Indian Fever

It's Only Words But...

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:56:00 +0000

Last week, new Cleveland Indians' manager Manny Acta was in town and took part in a pretty extensive interview with Plain Dealer sportswriter Paul Hoynes. During that interview, many topic were covered and the following caught my attention.

When asked about the slow start the Indians have become accustom to over the last 5 out of 7 years, Manny replied in a very positive and pro-active way. He said that being ready for the season at all positions in both offense and defense along with avoiding injuries in Spring Training were his priorities. He also added that he does not buy into the adage that it is a long season and there are 162 games. He was very committed to ensuring that everyone in the organization knew that a win in April is just as important as a win in September.

That is a direct contrast to his predecessor Eric Wedge who could win a contest versus anyone in watching his chin hairs grow or viewing the impending girder bolt in the top of the dugout rusting through.

There is no denying that under Wedge's leadership, this team was seldom ready coming out of Spring Training and not in great shape either.

I believe that Manny Acta has keyed in on a huge deficiency in Cleveland Indians' baseball of late. I have been screaming about the conditioning of this team. Why do the pitchers year after year suffer from abdominal muscle pulls? How many guys (Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner) have hidden injuries during the Spring only to pull out of the season for an impending operation when the GM sells off the high-priced talent at mid season?

Manny Acta had many good comments during the interview but these were the thoughts that impressed me. No more extended Spring Training for the entire team. Stop blaming things like the desert air for a team not ready to compete. Wedge is gone and their is a new manager in place. I have the distinct feeling that Manny Acta will not be "Nanny" Acta.

So what kind of team does he have to start with?

A solid outfield in Sizemore, Choo, and Brantley who can hit and play "D" although all three are lefties.
A pretty solid infield of Peralta, Cabrera, and Valbuena who also can hit and play "D" as well. The 2 question marks in the infield are 1st base and Catcher but relax. At 1st, the talent is there with LaPorta if he is healthy by February or some strength at AAA in Jordan Brown. Same/same at catcher with Santana and Toregas looking to hit their stride under the leadership of new coach Sandy Alomar Jr.
The biggest wild card in all of this is pitching, both starting and relieving. Can Acta and Belcher put together a band of arms that can have good to great years? If Westbrook comes back strong and Carmona gets his head on straight and figures out what other pitch to throw when he doesn't get the low, low strike call, winning could become infectious.
There is a lot of left-handed hitting on this team that could bring an interesting trade or two before the start of Spring Training.
Look at the American League Central...pretty weak. Minnesota has the best manager who keeps getting the most out of the talent given to him as free agents walk to big money teams. How long can they just win the division and fold in the playoffs? The Tigers have a manager that apparently is a bit too old to weave all of their high-priced talent into a winner. Chicago has Ozzie Guillen who could have written the new comedy routine for Robin Williams, "Weapons of Self Destruction". Kansas City is still two years away at least.

The Cleveland Indians could be on the verge of shocking the baseball world once more. All the right moves have to be made but it is not out of the realm of possibilities for 2010. Acta has been compared to Terry Francona who won the World Series with the Red Sox in his 1st year managing the team.

If Acta puts his words into actions, hang on...The thrill could be back!

Stop With The Cleveland Jokes!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0000

Sports in Cleveland have really hit the skids. This is a town that has an avid fan base but rewards those loyal fans with lousy teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to be our only hope to a major sports title but can they grab the brass ring this year and keep Lebron James? With the season just under way, it looks doubtful.

Then there is the Cleveland Browns football team. How did things get so out of control? The owner is absentee and clueless about the sport, there is no general manager at this time, the head coach has failed to impress anyone in Cleveland or anywhere else for that matter and he has alienated the players and the fans. What would Cleveland football be without a raging quarterback controversy? The fact is that Brady Quinn is a controversy all by himself; from his initial holdout, to his alleged "gay-bashing" in Columbus, to his poor play as a starter, to his cheap shot on national television. This team is in such disarray they make the Cleveland Indians look like a well-oiled machine.

What about the Cleveland Indians?

Maybe things aren't so bad. Yeah, OK, I said it. Is it wishful thinking? To some degree, yes. They sure aren't the New York Yankees but they are not the Washington Nationals either...uh, except we got their manager.

It is true, I did not want Manny Acta to manager this team but he is the manager at least for now so he deserves a chance. His coaching hires have not been all that impressive until he secured Sandy Alomar Jr. as the first base/catching coach. Sandy had many a big game for the Indians through the '90s. From Rookie of the Year, through All-Star MVP at the corner of 9th St. and Ontario, to helping to guide the team to two appearances in the World Series in 1995 and 1997 while winning the American League Central title five years.

So there is some good news in Cleveland.

Welcome back Sandy!

Run Sandy, Run!

Now, if we can get Randy Learner to sell the Browns to someone or some group that will bring respectability back to the area of the country just north of the cradle of football, life will become liveable without that annoying twitch we get when someone mentions "Football".

And, if Dan Gilbert will let Lebron James sign on as a part owner of the Cavaliers, the greatest player ever in the game without a championship can at least stay right here until we match him up with a Scottie Pippen-like player. Sorry, Shaq ain't it!

And, if the Dolans and Mark Shapiro would go get lost in a rain forest somewhere for the next 12 months, maybe, just maybe the Indians could keep a contending team together past June and shock the sporting world once again!

Keep your head up!

