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Playing Pepper 2010: Cleveland Indians

Last year before the season began, I posed five questions to a blogger for each team, so as to get to know the rest of baseball.  I focus so heavily on the Cardinals that sometimes the rest of MLB can pass me by.  That went very well, so much so that it spawned not only a postseason edition but was part of the impetus for the formation of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance.

So this year, I've brought Playing Pepper back, with a little bit of a twist.  Instead of five questions, I posed 10 questions, and this year every team got the same set.  Plus, tapping into those BBA connections, I sent them to every blogger representing that team in the BBA.

We'll try to do two a day in a general alphabetical order, but things may change depending on responses.

Cleveland Indians
2009 Finish: 65-97, tied for fourth in the AL Central   Continue Reading

Wrapping Up The Road Trip

OK, where were we?  Ah, yes, catchup time.  Let's just hit the highlights, since you all know what's happened.

Thursday at Florida (6-5 win)
Hero: Ryan Franklin.  Rick Ankiel was close with three hits and three runs, but having Franklin go almost two innings and lock down a come-from-behind game was huge.

Goat: Todd Wellemeyer.  Two home runs to Ross Gload?  Really?  Close second was Brendan Ryan, with his 0-5 in the leadoff slot.

Notes: I'm glad to know that Colby Rasmus actually had a physical reason for not starting this game, but I'm also glad that it wasn't enough to keep him out of the game entirely.  Nice bit of pinch-hitting for the rookie.

Friday at Cleveland (7-3 loss)
Hero: Albert Pujols.  Two hits, including a home run.

Goat: Dennys Reyes.  It's hard to pick a bullpenner to take the tag, but Reyes had a hit, a walk, and a run in zero innings pitched.  Jason Motte and Kyle McClellan did their best to put the game out of reach as well.

Notes: Mark DeRosa really wanted to showcase himself in this series, it seems like, and it started early....you know the game is changing when you have two steals, from Pujols and Ryan Ludwick.

Saturday at Cleveland (3-1 win)
Hero: Albert Pujols.  Two homers will do that.  Brad Thompson had a strong outing as well, which always is good (and, in my mind, surprising) to see.

Goat: Rick Ankiel.  Not the day to go 0-4 in front of Pujols.

Notes: What's up with Yadier Molina?  His fourth steal of the year.

Sunday at Cleveland (3-0 loss)
Hero: Yadier Molina.  Kept the Cards from being no-hit.

Goat: Nick Stavinoha.  Lots of people went zero for Sunday, but Nick left four on base while he was doing it.  Ankiel didn't do much either, striking out three times.

Notes: What can you really say about an almost no-hitter?

So now what?  The Cardinals sit a game out of first place and could have been tied for the top slot had the Cleveland bullpen been able to, I don't know, get someone out last night against Milwaukee.  That said, there are few in Cardinal Nation that feel extremely strongly that this is a playoff team.

I mean, DeRosa would be nice, but would that really be the missing piece of the puzzle, when Brad Thompson and Todd Wellemeyer are in the rotation?  I hate to lump Wellemeyer in that group, but it's starting to look like he's not going to revert to the 2008 form for any long stretch of time, for whatever reason.

We've seen a little more offense in the last few days, but does anyone think that April's returning?  Pujols is Pujols, of course, and Rasmus has looked pretty good.  You still have the fact that Ludwick's BABIP is so low, which means he should be primed for a bounce, and Ankiel has looked a little better recently.  Still, even if those four get going white-hot, you have to have people getting on for them.

Skip Schumaker isn't helping out as much as I was thinking in the leadoff slot.  Brendan Ryan has shown some life, but you can't completely count on him yet.  We know that third base has been such a void that the front office is moving Khalil Greene over there (more on that in a bit).  Molina's settled into the .260 range instead of the .300 range.  Where do you start fixing?

Not that this season is over by any stretch, don't get me wrong.  With a healthy Chris Carpenter and an effective Adam Wainwright, the Cards shouldn't go too long between wins.  The problem is going to be figuring out just what can get them into position and if the front office has enough bullets to make it all happen.

Khalil Greene to third, huh?  I wouldn't have thought it, though I see where he was a third baseman in college, so it's not a complete shock.  And with the Cardinal propensity to move anything that's not nailed down (i.e. Pujols), you had to guess something like this would happen.  It does seem strange to give a guy with anxiety issues something new to do in front of a huge fanbase, but maybe if he's having to think more about what he's doing he'll be less worried about how he's doing it.  I also think this should be an effort to keep the Cards from appearing desparate in trade talks.  Whether either will work, I don't know.

