Friday, April 18, 2008

I Moved On Yas

The link for the new look Tribe Talk is...

tribetalk.chroniclet.com

It's way cooler, and I was able to get all of my old posts to the new site. However, I lost all the comments.

Feel free to let me know what you think about it, and keep coming back...I'm having a lot of fun with this.

Bear With Me

I'm trying to move this blog over to a new URL to actually have it on the Chronicle's website.

I suck at stuff like this so bear with me, I'll let you know when I'm finished.

Inside the Brain of C.C.

Check out this link. It is espn.com's Page 2's opinion of what is going on in C.C. Sabathia's brain.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=brain/080417&sportCat=mlb

Indians 11, Tigers 1

Finally. Finally. We get the all around effort from all parts of the team. This was truly a breath of fresh air. Here are my thoughts from the game:
  • Obviously I loved what I saw from Fausto. If he is going to be our ace next year, he does what aces do: they stop losing streaks. He was masterful in his 6.2 innings, and again looked pretty much unhittable.
  • Ryan Garko and Travis Hafner both went yard for the Tribe, and they're starting to snap out of this power drought they are on. Hafner almost took another one out, but it curled foul. He absolutely CRUSHED the ball, for whatever it's worth.
  • This Jamie Carroll is a nice little ballplayer. He hustles, he plays hard, and it seems like he genuinely cares. He's the homeless man's version of Grady, and this year's version of Mike Rouse.
  • What an at bat by Victor in the 7th. He fouled off approximately 2, 742 pitches before hitting an RBI double off the wall in left field. They finally are starting to make pitchers work.
  • The current bums of the lineup (Casey Blake, Jhonny Peralta, Jason Michaels, and Franklin Gutierrez) went a combined 6-17 with 4 RBI. Not the best, but I'm not gonna complain.
  • Did you guys see that Subway commercial where you can earn Wahoo Bucks or something like that? Well the Subway restaurant they showed us had a number of palm trees in front of it. They might want to feature a restaurant that can actually exist around here.
  • There is definitely going to be a bruhaha (is that right, Bryan?) between the Indians and Tigers at some point this season. Not a game goes by where multiple people aren't plunked by a pitcher. How Bobby Seay didn't get thrown out last night after hitting Grady AFTER both benches being warned is beyond me.

Was this the game that snaps the Tribe out of this funk? Are they gonna take off like we all thought they would? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, as well as your opinion as to what this blog should be called. Guess nobody wants these tickets...

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Yankees Bury Bernie Williams Under New Stadium For Good Luck

There is a hilarious story on theonion.com today, here's a short excerpt and the link:

"By giving Bernie this chance, we have once again proven why we are the classiest organization in all of sports," Levine added. "Lesser teams would have overreacted to this whole curse thing and buried Derek Jeter."

Check it out here: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/yankees_bury_bernie_williams_under

Is Cliff Lee Good Again?

In Jayson Stark's column "Rumblings and Grumblings", he goes down the list of some players that are off to a quick start, and determines whether or not they are for real or not. The list goes from the obvious, Justin Upton (for real) to Gabe Kapler (nah). Cliff Lee is on the "more real than not" section of the column, and this is what is said:

"While one executive we surveyed cautioned that Lee's first two starts were both against an Oakland lineup that isn't quite Bash Brother-esque, most people we polled thought his disappointing season last year was a health issue, not a talent issue.
"I think he has to be for real," one scout said. "He's pitched this way before. Now he's showing the same ability again. And the only glitch was when he got hurt. So why wouldn't he be for real?"

Hopefully he keeps this up. If C.C. is going to have a down year, the slack is gonna have to be picked up somewhere, hopefully he can.

Major League Influence

Look at this video from a high school baseball game, and something tells me the movie "Major League 2" has something to do with it:


http://view.break.com/488117 - Watch more free videos

This is eerily reminiscent of when Willy Mays Hayes 2 (Omar Epps, not Wesley Snipes) dove over Jack Parkman during the movie. If this guy would've been really cool, he would've yelled "SUCKERRRRRRR!" like Hayes did.

Inside Edge

Today on espn.com's "3 Things to Watch" for tonight, they had this little tidbit about Fausto Carmona:

"Fausto Carmona earned his newly-signed four-year contract extension by winning 19 games with a 3.06 ERA (second-best in the AL) last season, a stunning improvement from the 1-10 record that Carmona compiled as a starter and reliever in 2006 for the Indians.
On Saturday, in his first start since signing the deal, Carmona walked a career-high eight in 3 1/3 innings in a 7-3 loss to the A's. Here is how Oakland shortstop Bobby Crosby described his team's approach against Carmona: "He has some of the best stuff in the game. You have to wait him out and hope he makes a mistake." The A's refrained from swinging at Carmona's sharp sinker, a strategy that has worked against the righty this season. In three starts, Carmona has walked a major league-leading 17 batters, all on fastballs. As the table below shows, hitters are laying off his sinkerballing fastball at an alarming rate thus far.

Carmona's fastball (regular season)
2007
2008
Strike pct.
64
56
Pct. in the zone
52
48
Chase pct.
24
13
Chase pct. on three-ball counts
29
0


The last line of the table speaks volumes. On three-ball counts in the 2007 regular season, hitters swung on 23 of 80 (28.8 pct) fastballs that were off the plate. This year, on 18 fastballs thrown out of the zone on three-ball counts, none have been chased (one was called a strike). Hitters tend to chase more on three-ball counts because they are geared up to get a pitch to hit with the count in their favor. The fact that they haven't gone after Carmona's pitches in this situation shows just how much he has missed the zone.
While Carmona has shown a wild streak to start the season, the 24-year-old's stuff has remained dominating, as opposing hitters are batting just .185 (10-for-54) against him.
The Indians right-hander blamed faulty mechanics for his control problems in his last start, and the first chance to correct those issues will come tonight at Progressive Field against the Tigers."



Why have hitters all of a sudden become so patient when facing Fausto? Has he been exposed? Or is he just going against some of the better hitters in the league?


I think "snowman on old 16" is right, we need to release the midges.


(Funny story: during the infamous midge game in last year's ALDS, some bug expert tried to call the Indians and explain to them that the bug spray will actually attract those bugs rather than repel them. So Joba was basically a midge magnet, along with the rest of the Yankees. He should've just been a man like Fausto and let them fly all around him.)


This Might Make You Feel A Little Better..

Rick Sutcliffe, of espn.com, had this to say about C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona:

"The National League West has two of the best one-two pitching combinations with Jake Peavy and Chris Young in San Diego and Brandon Webb and Dan Haren in Arizona.

But the best one-two punch in baseball resides in Cleveland with C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. They're off to a slow start (combined 1-4 in seven starts), but having pitched in the midwest in April when I was with the Chicago Cubs, it's tough to have great command when it's not ideal baseball weather. In these cold conditions, the baseball feels more like a cueball. Once the weather improves, Sabathia's command and velocity will get better and Carmona's sinker will stay down.
I'm basing my choice also on what the two did last season. They combined to go 38-15; more impressive was the fact that they threw a combined 456 innings. Sabathia and Carmona's consistency allowed the Indians' entire rotation to be solid and they didn't allow the bullpen to be overworked. Plus, Sabathia and Carmona are facing lineups like Detroit, New York and Boston -- lineups that are better than the Indians offensively.
Josh Beckett and anyone would be a great duo. The same can be said about Roy Halladay. And while Sabathia and Carmona haven't been themselves yet this season, when it's all said and done in 2008, they'll be the best one-two punch in baseball."

I suddenly think whatever Sutcliffe says is credible. I reserve the right to reverse that whenever I want.

Tigers 13, Indians 2

Ouch. That one really hurt. That one was painful to watch. Here are my depressing thoughts on that debacle:
  • What's going on with C.C.? Where is his command? Again, from a Cleveland pitcher, we get the "it's not physical" company line. In this case I would almost hope it was. If the ace of our staff has no confidence, what does he have? I don't care how hard you throw or how big you are, if you put the ball right over the plate, big leaguers are going to make you pay.
  • If you just look at the box score, you would think Andres Galarraga man handled the Tribe. Turns out it was some guy name Armando.
  • What do you think should be more concerning: C.C. or our hitting? Two runs on three hits? Why can't the Indians hit a AAA pitcher?
  • At least if you're a Detroit fan, your team is starting to do what it was supposed to do: hit the crap out of the ball. It doesn't seem like us Indians fans have anything to grasp onto.
  • Casey Blake, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Johnny Peralta are in a combined .042 slump. Awesome.
  • Victor, you have to know how many outs there are at all times. That was an Elyria Little League East Minor B move.
  • "How You Doin'" goes yard! He was the only highlight of the night! He's now up to .276! That's better than Travis Hafner, Johnny Peralta, Asdrubal Cabrera, Franklin Gutierrez, and Casey Blake! Those are our young core guys! Sweet!

