June 19, 2013

Trent Richardson: “Injury-prone is not going to be me”

June 2, 2013 by 3 Comments

Trent Richardson has sat over the last week of organized team activities with a strained muscle in his right shin. Thus, in an effort to downplay the injuries that have been a constant nag for him in his short NFL career, he shared with the media after practice on Thursday how he’s working to fight off the “injury-prone” label.

“Ain’t no biggie. Ain’t nothing to worry about. I could be out there, but they want to be cautious about it and just make sure I’m healthy when it’s time to be right and be right for [training] camp [in late July]. … It’s terrible [sitting out], but I know in my mind, well, everybody knows that it’s not going to be near like last year, being hurt and injured. Injury-prone is not going to be me. And I just can’t wait to get up back and running.”

Per the Akron Beacon Journal’s Nate Ulrich, Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski sounded as if Richardson might also sit through the team’s mandatory minicamp from Tuesday-Thursday next week. Richardson had downplayed his current shin issues, saying it was minor enough that it didn’t warrant an MRI, but that he might be checking with renowned sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews to “make sure everything is good.”

Richardson continued to do light exercises on the sidelines on Thursday during OTAs. There likely will be more official word as the week continues and minicamp approaches whether or not he’ll be sitting out even more.

After being the No. 3 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft out of Alabama, the talented running back missed most of training camp and all four preseason games following left knee surgery. He also battled broken ribs during the season, then missed Week 17 following a left high ankle sprain. He finished the year with 1,317 total yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns, a remarkable season for a Browns rusher, let alone a rookie, yet clearly looked hampered by injuries on numerous occasions.

[Related: Cleveland Sports bits and pieces]

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NBA News: Cavs win local Emmy Award for video open

June 2, 2013 by 2 Comments

There always was plenty of excitement and energy around this year’s intro video for the Cleveland Cavaliers — and now the leaders behind the video have taken home some local recognition.

The Cavaliers’ in-house QTV production team won in the Best Promotion of Program Sports category at the Lower Great Lakes Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmy Awards. The 44th annual event took place at Windows on the River on Saturday night.

The video open features Cleveland rapper Machine Gun Kelly’s “Invincible” song with fire in the video matching fire emerging from the Quicken Loans Arena scoreboard. Clips of MGK singing and huddling with the players were meshed together with constantly updated highlights during the season.

Fans still can watch the video online at Cavs.com.

The team also was nominated this year at the local Emmy Awards in the category of Best Sports Program for “Access Cavaliers.” The specific episode that was nominated provided an inside look of the in-game video open, training camp and more.

Previously, the Cavaliers received Emmy Awards related to their in-game video open in 2006, 2010 and 2011.

[Related:In fun and fire: Cavs’ video production team steals the show]

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While We’re Waiting… Looking for Cavaliers role players

June 2, 2013 by 12 Comments

“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.

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Great article over at FTS about the specific kind of role player that the Cavaliers need: “This brings up an intriguing question in my mind, because Arron Afflalo is the perfect case study in the value of a “3 and D” player in the NBA. Let’s stop and define “3 and D” players first. In my mind, a pure “3 and D” guy must be able to shoot threes at at least a 38% clip, plus play above-average defense while guarding multiple positions. Most of the time, these guys are swingmen, however I do think that Harrison Barnes may present an interesting case study in the future if he doesn’t improve from this season and stays as a combo forward, playing the small-ball 4.” [Sam Vecenie/Fear The Sword] [Read more...]

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WFNY Stats & Info: Jason Giambi’s slugging tear

June 1, 2013 by 1 Comment

Last weekend, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek WFNY Stats & Info post about a prop bet (h/t @neatgibson): What would be more, Jason Giambi’s home runs or Cleveland Browns wins?

Well, ever since, Giambi has been on an absolute tear for the Indians. He tied Tuesday afternoon’s game against Cincinnati with a eighth-inning home run. He was the star of Thursday evening’s game against the Reds with a three-run homer and an double. Now on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays, he has homered again and drove in three more.

