With the exhibition season about a week old, the Cleveland Indians roster appears to be about set.  However, there are some battles and some questions that Eric Wedge and Mark Shapiro need to address before the season gets underway April 2nd against the World Champion Chicago White Sox.

 

Who will be the utility infielder?  Brandon Phillips is out of options and must make the team or be placed on waivers.  The question is will Phillips be happy sitting on the bench and playing once or twice a week at age 24?  My guess is no, and the front office will try to deal the former top prospect while he still has decent value.  Ramon Vasquez is 29 and can play 2B, 3B, and SS.  He is the classic utility man, but was a starter earlier in his career at San Diego.  Lou Merloni is coming off an injury last season and likely will start the year at Buffalo to get some needed at bats.

 

Who will make up the bullpen?  Obviously, some spots are in stone:  Wickman, Mota, Sauerbeck, Betancourt and Miller.  Fernando Cabrera is probably a lock if he throws strikes which he did not do in training camp last season.  Can Steve Karsay and Danny Graves turn the clock back to 2000 and make the team?  Will the Indians keep a second lefthander by rushing Rafael Perez or Tony Sipp?  One dark horse to keep an eye on…righty Andrew Brown, who throws serious heat and has struck out five in two innings so far this spring.

 

Prospects or suspects?  Besides Phillips there are two other young players who’s stars are fading:  Jason Davis and Jeremy Guthrie.  Davis was in the rotation in 2003 and pitched well that season, but has struggled since.  The Tribe moved him to the bullpen late in the 2004 season because of his power arm.  The big righty can throw hard, but doesn’t seem to have an idea on how to pitch.  Guthrie was a former #1 draft pick who pitched well at Class AA Akron in his first year in the organization, but has struggled since.  It’s time for both pitchers to live up to their billing.

 

Who backs up Victor?  The easy answer here is Kelly Shoppach, who came over in the Coco Crisp deal, but veteran Einar Diaz is looming in the wings.  If the Boston transplant doesn’t hit and Diaz does, the former Tribe backstop could be the current one as well.  The guess here is Shoppach wins the tie breaker, since he could be a significant trade piece if the Tribe needs to bolster itself for the stretch drive.

 

The new prospects?  We discussed the fading prospects, but one interesting thing about Spring Training is the up and coming prospects getting their first shot in big league camp.  This year, those guys are lefty starter Jeremy Sowers, 3B Andy Marte, and OF Franklin Gutierrez and Brad Snyder.  All of these guys could be here before the September 1st call ups, and it will be interesting to see how they handle their first camps.

 

Of course, watching players health is a big concern as well.  Is Wickman’s elbow strong?  Any sore arms for the starters?  Any nagging injuries for the regulars?  Those are the questions of the spring, we can start the managerial second guessing once the season starts.

 

KM

 

Thank goodness Flip Murray hit that three pointer with less than four seconds remaining in the Cavaliers victory over the Bulls last night.  Otherwise, many fans of the wine and gold would have been jumping off bridges this morning.  The losing streak is history, and with a favorable schedule (losing teams and more days off) coming up, a extended winning period should be forthcoming.

 

One of the problems the team has is the inexperience of its head coach, Mike Brown.  I like Brown, and I believe he will be a good NBA coach.  But, when a team goes into a prolonged losing spell, a coach needs to draw on the past to get his squad out of the doldrums.  Brown can’t delve into a bag of tricks than doesn’t exist.  He may think about what Gregg Popovich did with the Spurs, or what Rick Carlyle did with the Pacers, but those are different teams. 

 

Brown seems to be panicking, which is normal for a young coach.  For example, the Cavaliers get Murray in a trade a week ago, and he is already playing 40 minutes per game.  The team was winning with Sasha Pavlovic in the starting line up, had a couple of bad games, and now can’t get off the bench.  Usually, a player’s minutes increase over a period of time, it doesn’t go from 10 minutes to 40 minutes or vice versa in a matter of a week. 

 

The first year coach’s reputation is that of a defensive coach, and his lack of offensive background also hurts the Cavs.  Cleveland’s fourth quarter struggles are due in part to the team settling for jump shots, and Brown’s lack of strategy outside of running pick and rolls.  Running that type of attack leads to two guys playing and three guys standing around doing nothing.

