Hope is in the air!  The baseball season starts in earnest for Cleveland fans on Friday afternoon, when the Tribe and White Sox battle at Progressive Field. 

Finally, they are playing games that count.

The Indians are projected by many to finish in fourth place of the AL Central Division, and right now that seems to be an accurate picture of the ’11 Tribe.  You can make the argument that Cleveland could finish ahead of Minnesota, Chicago, and Detroit to move up in the standings, but a lot would have to go right to finish better than fourth.

Here are some things that concern this fan about this season–

Health.  The Indians had a lot of injuries last season, and they weren’t the usual nicks and bumps that happen throughout a normal season.  Grady Sizemore has micro-fracture surgery on his knee.  Travis Hafner’s shoulder still has not returned to 100%, and this could be a fourth season where he isn’t Pronk.  Asdrubal Cabrera came off a tremendous 2009 season, only to break his arm and miss a good portion of the season.

If this team wants to stay in the race, they can’t have anymore injuries of the catastrophic variety.  If Sizemore can come back to something that resembles the all-star we know, and Cabrera’s career path resumes from ’09, when he was the second best SS in the league, it would allow Cleveland to stay in the race.

Starting pitching.  The Indians front office will point to the second half of last season as to how good the rotation was, but there still are a lot of question marks.  First, would be Carlos Carrasco, who pitched well in September, but baseball people always say not to get all excited about performances in April or September.

The 24-year-old has had two solid AAA seasons, but still seems susceptible to the long ball.  If they are solo jobs, then it doesn’t really hurt his chance of winning.  However, it is something to watch for as the season begins.

The other concern is Mitch Talbot, who was 10-13 with a 4.41 ERA last season.  However, Talbot was 5-3 with a 2.40 ERA in April and September.  The rest of the season, he was 5-10 with a 5.20 ERA.  See above for comments on April and September records. 

Talbot has been spotty in spring training, so much that Manny Acta has slotted him in the 5th spot in the rotation, behind Josh Tomlin. 

If Carrasco and Talbot struggle when the regular season starts, the front office’s optimistic view of the rotation will have taken a hit, and will send the organization scrambling.  There is depth with David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez, but the Indians would rather not bring those guys up early in the campaign.

The offense.  Much of the concern would be eased by the injury dilemma, that is, having Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, and Asdrubal Cabrera healthy.  One note on Hafner, he’s not a 40 home run guy.  Never has been.  He hit 40 one time in a big league season, in 2006.  What he is is a guy who hits 25+, walks a ton, and gets a bunch of doubles.

The hitting attack could have problems too, if Orlando Cabrera doesn’t bounce back (doubtful since he’s 36), Matt LaPorta doesn’t fulfill his promise (a poor spring doesn’t make you warm and fuzzy), and Michael Brantley can’t improve his on base percentage to close to .400. 

If they don’t get solid hitting from those three, once opposing pitchers get past Hafner, they will feel like they are on vacation.  A 6-9 string of O. Cabrera, Kearns, LaPorta, and Hannahan/Everett doesn’t put fear in a lot of hurlers. 

Baseball fans are always optimistic on Opening Day, but if you are a fan of the Tribe, there is still plenty to worry about.

MW

With Opening Day just a week away, the Indians still have over 40 players still in camp, meaning they have a lot of tough decisions to make on who will come to Cleveland next week.

Another thing that complicates matters is that several non-roster players are playing themselves on to the roster.  That may be a good thing, but the organization will have to take men off the 40-man roster to make room.

That roster now stands at 39 players after reliever Jensen Lewis was waived earlier this week, as predicted in this space. 

If we say the starting lineup is as follows:  Matt LaPorta at first, Orlando Cabrera at 2B, Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, and Luis Valbuena at 3B, with an outfield of Shin-Soo Choo, Michael Brantley, and Austin Kearns, and Carlos Santana behind the plate, and Travis Hafner as the DH, then how does the bench break out?

First off, the backup catcher may be a non-roster player, either veterans Paul Phillips or Luke Carlin.  That could happen if the brass decides Lou Marson needs to play everyday somewhere.  The bet here is Marson stays in Cleveland.

