Trading Crisp is a Curious Decision

I trust Mark Shapiro. The Indians GM has done a marvelous job judging talent. He traded Roberto Alomar in his first major trade, and Alomar never played at an All Star level again. He declined to give Jim Thome an extra year on his contract, and Thome hurt his back the third year into the deal with the Phillies. After signing Matt Lawton and Ricky Gutierrez to long term deals in his first year, Shapiro’s resume is impeccable.

However, trading Coco Crisp for what amounts to prospects is a strange decision. If the Tribe had finished last season with an 84-78 record or around that area, it would be a good trade. But, the Cleveland Indians were arguably the second best team in the American League in 2005. Trading an established player for prospects is not the direction the Tribe should be heading in.

I realize Andy Marte is one of the best prospects in baseball. He has been compared as a hitter to Florida Miguel Cabrera and if he is anywhere close to that, he will be a perennial All-Star. But, Marte probably will not start the season in Cleveland. The Indians are supposedly acquiring outfielder Jason Michaels from the Phillies for reliever Arthur Rhodes (hopefully it is David Riske instead) to replace Crisp, but the rightfield problem still remains.

Michaels is a good player and he gets on base more than Crisp, although Coco has more extra base pop. But, the right handed hitting Michaels is three years older than Crisp. I’m sure that the front office feels minor leaguers Brad Snyder and/or Franklin Gutierrez will be in the starting line up in 2007, but this is supposed to be the year to make the playoffs. Planning for the future is nice, but the Tribe missed the post season by ONE GAME in 2005.

Getting Guillermo Mota and perhaps Boston prospect Manny Delcarmen, a hard thrower, will allow Shapiro to replace Bobby Howry, who went to the Cubs as a free agent, and strengthen the bullpen for 2006. However, the Tribe still needs a proven right handed hitter, and they still do not have one.

Another reason the deal looks bad from a public relations standpoint is that Crisp is eligible for arbitration, which means he will receive a healthy raise for 2006. So, the cheap tag will be hung around owner Larry Dolan’s neck again. Now, no team should be run based on the fans’ thinking, but when you base your budget on attendance, driving people away from the team hurts in the long run. This trade will not be embraced by Tribe fans.

Will Marte be able to contribute to this year’s squad? If so, where will he play? The Indians committed an extra year to Aaron Boone towards the end of ’05, so Marte’s primary position is not an option for ’06. If the rookie is the real deal, he will help form a deadly middle of the order with Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez. Marte could be the next Cabrera or he could be the next Gregg Jeffries, a team who is as good as the 2005 Cleveland Indians should not be taking such a huge risk.

Cavs Fans: Get off the Bridge!!

Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost five in a row, the last four on the road. They also have two more games on this trip, playing Golden State and Utah. After a couple of home games, they go back on the road for three more games. The wine and gold’s record has dipped to 20-16 on the season. But, seriously Cavs fans, it’s not that bad. This is no time for panic.

The team could have won all four of these games. They lost by one to the Lakers and Nuggets, and by two to the Trail Blazers. Phoenix defeated the Cavs by nine last Saturday night, but Cleveland was only down three with two minutes to go. It’s not like they are getting blown out. They are also playing without starters Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. This is still a team with many new players, and they are still getting used to each other. Usually, that means mistakes during crunch time, leading to close defeats.

I understand it is much more frustrating for a fan to lose close games than to be beaten by 30 points. However, it means the Cavaliers are a good team, just not a great one. I’ve heard fans call talk shows worrying about making the playoffs this season. They are still the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, a full five games ahead of the ninth place Chicago Bulls for the last playoff spot. At this point, it is way, way too early to be worried about a return to the draft lottery.

This reaction is part of the "woe is me" mentality that Browns GM Phil Savage talked about when he came back here. Listen, I don’t think anyone is happy that the Cavaliers lost five in a row. But, to compare this team to clubs like the Bulls, Magic, and Celtics is ridiculous. The wine and gold is much better than those clubs.