Hurry To Sell, Rush To Buy!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:51:00 +0000

Manny Acta is the new manager of the Cleveland Indians. He got his first Cleveland perception right; there will be no parade or fanfare over his hiring in Cleveland. What this amounts to is another low salary manager who is deemed very valuable by this organization because he is bi-lingual but has a losing record as a major league manager. What it really amounts to is that they replaced one yes man with another. Could you imagine some of the conversations between Bobby Valentine and Mark Shapiro? "Well Mark, we thought we might try to beat these guys today with our guys. Just who are our guys today?"
or
"Mark, put down the cell phone and back away!

So now that we have settled into another 3 years or so of the same Indians' baseball, what else could go right, wrong, or anything but the same catatonic boredom we have become so oblivious to?
Well, if the Dolans would do the right thing, they would have the team up for sale. One possible buyer could be Rush Limbaugh! After all, the NFL snubbed him on his attempt to buy the Rams. Think of the possibilities...The team is already considered politically incorrect with their Chief Wahoo mascot. But Rush could turn a "Deaf Ear" to this. The team already plays ultra conservative baseball and that should suit Rush just right. Rush could be right at home handling the steroid issue. He could compare 'roids to his own dependency of prescription drugs.
Yes, a new low has been hit when considering the possibilities of who could wind up buying the Indians...and finding the possibility an improvement!

Valentines Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:44:00 +0000

OK, so we have a bona fide manager interviewing for the job of Manager of the Cleveland Indians! Getting this proven winner in the wigwam is the first step to rebuilding and putting a light at the end of the tunnel for becoming a winning franchise once again!

We need Bobby Valentine...Now!

There is a lot of speculation and otherwise horse shit in the local daily paper about the good, the bad, and the ugly of hiring Bobby as manager.

One guy claims that Bobby Valentine is a bit of a loose cannon and will buck upper management. Yeah, Cleveland doesn't do too well with loose cannons as some of those all star players are showing up on every body's post season playoff rosters! A loose cannon is just what this team needs! We have had it with the yes men who go along with the fire sales and the injury cover-ups, and all of the weaknesses associated with losers!

This guy Valentine is a winner!...And he hates to lose!!!

He is hailed as a great baseball mind but some of our sports writers would prefer to mire in the fact that Valentine has been out of American baseball for 6 seasons, that he doesn't have a good knowledge of the American League and the Central Division, and that he is unfamiliar with the new OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage). OK, so what challenges can you think up for day two?! Give me a break!

You can be sure that this team will leave Spring Training ready to play and compete everyday instead of whining about the desert air affecting our hitters and pitchers.

Are there risks for Bobby Valentine? Sure there are! But in analyzing this young team, he would have to be very excited about the talented outfield and infield already in place. Pitching is the big question mark with this team. Valentine has got to be thinking that this is an opportunity to grow a young team quickly into a contender...It just takes the right leader!

This guy is personable, knowledgeable, likable, talented, driven, and a winner!

This town will open their hearts (and wallets) to him and his team. Little Italy will probably name a street after him and make him the Grand Marshall of the Columbus Day Parade!

Let's not let this guy get away. The Indians need Bobby Valentine and right now, Bobby Valentine needs the Cleveland Indians!

Dolan, Shapiro...Have You Completely Given Up?

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Here is an excerpt from a story about Manny Acta on the Cleveland Indians official website;

[Manny Acta is a realist.
He knows the average baseball fan, given a preference, would like to see a big name manage his team.
"Everybody in this town and probably every town in America would want a top-[name] guy, a Joe Torre, a Tony LaRussa, one of those guys to walk in and manage their club," Acta said.
Acta, who was in town Tuesday to interview for the Indians' managerial job, also realizes names like his won't result in a ticker-tape parade with people lining the streets downtown.
"The reality is those guys don't go for those jobs," Acta said of baseball's big name managers. "Those type of jobs go to guys like me."
Acta managed the Washington Nationals for two-plus seasons and compiled a 158-252 record before being replaced in July.]

So Manny, what are you saying...this is a second rate job?

Perhaps that is the way the job is being portrayed to him.

Until the ownership and upper management of the Cleveland Indians grasp the reality that they must compete at a higher level than they have been or even want to, they will continue to challenge for last place in the American League Central Division.

In August, Indians' President Paul Dolan stated that this team in this small market can only be expected to be competitive one to two years in a five to six year span.

Now we have to swallow the fact that managing a major league baseball team in Cleveland is a second rate job. Sure it is, if all you are willing to pay for is a second rate manager!

Manny Acta, take your .385 major league managing "losing" record and go manage Houston!

Mr. Dolan, SELL THIS TEAM!

MY2K Could Cheat Us!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:04:00 +0000

By now, you have heard of the movie, seen the previews, read something in the paper about the Internet hysteria developing, or you have just been working so hard that you are unaware of the craze sweeping the world. Yeah, it's all about the movie "2012" depicting the events of the end of the world. Silly you say? Yeah, probably, but the momentum the movie is giving the quickly developing panic is of some serious concern, now known as MY2K. Want to write it off? Google 2012 and see what you get.
It seems the basis of the movie and the concern is the fact that the ancient Mayan calendar ends in 2012, December 21, 2012 to be exact. A prediction of a Planet X or possibly two planets on a collision course with Earth is raising the speculation that the Mayans may have had more insight to this instead of just getting lazy and ending their calendar when they did.

But hold on a sec...What if they did know something? After all, about the time the Mayans were building their great temples, Egyptians on the other side of the world were building pyramids of similar size and shape. OK, so what the heck does this have to do with a Cleveland Indians blog?