I'll be back posting all day, and panic is starting to set in.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Major League Alternate Ending?!?!?!?

According to Major League's Wikipedia page, there is an alternate ending to the movie. This is how it is described:

"In the theatrical release, the Indians are shown winning to a stunned Rachel Phelps, who now is presumed to not move the team to Florida due to increased attendance fueled by the team's success. In the alternate ending, a scene is added after the celebration...Lou is seen handing in his resignation, telling Phelps that he knows of her intentions and no longer wants to be a part of it.

Phelps tells Lou that she never intended to move the team. When she inherited the team from her husband, the Indians were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, with no money for quality players or even creature comforts which mandated the switch from commercial jet flights to chartered turbo-prop planes. She continues by telling Lou that if she felt there was a manager who could motivate a team to succeed under such conditions, it was him.

Phelps however, re-exerts her authority by telling Lou that if he shares any bit of their conversation with anyone, she will fire him. She does succeed in getting Lou to take back his letter of resignation as he leaves her office."

I have a hard time believing that. The Rachel Phelps that is described above does not exist. She had every intention of moving the team, and that is dumb to think that she would pull Lou aside and say those nice things to him. There is no way any self respecting writer would have a character do a 180 in such a short time than Phelps would have, or have the basis for the entire movie to be a farce to motivate a crappy team. She's not smart, she's just greedy.

Also, has a manager ever turned in a letter of resignation immediately after securing a playoff birth?

Does anyone else think this is false? I guess the better question is....is anyone dumb enough to think this is true?

Cool or Not?

Last night at the game I saw a guy with a Rick Vaughn #99 jersey. And I had a tough time trying to decide if it was a cool idea, or extremely lame.

On the one hand, he has a jersey that will never be out dated, it's a cultural icon of Cleveland, and a joke all wrapped into one.

On the other, he has a jersey of a fictional baseball player with anger and control issues. It's also worth noting that it wasn't even in the same style in which Charlie Sheen wore in the movie.

Was this guy onto something? Or does he need to stop wearing it ASAP?

C.C. Sabathia

This is from Buster Olney's "Three Things to Watch" Column this afternoon:

Indians lefty C.C. Sabathia won the American League Cy Young Award last season thanks to superior control and career-bests in wins (19) and ERA (3.21). He walked one batter every 6½ innings (37 BB in 241 IP) and his stunning 5.6:1 strikeout to walk ratio was the best in baseball.
Sabathia's dominance has evaporated in three starts in 2008, as the big southpaw has been battered around by the White Sox and twice by the A's; in 14 innings, he has walked nine hitters, struck out 13 and compiled a dreadful 11.57 ERA.

Sabathia's dramatic increase in walks this season has not been caused by uncharacteristic wildness. As the chart below shows, he has actually thrown a greater percentage of his total pitches in the zone this year compared to last season, but the difference is that hitters are chasing fewer of Sabathia's pitches out of the zone, especially on two-strike counts.
Sabathia -- regular-season starts
2007
2008
Starts
34
3
Pct. of total pitches in the zone
52.0
54.7
Chase pct. of pitches out of the zone
29.8
17.8
Chase pct. on two-strike counts
41.5
25.0
Walk pct. of plate appearances
3.8
12.2

Sabathia's live fastball is still there, but hitters have been all over it in 2008, posting 31 total bases in the 33 at-bats that ended with a fastball (.939 slugging percentage).
Tonight against the Tigers, Sabathia will try to revert to his Cy Young form against the AL Central rivals. The Tigers have chased pitches at the league average rate of 22 percent of pitches this season (through Monday).

Hopefully that trend can continue tonight. A guest on "The Really Big Show" today mentioned that Fausto Carmona's woes in his last start were due to the same thing, hitters just not chasing balls out of the zone.

Let's just hope the Indians go on a "losing streak vacation" (or as the rest of the world calls it, a winning streak--I'll credit that line to Spence from "The Hills)

Dollar Dog Night-Not A Deal

Last night, as everyone knows (and Craig reminded you) was Dollar Dog Night at Progressive Field. While you're there, it seems like such a good deal, since they are usually something like $3.75.

It's actually still a pretty crappy price considering the product they actually give you. It's not the really good, all beef Sugardale hot dogs, it's the cheap Giant Eagle brand ones that are kind of a gray-beige color.

Like I said, it is a "deal" since you're getting them at a discount, but the product is also severely compromised. That's like going to happy hour, ordering a beer, then having them pour a glass of water in it.

Dollar Dog Night will always be a game huge in attendance, but it's not all it's cracked up to be, in my opinion.

Craig's Reaction

Here is what was waiting for me in my inbox this morning from Craig. Sorry he decides to be disgusting at the end:

So, the last two nights the Tribe has wasted great starts by Westbrook and Byrd. Right now they are struggling to close games .. and while 5-9 isn't that big of a deal when they have 148 more games to play, the way they are losing games is the alarming part. The bullpen has stunk lately and now we don't even know who our closer is. I am afraid that because our bullpen was so good last year, the law of averages will come into play this year. Does anybody think that Bentancourt or Perez can repeat last years success, when they both posted ERA's around 1.70. Not likely. Who else do we have out there? Ummm .. Jensen Lewis? Jorge Julio? Masa Kobayashi? Craig Breslow? Not exactly a who's who of relievers.

However, as bad as our bullpen is, our starting pitching is good (with the exception of C.C., who will come around) and should continue to be good throughout the season.

Now to the part of last nights game that really had me mad. I couldn't tell if I was at Progressive field of Fenway park. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! There were people cheering when Varitek went yard and when the Indians made there last out. It wasn't just a few jackarses cheering either, it was a lot. As Bill said last night .. that would never happen at a Cavaliers game and we all know how opposing fans are treated at Brownies games. It was embarrassing and pathetic. The worse part is, these people probably weren't even real chowds ... instead they were probably loser front running Ohioans.

Well because last night was dollar dog night, I have some business to take care off and its coming on quick ... if you know what I mean.

Go Tribe
late

Red Sox 5, Indians 3

That sucked. They claw their way back, and the bullpen blows it again...here are the things I was thinking about while sitting at Fenway Park errrrrrrrrrrrr Progressive Field (more on that later):
  • Way to go Tribe, that was great of you guys to waste another great start. Paul Byrd is as good as he has been since coming to Cleveland, and he has nothing to show for it. That game would've been HUGE for his confidence, and now he's still looking for his first win. This one hurts.
  • Remember when I was saying that our bullpen was among our strengths, and it was going to be a difference maker? Well it's a difference maker all right, it's why we have more losses than wins. They are stepping into dangerous territory here, because typically when a bullpen actually believes they suck, they in fact, suck.
  • Why is Victor Martinez the only person on this roster who can get a clutch hit this year? He's the only guy at this point I would want at the plate in a critical situation.
  • I don't know if you guys could see it on TV, but when Ryan Garko got hit by a pitch in the 7th, Pronk took a couple steps off of third and took a couple steps toward the pitcher. I'm not even going to make the obligatory "No Country for Old Men" joke here.
  • The Tribe is hitting just .241 as a team. That is pathetic. This is an extremely talented roster, and there really isn't an excuse for it. Eventually they'll get hot at the plate, but let's just hope it's sooner rather than later.
  • Tommy has his new loser Cleveland sports athlete that nobody else likes but he likes him so if he starts playing well he can say that he's always liked him. I'll give you a hint. He stinks. He makes WAY too much money. He is absolutely the last person you would want to have to count on in a clutch situation. Give up? It's "How You Doin'"!!!!! (Tommy was the same way with Larry Hughes. I never realized the parallels there.)

The ride home was dead silent as we were all stewing over the extreme wackness of the game and the crowd at Progressive Field. I'm gonna let Craig cover this one, and I think it deserves it's own post...

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Dollar Dog Night

Well I'm out of here for the day, Tommy, Craig, my buddy Chad, and myself are heading downtown for Dollar Dog Night.

We're gonna make Tommy go get the hot dogs so we don't miss the game, because he isn't exactly a baseball aficionado.


I'll be back posting all day tomorrow.

Just Remembered...

While sitting around with some friends and watching the Tribe on Sunday, a trivia question came on the screen: Who was the Indians first ever draft pick?

