I missed the game today because I was busy holding a Wiffle ball game in my backyard with a bunch of toddlers. Also we built a tower out of blocks.
I got done with that and I read the box score and I saw the final and I still decided I would listen to this game's radio archive. Because erm....I dunno, I like baseball a lot.
Nothing happened in this game. Nothing but Danny Salazar throwing 7 innings with just one earned run. He only walked 1 and struck out 8. Finally! FINALLY!!! His length has been atrocious and he was giving up runs right and left. Ok so now we know he can do it. Can he repeat it?
It was a weird day, though. I don't know if I can count on Salazar's performance. You know why? Because Cody Allen had a bad outing today. Cody, Mister Oh-Point-Oh-Oh. He gave up a 3-run homer in the 9th. All three runs were his batters, too. His ERA jumped to 2.35.
So can you trust Danny Salazar's 7-inning one-hit game on a day when Cody Allen gives up 3 runs? I just don't know.
Michael Bourn got 2 hits and Yan Gomes hit a solo home run. That is IT, man. One run on 3 hits.
After the game Terry Francona said "We have to stop letting guys get us out." LOLOLOLOL Can you trust a day when Terry Francona sounds like a doofus?
Tomorrow's my birthday. They'll be playing the Angels, Justin Masterson versus LHP 3.21.
No Radio Chatter today but funny thing...Tom Hamilton is so bored, that he told pretty much all of the same anecdotes and gave the same color about San Francisco as he did on Saturday. Perhaps he was a recording??
Showing posts with label Terry Francona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terry Francona. Show all posts
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
10 Reasons to Jump on The Indians Bandwagon in 2014
1. This isn't a rebuilding year. Most of last year's playoff team is still here, and a few extra guys have been tacked on. They're in it to win it. Plus manager Terry Francona is still here, and he's a championship-winning manager (when he was with Boston) and won the 2013 American League Manager Of The Year. And rides a scooter to work.
2. Outfielder Michael Brantley is locked in on a contract and is looking better than ever. He'll bat .300 this year. He's got a penchant for getting hits when there's runners on base and also getting hits when there's two outs. This spring he struck out twice in 50 at-bats and his batting average was .500. They call him Dr. Smooth.Yep.
3. Yan Gomes, the league's first Brazilian player and surprise break-out in 2013, is our everyday catcher now. They just signed him to a 6-year contract, too. In 2013 he was amongst the top in the league for catchers in a lot of stats even though he only made 85 appearances.
4. Jason Kipnis is our man. He's out there on Twitter, he has his own little meme shirt, and in 2013 he was an All-Star second baseman in his sophomore season. The team does well when Kipnis does well and the kid is out there grinding every day so he's just a joy to watch and a joy to claim as our own. Also, I recently realized that he looks like a young Yogi Berra, so now we can imagine what he might look like as an old man - a cuddly raisin.
5. Asdrubal Cabrera has been my favorite Indian since the moment I first saw him in 2007. He's just a dang miracle worker out there at short, one of the Tribe's most exciting players since Omar Vizquel. In 2011 he started taking a bit of a dip down in effectiveness at the plate - but he also played 151 games that year and he was plain burnt out. He has never really stopped being fun to watch in the field. This year he's back once again slimmer and stronger than years previous. He's also playing for his future. He either needs to play hard and get himself kept on the team with Francisco Lindor nipping at his heels, or play hard to make himself some big bucks once the Tribe lets him go. Either way it ends up for him, you're going to see a treat when you keep your eyes on Asdrubal.
5. Jason Giambi is back again. Normally I am not a fan of dragging in old guys for a little rah-rah before they are sent out to pasture...especially not ex-Yankees. Blah. But Jason Giambi was actually useful in both the locker room and on the field. It's possible that his walkoff home run against the White Sox at the end of the season (his second one) was the thing that got us in to the playoffs. Can he do more of the same this year? He'll be starting on a sour note - on the disabled list with a broken rib - but he's definitely one to watch out of the corner of your eye.
