It’s been a busy week in Cleveland sports with the Cavaliers starting their second round series and the Indians’ season teetering on the brink.  Here are some of my thoughts on both teams—

 

·          The Cavaliers have certainly been impressive winning each of the six playoff games by 10 points or more.  However, neither the Pistons nor the Hawks are among the elite teams in the NBA, something many national experts are pointing out.  I agree with them, but isn’t that the advantage you get by being the conference’s top seed?  You get to play the lowest qualifier in round one, and you avoid a division winner in round two.  You can’t fault the Cavs for beating up on these teams.

 

·          Remember, last year’s number one seed, the Celtics were pushed to seven games in both their first round and second round series.  They had the same advantage and didn’t dominate the same way the Cavs have.

 

·          Atlanta will be tougher on their home court, but if Joe Johnson is out tomorrow night, it may not matter.  If the wine and gold take game three, this series will be over Monday night, and the Cavaliers will have another long layoff before the conference finals.

 

·          Danny Ferry has put together a wonderful team.  Of course, LeBron James was here to start with, but Ferry has brought in a great mix of veteran experience off the bench and has made this team very, very deep.  This team gets a significant contribution each night from someone off the bench.  Last night, it was Wally Szczerbiak, but Joe Smith, Ben Wallace, and even Sasha Pavlovic have stepped up.  It is truly a joy to watch.

 

·          Now for the Indians.  I’m happy that GM Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge are thinking outside the box in moving Aaron Laffey to the bullpen, but it shouldn’t stop there.  I’ve heard rumors that veteran reliever Luis Vizcaino may be headed to Cleveland from the Cubs, and I would bring up Jon Meloan as well.  Masa Kobayashi and Jensen Lewis shouldn’t be too comfortable.

 

·          Eric Wedge is managing like a desperate man, making several strange decisions.  He used Aaron Laffey for three innings Wednesday night, thus making him unavailable for the following night’s game, and his non-use of Luis Valbuena has to be driving Shapiro crazy.  Since being called up on Friday night, the young infielder has played two games.  There is no reason to bring him up if he’s not going to play.

 

·          I also chuckled at Wedge’s irritation with Jhonny Peralta’s defense in Toronto.  He’s the guy who plays him there.  Most baseball experts feel the Tribe’s best defensive infield would be having Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, Mark DeRosa at 2B, and Peralta at third.  We know Peralta isn’t a great defensive shortstop, so why complain when he doesn’t make a play.

 

·          Meanwhile, the strikeouts continue to pile up.  However, one guy who does make consistent contact is Ryan Garko, but he seemingly can’t get off the bench.  Shin-Soo Choo DH’d against a lefty in Toronto, while Garko sat out.  Garko is the closest thing on the roster to a professional hitter like Victor Martinez.  Sure, I’d like to see him hit with a little more pop, but his lack of use in puzzling.

 

MW

 

The Cavaliers rolled to a Game 1 victory Tuesday night, 99-72 against the Atlanta Hawks, but I will caution once again that tonight’s game will be a tougher contest.  After shooting very well in the first half, the wine and gold defense tightened up, and stifled the Atlanta attack.  The result was another double-digit playoff win, Cleveland’s fifth in a row this post-season.

 

After the almost inevitable slow start due to having not played a game in nine days, the Cavs got it going in the second quarter, building a lead of between 8-12 points before settling for a five point advantage at halftime.  The new MVP, LeBron James made sure the wine and gold shook off the cobwebs early, scoring 22 points, even though TNT’s Charles Barkley said he wasn’t playing well.

 

By the way, is there any group of guys bitterer than the three ex-players on the TNT set?  Barkley was a great player and a colorful analyst, but doesn’t he realize the Hawks best chance of winning is to make it a running game, and the Cavaliers want to make it a more structured contest?  Also, the Cavaliers are a pretty good defensive team, and that’s what they hang their hat on, not fast break points.

 

LeBron James has more knowledge about winning in his pinkie than Chris Webber has in his entire body, and Kenny Smith continues to talk about how great he was (he wasn’t) during his playing career.  Dudes, the Cavaliers are a darn good NBA team!  They won 66 games this year!  Mike Brown has won 50 or more games in three of his four years as a head coach.  You would think he doesn’t have a club about the game listening to these guys.

