The Cleveland Indians come back home tonight for their last home stand of the season.  It has been a disappointing season to be sure, as the goal now is finishing above the .500 mark instead of going to the World Series.  You can tell the campaign has been a challenge by seeing that Brian Bullington and Scott Lewis will start two of the first five of these games at Progressive Field.  However, please remember the old baseball adage:  Don’t take seriously things that happen in April or September.

 

With that in mind, how many of the players thrust into playing time because of the injuries and trades have played themselves on to the 2009 roster?  Among the pitchers, Anthony Reyes should have a spot in the rotation assuming his elbow problems are minor.  Eric Wedge has said he hopes to get the right-hander a few more starts before the end of the year, which should mean it’s not serious.  Reyes has shown a plus fastball in his starts, and ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported at least one scout is kicking himself for not advising his team to take a chance on Reyes.

 

Zach Jackson looks like he has good stuff, but isn’t polished enough to have assured him a spot in ’09.  He certainly has been able to keep the Indians in games, but he seems to struggle to minimize the damage when he gets into trouble.  He usually allows one big inning per start, which is enough to cost him the game.  Jeremy Sowers has been inconsistent at best.  He has moments where he pitches very well, such as back-to-back games against the Twins where he fired five perfect frames, but when it goes bad, it goes really bad.

 

That would leave as starters Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona, and Reyes, with the other two spots up for competition.  I would expect Mark Shapiro to sign a veteran starter to stabilize the rotation.  That would leave one spot open with the candidates being the aforementioned Jackson and Sowers, David Huff, and Scott Lewis, who threw himself in the mix with his outing on Wednesday night.

 

In the bullpen, the guaranteed spots would seem to go to Rafael Perez, Rafael Betancourt (based on his track record and his much better second half), Masa Kobayashi, and Jensen Lewis. Neither Juan Rincon nor Brendan Donnelly has shown much since being added to the bullpen in the second half of the season.  That would leave three spots open for next season.

 

One of those spots could go to a closer, but I agree with former GM John Hart, closers fall out of trees.  That is to say, I would not ante up big dollars to sign a closer who has washed out some place else.  Francisco Rodriguez will be too expense, and his mechanics are a mess, meaning a team that signs him will be not getting value in at least two years of a possible five year deal.  That doesn’t sound like the Indians.  Rather, I would go to spring training with Jensen Lewis and rookie Adam Miller vying for the role.  Miller has had arm problems as a starter, but throws in the mid 90s, which would give the Tribe a power closer for the first time since Jose Mesa’s heyday.  Remember, Jonathan Papelbon didn’t have experience as a closer before he started saving games for the Red Sox.  He was a set up man for a half year before taking over the spot in 2006. 

 

At the very least, Miller could start the year in the set up role, and take over the spot later in the season if he is successful.  Of course, as we learned from Steve Karsay and Betancourt, being a good set up man, doesn’t make you a good closer.  However, I am tired of seeing guys who have to be perfect to succeed (see:  Borowski, Joe and Wickman, Bob) in the closer role. 

 

I would also like to see another southpaw in the bullpen, and Rich Rundles could be that guy.  He has a funky, sidearm delivery that could make him effective against left-handed hitters.  That delivery makes him a perfect situational lefty. 

 

Next week, we will look at the everyday players to determine who has a spot on the 2009 Tribe, and who might be on the outside looking in.

 

KM

 

Every once in a while, there are a variety of things a person needs to get off his/her chest.  This is one of those times.  We have some questions and comments we would like to make to the managers, coaches, and front office personnel of the major sports teams in Cleveland, Ohio.  So, without further adieu, here is what we would like to ask.

 

1).  We aren’t the only people that want to know this, but Romeo Crennel:  What were you thinking when you kicked that field goal against Dallas, trailing 28-7 with ten minutes to go?  You needed three yards for a first down, your defense couldn’t stop a high school team, and you were still down three scores after Phil Dawson made the kick.  It made absolutely no sense.  I’m no fan of Chiefs’ coach Herm Edwards, but he was right when he famously said, “You play to win the game!”  There are no moral victories in the NFL.