Well, when you visit some of the 2012 web sites, there is so much speculation, some out of prophecy, some out of fear, some even humorous. I tend to take a humorous approach to these things. Why? Well I live in Cleveland where we haven't had a major sports championship since 1964 and every day appears to be cataclysmic in not only sports but the weather, the economy, etc. So it seems that these Mayans were Indians, right? It would be fitting that the Cleveland Indians should win the world series two months before the end of the world. If these guys can predict the end of the world they certainly ought to be able to make book on something as simple as who wins the 2012 world series, don't ya think?
But wait, what if they got part of this wrong? What if they got the end date wrong? What if the end date is really October 21, 2012? Now that would make a lot of sense in Cleveland. Picture this; The Tribe handily wins the division, breezes through the ALDC and the ALCS to reach the 2012 World Series in mid-October. They begin play in the series where the lights are not needed to be turned on because of the brilliance of the two approaching planets on a collision course with Earth. Then, just as the Indians are about to go 3 games to none on their series opponent, WHAM-BAM, catastrophe hits!

Well, don't get overly concerned. This team is far from being competitive until at least the 2013 season. Hell, they don't even have a manager yet!
Enjoy the movie but don't lose any sleep over it, unless you are an Indians' fan where sleep is constantly interrupted by other catastrophes caused by a lack of solid ownership and management.

Who Dat Man?!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:54:00 +0000

As the Cleveland Indians trick or treat through their search for a new manager, I cannot help but unmask who I believe to be the right man for the job, Bobby Valentine. While managing the Mets, Valentine was ejected from a game and later appeared back in the dugout with sunglasses and a fake mustache. He was fined and suspended for this action.
I loved it then and I love it now!
Here is the important part; Bobby has big league management experience, a winning record, and a pennant. How many of the other candidates have that? I guess we don't really know until the also rans are announced when the new manager is named. But speculation leads us to understand that they may be talking to John Farrell (no big league management experience), Travis Fryman (NBLME), and Brad Mills (NBLME).
Of course, names like Buddy Bell surface and even though he has big league managerial experience, he lacks a winning record...too often. Mike Hargrove keeps surfacing as well. Commitment would be the big question. Remember he quit on Seattle.
So Bobby Valentine is probably the leading candidate. Come on Bobby, there is no hiding the fact that you want to manage in the bigs again so dust off the sunglasses and mustache and bring your passion for the game and sense of humor to the shores of Lake Erie!

Good Fit? Yeah!

Go Joe...And All Of Your Ex-Indians!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Dodgers on their completion of a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals tonight! From my view, my ex-Indians had plenty to do with helping the sweep and they will have plenty of contributions in getting to the World Series for Joe Torre and his Dodgers. Manny being Manny and Casey being Clutch are at the heart of a very good team.

As much fun as it is to see these guys doing so well in the post season for other teams, it still pains Indians fans to reflect on what could have been if these guys were still maintaining lockers on the corner of 9th Street and Ontario. Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, Ryan Ludwick, Carl Pavano, Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, Mark DeRosa, Victor Martinez, Rafael Betancourt, Ronnie Belliard, Ben Francisco, and even Jim Thome to name a few of the guys who got away and are littered through the playoffs this year.

Perhaps it is our image. I love smiling Chief Wahoo. I do not think of him as degrading but he truly is politically incorrect. That doesn't bother me at all. What bothers me is that he resembles a nice guy, maybe a push over. The front office could use the above logo to help encourage some think-tank time to stop the dismantling of the team and bring back a winning tradition. Don't look for that to happen...the deep thinking until the current upper management and ownership are banished from the shores of Lake Erie.

No, it may be time to get pissed.

I mean really pissed! Who would have thought that building a new ballpark would have made us competitive in 1994?

Perhaps an image change is due.

In the mean time, congratulations Joe Torre and his Los Angeles Dodgers. One more series to go and they are closer to my dream World Series (for this year)...

Dodger vs. Yankees in the revenge of Joe Torre!

Go Joe!

Sincerely, Indians!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:44:00 +0000

Today, the Cleveland Indians sent a thank you e-mail to their loyal fans with the mention of excitement for the 2010 season. OK, that's nice but no one signed the e-mail! It was signed Sincerely with an Indians banner as the signature!
See Below...

October 5, 2009
Dear Indians Fan,
THANK YOU! We truly appreciate your support throughout the 2009 MLB season. We enjoyed entertaining the nearly 2 million fans who made the choice to visit Progressive Field - as well as those Tribe fans around the world who caught Indians baseball on STO, the Indians Radio Network and online at indians.com.
It is now time to move forward. There will be keen interest this off season, highlighted by the search for a new manager and coaching staff. As an organization, we are excited about the story that will be unfolding in 2010. It is a story featuring a new voice in the dugout and a young, talented team on the field poised to compete in the AL Central Division.Our top priority remains the same – to make you proud of who we are as an organization, how we represent your city and how we provide superior entertainment and customer service.Thank you again for your continued support of Indians Baseball.

Sincerely,

No one from the front office or ownership could sign the e-mail?
I know when I opened the e-mail I immediately forgot about the poor handling of the team over the last two years and also forgave them on the spot...NOT!
Forgive who?
Who wrote the e-mail?
This is like getting an e-mail from Barack Obama apologizing for the misappropriations of the Bail-Out money and then signing the e-mail "America"!

"Sincerely, Indians!"

