, you have to be special. generating 12 outs in 11 ABs type of special.)
I’m optimistic about today (and this season in general) because having seen that explosion against David Price, I feel we’re never out of a game, which is the exact opposite feeling I had last year. Also, Ubaldo was damn good in Toronto, so I’m optimistic he’ll keep the momentum going.
I’m optimistic I can get a new Indians shirt this year!
I’m optimistic about the depth and balance in the lineup. Even if the Indians don’t make a playoff run, at least they’ll be way more entertaining than last years team.
I’m optimistic because it would be morally wrong not to be optimistic on Opening Day.
It’s his “intangibles” whatever those are but you won’t ruin my opening day long live Lillibridge! Wahooooooooooooooooo!
I’m optimistic because the Browns don’t play for, like, 4 months!
I’m optimistic because Cleveland has a real team this year… With uniforms…
Quote of the season: “Yankee fans are used to seeing an All-Star team in pinstripes. They still do, except it’s the 2002 All-Star team.”
Optimistic because the new Fox graphics and camera angles make me so, sometimes against my will. Can’t figure out whether Fox is that good or STO was just not so much. If we’re within a few runs I just get a vague sense of creeping triumphalism that can’t get listening to Hammy.
(NOT that there’s anything wrong with Hammy, ever, in his entire life. He just has his voice without graphics, and I’m quite sure that’s not entirely his fault).
Wait, really? Are there no games left on turf? That’s pretty incredible.
Depth. We don’t have to count on one guy night in and night out to win. There are a ton of guys who can get hot one day and that be enough to lead us a victory that game.
I’m optimistic because the Yankees are having Old Timer’s Day, every day this season.
Just heard on the pregame radio show that 4 of the guys (including Francona) will catch pitches from their fathers for today’s opening pitch. I love that idea… that smells like baseball truth to me.
We only have single trips to Toronto and Tampa, who else has artificial surfaces? Don’t know if a NL team does, even Miami has real grass.
I’m optimistic that Francona will figure out how to walk to the ballpark next time 🙂
http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9147857/terry-francona-gets-lost-walking-cleveland-indians-home-opener
does everybody else see the irony of Ubaldo getting Pronked?
Well the game just started and were already down 3-0. So much for optimism
Getting out of these stinking domes has me optimistic! Some fresh air will hopefully wake up the middle of the order bats!
I’m optimistic because this is the best the offense has looked as far back as I can remember, and there is a certain feeling in the air around this team… Could be Francona, Swisher or any one of these guys in the clubhouse. I’m hoping for the best down here in Cincinnati.
uh, it’s a long game and Kuroda hasn’t pitched well (spring or 1st start). bottom half going well so far.
I am optimistic because the offense is actually fun to watch again. Brings back some memories of our power hitting 90s teams!
I’m optimistic because for the first time in many seasons, I feel like we’re able to be happy about the team we’re building instead of dreading how our surprisingly good team is about to be further dismantled.
I’m optimistic because it looks like the organization is finally starting to understand how embarrassing little red sambo is to a lot of us, and ushering him out the back door.