Of course, with an off-day yesterday, it gives time for a topic to be fleshed out.  This time, as it will be often in the next couple of years, it's Pujols.  Bernie Mikalsz says sign him already, Brian Burwell says, hey, maybe he doesn't want to sign right now, ever think of that?

What there needs to be is honest dialogue between Pujols and his representatives and the front office.  Even if they aren't talking specific terms, they need to be letting him know this is what they are trying to do, this is why they think it'll work.  Pujols has been adamant about wanting to win, but he wants to do it in St. Louis if at all possible.  I think if the front office keeps him in the loop, as it were, it'll bode well for them when it's time to talk numbers.

Today, 1:30 Central, Blog Talk Radio, Ozzie Smith and I talk a little bit.  I plan to ask him about Khalil's move as well as if he's glad he played before bloggers!

Playing Pepper 2009: Cleveland Indians

As the players start getting themselves ready for another season, I thought it'd be a good idea to do the same.  I contacted a blogger for each major league team and posted them five questions.  This is the result.  You can find the tentative schedule of teams here and today's main post is right here.   Continue Reading

A Helpless Feeling

Back in 1997, the Cardinals were in a pennant race with the Houston Astros.  At least from my memory, it seemed like the Cards kept hanging around and couldn't make a move.  All the talk was about getting McGwire.  Then the Cardinals played a series against the Astros right before the deadline and lost, pushing them 7 or so games out.  On the trading deadline, the Cards got McGwire, but it really was too little too late then.  (Though, obviously, it worked out in different ways over the long-term.)

That's the feeling I get with the Cardinals saying wait for Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright to get back.  Sure, Carp goes this week it now appears, but I still get the feeling that if you expect this to be that boost that puts the Cards over the top, it may come too late for them really to make a run.

Honestly, I'm thinking after this weekend, even though the Cards are still about where they were going into it, it's not likely to really matter without some sort of injection.  The bullpen is killing the team, but the starters aren't helping by forcing the pen into action much earlier.  And the offense--save the extra inning blowup, and even then there were some of the same questions--needs to kick into gear.

Let's recap in our own special way, starting with the last game of the Brewers series:

Thursday
Hero: Skip Schumaker.  2-4 on a night when the hits weren't plentiful.
Goat: Ryan Franklin.  Taking you from victory to defeat with one swing.

Friday
Hero: Ryan Ludwick.  2-4 with a run and a RBI.
Goat: Mitchell Boggs.  The Mets may have your number, but you've got to last longer than that.

Saturday
Hero: Albert Pujols.  Hitting the GW HR on a five-hit night will do that.  Honorable mention to Skip Schumaker for six hits, including getting AP to the plate.
Goat: Joel Pineiro.  Staked to a four run lead before taking the field, he immediately tried to give it back.  Plus he didn't even make it to the fifth either.

Sunday
Hero: Albert Pujols.  2-4 and kept Santana from getting the shutout.
Goat: Kyle Lohse.  That second home run in the sixth was on a "I don't care" pitch, it looked like.

So, as it stands right now, the Cards are four back of the Cubs, three back of the Brewers for the wild card.  It's hard to say mail it in, but what if this latest run of six losses in seven games is more of a testament to the Cards finally coming back to earth than just a bump in the road?

Being that I think the front office isn't going to panic and do something short-sighted to make a run this year, I don't think it matters too much here at the deadline which it is save for one thing: Kyle Lohse.  His value probably won't ever be higher.  If he could fetch two top prospects, wouldn't you have to do it if you think things aren't going to get better?

I'm not necessarily advocating such a move, I'm just saying that it'd be understandable if it came down.  I know a lot of people would be screaming about the Cards giving up on the season, but remember the white-flag trades of the White Sox had them celebrating in October just a couple of years later.

On the more realistic front, at least depending on your point of view, there are reports that the Cardinals are the front-runners for Brian Fuentes of the Rockies.  There's still talk about the Cardinals wanting Matt Holliday in that deal as well, but I really can't see that coming down.  Getting any arm into the bullpen may have a stabilizing effect on the rest of the corp.  I'm sure that's the hope, at least.