Who Indians?...The Sioux, Crow, Seminoles?

This is unbelievable.

I will always be a fan of the Cleveland Indians but this ownership and upper management can't even have the nuts to sign an e-mail and take responsibility for the train wreck they created.

Mr. Dolan...Fire Mark Shapiro and sell this team!

Part 1 of the Tribe Trilogy Is Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Yes, as we all know, it finally happened. Cleveland Indians' manager Eric Wedge and his coaching staff were fired yesterday. But as much as some of us wanted to see Wedge go, me in particular, you must give him credit for handling the situation with tremendous class. No one outside of the Cleveland Indians' inner circle will know what exactly transpired but however this unfolded, Eric Wedge kept his composure and will continue to apply his strong work ethic through the remaining 4 games of the season in Boston.
The radio talk guys in Cleveland are apparently applauding the change but at the same time questioning the timing, with 6 games remaining in the season (at the time of the news conference) and raising a toast to Wedge for his ability to stay cool while he "grinds out" the remaining games as the lame duck manager.
Could there be another possibility why the announcement was made so hastily Wednesday afternoon? Was the termination beginning to leak out? Perhaps Wedge had been cleared to speak to say...the Astros. Yes, the Indians' organization is generally very classy when dealing with sensitive events but let's not rule out the fact that a leak may have occurred. It happens everywhere else, it certainly could have happened here. It is hard to believe that the organization wanted to give the fans a chance to say goodbye to their manager at the last home game of the season. Hardly, many fans were signing petitions for his removal, especially in the wake of the 11 game losing streak.

So good luck to Eric Wedge. Take the lessons you have learned in your first big league management job and go and prosper, perhaps like one of your predecessors, Charlie Manual. After all, it is only fitting that you too, like all of the players traded away become more successful in life after Cleveland.

OK so now what? Part 1 of the Tribe Trilogy is complete. When does parts 2 and 3 take place? In fact, they can occur in either order. To complete the trilogy, general manager Mark Shapiro should be run out of town for his part in the dismantling of the Cleveland Indians and the Dolans must sell this team to an owner or group that can support the business sense of the competitiveness needed on a daily basis for this team to be successful. The Dolans raised the white flag a couple of months ago when president Paul Dolan made the statement that in this small market, this team could only be expected to be successful one to two seasons out of every five or years. Is that how you ran your cable business? Same market, right? Did you just succumb to the dish guys because it was too hard to compete?

Here is hoping a man like Dick Jacobs doesn't only come around once in a 41 year span of time. Eric Wedge needed to go away but he only erred on the playing field. The owners and senior management are the guilty parties in the demise of the Cleveland Indians.

I Am Seeing A Pattern…

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:50:00 +0000

You are a young baseball player with what you have been told are major league skills. You are playing for your college baseball team or you are playing in an instructional league. You are hitting and fielding well and gaining much attention. Scouts are coming to see you play. Offers will soon be streaming in and your baseball future is very bright.

So who do you sign with? Do you sign with the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, or Phillies where you will experience extreme competition and wait possibly longer than you should to finally get your chance in the majors? Or, do you sign with the Indians where, if your success continues, you will be on a fast track to the big club?

I might sign with the Indians. Why?

Sure, they are not the prestigious Yankees, the team that everyone dreams of playing for. They are not exactly rich in winning tradition. But what they do have is a roster made up of mostly guys that started this season in AAA ball.

Sign with the Indians. You move up quickly through their organization, when they deal free agents to unload payroll, you get called up to the “Bigs".

Then what?

You catch on and become a regular until you approach free agency, then you get traded to the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, or Phillies.

I know I have over simplified the process but perhaps this is the short to medium term plan for loading up the Indians minor league system with talent.

OK, now I get it!

So when do we start winning Mark?

If Wedge Walks, Who Managers?

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:52:00 +0000

Interesting that the Dolans and GM Mark Shapiro are going to wait until the end of the season to determine the fate of manager Eric Wedge. I cannot imagine that a high level meeting takes place and the decision is really shelved. No, the fact is that the decision has been made for the future of the coaching staff but the wild card in the whole mix could be manager Eric Wedge. How so? Well, everyone knows changes will be made but not to what extent those changes will encompass.

Remember Joe Torre in 2007? His high-priced Yankees got beat by the Indians in the ALDS 3 games to 1. Joe Torre was the fall guy. The brain trust that is the modern Yankees didn't fire Joe, they just made demands so that he wouldn't stay. You gotta think something like that may take place in Cleveland in a couple of weeks. One thing Eric Wedge is, is loyal. He will probably be told that his coaching staff is gone and he may stay on if he agrees. You can bet that will be the last straw with Wedge.

So Wedge up and leaves, then what? Who manages the team?

The betting money in Cleveland says it is a pitching coach for the Red Sox named John Farrell. But would he do it? Let's look at why he shouldn't;

He's doing a good job in Boston, why leave?
Why would someone want to manage a team where the owner has no money to spend and suggests that the team cannot be competitive in this small market?
He can hold out for a better offer as there are sure to be openings at season's end?

Now let's look at why he might do it;

He played and coached for the Indians
He knows the organization top to bottom
He still resides in a suburb of Cleveland
He can take the job to break into managing in the Majors
The team can only improve

So, I think he does it. Perhaps this is a long range plan coming to fruition.

If not Farrell, it could be a long Winter looking for the right man for the job. But what exactly is the job? Why do sows ears and silk purses come to mind?

Perhaps there is a tire salesman still untapped...

