The Cleveland Cavaliers have 14 games remaining in the regular season.  Nine of them are in the friendly confines of The Quicken Loans Arena, with the other five on the road.  In the previous 14 games, meaning the games played since the mega-trade at the deadline was made, the wine and gold is 8-6.  Clearly, there was been a learning curve for the new players coming to the Cavs.  Here are some suggestions for Coach Mike Brown going forward in the regular season and heading into the playoffs.

 

It would appear the Cavs will finish with the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference, thus getting home court advantage in the first round, and a date with the Celtics in round two, if they advance.  It would take a tremendous collapse by Orlando to move up to the third spot, or a long losing streak by Cleveland to drop down to the fifth seed, currently occupied by Orlando.  So, what’s left for the coaching staff is to use these remaining games to figure out who should be in the rotation once the playoffs start.

 

He currently has a four-man rotation at the power forward and center spots using Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Ben Wallace as the starters, with Anderson Varajao and Joe Smith coming off the bench.  Coach Brown has to be careful to keep one offensive oriented big man (Ilgauskas or Smith) with one defender (Wallace or Varajao) on the floor at all times.  Playing both defenders makes it easier for opponents to double and triple team LeBron James.  I also like limiting these guys’ minutes as it will keep them fresher in the fourth quarter and through the playoffs.  I would like to see more of Smith on the floor, as he has the most versatility in his game, and can be a match up problem for Detroit.

 

James is the small forward, and who ever backs him up is only going to get 8-10 minutes per night, so that really isn’t an issue.  The one thing Brown needs to do is to make sure James’ minutes don’t exceed 40 on a nightly basis.  He has shown fatigue recently, which was obvious with his decision to try and end the Washington game before it got to overtime.  The wine and gold need a fresh King when the playoffs start.

 

Delonte West is getting the majority of the minutes at the point, and I continue to like what I see.  The only improvement that is needed is in the fourth quarter, where West has settled into the team philosophy of getting the ball to #23 and letting him handle everything.  I want West to initiate the offense and let LeBron finish the play.  Damon Jones is his backup, but when Jones is in the game, more often than not, LeBron is the playmaker, and Jones is a perimeter shooter.  When Daniel Gibson gets back from his injury, he will take more time from West.

 

The off guard is Brown’s biggest quandary.  He moved Sasha Pavlovic back into the starting lineup after his injury, moving Devin Brown, who was playing well back to the bench.  Since that move, the Cavaliers have lost three out of four.  Is it an adjustment period or is Sasha a poor fit?  Wally Szczerbiak’s minutes have dwindled since Pavlovic’s return, and I’m not sure this is a good thing.  His recent struggles have colored our view about the former Miami (OH) sharpshooter, but this team needs his outside stroke in the playoffs.  His career shows he is a more reliable option that Pavlovic.

 

The time is now to start getting ready for the post-season, as the Cavs take on two playoff teams this week with the Pistons coming in tonight, and the likely first round opponent, Toronto, is here Friday.  A pair of home court wins would give the wine and gold a much needed shot in the arm.  Accomplishing this while restoring the confidence of Wally Szczerbiak would even be better.

 

JK

 

 

After the Detroit Tigers traded for Edgar Renteria, Miguel Cabrera, and Dontrelle Willis, most of the baseball experts around the country started handing the Central Division title to the Motor City Kitties.  They are being projected to score over a thousand runs on the season, with the most relentless attack outside of New York.  Of course, the last team to score that many runs in a season was the 1999 Cleveland Indians, who lost in the first round of the AL playoffs to the Boston Red Sox.  However, you need to look at the age of the Tigers before you hand them the crown.

 

The Tigers starting lineup has an average age of 31.8, and Indians is 27.7.  In fact, every member of the Detroit starting lineup is on the wrong side of 30, except for Cabrera and Curtis Granderson.  Moreover, they are all 32 years old or older.  Two players, Gary Sheffield (39) and Ivan Rodriguez (36) are closer to 40 years old than they are to 30.  Most stat guys will point out that the peak of most players careers hit from ages 27-29.  Therefore, most of the Tigers’ numbers should decline from what they did in 2007.

 

On the other hand, the only Indians over 30 are DH Travis Hafner, 3B Casey Blake, and the left field platoon of David Dellucci and Jason Michaels.  Also, several Tribesmen are at or younger than the peak years mentioned earlier:  Ryan Garko (27), Asdrubal Cabrera (22), Jhonny Peralta (25), Grady Sizemore (25), and Franklin Gutierrez (25).  All of these guys should improve their numbers from a year ago, with the possible exception of Cabrera, who has very limited experience.   