The answer was Ray Fosse, in 1965. You know, the guy that Pete Rose ran over in the 1970 All-Star game and effectively ended his career.




My thought was: "What the hell, 1970? When was the first draft in MLB history? How have the Indians acquired players since 1901?"

First MLB draft was in 1965. The Indians played their first game in 1901.

Who was responsible for assembling baseball teams? Was it just all of the fast talkin', huge promisin' baseball scouts that looked like this:




Was it team owners that signed 15 year olds? I really would like to know how Indians players became Indians players from 1901-1965. Or really, how any team was assembled from the beginning of time to 1964, for that matter.
Can somebody please explain?

Hello Disabled List!

As expected, Joe Borowski has been added to the disabled list. The Indians called up Tom Mastny from AAA. I have a feeling that us Cleveland fans won't be seeing this look anymore:

Hey we might not win tonight (Paul Byrd takes the hill), but now Joe Borowski doesn't have the chance to ruin Dollar Dog Night!
But who knows, maybe Paul Byrd and his 1850's era windup will take care of business tonight...

Indians' Closer

I think I found the Indians' new closer. We'll just call him "Crazy Wiffle Ball Pitcher Guy". Check out this video on YouTube:



This guy is nuts. I have no idea how he pitches with that kind of precision.

When I was about 13 I played in a Wiffle Ball Tournament in Edgewater Park called "Yard Ball". Our team thought we were so good we entered ourself into the "All-Star" level, and promptly got smoked in 2 out of 3 games. To our credit, these guys were in their 20s.

Watch the reactions of the batters this guy schools during the games, it's hilarious.

It's Not Physical?!?!?!

After the game last night, Joe Borowski was slated to meet with team physicians to see if they could pinpoint any problems with his arm. He went on to say that he doesn't believe it's anything physical.

He then went onto say it felt like he was "throwing through water".

WHAT? It's not physical? It's not physical but it physically feels like you're throwing through a body of water? Does that make sense to anybody?

Tony Rizzo on ESPN Radio 850 guarantees Borowski will be put on the DL today. Bentancourt will probably get the job next, but since he's so dominant as the setup guy, I'm guessing Masa Kobayashi will eventually land the job.

At least he has the same last name as a champion in something competitive (who cares if it is competitive eating).

Read This

Scott Petrak has a great column in today's Chronicle. He really puts things into perspective for you panicking Tribe fans. Check it out:

http://www.chroniclet.com/2008/04/15/scott-petrak-again-with-the-relaxing-well-it-really-is-pretty-early-for-tribe-fans-to-start-panicking/

Red Sox 6, Indians 4

Wow. That's not even a heart breaker. I think we all knew what was going to happen when Manny stepped to the plate in the 9th. Here are some thoughts:
  • What a way to waste the first "chill" moment of the year. When Rafael Bentancourt struck out Manny looking in the 7th, Progressive Field absolutely erupted. Victor Martinez was clearly pumped, and you could tell Bentancourt was hyped. A part of me thinks Manny struck out on purpose to set up the lineup to see Borowski in the 9th.
  • I have been quoted as saying that Borowski is an effective closer, and be patient and ride it out. Those days are over. He might be the first closer in the history of MLB that throws an 82 MPH fastball. Right over the plate. To Manny Ramirez.
  • I heard on the radio yesterday that pretty much every scout in MLB thinks he's hurt. He claims he isn't. I just hope Eric Wedge isn't too stubborn to let him keep the job. Give it to Bentancourt already. Borowski looked terrified when Manny stepped to the plate.
  • Did you see the kind intensity Jonathon Papelbon looked when he came into the game in the bottom of the 9th? That's what a closer should look like.
  • Remember that YouTube video that I posted yesterday of "How You Doin'" striking out with the bases loaded to end an inning? Look familiar in I don't know, the bottom of the 5th?
  • At least Pronk is continuing to hit the ball solid. I really thought that last one had a chance to make it out.
  • After reading Chris Assenheimer's story in today's Chronicle, it doesn't sound good for Borowski. Wedge said "the ball just doesn't seem like it's coming out of his hand the same". If he keeps him in after saying that, that's a bad sign.
  • It's too bad they wasted another great outing by Jake Westbrook.

I'll be posting all day, and will also have the image of Manny going yard in my head all day.

Monday, April 14, 2008

"How You Doin'" YouTube

When you type a player's name into YouTube, what do you expect to see? Probably their best highlights, a slideshow, or some fan's video of his favorite player doing something sweet, right? Well, I typed "How You Doin's" real name into it, and came up with this:



Now I can't confirm that it is actually him, but in the extended info for this video, it says it is "How You Doin'" striking out looking with the bases loaded to end an inning.

Sounds about right.

Grady's Ladies

I know that Grady Sizemore has his little fan club, Grady's Ladies, and I figured it was just a few women who liked Grady. I had no idea how big this thing really is. Check out their website:

http://www.gradysladies.com

This is a very extensive and intense website. These women are absolutely DEVOTED to the guy.

Do you think that after bad performances he just goes on this website to lift his spirits? How many women do you think he has met through this channel?

One thing is clear. They spend A LOT of time on their website. And it shows. Check it out and be prepared to become extremely jealous.

Joel Zumaya is an Idiot

The Tigers need help. Their team is in shambles. Nobody is healthy. Their bullpen sucks. They really need Joel Zumaya back. They need him to be focused, healthy, and hungry. Let's take a look at how that's coming along:





I don't know which pictures would be more alarming to Tigers fans. Should it be hoisting himself up on a keg on that surgically repaired shoulder? Or the Guitar Hero pic, the very game that injured that shoulder in the first place?
Either way, you have to be concerned if you a Detroit follower.

Nice

This little tidbit comes from Yahoo! sports:

"The last time Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook faced the Red Sox was in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS. Tonight in Cleveland, Westbrook looks to continue the stellar pitching that he has produced in two starts this season (2.76 ERA, one walk in 16 1/3 innings). The righty has allowed one hit in 12 career at-bats (including playoffs) against Boston slugger David Ortiz, who has struggled so far in 2008 and is just 1-for-7 with two strikeouts in at-bats that ended on Westbrooks fastball. The changeup is the only pitch besides the fastball that Westbrook has thrown to Ortiz more than five times, and Big Papi has been retired on all five of Westbrook’s changeups that he has put in play."

Hopefully the "Curse of The Big Papi Jersey That Some Idiot Buried in Yankee Stadium" will continue. I should really take a few words out of that.

Red Sox Jersey

Well, as you might have heard, the Yankees organization unearthed the Red Sox shirt that was buried within the new Yankee Stadium.


Hank Steinbrenner replies with "I hope his co-workers kick the [expletive] out of him". I wonder which curse word he decided to go with.

(Note: Here is another reason this fan is an idiot. Why would he bury a jersey? Why wouldn't he bury some cheap T-Shirt? Jerseys are not cheap, that would probably be the last thing I'd choose to bury. This might have actually backfired on him. David Ortiz is hitting.070 this season. Good work Bah-Ston!)

Indians 7, A's 1

Ok, sweet, we didn't get swept. They got the win I said they needed, and hopefully they keep this momentum going for a tough stretch this week. Here's what I thought about the game:
  • Is Cliff Lee back? After 8 superb innings yesterday, he is now 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA so far this year. If he can keep this up, it's going to be a great year for the pitching staff. C.C. is going to come around, Fausto had one bad start, Westbrook has been great, Byrd has been forgettable, and Lee seems to be back on track. I like it.
  • Is it just me, or is Pronk looking more comfortable and confident up there? He doesn't seem to be pulling everything, and he's getting solid contact regularly. By the way, when does he get a new nickname? Since his nickname was formulated from "half project, half d0nkey", I'd say he really isn't a project anymore. Is it just donkey? He needs a wrestling type nickname. I'm gonna think about it all day.
  • Garko is the only Indian to reach base in every game this season, and has a five game winning streak. He's becoming one of my favorites.
  • "How You Doin'" goes 1-4 and his average drops to .273. Tommy thinks his beard looks like perfectly and evenly spread shoe polish.
  • Tommy also made the funny observation that with those pansy cold/wind masks on, the majority of the A's looked like Scorpion from "Mortal Kombat". GET OVER HERE! Sorry, that was lame.

I'll be back posting all day all week, make sure to keep checking back. Also, I haven't received ANY contest entries, so if you send me one, and it's decent, it has a pretty good chance of winning.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The Assasination of My Entire Afternoon

I would like to use this opportunity to tell everyone not to see the movie "The Assasination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford".

