People only complain about flaws. The only way people stop complaining is if those flaws are gone. Judging by how flawed this team is, the complaining won't stop. The team doesn't do themselves any favors. They can't hit with the bases loaded and struggle to move baserunners when they need to.

Every team has flaws, especially in this division. Obviously you want to win every game. You want every hitter to come through in every clutch situation. But these things come and go as the year goes on. We will get better with the bases loaded, it's bound to happen. We're 14th in the league as far as batting average with men in scoring position. Not great, but certainly not awful either. The White Sox are currently first in baseball in that category, but their BABIP in those situations is also about 90 points higher than the Tribe, and is by far the highest in baseball. That is not going to last all season, they've been getting lucky on balls in play with men on base. When more of those grounders start finding fielders and fly balls start finding mitts, they will even out and come back to earth. In 2011, no team in baseball had a BABIP over .316 with men in scoring position. The White Sox are currently over .360.

Of course he is an easy target the guy has made a lot of money the past few years and he's been on the DL more than he has played. He can't even contribute in field. One trick pony who stands up there and watches strike 1 and 2 go right by and then swings at strike 3 in the dirt. He doesn't scare anyone. Opposing pitchers will just pitch around Kipnis to pitch to him. That's what is sad!!

I agree, but we are flawed in important areas. Some teams can get away with not hitting as well with RISP, but those teams get more out of the long ball than the Indians. It is critical that we come through when we have chances, but the team is too inconsistent. Guys like Pronk and Santana have to step up if we have any chance. Hafner needs to drive in runs and Santana needs to stop being an automatic out.

Agreed, and I do think that those two guys will be better in the second half as long as they stay healthy. And I also believe that we will add a bat to the middle of the order, maybe not a stud, but an Alfonso Soriano type player who will really help this lineup, not only with RISP, but in every situation. Santana has seen an incredible amount of off-speed pitches because he has no protection in the lineup. As good as Brantley has been, he's still a singles hitter. He's not the type of bat that can hurt you with one swing. If you put a legit power threat in our #6 spot, Hafner and Santana will become much more productive, and Brantley-Damon-Kotchman can serve as a very solid bottom of the order.

Santana is on his way I think. He has cut down his monster stride and has been hitting the ball with power to left and left center. With Choo, Cabrera and Kipnis dominating at the top, if Pronk and Santana get going we will be in business. As you said, we will add a bat as well. I would prefer Headley simply because he wouldn't cost as much

What do you guys think about bringing Hafner back next season? Thoughts?

I was watching All Bets are Off and the bald guy (can't think of his name) was saying how he is fairly confident the Indians will bring him back next year for a $4-5 million contract. Just a couple days earlier I was saying how unhappy I will be if the Tribe does do this.
As stated in this discussion, he has not played a full season since 2007, has managed just 54 homeruns in those 5 season in 1631 plate appearances, can't run, and can't play defense and can't stay on the field.
While I find it hard not to like Travis as a person, it is time to cut the cord and move on, and Gr@dy as well for that matter. Honestly I believe LaPorta could put up similar numbers to what he is doing this year. I would rather watch young guys take their lumps than washed-up veterans take up space for virtually nothing.

I would like to see them let Hafner, Sizemore and Lowe walk for sure.

Now what I think they WILL do is bring all three back. The rates may be reduced but they will be back. I will noy like it on bit. There should be many more that go as well. But I believe few will. We could see basicaly the same team next year.

Well, Hafner and Sizemore haven't helped a lick this year. I wouldn't mind a bit if both are released. I really don't want to see LaPorta here either. We have seen all we need from him.

Like I said above, Hafner and Sizemore haven't done a thing for us. I would like to keep Lowe
for another year. Do we have anybody better in Columbus? What have you heard (if anything) about Carmona aka Hernandez?

I would be okay with Lowe coming back based off of two things. He is strictly our number 5 pitcher and he doesn't have a meltdown at the end of this season like he did with the Braves last season.

Sizemore needs to be gone. Honestly I hope he gets a minor league contract for another team and goes on to get healthy and continue a nice career, but as long as he stays here, he will never be healthy. My only real hope for him is that we don't play him at all this year and that way he has a full year recovery for a change.

