May 25, 2013

While We’re Waiting…Lakers Want Baron Davis? Joe Haden Endorses Urban Meyer, Browns vs. Bengals

November 27, 2011 by 2 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.

A quick note in the LA Times on Saturday has Laker fans buzzing about Baron: “The Lakers are curious to see if veteran point guard Baron Davis gets cut by Cleveland. He has two years and $28.7 million left on his contract, though he can be signed for substantially less than that.” [Mike Bresnahan/LA Times]

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The Browns Joe Haden endorses his former coach, Eric Mang…Urban Meyer, to become Ohio State’s next coach. [Daryl Ruiter/92.3 The Fan]

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Da Clip Show: Keeping an Eye on the Tribe’s AAA Squad – 8/30/11

August 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.
The Clippers are in the playoffs for the second straight year, and will be looking to defend their IL and AAA Championships. They’ll have to do it with a piece-meal roster, as so many of their core players from earlier in the season are now with Cleveland. The Clippers are heading into the final week of the regular season on a high note, however, winners of three straight. Six games to go, and then the start of the IL playoffs against the IL South winner, who is still yet to be determined.

This Week: 5-2
Season Record: 85-53, clinched International League West

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Cleveland Indians Make Roster Moves – Cord Phelps, Zach McAllister

July 7, 2011 by 18 Comments

Just a quickie here because there hasn’t been a lot of news today…

Cord Phelps is headed back to Columbus to make way for Zach McAllister.  More on him in a bit.  Cord Phelps goes down after 19 games and 46 at-bats.  He had nine hits, one spectacular homer – a walk-off winner against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He might end up being known as the guy who scared Orlando Cabrera out of his slump. That is, if Cabrera can continue to play well after a tough month of June.

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Tribe Minor League Report: Four Clippers Named AAA All Stars

July 1, 2011 by 1 Comment

Despite the Tribe not playing yesterday, the news was not all bad. The IL All Star team was announced, and in addition to manager Mike Sarbaugh–who will be heading the squad–four players are heading to the contest as well.

The three highlights are prospects. Second baseman Jason Kipnis leads the group, and is joined by pitchers Zach McAllister and Jeanmar Gomez. The Clippers contingent is rounded out by none other than Sweet Luis Valbuena.

Valbuena leads all regulars on the Clippers in hitting, with a .319 average in 70 games. Kipnis is not far behind, hitting .301 in 77 games. Both infielders are also mashing, with a .524 and .526 slugging mark respectively. [Read more...]

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Welcome Back! Chisenhall Rakes in Clippers 50th Win, and Other Tribe Third Base Musings

June 23, 2011 by 6 Comments

It hadn’t been a great June for third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. In his last 10 games before being injured with a concussion on June 11th, he was hitting just .154 (6-for-39). Apparently a little time off for a concussion can do wonders for a guy.

Chisenhall was activated yesterday and played in his first game against the Mud Hens. And play he did, grabbing four hits, including two singles, a triple, and  an eighth-inning tie-breaking three run jack to power the Clippers to the win; Chisenhall drove in 6 of the team’s 13 runs. And, if you’re into milestones, it was the club’s 50th win in just 73 games (.685 winning percentage), including 14 of their last 15.

Back to Chisenhall, however. There may be a little extra pressure on Chisenhall, as with Matt LaPorta’s injury the Tribe has seen more time with Jack Hannahan at first and Orlando Cabrera playing third base… something he’s never done prior in the big leagues.

It’s probably still too early, however, for Chisenhall. [Read more...]

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Da Clip Show: Keeping an Eye on the Tribe’s AAA Squad – 6/14/11

June 14, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Check back each Tuesday afternoon for team records, roster updates, and performance updates on some of the brightest prospects in the Tribe system.
Holy bounce-back, Batman! Even without their best hitter, the Clippers managed to straighten out whatever was ailing them, and are now in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. They’ve pushed their division lead back up to 5.5 games, and lead Lehigh Valley by 2.5 games for the best overall IL record. The Clippers put it all together this past week, out-scoring their opponents 46-17 over seven games. If you’re scoring at home, that’s almost 7 runs a game on offense versus allowing under 2.5 runs a game. When you look at it that way, it’s not that surprising that they’ve been on fire.

Two Weeks: 6-0
Season Record: 43-22, 1st place (of four) in ILW (International League West)

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Some Final Thoughts on the Indians’ Opening Day Roster

March 29, 2011 by 14 Comments

Now that the dust has settled on the Indians’ opening day roster, we can finally spend some time combing through the decisions the Indians made this week.  Let’s take a look at the various groups to see if we can divine any of the motivations, upside and consequences of the first iteration of the 2011 25-man roster.

Starting Pitchers: The opening four have been set since sometime in November, with Carlos Carrasco, Justin Masterson, Fausto Carmona and Mitch Talbot being guaranteed spots in the rotation.  [Read more...]