 

The spot the made me smile was centerfield.  The new flavor of many baseball people is Granderson, who emerged last season with a huge year.  On the other hand, Sizemore has been a star at the big league level since his first year as a regular in 2005.  However, check their ages.  Sizemore is a year younger than the Tigers’ CF, and Grady didn’t have as good a season as he did in 2006, so I look for a bounce back season coming up this summer.  If that’s the case, we are talking about a possible MVP season for the man named Grady.

 

The ages of the pitching staffs are about the same.  The Kitties have three young starters in Justin Verlander, Willis, and Jeremy Bonderman, although the latter two have had issues with performance recently.  It will be interesting to see how the lefthander acquired from the Marlins does in the AL after his struggles in the senior circuit the last two years.  Those three are roughly the same age as the Tribe’s C.C. Sabathia (27), Fausto Carmona (24), and Cliff Lee (29).  Both squads have veterans in Kenny Rogers (43) for Detroit and Paul Byrd (37) for the Indians.  A pair of 30 year olds round out the rotations in Jake Westbrook and Nate Robertson.

 

One of the reasons the Indians prevailed last season was the farm system.  The Tribe got contributions from several players down the stretch, people they weren’t counting on when the season opened.  The Tigers didn’t get that from their system, and they gutted that part of the organization further during the off-season.  I’m not saying the Cleveland Indians are a shoo in this season, but I’m also not ready to coronate the Tigers.  Just don’t be surprised in Magglio Ordonez doesn’t hit .360 again in 2008.

 

KM

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a tough week.  After winning at home on Monday against Portland, they hit the road and absorbed a pair of close losses, first to New Jersey, and then to Washington, two teams they needed to beat if they hoped to move up to the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings.  Coach Mike Brown was upset about the defense his team played in the two road games, but he didn’t have the best of weeks from a strategic standpoint.

 

In the game against the Nets, the coach was upset about New Jersey scoring almost 40 points in the first quarter.  However, part of the reason for that performance was that Brown removed defensive stalwart Devin Brown from the starting lineup in favor of Sasha Pavlovic, who hadn’t played in about seven weeks.  You can’t preach defense, and then remove a good defender in favor of a guy who doesn’t have the quickness to stay with a guy like Vince Carter.  Why Brown didn’t break Sasha back into the rotation slowly is beyond me.  He did have a good game last night, but Devin Brown played very well as a starter after the trade, and didn’t deserve to lose his spot.

 

Last night, it was the end of the game that left me shaking my head.  With the Cavs trailing by two and a little over six seconds left, the offensive strategy was wanting.  Instead of running a play, or having someone go to the basket for a drive and dish, Brown allowed LeBron James to talk him into just giving the ball to him and letting him try a game winning three.  Although James has been on a roll with his shooting lately, it was a bad play.  Even with all their injuries, the wine and gold are a deeper team and forcing overtime would have given them a good chance to win.  Instead, they settled for a shot that you or I could have drawn up.

 

I understand that Mike Brown is feeling his way through all of the injuries and new players acquired in trades.  He is trying to find combinations that play winning basketball.  However, he has to remember his defensive roots.  If he wants to stop teams to start games, he has to play the personnel to accomplish this.  I also understand he can’t put five guys out there that cannot score, but the difference on offense between Devin Brown and Pavlovic, last night not withstanding, isn’t that great. 

 

I also understand that LeBron wants responsibility at the end of games, but the coaching staff has to let him know when to play for a win, and when to get to overtime.  James going to the basket cannot be stopped.  If anybody were defending against him, they would give up the outside shot.  If he is hitting it, so be it.  With a player like The King, you have to give up something.  He is playing into their hands to take a shot like that at the end of the game.  I’m sure it is a very cool thing to hit a game winning three pointer, but the object in that situation is to continue the game.

 

Maybe the wine and gold are satisfied with the 4^th seed in the East.  After all, that would mean Boston in the second round (assuming they can get past Toronto), and I’m guessing the Cavs would rather take on the Celts in round two than the Pistons.  They are going to have to beat both teams to get back to The Finals, and they may be thinking playing Detroit first wouldn’t leave them with much against Boston.  They certainly played and coached this week like that was in the back of their minds.