 

The head man is trying to make a very good impression in his first year.  That’s why he can’t bring himself to rest LeBron James more often.  Brown is often critical of himself for not getting James more rest, but he still doesn’t do it. The only game since the All Star break that LBJ didn’t play 40 minutes was the blowout loss to the Pistons last Sunday.  He must make sure LeBron gets more rest down the stretch. 

 

This is not to say Brown isn’t the right man for the job.  However, he is learning on the job.  He has experienced assistants, and he needs to start listening to them, assuming they are giving him the correct advise.  This team is showing signs of panic, the coach has to be the calming influence both in his comments and his actions.

 

JK

 

Watching the Cavs lose to Detroit on Sunday, I watched in depression after the Pistons’ Rasheed Wallace smashed Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the head.  As Z left the contest to get stitches, no one on the court stood up for their teammate.  That bothers me.  The football season just ended and the Steelers won the Super Bowl by displaying toughness, a hard hitting group that puts their opponents on the defensive.

 

The Pistons have been to the last two NBA Finals, winning one title, with a defensive attitude and a mental toughness which the wine and gold witnessed first hand the past two nights.  Please note that both the Steelers and Pistons are very close geographically to Cleveland, which somehow makes it tougher to take for fans.

 

Why doesn’t Cleveland develop any tough teams?

 

The Brad Daugherty/Mark Price/Larry Nance Cavaliers of the early 90’s were a finesse team, getting to the Eastern Conference finals once, losing to Jordan and the Bulls.  That group challenged the Pistons before that, but Rick Mahorn’s thuggish elbow to Price’s head ruined that season.  Nobody ever retaliated from the Cavs. 

 

The Browns of the late eighties were a brazen tough team, lead by cornerbacks Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield. Those teams emphasized defense, but were not known for their toughness on the lines.  The secondary fueled the fire in those days.  Don Rogers would have added to that, but he passed away due to drugs before he could make a true impact.  The offensive on those teams did emphasize running early, but later it was the passing attack of Bernie Kosar that took center stage.

 

The closest thing we have had to having a team everyone hated was the Indians of the late nineties.  Led by Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton, and Carlos Baerga, the Tribe was brash and cocky.  They were young and good, and they let people know about it.  Belle and Baerga were gone by the end of the 1996 season, and the faces of the team became guys like Jim Thome and Omar Vizquel, both nice guys.

 

You know why?  Because Cleveland doesn’t want its heroes to have an edge.  Sure, we supported the Tribe when Belle and Lofton were doing their thing, but fans seem happier idolizing a guy like Thome.  Even today, we hear more fans complaining about Big Jim leaving than losing Manny Ramirez.  Ramirez is a much better hitter, by far. 

 

No one is questionning the athletes will to win.  I have no doubts that guys like Vizquel, Thome, Kosar, and Price wanted to win.  I feel the city thinks if management puts together a team full of good guys, they will win a title.  Sometimes, you need an edge to win a title.  Ask the Pistons and Steelers. 

 

MW

 

The NBA trading deadline came and went yesterday afternoon, and Danny Ferry made two moves, getting guard Flip Murray from the SuperSonics for seldom used third string point guard Mike Wilks, and getting Philly’s 2nd round pick in 2007 for the Cavs 2nd round pick in 2007.  The Cavs picked up Lee Nailon in the exchange, basically allowing the Sixers to avoid the luxury tax.  

 

Murray was Ray Allen’s back up in Seattle, and his game is supposed to be similar to Larry Hughes’, that being a guy who can penetrate and finish.  He also can make the intermediate jumper, but is not a long distance shooter.  The wine and gold can use another offensive player who can break down a defense and get to the rim.  Hopefully, Murray will be more useful than last year’s trade deadline pick up, Jiri Welsch.

 

The best news from the deadline is that Drew Gooden did not get traded.  The talk shows were full of fans wanting to trade Gooden for two reasons:  1).  To get a point guard, or 2).  Because he will be a restricted free agent following this season.  Those aren’t good enough reasons.  On the point guard issue, a past blog stated the Cavs’ really do not need a pure point guard because the offense runs through LeBron James.  Giving up a player who starts for a younger version of Eric Snow would be too high of a price to pay.

 

Yes, Gooden may get an offer the Cavs cannot afford to match during the off-season, but this team needs to make the playoffs now!  Making a deal for someone who might help the team in the future doesn’t make sense.  Plus, I don’t think Gooden is going to get an outrageous offer from another team this summer.  If he gets an offer comparable to other starting players in the NBA, the Cavs will probably match it. 

