I don’t think I would want to be a Cleveland Browns player when practice resumes Wednesday in Berea.  Romeo Crennel is probably ready to work them like dogs after last night’s disappointing and embarrassing display in the first quarter of last night’s 37-34 loss to the New York Giants in NFL pre-season play.  The scores and results of these games are meaningless, but the style of play had to be upsetting to a coach who is looking to make the playoffs this year.

 

Maybe it was the curse of the brown pants, but the Browns came out in the first quarter and laid a gigantic egg.  They took a 3-0 lead on a 56-yard field goal by Phil Dawson before the roof caved in.  Eric Wright was beaten for two touchdown passes by Domenik Hixon, a former Akron Zip, and also contributed a pass interference penalty.  In fact, the brown and orange were penalized six times for 98 yards in the first quarter!  Couple that with special teams errors such as Dave Zastudil punting the ball off his up blocker for a safety, and the resulting free kick that was returned for a TD by Hixon, and you have a game reminiscent of last year’s opener against the Steelers.

 

The offense was no better.  The Giants won the Super Bowl by putting pressure on the quarterback, and they did so again last night, as they were in Derek Anderson’s face the entire quarter.  In fact, Anderson left the game early in the second quarter with a possible concussion.  Jamal Lewis fumbled a handoff near the goal line that was returned 95 yards for another NY touchdown.  It was an ugly performance.  However, remember this…it didn’t count.  It was meaningless.

 

Of course, you don’t want your team to commit six penalties in one quarter, you don’t want to turn the ball over, and you don’t want to make special teams errors.  Guys who will not be on the final 53-man roster made some of these errors, particularly the special teams mistakes.  In the big picture, this game provided a slap in the face to a team that might have been reading its press clippings.  It gives Crennel plenty to focus on before this Saturday’s game against Detroit.

 

There were a couple of good things that occurred in last night’s loss.  Syndric Steptoe had a long kickoff return, and scored a touchdown on a backwards pass from Brady Quinn in the second quarter.  Quinn also shook off the dink and dunk attack he was accused of after the Jets’ game, by throwing the ball downfield often.  However, Quinn did not have to contend with the Giants starting defensive line, which harassed Anderson while he was in the game.

 

The Cleveland Browns now have an objective for this weeks’ game against the Lions.  Get back to basics.  It would be one thing if the first team was horrible in the pre-season opener, but they weren’t.  They laid an egg last night, and the worst thing about it was the whole country got to see it.  Thank goodness the Olympics provided an alternative.  If Saturday’s game goes that way, then it’s time to worry.  For now, it’s a teaching tool for the coaching staff to remind the squad not to ever let that happen again.

 

JD

 

 

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have baseball’s best record.  They also have an AL leading 24 wins in one run games.  Yet, this weekend, the Cleveland Indians took two of three one run games against the Halos, showing once again that baseball is indeed a funny game.  Heck, yesterday, the Tribe won 4-3, despite having a lineup that featured Franklin Gutierrez, Andy Gonzalez, Sal Fasano, and Asdrubal Cabrera batting in spots 6-9.  Now, that’s amazing!

 

Cliff Lee set the tone on Friday night with a complete game 3-2 win for his 17^th victory of the season.  Unless Lee falls completely on his face the rest of the season, he should be the Tribe’s second straight Cy Young Award winner.  Sure, LA’s Francisco Rodriguez will break the single season save record this year, but the history of the award shows that relievers get the honor in the absence of any dominant years by starting pitchers.  Right now, Lee’s season is dominant.  He leads the league in wins and ERA (2.43) and is second in the league in innings pitched.  He’s also in the top 10 in strikeouts.  He has been the best starter in the American League since his first start in Oakland back in April.

 

Saturday’s game was a mess as a combination of four errors, a wild pitch and a seventh innings where the Indians loaded the bases with no one out and couldn’t push across the tying run contributed to a 4-3 loss, but the Tribe rebounded yesterday because Gutierrez, of all people, had three hits and two RBI’s in the victory.  Jeremy Sowers was rewarded with a victory, which was nice because he has pitched better over the last month with really nothing to show for it.

