Cincinnati Reds leave town with the Ohio Cup! Please take Wedge and Shapiro too! posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians vs. Cincinnati Reds

June 28, 2009 - Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

David Huff vs. Micah Owings

Watching the Indians lately is liking going into something knowing in advance it’s going to give you a migraine but you continue with it anyway. With aspirin in hand, I’m ready to watch game three of the “Ohio Cup”. I haven’t heard of a worse cup since the Apple Cup between Washington and Washington State. Today is game one without Mark DeRosa, who was acquired from the Cubs in the off season for three pitchers, then later traded to the Cardinals for a pitcher and a player to be named later? Makes sense when pitching has been the weakest part of your club right?

Some things that caught my script “I”:

-Nice to see Asdrubal Cabrera back in the lineup, and he picks up where he left off with a leadoff single.

-This Reds team has one pretty good hitter, an ok 2nd baseman, a supposed “can’t miss” prospect hitting .213 and a bunch of Triple A filler, and yet they hit around Tribe pitching as if they were the Philadelphia Phillies.

-Other than Fill The House for Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the other Fill The House dates for charities, I urge fans not to go see this horrendous team until changes are made, let Dolan sit and spin on that.

-There is no reason Eric Wedge should have a job later tonight or tomorrow morning. I think it’s going to finally happen. Shapiro will probably make it til the end of the year though.

-To all of the Eric Wedge supporters out there, let’s put things in perspective a bit. Ask yourself this…once he’s out of Cleveland, will he ever have another Major League managing job again? I would be willing to bet anything the answer to that question is NO! (rinse and repeat and fill in Mark Shapiro for Wedge)

Reds have the effect of a bad meal, Indians get the runs, win 9-2 posted by Brad VanFossan

Indians vs. Reds

Friday June 26, 2009

Progressive Field - Cleveland, Ohio

Jeremy Sowers vs. Aaron Harang

Interleague foes have led to interleague woes for the Tribe this year. Coming into tonight’s game vs. Cincinnati, the Indians are 4-11 vs. National League opponents. One good thing going into tonight, this Reds lineup doesn’t look the least intimidating on paper, minus Joey Votto, it’s nothing to write home about. Then again, neither is ours!

Some things that caught my script “I” during the game, today, or from recent happenings:

-If you’ve gotten a negative vibe in my writing lately, you’re correct. I really don’t have too much good to say about the Indians and I probably won’t until there are upper and field level management changes, but I will still give credit where credit is due to individual players and I still want to see this team win games.

-Brandon Phillips is on pace for 100 RBI’s this year. (See http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=89823427695&ref=ts)

-One commercial that’s gotten on my nerves for awhile now that finally needs mentioning is the Continental Airlines one where they compare adding new planes to their fleet as if they were newborn babies. And not to mention the woman saying it is almost as annoying as Flo from Progressive.

-Announcer goof of the night: In the top of the 2nd when Johnny Gomes was on second, Rick Manning mentioned that Gomes wouldn’t be running and on the very next pitch he took off on a hit and run (no harm done, it was just funny, see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96108064818)

Indians-Pirates or Browns-Steelers? Pittsburgh Pirates 10, Cleveland Indians 6 posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians at Pittsburgh Pirates

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA

Carl Pavano vs. Zach Duke

Since I live in the Youngstown television market, I also get FSN Pittsburgh on my cable package, so tonight I’m going to mix things up a bit. Tonight I’m going to watch the game on FSN Pittsburgh and give you a perspective through the eyes of Bob Walk and Tim Neverett, the Pirates tv announcers for tonight’s game. I thought it would be interesting to see what they had to say about the Tribe throughout the game, and what FSN Pittsburgh does a little differently than STO.

Some things that caught my script “I”:

-Bob Walk was pretty complimentary to Grady Sizemore. He said despite the low average this year, he’s a great overall player/athlete when healthy. 

-There was a fan on the right side of home plate wearing a “Irate fan” t-shirt, the t-shirts fans that tried to protest the Pirates losing ways by leaving a game in the 3rd inning a couple years back wore. I almost forgot about that til I saw that shirt.

-FSN Pittsburgh does a few cool things during games, they had a Pirates player mic’ed up, they had a commercial promoting upcoming games that was a spoof of the sham-wow and other infomercials that featured a blue background with the number to call and the credit card logos at the end. And they do a pretty good job promoting current and former players by featuring them in commercials.

