Thank goodness the Cleveland Indians don’t have to see the Texas Rangers anytime soon.  Texas opened the season by battering the Tribe pitching staff, and they did it again in a doubleheader on Tuesday night, scoring 21 runs in the two games.  Then, they tacked on another 10 today for good measure.

 

Only Aaron Laffey beat the Rangers this season, and Texas repaid him by getting 12 hits and scoring seven runs off him in Game 2.  This might be one of those times the Indians throw away the scouting report on the Rangers’ hitters, because it is obviously not the correct information on how to get them out.

 

One thing that raised my eyebrow over the weekend was WKNR’s Mark “Munch” Bishop bringing out his Travis Hafner bashing stick about Hafner being a singles hitter, and advocating signing potential free agent Jim Thome to replace him. 

 

First, no one, I repeat, no one is going to take Hafner’s bloated contract off of the Indians’ hands.  Not at over $10 million per year for two more years.  Second, it doesn’t make any sense to do this for the Tribe.

 

Hafner has a slugging percentage of .498, which is the best on the team.  This disputes Bishop’s assertion that Hafner has turned into a slappy.  What is Thome’s slugging percentage?  It’s roughly the same at .493. 

 

Of course, Thome spent his season playing in one of the American League’s best hitter’s park in US Cellular Field while Pronk plays at Progressive Field which is the AL’s best pitcher’s park, at least it is in 2009. 

 

Hafner is a victim of his past.  He will probably never reach the power numbers he had in 2004-06, but he has 15 dingers in 273 at bats.  What the Indians need is for the big man to get 450-500 at bats next season.  At the pace he is currently at, he would hit 26 homers in 2010.  It’s not the Pronk of the past, but it’s still a solid season.

 

On another note, the team made its final September recall by bringing up Niumann Romero from Columbus.  Congratulations to Romero on making his major league debut despite hitting just a combined .240 with 1 HR and 35 RBI at both Akron and Columbus this season.  Romero started yesterday’s game at…1B, of course, making him the 34^th person to play the position for the Indians this year.

 

However, they ignored 1B Jordan Brown, who hit .336 with 15 HR and 67 RBI with the Clippers.  Why?  Skipper Eric Wedge said they couldn’t find at bats for Brown.  However, I found some.  He could have taken the four at bats given to Romero today!  Are the Indians so filled with great offensive players that they can’t find chances for a guy who hit .336 in AAA? 

 

The ownership wants to know why the fans have lost confidence in the organization.  I suggest they ask Jordan Brown.

 

KM

 

When it was all said and done, the Cleveland Browns did the NFL one better, cutting its roster to 52 players, one below the league mandate for opening day.  However, it would not be surprising if some of the survivors from yesterday’s cuts didn’t suit up for game one against the Vikings next Sunday.

 

There were few shocks in the final transactions.  Jamal Lewis and Jerome Harrison both survived, the latter was more of an eyebrow raiser than the former.  Lewis used the pre-season to get ready for the 16 game grind of the regular season, not to make the team, although it will be interesting to see how much he still has in the tank in 2009.  James Davis was impressive and deserves to get some time once the games start for real.

 

The most surprising names to make the roster were DB Bret Lockett and OL Corey Hilliard, who were both kept over more experienced players, Corey Ivy and Isaac Sowells, respectively.  I was not stunned to hear that WR David Patten didn’t make the team.  Patten missed most of training camp with injuries, and wasn’t a big contributor on special teams. 

 

It appears that when it came down to the final spots on the roster, Eric Mangini went with youth over experience.  For a rebuilding team, this is a good move.  Why not take a shot that a young guy can become a player over a veteran who likely will not improve.  The only surprise in this regard was the cut of last year’s fourth round pick, ILB Beau Bell.

 

Third string quarterback Brett Ratliff got the benefit of the doubt from being with Mangini for a full season, as he was outplayed in the games by Richard Bartel, who was among those released.  Bartel will probably be signed on to the practice squad if he’s not picked up by another team.

 

Of course, some of those waived will be resigned along with Bartel.  Players like WR Paul Hubbard, WR Jordan Norwood, DB Brandon Anderson, and OL Brandon Braxton could wind up back with the Browns in this area.

