Yardbarker: Aaron Laffey

Indians close to re-signing Jamey Carroll

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:36:55 -0500

Looks as if the option on Jamey Carroll won't be getting picked up, it will be totally thrown out the window.

The Indians are close to re-signing Jamey Carroll to a contract extension, rather than picking up his two and a half million dollar option for the 2009 season.

"We want him back and there's a good chance it will happen," said GM Mark Shapiro. "We've had some positive conversations." (Plain Dealer)

That's perfectly cool with me, in fact I think it's a great move.

Jamey is a great guy, he plays the infield, can come in as a spark, and he's pretty much the ideal player you look for in a utility man. He very well may be the best at his job, so why not lock him up?

As we've seen with the Ramon Vazquezes and the Mike Rousees of the world, there aren't a lot of great utility infielders, so when you get one, cherish him. Fully support the move here and let's see what they iron out here in the coming days.

Let me update you on a couple of links in this pre-offseason chart day... thing..

Hoynes answers some question at the Plain-Dealer.. Nothing really catchy but worth a read.

Dear lord, the Brian Roberts-mania will not end!

Terry freaking Pluto jumped on the bandwagon.

Roberts' price is very high, because Baltimore is not dumb and they know exactly what they want. We aren't trading Aaron Laffey and a bucket of balls for this dude, who would be a one year rental by the by.

If Roberts just happens to be there, we haven't found a third baseman, and it is nearing the trading deadline, sure why not.

But this is a bad move in my opinion. Moving Peralta to third, for maybe one year? Shipping off a prospect like David Huff, because I CAN GUARENTEE you that is exactly what Baltimore wants.

I'm done on the Roberts idea. Let me continue...

Terry Pluto returns for yet another brilliant idea, let's NOT trade Ryan Garko! Finally someone with some sense, but let me remind you that it took Hafner's surgery to change his opinion.

I've reserved myself to the fact that Ryan Garko probably won't be a Cleveland Indian forever, especially with Matt LaPorta around, I think he's destined for first base.

But I'd at least like to keep him ONE more year before we give up on him.

I'm sick and tired of "singles-hitter" and all that garbage about Garko. He's knocked in 90 freaking runners. That's impressive in the Major Leagues, stop trying to discredit the guy.

This team has too many options, which is a good thing. What if say, Victor Martinez goes down again? Then you have Garko to play first ant Shoppach to catch. What if Hafner isn't ready for the season? WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS!

It's great to have too many options, because as we've seen, they can quickly dwindle to no options. Cliff Lee gets hurt and sucks, Jake Westbrook gets hurt, Jeremy Sowers is freaking awful... Boom here comes Fausto Carmona...

We need options, let's not trade them all away.

WFNY Podcast #6

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:03:14 -0500

We're back with another installment of the Waiting For Next Year podcast. This week, hosts Rick and Craig welcome Todd Dery, formerly of Dump David Dellucci (which was formerly Dump Casey Blake), who is now writing at The World According To TD. Rick and Craig get Todd's insights on the Cleveland Indians, both looking back at the past season a bit and quite thoroughly looking ahead to the future. It's a good listen, so check it out.

Isaac gone, problems solved

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 21:42:37 -0500

"Louie was like a father to all of us in the bullpen. Last year down the stretch and in the playoffs we really leaned on him. He was always steady, always calm. You could ask him anything."

Again there may be reasons why the first move of the off-season was to get rid of the old guy who carries the catchers mitt around in the bullpen.

And Tribe manager Eric Wedge sure gave Isaac every chance to find another job - firing him pretty much the minute the plane touched down on the last flight of the last road trip of the season.

But to me, this move seems rather Yankee-esque.

Someone's head should roll, why not Isaac's?

Speaking of Wedge, he talked of plans for next year with the Plain Dealer. There weren't too many surprises.

He expects another solid year out of Cliff Lee next year and that Fausto Carmona - who never got it together this injury-plagued year - will be back on track next year. The rest of the rotation - in addition to a likely acquisition of a veteran from someplace - will come from the following group: Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Scott Lewis, Anthony Reyes, Zach Jackson and David Huff.

The Tribe will look for a closer, but is thinking of Jensen Lewis as a Plan B.

Wedge also said Jhonny Peralta's position will be determined by whether the team is able to get a second baseman or a third basemen during the off-season. Again, no surprise.

The manager also said Josh Barfield will get another shot at 2B, if there's an opening there.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of the interview is the depth to which Ryan Garko apparently is still in the Wedge dog house:

"Instead of saying, 'I had a great year, I tied for the team lead in RBI,' he needs to say, 'I did OK, but I need to do better.' I think he's capable of being a part of this. He can be an everyday player or a role player, depending on which guy shows up. . . . It's nothing I haven't said to him."

Ya think Garko's name will be uttered on the Tribe's end of any trade talks?

Isaac gone, problems solved

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:04:44 -0500

The off-season ahead is going to require lots of activity by the Tribe's front office if the team is to make a strong run at the Central Division next year. The moves are already underway. The first one - I must say - is not one I had anticipated. Bullpen coach Luis Isaac has been whacked. We're going all the way now. Luis Isaac has been in the Tribe organization for 44 years. Have we won a championship in those 44 years? Case closed. I have no way of knowing what goes on in the Tribe bullpen, in coaches meetings and in the locker room in general. So perhaps the firing is justifiable. But Isaac seems to have been able to do whatever job was put before him for four decades. He's worked for numerous managers and managements. I've never read anything but good things about Isaac. In a Plain Dealer story about the firing, Isaac took the dismissal in stride, and one of his former charges - possible 2009 closer Jensen Lewis - had good things to say. "Louie was like a father to all of us in the bullpen. Last year down the stretch and in the playoffs we really leaned on him. He was always steady, always calm. You could ask him anything." Again there may be reasons why the first move of the off-season was to get rid of the old guy who carries the catchers mitt around in the bullpen. And Tribe manager Eric Wedge sure gave Isaac every chance to find another job - firing him pretty much the minute the plane touched down on the last flight of the last road trip of the season. But to me, this move seems rather Yankee-esque. Someone's head should roll, why not Isaac's? Speaking of Wedge, he talked of plans for next year with the Plain Dealer. There weren't too many surprises. He expects another solid year out of Cliff Lee next year and that Fausto Carmona - who never got it together this injury-plagued year - will be back on track next year. The rest of the rotation - in addition to a likely acquisition of a veteran from someplace - will come from the following group: Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Scott Lewis, Anthony Reyes, Zach Jackson and David Huff. The Tribe will look for a closer, but is thinking of Jensen Lewis as a Plan B. Wedge also said Jhonny Peralta's position will be determined by whether the team is able to get a second baseman or a third basemen during the off-season. Again, no surprise. The manager also said Josh Barfield will get another shot at 2B, if there's an opening there. Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of the interview is the depth to which Ryan Garko apparently is still in the Wedge dog house: "Instead of saying, 'I had a great year, I tied for the team lead in RBI,' he needs to say, 'I did OK, but I need to do better.' I think he's capable of being a part of this. He can be an everyday player or a role player, depending on which guy shows up. . . . It's nothing I haven't said to him." Ya think Garko's name will be uttered on the Tribe's end of any trade talks?