 

In Saturday’s game, Kelly Shoppach, who fanned for what seemed like the 50th time this week, made the first out in that fateful seventh inning.  Many people have suggested moving Victor Martinez to first base next season, and installing Shoppach as the starting catcher in 2009.  It says here that Shoppach is a great trading chip in the off-season for teams looking for a backstop.  Granted, he has only been the everyday receiver for a couple of months, but watching him play everyday shows his wide range of performance.  Quite simply, he is not consistent.  He is either hot or he strikes out a tremendous amount.  If Mark Shapiro can get a 3B or a bullpen piece for Shoppach in the off-season, he should make the trade.

 

Which brings us to Andy Marte.  We advocated seeing what Marte could do well before he was finally given regular playing time around the beginning of July.  We have officially seen enough.  He does a nice job defensively, but he cannot hit enough to be given regular playing time.  His batting average still lingers under the .200 mark, and he just recently knocked in his tenth run.  Shapiro can now unload Marte with a clear conscience.  He was given regular playing time and didn’t take advantage.  Unless they move Jhonny Peralta to the hot corner, the 2009 Tribe will be looking for a third baseman.

 

Speaking of Peralta, why would you move him to 3B?  Right now, he’s the best shortstop in the American League.  He will never be confused with Omar Vizquel defensively, but he does an acceptable job with the glove.  He is just 26 years old, and he’s on pace to hit 25 HR and knock in 80 runs, as well as hit 45-50 doubles on the season.  Leave Peralta at SS, and look for a stopgap third baseman for next year.  By the way, not Casey Blake.

 

KM

 

 

Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry has been accused of inertia by many, but he pulled his second major trade since the beginning of the year by trading guard Damon Jones and forward Joe Smith to the Milwaukee Bucks for point guard Mo Williams.  The deal also involves the Oklahoma City Thunder as well, as Smith will be moved on to the Thunder ultimately along with Desmond Mason.  Luke Ridnour and Adrian Griffin will also move on to Milwaukee. It says here that it’s a good move for the wine and gold.

 

Here’s the first thing I can tell you about Williams.  We couldn’t stop him.  He is a quick point guard who can penetrate and score, something the Cavaliers have needed since they drafted LeBron James.  He is also just 25 years old, not turning 26 until December.  It has been said that he is a shoot first point guard, but he did rank in the top 15 in the league in assists, averaging 6.3 per game.  He has topped that mark in three of the four years he played with the Bucks.  He also can hit the outside shot, as he is a career 36% shooter from behind the 3-point circle.

 

The negatives about Williams, who played his college ball at Alabama, would be that at 6-1, he is smaller than Coach Mike Brown would like.  However, Brown pretty much taught the entire Cavs’ roster how to play defense, so if Williams is a willing pupil, he will improve on that end of the floor.  He also has had injury problems, missing 16 games last season, and has played more than 70 games just once in his five year NBA career.  Williams also has five years remaining on his current contract.

 

Losing Smith is tough for the Cavs because he was arguably the second best player acquired in the mega-deal at the trade deadline.  He’s a reliable offensive player who can make the mid range jumper consistently.  However, he is an older player with shaky knees.  He was not going to be in Cleveland for an extended run.  Jones is a one-dimensional shooter, who the coaching staff couldn’t trust because of his defensive limitations.  He made some big shots for the wine and gold, but overall he talked a better game than he played. 

 

This move also puts Delonte West (assuming he re-signs) in the role, most basketball experts feel he is best suited, that of third guard.  West can back up Williams at the point and Wally Szczerbiak at the shooting guard spot, or he could start along side Williams in the backcourt with Wally coming off the bench. 