 

There is no doubt that Mangini and GM George Kokinis will be scouring the waiver wire for players let go by other teams that could help the brown and orange.  My guess is they are looking for a veteran offensive lineman and another defensive back, perhaps a safety because of Brodney Pool’s injury history.

 

It will be a busy next couple of days for the front office as the final roster is prepared.  If a player survived yesterday’s cut down, he still has some nervous days ahead before becoming an official member of the Cleveland Browns.

 

JD

 

The rosters have expanded and the baseball season has entered its final month, at least it is for the Cleveland Indians, who exited the pennant race in June.  With the ninth month just a few days old, we have already seen one more piece of the C.C. Sabathia trade in Michael Brantley, and the first piece of the Cliff Lee transaction in Carlos Carrasco.

 

However, there are still things to question about how the Tribe is handling September.  The focus should be on getting ready for next season, but it appears there are other agendas.  Here are more questions…

 

·          Why isn’t Andy Marte getting any time at 3B, his natural position?  Again, I’m not saying I’m sold on Marte as a starter for next season.  He parlayed some everyday playing time into a hot streak that included four home runs on the road trip that was concluded yesterday.  Please don’t tell me that Jhonny Peralta is that entrenched in the Tribe’s 2010 plans.

 

·          Why is Peralta entrenched at 3B for next season?  Yes, we have been critical of Peralta the past few months, but it seems like the front office is in love with him.  Why?  He’s an okay player, certainly nothing special.  He isn’t a big power guy. He doesn’t hit for a high average.  He doesn’t walk a lot.  He has no speed.  He’s not a very good defender.  Shouldn’t the team want something better from third base?

 

·          Why bench Matt LaPorta, Marte, or Brantley?  Playing Marte at the hot corner would allow Eric Wedge to play LaPorta at 1B with Brantley in LF.  Also, stop moving LaPorta all over the place; play him in left or at first.  Brantley should play left or center.  There is no need to move players around because of the configuration of the ballpark. 

 

·          Why do we continue to see Kelly Shoppach behind the plate?  Wyatt Torregas isn’t a great prospect, but right now I’d rather see him than Shoppach’s constant whiffing.  The perfect scenario would be to see Lou Marson and Carlos Santana starting at catcher, but the Tribe has said the latter will not get called up.  Why not take a look at what Marson offers?

 

·          Why does everyone want Grady Sizemore to shut it down early?  From what I have heard, it’s a rather minor procedure on his elbow with a short rehab time.  He is swinging the bat better, having raised his average 20 points over the last couple of months.  If he wants to play, and he isn’t doing more damage to the joint, what’s the harm in putting him in the lineup?

 

·          Has Eric Wedge already been told his fate?  He alluded to his future prior to yesterday’s game.  It is clear to me that GM Mark Shapiro needs to go outside the organization to find his next field manager.  Since the Angels seem to be a well-run franchise, and Mike Scioscia is arguably the best skipper in the game, I would suggest looking at Ron Roenicke.  The last guy hired out of that organization has done well, Tampa’s Joe Maddon.

 

Hopefully, the Indians show a better effort than they did in Detroit.  Yes, the Tigers are the division leaders, but the Tribe played bad baseball in the series.  If Eric Wedge has any hope of keeping his job, he better get his team back in gear during this homestand.  Making five errors in a game here could get the few folks attending the games, a little bit angry.

 

MW

 

The Cleveland Browns surprised a few people by releasing two veterans in the past week in CB Rod Hood and offensive lineman George Foster.  Yesterday, the team put Ryan Tucker on injured reserve.  It was a good gamble to bring these guys into camp, particularly Tucker and Foster, because you never know when you will need depth on the offensive line.

 

Tucker is not a surprise as he has developed into a guy you cannot count on over the past few years, something coaches loathe.  He missed time in ’07, played just one game in 2008, and now will be out this year.  People have said he is arguably the Browns’ best offensive lineman when he plays, however, that’s the rub…he can’t get on the field.

 

Look for the Browns to pick up an experienced offensive lineman when the rosters are cut down to 53 next week.  Some quality depth will be out there, and Eric Mangini will definitely be interested in adding to the depth of his roster.  Currently, the only experienced reserves are Hank Fraley (assuming Alex Mack starts at center), and Floyd Womack (assuming Rex Hadnot starts), because Fred Weary was also placed on the injured reserve list yesterday. 