End of the Year Feathers: 2008

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:12:19 -0500

Welcome to the First Annual Tribe Time Report Feather Awards for the 2008 Season!

It's been a great year, despite the success the Indians had wasn't were we thought it would be.

This site was something I put a lot of effort into, and I know not many people read it, but that's why I'm working hard, I want more people to read it. For those of you who started reading, at whatever point in the season, I thank you. For everyone who's left a comment or sent me an e-mail, I thank you as well.

Stick around, because I'm keeping this going as long as I can and I'll continue to promote it the best I can to get a wider audience. Right now though, I'd like to give out some end of the year love and outlook.

These are the End of the Year Feathers. I want to do it every year, so why not start now. Five Feathers is the best of the best that the Tribe had. One is not the worst, but the players who didn't get the job done this year. Three is average, two is below average and four is exceptional. At the end I'll give out two special feathers, gold and silver. A gold feather is to our Team MVP. A silver feather is the unsung hero of the team.

With out further ado, the first ever End of the Year Feathers. 2008 is officially over!

Hitting numbers are listed like this: AVG(Batting Average)/OBP(On Base %)/SLG(Slugging %)
#Lead AL
*Lead MLB
^Lead Team
300 ABs to be considered for Team Leads

Cliff Lee: (31 Starts) 22-3*, 2.54 ERA*, 1.110 WHIP, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 223.1 IP, 170 K, 34 BB, 12 HR
What can you say about Cliff Lee that already hasn't been said? His homerun numbers from his last two complete seasons (05-06) were 22 and 29 and this year, just 12. His walk numbers have decreased and of course his strikeouts have gone up. All this while pitching twenty more innings and having his hits land in between the numbers he put up in 2005 and 2006. What has Cliff Lee changed? His mentality really.

He's become much more focused at the job at hand and he says it himself. He goes along pitch by pitch and doesn't look ahead. That's why Cliff Lee has become successful and that is why this isn't some one year wonder. Will he win 22 games and post a 2.54 ERA next year? Probably not, but don't expect those other numbers like walks and innings pitched to take a hit. Things like his WHIP should remain the same as Cliff Lee progresses through his career. This is Cliff Lee and the way he pitches. The only change is his attitude and demeanor. It's a change for the better and as long as he isn't going back to his old ways. I give five feathers to Cliff Lee and his 2008 breakout season.

Grady Sizemore: (157 G, 634 AB) .268/.374/.502, 33 HR^, 90 RBI^, 38/43 SB^, 101 R, 77 XBH#2nd, 11 HBP
Oh Grady...Where would our faith be without Grady Sizemore? His breathtaking catches in the outfield and his sudden power surge have fans chanting Hall of Famer, and he's only 26 years old!

Even though he only hit five more home runs than he did in his career high year in 2006, Grady Sizemore's power stroke has come a long way. He's making strides at the plate as a hitter year by year and this was by far, his most productive one. He joined the 30-30 club and became the first Indian to do so since Joe Carter. If production continues to increase as he enters his prime, there is no doubt he has the potential to reach the hallowed 40-40 club.

His defense is, as always, prime stuff and he surely is on his way to yet another gold glove award. People want to know if Sizemore should move down in the order to the three hole, I want to know why? Such a lethal weapon at the lead-off spot, as proved by what is now his record of most lead-off home runs in club history. If Sizemore can give you 90 home runs from the leadoff spot and you can find that production in other places, this lineup is dangerous.

Should it be any surprise to you that Grady Sizemore has earned five feathers? Continued All-Star and future Hall of Famer, Sizemore's just starting.

Jhonny Peralta: (154 G, 605 AB) .277/.331/.473, 23 HR, 89 RBI, 3/4 SB, 103 R^, 42 2B, 68 XBH
Jhonny Peralta's year can only be summed up in one thought. How did this happen? Not so much his numbers, but his performance in the situation he was in is somewhat surprising. He put up 89 RBI mostly from the cleanup spot in the order. This was a guy who struggled to hit in the three hole when he was put in there, now he's cemented himself into the middle of the order!

Peralta had a fantastic year. After a rough start with most of his RBI's coming off the home run, he finished the year as the teams leader in runs scored, average amongst starters that started for the entire year and was second in extra base hits. Peralta still has issues with striking out, but he's nearing that .500 mark in slugging percentage which is phenomenal for a shortstop. He did lead the league in home runs at his position and he continues to flourish as a hitter.

Defensively, Jhonny still has range issues, but he had another decent year. Unfortunately decent isn't good enough with a gold-glove caliber youngster manning the reigns at second. Jhonny however gets five feathers for carrying the middle of the order through most of the year with injuries to Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez.

Shin-Soo Choo: (95 G, 317 AB) .309^/.397^/.549^, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 4/7 SB, 68 R, 28 2B, 45 XBH
What can you say about Shin-Soo Choo's second half of the season? What can you say about him as a hitter? I'll admit I counted Choo out at the start of the season and even when he came back I wasn't real impressed.

But this kid is for real. The way he takes an at-bat and the way he swings. He is a pure hitter with great plate discipline and plate vision. He knows how to work a walk or take a pitch the other way for a double; he's just a good hitter.

Choo gets five feathers for establishing himself. He's going into next year as a starting outfielder; there is no doubt about that. He had a terrific second half and really put up impressive numbers, but watching him tells you the whole story. He is for real.

Carl Willis: Pitching Staff ERA: 4.44 (20th in MLB)
You might be asking yourself why a pitching coach who's team ERA is 20th in the entire Majors has earned himself five feathers.

The Indians pitching woes do not lie with Carl Willis. They lie with a multitude of reasons beyond Willis' control. This pitching staff to start the year was lights out. They had a huge streak of scoreless innings by the starters and they were returning one of the best bullpens in the major leagues.

Trades, injuries and just let downs from certain players have led to the inflated ERA, but make no mistake about it, Carl Willis is one of the best pitching coaches in baseball. He's a friendly guy, who teaches and molds his pitchers into high caliber competitors.

Two years straight now, he is the proud coach of two AL Cy Young award winners. He's brought around Fausto Carmona, Aaron Laffey and is now working another Cliff Lee-like reclamation project in Anthony Reyes.

What did Carl Willis do to Cliff Lee to make him a great pitcher? Nothing much really, he just told him he believed in him. Something he will continue to tell Anthony Reyes as he tries and molds him into a reliable starting pitcher.

Carl Willis earns five feathers for his work. He's done an outstanding job, despite whispers about firing him a few years ago. He's a great coach and a great guy and he deserves some publicity for the success his starting pitchers have been having.

Rafael Perez: (73 Games) 4-4, 3.54 ERA, 1.179 WHIP, 2 SV, 25 HLD, 76.1 IP, 86 K, 23 BB, 8 HR
Just another day at the office for Rafael Perez. A shaky start to the season for Perez, but he found himself and became the Indians most dependable reliever. He can come in and give you two innings, face a left-hander, pitch one inning against right handers. Perez's versatility is so valuable to this bullpen.

Perez will continue to grow and will probably be next year's prime set-up man. He gets four feathers for rebounding from a tough start and being Mr. Rubber Arm and Mr. Dependable.