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Tuesday Tribe Notes: Lots of Decisions Still to Be Made

March 22, 2011 by 5 Comments

We are less than two weeks away from opening day, and the Indians still have many question marks lingering around the final 25-man roster. Injury timetables and up and down Spring performances have left a lot to still be dissected by GM Chris Antonetti and his staff. Last year in Manny Acta’s first Spring as Indians skipper, he wanted a full week of games where his regulars would play in the spots they would start the season in.

This year is not as simple.

So what is there left to determine? [Read more...]

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Meet Jack Hannahan, Starting Third Baseman

March 21, 2011 by 13 Comments

On March 5th Jason Donald was hit by a pitch.  It’s important to remember that for all the detours, that’s how this story really began.

Anyway, about three weeks after the HBP, the Indians’ groundbreaking coalition of doctors and medical staff were able to diagnose a fractured bone in Donald’s hand.  Why the initial X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds missed the break I don’t know.  But the Indians’ best-laid plans were thrown out the window, because even though they weren’t saying it publicly at the time, the plan was to open the season with Jason Donald manning the hot corner. [Read more...]

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The Chiz Kid – Why Not Now?

March 8, 2011 by 39 Comments

So the Indians have a gaping hole the size of Grand Canyon at third base and a top prospect allegedly a year away from making his impact on the Major League level. They spent the winter evaluating the free agent market (more like the non-tender market) in search of an affordable one year stop-gap. When Spring Training rolled around a few weeks ago, the Tribe entered camp with nothing new at third except for internal candidates, one of whom has never played the position.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

However, something has occurred over the first few weeks of may be forcing the Tribe’s hand. Lonnie Chisenhall is looking more and more like a viable option for 2011 while the other third base options are either injured or not performing as well as the Indians would like.  [Read more...]

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Jon & Paul Plus Baseball: Filling out the Roster

February 24, 2011 by 6 Comments

Every year around this time, I tell myself that I’m not going to waste too much time and energy poring over the last few roster spots for the Indians.  I have a tendency to forget how little these spots end up mattering in the long run, and consequently manage to convince myself that the difference between winning the division and last place is sure to be the defensive acumen of our utility infielder or the baserunning skills of our swing-man out of the bullpen.

So I spend February and March telling myself to be rational: the periphery of the roster means very little compared to a team’s core players.  It’s silly to get worked up over a few minor details.  Right?

But then I read a piece like this by Tony Lastoria, suggesting that the front office is considering keeping Orlando Cabrera, Jayson Nix, Trevor Crowe, and Luis Valbuena on the MLB roster while sending Jason Donald, Cord Phelps, Lou Marson and the rest of the youngsters back to Columbus.  And I go nuts all over again, unable to follow the logic.

And that helpless feeling sends me inexorably to the old electronic mail machine to converse with Paul Cousineau, founder of the DiaTribe.   [Read more...]

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Five Stories to Watch on the 2011 Indians

January 4, 2011 by 15 Comments

Now that the Browns season is over and the Cavs are stockpiling ping pong balls, it seems time to cast our gaze toward the boys of summer.  But when even die-hard optimists like me have a hard time projecting more than 80 wins for this team, I’m pretty sure most fans are already dreading the pangs of another rebuilding year.

But you know what?  It’s January.  It’s cold outside.  And I’m going to hit you with a major truthitude designed to brighten your day: it’s totally possible for this team to compete in the AL Central this season.  Is it likely?  I’d rather not say.  But it’s possible.  And for that contention to happen, we’re going to need a few players to come through in different ways.  So today I thought we’d take a look at what I consider five of the biggest SABR-oriented stories that, if all goes well, could turn the Indians into contenders this season:

1. Carlos Carrasco’s Strikeout, Walk, and HR rates. [Read more...]

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Adam Everett is Your Newest Cleveland Indian

December 17, 2010 by 14 Comments

Though the Cleveland Indians have long stated their desire to bolster their weaknesses at third base, outfield and starting pitcher, Chris Antonetti’s latest addition to the Wahoo Warriors is veteran utility infielder Adam Everett who will provide depth at shortstop if he can camp among the 40-man roster.

While third base continues to be a hot button issue, the team felt that adding Everett (this year’s Mark Grudzielanek?), could provide depth at shortstop in the event that Asdrubal Cabrera gets hurt or at second base in the event that Jason Donald and Luis Valbuena continue to play like Jason Donald and Luis Valbuena.

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Boos on Third

August 26, 2010 by 19 Comments

I thought I’d take a look at our position players to see how they’re doing so far this season.  It’s…not good.  SURPRISE!

But for the analysis I wanted to do, I needed to evaluate which positions are getting contributions and which are liabilities so far this season.  To do this, I aggregated each position player’s Wins Above Replacement (WAR, primer here) and assigned him a position.  Then, for players who play the same position, I lumped them together and added their WAR totals.  Some of this took some maneuvering, as most players on this team have played multiple positions.  Anyway, here’s where the totals came out, and where I assigned each player: [Read more...]

