The Cleveland Browns resume play following their bye week at 1-3.  There is a common belief that they would be 0-4 if Carson Palmer had started at quarterback for the Bengals in the Browns’ 20-12 victory rather than backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.  However, Palmer didn’t play and the brown and orange took their good fortune into their week off, and resume play on Monday Night Football.

 

Did I mention they are playing the World Champion New York Giants?

 

The same Giants who led the pre-season game they played in August 30-3 just shortly after the first quarter ended?

 

The Browns have started the season 0-2 at home, and are staring in the face of a three game losing streak at Cleveland Browns Stadium if they can’t beat the Giants on Monday night.  When you play a 16 game schedule, every game is important, but Monday night’s contest is huge.  This team quite simply can’t drop to 1-4 and 0-3 at home.

 

How do you avoid this situation?

 

You pull out all the stops.  I understand the Browns wanted to get back to the running game against the Bengals, and there is no problem with that.  Jamal Lewis is a weapon, and the pounding he provides wears down defenses as games go on.  It also eases some of the burden on the struggling Derek Anderson.  However, if offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has to call some gimmick plays to open up the Giants’ eyes early in the game, this is the game to do it.

 

Why not let Josh Cribbs throw a pass?  Why not run end arounds or flea-flickers?  On defense, why not blitz Eli Manning?  Pull out all the stops.  Leave nothing on the table.  To quote Al Davis, “It’s time to just win, baby”.  Of course, Davis said that when we was trying to win football games, instead of being in the firing coaches business.

 

If the Cleveland Browns want to get back in the playoff mix, they have to win against the Giants.  Romeo Crennel needs to send that message to every player and coach in the organization.  A loss likely means that the vultures will be circling each and every week for the remainder of the season.

 

JD

 

The Cleveland Indians are at a crossroads.  In 2005, the team went to the last weekend of the season before being eliminated, and since then they have been considered by many as a team that could win the AL Central Division, if not win a World Championship, but have only made the playoffs once, in 2007.  The even numbered years in that span, 2006 and 2008, have not been kind to the Tribe.  This is an organization that needs some self-examination.

 

The Dolan family runs the team the way you want a ballclub to be run.  That is to say, they let their baseball people make the baseball decisions.  Many teams have continued to wallow in mediocrity because the owner interferes and doesn’t allow the proper decisions to be made for many reasons, including how the fans will perceive it.  No team should be run that way.  Although there is no question fans are needed, they shouldn’t be considered in baseball decisions.  Every move made must be to bring a World Championship to the organization and therefore the team’s fan base.  Fans are too emotional to be included in the process.

 

However, the organization needs a swift kick in the pants, and the owners must provide it.  It is time for the Dolans to sit down with Shapiro and ask what will be done differently in this off-season.  The farm system is important to be sure, in fact, it is the lifeline of any successful baseball team.  But, it is time to trade some of the excess in order to get a good, proven major league player who can help this team in 2009.  If that is Brian Roberts from the Orioles, that is fine, he can help you get back to the playoffs.  Look at the logjam in the organization at 1B/LF:  Ryan Garko, Ben Francisco, Matt LaPorta, Nick Weglarz, Trevor Crowe, Michael Brantley, and Beau Mills.  Not all seven of those guys can play the two spots, so some of these guys can be moved.

 

Also, take a look at left-handed starters.  The candidates for one spot in the starting rotation include Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, David Huff, and Scott Lewis.  Huff is showing the most potential, but the others are pretty similar in terms of stuff.  You don’t want to unload three of them, but certainly one of them can be included in a deal to get help in other areas.

 

Another thing that has to change is the attitude toward spring training.  This team has not had enough success for the opening day roster to be pre-determined before camp starts.  There should be some competition.  For example, if LaPorta hits .480 in the exhibition games with 7 home runs, why shouldn’t he get a spot on the big league roster, and if he does that, he should play.  The idea that players have to serve an apprenticeship is old.  Other successful organizations give young guys a chance to play if they’ve earned the shot.  Based on that type of thinking, Manny Ramirez would have opened the 1994 season at AAA.  He hit his way on the team, and the rest is history.