 

Corey Ivy and impressive looking rookie Coye Francies beat out Hood for a spot on the roster.  Francies has stood out with his physicality among the defensive backs. 

 

Many times coaches make moves with veterans like Foster and Hood so they can hook on with other teams quicker.

 

The Browns also dealt DL Louis Leonard to Carolina for an undisclosed draft pick.  Having Robaire Smith healthy, and the strong play of Ahtyba Rubin made Leonard expendable.  Also, the latter’s argument with defensive line coach Brian Cox a few weeks ago didn’t help his cause.  Once again, this is a case of Mangini showing who’s the boss.  And there is nothing wrong with that.

 

It appears that Mangini is fair on the makeup of his roster as well.  He has been willing to let go of some of the players he and GM George Kokinis brought in over the off-season, and that is a refreshing trait compared to some of the past management regimes (see Davis, Butch).  The current management seems to want the best 53 players on the roster, with no hidden agendas.

 

Following Thursday’s game against Chicago, there will be a bevy of activity in Berea.  Twenty two players have to be let go to get to the 53 man roster for the regular season, but the guess here is more than that many will not be wearing a Browns’ jersey come September 13th.  There will be three or four players cut by other organizations, who will be standing on the sidelines against Minnesota. 

 

The Browns want to keep upgrading their talent level.

 

JD

 

If the third pre-season game is indeed a dress rehearsal of sorts, then the main event could be better than advertised for the Cleveland Browns.  However, it’s only a dress rehearsal if both teams treat it that way.  Depending on how you look at these things, the fact that Titans’ coach Jeff Fisher got tired of watching QB Kerry Collins shred the Browns secondary was a good thing or a bad thing.

 

It’s was a good thing if you put a lot of stock in exhibition victories, because certainly the path to a win was made easier by Collins being replaced by Vince Young early in the second quarter on Saturday night.  It’s a bad thing because the brown and orange defense had problems against a veteran quarterback like Collins, who put the ball where he wanted most of the evening. 

 

After a good first series, the Cleveland defense had problems against the Titans’ offense until Young came in the game.  Keep in mind, the Browns’ best defender was still not in uniform, as Shaun Rogers did not play.  But still, it was not a performance that will have defensive coordinator Rob Ryan beeming with pride.

 

Young turned the ball over twice in critical situations, once while going in for a touchdown to end the first half, and his poor choice early in the third quarter led to an 11 yard interception return by OLB Alex Hall which gave the Browns control of the game. 

 

Kamerion Wimbley continued to show improvement, and Ahtyba Rubin showed some positive things as well in relief of Rogers.  Corey Williams and Robaire Smith had several good moments too, especially Smith, whose pressure on Young led to Hall’s TD, and he blocked a field goal as well.

 

On offense, the running game still sputtered, except for when rookie James Davis carried the ball.  The first year back from Clemson continues to impress, while veteran Jamal Lewis looks like he lacks that extra gear so far. 

 

Now, for the quarterback derby. Brady Quinn looked good on his first two drives, putting the ball where it needed to be, and converting one drive into a field goal.  Derek Anderson completed some short passes as well as throwing the deep ball.  However, he still had receivers turning around, and avoided an interception when his throw was too hot for the Tennessee defender, who had it pop off his pads into the hands of Mike Furrey. 

 

Quinn came back in after a turnover in the third quarter and converted a touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards, who played a solid game.  Both signal callers threw a lot of screen passes which proved highly successful.

 

Hopefully, Eric Mangini will put this nonsense behind his team by naming a starter early this week, and it should be Quinn, who has been slightly better in the first three pre-season contests.  The team deserves to know who the offensive leader will be.  This is a short week with the last exhibition game against the Bears being played on Thursday night, and that game will not see a lot of playing time for the starters.

 

It also appears that first round draft pick Alex Mack will start, since he began the game with the first unit on Saturday.  Hopefully, that will give a little more power to the running game. 