6. Speaking of old guys - Charlie Nagy is back on staff in Cleveland. He was one of our stand-out players in the 90s and is amongst the Tribe's best pitchers. It always drove me crazy that he went off with the Diamondbacks but they got rid of him and now he's all ours. Turns out that his stint with Arizona gave him a leg up on spending time with young "phenom" pitcher Trevor Bauer, who the Tribe picked up last year from the Diamondbacks, so losing him for a bit wasn't all that bad.
7. Then there's the Goon Squad. The Goon Squad was the name for the guys who weren't our every-day players but who kept coming in off the bench and making big differences. It takes a special kind of skill and mindset to either come in for the first time in 6 days and play a full game, or to come in for the 7th inning and keep the team's momentum going. They lost one of the "original" Goon Squad members to a starting position (Yan Gomes) and Giambi will start the season from his armchair, but there's no doubt that the whole Goon Squad vibe runs rampant through that locker room. Goonies never say die.
8. Chief Wahoo is being swept under the rug, and I like the way they're doing it. Even though his smile is this blog's logo, I don't mind losing the Chief. I've been mindful to avoid his likeness on Tribe gear I've bought over the past few years and the Indians have been making it increasingly easy to find sharp stuff without the cartoon racism. I know Chief Wahoo is our heritage but you know, so is Larry Doby and we don't have a weird caricature of him on our jerseys. The Block C is the way of the future, so if you're embarrassed by Chief Wahoo now it's easier than ever to avoid him. If you still can't let go, don't worry - GV Art & Design feels the same way and is providing plenty of gear for hangers-on.
9. You probably got rid of cable by now, or subscribe to a service that isn't carrying STO (Dish!), so you can't watch the games on TV. But, good news! The radio broadcast is far superior to the television broadcast because of veteran broadcaster Tom Hamilton and his foil Jim Rosenhaus. You're lucky to be stuck with them! Listening to the games on the radio is easy for baseball, given the leisurely pace. And not having to be glued to the TV gives you a lot of flexibility to get stuff done, like weeding the garden, paying your bills or re-arranging your sock drawer. Oh, and don't be too turned off by the commercials. I've been assured by my friend who works at Progressive in marketing that there will be new radio ads any day now. Check out Hamilton's amazingness in the Jason Giambi video above, and check out his soft side in this video of him watching his son (Kent State's Nick Hamilton) take his first major-league at-bat earlier this spring.
10. The Indians marketing team have acknowledged with this year's marketing campaign that being a Tribe fan is hard, but it's our birthright. You're from Cleveland, your team is the Indians, this is as good as it gets. So, love the one you're with.
So, that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what's going to go on for the Indians in 2014 and why it's time for you to get over the 90s and get in the game. Aside from all of the above we've got some pitching both in the starters and the bullpen. We've got some weirdos like outfielder Nyier Morgan who has an actual alter-ego, and Nick Swisher is back with his Bro-hio sillyness being legitimized by the team. Not to mention all of the new ways the front office is begging people to come to Progressive Field and bring the whole family by offering tons of discounts everywhere on everything. It's still not cheap but it's fun, I guarantee.
Anyway, the season opener is now in full swing on the radio so it's time for me to go re-arrange my sock drawer. It's gonna be a great season - see you there!
2. Outfielder Michael Brantley is locked in on a contract and is looking better than ever. He'll bat .300 this year. He's got a penchant for getting hits when there's runners on base and also getting hits when there's two outs. This spring he struck out twice in 50 at-bats and his batting average was .500. They call him Dr. Smooth.Yep.
3. Yan Gomes, the league's first Brazilian player and surprise break-out in 2013, is our everyday catcher now. They just signed him to a 6-year contract, too. In 2013 he was amongst the top in the league for catchers in a lot of stats even though he only made 85 appearances.
4. Jason Kipnis is our man. He's out there on Twitter, he has his own little meme shirt, and in 2013 he was an All-Star second baseman in his sophomore season. The team does well when Kipnis does well and the kid is out there grinding every day so he's just a joy to watch and a joy to claim as our own. Also, I recently realized that he looks like a young Yogi Berra, so now we can imagine what he might look like as an old man - a cuddly raisin.