 

Another thing Shapiro needs to do is exert the fact that he is the boss on his manager, Eric Wedge.  Wedge has a number of excellent traits as manager, but the fact is he has made the post-season once in six years in charge.  Wedge does a great job getting guys to “grind it out”, but has had problems connecting with some players who are talented.  Can anyone imagine Wedge getting along with Albert Belle?  Wedge has to be more flexible in his thinking, because once again, this team has only made the playoffs once in his tenure.  It’s one thing to believe in you, it’s another to be too stubborn to realize some change is needed.

 

I have always been a supporter of how Mark Shapiro runs this ballclub, but that doesn’t mean it is blind faith.  This team needs to look inward and make some changes to be a contender, not just in 2009, but also for a sustained period of time.  Hopefully, the front office doesn’t follow the same direction they have in the past.  Let’s look at the road less traveled.

 

KM

 

 

A little bit of this and a little bit of that…

 

·          I’m sure the C.C. Sabathia critics will be out in full force today after he allowed five runs in 2-2/3 innings last night in Philadelphia.  In fact, Sabathia ranks second last all-time (behind Doyle Alexander) in ERA among pitchers who have thrown 25 innings in the post-season.  I think it is a matter of fatigue for the big lefty.  It was too much to expect him to keep being dominant on three days rest, and last year he threw 30 more innings than his previous career high.   He needs to be kept to around 210-220 innings in the regular season, and he will do fine in the playoffs.  He’s too good of a pitcher to have post-season stats like that.

 

·          Remember in Game 5 versus Boston last year in the ALCS, the Red Sox led 2-1 at the end of the sixth inning.  Sabathia should have been pulled then, but he was left in and gave up two more tallies.  Let’s say the Tribe had scored four runs off of Josh Beckett instead of one, and then C.C. is a hero, pitching the Tribe into the World Series.  The game wasn’t the big lefty’s fault; the reason the Indians lost was they ran into a hot pitcher.

 

·          With this in mind, this is another weakness of Eric Wedge.  Cliff Lee appeared to tire late in the season, and there were some games where the likely Cy Young Award winner was left to complete games when he probably should have been removed.  I know the skipper had a shaky bullpen all season, but last year he didn’t and Sabathia still was gassed.  He has to be more aware of the innings he is putting on his starters.

 

·          Speaking of pitching a lot of innings, Tribe legend Bob Feller is one who talks about how today’s pitchers are babied.  In 1946, Rapid Robert threw 371 innings, 30 more than his previous career high.  He had 36 complete games.  He also was never the same again, and never topped 300 innings in his career.  You can look it up.

 

·          The Tribe is evaluating their 40-man roster in order to protect some prospects from the Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings.  Look for the following players to be removed:  Pitchers–Brendan Donnelly, Juan Rincon, and Brian Slocum; Position players–Sal Fusion and Michael Aubrey.  Reliever Tom Misty and Andy Marta might also be released to create more spots on the roster.

 

·          It’s hard to argue with people who say the national media is biased against Ohio State.  The Buckeyes dropped to 14^th in the polls after the beat down at USC, and didn’t really move up despite all of the upsets last weekend.  Remember, the Bucks lost to the then #1 ranked team in the country, something that Florida, Georgia, Wisconsin, and the Trojans cannot claim. 

 

·          It’s amazing how that loss to USC has destroyed everyone’s view of the Buckeyes.  Most people are convinced they will get hammered at Wisconsin this weekend.  Three weeks ago, these same pundits had Ohio State going to their third consecutive BCS title game.  That one loss has people now expecting an 8-4 team instead of a National Championship.

 

KM

 

Confidence.  It’s been a long time since sports fans in Cleveland have had it.  Not winning in 44 years does that to a city.  I thought about this as I watched the Browns game on Sunday.  Our football team has to start playing better if this season will amount to anything, and I thought about whether or not I have any confidence that it will happen based on the current leadership.  Here are my thoughts on the three major league teams in Cleveland and the people who run them.

