Name                 years    record
Kerby Farrell     1957     76–77
Bobby Bragan     1958     31–36
Joe Gordon     1958–1960     184-151
Jimmy Dykes     1960–1961     105–115
Mel McGaha     1962     80–82 *
Birdie Tebbetts     1963–1966     311-298
George Strickland     1966     15–24
Joe Adcock     1967     75–87
Alvin Dark     1968–1971     266–321
Johnny Lipon     1971     18–41
Ken Aspromonte     1972–1974     220–260
Frank Robinson     1975–1977     186–189
Jeff Torborg     1977–1979     157–201
Dave Garcia     1979–1982     247-244
Mike Ferraro     1983     40–60
Pat Corrales     1983–1987     280–355
Doc Edwards     1987–1989     173–207
John Hart     1989     8–11
John McNamara     1990–1991     102–137
Mike Hargrove     1991–1999     721-591
Charlie Manuel     2000–2002     220-190
Joel Skinner     2002     35–41
Eric Wedge     2003–Present     496-476 (through 2008)

It is interesting to see how many of these managers had never managed in the majors before.  Many of them managed in the Indians' dark ages of the 60's, 70's, and 80's.
How many of them worked their way up through the Indians' farm system?  How many of them never managed again?

* Mel Harder actually managed 1 game in 1961 and 2 games in 1962 ,

According to the Plain Dealer, Victor Martinez and Josh Barfield are headed to the Disabled List.  Haad and Velandia have been recalled.  Since they do not figure to play much, I assume that the team wants the other potential callups to continue to have playing time at Buffalo.  All other potential callups are probably much more highly considered than Haad and Velandia who did not come up through the Indians farm system.  Cabrera obviously is not eligible for a quick recall.

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Back in the 90"s, I believe, there were 4 or 5 minor league pitchers who the Indians thought would make up their future rotation.  Albie Lopez and Paul Byrd make have been 2 of them. Who were the rest?  One became successful as a closer perhaps for the Rockies or Dodgers.  Was Chad Ogea one of these pitchers?

My name is Stuart and I am a regular reader and occasional poster.  I am an elementary school teacher living in Los Angeles, California.  I have been an Indians fan since the 1950's since my Father was a fan and we left Cleveland when I was 2.  

Last winter I asked the same question:  where do the readers and posters live. I have noted that some of our overseas posters are no longer participating.

If you are willing please state where you live. I remember that a group from LGT got together I believe in the Washington D. C. area. Thank you.

Hitters or pitchers who have one career year and the rest pales in comparison.

Brady Anderson--hit 50 home runs one year and the next best year was 21.

Adrian Beltre--hit 49 home runs one year and the next best was 26.

Wayne Garland--won 20 games one year and the next best was 13.

Mark Fidrych--won 19 games one year and won a total of 10 after that.

Please add to the list.

The Los Angeles Times sent a baseball reporter to cover the Indians-Yankees series.  The coverage of the 2 National League series are from the Associated Press.  Today, the Times writer Bill Shaikin wrote about Roger Clemens with only one sentence about the Indians in the article. I Emailed him about it.  Like ESPN, is the coverage in other non Ohio papers about the Yankees? If you read a hometown newspaper in print or online I would expect that the Yankees are the story.

Who is now the Indian's top catching prospect?

Will Lee get it together in AAA?

Will he ever pitch for the Tribe again?

Who will get the call as the fifth starter?

If Dellucci is ready when the squad expands to 40, will he get playing time?

Is Nixon through or will his hitting pick up?

Franklin is the Future,
Lee is the Lost.

Mastny could go to the minors
And Cabrera will be tossed.

Does Lewis belong in Cleveland?
Matt Miller's time has certainly come.

Westbrook better start pitching right,
Because Laffey a lefty is in sight.

Boston in consistent in timely hitting,
And even more consistent in relief pitching.

Boston's starters can beat any team,
Keeping up with Boston is a pipe dream.

We may need Dotel and we may need Lofton,
And the Tribe must play better or else the season is done.

Are we down to 2 reliable starters?

Can anyone make a Spahn and Sain rhyme for CC and Fausto?

Why isn't Matt Miller in the bigs now?

Why play Rouse unless someone is hurt?

