I'll admit that being a unpaid baseball blogger isn't the most glamorous part of my existence. Actually, sometimes it is right there with mowing the lawn. But seeing as how no new content has appeared here in five days (what, did sports just stop?) I felt a Tribe update was in order.
Even though there was a subway series and the Red Sox were playing...well, anyone really, you have to commend ESPN for going with the Cliff Lee/Chris Carpenter matchup everyone probably wanted to see. That, and it completely ruined a bachelor party my brother-in-law was to attend by pushing the start time back seven hours. Still neither pitcher really disappointed.
Lee took a no-hitter into the eighth, where Yadeiradew Molina hit a double off the right field wall. This stirred some obvious debate on if the ball was catchable by right fielder Shin Soo Choo. Sure it was catchable - have you seen the kind of catches they show on baseball highlight reels? Now, whether Choo could have been expected to catch that ball is a different story, as he was playing a little in to make sure nothing fell in as a hit. I agree with Indians writer Anthony Castrovince in that Choo could have put in a better effort but shouldn't be called out for not making that catch.
In injury-related news, Grady Sizemore's elbow is supposedly healing nicely, Jake Westbrook's third rehab start has been delayed due to pain on his Tommy John-ed elbow, and Aaron Laffey is looking to make a rehab start at Columbus.
The Indians are 15-11 since May 20th. While that has kept them sort-of in the race for the AL Central, it still leaves them six games back and in last place. This team hasn't so much been hot as it has been playing more like we expected from day one, which isn't so bad considering all the injuries. The real surprise is the bullpen being settled by the old Shapiro scrap heap signings. Maybe one of these days these Indians will finally put a good string of games together and really start making up some ground. Until then we've won three series in a row, which I'll take any day.
Here's the probables for this series against the Brewers who we haven't beat since 2001 or something.
Game 1: (going on right now) Dave Bush, RHP (3-3, 4.58) vs. Carl Pavano, RHP (6-5, 5.40)
Game 2: Yovani Gallardo, RHP (6-3, 2.88) vs. Jeremy Sowers, LHP (1-3, 5.10)
Game 3: Jeff Suppan, RHP (5-4, 4.48) vs. David Huff, LHP (2-2, 7.39)
There you go, and with the Indians getting a day off Thursday I promise a series wrap-up.
One more thing - The Tribe Daily had this mini rant about Luis Valbuena that I mostly agree with
"You can't get caught up in his numbers because his at-bats have been better than that," Wedge said. "He's going to continue to figure it out. Defensively, he's been outstanding for us. He's hard-nosed, tough and a fierce competitor."
WE CAN'T HAVE HIM FIGURE IT OUT YOU NUMSKULL! STOP TAKING THAT APPROACH WITH CERTAIN PLAYERS AND NOT WITH OTHERS! YOU DIDN'T LET ANDY MARTE FIGURE IT OUT, YOU WON'T LET JOSH BARFIELD FIGURE IT OUT.. YOU FRIGGIN HYPOCRITE.
Thank you.. I feel better... I like Wedge, but that just downright PISSES me off.
Go Tribe!
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Monday, June 15
Excuse me but baseball is still being played.
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3 comments:
Molina's hit looked totally uncatchable to me. I was surprised after the game to learn this was even a thing people were discussing.
I don't agree with a single thing in that Valbuena mini-rant.
WE CAN'T HAVE HIM FIGURE IT OUT YOU NUMSKULL!
Numbskull is spelled wrong, but it's the grammar of this that baffles me. What do you mean "can't"? Valbuena can't do it because he lacks the skill? The Tribe can't afford his bat because we're losing ground in the pennant chase? Confusing.
STOP TAKING THAT APPROACH WITH CERTAIN PLAYERS AND NOT WITH OTHERS!
This muddles the previous sentence, if anything.
YOU DIDN'T LET ANDY MARTE FIGURE IT OUT, YOU WON'T LET JOSH BARFIELD FIGURE IT OUT.. YOU FRIGGIN HYPOCRITE.
These comparisons are terribly inapt. For one, Valbuena has all of 95 plate appearances. Barfield had 444 in his first season as an Indian and posted a comically low OPS+ of 54 to Valbuena's equally silly 49. How long, exactly, should we have let Barfield kill our lineup? Marte got 257 PA last year and responded with a 53 OPS+. Both of those players have so far had much more time to "figure it out" than Valbuena. You might argue that it took a while for Marte to get an extended look, but he's done nothing with the opportunities he's had.
Second, the alternatives are much different. In 2007, Barfield simply lost his job to Asdrubal Cabrera, who was a better hitter and fielder and who played a big part in the Tribe's Central-winning stretch run. Marte was similarly outplayed by Casey Blake and found himself out of a job.
Valbuena, on the other hand, is only in the lineup because of injury. You think Wedge really likes playing this turkey every day? Once Sizemore and Cabrera come back, I expect we'll see far less of Luis. At least then our friend at TTD won't be so upset.
I was at Progressive Field 15 rows behind home plate for that Sunday night game. Man, a no-hitter would have been something to see. About the Choo play, I don't think he had a chance to get that. 95% of the time you play that off the wall to try and avoid the double. The only reason why that play was close was because Choo ran at it 100% to try and prevent the hit for Lee's sake.
Hooray comments! OK I will say that Valbuena needs to get at bats, so who else would we call up to sit on the bench when sending down Luis. Luis is a good defender and he can get regular time with everyone hurt. Given his batting average of .179 I would still like to see a little more Barfield.
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