Yardbarker: Joe Borowski

Fantasy Strategy: Avoid the Elite Closers!

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:00:35 -0500

Stay away from Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon, and Frankie Rodriguez. In fact, stay away from all the great closers - they just aren't worth it.

AL All Crap Team

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:09:29 -0500

Screw the All Star Game let's put together a roster from those that have been utter disappointments this season.

C: Victor Martinez - He's supposed to be the best hitting catcher in the league. Instead he doesn't have a single home run this season and has been on the DL for about a month now.
1B: - Paul Konerko - Despite Paul Konerko's miserable .213 average the White Sox still find themselves in first place.
2B: - Asdrubal Cabrera - Last season Cabrera came up and solidified the Indians middle infield, this year he couldn't even hit close to .200 before being demoted.
3B: Jack Hannahan - Not much has been made in the media about the absence of Eric Chavez for most of the year, but his replacement for the A's has been piss poor hitting .222 with only 3 homers.
SS: Edgar Renteria - Renteria was supposed to be another key acquisition for the Tigers, yet it hasn't quite worked out yet as Edgar barely has an on base % above .300 to go along with his .326 Slugging %.
OF: Franklin Gutierrez - It's no wonder the Indians are in sell mode when you look at how many players they have on the All Crap roster. Gutierrez 200+ at bats and has an on base % of .265. Ugh.
OF: David Dellucci - Dellucci also has 200+ at bats this season for the Indians and he too has an on base % below .300 and an average below .225.
OF: Johnny Gomes - He's nothing more than a platoon outfielder for the Rays but he should really be nothing more than a platoon player for their AAA affiliation. He's hitting .186 with only 6 homers.
DH: Travis Hafner - Pronk used to be a consistent beast at the plate. This year he's hitting .217 with only 4 home runs and now finds himself on the DL.

Bench: Kenji Johjima - I was gonna go with V-tek, but Johjima has actually been worse, he has well over 200 at bats and has yet to score 20 runs.
Bench: Daric Barton - The rookie has not been the answer for the A's. In 267 at bats Barton is hitting .225 with only 3 homers.
Bench: Juan Uribe - No longer starting but still getting marginal playing time for the White Sox, Uribe has managed only a .206 average this season.
Bench: Craig Monroe - He has 140+ at bats for the Twins and is hitting a massive .211. Woo go Craig.
Bench: Shannon Stewart - Stewart has never been a masher and he certainly isn't this year with a .303 slugging %, but he used to at least have speed. This year he only has 3 stolen bases.

SP: Jeremy Sowers - The Youngster for the Indians has started 8 games this season and is 0-5 with a 7+ ERA.
SP: Steve Trashbag - He was brought back to the Orioles for a little veteran leadership, but he was designated for assignment in early June after posting a 8+ ERA.
SP: Carlos Silva - Um, why did he get a solid contract? He's never been really good and he's been atrocious with a 5.59 ERA thus far this season.
SP: Phil Hughes - Supposedly the best prospect in baseball Hughes had an ERA of 9 before landing himself on the DL for which he might remain the entirety of the season.
SP: Ian Kennedy - The 2nd Yankees youngster recorded an ERA well above 7 in 9 outings and has yet to manage a victory.
SP: Boof Bonser - The man with the funny name has been relegated from the rotation after posting an ERA well over 6.
RP: Jimmy Gobble - Gobble has come into 29 games from the pen and has an ERA above 7 for the Royals.
RP: Mike Timlin - I guess when you're about 90 you should be losing a little zip on the fastball and Timlin is with his 6+ ERA.
RP: Ross Ohlendorf - One more Yankee 'prospect' that has been a disappointment thus far this season.
RP: JJ Putz - JJ was supposed to be amongst the elite closers. Instead he's been on and off the DL and only has 7 saves.
CL: Joe Borowski - He wasn't very good last year when he recorded a ton of saves but he's been absolutely brutal this season with a 7.56 ERA and only 6 saves.

