May 24, 2013

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

May 24, 2013 by 5 Comments

Terry FranconaBaseball is such a beautiful sport because the highs are so high and the lows can really get you down. The last seven days are a prime example.

Your first place Cleveland Indians swept four games from the Seattle Mariners in dramatic fashion thanks to three walk off wins and a shutout from their ace Justin Masterson. We were all riding high heading into Tuesday’s two-game set with the rival Detroit Tigers. Then the Tigers beat down the Tribe two straight and all of a sudden, people were starting to panic a bit. When asked if I was worried at all yesterday, I told my dentist, the great Dr. Ben Hornstein, If we had taken three of four from Seattle and split with the Tigers, nobody would be concerned.

What you all need to remember is that the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint, and this is NOT the 2011 or 2012 Cleveland Indians.

This is Terry Francona’s revamped 2013 Cleveland Indians with a real roster and a top flight manager leading the way. [Read more...]

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Does the Indians bullpen have a southpaw problem?

May 23, 2013 by 9 Comments

Nick HagadoneOver the last three years, the Indians have constructed their bullpen in a certain way. You have the back-end, three-headed monster in Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, and Chris Perez turning leads into wins. The names around them have changed, but the group as a whole has been solid since these three have steadied the ship.

The key to a good bullpen is having balance and several options.  At least one of those pitchers is always a lefty matchup guy – a LOOGY (lefty one out guy) as many inside the game call it. The last two and a half seasons, the Indians key lefty was Tony Sipp, who came through the Indians system as a 45th round draft pick in 2004. Sipp definitely had his moments here and for the most part was solid. In four years in Cleveland, Sipp made 248 appearances and posted a 3.68 ERA.

It seemed as though Nick Hagadone was poised to take the late inning lefty role from Sipp last year, as he shot out of the gate looking dominant. Throught his first 14 appearances in 2012, Hagadone posted an ERA of 1.93 with 14 K’s in 14 innings. But then the wheels completely fell off of his wagon and he was demoted in early July. His ERA had ballooned to 6.39. Hagadone punched a wall after his last outing where he was tagged for two runs in two-thirds of an inning and broke his hand. That was the last we saw of him in 2012 The only Hagadone news was his grievance against the Indians for not paying him his Major League Salary while he was hurt, despite the fact that he was going to be demoted anyways. [Read more...]

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Tigers 11 Indians 7: “Bad Ubaldo” reappears at the wrong time

May 23, 2013 by 24 Comments

Ubaldo JimenezThat one month run where Ubaldo Jimenez “found something” sure was fun, wasn’t it? I made the mistake of writing him off once before. I think I learned my lesson. I wouldn’t drink the “Ubaldo is back” kool aid and I won’t say that last night’s return of “Bad Ubaldo” is a complete setback.  But what we saw from him was obviously concerning.

This was a big spot for Jimenez, facing off for a second time this season with Tigers ace Justin Verlander. The first time around, he actually outpitched Verlander in a 7-6 Indians win two weeks ago. However last night, the Detroit treated Ubaldo like their personal punching bag. It took no time either.

Andy Dirks led off the game with a sharp single to center and stole second. Torii Hunter then singled to left. Miguel Cabrera continued his hot hitting with a double to the corner in left, scoring Dirks with ease. Prince Fielder then ripped a line shot up the middle that was hit right into the glove of Asdrubal Cabrera, who had shaded Prince that way. The Tigers kept the pressure on and scored their second run on a Victor Martinez sac fly. Jimenez would K Jhonny Peralta to end the inning, but it was clear the Tigers were not going to be done with Ubaldo. [Read more...]

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The Diff: Historical finishes for 26-18 MLB teams

May 22, 2013 by 13 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 was on vacation in sunny Tybee Island, Georgia. Apologies for the lack of content. Now, we’re back this week with more MLB stats.

The Diff

In a roundabout way, your 2013 Cleveland Indians somehow sit in a very familiar position: a 26-18 record through 44 games. For those with a poignant memory, that’s exactly where the team was through 44 games in 2012, too, before embarking on one of the worst collapses in baseball history. Today, my plan is to look at what all of the 26-18 teams have done by perusing the deep, dark pages of the MLB record books. [Read more...]