The utility infielder battle is probably between veteran NRI (non roster invitee) Jack Hannahan and Jayson Nix.  Really, the former will probably start at third, with Valbuena being the backup at 2B, SS, and 3B.  The guess is that Nix gets designated for assignment because he can only really play 2B, and hasn’t hit in Arizona.

Another possibililty is that non-roster guy Adam Everett makes the squad instead of Valbuena, but that would mean someone else might have to go, perhaps Shelley Duncan?

The two other bench spots will likely go to Travis Buck and Chad Huffman, both non-roster guys.  Huffman beats out Duncan, although that’s a tough decision.  Duncan hits southpaws very well. 

With one spot open on the roster, they means one more player will have to go. 

We project the Tribe will put OF Trevor Crowe, out all training camp with a shoulder problem, and the 60 day disabled list to start the season.  This procedure allows the club to take him off the 40 man roster. 

When he is able to play, he will have to be put back on the roster or released, but the injury buys the front office time to further evaluate players.

As for the pitching staff, the starting rotation appears to be set with Fausto Carmona at the top, followed by Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco, Mitch Talbot, and Josh Tomlin.

In the bullpen, the for sure spots belong to closer Chris Perez, southpaws Tony Sipp and Rafael Perez, and newcomer Chad Durbin.

That leaves three spots open, as Joe Smith will start the season on the disabled list.  The four candidates are Frank Herrmann, Jess Todd, rookie Vinnie Pestano, and veteran Doug Mathis, with the latter being the odd man out because he’s a non roster player. 

That, and the problems he’s had throwing strikes at the big league level, and in exhibition play as well.

When Smith is healthy, the Indians can always send Herrmann, Pestano, and even Smith back to Columbus, because they have options left.

So there you have it.  The Tribe will keep Marson as the backup catcher, release Jayson Nix and Duncan, and put Trevor Crowe on the 60 day DL. 

The latter three  moves open up three more spots on the 40 man roster, so the Tribe can add Hannahan, Everett, Buck, and Huffman. 

Problem solved.  Would you like any other advice, Chris Antonetti?

MW

Mike Holmgren has played this game before. 

The game is the same one played by politicians all over the country.  It’s the art of saying nothing while saying something. 

Holmgren makes it seem like if he could, he would take 20 players at the #6 spot in next month’s NFL draft.  He loves everybody.  Everybody can play.  They are all good, young men whom he would be proud to have wearing the uniform of the Cleveland Browns.

Because he loves everybody, he makes himself open as a trade partner for several teams who might want a player the Browns don’t really want, and are willing to give up extra draft picks in exchange.

Look, the Browns are committed to Colt McCoy at quarterback and really don’t have a lot of interest in Cam Newton.  However, if you are drafting at spots #7, #8, #9, or #10, and you think Cleveland wants him, you might trade up either to the Browns or ahead of them.

If the trade is with Cleveland, the brown and orange would get extra picks depending on how far the trade partner moved up.

If the trade is with another team to jump ahead of the Browns, then another player, perhaps a guy Holmgren and GM Tom Heckert really love, drops to the sixth selection.

Last year when early mock drafts came out, they had Cleveland selecting CB Joe Haden.  As time went on, other names started to go in and out of the Browns’ consciousness according to the experts. 

Guess who they wound up picking?

This year will be different because the early mock drafts all focused on the Browns need for wide receivers, and had them taking Georgia WR A. J. Green with their first pick. 

Later, mock drafts showed defensive players, mostly front seven people because that need is more urgent for a team switching from a 3-4 scheme to a 4-3 alignment. 

Heckert will probably stick it what he did in Philadelphia, which was draft defense on the first round and work on the offensive side of the ball afterwards. 

The Browns would love if either Texas A & M LB Von Miller or LSU CB Patrick Peterson would drop to them at #6. 

Either player would make an immediate impact to the defense and would also fill a need.

Miller can be the edge pass rusher Cleveland hasn’t had since, well, forever, or at least since Marty Schottenheimer decided he’d had enough of Chip Banks back in the 80’s.  Imagine how much better the secondary would look if opposing passers didn’t have all day to deliver the football.