MLB.com’s Zack Meisel shared the following stat about something the 42-year-old Giambi now has in common with the reigning Triple Crown winner:

No Indians slugger homered in at least three straight games in 2012. Three players — Asdrubal Cabrera (3 games, 9/19-9/22), Carlos Santana (3 games, 4/28-4/30) and Jason Kipnis (4 games, 7/31-83) — pulled that off in the 2011 season. The last time Giambi did that feat: June 1st-5th, 2006.

Entering Saturday, Giambi’s 16 RBI were only three behind the MLB leader for all players with less than 125 plate appearances. Todd Helton had 19 in 109 PAs entering the day. Giambi had just 75 plate appearances.

[Related: Cleveland Indians make statement on Friday’s rain-delay game]

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NFL News: San Francisco hires Eric Mangini as consultant

June 1, 2013 by 5 Comments

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini is officially back in the NFL: ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports this afternoon that the San Francisco 49ers organization has hired the 42-year-old as the team’s Senior Offensive Consultant.

Mangini has been out of the NFL since being fired by the Browns following the 2010 season. He had a 10-22 record in his two seasons with the club, then was replaced by Pat Shurmur, who last just two seasons. Mangini also was 23-25 in his three previous years with the New York Jets.

Most recently, Mangini has been serving as an analyst for ESPN, where he had been receiving very positive reviews both on TV and radio. But previously this offseason, there had been some murmurs of the possibility of him returning to the NFL in some official capacity, with the 49ers as a likely fit.

Mangini will be joining former Browns kicker Phil Dawson and backup quarterback Colt McCoy in the city by the bay.

[Related: Eric Mangini: TV and Radio Star?]

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Cleveland Indians make statement on Friday’s rain-delay game

June 1, 2013 by 10 Comments

Friday night was a near PR disaster for the Cleveland Indians. It all appeared to be a nice night for baseball: Dollar dogs, beginning of a weekend set with the Tampa Bay Rays and the warm month of June only a day away. But 4.5 hours of rain delays put a dark cloud over what should have been a nice crowd of 29,000-plus.

By Saturday afternoon, the Indians were taking to Twitter and the PR communications route to correct the damages made the night before. The game resumed at 12:10 a.m. and went on until nearly 3 a.m. Very few fans stayed for even the restart of the game in the bottom of the second, and since the game was completed, the departing fans received no rain check for their efforts.

Team President Mark Shapiro kick-started today’s statements with his series of messages on Twitter:

Then, Curtis Danburg, the team’s senior director of communications, sent out the official statement from the ball club. Here are some of the highlights from the release:

There was a multitude of extenuating circumstances that led to what we recognize was a challenging experience for our fans:

  • At the time of last night’s game, there was considerable uncertainty within the remainder of this weekend’s weather forecast
  • Last night’s weather forecast continually changed throughout the evening leading to the unfortunate after midnight re-start
  • Our ability to play at a future date was limited by two factors of significance: Tampa Bay does not return to Progressive Field in 2013 and as outlined within the terms of the basic agreement there are no viable mutual off days in the future to reschedule

We value each and every one of our fans. We want to thank the fans that did stay for some or all of the game for their loyalty, patience and perseverance. Our fans were incredible last night.

SportsTimeOhio’s Katie Witham explained many of these intricate details as the game was set to resume late last night, but it was likely no solace for the thousands of fans who were already fast asleep. The Indians and Rays began game two of their three-game weekend series just moments ago this afternoon at Progressive Field.

[Related: MLB News: Indians make bullpen move after rain-delay madness]

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Former Buckeye, Steeler OT Mike Adams stabbed in robbery

June 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Mike Adams has been hospitalized today, per the latest news on Twitter:

Adams, who was Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, had an back-and-forth career with the Ohio State Buckeyes after being a No. 1 high school recruit. A positive drug test further hurt his draft candidacy, but he showed his commitment to the Steelers, his childhood favorite team.