I've not heard any more on Roy Halladay than the initial report that the Jays had talked to St. Louis about him, but I would really like to see that one come down.  Getting a pitcher that could reliably go 7 innings would do wonders for the 'pen as well.

Off the field, as noted above, Carpenter comes back to the flock on Wednesday.  I'm actually a little disappointed, because his next rehab start was supposed to be with Springfield in Little Rock and I was starting to make plans to go.  That said, after his strong start on Friday at Memphis, there was little chance he wasn't going to make the next turn in the majors, especially with the team starting to crumble.  It'd be great if he could get into the sixth and be the real Chris Carpenter, but we'll just have to wait and see.

And, finally, the Anthony Reyes saga ended.  I don't know much about the guy coming back--I've not had a chance to read Erik's take at Future Redbirds yet--but to me, it seems to be a case of an organization just destroying a prospect.  Whomever was to blame and whatever the problems were, for his value to drop so drastically in just a couple of years is hard to fathom.  If nothing else, he should have been given a few more chances this year to build up his value a little bit.  I hope Reyes has a lot of success with the Indians.

That's enough for now.  We'll take a look at the starters sometime tomorrow.  Before I go, though, a note to the United Cardinal Bloggers.  Any of you that aren't on Facebook, you might want to consider joining up.  I've set up a group for us to use as a sounding board/discussion area for future projects.  Instead of sending roundtable e-mails around, we might just put up a discussion thread and then use that for the transcripts to blog.  So check it out when you can.

Signs of Concern

I've spent a fair amount of time lately defending ownership.  However, the talk and actions of our new GM are starting to concern even me.

First, we have the Izturis signing.  While not worth the doom and gloom, sky is falling mentality some people had for it, it still was a bit of a headscratcher and not nearly the kind of moves most fans have been waiting for.

Then, we have the idea of shipping Scott Rolen off to the Brewers.  In case you aren't paying attention, the Brewers are 1) a team in the same division as the Cardinals and 2) the team most likely to win the NL Central next year, in my opinion.  While I'm not one that thinks Rolen should be traded now, trading him within the division would just be nuts.

Coupled with that is the pursuit of Chris Capuano.  Larry at VEB broke down Capuano pretty well yesterday, and there are points to like, points to worry about.  This probably isn't a terrible move, but it depends on what it costs.  I wouldn't give Rolen for him, I don't think.

Next, the ESPN winter meetings blog indicates the Cardinals have talked to the Indians about pitcher Cliff Lee.  Lee's an Arkansas boy and in that regard, I'd like to see him come over.  Moving to the NL probably would help as well.  The price is supposedly Anthony Reyes and/or Brian Anderson.  It best not be and--that's a ton to give up for a guy that has been down for a year or two.  Reyes, also according to that blog, is getting some attention from suitors.  I believe they'll deal him--and he'll probably do well away from the organization--and Lee would probably be acceptable.  But not if they overpay for him.

That blog also indicates Ankiel, Duncan and Edmonds are all available.  I can't believe the organization would move Ankiel now, after all they've done for him, but it is a new GM, so maybe so.  At least you have to hear the offers.

There was talk about bringing Pedro Feliz in if Rolen is traded.  Yuck.  They aren't even offering arbitration to Eckstein.  Nuts.

All in all, the best news around is that the Cardinals were in, at least on the periphery, on Eric Bedard.  If Mozeliak could pull that off, I'd take it all back.

Not So Surprising

A few days ago, I wrote this:

"Problem is, the ALCS isn’t over yet. If the Sox could pick a pitcher to keep their season alive, it’d be Josh Beckett. He’s looked great this postseason, and he’s already beaten Sabathia once. Put that with the fact that a lot of this team remembers climbing out of the 3-0 hole in 2004 and it’s not like they are going to roll over and play dead."

And that's just what happened.  When the Indians weren't able to solve Beckett in Game 5, I knew Cleveland was in trouble.  Carmona had shown he had trouble pitching in Fenway, and that flared up again in Game 6.  Then you get to a Game 7, when anything can happen.

This is very reminicent of the 1996 NLCS, Cardinals vs. Braves.  It was the first year of LaRussa in St. Louis and the Cardinals had made it to the postseason.  They swept the Padres out of the way and got up 3-1 to the Braves.  However, the Braves had the better pitching setup for the last three games, and their bats just pounded the Cardinals.  They outscored St. Louis 32-1 in the last three games and went on to lose to the Yankees in the World Series.