 

Delaying the decision until after Thursday does nothing, because both Quinn and Anderson will probably cede the rest of the snaps against the Bears to Brett Ratliff, who didn’t play against the Titans and Richard Bartel.  People need to talk about something else besides the quarterback situation.  Other teams have named starters, only the super secretive Browns are keeping the mystery going.

 

JD

 

The other day, we talked about the Indians’ projected lineup for 2010.  That was the easy part.  Today, we are looking at the make up of the ’10 pitching staff, and there really aren’t any anchors to this part of the team going into the off-season.

 

If healthy, the first couple of guys that come to mind are left-hander Aaron Laffey, and recently acquired righty Justin Masterson.  Laffey didn’t start the year with the varsity, but was called up in April and has started and relieved this season.  Overall, he has been very effective with a 7-3 record and 3.42 ERA with one save.  It is difficult to imagine the southpaw not having a spot on next year’s pitching staff.

 

Masterson will be on the 2010 Tribe in some capacity, either in the rotation or in the bullpen, as he did both with the Red Sox.  Masterson has good stuff, although he does get hit by left handed hitters, but I would prefer him starting because it is more important to have guys who can get 18-20 outs than three.  He’s a slinger, but he’s allowed less hits than innings and has struck out 81 hitters in 88-2/3 frames, while walking just 36. 

 

And unless he’s traded during the winter, Kerry Wood will be the Indians’ closer next season.  Wood has had some rough spots, particularly with control of his breaking pitch, but has saved 16 games in 21 opportunities.  With his contract being a little pricey, he will be with Cleveland in 2010.

 

The rest of the staff is filled with question marks.

 

Several young relievers have pitched very well for the Indians this season, but without a real track record, it’s tough to gauge how they will perform in the future.  Lefty Tony Sipp and right-hander Chris Perez have replaced the old Raffy Right and Raffy Left duo.  Sipp needs to improve his control (17 walks in 26 IP), but has the ability to miss bats (29 K’s and only 17 hits allowed). 

 

Chris Perez has been sensational since his first two outings with the Tribe, allowing just 12 hits in 18-2/3 innings and has struck out 22 hitters while walking just five.

 

Joe Smith has pitched well, mostly against right-handed hitters and deserves a spot in the ’10 bullpen.  He generally throws strikes and keeps the ball in the park.

 

That leaves three spots in the rotation and three more places in the bullpen.

 

As for the rotation, the team is hoping Jake Westbrook will finally get over the elbow soreness that plagued his comeback from Tommy John surgery and take a regular turn as a starter.  It has been reported there is no structural damage in the joint, so he should be back.  Fausto Carmona is showing signs that he can be at least a guy who can provide decent starts since his return from the minors.  Those two take two spots on the pitching staff.

 

That leaves the competition for the last spot in the rotation to David Huff (8-7), Jeremy Sowers (5-9), Carlos Carrasco, and Hector Rondon.  I like Huff despite the high ERA (6.50), because he shows the ability to keep his team into games better.  However, Carrasco has been lights out since coming over from the Phillies organization, and Rondon is pitching at AAA at 21 years of age. 

 

Here’s hoping the front office picks the guy who pitches the best in spring training rather than having an agenda based on something other than performance.

 

As for the bullpen, I would assume that Rafael Perez gets one of the spots based on past performance.  He was one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball in 2007 and 2008, and he deserves the chance to show this year is an aberration.

 

The last two spots would seem to have Jess Todd and Jensen Lewis’ names on them, but GM Mark Shapiro could look to bring in more power arms in trades or free agency.  Todd has been spotty in limited appearances.  He has fallen into Eric Wedge’s plan of only certain guys can pitch with a lead, and he currently isn’t one of them.

 

Lewis is a Wedge favorite, so if the skipper isn’t back, he could have a tough time making the roster.  I would give Lewis a look as a starter though.  His biggest drawback is the gopher ball, which would be minimized as a starter.  He has allowed less hits than innings pitched and has struck out over twice as many as he has walked.

 

There is also the possibility of some youngsters currently in the minors being in contention for spots as well.  Southpaw Rich Rundles or newcomer R.J. Swindle could be used as situational guys, while Steven Wright, who is 10-0 at Akron, Josh Judy, or Connor Graham, who came from the Rockies for Rafael Betancourt deal, could contend for a spot in the relief corps.

