May 25, 2013

Indians 9 Royals 0: UBALDO!!! UBALDO!!! UBALDO!!! I’m Sorry!

April 30, 2013 by 18 Comments

Ubaldo JimenezUbaldo Jimenez is so funny. He spends weeks and even months convincing us all that he doesn’t deserve to be in the Indians rotation. He frustrates. He makes us want to boo. Some of us even wrote an entire piece calling for his ouster from the roster. But here is the thing. The options for the Indians in terms of starting pitchers are dwindling by the day. Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t get rid of Ubaldo. Not with injuries to Brett Myers and Carlos Carrasco. Corey Kluber is already here. Trevor Bauer, Wednesday’s spot starter, is essentially the last remaining realistic choice for GM Chris Antonetti to call on. So Ubaldo has to perform.

My neighbor has told me for years “if you go in with low expectations, then you usually come out pleasantly surprised.” That was exactly where I was last night, and where I am at this point every single time Ubaldo takes the mound. The Indians truly have no idea which guy is going to show up. Will he last two innings, have zero command, walk everything in sight, and give up the big hits? Will he last five innings? Would he dare surprise everyone and actually make it past the sixth, something he had done just twice since June 16th of last year? Would he actually win a road start for the first time in 11 months?

With the opportunity to come way from this three-city, week and a half long road trip with a winning record, Jimenez would have to show out. He did that last night and more. I would be hard-pressed to find a better Ubaldo performance in Wahoo Red, White, and Blue than what I witnessed last night. The line speaks for itself.

Seven Innings. No Runs. Three Hits. Two Walks. Four Strikeouts. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: Boom-or-Bust Offense Concerning

April 29, 2013 by 8 Comments

Mike Aviles
This road trip can’t end soon enough for the Tribe. Yet, here they are, eight games in with one game remaining, and they are 4-4. All things considered, that is pretty astounding. There is little doubt that the Indians are a flawed team. You look at the roster and it is considerably better than it was last year. The bullpen is still loaded with options. The lineup is solid to to bottom. The rotation? Well, that is an issue that doesn’t seem to be going away, but the real concern right now has to be the boom or bust offense.

The rains certainly have not helped the Indians cause. Twice this week, the Wahoos were washed out. These guys are professionals, but they are also creatures of habit. They have their routines and they don’t like to get to far out of whack. While it is resting the bullpen, the rotation situation keeps changing. Friday night’s rainout caused a Sunday day/night doubleheader in Kansas City. Because of this, two Tribe starters are now on the same schedule and a spot starter is needed for Wednesday night’s game against Philadelphia.  [Read more...]

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Tribe Notes: A Kansas City Preview

April 26, 2013 by 15 Comments

Scott KazmirLets take a break from draft talk for a moment to get back to our Cleveland Indians. A four-game road set with the first place (yeah, you read this correctly) Kansas City Royals starts tonight and once again, the Tribe is searching for some consistency. The offense has been hot and cold – mostly cold – and has started to show a little bit more of that speed we expected to see when the season began. Still, they are very reliant on the home run ball. Center fielder Michael Bourn is still out with the gash in his right index finger, but should return at some point next week. Manager Terry Francona has been attempting to mix and match all over the diamond. The versatility of bench guys like Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn, along with the fact that Nick Swisher can be moved from first base to right field at any time, certainly helps.

I love Tito. I really do. But in all seriousness, how can he hit Raburn third or fifth? I don’t care who is injured or who doesn’t start, under no circumstances should Raburn be hitting in the middle of the order. Go ahead and tell me how he is hitting .313/.421/.500 against lefties thus far. That doesn’t mean he is the second coming of Albert Belle. Raburn still is what he is – a 32-year old journeyman who the Tigers DFA’d after last season. Remember how upset people were in 2012 when Manny Acta would hit Shelley Duncan in the cleanup spot at times? Or when Casey Kotchman would hit fifth? This is the same thing, but to me even more egregious. Acta’s club didn’t have better options with the injuries and a true lack of talent. But even when Francona decides to go to his bench, there is literally ZERO reason for Raburn to be in the middle of the order. [Read more...]

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The Browns and the First Round: Dee Milliner

April 23, 2013 by 11 Comments

DeeMillinerWe are less than a week from the NFL Draft, also known as the most important day of the year for your Cleveland Browns. With (another) new regime taking over the reigns and new schemes in place on both sides of the ball, it is crucial that Joe Banner, Mike Lombardi, Ray Farmer, Rob Chudzinski and the crew nail these three days. It all starts Thursday night with the primetime First Round. 