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Tigers 5, Indians 1: Scherzer Shuts Down Hot Tribe

May 22, 2013 by 57 Comments

Miguel CabreraI write these recaps four to five times a week. Over a full baseball season, some of them are so much fun to put together and they write themselves. Then there are others where you have to grasp at an angle because nothing really exciting happened. Then there are the ones with one or two obvious story-lines  Last night falls into the category of the latter.

It was another nice night down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario as the Indians, winners of 18 of 22, welcomed their Central Division rival Detroit to town. The Tigers have led the division most of this young season, but have been overtaken by the Tribe during this three weeks of baseball heaven here in Cleveland. With a two and a half game lead entering this short two-game set, no matter what happens, the Tribe will stay in first.

While the Tigers payroll is near the top of the league, the two teams are pretty evenly matched. The Tigers rotation is superior to the Tribe’s, there is no doubt about that. However, the Indians pen dwarfs Detroit’s. Both teams have loaded lineups, but it is not hard to see where the Tigers trump the Indians there. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder hit third and fourth. It is a 1-2 punch that is the envy of all of baseball. [Read more...]

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Indians 10 Mariners 8: Yan Freaking Gomes and the Mariners Defense – a Lethal Combination

May 20, 2013 by 43 Comments

yan GomesI have been to hundreds and hundreds of baseball games in my 37 years on this earth. I don’t think I have ever witnessed a game like this one. The beauty of baseball is that every time out, you may see something you have never seen before. Today was one of those days.

Like the great Mr. Skin says, “Let us fast forward right to the good parts.”

The Indians carried a 6-5 lead into the eighth inning and turned it over to resident set up man Vinnie Pestano, who was activated off the DL Friday. Vinnie is still trying to work himself back into a groove and showed some immediate signs of rust. Kyle Seager hit a rocket shot, no-doubter to the seats in right field to tie the game before Pestano could record an out. The 19,390 fans in attendance sat in stunned silence. However, the Indians still had two more shots to finish off the sweep.

“With this lineup, you can go back in the dugout look guys in the eyes and say, ‘Come on, boys pick me up,’ ” said Pestano. “And they’re all in. It’s not deflating by any means. It’s like, ‘OK, let’s go back to work.’ ” [Read more...]

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Indians exemplifying “next man up” thus far

May 20, 2013 by 16 Comments

Mike Aviles

Once upon a time, nagging injuries were analogous to death knell in Cleveland. When Grady Sizemore started finding his name on the disabled list more often than not, the Indians were forced to replace him with Ezequiel Carerra. When Shin–Soo Choo was shelved in 2011, right field would subsequently be occupied by the likes of Austin Kearns. Chris Giminez, Jerad Head, Travis Buck, Jayson Nix…all potentially wonderful human beings, but men who did not exactly led to many wins when wearing Wahoo on their hat.

Fast forward to 2013 and the Cleveland Indians have finally been able to field a roster where days off for core players, be they due to day games or scheduled rest, does not lead to moans and groans when the batting order is tweeted ad nauseum roughly 90 minutes before the first pitch. [Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: Two Walk Offs and a Shutout – What More Could You Ask For

May 20, 2013 by 67 Comments

Jason KipnisMagnificent weather. First-place baseball. Hot Dogs.  Walk-off wins. Shutout Sunday. Beating down another Cy Young Award winner in front of the home fans. I mean, honestly, could it get any better down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario this weekend?

I vowed not to discuss the attendance at Progressive Field, but after a night where 34,282 came out to support the Tribe, two weekend afternoon games drew a combined 37,000 plus. The weather was perfect. The Indians were coming off a walkoff win. They are in first place. Seriously, folks, what were you doing this weekend? Most interesting to me is how immensely popular $1 hot dogs and fireworks are here in Cleveland. Regardless, the Indians continued their unbelievable hot streak, taking all three games this weekend against Eric Wedge’s Seattle Mariners. The wrap around of the series takes place this afternoon where the Tribe goes for a four-game streak, but the series has already been clinched. It is the 10th consecutive series that the Indians have either won or split.

Think about that for a second: It was just three weeks ago that the Tribe got smoked in Kansas City in that first game of a Sunday doubleheader. Since then, they are 17-4, the best record in baseball. This weekend provided a ton of highlights, so let us look back at the weekend that was in Wahooland. [Read more...]

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Turning the focus away from the empty seats

May 19, 2013 by 29 Comments
Have you heard the one about the empty seats?

Have you heard the one about the empty seats?