Peterson would team with Haden to give the Browns a pair of shutdown cornerbacks, a necessity in today’s pass driven pro football.  Along with second year safety T. J. Ward and veteran Sheldon Brown, Cleveland would have one of the league’s best secondaries starting this fall.

When is the last time you could say that about a Browns defensive unit? 

Oh yeah, the last time Cleveland was one of the best teams in the NFL, in the late 80’s when Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield manned the corners at old Municipal Stadium. 

The Browns hierarchy knows what it wants to do in this draft, but they also like to use a little misdirection. 

As fans, just be careful that the actions of Holmgren and Heckert are designed to create doubt in the minds of other front offices. 

Otherwise, the guys who make up the mock drafts could just do the picking themselves.

JD

When the Cleveland Indians really want to know why fans question their moves, the answer is as plain as the grin on the ever smiling Chief Wahoo’s face.  Seriously, you can’t make some of this stuff up.

Today, the team announced the 3B Jason Donald has a fracture in the middle finger of his left hand, a result of being hit by a pitch a week or so ago.  Donald, thought to be the frontrunner to start at the hot corner on Opening Day will be out until the middle of April. 

The team says it will decide between Jack Hannahan, Jayson Nix, and Luis Valbuena to take over the spot until Donald is ready to go.  It’s really like picking the least likely to be horrible once the season begins.

Meanwhile, Lonnie Chisenhall, who is hitting .500 on the spring has been told he has no chance to make the club. 

It is understandable from the Tribe’s point of view not to bring the youngster north and start his clock ticking in regard to service time, but they can’t really believe picking among Hannahan, Nix, and Valbuena excites anybody. 

Hannahan is 31 years old and the only thing he’s proven at the big league level is that he’s a utility man at best.  He’s a good defender, and in 856 big league at bats, he’s hitting .224 with 16 HR and 90 RBI’s.  Having Hannahan make the roster pretty much tells you the Indians have no interest in winning in 2011.

Readers of this blog know how we feel about Nix, who at 28 years old has put up a career batting average of .215 with 26 HR and 68 RBI.  Put that together with the way he fielded the position, or didn’t field it, in a trial last season, and you don’t have a warm and fuzzy feeling about him playing the spot.  In fact, in looking at the non-roster players trying to make the team, the thought occurs that Nix may be DFA’d to open a spot on the 40 man roster.

Valbuena should get the opportunity first because he has proven the least at the big league level.  He did play well in his rookie year of 2009, but was god awful last season.  He also has the highest batting average of the group, a robust .226 in 692 at bats. 

At least you can believe that Valbuena might be able to regain his rookie form and hit a little bit with a little pop. 

And really, all we are saying about Chisenhall is that he should be given a shot.  All of the naysayers about controlling service time want it to take a little longer before he’s eligible for arbitration and free agency.  Here’s an alternative for you, why don’t you sign him up early to take away his arbitration and his first year of free agency?  Guess no one thought of that alternative.

The other candidate to get released at the end of training camp to make room for non-roster players is reliever Jensen Lewis.  Guys who come out of the bullpen and can’t throw strikes and give up long balls have a small shelf life.  Lewis probably sealed his fate when he was horrendous against Milwaukee this week, giving up a couple of  three run homers. 

Vinnie Pestano, a rookie, has done well in Goodyear and has probably passed Lewis in the pecking order.

Another young reliever, Josh Judy was sent out today again despite having just one bad outing.  It appears someone in the organization isn’t enamored of him.

Opening Day is less than two weeks away, and to be sure, the news of Jack Hannahan starting at 3B will have Tribe fans remembering the days when players like Bell, Nettles, Jacoby, and Thome played the spot. 

KM

All you have to do is look at the Eastern Conference standings in the NBA. 

Currently, Indiana, Milwaukee, and Charlotte are battling for the 8th seed and the right to take on the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. 

Detroit and New Jersey, with 23 and 22 wins respectively, are less than six games out of the last spot in the top-heavy East. 

Which is pretty sad for the sake of the league.

However, if you are still paying attention to the fortunes of the Cavaliers, that with two likely top ten picks, and the return of at least one very important injured player, this team could be in the playoff hunt as early as next season.

Not to get carried away, this is not to say the wine and gold would be a factor in the post-season, or be able to be anything more than fodder for the elite of the East (Boston, Chicago, Miami, and Orlando).

But they don’t have to take a great leap in order to get back in the playoffs based on the weakness of the East as a whole.

The biggest factor that Byron Scott has is he will get one of the better rebounders and defenders in the NBA back for the start of next season in Varejao. 

For a team that is short on size, that is a huge factor. 

GM Chris Grant will also have the expiring contract of Antawn Jamison, which will be a more tradeable chip next season because it is now a one season commitment. 

And there is little doubt Grant will try to move Baron Davis before the deadline.  Hopefully, Davis understands that his ticket out of Cleveland and on to a title contender is to be in shape and play very well at the beginning of the season. 

Based on the brief glimpses we’ve seen of the veteran point guard, there is no question he can be a dynamic player when he wants to be.  At 32 years old, Davis should realize his days of having a chance at playing for a good team are drawing to an end.

Those are pieces that Grant has at his disposal to improve a basketball team that also a chance to get two pretty good players in this year’s draft.

Let’s say the Cavs win the draft lottery and get the first overall pick this June.  It is said that because Byron Scott has had great success with point guards (Jason Kidd and Chris Paul), the team covets Duke freshman guard Kyrie Irving.

As the college season has played out, it has been shown that there are several very good players who will enter the draft this summer.  If Grant can make the correct decision with the pick obtained from the Clippers, the wine and gold could have two new starters when the season opens next fall.

Of course, people thought the same thing with the New Jersey Nets after they picked Derrick Favors to add to a good collection of young talent.  They still are on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs go.

But you cannot discount the Jamison piece of the puzzle.  Moving the veteran for more young talent could cut even more time off the rebuilding process. 

It is very possible the Cavaliers could have as many as three new starters to open the 2011-12 season, and perhaps four if you count Varejao, with perhaps only J.J. Hickson as a holdover.

The point here is the weakness of the Eastern Conference also speeds up the time needed to make the Cavs a playoff team.  Dan Gilbert, Chris Grant, and Scott are dedicated to turning over the roster as quickly as possible.

A 15 game increase in wins next year could put this franchise back in the post-season.  Believe it or not?

JK

They say that in baseball, the name of the game is pitching.  Certainly, the Cleveland Indians have a lot of questions in this area, particularly the starting rotation, where only Fausto Carmona can be said to be proven.

However, there should be equal concerns about the Tribe’s hitting, because there aren’t a lot of proven hitters adorning the team’s lineup. 

Last week, Baseball Prospectus’ Christina Kahrl wrote that since the Indians are starting Jason Donald at 3B, scoring runs doesn’t seem like a priority for the Tribe.

Using the league average OPS of around 750, it doesn’t look promising for Cleveland when looking at the past history of the hitters involved.

The Indians only have three players expected to play everyday with an OPS (on base percentage plus slugging percentage) over this mark:  Shin-Soo Choo (885), Carlos Santana (869), and Travis Hafner (824). 

And Santana did this is limited at bats, so it is hoped he will perform at this level in 2011. 

You can add in Austin Kearns (772), who may get a lot of at bats early in the year while Grady Sizemore is out of the lineup.

Out of the rest of the lineup, there isn’t even much of a history of having good offensive seasons.

At 1B, Matt LaPorta had an OPS of 750 in his rookie year in 181 at bats, but last year dipped to 668.  He was coming off surgeries to his hip and foot, so perhaps that’s why his numbers slumped badly.  There is no question he is a large key if the Tribe is going to score runs in 2011.

Orlando Cabrera hasn’t had an OPS over 750 since 2003 when he played for Montreal.  The last season he was close was in ’07 with the Angels (742).  Last year, he was under 700 (657) for the year.

If he stays with his career path thus far, an odd-numbered year means a good year for SS Asdrubal Cabrera.  In his rookie season of 2007 and in 2009, Cabrera had good OPS figures of 775 (’07) and 799 (’09).  Hampered by injuries last season, he dropped to 673.  He provides hope for the offense based on past statistics.

Jason Donald had a 690 OPS last season, but his minor league career is littered with season where he was above 800.  He’s now 26 years old, so he another guy who has to start producing in 2011.

