There are a few interesting articles out there in Tribe country this Sunday before Christmas Eve. Let us take a gander and see if there are any treats in store for our stockings:
1) Worst Trades of All Time
Dan Coughlin of the Chronicle Telegram has coal on his mind as he delivers us a summary of bad trades in Cleveland sports. Ron Harper (Cavs) and Bobby Mitchell (Browns) make the list in our other sports. And, for the Indians, it's Rocky Colavito (Terry Pluto says thanks for the plug Dan). Here is what was added about Colavito:
"Two days before opening day in 1961, the Indians traded Colavito, the American League home run king, to Detroit for the league batting champion, Harvey Kuenn.
It was a trade made for one reason, to satisfy the ego of Tribe general manager Frank Lane, a compulsive trader who loved to see his name in headlines. Colavito was the most popular Indian and there wasn’t room in the teepee for both him and Lane.Gabe Paul, who inherited Lane’s mess, grumbled later that Kuenn was a singles hitter with no speed. Kuenn batted leadoff but he clogged up the bases. Colavito was even slower, but he was hitting 40 home runs a season. Nobody put a stop watch on his home run trot. In order to regain the fans’ support, Gabe Paul brought back Colavito four years later, but the price was high. The Indians traded pitcher Tommy John and outfielder Tommy Agee to the White Sox for him."
I must admit, this before my time and any personal thoughts (i.e. i remember when this happened and...) would be kindly appreciated.
Coughlin does give us a tidbit of stocking joy, by reminding us that the Tribe traded Felix Fermin to Seatle for Omar Visquel. I won't add here that as a freshman baseball player at Amherst High School, I was nicknamed Felix for a few games because of my bunting ability. Hardly the feat I envisioned as I dreamed of stardom on the ball fields. Oooops, did I just admit that. Oh well. The good ol' days.
2) What a Great Group of Fellas
Paul Hoynes takes the Christmas cheer approach and reminds us how thankful we should be to have a team such as the Indians taking the field for us Clevelanders. The long road back since the late 90s and the rebuilding efforts of Mark Shapiro are discussed. As is Wedgies love for his group of guys:
"In the locker-room celebration after the game, Shapiro, an AL Central Division championship baseball cap pulled tightly on his head to break the ever-flowing waterfall of champagne and beer, gazed at pockets of gyrating players and felt good about every one of them. "
I must admit, it certainly does make winning that much better when you like the guys. Football fans in Cinci must be embarrassed over recent years or Portland a couple years before. That said, personally I had no problem with Albert when he was here, or even Milton or Philips. They had fire and wanted to win. There are enough vets on this team now that taking a risk on say, Josh Hamilton, should not be out of the question. But I digress.
3) Will Joe Bo be the Closer?
My short answer: Yes.
But James from The Tribe Report at MVN.com is not satisfied. He immediately points to the stat we are all aware of, JoeBo's era (5.07). I would argue that this one of the least important stats of a closer and if I have to trade a high ERA for the league lead in saves, I'll take it. Did he give me heartburn on a nightly basis? Yes. Is he a younger Bob Wickman? Yes. But in the end, did he get the job done? Yes. Did he have anything to do with our success or failures in the post-season? No. Could that be a different story in 2008? Yes. But we have to get to the post-season in 2008 first, and JoeBo is our best answer to getting us there right now.
Overall, there are many more pressing needs on this team than a new closer. LF, Backend of the rotation, and 3B seem more important.
That said, James does a great job summarizing our bullpen, and quite frankly, this may be the biggest strength of our team outside of C.C. and Fausto. I particularly like that he mentions Adam Miller in the mix, as I fully expect to see him out of the bullpen at some point in the near future. Here is his blurb on Miller:
"Adam Miller (Righty): There have been arm issues, and I’ll just say that he’ll probably see some time in the pen THIS season, if his arm is sound. He’s electric, but you all know that. There’s something intriguing about a Papelbon like story. I really want this kid to be an ace, but if he came out and became that electric closer that we’ve really never had (since Mesa’s early stint as a closer), I could put aside the starter aspirations. On a team of intriguing darkhorse candidates, Adam Miller may be the most interesting of all. 100+ MPH…are you kidding me?"
Overall, the piece is a good read and I'd give it a look if you have time.
4) Hey Hoynse, I've got a Stooopid Question
What about Nick Markakis? How much money did the players get from playoff bonuses? Why are we always outbid? No one cares about roids, right? Was C.C. offered for Haren? How about Johan? Would you like it if the Indians had a payroll of 190 million? What about Matt Holliday?
Sheeeesh!
Are these really the best questions that Clevelanders can ask? Is the crack from East Cleveland spreading to the burbs?
I truly feel for Paul in having to offer up nice answers to these boneheads.
And so, there it is folks...your Sunday Morning Tribe reads.
On a side note:
I'm in my Fantasy Football Super Bowl today and am still torn between a full game of Vince Young or one half by Peyton! It could determine my super bowl fate, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Of course, if you sell me on the decision and I win, perhaps we could arrange a kickback;)
Gooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!
Cheers!
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2 comments:
funny how before the ALDS, every voice in the national baseball media seemed to think that borowski was going to be the downfall of the indians' playoff run. they might have been right about him being our weakest link--in the playoffs, you really want a lights-out, high K-rate closer--but he ultimately didn't see that much time, and when he did, he did his job competently. goes to show that getting three outs with nobody on in the ninth inning (which is usually the situation they give borowski) isn't as tough as most poeple think (however, kudos to the guy for being dependable. . . kind of).
i'd love to see miller start in the pen this year. given the volatility of relief pitchers, we have no idea whether betancourt can in any way replicate his 2007 performance. miller doesn't really project out as a #1 starter anymore, but he does have the potential to fill in that relief ace/closer role or perhaps be a future #2 in the rotation. personally, i love the idea of using him in the papelbon role, at least for now while our rotation is pretty much set.
Jack,
I like your idea. Especially with some uncertainty as to who our closer is will be in 2009.
I guess the question is, whether or not it is wishful thinking to expect Wedge and Co. to plan that far in advance.
I guess a lot depends on how this season plays out and if the C.C. extention comes to fruition. If we make a serious push, I'd expect Miller to see a role similar to Jensen Lewis with a bit of potential for more crucial situations depending on his performance. If we are playing mediocre ball and especially if C.C. is being shopped come July (lets hope not!), then perhaps the brass will turn their eye toward the future and consider your suggestion of Miller in a setup role.
I do think you absolutely on target, that it is wishful thinking to expect Miller to be an ace in the near future. His durability is a major question mark, and right now, my ceiling for him is in that #2 range.
Of course, most of us have yet to see him pitch at all, and their are many more question marks then anwers.
Thanks for the comments, keep em comin'.
Cheers!
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