Ozzie's Rant and The Tribe's Spark!

Did Ozzie cut his own throat?

Did he go too far?

On Monday, Ozzie Guillen, manager of the Chicago White Sox berated the Chicago fans and media for non-support of his team with a profanity laced rant. He claims they all have short memories and forgot that the Sox won the World Series in 2005.
Ozzie, as Paula Abdul said so well, “What have you done for me lately?”
2005 was two and one-fifth seasons ago.
As of Monday, your team was 2 games out of first place with a .467 winning percentage.
What do you want, a parade downtown?
The fact is, you are putting an inferior product on the field. It’s not oil or grain that we will buy no matter how high the price is driven.
Nowhere in the country does the free enterprise system work better than in professional sports; take major league baseball. Of the 14 teams in the American League, 6 of them are at or better than .500. Of the 16 teams in the National League, 10 of them are at or better than .500. That means 16 out of 30 teams, or 53.3%, are playing at a break even or better percentage. There are 14 teams that are not winning. They must improve or lose money (not make as much as they could with a winning record). This is the basis of our free enterprise system; winners win and losers lose.
So the question becomes, since Ozzie guaranteed a winning team or he would resign, is it time yet for Ozzie to fire himself?

"Put Me In Coach, I’m Ready To Play!" So said David Dellucci on Tuesday evening in the Bronx. Off the bench he comes late in the game to take the Indians from a 3-2 deficit to go ahead 5-3 with a 3-run pinch hit home run! “This is just the spark this team needs!” said radio color man Mike Hegan along side play-by-play commentator Tom Hamilton who agreed.
Spark? They may need a forest fire but we will start with this victory!
Tonight’s game is huge! Two undefeated pitchers go up against each other, Cliff Lee 5-0, 0.96 ERA vs. Chien-Ming Wang 6-0, 3.00 ERA. If Cliff can control the Yankees and give the Tribe another chance to win, we will be sure of winning this 3-game series and putting ourselves back on track…CAN’T WAIT!!!!

Rumor has it, the "Rocket" may throw out the first bat tonight!

The Shot, The Fumble, The Drive, ...The Shirt?

She's gonna need a larger shirt!

No doubt, you have seen "The Shirt" that someone in the Papa John's Pizza organization created in Washington D.C. to razz LeBron James for what became the final game of the round 1 playoffs between the Wizards and the Cavs. Well, it didn't work so well. In fact, it was in pretty bad taste (pun intended) and prompted the Papa John's organization to come up with a 23¢ large pizza promotion in Cleveland for this Thursday, May 8th.


What if other advertisers capitalized on the woes of the Cleveland Indians for a similar self-serving ad campaign???

Conrad's Tire and Repair is the sponsor of the Cleveland Indians' Post Game show on Sportstime Ohio. They could sponsor a "Fix A Flat Free" promotion as long as the Tribe's offense is FLAT! Personally, I would drive on 4 rims before I would subject myself to this company's poor, poor customer service ever again...they are positively the worst to deal with!

Subway is a longtime advertiser with the Cleveland Indians and Sportstime Ohio as well. Perhaps they could run a promotion featuring their 6" subs based on runs scored by the Indians the night before. As long as the Tribe is "underperforming," you pay ten cents per run per inch of a 6" Sub! Yikes, they could lose a fortune! In fact, subs based on the last game would be free!

Continental Airlines is also an advertiser with the club. Continental has decided to go it alone and avoid mergers, staying as a hub in Cleveland...for the time being. They could come up with a "Quick Get-A-Way" promo for anyone in Cleveland totally upset and in need of a change of scenery due to the Indians won/loss record. The Indians are 14 and 17 with a .452 winning percentage. They could charge 45% off any fare, anywhere until the Indians reach .500 or better! Hopefully it will be fans that take advantage of the promo and not players!

What If This Is As Good As They Get?

What if this is as good as they get?

The 2008 edition of the Cleveland Indians is 14 and 17 after 31 games. After 31 games last season, the Tribe was 20 and 11. As disappointing as this team is, they currently are only 2.5 games out of first place. They are second last in the league in batting average, 4th in ERA, and 3rd in fielding. They can't hit and the bullpen cannot hold a lead...so far.


