What's "FREE" About Free Agents?

USA Today lists the top 50 MLB free agents. Paul White of USA Today ranks Cliff Lee #1.
Here is an interesting ranking, he lists Derek Jeter as 27th. Can you imagine Jeter playing for any other team except the Skankees? You have to believe that New York would never let him go, regardless of his diminishing skills…I haven’t heard that term since Billy Bellycheck banished Bernie Kosar from Northeast Ohio! Still, wouldn’t that be almost as sweet as Texas beating New York in the ALCS?...Almost! I am still in a euphoric state since the night of 10/22/10! (Holy Crap! I have to go back to that wretched city in two and a half weeks!)
Look at the list if you get a moment. It is hitting and pitching rich.
Who catches the eye immediately? Well of course, Victor Martinez who told me in an airport he did not want to leave Cleveland and wished he were still there since the hiring of Manny Acta.
How about Adam Dunn? Forget it, the Dolans…never mind, they are not even worth talking about.
Realistically, who would take less or no money to come back and finish out their career in Cleveland?
It is not likely unless they still had property in the “Best Location in the Nation.”
Jimmy Boy Thome! I understand he still has a house in Aurora! He certainly could produce much more than Hafner and be the Eddie Murray for this band of youngsters.
A real stretch would be Manny Ramirez. Perhaps he just misses snow at Christmas..or on opening Day.
There will be much speculation on free agents and other type baseball related items and issues as the snow begins to fly. Other than an occasional Browns upset of a Superbowl contender or a LeBron-less Cavs team in first place with a .500 record, all we can do is buy Opening Day tickets and keep or fingers and toes crossed for the reincarnation of a Dick Jacobs kind of visionary to show an interest in our beloved baseball team.
I think it’s snowing…

I Never Shed A Tear For You...

This was almost as much fun as when the Indians beat the Yankees in the 2007 ALDS!

27th payroll in the league...Who wanted it more?!

Class act, on and off the field!

A very fitting triumph!

Each time there was a "bad" call, the Rangers responded with a big inning. Here, Nick Swisher eludes a HBP call in favor of a wild pitch. How do 6 umpires on the field all miss this?

On to the World Series!

Yankee Fans Once Again Show Lack of Understanding, Respect, and Sense of Fair Play for the Game of Baseball

National television audiences witness what umpires miss...again!

How is this not fan interference?

Come on Rangers, put a bullet in the New York Yankees.

I hate the Yankees!

I hate their town!

I hate their cab drivers!

I hate the people who work in NY and think you owe them something for doing their jobs!

More than anything, I hate the Yankee fans who think they know the game of baseball...apparently they don't know anything about fair play as caught in photos above.

Who was that kid who selfishly interfered in the 1996 playoff game in NY...Jeffery Maier. They probably erected a statue to the little shit somewhere in Da Bronx.

Tonight these morons not only interfered with play on the field, they taunted Nelson Cruz after they interfered with the ball and Cruz's glove. And they were proud of it. So were the rest of the so called fans in the toilet bowl called Yankee Stadium.

Score right now; Rangers 5, Skankees 3 in the top of the 7th.

Go all the way Rangers! Take your 29th ranked payroll and stick it to these pampered prima donnas and their neanderthal fans!

League To Rule On Cell Phone Usage By Players During Games!

Nelson Cruz is tagged out by CC Sabathia last night while apparently asking caller, "Am I Safe?"

The Seattle Mariners hired Eric Wedge to manage at least part of next season.

Heads in the clouds...or somewhere else?

Would you trust this man with your business?

Don't look for the fortunes of the Cleveland Indians to change anytime soon, at least as long as they are owned by the Dolans and they keep Mark Shapiro in charge of the daily operations of the team. Apparently job performance doesn't matter as Marky was promoted from GM to President of the club. Who takes his place? His protege, Chris Antonelli, the assistant GM. Do as I did AND as I say!

We can thank Mark and the Dolans for giving us the ability to see some of our favorite players in the playoffs again this year. You know, guys that labored for the Indians and have found the brass ring and their fortunes elsewhere as we continue to develop talent for the rest of the league.

Manny Acta was a somewhat pleasant surprise this year as he was palatable as the manager of the team. But don't look now, Tony LaRussa will be moving on from the Cards and we will stand pat with Acta. Acta is somewhere between Wedge and LaRussa, kind of like hamburger helper to filet mignon and gruel...Lucky us!

How Do you See Things?

This is how Mark Shapiro sees himself wheeling and dealing Cleveland Indians' soon-to-be free agents;

This is how the fans in Cleveland see Shapiro's deal making;

This is how Braylon Edwards sees the city of Cleveland;

This is how the fans and coaches in Cleveland repeatedly saw Braylon Edwards;

LeBron's "Lady" sees the fans of Cleveland as unfair to the King;

You know what? I hated to see the guy go but we can take consolation in one thing...He didn't go to New York!

Today was "Take Your Best Shot At Cleveland Day!"

Is that all you got????

It's the Dog Days of Summer and tempers flare more and more at the old ballgame.

Did you see the Cards and Reds tonight?

Check it out;

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100810&content_id=13276098&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl

Lovely, isn't it? And it was all pretty much started by a guy who holds the City of Cleveland in just as high esteem as anyone, Brandon Phillips.

Perhaps Milton Bradley would like to drive through Cuyahoga Falls for old time sake...Oh, bad idea Milty!

Why not have an Albert Belle bobble head night? Shake him just a little bit and he smashes a thermostat in the clubhouse, or hits a guy in the face with a ping pong paddle, or throws a strike at a camera man's chest, or...runs down some teens in his SUV.

We love and worship our sports heroes here in the city that once gave itself the phrase, "Best Location In The Nation!"

They just don't love us back!

So It Begins Again...

Well, just when things begin to turn around, the fire sale begins again. Why Austin Kearns had to be taken out of the game last night because he didn't belong to the Indians anymore! Johnny Peralta goes to the Tigers for a Happy Meal. Austin Kearns goes to the Yankees for a hand full of beans to be named later. Jake Westbrook is starting today. If he comes out early for no apparent reason...guess what? He's traded!

It feels like the '70s and the '80s again. We almost lost the team until Dick Jacobs built a new stadium and saved the franchise. He enabled GM John Hart to extend long contracts to young players to ensure a future for the team and it worked. We have become a Triple A farm team for MLB once again. The funniest thing last night was that broadcaster Rick Manning kidded fellow broadcaster Matt Underwood that he heard rumors that Underwood was being traded. Funny, but sad.

So who is to blame, the Dolans for their shoestring budget and almost absentee ownership?

Or is it Mark Shapiro who sits on the edge of his seat ready to pull the trigger on any player making more than the league minimum?

I'll say it again, if my job performance read like Shapiro's, I wouldn't be gleaming for the cameras with the eventual promotion he will receive at the end of the season. When results are less important that the immediate bottom line, there is little hope for the future of the franchise...unless there is another Dick Jacobs out there. The city of Cleveland longs for another hero like Mr. Jacobs but does that person or group exist?

Until then, we are subject to the annual fire sales and poor baseball in Cleveland.

Too bad...too bad! But the true fans of the Cleveland Indians will still support the team and keep the faith. After all, that is what the city of Cleveland is so good at and all about. Time to pop in "Major League" again in the DVD player and dream about...I don't know, next year? Perhaps 10 years from now.

It's Been A While...

Yes, it has been a while...since June 5th. So what's been going on? Well, LeBron James set the city of Cleveland on it's (R)ear with his tasteless and classless theatrical announcement that he was going to the Heat. We will miss you LeBron but not the circus sideshow. How about Dan Gilbert, owner of the Cavs? He paled in comparison to "The Announcement" in his "Rebuttal" letter but he laid just as big of an egg as his ex-superstar.


While this was going on, I received many calls, texts, and e-mails asking how the town was going to handle another loss. Well, my response was that we all got up and went to work the next day, just like any other day. Of course, the USA Today had to remind everyone about the heartbreak Cleveland suffers in sports what with "The Drive", "The Shot", "The Fumble", etc. But they forgot more than they remembered and the lights are still on in the city by the lake. Why stop with sports anyway? We have the city that went into default. The river that burned...heck, that same year our mayor caught his hair on fire!

We still love ya, Ralphie! So don't worry about Cleveland and it's people...they are a hardy bunch that even "Red Right 88" couldn't keep down. It is a city of eternal hope. Our theme song should be, "I Will Survive!"

On another bright ray of hope, look at our Tribe!

They have won 7 out of their last 11 games since the All-Star break from 1st or 2nd place teams; Detroit, Minnesota, Tampa, and New York and they are in the process of beating the Yankees tonight.

The problem is these guys don't know they aren't supposed to win.

This is a pretty solid lineup that will only get better. Crow, Cabrera, Choo, Santana, Peralta, Nix, Brantley, and Kearns are hitters with good defense. They are getting better and better as they begin to believe in themselves. And the pitching is improving too!

So here it is...How we set ourselves up for disappointment in Cleveland...

The Cleveland Indians, despite the front office sitting on their hands, will grow into a contender next year...

But wait, there is more...

Just as I predicted in 2005 and 2007, this little team will win some games and make the division interesting in August and September! Are they going to the playoffs? No, of course not but could they finish 3rd in the division?

Here is how I see it on September 30th;

Twins

Sox

Indians

Tigers

Royals

Buckle up and hang on 'cause these guys are gonna win some games in August and September!

This is my Tribe!