Kelly Shoppach: (112 G, 352 AB) .261/.348/.517, 21 HR, 55 RBI, 67 R, 27 2B, .217 CS%
Kelly Shoppach's mammoth power is something to marvel at. We always knew he had power, but did we know he could hit home runs at the major leagues at that sort of pace? He lead the entire league in home runs from the catching position and he had only half the at bats than most full-time catchers! He was just two behind the National League leaders, Geovany Soto and Brian McCann.

Shoppach sort of digressed defensively, letting up a lot of passed balls and making some poor throws behind the plate to nail base runners. But he still has his arm and if he recommits himself to that aspect of the game, he can be one of the best.

Lots of questions will surround Shoppach in the off-season. He'll be a hot commodity among teams looking for a catcher. But this year, Shoppach has earned four feathers for his breakout season. He needs to cut down on the strikeouts and his defense needs to get back to that level, but he is destined for great things.

Jensen Lewis: (51 Games) 0-4, 3.82 ERA, 1.439 WHIP, 13 SV^, 66 IP, 52 K, 27 BB, 8 HR
I've been shouting from the top of my lungs that Jensen Lewis is this team's future at closer. He's got moxie and the bulldog attitude you need from a closer.

I think his early struggles were a product of lack of fire and emotion. Jensen is a guy that feeds off the pressure and the emotion of a crowd. The situations he was put in were just not like that. This guy was BORN to be a closer where he can feed off the crowd's energy and pump a fastball in there.

I'm giving Lewis four feathers for coming in and solidifying the back end of the bullpen. We'll have plenty of discussion on where he belongs, no doubt. But for now, he had a fantastic end of the season, didn't blow a save once he got the job and when he was put in tight situations, like facing Josh Hamilton with runners on, or giving up a home run in the inning, he bounced back and found himself.

Ryan Garko: (141 G, 495 AB) .273/.346/.404, 14 HR, 90 RBI^, 61 R, 36 XBH, 8 SF^, 15 HBP#3rd
You can say what you want about Ryan Garko and the year he had. But when all is said and done, you can't deny the fact that he had one of the better batting averages and he lead the team in RBI along with Grady Sizemore.

Garko's defense has also come along way. You may be surprised by this number, but he's committed just four errors this year. While he isn't a guy who covers a lot of ground, he's work so hard at becoming a respectable first baseman. Garko also has one of the best Range Factors among American League first basemen.

Offensively, his power numbers were definitely not there. He didn't have as many doubles as I was expected and of course the home runs were not there. But he got the job done anyway you look at it. The most important thing that Garko did this year was grow as a hitter. He went through a period of time where he learned a lot about himself. He became pull-happy and was in constant denial that he was doing anything wrong.

Then, a benching for not running out a ground ball and Garko was a changed man. Not only did he get back to basics, he got humbled. He realized he could admit when he was wrong and he went back to work. You may laugh at the fact that I've given him four feathers, but he deserves them the way he bounced back late in the year. We need to hold onto Garko in the long run, he could be primed for a break out in 2009.

Jamey Carroll: (113 G, 347 AB) .277/.355/.346, 1 HR, 36 RBI, 7/10 SB, 60 R
Where would this team be without Jamey Carroll? I'm going to get this out of the way right now and tell Mark Shapiro to pick up Carroll's option. Carroll earned the nickname sparkplug from me for his ability to energize this team. He was inserted into the starting lineup after Asdrubal Cabrera was sent to the minors and Josh Barfield got hurt. He quickly energized this team and is a big reason they finished the year at .500.

He is a super utility guy that this team has needed for awhile and could be a crucial cog in the team's success next year. He can play the infield, he has a decent glove and he is a scrappy veteran hitter. He can swipe a base and he is great in the clubhouse as he energized the team with some spunk.

Jamey Carroll gets four feathers for being a professional and for being one of the bright spots in Shapiro's recent additions. It was a crafty move to bring in a solid utility player in Carroll, now let's hope we make the move to keep him.

Mark Shapiro: Traded CC Sabathia for Matt LaPorta, Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, PTBNL; Traded Luis Perdomo for Anthony Reyes; Traded Casey Blake for John Meloan and Carlos Santana; Signed Masahide Kobayashi; Traded Sean Smith for Jamey Carroll; Traded Jason Michaels for PTBNL/Cash; Signed Jorge Juilio, Brendan Donnelly, Juan Rincon to Minor League Deals
These are just some of the notable deals by General Manager Mark Shapiro and what he's done this year and in the off-season. By far the moves with the most impact were the trades of Casey Blake and CC Sabathia. Shapiro did a great job by taking advantage of a few free agents having good years and or good reputations to restock the farm system. It wasn't the move he wanted to make, but he still traded CC Sabathia mid-season after Sabathia rejected the Indians final offer for a contract extension.

When it became apparent that Shapiro had to deal Sabathia and Blake, he not only did it, he did it well. He got a great haul of players in return for Blake and Sabathia that has put the Indians farm system, back near the top. We all know about Matt LaPorta and Carlos Santana, but the prospect of John Meloan, Rob Bryson and the much debated, talented player to be named later all panning out makes these deals important.

Let's not forget the other deals he made, including the low-risk move of bringing in Anthony Reyes, trading for a bonafied utility man in Jamey Carroll, and he added another arm to his bullpen in Masa Kobayashi. He didn't make many off-season moves, but he made up for it with his mid-season deals. Shapiro gets four feathers for restocking the system and bringing in Anthony Reyes. Next year he could get five feathers for having a stellar off-season or one for making all the wrong choices, we'll see soon enough.

Ben Francisco:(121 G, 447 AB) .266/.332/.438, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 4/7 SB, 65 R, 12 Assists#2nd
For awhile there, the Indians thought they found their solution to the number two spot in the batting order in Ben Francisco. Injuries arose though and Francisco was placed into the three hole. Obviously, not something you want to do to a rookie player, but Francisco came up after the Jason Michaels trade and lit the world on fire.

He was the only hitter in the lineup that was hitting, eager to prove himself after most think he was wrongly sent to the minors after beating out both Jason Michaels and David Dellucci in spring training. Francisco cooled off, perhaps being a fastball hitter caught up to him as the league adjusted.

Francisco gets three feathers because of his fizzle and defense. He has an underrated arm in the outfield, throwing out 12 base runners, and second best in the American League. But Francisco is still learning the nuances of left and right field. He needs to make adjustments in his second year if he wants to remain successful. A player who has always hit for a higher average in the minors will need to get his average up and learn to take the ball the other way. He's definitely a dangerous threat with his power potential and quick swing.

Fausto Carmona: (22 Starts) 8-7, 5.44 ERA, 1.624 WHIP, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 120.2 IP, 58 K, 70 BB, 7 HR
Fausto pitched enough for me to give him some feathers. With that I decided that Fausto's injury would impact his feather count. I think after he got back from the hip injury he wasn't the same Fausto. All year he seemed to have problem with his control, but earlier in the year he got the double plays when he needed them.

Once he got back, he just wasn't the Fausto we know and love. He got off to a good start if you ask me, but after he returned he just wasn't the same and that's why I'm giving him three feathers. He was average, which I think is suitable.

Carmona will be back next year and hopefully he'll be healthy and ready to be himself. We signed him to a great friendly contract that could keep him here until he is 31 years old. A frustrating year for Fausto, but wasn't it for everyone not named Cliff Lee?