 

JK

 

One of the spots up for grabs in Spring Training for the Cleveland Indians is the fifth spot in the starting rotation.  The candidates are a trio of southpaws:  Cliff Lee, Aaron Laffey, and Jeremy Sowers.  Lee is the veteran of the group, and Laffey finished the season holding that spot.  Sowers pitched very well in 2006, but struggled early in the season and spent most of the summer in Buffalo.

 

With yesterday’s three scoreless inning performance against the Tigers, a frontrunner has emerged, and it’s Cliff Lee.  Although he struggled in his previous outing against the Reds, in which he didn’t get out of the first inning, the veteran has a 3.86 ERA in 4-2/3 frames.  This might not sound all that impressive, but the other two candidates for the spot both have ERA’s of 18.00 in four innings of work.  Laffey has walked nine batters in his three stints on the mound this spring, not a good thing for a ball club who preaches throwing strikes.

 

Lee had problems last year after starting the spring with an abdominal pull.  It through his entire season into disarray, but in reality his struggles started in 2006.  Following the 2005 season, Lee was regarding as one of the best young lefties in the game, some even rating him ahead of his teammate, C.C. Sabathia.  He put together an outstanding season, going 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA, and he allowed just 194 hits in 202 innings of work. 

 

The next season, his hits allowed increased by 30 in about the same number of frames, but he still posted a 14-11 mark with a respectable 4.40 ERA.  He won 46 games over a three-year period, and at worst would have been considered an above average starting pitcher.  Last year, Lee settled into a rut, one he could not get out of all year, and was sent to Buffalo after the All Star break.  He seemed to throw fastball after fastball, and hitters took advantage of his refusal to mix pitches.

 

A return to even his ’06 form would be a huge plus to the Tribe.  He would give them five starters who have won 15 games in a season at least once in their career.  How many major league teams can say that?  It would also give Buffalo a starting rotation some big league teams would love to have in Sowers, Laffey, Adam Miller as the top three starters.  This is the type of depth in pitching that allowed the Indians to win the division last season.

 

Cliff Lee threw down the gauntlet to his competitors.  Now, it is up to Laffey and Sowers to respond.  There is nothing wrong with a little competition within a team.  They say the toughest thing is not getting to the major leagues, it’s staying there.  Lee got a taste of failure in 2007, if he can put it behind him and learn from it, the Tribe will reap the benefits of not dealing him in the off-season.

 

MW

 

 

First, in building this team, GM Phil Savage took away their raison d’etre, the NFL Draft.  With no picks in the first three rounds, there will be no draft parties this year.  Many experts agree that the draft is the lifeblood of the NFL.  Teams that pick wisely are successful, and those that don’t resemble the Browns from 1999-2005.  The reason the brown and orange struggled in these years, were the number of high picks that turned out to be busts.  Remember, Tim Couch, Gerard Warren, and Courtney Brown?

 

As long as this is not an every year occurrence, there is nothing wrong with dealing draft picks for proven talented players who are not at the end of their careers.  Corey Williams is only 27 years old, entering his prime.  Shaun Rogers is slightly older, 29, and has had conditioning issues with the Lions.  However, Crennel and Savage probably look at a guy like Ted Washington, and figure Rogers could have four or five productive years remaining on the gridiron.

 

The other reason Browns’ fans are upset is the signing of Derek Anderson.  Normally, keeping a quarterback who fired 29 touchdown passes and let the team to 10-5 record in the games he started would be a good thing.  However, there are many members of the Dawg Pound who want Brady Quinn to be the Cleveland starter.  Most people fear the unknown, but Browns’ supporters embrace it.  They are convinced that Quinn is the better player.

 

Look, he may wind up to be better than Anderson.  I was very impressed with the former Irish signal caller in the exhibition season.  I also see some flaws in the current starter.  He did have a problem adjusting to defenses that took away the deep ball.  But, he did lead the Cleveland Browns to the brink of the playoffs and a 10-6 record.  He deserves to be the starting quarterback in the opener this fall.  If after a few weeks, he’s not getting the job done, and Quinn did well in the pre-season games, the coaching staff can make a change. 

 

All Anderson’s contract means is that he will start 2008 as the starter.  After that, the money involved isn’t prohibitive, so he could be dealt if the front office and coaching staff thinks Quinn is the man, he will take over in 2009 if not sooner.  Phil Savage is not giving up on Brady Quinn; he’s just hedging his bets by keeping both QB’s for one more year.  It’s a sound football decision.  There are many NFL teams who don’t have one legitimate signal caller; the Cleveland Browns have a pair.  With the injuries that happen at that position, Savage is doing the right thing, and he shouldn’t be criticized for it.