The Browns currently hold the sixth pick. Will they go with a defensive back? Could they turn to a pass rusher? Would they possible fortify the offensive line? Could they shock everyone and take an additional offensive weapon? Or maybe, just maybe, would they trade the pick to a team that wants to move up and snag one of those top offensive tackles?

From now until Thursday’s first round, a different member of the WFNY staff will take their look at one player in particular and tell you why the Browns, should they choose to, would go in this direction.  [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: Getting Healthy in Houston

April 22, 2013 by 20 Comments

Carlos SantanaThe Indians were a reeling bunch heading to Houston this weekend. They had just been swept by the Boston Red Sox and were essentially dominated for three games on their home field. Thursday night’s loss was a microcosm of the series; it was one missed offensive opportunity after another. Hitting the road sometimes is a good thing, especially for a team like the Indians who are still attempting to find themselves early in the season. Their next opponent, it seemed, was just what the doctor ordered – the sad-sack Houston Astros.

However, despite the optimism, the Tribe started the series without the DL’d Michael Bourn and with their three back-end starters slated to go. Brett Myers, Scott Kazmir, and Ubaldo Jimenez are not exactly Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Halladay. But this is what the Indians rotation is in its current state. Naturally by the end of the weekend, the rotation picture has gotten even more cloudy. The Tribe did end up taking two of three in Houston, which you will take all day. But make no mistake, it was a struggle against an Astros team that resembles a AAA ball club. But hey, a series win is a series win.

So let us dig right in as we do every Monday morning with the weekend that was in Wahooland. [Read more...]

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Red Sox 6 Indians 3: Stumbling Offense, Bumbling Defense Lead To Sox Sweep

April 19, 2013 by 5 Comments

Ryan RaburnIt doesn’t get much worse than yesterday in the wacked out world that is Cleveland Sports. Late morning brought us the news that the Cavaliers had relieved Byron Scott of his duties leaving Terry Francona, on the job all of 13 games and all of six and a half months as the longest tenured manager/coach of our three major sports franchises. Then we all learned that the man who was as popular as The Beatles in this town, Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, had his company and “first love” Pilot/Flying J under FBI investigation for the past two years on charges of alleged rebate fraud. According to a 120-page affidavit, Haslam had direct knowledge of the wrongdoings. Meanwhile, the Indians were trying to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, who have done just about everything right in the first two games of the series.

Well this is Cleveland, and sometimes when it rains, it doesn’t just pour, it monsoons on us.

This is supposed to be a time of excitement and hope. The NFL Draft is a week away. The NBA Playoffs are starting this weekend. The baseball season is just getting off the ground. The Indians are fresh with new players and a manager that is about as respected as they come. But yesterday the sports world was the dog, and our three teams were the tree.  [Read more...]

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Red Sox 6. Indians 3: Sox Plan Baffles Masterson

April 18, 2013 by 16 Comments

Asdrubal CabreraThere was rain in the forecast the last two nights in Cleveland. It is too bad it never arrived.

I sound like a broken record and we are only two weeks plus into the season, but the Tribe’s starting pitching is obviously a big concern. The thought was that with their best on the mound, Justin Masterson, the bleeding could be stopped. Actually the Indians starters pitched well in the Chicago series over the weekend, but what’s most fresh in our minds was Tuesday night’s comedy show starring Ubaldo Jimenez. The over-taxed Indians bullpen figured to get some relief with the Tribe’s ace on the mound. Just in case, Corey Kluber was called up as a long man, taking the place of CF Michael Bourn who was placed on the 15-day DL earlier in the day.

Masterson entered the game with a 19-inning scoreless streak in tow. The Red Sox came to the plate in the first inning with the perfect approach. They were patient with Masterson and took almost everything the other way right from the jump.  Four of the first five Red Sox singled the other way. The one who didn’t, Shane Victorino, was hit by a pitch. It was 3-0 before you could open your bag of peanuts. Justin managed to get through the rest of the inning unscathed, but the Red Sox knew they were on to something. [Read more...]

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Booooo-baldo – It is time to cut the cord

April 17, 2013 by 68 Comments

Ubaldo JimenezThe Indians series with the Boston Red Sox certainly didn’t lack for storylines. First and foremost, you had the Boston Marathon bombings, which took place just after the Red Sox Patriots day game with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox came to Cleveland with heavy hearts to face their old manager Terry Francona. Tito did put it out there right away – this series isn’t about him. But he has to want this one just a little bit more than the others. Then there is Ubaldo….