 

In the second half, Brown told reminded his team that Josh Smith wants to go to the basket, and they must make him shoot jumpers.  The players followed the instructions and the Hawks chief offensive player in the first half was nullified.  Joe Johnson didn’t play well as he is capable either, Delonte West’s defense was a factor here, and the game turned into a blowout from the middle of the third quarter on, with James starting it by scoring nine straight points.

 

Tonight, you have to figure the Hawks will not continue their ridiculous plan to play #23 one on one.  They will start trapping and doubling James, and so as usual, his teammates must step up.  Mo Williams and West played well on Tuesday, but out of the big men, only Ben Wallace played real well.  Therefore, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varajao, and Joe Smith must play better than they did in Game 1. 

 

Also, tonight’s game will likely be a little more physical, and I would also expect Johnson to play much better for Atlanta.  Thus, I would not expect another 27-point blowout in Game 2.  However, another victory would give Cleveland a commanding 2-0 lead, and would force the Hawks to win four out of five against the Cavs to win the series.  It is a very important game.

 

The Cavs know this as well.  They have shaken off the rust and will get off to a better start than they did in the first game.  My guess is Atlanta goes home this evening with their backs firmly against the wall.

 

JK

 

There were a couple of news items coming out of the Cleveland Cavaliers camp yesterday.  First, LeBron James was named the NBA MVP, his first such award, and the first by a Cleveland athlete since Brian Sipe took the NFL honor in 1980.  Second, it seems the team will actually play a game tonight.  Game 1 of the conference semifinals will start tonight at Quicken Loans Arena against the Atlanta Hawks.

 

There is no question that James deserved the MVP.  In my opinion, he is now the best player in the world, and he most certainly was the best player on the best team in the league’s regular season.  He set the tone with the wine and gold from the beginning of training camp, and never let up.  With the Cavaliers getting to 66 wins this season, there is no question that the award goes to the right man.

 

As for the Hawks, the do not have one of the game’s top five players like Miami did in Dewayne Wade, but make no mistake, this is a good, young squad that continues to improve.  They are taking the next step in their evolution by getting past the first round after losing to the eventual champion Celtics in seven games last season.

 

The Hawks have a tremendous all around player in Joe Johnson, an all-star, an experienced point guard in Mike Bibby, and a freak type athlete in Josh Smith, so this is not the over the hill Pistons team.  They can run the floor, but they aren’t the consistent defensive team the Cavs are.  They also have a very good power forward in Al Horford and an Anderson Varajao wannabe in Zaza Pachulia.

 

This will definitely be a much tougher series than round one.  In fact, tonight’s game has the potential to be very difficult because of the nine-day layoff for Cleveland.  The Hawks have the momentum of a game seven win at home, so they are feeling pretty good about themselves. 

 

The quicker the wine and gold can get back in the swing of things, the better off they will be.  It would be great if the Cavs came out tonight with a dominate performance to get Atlanta thinking that their victory over Miami doesn’t count for much because the Cavaliers are a much better team.

 

The next step for the Cavs starts tonight, and if we can learn anything from both Orlando and Houston winning on the road last night, the real playoffs start in round two.

 

JK

 

 

The Cleveland Indians’ front office decided it had enough during Thursday’s off day. With Travis Hafner going on the disabled list Wednesday, the team did activate David Dellucci for Friday night’s game in Detroit.  However, it was after the 6-5 win that night that the fireworks really began.

 

For the Indians’ conservative management, it was akin to a massacre of the 25 man roster.  Tony Graffanino was put on waivers, Trevor Crowe was optioned back to Columbus, and reliever Joe Smith was put on the disabled list.  In return, the Tribe called up Matt LaPorta, the featured guy in the C.C. Sabathia deal, INF Luis Valbuena, and Josh Barfield returned to the big league roster.  If the Tribe made this many moves on one day in the Mark Shapiro regime, I cannot remember it.  It shows just how concerned the front office is about the disappointing start.

 

The Indians are 2-10 in games where they have not hit a home run, which points to their all or nothing offense.  In addition, in the 12 games where they haven’t hit a dinger, they have scored 30 runs, and seven of those came Saturday afternoon.  Scoring less than three runs a contest makes winning very difficult.

 

Now, the next shakeup must come in the bullpen, which continues to be awful.  Jensen Lewis surrendered yet another home run Friday night, his sixth in 12-2/3 innings, and he must be part of the overhaul.  It’s hard to imagine anyone coming up from the minors could be worse.  Masa Kobayashi finally pitched in his first game in over a week, and if the skipper has no confidence in him, he should be let go as well.

