Psst!...Watch the Waiver Today!

Could Big Jim be on his way back to Cleveland?

Time To Get Real!

So Manny Acta is determined to get back the games that he lost to Detroit and get back in the race.

I would love to see it but it ain't gonna happen.

Let's do the math...

The Tigers are 68 and 58, playing at a .540 clip. They have 35 games remaining. If they continue to play no worse or no better (which isn't that great anyway) they will finish the season with 87 wins.

The Indians are 62 and 61, playing at a .504 clip. They have 39 games remaining. To over take the Tiger and win the division, they must play at a .666 clip, winning 26 of their remaining 39 games.

Impossible? No.

Improbable? Absolutely!

Why?

Because like all other Cleveland teams, they lack the killer instinct. And that starts with their manager.

I am a Manny Acta fan but really Manny, something has to change.

Manny was quoted in the Akron Beacon Journal today in response to the blown call (one of them) yesterday when Lou Marson threw out (but didn't get the call) Austin Jackson stealing second base. The replay clearly showed Jackson was out. Astrubal Cabrera got a severe finger wagging from umpire Tim McClelland who blew the call and then was way out of line reprimanding Cabrera for being upset by the call. Manny hurried out to save his player but missed his opportunity to blast the entire umpire crew for a terrible weekend, from behind the plate to the bases. Manny said, "I guess eventually we're going to have to press that buzzer and use instant replay."

Holy cow, Manny, don't have a stroke over the shitty calls, OK?

Minutes later on a call much less controversial that that, Jim Leyland came back from the dead, and charged out to 3rd base like Teddy Roosevelt going up San Juan Hill! He let the entire umpiring crew as well as the world of baseball know how pissed he was. "You're outta here" was the result and the Tigers felt their manager did what was necessary to keep the playing field level and even.

Want to know why the Red Sox and Yankees games with each other last so long? Because those 2 managers will not stand for any call going against them and argue about everything! In fact, the players on those teams are the best at carping I have ever seen.

So Manny, do I want ya to argue every call? Hell no, just make yourself heard when necessary. Umpires used to say about Ted Williams, "If Ted doesn't swing at it, it's a ball!" The reverse can be said of players with much less talent or experience. A rookie looks at a borderline pitch with 2 strikes and he gets little if any respect, unless he plays for the Red Sox or Yankees.

So what if an umpire gives a warning to the bench because the manager and his coaches are riding him about balls and strikes. That umpire is hot but also aware that every call he is making in being scrutinized. He's a better ump for it.

Manny had the perfect opportunity to get thrown out yesterday defending his catcher and his short stop. That action would have unified the team and possibly changed the outcome of the game yesterday.

OK, OK, enough...what does it matter? They aren't going to win 26 more games, are they?

Not unless Lou Brown comes back and says, "I think we are contenders, we just need something to pull it all together."

Couldn't you just hear Lou say, "The way I figure this thing, we need 26 wins to win it all!"

We're all listening Lou...I mean Manny!

She's Hoarse and Can't Sing No More!

Pretty good season, huh?
Too bad we couldn't hang on.
Went to Detroit on Saturday to see the Indians give up on the season, from the manager to the ineffective DH. When Travis Hafner jogs to first base (when he doesn't strike out), he is displaying the roll-over attitude that this team appears to have adopted.
Need more?
Manny Acta continues to stay put in the dugout when he should be protecting his players.
Instead his pitcher gets thrown out of the game and then goes back out on to the field to let the umpire know that he should find another line of work.
I love ya Manny but why don't you forget about trying to win the Nice Guy Award, especially with the umpires?
He's not alone though.
The Tigers have a very talented team, much more than they are showing. It appears that they will win the division but I doubt that they will advance past the first playoff series.
Why?
Jim Leyland has become ineffective during the game. He has adopted an Eric Wedge type of style that when the game starts, the manager's job is done.
He just got a one year extension from Detroit.
I think he may be El Cid.
I think he died but they have him propped up in the dugout just to make other teams think they still have a manager.
Did anyone ever thing Joe Girardi or Terry Francona stop managing or fighting for their players during a game?
Of course not, that is why if the Yankees or Red Sox don't win their division, the 2nd place team between them wins the Wild Card.