Aaron Laffey: (16 Starts) 5-7, 4.23 ERA, 1.431 WHIP, 93.2 IP, 43 K, 31 BB, 10 HR
Aaron came up and seemingly earned himself a rotation spot for the rest of the year, after he filled in for the likes of Fausto Carmona and Jake Westbrook.

But then, something hit Laffey and he was sent down. Laffey was spectacular, sort of Fausto-esque as he filled in for injured pitchers. He was in serious contention for rookie of the year until he hit a wall and was sent down. His numbers prior to the setback were phenomenal and just looking at them now they aren't bad. It turns out Laffey was dealing with some injuries down in Buffalo and he got shut down with a month left in the season.

He was better than expected, but didn't contribute enough to earn more than three feathers. Laffey is a lock down contender for a rotation spot next year and I'd expect him to win one after not winning the fifth spot last year.

Anthony Reyes (w/CLE): (6 Starts) 2-1, 1.83 ERA, 1.252 WHIP, 34.1 IP, 15 K, 12 BB, 2 HR
Anthony Reyes made quite a statement in his little time with the Tribe. He suffered a little bit of arm issues and it caused the Indians to take the cautious approach and shut him down, but since coming over from the St. Louis Cardinals, he's been brilliant.

Reyes was looked at as a low-risk, high-reward type move by Mark Shapiro, and so far the move looks like a good one. Reyes, along with Laffey will fight for a rotation spot and he is easing all Indians' fans minds in terms of what the plan is in the rotation next year. With CC Sabathia gone, Reyes was a big pick up for this team going forward.

Reyes gets three feathers for his excellent start with the Tribe, mainly because he didn't pitch enough to earn anymore. Dave Duncan might be a great pitching coach, but Carl Willis is right on his heels and Reyes will be his next success story. Anthony is comfortable in Cleveland and his talent is finally going to be able to blossom.

Asdrubal Cabrera: (114 G, 352 AB) .259/.346/.366, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 4/8 SB, 48 R
Asdrubal Cabrera has had one rocky year. After being the fan anointed "savior" to the Cleveland Indians 2007 season, Cabrera hit a wall. He was the butt of a lot of criticism from Eric Wedge, but also the butt of a lot of praise. Cabrera's glove kept him in the lineup despite his porous hitting, but it eventually sent him down to the minors.

Cabrera got the picture in Triple-A Buffalo, hitting from the moment he was sent down and not stopping until September 28. Maybe he's a second half player, I don't know, but I'd put my money on that not being true. Cabrera has worked hard with his hitting and has started to evolve, adding in the bunt single to his arsenal. Wedge had a lot to say about Cabrera's game shape and diet, so not only did he adjust hitting wise; Cabrera took a lifestyle change as well.

He needs to put on some more muscle and become a fit youngster, but Cabrera's future is bright. He gets three feathers for his outstanding defense, including the first unassisted triple play by and Indian since 1920, and his bounce back at the plate. Cabrera has put himself in the thick of next year's lineup, it just is a matter of what position will he be playing and where in the lineup will he hit.

Masahide Kobayashi: (57 Games) 4-5, 4.53 ERA, 1.419 WHIP, 6 SV, 55.2 IP, 35 K, 14 BB, 8 HR
It was a rocky debut for Masa Kobayashi to the United States. He battled through cold weather and the strange phenomenon called Wal-Mart. Joking aside, Kobayashi had to get used to the American way and the MLB, but when he did he was a joy to watch.

He isn't Hideki Okajima like everyone thought he was going to be, but he surely established himself as a reliable option out of the bullpen. He closed some games and the results were mixed, but closing in the MLB is a different animal than Japan. Going forward, Kobayashi will be much more conditioned for the 162 game season as he was pretty much not used down the stretch.

It was the most innings he's thrown in a year as a professional. But Masa has earned three feathers for his solid year. He is primed for a better 2009 with a year in the MLB under his belt, but his 2008 was not bad at all.

Sal Fasano: (15 G, 46 AB) .261/.340/.348, 0 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R
Cleveland Indians' fans got a look into why Sal Fasano is some what of a folk hero around the Major Leagues. Not only for his signature mustache, but his calm, cool, and welcoming demeanor was something to cherish on this team.

This is a club that lost Trot Nixon, their leader of 2007. They then lost their emotional leader in Victor Martinez, so the arrival of Fasano couldn't have come at a better time. This team was fooling itself if they were going to go with Yamid Haad as their back-up catcher with Victor Martinez out almost two months.

Fasano didn't play much, but when he did, he played as well as you could hope for in a backup catcher. His rapport with Jeremy Sowers was outstanding and he really helped him grow into a better pitcher.

Fasano probably won't be back with this team as a player in 2009, which is a shame. But his value couldn't be measured. He's got a future in this game as a manager and his knowledge for not just the game, but in life is so amazing. Fasano gets three feathers, but he really deserves five.

Edward Mujica: (33 Games) 3-2, 4.45 ERA, 1.448 WHIP, 1 HLD, 38.2 IP, 27 K, 10 BB, 5 HR
No longer the shuttle reliever between Buffalo and Cleveland, Eddie Mujica finally got a shot to prove himself. He didn't really handle it that well. Mujica got a legit shot to pitch in the big leagues with all the injuries and failure and while there were some bright spots, he wasn't consistent.

He seems to struggle when used close together; he needs a lot of rest to be effective. Mujica is out of options, so this was a big year for him in terms of his future with the club. He didn't show enough to earn a spot, but he's shown some promise and he is still young enough to fight for a job next year. He gets three feathers for his year, which wasn't bad, but it wasn't spectacular.

Victor Martinez: (73 G, 226 AB) .278/.337/.365, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 30 R
Victor Martinez's year was derailed by a hamstring injury on opening day and then a floating bone chip in his elbow. It hurt his power stroke, not hitting a home run until he made his recovery and was playing again in September.

This was a lost year for Martinez, but he'll be back in 2009. He gets three feathers for showing that the injury was the reason for his struggles as he really came back and provided a spark in September. He also sort of stepped up as the emotional leader for this team with no one else there. His willingness to share the catching duties with Shoppach also shows he's thinking for the betterment of the team.

Eric Wedge: 81-81 Record
Eric Wedge had a year that he probably will want to forget.

You can't blame him for the failed expectations; he was not the reason for that. A lot of the hitting woes can be placed onto the shoulders of Derek Shelton. However, this team got decimated with injuries to key cogs, so it's hard to judge just how well of a job Eric Wedge did.

It isn't an excuse, but rather a hindrance on ones ability to properly grade Wedge. So for that, he's getting the average three feather salute. Wedge did his best to make due with what he had, but you can look at some of the decisions he made, and praise him or bash him.

Start with the Ben Franciso debacle, talk about the Andy Marte situation and end with the bewilderment of Jamey Carroll and Casey Blake obsession. Wedge has made plenty of questionable calls this year. But he's made due the best he can with what he had and for the most part, when his job was to find out about what we have, he did that. He still wanted to win games, but he did find out about players like Shin-Soo Choo. For that, Wedge earns three feathers. He wasn't good, but he wasn't bad.