But what if this is as good as they get?


Vice President and General Manager Mark Shapiro still thinks things will work out. Both he and manager Eric Wedge do not want to react too early. Wedge continues to say that the team will hit and the bullpen will improve.


But what if this is as good as they get?


We've been there before, through the 60's, 70's, and 80's when bad baseball was better than no baseball. We will keep on being fans because a true fan stays with their team through the good and the bad. This team shows no signs of improvement. The pitchers keep falling into the same bad habits and have so little confidence. C.C. cannot adjust from one umpire's strike zone to another. The hitters are lost in their own confusion at the plate. There appears to be little to no direction from the coaches and manager. If the boss says no changes will be made because it is too early and the players are expected to play through their issues and work them out, what could you expect? What if your company was under-performing and those in charge decided to wait and see if things worked out? You would lose ground to the competition while the employees went through their daily motions.

Character starts with leadership and it appears their is little of both on display. We may continue to be fans of the team but we don't have to be fans of the leadership.

A Few Steps Backwards…

Last night, home plate umpire Doug Eddings had an inconsistent strike zone. Enter the Cleveland Indians who had an inconsistent reaction to the strike zone, both on the mound and at the plate. C.C. Sabathia couldn’t get a strike call above the belt and he struggled to graze the bottom part of Edding’s strike zone. C.C. was in and out of trouble through 6 innings but a gutsy pitching performance coupled with his excellent fielding kept the Royals scoreless until the 7th inning.
Travis Hafner looked mesmerized by some low strike calls. Casey Blake swung at most pitches out of the strike zone and looked at pitches down the center of the plate.
The Royals held the Indians to 4 hits and struck them out 8 times.
Last night’s game was #30 in the Mark Shapiro 2008 experiment of not reacting until we reach 35 to 45 games.
With all that failed last night, it must be extremely difficult not to react just a little.
It must be so difficult for pitching coach Carl Willis to sit in the dugout and not help C.C. make adjustments during the game.
It must be so difficult for batting coach Derek Shelton to keep from helping Travis Hafner make the necessary adjustments to the strike zone during the game.
It must be so difficult for manager Eric Wedge to keep from taking Casey Blake to Sears Optical today after Blake’s embarrassing swings and lack of swings last night. It kind of makes you think of Wild Thing in the movie "Major League"…
Lou Brown - “Now take Ryan over there…”
Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn squints...
Lou Brown - “Never mind Ryan, I want you to read these letters."
(Vaughn squints even more)
Lou Brown - "You can’t see them, can you?"

Can we all wait 5-15 more games or is time long past for a reaction?

Isn't it long past time to pry Andy Marte out of the valuable space he is taking up on the 25 man roster?
What does Ben Francisco have to do to get on this team, win a minor league batting championship? Have a great spring training? Get hot in Buffalo? Go 2 for 6 in a brief stint with the big league club a week ago? Uh, he did all that!
Why does it take Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to identify mechanical issues with C.C. Sabathia and Travis Hafner before they are addressed?
Can we get Jhonny Peralta to explain the benefits of lasik surgery to Casey Blake?
Just because no team seems to want the American League Central Division is no reason to stand by and hope this team heals itself.

Raindrops Keep Falling...

Come on...an hour ago the sun was shining after an all-day rain. We gotta get this game in tonight! Friday night's game that was rained out still has not been rescheduled. The opportunities are slim; August 19-21, September 12-14, an open date (there are only 12), or tack it on at the end of the season September 29 or 30.

We gotta get this game in tonight, the Tribe is up for a big game behind the pitching of re-tooled ace C.C. Sabathia.

Last night, we got rained out and did pretty good! We gained one half game on the Tigers (who lost to the Twins) and we gained one half game on the division leading White Sox (who lost to the Blue Jays). We don't want to do better when we don't play, we want to control our own destiny!

If they play, and it looks as though the rains will clear out, the Tribe is going to light up Luke Hochevar.

Come on, we gotta get this game in...
The White Sox lost again this afternoon! If Minnesota loses tonight and we win, we are in 1st place with a .500 record!