 

The only reliable alternatives for Eric Wedge are closer Kerry Wood and Tony Sipp, who has only been on the team for a week.  The lack of a viable alternative is causing the manager to make questionable judgments.  Such as Friday night, when Wedge brought in Lewis in the 8th inning instead of Rafael Betancourt, or Saturday when Sipp was removed after a walk for Betancourt, instead of seeing what he could do with Brandon Inge.

 

It is also leading to leaving starting pitchers in for longer stints, such as Cliff Lee’s 120 pitch outing against Kansas City last month.

 

Since I’m a proponent of the "can’t do any worse" theory, I would be in favor of calling up veteran Matt Herges and perhaps Jon Meloan from Columbus to replace Lewis and Kobayashi, and the emphasis would be on bringing in guys who throw strikes.  The only Tribe relievers who have strikeout to walk ratios of 2:1 are Wood, Sipp, and amazingly Lewis, who probably should not be laying it in there, judging by the amount of homers he has allowed.

 

At 9-16 on the season, and now five games behind in a closely contested division, now is the time to make bold moves.  Doing something about the bullpen may have no effect, but it could turn the season around.  The way the team is playing, Mark Shapiro has nothing to lose.  The season is slipping away, and something, anything has to be done.

 

KM

 

 

 

The Cleveland Indians have played one-eighth of their schedule and the results haven’t been pretty.  The front office or the fans didn’t expect a 7-13 start after 20 games.  When they get good pitching, the hitting doesn’t produce, and when they score runs, they get no pitching.  It’s a classic sign of mediocrity.

 

The Indians will point out that they are currently 5^th in the American League in runs scored, but if you eliminate the 22-4 beat down of the Yankees, they rank near the bottom (10^th in the league).  They do walk a lot, but if you watched the Twins series over the weekend, if you throw strikes to this bunch, they have a hard time scoring. 

 

And of course, they strike out way too much, currently leading the league in not making contact.  It’s not just a couple of guys whiffing either; it’s the entire team.  Only Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko are on pace to strike out less than 100 times this season.  In addition to those two, the only hitters with strikeout to walk ratios of less than 2:1 are Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera. 

 

Jhonny Peralta (25K’s/8 walks), Kelly Shoppach (16 K’s/ 1 walk), and Ben Francisco (16K’s/6 walks) are huge offenders.  Especially since Shoppach and Francisco have just 39 and 58 at bats, respectively.

 

The Indians have played 22 games this season and have five sacrifice flies, but three of them have come the last two nights against the Red Sox.  Their previous total of two ranked last in the AL.  Of course, it’s hard to hit fly balls with a man on third when you are striking out all the time.  Both Martinez and Garko have two run scoring fly balls.  Why?  They put the bat on the ball.

 

Not putting the ball in play is not a recipe for success.

 

Last weekend against Minnesota emphasized how putting the ball in play and doing the fundamental things can lead to victories.  Saturday night, they got hits on several seeing eye ground balls, and wound up taking a 5-1 lead.  The Indians offense is too dependent on banging the ball out of the park, and when they aren’t hitting homers, they struggle to score.

 

That philosophy has to change, not only among the players, but among the management as well.

 

Add in the lack of pitching, and it’s even worse.

 

The Indians rank 11^th in the junior circuit in ERA, and the poor performance is based on both the starters (13^th in ERA) and the bullpen (10^th in ERA) both stinking equally.  Tribe pitchers lead the league in walks allowed, with the relief corps allowing bases on balls at a stunning rate. 

 

I can’t blame this on pitching coach Carl Willis because he has instructed back-to-back Cy Young Award winners.  However, there is nothing wrong with lighting a fire under some of these guys.

 

Something has to change, but will the always patient Mark Shapiro make any moves soon?

 

The best thing the Indians have going for them is the AL Central Division, where in spite of their bad start, they are still just 3-1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers.  They could be six or seven out in a better division.

 

With Travis Hafner going on the disabled list with a recurrence of his shoulder problems, David Dellucci will be back for this weekend’s series with the Tigers.  Rich Rundles will be sent back to make room for him.  I also believe Masa Kobayashi will be released or designated for assignment and another position player will be activated.  Luis Valbuena should be a candidate, but it will probably be Josh Barfield.

 

The Tribe needs a shock, not a tweak.  This team did not play well in spring training, so they have been struggling and losing since they took the field in mid February.  It’s still early enough to make an impact, but waiting another couple of weeks could be too late.

 

MW

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business quickly and coldly in the first round of the NBA playoffs, dismissing the Detroit Pistons in four straight, with only one game really in doubt going into the fourth quarter.  It was simply a case of a very good team beating one that has seen better days.  Don’t read anything more into the sweep than that.

 

The next round should and will be a little tougher as the wine and gold will take on either the Miami Heat or the Atlanta Hawks.  The Heat has Dwayne Wade, so you know it will be a more difficult series because he’s as competitive as LeBron James.  The Hawks gained a lot of experience last season when they took the Celtics to seven games in an opening round series.  Both these teams are hungry, unlike the Pistons.

 

Let’s face it; the fight is gone from the Piston veterans, particularly after a disappointing season for them.  Tayshaun Prince is hurting, Chauncey Billups is in Denver, and if the Cavs were interested in signing Rasheed Wallace as a free agent this summer, they may not be now after his disappearing act in the series. 

 

Don’t read much more into the Cavs’ sweep than this…The Pistons are a below .500 team, and a team with the best regular season in the league should sweep them.  Detroit got a lot of credit because of their past success, but really, the Detroit Pistons are not a real good basketball team.

 

The Cavs will have to continue to play better as the playoffs continue if they want to reach their ultimate goal, which is hoisting the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy.  Mo Williams has to do a better job in stopping the penetration of opposing point guards.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varajao have to be better on the defensive end, although to be fair, Detroit’s big men took a lot of perimeter jumpers.  There is room for improvement for the wine and gold.

 

The good news is that this team isn’t satisfied, and we know that because of their leader, LeBron James.  James has made a title his goal from the beginning of the season, and his teammates have all bought in.  He isn’t about to take his foot off of the pedal at this point.  I’m sure that the Cavs will have some tough practices to keep their edge in the week or so layoff before the next series.

 

By the way, the time off is a good thing.  Even if the Hawks-Heat series goes seven games, which seems like a good possibility, the NBA will start the next round probably with one day off for the winner.  Therefore, the fatigue and emotional factor of a seventh game will far outweigh the rustiness the Cavaliers will have.  Also, the time off for the Cavs will be an advantage as the playoffs continue.

 

My feeling is Game 1 will be next Tuesday night at the Q.

 

JK

 

The Browns draft figured to be full of surprises because they would be looking to make trades to get more choices, and from that standpoint it was.  GM George Kokinis engineered three deals on Saturday that netted the team three more draft picks, and they got out of the fifth pick which would have cost them a ton of cash. 

 

However, it was stunning that WR Braylon Edwards remains on the team, they still have two quarterbacks because they failed to deal either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, and they chose not to improve their porous defense through the draft, instead, they received two possible starters in the trade with the New York Jets (who else?) in DE Kenyon Coleman and S Abram Elam. 

 

The draft pick of California C Alex Mack isn’t all that surprising because the Browns were definitely interested in him, and Hank Fraley is not the center you want if you plan on running the ball.  However, WR Brian Robiskie might have been a little bit of a reach at #36.  Robiskie might have been there at #50 or #52.  I like the Ohio State product, he has good size and good hands, but I wish there would have been more of an emphasis on defense at that choice.

 

To follow that pick up with another WR in Mohammed Massaquoi from Georgia is really puzzling, unless a trade involving Edwards is still in the talking stage.  Massaquoi is a good blocker and another possession receiver, the same as Robiskie.  With their third pick in the second round, the Browns finally took a defensive player in David Veikune, a DE from Hawaii, who will be moved to OLB.  He didn’t start until his senior year, and is regarded as a project at best.

 

It appears that Eric Mangini is putting his defensive eggs in his former players’ basket, as the Browns now will have three new defensive starters from the Jets.  That would be great if the Jets led the NFL in total defense last season, but they didn’t, they ranked 16th in the NFL, right in the middle of the pack.  It’s not like the Browns’ holdovers will add to much, although NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D’Qwell Jackson could have started for the Jets and helped them.

 

The Browns did emphasize defense on the second day of the draft, choosing only one offensive player, Clemson RB James Davis, on Sunday.  The rest of their picks were to get help at cornerback and linebacker, most notably USC LB Kaluka Maiava.  However, all of the defensive players they drafted this weekend will likely only be special teams contributors in the 2009 season.

 

They also went for smart football players.  Mack won the Draddy Award for being college football’s best student athlete, and Robiskie was a finalist for the same award.  After seeing some of the dumb penalties and guys lining up in the wrong spot, I guess this is an upgrade.