 

JD  

 

The exhibition season is a week old in baseball, and certainly it is way to early to jump to any conclusions about the 2008 Cleveland Indians.  In most games, half of the regulars are getting the day off, and pitchers who will be on the opening day roster are only throwing four or five innings.  However, there are some things to keep an eye on as spring training progresses.

 

Andy Marte.  The third baseman is learning to be more versatile by getting time at 1B and LF in camp, but the troubling thing right now is he is not hitting.  He had two knocks yesterday to raise his average to .200 in 15 at bats.  One good sign is he is making contact, striking out just twice.  However, Marte needs to start showing the pop he has displayed in his minor league career.  If he continues to struggle, it will be difficult to justify breaking camp with him on the 25-man roster.

 

Travis Hafner.  Although he has played in only three games, Pronk is still hitless in seven at bats this spring.  Remember, last year, Grady Sizemore struggled in Florida, and started whacking home runs when the regular season started.  However, the Tribe needs Hafner’s bat to return to 2005 and 2006 form to have enough offense to win the Central Division.  Starting out 0 for 7 makes me a slight bit uneasy.

 

Michael Aubrey.  The former first round draft pick has showed that he can indeed hit.  He came out of college with a reputation as a pure hitter, perhaps the most polished collegiate bat the year he was drafted.  However, injuries, mostly back problems, have stalled his progress.  He has been healthy this spring, and has gone 5 for 10 with a couple of doubles.  It would be nice if he can stay in the lineup all season to see how far he can advance in the organization.

 

Beau Mills.  Last year’s first round pick homered yesterday and is 3 for 7 on the spring.  It is said the ball makes a different sound coming off his bat, the same sound made as the good hitters.  Mills will probably start the season at Class AA Akron, and is definitely on the fast track to the major leagues.  His problem is what position he will play, 1B or 3B.  Most scouts feel his best spot is first or DH.

 

Scott Elarton.  The non-roster invitee has thrown 4-1/3 scoreless innings in three appearances.  He was brought to camp basically as a favor so he could showcase his wares for other teams, but might be pitching his way into consideration.  The big man is strictly working out of the bullpen now, so perhaps he starts the season in Buffalo, and could find his way back to the big leagues as relief depth for the Tribe.

 

MW

 

 

It has been almost two weeks since the Cleveland Cavaliers turned over their roster.  Six players departed and four came to the wine and gold in the well documented three-team deal consummated just prior to the NBA trading deadline.  Have the Cavs improved?  Are the strong enough to make a return trip to The Finals?  Has anyone surprised us? 

The most heralded players coming to the Cavaliers were Ben Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak, well known, highly paid veterans.  However, the best additions to the roster were the other two guys, Joe Smith and Delonte West.  West has moved into the starting lineup and has shown an ability to push the ball up the court unlike anyone the team has had in recent years.  West is also unafraid to stick his nose in and rebound, block shots, and play defense.  He may have problems with smaller quick guys like the Bucks’ Maurice Williams, but he has the length that Coach Mike Brown likes in his starting backcourt.

 

Smith has become the forgotten guy, not just by the fans, but also by his coach.  Smith’s ability to make the mid-range shot came in very handy Sunday afternoon as he hit four jumpers in the fourth quarter to help the wine and gold comeback.  Quite frankly, he needs to get more time.  He’s a solid rebounder, and also keeps the ball alive on the offensive end.  When Zydrunas Ilgauskas returns from his back issues, he and Smith will came a strong offensive combination in the frontcourt.

 

It is too soon to evaluate how much Wallace has in the tank, but I still believe he will be at his best playing around 25-28 minutes per night.  Against the Celtics, he did force Kevin Garnett off the low block, but he couldn’t handle the big ticket on the pick and roll.  The Timberwolves’ Al Jefferson scored 18 first half points against the Cavs last Friday night, and although you can’t hold Big Ben accountable for all of them, I thought the deal solved the wine and gold’s problems defending big men in the post.  Another thing is clear, you can’t have both Wallace and Anderson Varajao in the game at the same time.  It gives the defense two players they really don’t have to guard.