 

As for the frontcourt, I would like to see first round draft pick J.J. Hickson to start the year getting Smith’s minutes, but probably Ferry will look for another veteran big man to take his place.  The trade also means that Anderson Varajao will have a bigger role on this team.  He may even stay with the Cavaliers for the entire season.

 

The bottom line is this:  The Cavaliers picked up a quality NBA point guard for virtually nothing of consequence.  Williams’ critics will say he’s a shoot first point guard, but he’s also never played with anyone as talented as LeBron James.  Having Mo Williams get into the paint where he can draw defenders and hit the open man gives the wine and gold a dimension they’ve not had for a long time.  Danny Ferry cashed in some expiring contracts and picked up a guy who will help the Cavs contend for a title.

 

JK

 

 

The Cleveland Indians have won five straight games for the first time since late April, although the bullpen problems continue to plague the team, particularly in the Orioles series.  Monday night, it was Edward Mujica blowing a 7-4 lead in the 7^th inning, and last night, Masa Kobayashi and Rafael Perez squandered a 5-3 advantage in the same frame.  I’m sure Fausto Carmona and Jeremy Sowers are very appreciative.  Yesterday also marked the departure of Paul Byrd, who was dealt to Boston for cash or a low level prospect.  Byrd won 32 games with the Tribe, which is most he won with any one team in his long, injury plagued career.

 

Jensen Lewis has saved his first two opportunities in the closer role, but others have had limited success in that role this season.  However, no one has really taken control of the spot.  Lewis is not a dominant type closer anyway; he is more like the Bob Wickman/Joe Borowski type that has scared everyone one in Cleveland for the last decade.  The other thing that Lewis lacks is pinpoint control.  He has had issues with walks before (remember in Cincinnati this year, when he walked four in one inning), seems to be a nibbler when he gets ahead in the count.  But, for now, he is better than Mujica in the role.

 

You can pretty much attribute the Indians’ failure in both the 2006 and 2008 seasons to a horrible bullpen.  According the Baseball Prospectus, the Cleveland bullpen is five wins worse than any other relief corps in the game.  Also, according to run differential, the Indians should be 61-57 right now, which would put them in contention in the AL Central Division.  Although the bats struggled early in the year, it is the relief pitching that has knocked the Tribe out of the race.  It hasn’t shown any signs of improvement, either.  The only reliable options are Rafael Perez and currently, Lewis.  The question is whether or not Eric Wedge and Carl Willis can handle a bullpen.

 

In looking at the ’05 and ’07 Tribe, the thing the stands out with both bullpens is a dominant set up man, Bob Howry (2005) and the combination of Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez (2007).  Without this role, the bullpen seems to be unsettled.  In 2006, Betancourt was on the roster and had a solid year (3-4, 3.81 ERA, 52 hits allowed in 56-2/3 innings, 7 HR allowed), but the other set up men were Fernando Cabrera (3-3, 5.19 ERA and 12 HR’s allowed in 60 innings), Jason Davis (3-2, 3.74 ERA but 67 hits allowed in 55-1/3 frames), and memorable gas can Guillermo Mota.  Also, Fausto Carmona was used in this role until he switched to the closer spot when Bob Wickman was traded.  Carmona was a failure in the closer spot, giving up three game winning dingers in a two-week span.

 

Last year, if Cleveland had a lead going into the seventh inning, Wedge went to Betancourt and Perez, and the game was usually in hand.  The problem that Wedge and Willis have is if their first option in the role doesn’t work out, they stay with the pitcher even if he is ineffective, and it also takes them a month or two to identify someone else.  That’s what happened this year.  Betancourt hasn’t been effective since April, and still most of his appearances are in the 7^th inning or later.  This is not to say the Tribe should cut ties with him, his track record shows that this may very well be a horrible year for a guy who is normally reliable.