Another note on LeBron and the boys. There have been rumors of the Cavs being interested in center Mark Blount and guard Marcus Banks from Boston for Drew Gooden and Damon Jones. This would be a bad trade for Cleveland. Blount’s weakness is rebounding, and to lose one of the teams better boarders for him would hurt the team defensively. Upgrading the point guard position is needed, but not at the cost of Gooden.

Don't You Wish the 3-Pointer Was Abolished

Apparently, the Cleveland Cavaliers offensive strategy is to get the ball to LeBron James or Zydrunas Ilgauskas and if you can’t, shoot a three pointer. The team totally ignores the mid range jump shot now the Larry Hughes is injured. Outside of James, the team’s offensive IQ is not very high.

Last night’s loss to Portland was a perfect example on this overreliance of the three point shot. Trailing by one with less than a minute to go, the shot the team took was a three from the corner by Donyell Marshall. They didn’t need a three to take the lead! Had Marshall pump faked, he would have almost certainly been fouled by a Trail Blazer defender running out at him.

I love the aquisition of Marshall, and still do. However, last night he took seven shots, five of them from beyond the arc. For the season, roughly 2/3 of his field goal attempts are long distance shots. And then there is Damon Jones. Jones took 14 shots last night, 10 of them three pointers. In fact, Jones has taken 77% of his attempts from the field from beyond the three line. A ridiculous percentage, indeed.

The Cavaliers certainly needed people who could shoot from the outside over the off season. However, with one of the best players in the game in James, and one of the best low post presences in Ilgauskas, the team should not be falling in love with the three point shot. Perhaps putting Jones in the starting line up is a mistake since the Cavs set a tone early that they will be hoisting the three. This is where the team misses Hughes the most, since he is deadly with the 15 to 18 foot shot.

It’s time for Coach Mike Brown to start Luke Jackson opposite Eric Snow at guard for two reasons. One, the team needs to get a look at its first pick from 2004, and two, Jackson is more similar to Hughes than Jones is. It also allows Brown to use Marshall and Jones off the bench in tandem as he did for most of the year.

With four straight losses, albeit all close games, it is time to make a change to shake the team up. Continuing to start Jones sends the wrong message. It isn’t working, and the Cavs need to end their mini slump.

Some Cleveland Sports Thoughts

January is a slow month for sports in Cleveland. The Browns failed to make the playoffs again. The Cavaliers are doing well, but the NBA season is still about a month away from the All Star break. The Indians are about a month away from the start of spring training in Winter Haven. So, I just wanted to offer some thoughts on the sports scene…

* With a lean free agent market in baseball this year, Mark Shapiro continues to do an excellent job procuring talent. He focused on strengthening the team’s bench, which could pay dividends during the season. Guys like Eduardo Perez, Todd Hollandsworth, and Lou Merloni are all serviceable subs who will help this ballclub. I’m still a little concerned about the bullpen, but all in all, the Indians are still a legitimate contender for the American League pennant in 2006.

* WKNR’s Kenny Roda pawns himself off as a Steelers’ fan and a Browns’ fan, but he seemed a bit too happy after Pittsburgh’s 41-0 hammering of Cleveland on Christmas Eve. If indeed you are a fan of the brown and orange, you could not be so gleeful after that performance. Roda was delighted to rub the Browns’ collective noses in that mess. He follows that up by conducting a Steelers rally in the heart of Browns country, which is advertised on the station. You cannot be a fan of both teams, anymore than someone could be a fan of both Ohio State and Michigan.

* More on Roda…Here’s hoping he doesn’t hurt himself patting his own back. The afternoon host on 850 AM is taking partial credit for Browns GM Phil Savage keeping his job. The fact is the outrage of the fans contacting the team’s office and that the organization was becoming a national joke is the reason for Savage staying. Several days later on Greg Brinda’s show, The News-Herald’s Jeff Schudel told Brinda that no radio talk show host saved Savage’s job.