I was pretty excited to see this movie. I have never been more excited to see a movie end. This movie was BORING. Honestly, it is one of the worst ways to spend 2 hours and 40 minutes. You want to know the really crazy thing? THERE IS A FOUR HOUR VERSION!!!

I thought this movie dragged on about 2 hours and 39 minutes too long, I have no idea what another hour and 20 minutes could've done for the story.

So unless you have a huge crush on Brad Pitt (Bryan), I highly recommend you don't watch this movie.

(If I were you I'd be prepared for some funny posts today, Tommy is coming over and I'm sure he's gonna provide whatever the text version of a soundbite is.)

A's 7, Indians 3

I hope I didn't jinx Fausto by killing the White Sox with him in "The Show". I don't think I did. I hope. Onto my thoughts:
  • EIGHT walks!?!?! That's not a good sign. You have to credit the A's for being extremely patient, and not falling for Fausto's tricky movement on his pitches.
  • He's going to bounce back from this. This is a guy who used newspaper for shoes and rocks for baseballs while growing up in the Dominican Republic. I have a feeling he's genuinely upset about this.
  • When can we stop using the excuse "it's still early, they'll turn it around"? I know it's only 11 games in, but they've had some time go get into some semblence of a groove. I'm gonna change my excuse and say it's because of the cold/wet weather.
  • Is it just me, or does Travis Hafner go 1-4 every game? Now there's a guy we might have to start (keep?) worrying about.
  • "How You Doin'" went 1-1 to increase his average to .278. I have a deal for him. If he reaches .300, I will start calling him by his real name again. Until he drops back below .300, then it's back to his sweet nickname.

(Note: While out last night, Tommy said I should probably tell everyone that when we're bored/relaxing, our circle of friends tends to speak in Boston acceents. For example, "let's go to the BAH". We also seamlessly integrate bad Italian accents in with it. It's pretty funny, or annoying, depending on who you are.)

Today they are going to turn it around. They have to go into next week with some momentum. And apparently Jake Westbrook is our best pitcher, so I have a good feeling about it.

I'll be home all day, so I should be posting regularly. LAY-TAH (Boston, again).

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Fow-Stow Car-Mo-Nah

It my humble opinion, there is only one real way to know if an athlete has really made it. And that isn't once he gets his first big contract. It is when video game ratings people finally start respecting him. Fausto Carmona has made it.

In MLB 08: The Show for Playstation 2, Fausto's stuff is sickNASTY! The first time I pitched with him, he went for 7 innings, scattered 6 hits, and walked 1. Needless to say I will be playing this game pretty frequently.
Let's hope he can do that in the real world tonight.

Wang

Currently, Jerry Crasnick from espn.com has a story on the MLB page about how Chien-Ming Wang dominated the Red Sox last night in Boston. This is the headline he chose to go with:

"Fenway sellout sees nothing but Wang"

I can just see how that went with his editors:

Editor: Jerry, that's disgusting, you need a new headline.
Crasnick: What do you mean? Chien-Ming Wang two-hit the Red Sox IN FENWAY!!!
Editor: Jerry, I know, but that obviously isn't what you were going for.
Crasnick: You have a dirty mind my friend. These fans saw nothing from their offense, just how masterful Wang handled the pressure.
Editor: You're doing it again! You're just writing this headline for shock value!
Crasnick: Get your mind out of the effing gutter! This is a great headline! Wang was in control all night! They couldn't touch him even if they wanted to! And believe me, they wanted to.
Editor: What the hell is your problem? What's with all of this innuendo? Why can't you just use his whole name?
Crasnick: That is racist. So racist. I'm sure the press would love to hear about this, Mr. Editor. I can see it now: "WorldWide Leader in Sports-Bunch of Racist Bigots"
Editor: (Scared he's going to get sued) Fine. Run with it.

I'm assuming it went something like that.

That Crasnick over there needs to grow up.

Friday, April 11, 2008

A's 9, Indians 7

Who would've thought that the Oakland A's would totally have the Tribe's number this year? Another loss, and at home...kind of depressing. Here are my thoughts:
  • Whaaaaat is the deaaaal with C.C. (said in Jerry Seinfeld's voice)? Is he pressured to play for a big contract next year? Is he thrown off by Fausto's brand new deal? I can't decide if he's offended by it, or if he's threatened.

  • By the way, if anyone thinks we should trade him, you're an idiot. If it's inevitable that he's leaving, and he performs to his capabilities, we'll reap the benefits. It's a win/win for the Tribe.

  • As I said before, Ryan Garko's legend is building in Cleveland. He is definitely the kind of player the citizens of Cleveland identify with, and don't be surprised if you start seeing Garko jerseys around here.

  • I know Travis Hafner has built the reputation as a home run masher. However, I think it's refreshing that we're seeing him actually hit base hits, gappers, and really filling the role as a real hitter. Don't be aggravated if he doesn't get his .300/40/120. I'd rather have .315/32/135.

  • It was nice to see Rafael Bentancourt throw at least two pitches. He mixed in that changeup nicely. It's kind of when Michael Scott from "The Office" that isn't completely incompetent.

  • One thing I was REALLY unimpressed with: Casey Blake going down on three pitches in the 9th. Come on now. That's bush league. Still diggin' the beard though...

The silver lining (and yes, that depresses me that I have to use that phrase so often, so early), is that this team can play from behind. When they were down 9-1, the team looked surprisingly upbeat and eager. Just as Trent Dilfer said about Charlie Frye, this team has moxie (sorry, bad comparison. But it's true). They believe they can overcome any deficit, and that is an intangible that will prove to be invaluable.

Currently in bars across the Cleveland area, people are starting to panic about the 2008 Indians. They're gonna be fine. They're gonna be more than fine. There's no telling what this team will accomplish once they hit their groove.

And these people will be eating their words when they do.

Mitchell Report

Well, it has been announced that nobody mentioned in the infamous Mitchell Report will be suspended by MLB.

That's a shame, we could've really used some suspension time for Paul Byrd.

Tribe Superstitions

After thinking about the Red Sox fan who buried a Red Sox t-shirt within the walls of Yankee Stadium to jinx the team, I started to wonder if Cleveland players or fans had any weird superstitions. Much to my surprise, mentalfloss.com had "The 10 Most Bizarre Athlete Superstitions" on March 8th. Also, numero uno was Kevin Rhomberg, who played for the Indians from 1982-1984. Check out how weird this guy was:




"Rhomberg played just 41 games in parts of three seasons with the Tribe from 1982-84. But in that short span, the outfielder managed to assert himself as possibly the big leagues’ most superstitious player ever. Rhomberg’s most peculiar superstition was that if someone touched him, he had to touch that person back. Although this compulsion was not as much of a liability as it might have been in basketball or football, it still led to some odd situations: if Rhomberg was tagged out while running the bases, he’d wait until the defense was clearing the field at inning’s end to chase down the player who’d touched him. Rhomberg also refused to make right turns while on the field, because baserunners are always turning left. So if a situation forced him to make a right turn, he’d go to his left and make a full circle to get moving in the correct direction."
How bizarre is that? Is he the first "functional" obsessive compulsive person to play in the major leagues? I wish I could see some of his stuff on YouTube. I wonder how many balls he missed because he had to turn in a circle to his right to get a ball to his left.
Do you guys have any game day superstitions?

Further Proof

Here is some more evidence that Clevelanders are cooler than the "chowdaheads" from Boston:


My friend Bridget sent me this picture after reading the earlier post. Isaac was nice enough to take a picture with Bridget and Kara, and looks genuinely happy to do it.
My girlfriend said CT was in Myrtle Beach and was a bum and just slept on some guy's couch for like a week. Like The Guy on the Couch from "Half Baked".

1987 Cleveland Indians=2008 Detroit Tigers?

This year, Sports Illustrated picked the Detroit Tigers to win the World Series. In 1987, SI picked the Indians, and featured none other than Cory Snyder and Joe Carter on the cover:

First of all, the unintentional comedy of this cover is off the charts. The cheesy smiles the both of these guys are showing are hilarioius, and I'm pretty sure this is the work of an amateur. Also, the Indians went on to lose 101 games in '87.
Ok, onto my point. Obviously it's 9 games into the season, and it is way too early to make any predictions of any kind. But what if the Tigers are heading down the same path? They're too talented to lose 101 games, but wouldn't it be something if they were MLB's biggest disappointment this year?
By the way, what happened to Dontrelle Willis? Him and C.C. seemed to be having the same career, but he had that extra flair that made him an instant superstar. Then all of a sudden he just loses it? It's official, Dontrelle Willis is the poor man's (if not homeless man's) C.C. Sabathia.

