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Around SBN: Johan Santana's No-Hitter Inspires Field Stormer

1190832317_7880

peter m

Mar 26, 2008 Jun 01, 2012 56 2777

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A British newspaper notices the Indians! We're internationally famous!

18 days ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 12 comments

I think I recall some talk about Ryan Spillborghs a few years ago.

4 months ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 5 comments 1 recs

I can't say I think this is going to be a significant signing, but, for the sake of completeness...

over 1 year ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 0 comments

Actually, it's just Mark Reynolds. I guess Indians fans can breathe a sigh of relief that he's not coming here.

over 1 year ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 3 comments

ESPN reporting that Sandy Alomar has interviewed for the Jays' managing vacancy.

over 1 year ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 10 comments

Let's Go Tribe Ken Burns and Recent Baseball History

 

I’m wondering if anyone else managed to sit through Ken Burns’ addendum to his film on baseball – four hours of coverage of the last decade or two, picking up where his previous film ended (and, alas, unredeemed by appearances by the late Buck O’Neill).  He managed to reduce recent baseball history largely to:  a. steroids; b. the strike and c. Yankees vs. Red Sox.

 

Those are all certainly major aspects of contemporary baseball history, but I’m wondering what a REAL baseball historian (and film-maker) would do to tell the story of the last decade or two.  What ‘s missing, in other words?

 

Obviously, “moneyball” (Bill James/sabermetrics), which got mentioned once, with a brief nod to the Oakland A’s (I don’t think James or Billy Beane were so much as mentioned, however).    I was really surprised there was no mention of the gradual decline in African-American players in baseball.  I also thought the issue of competitive balance (small markets vs. large markets) ought to be front and center, which certainly wasn’t the case in Burns’ film.  Anything else?

 

The Cleveland Indians were more or less absent from Burns’ film, by the way.  He did cover Jason Grimsley’s famous crawl to glory, and Omar was interviewed once.  There was a bit on the ‘95 series, but it was understandably about the Braves.  Lots of LGFT, however:  especially in the Boston vs. NY coverage, where Manny Ramirez and Dave Roberts were central, and Alan Embree was on hand as well.


14 comments  | 

This will undoubtedly inflame the "Dolan is cheap" crowd, but it is an interesting portrait of how a team can still make money while losing.

almost 2 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 43 comments

Some guys have all the luck!

almost 2 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 9 comments

The Rockies have decided not to overpay Rafael Betancourt. I don't think he's headed back to Cleveland, however, since Colorado seem to be interested in re-signing him. I kind of miss him (the one from a few years ago, anyway).

over 2 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 11 comments

I confess I saw this at the bottom of Jayson Stark's column, but I thought it was funny -- Indians fans need cheering up.

over 2 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 3 comments

It's not Jamey Caroll changing teams, apparently...

almost 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 8 comments

Patrick McManamon describes the Indians as a team with deep flaws in today's ABJ. Much of what he says sounds pretty accurate, but it also sounds familiar, somehow. Do we know who his friend "jeff" is?

almost 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 62 comments

The PD reports that Hector Rondon has been promoted to AAA. Elsewhere in the paper, Wedge is quoted as saying Laffey will start for the Indians on Wednesday. (I can't find a link to that quote, but I swear I read it in the paper version). Bye-bye Tomo, I guess.

almost 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 24 comments

Nothing much new here, really, although the article does offer faint praise of Marte's performance at Columbus -- making contact, not striking out too much. With Wes Hodges due to return soon, what happens to Marte?

almost 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 77 comments

Ok folks. Just for fun, anyone want to tell me who this guy is?

almost 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 6 comments

Unsurprising that Dellucci wants to return to Texas. I found Toronto's alleged interest in him somewhat more surprising.

almost 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 4 comments

ESPN is reporting that Tony Sipp is being recalled to replace Betancourt. I can only find it in the transactions list (no article). Any confirmation?

about 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 60 comments

Let's Go Tribe Small Consolation? Yankees are Just as Bad

I think there's already been an intentional overreaction thread, so I offer this instead.  The Indians and the Yankees have performed similarly badly so far this year in most areas (although the Yankees have more wins).  Thus, the two teams have identical OBP:  .354.  Team ERA's are virtually the same:  Yanks at 5.88/Tribe at 5.86.  WHIP favors the Yanks, but not by much 1.53 vs. 1.6.  Identical fielding percentages (.985).  And so on.  I know one can probably find other statistics that reveal some differences, but the bottom line is that these two teams have both played poorly so far this year.  Since the season is NOT looking promising to say the list, perhaps we can change the rules and make it into a competition between the Yankees and the Indians?