* Listening to the Cavs’ game the other night, I noticed that play by play man Joe Tait has started to criticize the defense of guard Damon Jones on the air. Tait is critical toward officials, but rarely does a Cavalier incur his wrath. This is usually a sign that management is not happy with the player’s performance and he soon could be relocating. Just something to keep in mind…

Cavs' Jones Should Shut Up!

After Saturday’s victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, Cavaliers guard Damon Jones lashed out at the fans telling them he did not want to be cheered anymore, because he was booed during the game after missing several three point shots. Jones, the self proclaimed "best shooter in the world", is in a slump hitting less than 20% of his shots after moving to the starting line up after the injury to Larry Hughes.

Jones should shut his mouth. First, nothing good can be gained by getting into an argument with the fans. Fans go to the game for enjoyment, and although they may not know what they are talking about, they are paying money to go to the games. Jones may have been a key player for the Miami Heat last season, averaging 12.2 points per game, but Cleveland fans didn’t see that. They judge Jones only on what they have seen since the guard put on the wine and gold, a supposed great shooter who is tossing enough bricks to build a new wing at Quicken Loans Arena, and a guy who couldn’t guard someone in a phone booth.

I guarantee you that if LeBron James or Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a couple a subpar games the crowd would not be up in arms. That’s because Cavs’ supporters have seen enough of a track record from these players to give them the benfit of the doubt. They would understand that the player is going through a slump.

The crowd at the "Q" hasn’t seen enough good games from Jones to allow him the same slack. It also doesn’t help Jones cause that he talks better than he has played so far. He’s the guy who came to Cleveland talking about how good he is. If you’re going to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. If you are going to tell everyone how great you are, then you have to produce. If Jones had signed with the Cavs without saying much, the fans would probably be more understanding.

Cleveland is a city that likes athletes who work hard. Look at some of the players it embraced over the years, Brian Brennan, Danny Ferry, Omar Vizquel (there is another theory at work here too). The people of this city do not like guys who are all flash and no substance. That’s what Jones is.

I can tell Damon Jones this. Once the shots start falling, the crowds at the "Q" will fall in love with Damon Jones. Jones will become more popular in this city, and this is a city who puts its athletes on pedestals. That is if Jones hasn’t damaged his relationship with the fans by opening his mouth. You can’t dig a hole you can’t get out of. Hopefully, Damon Jones can climb out of his hole with the fans.

Will Cavs' Depth Be Enough?

The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered their first major injury of the 2005-6 season with the news that guard Larry Hughes will miss 6-8 weeks due to surgery to repair a broken finger. GM Danny Ferry wanted to put together a deeper team for this season, and although Coach Mike Brown likes to go about eight deep in games, Hughes’ injury will show if there is depth for the wine and gold.

Last night, Brown started Damon Jones in place of Hughes, and the early return was not promising. Jones made just one shot, a three pointer, and struggled on defense as usual. In fact, Brown turned to seldom used Mike Wilks to place defense after watching Milwaukee guard Michael Williams drive the lane uncontested several times late in the third quarter. Shortly thereafter, the Cavs went on a 19-0 run to take the lead and put the game away for good.

The guess here is we will see more Ira Newble and Luke Jackson in Hughes’ absence. Newble offers the defensive presence that Hughes gave the team, and Jackson can provide the offense once he gets more confortable on the court. The team will need Donyell Marshall to provide the scoring that will be missing as Hughes is the second leading scorer at 16 PPG.

However, the biggest thing that Hughes supplies is a second guy who can create his own shot. Outside of LeBron, the Cavaliers really do not have anyone else who can do that. Also, the former Wizard is another player who will hit the open man. So, his loss will be more of a factor on offense than people may think.

The Cavs’ are going to need someone to step up while Hughes is out, both offensively and defensively. How successful they are in finding someone could determine whether or not they have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. After so many years on the outside looking in, that’s a pretty good thing to have to worry about.

The Right Guy is Gone

This morning, the word came out of Berea that Browns’ President John Collins is out, apparently losing his power struggle with Vice President and GM Phil Savage. After Friday’s rumor that Savage was about to be fired by Collins, a move that would have set the franchise back yet again, Randy Lerner’s ownership was about to be hammered by the fans and the media. Thankfully, Lerner came to his senses and unloaded his yes-man.