How to have fun during a ten-game losing streak

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:42:51 -0500

For all of those outside of Cleveland, the Indians have now lost ten in a row. We've also lost CC Sabathia, Joe Borowski, Travis Hafner, Fausto Carmona, Victor Martinez, and Jake Westbrook. And Jason Michaels. And last year, with all those players, we were one game from the World Series. Which only proves that this team cannot [...]

AccuScore Closer Report - 7/7

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:00:47 -0500

There is a new look to the Closer Report this week with expanded coverage of bullpen situations around baseball and rankings for the top fantasy closers and middle relievers. This week AccuScore analyst looks at the All-Star relievers, and has a problem with the selection of one player in particular. Also, the trade deadline is approaching so which closers could be swapping uniforms in the near future?

Indians Designate Borowski for Assignment

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:46:08 -0500

The Indians made what many would call a long overdue by designating closer Joe Borowski for assignment. With the Indians struggling and Borowski sporting an ERA over seven, the move was a no-brainer. While Borowski finished with 45 saves last year, he seemed to always make the game close and finished with an ERA of 5.06. This is definitely a move for the future as the Indians will see what kind of pitchers they have capable of stepping up for the big league club.

Tribe Designate Joe Borowski

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:52:31 -0500

Cleveland Indians designate Joe Borowski and call up Jensen Lewis

Indians front office meeting nets immediate bullpen change

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:52:45 -0500

The Indians brass, led by Mark Shapiro, Chris Antonelli and Eric Wedge met in Minneapolis today to discuss immediate and future changes to the Tribe lineup. As previously noted here at Tribe Report, the Indians will immediately address the bullpen. The first move will be Joe Borowski's removal as Tribe closer. It's not known whether or not he will be moved out of the roll and into the pen, or if he will be outright released. It's believed that the Indians are in the midst of trying to trade him, and won't announce anything in regards to where Borowski ends up until the official moves are made before tomorrow night's ballgame against the Twins.

Big Pow-wow in Cleveland; Are heads about to roll?