 

If the team has some money available for free agency, I would recommend signing another bullpen arm and a starter who can eat some innings to provide some stability in the pitching staff.  Obviously, these wouldn’t be high-ticket guys, but perhaps some guys who get past the first wave of free agency and are still looking for contract in January. 

 

If the Tribe is going to make a run in ’10, the quality of their pitching will be the reason why.

 

KM

 

The Cleveland Indians are doing what they usually do, that is they are finishing the season strong.  Unfortunately, much like 2008, the chance to make the post-season ended sometime at the end of May.  It was certainly over once the Tribe visited Wrigley Field, where they blew three straight games to the Cubs. 

 

So now it’s time to start looking toward 2010.  For starters, the Indians need to get off to a better start to the season, something they have really only done once (2007) in the last seven years.  Strangely, those seven seasons tie in to the tenure of Eric Wedge as the Cleveland skipper.  They also need to do better in interleague play, which has become a problem the past two seasons. 

 

In terms of players, who is a keeper and who should be replaced?  Surely, the Indians have some talent on the roster, particularly among the everyday players.  It’s one of the reasons the decision to deal Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez is galling, particularly the southpaw who is currently terrorizing the National League.  It would certainly be nice to have a legitimate ace on the staff.

 

Despite the trade of Martinez, the Indians still rank fifth in the American League in runs scored.  With all of the young players, the offense can be inconsistent, but that may change with a new hitting coach. 

 

Certainly, Grady Sizemore is a fixture in the lineup.  Sizemore’s elbow has bothered him this season, but he still has a 780 OPS despite this, and recently is starting to hit like the Sizemore of 2007 and 2008.  It would be great if he cut down on his strikeouts, but he’s a fixture in the 2010 batting order.

 

The outfield is two-thirds in place because of the emergence of Shin-Soo Choo.  Choo followed up his excellent second half of ’08 with a solid season.  He is among the league leaders in on base percentage and has 48 extra base hits to date.  He’s another who could stand to cut down on whiffing, but to his credit, he has been quoted as saying he needs to do that.

 

Asdrubal Cabrera is the last of the “for sures” in the ’10 Tribe lineup.  He was moved to shortstop to upgrade the defense at that position, but he has raised the offense at the spot as well with an 813 OPS.  He may have a higher batting average (.314) than he will carry in the future, but he should improve his power numbers, as he gets older.  Remember, he’s just 23 years old. 

 

That leaves six spots in the lineup. 

 

Travis Hafner figures to be the DH, especially with his big contract.  He has been pretty productive overall this season with an 858 OPS, including a .500 slugging percentage, and 28 extra base hits in 248 at bats.  He may never be "Pronk" again, but he could be a 26 HR, 80 RBI guy, which isn’t the end of the world.

 

Matt LaPorta figures to be in the lineup somewhere, either at LF or 1B, but he is young and GM Mark Shapiro needs to have a veteran on the roster to serve as the back up plan should the key player in the C.C. Sabathia trade struggle early.  Luis Valbuena continues to impress, and should be at least half of a platoon set up at 2B.  He is hitting better the more time he gets in the majors, which is a good sign.  He’s also an extra base hit machine with 29 in 249 at bats, meaning he has more than Hafner in one more at bat.

 

That leaves catcher, third base, and either LF/1B depending on where LaPorta winds up.

 

I have a hard time believing Kelly Shoppach will be on the team next season because he has been terrible and he is eligible for arbitration.  The catching duo for 2010 will likely be Lou Marson and Wyatt Toregas, unless Carlos Santana wows everyone in training camp.  However, based on the way the Tribe does business, Santana will start the season at Columbus.

 

The hot corner is a difference of opinion for me and the Indians.  I would be looking to replace Jhonny Peralta who continues to show he is nothing more than an average player, one who will make almost $5 million next season.  That’s too much for a team crying about a high payroll.  I would move Peralta for more pitching, and find a stop gap free agent to play third next season.  You can probably get a serviceable player for about $2 miilion, one that can give you the productivity of Peralta.  Keep in mind, the third baseman of the future is a year or two away in Lonnie Chisenhall.