All spring long, the Indians brass would tell you how well Ubaldo Jimenez was throwing. Few believed it. Then in his first start of the season Jimenez bobbed and weaved his way through six innings for a win. He got the ball from Francona on Opening Day in Cleveland and reverted back into the Ubaldo we all know and…well I won’t say love. He couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning, giving up seven earned runs in front of 40,000 plus at Progressive Field. With the back to back rainouts last week, the Indians smartly moved Ubaldo back in the rotation, giving him a couple of extra days to work out the kinks with pitching coach Mickey Callaway. Again, we were told by the Indians that Jimenez had a “great side session” and would be ready for his next start. [Read more...]

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The Masters: Crossed Off My Bucket List

April 15, 2013 by 30 Comments

Augusta NationalLike most big time sports fans, I have a bucket list. I have been lucky enough to cross a few things off in the past decade. But plenty of things remain. Seeing the Browns play in a Super Bowl in person is certainly at the top. I would love to go to the U.S. Open Tennis tournament on Super Saturday, where the men’s semifinals and women’s final takes place. Checking out a big time, Saturday night SEC football game at either at LSU or Alabama where the game means something is on there. North Carolina/Duke basketball game in Cameron when both teams are in the top 10? Yes please. This weekend I was fortunate to cross yet another event off my list – The Masters – and I have to share my experiences with you.

As you know, it is the toughest ticket in sports. I have a lifelong friend (Doug) who lives in Atlanta and is turning 40 this year. He, along with two of our other close friends, wanted to do something for the big birthdays of two of the guys in the group. One threw out “why don’t we go to the Masters” about nine months ago. Doug, who is a partner in a big law firm, said he could make this happen for us, and worked for months to secure us tickets. He was able to get us passes for Friday’s round, so we flew in Thursday night. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: The Rotation Situation Helps The Tribe Take Two

April 15, 2013 by 19 Comments

Nick SwisherThe weekend brought a fresh series and a fresh start for the Indians. They hadn’t played since Tuesday’s 14-1
debacle against the New York Yankees and the back to back rainouts were a welcome sight. Let them wash away the the memories of that brutal two game stretch and get back to baseball. The bats slumbered in two of the three games against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field, but they scratched and clawed their way to a series win, taking the first two of the three-game set.

There has been lots to talk about since we last got together, so let us get right to it.

Nick Swisher’s walkoff single was a thing of beauty on a night of hideous at-bats. Friday night’s series opener had a first pitch temperature of 42 degrees. However, for the brave 11,864 who paid to see this one, it felt more like four degrees. It was cold and rainy, a brisk night that felt more like football weather. For nine innings, the Sox and Tribe pitchers completely shut down the opposing offenses. Chicago lefty Jose Quintana baffled the Tribe over his seven innings of work. The only baserunners he allowed were Michael Brantley, who got on base via a second inning double and Swisher, who he hit with a pitch in the fourth. Other than that, he was perfect. Seven strikeouts, no walks. [Read more...]

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Yankees 14, Indians 1: One week in and the rotation is a big problem

April 10, 2013 by 34 Comments

Carlos CarrascoI am not one to panic. Especially with 150-plus games left on the schedule. The hot starts for the Tribe the last two years resulted in nothing. But obviously you would like to see the lesser parts of your team do well early to give them confidence as the season starts to build.

It was no secret that the weak link of the 2013 Cleveland Indians would be their starting rotation. All five spots offered question marks. Would Justin Masterson regain his 2011 form? On perhaps his last chance here, would Ubaldo Jimenez ever be the guy he was in Colorado? Would Brett Myers be able to transition back into being a starter after spending 2012 in the bullpen? Was Zach McAllister ready for prime time? Who would emerge from the group of candidates to become the fifth starter?

Well we aren’t even two turns through the rotation and the Indians are already going to be on their seventh different starting pitcher tonight when someone – probably Corey Kluber –  will be called up from Columbus. This doesn’t even include the man who won the fifth starter spot this Spring, Scott Kazmir. His injury set things in motion and they haven’t stopped. [Read more...]

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Lack of cell and WiFi service another black eye on Indians’ Opening Day

April 9, 2013 by 82 Comments

iphonenoserviceThe landscape of how we watched sports has been forever changed by the Internet and social media. Twitter in particular has made sporting events even more of a communal experience, especially with fans spread throughout the country (and the world for that matter).

I love being able to see what people inside of a stadium or an arena have to say about the game as it happens. Getting injury updates instantly from sideline reporters tweeting out info has become par for the course. Take last night’s NCAA Men’s Basketball National Title game for example. Inside of the Georgia Dome were hoards of media, many tweeting out their thoughts and observations of that fantastic action between Louisville and Michigan. Whether it was CBS’s Jeff Goodman, SI’s Seth Davis, ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla, or the local flavor of 92.3 The Fan’s Anthony Lima, the tweets were insightful and entertaining, adding to the game-watching experience.