Michael Brantley is another guy whose minor league numbers show good OPS numbers, but so far at the big league level, he sits at 645 in a little over 400 at bats. 

There is no doubt the management is banking on young guys like Brantley, Donald, and La Porta to duplicate their minor league success to have an effective offense. 

You have to remember that there is normally some decline in these numbers going from the minors to the majors.

That is why the other huge key to the Tribe offense is Grady Sizemore.  He has a lifetime OPS of 840 with four season over 800 and one (2006) of 907. 

Even battling through injuries in 2009, Sizemore put up a 788 OPS.  Even at that number, he would be one of the better offensive players on the squad.

If the young guys do not produce, the Cleveland “attack” could be as exciting as watching paint dry. 

And putting more pressure on a young, unproven starting rotation is not the best way to develop arms.  They start to pitch as if they are unable to make a mistake.

In the American League, you have to be able to score runs to win.  The Indians need to have at least two young hitter emerge if they want to be successful in 2011.

KM

Sitting in Cleveland, watching the latest blast of snow melting.  Waiting for March Madness to begin, and baseball season too.  Just wanted to take the time to comment on some stuff going on the world of sports.

Loved Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy’s comments about NBA Commissioner David Stern.  And Stern’s reaction basically proved the Magic coach correct.

Van Gundy said the league doesn’t embrace the notion of free speech, which Stern took offensive to, saying the Orlando head man made it personal.

Then, Stern proved the coach correct saying he was going to talk to Magic management, to tell them to get Van Gundy “under control”. 

The commish does not like hearing any criticism regarding his league, and loves using his network “partners” to put information out there to support the league.  Kind of like, propaganda. 

Let’s just say no one is feeling bad about Stern’s feelings being hurt, particularly people is mid to small markets, who are becoming irrelevant in the commissioner’s league.

Too bad about the Heat.  With all due respect to Dwyane Wade, when you act like you won a title before the season starts with the smoke and party after the signing of free agents LeBron James and Chris Bosh, people don’t exactly wish you well.

By the way, the Heat will win fewer games than the Cavs did the past two seasons, and could be eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.  Will critics of the Cavs then say that Pat Riley didn’t put enough talent around James?

Also, the people saying the Cavs’ roster was terrible (ESPN people) are wrong.  While there were no perennial all-stars on the team, the wine and gold roster was deep, going nine or ten deep. 

After James, Wade, and Bosh, the Heat roster is basically awful.  That’s why they struggle against good teams, their bench gets hammered by deeper rosters.  There is no Anderson Varejao there, no Delonte West, no effective Zydrunas Ilgauskas. 

That’s what happens in a salary cap sport.  You can have three all-star players, but you likely can’t afford anything else. 

The NCAA Tournament.  This will sound like a campaign for Cleveland State, but the belief here is that if you don’t win half the games in your conference, you don’t belong in the big dance, no matter how tough your league is.  You can play the toughest schedule on earth, but if you don’t beat anybody, what difference does it make?

Give the mid majors who have successful seasons a shot. No matter that the Vikings lost to Butler three times, and didn’t have a “signature” win, they were 26-8!  That’s a ton of victories, no matter who you play, especially in a top ten league like the Horizon.  Do we really need to see some Big East team that went 7-11 within the conference and 19-13 overall get in? 

The tournament was expanded to 68 squads this year supposedly to give more mid majors a shot.  The guess here is those spots will be given to BCS conference teams.  Gary Waters’ team will wind up beating more than a couple of squads that got it the field of 68, they deserve to get there as well.

As for the people at WKNR who diss the Vikes, let us remind them that the two teams in their beloved Mid American Conference finals, Akron and Kent State, were both beaten by CSU this season. That’s not to denigrate the MAC, which usually gets screwed by the selection committee at this time of year too.

MW

The news that Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel lied to the NCAA regarding when he knew his players sold memorabilia in exchange for free tattoos changes everything.

No longer is Tressel above reproach.  He now falls into the same category as other head coaches at the football factories throughout the country. 

That’s the shame of it all.  And the coach knew better than to cover it up.