 

The same fans saying we should deal the former Jayhawk for a younger power forward are also criticizing the Indians for the Coco Crisp trade.  You can’t have it both ways.

 

Is Gooden the same caliber of player as Karl Malone, Maurice Lucas, or Elton Brand?  Of course not.  He is a legitimate starter, though.  And although Anderson Varajao does well in spurts, he is not ready offensively to play extended minutes.  Until, they have some one better, Drew Gooden is a pretty good power forward.  Danny Ferry did the right thing by holding on to him.

 

JK 

 

The second half of the NBA season (although only 30 games remain) starts tonight for the Cleveland Cavaliers and their All Star Game MVP, the incomparable LeBron James.  Of course, everyone has been reading how the team had the same record, 31-21, a year ago and collapsed down the stretch, missing the playoffs on the last day of the season.  That will not happen this season, and here are the reasons why:

 

1).  No drama with the head coach.  At this time last season, the Cavaliers were in the midst of turmoil with Coach Paul Silas.  This season, the players are on the same page as Mike Brown, and he continues to stress defense. 

 

2).  LeBron is better.  It seems ludicrous to suggest that James can improve, but he is a better player than he was last year.  His outside shooting has improved, and he is going to the basket more and more as the season goes on.  He is now on a pace to average 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists per game.  Better yet, he seems to will the team to victory on occasion, such as last Monday’s win vs. the Spurs.

 

3).  The team has more depth.  The Cavs’ have experienced players coming off the bench this year.  Last year’s squad did not have a Donyell Marshall, Alan Henderson, and even Damon Jones as reserves.  This year’s bench has improved as the season has progressed as Anderson Varajao came back to provide energy off the pines.  GM Danny Ferry may add another experienced hand before the trading deadline.

 

4).  Jeff McInnis is gone.  Even James himself alluded to McInnis’ sour attitude early this season without mentionning the moody point guard by name.  This is just one more distraction the current wine and gold does not have to deal with.

 

5).  The schedule is easier.  Last year’s 31-21 start included several wins against the expansion Charlotte Bobcats.  This year, the Cavaliers have three games left with the Pistons (two this weekend), but otherwise there are more games left against the have-nots of the NBA. 

 

Based on all these factors, the thing Cavs’ fans should look forward to the most is the chase to win 50 games this season, and whether or not Cleveland can gain the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference.  There will be no collapse this year.  Playoff basketball will return to the "Q".

 

JK

 

For a true baseball fan, one of the things you look forward to is the phase "Pitchers and Catchers Report Today".  That is exactly what is happening today in Winter Haven, Florida, where the Cleveland Indians set out to return to the post season for the first time in five seasons.  Here are some reasons why they will do it:

 

1).  Based on runs scored and runs allowed, the 2005 Tribe actually underachieved.  The Indians outscored their opponents by 148 runs last season, the largest differential in the American League.  Based on that total, Cleveland should have won 96 games.  They won 93.  Usually, that evens out in the long run.

 

2).  The Tribe had the worst record in games decided by one run in 2005.  That is more an indication of bad luck than bad managing as many would insist.  Conversely, the White Sox had the best record in the AL in one run games.  History shows this evens out over time.  Cleveland should improve in this category in 2006.

 

3).  With Andy Marte on board, Tribe fans will not have to endure no production out of third base for the first two months of the season.  If Aaron Boone is hitting .140 at the end of April, Marte will be called up.  Either way, Cleveland will get more production out of the position than it did early in 2005.

 

4).  Many fans are worried about the bullpen, but really the make up of the relief corps is a crap shoot every season.  Cleveland needs another lefty out of the pen, but replacing David Riske with Guillermo Mota is a plus.  Eric Wedge will have to find someone to take Bob Howry’s place, but Fernando Cabrera and Rafael Betancourt have the potential to do that.  The fly in the ointment is really how productive Bob Wickman can be again this year.  GM Mark Shapiro has signed Steve Karsay and Danny Graves as insurance policies, and the guess here is one of them will play a key role for the club.

 

5).  Coco Crisp had two very good seasons for the Indians, but he is hardly a superstar in the making.  Jason Michaels has shown the ability to get on base consistantly, but young players like Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, and Victor Martinez should still be on the upside of their careers.  Their natural progression will make up for any loss going from Crisp to Michaels. 