Franklin Gutierrez: (134 G, 399 AB) .248/.307/.383, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 9/12 SB, 54 R
It was a good omen seeing Franklin Gutierrez hit a grand slam home run on opening day, at least I thought it was. Gutierrez had a pedestrian year at the plate after his great start to the season. He had every opportunity to win the starting right field job, but just could never find himself.

Gutierrez could go into next year as the fourth outfielder or he could be traded. His talent potential is high as a kid who can do it all. He has the arm, he can play defense, we know he has some pop in his bat. He is a loaded player but he needs it to click. Luckily he is still young and hope is still around. He had a sophomore dip, especially with his numbers, but I wouldn't be giving up on him. He gets two feathers for his defense, but he needs to get better at the plate.

Rafael Betancourt: (69 Games) 3-4, 5.07 ERA, 1.420 WHIP, 12 HLD, 4 SV, 71 IP, 64 K, 25 BB, 11 HR
The thing that sticks out the most about Rafael Betancourt's down season was his home run total. Last year he gave up just four home runs. This year he gave up his fourth home run in May.

Betancourt's control from last year didn't carry over, which is understandable. But, Rafael was stubborn and constantly disregarded the words of his pitching coach Carl Willis and Eric Wedge. He would not pitch inside, as many times as he would go out there, he'd continue to throw the ball outside. Because his control was not there, that ball would no longer hit the outside corner, it would float in and get hit the other way.

Betancourt started to come around down the stretch, but his year was a huge disappointment. He will have a chance to redeem himself next year, but this bullpen will not be the same if he doesn't bounce back. He had a career year in 2007, no one expects him to replicate it. But he needs to heed the word of his coaches and try and regain a little bit of that magical control. He gets two feathers for the extreme disappointment.

Josh Barfield (Cle+Buf): (85 G, 332 AB) .243/.292(Buf)/.368(Buf), 5 HR, 25 RBI, 9/14 SB, 33 R
I took into account Josh's numbers from Buffalo, seeing as he played half his year there. He wasn't what you were hoping for, but you are talking about a player who was a significant piece to San Diego's playoff run in his rookie year. He probably doesn't think he deserves to be in Triple-A.

That isn't what Barfield is thinking, but I'm sure that explains his pedestrian numbers. In Cleveland he got his shot with Asdrubal Cabrera's struggles but promptly dislocated his finger and was sidelined for two months. I think Barfield did a good job in the off-season with recommitting to the game and seeking advice from his dad. I thought he'd have the chance and he'd run with it this year, but he simply was on the bad end of luck.

He only gets two feathers, but this isn't a reflection on his performance with the big league club. He got his real shot in September and he looked like he was starting to come on. I want to see him do well in Spring Training next year before we give up on young Barfield, he has all sorts of talent.

Zach Jackson: (9 Starts) 2-3, 5.60 ERA, 1.427 WHIP, 54.2 IP, 30 K, 14 BB, 7 HR
Zach Jackson sure had an interesting by baseball standards. Four teams, including two major league ones, a trade and a first win in legendary Fenway park against Josh Beckett.

Jackson came on strong in his second batch of starts, picking up a couple of wins. He came over in the Sabathia trade as a "throw-in" and a guy the Brewers had given up on at the age of 25. Jackson probably doesn't have much of a future as a starting pitcher, but he showed he can get outs at the big league level. He might have a place on this team as a long-man next year.

Two feathers for Jackson as I was real impressed with him down the stretch. He is definitely in the mix next year, but because he is out of options, he'll have a lot to prove. I would give him three for exceeding expectations, but he didn't pitch enough.

Jeremy Sowers: (22 Starts) 4-9, 5.58 ERA, 1.488 WHIP, 121 IP, 64 K, 39 BB, 18 HR
Jeremy Sowers' had some tough luck winning games this year.

After spending the year in Buffalo, Sowers got his shot when Jake Westbrook got hurt for the second time and CC Sabathia was traded. He really started to find himself with the guidance of Sal Fasano.

Sowers has put himself in a position to compete with the likes of Aaron Laffey and Anthony Reyes next year in spring training. But, Sowers still hasn't shown the brilliance of his rookie year, which has many skeptical if he can really be what we think he can. Two feathers for a great effort, but still, Sowers is not meeting expectations.

Brendan Donnelly: (15 Games) 1-0, 8.56 ERA, 2.195 WHIP, 4 HLD, 13.2 IP, 8 K, 10 BB, 2 HR
You may want to rag on Brendan Donnelly for the high ERA and his shaky outings. But Brendan Donnelly was battling back from a tough injury. The Indians put some stock into him and let him rehab through their organization.

We'll see if that stock pays off in the off-season as they debate whether to bring him back and see if he wants to come back. Donnelly's MLB year was okay, not impressive or eye opening. His WHIP is something to scream about but Donnelly is a pro and he's been there before.

If they can bring him back on a low-risk deal, he might be worth it as a veteran. Donnelly gets one feather for his performance, but he is much better than that.

David Dellucci: (113 G, 336 AB) .238/.307/.405, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 3/5 SB, 41 R
David Dellucci is a poster child of the 2008 year, which I've deemed as the year of "Frustration." Whether it's his play or the fact that he is still on this team, Dellucci is frustrating. He "beat out" Ben Francisco to start the year, along with Jason Michaels.

Wedge claims that Dellucci is a leader in the clubhouse, which I can buy to an extent. But if he is leader, he isn't an emotional leader. Dellucci doesn't get it done with the bat the way they play him. If he was a leader and his sole purpose was to "lead" he shouldn't be playing as much as he is.

I don't think Dellucci has a place on this team, especially not with the potential of Choo and Francisco. That would make him the fourth outfielder, but he can't run, he can't play defense and he can't play every outfield spot. That makes him utterly useless. I'd rather waste a spot for Sal Fasano as the designated leader.

Either way, Dellucci had another poor year. His OBP continues to decline since his days in Texas and he is no longer a useful player. His one feather is a combination of taking up space from Francisco, Choo and Gutierrez and the fact that he is still on this team.

Travis Hafner: (57 G, 198 AB) .197/.305/.323, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 1/2 SB, 21 R
Like David Dellucci, Travis Hafner could be a fitting poster boy to that frustration mantra, but for different reasons. Hafner's injury is frustrating, as it was one that basically made his 2008 a lost cause.

Perhaps it was good though. I gave him one feather because I didn't know where else to put him. Considering this an incomplete feather, because Hafner's grade will depend on how well he plays next year. I do believe that his strength will be back next year and once he gets his timing back, we may see a rejuvenated "Pronk." I think its forced him to get back to the basics and no longer flail at those outside pitches that pitchers make him hit. He got away from what made him a dangerous hitter and when he gets back to how he used to hit, which I think the injury has made him do, he'll be the Hafner of old.

Brian Slocum (Cle+Buf): (32 Games-11 Starts) 3-7, 5.37 ERA, 1.527 WHIP, 1 SV, 3 HLD, 87.1 IP, 82 K, 42 BB, 14 HR
I included Brian Slocum in the mix because this was an important year for him with this team. He spent most of the year in Buffalo but Slocum appeared in Cleveland a few times to get absolutely lambasted.

Slocum in my opinion has no future with this team. His time is running out, he's getting older and he is a man without a pitching role. He might come into next year competing, but he'll end up on the wire. I give just one feather for Slocum for his combined effort in Buffalo and Cleveland.