However, save the moral indignation regarding whether or not Tressel should keep his job.  Of course he should.  It was not a recruiting violation, and it certainly doesn’t compare to the mess involving Cam Newton.

But it does stink.

Look, if Tressel had finished 8-4 the last three years, the choice he made to hold back evidence in this situation would have been enough to fire him.  If you aren’t winning, the administration can come up with a ton of reasons to get rid of you.

Remember when Iowa State basketball coach Larry Eustachy was shown drinking with coeds and lost his job in 2003?  The incident occured after records of 12-19 and 17-14.  If the same thing had happened in 2001 after seasons of 32-5 and 25-6, the first year being an Elite Eight appearance, would the coach have been canned? 

For all of the things that went on at USC (allegedly), remember that Pete Carroll resigned.  He didn’t get fired.  That’s reality.

People put Tressel on a pedestal.  They didn’t think he was the typical football coach who cared only about winning.  He cared about his players.

It turns out that he cares about them because they can help him gain victories.

The Ohio State administration should have made the correct decision back in December and suspended the players involved, including QB Terrelle Pryor, for the Sugar Bowl.

It would have shown everyone that integrity was more important than winning football games.  That would have made Ohio State different.

The BCS bowl folks probably put pressure on the university to play the players involved, but the school should have done what seemed right at the time.  The five players should have been held out of the game against Arkansas.

Had Tressel come forward with the information he received in April, Pryor and the rest would likely have missed games last season, a season the Bucks thought they could contend for a national title. 

Winning got in the way.

That’s why the feeling here is more disappointment than anger.  We thought Tressel was a throw back to the teacher in high school, who just happened to coach football on the side. 

This shows that this perception isn’t true, he’s the same as every other football coach at perennial top ten programs.  Buckeye fans feel betrayal toward the man who wears the sweater vest.

The NCAA will likely add to the sanctions the university put on Tressel and the football program.  The players received a five game suspension, while the coach received a two game penalty with a $250,000 fine.

That’s not going to fly, especially since the Buckeyes first two games are against Akron and Toledo.  The NCAA may make the suspension be for the first two Big Ten games or even longer.

It’s a sad situation at Ohio State.  The college football fans of the state of Ohio expected more from the coach.  However, it doesn’t mean he should lose his job. 

As for vacating wins, that’s the dumbest thing the NCAA does.  We all know Michigan’s Fab Five went to two basketball title games, and we know Ohio State won the Sugar Bowl.  Everyone saw these things happen, no governing body can take that away.

Tressel screwed up.  One mistake is okay.  Any further errors will cost him his job. 

MW

Baseball’s exhibition season is a little over a week old, and the Cleveland Indians have a phenom in 3B Lonnie Chisenhall.

If the Tribe was to have a rookie break the starting lineup in Arizona, it figured to be Cord Phelps at 2B since he spent most of last season in Columbus, hitting over .300 there.

Meanwhile, Chisenhall, the team’s first round draft pick in 2008, spent last year in Akron, hitting .278 with 17 HR and 84 RBI with an 801 OPS.  He is ranked by Baseball America as the 25th best prospect in baseball.

In 15 at bats this spring, Chisenhall has 7 hits (.467 average) with 2 doubles and two homers.  Also, the Tribe doesn’t really have Mike Schmidt playing the hot corner either.

Now it is very early in the spring, but supposedly the 22-year-old has been told he will not make the opening day roster because he’s never played at the AAA level.

The real reason is the Indians do not want to start the service clock on Chisenhall on Opening Day because if they keep him in the minors long enough, he won’t be eligible for arbitration until after his third big league season.

Just like they handled Carlos Santana last season, and he should have been the Tribe catcher to start the 2010 campaign.

What the Indians should do is allow Chisenhall to force himself onto the 25 man roster come April 1st when the team opens the season against Chicago.

Orlando Cabrera will play 2B, and if Jason Donald continues to play well, he can be the utility man, and can play third against tough southpaws to protect the rookie.

When you are coming off consecutive 90 loss seasons, nothing should be etched in stone for young, rising players when it comes to making the team.

Too often, the current regime takes the safe route when it comes to their top prospects, either to “protect” the player from possible failure, or more likely, to control the player’s service time.

Scouts love Chisenhall’s left-handed swing and his minor league numbers suggest he is not prone to striking out.  His minor league high in whiffs is 96 in 480 at-bats in his first full year of organized ball.

He fanned just 77 times in 460 at bats at Akron last season.

With no established 3B on the roster, why not give the kid a full shot, giving him regular playing time to see if he can handle big league pitching. 

By the end of the month, more teams will be pitching major league guys deeper and deeper into games, so the hurlers who have no chance to be in the majors will be weeded out.  Then, you can get a truer look at how Chisenhall will perform.

If he keeps hitting at this pace, why not let him be on the Opening Day roster? 

The front office will try to present to you that if the youngster is called up too soon and fails, he will be scarred for the rest of his career.  If he’s that fragile, then he probably will not be a successful big league player. 

Baseball players all fail.  That’s why a guy who gets hits 3 out of ten times goes to the Hall of Fame.

And other players have gone right from Class AA to the majors and been successful.  The Braves’ Jason Heyward, who made the All Star team last year, had just 13 at bats in AAA before opening last season with the big team.

Chisenhall might go 0 for his next 20 and make this a moot point.  However, if he keeps hitting, the Indians should not limit themselves and let him play in Cleveland.

All we are saying is…Give Chiz a chance!

KM

After the mass exodus from the Cleveland Cavaliers organization this summer, as the coach, the general manager, and the star player all left, many fans wondered about the future of the team. 

What will happen around here without Mike Brown, Danny Ferry, and LeBron James?  It has taken a little while, but there is hope based on what new GM Chris Grant did around the trading deadline. 

Grant didn’t do much immediately after taking the job, but he did make one trade before the season started, picking up Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins from Minnesota for Delonte West, who was released shortly thereafter by the Timberwolves.  The Cavs were not going to renew West’s deal anyway, so essentially Grant got the two players for nothing.

While Hollins has shown to be a journeyman backup center in the league who can’t rebound, Sessions has averaged 12.7 points and 5.5 assists per game while starting most of the season due to injuries.  Sessions is viewed as one of the players the “new” Cavaliers can build around, as he is at least a very good backup point guard.

Sessions is aggressive, always looking to go to the basket, as evidenced by his five free throw attempts per game in an average of just 27 minutes per night.

Prior to getting Sessions, Grant signed restricted free agent point guard Kyle Lowry to an offer sheet, even though Lowry averaged just 9 points and 4.5 assists per night. 

This year, Lowry has flourished, boosting his averages to 12.3 points and 6.5 assists per game in taking over the Rockets starting spot. 

The point here is that Grant appears to be a pretty good judge of talent.  This is also in evidence looking at two undrafted players the team picked as free agents over the summer.

No one is saying that Manny Harris or Samardo Samuels will ever be all-stars, but the fact is they can play in this league in some role. 

Harris, a 6’5″ guard is averaging 6.7 points and 3 rebounds per game in 39 contests.  He has four 20 point nights in his rookie year, and is another player who has shown enough to be part of the future here. 

Samuels, a 6’9″ post player is scoring 6.5 points per night and grabbing 3.6 boards in 25 games.  However, his performance in back-to-back starts the last two games has to get fans interested.  He scored 38 points and notched 16 caroms against San Antonio and New York, and drew two charges from Carmelo Anthony in the last two minutes on March 4th to help Cleveland upset the Knicks.

Add in the two deals at the deadline which netted a probable top ten pick in this year’s NBA draft, two young big guys in Semih Erden and Luke Harangody, and a veteran point guard in Baron Davis, and it’s clear that Grant is a pretty good judge of talent. 

This is not to suggest that all the players mentioned will go on to be to be starters or even contributors on a good NBA team.  However, it is clear that all of the players have talent. 

Now, Grant needs to take the three picks the team will have in the first 31 selections in June’s draft and find some more good players.  Grant has said there are 12-15 good players every year.  It’s his job to find them.

There is no question fans have to feel better about the future of this team than they did at the beginning of the season.  The moves made by Grant since he took over as GM show he has an eye for who can play in the Association. 

That’s a comfort for those worried about a guy in that spot for the first time.

MW