While Cleveland didn't lose quite that badly (they were only outscored 30-5), it was pretty darn close.  And Cleveland has to wait another year for a chance at a title.

Rockies and Red Sox.  You'll hear a lot of Todd Helton talk, since the two teams almost made a deal involving him in spring training.  Hope he has a huge series and Colorado takes the title.  Unfortunately, I'm afraid that it's getting close to midnight on Cinderella's dance.

Passing the Time

Just not a lot going on right now, so some general thoughts:

• The Cardinals say they have extended the time frame on the GM search. Also, LaRussa is getting daily reports on what's going on, who they are talking to, etc., so it's pretty obvious that Tony will be back for another year. The only way that extending the search turns out to be a positive thing is if the Cardinals bring in someone like a Chris Antonelli who is involved in the playoffs. If they take this valuable time and then just let Mozeliak have the job, they are really putting themselves behind the eight ball when it comes to things like contacting free agents, setting priorities, etc. Because, reasonably, Mozeliak can't be planning all that far in advance since he doesn't know if it's his job or not.

  That said, what is the new GM going to think about having a manager already in place, and not only a manager, but a Hall-of-Famer who has the undivided attention of management? If they want to get their own guy in there, even if it's next year, do they have the freedom to let Tony go? When push comes to shove, who is DeWitt going to listen to? To get top talent in that job, DeWitt is going to have to assure them that they outrank the field manager. That could be hard for him to do.

• Josh Beckett is proving to be the next John Smoltz. It's amazing how well he pitches in big games. I wanted Cleveland to win last night, but I knew when they got down 2-1, it was probably over. The only thing that gave Cleveland some hope was his response after the Lofton incident. He seemed to be overly pumped after that, having a little trouble with location and the Indians got two on with two out, but couldn't convert. Then the Red Sox started tacking on and that was that.

  Continue Reading

Thoughts on Game 4, AL Style

First off, I saw this quote at Deadspin today and I thought it was a classic:

The Red Sox have turned into the Yankees, and suddenly, their quirks and eccentricities aren't charming anymore. When Manny poses after hitting a home run that brings his team within four runs, it's not funny or cute: He's just being a [jerk]. And Manny's one of the likable ones! The Red Sox have the only player in the major leagues who Cardinals fans boo.

Emphasis mine on the end, but I thought that was great. And it's close to true--JD will never get a warm reception in St. Louis, even if I think it's overrated and he was the whipping boy while he was there. (Though he did bring some of it on himself.)

Anyway, Cleveland moves one step closer to the inevitable "Cleveland Rock(ie)s" headlines for the World Series. A matchup between a team that's never one and a team that's not won in a really, really long time. It may not be a high-rated Series, but I think it'd be a good one. (Plus, a little deja vu for the Indians, since they were in the Series in 1997 and lost to an expansion team from 1993. I'm sure they'd want a different outcome this time.)

Problem is, the ALCS isn't over yet. If the Sox could pick a pitcher to keep their season alive, it'd be Josh Beckett. He's looked great this postseason, and he's already beaten Sabathia once. Put that with the fact that a lot of this team remembers climbing out of the 3-0 hole in 2004 and it's not like they are going to roll over and play dead.

I do think, though, Sabathia should be better this time around. Fewer nerves, pitching at home, etc. And Cleveland has shown that if you can get around Ortiz and Ramirez, you can breathe a lot easier with the rest of the Sox lineup.

And isn't it ironic that baseball added in more off days to get the World Series to start on a Wednesday--and we've had so many short series that there have been many days without any games at all?

Rocking Around the Clock

The Rockies are going to the World Series.  Who'd have thunk it?

21 out of 22.  Two different double-digit winning streaks.  The first team ever two sweep the LDS and LCS.  A team that should vote Trevor Hoffman a playoff share, because the last two of his seven blown saves kept them alive and going.

It was typical Rockies last night as well.  Clint Hurdle seems to be in the zone as well as his players, because he sent up a pinch hitter in the fourth inning.  Sure enough, Seth Smith hits a weak little popup.  However, because this is the Magical Rockie Tour, that ball carries just out of range of everyone chasing it but stays fair, letting the go-ahead run score.  An error, a hit, and a big home run by Matt Holliday and it was all over but the shouting.