 

6).  The 2006 Indians should have better depth if Wedge knows how to use it correctly.  New backup catcher Kelly Shoppach is an upgrade over Josh Bard, and righthanded hitting Eduardo Perez will be more useful than Jose Hernandez.  Todd Hollandsworth and/or Lou Merloni will also be good tools to have coming off the bench.  Wedge has to figure out how to keep them sharp for when they are needed.

 

7).  Barring injuries, the starting rotation should provide the quality innings to keep the club in ballgames.  C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Paul Byrd, and Jake Westbrook all are consistant in nothing else, and I think Lee is an All-Star in the making.  Even if Jason Johnson falters, and there are some health issues, Jason Davis and Jeremy Sowers will be ready in Buffalo.

 

The 2006 Tribe will have the added pressure of knowing they are expected to win this season.  Getting off to a mediocre start in April will not be acceptable.  This team has to get out of the gate quickly to impress the fans.  Will this be an Indian Summer?  The answers will begin to reveal themselves today.

 

MW 

 

Checking out the NBA standings, one can see the Cavaliers are 28-19 on the season, good for second place in the Central Division and they currently stand fourth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, which would get them home court advantage in the first round of this year’s playoffs.  Yet, there is a lot of hand wringing about changes that the fans feel GM Danny Ferry must make to cure this team’s ills.

 

Most of that speculation centers around the acquisition of a point guard.  However, people need to be careful of what they wish for.  Eric Snow currently starts at that spot for the Cavs, and he doesn’t not provide the shooting fans clamor at that position.  Nor does he provide the flashy passes some fans may want.  But he does give the team a steady veteran who plays good defense.  You see, playing the #1 spot for Cleveland is a little bit different than playing the point for other teams.

 

For one, coach Mike Brown runs most of his offense through LeBron James, his small forward.  So, the point guard does not have the traditional play making responsibilities in Cleveland.  The biggest need this team has is stopping opposing point guards who can penetrate from getting into the paint, so any point guard coming to the Cavaliers must be defensive oriented.

 

Fans who want guys like Stephon Marbury or Steve Francis are way off base.  Those guys need the ball.  Those guys need to be the primary option on their squads.  That is exactly not what the Cavaliers need.  Guys like Earl Watson or Jameer Nelson would be better options if you can trade for them.  Which brings us to the next question…who would you trade?

 

Power forward Drew Gooden is the first name mentioned in talks, but the wine and gold cannot really afford to give him up.  Although Anderson Varajao plays well coming off the bench, we hasn’t shown he can be effective playing 30 to 40 minutes per game.  Everyone talks about the fact that Gooden isn’t signed for next year, but at this point the Cavs aren’t playing for the future.  They want to get playoff experience and get as far into the postseason as they can.  Besides, Gooden is a restricted free agent, which means Cleveland can match any offers the former Kansas standout receives.

 

I’m sure that Ferry would like to get a better reserve point guard than Damon Jones, who provides neither defense nor much playmaking assistance.  That’s the move to make because it can be done without breaking up Brown’s playing time rotation.  Even getting another guy like Eric Snow would be an upgrade because what the Cavs’ really need is a younger Snow, not a player who wants to be the star.

 

JK

 

I’m sure all of the front runners in Cleveland are happy today to see the Pittsburgh Steelers win their fifth Super Bowl, tying Dallas and San Francisco for the most championships since the merger with the AFL in the mid sixties.  Most of these idiots don’t realize that the Browns have won four NFL titles, because none of them had the words "Super Bowl" attached to them.

 

One of these morons called a Cleveland talk show last week and said the reasons for all of the Browns Backers clubs around the country are because people can’t wait to get out of the city.  Nothing could be further from the truth. 

 

The correct reason is that in the 1950’s and early 60’s, the Cleveland Browns were the dominant team in the NFL.  Players on the Cleveland roster were household names:  Otto Graham, Dante Lavelli, Bill Willis, Marion Motley, Lou Groza, Jim Brown, Paul Warfield, etc.  Until the 1970’s, the Browns had only one losing season in their first twenty years in the NFL, that being 1957.  With Graham as QB, Cleveland won its first title in its first year in the league, 1950.  They also won the NFL crown in 1954, 1955, and 1964, along with four titles in the All-American Conference.