Who Are You, Who-Who, Who-Who?!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 13:02:00 +0000

There was a report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer this morning regarding the Cleveland Indians request of DNA testing of minor league draft picks.

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2009/09/cleveland_indians_requesting_d.html

Apparently the team has been duped in the past. It was reported that the Tribe paid a 17-year-old shortstop Jose Ozoria $750,000 as an international free agent last year only to discover Ozoria wasn't Ozoria. Instead of a 17-year-old shortstop, Ozoria turned out to be 20-year-old shortstop Wally Branyan. Ozoria/Branyan and his agents duped the Indians into a big payday with forged documents.

Makes you think who else may not be who they appear to be...Hmm!

Yeah, there is a guy posing to be a MLB owner and he is living right here in Cleveland. Best get this guy to the Cleveland Clinic for a quick swab to find out who really is sucking the life out of this team!

Then there is GM Mark Shapiro. Beware...! To hold down his position for as long as he has with his record he must be calling on some extra-terrestrial powers.

What about CC Sabathia? If I were Joe Girardi, I would find out real quick before the playoffs who will be starting the post season in CC's body.

Hey, aliens (Shapiro & Dolan) took CC away from us...he must have gone over to their side!
Remember some trades we had before DNA testing was available? Ken "Hawk" Harrelson comes to mind. How about Brandon Phillips? Who was really here in his place until he got traded to Cincinnati?

The one guy I wouldn't waste the cost of a DNA exam on is Tribe Skipper Eric Wedge. He's the real deal. Call him what you would, question his every move, non-move, incessant lineup changes, etc., he's Eric Wedge. The one thing you can call him though is GONE! He will absolutely be looking for work come October 4th, 2009. Eric Wedge will take the fall for the poor performance of this team. Do I disagree? No, but he is not alone in the undoing of the Cleveland Indians. The entire management staff has chugged Larry Dolan's Kool-Aid. What else can they do, stock groceries at Giant Eagle?

Wanna fix the team? Start at the top! Sell the team to someone or a group that can manage a competitive business instead of making up excuses and blaming the "market" for our inability to secure talent and win games. Dick Jacobs did it right here in Cleveland.

Mr. Dolan, SELL THIS TEAM!

What A Season!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:49:00 +0000

It's Gonna Be A Shootout!

Look at the division and wild card races this year! The last few games of the season are going to be crazy but fantastic!

Boston is making a late charge on the Yankees. Currently they are 7 games out with 20 games remaining. Who plays who when?
The Red Sox play the Yankees on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of September…in NY! Don’t forget…the Red Sox finish the season in Boston with my spoilers, the Indians!
The Twins are still just 5.5 games back of the Tigers. However, they are currently losing 3-0 to my Tribe tonight!
The Tigers have 6 games left with the Twins and 6 games left with the White Sox…look for the Tigers to lose their lead in late September! Who will take the American League Central? Can the Tigers hold on?
The Angels remain 6 games ahead of the Rangers who are getting hammered tonight by the A’s, 7-0. But after losing to the Yankees tonight, the Angels will face the Rangers 7 more times, the Yankees 3 more times and the Red Sox 3 more times as well. Anything can and probably will happen in the A.L. Wild West!
Texas is still in the Wild Card hunt with Boston but their best chance for the playoffs will be head to head with the Angels for that division.

Philly is holding off Florida but at a 6.5 game difference, they cannot afford to get sloppy or get cold. They play each other 6 more time…Hmmm!
St. Louis cooled down just enough to let the Cubs back into the race or so it seems. But at 9.5 games ahead, the Cards should be a lock.
The hottest race in baseball is going on between the rock-solid Dodgers and the ever streaky Rockies! With a 3 game Dodger lead right now, guess who plays each other the last 3 games of the season?!
Florida’s best shot is going after Philly for the division because if Colorado doesn’t overtake the Dodgers, they are sure to take the Wild Card.
All in all, the last 3 weeks of the season are looking very exciting!

Here is how I see it:
American League
Yanks vs. Tigers (as the Cats hold off W.Sox & Twins)
Red Sox vs. Angels (Texas comes up short)
Red Sox and Yankees advance for a breath-taking ALCS
Yanks move on to the World Series after crushing the Bosox!

National League
Dodgers vs. Cards
Phillies vs. Rockies
Dodgers and Rockies advance and the ex-Indian-laden Dodgers take the NLCS in 7 games!

World Series
Revenge is sweet for Joe Torre as he beats his former boss in 7 dramatic and exhausting games!

What a game this is!

Go Joe!

MR. DOLAN, SELL THIS TEAM!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:09:00 +0000

Is there no relief in sight from the constant bungling of the Dolan family's ownership of the Cleveland Indians?!!!

The following statement was taken from a story that appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal Sports section on Saturday, September 12th;

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/59087977.html

[Club officials have said that it's unlikely that the team will contend for a postseason berth next year. If that is the case, Carroll, who will be 36 in February, might not fit the Indians' plans.]

Just what are those plans beside not winning and unloading talented players?

Jamey Carroll is batting .291 as a part-time player for the Cleveland Indians. It is well documented that most players struggle to perform consistently when they do not know from day to day if they will be in the next game. Playing in 77 games this year, based on the current 25 man roster and including Grady Sizemore, Carroll is 4th in batting average behind Brantley, Cabrera, and Choo, 5th in runs scored, 6th in hits, 8th in doubles, 4th in triples, 8th in RBIs, 8th in total bases, 7th in walks, 6th in stolen bases, 3rd in On Base %, and 11th in Slugging %. Not only is he a consistent performer, he is a positive clubhouse influence and he is a much needed spark plug that drives energy on the field, both offensively and defensively.