 

Szczerbiak is a perfect bench guy for this team.  He does struggle on defense, especially when forced to play off guards, and his shot has been off since coming to Cleveland.  However, against the Bulls, his shot returned and he hit some key shots in the fourth quarter.  When he’s making his long-range jumpers, he can change momentum in a hurry.  He is also not just a sniper.  We have seen him post up smaller opponents, and he can drive to the basket as well.  He will be a major contributor for the Cavs, especially come playoff time.

 

There is no question that all four players will be key contributors to any success this Cavalier team has.  However, if Smith and West continue to play well, they just may be the difference makers to get past Boston and/or Detroit in the post season.  The coaching staff needs to get Smith, in particular, on the floor more often for the Cavs to win.  All four are important, but Joe Smith and Delonte West are much more important than anyone analyzing this trade thought right after they became Cavaliers.

 

JK

 

 

What has happened in good ol’ Cleveland, Ohio?  Suddenly, it’s a city where wheeling and dealing occur.  Last week, the Cavaliers were involved in an 11 player, three team trade in which GM Danny Ferry unloaded half of his roster.  This past weekend, it was the Browns turn.  Phil Savage, a guy who is known for his draft expertise, traded two picks in the first three rounds to upgrade his defense.  The next thing you know, Tribe GM Mark Shapiro will make a seven-player trade before spring training ends.  Uh, maybe not.

 

A few weeks ago, I discussed the areas in which the Browns needed help.  The chief spot was in the front seven, and I wrote that Savage would probably replace at least three and maybe four starters among the defensive line and linebackers.  In two separate deals Friday and early Saturday morning, he took care of two spots and perhaps three.  He dealt a second round pick to Green Bay for Corey Williams, and a third round pick and cornerback Leigh Bodden to Detroit for two time Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers.  There was no standing pat for the Browns’ GM.

 

I was a little surprised by the trade of Bodden, because I consider cornerback one of the most important positions on defense.  If you have people who can handle wide receivers by themselves, it enables the defensive coordinators to do many things to rush the passer.  For example, a team could blitz using linebackers or safeties because they know the wide outs are taken care of.  Apparently, Savage thinks the Browns still have depth at the spot with Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald, and Davin Holly.  That, and Bodden’s frequent injuries (and perhaps his brush with the law), made him expendable.

 

The next spot on the agenda for Savage is linebacker.  Outside of Kamerion Wimbley, he and Romeo Crennel cannot feel confident with this position.  D’Qwell Jackson might remain as the starter, but I’m sure the Browns feel they can do better than Andra Davis at one inside spot, and veteran Willie McGinest at the other outside spot.  The Browns did talk to Titans OLB Travis LaBoy this weekend, so they are looking for another pass rusher to play on the outside.  That, together with the knowledge that Rogers and Williams can get to the QB, instantly improves the rush.

 

The other area of need addressed by the GM was wide receiver, where the team inked Donte Stallworth to a seven-year deal.  With Joe Jurevicius likely to play just one more year, getting Stallworth provides the team with three good wide outs.  Jurevicius will probably become the third receiver in 2008, with Stallworth moving in as the starter.  The move likely means that former third round pick, Travis Wilson, will likely be looking for a new job before the season starts. 

 

The Cleveland Browns demonstrated in 2007 that they could score points.  They bring back everybody from that offense in 2008, and they added depth at wide receiver.  They also may add another offensive lineman in free agency to maintain that depth.  The defense needed work, and Phil Savage went out and fixed the front seven, much like he fixed the offensive line before last season.  Several experts are saying the Browns are now the team to beat in the AFC North.  The Browns didn’t stand still in the off-season; they took a giant leap forward. 

 

JD

 

 

UPDATE:  Anderson signed a three year contract with the Browns after this was written.  I still feel Anderson will be traded for at least a first round pick before the NFL Draft.  Anderson’s new deal is more cap friendly than the deal he was asking for originally.  Perhaps, Phil Savage thinks he can get more than a #1 and #3 pick for the Pro Bowl alternate.

JD

 

It appears that Derek Anderson’s days as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns will be limited to the 2007 season, a year he was an alternative for the Pro Bowl.  Anderson and the team could not come to terms on a long term deal, so Phil Savage offered the high tender offer which means another team can sign the QB and the Browns would receive 1^st and 3^rd round draft picks as compensation.  I am not devastated by this news.

