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July 3, 2009 - By Greg Popelka
Question: What do Don Mossi and Ray Narleski have in common with Greg Aquino, Rafael Betancourt, Vinnie Chulk, Matt Herges, Zach Jackson, Masa Kobayashi, Aaron Laffey, (inhaaaaaaaale), Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez, Rich Rundles, Tony Sipp, Joe Smith, Jose Veras, Luis Vizcaino, and Kerry Wood? Answer: Nothing. According to their contemporaries, Don Mossi and Ray Narleski comprised the best relief pitching combo in the history of baseball when they played for the Cleveland Indians from 1954 through 1958. The others in the question above... do not. Greg Popelka takes a look back.
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July 2, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
When you suck the life out of Paul Cousineau as an Indians fan, you know you have issues as an organization. And that's about where Paulie's at right now. Tired of the team's "consistent approach" of playing middling players at the wrong position, capturing defeat from the jaws of victory, and overwhelmingly sucking the life out of any optimism we may feel for the team ... Paulie takes some time out to hurl some tomahawks at our readers, hitting on a slew of different issues surrounding the team.
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July 1, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
Well, at least we didn't have to watch all nine innings of this one last night. Thank you Mother Nature. Cliff Lee got shelled ... and the Tribe was pounded, 11-4, losing their 12th game in their last 14 tries. Not a pretty picture in the wigwam right now, and in today's B-List, Buff soothes the masochists and tells us how Cliff Lee was platypus-like, why Matt Herges should never pitch again, and ... why he never wants to see Matt Herges pitch again.
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July 1, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
While it's technically true that more than half the season still awaits us (HOORAY!), the real truth lies in the fact that prior to the Trading Deadline at the end of July, the seeds for 2010 and beyond may be sown in terms of management, players, and organizational approach. The tone of the moves (or non-moves) that occur over the next month then, will go a long way in determining whether contending in 2010 is remotely feasible and what players will be involved in next season, as well as who will be filling the names of said players into the lineup card. Paulie talks about what we might see in his latest piece.
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July 1, 2009 - By Tony Lastoria
It has been a difficult and frustrating season for the Tribe. The team has used up just about every bullpen option they have available to them in the system, and have looked under every rock and in every dark corner outside the organization for a solution to the bullpen mess. While all this has been going on, it has been puzzling why Triple-A Columbus right-handed reliever John Meloan has yet to get a call to Cleveland. Tony had a chance to talk to Meloan in a recent trip to Columbus, and gets to the bottom of it for our readers.
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June 30, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
The Indians may have squandered a very solid outing by Carl Pavano ... they may have squandered a pair of ninth-inning homers ... they may have caused Eric Wedge to burst several capillaries in his eyeballs ... but the 6/29 game will heretofore be remember as Chris Perez' Cleveland Debut Game. That ... was ... AWESOME!!! in the B-List, Buff shifts his salesmanship away from Mark DeRosa, talks about why Ryan Garko's timing stinks, and wonders why people are surprised when Jhonny Peralta plays in a Jhonny Peralta fashion.
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June 30, 2009 - By Gary Benz
For a team that relies heavily on attendance for revenues, the Cleveland Indians sure don't act like it. Speaking to the media last week, general manager Mark Shapiro more or less shrugged his shoulders at the team's fate and said that this may just be one of those years. And a million Indians fans shrugged with him. Gary talks about the Indians disastrous 2009 season in his latest column for us.
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June 29, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
Well, after several weeks of pining for a Mark DeRosa trade, Buff got his wish this weekend, as DeRosa was sent to the Cards for Chris Perez and a player to be named later. While the trade excited many Indians fans, there was little to be excited about on the field this weekend. After a Friday night gem from Sowers, the Tribe was battered badly by the Reds Saturday and Sunday, led yesterday by former Indian Brandon Phillips, who was celebrating his 28th birthday. Buff recaps the weekend set, Transformers 2, and his lawn in today's B-List.
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June 28, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
Paulie C has been all over the newest Indian Chris Perez, invoking his name for several weeks now when talking about the players he's like to see come to Cleveland in a potential Mark DeRosa trade. In this week's Lazy Sunday, Paulie fills us in on Chris Perez, talks about the return the Tribe got for DeRosa, and also hits on the "Wedge Watch" and what it would likely take for the Indians to entertain dealing Clifton Phifer Lee.
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June 27, 2009 - By Tony Lastoria
Busy week for Tony. Wednesday, he was in Mahoning Valley, watching and talking with members of the Scrappers. Thursday, 2009 first round pick Alex White joined Tony and Paulie on "Smoke Signals", right here on The Cleveland Fan Live. And today ... he is off to Columbus to see the Clippers in action at their gorgeous new ballpark. Where he finds time to put together this ruthlessly thorough column each week, I'll never know. But I ain't complainin'.
