Indians Use Speed To Win Strikeout Showdown
June 15, 2013Indians Sign Top Pick Clint Frazier
June 15, 2013“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.
Leading off, from one film roomer to another, Brendan Leister at DraftBrowns went into his and did some study on Browns right guard Shawn Lauvao, “As a run blocker, Shawn Lauvao does an adequate job overall. Although he usually executes his assignment by blocking the correct defender, there were a few times during the 2012 season when Lauvao came out of his stance and looked confused on who he was supposed to block. When you consider that Lauvao was the starting right guard in the same offense for a second straight season, this is very alarming. Lauvao shows average strength overall as a run blocker. There are far too many times when Lauvao is unable to move his man at the point of attack.” [Leister/DraftBrowns]
More NBA instant replay? It could be on the way for block/charge calls in the final two minutes of the game. This is a slippery slope in reviewing true judgment calls, “Now, as I mentioned above, we’re not going to be seeing incessant replays late in games because of block/charge calls, because the league’s refs tend not to whistle such calls late in contests, and the spread-out nature of isolation ball late in close contests make defenders hesitant to dive in front of the rim while leaving their man wide open elsewhere. These aren’t reviews for the sake of reviews, they’ll only happen when referees have already decided to check to see if the players were in the restricted area on a blown charge call that should be overturned into a block.” [Dwyer/Ball Don’t Lie]
Who’s #2? Michigan’s #1 obviously, but who is Ohio State’s second greatest rival? Michael Citro at Elevan Warriors tackles that issue, putting Wisconsin #2, “Is it the last several years of being subjected to the magic invisible-to-officials holding of Badger linemen? Bret Bielema’s face? The additional stuff that hoops coach Bo Ryan has added to the mix? Is it simply the quality of play that’s made Wisconsin a threat in the conference? Just what is it about this team that is so utterly hateable? It’s probably all of those things. In addition, the Badgers were a thorn in our side even before they became decent. Some difficulties with Wisconsin started back in the Earle Bruce era, which made them irritating. But then their program improved and they suddenly made the jump from current Purdue levels to something just shy of Michigan. It will be interesting to see how this rivalry develops under a less punchable coach.” [Eleven Warriors]
Andrew Clayman at IBI gives the underrated members of the Tribe rotation, Zach McAllister and Corey Kluber, some credit, “Both were mid-level minor league prospects at the time as Kluber and McAllister each arrived with minimal fanfare, but have spent the subsequent three years sneakily making themselves relevant pieces in the Tribe’s greater plans. Kluber’s rise, in particular, needed some considerable gestation time. It’s easy to forget that the former 4th round pick is already 27 years old, and just two years removed from a pretty horrendous 2011 campaign down in Columbus (7-11, 5.56 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 8.5 K/9). Since then, he spun a virtual 180 for the Clippers in 2012 (11-7, 3.59 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9.2 K/9) and has unexpectedly dug his heels in with the big club this season (4-4, 4.08 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.9 K/9 in 9 starts).” [Indians Baseball Insider]
Al Ciammaichella at The Diatribe takes a look at top prospect and shortstop Francisco Lindor, “I caught up with Lindor a couple of weeks ago when the Mudcats were visiting the Potomac Nationals here in Virginia. I got to watch him take infield before the game, an experience I can only describe as baseball pornography. Lindor took a couple dozen routine groundballs, then proceeded to take balls far to his left and right, ranging far up the middle and deep in the hole. Bored with these seemingly routine tasks, Lindor then started fielding balls between his legs and behind his back. He would flip the ball to 2nd with his hands, glove, and I think I even saw him kick a ball over. It was a beautiful sight, and I stood there with Mudcats radio play-by-play announcer Darren Headrick, simply awestruck at the sight of Lindor fielding groundballs. When I expressed my feelings to Headrick, he simply chuckled, shook his head and said, “He does this every day. It’s incredible.”” [The Diatribe]
1 Comment
>>>Now, as I mentioned above, we’re not going to be seeing incessant replays late in games because of block/charge calls, … >>>
err.. ok. whatever.