 

If Andy Marte continues to hit, he could play 3B as well, and then you would need a veteran to man left field or first base.  Or the team could give Jordan Brown (hitting .330 at Columbus) a shot at first.  GM Mark Shapiro will have to add a mid-level free agent to provide insurance.

 

We will look at the pitching staff later this week.  

 

MW 

 

 

After the Browns dropped their pre-season opener to Green Bay, they could hardly look worse in their next game against the Detroit Lions, who were 0-16 last season.  They looked like an actual professional football team in defeating the Lions 27-10 at Cleveland Browns Stadium, but you have to remember who the opponent is before getting too excited about the victory.

 

Derek Anderson played well, going 8 for 13 for 130 yards in his time at quarterback, but the more I think about Anderson’s performance, the more I still think Brady Quinn should be the team’s starter.

 

His supporters will say he put 20 points on the board, but really it was 10.  Josh Cribbs showed he is one of the premier return men in the NFL by taking back a punt 84 yards for a touchdown, and an interception of Lions’ rookie QB Matthew Stafford gave the offense the ball on the Detroit 20.  Cleveland converted that into a field goal.  That’s 10 points really supplied by the defense and special teams.

 

Anderson was responsible for putting the other ten points on the scoreboard, but in analyzing his throws, the same old problems were back in his arsenal.  He made a terrible pass to Braylon Edwards on the first drive, throwing the ball over the wrong shoulder and Edwards couldn’t keep his feet in bounds.  Edwards was wide open so it wasn’t a matter of throwing the ball in a spot so a defender couldn’t get to it. 

 

The former Oregon State QB also threw behind Edwards on a pass over the middle later in the game, turning a long gainer into a moderate one.  

 

Anderson did throw strikes to Mohammed Massaquoi and Cribbs for good gains, so it wasn’t all a matter of not putting the ball where it needed to be.  He did make some good throws.  However, the fact Anderson played so well is a reason he shouldn’t start.  He’s either very good or very bad. 

 

The Browns need some consistency at the position, and they need to find out if Brady Quinn can supply it.  Hopefully, Eric Mangini will make a decision sooner than later on who the starter should be.  It would benefit the entire team to know who the starting quarterback and leader is right away.

 

Rookie running back James Davis looked like a guy who will be able to contribute to the offense this year, catching several passes out of the backfield and running hard from scrimmage, highlighted by an 81 yard touchdown run in the second half.  Massaquoi and fellow rookie Brian Robiskie also seemed to progress from the Green Bay game and veteran Mike Furrey looks like a major find as the slot receiver.

 

Defensively, Eric Wright jumped a route in the first quarter and his interception should have given the Browns the ball on the Lion 5-yard line.  However, his ridiculous celebration backed the team up to the 20.  Kamerion Wimbley was all over the field, recording six tackles, and rookie LB David Veikune continues to look impressive as well.

 

It was definitely better than the Green Bay game, but we will get a better gauge on this football team this Saturday when they take on the Tennessee Titans.  If Mangini continues his alternating quarterback pattern, Quinn will get the start.  Perhaps that’s what the coach wanted all along, because the Titans have a robust defense and will use their first team most of the game, and he wants to see how Quinn performs.  If the former Irish QB plays well in that game, he may well be named the starter next weekend.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

This is a slow time for Cleveland sports.  The Indians’ season is winding down, and for all intent and purpose has been over since the end of May.  The Browns laid an egg in their first pre-season game, and everyone seems to be depressed about the season.  Everyone is excited about the Cavaliers, but training camp doesn’t even start for them for another five weeks.

 

However, there are still things that are bothering me.  Here is a list…

 

·          The Browns are starting to complain about Eric Mangini’s training camp being too tough.  I say too bad.  I understand they grew accustomed to the “country club” atmosphere under the previous regime, but they finished 4-12.  If you want comfort and warm and fuzzy feelings, play better football.

 

·          Braylon Edwards explaining that his drops are part of the game.  Wide receivers are paid to catch the football, it’s part of the job requirement.  No one thinks he should catch every ball thrown to him in a year, but one drop per game is too many.  The other frustrating thing about Edwards is his ability to make sensational plays, but then drop a ball right in his hands. 