So why would we want to keep a guy like that around?

Read the story referred to above and ask the Dolans that question. If his current $2.5M salary is the reason, this team is in far more trouble that we can even imagine.

MR. DOLAN, SELL THIS TEAM!

Something To Look Forward To...

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:29:00 +0000

Take a look at the the last 4 games of the season...October 1st through the 4th.

Yeah, that's right...4 games in Boston!

The way the season is shaping up, these 4 games will very likely be critical to the Red Sox getting into the playoffs.

Could we get a bit of revenge for 2007?

Would knocking the Bosox out of the playoffs be sweet?

You bet!

In reality, there is every reason to believe that the Boston Red Sox will sweep the Tribe just like the Texas Rangers did over the last 3 games. Look at this Indians' team; all of the true veterans are traded away with the exception of Travis Hafner, Jhonny Peralta, and Kelly Shoppach, and of course Grady Sizemore who has been shut down by injuries for the remainder of the season. Our most experienced guys are Asdrubal Cabrera, Shin Soo Choo, and Peralta. The remainder of the team is AAA and AA players.

How could they ever expect to compete with a playoff-bound team in the last series of the season?

Well, these guys are hungry as well as talented. Sure they are raw rookies but what have they got to lose?

Even if Boston wins the first 3 games, it still could come down to the final game of the season.

Look, right now we will take any win, no matter how big or small. But if we can ruin Boston's playoff hopes, now that is S-W-E-E-T!

They're getting ready for the playoffs in Boston,

Let's see if we can spoil their plans!

She Sings!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Yeah, it's over and it's been over...ya just hate to admit it. Even Yogi would say, "It's over BEFORE it's over!"

This train wreck of a season started in Spring Training when we heard excuses like, "The thin air of Arizona is having it's effect on our hitters and pitchers." Thanks Eric, how come it didn't effect other teams?

When the season went into the tank early on, it was only a matter of time when the bargain basement discounting of future free agents would take place.

Just want to thank Cliff Lee for his recent comments last week pertaining to the poor attendance at Progressive Field. Cliff blamed the Cleveland fans for non-support of the team. He told Dennis Manoloff of the Plain Dealer words to the effect of, if the fans had come out to support this team, the owners may not have had to unload the free agents a year early.

Nice, Cliff!

Once again, he showed his wisdom and tact. The problem with the Indians has never been the fans. This has got to be one of the most loyal fan bases in all of major league sports. Our 455 consecutive sellout record stood until last season when the Red Sox finally beat the mark. Hmm, same Red Sox that blasted Cliffy in 2007, prompting him to tip his cap to the Cleveland fans as they let him know how they felt about his pitching that season. That was his next home game since beaning Sammy Sosa in Texas on Sammy Sosa Night. You still have so much class, don't you Cliff?!

Questions still to have answered;

1. Why can't everyone play like Grady Sizemore?

Grady is done for the season and will have 2 operations, one on his elbow and one on his abdomen, both injuries that have been nagging Grady all season long. (The abdominal injury was just reported recently.) When asked why the surgeries didn't take place early on, Grady replied that he wanted to play! Funny thing, so did manager Eric Wedge and head trainer Lonny Soloff!

2. When will Hafner be Full-ner?

What is wrong with our gentle giant? Just when it seems he is over his right shoulder ailment, his left shoulder acts up! Conditioning/Rest...Conditioning/Rest...Conditioning/Rest!

3. When will we get the ownership for the Cleveland Indians to take us to the World Series?

There is no doubt that the Cleveland Cavaliers have the very best chance to bring Cleveland it's first major league championship since 1964. Why?...Ownership! The Indians went to the World Series twice with Dick Jacobs. The Dolans were more lucky than smart in 2007 as we missed the World Series by one game. Please talk to Peter Lewis and his Progressive empire to buy this team!

As the sun sets on another season of Indians' baseball, we are thrust back to our resolve of the '60s, '70s, and '80s...Bad baseball is better than no baseball.

Mr. Dolan, if you love the Cleveland Indians as much as you say you do, then...

SELL THIS TEAM!

What The...?!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:26:00 +0000

OK, when you get a guy wrong, you gotta admit it. My apologies to Andy Marte. Marte has found a home at 1st base and is tearing the cover off of the ball! Tonight, he hit a dead center triple and a go ahead 2-run homer in the top of the 9th inning which proved to be the game-winner in Baltimore. Congratulations to Marte on his play since being promoted again to the Bigs! I honestly did not think you had it in you, I had you wrong, especially when I saw you go for a 3-bagger tonight!

What is going on with the Rockies again? It is 2007 all over again...only one month earlier! They could be one of two roadblocks to my '09 dream World Series, Dodgers vs. Yankees...

The revenge of Joe Torre!

The second roadblock could be Charlie Manuel and his Phillies trying to repeat. Charlie is the latest edition of the Indians' "manager who got away!" That's OK, Charlie was a hard worker but more of a "Doer" in Cleveland than a guy who "Got after it." He has matured with the Phillies in his old age. He still sounds like Casey Stengle on Quaaludes.

Come on Joe Torre, don't make us suffer through another October of Charlie!

What's Wrong With Cleveland?