 

The biggest problem with the Browns’ draft was that they had a chance to add a player who could become the leader of the defensive unit, and they didn’t do it.  Perhaps they thought the only player who could be that guy was Aaron Curry, so they decided to build the line and the receiving corps.  Alex Mack will help and will start from day one, so should Robiskie.  However, the defense needs an upgrade, and all they have added are serviceable players, no impact defenders. 

 

It looks like another year for the bend, but don’t break philosophy.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, it’s the closest thing to getting to the Super Bowl for Cleveland Browns fans.  It’s the NFL Draft.  It’s where the team will pick the next bunch of budding superstars that will take the orange and brown to their first league championship game since 1965, or they will pick more guys like Tim Couch, Gerard Warren, and Mike Junkins. 

 

One thing is for certain.  Eric Mangini and George Kokinis cannot afford to screw up the draft as their predecessors have done for the last 10 years.  The Browns need to start turning it around and they need to start right now.

 

Currently, the Browns have five selections this weekend, but I fully expect more selections than that by the end of the draft on Sunday.  Although it has been reported the Braylon Edwards to the Giants deal is dead, don’t be surprised if the wide receiver is moved on or before the draft for at least two more choices.  It’s not that New York doesn’t want Edwards, it’s that the two parties cannot decide on the price.

 

It also appears that Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree no longer interests the Browns which is fine with me.  However, what should the Browns do with the 5^th pick?

 

The defense is the big weakness for this team so that’s the direction I would go in on Saturday.  If Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry is still there at #5, that’s the pick.  However, if he’s not, there’s another question.

 

USC MLB Ray Maualuga would fit Cleveland’s needs, but he’s not projected to go until around picks 10-15.  The Browns would like to trade the fifth selection and go lower, but it doesn’t appear there is a market for the choice, unless maybe if USC QB Mark Sanchez is still available.  However, if the Browns can’t trade down, and they really like Maualuga, then they should take him.

 

You can’t pass on someone because Mel Kiper and the other draft gurus don’t think he’s worthy of the pick.  Of course, if he’s considered by everyone to be a 2^nd or 3^rd rounder and you pick him fifth overall, that’s a problem.  But, if he’s ranked the 12^th best player and you pick him fifth, what’s the problem?  The Browns need the toughness and leadership on defense that I think Maualuga will bring.

 

The other rumbling going around is that the Browns could take Sanchez and then trade Brady Quinn.  If other teams desire Quinn, then shouldn’t Cleveland hold on to him and see what they have?  Also, taking Sanchez means you likely are getting nothing out of the fifth pick in the draft, at least this season.  The 4-12 Browns can’t afford to have their top pick standing on the sidelines holding a clipboard this season.

 

What if Quinn goes somewhere else and shows that he can play?  That will just confirm everyone’s fears that the Browns’ front office has no clue.  The smart thing to do is give Quinn the starting job and let’s find out if he can play.  He started just three games, put up more than 20 points in two of them and got hurt in the third.  In other cities, he would be looked upon as a quarterback with a great deal of potential.

 

I would lean heavily on defense in this draft because the Browns still cannot rush the passer and still have problems stopping the run.  The reason they would like more picks is that Mangini and Kokinis would also like to fill holes on the offensive line (Cal C Alex Mack?), running back, and at wide receiver if Edwards is indeed moved. 

 

The Cleveland Browns will be one of the movers and shakers this weekend.  Sit back and enjoy the drama.

 

JD

 

I have long maintained that in a seven game series, the even numbered games are most important until you get to the seventh and deciding game.  If you are up 1-0, then Game 2 means you can take a commanding lead.  If you lost game one, then you have an opportunity to even up the series.  The Cleveland Cavaliers took that commanding lead in the series with a 94-82 triumph at Quicken Loans Arena last night.

 

Prior to last night’s game, Pistons’ coach Michael Curry openly discussed how he was going to take the ball out of LeBron James’ hands.  His theory of guarding #23 man to man failed miserably in the series opener, with James going to the basket early and often in route to a 38-point performance.  So, he doubled James more often and went to a zone look at times during the game.

 

It didn’t work.  James took just 14 shots, but still scored 29 points and dished out six assists as he found open teammates who made shots, thus foiling the Detroit strategy.  Early, it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas hitting open looks, and later Mo Williams started to find his shot, and Delonte West took the ball to the hole with authority.