 

·          Mangini should decide on a quarterback sooner than later.  In fact, I think he should make a decision after this weekend’s game against the Lions.  The quicker the receivers, offensive line, and the coordinator know who the man is, the better off this football team will be.

 

·          The Indians continuing their act as the spin kings, giving out the AL Central standings after the all star break showing the Tribe as having the best record in the division from that time.  Unfortunately, this isn’t the minor league where there is a first half and second half.  Also, the season starts in April, not in the middle of July.

 

·          I know Andy Marte hasn’t hit like he showed in Columbus, but until he plays every day for two weeks, I will keep wondering if he can be a productive player at the major league level.  I realize he struggled in Cleveland the past two years, but he had his best AAA season to date, and deserves a chance to see if it translates.  Playing every other day doesn’t give him a full shot.

 

·          His first appearance with the Tribe was a debacle, but Chris Perez looks like he can become an important part of the Indians’ bullpen next year.  He throws hard and has a wicked breaking ball.  He has been very good since that first outing.

 

·          Much like Trevor Crowe early in the season, right now Chris Gimenez looks overmatched at the plate.  He should be sent back to Columbus to get a tutorial with hitting instructor Jon Nunnally.  By the way, shouldn’t Nunnally get a shot on the big league staff next year?

 

MW

 

same as the old Browns (my apologies to Pete Townshend).

 

Yes, it was one pre-season game, but if I were one of the Cleveland Browns, I would be ready for a whole lot of running on Monday, following the team’s 17-0 blanking at the hands of the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.  The game certainly didn’t give fans much reason to believe anything is different than the ’08 version of the brown and orange.

 

Brady Quinn drew the starting assignment at quarterback, and the best thing you can say about him is he wasn’t Derek Anderson.  Actually, Quinn did use his first drive to put the team in field goal range, but after Phil Dawson made the attempt, Hank Fraley was called for holding, and the subsequent try went wide.  Thus, a scoreless drive for the former Notre Dame signal caller. 

 

Derek Anderson drew the next two series, and faced significant pressure from the Packers.  However, he was fortunate he didn’t give up a pick six when he locked on a receiver, and then threw an interception on the next series when he was hit while throwing.  He surely didn’t give Eric Mangini any reason to pick him over Quinn as the starter. 

 

The third QB, Brett Ratliff, played the entire second half, and didn’t distinguish himself, throwing two more to Packer defenders, making it four pick offs for the evening.

 

Jamal Lewis didn’t look any better than last season, and Braylon Edwards dropped a touchdown pass from Quinn right before halftime when he jumped for a ball that he didn’t need to leave his feet for.  Quinn tried to force the ball into coverage on the next play and he suffered an interception as well, leaving no Browns’ QB unscathed. 

 

The only bright spots on offense were veteran Mike Furrey, who converted two third down passes from Quinn into first downs, and Josh Cribbs who ran a reverse for a good gain, and caught a slant from Quinn for 22 yards before halftime.

 

The defense was victimized when Abram Elam got caught peeking into the backfield on a touchdown pass to Donald Driver, and in the second half was out-muscled by Green Bay as Akron native Tyrell Sutton gained almost 100 yards rushing.  The lack of physicality had to be galling to Mangini and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. 

 

It is fair to point out that all pro NT Shaun Rogers did not play for Cleveland, as Ahtyba Rubin got most of the playing time in the middle of the defensive line. 

 

The one defensive standout was rookie Coye Francies, who had an interception, and a bone jarring tackle of Sutton on a short run in the fourth quarter.  Eric Wright defended a couple of passes, and DE Robaire Smith pressured Green Bay backup QB Matt Flynn and batted a pass back into Flynn’s hands.  Flynn turned the play into a gain, which shows how the evening went for Cleveland.

 

With the Browns coming home for the Lions next weekend, there is plenty of room for improvement for Mangini’s troops.  This game could have been played at the end of the 2008 season with pretty much the same result. 

 

For Derek Anderson, the pressure is squarely on him.  Another performance like last night will mean that the coach will have no choice but to start Brady Quinn against Minnesota on September 13th.  Hey, at least Quinn guided the team to a first down during his work on Saturday. 

 

The first exhibition game had to be the worst case scenario for Mangini.  Getting ready for a lot of running in Berea on Monday after the film is looked at.

 

JD