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Orioles 14, Indians 8: Walks (and Defense) Do the Tribe In

August 11, 2010 by 5 Comments

Will someone please tell Justin Masterson that he can start throwing strikes?  It’s, like, allowed and everything?

Masterson walked three last night over his five innings pitched, which doesn’t sound terrible until you consider the circumstances.  His first walk was issued to the leadoff hitter in the fourth inning, Nick Markakis.  Quite obviously, Markakis scored the Orioles’ first run.  Masterson’s next walk was issued in the same inning to Corey Patterson, who didn’t score, but extended the inning long enough for Matt Wieters to score the O’s fourth run.  Then, to drive the point home, Masterson walked Adam Jones the next inning which allowed Felix-Freaking-Pie to hit a three-run home run. [Read more...]

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Da Clip Show: Keeping an Eye on the Tribe’s AAA Squad – 7/13/10

July 13, 2010 by 1 Comment

Clip Show aims to be your weekly update for all things Columbus Clippers. Jacob in control here this week with DP on vacation, but check back each Tuesday afternoon for records, rosters, and performance updates on some of the top prospects in the Tribe system.

Despite a rough week overall, the Clippers head to the All-Star Break this season with a sizable 7.5 game lead in the IL West Division. With only 50 some odd games remaining, that should definitely put the franchise in a position to compete for the championship come later this September. While many players continue to move up I-71 from Columbus to Cleveland, the Clippers roster should include many if not all of the top prospects in the organization by the end of the year. A tough pennant race always attracts the best and it should be even more exciting second half down at Huntington Park.

This Week: 2-4
Current Record: 55-36, 1st place (of four) in ILW (International League West)

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Indians All Star Break Analysis – The Infield

July 13, 2010 by 9 Comments

In the first of a four-part series, WFNY will take a look at your last place Cleveland Indians. You will have to forgive my minutia, but the Indians are a passion of mine. Like Rock with the Cavs, we stick with this team no matter what, last place of first, and dissect it as if they were at the top of the AL Central heap. At 34-54, 15.5 games out of first, you’d think there aren’t a ton of things to get excited about; but there are. Today, it’s the infielders that go under the microscope.

The season started with zero expectations for the first time since the surprising 2005 season. The opening day lineup was filled with a combination of veterans and rookies. Guys who were looking to rebound (Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner) and guys looking to make names for themselves (Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Lou Marson). By the break, Injuries and on the field failures have caused a changeover from the beginning of April. [Read more...]

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Mets 6 Indians 4: Swept Away By Bad Defense

June 18, 2010 by 1 Comment

This series with the New York Mets can be summed up in one sentence – the Tribe defense completely and utterly failed them and directly caused them to be swept. No two ways about it. Tuesday night they made three errors. While they didn’t make an error Wednesday night, watching Shelley Duncan play balls off the wall in left was borderline comical. Last night, Luis Valbuena failing to place a tag on a pickoff throw was brutal, but doesn’t even do any justice to how bad the Indians defense played all the way around in the 6-4 loss.

“We didn’t make some plays, and when we didn’t, they made us pay,” Manny Acta said. [Read more...]

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Mets 7 Indians 6: Defense Does Them In

June 16, 2010 by 2 Comments

Nights like this show why the Indians are a last place team. With such a small margin for error, the Wahoos must play smart baseball if they are going to hang with the big boys. That always starts with pitching and defense. Now consider that they were facing one of the best pitchers in the game, Johan Santana, and you can imagine how important playing crisp baseball was.

Justin Masterson was cruising into the fifth inning with a 4-1 lead, and then his defense flat out failed him. The first man to bat, Jeff Francoeur, singled to right field. No big deal. Then the Mets started to play NL small ball. Alex Cora laid down a sacrifice bunt attempt (yes, in the fifth inning). Somewhere, Eric Wedge was cringing. Cora’s bunt was fielded by Masterson, except nobody was covering first. Russ Branyan should have been covering the bag, but he charged the ball for some odd reason. Luis Valbuena didn’t get to the bag in time. “The ball wasn’t hit that hard,” Manny Acta said. “Russell should have stayed at first base.” Jose Reyes then attempted a sac bunt of his own, which Masterson proceeded to throw into right field, scoring Francouer. [Read more...]

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Tribe has no chance against the Yankees

May 29, 2010 by 3 Comments

The team with the highest payroll in the game overpowered and overmatched the Indians as they fell 8-2 in the first of a four game series.  The Indians have now dropped the opening game in 15 of 17 series this season – not a recipe for success. Yankees starter Phil Hughes dominated the Indians lineup which went gently into the New York night.  Hughes opened the game by striking out the first 5 Tribe hitters who came to the plate.  Jhonny Peralta finally put one in play when he hit a fly out to center to end the 2nd inning.  As Rick Manning stated, it appeared Indians starter Fausto Carmona would have to be close to perfect on this night as Hughes was mowing down the Indians. [Read more...]

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