The reason this team hasn’t won since 1964 is because very rarely has the organization been run by a football man. In the mid 1980’s, Ernie Accorsi ran the organization and brought in guys like Frank Minnifield and Kevin Mack from the USFL, and helped orchastrate the Bernie Kosar drafting. The Browns went to three AFC Championship Games, although they lost to Denver. The point is the team won.

Usually guys like Art Modell and Carmen Policy were running the operation, guys more interested in marketing and promotion that winning football. This is the kind of man John Collins was. The Cavaliers used the same metality when Gordon Gund owned the team. Gund changed uniform colors, brought in star players, traded players he thought had questionnable friends. Fans stayed away in droves. There is only one thing that draws in Cleveland, winning! If the team wins, people will go to the games. If Randy Lerner wants the Browns to regain the lofty perch they enjoyed until the team left in 1994, winning should be the primary focus.

Collins’ resignation means that Savage will remain in control of the football operation, which is a very good thing. It has been reported that Head Coach Romeo Crennel went to bat for Savage, probably because he doesn’t want to continue to coach poor personnel forever. Crennel and Savage worked closely in training camp, making decisions on who can play and who cannot. A head coach would rather discuss those decisions with a football man than another suit in the front office.

A decision to get rid of Savage would have stamped the organization as a laughing stock. After all, it hasn’t even been a year since the GM joined the team from the Ravens. A two game improvement from the 4-12 record in 2004 would have went down the drain. This is a team on the rise, with a coach and general manager who have experience with winning teams. Maybe Collins didn’t like the attention the two were getting. Or maybe Collins was looking for a scapegoat for the 41-0 drilling by Pittsburgh, instead of just seeing the game for what it was, a better team winning.

Today, at least, common sense has taken control in the Browns’ organization. Randy Lerner chose the right man instead of an ass kisser. Phil Savage has a stronger hold on his position in charge of football operations. Perhaps three years from now, Savage should be on the hot seat, but not now, not after one year in the position. Phil, keep wearing the baseball hat with the suit, if you win, it will be colorful. No matter what John Collins thinks.

Will Tribe Spend Money From New TV Contract?

The Indians announced the formation of their new television network on Monday, and made a big deal of saying the proceeds from the new venture would be put in the payroll budget, raising that number to around $60 million. In 2005, the club spent an estimated $43 million on their players’ salaries. However, looking at the transactions Mark Shapiro has made this winter, it appears he has most of that money left on the table.

Cleveland lost Kevin Millwood, who signed a ridiculous five year deal with Texas, and replaced him with Paul Byrd, who is making the same $7 million as Millwood did in 2005. Bob Wickman re-upped with the club at roughly double his $2.5 million salary in 2005. The team also lost free agents Bob Howry and Scott Elarton, but signed innings eater Jason Johnson from Detroit at $3.5 million for 2006.

So, it appears before the raises being given to the younger players like Sabathia, Hafner, Martinez, etc., The Indians increased their payroll by about $4 million, leaving $13 million left for Shapiro to spend. Let’s say those raises talked about earlier add up to about $5 million, so Shapiro still has about $8 million left to dole out. Where will it go?

The front office complains about the lack of buzz surrounding the team even though they won 93 games last season. However, it is hard to create interest when your chief competition, the White Sox, has added Jim Thome and Javier Vasquez to a team that won the World Series in ’05, and you signed Paul Byrd. I’m sure the Tribe’s marketing department is wondering how to promote the ’06 Tribe.

This is not to say Shapiro should have given huge jack to guys like Burnett, Ryan, and even Millwood. Those would have been bad investments. Will this team use the $8 million or so it has to spend to obtain players from a team looking to cut payroll? There is still a month and a half before training camp opens, so there is plenty of time to upgrade the roster.