 

Also, stifling defense keyed the wine and gold effort.  The Pistons were held under 20 points in each of the first three quarters as the Cavs built a lead that eventually reached 29 points.  The Cleveland defense did not allow many uncontested shots, but they also forced many turnovers, and when Detroit missed, the Cavs cleaned up the boards, led by James’ 13 rebounds.

 

Unfortunately, the Cavs’ reserves got sloppy in the fourth quarter and allowed the Pistons’ subs to climb back into the game.  The Detroit veteran starters seemed disinterested and beaten, but the bench, led by Will Bynum and Aaron Afflalo, outscored Cleveland 32-17 in the last stanza, and actually closed the gap to seven at one point. 

 

Therefore, even though the Cavs lead the series 2-0, they still feel like they have something to prove as they head to Detroit for the next two games.  I would envision Detroit coach Michael Curry giving more time to some of Bynum or Afflalo, and perhaps even Jason Maxiell to provide a spark.  I would also figure that Mike Brown would come up with a better way to defend those guys based on what they did last night.

 

The problems in the fourth quarter also came from the Cavs’ reserves turning the ball over way too much, as well as forcing bad shots.  If the game were in doubt, the starters wouldn’t have left the floor all together.  The biggest concern is the confidence the Pistons gained from making a blowout into a game.  This means the Cavs need to come out quick on Friday night and remind the Pistons who had the league’s best record in 2008-09. 

 

If Mike Brown’s crew can get back to the defense they played in the first three quarters last night, this series will not go longer than five games.  The difference for this Cavalier team is the offense has improved so much, scoring 90 points almost guarantees a win, especially against a team like Detroit.

 

JK  

 

It’s not too often you can say your basketball team won by 18 points, and your baseball team wins by the same margin, but it happened for Cleveland sports fans on Saturday.  The Cavaliers took game one from Detroit, 102-84, while the Indians were waxing the Yankees in New York, 22-4.  It was truly an enjoyalbe sports day on the North Coast.

 

LeBron James made his presence felt early against the Pistons, going to the basket right from the get go, and punctuated the first half by banking in a three at the buzzer, culminating a 21 point first half.  The Pistons tried to guard #23 man to man, but they better come up with a better plan come Tuesday night.  James ended up with 38 points on 13 of 20 shooting.  Joe Smith, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, and Mo Williams also pitched in with double figure efforts. 

 

The only negative was the failure of the team to hold leads while James was on the bench.  Because of the 18 point win, LBJ came out of the game a minute early, and played a little over 40 minutes, which is fine for a playoff game.  Since the wine and gold have often bullt on leads while The King is on the bench, it’s not a big concern, but it is something worth watching.

 

Meanwhile, the Indians scored 14 runs in the second inning in route to a thrashing of the Bronx Bombers.  The Tribe hit six home runs on the day in the new Yankee Stadium, which is playing like a bandbox thus far.  Any flyball hit to right field has a decent chance of flying out of the yard.

 

The win guaranteed at least a split of the four game series, which was kind of unthinkable after the 1-7 start to the season.

 

Meanwhile, the starting pitching has improved, but the bullpen is in a state of flux.  The relief corps, not named Kerry Wood or Zach Jackson, has walked 29 hitters in 36-1/3 innings.  That’s the main reason for the problems they are having.  Rafael Perez has walked nine and struck out two thus far, and right now cannot be brought in to a key situation.  This means another southpaw is needed in the bullpen, so perhaps Rich Rundles or Tony Sipp will be recalled prior to tomorrow’s game against Kansas City. 

 

Eric Wedge’s faith in Jensen Lewis is also misguided.  Although both of the homers Lewis allowed were Yankee Stadium short porch specials, the right-hander has still allowed 12 hits and four walks in 6-2/3 frames.  It seems to me that right now Rafael Betancourt should be the eighth inning guy right now, and maybe Masa Kobayashi could get a shot as well.

 

Wedge’s stubborness in not recognizing the hot man in the bullpen is one of his weaknesses.  Remember how long he stayed with Betancourt last year when he was clearly ineffective.  Of course, using Raffy Right in a 10-2 win on Thursday probably prevented him from being used on Friday with a 5-4 lead.  Why wasn’t Vinnie Chulk used with an eight run lead. 

 

Getting to Kerry Wood has become a big problem thus far.  The Tribe needs to get the relief corps to throw strikes quickly or games like Friday and Sunday could become the norm.  The Indians should have swept the Yanks instead of getting just a split.

 

KM