5. Asdrubal Cabrera has been my favorite Indian since the moment I first saw him in 2007. He's just a dang miracle worker out there at short, one of the Tribe's most exciting players since Omar Vizquel. In 2011 he started taking a bit of a dip down in effectiveness at the plate - but he also played 151 games that year and he was plain burnt out. He has never really stopped being fun to watch in the field. This year he's back once again slimmer and stronger than years previous. He's also playing for his future. He either needs to play hard and get himself kept on the team with Francisco Lindor nipping at his heels, or play hard to make himself some big bucks once the Tribe lets him go. Either way it ends up for him, you're going to see a treat when you keep your eyes on Asdrubal.
5. Jason Giambi is back again. Normally I am not a fan of dragging in old guys for a little rah-rah before they are sent out to pasture...especially not ex-Yankees. Blah. But Jason Giambi was actually useful in both the locker room and on the field. It's possible that his walkoff home run against the White Sox at the end of the season (his second one) was the thing that got us in to the playoffs. Can he do more of the same this year? He'll be starting on a sour note - on the disabled list with a broken rib - but he's definitely one to watch out of the corner of your eye.
6. Speaking of old guys - Charlie Nagy is back on staff in Cleveland. He was one of our stand-out players in the 90s and is amongst the Tribe's best pitchers. It always drove me crazy that he went off with the Diamondbacks but they got rid of him and now he's all ours. Turns out that his stint with Arizona gave him a leg up on spending time with young "phenom" pitcher Trevor Bauer, who the Tribe picked up last year from the Diamondbacks, so losing him for a bit wasn't all that bad.
7. Then there's the Goon Squad. The Goon Squad was the name for the guys who weren't our every-day players but who kept coming in off the bench and making big differences. It takes a special kind of skill and mindset to either come in for the first time in 6 days and play a full game, or to come in for the 7th inning and keep the team's momentum going. They lost one of the "original" Goon Squad members to a starting position (Yan Gomes) and Giambi will start the season from his armchair, but there's no doubt that the whole Goon Squad vibe runs rampant through that locker room. Goonies never say die.
8. Chief Wahoo is being swept under the rug, and I like the way they're doing it. Even though his smile is this blog's logo, I don't mind losing the Chief. I've been mindful to avoid his likeness on Tribe gear I've bought over the past few years and the Indians have been making it increasingly easy to find sharp stuff without the cartoon racism. I know Chief Wahoo is our heritage but you know, so is Larry Doby and we don't have a weird caricature of him on our jerseys. The Block C is the way of the future, so if you're embarrassed by Chief Wahoo now it's easier than ever to avoid him. If you still can't let go, don't worry - GV Art & Design feels the same way and is providing plenty of gear for hangers-on.
9. You probably got rid of cable by now, or subscribe to a service that isn't carrying STO (Dish!), so you can't watch the games on TV. But, good news! The radio broadcast is far superior to the television broadcast because of veteran broadcaster Tom Hamilton and his foil Jim Rosenhaus. You're lucky to be stuck with them! Listening to the games on the radio is easy for baseball, given the leisurely pace. And not having to be glued to the TV gives you a lot of flexibility to get stuff done, like weeding the garden, paying your bills or re-arranging your sock drawer. Oh, and don't be too turned off by the commercials. I've been assured by my friend who works at Progressive in marketing that there will be new radio ads any day now. Check out Hamilton's amazingness in the Jason Giambi video above, and check out his soft side in this video of him watching his son (Kent State's Nick Hamilton) take his first major-league at-bat earlier this spring.
10. The Indians marketing team have acknowledged with this year's marketing campaign that being a Tribe fan is hard, but it's our birthright. You're from Cleveland, your team is the Indians, this is as good as it gets. So, love the one you're with.