 

It does say that Wedge and Willis must react quicker to guys who aren’t getting the job done.  I understand these are people they are dealing with, not baseball cards, but if a guy like Mujica gets bombed in three out of his last four games, he should be sent back to Buffalo.  He’s not a guy with a proven track record like Betancourt.  Yesterday, GM Mark Shapiro mentioned Rich Rundles as a guy they would like to take a look at.  Get him up here!  The Indians badly need another southpaw in the bullpen.  It’s like Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland says:  Show me a team with a bad bullpen, and I’ll show you a bad team.

 

KM

 

If only the Indians could play the Toronto Blue Jays more often.  The Tribe rebounded from a sickening loss in Tampa on Wednesday to sweep the Jays over the weekend, capped by Cliff Lee’s league leading 16^th win on Sunday.  In seven games against Cleveland this season, the Blue Jays scored just eight runs, making it pretty easy to win the season series against Toronto, 6 games to 1.  With a ten game home stand starting against Baltimore tonight, the Tribe could be on the verge of their best stretch since early May.  Here are some tidbits from the last week…

 

When Anthony Reyes won his Indian debut Friday night, he became only the third Indian pitcher to have a winning record (Lee and Carmona).  That’s how bad this season has been.  In fact, if you take Lee’s 16-2 mark out of the equation; the Tribe’s record is a woeful 36-62.  Carmona (5-4) and Reyes (1-0) are each just one game over the break-even point. 

 

Sources say right-hander Paul Byrd has cleared waivers.  The way he has pitched over the last month, he becomes the most desirable starting pitcher on the market.  It would not be surprising to see Byrd dealt to a contender in the next week or so.  His complete game win over the Blue Jays didn’t hurt his market value.  Also, Aaron Laffey threw eight shutout innings for the Bison on Saturday and could step into Byrd’s spot in the rotation.

 

After the debacle in Tampa, the Indians called up Reyes and Brandon Donnelly, replacing Matt Ginter (DL) and Tom Mastny, who has been sent to Buffalo.  The question is:  What did Mastny do wrong?  Overall, he hasn’t been effective, but he also has rarely pitched.  If the move was made to get him some work, then fine.  Meanwhile, Juan “Run per outing” Rincon continues to be on the roster.  I know someone in the front office likes Rincon’s arm, but you still have to get guys out.

 

Watching the Buffalo box scores, I noticed that veteran Jeff Weaver is working out of the bullpen.  His last four outings have been one or two inning stints.  Perhaps it is a good way for him to salvage a big league career.  He was getting waxed as a starter at the AAA level.  With the problems in the Cleveland bullpen, it’s worth taking a shot. 

 

Arizona lost 2B Orlando Hudson to a season ending wrist injury, so would they be interested in Jamey Carroll as a replacement?  Carroll has performed very well this season for the Tribe, playing more than expected because of Asdrubal Cabrera’s poor performance.  The Indians have veteran utility man Tony Graffanino at Buffalo, and he should be ready for a return to the big leagues.  Meanwhile, Cabrera’s bat is showing signs of life, hitting around .270 since his return from the minors.

 

The 10 game home stand features only three games, this weekend against the Angels, versus a playoff contender.  Yes, the Indians are out of it, but it would be cool to finish ahead of the Tigers even in a year where almost everything has gone wrong.  Also, look for Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield to start rehab assignments this week.  Martinez could be back in the lineup before the end of the home stand.

 

MW

 

 

The Cleveland Browns lost their pre-season (read:  exhibition) opener to the New York Jets 24-20 Thursday evening in a contest delayed during the first half by a lightning storm.  Who cares.  The most important thing was that the team suffered no key injuries, and they should the attitude of a squad that expects to contend for a spot in the playoffs in 2008.  The Browns led at the half 14-10, and that was the last time anybody who will play a key role on this team this season played, for the most part.