Turbo Lame

People from Boston wonder why everyone outside Boston hates the Red Sox so much. First of all, they've become the new version of the Yankees, and then their stupid fans do things like this. This is taken from a story on espn.com:

"A construction worker and Boston fan working on the concrete crew at the $1.3 billion new Yankee Stadium buried a Red Sox shirt in with the concrete foundation under what will become the visitors' clubhouse, in the hopes of jinxing the New York Yankees' new home, the New York Post reported."

Not only is this ridiculous, but these losers probably moved to New York to take a construction job to work on the new Yankee Stadium. It might be CT.

Boston Schmoston

It's really getting on my nerves that Red Sox fans are getting all of this praise for giving Bill Buckner a standing ovation during their ceremony on the day of their home opener. This is a man who received death threats for 20 years, and even after they won the World Series in 2004 he still wasn't forgiven. Apparently they found it in their hearts to forgive a man who was exiled only until they won their second title last year. It took these people TWENTY-TWO YEARS to take this poor guy back in?




Everyone knows his story, a routine ground ball goes through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, and they lost the game. At least they had a Game 7 to go to.

Jose Mesa blew the 1997 World Series in Game 7. To quote "Lil' Sis" from the "Bubb Rubb" video, "that's it and that's all". I don't think Jose Mesa gets too bad of a treatment in Cleveland, considering what happened back then. You could even argue the hard feelings for Mesa are more about his feud for Omar Vizquel.

I'm not saying people from Cleveland are smarter and more rational than people from Boston. OK maybe I am. I think the best way to settle this argument is to compare each city's most prominent Real World character: Isaac and CT. First, from Cleveland, we have Isaac:


He was cool, laid back, and everyone on the show pretty much loved him. Sure he played some pretty messed up jokes on people (like telling people he killed a man), but for the most part he was pretty much harmless. Most people would say he has been one of the "Real World's" most popular characters. He also has some pretty humorous rap songs.

On the other hand, we have CT:



To see how dumb this guy really is, fast forward to the :50 mark, where he rambles on about being caught between two doors or something, I can't really tell what he's saying, he's clearly under the influence of something. He then goes on to say he thinks he's related to Bert from "Sesame Street"

I think I've proven my point.

(I also hope CT doesn't see this, while roid raging, and "wehk" me)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Jason Michaels vs. BA Billy Gunn

Since it's an off day, it has been pretty slow with new Indians news. One thing did cross my mind though. Do you guys think Jason Michaels and BA Billy Gunn (formerly of WWE's Degeneration X and the New Age Outlaws) are somehow related? Possibly even separated at birth?


The greasy trashball haircut is definitely the basis for this comparison. But now that I look at it (and maybe it's because I'm looking for it) it may be a decent comparison. Agree? Disagree?



Are the Angels Crazy?



Last night, in the 9th inning, Angels pitcher Justin Speier hit Travis Hafner in the right elbow with a pitch. The previous day, Hafner hit the 500 foot moon shot off of Speier. Was this intentional? Eric Wedge thought "it didn't look too good", and Pronk called it "strange" and "curious". Is this really a person you want to intentionally throw at and possibly suffer the consequences?


I've covered at length in a previous post about how he pretty much idolizes a homocidal maniac, and actually referred to himself as said killer. The next time Speier sees Hafner, he won't be looking so much like this:




But more like this:


I know it's pretty lame that this is the second time I've had a post like this, but with a possible feud brewing between the Indians and Angels, with Hafner at the center of it, this had to be done.

Mark Shapiro--Superstar GM

The Indians are very lucky to have Mark Shapiro. Not only does he put a playoff contender on the field on a shoestring budget, but he does an amazing job of locking up our young talent.


Do you know how hard it would be for a 23-24 year old to turn down millions of dollars? People my age aren't patient at all. If I was a rising star, and I was making $250,000 per year, and someone came to me and said they'd throw out my deal and pay me $4 million per year for 6 years, I'd take it in a second, even though I know that if I would just wait 3 years I could probably make at least double that.


Bottom line: Mark Shapiro knows this. He knows people in their twenties want instant satisfaction, and he gets them to sign these long term, affordable deals and avoids potentially losing them to free agency in the near future.


Bill Simmons is right. He does look like a cross between Jeff Garcia and Boggs from "The Shawshank Redemption"


Fausto Carmona

Espn.com has reported that the Indians have signed Fausto Carmona to a long term deal. The deal is guaranteed through 2011, with club options for 2012, 2013, 2014. The terms will be disclosed at a 3 PM press conference.

Obviously a good move, he has a wicked sly-dah! (Read the second phrase in a heavy Boston accent).

Angels 9, Indians 5

I never would have thought that after 9 games into the season, that the Indians would be looking up at the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox. It's kind of depressing. Anyways, onto my thoughts:
  • Well the silver lining is at least it was a solid offensive outing. Five runs on 12 hits is something I'd take everyday. I just wish they wouldn't start hitting until they were down by six.
  • Paul Byrd had a pretty solid spring, and has no idea why he is pitching so poorly so far this year. "I've never been particularly a stuff guy, but I have been a location guy," he said. "Right now, there's not a lot of life on my fastball. There's 85 mph when guys foul it off, when it has life, sink, and acts sneaky...then there's 85 that's batting practice". Well at least he's admitting he's throwing BP out there, we just want to know why. [insert HGH joke here]
  • Tribe pitchers have allowed the most home runs in the league with 14.
  • At least "How You Doin'" went 2-4 (Note: In a comment it was brought to my attention that I have been spelling David Delluci's name wrong, with every time except for this one with just one "L". Since I will be referring to him as "How You Doin'" anyways, it really doesn't matter, and I don't feel particularly bad about it.

I'll be back posting throughout the day, so keep coming through regularly. Also don't forget about the contest I'm running, so think of some good names...

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Joe Borowski

I know, I know, I am pretty much quoted as saying even though he doesn't do it in a quick, efficient manner, Joe Borowski just gets the job done. That was before that walk off grand slam by Torii Hunter. Even though I still believe he should be the Indians' closer, I have to admit it's going to make me a little more uneasy when he comes in.

Watch the first 5-10 seconds of this video, and Jake Taylor's reaction to Rick Vaughn coming into the game is exactly what every Indians fan feels about Joe Borowski (Warning: Video contains strong language....and you should know that because you should've seen this movie at least five times)



I wish I could sit here and say everything is gonna be OK, but I honestly can't. Let's just give him some more time to prove to us he belongs in the back of the bullpen.

Worst MLB Promotions

In an article on espn.com's Page 2, it lists the worst MLB promotional giveaways of 2008. This appeared on the list:

  • Weather Curriculum Book (Indians, May 15 and 28) -- If there's anything that will get more kids through the turnstiles, it's meteorology!
I like that the Indians are trying to do some educational promotions, but do they really have to do it twice? Plus, it's kind of a dumb idea. I just don't get why they are trying to tie in weather and baseball as a way to educate kids. When it comes to the two subjects, it's pretty simple. You go to the games when it looks like this outside:


And not when it looks like this:


It's that easy folks.

David "How You Doin" Delucci

Jeff Thomas from the "Really Big Show" just said if he could ship out one Cleveland sports player he would send David Delucci in a second.

From here on out, he will be referred to as "How You Doin'", because that is the nickname I think Kenny Roda said once last year, and something Craig and I have carried out, ad nauseam .

Straight Cash Homey

I found this picture from the website http://www.straightcashhomey.net/, which is a website that people submit photos of people at sporting events wearing old and funny jerseys. This website pretty much hits the nail on the head why I will never buy a jersey again. Oh yeah that and I had a Carlos Boozer jersey custom made, and he signed it, then he ditched the CAVS. That and this website.


Have you seen any old/funny jerseys at any events you have been to? If so email them to me at ctwahoo@gmail.com. If I like it enough I'll post it and possibly award some tickets.

Contest

While I was contemplating writing this blog, I knew I wanted it to have a clever name. As you can see, I could not come up with one. This is where you guys come in.

If you can think of a better name, I will give you two tickets to the June 15th game vs. the San Diego Padres. So leave a comment on this post, and if I like it, I will mail you the tickets. Just a couple of things:
  1. You must register and have a username.
  2. No profanity.
  3. And it can't be my other idea, Indian Summer.

I will keep this contest open until May 1, and you can have an unlimited number of entries. Once I decide, I will post who the winner is.

Good luck...

Tommy and Craig

Since I refer to my friends Tommy and Craig in pretty much every post, I decided to put up a picture of each of them so you can put a face to the debauchery, hilarious comments and stories.