Andy Marte: (80 G, 235 AB) .221/.268/.315, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 1/2 SB, 21 R
Oh Andy, Andy, Andy! Andy Marte's season is one of disgust and wonderment. First, we knew and I think most were perfectly fine keeping him around on the bench as a backup. But he simply didn't get any at bats what so ever. Then it got to a point where the team was going no where and Casey Blake was traded. Marte got his shot to prove himself.

He wasn't impressive and he didn't do what we thought he was capable of. Marte is probably a bust when it comes to high ceiling prospects. He just doesn't look like he can hit at the big league level. His glove is something to rave about, I love his defense. But he needs to hit and he is simply not doing that. He looked better once he got his shot full time, but you have to wonder about a kid who can't get it done.

He is still young, but if not now, when? Marte he has had ample time at the big league level to prove himself. Maybe he needs a change of scenery. I've given him one feather and it hurts to do so because I really like him. But, unless he comes to Spring Training in much better shape, something he didn't do this year, and starts hitting the cover off the ball. I see no future for Andy Marte in Cleveland.

Juan Rincon (w/CLE): (22 Games) 1-1, 5.13 ERA, 1.540 WHIP, 2 HLD, 26.1 IP, 19 K, 8 BB, 3 HR
Considering Juan Rincon pitched just as much for the Cleveland Indians this year as he did for the Minnesota Twins, I'm looking for improvement.

I don't really see much, other than he fixed his control problems and didn't walk as many hitters. But he still gave up runs and he still wasn't effective as he used to be.

I think Donnelly has more potential going forward than Rincon does. But, never underestimate the power of a clubhouse. Rincon has a lot of Venezuelan teammates here in Cleveland, including catcher Victor Martinez that he might be able to benefit from. I'd bring him in for a competition if he's willing. He gets just one feather because I wasn't totally impressed with what he did, like I said, he only improved in one aspect.

Derek Shelton: Runs Scored - 805, Team Average - .262
Derek Shelton's season was a rough start.

The turnaround might have saved his job, but if this team has another cold opening to the season, he will find himself on the hot seat. Shelton deserves a lot of the blame for the poor batting averages that were there at the start of the season. His sound ways of taking pitches and making the pitchers pitch to you was no longer working. Pitchers adjusted to the style of play the Indians had and they threw a lot of first pitch strikes.

Shelton did not adjust accordingly and for that he deserves just one feather. The team came on strong at the end of the year and ended up scoring an MLB top ten 800 plus runs. But it is unacceptable to start the season the way they did offensively.

Cliff Lee
Is there any other option to pick for Team MVP? It has to be Cliff Lee, who is the hands down favorite to win the AL Cy Young award and has accounted for 27 percent of his team's victories. It was Lee that was always there to stop a streak or derail a funk. He stopped multiple losing streaks on more than one occasion and when he pitched, there was a sense of immortality, as if the team wouldn't lose. He energized a defense to play well and excited an offense to support him. Cliff Lee is the hands down MVP of this 2008 team. Without him, there would be no season and there would be no good thing to look back on. He made Indians baseball watchable in the bleak periods and made it must-see TV in the bright ones. Cliff Lee is the first recipient of the Golden Feather, our Cleveland Indians Team MVP!

Jamey Carroll
This award could go in several different ways, but because the little guy is always the most liked, I bestow the silver feather onto Jamey Carroll. Carroll was big for the Indians when they didn't have a second baseman or a hitter in the two hole. Carroll stepped in and stepped up as the team's spark plug. Most memorable will be his battles with Travis Hafner over fantasy football transactions, but Carroll's clubhouse presence is also something to praise. Jamey Carroll is the silver feather recipient for the 2008 Cleveland Indians, our unsung hero!

There it is...The end of the year feathers for the 2008 Cleveland Indians. This is just the begining of our 2008 wrap-up. There is more to come!

Are Shapiro, Wedge to blame? One strong argument says no

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:39:32 -0500

Tribe fans - much like all fans - like to point fingers when things are going poorly.

The biggest targets seem to be Tribe GM Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge.

I guess there's no surprise there.

But Brian La Shier, one of my partners at MVN's Tribe Report says dropping the blame for this year's fiasco in the laps of GM Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge is unfair.

"I was asked to compile a review of Cleveland's front office and coaching staff. That sounded easy enough at first considering all the poor decisions, botched trades, and managerial shenanigans. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that Shapiro and Wedge really aren't to blame for the season getting off track so dramatically. Some of the more pessimistic fans in the crowd might want to sit this post out because (gasp!) this team was managed much better than their place in the standings would indicate."

Read the rest of Brian's comments here, in the final installment of MVN's three-part series looking at the Tribe's first half.

Meantime, the second-half of the season has gotten off to a pretty rotten start. Aaron Laffey was awful, allowing eight runs in 3 2/3 innings in Seattle Friday night, although five of the runs were unearned.

While that bothers me, a couple of other things bother me more.

David Dellucci was in the frickin' lineup again tonight. There is just no logical reason for him to be there. He's been awful, and he has no role in the future. His appearances at DH are taking ABs away from Ryan Garko and others - at-bats they need to prove that they either belong in the big leagues, or they don't.

Every decision made from here on in must be made with next year in mind. I don't see how Dellucci playing contributes to that goal.

The other thing that bugs me is the statue-like play of Jhonny Peralta at short. It was his booting of a routine groundball that opened the floodgates for the five unearned runs off of Laffey in the second. Peralta and Marte should be splitting 3B to see if either is a viable alternative there for next year, while Asdrubal Cabrera should be given the chance to make a bid for the 2009 shortstop job.

I have to admit with the four Tribeless days completed, I was looking forward to things getting started again so we could start watching the "next-year" folks - Marte at 3B, Cabrera as SS, Peralta at 3B, Raffy Perez as closer.

These moves make sense to me, but I'm not sure the powers that be see it the same way. For them - for some reason - it's important to get David Dellucci some more at bats.

What's up with Aaron Laffey?

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:39:31 -0500

Tribe fans talk about next year's starting rotation and how thin it is.

"We got Lee, Carmona and Laffey" they say. "After that who knows."

Better put Aaron Laffey in the "who knows" category.

On June 24, after holding the Giants to a run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings at the Jake, Laffey's ERA was 2.83.

Five starts later, his ERA is 4.23, and he is 1-3 in those five starts.

It's pretty difficult to add a run and a half to your ERA in five starts, but Laffey managed.

Here's how:

In the past five starts, Laffey has pitched 23 2/3 innings and allowed 22 earned runs. I don't even need my calculator to know that is darned near a 9.00 ERA.

He has given up 38 hits and 12 walks during that stretch. Again, I don't need to my calculator to know that comes out to a WHIP of just over 2.00 and nearly 5 walks per 9 innings.

Is his confidence rattled? Are his mechanics off? Has the league figured him out?

That's hard to say sitting in my living room in suburban NY, but something is clearly out of kilter.

So much so, that Tribe manager Eric Wedge wouldn't make any promises when asked whether Laffey might not be the guy to go down to Buffalo to get straightened out when Fausto Carmona comes back at the end of the week.