At best, I’m a casual baseball fan. Even in the late 90′s and early 2000′s, I would probably hit up about five Tribe games a season. The Cavs and the NBA are my sport of choice. That’s my first love. But even then, I’ll only attend about four to five games in a season.

I’ve always had a hard time getting into the early part of the baseball season (and even more so since I quit playing fantasy sports). Regardless of whether or not the Cavs are in the playoffs, I’m watching NBA playoff basketball. The best players in the world are playing in do-or-die situations. I’m in. I’m watching.

I love the playoffs. I love the extended series and bad blood the forms between teams and players over the course of seven intense games. By the end, players know each other’s moves and tendencies and now they’re just playing hoops. The mental game, match-ups and coaching become more important.

While I’m not actively trying to ignore the Tribe and the baseball season, in the back of my head I’m fully aware that the Tribe still has over 100 games left to go. If I miss a few early season games due to playoff basketball, there’s still the entire summer for me to scratch any baseball itch.

[Read more...]

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The Tribe – The REAL Lead Sports Story in Town

May 17, 2013 by 224 Comments

NumbersI love my city. There is something special about our little community. We are all bound together by our misery. It is no secret that Cleveland is nationally viewed as a dying city, trying desperately to rebound. There are hundreds if not thousands of people here that do their best to promote programs to invigorate the town. The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission is one that comes to mind. But if there is one thing that all born and raised Clevelanders share, its our passion for our local sports teams. No matter where we may live, we represent our teams, perhaps even more loudly if you don’t live here.

That’s one of the many things I love most about Cleveland and its residents, yet it is also one of the things that bothers me the most about them as well. Now before jumping all over me, hear me out. [Read more...]

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Carlos Santana’s Coming Out Party

May 16, 2013 by 21 Comments

Carlos-Santana1You probably won’t be surprised when I tell you who the best hitter in the American League has been so far this year.  1

(Oh.  You should probably read the last footnote if you care about how we’re defining “best hitter”.)

Anyway, the best hitter in the American League so far this season has been Miguel Cabrera, and if that surprises you then you should come over here so I can hit you in the nose with my ballpeen hammer.  For the last decade, Cabrera has enjoyed a sustained and consistent excellence that has only been bested  in my lifetime by Albert Pujols’ reign in St. Louis and the late-stage Barry Bonds.  2

[Read more...]

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  1. We’re going to define “best hitter” using a stat called Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+).  Basically, we’re park- and league-adjusting a player’s value, using linear weights.  If you like wOBA (and if you don’t you’re a communist), then you should love wRC+. [back]
  2. I know and you know that Barry Bonds took great big barrels full of steroids.  But let’s go way back in time here.  Let’s go all the way back to 1992, back when Barry Bonds looked more like Sammy Davis Jr. rather than Dwayne Johnson.  From 1992 to the end of his career, guess how many times Barry Bonds had an OPS below 1.000.  Go on, guess.

    Ready?

    Once, in 2006, when it was .999.  One year out of 16, and it was still excellent.  A .999 OPS would currently be good for 10th place in all of baseball—and that’s the worst year of Bond’s 16-year stretch. That guy was freaking amazing. [back]

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Indians 10, Phillies 4: The Return Of The Big O

May 15, 2013 by 7 Comments

Asdrubal CabreraI know none of you were really concerned about the offense after the last three games, right? I mean, what you can’t forget is that there was a time earlier in the year where they were shut out back to back games in Tampa and then followed it up by dropping a 13 spot on the Rays. Make no mistake about it, this was a tired ball club. It is also a very streaky ball club offensively. These types of hot and cold streaks will probably continue most of the year. You just hope that the cold spells don’t last very long.

After scoring just three runs in three games Monday and Tuesday, the Tribe had a quick turnaround afternoon tilt against tough lefty Cole Hamels and his Philadelphia Phillies. It was their seventh game in the last six days in three different cities (Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia), so another bat slumber could have easily occurred. Then again, this is a new era of Tribe baseball. ActaBall is dead. Long live TitoBall.

One of the things you come to learn while watching years and years of baseball is that on the mid-week “getaway day” games, you often see both clubs give “getaway-day at-bats.” Guys swing early in the counts and strike-zones seem to be more liberal.  However in this one, the Indians approach against Hamels was the opposite. They were set to work the lefty deep into counts and wait for him to make mistakes. [Read more...]