9 comments  | 

We argued the virtues of Edwin Jackson a while back. Apparently, the Tigers like him.

over 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 241 comments

ESPN reports that the Yanks have made CC an offer slightly larger than the deal Santana got from the Mets. So... how badly does he want to play in the National League? We're about to find out.

over 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 79 comments

This article appeared in today's (Sunday's) PD. It contains, among other things, an unnamed scout's appraisal of some the younger players on whom the Indians will "count" next year. There's been some good discussion on this site of the limits of scouts' opinions, which are often subjective and are particularly hard to read if you don't know who the guy is, as in this case. But, a couple of things here surprised me a little: the scout is pretty lukewarm about Asdrubal's play at short this year and seems generally critical of his range. Maybe that's a reaction to his being "out of shape," but I wondered if that was actually something that the data bear out. The scout is also more enthusiastic about Zach Jackson than about some of the other Indians young lefties (he seems to like Laffey too). I guess if the comparison is to Scott Lewis and Sowers, that's not too surprising, but many people saw Jackson as just a fill in for this year; the scout suggests he may be a little better than that. I hope he's right!

One thing the scout says that sounds familiar: he advocates playing Victor at first and underlines Garko's limitations.

over 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 7 comments

I don't think we've heard about this. It doesn't sound like anything serious (sigh of relief?)

over 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 8 comments

Well, I guess Indians fans don't have to worry about a true Borowski replacement for next year. It sounds as if Jones is kind of bitter towards Tigers fans!

over 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 8 comments

More news from Milwaukee -- David Riske is having surgery. Doesn't sound like things are going to well over there -- too bad for us.

over 3 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 34 comments

I usually like Castrovince's comments on the Indians home page, but this one struck me as kind of over the top. Garko's "surge" is described glowingly here, with a note that he has OPS'd 808 in August. If he were to sustain that over the full year, that would tie him with Ben Francisco (or is it Fransisco?!) for 5th on the team (after Sizemore, Shoppach, Choo and Peralta). A season-long OPS of 808 would place him 6th among AL 1st baseman, ahead of Lyle Overbay in 7th.

All told, in other words, if this is the "good" Garko, he's not all that good. How can the team upgrade at 1B -- play Martinez there a lot and have Shoppach catch? Or, do we sign a free agent? Or, what?

almost 4 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 10 comments

The Bisons are activating 35 year old Tony Graffanino for tonight's game. Starting pitcher not yet announced -- could it be Jeff Weaver? A pre-game doo-wop concert is also rumored.

almost 4 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 3 comments

Let's Go Tribe Economics of Losing

I was wondering at what point, if any, the Indians' disappointing season becomes an economic concern for the team.  Right now, they're averaging 25,787 per game (22nd in the majors).  That's about 3000 less than last year's final averages, but still above the levels for 2004, 2005 and 2006.  Normally, the Indians could expect attendance to go up in the good weather months of summer and probably hoped for a bump in September if there was a pennant race.  Now, it looks as if the pennant race is not going to happen and fans may stay away if the team sits in last place and plays the kind of dull baseball we've been seeing.  So, my question is whether people think the economics of this will either force the Indians to shake things up to cut costs and/or to shake things up in order to revive interest in the team?

34 comments  | 

Let's Go Tribe Going for the hbp record

Rather than tie myself in knots trying to decide whether to trade CC and to whom, I decided to amuse myself by doing some calculations regarding the Indians' propensity to get hit by a pitch.  Right now, we have been hit 54 times, far and away the most in the majors.  At the rate we are going, we will shatter the American league record for a team, currently held by Toronto (1996), who were hit 96 times.  We are on pace for 115.  The all-time record is held by Boston (NL - Braves?), back in 1898 -- 148.  I say go for it!  Perhaps we can trade CC for batters who get hit a lot -- among active players, leaders include Jason Kendall, Carlos Delgado, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, David Eckstein and Jeff Kent (surely some of those guys are available)?  Coax Craig Biggio out of retirement (who needs Bonds?).  Hire Ron Hunt to teach the Indians how to get hit on purpose and get away with it?  Fire Wedge and hire Don Baylor?  Let's put our heads together and figure out how to get this team into the record books!

22 comments  |  1 recs | 

I guess Gibbons must like Adam Dunn?

almost 4 years ago 1190832317_7880_tiny peter m 18 comments

Let's Go Tribe It's the Bullpen

If Mark Shapiro is trying to figure out whether to fish or cut bait, it seems to me he should focus his attention on the bullpen.  The numbers aren't pretty.  The Tribe bullpen currently ranks as follows among the 30 Major League teams:

Worst in Batting Average Against

2nd worst in ERA

27th in WHIP

28th in Save %

6th most HR's allowed (despite being 27th in innings pitched).

Despite the injuries to Carmona and Westbrook, the starting pitching has remained pretty strong.  The hitting, while still anemic, has done somewhat better and is no longer dead last or near dead last as it was earlier in the season.  The darkest cloud over the team, then, is the bullpen.   Does anyone out there think this group can turn it around or see any signs that they're about to?  Unless Shapiro does (and I'm increasingly skeptical), it's getting to be time to sell.

34 comments  |  1 recs |