The strapping young fellow above is Tommy. We met in 7th grade when I was playing basketball for Eastern Heights, and he was for Westwood. He did nothing but talk trash to me the entire game and I hated him. He transferred to Elyria High sophomore year of high school, and we became close friends almost immediately, and remain so today. He is a huge Cleveland sports fan, especially the Cavaliers (he never calls them the CAVS). He also enjoys plays on words, puns, and double entendres. In addition to talking about sports, we also dissect LOST thoroughly and regularly.




This is Craig. He is known for having extensive knowledge about the world of sports, proposing potential trades to benefit the Browns, Indians, and CAVS, and not thinking before he speaks. His world revolves around sports and his wife, and we became close friends our senior year of high school over countless hours of playing Triple Play 2001 for the PS2. He provides our circle of friends with a countless amount of hilarious phrases (usually unintentionally). He works for a prominent company in downtown Cleveland. He also does a mean Paulie voice from the "Rocky" series.




(This picture was taken on the last leg of an unbelievable sports weekend. We left Friday afternoon for Columbus for the 2006 OSU-Michigan game, then woke up early Sunday morning to drive to Cleveland for Browns-Steelers. Bucks won, Browns lost, but whatever, it was still nuts).


I'm Back Baby

Well I'm back from Vegas, and although I didn't win any money (because I didn't know when to walk away), I did have a LOT of fun, even more so because I was with a diehard Tigers fan. I do have a few thoughts about what happened the last few days:

  • I bet yous guys (that isn't a typo, if you knew my buddy Craig you'd think it is hilarious) are glad I'm home. They go 1-3 on my three day road trip, and the first game they play when I'm home Pronk comes up huge in the 9th. You're welcome. I also lost $100 on them Friday night.

(Funny Vegas story...we are sitting around by the pool talking about how annoying it is when people think things are ironic when they are just coincidences. For example, "Oh my gawd! You're staying at New York, New York! That's so ironic! My grandma stayed there once!" No. That is not ironic at all. Then we basically went through every lyric in Alanis Morisette's famous song "Ironic", and figured everything she feels is ironic in the song isn't, it would just suck if it happens to you. Also, the phrase "it's like raiiiiiiiiiin" was probably said a minimum of 5,000 times over the course of 2.5 days.)

  • Jake Westbrook is carrying over his success from spring training to the regular season. He had his first complete game since 2006, and is one of the best number three starters in MLB. Keep it up.
  • And just to keep you updated, David Delucci is hitting .111, and is hitless in 9 AB since Opening Day. I hate him. It's also worth noting he is making $3,750,000 this year.
  • This has nothing to do with the Indians, but I was so proud of myself for thinking of this in bed last night I have to write it. Although both teams are in first place, the Royals and the Orioles have had two of the worst attendance figures thus far. Shouldn't Bud Selig just combine the two teams, and call them the Oroyals? I really think this is funny.

I will be back to posting regularly, so keep checking back. Also leave me some comments, not only do I like your input, I feel really cool when I get them. And yes, that even counts for you guys, Tommy, Craig, and Lawrence.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Vegas is Calllllllllling!

Have you heard that commercial on the radio from Tanya Roberts talking about the "hottest new place in Vegas, Tahiti Village?" Well I'm not going there, but I am going to Las Vegas, and staying at the New York, New York Casino. I guess the point of this post is to tell you guys that I won't be able to update until Tuesday afternoon. I will be putting my money down on the Tribe win the World Series, as well as some other Cleveland sports bets. I'm outta here, and I'll leave you with this stupid soccer video:



http://view.break.com/481101 - Watch more free videos

And that, Tom, is why soccer is lame-o.

Note: Make sure to visit www.chroniclet.com all weekend for all the latest recaps, team news, and photos...see you next week.

White Sox 2, Indians 1

Well you can't win them all, but it would've been sweet to start the year off with a sweep. Here's a couple thoughts:
  • You have to figure the runs would be hard to come by, after lighting up the scoreboard for 17 in the first two games, playing a game last night, then turning around and playing again today at 12:00. Still, it's not like the White Sox put Cy Young on the mound out there.
  • They really wasted a solid outing from Jake Westbrook. 2 runs and 6 hits in 7 1/3 is a pretty good line, it's a shame he has to take a loss with a game like that.
  • Hey, at least they're not about to swept by the ROYALS. My cousin in Michigan texted me today and told me "hey the Tigers are the best team in baseball....on paper". I couldn't agree more.
  • On a lighter note, Jim Rome was telling a story about how his wife went out to dinner last night, and a well known rapper repeatedly was winking at her throughout her meal. He wouldn't tell who the rapper was, but of course it brought on an onslaught of emails guessing. The funniest one was guessing the guy from the FreeCreditReport.com guy that has commercials on sports talk radio all day. "F-R-E-E that spells FreeCreditReport.com baybee...". I know you've heard it. And consider yourself lucky if you haven't.

Cal Ripken

After writing about Grady Sizemore's consecutive games streak this morning, I have been thinking about Cal Ripken's streak. It is easily the most unbreakable record in all of sports, I'll give him that. But at the same time, was he really as good as the public has made him out to be? Awhile ago I stumbled upon a Bill Simmons article that finally had the guts to ask the question:

Was Cal Ripken overrated?

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1256352

He was a first ballot Hall of Famer, no question. He was a MLB icon for eons, and a face for all that was good for the game. He was the model of consistency, and he embodied what baseball is all about. He played in every single game for 16 seasons. I feel he belongs in the Hall of Fame for these reasons, more so than his career numbers.

What do you think?

Opening Day Pics

Hey I just set up a Flickr account so you guys can see the pictures I took throughout the day Monday. Unfortunately they are in reverse order, and I couldn't figure out how to switch them around.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87558016@N00/

Let me know what you think!

Indians 7, White Sox 2

Some quick thoughts from last night's game:
  • Grady Sizemore now has the major league's longest consecutive games streak, at 360 games. I know that he doesn't think he's going to break Cal Ripken's streak, but don't you think it's a little disheartening to look at the number 2,632? Well if he doesn't get there, he'll always have something Cal didn't: Grady's Ladies. Although maybe at this point in his life, Ripken could try to start a lady-fan group called Cal's Cougars or something.
  • Franklin Gutierrez is becoming a really patient hitter. My buddy Craig called him "Manny Jr." on Opening Day. Hopefully he doesn't start peeing inside the outfield wall, wearing mp3 sunglasses, hilariously cutting off relay throws in left field, or start a home run trot after meaningless home runs. That said, I would gladly put up with all of that if he starting playing like Manny Ramirez.
  • Masa Kobayashi had a shaky debut, but we'll blame that on nerves. I'm blatantly stealing this joke from my friend Tom, but he looks like a poorly constructed "create-a-player" from a baseball video game.
  • I love what we're seeing from Rafael Perez. It's nice to have a dominant lefty towards the back of your bullpen.
  • Now I know people say April baseball is pretty much meaningless, and you can't win any divisions this early in the season. However, you can lose them. If I were Tigers fans, I would be just a tiny bit nervous. Losing the first two games of the season AT HOME to the Royals is unacceptable. And on top of that to be shutout, that's gotta hurt.
  • Lastly, attendance last night was 17,645.

I want to clarify on a post from yesterday. I don't expect the Indians to sell out every game, with things the way they are now, it's pretty much impossible. I just ask the fans to pay close attention all year, this is the best Cleveland sports team we've had in a long time, and you'll regret it if you miss it.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

2008 Tribe Video

I stumbled upon this 2008 Tribe video on YouTube...if this thing doesn't get you hype for the season, I don't know what will.



Note: The song playing during the video is "Come Back" by the Foo Fighters.

Jungle Karma and Ryan Garko

Jim Rome is a sports talk radio personality that I try to listen to daily. Jungle Karma is something that exists within his show's universe. Here is a definition of it from his website:

"(n.) - The presumed karmic aftereffect of an athlete's either fulfilling a commitment to appear on the show (thus positive) or neglecting same (thus negative). "

I am mentioning this because Jim Rome has repeatedly called Ryan Garko his favorite professional athlete, becuase Garko is an admitted Jim Rome Show fanatic. Thus, the Indians and Garko himself have had a decent amount of success since Rome had Garko on the show last summer. However, on today's show, he just appointed Jeff Francoeur as his new favorite athlete.


Hopefully Garko takes this to heart and plays out of his mind so Rome gets him back on the show to get the Jungle Karma back for the Tribe.

P.S. Now that I look at it, I think I kind of look like Jeff Francoeur.