In the 2012 season, Adams played in 10 games and started six for the 8-8 Steelers. From all of us here at WFNY, we’re wishing all of the best to our AFC North rival and this former standout OSU lineman.

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MLB News: Indians make bullpen move after rain-delay madness

June 1, 2013 by 1 Comment

Friday night, the Indians and Rays were scheduled to play a game of baseball at 7:05 p.m. It was Dollar Dog Night and there seemed to be a large crowd in attendance — the Tribe eventually announced an attendance of 29,603. But unfortunately, 4.5+ hours of rain delays derailed the enthusiasm, yet the game continued.

The game restarted at 12:10 a.m. in the bottom of the second inning. Right-hander Jamey Wright shut down Cleveland for three innings, while left-hander Scott Barnes got the opportunity in relief for the home team. He didn’t last long. In just one inning, Barnes tied his MLB-worst performance with five runs allowed, including two home runs. He made 30 pitches in the inning.

Thus, right on cue and to provide additional bullpen help for the weekend, the Indians sent the 25-year-old Barnes back down to AAA Columbus where he has spent the majority of his time this season. The corresponding move was the purchase of right-hander reliever Matt Langwell’s contract from the Clippers.

Langwell, 27, is 7-1 with a 3.15 ERA in 64 games over parts of the last three seasons with Columbus. He has 103 strikeouts against 42 walks in his 100.0 innings for the Clip Show. The team’s 11th-round draft pick in 2008 out of Rice, he has consistently ascended through the minor league levels and likely will be getting his first crack at the majors at some point against Tampa Bay this weekend.

Eventually, Matt Albers, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Shaw shut down the Rays for just one run over the next five innings. But then Rich Hill imploded in the ninth, allowing another three runs to provide for the final 9-2 deficit. The Indians bullpen struggled mightily overall in the month of May, finishing with a 5.75 ERA compared to a 3.70 mark for the previously maligned starting rotation.

[Related: Cleveland Sports bits and pieces]

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DeMarcus Cousins rumors fading, so what’s next for Cavs?

June 1, 2013 by 26 Comments

cousins kingsAlthough absolutely nothing has happened for the Cavaliers in the 12 days since winning the NBA Draft Lottery, it has seemed like an eternity to fans. There’s still another 26 days remaining until the actual draft — showing how all of the team’s options can start to wear on an exhausted Twitter base.

But most notably in the past week, Cleveland Twitter has been electric with the allure and mystique of 22-year-old Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. One of the most polarizing players in the NBA, Cousins was “potentially” on the block with the Kings being sold and changing their leadership structure.

Alas, as of last night, it now appears that Cousins will not be anywhere close to the trade block. Would this have been a fruitful exploration? Moving forward after that fantasy, what can Cavaliers fans do now? What’s next on the horizon? Let’s take a look through the stats and the narratives. [Read more...]

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While We’re Waiting… All baseball talk, all the time

June 1, 2013 by 5 Comments

“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.

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Anytime FanGraphs writes about positive things in the Tribe organization, I’m thrilled. With this, I’m bouncing-off-the-walls ecstatic: “In 2013, the 27-year-old Santana might be becoming the superstar that some envisioned when he was a prospect. Despite having a poor May at the plate, his overall season line still stands at .294/.396/.503 (147 wRC+, second-best among qualified catchers, just behind Joe Mauer‘s 148). While it is still early, after 202 plate appearances, Santana’s better performance seems to be based primarily on two things: the return of his pre-2012 power, and a significantly higher BABIP. One or both may be an early-season blip, but there are at least some signs that Santana has made some important and perhaps long-term improvements.” [Matt Klaasen/FanGraphs] [Read more...]

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NBA Rumor: DeMarcus Cousins wants to stay in Sacramento

May 31, 2013 by 4 Comments

Lately, Cleveland Twitter has been buzzing with trade ideas revolving around Sacramento Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins. The rampant speculation — of course with no concrete backing — has heated up even more so since the Cavaliers won the NBA Draft Lottery for the No. 1 pick next month.

