May 18, 2013

While We’re Waiting… Cavalier Homework Assignments, Dan Fegan, Indians All-Star Game Moments

July 10, 2012 by 9 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.

Here are some homework assignments for three Cavalier players, starting off with The Kid: “Kyrie Irving is by far the best player that wears the Wine & Gold. Like, from “New York to LA”-far. Like, he is probably a top 20-25 player in the world, right now, without a real ceiling to speak of. But the thing about players’ ceilings, and not having hit them yet, is that it by definition means that the player can still improve.” [David Zavac/Fear the Sword]

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indians Notes: Kipnis as Leader, Chisenhall Returns, Strength of Schedule

June 3, 2012 by 7 Comments

There aren’t particularly too many Browns storylines right now and my brother and I covered many of the pivotal NBA ones yesterday, so today is Tribe time. Check out my usual WFNY Wednesday Wahoos for more of my regular Tribe coverage.

– Who are the new Cleveland Indians? Of course, people reminisce all the time about the Tribe teams of the ’90s. Those teams were the classics for many current sports fans in NE Ohio, featuring such legends like Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Sandy Alomar and more. Then, moving forward, the Indians continued to win games and AL Central titles up till 2001, before having a six-year playoff lapse.

Looking back, the team that went to the 2007 ALCS featured names such as Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia and Jhonny Peralta, all guys on other AL teams also fighting for the 2012 playoffs, along with long-gone folks like Ryan Garko, Casey Blake, Josh Barfield and Joe Borowski. Outside of players that then hardly played like Asdrubal Cabrera, Rafael Perez, Fausto Carmona/Roberto Hernandez and Shin-Soo Choo, there are hardly any guys still around from just five years ago. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Indians Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indians’ Chris Perez Gave All-Star Ring to His Father

January 18, 2012 by 4 Comments

The morning of the All-Star game there was a family brunch for the players and their families. Before entering the brunch, they handed out All-Star rings. When I picked mine up, they asked me to try it on. (I already had planned to give the ring to my Dad, so I had told them to make the ring [five] sizes too big for me.) My Dad was right next to me and noticed how big it was on me. I tried to play it off, but he kept making a deal about it. So finally I just walked away.

Flash forward to after the game, my family and I are relaxing back in the hotel, and I pulled out the ring and gave it to him. He was shocked, surprised, happy, and speechless. I couldn’t think of anyone else that deserved the ring more than him; he’s the reason I love the game, and the reason I became an All-Star.

It was a small token of appreciation for all the hours and money spent on me playing ball growing up.

- Indians closer Chris Perez in a recent interview with The Bleacher Report. Perez recently signed a one-year contract with the Tribe, netting him $4.5 million and allowing both sides to avoid arbitration.

[Related: Greener Grass, Revisionist History and Chris Perez]

Filed Under: Headlines Tagged With: , ,

While We’re Waiting…Asdrubal Cabrera to Start MLB All Star Game, Massaquoi in Jeopardy, MLB Trade Market

July 9, 2011 by 6 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

Asdrubal is your ASG starter and his predecessor Jhon Peralta now joins him on the team – amazing: “Asdrubal Cabrera is where he belongs. Cabrera will start at short stop for the American League at Tuesday NIght’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game after Derek Jeter, voted to the starting spot by the fans, pulled out of the game due to injury. Jeter returned earlier this week from a 3-week stint on the disabled list with a calf injury. Jeter has also been worn down by his quest for 3000 hits.” [John Bena/SB Nation Cleveland]

-

MoMass being edged out? “The numbers however are a bit misleading, Massaquoi has disappeared for games on end and has lacked any real consistency, while Robiskie finished the 2010 season visually and statistically more impressive.  The end of last year, for Robiskie, has not gone unnoticed by second-year general manager Tom Heckert…Down to one spot left on the roster. Since Cribbs, Little, Mitchell, Haggerty and Norwood all seem to be in favor of the Browns’ brass, this leaves a choice between Massaquoi and Robiskie to fill that final spot.” [Samuel Ingro/National Football Authority]

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

While We’re Waiting…Tribe All-Stars, LRMR & Cavs, Pryor & Browns

June 26, 2011 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

Potential Tribe All-Stars: “After Cabrera it gets a little dicey in figuring out who may also represent the Tribe in the Midsummer Classic.  The only other possibilities are right-handed pitchers Josh Tomlin (9-4, 3.95 ERA), Justin Masterson (5-5, 3.18 ERA), Carlos Carrasco (7-4, 3.62 ERA), and closer Chris Perez (2-3, 2.54 ERA, 18 saves).  Tomlin, 26, is tied for the league lead in wins, but doesn’t appear to have the eye-popping numbers or sexiness to get added to the roster over a host of other popular names from other teams, though if he were to go out his next start and win his 10th game it could make it interesting.” [Tony Lastoria/STO]

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

An Early Look at Possible A.L. All-Stars

May 24, 2011 by 15 Comments

We’ve heard from Al DiFranco a couple times this season. Today he offers up his take on the A.L. All-Star possibilities. I won’t give away how many Indians make his list. You’ll have to read.