So, that's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what's going to go on for the Indians in 2014 and why it's time for you to get over the 90s and get in the game. Aside from all of the above we've got some pitching both in the starters and the bullpen. We've got some weirdos like outfielder Nyier Morgan who has an actual alter-ego, and Nick Swisher is back with his Bro-hio sillyness being legitimized by the team. Not to mention all of the new ways the front office is begging people to come to Progressive Field and bring the whole family by offering tons of discounts everywhere on everything. It's still not cheap but it's fun, I guarantee.
Anyway, the season opener is now in full swing on the radio so it's time for me to go re-arrange my sock drawer. It's gonna be a great season - see you there!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
All Your Base Are Belong To Us
You can't hold these guys down for too long, can you? After a crummy game versus Scherzer in Detroit, and then a good but losing game against Verlander, the Tribe brought Terry Francona back to the Boston and totally showed off what he can make them do.
Everybody hits today! And not just a few hits, either - we're talking 16 hits. Don't forget the 8 walks and 12 runs. Almost everyone got an RBI, even!
All of this without a single home run, too - only one of 3 times we've gotten 12 runs, 15+ hits and 8 walks since 1957. Sweet!
Zach McAllister started and at first he just looked so-so. Basically he was in line with the Red Sox starter, Ryan Dempster. Both were kind of getting worn out by the 3rd inning. It was the 3rd where McAllister gave up a 3-run homer to Big Poopi, allowing the Red Sox to get within 1 and to make the Indians' 4 runs in 3 innings look way less meaningful. But after that homer, man, McAllister was all like "no". He faced 9 more batters and got all of them out excepting one walk. He didn't end up with a quality start but he threw 96 pitches over 5 innings, so it was time to go. Also, by the 6th inning the Tribe had a 9-run lead so if there was a time to mess around with testing out bullpen arms, now was that time.
Cody Allen pitched the 6th and he was tight as heck. Two strikeouts and a popup. Guy's ERA is now 2.05!
Next was Scott Barnes, who joined the team directly from Columbus - meaning Nick Hagadone joined the Clippers directly from Detroit. Sounds good to me, man. Nick wasn't getting it done anymore. Barnes proved himself worthy tonight going 3 innings, striking out 4 and only giving up 2 hits. All of this in the rain, too. We don't get many guys going 3 innings out of the 'pen anymore, so that's pretty awesome. Save those arms, Barnes!
Tonight was only the second game I've watched on TV this season, the first being a yawner from Toronto. I tell you what was the most noticeable to me watching the game live - Michael Bourn is FAST. Not only does he break out of the box like a little point guard (backwards!) but he's also got it going on in center field. Check out this clip from tonight when he ran up on a line drive then hurled the ball back in to home to catch Jacoby Elsbury doubting him. I say that makes up for last night's outfield gaffe...at least half way - he did end up saving the pitcher one run on his ERA (due to the subsequent Ortiz homer).
Bourn went 3 for 6 at the plate with 1 run and 2 RBI! That gives him 13 hits in his last 7 games!
Kipnis wasn't having his best night, but he did get a hit. The Kid went 1 for 5 and struck out twice before being replaced by Cord Phelps (who did nothing either.)
Asdrubal was back to being a force tonight after an early retirement from last night's game. He went 2 for 5 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. He's got a tiny hitting streak going with 5 hits in his last 3 games. I think I heard mention of his son being at the game tonight (I read it on the closed captioning. I still can't not listen to the radio when there's a game one!) which I swear is a huge boost to Asdrubal! If you recall he came out of his last slump when Meyer made an appearance. Kind of sweet, I say!
Michael Brantley actually cooled off tonight, getting only one hit in 5 at-bats. He did walk once and came around to score both times he was on. He's still hitting over .300!
Carlos Santana had quite a night - and he didn't hit the ball out of the infield! His first hit was a bunt down the third base line that totally stayed foul. I'm guessing nobody expected it...not just because it was Santana but because he was the first batter in the inning! The Red Sox liked the way the ball stopped dead in the grass, so they tried the same thing later (also successfully). Santana ended up going 1 for 2 on the night, and came around to score 3 runs - because he walked 4 times! I guess the last Indian to do so was Grady Sizemore, like in 2009 or so.