The Rockies will have a sizable following in the Series.  It seems to me that a lot of casual fans root for the underdog, the good story.  If Boston is their opponent, most anyone that's not a part of Red Sox Nation will be donning purple.  It'd be different, perhaps, if 2004 hadn't happened or that the Sox weren't becoming viewed in some quarters as the successor to the "Evil Empire" tag the Yankees have.  (Really, can a team be an empire if they've only gone to the Series twice in seven years?  And had post-season futility the rest of the time?)  If Cleveland wins, the storyline of them trying to win their first series in 58 years (the second-longest streak active, behind the Cubbies' now 99) will win them some fans as well.

The Rockies have eight days off, which may stunt their momentum somewhat.  Then again, this is a man that has gotten few predictions right in this postseason, so don't take my word for it.

Good to see the Indians take a 2-1 lead.  You know Fox is happy about it, meaning that there is a good likelihood of a long series.  (How ticked is TBS?  Their first year doing playoff baseball and they get one game over the minimum.  That'll bring in the revenue.)  The Indians really needed that win.  You know you are going to run into Beckett again, and that's likely a loss (though a Sabathia/Beckett rematch in Cleveland might go the Indians way).  I wonder if the Indians breathe huge signs of relief if they can get past the two-headed monster of Ortiz and Ramirez.  The rest of the Sox lineup can hurt you, but don't have that impending doom about them that those guys have.

Game 4 tonight probably turns on how Wakefield's knuckler is going.  If it's on, the Sox have a good chance.  If not, it could be a high scoring game.

General Discussion

Thank you, Cleveland!  I'm not a huge Yankee hater--in fact, I kinda like them due to their rich history, etc.--but getting them out of the news and sparing us another overhyped Yankees/Red Sox ALCS is worthy of thanks.  (Plus, as noted, it makes the wife happy.)   I think I started turning somewhat against the Red Sox after 2004.  The sweep was bad enough, but the books, articles, etc. just seemed to keep coming and coming and I think it soured me on all that East Coast stuff.

The Yankee melodrama is, of course, not out of the papers yet though.  Joe Torre is likely gone, and so there are rumors that Tony LaRussa might like to take over that team.   Personally, I can't see that happening and I think it'd be a terrible fit.  For once, TLR has barely tolerated the St. Louis media.  That's nothing compared to 150 newspapers and 750 television outlets focusing on your every move.  I think he'd snap when all the press showed up to the first Sox/Yankees spring training game.

Also, the Yanks are starting to go younger.  Roger Clemens has, hopefully and finally, thrown his last pitch.  (Another thing to be thankful for--this should mean no more offseason posturing about "will he or won't he come back" followed by a ridiculously large contract thrown at him.)  Mariano Rivera might even go somewhere else.  Jorge Posada is a free agent.  Alex Rodriguez may leave.  A lot of the old guard may not be there when 2008 comes along.

However, they've got young pitchers (Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy) and a few young position players, and according to GM Brian Cashman, he'd love to home-grow the whole team.  So it sounds like New York is going to go through a similar process as the Cardinals--trying to get younger and sticking with the kids.

TLR, while he can deal with kids better than some of his detractors indicate, does seem to prefer the seasoned veteran who he knows what he can expect from and how to get the most out of.  I can't see LaRussa being ecstatic with the Yankees direction if he's not liking what the Cardinals are doing.

Owner DeWitt is starting to make public noises about LaRussa making up his mind.  I'd expect we'll know one way or another this week, but if he really does want to manage in 2008, he'll probably stay in St. Louis.

I see the GM search is focusing on sabermetric types that are in their mid-30s to early 40s, instead of going the retread route.  I like that approach and I think it could be advantageous if the Cardinals are able to get the next rising star.

The Cardinal rumor mill is pretty quiet right now.  I don't expect it will stay that way very long.

Also on the Network: √ Doing It The Hard Way [C70 At The Bat] √ Bobby Jenks Saves Sox's Win Over Seattle [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ Deadline moves [Feeling Dodger Blue] √ Manny's impact [Feeling Dodger Blue] √ Shea Stadium Plays Citi Field [Loge 13] √ Frustration Revisted [C70 At The Bat] √ Not So Fast, T-Mac [Tremendous Upside Potential] √ Payroll breakdown [Feeling Dodger Blue]