We are only beginning the eighth week of baseball’s marathon regular season, but this has been a season like none other in recent memory for Indians fans. A major-league best record of 29-15 and a seven game lead in the American League Central Division have Tribe fans giddy with excitement. With that has come some interesting discussion around town about how many Indians will make the American League All-Star Team. Indians skipper Manny Acta’s recent appointment to be an assistant coach on the All-Star team should help the club get an extra player or two on the roster.

With all this banter, I thought I would put together an analysis of how the AL All-Star Roster is shaping up. I will do an analysis like this periodically in the lead up to the Midsummer Classic, which will be held on July 12 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

A quick primer on the assembly of an All-Star Roster: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guest Post, Indians Tagged With: ,

DiBiasio Shares Bob Feller Stories

May 20, 2011 by 5 Comments

If there was anyone that would’ve been thrilled to see the Indians get off to such a great start, it is Bob Feller. Especially the way that the Indians are winning- namely with great pitching. Feller of course is the Hall of Fame pitcher that the Cleveland community lost this past winter at the age of 92.

Over the weekend I was driving during one of the Tribe’s rain delays, and heard a couple of Bob Feller stories that were new to me, and I thought might be interesting to you as well. Indians’ Vice President of Public Relations Bob DiBiasio was the one telling them.

DiBiasio and Feller worked together for many years, and formed a strong friendship. Early in DiBiasio’s career Feller gave him a gift that many might consider priceless. The story is centered around the 1983 All-Star game. It was the 50th anniversary of the mid-summer classic, and was held in Chicago. What was really special about this game was that all of the living members of the Hall or Fame were summoned to play an old-timers game. DiBiasio had been selected to help the American League PR staff that weekend. Before any of the events kicked off, the PR man for the American League issued a threat to the staff- do not under any circumstances ask these Hall of Famers for an autograph. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Indians Tagged With: , , ,

Top 5 Memorable Cleveland All Star Moments

February 14, 2010 by 3 Comments

NBA ASGNBATV was replaying highlights of the dunk contests from years past all week and I stumbled upon the 1997 Dunk Contest from Gund Arena.  I remember attending the All Star Saturday night as a youngster but remembered few details from the night.  I was reminded during this week’s replay of Cleveland Cavalier Bob Sura’s participation in that dunk contest.

Despite, his home arena advantage, Sura pathetically finished tied for last with Ray Allen in the then 6 man contest.  This was perhaps one of the least memorable All Star weekend moments in Cleveland history.  1997 as a whole, however, was a memorable year for Cleveland when it came to All Star games.  The Gateway area sports complex played host to both the MLB and NBA all star games as Cleveland was put on the national stage.  On this NBA All Star weekend, I thought I would reminisce about the top 5 memorable Cleveland-related  All Star moments.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: General Tagged With: , , , , ,

Breaking: Victor Martinez on MLB All-Star Team

July 5, 2009 by 2 Comments

Switch-hitting C/1B Victor Martinez will serve as Cleveland’s representative in the 2009 MLB All-Star Game to be played in St. Louis, Missouri on Tuesday, July 14. It has been an impressive year for Martinez, after battling several injuries during a disappointing 2008 campaign. He is now batting .304 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI in 80 games played, and could go down in history as the greatest catcher to ever wear an Indians uniform.

This season has been a huge turnaround for Martinez, as just last year he batted .278 with only two home runs and 35 RBI in 73 games. His batting average and on-base percentage had declined for the second consecutive season, and he then turned 30 years old this past off-season. This year however, he has shown that he is truly one of the best offensive catchers in the game today, as he leads the team in all three Triple Crown categories. Congrats Victor on a third All-Star appearance in an already solid career.

Source: [Indians.com]

Filed Under: Indians Tagged With: , , ,

Santana and Weglarz Going to Futures Game

June 26, 2009 by 1 Comment

img_6921In an announcement from minor league baseball yesterday, catcher Carlos Santana and left fielder Nick Weglarz were named to the rosters for the Futures Game during All-Star Weekend this year in St. Louis. The Akron Aeros teammates learned of their recognition prior to yesterday’s 4-3 walk-off victory over the Trenton Thunder, and this year marks the third time in four years that the two Cleveland participants in the Futures Game came from the Double-A affiliate. Since the Futures Game takes place on Sunday, July 12, it is expected the the pair will miss at least one Akron game that weekend and then go immediately to Trenton as they are both expected to be named Eastern League All-Stars as well.

The Futures Game is always an exciting atmosphere, and I was fortunate enough to attend the 2007 event in San Francisco. It was great seeing some of the top minor league players in baseball, and it was actually the first time I was able to see hot-shot prospect Max Ramirez live at the time (he was soon after traded for Kenny Lofton). Both of these players will appear on the World Team as Weglarz is a native of Stevensville, Ontario and Santana is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Here is a look at the all-time breakdown of Cleveland Indians prospects in the Futures Game: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Akron Aeros Tagged With: , , , ,