Mark Reynolds is back! He saw that big expanse of Fenway Park and just wanted to drop baseballs in there. After going just 2 for 34 in his last 9 games, tonight he went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and a run! AND they were all singles! It'd be pretty great if this were the end of Reynolds' slump. Right now, today. End it!
More Gomes today! Did you know he's hitting .311? Tonight he went 1 for 4 with a huge bases-loaded double to contribute to that 6-run 6th. That is the definition of clutch! [not technically the definition of clutch] He's got 7 RBI in his last 3 games!
Mike Aviles was in there contributing today. First off he's helping fill the Chisenhall-sized hole at third base and he's getting hits where Lonnie probably isn't. Aviles went 1 for 5 today, but also got a force-out RBI. The next time he was up he got a single, stole a base then came around to score.
Speaking of fast - remember when I was speaking of that? - Drew Stubbs is a fast mofo too! I've been to a few track meets in my time (the literal use of "few") and the way Stubbs ran during his triple (buried here around :40) is the way those kids run foot races for trophies. Dude had a great night tonight, breaking an 0-for-10 skid with 2 doubles and a triple! He got 3 RBI and came in to score a run. His average is back up to exceptional-for-Stubbs range at .255.
Super-fun game today and what a great one to see on TV! Looks like the next one on broadcast won't be until June 28. I'll just have to do some more imagining.
Won't it be cool if every game is like this? I hope every game is not rained out. I guess the weather report is bleak in Boston from here on out. I thought the Pilgrims came to America to avoid the tyranny of British weather?! Note this - the Red Sox used 5 relievers tonight, in the cold and in the rain!
Tomorrow is Masterson versus RHP 3.31. No problem, right? I so look forward to seeing Masterson pitch nowadays. Don't forget he's a former Red Sox too, just like Francona. And Francona I'm sure had a ball beating his former team tonight!
Ok, sweet Caroline - we'll see you there!
Radio Chatter:
"There are no sacred cows in this ballclub."
- Tom Hamilton on the ribbing of Michael Bourn
"I tell you what folks, if you're having trouble going to sleep buy a video of Dempster pitching. It will zonk you right out."
- Tom Hamilton
"There are no sacred cows in this ballclub."
- Tom Hamilton on the ribbing of Michael Bourn
"I tell you what folks, if you're having trouble going to sleep buy a video of Dempster pitching. It will zonk you right out."
- Tom Hamilton
"It's pretty safe to say that Yan Gomes is not going to see Columbus again
until the Indians go there on the press tour."
- Tom Hamilton
Monday, April 1, 2013
Do You Hear That?
I hear drums, boffins. John Adams' drums, the drums that precede the Indians game broadcasts on WTAM, or possibly just the beating of my heart as it pumps faster and faster in anticipation of The Big Event which will happen less than 24 hours from now.
I bet you hear it now too!
Short recap of the last 6 months: Choo left, and everyone said "Yeah ok." Hafner didn't get picked up and went to New York. Not too sad to see him go (I got to see his last game!) but it does sting a little that he'll be with the bad guys instead of just hanging up his cleats. Of course, I'm sure any baseball player is pretty pumped to put on the pinstripes so we'll give him that.
Terry Francona became our new manager and I was excited from the beginning about that one. Sandy Alomar Jr. was what everyone wanted with their hearts but you all KNOW that Tito is the choice from the brain. And we totally TOTALLY won by keeping Sandy on the team. How awesome is that?!
We kept Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera, which to ME is the most exciting part of the off-season. I accidentally made my way to the MLB Trade Rumors site one day before everything settled and I swear I gave myself nightmares. Crisis averted and I read in an article that Asdrubal hopes to stay in Cleveland indefinitely. Perhaps he is just full of puffery but my dreams have been all cotton candy and fresh-cut grass since then.