 

I have advocated keeping the former Oregon State signal caller for the 2008 campaign, but that was based on having him agree to a 3-year deal.  Apparently, Anderson and his agents want to sign a pact which gives him Tony Romo money, which is too much for a player who has started just one season.  Savage doesn’t want to break the bank on DA.  The best scenario would be for the brown and orange to keep both players for another season, but not if it is going to disrupt the salary cap in the future.

 

This is a key decision for Savage, but if you think he is doing a good job rebuilding the team, then you have to trust him on this one.  I have to believe that the GM and the coaching staff, in particular, offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski, have viewed all of the film from last season, and have determined that Anderson is not the second coming of Dan Marino.  These guys are professional and their opinion has to be respected.  I doubt that Savage and his people would make this type of decision if they felt the team would regress to 4-12 in 2008.

 

The same guys also watch Quinn in practice and appear to share the opinion that the 2007 first round pick can do the job as well as Anderson did this past season.  If Savage improves the defense like I think he will, the offense doesn’t have to score as many points to win in 2008, so the front office seems to feel that even if the second year player has some growing pains, the Browns will still be able to win enough games to make the playoffs.

 

Another reason that I believe Anderson will not be back is the likely trade with Green Bay for DE Corey Williams.  The rumors are that Cleveland is giving up a second round pick for the lineman, who has picked up 14 sacks in the last two years, and would help shore up the front seven for the Browns.  I find it very unlikely that Savage would give up this choice in a draft already lacking a first round pick if he didn’t think he was getting a first and a third round choice in a deal for Anderson.  In this scenario, the Browns get Williams and save the money they would have paid the quarterback so they can use it for more defensive help, and a back up veteran QB.

 

This is big decision for Phil Savage.  If he’s right on Quinn, the team can improve its defense and still have solid quarterback play.  If Quinn isn’t the answer, he is letting a guy who threw 29 TD passes leave the organization for draft picks, albeit very high ones.  Based on what the GM has done in his first three years here, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.  The Cleveland Browns could vault into Super Bowl contention if he is right.

 

JD

 

 

Tomorrow afternoon, baseball will return to the Cleveland area, albeit via the radio airwaves.  The first exhibition from Florida will take place when the Tribe takes on the Houston Astros.  Finally, something to look forward to even if we are battling the snowstorm that has hit the North Coast this week.  The crack of the bat, pitches popping into the catchers’ glove, and vendors yelling peanuts will start to be heard in one more day.  Baseball is back and opening day is just around the corner.

 

Unfortunately, the first bit of bad news regarding injuries has already occurred with the news of Adam Miller’s finger.  Miller has had problems staying healthy over the past three seasons.  In fact, had he not been hurt, he probably would have already been with the Tribe going into the 2007 season.  It is definitely a concern that he has only been healthy one year out of the last four campaigns.  You have to wonder about a player who has a history of spending time on the disabled list.

 

However, I can think of another pitcher who had blister problems on his fingers in recent years and the problem was corrected and he’s turned into a bona fide ace.  That would be Josh Beckett, who helped the Red Sox eliminate the Tribe and win the World Series for Boston.  I understand Miller’s problem is not only blisters, but sometimes being patient with a young guy pays dividends.  It’s easy to look at problems and think a player is expendable, but Miller could turn into a dominant starter if he can stay healthy.  Let’s hope he can stay in the rotation early in the year at Buffalo, so he can show what he can do at the AAA level.

 

Another player to keep an eye on is outfielder Ben Francisco, who had three hits in the first intersquad game yesterday.  Francisco won the International League batting title last season, and delivered some big hits in his time wearing an Indians’ uniform.  It will be interesting to see what happens if Francisco puts up big numbers in spring training.  Will Mark Shapiro make room for him by trading Jason Michaels?  The youngster would be a good option in LF, with David Dellucci spelling him against tough right-handers, or in a strict platoon.  It’s not as though Michaels has put up huge numbers in his two years in Cleveland.

 

I’m also anxious to see Masahide Kobyashi in the exhibitions.  He comes to the Tribe with closing experience in Japan, and has been mentioned as someone who could do that job if Joe Borowski falters.  The bullpen was the biggest reason for the Indians success last season, and more good work from the relief corps will go along way toward repeating as division titlists.  Tony Sipp, who had arm surgery last season, could be the Jensen Lewis of 2008, coming to the rescue in the middle of the season.

 

Now that games have started, it is refreshing to talk about the game on the field, rather than appearances in front of Congress and performance enhancing substances.  It’s also nice to see reports from Winter Haven and not seeing any snow on the ground. 

 

MW