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Phillies 6, Indians 2: Tired Tribe bats shut down again in Philly

May 15, 2013 by 13 Comments

Scott KazmirBaseball is a game of extreme ups and downs. The Indians won 12 out of 14 games with an offense averaging 6.5 runs per game and mashed their way to the league lead in home runs. On Monday, they were supposed to have a well-earned and much needed day off. But thanks to April rainouts, The Tribe played a traditional doubleheader against the New York Yankees. They would split the pair, but other than a Jason Kipnis first inning solo home run, the offense failed to score a single run.

After the brief spot at home, they went back on the road to Philadelphia for an interleague matchup with the Phillies. Ex-Tribe manager Charlie Manuel sent out rookie Jonathan Pettibone to the mound, a right-hander that the Indians had not seen. In the second inning, the bats looked like they were regain their mojo. Nick Swisher opened the frame with a single. Carlos Santana followed by going the other way for a double, which landed just fair down the line. After a Mark Reynolds pop out (on the first pitch) failed to bring in a run, Michael Brantley singled two center, scoring both Swisher and Santana. The inning ended with Drew Stubbs and pitcher Scott Kazmir striking out, but the offense was off to a good start, or so it seemed.

The game really changed course in the third. [Read more...]

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Tribe splits with Yanks in front of larger-than-expected crowd

May 14, 2013 by 8 Comments

Justin MastersonI attended last Thursday afternoon’s 9-2 Indians win over Oakland at Progressive Field. It was an absolutely perfect day; mid-70′s and sunny. We are talking shorts and t-shirt weather. Fast forward four days and I was breaking out the winter coat and gloves that I had put away about three weeks ago as the Indians and the New York Yankees played a traditional doubleheader.

There is certainly a buzz in the city about our Tribe. They entered this double dip winners of 12 of 14 and tied for first place in the AL Central. While the vibe was palpable, it had yet to translate into any real attendance spike.

Talking about attendance at Progressive Field is my least favorite topic. The Indians have been bad for five straight years. There hasn’t been a lot of trust between the fans, ownership, and the front office. The season ticket base had dwindled down to historic Progressive/Jacobs Field lows (though the Indians never speak on the subject, it is believed that the base is about 6,500). It takes years to build that trust back up. With Terry Francona and his shiny new toys on board, the Wahoos want to be more than just relevant in Cleveland again. They want to be the top dogs. [Read more...]

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Yan Gomes, Miracle Worker

May 13, 2013 by 12 Comments

Yan Gomes Chris Perez

As the Cleveland Indians clawed their way to a 4-3 extra-inning win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon, Tribe faithful rejoiced that the Wahoos were atop the leader board in the AL Central with Mother’s Day in the rear view mirror. Sure, the Indians were able to top the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics, but it was what they did against the Tigers and their infinite payroll that would matter. Once the Comerica Park visitor’s clubhouse cleared and various streaks were discussed—what with the Tribe winning 15 of their last 20, several wins being of high-leverage fashion—one such run that should be a story line is that of reserve catcher Yan Gomes.

[Read more...]

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Tribe Weekend Recap: How Does First Place Sound To You?

May 13, 2013 by 11 Comments

Nick SwisherSay it loud. Say it proud. Your Cleveland Indians are a first place baseball team. Sure, you can tell me how two years ago they were 30-15 and how last year they spent time on top of the AL Central during the first two months of the season, but this just feels different, doesn’t it?

Manny Acta’s clubs were fools gold. They won a lot of low scoring, one-run games thanks to a fantastic bullpen and timely hitting. The roster was not exactly loaded. The Terry Francona version play with a different sense of urgency and confidence. This is a group that expects to be good and plays like it. Of course it helps Francona to have veteran additions like Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and Mark Reynolds to go along with the maturation of Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, and Carlos Santana. Having that deep and solid bullpen certainly doesn’t hurt.

Francona and his Wahoos ended their 8-1 homestand with a four-game sweep of Oakland and headed to Detroit for a measuring stick series with the AL Champion Tigers, who entered the weekend in first place. The pitching matchups for the most part weren’t going to favor the Tribe, but all weekend they battled and came out with a series win and a move into a tie for first with the team from that state up North. [Read more...]