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:48:19 -0500

I'm heading to Cleveland for a long weekend in an hour or so. Contrary to what you may think, I have not been invited to participate in the big pow-wow being planned for today by the Tribe brass. Tribe manager Eric Wedge and his coaches will be meeting, and Wedge will also participate in a conference call with GM Mark Shapiro and other tie-wearing types. Wedge of course is in Minnesota while the front office is - in the front office, back in Cleveland. This is supposed to be a wide-ranging meeting to discuss where to go from here on the player front. First up will be the bullpen. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince reports the entire pen may be in for a shakeup - starting with the closer role. But, Castrovince reports, the closer spot is not the only one under scrutiny. "Other changes might come simply in the way Wedge uses his relievers. He wants to back off Masa Kobayashi, Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez a bit, as all three rank among the league leaders in appearances. -Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com." Revamping of the bullpen would mean more work for Edward Mujica, Rick Bauer and Tom Mastny. It could also mean the recall of Jensen Lewis and Brian Slocum. Slocum has a 0.69 ERA in seven appearances since being converted to a reliever at Buffalo. Wedge tells MLB.com he likes what he sees from Slocum. "He's coming on strong. He's always had a good arm. I think the move to the bullpen will help him out. His performance has been high on the radar." And, MLB.com reports, Jensen Lewis' return may be near, according to Wedge. "I don't want to put a timetable on [Lewis' return]. But he's starting to show some consistency and his arm strength is better. He's starting to locate the ball." I have no problem with any of this. It is time for experimentation. What I do have a problem with is Wedge's refusal to use these guys earlier. It has been his pattern to use just the top three or so guys - heavily - while letting the rest of the relievers rot in the pen. The impression is Mujica, Mastny and Bauer suck. When they get in the games it sure seems that way. They may in fact suck. Or could it be that it's difficult to pitch when you come in once every nine days and try to pitch three innings in a game that your team is already losing? It's pretty difficult to stay sharp that way. Wedge has always done a horrible job of keeping everyone fresh and useful in the pen. Bauer was an effective closer in Buffalo. If he were to be used like a closer (an inning a day in 4 or 5 out of every 7 days) might he pitch like a closer, or at least something resembling a closer? Maybe now is the time to find out. Kobayashi doesn't seem to be the answer. Overall he seems to have been effective, but he blows up nearly as often as Borowski. The only difference is his blowups come as three-run seventh innings that put the game out of reach, rather than ninth-inning blowups that end ballgames. Borowski's disasters - as numerous as they are - stab you in the heart and are more easily remembered. Tom Mastny - out of desperation - closed games toward the end of 2006 and did a decent job. I don't think he's closer material, but if he pitches regularly in spots that matter in the 7th or 8th inning, he is likely to be more consistent than he has been in the past. Maybe Jensen Lewis was sent to Buffalo to boost his fastball because he is the fallback position at closer. Just a thought. And it certainly is a thought worth taking a look at. The last two months must be about giving some of these other arms a chance, just to see of they are of any real use to the team for next year. They can't be any worse. Of course today's meeting will not stop at the bullpen. The organization will undoubtedly be discussing names they know are available for CC Sabathia. The names that Shapiro has actually discussed with other GM's, not necessarily the names we've seen all over the papers and the blogosphere. There would, I would guess, be some discussion about an infield realignment, with Asrubal Cabrera coming up to play shortstop and Jhonny Peralta moving to third. That is pure speculation on my part, but I know I would not only discuss it, but do it. Then you have some idea if Peralta can actually play the position when making plans for next year. Failing a move of Peralta to 3B, I'd put Andy Marte there for the rest of the year and let him make or break his opportunity. Either move would displace Casey Blake, but that is not a problem. Blake is probably being sought by more than a few teams and could very easily be gone soon. If not, he should get the bulk of the time at DH unless and until Travis Hafner gets back. He can also play 1B and the outfield, as you know, so he wouldn't be hurting for ABs. Since I wasn't invited to today's meeting, those are my thoughts. I was in Cleveland on my annual summer visit on the day of the big Robbie Alomar deal and the Carlos Baerga deal before that. Just happenstance. Could lightning strike a third time?

Culture clash behind A.L. Central reversal

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:08:03 -0500

The White Sox spent some serious money and mortgaged some of their future this winter, while the Tribe tried to get through this season with a pat hand and keep their future intact. This week's three-game series between the two is a good indicator of which team had the better approach.,

Lee's great, bats suck, bullpen blows up. That's about right Tribe fans

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:40:45 -0500

I was at Yankee Stadium tonight, making my Yankee-fan daughter happy by taking her to a game, watching Joba the Great look pretty ordinary and (this was my main focus) watching the out-of-town scoreboard to see what was going on in ChiTown. Am I nuts or what? As I watched the updates being posted, I could tell without any details available at all that the game between the Tribe and the Sox was taking a familiar path. Lee and Danks matching each other inning after inning and the toothless Tribe offense being offensive, as it has been all year. When the Yanks loss to Texas ended, the auxiliary scoreboard at Yankee Stadium showed the Tribe and the Sox tied at 1 in the 9th. It seemed pretty clear to me at that point that after I battled with 50 thousand other New Yorkers to get out of the place, risked 18 fender benders trying to push my way out of the parking lot and drove home to the suburbs, that I would likely turn on my computer to find that one reliever or another had blown the game. I was not disappointed. Tonight it was Joe Borowski, who blew his fourth save in 10 chances this season. The Tribe took the lead in the tenth only to have JoBo give it up (again) in the bottom of the inning. Can the trade deadline get here fast enough? The sooner it does the sooner Borowski will be gone (if someone will take him). Whether gone through trade or simply banished, Borowski must go. There's no obvious choice to replace him, so maybe Wedge spends the last two months of the season holding open auditions. Maybe the closer of the future is on someone else's Triple-A team right now, about to change uniforms without knowing it just yet. Someone - at least one guy - has to be given the shot in the last two months of this year to try to fill the job for next season. If that guy proves not to be on the roster, even after the trading deadline, then some money has to be shelled out to get a real closer. Everyone laughed at the White Sox when they overspent for Scott Linebrink and Octavio Dotel this winter. But why is overpaying for a solid, shut-em-down bullpen considered to be foolish while paying huge bucks for a bat or a starter is seen as a great move by the front office. We've seen it time and time again. You don't win division titles without a solid bullpen and the Tribe's pen is a mess. The first thing to do to fix it so spend the last two months trying to find out if they have someone to close out games next year already on their roster. I don't see anybody, but you've got to try. Back to Joba the Great for a minute. This was my first chance to see him pitch in person, except possibly for one inning of relief late last season. He was anything but great tonight. He couldn't find home plate with a Garmin GPS - having to leave after four innings with his pitch count in the 90s. Joba walked four and gave up five hits and two runs in his four innings. Of his 91 pitches, 49 were strikes and 42 were balls. Not too good. Derek Jeter, my daughter's favorite, got the night off and the Yanks lost of course, so it wasn't the greatest of nights for my daughter. For me, it was a good - if painfully slow - game in which I had no rooting interest.