 

Derek Anderson looked good in his brief stint on the field, and Brady Quinn overcame an early interception to play well too.  Braylon Edwards caught a touchdown pass from Anderson that was thrown over the wrong shoulder by design, according to the QB, for the Browns first touchdown, showing the chemistry between the two is in mid-season form.  Kellen Winslow sat the game out due to injury so we did not see DA hook up with him.  Newcomer Donte Stallworth caught two passes as well, and the offensive line performed well.  Everything looked good when the brown and orange had the ball.

 

Defensively, the biggest question is the play of the two young cornerbacks, Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald, and both passed their first tests.  NT Shaun Rogers made the tackle on his first play for Cleveland, but the pass rush was non-existent in the first game.  Perhaps it is a case going very, very vanilla on defense in the first pre-season game, and Mel Tucker will be adding much, much more in the way of stunts and blitzes as training camp continues.  It would be very surprising if the defense didn’t do a lot of different things when they take on the Cowboys in the season opener.

 

Where the Browns will be made or broken is in regards to depth.  Injuries are a fact in the National Football League, so the good teams have quality depth.  That is why the most troubling thing to come out of camp thus far is the knee surgeries done on LBs Antawn Peek and rookie Beau Bell.  The linebacking crew is not a point of strength anyway, and losing two players expected to be contributors hurts.  Both players needed to be on the field during the pre-season, especially a rookie like Bell, so he can be evaluated in the new defense.

 

That’s why it was good to see third year WR Travis Wilson play well.  The Browns need to develop a third wide receiver, especially with Joe Jurevicius’ injury problems.  Wilson caught three passes for 58 yards.  Rookie TE Martin Rucker also showed an ability to get open, grabbing five balls for 70 yards.  Backup RBs Jason Wright and Jerome Harrison ran the ball effectively.  And we know the offensive line has depth.  As for the defense, the reverse secondary was burned by two long passes by Jets’ reserve QB Brett Ratliff.  That’s not a good sign, although the only DB involved that will probably make the team is special teams ace Zach Sorenson.

 

Otherwise, the first game was a non-event, although it was good to see football being played downtown again.  The Browns are now off until a week from Monday night, when they take on the Super Bowl champs, the New York Giants.  The starters should play around a half in that game before turning it over to the reserves.  As long as the attitude is there and injuries are avoided, that game will be a success as well.

 

JD

 

 

The Cleveland Indians salvaged a split of their four game series against the Tigers yesterday by beating Detroit 9-4 behind Fausto Carmona’s fine performance and good bullpen work by Rafael Perez and Masa Kobayashi.  They got the job done despite their second straight horrible defensive game, as the Tribe has made seven errors in the last two contests.  The good work of Perez and Kobayashi was a sharp contrast to the horrible outing on Wednesday night, when the team blew leads of 8-1 and 11-7 to drop a 14-12 decision.  With that in mind, here are some comments on the Tiger series:

 

Wouldn’t you just love to swap out the entire Tribe bullpen right now?  All right, you can exempt Perez and Kobayashi, who have been good for most of the year.  And Tom Mastny didn’t pitch in the debacle Wednesday, so he gets a pass too.  The rest of them…yeesh!  Jensen Lewis drives you, me, and probably Eric Wedge crazy with his inability to throw strikes consistently.  Rafael Betancourt has been a mess all year long.  Just when you think Edward Mujica is improved, he gives up four runs after two are out, and why Juan Rincon continues to be on the roster is a mystery. 

 

Here is a list of players on the Indians’ roster that would be less suited to bat second than Franklin Gutierrez.  Sal Fasano.  That’s it.  I understand that Jamey Carroll, who has been the most successful Indian in that slot, is having hamstring problems, but putting a player with a .257 on base percentage after your best hitter is wrong for many reasons.  First, it gives him more opportunities for at bats than anyone else on the team except for the leadoff hitter, Grady Sizemore.  That gives him more chances to make an out. 

 

Also, in a situation with men on base, why in the world would anyone pitch to Sizemore?  On deck is a hitter who makes an out almost 75% of the time.  The only player on the roster with a lower on-base percentage is Andy Marte, and he has been better since getting more playing time for the last month.  Seriously, virtually anyone on the roster would be a better choice to bat second than Franklin Gutierrez.  The management has to find out in he can play, but he doesn’t have to hit in the #2 hole.