Tonight at Progressive Field

How many less people do you think will be at Progressive Field tonight since it isn't Opening Day? Oh yeah, and it's probably gonna be in the 30's for the majority of the game, and a good amount of people probably don't care about the Tribe from the day after the Opening Day until mid-September.

That's lame. I understand it's impossible to go to 81 games, and it is pretty difficult for a lot of people to keep up for 5 months or so. But can you imagine if people supported the Indians with just half the passion they follow the Browns?

This is, as I have said before, a special team. Don't take them for granted, like how Heidi from the Hills took her friends for granted, and now everybody hates her. Wait did I just say that? That's uh...what, um, uh, my girlfriend said was happening with the show. I totally just watch it for the girls...

Travis "No Country for Old Men" Hafner

Beginning sometime during the playoffs last year, people starting noticing a resemblence between Travis Hafner and Javier Bardem's homicidal maniac psycho killer character from "No Country for Old Men". I thought it was a funny observation, but by no means were they dead ringers for each other. The scary thing about this is that Hafner has totally embraced this role, and in a March 13th article on ESPN.com, it tells a story of Hafner and David Delucci (Hafner's best friend on the team....what?) going to see the movie together. An excerpt can be seen below the pics:







"...if you happen to see him at a screening of "No Country for Old Men." Hafner looks just like Javier Bardem, who won an Oscar for playing a cold, calculated killer. Hafner's monotone voice is nearly identical to Bardem's, minus the Spanish accent. His large, muscular physique is also akin to Bardem's, and their faces are eerily similar.
Dellucci went to see the movie with Hafner, and says Hafner was so excited he made Dellucci miss the first 10 minutes to get the popcorn. When Dellucci got into the theater, Hafner was on the edge of his seat, transfixed by watching himself.
"What'd I miss?" Dellucci asked.
"Oh, I just got out of some handcuffs and killed a guy," Hafner responded.
Hearing Hafner speak in the first person almost made Dellucci run.
"He may be the only guy in the world who was pulling for the psychopath killer," Dellucci says. "I don't know if he was able to judge the difference between that character and himself."
Dellucci's mission is to get a bowl-cut wig and have Hafner wear it on road trips. Ask Hafner about this, and he plays it down, typical for a man who wants people to know little about him."
I don't know if I should be ecstatic about the ridiculousness of this, or terrified for my life whenever he steps to the plate. I know if I were a pitcher this would always be in the back of my mind. Hopefully he becomes a stone cold killer (wrestling pun intended) to opposing pitchers for the duration of 2008.
By the way, how hilarious would that be if he wore that wig on the road?

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Bill Simmons' AL predictions

I am a huge fan of Bill Simmons, a writer for ESPN.com. He has a different style than most sports writers, and I guess you could say his columns are pretty much the model for this blog. He is also a huge Boston sports homer...so it really surprised me when I read this in his latest reader mailbag:



"So that's my prediction for the American League: We're in for a summer of football scores and eye-popping offensive numbers along the lines of what happened in '77, '87, '93 and the prime of the steroid era. While we're here, I'll go with Manny for MVP (Abreu second, Cabrera third); Justin Verlander for Cy Young (Sabathia second, Felix third); Oakland's Carlos Gonzalez for Rookie of the Year (Evan Longoria second, Asdrubal Cabrera third); Boston, Cleveland, Seattle and New York (wild card) in the playoffs and Cleveland over Boston in the ALCS, with the Indians trouncing the D-Backs in another World Series sweep. And no, that wasn't a reverse jinx. As far as you know."



That really surprised me to see him pick the Indians to sweep the D-Backs in the World Series. I hope all of this national attention doesn't affect them from playing hard every game (kind of like 2006).

Opening day

2008 OPENING DAY RUNNING DIARY

This is a diary documenting what it is like for the everyday fan to be downtown on Opening Day. I am not a professional, and I don’t have the skill set to be. I do however, love sports, and spend a lot of my spare time thinking and talking about them. This was my Opening Day experience…

10:10 AM: Out the door, never been so optimistic about a Cleveland season. It’s also worth noting I have said this for the past 5 years with the Tribe, Browns, and CAVS.

10:14 AM: Really enjoying Hammer on 850. He, like everyone else is wondering why Ben Francisco is in AAA Buffalo. Delucci, if he keeps his spot, will cost the Tribe 5-7 games.

11:20 AM: Some predictions with the crew I went with:
· Mine: 97-65, Central Division Champs
· Dennis: 92-70, Wild Card
· Coop: 93-69, Central Division Champs
· Tom: Ohio State will win the National Championship. This isn’t a typo, and you will see this is a recurring theme.

11:28 AM: Watching people in their 50’s trying to use the basic functions of cell phones is really amusing me. Also they need to have the phones roughly 25 feet from their face to see it.

11:29 AM: State Farm is doing their best to have their logo all over Progressive Field. They have a team of about 10 young people giving out all kinds of free stuff to take into the stadium. They fail to realize people are throwing this stuff away almost immediately.

11:46 AM: A group of about 6 guys in their 20’s are marveling over a picture of an old Browns team. I think that they think it is St. Patrick’s Day, as they are covered in green. There was a long discussion within my circle about why people would ever wear green Indians gear. No conclusion was met.

11:49 AM: We are now talking about Terelle Pryor, and his character. My uncle is the biggest OSU fan I know, and he feels that delaying his decision to announce which college he’ll be attending was done with a “team-first” attitude, saying he didn’t want his basketball team to be heckled during the Pennsylvania state basketball tournaments. I think he delayed it to keep the national spotlight on him longer and he’s a primadonna. I think if he wouldn’t have chosen OSU, my uncle would hate him and share my sentiments. He refuses to admit this.

11:52 AM: Some guy who is away from his family for the day is marveling over key chains given out by some vendor. He then goes on a rant on how he can give those to those kids as souvenirs, and tell his children he bought them. Needless to say this guy is pretty cheap.

11:55 AM: First lame T-shirt of the day: “Suck the White Fox”

11:57 AM: Random Clevelander patron: “My goal today is to consume as much beer as I can and eat one hot dog”.

12:12 PM: Trying to get 4 people to agree on a place to go is pretty annoying. It’s especially aggravating when someone tells what their desired destination is, and then follows up with “but it really doesn’t matter to me where we go”, when it obviously does.

12:23 PM: We have talked about baseball for about 22 seconds, and now we are sitting in what appears to be a coffee shop, and the conversation is now weighing the strengths and weaknesses of charcoal and gas grills.


12:39 PM: I see a poster in the bathroom called Zen Sarcasm, with phrases on it like “if you always tell the truth, you never have to remember”. For some reason I really enjoyed the poster, and I thought I memorized like five other phrases. I didn’t, and now I’m drawing a blank.

12:41 PM: My uncle hates it when a player becomes unhappy in a situation, he can pout, refuse to play, and force a trade. I also am turned off by it, but try to explain to him the team really doesn’t have a choice, and the player could really sabotage the team. He responds with “it’s 12:41 and Ohio State will win the National Championship”.

12:46 PM: The crowd at the Boneyard goes crazy when “Another One Bites the Dust” starts playing. I find this eerily ironic, considering Cleveland sports teams’ history of succumbing to pressure.

12:57 PM: My aunt sends my uncle a text message, and she’s not happy we are downtown for the opener, and she is stuck at work. We don’t feel bad.

1:03 PM: I have never seen beer girls at a bar more uncomfortable in my life. This old guys are being very creepy.

1:15 PM: My godfather just convinced me to be his “guinea-billy” with golf tactics this summer. I have now been downtown for roughly two hours for what could be the Indians’ year, and there is no talk about them. Or sports in general.

1:20 PM: The conversation has now devolved into talking about our pets and showing off pictures of them.

1:31 PM: My uncle again gives is OSU championship prediction, insisting that Terrelle Pryor was the missing piece the last two years.

1:34 PM: I just walked to the bathroom, and I’m pretty sure every person I passed was staring at me. I think I have something on my face.

1:47 PM: The Boneyard is absolutely packed, and it is one in and one out at this point. I can think of a million jokes to put here, but I don’t think the newsroom could post any of them . My godfather also wants me to add he thinks he’s too pretty to be a golfer.

2:07 PM: Outdoor drinking apparently makes people lose all of their inhibitions. This is a pretty wild crowd on the rooftop bar at View.

2:11 PM: According to my uncle, OSU is still going to win the National Championship.

2:12 PM: We strike up a conversation with a man and two women, all of which seem pretty optimistic about the Tribe’s season. As evidenced by the first woman’s 155-7 prediction, they have clearly been out for awhile.