Heyman: 19 Players To Be Traded?

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:57:09 -0500

Jon Heyman of SI.com has 19 players that will likely be traded:

1. CC Sabathia, Indians

2. Rich Harden, Athletics

3. Erik Bedard, Mariners

4. A.J. Burnett, Blue Jays

5. Randy Wolf, Padres

6. Livan Hernandez, Twins

7. Greg Maddux, Padres

8. Kevin Millwood, Rangers

9. Joe Blanton, A's

10. Jarrod Washburn, Mariners

11. Bronson Arroyo, Reds

12. Huston Street, A's

13. Kevin Gregg, Marlins

14. George Sherill, Orioles

15. Damasco Marte, Pirates

16. Brian Fuentes, Rockies

17. Joe Borowski, Indians

18. Chad Bradford, Orioles

19. Jamie Walker, Orioles

Key columnist pulls plug on Tribe's season

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:23:00 -0500

Nearly two weeks ago in this space I pronounced the Indians dead for this season. I wrote the column after much thought. There are just too many things that need to be fixed, and more things go wrong with each day. The Indians then went on a run of five out of six and cut their deficit with the Sox to 5 1/2 games. I was feeling a bit lonely out on the limb. But as the offense has disappeared again, and with the Sox lead over the Tribe widening again and the injury picture just getting worse, I'm sad to say I'm becoming more confident in my initial assessment. Ten Ks in five innings against Jorge De La Rosa tonight only strengthens my conviction. And today I was joined on the limb by some pretty good company. Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer, the best sports writer in the state - something you can tell just by reading him regularly but also backed up by his winning the official designation many times over - has declared the season over. Pluto writes: There will be no contention this season, not even in the pathetic American League Central Division. Not with the Indians being 8-9 in June and ranking last in the AL with a .246 batting average. Not with the second-worst bullpen (4.83) in the AL. Not with scoring two or fewer runs in 25 of 72 games this season. I have to say I agree. The team seems incapable of going on a run of more than four or five games. And every time they put something together, then follow it up with a week's worth of ineptitude. The latest news on Travis Hafner is that the Tribe has no idea when he will be back. It's pretty much the same story with Fausto Carmona. The bullpen is a disaster and the offense a bust. There's nothing to suggest there's any real hope for an extended run that will put the Tribe back even with the Sox, and they are now chasing two more teams - the Tigers and Twins. As Pluto suggests, it's time to burn up the phones and be ready to dump CC Sabathia, Joe Borowski, Blake and David Dellucci, just as soon as a good offer is available for each. We know Sabathia will draw major interest. Every contender needs a reliever. Casey Blake offers versatility needed on a playoff roster and teams can always use a veteran lefty bat. The moves would clear the way for the younger talent that will arrive in those trades to get their feet wet as well as allow some of the younger players currently on this team now to show if they are for real. Eight games (looking at the moment like 8 1/2) is not insurmountable if there are hopeful signs that your team may be getting it together. I see no such signs.