Hafner, I said the other day I'd bring him back for 4-5million. But after seeing that he is still limping around the bases, I say cut him. I do believe we are better with him in our lineup, but he isn't worth $13 million and the chances of him playing even 70 games next season are slim. So I say we drop him use the Sizemore/Hafner savings to get a right hand bat and a pitcher.

Wart I believe Hafner abd Sizemore are done. I have seen enough of them at the money they command. I don't want either back at any amount of money other than a mil a year each. Hafner is a complete mess. You never know what part is going next and Sizemore is not much better. But I still believe they will bring them both bac and they will pay them 5 mil each. At that point we willl hear no money for anybody else.

Hernandez is still in no mans land waiting for the state dept. to grant his visa. That will be done on the govt,'s time. Unless somebody greases the wheels. At this point in time he is basiciaky of no value to the team this season. I hope they don't let him back until next season. At this point I trade him away and keep the money they have set aside for him. If they get rid of all the dead wood they should have a considerable war chest to spend on next season to spend SMART I should say. Now of course this will not happen. They will bring Hafners and sizemaore and lowe back along with much of the deadwood. Then no needed players because they have everything they need just everyon needs to play to their potential. Then we will hear the window has shut and they blow the team up after 2013. They just should do it now abd get on with the baseball. They definately should clean house in the FO and on field managment. Sandy I would make manager let him hire his staff. I would keep Kipnis, Chisenhal , Pestano and possibly Masterson and Marson. I would blow everyone else out get tge best prospevts. I would drop payrol to under 30 mil and rebuild SMART. Yeah first you get the best baseball men you can for the FP .

When was the last time Dopelan/Cheapiro did ANYTHING SMART?

I think it all depends on the 2nd half of the season. I've always liked Pronk, but he needs to show that he can produce for at least a couple of months when we need him, and without getting hurt. If he can't, then they should just probably forget it.

We have already been paying the price for the Sizemore blunder, and as you stated, the fact that he can't take the field is a killer. We kind of got lucky this year with his latest injury coming during most of the interleague play, when he wouldn't have been in there anyways... Last year though, it killed us, and it would kill us in the WS if he was hitting.

I would almost rather see them have Sizemore completely shut down this year, which may be the case anyways. (they have been pretty mum about him lately.) Then, take a look at both Sizemore and Hafner, and maybe choose just one to take a chance on with a very cheap contract filled with incentives, and let the other one walk. I would prefer it be Sizemore, if he is ever able to play again. (He could DH, and then play limited OF.)

And, I also agree with you about Laporta. I feel that he would have had better numbers than a lot players on this team so far, but that ship has sailed.

...Traded a minor league "suspect" who will likely never see the major leagues for Derek Lowe and 10 million dollars...

"When was the last time Dopelan/Cheapiro did ANYTHING SMART?"

Traded Casey Blake for Carlos Santana
Traded Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez
Traded Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson
Traded Ben Broussard for Shin-Soo Choo
Traded Eduardo Perez for Asdrubal Cabrera
Traded CC Sabathia's remaining 3 months for Michael Brantley
Signed Derek Lowe

Traded Casey Blake for Carlos Santana......OK deal
Traded Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez.....OK deal
Traded Victor Martinez for Justin Masterson.....OK deal
Traded Ben Broussard for Shin-Soo Choo.....Great deal
Traded Eduardo Perez for Asdrubal Cabrera .....Great deal
Traded CC Sabathia's remaining 3 months for Michael Brantley.....Total failure
Signed Derek Lowe.....OK deal

We got all these players from OTHER teams. Who do we have that we actually drafted? All of the above players will probably leave when their contracts are up because Dopelan won't pay to keep them. Then the 355th rebuild will start all over again.

We couldn't afford CC, we would have lost him anyways. Brantley has been outstanding this year and will only get better... but I can see how that's a total failure...

So now you're changing it to "drafted". Here's what you originally said...

"When was the last time Dopelan/Cheapiro did ANYTHING SMART?"

The verb in that sentence is "did", not "drafted". Besides GMs don't run the draft.

"Traded CC Sabathia's remaining 3 months for Michael Brantley.....Total failure"

How is that a total failure?

WOW so now GM's have no say in the draft. Should probably tell that to Beane. Make sense buddy/ GM'S have a say in everything baseball related. Now the director of the draft just makes his own decisions and those are the guys the GM get and they just have to shut their mouth. Yeah Right.