But today, with the recent sale of the Kings becoming official and the team set to soon hire former Cavs assistant Michael Malone, rumors are circulating that Cousins indeed wants to stay in Sacramento. Via the Twitter account of Sacramento Bee reporter Jason Jones:

Vivek Ranadive is the new lead owner of the Kings. He previously was a co-owner and vice chairman of the Golden State Warriors (a la Jimmy Haslam III and the Pittsburgh Steelers), but later emerged as the main man behind the contingent hoping to keep the Kings in California.

Cousins, 22, was the No. 5 pick in the 2010 draft after one season at the University of Kentucky. In the last two seasons most notably, “Boogie” Cousins has averaged 17.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, emerging as one of the elite young prospects in the NBA. He’s also been relatively healthy, playing in 220 out of 230 possible games thus far in his three-year career.

Yet, Cousins has been an constant source of trouble on and off the court, leading to the constant Internet speculation about an eventual departure from Sacramento. Thus far, however, it appears that the new ownership group is doing all they can to keep the team’s best star at least for now.

[Related: Exploring The Trade Angle For Cavs’ Moveable Assets]

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MLB Rumor: Eric Wedge on the hot seat in Seattle

May 31, 2013 by 5 Comments

After seven seasons in Cleveland, former skipper Eric Wedge wore out his welcome with his “grinder” approach and lack of sustained success. Now in just his third season with the Seattle Mariners, might the same thing be happening in the Pacific Northwest?

Sports Illustrated’s Tom Verducci, one of the best baseball writers out there, dedicated the first segment of his online column today to Wedge and Kansas City’s Ned Yost. He called out both for their disappointing starts to 2013, but said the problems run deeper than just that.

“Why are the Mariners constantly failing to improve and why can’t they identify or develop good young hitters?” Verducci wrote. “Those questions must be answered by general manager Jack Zduriencik and manager Eric Wedge, both of whom should feel less comfortable these days than [Dustin] Ackley. … The Mariners have nothing of substance to show for trades of Cliff Lee and Michael Pineda. And, no, it’s not to be blamed on spacious Safeco Field, where the Mariners once built a 116-win team. Something is seriously wrong institutionally when it comes to identifying and developing talent in Seattle.”

Verducci proceeded to share how Wedge’s Mariners teams have often ranked at the bottom with some of the worst offensive statistics in franchise history. His overall record is 165-213 (.437) with no playoff appearances. The team improved from 67 wins in 2011 to 75 last season, but has regressed thus far in 2013. Most notably, several of their top hitting prospects — notably Ackley and catcher Jesus Montero — haven’t lived up their lofty potential.

The Indians swept the Mariners in a four-game series at Progressive Field just two weeks ago. Yan Gomes’ walk-off home run on May 20 bumped the team to season-high nine games over .500.

Of course, preceding Wedge’s tenure in Seattle, it’s also not too helpful when the Mariners organization has so often gift-wrapped up-and-coming to the Indians. Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo and Omar Vizquel are three All-Stars acquired for pennies on the dollar over the years in Seattle-Cleveland trades.

[Related: Indians 7, Reds 1: We Did It, You Guys. The Ohio Cup is OURS!]

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WFNY Stats & Info: Indians’ two-out barrage best in MLB since 2011

May 31, 2013 by 4 Comments

Sitting at the Indians-Reds game last night with TD, I had planned to just spend a quiet inning away from my friends. Then, suddenly, Michael Brantley had a two-out RBI hit. And then Yan Gomes. And Ryan Raburn. And the beat continued to the top of the lineup.

All in all, I was away from my friends for nearly 45 minutes as the Indians demoralized Homer Bailey and the Reds for seven  runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. When the rally was finally over against reliever Alfredo Simon, Cleveland had plated six consecutive two-out RBI hits.

So I was curious. After looking at Baseball-Reference’s Play Index search of all of the 7,830 two-out RBI hits since 2012, I was able to find out the historical rarity of last night’s feat.