2:21 PM: Still talking to these three people, and there are awkward silences left and right. Since we are stuck in a corner, there’s really no good way to get myself out of it. I can’t stop looking at this woman’s 70’s style hairdo.

2:37 PM: We are now at Pickwick and Frolic, and yesterday afternoon I thought it was funny to call it PickWACK and Frolic. That’s not as funny as I thought it was. They have a weird combination of a bar and a formal dining establishment there. I couldn’t figure it out.

2:42 PM: Sitting and watching ESPN 850’s live broadcast from Pickwick and Frolic. Mark “Munch” Bishop and Kenny Roda are revealing the Indians’ starting lineup. During a break they talk to us, and they couldn’t be nicer. I’m also a little biased because Munch personally responded to an email of mine once. Afterwards, Roda gave my uncle and I Cleveland Gladiators tickets.

3:10 PM: I really like the Indians’ throwback jerseys. They’re a lot cooler looking than those one’s with the vest and short sleeves. Somehow they make C.C. Sabathia look bigger. Also, beers are $6.75. Gotta pay for David Delucci somehow.

3:12 PM: Two guys are heckling Casey Blake. Look, I know he’s not a superstar, but he’s a poor man’s version of a 5 tool player. I like him because he’s always really overrated in baseball video games, and he’s had some big hits for me. I realize that’s juvenile, but I can’t change how I feel.

3:15 PM: People really need to get over Jim Thome leaving Cleveland. It happens all the time. And if the Indians could afford him, he would’ve stayed. Nobody in America would leave $20 million on the table to stay in a current position.

3:17 PM: Either people have terrible depth perception, or they’re extremely optimistic, but everytime a member of the Indians hits a fly ball, they think it’s going to be a home run. It’s getting pretty annoying.

3:20 PM: Why Asdrubal Cabrera isn’t batting second in this lineup is beyond me. They were something like 21-6 last year when he batted in the two hole. Maybe they’re punishing him for wearing that silly necklace.

3:24 PM: People are really over exaggerating about C.C. giving up this home run. He’s a top four pitcher in the game, let him work.

3:28 PM: Progressive Field just doesn’t feel right. And they won’t let you forget who bought the naming rights either, with over 23,000 Progressive logos.

3:31 PM: Johnny Peralta is going to have a big offensive year.

3:33 PM: I don’t care what anyone says about how good the Tigers’ offense is. The Tribe still has a top-7 offense, with little to no holes (except for Delucci). They’re going to score a lot of runs, and once Ben Francisco comes over from AAA, it’s only going to get better.

3:35 PM: Asdrubal Cabrera gets a favorable call at the plate. Dennis: “It’s opening day for the umpires too!”.

3:38 PM: Fans are really getting mad at the repeated pickoff moves to first base. Get over it, it is part of the game.

3:39 PM: I think the fan definitely interfered on Franklin Gutierrez on his HR. No complaints from the “Prog”, as I have heard a countless number of people call the park. Just because Jacobs Field was “the Jake”, doesn’t mean you need to use the same formula to come up with a new nickname. It worked for “the Jake because Jake is short for Jacob. Nothing is short for Progressive. A nickname will come in time, we don’t need to force the issue.

3:45 PM: Mark Buehrle is a lame-o. Chicago thinks that their black uniforms are intimidating to their opponents. Nobody (and by nobody I mean me) takes them seriously.

3:48 PM: Victor Martinez is easily the best all around catcher in baseball. It’s amazing how he is already dialed in to the ball.

3:52 PM: These restrooms think they are at Cleveland Browns Stadium, and people still won’t shut up about how much they hate Jim Thome.

4:01 PM: I just saw a guy with a button up on, with only 4 buttons fastened and no shirt on underneath. I’m guessing he’s a recent divorcee, and the last time he was single was in the mid-70s to early 80’s.

4:05 PM: The logos on the outfield wall are very similar to Major League 2, when Roger Dorn was running the team. I’m not a fan.

4:10 PM: Surprisingly there was almost zero reaction when C.C. got the Tribe out of trouble. Why aren’t the fans more into the game? I hope this sellout isn’t just because of Opening Day.

4:13 PM: These concession lines are longer than most lines at Cedar Point.

4:28 PM: The guys behind me think they are baseball experts on the level of Peter Gammons. Also, one of them is wearing a bright yellow Indians windbreaker, immediately making his opinion(s) unworthy and stupid.

4:31 PM: Franklin Gutierrez slides hard into second. This Tribe team might be pretty tough.

4:34 PM: Nick Swisher is at the plate. He was the perfect Oakland Athletic, so I find it kind of weird to see him in a Chicago uniform. I firmly believe he is injury prone for the rest of his career or his disappears off the face of the Earth…unless he changes teams.

4:38 PM: Thome is up, I really think C.C. is gonna K him here…I have a feeling.

4:40 PM: Didn’t K him, but he grounded out to first. Anybody who is a professional athlete and considers eating pancakes a form of training….you’re a loser. I’m talking about you, Jim Thome. (My berating him is not rooted from him leaving. I never was a huge fan of him, I think it had something to do with him holding the bat up between every pitch. I hate when players delay the progress of the game for no reason, even if it is his routine).

Note: I didn’t realize until I typed it today that if I didn’t say which athlete eats pancakes before every game, the majority of people would’ve thought I was talking about C.C.

4:43 PM: I don’t like how players like Hafner and Thome can be effectively defended by using a drastic shift. You would think this would motivate the player to learn to better hit to the opposite field. I know that’s easier said than done, but it could really make the player more dangerous.

5:01 PM: People are already saying C.C. insn’t worth the huge contract he will command in the offseason. This is ridiculous, and if we can’t sign him, we’ll definitely miss him.

5:04 PM: The people sitting in our section are very pessimistic about the 2008 season, and the general consensus is that the Tigers are just too good. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We have two of the top ten pitchers in the AL, a very good lineup, a very good bullpen, and above all of that they are even hungrier than last year. I understand people have been suffering through Cleveland sports for years, but it’s not helping anyone to sit back on the first game of the year and basically write them off. FYI, it was the guy in the yellow coat leading this conversation. Idiot.

5:09 PM: Asdrubal just K’ed. I still really like him. He is the kind of player that makes Mark Shapiro shine. Not every GM would’ve allowed him to be put in the lineup when the person you traded for (Josh Barfield) isn’t panning out. I like how he has no ego. I also think it is funny that ESPN’s Bill Simmons says he looks like a cross between Jeff Garcia and Boggs from Shawshank redemption.

5:10 PM: Uncle guarantees an OSU National Championship.

5:18 PM: Rafael Perez might have the nastiest stuff on his pitches in the bigs. He is going to be one of the major reasons we finish 5 games ahead of the Tigers. I’m not looking forward to hearing commentators speak of “the Raffies”, meaning Perez and Bentancourt. It’s pretty annoying, it isn’t clever, and we’re gonna hear it a minimum of 135 times this year.

Also, another OSU National Championship has been guaranteed by my uncle.

5:20 PM: Not only does he predict OSU will win the National Championship, he says Terelle Pryor will be starting when they do.

5:29 PM: Ryan Garko will be Cleveland’s next “blue collar” sports hero, much the same way Carlos Boozer was before he robbed a blind man, well, blind.

5:38 PM: The White Sox aren’t good, I wish it wasn’t this close. They might be the worst team in the division.

5:48 PM: Panic has set in at Progressive Field. Why don’t people realize it takes a little while for pitchers to get into a groove? The bullpen is among the best in the bigs, and it isn’t going to be this shaky and bad. You wouldn’t forecast an entire relationship on the first date, right? Well maybe. Ok I’m saying the ‘pen is very good, and they will be, got it?

6:13 PM: The poor man’s 5 tool player comes through in the clutch! Just missed the grand slam, but we’ll take it. You gotta love a player who is sporting a playoff beard in March.

6:25 PM: You will always hear me defending Joe Borowski. Sure he doesn’t do it the easy way, or in the manner in which is easy on the stomach, but he pretty much gets the job done. That said, he looks really nervous out there, and that’s making me (more) nervous.

6:27 PM: Whew! Go JoBo. Always gets the job done, like I said. I really like this Tribe team. It seems like there are no egos, and they all genuinely seem like they love the team. That is an intangible other teams would kill for. Maybe that crazy drunk lady wasn’t so far off when she said they’d go 155-7. I bet if I found her now she’d say 162-0.

6:30 PM: Thanks a lot for reading, and I will continue to post Indians blogs throughout the season with my thoughts and observations. Leave me comments! Go Tribe!