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:51:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks, business has required me to be spending most of my time in the great city of New York. It was only 10 months ago that I first visited the city for the very first time. Honestly, you can have it and the people, too!

The major pass-time of New Yorkers is jay-walking. In fact, if you don't walk against signals, you get left behind.

The service industry in New York is an oxy-moron. There simply is no service, from basic needs all the way up to what should be a luxury experience. I have never spent so much money to be treated so rudely. And it certainly brings out the not so nice side of me as well. I have verbally ripped hotel receptionists, deli counter workers, cashiers, and airline gate attendants regularly since December. They are extremely cocky and rude, argue about everything, and refuse to do the most basic parts of their jobs like provide a receipt.

LaGuardia Airport should sink into the East River and take all of the American Airlines employees along for a good dunking. These people should be subjected to themselves by being on the other side of the gate counter. Basic politeness doesn't exist ever, but when things get tough, their total lack of compassion and their selfishness are well displayed.

OK, so all that said, they do get things done here!

Fabulous theater
Great museums
Fine dining
Winning sports teams

It's that last one that gets me...winning sports teams. Year after year the Yankees are in the playoffs. From baseball to football to basketball to hell, you name it...these crabby-ass bastards win!

In New York, sports teams are expected to win every year. In Cleveland, the owner of the Cleveland Indians claims that he can only be successful one or two times in a five to six year period...Wussy!

There it is, right there...Cleveland is a town of Wussies! We let that wussy Dolan make bigger wussies out of us because he can be a wussy and get away with it!

Not me, when in New York, I get my receipts and my money's worth of chewing somebody's ass when they piss me off! And that's OK because the clerk or cashier or whoever just gives me what I want (what he or she should have done in the first place) and then moves on to someone else to bully.

That's what I like about these current Cleveland Indians. Throw at them and they are gonna knock down 3 of your guys! If this team gets pissed enough, they win 15 games in a row and make the next 30 to 35 days very interesting and exciting!

They Still Have Heart!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:51:00 +0000

After everything that has happened this year, despite the trades, the owner with deep pockets and short arms, the stubborn manager, the executives scrambling to save their jobs, the bewildered coaching staff, despite all of that...this team still has heart!

Grady Sizemore has said it many times in the past few weeks, "We got nothing to lose, we are playing all out!"
How else do you explain these guys hanging tough? Sizemore, Choo, Carroll producing every day and night...Peralta getting tough at 3rd and overcoming his streaky hitting...Fausto being who he can be...the rise of a star in Valbueno...Astrubal threatening to crack the top 10 in league batting average while playing a slick SS...some gutsy pitching...even Marte is starting to produce!

There is still time for one last winning streak!
Eyebrows would be raised once again!
This pesky bunch of misfits could make things very interesting with a little over a month to go!
They could steal the show!

Still On The Warpath!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:41:00 +0000

As asked last week, what would it take to win the American League Central?

Well, the good news is that the Indians are only 1 game off of the plan (See below, see previous blog).

· Win today’s game (8/13) vs. the Rangers...Nope, lost that one!

· Win 2 of 3 at the Twins...Yes, we took 2 of 3!

· Win 2 of 3 from L.A.

· Sweep the Mariners

· Sweep the Royals in K.C.

· Win 3 of 4 from the Orioles

· Win 2 of 3 from the Tigers

· Win 2 of 3 from the Twins

· Win 2 of 3 from the Rangers

· Sweep the Royals here!

· Win 2 of 3 from the Twins

· Win 3 of 4 from the A’s

· Win 2 of 3 from the Tigers

· Win 2 of 3 from the Orioles

· Win 2 of 3 from the White Sox

· Win 3 of 4 from the Red Sox!

It's that simple!...Well, why not?
The Rockies did it in '07...so did the Yankees only they started their move about 30 days earlier...so what! We need something to salvage from this season of waving the white flag early and "scalping" our future free agents.

It's like Grady Sizemore said Sunday, "We have nothing to lose, we are relaxed and playing all out."

True, but you could have something to gain...a far-fetched but possible shot at the Central Division!

There are others who would have something more to say about it. The cover of the USA Today touts the Angels (our next opponent) as having a hot hitting lineup, all hitting .297 or better! We play them pretty good and there is no reason we cannot take 2 of 3.
The Tigers have Rick Porcello pitching well and just signed big hitter Aubrey Huff. They still don't scare me.

Grady is right! There is nothing to lose and everything to gain so let's beat the drum, stay on the warpath, win some games, and have some excitement!

Note; A win streak sure makes all of this come together...we have 2 in a row!

How The A.L. Central Division Can Be Won…

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:27:00 +0000

Apparently neither the Tigers, White Sox, or the Twins seem to be very engaged in winning the American League Central Division so, as written yesterday, here is how our Indians can do it;
We have 49 games remaining and we must win 37 of those games…Yes, it is a tough road but with no one running away with the division, why not consider the possibilities. Here are the must win scenarios of the final 16 series;
· Win today’s game vs. the Rangers
· Win 2 of 3 at the Twins
· Win 2 of 3 from L.A.
· Sweep the Mariners
· Sweep the Royals in K.C.
· Win 3 of 4 from the Orioles
· Win 2 of 3 from the Tigers
· Win 2 of 3 from the Twins
· Win 2 of 3 from the Rangers
· Sweep the Royals here!
· Win 2 of 3 from the Twins
· Win 3 of 4 from the A’s
· Win 2 of 3 from the Tigers
· Win 2 of 3 from the Orioles
· Win 2 of 3 from the White Sox
· Win 3 of 4 from the Red Sox!
Of course, if we run up a nice win streak, this all becomes much more achievable!