 

2).  Eric Wedge:  What is the fascination with hitting Franklin Gutierrez in the #2 spot in the order, or in the leadoff spot if Grady Sizemore is resting?  There is no rule that says the CF must lead off.  The object of the leadoff batter is to get on base.  Gutierrez has an on base percentage of .286, meaning he doesn’t get on base 73% of the time.  Of all the Indians currently on the roster, only Andy Marte has a worse OBP.  Gutierrez shouldn’t hit above the 7^th spot in the order when he plays.

 

3).  Rob Chudzinski:  Why throw the ball downfield on third down and four yards to go early in the second half last week?  The defense is struggling and the best thing to do is keep them off the field by playing ball control.  I realize you are an aggressive offensive coordinator, but sometimes you have to keep that in check for the good of the team.  Keeping the defense off the field, especially in last week’s game is the smart thing to do.

 

4).  Indians’ GM Mark Shapiro:  Was it necessary to have Travis Hafner do a rehab assignment in the middle of the Eastern League playoffs?  The roster were expanded, so Pronk could have swung the bat for the Indians instead, or he could have been sent to Mahoning Valley, who were still in their regular season.  It seems cheap to alter the minor league playoffs by sending an established big leaguer to play.  Bowie Manager Brad Komminsk was angry, and I have to say I don’t blame him.

 

5).  Cavs’ Coach Mike Brown:  Will this be the year you finally cut the minutes of LeBron James?  Every year, the coach says he has to keep The King’s playing time down to around 38-40 minutes per night, but it never happens.  The coach has to make a commitment to this from the first regular season game.  Remember coach; you are the one who controls this.  Also, allowing the team to play through some tough stretches will only make the wine and gold better.  The byproduct is a fresher James come playoff time.

 

These are just some things I wonder about, and would love to ask these guys if I could get them in a casual atmosphere.  They may just have reasons that they would rather not discuss in public; at least I hope that is the case.

 

MW

 

 

First the good news regarding yesterday’s 28-10 loss by the Cleveland Browns to the Dallas Cowboys.  First, the defeat wasn’t as bad score-wise as last year’s opening day loss to the Steelers.  Second, I doubt the team will trade Derek Anderson this week, as they did last year with Charlie Frye, and third, both the Chargers and Colts lost at home this weekend, so Romeo Crennel can commiserate with Tony Dungy and Norv Turner about their 0-1 records.  That’s it for the good news…

 

The Browns’ defense yesterday was a sieve.  The combination of no pass rush and soft coverage in the secondary equals a big day for any passer, let alone one with the weapons that Tony Romo has.  It is difficult to gauge if the Browns can stop the run, because quite frankly, why would anyone try to run the ball with the inexperienced secondary the team has, and the lack of a pass rush to protect the linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks. 

 

There is no truth to the rumor that Steelers’ Coach Mike Tomlin is considering using one of his non-active roster spots next week on the punter.  He may not need one if the defensive scheme and performance doesn’t improve.

 

Romeo Crennel has always coached a 3-4 defensive scheme going back to his days with the Giants and Patriots, but you have to wonder if it is the correct lineup for the Browns.  The team’s linebacking corps is weak, with only Kamerion Wimbley an above average player at this point.  Meanwhile, the defensive line has players familiar with the 4-3 set up, such as Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.  Also, Shaun Smith, Robaire Smith, and Louis Leonard look like they can play.  Having a defensive front of Rogers, Williams, Smith, and Smith might prove to be better than having three linebackers on the field who are below average.

 

Offensively, the Browns looked like a team whose starting quarterback played two quarters in the pre-season games.  The timing between Anderson and his receivers were off, although they did put together a time consuming drive of almost nine minutes to tie the game in the second quarter.  WR Braylon Edwards dropped four passes in the contest, including a long one, which should have been a touchdown.  However, Edwards had a better day than Donte Stallworth, who pulled a leg muscle in warm-ups and missed the game completely.