After Laffey gave up 8 runs on 12 hits in just four innings plus in today's game in Anaheim, Wedge was non-committal when asked about the roster move coming up Friday - telling MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince:

"We're not going to decide anything right now," manager Eric Wedge said. "We don't need to do anything until Friday night after the game, at the earliest. We haven't made any decisions just yet."

Matt Ginter is the presumed odd-man-out, but he's put up two quality starts in two tries since joining the Tribe's rotation in what was supposed to be a cameo role.

Jeremy Sowers, who has been a major disappointment this season could also go, but it is likely (at least I think so) that the Tribe - which has already farmed out Sowers this year for retooling - will want to keep him up in the hopes he can work things out on the big-league level between now and the end of September.

Which brings us to the bullpen.

I had planned to do a piece tonight about how the pen seems to be coming around and how it has been central to the Tribe's recent run of victories.

An then today - and Tom Mastny and Jensen Lewis - happened. The duo combined to give up 6 runs over three innings in relief of Mastny, rendering moot any effort the Tribe's offense made to make a game of it. And that doesn't even count the 3 runs of Laffey's that Mastny gave up on a grand slam by Angel's catcher Jeff Mathis.

In Mastny's defense, he last pitched 10 days ago. I've said it time and again this year and in the past, I don't know how Wedge expects his 4-7 relievers to be of any value whatsoever when he pitches them once every leap year or so. But still, Mastny was awful and Lewis wasn't much better.

But the bullpen has been strong in the past 9 games before today - a stretch which saw the Tribe go 7-2.

During that run, the pen has tossed 28 innings allowed 6 earned runs, 17 hits and 7 walks. That's an ERA of 1.92 and a WHIP of 0.86 (I'm not going to let the stats I dug up go top waste). Exclude one 4-run blowup by Juan Rincon, and the Tribe's bullpen ERA during the 9-game run is 0.64.

Masa Kobayashi has 2 saves and Mastny, of all people, has the pen's lone win during the Tribe's recent hot streak.

More importantly, a few key pitchers seem to be settling into roles. Raffy Perez, back firmly in the set-up role where he excelled last year, threw 7 innings in four appearances over the 9 games and did not allow a run.

Kobayashi had the 2 saves and has pitched well in general since taking over the closer's role. Edward Mujica threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings during the stretch as he has begun to make a move toward the latter innings of games.

The roles being established now though appear to be nothing more than an attempt to wrestle this season under control. While impressions will be made the rest of the way, it's doesn't appear as though anyone will be locking up their role for next season.

In another piece for MLB.com, Castrovince reports that Wedge sees the bullpen situation as - shall we say - fluid.

"The roles are wide open," Wedge said. "But I do see signs. We've got plenty of time to continue to look at these guys. They're going to have an opportunity to step up and figure out if they can play a prominent role in this thing."

Still, in the same piece, Castrovince reports the Tribe doesn't think it will find its 2009 closer on its 2008 club, again quoting Wedge:

"A lot would have to happen with the people we have down there now for us to not go out and get somebody," Wedge said. "Somebody would have to grab the role, really lock into it and prove that we can count on them. That's a lot to happen in two and a half months."

What's up with Aaron Laffey?

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:39:31 -0500

Tribe fans talk about next year's starting rotation and how thin it is.

"We got Lee, Carmona and Laffey" they say. "After that who knows."

Better put Aaron Laffey in the "who knows" category.

On June 24, after holding the Giants to a run on four hits in 6 1/3 innings at the Jake, Laffey's ERA was 2.83.

Five starts later, his ERA is 4.23, and he is 1-3 in those five starts.

It's pretty difficult to add a run and a half to your ERA in five starts, but Laffey managed.

Here's how:

In the past five starts, Laffey has pitched 23 2/3 innings and allowed 22 earned runs. I don't even need my calculator to know that is darned near a 9.00 ERA.

He has given up 38 hits and 12 walks during that stretch. Again, I don't need to my calculator to know that comes out to a WHIP of just over 2.00 and nearly 5 walks per 9 innings.

Is his confidence rattled? Are his mechanics off? Has the league figured him out?

That's hard to say sitting in my living room in suburban NY, but something is clearly out of kilter.

"We're not going to decide anything right now," manager Eric Wedge said. "We don't need to do anything until Friday night after the game, at the earliest. We haven't made any decisions just yet."

Matt Ginter is the presumed odd-man-out, but he's put up two quality starts in two tries since joining the Tribe's rotation in what was supposed to be a cameo role.

Which brings us to the bullpen.

I had planned to do a piece tonight about how the pen seems to be coming around and how it has been central to the Tribe's recent run of victories.

But the bullpen has been strong in the past 9 games before today - a stretch which saw the Tribe go 7-2.

Masa Kobayashi has 2 saves and Mastny, of all people, has the pen's lone win during the Tribe's recent hot streak.

In another piece for MLB.com, Castrovince reports that Wedge sees the bullpen situation as - shall we say - fluid.

"The roles are wide open," Wedge said. "But I do see signs. We've got plenty of time to continue to look at these guys. They're going to have an opportunity to step up and figure out if they can play a prominent role in this thing."

Still, in the same piece, Castrovince reports the Tribe doesn't think it will find its 2009 closer on its 2008 club, again quoting Wedge:

"A lot would have to happen with the people we have down there now for us to not go out and get somebody," Wedge said. "Somebody would have to grab the role, really lock into it and prove that we can count on them. That's a lot to happen in two and a half months."

Boston is Byrdland now

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:39:29 -0500

Well Paul Byrd is off to the Bosox

Good for him!

He'll get another shot at the playoffs, where he just might have been the Tribe's most effective starter last season.

The good news is it won't be the Yankees that Byrd will be helping to get to, and through, the post-season.

Although, quite frankly, there are teams I would rather see him help than the Red Sox.

The Boston blogosphere doesn't seem to have much of an opinion about the deal. Most blogs simply reported the trade and moved on without comment.

The closest thing to commentary I could find was from the Sports of Boston blog:

This isn't supposed to be a major impact trade like the Bay/Manny deal. The Sox are simply addressing a need in their rotation right now. Tim Wakefield, a consistent innings-eater, hits the DL and Clay Buchholz is having a sophomore slump. Theo knows with the Rays wounded (Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria on the DL), now is the time to gain ground on them. Hopefully a change of scenery won't affect Byrd's hot streak.

I wonder a bit about a flyball pitcher like Byrd and how well he's going to do at Fenway with the Green Monster. But, hey, that's for others to worry about now.

It's hard to comment from the Tribe's side beyond saying so long, good luck and thanks for the good work.

I mean how do you comment on a bag of cash in return? Or a player to be named later. Something tells me that if the Tribe is deciding between cash and a player, the player can't be much.

The interesting question will be who replaces Byrd in the rotation.

Will Aaron Laffey be on his way back after just two outings in Buffalo? In his most-recent outing Laffey pitched 8 shutout innings. striking out nine. But his first outing was rather pedestrian.

It could be David Huff, who has been lights out at both Buffalo and Akron this year. I'd like so see him up myself.

Zach Jackson, who has been hot and cold at Buffalo since being the "throw-in" in the CC deal, is the Buffalo pitcher whose turn comes up in what would have been Byrd's next start Friday. Not reason enough in my book to bring him up.