How much more time will the team give Cabrera?

Will the real Westbrook appear this year?

How much more time will the team give Lee?

Will Betancourt or Borowski wear out without acquired help?

What is Super Joe Inglett doing this year at Buffalo?
----

The Dodgers purchased Roberto Hernandez from AAA.

If Fernando Cabrera is released or traded  as the bloggers are advocating, which way will he go?  Will he be a Jeremy Guthrie and find success in a new organization under new tutelage or will he be Jason Davis and bomb in a new organization and be released? The Indians may try to find bullpen within the organization.  They may need to clear a roster sport or two. Opinions and thoughts please.

Being a veteran elementary school teacher I prefer letter grades to the invogue rubrics.  Here are a some; please feel free to rate all the Indian's players.

Martinez A+
Sabathia A+
Carmona  A
Peralta  A
Nixon    D
Sizemore B+
Michaels B
Barfield C+
Betancourt A+
Borowski A+
Lee      B-
Delluci  D
Shoppach A
Blake    B+
Garko    B

Here are the highly changeable, speculative grades I give the Indians' free agents signings after 65 games.  

Borowski    B
Fultz       C
Hernandez   D+
Nixon       D
Dellucci    D-

These are off the top of my head, based mostly on what sort of expectations the team had for these 5 to begin the season.

Here is a fun thing to think about.  Please add or subtract names of former Indians still playing

SP  Millwood, Colon
C   Bard
1B  Sexson
2B  Phillips
3B
SS  Vizquel
LF  Ramirez,  Church
CF  Crisp, Lofton, Taveras
RF  Giles
DH  Thome,  Franco
RP  Howry, Riske, Wickman, Seanez, Baez, Embree,
Bench Boone,

How can Rouse play if he can not hit?
How can Rouse hit if does not play?

What happened to the Lee who won 18 games?
Which Lee had the great game against the Angels?

Is Shoppach now in demand because of his hitting and catching?
Would he bring a quality reliever and backup catcher?

What does Sowers need to do to turn it around?
Will he be able to turn it around in the big leagues?

Is Roberto Hernandez through?
Is he a second half pitcher?

Will the Cabrera of April reappear?
Is the team staff good enough to get him right?

Please add thoughts and questions

Whatever happened to Eastern swing or Western swing road trips.  On this trip the team goes from Kansas City to Detroit to Boston.  I am sure that the unbalanced schedule has something to do with it. Whatever happened  to going to New York, Baltimore and Boston on one trip, Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit or Kansas City on another.  Over the last few years the Tribe has come to Oakland or Anaheim without visiting the other California city.  Why couldn't they do the 3 West Coast cities stopping at Texas to begin or end their road trip?  Longer road trips make longer home stands and more convenient trips mean less travel time overall.

If Sammy Sosa, after a year off and a dismal year at Baltimore, can come back and have 16 RBI and 3 in one game, isn't it time for Manny Mota to unretire, leave his nondugout coaching position, and pinch hit for the Dodgers?

On a more serious note.  Since there are stats for everything, what are the comparable stats for a second year player such as Barfield coming to a new league and struggling at the plate?

Over the years the Indians have had their AAA franchise in metropolitan areas such as Buffalo, San Diego,Indianapolis, Portland, Oregon, and I believe Charlotte.  They have also had their AAA team in Maine and in West Virginia.  Do any of the LGT readers remember any other locales?

Since the John Hart/Mark Shapiro era began, the farm system has become so much more stable.

Spanning The Globe (as they said introducing Wide World of Sports before it transformed into ESPN) I have noticed Indian fans visiting this site from London to Los Angeles, Hawaii to Texas.  At my high school reunion, someone who knew me in elementary school asked if I was still a Cleveland Indians fan.  I was stopped twice in Jerusalem while wearing a Indians hat and asked if I was from Cleveland.  I left Cleveland at 2, and have resided since then in Los Angeles.  

During the last several months, I have seen many new posters and comments from first time writers.  If readers would be so kind and comment as to where they live, my curiosity will be appeased.

According to Ken Rosenthal on the Fox Sports Web site, the Giants have reached a preliminary agreement with Barry Zito for 7 years.  How does this help the Indians?  Westbrook could certainly be in demand, particularly by the Mets.  Maybe Jeremy Guthrie or even Jason Davis would have interest from other teams.