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Tribe win streak snapped: Tigers 10 Indians 4

May 11, 2013 by 1 Comment

Corey KluberHaving won 10 of 11 and fresh off a four game sweep of Oakland, the Tribe headed north to the Motor City looking to stay hot for a weekend series against the AL Central leading Tigers. The Tigers however wanted no part of succumbing to the Indians’ winning ways and thumped the Tribe 10-4 with Max Scherzer getting the win and Corey Kluber picking up the loss.

The Indians jumped out to an early lead in the top of the 1st with a two out double from Nick Swisher, scoring Jason Kipnis who also doubled earlier in the inning. The lead didn’t last long as the Tigers tagged Indians’ starter Corey Kluber for three runs in the bottom half of the second.

Prince Fielder extended Detroit’s leadto 4-1  in the forth with a monster solo shot off the brick wall passed the stands in right center. ESPN Stats Inc. measured the homer at an astounding 460 feet.

The Tribe answered back thanks to Swisher’s one out triple in the top of the fourth and Santana’s ground out that scored him. Swisher would finish the day with 3 hits, a home run shy of the cycle.

In the bottom half of the inning with Detroit leading 4-2, last year’s Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera clubbed a deep three run homer extending the Tigers lead to five. The lead would move to six as Alex Avila singled in Johnny Peralta in the fifth, giving the Tigers runs in four straight innings.

Reynolds and Brantley would each knock in runs for Cleveland in the 7th, but the Indians two runs were matched by the Tigers who chipped in a run in both the 7th and 8th giving Detroit the 10-4 win. [Read more...]

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Hit Or Miss: The Indians and the One-Year Deal

May 10, 2013 by 26 Comments

Cleveland Indians v Chicago White SoxOne of the calling cards of the Mark Shapiro/Chris Antonetti front office era has been the one-year lottery ticket type players. Some came via the minor league deal, given a chance to make the roster in Spring Training. Others got one-year guaranteed contracts. Some came with nice price tags attached, some were incentive-laden. Most of them didn’t work out like the Indians had hoped.

Looking back, the hits were home runs.

In 2005, the Indians rolled the dice, one-year and $7 million for veteran right-hander Kevin Millwood, a Scott Boras client who thought he would get a big time multi-year deal. When that didn’t show up, Boras brought him to Cleveland and advised him to go out and show everyone what they were missing. Millwood not only won the American League ERA title, but he was the rock of the 2005 Indians staff. CC Sabathia, then a 24-year old budding star, still to this day credits Millwood and the season they spent together as the time when he truly “learned how to pitch.” [Read more...]

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Indians 9, Athletics 2: Kazmir Sweeps Out Oakland

May 9, 2013 by 18 Comments

Scott KazmirThe Indians just keep the train rollin’. They do it with power. They do it with some speed. They do it with solid defense. They do it with a lock down bullpen. They do it with quality starting pitching.

Wait….what did I just say?

Yes, that’s right, they do it with solid starting pitching.

A night after Justin Masterson was sharp for six of his seven innings of work and the Indians caught a major break from the umpiring crew, they went for a four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics with Scott Kazmir on the mound.

Kazmir’s story has been well documented. He went from 21-year old phenom to All-Star to broken down to out of baseball at 27. He spent 2012 in the Independent Leagues trying to remake himself. The Indians watched him throw this winter and decided to give him one last shot on a minor league deal. He came to Goodyear this Spring with an outside shot at becoming the Indians fifth starter. He ended up not only getting the job, but won it in a walk. Manager Terry Francona spent the month of March raving about him. Unfortunately  the injury bug bit him and the start to his season was postponed by a DL trip. [Read more...]

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How good of a starting prospect is Danny Salazar?

May 9, 2013 by 22 Comments

danny salazarThe Cleveland Indians must have seen something in Danny Salazar before everyone else — and their early belief has paid off in a big way.

After the 2011 season, Cleveland’s organization surprised a lot of people by placing the 21-year-old right-hander on the official 40-man roster. Salazar actually had only made 15 starts in the previous two years because of Tommy John surgery and still hadn’t made it past the Single-A Midwest League with Lake County.

Yet, nearly 18 months after being protected from possible Rule 5 poaching, Salazar is rewarding the Tribe with the hottest start of any pitcher in professional baseball. In fact, following his fourth straight magnificent performance for Double-A Akron on Monday, he announced his own promotion to Triple-A Columbus on Twitter. And now, it’s time to wonder if he might be the best home-grown Cleveland pitching prospect in years. [Read more...]

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