 

BROWNS

 

This is the fourth season of GM Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel’s regime.  Since Savage has been in charge, it has been an up and down ride:  6-10, 4-12, and 10-6.  This year, it appears the team will not reach or exceed the ten wins from last season.  However, Savage has been adding talent year by year to the organization.  When he arrived, you could argue the only impact players on the team were Kellen Winslow and Sean Jones.  In Savage’s tenure, he has brought in Braylon Edwards, Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, and Shaun Rogers.  There are others who look like they could develop, such as Eric Wright, Brandon Mc Donald, Kamerion Wimbley, Corey Williams, and Alex Hall.  I have confidence that Savage can continue to bring in good football players.

 

I don’t share the same feeling for Crennel.  He doesn’t seem to have a feel for the quarterback position, which is the most important spot on the team.  He flipped a coin to start Charlie Frye last season, and this year was unable to make a definitive decision to make a change going into the Bengal game.  He was raised coaching a 3-4 defense, but even though his linebacking corps is shaky, he sticks with the scheme.  He also seems to focus more on what a player cannot do, than what he can do.  Jerome Harrison doesn’t pick up the blitz, in his rookie year; he didn’t play Edwards because of blocking issues.  A coach’s job is to maximize the strengths and minimize the weakness of players.  I’m not sure Crennel does that.  I’m also not sure he is a coach who can lead this team to a Super Bowl.

 

CAVALIERS

 

This is the fourth season of the Danny Ferry/Mike Brown regime.  The three seasons have resulted in two trips to the Eastern Conference semi-finals (2006 and 2008) and one Conference title in 2007.  Ferry is not afraid to take risks, perhaps buoyed by the fact that having LeBron James means you won’t be a terrible team.  He brought in Flip Murray to stabilize the team when Larry Hughes got hurt in 2005-06, and rebuilt the team on the fly last season, making an 11 player deal at the deadline, and then trading for Mo Williams this summer.  The Cavaliers appear poised to make a run at a Central Division title, and another conference championship and a return trip to the NBA Finals.  Ferry has proven he will not sit idly by and watch the season slip away.

 

As for Brown, there is no question his defensive philosophy has made the wine and gold an elite team.  How much the offense improves will determine how good the Cavs will be in the regular season.  In the playoffs, Brown has demonstrated he can negate an opponents’ strength and make them pursue other options to defeat his squad.  He is a much better coach in the post-season, but he needs to do better in the regular season to help the Cavs get home court advantage.  Brown also seems to have a partnership with his superstar, an important factor for any NBA coach.  I can definitely see Brown coaching the Cavaliers to an NBA title.

 

INDIANS

 

Mark Shapiro has been the Tribe’s GM since 2002 and has made the post-season once (2007).  To be fair, Shapiro took the job with an aging team, which needed to be rebuilt, and he had the Indians back in contention late in the season in both 2004 and 2005, however 2006 and 2008 must be considered disappointments.  His strength has been evaluating talent in other teams’ farm systems, acquiring players such as Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, and Asdrubal Cabrera in trades.  He has also done well signing pitchers from the amateur level.  His weakness is holding on to prospects too long, and being reluctant to include them in deals for proven talent.

 

I have had confidence in Shapiro, but it is starting to wane.  He has made only one trade for an established major league starter since dealing for Matt Lawton prior to the 2002 season, the deal for Josh Barfield.  Neither worked out very well, although Lawton did make an All-Star team in 2004.   He has signed platoon players and picked up Kenny Lofton for the stretch drive in 2007, but he has been hesitant to fill a hole with a trade involving prospects. 

 

As for Eric Wedge, he got the Indians to within one game of the World Series last year, so it is difficult to say he can’t get it done.  However, he is slow to change, especially his use of relief pitchers, and making mistakes in that area costs the ballclub games.  He also doesn’t make use of his entire roster, which limits himself in making moves.  I do like his day-to-day approach.  The players can’t do anything about yesterday’s game, nor should they worry about tomorrow’s contest.  You also have to give him credit for not allowing the team to quit when they were 16 games under .500.  On the other hand, you would like more than one post-season appearance in six seasons.

 

It’s another reason that it is a huge off-season for the Cleveland Indians this winter.

 

MW