 

It was good to see Fausto Carmona throwing strikes yesterday, walking just one in 6-1/3 innings.  If not for the fielding miscues, the big right-hander would have easily gone seven innings.  It could be that the hip injury bothered Carmona all season and hampered his control.  When he gets ahead of hitters, his stuff makes him one of the best pitchers in the American League.  You had to be a little concerned when he walked three in the first inning of his first start back against the Twins last Saturday.

 

It’s back to the road for a nine game trip to Minnesota, Tampa, and Toronto for the Indians.  The scheduled starters for the Twins series are Jeremy Sowers, Paul Byrd, and Matt Ginter, but something tells me another starter will be used in one of those games.  I would not be shocked if lefty Zach Jackson pitched instead of Ginter.  Meanwhile, David Dellucci continues to get at-bats…go figure.

 

KM

 

As the Indians’ season plays itself out, the best the team can hope for is to play a spoilers’ role the last two months of the campaign.  What do fans have to look forward to?  A couple of months watching a few Indians having outstanding years, but also viewing the struggles of young players trying to earn major league jobs for the 2009 season.  Mix in being able to look at some prospects for the first time, and that is what the Tribe’s season has turned into as we turn the calendar to August. 

 

We know we go back and forth on Jhonny Peralta, but his recent torrid stretch has quietly made his season a very good one.  According to the VORP (Value Above Replacement Player) ranking on Baseball Prospectus.com, Peralta is the second best shortstop in the American League, behind only Texas’ Michael Young.  The much-maligned SS is now hitting .271/.312/.495 with 17 HR and 57 RBI.  We realize he is no Omar Vizquel defensively, but he is better with the glove than future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter.  And if you think I’m insane, watch some Yankee games and look at his range.  When people say the Tribe has certainty at only two positions (Sizemore in CF and Martinez at C), they are mistaken.  Jhonny Peralta will be the Cleveland shortstop next season.

 

Speaking of Sizemore, he’s another Indian having a spectacular campaign.  Besides being 2^nd in the AL in home runs, he is tied for 3^rd in total bases, and ranks 6^th in the league in runs scored despite the Tribe offense being sub par for most of the year.  He’s hitting .279/.384/.543, which rivals the numbers he put up in 2006, when he pounded out more than 50 doubles.  In fact, he is on pace to hit 40 doubles and 40 home runs this season.  Add in 26 stolen bases, and if the Tribe were in contention, you would be looking at an MVP season for the 26-year-old gold glove outfielder. 

 

Of course, the other huge season being had by an Indian is that of lefty Cliff Lee.  Lee is the front-runner for the Cy Young Award, which would be the second in a row won by a Cleveland pitcher.  The southpaw is going for his major league leading 15^th win tonight against Detroit.  He currently has a 2.29 ERA and his strikeout to walk ratio is an amazing 120:20.  Lee started the season on an unbelievable roll, and really hasn’t had any drop off.  He’s been the best pitcher in the American League all season long.

 

There is one other player to say good things about as well.  Shin-Soo Choo is hitting just .259, but half of his hits (36) are for extra bases.  He has an on-base percentage of over. 350 and a slugging percentage of over .450, which means you are a good offensive player.  It’s time to see him against some left-handed pitchers.

 

The Indians are currently 8^th in the AL in runs scored, ranking 7^th in slugging percentage and only 10^th in on base percentage.  The extra base power has increased due to players like Choo, Kelly Shoppach (.466 slugging percentage) and Peralta, who now has 50 extra base hits on the season.  The low OBP is due to having young, impatient hitters who have had trouble working counts. 

