Testing the Bench

Manny Acta has some balls. On what may have been our biggest game of the year (ok, second biggest? Third?) he puts in a rookie pitcher and half the bench. Well you know - why the fuck not? Have to make up for Tomlin and Gomez had to start sometime. Grady can't play ever day and neither can Hafner. And, we're 2 games up on the Royals plus we've got 2 more to go, and then on to the not-so-hot Tigers.

Dude is a chess master, really. He's got it all planned out.

So what can these cats do against the Royals? Well, not much against Bruce Chen but statistics coulda told you that. Actually, statistics could show you that the modern Indians can't usually beat the Royals anyway. However, the team still managed to cobble together runs late in the game - which I just LOVE to see. I guess that's the difference between a young team and an old team (Red Sox). Our guys are still in top form in the 8th and 9th and ready to take on some relief pitchers.

You know who got a hit? CHOOOOO! He also picked up his 4th stolen base and 8th RBI! Slow and steady wins the race...

Brantley was back in the top spot and dude got THREE hits. I'm feeling good about having him down in the lineup when Grady plays.

Bencher Shelley Duncan got a hit and his fellow bencher Loooooouuu Marson got a double. Those guys are both batting .357! So so awesome to have a happenin' bench like that.

Check out this email I sent to Kevin Keane (OMG I MISS YOU!) at WTAM in September of 2009 when he asked if anyone was "still into it":

"Of course I'm still into the Tribe, Kev! I'm a lifelong Clevleand fan - I've learned not expect much. Our job as fans is to find excitement in each and every game, see what happens tonight, hash it out with Extra Innings afterwards...and if we get into some playoff action - hey!

Low expectations, deep disappointments and pleasant surprises. That's what Cleveland is all about, man.

Asdrubal in '09!"

I guess I didn't write to WTAM in 2009, but here's what I wrote to Bob Frantz after the last game of the season in 2010:

"Bob - I don't agree with you on most things (politics!!) but I think your assessment of the 2011 season is spot-on! Healthy Grady, healthy Santana, newly-found solid pitching and our existing studs Asdrubal and CHOO - and HAFNER - will make for a really great 2011.

I saw some exciting baseball this year, including tonight's game, and I KNOW it's going to rock hard in 2011."

I hate to agree with Bob Frantz (no, really, I REALLY hate to agree with the dude) but we did agree on that point at the end of last year.

So far, I'm sticking by what I said! And even though we had not-the-best year last year, reader and Dodger loyalist Asimovian was keen to see what was next for the Tribe because he knows good baseball when he sees it. Well he also knows a hot chick who's a die-hard Tribe fan but that's another story. Anyway, hopefully the Positive Tribe bandwagon keeps up its momentum and perhaps creates more fans of Indians baseball.

Tomorrow we get MASTERSON and hopefully the A-team back. Or maybe some fancy concoction of players from Manny's playbook, who knows. It's all good!

Radio Chatter:
"I've never seen that before! It literally bounced off the ground and hit Cabrera. Can this game get any wackier?!"
- Tom Hamilton (the game wasn't particularly wacky...I think he's been on the road too long)