 

Jamal Lewis played and ran well, although he had some big games when the Cowboys were in full pass defense figuring the Browns would throw.  But, he didn’t re-aggravate his hamstring, so that’s a good thing.  He should be even better for Pittsburgh next week.

 

Another thing that bothers me are the repeated comments from players saying they weren’t ready to play.  This is not the fault of the coaching staff!  I’m sure Crennel and his assistants coach the team to win.  This is strictly a heart issue for the players.  First, they are professional athletes, this is their job!  Secondly, you only play one game a week, how can you not be ready to play.  Baseball players have six games per week and basketball players three to four games in a week, you can understand one of those guys not being ready to go, but not an NFL player. 

 

This team needs to make a quantum leap forward to defeat the Steelers next week.  Last year, the Cleveland Browns made that leap.  If the defense cannot show tremendous improvement, the brown and orange will need to score over 30 points per contest to win a game.

 

JD

 

Sunday is the day that football fans on the North Coast have waited for since the beginning of the year.  The Cleveland Browns play their regular season opener at home against the Super Bowl contending Dallas Cowboys.  The campaign is looked upon with great anticipation since the brown and orange had arguably their best season since coming back to the NFL in 1999.  Of course, the zealots that follow the Browns feel last season’s improvement will be followed up with similar results in 2008.  That may not be the case.

 

It is very possible that the Browns could be a better team in 2008, but have a worse record.  The prediction here is 9-7, but that could win the division.  The biggest thing is how this team plays within the AFC North.  If they can win four of the six division games, and one win must be against the Steelers, they will make the playoffs by virtue of winning the division.  Let’s face it; the AFC North is not exactly filled with the Lombardi Packers or the Steelers of the 1970’s.

 

The Bengals are in chaos.  Chad Whateverhisnameis is still promoting himself, and their defense is still suspect.  They also just released their starting running back, offensive tackle, and cornerback from last year to cut payroll.  They still have Carson Palmer and T.J. Houshmanzadeh, so the offense will put up some points, but many experts are predicting Marvin Lewis to lose his job after another losing season in ’08, and I can’t say I disagree with that assessment.

 

The Ravens are in rebuilding mode as well.  They will be starting a rookie quarterback, Joe Flacco, on Sunday.  Granted, it will be difficult for Flacco to perform worse than Kyle Boller has over the past few years, but he will still have growing pains.  That leaves the Steelers and the Browns as the main contenders for the division crown.  Many Browns’ fans are worried about the schedule, but remember that based on last year’s records, Pittsburgh has the league’s toughest slate.  So, both teams have the same problem.

 

The “woe is me” crowd is losing sleep about the difficulty of this year’s schedule, but really so much can happen throughout the season that could make the slate easier.  The NFL is a league of attrition, for the most part; the teams with the best records have the least amount of injuries.  Therefore, a December game that appears to be tough now may not be when it is played due to several key players being on the sidelines.  Of course, that could happen to the Browns too, as witnessed in the pre-season games.

 

The Cleveland Browns are not an elite team as of yet.  They have weaknesses at linebacker and in the defensive secondary.  They haven’t built up the depth that goes with being an upper echelon team in the AFC.  However, they are good enough to win the AFC North.  The Steelers are the same as the Browns, although losing All-Pro guard Alan Faneca leaves them with a weakened offensive line.  Their defense is questionable as well.  If the Browns succeed within the division, they will celebrate a division title and a playoff spot in 2008.

 

JD

 

 

In order to win the division and not rely on complicated tie breakers to make the playoffs, the Browns need to win divisional games, particularly against Pittsburgh, to whom they have lost nine straight games, several of them in excruciating fashion.  The opportunity to beat the Steelers is obviously much greater at home.  Therefore, it is more crucial to win in week two against the black and gold, than it is to defeat Dallas in the opener.

 

With that in mind, if there is any doubt on the health of running back Jamal Lewis, an error should be made on the error of caution, and he should skip the opener on Sunday.  A hamstring injury is one that can linger, and if holding Lewis out of this week’s game will increase the strength of the muscle from 75% to 95%, then so be it.  Because in many ways, Lewis is the most important person on the offensive unit.  The Cleveland Browns simply cannot be without him for a six-week period and still expect to make the playoffs.