Signings from the fall and early winter were pretty "meh." Mike Aviles seemed like the best we could do. Trevor Bauer was kind of exciting but also sort of scary. Drew Stubbs filled the Choo hole but only really garnered "good enough?" excitement. But then out of nowhere - Nick Swisher! Michael Bourn! If anyone had any sort of feelings left for Choo, those feelings flew out the window when we realized our outfield was just one runner shy of an Olympic-speed relay team - Brantley, Bourn, Stubbs.
The infield this year isn't just the El Hoover at short and the Dirt Devil at second, but now we've got a legit firstie in Nick Swisher (O-H-I-O!) and according to Spring Training, Lonnie Chisenhall is going to be the guy to watch this year (other than Michael Brantley, but you knew that). He's looking tight at third and he's crazy at the plate. CRAZY. AT. THE. PLATE.
A word on Mike Aviles - I didn't really think about him much as an acquisition, but then I saw him speak at the Fan Fest and I'm sold. I'm now sold on the idea of a utility infielder to add a layer of protection to our awesome infield. Plus, Aviles seems to fit in seamlessly with Vinnie and Kipnis, personality-wise and any team can use more Vinnie-Kipnises. Plus, Aviles really shone during that World Baseball Classic thing.
Speaking of the WBC, Carlos Santana also had a good spring with his team, the Dominican Republic. He swatted 2 homers and walked NINE times to help lead his team to world domination. Aviles, by the way, batted .323 during the tournament. Carlos can always use improvement behind the plate (and a little more concentration AT the plate) but I'll guarantee you Sandy will not let this boy give up.
Dice-K and Jason Giambi also vied for a spot on our team this spring. Weird, right? Giambi made the 40-man roster but, well, is it bad that I laugh that he's on the DL with back pain?
I'm not going to talk about pitching because it's nowhere near as exciting as our hitting and defense. I'm hoping we'll be giving everyone tons and tons of run support as they work their way to greatness. Amen.
Real quick about Fan Fest: After me finally making it out to the mall last winter and coming up with a solid plan on how to beat the crowd and get some autographs, they totally switched it up on me and decided to throw the bash down in the basement of The Prog.
What I liked about this year's Fan Fest: Touring the facilities, most of all the locker room. After going through Wrigley Field it was super interesting to see the 90-year difference in facilities. It was neat just being in a different part of the ballpark than usual. I also liked that there was more stuff to do than at the mall. At the mall, you had to just stand in line while not being able to hear the guys on stage, and then eventually you got an autograph. At this one they had guys on stage the whole time, plus photos with players and autographs and all sorts of other junk to do.
There was a lot of stuff I didn't like about it. A lot. I didn't even come close to getting an autograph or a photo. I guess the first day they had so many people waiting in line that a ton of folks stood in line only to be turned away after an hour. The second day (when I was there) you had to sign up for a spot in line, which kept people from standing in line and THEN being disappointed. My disappointment was swift.
It also sucked that you had to pay for the event (kids are free tho) then had to pay to park. They did have discount ballpark food, but also by the second day the radio stations closed up their booths and stopped giving out free swag.
I did get a swell block-C magnet and some sort of t-shirt, so that was cool.
All in all I can't complain. The problem was there were too many people there and I can't complain that too many people PAID to come out and see some Tribe stuff in the middle of winter. That was awesome, I love that sort of fan support. LOVE IT! And I loved that I got to ask Vinnie some questions - Jim Rosenhaus let me ask two questions, one provided by him (he sort of set me up, as it was a stupid question about Kipnis living with Vinnie in Goodyear).
I also got to see Rosie's son, who was there as a fan. And he's a dorky, gawky pre-teen who is probably going to grow up to be some sort of baseball player-slash-model or something. But for now he is what you imagine Jim Rosenhaus's son to be, thick glasses and braces. AWESOME.
A few other random notes:
- A girl from Cleveland, Alex Justice, made it to the Fan Cave. I voted for her, she seems like a pretty awesome fan! Positive Tribe Approved! Here's her Twitter feed, you'll have to keep an eye on her this summer.
- I was Tweeting a bit with Rosie during the night games this spring. I kept making him laugh and he read my tweets on air. Gotta remember that for next spring! Fun times!
- Did you sign up for the Tribe Fan Club? I sign up every year to get my MLB Radio subscription paid for. There's more to it than that, and some day I'll delve into it. But - sign up!
- I mentioned on Twitter, to the Indians, that it was kind of skeevy weird to have the Indians.com site background feature (and ONLY show) Terry Francona and Nick Swisher. See below:
Ok, the Terminal Tower and the BP building are in there too. But no Kipnis, no Brantley, no Asdrubal, no Vinnie, no Perez. Just two new guys.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the new guys and we should all be excited that they're here - but I'm not too hip to hero worship (shut up Asdrubal is not my hero, he is just dang good). I don't like the idea of one guy saving us all. Tito will lead a whole team of talented players to a winning season, no doubt, and Nick Swisher will be their cheerleader and first baseman. But to leave everyone out like that is just...I dunno, it makes me quite upset.
You should mention it to the @Indians (or Indians) if you think it's weird too, and want to see some of your favorites up there. They do change that background a few times during the season.
Ok, now that we've had this chat, I am all ready to go! I've literally been "training" these last few weeks to make sure I can get out of work, get to the gym and get to my seat by 7 every night. It will be dicey but really what the heck else do I have to do with my life? The key to my success lies in getting a shower radio, I think. I'll let you know.
Tomorrow night, 7:05 in Toronto. See you there!
I bet you hear it now too!
Short recap of the last 6 months: Choo left, and everyone said "Yeah ok." Hafner didn't get picked up and went to New York. Not too sad to see him go (I got to see his last game!) but it does sting a little that he'll be with the bad guys instead of just hanging up his cleats. Of course, I'm sure any baseball player is pretty pumped to put on the pinstripes so we'll give him that.
Terry Francona became our new manager and I was excited from the beginning about that one. Sandy Alomar Jr. was what everyone wanted with their hearts but you all KNOW that Tito is the choice from the brain. And we totally TOTALLY won by keeping Sandy on the team. How awesome is that?!
We kept Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera, which to ME is the most exciting part of the off-season. I accidentally made my way to the MLB Trade Rumors site one day before everything settled and I swear I gave myself nightmares. Crisis averted and I read in an article that Asdrubal hopes to stay in Cleveland indefinitely. Perhaps he is just full of puffery but my dreams have been all cotton candy and fresh-cut grass since then.
Signings from the fall and early winter were pretty "meh." Mike Aviles seemed like the best we could do. Trevor Bauer was kind of exciting but also sort of scary. Drew Stubbs filled the Choo hole but only really garnered "good enough?" excitement. But then out of nowhere - Nick Swisher! Michael Bourn! If anyone had any sort of feelings left for Choo, those feelings flew out the window when we realized our outfield was just one runner shy of an Olympic-speed relay team - Brantley, Bourn, Stubbs.
The infield this year isn't just the El Hoover at short and the Dirt Devil at second, but now we've got a legit firstie in Nick Swisher (O-H-I-O!) and according to Spring Training, Lonnie Chisenhall is going to be the guy to watch this year (other than Michael Brantley, but you knew that). He's looking tight at third and he's crazy at the plate. CRAZY. AT. THE. PLATE.
A word on Mike Aviles - I didn't really think about him much as an acquisition, but then I saw him speak at the Fan Fest and I'm sold. I'm now sold on the idea of a utility infielder to add a layer of protection to our awesome infield. Plus, Aviles seems to fit in seamlessly with Vinnie and Kipnis, personality-wise and any team can use more Vinnie-Kipnises. Plus, Aviles really shone during that World Baseball Classic thing.
Speaking of the WBC, Carlos Santana also had a good spring with his team, the Dominican Republic. He swatted 2 homers and walked NINE times to help lead his team to world domination. Aviles, by the way, batted .323 during the tournament. Carlos can always use improvement behind the plate (and a little more concentration AT the plate) but I'll guarantee you Sandy will not let this boy give up.
Dice-K and Jason Giambi also vied for a spot on our team this spring. Weird, right? Giambi made the 40-man roster but, well, is it bad that I laugh that he's on the DL with back pain?
I'm not going to talk about pitching because it's nowhere near as exciting as our hitting and defense. I'm hoping we'll be giving everyone tons and tons of run support as they work their way to greatness. Amen.
Real quick about Fan Fest: After me finally making it out to the mall last winter and coming up with a solid plan on how to beat the crowd and get some autographs, they totally switched it up on me and decided to throw the bash down in the basement of The Prog.
What I liked about this year's Fan Fest: Touring the facilities, most of all the locker room. After going through Wrigley Field it was super interesting to see the 90-year difference in facilities. It was neat just being in a different part of the ballpark than usual. I also liked that there was more stuff to do than at the mall. At the mall, you had to just stand in line while not being able to hear the guys on stage, and then eventually you got an autograph. At this one they had guys on stage the whole time, plus photos with players and autographs and all sorts of other junk to do.
There was a lot of stuff I didn't like about it. A lot. I didn't even come close to getting an autograph or a photo. I guess the first day they had so many people waiting in line that a ton of folks stood in line only to be turned away after an hour. The second day (when I was there) you had to sign up for a spot in line, which kept people from standing in line and THEN being disappointed. My disappointment was swift.
It also sucked that you had to pay for the event (kids are free tho) then had to pay to park. They did have discount ballpark food, but also by the second day the radio stations closed up their booths and stopped giving out free swag.
I did get a swell block-C magnet and some sort of t-shirt, so that was cool.
All in all I can't complain. The problem was there were too many people there and I can't complain that too many people PAID to come out and see some Tribe stuff in the middle of winter. That was awesome, I love that sort of fan support. LOVE IT! And I loved that I got to ask Vinnie some questions - Jim Rosenhaus let me ask two questions, one provided by him (he sort of set me up, as it was a stupid question about Kipnis living with Vinnie in Goodyear).
I also got to see Rosie's son, who was there as a fan. And he's a dorky, gawky pre-teen who is probably going to grow up to be some sort of baseball player-slash-model or something. But for now he is what you imagine Jim Rosenhaus's son to be, thick glasses and braces. AWESOME.
A few other random notes:
- A girl from Cleveland, Alex Justice, made it to the Fan Cave. I voted for her, she seems like a pretty awesome fan! Positive Tribe Approved! Here's her Twitter feed, you'll have to keep an eye on her this summer.
- I was Tweeting a bit with Rosie during the night games this spring. I kept making him laugh and he read my tweets on air. Gotta remember that for next spring! Fun times!
- Did you sign up for the Tribe Fan Club? I sign up every year to get my MLB Radio subscription paid for. There's more to it than that, and some day I'll delve into it. But - sign up!
- I mentioned on Twitter, to the Indians, that it was kind of skeevy weird to have the Indians.com site background feature (and ONLY show) Terry Francona and Nick Swisher. See below:
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the new guys and we should all be excited that they're here - but I'm not too hip to hero worship (shut up Asdrubal is not my hero, he is just dang good). I don't like the idea of one guy saving us all. Tito will lead a whole team of talented players to a winning season, no doubt, and Nick Swisher will be their cheerleader and first baseman. But to leave everyone out like that is just...I dunno, it makes me quite upset.
You should mention it to the @Indians (or Indians) if you think it's weird too, and want to see some of your favorites up there. They do change that background a few times during the season.
Ok, now that we've had this chat, I am all ready to go! I've literally been "training" these last few weeks to make sure I can get out of work, get to the gym and get to my seat by 7 every night. It will be dicey but really what the heck else do I have to do with my life? The key to my success lies in getting a shower radio, I think. I'll let you know.
Tomorrow night, 7:05 in Toronto. See you there!
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