Cleveland’s six two-out RBI hits in one inning 1 are the most by any team in the last two seasons. Here is the list:

6 – Cleveland, 5/30/13, b4 vs. Cincinnati (7 total RBI)
5 – LA Angels, 8/23/12, t3 at Boston Red Sox (6 total RBI)
5 – St. Louis, 7/21/12, b7 vs. Chicago Cubs (8 total RBI)
4 – (27 occurrences, most recently on 5/25/13 by both San Diego and Atlanta)
3 – (132 occurrences, most recently on 5/25/13 by Boston and 5/24/13 by Houston)

On the season, the Tribe now has a .939 OPS with runners in scoring position and two outs, by far the best in baseball (MLB average is .711). Oddly enough, Terry Francona’s Boston Red Sox ranked 1st (2009), 1st (2010) and 3rd (2011) in this category in his last three seasons with the team.

[Related: Indians 7, Reds 1: We Did It, You Guys. The Ohio Cup is OURS!]

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  1. I can’t necessarily tell if these other streaks were consecutive hits or not. Hence, the definition is simply “two-out RBI hits in one inning” as that is all I can concretely verify en masse. [back]

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The Diff: The stats behind drafting Nerlens Noel at No. 1

May 29, 2013 by 135 Comments

The Diff is your weekly Wednesday WFNY look into the amazing world of sports statistics. For a complete log of articles, click this link. Last week, The Diff covered the historical finishes for MLB teams that started 26-18. This week, it’s NBA Draft talk time.

The Diff

Since the Cavaliers won the lottery last week, Cleveland sports fans have been enamored by the idea of Nerlens Noel. Whether you love him or hate him, the 19-year-old University of Kentucky center already has been the subject of dozens of Cleveland-based analyses and reports. Is he the best prospect in this draft? Will he fit in the NBA? Will he actually make an impact in 2012-13? How good can he be? After perusing through the usual and not-so-usual stats, I’m here today to give you the statistical know-how about why Noel should be the Cavs’ no-doubt pick at No. 1.

 

[Read more...]

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WFNY Stats & Info: Tough road ahead for Indians

May 27, 2013 by 8 Comments

Although the Tribe already has played in back-to-back difficult series against Detroit and Boston, the upcoming schedule doesn’t get any more favorable. Beginning with the start of this four-game road-and-home series against Cincinnati, the Indians have a very tough 19-game map ahead.

Team H/R Opponent Wins Losses Pct # of Games
CLE @ CIN 31 19 0.620 2
CLE CIN 31 19 0.620 2
CLE TBR 25 24 0.510 3
CLE @ NYY 30 19 0.612 3
CLE @ DET 28 20 0.583 3
CLE @ TEX 32 18 0.640 3
CLE WSN 26 24 0.520 3

 

Overall, when factoring in number of games, the strength of schedule for the Indians over this 19-game stretch is .583. On the year, the team already has a combined record of 4-8 against Tampa Bay, New York and Detroit. When factoring away those games from the opponent’s season record, the strength of schedule still sits at .580.

This stretch will help to shape what direction the Tribe goes for the rest of 2013. The team is 27-22 right now. Last season, the team similarly started 26-18 and then collapsed en route to a 68-94 record, the worst such collapse for a team that started with that record.

[Related: The Diff: Historical finishes for 26-18 MLB teams]

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Josh Gordon on Browns offense: “Defenses will be shocked”

May 27, 2013 by 6 Comments

Over the past few days, there’s been some media hubbub about second-year Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon. In his latest interview with Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal, Gordon talked about general manager Mike Lombardi, the team’s new offense and the ongoing organized team activities in Berea.

“Defenses will be shocked to say the least with how much we’re running down field,” Gordon said in the article. “I’ve never ran this much as a wide receiver ever in my life, and that’s a good thing. And not just me, everyone from the slot guys to running backs, everyone’s got passing plays in the system.”