 

Everyone remembers Super Bowls III and IV, where AFL teams (Jets and Chiefs) beat the mighty Colts and Vikings to put the new league on the map.  You probably didn’t know the Colts and Vikings beat the Browns in the NFL Championship game to get their.  In fact, the Browns beat Baltimore for the Colts only loss before losing to Namath and Company in SB III.

 

Despite Art Modell and the poor performance of the team since coming back to the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, the Cleveland Browns have a rich history.  It’s just not a recent one.  If Phil Savage and Romeo Crennel can bring the brown and orange back to prominence, they will be kings in Cleveland forever.

 

JD

 

Sometimes it’s just theraputic to get things off your chest.  So, in lieu of seeing a counselor, here you go…

 

Watching ESPNews when the Coco Crisp trade was announced, they said Jayson Stark would be on to discuss the deal.  I wanted to hear what he had to say about Andy Marte and the two other players the Tribe received from the Red Sox. 

 

I was disappointed though.  Stark only talked about the transaction from a Boston perspective, which I shouldn’t be surprised about since ESPN thinks there are only two teams in Major League Baseball:  the Yankees and Red Sox.  However, has anyone observed that Boston won a grand total of two more games than the Indians?  Does anyone at the "World Wide Leader" think the race between the White Sox, Twins, and Indians just might be more competitive than the AL East? 

 

ESPN might just want to realize people outside of the east coast watch their network, too.

 

Why does the Cleveland Plain Dealer continue to let Roger Brown write in the sports section?  Probably because everyone is like me, and reads his stuff to see what ridiculous comments he can come up with.  Brown always criticizes WTAM’s Mike Trivisonno (as well he should), but he is more like the afternoon drive time host than he thinks.  Both are akin to the car accidents everyone watches on the side of the road.

 

Why does Channel 19/43 news anchor Sharon Reed keep showing up on the station’s sports telecasts?  She did sideline reporting on the Browns’ exhibition games, and now is working on 43’s Cavs games as well.  If she wants to be a sportscaster, then so be it, but stop doing the news.

 

Please, please let the Seahawks win Super Bowl XL on Sunday.  I’m afraid Cleveland will turn into Pittsburgh West if the Steelers win their fifth Super Bowl in Detroit.  A fifth crown will tie the black and gold with the Browns at five NFL titles.  As WKNR’s Greg Brinda points out all the time, the NFL doesn’t seem to recognize titles prior to the Super Bowl.  The Cleveland Browns won FIVE NFL titles and have appeared in 12 NFL title games. 

 

Cleveland got its "one for the thumb" 42 years ago.  That’s a fact citizens of Pittsburgh!

 

KM

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers won their fifth straight game yesterday, defeating the Phoenix Suns 113-106 at the Q thanks in part to another incredible performance by LeBron James.  The sequence of events in the middle of the fourth quarter when James blocked Leandro Barbosa’s shot from behind, took the outlet pass from Donyell Marshall, and went down to the offensive end for a dunk will show up on the season end highlight reel.  It was unbelievable to watch.

 

The Cavs have now followed up a six game losing streak with the current five game skein.  In fact, there entire season has been akin to riding the Blue Streak at Cedar Point. 

 

Following a 1-2 start to the season, the wine and gold ripped off eight straight triumphs to raise their record to 9-2.  All but one of those wins was by more than eight points.  They were dominating their opponents.  The team followed up on that streak by losing seven of their next nine.  Five of those contests were on the road, but there were home losses to Minnesota and New Jersey that good teams cannot afford.

 

That stretch was followed by a winning string of eight wins in nine games, highlighted by a win over Detroit on New Year’s Eve.  After splitting the next two games, the Cavs lost at home to the dreadful Knicks and then went out west to lose the first five games of a six game trip.  James’ 51 point effort against Utah started the current five game winning streak.

 

This is typical of teams that are just put together, and still have a lot of young players.  Yes, I realize the team has veterans Eric Snow, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Donyell Marshall, but the rest of the core is younger players.  They haven’t learned how to win games where things aren’t going well.  That leads to long losing streaks. 

 

Cleveland does have a little easier schedule the rest of the way.  They have already made both West Coast trips.  They have only played Toronto once, and haven’t played Charlotte at all.  Also, Larry Hughes will be back after the All Star game with fresh legs.  At 25-17, the wine and gold still has the third best record in the Eastern Conference, and if the season ended today, they would have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 

 

The streaks will lessen as the season continues.  Barring an injury to LBJ, get ready for some playoff basketball at the Q come late April.

 

JK