AccuScore Closer Report - 6/17

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:42:29 -0500

Injuries have created new ninth inning situations in both Seattle and Atlanta. Brandon Morrow steps in for the Mariners while the Braves welcome back an old face who should step right into the closer role. Also, there is a shake-up at the top of the rankings in this week's Closer Report.

Tribe a better team without Pronk, Victor impostors

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:03:44 -0500

Could it be that the Indians are a better team without Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner? The question is absurd on its face. But the results on the field seem to suggest there may be something to that thought. The once-impotent Tribe has scored 104 runs in 18 games since Hafner last played on May 25. That's 5.8 runs a game. It's not the '27 Yankees, but it aint bad. In winning 4 of the last 5, Cleveland has scored 34 runs, or about 7 per game. In the 3 games they've played without Victor and Hafner in the lineup, they've scored 25 runs, or just over 8 runs a game. Clearly the Indians are not a better team with the guys they thought would be hitting 3 and 4 this year, the real Pronk and the real Victor. But the players they were running out there with those names on their backs were a shadow of the real thing. They weighed-down the lineup in just the wrong spot - the run-producing middle. In response, the complimentary players on the team began to take too much upon themselves, trying to make happen what wasn't happening in the middle of the order. That led to the downward spiral that produced the Indians putrid offense in the first two months of the season, and in May in particular. With those two dead weights out of the middle of the lineup the runs are flowing more freely as everyone seems to have relaxed a bit and come to the realization that they can only do what they can do - which so far has been substantially more than they had been doing in the past several weeks, when they had been putting unrelenting pressure on themselves. This is not to knock Hafner or Martinez. No one can hit with shoulders, elbows and legs that ache. So at this juncture a look back and a look ahead are in order. Just what did the Indians brass accomplish by trying to hide the injuries and running two inferior players out there in the middle of the lineup when they clearly were too injured to perform anywhere close to their normal capabilities? Wouldn't it have been better if the Tribe had sucked it up and put Hafner on the DL right out of spring training, so he could rest and then strengthen his ailing shoulder, as he is doing now? He probably would have been back by now and it is not unreasonable to assume he would be doing better than the impostor who had been playing in his place for most of the first two months. The same could be said for Martinez. Victor hid the elbow injury on his own for the first two weeks that it was bothering him, but Tribe management was responsible for keeping it on the QT for another month as the injury festered. And that doesn't even take into account the hamstring injury that we all knew about but ignored right along with the Tribe brass. So that brings us to the next question. What happens from here? Clearly the starting pitching is still running close to full-throttle despite injuries there as well. The newfound offense, with guys seeming to be trying to do only what they can and no more, seems to be on the right track. It may only get better in the future when Martinez and Hafner - properly rested and healed - come back to the club. But there are still two obstacles to be dealt with - the 6 1/2 game deficit that was built up while the Tribe kept running out damaged players every night, and a bullpen that has been mostly awful to this point but has shown on occasion that they can get the job done. In fact, since Sunday and excluding Joe Borowski's meltdown in Minnesota Wednesday, the Tribe pen has allowed just 2 runs in the last 19 2/3 innings. With all the injuries, I'm not sure there's much of anything the Tribe can afford to trade if they indeed decide they are "buyers" as the trade deadline nears. But the addition of at least one more dependable bullpen arm would go a long way toward making the hopes for the season last at least a bit longer.

AccuScore Closer Report - 6/10

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:59:39 -0500

Brandon Lyon hasn't given up a run since April 6. J.J. Putz suffered another injury, and Troy Percival is set to return. Find out where these three rank, and expanded middle reliever rankings in this week's Closer Report.