With this being his first-ever OTAs after being a supplemental draft pick last July, Gordon stated that “it’s definitely slowed down a lot.” The new offensive system designed by head coach Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinator Norv Turner seems to fit directly in line with the playmaking abilities of Gordon and quarterback Brandon Weeden. Gordon’s comments appeared to be upbeat and exciting, building off his 805-yard rookie season.

[Related: Cleveland Browns hit reset button on media relations]

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MLB News: Chris Perez placed on DL with shoulder soreness

May 27, 2013 by 8 Comments

After Sunday’s nightmarish series end in Boston, many people saw this news coming. Now, it’s official: The Indians have placed closer Chris Perez on the disabled list for the first time in his career.

The diagnosis is that Perez left Sunday’s game with right shoulder soreness. The Indians announced that he will have an MRI and exam today in Cleveland. On the season, the 27-year-old All-Star is 2-1 with a 4.32 ERA. He took the loss yesterday after loading up the bases, leaving the game and setting the stage for the Red Sox to win it off Joe Smith.

In the corresponding roster move, Nick Hagadone received the call-up from Columbus again. This is his third time back with the club in 2013. For the Clippers, the 27-year-old left-hander is 1-1 with a 2.00 ERA in 7 games. He has struggled with control over the bulk of his time in the majors, posting a 6.02 ERA in his 49 career appearances with 31 walks in 46.1 innings.

[Related: Fear Creeps Into Bullpen Mafia After Rough Week]

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While We’re Waiting… Disappointing Indians weekend

May 27, 2013 by 1 Comment

“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.

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“Look guys, I got nothing. I’m as upset as you all are at what transpired this weekend. After winning the first game, dropping the last three, especially the last two, and even more especially on Sunday, times a thousand multiplied by infinity, I’m disappointed. Times a thousand multiplied by infinity and all I can say is I’m disappointed? Yeah I guess so. I’ve had time to cool off and I also realize that it’s just two games of the 162.” [Nino Colla/The Tribe Daily] [Read more...]

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Cleveland Browns hit reset button on media relations

May 25, 2013 by 3 Comments

Banner and Haslam

Chuck Klosterman’s Grantland expose was just the tip of the iceberg. For years, perhaps shrouded by arrogance and pomp, the Cleveland Browns – yes, that awful football team – have nearly been just as awful at media relations.

For one, maybe it wasn’t the true fault of Neal Gulkis. I want to give any person the benefit of the doubt. And I certainly never enjoy cheering for any person losing their job. But with the Browns announcing on Friday that they’re letting go of Gulkis, maybe, just maybe, this new era, this new front office and this new team can truly begin their regional makeover. [Read more...]

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Mike Aviles: “You’ll never want to play for anybody else”

May 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Buried in his Friday evening notes from Boston, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian had this “quote to note” from Indians utility man Mike Aviles about manager Terry Francona:

“I had numerous guys ask me, ‘What’s Tito like as a manager?’ I’d say, ‘I promise you, you’ll never want to play for anybody else.’ And it’s no disrespect to anybody else. That’s just the type of person Tito is. Once you play for a guy like Tito, you kind of get spoiled.”

Aviles, 32, also played with Francona in Boston during the team’s much-ballyhooed collapse in late 2011. After beginning his professional career with the Kansas City Royals, he was dealt to the Sox in a deadline deal that season. He batted .317 in 38 games down the stretch when Francona ended his Boston tenure with a 7-20 September run that led to no playoff appearance.

In the offseason, Francona was shown the door in Boston. With regular playing time, Aviles had a career season under one-year manager Bobby Valentine in 2012. This past offseason, Aviles then was traded for manager John Farrell to Toronto and, just two weeks later, was dealt again in the Esmil Rogers trade over to Cleveland. Francona had arrived the previous month, thus sparking the impromptu and excited manager-player reunion.

Aviles is batting .280 in 31 games this season with 5 doubles and 3 home runs. He has appeared in games at five different positions, with his flexibility greatly assisting the oft-injured and very surprising club so far.

[Related: Indians 12 Red Sox 3: Tito’s Revenge Tastes So Sweet]

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