 

Sure, the offensive line was the key to last year’s 10-6 season, particularly tackle Joe Thomas and guard Eric Steinbach handling the left side.  However, let me remind you that Lewis’ back ups are Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison, meaning the team is in a heap of trouble if the 1000-yard back misses the bulk of the season.  Without the threat of Lewis and the running game, it is more difficult for coordinator Rob Chudzinski and QB Derek Anderson to throw the ball downfield effectively.  It is much tougher to play quarterback in the NFL when you are constantly in 2^nd and 10 and 3^rd and 8 situations.

 

Therefore, the safe play is to have Jamal Lewis sit out against Dallas if he is anything less than 90%.  One only has to go back to the city’s baseball team to see the impact of a bum hamstring.  Would the Indians’ season be different if Victor Martinez had gone on the disabled list after opening day?  Maybe not, but if the muscle was healthy, Martinez could have shown some power early in the year, instead of going without a homer until last night.  He played in four games with a good leg before getting that first dinger.

 

This is not to say it doesn’t matter if the Browns lose on Sunday afternoon.  It would be great to defeat a Super Bowl contender, and open the season with a 1-0 record.  It is saying that it is more important to have a healthy Jamal Lewis for a division game.  The AFC North should come down to the Browns and Steelers.  The Bengals are starting a rebuilding process, and the Ravens are starting a rookie QB in week one.  Here’s hoping that Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel look at the big picture if the star running back isn’t 100% this Sunday.  The team simply cannot afford to lose #31 for any length of time.

 

JD

 

For the most part, it has been good if you are a left handed pitcher who has worn a Cleveland Indian uniform this season.  Although Zach Jackson’s fielding performance yesterday would have people disagreeing with that statement.  In reality, Jackson was a victim of some questionable strategy and one extremely bad pitch to Adrian Beltre in giving up six runs in five innings in the 6-4 loss to the Mariners yesterday.  Why you would choose to pitch to Ichiro Suzuki (no one name baseball players here, that’s a soccer thing) with first base open is beyond me.

 

Tonight, southpaw Cliff Lee becomes the first Indians’ hurler in 28 years to even try for his 20th victory of the season against the White Sox.  No pitcher wearing a Tribe uniform has won this many games since, of course, Gaylord Perry did it in 1974.  Up to then, it was a regular occurrance.  Perry’s 20 win season in ’74 was the third such season by a Cleveland pitcher in past five years, following Perry’s own 24-16 mark in 1972 which earned him the Cy Young Award, and Sam McDowell’s 20 win campaign in 1970.  To go back a little farther, Luie Tiant won 21 games in 1968. 

 

Rafael Perez has been the Tribe’s best relief pitcher in 2008, with a 3.35 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 69-1/3 innings this season.  In the second half of the season, he has been back to the dominant guy who was a shutdown set up man in 2007.  He has been used heavily since the All Star break, and here’s hoping skipper Eric Wedge uses him more sparingly the rest of the year, because it would be a crime to have him hurt his valuable left arm in a season that means nothing.

 

And yesterday, former ace C.C. Sabathia fired a one-hitter against the Pirates for his ninth consecutive victory since the deal that sent him to Milwaukee in early July.  Sabathia is now a combined 15-8 for the season. 

 

The win was controversial because the one hit was a squibber a little more than half way to the mound that C.C. picked up and dropped in the fifth inning.  If the big lefty had given up a hit already, there wouldn’t be a question that it was a hit.  So, the Brewers are challenging the scoring decision in an effort to make Sabathia the first man to fire a no-hitter the day after he pitched.  It would be a bad decision if they did.

 

We will never know how the pitcher would have held up to the pressure of entering the eighth and ninth innings of a game without allowing a hit.  That’s part of throwing a no no, having to deal with the crowd screaming, your teammates not talking to you, etc.  I’m sure the Sabathia critics will assert he would have crumbled under the pressure. 