What an embarrassment Saturday night's game was.
Blow out the candles and cut the cake!
Today isn't much better. Throw at our guy so we get penalized and cannot react. Where was Manny during all of that?
How about Cabrera tagging out the runner stealing 2nd and the runner is called safe on a blatantly blown call?
The ump wags his finger in Astrubal Cabrera's face. Manny comes out and did not get thrown out! he failed to take advantage of the opportunity to fire up his team.

Sing if you can. Sing to a season where expectations were exceeded but resulted in underachievement.

The division was there for the taking.

We wait for next year again, hoping to add some inspiration and infuse a "never quit" spirit.

That really is all that was missing.

Teams with less talent have achieved more.

Sing 'cause it's over.

Too bad because the Yankees and Red Sox don't have what it takes this year either.

Other than being fierce competitors and never quiting, neither the Yanks or Sox will win the world series.

Too bad.

Cinderella left the ball early.

No, Not Good Enough!

Plain Dealer writer states the following;

Cleveland Indians need to take at least 2 of 3 games against Detroit Tigers, says Dennis Manoloff

http://www.cleveland.com/ohio-sports-blog/index.ssf/2011/08/cleveland_indians_need_to_take.html

No, the Cleveland Indians must enter this 3-game home stand with the division leaders with a "SWEEP" mindset.

This is the team that surprised nearly everyone in the baseball world with their fabulous start of the season as well as with their ability to stay in contention to this point.

This is the team with their top management putting on a different hat prior to the trading deadline more that a week ago. In the previous 3 seasons, they have been cleaning house of their soon to be free agent stars. Instead, they admitted that their team is a contender by making recent acquisitions to bolster that belief. Good or bad acquisitions? I applaud the front office for going for it instead of sitting pat!

This is a team that has put together a starting rotation that has kept them in not only most ballgames, but in contention for the division. The starting pitching was thought to be the weakest part of this team back when the snow was flying in Cleveland.

Detroit is thinking they need to take 2 out of 3 from us.

That is why they were trailing us most of the season until lately.

We must think 3 out of 3!

If we think 2 out of 3, we may settle for 1 out of 3.

Time is running out. It is time for this team, the team that has already exceeded expectation, to not settle for mediocrity any longer!

Manny must put the best 9 on the field, not the best rested 9 and not the best righty/lefty match-up 9, but the best 9 for this series.

Back in late April, we took 3 of 3 from Detroit at home with swagger, confidence, and yes, some late game heroics.

Take all 3 and get within 1 game at the same time!

Remember, to make the playoffs, we must win the division!

Manny Stays With Fausto!

Manny Acta was asked what he will do with Fausto Carmona since his most recent failed start. Manny's response was, "Fausto will start again in 5 days."

What options does he have?

He can relegate him to the minors to see if he can get his form back. Fausto would have to agree to that but that would not be out of the question if he wants to get back to his winning ways. This seemed to work before in 2009 but the fix didn't stick.

He could "physically disable" him (it has been done before) and assign him to rehab work in Columbus and/or Akron. This could be in Fausto's (and his agent's) best interest.

He could trade him but his value has plummeted with his pitching woes of 2011.

He could stay with him and hope that through coaching he will work out the problems that are plaguing this gifted pitcher.

But if Manny is going to stay with him as he has indicated, he must get into his head. He has to make him pitch his pitches and stop reacting to the home plate umpire. To do that, Manny Acta and pitching coach Tim Belcher must position themselves on the top step of the dugout and fight for the low strike calls every inning that Fausto pitches. Instead, Manny is shown on TV with a look of deep concern on his face when Fausto gets into trouble.

I am a big Manny Acta fan and he is certainly closer to the issue than any of us but would fighting for some pitches really hurt?

The good news is that pitching coach Tim Belcher has made Fausto his focus now through Sunday when Fausto pitches next...Should be very interesting!

Hey Manny, hope to see you on the top step of the dugout Sunday...It could be fun and rewarding!

How Long Do We Stay With Carmona?

Come on Guys, it's over...Fausto Carmona on the big club, that is.
No matter how you figure it, Fausto cannot continue to take up space on this ball club while he tries to figure out what happened to his pitching mojo.
Send him down Now!
Fausto, I love ya man but you are killing the team!
No one will ever forget what you did in 2007...
Wedge relegated you as the closer early in the season and that was a disaster.
You began starting and pitched very well as other were nursing minor injuries.
Then, just as you threw a gem vs. Baltimore, you were going to be assigned to the minors until Jake Westbrook pulled an oblique muscle and went on the DL.
That was all you needed and the rest is history as you almost beat out your teammate C.C. for the 2007 Cy Young Award.
So where is that guy?
We can't wait anymore to find him.
Go down, take all the time you need to get back to your old form.
Go down now.
Manny, Chris, Mark...send him down and stop the madness.
While you are at it, what about Phelps, Buck, and Kearns????
Goodbye, goodbye, and goodbye!
Hurry back Pronk!

What's Wrong With the Wahoos?

Nothing!

• This is the youngest team in major league baseball.


• Have they not surpassed all of your expectations until lately?


• We knew they would make mistakes, those mistakes just all came at the same time against very good teams.


• They will win again!

How about the fact that they are the youngest team in MLB. They are striking out more than they should, not going deep enough into pitch counts, and certainly not getting many calls at the plate. When a team is very young, it is up to the manager and his staff to fight for them until they earn the respect of not only the other teams, but of the umpires as well. What was the line about Ted Williams? If Ted Williams didn't swing at a pitch, the umpire called it a Ball. It is going to take Manny Acta and Tim Belcher a few ejections before the playing field is completely level. They should be on the top step every time one of our hitters gets two strikes on them. They should be jawing from the dugout from the start of the game to the last pitch. You have to love what Manny Acta has done with these guys. Did you see him go after Girardi? The umpiring in the NY series has been so inconsistent that batters on both teams kept turning back and looking at the umpire as if he left his guide dog in the kennel. But truth be told, the Yankees are expert at "getting" calls. They bellyache so much, they get over on many calls. Case in point; During Sunday's game, Orlando Cabrera hit a 2-hopper sharply to Derek Jeter at Short. The ball took off after the 2nd hop and skipped over Jeter's right shoulder and into left field. Pretty quickly announcer Rick Manning speculated that the play would be ruled a hit and Cabrera would have career hit #2000. Prior to a decision on the play by the scorekeeper, Jeter could be seen mouthing "Wow!" over and over as if it was such a cleanly hit ball. Ruling; Base Hit. I thought Jeter should have fielded the ball but apparently he and the scorer felt differently. I believe that Jeter had much to do with the play being ruled a hit.

When Fausto Carmona pitches, I wouldn't care if he walked every other batter until he starts getting the low strike calls, as long as he induces ground balls to every other batter. Think of it; Fausto is trying to pitch his game. He is most effective when he is keeping the ball at the bottom of the strike zone, inside or outside. He can walk the first batter, get a ground out, walk the second batter, get a ground out, walk the third batter, then induce a 3rd out ground out with no one scoring. what can help him is Belcher and Acta complaining about called balls. Instead, Fausto gets into trouble and changes his location then Wham! He has lost control of the game and gives up 3 to 5 runs. I don't have the confidence in Carmona because he lacks so much in self confidence. Too bad, he is very talented. He needs Acta and Belcher jawing at the ump.

This is the team, minus Hafner, that was the best team in major league baseball until a little over a week ago. They have faced Tampa Bay, Texas, a Minnesota team that they should have beaten more than once, and the Yankees to cause their demise of late. Look at the standings, they are still in first place by .001 point!

Tonight they finish the series with a win over New York if Acta and Belcher fight for the guys instead of letting them fight and get frustrated on the field. They are too young to do what the Yankees do...Situational Bellyaching!

Tomorrow they face the Tigers and they need to beat 'em 2 out of 3.

What if they don't?

These guys have already exceeded our expectations for 2011. However, they will get back on track and make the rest of the season very interesting.

Come on Manny Acta and Tim Belcher...start getting thrown out for standing up for your hitters and pitchers!