 

Anthony Reyes made his first start at Buffalo last night, pitching five innings and allowing three runs in getting the win.  It would not be surprising to see Reyes starting here soon in place of Matt Ginter, who struggled yesterday.  Nor would it be a shock to see Zach Jackson, acquired in the Sabathia deal, in Cleveland soon.  He has put up a 1.08 ERA at Buffalo and has started his last two appearances.

 

MW

 

There is no truth to the rumor that Eric Wedge is leaving the Indians to become Joe Torre’s bench coach with the Dodgers to join Casey Blake in Los Angeles.  It was a busy weekend for the Indians’ front office, as they made a pair of deals to improve the future of the ballclub.  On the field, the Tribe lost two out of three to Minnesota as they continue to struggle in divisional play.  They are now 4-8 on the season against the Twins.  By the way, their next seven games are against AL Central Divisional foes.

 

Blake was dealt on Saturday to the Dodgers with the Indians getting minor leaguers Jonathan Meloan and Carlos Santana in return.  Meloan is a right-handed pitcher, who has been starting at Class AAA Las Vegas, but had a brief call up in 2007 as a reliever.  He will be moved back to the bullpen at Buffalo, and with the state of the Cleveland relief corps, could be here soon.  He is just 24 years old, and came into the year averaging 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings.  His strikeout pitch is a slider that he throws in the mid-80’s.  He was ranked as the #8 prospect in the Dodgers farm system by Baseball America.

 

Santana is a converted catcher who is currently tearing up the hitter friendly California League, batting .323/.431/.563 with 14 home runs in 350 at-bats for Inland Empire.  He has also walked more than he has struck out (69/59).  He will go to Kinston, and may be up to Akron before the season is over.  He also leads the minor leagues in RBI with 96.  He’s just 22 and a switch hitter to boot.  Mark Shapiro was able to extract two good prospects for Blake because he agreed to pay the balance of the third baseman’s contract in the deal.

 

Shapiro then took a gamble on 26-year-old right-hander Anthony Reyes, picking him up from the Cardinals for AA reliever Luis Perdomo.  Reyes started Game 1 of the 2006 World Series for the Cardinals, but has battled inconsistency and some arm troubles since.  He was regarded as St. Louis’ best prospect three or four years ago.  He throws in the mid-90’s, but is working on a sinker that he throws in the low 90’s.  He is 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA in 11 starts at Class AAA Memphis, and went 2-1 with a 4.91 ERA in 10 relief appearances with the big club.

 

For all of the criticism Shapiro takes, this is a situation he has done very well with.  He maximizes the value of guys who will be leaving for free agency at the end of a season, if the Tribe is out of it.  That may make total sense, but there are plenty of teams that don’t share that philosophy.  The GM picked up two hard throwers and a switch-hitting catcher for a player who would have brought back two amateur draft picks in return and a AA reliever.  If just one of these players becomes a key player for the Indians, then Shapiro made a great move.

 

As for the games on the field, I know the Tribe had a left on left match up in the ninth inning yesterday in a 2-2 game, but you cannot leave Justin Morneau beat you if you are playing the Twins.  Especially if you are behind in the count 3-1, as Rafael Perez was in the count, you can’t let him get the key hit with first base open.  On Friday, why not bring in Perez to start the ninth with Joe Mauer and Morneau being the first two hitters.  Instead Wedge brings in Masa Kobayashi, because he’s the closer, and after a hit and a dinger, it’s 5-4.  If you don’t have an established closer, then you play the percentages.

 

The manager and front office are taking a look at players for the rest of the season.  However, if you have a chance to win, then try to win.  Also, since the season has been scrapped, why not try some different things like letting Perez start the ninth to get two of the tougher left handed batters in the game?  One more thing…let’s not have Franklin Gutierrez hitting second anymore.  Oh, and another thing, if you have a tie game, you probably shouldn’t have David Dellucci in LF with Ben Francisco in CF.  Lose the DH and put Grady Sizemore in CF.  Francisco may have caught Casilla’s bloop to left to start the inning.

 

KM