Taking low risk gambles on Danny Graves and Steve Karsay are smart moves, but they don’t create a big splash, and they certainly don’t sell tickets. Shapiro has some money, and he certainly has the smarts. Will he make a creative move to take on payroll and improve his club? Could the extra cash be spent on bringing Manny Ramirez back to the Wigwam?

Let’s see what happens in these next six weeks to see if the Indians can create a buzz going into the 2006 season.

The Rivalry Should Be On Now!

For the many Steeler fans out there who do not think the Browns game is a big deal since Cleveland is not any good, the performance of the black and gold on Saturday should get the fire burning among the Browns players in 2006. If I were in the front office, I would ask the schedule makers to allow the two teams to get together as early as possible next season.

Yes, Pittsburgh dominated in every phase of the game in the 41-0 pasting at Browns Stadium. And yes, they are a better team, as they try to make the playoffs again with their 10-5 record going into their game with the equally wretched Lions on Sunday. However, it was the way the Steelers won that should leave a bad taste in the mouth of every person in the Cleveland organization.

Pittsburgh mocked the Browns. They ran up the score with a long pass to Quincy Morgan, who amazingly held on to the pass, in the fourth quarter. The subsequent kickoff looked awfully like an onside kick, as well. The constant preening and posturing of Steeler players in the rout should stick in the craw of Phil Savage, Romeo Crennel, and every other Brown. Bill Cowher’s smug smile was every bit as annoying as Morgan’s gesturing after his touchdown.

The game showed Pittsburgh did not take the Browns seriously from the moment the game began. The Browns players and coaching staff said after the game they were embarassed by their performance. They should be. For the most part, they mailed it in on Christmas Eve. You can count on one hand the players who were disgusted by their play as the game went on. Reuben Droughns’ effort on a fourth down carry in the fourth quarter showed his passion for the game.

The Steelers acted like the big bully on the playground on Saturday, making fun of the little guys as they repeatedly they gave them noogies. Nest year, here’s hoping the Browns get up off of their collective butts, stand up and kick the bully right in the family jewels. I’d love to see Cowher grimacing along with the rest of the guys wearing black and gold.

It's Official: The Browns Are Better Than '04

With all of the bitching about the Cleveland Browns over the past few weeks, you would think the team is taking steps backward. However, with yesterday’s 9-7 win over the Oakland Raiders, the team has now won five games on the season, one more than 2004’s 4-12 record. See, the Browns are getting better.

It is difficult to think Cleveland will beat the Steelers on Christmas Eve (that’s right, I wrote CHRISTMAS!!!), but a victory in the season finale at the Stadium against the Ravens isn’t so hard to fathom. That would mean the brown and orange will end up with a 6-10 record, a two game improvement. The Browns also appear to have found a quarterback for the future, with Charlie Frye’s continued good play.

Yesterday was Frye’s first win, and it was a come from behind effort at that. Yes, Frye made some ill advised throws, such as the sideline pass to Corey McIntyre that was picked off. But, he also made some excellent throws like the one to Antonio Bryant where Frye was almost broken in two. The rookie from Akron displays great touch, but also can put some mustard on the ball as well.

On defense, the team allowed just one touchdown, although Sabastian Janikowski did help by missing two field goals. This was done despite the defense being on the field most of the second quarter. Cornerback Leigh Bodden appears to be a guy who can be a starter in the NFL, but as a #2 corner. Chaun Thompson shows signs of being a big play guy, and Andra Davis signed a five year contract, so he will be one of the building blocks of the defense.

The team still needs a pass rusher though. Even though the sacked the QB a few times against the Raiders, the Browns lack a consistant pass rush. With oodles of dollars under the salary cap, and a probable top ten pick in the draft, GM Phil Savage can continue to build on this season. There will be changes in the coaching staff, if only because Romeo Crennel will have more time to put his staff together. He didn’t have this last year because he was hired late.

Unlike last year, you have to feel better about the Cleveland Browns than you did at this point in 2004. There is stability in the front office, the head coaching position, and at quarterback. I know that won’t stop the complaining, but it should.