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June 26, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
In a game in which Cliff Lee goes seven strong innings (yawn) and Victor Martinez hammers a home run (ho hum), was there any doubt that the Indians would lose a close game in which the bullpen was handed a major role? Of course not. In today's B-List, Buff has a prescription for the bullpen, considers Lee quite the outlier in the 2009 rotation, and congratulates Victor for telling the author to mind his own business.
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June 26, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
The wheels are officially starting to fall off the wagon. The Tribe has lost eight of nine, is now 30-44 on the season, and has the worst record in the American League. Only the hapless Nationals are preventing them from having the worst record in all of baseball. Paulie C says there are several changes that need made with this team. And he's broken it up into things that should be done today, things that need to happen in the next month and things that need to happen as the season winds down for the Indians.
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Successful poker players may lose many small pots and still be totally happy, for their goal is to win the occasional big ones. The same thinking comes naturally in football. When the "Browns are in a fourth down, "moving all in", in the meaning of going for it, is worthwhile only if the odds for success are good enough. In most other cases, it’s probably wiser to just "fold" the hand, as in punting the ball away. In the same way, winning or losing a single yard means nothing as long as they manage to get a first down.
June 25, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
Carl Pavano takes his turn on the comedy tour, giving up 11 hits and recording 11 outs and taking the loss. The Tribe tried to make it interesting, but failed, and Buff outlines why Pavano is hilarious, how Tony Sipp has taken lessons from one pitcher but not another, and wonders if maybe Victor Martinez (not to mention all Indians fans) might need some actual days off.
June 25, 2009 - By Tony Lastoria
Back in 2002 when Indians Owner Larry Dolan and General Manager Mark Shapiro implemented "The Plan", the idea was to build from within with a focus on pitching that would "come in waves". Seven years later those waves have been reduced to barely a ripple in what has been a sea of disappointment that has been "The Plan". Many people have pointed the finger at Wedge and Shapiro and blamed them for the failures this season, but the seeds for the struggles this organization is going through were planted several years back in John Mirabelli's first four drafts as Scouting Director.
June 24, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
The B-List is back baby. And what a wild one last night that Buff gets to write about. Another night, another Chernobyl by the Indians bullpen, who turned a David Huff four hitter into a white knuckle 5-4 win. In today's column, Buff says that this Indians team is hilarious, and proposes a trade for a player who would fit in well with the hilarity that ensues here on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario. Buff also explains why he could not write the Monday B-List, and also spends some time touching on the failed weekend set in Wrigley.
June 24, 2009 - By Andrew Clayman
Welcome to another edition of Ghosts of Prospects Past, where we dig deep into the Tribe archives to see how the future stars of yesteryear did or didn't pan out. Today, it's a special Cubs vs. Indians edition of GPP, in honor of this past weekend's rare Wrigley Field match-up between the two storied (often depressing) franchises. And what better man connects these interleague dots than "Sweet Lou" himself-Cubs manager and former Indians prospect Lou Piniella? Andrew Clayman takes a look back ...
June 24, 2009 - By Greg Popelka
Ole' "Sudden" Sam McDowell. For a stretch from 1965-1971, Sudden Sam was as dominant as any pitcher in Indians history, going to six All-Star games over those seven years, and striking out 325 batters one season ... a record that held till Doc Gooden broke it in 1984. McDowell's career was cut short due to his obsessive compulsive naure, as well as a drinking problem, And in his latest Blast From The Past, Greg Popelka talks about the career and life of Sudden Sam.
June 23, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
As Eric Wedge apparently lives to manage another day and voices on each side of the debate as to whether he is to blame (or how much blame can be placed on him) for the mess of the 2009 season on top of the 2008 season, the question comes rattling from the rooftops - who is to blame for the mess that the Indians find themselves in? Enter the always rational Paulie Cousineau, who gives us his thoughts on the matter.
June 23, 2009 - By Jesse Lamovsky
It's been a rough stretch for Cleveland Browns football. I don't have to tell anyone visiting this site that fact. Non-stop losing, absentee ownership, and constant upheaval in the front office and coaching staff. However, if you look at the Browns overall success over the last seven years, it's not much different than that of the Indians. Yet, as similar as are the fates of the two franchises since 2002, the perceptions of each are totally different. Jesse Lamovsky writes about it in his latest column.
June 23, 2009 - By Andrew Clayman
New installment we debut today called "Ghosts Of Prospects Past", by Andrew Clayman ... a look back at some of the greatest prospects in Indians history, some who excelled, and some who were busts. Since we're fresh off the amateur draft, it only seems fitting to start our time traveling series with a look back at one of the Tribe's most highly touted draft picks of all-time - the Brady Quinn of his day - Mark Lewis. Enjoy.