Hours earlier, one of the biggest events of the year in downtown Cleveland, Opening Day for the Indians, took place. More than 41,000 fans packed Progressive Field to see the Wahoos take on the Yankees. But again, not every Tribe fan can be there. I lived in Chicago for nine years and did my best to get to a bar and watch the game or had I would buy the MLB package on DirecTV or Digital Cable if I could get it. With Twitter now, my friends in Chicago, New York, LA, and Seattle can all get not only watch the game with one of these services or the MLB At-Bat iPad app, but they can get in on some good insight and back and forth with people inside of  Progressive Field. People like me. [Read more...]

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Yankees 11, Indians 6: Home Opener interrupted by the Pronk Show

April 9, 2013 by 17 Comments

Travis HafnerOpening Day is all about the pageantry of the grand old game. Fireworks and balloons. A fresh start with fresh faces. It is a chance for a team to capture the city’s imagination for at least one day. Here in Cleveland, with a new era of baseball upon us, the Tribe welcomed a packed house of fans decked out in Wahoo Red, White, and Blue.

With a city full of apathetic baseball fans, you get one chance to make your mark in front of a sellout crowd. There were 41,567 people inside of Progressive Field yesterday. Of those, probably a third of them will go to this game and make up their minds if they should go back based on this one game. Right or wrong, the Tribe gets that one opportunity to bring in that casual fan.

With that chance, manager Terry Francona turned to Ubaldo Jimenez, the team’s number two starter in name only. Look, we all know what Ubaldo is at this point, yet here we are on year three of hoping that he finds his old Colorado form. His first start in Toronto last week was encouraging, but then again, so was his first start in 2012 where he had a no-hitter going into the seventh. The problem with Ubaldo is that you never know which guy is going to show up. Fausto Carmona post-2007 was the exact same way. But when you are counting on a guy to be a top of the rotation starter yet he really is a fifth starter, it is going to present issues from time to time. Sometimes it is there, sometime it isn’t. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: Baseball Is a Strange Game

April 8, 2013 by 32 Comments

Justin MatsersonWe’ve waited a long time for the much anticipated 2013 Cleveland Indians season to begin. The complete makeover of the team, a culture change if you will, has been universally lauded across our fair city. It starts with manager Terry Francona. I think it was a good thing that the Indians started on a tough six-game road trip to AL East beasts Toronto and Tampa Bay. Because of how things would shake out, they would see arguably the two best starting rotations in the American League right from the jump. The question was how would the new, deeper lineup respond.

After taking two of three in Toronto where they scored 15 runs in three games, the Wahoo attack looked extremely sleepy Friday night, where they were completely befuddled by hard-throwing lefty Matt Moore. They only managed two hits – both by Michael Bourn – in a 4-0 loss. The Indians didn’t get into the Tampa are until 4 AM Friday morning, that certainly didn’t help matters. But they figured to get back on track a night later against second year righty Alex Cobb. Instead, the bats extended their slumber a second game, as Cobb and two relievers blanked the Tribe 6-0. They could only muster six singles in this one. The Tribe faced a sweep yesterday as the Rays sent Cy Young Award winner David Price to the mound. It looked like quite the daunting task. But days like Sunday are what makes baseball such a great game. [Read more...]

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Blue Jays 10, Indians 8: Myers ignites fuse on Jays explosion

April 5, 2013 by 34 Comments

Brett MyersYour Wahoo Warriors headed into last night’s tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays looking for a sweep. I am trying to be a glass half-full guy when it comes to the Tribe in the Terry Francona era, so let me start with the positives.

The Indians were facing a familiar foe in former White Sox great Mark Buerhle. It seems as though the Tribe faced him almost every opening day for a decade (exaggeration here, but you get the point). Last season’s group would have cowered when a southpaw stepped to the hill, especially when you consider Manny Acta’s patented “all lefty” lineup. Francona kept his regular lineup intact for the third consecutive game. The only minor tweak was moving Mark Reynolds to first base with Nick Swisher as the DH. [Read more...]