Come on, we gotta get this game in...

Final score tonight...

Tribe 8, Royals 0!

Line Up!

As reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer this morning by Paul Hoynes, Indians manager Eric Wedge is having difficulty finding a line-up this year that produces consistently.
http://blog.cleveland.com/sports/2008/05/indians_insider_wedge_keeps_sh.html

Well, if that’s all that’s troubling you, why not try mine?

1. 2B Astrubal Cabrera


2. CF Grady Sizemore


3. C Victor Martinez


4. 1B Ryan Garko


5. DH Travis Hafner


6. RF Franklin Gutierrez


7. LF David Dellucci


8. SS Jhonny Peralta


9. 3B Casey Blake

With RHP Luke Hochevar (1-1, 5.91 ERA) starting for the Royals this evening, I love this line-up!

• Cabrera can lead off. He switch hits, has speed, and makes good contact. Leading off may be just the right spark to ignite this little dynamo.


• My dream slot in the line-up for Grady has always been the #2 spot. With a runner on 1st, lefty Grady is hitting behind the runner, he will get better pitches with a runner on, and he will cut down on his strike outs.


• Victor batting 3rd makes so much sense. The league leading batsman drives in the swift Cabrera and Sizemore while getting to 2nd base as Grady scores from 1st!


• Until Hafner heals himself at the plate, Garko is our power guy. His slump is over and he has that confident swing once again.


• Even when Hafner is 100%, I still like him in the #5 slot. With two on, it’s RBI time for the big guy!


• I have always felt that the #6 slot is like a second lead off position in the line up (so says Chuck Tanner as well when guiding the Pirates to world champs in 1979). Gutierrez is quick, makes great contact, and he has some power as well.


• Lefty Dellucci is getting hot and his average is showing it. His .469 slugging percentage makes up for his sometimes “iffy” play in the field.


• When facing a lefty pitcher, Peralta could be moved up to #7, but I like him batting 8th in a second cleanup spot. It’s time for Jhonny to get hot and stay hot.


• Casey is struggling at bat and in the field but this workhorse has to be in the line up. As Grady is the fire that burns in the hearts of the team, Casey is the constant reminder that a positive attitude and get it done approach to the game, day in and day out will help drive the team to over-achieve.

Let’s be honest, for this team to make it deeper in the playoffs than they did last year, they all must over-achieve.
I wish I had just one night to put this line up in place and I would love it if it were against a team like the Royals.
What is your dream line-up for the Tribe? Let’s see it!

A Great Ballpark!

Progressive Field is a great place to see a ballgame, just ask Indians' fans!

Below is a link to a survey asking fans in each major league city to rate their ballpark.

Progressive Field is rated #1!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/specials/fansurvey/2008/index.html?cnn=yes

Everyone knows of the ambiance that was Jacobs Field, now Progressive Field. It is a beautiful place to take in a ballgame. The constant distractions that are thrust upon the fans of pro football and basketball have not infiltrated and affected the timeless moment that is a game of baseball in Cleveland. Even the concessionaires are respectful of the grand old game and are careful not to block a view or disrupt a play while peddling their wares. Additionally, we have true entertainment value in the way our fans come to the park and represent themselves at the game. Our bleacher drummer John Adams is nationally known. We have the American Indians that frequently protest our beloved logo Chief Wahoo at the gates of the park. For the most part, they are polite but firm in their beliefs, bringing forth a true moral question of the use of the caricature. There are the very colorful concessionaires (as mentioned above) who are so creative and entertaining as they provide food, drink, and fun.

There is a great Customer Care department that truly goes out of their way to ensure a very pleasant and memorable experience.

All that said, there are some things to avoid.

Do not park on East 14th Street in the daylight and think you will be able to cut back through the Erie Street Cemetery in total darkness...it will scare the crap out of you and it is not safe!

Do not buy bleacher tickets for Friday nights. At the top of the 8th inning, all of the seating attendants and security people disappear to help out with preparation for the fireworks show. The bleachers become sheer bedlam!

Do not wear cheap cologne to the park (especially if you are a player) in late September and early October...the Midges will get ya!

See ya at the "Pro!"