I said it the other day: We're in a position where we're not really out of it, but we're still within striking distance. And I will also, again, say that the hitting is definitely coming back. 3 weeks ago they started getting more hits during games, and then beginning with the Texas series they were getting at least 4 runs. Since that series, aka the road trip and the Twin's series, the Indian's have only gotten under 4 runs in 3 out of 14 games. Plus most everyone is improving at the plate, and having Choo has been nothing but great.
I know we're plagued with injuries, but if Carmona can continue to pitch well when he's back (along with the whole starting rotation), the offense can keep it up, and guys like Carroll and Shoppach give us production until Victor and Barfield are back, then I think we'll be the team to beat. We'll definitely give the Sox competition for 1st in the division... Now if they can get the bullpen straightened out, then I think we'll be able to overtake the Sox and keep the lead no problem.
lol lol lol "Bullpen help and a hitter or two." That has got to be one of the funniest posts I have read in a while. Shapiro didn't do anything the whole off season and you actually think that now with guys like Westbrook and Victor and Hafner and Carmona and Barfield on the DL he is all of a sudden going to become Mr Big Trader????? That is too funny...... lol lol lol lol
Good for you. Although I have little faith, I won't rain on your parade. I hope you can come back and prove us wrong. Someone has to keep the faith.
All I can say is, bring up as many minor leaguers, play as many bench guys who want to play. At least last nights game was fun to watch. Players like Choo, Shoppach and Ben play the game hard and with some passion.
Trade as many injury prone, underachieving stiffs before the trade deadline and lets get guys who can play fundamental baseball.
Choo showed me something last night. The guy at least has something that resembles an approach to his at bats. He's patient, selective but not clueless as to fall behind in the count. He works the count really well, draws walks and as you can see, when he gets his pitch, he can deliver with men on base.
He may not be the answer in the long run but I sure as heck think he plays a smart, fundamental game and is a gentleman to boot. We need more guys like him.
Ben is also a class act.
Too bad Shapiro didn't listen to all these fans that know nothing about baseball as they were stating all along an OF consisting of Michaels and Lucci was a disaster. If we do make a run, I bet Choo and Ben will be the spark that ignites this team.
You make a good point and many of us are probably, despite our ongoing (and well founded)cynicism, still holding out hope with the Central so mediocre record-wise this yr and my opinion that CHW is playing beyond its true boundaries right now and will start to tumble some (unless their GM does what ours does not and makes timely, intelligent trades meant to solidify/bolster a contender).
However, Shapiro is no position now to make world-beating trades to solidify/bolster the Tribe's situation before the deadline with all these key injuries, so you're talking about a team that would essentially have to perform beyond its means to get back into a legimate playoff race situation.
It's hard to fathom that happening, but it's possible.
My ongoing problem with all these situations around the team and how it performs is that by it hanging on that balance beam of failure or success, it keeps fans' hopes intact, thus tickets selling and Dolan's pocketbook taking in the bucks w/out spending more money.
This current state of the team is just as effective for Dolan's profit potential as spending nothing of high value on anything of actual "progressive" intent in the last offseason.
And then you STILL have this Shapiro character muttering alleged trade talk BS that never manifests...it's the doctor telling you everything will be okay and we'll do everything we can to help you should your health backfire, only to do nothing beyond making empty reassurances to keep you in his pocketbook.
And then there's this posted on Yahoo's MLB rumors page, from the New York Times, this AM:
"Friday, Jun 13, 2008 7:55 am EDT
If Sabathia is on the block, Yankees are interestedGetty ImagesA painful swing by the Cleveland Indians' Víctor Martínez on Wednesday could have significant ramifications for the New York Yankees. An elbow injury to Martínez all but ended the Indians' flickering playoff hopes, and will probably lead to a trade of the ace left-hander C. C. Sabathia.
If Sabathia is on the trade market, the Yankees will have strong interest. The Yankees rank last in the American League in innings pitched by their starters, and Sabathia led the league in innings last season while winning the American League Cy Young award.
Martínez will have elbow surgery Friday and will miss at least six weeks. Designated hitter Travis Hafner is also on the disabled list, along with second baseman Josh Barfield and starters Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook, who is out for the year after reconstructive elbow surgery Thursday. The Indians would need a miraculous recovery from their 31-36 start to make the playoffs, and it seems likely they will focus on next season.
"Our job is to be prepared for any potential outcome, either buying or selling," Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said in a telephone interview Thursday. "To do that, we need to be clearly aware of all the players we have and what the value would be so we can execute quickly should something present itself."