 

Besides this sort of thing has happened before.  In 1981, Bert Blyleven had a no hitter going into the eighth inning of a game against Toronto when a ball was lost in the lights and dropped by LF Larry Littleton.  The play was ruled a hit, and the Dutchman did not get the no no.  You cannot change the scoring decision on something this important a day after the fact.  For his part, Sabathia didn’t complain, just his manager Ned Yost, who has been running up the southpaw’s pitch counts, was whining.  It was a great game for C.C., but it was his first one hitter.

 

KM

 

The best thing about the NFL pre-season is that it’s over.  The only thing you really need to know about last night’s game against the Bears is that when the starters for both teams went to the sidelines for good in the second quarter, the Browns were ahead 10-0.  Romeo Crennel wanted his starters to play “decent” and they did as they were told.  The rest of the game involved a lot of players who will be on the waiver wire by Saturday afternoon, so at that point we should look at individual performances rather than the score.

 

Keep in mind that the Patriots were 0-4 in the pre-season, and the Colts were 1-4.  The Detroit Lions finished up at 4-0.  Certainly, we are not putting the Browns in the same class as New England and Indianapolis; they have not accomplished anything close to what those teams have.  But, it does show that the pre-season record has little to no bearing on the talent level on a football team.  No one thinks Detroit is going to the Super Bowl, so you cannot predict a 4-12 record for the brown and orange based on these games.

 

NOTE:  We use the term “pre-season games” tongue in cheek, because that’s what the almighty NFL calls them.  They are exhibitions, and we feel bad for those who were forced to pay full price for tickets to last night’s game, where they viewed players who will never wear an NFL uniform again play the majority of the game.

 

Brady Quinn looked better than he did in his previous start, taking the team on two scoring drives in his brief appearance.  WR Travis Wilson, trying to hold on to a roster spot, caught six balls for 57 yards, but dropped a possible touchdown pass from Ken Dorsey, which could jeopardize his inclusion on the final roster.  The offensive line performed much better as well, particularly the right side, which had problems against the Lions.  Unfortunately, Rex Hadnot left the game with a knee injury, which could put his availability for Dallas in doubt.  With Ryan Tucker on the PUP list to open the season, which would mean Seth McKinney may open the season at right guard.

 

This weekend, the roster has to be reduced to 53 players.  Some cuts may be made as early as today.  After that, Monday is a huge day for the Browns as they find out how many of the wounded will be ready to practice.  It’s safe to assume Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards will be ready to go on Monday, but the team needs Jamal Lewis and Sean Jones for the Dallas game.  However, if we learned anything from the Indians, if they aren’t ready, it’s better to hold them out and have both available for the last 15 games of the season.

 

As far as people’s comments about the “Berea Country Club”, that’s a matter of perception.  If the Browns have a good season, and play well at the end of the year, Crennel will be praised for preserving his team in the summer.  If they have a poor season, he will be chastised for not working them hard enough.  No matter what happens in this season, this much is true…what happened in these four games means absolutely nothing.  When the Browns take the field on September 7^th at Cleveland Browns Stadium, their record will be 0-0, not 0-4.  And if they make the playoffs, no one will remember the pre-season record.

 

JD

 

 

This just in…The Cleveland Indians are red hot, having won nine in a row and 15 of their last 18 games.  They moved into third place in the AL Central with last night’s 10-4 victory over Detroit, which was won by southpaw Cliff Lee.  The remarkable Mr. Lee ran his record to 19-2 on the season, and will look for his 20^th win Monday against the White Sox at Progressive Field.  When he gets #20, he will be the first Cleveland pitcher in 34 years (Gaylord Perry) to reach that plateau.  That said, here are some thoughts on the suddenly hot Tribe: 

 

·          There has been a lot of talk about Kelly Shoppach being the everyday catcher in 2009, with Victor Martinez playing more at 1B.  Here’s something to ponder…in his career, Shoppach has 562 at bats and has struck out 208 times!  That’s a Russell Branyan like pace.  It’s another reason I would look to deal Shoppach in the off-season assuming Martinez’ elbow is sound.