Today's Denver Post has the following:

"With Roberto Hernandez joining the Indians and Octavio Dotel having received three offers to close games,"

Would it be as closer, setup man or...?  If this is to come about will the Indians wait and see if Hernandez is offered abritration. We are waiting to see who else they sign or acquire in a trade

It's time for Indians fans throughout the country to tell STO to make itself available nationally through the 2 major satellite companies offering the MLB Season Ticket package.  A list of reasons must begin with suffering with the Chicago White Sox announcers.  The list could continue with Joe Buck who did a Cardinals-Indians game where he was bigger than the the game.  Giving the Indians lineup, he followed one name by proclaiming, "I don't know who he is." Joe, do your homework!  There must be many other grievances Indian fans have felt while watching  the opponent's announcers broadcast the Indians games.  Indians fans worldwide unite--bombard STO and tell them you want the Indians games through their network to be broadcast beyond Ohio and throughout the world.

It is assumed that the Indians must remake the bullpen for the 2007 season.  Given the number of pitchers out of options or Rule 5 eligible, is it possible that Jason Davis or Jeremy Guthrie could be part of a trade, sold, or nontendered?  

Would either of them prosper on a new team, with a new pitching coaches philosophy and perhaps a permanent starting role or just consistently pitching in the same bullpen role?

Does anyone have a count of how many potential wins the bullpen has turned into losses this season?  Why  is Brian Sikorski even out there in a save situation, much less on the roster?  San Diego got rid of him for nothing for a reason.  There is a reason he was in Japan playing for five seasons.  He has a mid 90's fastball which apparently has no movement--just straight.

I would rather see Brown or Mastny have a chance to show what they could do in the ninth inning.  For that matter, I would rather see Mujica or Perez on the active roster and pitching to show what they can do against major league hitters.

Does anyone know anything about the managerial style of Torey Lovullo of the Buffalo Bisons?  How is he different from Eric Wedge?  The Indians could use the old baseball approach and make him the third base coach for next season and the manager-in-waiting in case they fire Wedge during the 2007 season and seek a different managerial style than Wedge has. He was one of the finalists for the Dodger job.

In addition to Jeremy Guthrie, Andrew Brown, Franklin Gutierrez, and Raphael Perez, who should be called up in September to evaluate for a 2007 season spot on the 25 player roster?

After viewing all 4 games of the Twins series I've seen enough; Trade, Trade, Trade.  Lineups with Vasquez, Inglett, and I am sorry to say finished up Boone will not cut it.  Get what you can for Boone.   Bye bye Broussard, Wickman, Mota, Hollingsworth, Belliard.  Get as many prospects as you can.  Start sorting through them now!  Bring up Marte and Garko.  Look for infield defense and pitching, as the hitting, while not particularly timely lately, will look better with a sharper defense and better pitching to balance it.  Maybe Byrd or Wickman or Belliard or Broussard or a combination will bring middle infield and relief prospects to look at in August and September.  Oh, and bring back Gutierrez and let him play and prove himself.

Does Gutierrez get sent down when Blake is activated. I can't see them keeping 2 backup outfielders. Unless they trade Hollingsworth. Or maybe they send Inglett down and keep 2 backup outfielders as Blake can backup first and third base.  I'm sure that many wish that Vasquez would go and Inglett or Merloni would be the backup infielder.

Maybe, just maybe, there is another trade in the works.  Unlike other teams, the Indian's trade negotiations fall below public notice in many cases.  Maybe they have a deal for Boone, or Broussard, or Byrd, or Mota.  We could be surprised.

Paul Byrd should be the first to go.  Many contenders are looking for starters.  He has the most value of all possible Indians to trade.  He is at his peak for the year.  He is a control pitcher with a poor defensive infield behind him.  Jeremy Guthrie is ready and has nothing more to prove in Triple A.  Then see what you can get in prospects for Boone, Broussard, Mota, and Wickman.  Mota has been pitching better of late, and maybe in individual or package deals, decent to good prospects can be acquired.  Sign Belliard for 2007 with an option.  Bring up Marte and Garko to see what they can do, just as they are viewing Gutierrez, Shoppach, and all the young relief pitchers.