June 22, 2009 - By Gary Benz
The economy may be the reason that all those jobs are being shed in northeast Ohio, but it's not the reason for all the job insecurity with Cleveland's three major sports teams. In just this last year, the Browns dumped a head coach that never deserved the job anyway. The Cavs' Mike Brown was rumored to be in trouble because he couldn't get his team past Orlando in this year's Eastern Conference finals and now the Indians' Eric Wedge's head is on the chopping block and the Dolans are sharpening the axe. Yes, kids, it's been that kind of year on the lakefront.
June 21, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
Walking out of Wrigley Field, head hanging for the second straight day as Cubs' fans alternately told him to "go back to Cleveland" and commiserated with my experiences of the last two days in a feeling that they know all too well, the words were inescapable in his head. It's over. Unfettered, Paulie marches on with another Lazy Sunday, much of which discusses the merits of potentially trading Cliff Lee or Victor Martinez.
June 21, 2009 - By Tony Lastoria
In part I of Minor Happenings (posted Friday), Tony had all kinds of goodies from Farm Director Ross Atkins, Lake County Pitching Coach Tony Arnold, Scouting Director Brad Grant, and all sorts of injury updates. Today, T talks about last year's second round pick Trey Haley, who is making waves in Lake County ... and outfielder John Drennen, who is tearing it up in AA Akron. Tony also updates us on which 2009 draft picks have been signed by the team.
June 20, 2009 - By Brian McPeek
Brian McPeek does not blame Eric Wedge for the Indians woes this season. Yet, he's still calling for his head today in his most recent column for us. Peeks says that allowing Wedge to remain in control of a sinking ship sends the wrong message. It says, "Hey, we all struggle and that's okay. We understand and we're willing to wait and hope that things turn around." And Peeks says that's not acceptable.
June 19, 2009 - By Tony Lastoria
Lots to talk about and share this week, which means Minor Happenings will be broken up into two parts this week. We'll run part I today and part II this weekend. Last week's Happenings was all MLB Draft related. Also, Tony spoke to a lot of people in the Tribe farm system this week ... so we have a ton of great content. In this installment, Tony spends some time talking about Michael Brantley, who was acquired in the C.C. Sabathia trade last year ... and could be here in Cleveland very soon.
June 19, 2009 - By Jerry Roche
Manager Eric Wedge has drawn criticism from all quarters for his handling of the Indians this year -- especially for the revolving carousel that the starting lineup has become. But Jerry Roche says that a look inside the numbers reveals that Wedge is extracting good production from a lineup riddled with injuries and moving parts. And that the blame for the Indians start to the season should fall on coaches Carl Willis and Chuck Hernandez, who have been unable to squeeze anything out of the Tribe's league worst pitching staff.
June 19, 2009 - By Paul Cousineau
Big week for Paulie C. He's spent the last three days up in the Milwaukee area, watching the Tribe get swept with his in-laws, and observing a different perspective on our Indians from the Milwaukee media. And this weekend? Off to the Windy City, where he will watch the Erie Warriors take on the Cubs at historic Wrigley Field. In between the legs of his tour of the midwest, Paulie takes some time out to fire some tomahawks at our readers.
June 18, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
Lots of questions come to mind after last night's 9-8 loss ... was Matt Herges' tremendous start not just a mirage? Is he still a valuable member of the bullpen? Are Greg Aquino's accuracy problems fixable? Did Jhonny Peralta make the smart play taking the sure out at first rather than trying to gun down the runner at home? Did the impressive last-inning comeback say more about the team than its late-inning collapse? Is following this Indians team a rewarding, fulfilling experience? Buff answers these questions and more in today's B-List, brought to you by HMO providers and two-year-olds everywhere.
June 18, 2009 - By Erik Cassano
Erik Cassano has a confession to make. He only started really paying attention to the Indians about two weeks ago. As in, really following them day to day. Occupied by the Cavs, and apathetic to the Tribe's off-season moves and 2009 chances ... Erik made up his mind that his summer would probably be more fulfilling if he just kept them in the background. So why is he watching them again? Why is he hoping again? He tells us in his latest piece.
June 17, 2009 - By Steve Buffum
Well, if there's a silver lining in a loss like this, it's that ... um ... it's ... er ... well ... who am I kidding, that one hurt. In today's B-List, Buff sings The Ballads of Jeremy Soboring and Jensen Boringis. He makes a suggestion on how the Indians should restructure their starting rotation. He talks about the abomination that was the Indians peformance at the plate with runners in scoring position. And talks about the Indians bench, which just isn't very good right now.