 

·          Speaking of strikeouts, I would like to see the ball club put an emphasis on contact in the off-season.  The Tribe ranks third in the AL in whiffing this season (behind Oakland and Texas), and ranks just 10^th in walks received.  It is difficult to play situational baseball, which a good team needs to do in late innings, when the lineup is filled with guys who strikeout.

 

·          There is talk that the Tribe will move Jhonny Peralta to 3B in the off-season, but here’s another thought…what about 2B?  Peralta is strong which would help him on the pivot, and his strong arm would be an asset on relay throws.  As it stands now, there will be an opening at either 2B or 3B, so maybe it comes down to whether the front office thinks more of Wes Hodges or Josh Barfield.

 

·          Question:  If you could only keep one of these three players:  Ben Francisco, Shin-Soo Choo, or Franklin Gutierrez, which one would you keep?

 

·          Statistical oddity:  Ryan Garko’s power numbers are down drastically from last year (.483 slugging percentage in 2007 vs. .371 in 2008), but he has knocked in 69 runs in 412 at bats this season compared to 61 in 484 at bats last season.

 

·          Consider me among those who would prefer the Indians select OF Michael Brantley as the player to be named later in the C.C. Sabathia trade.  Brantley is a speedy outfielder that has a .395 on base percentage at Class AA Huntsville.  He has also stolen 28 bases, and walks more than he strikes out.  He is reportedly more of a LF than a CF, but that’s okay because Grady Sizemore plays for the Tribe.  He could be the leadoff hitter who pushes Sizemore into the middle of the batting order.

 

·          Jensen Lewis has stabilized the back of the bullpen for now, but I would like to see prospect Adam Miller get a shot at closing in spring training.  Miller has had some arm problems, so working an inning at a time might be a help.  Plus, he throws in the mid to high 90’s, which is preferable for a closer.  Remember, Jonathan Papelbon was a rookie when the Red Sox gave him the gig.

 

Don’t kid yourselves; the Indians are not back in the race.  However, it is better to win that to lose these games, and it gives some of the players the experience of playing winning baseball.  Also, it would be nice to finish over .500 and in third place ahead of Detroit as well.  It appears Victor Martinez will rejoin the club Friday night when they take on the Mariners.  Hopefully, Travis Hafner is close behind.

 

MW

 

 

I’m pretty sure that Browns’ coach Romeo Crennel didn’t have an 0-3 record in his plans for the pre-season games.  However, that’s what the record shows after Saturday’s 26-6 loss to the Detroit Lions.  It was an uninspired performance to be sure, but once again it is more important to look at individual performances that the score of the game.  Watching the offense, it’s pretty clear it was a vanilla attack, devoid of pre-snap motion.  That being said, Brady Quinn still didn’t perform like he’s capable of taking Derek Anderson’s starting job any time soon.

 

Defensively, the weakness in the secondary showed up once again.  Keep in mind; both starting safeties (Brodney Pool and Sean Jones) missed the game with injuries.  However, Jon Kitna decided to attack the Browns through the air, and was quite successful doing it.  When Detroit tried to run, they weren’t successful as Shaun Rogers led a defensive front, which achieved good penetration against the rush.  It could be a case where Cleveland leads the league in defense against the rush because it is much easier to throw against this unit.

 

Another problem the defense had was making tackles.  There were plenty of opportunities to stop the Lions behind the line of scrimmage, only to see guys in silver helmets escape for either a small gain, or in the case of Kevin Jones, go some 30 yards for a touchdown.  It’s great to penetrate the offensive line, but you have to follow up by making the tackle.  That’s fundamental football.  The secondary problems could be the result of being vanilla on defense too, but poor tackling is not a result of a lack of a game plan.

 

Offensively, the right side of the line has to be a concern.  The left side is fine with Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach, but it appears the team needs Ryan Tucker back soon.  Kevin Shaffer and Rex Hadnot could not stop the Detroit defensive front from getting into the Cleveland backfield.  Also, the receivers behind the starters pretty much showed nothing.  Did Travis Wilson even play?  Everyone knew depth would be a problem, but it is for many NFL teams.