“All right people, we got 10 minutes 'till game time, let's all gather 'round. I'm not much for giving inspirational addresses, but I'd just like to point out that every newspaper in the country has picked us to finish last. The local press seems to think that we'd save everyone the time and trouble if we just went out and shot ourselves. Me, I'm for wasting sportswriters' time. So I figured we ought to hang around for a while and see if we can give 'em all a nice big shitburger to eat!” Lou Brown, fictional manager of the Cleveland Indians in the movie, “Major League”.

Wassuppppppppp?!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:47:00 +0000

Wassupppppp?!!!!!!!

In case you hadn’t noticed, and based on attendance you probably hadn’t, the Indians have won 7 of their last 10 games and trail the division leading Tigers by only 10 games. Yes, the hapless Tribe is still 14 games under .500 but the Tigers are only 6 games over .500…stranger things have happened!
With 50 games to go, what would it take to capture the division? Forget about the wild-card as that is out of the question…gotta go for the division!
So, what would it take?
· A combination of the weakest division in baseball continuing that trend with a hot streak by the Indians
· To catch the Tigers at their current wins to losses, the Tribe would have to win 37 of their remaining 50 games. That is a .740 winning percentage. Hey, they just won 7 of 10, can they make it 9 of 12? That is one more game than 2 of every 3 in a 12 game set.
Here is the thing, Detroit is ripe for getting knocked off…somebody is gonna do it…why not the Tribe?
This plays very well into the ownership’s collective thinking; in a 5 year span this team can get lucky and contend 2 seasons. Let’s say the 5 year span starts this year. It’s time to get lucky! Besides, this team has put together very dramatic 2nd halves of the season in 3 of the last 4 years.
Plain Dealer sports columnist Bill Livingston wants the Tribe to collapse in the second half of this year to force ownership and management of the team to not stay pat with the current talent. Great call-out Bill but they are going to stay pat anyway!
So let’s have some fun now!
“There’s 3 or 4 potential all-stars and the regulars are starting to play well. I think we are contenders right now!” Lou Brown, fictional manager of the Cleveland Indians in the movie, “Major League”.

Defeated!

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:42:00 +0000

Did you read what Cleveland Indians' president Paul Dolan said?????

"If every four or five years we can have a shot at the World Series like we did in 2007. And compete for a playoff spot like we did in 2005, that's as good as it gets in this market.”

No wonder we are not competitive this year or last, it's not our year. According to Paul, we have shot our competitive wad until 2011. What kind of businessman makes a statement like that?! The big boys in the big markets play too tough so we will settle? Tell that to Detroit...or Tampa Bay...or Texas...or Minnesota...or Florida...or Colorado. You can't tell those teams that because each one of those small to medium (at best) market teams is either leading their division or is a bona fide contender for the playoffs...and they do it every year. The Dolans believe that they cannot compete because of the market size in Cleveland so they don't compete. Mr. Dolan, please don't even begin to tell us that 2005 and 2007 were engineered because they were not. The then Cleveland Indians put those seasons together despite ownership of the team. Admit it, 2005 caught you by surprise just like it did everyone else. That team played "also-ran" ball through most of the season just to put together a strong August and September and come up one half game short of the playoffs with a major choke. Same goes for 2007. They battled Detroit all season long in the weakest division in baseball, got hot in September, won the division, beat NY in the playoffs, and pulled off one of the biggest chokes in team history in giving the World Series berth to the Red Sox. Why the chokes? Not enough horses to finish the job! Truly what you are saying is, we will maintain status quo, spend little or no money on high profile ball players, and we should get lucky once or twice in a span of 5 years. Defeated! Loser! Unmotivated! Complacent! Content! Apathetic! Lethargic! Inadequate! Incompetent!

Cleveland Plain Dealer sportswriter Terry Pluto had the following to say this morning, "Fans often say the Dolans should sell the team. Fine, who is your buyer?" Where would the Cleveland Cavaliers be if they adopted that same defeated attitude that now Pluto apparently has been sucked into???? Guys like Dan Gilbert don't fall out of trees but they do exist and they know how to run an organization with a positive attitude, putting their money where that thought process is.

The Dolans are out of their league...please get out of the league!

SELL THIS TEAM!!!!!!!!!!

Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan and president Paul Dolan share a game recently with fans.

"Good morning, gentlemen, and welcome to another season of Indians baseball."

noreply@blogger.com (Big Daddy) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:16:00 +0000

Once again, life is imitating art. In this case, the real Cleveland Indians' ball club is very much like the 1989 hit movie version, "Major League". You might ask yourself, "Just what are the intentions of ownership?!" Apparently, their intentions are good but their ability to run a successful baseball team is completely questionable.

"The fact is we lost our two best players to free agency [I wish it was only two]. We haven't won a pennant in over thirty-five years [12 years now], we haven't placed higher than fourth in the last fifteen [close enough]. Obviously it's time for some changes."

"Maybe the problem is... we're coddling these guys too much. Yeah!"

At any rate, despite the poor performance of the team to this point and the poorer performance of ownership, this team is still trying and they are having a very good second half again! They have won 5 of their last 7 games against the top Central Division teams and they are fun to watch!

However, with the team still only 11.5 games out of 1st place, it will be a long time until happier times return to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario streets.

Mr. Dolan...SELL THIS TEAM!