Indians Tidbits (2007 Season)

[NFBuck]

I'm not worried about locking up Pronk. He seems like a genuine team guy and I think it will get done. C.C. worries me a little more, but I'm sure Shapiro will do what it takes to get him signed. Keeping him with another veteran like Westbrook and Lee (if he can get his shit together) along with Sowers and Miller (who I'm excited bout) whenever he's ready could give us one of the better rotations in baseball. As far as Marte goes, if nothing else, he's a major upgrade defensively. I think the verdict is still out on his bat though. He started to come on a little at the end of last season, but is off to a slow start again. I don't think he'll ever give us prototypical 3B/middle of the order type of numbers. He'll probably mature into a .260, 25 homer, 80-90 RBI guy. I'm just happy we locked Grady up last year. he's the player you build a franchise around.

 

[billmac91]

if Marte becomes a .260 hitter w/ 80-90 rbi's I think just about everyone including Shapiro would be thrilled.......count me in the group that still thinks taking players that John Shurhultz has given away isn't a great move.....I am enjoying Peralta not sucking so far this year

 

[NFBuck]

....I am enjoying Peralta not sucking so far this year

As am I. It's still early though, so hopefully he keeps it up. I just wish he wasn't such a statue at SS.

 

[NFBuck]

carmona needs to be in the pen. he's proving more and more that he isn't consistent enough to pitch extended innings at this point.

Agree 100%. He needs to be in AAA working out whatever issues he's having right now...not in the rotation getting torched every five days. If he can get his confidence back, he could develop into a very good set-up man/long reliever. Hell, he has the stuff to be a closer, but last years debacle shows he's no where near ready for that.

 

[exhawg]

How much do you think Jake is licking his chops to go against a guy who has never even pitched in AAA tonight? The only thing that would make it better is if he was going up against Tampa instead of the Yankees.

 

[Big Papa]

How much do you think Jake is licking his chops to go against a guy who has never even pitched in AAA tonight? The only thing that would make it better is if he was going up against Tampa instead of the Yankees.

It'll be interesting. In years past it seems like teams have brought up guys like this to face the Tribe and then they pitched like they were the second coming of Nolan Ryan. I hope they can take advantage of a young kid in his debut at Yankee Stadium. Seems like that would pretty overwhelming for any mortal. Not to mention our lineup is not the easiest to get through in the MLB. GO Tribe!

 

[NFBuck]

So I heap praise on Jake and he goes out and gets shellacked.:!

I would also like to continue my crusade against Hernandez. Gave up two more runs and walked 2 more batters tonight in an inning of work. The guy is 42 years old and completely useless. If my calculations are correct, in 4 innings of work, he has allowed 6 runs on 5 hits while walking 6 and only striking out 2. Wasn't a difference maker in tonights mop up duty, but this guy CANNOT pitch anymore. PLEASE STOP USING HIM.

 

[Big Papa]

Was it me or did the Indians do their best to prove me right about making nobodies look like Nolan Ryan. A guy with no MLB or even AAA experience going 5 and only giving up 3 runs. WEAK. I agree with the whole Roberto situation, can we start a petition to get him released and send it to the Tribe?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Westbrook takes team south

Tribe's loss to Yankees is direct result of pitcher's poor performance

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

NEW YORK - Will Jake Westbrook be the first player to cause a malfunction in the smooth-working machine that is the Indians?
No team goes through a long season without hitting a snag. The question is how long it takes to repair the problem, if it gets fixed at all.
Westbrook is not the guy most observers would pick to cause trouble for the Tribe, which was beaten 10-3 by the Yankees Tuesday night.
Despite an offense that remains in the tank -- even in the face of a Double-A pitcher making his first major-league start -- the defeat at Yankee Stadium was a direct result of Westbrook's ineptness.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians notebook

Martinez back in swing

Weather, off day give catcher time to heal

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

NEW YORK - The Indians tempted fate and won, as indicated by Victor Martinez's return to the lineup Tuesday night against the New York Yankees.
Martinez strained his left quad running out a ground ball in the April 6 home opener against the Seattle Mariners. He missed six games but it could have been nine, if not for three days of idleness because of bad weather in Cleveland.
Tribe officials opted not to put Martinez on the disabled list, even though strained muscles frequently take two weeks or longer to heal. The weather and Monday's off day allowed Martinez to recover in 10 days.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

GARKO DESERVES IT

Indians should keep first baseman in lineup, because he can hit

By Terry Pluto

Ryan Garko was in the Tribe lineup for all three games last weekend, and let's hope it stays that way.
Not just because Garko had six hits in those three games against the Chicago White Sox, or because he's batting .381 in this young season.
It's because Garko can hit, period.
It's because he's not a terrible first baseman.
It's because the Indians desperately need a No. 5 hitter after Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, and that's a lot to ask of Casey Blake.
The Tribe's approach to Garko has been strange, dwelling on his defensive shortcomings while downplaying the fact that he drove in 45 runs in 50 games last season.

Continued.....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Yankees pound Indians again

Pitcher Sowers pulled in third after giving up five runs, seven hits

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

NEW YORK - With four starters on the disabled list, the New York Yankees are alleged to be the team with the vulnerable rotation.
Indians starters, on the other hand, have been rolling along singing a song (even if it was White Christmas). But something happens when the Tribe's charter jet touches down in New York.
The Wahoos become Samson with a buzz cut or Superman with kryptonite in his carry-on bag. Since the outset of the 2002 season, the Tribe has a 3-16 record at Yankee Stadium, including Wednesday night's 9-2 defeat.

Continued....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

ABJ

Indians notebook

Mother Nature chills batters

Amid slump, weather, opponents' pitchers get some of the blame

By Sheldon Ocker

Beacon Journal sportswriter

NEW YORK - The Indians were hoping to end a hitting slump that had seen them score only 17 runs in the previous six games.
Hitters can take extra batting practice, study their swings on video and talk endlessly with the hitting coach, but hope is really all they have.
Eventually talented hitters emerge from slumps, and the Tribe's batsmen have a track record of success. The mysterious part is when virtually the entire lineup shuts down.
One answer is the cold and wet weather the team has encountered in Chicago, Cleveland and at Yankee Stadium.

Continued.....

 

[Big Papa]

Once again the Tribe hitters set up to make mediocre pitchers look like HOF'ers. Way to go guys. I am wondering who these pitchers are that they brought to NY with them are? They don't seem like the guys that were pitching earlier, can we get those guys back now please so we can salvage at least one game from this series?

 

[MolGenBuckeye]

Let me just be the first to say: