All-Aught Indians--#1 Starter--CC Sabathia (2001-2008)

CC Sabathia had a lot on his shoulders when he was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Indians in 1998.  The Tribe had been looking for an ace to go along with their vaunted offense for the better part of five seasons.  While Sabathia, a high school phenom, wouldn't be joining the Indians in 1998, the big lefty was certainly fast-tracked to the majors, should he match the potential that made him a first round selection.  By 2001, he was with the Indians, and by 2007, he was a Cy Young award winner.  No, Sabathia wasn't the answer to the great Indians run in the 90's and early 2000's, but he certainly was everything the Indians thought he would be, and more.  The All-Aught Indians Ace is CC Sabathia.

There likely aren't words in an article that can express what Sabathia meant to the Indians over the eight season that he put on the uniform with Cleveland across the front.  The Tribe had spent the best part of every offseason hunting for an ace in the years leading up to Sabathia's emergence.  Sure, there was Orel Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Jaret Wright, Charles Nagy, Jack McDowell, Chuck Finley and Bartolo Colon attempting to lead the Tribe staff.  While all would at one point or another, be considered the "ace" of the Indians starting rotation, none seemed to relish or run with the title.  Some either lacked the talent, the head or simply were too far past their prime to contribute the way the Indians were looking for.  Colon was close, but he always left the impression, while with the Indians, that he was a 1b, and that his best years would be with a starter in the #1 role.

If only CC Sabathia had come seven years sooner.

Sabathia entered the fray for the Tribe in 2001, the last year of their eight year run as one of the best teams in baseball.  The hefty lefty went 17-5, and while his statistics were certainly a product of good offensive production (his ERA was never south of 4.00 that season), the signs were all there for his future with this club.  His first big league season saw him go 180 innings, while striking out 171, and walking 98.  There certainly were control issues, but Sabathia was still learning how to pitch.  He was not only the youngest player on the Tribe's roster, but the 20-year-old was also the youngest player in all the majors.  Here was the Tribe's workhorse, their stopper, the ace that would finally line up the Tribe starters.  Of course, by the middle of 2002, the team was dismantled, and Sabathia was the light at the end of a long tunnel of rebuilding.

Sabathia started off the 2002 season looking like the ace many thought he would be.  After three starts, he was 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA.  Unfortunately, Sabathia's season, like the Tribe's as a whole, went south quickly.  By the end of April, Sabathia was 2-3 with a 6.82 ERA.  He would fight and claw for everything he could in May and June, and would see his ERA drop in eight of ten starts.  At the end of June, he had lowered his ERA to a respectable 4.70, to go along with a 6-6 record.  His last June start, on the 28th, was a big one for me with regards to Sabathia, as it was the day that Colon was traded.  Sabathia was officially the ace of the staff.  How did he respond?  He went 7 2/3 innings of one run ball, getting his sixth win.  In his next six starts, he would struggle.  His ERA would rise in every game pitched, and after his August 1st start, he was back up to 5.49, with a 6-9 record.  Then, for the first time, Sabathia became the pitcher the Tribe brass thought they had drafted.  Sabathia would go 7-2 for the rest of the season, with a 2.54 ERA.  His overall ERA would drop over a point during that time period, ending the season with a 13-11 record.  For the first time in his career, he'd pitch over 200 innings, with 210.

2003 was Sabathia's tough-luck season, even with an all-star season.  He started off the year without a win in April, going 0-2.  The catch-22 of that scenario was that there really wasn't a bad start in the bunch, as he walked out of the month with a 3.79 ERA.  This would become the mantra of Sabathia's 2003 campaign, as he would receive the fifth worst offensive support in all of baseball.  Sabathia would win four of five starts that May, and lower his ERA to 2.92, far and away his best month of the season, going 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA.  He would end the season with a 13-9 record, and a 3.60 ERA.  He led the team in wins for a third straight year, and was clearly the best pitcher on the team, and getting better.  Remember, he was still only 23-years-old.

I suppose 2004 was an off-year for Sabathia.  He made only three starts in April because of an injury.  Still, he was 1-0 with a 1.71 ERA.  He would have a topsy-turvy May, but his ERA would remain below 3.00.  His best month was June, going 3-0, and maintaining his sub 3 ERA.  He would be selected to his second all-star game, but would really scuffle for the rest of the season.  He ended the year with an 11-10 record, and a 4.12 ERA.  With the emergence of Cliff Lee, there was talk that Sabathia may not be the best pitcher on the staff.  Still, there were stretches where he looked like the best in baseball.  At 24, he was still learning how to become an ace.  Take into account that his final record reflected 6-blown-wins.  He left six games with a win in hand, only to have an atrocious bullpen blow the lead.

In 2005, Sabathia appeared to have to separate seasons.  The first half of the year saw the lefty continue to scuffle, as his ERA steadily rose .92 at the end of April (with a 2-0 record), to 5.27 at the beginning of August, and a 6-9 record.  Sabathia would then explode in August and September, winning seven straight starts, and 9 of 11.  he would only have one no decision, and his ERA would again shrink over a run in less than two months.  He would end the season at 15-10, with a 4.03 ERA.  While Sabathia was still waiting to put together an entire season of quality, he was continuing to showcase months of dominance at a time.  In six September starts, Sabathia went 4-1 with a 1.45 ERA.

Sabathia would start on opening day of 2006, but after only three innings, was pulled with an injured oblique.  he'd be placed on the dl, and wouldn't make another start until May.  While Sabathia's final record for the season would end up 12-11, in many ways, this was Sabathia's best season up to this point.  In May, Sabathia was his dominant self, going 5-1 in six starts, with a ridiculous 1.20 ERA.  He was named pitcher of the month for May.  In August and September, Sabathia really showcased what has made him a special pitcher.  He made 11 starts during the stretch run, and only one game saw him pitch less than seven innings, a 5 2/3 of an inning outing.  During those games, his ERA would never rise above 3.43, or drop below 3.22.  He was locked and loaded...the stopper that he was meant to be.  When Sabathia was on the mound, you knew what you were going to get.  He now knew how to pitch, and was making every start a quality effort.  He could overpower you, outpitch you, or simply where you down.  2007 was a foregone conclusion.

Sabathia's entire 2007 season was a mirror of August and September of 2006.  His low ERA would come on April 15th, when it was 2.14.  His highest was on May 11th, when it was 4.02.  From that point on, it would never rise above 3.81, or below 3.09.  He would win 19 games that year, and lead the league in innings pitched with 241.  He would eclipse 200 strikouts for the first time, with 209 for the season.  From April 20th through July 5th, Sabathia never allowed more than one walk in a game.  The most walks he had in a game all season was three, in two separate starts.  He would end the season with a 19-7 record, and a 3.21 ERA.  His 209 K's looked good up against his paltry 37 walks.  Sabathia would win the Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in baseball.  While he struggled in the playoffs, Sabathia was clearly the key to the Indians making a World Series run.  He was entering a contract year.  It would be a make or break year for the Tribe and Sabathia.

Like his rookie season, a lot was riding on Sabathia at the start of the 2008 season.  He didn't wear it well.  For the first time in his career, there was no doubt outside talk was getting to him.  Many were berating him for his weak performance for the Indians in the post-season.  There was also a bunch of discussion regard whether or not Sabathia would be dealt.  There was also the matter of nearly 250 innings pitched.  Sabathia crawled out of the gates, going 1-4 in April, with a 7.88 ERA.  It was that bad.  In May, Sabathia would right the ship considerably, dropping his ERA over three points, and another point in June.  In the two months, Sabathia would only make two starts under seven innings (6 and 6 1/3 innings), and would go 5-4 during that stretch.  His record was mostly due to the Tribe's lack of punch, more than anything.  Entering July, the writing was on the wall.  The Indians weren't producing, and Sabathia wasn't signing.  It was time to make a deal.  At the time, Sabathia was only 6-8 overall, but was leading the league in K's and K's per 9.  He already had three complete games.  His last start as an Indian came on July 2, 2008.  Sabathia would get a no decision, but typical of his starts, he'd go eight innings, striking out five, and walking only two.  On July 7th, Sabathia was traded to the Brewers.  How good was Sabathia in 2008 with the Indians, and ultimately the Brewers?  Over his last 31 starts, Sabathia would go 17-7 with a 1.88 ERA.

In eight years with the Indians, Sabathia went 106-71 with a 3.83 ERA.  He'd strike out 1,265 batters, while walking nearly 500.  He'd make three all-star appearances, and win one Cy Young award.  Sabathia was also allowed to leave the Indians without having to choose another team, as many had before him.  In a very classy move, Sabathia took out a full page ad, thanking the city of Cleveland for his eight fantastic seasons.

Sabathia has since signed a mammoth deal with the New York Yankees, now has a World Series ring (but not a victory), and has moved on to "bigger and better" things.  But, for eight seasons, Sabathia's vast talent resided on the North Coast, and the team was always the better, for it.

Walking through the playoffs with ex-Indians

The playoffs are here, and if you are a long-time Indians' fan, you know this is the time that most Tribe followers painfully walk the tightrope of rooting for and against former Indians' players. The fine line of how to support former members of the Indians' organization is always tempered by the fact that by leaving the reservation, this group was able to make it to the promised land.

There are varying degrees in this year's crop of ex-Indians participating in the 2009 playoffs. This list includes Angels utility-ace Maicer Izturis, who was dealt to the Expos while toiling in the Cleveland farm system. There are, of course, two former Cy Young winners, Cliff Lee (Phillies) and CC Sabathia (Yankees), who both were the game one starters for their respective teams. There are even a couple of players who were part of the Indians 1990's renaissance, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome, both of the Dodgers.

This diverse lot of players all left the Indians for many different reasons. There are those that left because they wanted more money (see Thome and Ramirez), those that left because they were shadows of their former selves (see Rafael Betancourt, Rockies), and those that left so they could fetch cheaper, inexpensive prospects (Lee, Sabathia, Martinez, Betancourt, Mark DeRosa of the Cardinals and the Dodgers Casey Blake). There are those that just didn't serve a purpose anymore (Carl Pavano of the Twins, Ben Francisco and Chad Durbin of the Phillies, Ronnie Belliard of the Dodgers, Matt Herges of the Rockes and Paul Byrd of the Red Sox). Regardless of the reasons, these players have managed a feat that has become too few and far between for the Tribe faithful: a chance at a World Series.

Nothing more clearly defines this pain than CC Sabathia's performance for the hated Yankees during game one of the ALDS.  He went 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) and eight hits.  No, they aren't Cy Young numbers, but they certainly would have been enough to give the Indians a chance at a World Series in 2007.  You couldn't help but listen to Sabathia's words in the post-game press conference and think back to the '07 implosion.

"We know what we need to do, we know that these are big games, they're always big games in the playoffs, and it just feels good to start it off the right way."

His winning in New York, for whatever reason, seemed to add salt to the already painful playoff wounds here in Cleveland. Sabathia, a Tribe product, who won the Cy Young in 2007, then imploded for the Indians in the playoffs, finds a way to win for the Evil Empire.

Charlie Manuel, in his folky fashion, seemed to apply a few more kicks when discussing his decision to start 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee in game 1.

"I've been around the game quite a while.  I'm sure (Lee) pitched some big games somewhere along the line. And, if he hasn't, he damn sure has earned the right to pitch one."

Sure, Manuel is a rube, but the dig in that statement is clear, on purpose or not.  Lee acknowledged his lack of big game pitching earlier in the presser for the announcement.

"Last time in '07 with the Indians, I had to be a backup and sit there and watch other guys play," Lee said. "It was fun to be a part of, but also bittersweet in the fact that I didn't get to participate and try to help the team win."

Granted, Lee didn't deserve to play in that series, but that doesn't take away the point that he went from a non-factor in a series that saw the Indians need pitching in the ALCS, to a game one starter for another club two years later.

For some reason, I find myself gravitating to the Dodgers. Perhaps it's Joe Torre, who was essentially banished from the Yankees, trying to show his former club he can win somewhere else. Most likely, it's just sheer Indians' numbers. The Dodgers have four former Indians' players on their roster, and they aren't the Yankees. It's likely that combination of a manager going up against the Evil Empire, and doing it with an unlikely mix of old and not-so-old former Indians as part of his troops. Maybe there's a small part of me that would like to see Jim Thome win a World Series before he retires, even if he did seemingly stab the city of Cleveland in the back.

Who knows...

I may just as likely turn on the Dodgers and apply the Curse of Thome dance. Ahhh, the life of and Indians' fan.

Jake Westbrook: 2010 opening day starter, or another year-long DL stint?

How bad are the Indians going to be in 2010? Mark Shapiro is already lining up Jake Westbrook to be the opening day starter in 2010. No offense to you Jake Westbrook, but...what?!?

Jake Westbrook isn't a bad starter. As a matter of fact, he's far from it. You could make a case that during his tenure as a healthy Indians' starter, he's been the most consistent pitcher not named Sabathia to wear the Indians' jersey since the days of Chuck Nagy. Westbrook pitched just over 900 innings from 2003 and 2007, making 143 starts during that span. His ERA was slightly over 4.00, and he went 57-53 during that span. There's no doubt that Westbrook had become a prototypical #3 or #4 starter. He was an innings-eater who could win games when needed.

Now, after over a year off, Shapiro is proclaiming Westbrook to be the opening day starter in 2010. Okay, I get that Westbrook is a pitbull onthe mound, has tenure, and has been unhittable in spring training over the past couple of years when healthy. But do you really want to throw that comment out there with Westbrook not nearly recovered from Tommy John surgery? I'm sure Justin Masterson and Fausto Carmona are just thrilled with the news.

In fairness to Mr. Mark Shapiro, he did say "if he's healthy" after making the initial comment. In equal fairness, he also made the comment before Westbrook was pulled from his latest start with double A Akron last night. I'll get to that in a minute.

In case you were wondering, Jake Westbrook hasn't made a start since May 28th, 2008. In case you were wondering more, he hasn't made back-to-back starts since April 14th and April 19th, 2008. Either Westbrook is a future Cy Young award winner for Shapiro to proclaim him the opening day guy in 2010, or the Indians' pitching is going to be utter garbage. Call this the irony of waiting so many years for solid pitching, only two trade off two Cy Young award winners in back-to-back years.

Enter Westbrook, who missed most of 2008 and all of 2009 so far because of Tommy John surgery. As mentioned before, Westbrook was pulled from his start on Sunday because of a sore elbow. It's not known whether or not the soreness is the regular process of recovering from Tommy John surgery, or something much more dramatic, such as the need for another surgery. Either way, it puts a rather large cloud over whether or not he can start on opening day, oh, say seven months from now.

The hope here is that this soreness for Westbrook is a normal elbow issue and that he finishes out the season with a flourish. Let's hope he follows it with a spring like a couple of years ago, and earns that opening day starter's job.

Leave the game-day decisions to the manager Mr. Shapiro, and keep your idiotic comments to yourself. Oh, wait, Wedge is still the running this team? 

Nevermind.

The Sunday Drive with the trading of Cliff Lee, the return of Jake Westbrook and the Cavs

Just in case you live under a rock, 'Trade Cliff Lee' rumors have begun circulating once again, thanks to an article by CBSsports.com.  This isn't anything new in the Indians community, since we have been talking about this very thing for the better part of the past two seasons.  Now, the perfect storm is in the air.

1. The Indians are 6-12 so far this year, in a division that many had predicted them to win.  They may still, but you know what a record like 6-12 can do to a franchise frantic to win.  You either start shaking things up, or start shutting things down.


2. Cliff Lee is struggling, leading many to say that he's far from a #1 starter.  He certainly will command #1 starter money when he becomes a free agent.  That's not until the end of next season, by the way.  That said, the "TCL" crew is saying that management doesn't want him at a hefty price, so sayanara.


3.  There isn't much to talk about with this team, because they have seemed to disappear.  Not only are they losing, but they are horrifically boring to watch.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm okay with boring...when you're winning.

Just to lay this to rest, the Indians aren't getting set to trade Lee.  Now, if a team threw a package of players similar to the CC Sabathia deal at the Indians, then the rumor becomes reality.

Why dealing Cliff Lee has been on my mind for two years,
Would I deal Lee if I were Mark Shapiro?  Yeah, it's true
that I've been a supporter of dealing the lefty for the past two
seasons, including during and after his Cy Young award year.  That
said, dealing him now would be a major PR mistake for the Indians, if
the rumors proved to be true.  The Indians starters are absolutely
horrid thus far.  Fausto Carmona barely resembles his 2007-self, and
seems to fight with every pitch.  Anthony Reyes scares the hell out of
me.  I keep picturing Dave Dravecky, or that House episode that had the
pitcher who's arm literally flew off during a pitch.  I'm a fan of
Reyes, but it's a bit like a train wreck.  Carl Pavano is a waste of
money, even if he made the league minimum.  He may have a moment or two
where you think it's all going to be fine, then you open your eyes, and
realize he hasn't been good since the Red Sox were still fighting the
curse, and that year was really his only good year.  Aaron Laffey is
the lone bright spot, but I've never been on the Laffey bandwagon. 
That he's the only current starter that has my attention says a lot
about this rotation.



So dealing Lee leaves the Indians with what for starters?  Is Laffey
then the #1?  Is Fausto Carmona moved to #1?  Is that the smart move
with him hovering on either breaking down, or breaking away?  Would the
Indians get a #1 for Lee?  Why would a team do that, if they need a
starter?  In other words, dealing Lee right now is vastly different
than dealing Sabathia.



First off, there isn't a Lee behind Lee, as their was behind Sabathia. 
Second off, Lee is scheduled to make only $9 million next season.  It
would make more sense to ride it out a bit longer.  Of course, the only
negative is that Lee won't have the season he had last year, and will
certainly command less on the market next year, than this year.



Still, that's not a reason to give up on the season yet.



So, no, I wouldn't deal him, and I actually thought I was going to say yes when I pondered this post.



I'm actually beginning to think that Jake Westbrook is the cog that may make or break the Indians season.  According to Terry Pluto, Westbrook is planning on throwing his first simulated game on May 12th.  If all goes well, he'll follow that up with three or four minor league starts.

If Westbrook does come back, and can somehow manage to be even a close facsimile of the guy that we saw at the beginning of last season, then the starters could right themselves.  Lee would remain the #1, Westbrook would be the #2, Carmona would be #3, Laffey would be #4, and either Reyes or Huff would be #5.  Personally, I could care a less about the #'s, but am okay with five of those six guys.  The only problem is that this rotation really reminds me of the Orel Hershiser, Dennis Martinez, Charles Nagy-led rotations of the 90's, that had a bunch of solid, middle-of-the-order guys, but no take charge guy.  I hate things that are cyclical.

I'm still not ready to give Westbrook the green light in June though (as though I had a say in it).  In all seriousness, how many pitchers rush back from something like Tommy John, and blew out their arms, or had major setbacks.  Why come back in June, if you can be even more healthy in July.  We also all know that getting your velocity back after the TJ surgery can take nearly two years.  We'll see, but it does always worry me when I hear that a pitcher is ahead of schedule with this surgery.

Props have to go out to the Cleveland Cavaliers.  I've heard some grumbling about how the Cavs haven't slammed the Pistons in games #2 and #3.  Trust me, they have.  This team is pretty special.  Will they win the title?  That's up to the basketball gods, not me.  I do like the attitude the team brings behind LeBron.  They are going to be tough to beat.  Make sure you check out Amar and his crew over at Cavalier Attitude for playoff coverage.  Back in the day, I used to write over there, and they really do a tremendous job covering the best team in the NBA.

95,722 showed up for tOSU's spring game today, breaking Nick Saban's record last season in his first springer for Alabama.  Terrelle Pryor threw two 40+ TD passes in the game.  Football...already? 

This weeks SoG award for Tribe blog of the week goes out to Tony Lastoria and his crew over at Indians Prospect Insider.  For those that aren't familiar with Tony's past work, I began following his work at The Cleveland Fan, writing a weekly column entitled 'Minor League Happenings."  He then took his work a step further by opening up a blog based soley on the Indians' Minor League system.  What I thought might be a site updated a couple of times a week, it turned out to be updated daily, an more often than not, multiple times.

TL's work isn't heresay either.  Nearly every post is 'from the source,' and nine times out of ten, dead on.  This isn't a site that begs, borrows and steals from other websites.  Tony is outsourcing the writing as well, and has acquired a solid staff of writers that continue to provide multiple daily postings.

Tony also puts out a yearly Top 100 Prospects book that you can purchase, and posts updating scouting reports on nearly every Tribe prospect worth a hill of beans.  It's not only the cream of the crop as far as minor league sites go for the Indians, but is likely one of the best, IF NOT THE best minor league site in the entire league.  Check it out for yourself, if you haven't already.

Have a fantastic final week of April, and don't forget to check the rearviewmirror for the Indians offense.  It's way back there with their defense...somewhere.

Oh, and is it me, or do you feel like trading down. 

Tribe Mosh Pit--May 6, 2007

Every week that Trot Nixon makes me look bad, I'm going to thank him for it. Trot went 5 for 5 today, and had so many BIG hits that there's no use even mentioning them. Let's just say that the Indians won because of Trot's bad, and Grady's glove, and leave it at that. He's another Indian with an OBP over .400. He's a clubhouse guy. You see how patient the Indians are at the plate this season, and can't deny that Nixon's presence doesn't have something to do with it.

Whenever you turn on the radio or television to watch the Tribe, thank your lucky stars for Tom Hamilton, Mike Hegan, Matt Underwood, Rick Manning, and Jim Donovan. I spent the weekend watching the Orioles telecasts with their TV crew, Gary Thorne and Rick Dempsey. Most of you probably know Gary Thorne from ESPN (he's the announcer who declared that Schilling faked the bloody sock during the World Series). Most of you probably know Rick Dempsey from his many years as a catcher for the Orioles, Dodgers, Yankees, and even a season with the Tribe. Now, let me preface this by saying I have no issues with biased announcing when you are an announcer for your local team, that's partially your job. What I have no patience for is blatant idiocy. Thorne has moments of sounding like he knows what he's doing. Then a ball gets put in play, and it all goes down the toilet. There isn't a fly ball hit by the Orioles that wasn't kept in the park by the wind, or a ground ball single for the opponent that wasn't a seeing eye single, or took a lucky hop. But that was tame compared to Dempsey, who was just blatantly horrible. Here's a list of Dempsey's transgressions: How about having no clue who was who for the Tribe. Tony Mastny, Don Dellucci, Kevin Shoppar, and Ryan Gark all made their debuts this weekend, but my all-time favorite player was Vinnie Martinez. HEY VINNIE! Dempsey also seemed to be a bit fixated with Trot Nixon. Whenever Trotter would come up to bat, Dempsey would say, "I just can't get used to him wearing that uniform," as though Trot was the Cal Ripken of the Red Sox. There was the prediction Dempsey made for Jay Gibbons. He had a feeling that Gibbons was going to hit a double off the wall. Gibbons, mired in a huge slump, popped out to short. I could go on and on, but you get the point. We are lucky to have a solid announce crew here in Cleveland. Of course, my five and two year old could out announce the Orioles team.

Don't be surprised if Grady Sizemore got crossed off of Corey Patterson's Christmas list. If you didn't see the game, you missed one of the reasons why Peter Gammons thinks Sizemore is going to win the MVP this year. The first catch came in the 6th inning, with the bases loaded. He had a good jump, and was laid completely out when he made the catch. It saved at least three runs, and would have closed the score to 8-6. In the 8th inning, Sizemore went after a fly in nearly the same place. This time, Sizemore slid UNDER Trot Nixon, who was coming over from right to make the catch, and made another fantastic catch. Who hit it? That's right, Corey Patterson. We all know about Sizemore's stick, but I dare you to find me a better center fielder.

You have all read here that the Yankees contacted Cleveland about Paul Byrd. You can officially put that to bed when the Yankees announced today that Roger Clemens was coming back with the Yankees. Please feel free to join me in hating the Yankees just a little bit more.

CC Sabathia is a #1 pitcher, there is no doubt about that, but I still have questions. They showed a stat today that was eye opening. It was pitcher under the age of 27 with the most wins. Sabathia was first with 86 wins. Carlos Zambrano is second with 67 wins. That's 20 more wins than Zambrano. Zambrano debuted in August of 2001, while CC debuted in April of the same month. That says a lot about CC. Still, he has shown flashes of struggle in his last three starts. He's won them all, which says a lot. It's been a long time since the Indians have had that starter/stopper, and todays CC-stop opened up my eyes at least. I'm also liking the way that the Indians are playing behind him. I ask you all this. If Zambrano's stats aren't as good as CC's, how much will CC end up making? Raise your hand if you think Sabathia will be playing in Boston or NYC in two years. Yeah, me too.

Cleveland's pen still obviously needs some work. I'm hoping Cleveland can find a team to deal someone like Paul Byrd too to perhaps get that lockdown setup guy, or even another pitcher with closer potential. The two guys that are on my radar right now are Akinori Otsuka from Texas and Jonathan Broxton from the Dodgers. Both can close, and both have been lights out. The problem with Texas is that Gagne gets hurt every other day (thank you Texas, for taking that off our radar), and they won't deal Otsuka without Gagne healthy. The problem with LA is that Broxton is their closer of the future. Still, if either is in contention, and in need of a starter, Cleveland has the weapons to deal. My question? Would either team take Byrd?

Fausto Carmona is back. I ask you all this. If Carmona continues to pitch well with Westbrook out, what happens when Westbrook is ready to come off the dl? Do you send Carmona back with 5+ good starts in a row? Not likely. Do you send down Sowers, or Byrd? Do you make a move this early? I don't know what they'll do, but I'm content with the problem. As I've said before, it's good Shapiro learned from the Hart regime, that you need a staff to go with the hitting.

Cleveland can't win this series, but against a team like Baltimore, they should at least get a split. You don't want to start a long road trip going 1-3 against a team you should beat.

The Next Seven Days:

Monday: At Baltimore 12:35 ET-Fausto Carmona vs. Steve Trachsel


Tuesday: At LA of Anaheim 10:05 ET-Cliff Lee vs. Ervin Santana


Wednesday: At LA of Anaheim 10:05 ET-Paul Byrd vs. Jered Weaver


Thursday: At LA of Anaheim 3:35 ET-Jeremy Sowers vs. Kelvim Escobar


Friday: At Oakland-CC Sabathia vs. TBA


Saturday: At Oakland-Fausto Carmona vs. TBA


Sunday: At Oakland-Cliff Lee vs. TBA

It's a BEAUTIFUL WEEK FOR BASEBALL!

A Message to the AL: The Tribe is for Real, AND Improving

We all know the numbers by now:



• A six game winning streak



• A 13-7 record, first in the AL Central



• A series victory in all but the Yankee series



• A 4-2 record against division rival Chicago



• A 2-0 record against division rival Minnesota



I know, I know, it's early, but it is incredibly tantalizing to compare this season to the past few. After 20 games the past three years, Cleveland was already scuffling. April has historically been a difficult month for this version of the Indians. Under Wedge, Cleveland came into the season 38-59 in April. That history makes this 13-7 start something to keep an eye on. An April with a winning record puts them ahead of their past bell curve.



Still, it’s early, and I don’t have to tell ANY Indian fan that it’s a long season.



How REAL is this team?



Offensively, it's safe to say that Cleveland hasn’t come close to tapping their offensive potential. Cleveland is tied for ninth in the AL in batting with an unspectacular .247 (all stats are BEFORE tonight’s victory). Only two Tribe regulars were batting over .300, and it took a 16 for 26 run by Travis Hafner to get him included in the .300 plus range. The majority of the Indians' runs have come from the home run ball. Look, home runs are important, but depending on the big inning isn’t something you want to hang your hat on. With that being said, the offense is still finding ways to win games, and doing all the necessary things TO get the job done. Average is overrated when you are finding ways to get on base.



Cleveland’s offense has a solid .350 OBP to go along with an enigmatic offense that strikes out a lot, but walks more. Tonight, Cleveland was out-hit 8-7, but managed to take 8 walks. If you put 15 men on base, your chances of winning are pretty good. This is a good sign that we are going to see a giant offensive improvement as the season progresses, and the weather warms up the Tribe bats. Cleveland batted .280 last season, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize they are going to end up around there again this season.



I also can’t express enough how BIG 2-out runs are. The Tribe of the 90’s made a living out of huge 2-out hits. This team seems to have the same sort of drama-inducing sense. Last night, both Josh Barfield and Grady Sizemore’s daggers came with 2-outs. Cleveland does struggle a bit with runners in scoring position at .237, but this will no doubt improve. It has too…or the ball’s going to start to bounce the other way.



Josh Barfield isn’t going to end up hitting .130.



Grady Sizemore isn’t going to end up hitting .270.



Vmart isn’t going to end up hitting .280.



We don’t know WHAT Peralta is going to do, but he WON’T hit .230 this year. He’s hitting the ball hard…and IS a different player this year.



Shin-Soo Choo and Ryan Garko have all found a way into the lineup, and have added a needed spark. Choo probably won’t be around for long, but it’s hard to argue with what he’s been doing. Having interchangeable parts as the year progresses is an added bonus. Especially with injury-prone Trot Nixon (what a start).



Point? This team hasn’t come close to reaching its offensive stride. Sooner or later, this is a team that will score runs in multiple innings to go along with the big inning. Once that happens, there are some AL teams that aren’t going to be all that happy. Realize this. Cleveland is FINDING ways to win. Something tells me we aren’t all that far away from not having to look that hard.



The starting pitching is just warming up. C.C. Sabathia is doing what we expect. He’s a #1 starter. He’s a stopper. In five starts this year, C.C. has given up 3 runs or less in all but one start. He has 35 K’s in 34 innings pitched. More impressively is that he’s only walked 8, and topped out with 3 against Chicago. The key for C.C. is to stay healthy. If he does, this could be a ‘break-the-bank’ year for Sabathia.



Jake Westbrook signed a new multi-year deal (3 years, 33 million). I needed to mention that, because Westbrook has been the complete opposite of Sabathia this year. His ERA stands at 7.96. It came down over a run last night thanks to a low strike zone from the umpire. He hasn’t looked good. Westbrook is to good a pitcher not to turn around. Watch for Jake to turn it around as the weather warms up, and his new contract settles in.



Sowers has been a solid #3 starter for this team. In three of four starts, he’s given up 3 or less runs, and has really done the job expected of him. He doesn’t walk many (we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for his five walk performance against Chicago), he hasn’t given up the long ball, and aside from getting blown up in the Bronx, has been the 2nd best starter on the staff. There’s no reason to think that Sowers WON’T continue this throughout the seasons. Expect consistency, an occasional blowup, but more good than bad. Isn’t that the definition of a #3 starter?



Byrd has been a mild surprise so far. He goes 6 innings. He avoids HUGE innings. This year, he wins games. Many are calling for Byrd to be dealt once Cliff Lee comes back, and I can’t deny that might not be the smart way to go. I do feel that Byrd is underrated, and as a #4 is extremely effective. Of course, once Lee comes back, if you’d ask me who I’d rather have in the rotation, Byrd or Fausto Carmona, I’d pick Carmona every time. That puts Adam Miller as the first guy called up from Buffalo. I like the sound of that.



Speaking of Fausto, how about this kid? After getting lit up in his first start, he has been highly effective, and improving in every start. Psst…he outdueled Johan Santana. You are looking at a #2 or #3 starter in the making, and I’m happy with the Tribe brass finally just putting him in the rotation. He’ll probably be in Buffalo soon, but I suspect not for long.



Cliff Lee is the kind of pitcher you always expect more of. I remember seeing him dominate in Akron, and you have to think that he can do that in the Majors. The question becomes when. He should be back in the rotation next week, and let’s hope that we get the top end starter he should be. He’s looked good in his rehab starts.



Overall, this rotation has been relatively consistent (Byrd, Carmona and Sowers), sometimes spectacular (CC), and head-scratching (Westbrook). But with Adam Miller rolling in Buffalo, and Cliff Lee joining the club this week, this staff is as good as it has been in the last several years…with plenty of room to improve. Look for a move (Byrd or…surprise, surprise, Westbrook).



The Relief Pitching has been pretty darn good. I know, I saw Fultz and Hernandez do their impression of the local pinball machine last night. But, I also so Rafael Betancourt slam the door shut on the Orioles…followed by Joe Borowski striking out the side in the ninth.



Fernando Cabrera has been electric. His ERA stands at 0, while compiling a 1-0 record, with fifteen K’s in 10 innings pitched. There are already calls to move him to the closer roll. I just want to remind you all what moving around a bullpen can do. Leave him be. We need shut down setup guys.



Jason Davis and Betancourt are proving the Tribe brass right. Many felt that both would “grow up” this year. Davis has been pretty lights out (although walking a bunch), and Betancourt has been as well. These two, with Cabrera, have given the Tribe a solid trio to use in the 7th and 8th innings.



The new signings, Aaron Fultz, Roberto Hernandez and Joe Borowski have had their ups and downs. Fultz, overall, has been very good. The last two games, he’s failed to retire a batter, however, with 2 walks and a run-scoring hit. Hernandez has, for the most part, gotten the job done. Still, he’s not lock down any more. Like last night, he can give up a string of hits. Borowski has nine saves, to go along with his 9.00 ERA. He’s given up a run in 4 of his 10 appearances. Still, he’s only blown one save so far, and aside from getting BLOWN UP against the Yankees, hasn’t been anything we didn’t expect. As advertised, this guy is a lot like Bob Wickman. Take a look at Wickman’s stats this year. No, he’s not blown up like Borowski did against New York, but you’ll notice some striking similarities.



You add to that Mike Miller, who’s on the DL, Tom Mastny, and a slew of kids in Buffalo who have been lights out. Certainly, this is a vast improvement.



The Indians fielding hasn’t been close to up to par, but better than it looks from the outside looking in. Barfield and Marte have 4 errors apiece, and Peralta has 3. The Tribe as a team have 18 errors, third worst in the AL. With that being said, anyone who saw the game last night, and the play that Barfield made, shows you what kind of defensive player Barfield is. He covers a country-mile, and makes fantastic plays look easy. He’ll get errors on plays many can’t even get too. Marte looks flat out overwhelmed. Truth be told, he’s starting to scare me a whole lot. Thank god we got Kelly Shoppach in that deal. Peralta IS playing better in the field. His three errors are actually in the top third of the AL, and he and Barfield are playing well together. Again, the defense has struggled, but overall, still is improved. Marte will need to be watched.



Overall, you have to grade the Tribe start as an A-. I’d throw them an A+, but this team still isn’t grooving yet. That’s the exciting piece to this start. Anyone who’s seen this team play over the past few years, knows that there is another gear we haven’t seen yet. Still…



I’m pretty happy with the gear we are in now.



Tonight…Sowers against Bedard. Let’s pull for 7.