 

Quinn threw the ball downfield on his first pass, but the rest of the afternoon was spent throwing short passes and avoiding Lions who visited him in his own backfield.  He may be a great quarterback someday, but that day is not imminent.  All the fans that want the former Notre Dame product to start should take a hard look at the tape of this game.

 

Still, it’s not time to panic.  The Browns had several key players out on Saturday, including their quarterback, their best wide receiver, their best running back, and both starting safeties.  Thankfully, these are not long-term injuries.  However, it would be prudent to play some of these guys Thursday night against the Bears, if they are able to play.  It would be very tough for these guys to be ready for Dallas if they haven’t played in nearly three weeks.

 

Remember, some teams play these games to win, some teams run basic stuff that they would never run in the regular season.  It appears the Browns are one of those teams.  However, they need to get some of the nicked up players back in the lineup.  When the Cleveland Browns take the field against the Cowboys on September 7^th, they will have an 0-0 record. 

 

JD

 

 

Yesterday’s Indians’ victory over the Kansas City Royals, 10-3, made one wish that the Tribe could make another Bartolo Colon trade.  Two players involved in that transaction were the stars in the contest, as Grady Sizemore had four hits and seven RBI’s, and Cliff Lee won his seventh straight decision and 18^th overall in the win.  The Tribe has now gone 21-16 since they dealt their latest ace of the staff, C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers.  How in the world has that happened?

 

There is no question that the Cleveland bullpen has been the worst in all of baseball.  However, looking at the month of June, when the Tribe season collapsed, the starting pitching was not very reliable either.  At that point in the season, the only starters that could be counted on to provide the team with a chance to win that night were the two hurlers mentioned earlier, Lee and Sabathia.  Jake Westbrook went on the disabled list, while Paul Byrd and Jeremy Sowers were struggling.  Aaron Laffey did well early on, but he also pitched poorly in June.

 

After the trade, several starters turned it around.  The recently traded Byrd talked to Bert Blyleven, discovered a curve ball, and started to get left-handed hitters out more efficiently.  That led to four straight wins before he was sent to Boston.  Sowers also picked it up, starting with a performance against Tampa Bay were he struck out eight in four innings.  Since that point, he has been able to give Eric Wedge at least six effective innings per start.  Matt Ginter was called up, gave the Indians a couple of decent outings before remembering that we was, well, Matt Ginter.

 

In the past couple of weeks, the Indians have used newly acquired Anthony Reyes and Zach Jackson in the rotation, both with success.  Reyes has pitched well in three starts, while Jackson has had two solid outings.  Also, Fausto Carmona has returned from his hip injury and is rounding into form.  Suddenly, the Indians have put together a solid rotation over the last month.  Granted, the competition has eased up recently, but still the Tribe has won series in this span against Tampa Bay and the Angels, and the pitching was solid against both contenders.

 

One of the Tribe’s strengths was that they could put a starter on the mound every night that would give the team a chance to win.  For a six-week period after Carmona and Westbrook went out with injuries, that wasn’t the case.  It wasn’t just inexperienced hurlers getting shelled, a veteran like Paul Byrd wasn’t pitching well either.  Although a veteran innings eater (effective innings are the key, see:  Johnson, Jason) is needed for 2009, the Indians now have a lot of options for the rotation next season (Lee, Carmona, Reyes, Jackson, Sowers, Laffey, and David Huff).

 

Obviously, the bullpen is a major area of concern.  Just when you think guys have turned it around, they regress.  Edward Mujica has had that problem.  Yesterday, Wedge put Rafael Betancourt into a close game after a couple of good jobs in mop up roles, and the right-hander immediately pitched his way into trouble.  Only a bullet off the bat of David DeJesus that Ryan Garko turned into a double play saved Raffie Right.  It served as a reminder that the bullpen is still a huge problem.

 

MW