As moves go, this one is a bit of a yawner from the Tribe's side. But it does clear one more spot for one more youngster to make an impression the rest of the way.

Victor goes yard!!

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:39:28 -0500

With one swing of his bat, Victor Martinez shook off the 700 pound gorilla that has been on his back all season.

In the bottom of the second inning tonight at Progressive Field, Victor hit a towering flyball to the home run porch in left - his first homer of the season.

After playing the first two-and-half months with a sore hamstring and eventually a sore elbow, Victor was robbed of his power at the plate and became a non-entity with a bat in his hands.

All fixed and rested, Victor has had a hit in each of the three starts he's made since being activated, and tonight - for the first time all year - he went yard.

The joy and relief Victor felt was plain to see.

He stood at the plate and watched as he did what he used to take for granted for the first time in 2008 - send a ball sailing deep into the nighttime sky.

His smile in the dugout afterward was a mile wide and his teammates - especially fellow catcher Sal Fasano - seemed to enjoy the moment as much as Victor.

You had to assume that Victor's power would return with his health. I'm sure most of us felt that way. But it sure was nice to get a little evidence during the heat of battle.

Having said that, it would also be nice to see a little consistency from Fausto Carmona.

Fausto also has recently returned from a lengthy injury, and although he's shown flashes of his old self in his recent outings, he seems to be unable to put it all together for a full game.

It looked like tonight might be the night, as Fausto had a shutout through 5. But in the sixth Carmona lost his control and his poise and allowed 3 runs before departing with two outs in the inning.

In 8 starts since returning to the rotation, Carmona is 3-3 with tonight's decision still in doubt. He's thrown 41 2/3 innings and has allowed 31 earned runs. He's walked 22 batters in the process.

For a guy who is being counted on as No. 2 next year, I sure hope we see a bit more of the good Fausto the rest of the way.

Back to the good news.

Raffy Betancourt continued his late-season resurrection, getting out of a second-and-third, two-out jam left for him by Carmona in the sixth and going on to pitch another 2/3 of an inning in the 7th before giving way to Raffy Perez, who was brought in to get Jim Thome.

While Betancourt has been one of the poster boys for the Tribe's underachievement this season, his work since the middle of August has him looking like a decent bet to be a positive factor again next year.

Continuing in the good-news-bad-news vein, the Tribe today said it will shut down Aaron Laffey for the year due to elbow soreness. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince reports and MRI showed no structural damage but the Tribe thought it best for Laffey to just call it a year.

Six minor leaguers did get the call-up to the bigs - second baseman Josh Barfield, first baseman Mike Aubrey, right-handers Brian Slocum, Tom Mastny and John Meloan and left-hander Rich Rundles.

Under the Radar: Tribe Injuries Piling Up

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:52:40 -0500

It is sometimes amazing how much (or little) of a reaction certain things receive given the place of a team at any point in the season. When every game matters, we focus on every waking moment of any player that could have an impact on the season. For instance, the 10-win Browns make the news when [former cornerback] Leigh Bodden gets a traffic ticket at the airport. A reserve defensive back for the Ohio State Buckeyes is in line to miss the first two games of the season? All national news. But when starting pitchers and prize prospects are going under the knife and being shut down for the year for various injuries? Meh. It is football season - don't come in here with that "baseball" nonsense…

I beg to differ...

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:18:29 -0500

CastroTurf always has a great sub-line under the title of the blog that is periodically updated.

Right now it says..

"The Official Web Site of Sal Fasano"

I beg to differ, but whatever.. Any Sal Fasano love is good Sal Fasano love.

Anthony Reyes left the game last night with some elbow soreness. Oh man.

Reyes seems confident he will start next Wednesday, so we'll hope for that, if not we may see.. Lord only knows.... Aaron Laffey is shut down, David Huff is shut down, who knows what would be thrown out there.

Travis Hafner starts again tonight for the Aeros, I did not make it out to the game because of the rain, it got me down.. I will go tonight for sure though.. Hit another one for me Pronkster.

That's all for now I guess. Report later tonight or tomorrow morning on the Akron game. Go Aeros, Go Sal Fasno, Go Pronk!

Movin' On Upa??

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:52:21 -0500

It's officially September when a select handful of minor league baseball players get to swap their Bison jersies for ones that say "Indians" across the front. The Tribe has taken the late-season plunge with six players, most of which we have seen at the big league level at some point in the past five months. Those that were called up: Infielders Josh Barfield and Michael Aubrey, pitchers Brian Slocum, Tom Mastny, John Meloan and Rich Rundles. But where's Aaron Laffey??

They just wanna win... Go Get Em Tribe

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:53:50 -0500

Stuff from all over as Johnny Peralta provides the only Cleveland Indians runs in a loss to the Chicago White Sox. Travis Hafner news, Buffalo is done and a name change to one of the players in the Casey Blake deal.

Victor goes yard!!

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:05:09 -0500

With one swing of his bat, Victor Martinez shook off the 700 pound gorilla that has been on his back all season. In the bottom of the second inning tonight at Progressive Field, Victor hit a towering flyball to the home run porch in left - his first homer of the season. After playing the first two-and-half months with a sore hamstring and - eventually a sore elbow - Victor was robbed of his power at the plate and became a non-entity with a bat in his hands. All fixed and rested, Victor has had a hit in each of the three starts he's made since being activated, and tonight - for the first time all year - he went yard. The joy and relief Victor felt was plain to see. He stood at the plate and watched as he did what he used to take for granted for the first time in 2008 - send a ball sailing deep into the nighttime sky. His smile in the dugout afterward was a mile wide and his teammates - especially fellow catcher Sal Fasano - seemed to enjoy the moment as much as Victor. You had to assume that Victor's power would return with his health. I'm sure most of us felt that way. But it sure was nice to get a little evidence during the heat of battle. Having said that, it would also be nice to see a little consistency from Fausto Carmona. Fausto also has recently returned from a lengthy injury, and although he's shown flashes of his old self in his recent outings, he seems to be unable to put it all together for a full game. It looked like tonight might be the night, as Fausto had a shutout through 5. But in the sixth Carmona lost his control and his poise and allowed 3 runs before departing with two outs in the inning. In 8 starts since returning to the rotation, Carmona is 3-3 with tonight's decision still in doubt. He's thrown 41 2/3 innings and has allowed 31 earned runs. He's walked 22 batters in the process. For a guy who is being counted on as No. 2 next year, I sure hope we see a bit more of the good Fausto the rest of the way. Back to the good news. Raffy Betancourt continued his late-season resurrection, getting out of a second-and-third, two-out jam left for him by Carmona in the sixth and going on to pitch another 2/3 of an inning in the 7th before giving way to Raffy Perez, who was brought in to get Jim Thome. While Betancourt has been one of the poster boys for the Tribe's underachievement this season, his work since the middle of August has him looking like a decent bet to be a positive factor again next year. Continuing in the good-news-bad-news vein, the Tribe today said it will shut down Aaron Laffey for the year due to elbow soreness. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince reports and MRI showed no structural damage but the Tribe thought it best for Laffey to just call it a year. Six minor leaguers did get the call-up to the bigs - second baseman Josh Barfield, first baseman Mike Aubrey, right-handers Brian Slocum, Tom Mastny and John Meloan and left-hander Rich Rundles.