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Indians 3, Blue Jays 2: Ubaldo’s alive, Reynolds shows why he’s here

April 4, 2013 by 55 Comments

Mark ReynoldsSometimes when you go into something with low expectations, things work out in your favor. For the second consecutive season, arguably the most important pitcher on the Indians is right-handed starter Ubaldo Jimenez. His success or lack there of is a gigantic key in the success of this team in 2013. If we get the 9-17, above five-ERA guy we saw in 2012, the odds that the Tribe will be contending for a playoff spot are just about slim to none. So it was with a huge grain of salt that I took the reports of how “well he threw” this Spring in Goodyear. Last night in Toronto, Jimenez got his first chance to translate this into real game action that counted.

For six innings, Manager Terry Francona got the kind of start he would love to see on a regular basis from Ubaldo. Sure, he got himself in a couple of jams, but for the most part, Jimenez was in control. His six innings of one run, three hit, ball was a far cry from his last start in Toronto last July where he couldn’t get out of the third inning.

“I remember the last time I was here,” he said. “I want to forget about it, but tonight was a really good game.” [Read more...]

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Indians 4, Blue Jays 1: Let the 162-0 Speculation Begin!

April 3, 2013 by 34 Comments

Drew Stubbs Michael BrantleyOh how I have longed for this day…..

Your boy is back for year four of the Tribe recaps. It is a true labor of love for me. This year for me holds something special for all of us. I actually like the fact that the Indians started the 2013 season on the road in Toronto against one of the best teams in the AL. Let us see right away what Terry Francona’s bunch is made of.

Well it is only one game, but you have to love the way things started for the Wahoos. The new look lineup would have to face last year’s NL Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey. The knuckleballer would be no easy out. The Indians approach against Dickey was fantastic all night as they worked deep into counts and didn’t seem to chase bad pitches. [Read more...]

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WFNY 2013 Tribe Predictions

April 2, 2013 by 16 Comments

WFNY_roundtable

It is Opening Day! Rejoice! Terry Francona! Nick Swisher! Michael Bourn! Do you believe the Dolan Family Ownership ponied up for free agents? Do you believe not one, but TWO big name free agents signed long term deals here in Cleveland? The offseason was as exciting as any we have seen in the long history of the Tribe. The organization wants to get the fans back and they everything they could to do so. So here we are.

As we get set for another season of Cleveland Indians baseball, I got the WFNY group together and asked them some simple questions regarding the 2013 season. What do we expect for this club? Can they contend? Who will step forward? Who will disappoint? Lets take a look and if you would like, answer along with us in the comments section. [Read more...]

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Tribe Season Preview Part Two: The Pitching Staff

April 2, 2013 by 13 Comments

Justin MastersonTerry Francona’s re-made Indians will take the field full of confidence and excitement, ready to turn the page on the debacle that was the close of the 2012 season and the Manny Acta era. ActaBall is no more. Long Live TitoBall. Ownership had seen enough. The hiring of Francona signalled a new day was upon us. It was time to turn the page and move forward. There was an enormous amount of negative energy surrounding the franchise. Things had to change. We just had no idea how quickly and how massive the changes would be.

Gone (for now) are the days of seeing a band of merry-4A players rotating in left field, third base, and the utility spots. GM Chris Antonetti, with the help of Team President Mark Shapiro and owner Paul Dolan, added not one, but two big name, big money free agents. Between Francona, Nick Swisher, and Michael Bourn, the Indians want you all to know that they mean business. A once barren farm system is getting stronger with the addition of top prospect Trevor Bauer in the Shin-Soo Choo trade. Bauer joins Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez, Tyler Naquin, Ronny Rodriguez, and Shawn Armstrong as names to know down on the farm.

But it is no longer about the future. It is about the NOW.

[Read more...]

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Tribe Preview Part One: The Position Players

April 1, 2013 by 6 Comments

Nick SwisherFor those of you who are/were concerned about me after Kansas’s stunning collapse against Michigan Friday night, I can assure you that I am OK. Remember, I am from Cleveland. I have seen plenty of gag jobs in my day. Of course, it didn’t help watching Michigan easily dismantle a completely overrated Florida team to get to the Final Four. But hey, it is time to move forward. Time to put all of my focus on my first love, the Cleveland Indians and the game of baseball.

Today is Opening Day in cities all across the nation. Tomorrow, your Wahoo Warriors begin the 2013 season in Toronto against a Blue Jays team that like the Tribe, majorly overhauled their roster for the better. They are in “go for it” mode as well, adding “The Miami Four” in starter Josh Johnson and Mark Buerhle, shortstop Jose Reyes, and outfielder Emilio Bonafacio, as well as NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey to head a loaded pitching staff. Throw-in cheater extraordinaire Melky Cabrera and the face-lift has many picking the Jays to win the AL East. Dickey will be on the mound chucking his knuckler the Tribe’s way in the season opener. [Read more...]

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