Sabathia is 4-8 with a 4.34 earned run average, but he shut out the Minnesota Twins in his last start Tuesday. He can be a free agent after the season, and the Indians have not given up hope of signing him. But the going rate for a pitcher like Sabathia, who turns 28 in August, would probably be six or seven years at $19 million or $20 million a season, a price tag well out of Cleveland's range.
Source: New York Times"
manamal, all you gotta do into that NY times bit and go to that yahoo MLB rumors page regarding Sabathia, Shapiro and the Phillies in supposed talks to see that Shapiro has no intention other than to replenish his overrated farm system with more prospects on the cheap...
If you're trying to stay in 08 contention, you don't trade a Sabathia when you have an injured Carmona whose rehab and post-rehab situations may not go smoothly, and having lost your #3 man to tommy surgery.
Clearly a Sabathia trade is sign of two things:
1. the true intent by Shap-Dolan is to field as cheap a team as possible. They can sign a pitcher reaching his prime to anchor the rotation with Carmona for years to come, but won't pay for it. That's being cheap, plain and simple
2. they have given up on 2008
And all you're going to see in return is a cheap, mediocre MLB player to take Sabathia's spot on the roster and a few "top prospects"
The reality continues on and on and on and on...it's time to admit and face it.
Last season was Shapiro's crest for his previous rebuilding program with his initial promise of contention...right now, with the injuries and the team's 6.5-game division deficit and its overall inconsistencies ALL season, he's likely about to engage a new rebuilding program with a renewed promise for contention again in 2010 or 2011.
That fits right into Dolan's approach to making money.
1. "the true intent by Shap-Dolan is to field as cheap a team as possible. They can sign a pitcher reaching his prime to anchor the rotation with Carmona for years to come, but won't pay for it. That's being cheap, plain and simple"
I don't understand the bit about Carmona? Didn't we sign him to a longterm contract? Are you saying, because we didn't give him a Santana like contract we're cheap?
I honestly don't understand the use of Carmona as an example of cheap. Please explain. If an owner can lock up a young rising star for relatively less money than a free agent in his prime, I don't see that as cheap. I see it as good business.
Also, let's be truthful here, most teams will appear to be cheap compared to the Yankees. (I assume you're a Yankee fan with the logo) Very few teams can deliver the huge contracts as the Yanks can deliver.
I honestly don't think today's players are worth anything close to what they're being paid. CC is not worth $20mil a year IMO. No one is in baseball. Perhaps Bob Gibson or Sandy Koufax but they're retired. After all, look what happened when we gave Hafner and Westbrook their new contracts. We're not getting a good return on our investment.
And, any team that pays CC $20mil won't get a good return either.
Granted, Dolan doesn't spend enough money to be competative over the long term including the June draft and his minor league system, but somewhere between cheap and $20,000,000 is a happy medium for a baseball player and his team.
Forgive me if I totally misinterpreted your post. Perhaps I'm being defensive about my team.
pete-
you spent all that energy writing the reply and had misread the statement incorrectly.
I was referring to Sabathia and the contract they refuse to sign him to, not to Carmona in that regard.
I'm never one to write pithy responses as many have had to endure my lenghty essays. lol
However, I addressed my opinion towards CC's ramsom... I mean demands for a $20mil contract.
Good luck to him and the team that signs him.
I for one don't think he or any ballplayer is worth it. Just my opinion. There's is plenty of evidence that these contracts backfire on GM's when they overpay.
If you think he's worth it, fine. But I wouldn't call it cheap. There are many teams in the league that would let him walk for financial reasons. I suppose they're all cheap as well?
No baseball player is worth $20M a year especially a guy who doesn't bat and only pitches every 5th day.
Your absolutely right. And, if I pick the right 8 numbers, I could win $456,935,838,329,178.62.He11, I may have already won the Publishers Clearing House contest. Best of all, next Tuesday world peace will break out all over the world, and on Wednesday, the oil crisis will be over.
Sheapiro make a trade. You should be ashamed of yourself.
I don't know if CC's worth the 20 mill a yr, but that wasn't the point of my previous posts.
the point is the team is teetering and the men in charge did nothing last offseason nor continue to do anything to truly state a direction toward winning now as opposed to filling seats with just wait until tomorrow.
We are still in the hunt but still have Wedge as our manager... go figure!!!
W E D G E N E E D S T O B E F I R E D