-The Pirates rotate tv and radio announcers, when Bob Walk and Tim Neverett are doing the tv play by play, Steve Blass and Greg Brown are doing the radio and vice versa. I think it’s unique, and I think that Blass and Brown are more interesting and funny, and unfortunately tonight they are on the radio.

Cleveland Indians reach a whole new level of suck.....Pittsburgh awaits anxiously. posted by Brad VanFossan

I just wanted to post a little something on here since it's been a few days since I last did.  I jokingly said on twitter before the Cubs series that the Indians were going to get swept.  I mainly was saying this out of frustration and also the fact that it would be a safer bet than saying they might win a game, let alone the series.  Sadly, my somewhat sarcastic and fed up prediction came  true.  The Tribe was swept by the Cubs and I'm afraid they might just get embarassed in Pittsburgh as well. 

It's bad enough the Browns can't beat the Steelers, the Penguins got another championship for the city of Pittsburgh, and that the city of Pittsburgh has three professional sprots titles in four years while Cleveland has had none since 1964.  So while the Indians players probably could care less about any of that, I think it would be disastrous for Pittsburgh fans to also be able to say they won this series, on top of having a better record than the Indians this year.  That's right, a team that hasn't had a winning season since 1992 is looking at the Indians in their rear-view mirror.  I hope that at least for the sake of the fan's pride that this deadbeat baseball team can at least pretend to care for three more games to give us Cleveland fans a little bit of scoreboard over Pittsburgh.  At this point that is the only saving grace left in this grease fire of a season.  See you during the Pirates series.

Oh, and if you are a frustrated Indians fan who wants change, please join my Fire Mark Shapiro page on facebook:

Brew Crew gives Wahoo Blues x 3. Brewers sweep the Indians, win 9-8. posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians vs. Milwaukee Brewers - June 17, 2009

David Huff vs. Jeff Suppan

Progressive Field - Cleveland, Ohio

Well so much for my 7-2 homestand prediction. The Indians will have to win this game just to go over .500 at 5-4. Every time I say something positive the Indians give me two reasons to be negative. Carl Pavano is suddenly terrible, and the bullpen has been atrocious again. The offense is averaging 8.5 runs a game vs. the Brewers in the frist two games of the series and has won neither.

I’m not a huge fan of Eric Wedge or Mark Shapiro for that matter and I’ve been trying to give Wedge the benefit of the doubt lately. But one thing that is really starting to infuriate me is the lineup inconsistency. Even before all the injuries, it was almost a different lineup with guys in different positions every night.

I know the talent level right now is almost that of a team of utility men, but you can’t manage a team with that mindset. Sure a lot of teams platoon guys here and there and of course players need off days, but a different lineup every damn game? Right now that is my biggest criticism of Wedge. Guys need to have an idea of where they’re going to be playing and not have to wonder if they are even playing while driving to the ballpark. Baseball is a game of routines, both in the game itself, and mentally. I think that consistency is needed and is severely lacking on this team.

Here are some random thoughts and things that caught my script “I” today and during the game:

-So much for David Huff getting off to a good start as he allows a run in each of the first two innings and the Brewers take the early lead 2-0. He would also allow a run in the third as well.

If you can't pitch, swing for the fences! Milwaukee Brewers 14, Cleveland Indians 12 posted by Brad VanFossan

Unfortunately that goes for both teams.

Screw it, I'm not going to edit this, this was how things were going to appear as late as the top of the 8th:

The best thing that can happen when you're team isn't getting the best pitching performance in the world is for your opponent to be having the worst pitching performance in the world.  Ok, it wasn't quite the worst in the world, but the Brewers pitching was worse than the Indians tonight.

Things that caught my script "I"

-I don't really understand why on the night of the Ricky Vaughn bobblehead why the Indians and Brewers didn't wear the retro uniforms again, why not just wear them the whole weekend and tonight?

-Nice to see the long ball back at Progressive Field and all of them not being hit by Albert Pujols.  Shin-Soo Choo, Mark DeRosa, Victor Martinez, and Travis Hafner all went deep for the Tribe.  Ok, probably every column in Cleveland is going to say it was nice to see Hafner go deep, but it really is.

-The Brewers have to be ecstatic that Ryan Braun is locked up for eight years.  By the end of that deal he'll be 33, I guess still not quite too old for the Yankees, but he will definitely be the Franchise player for the Brewers, I'd let Fielder walk when his contract is up.  I just can't see how you can be that overweight and maintain the kind of bat speed to continue to be a power hitter, let alone productive for years to come.  In game edit: I had to know Prince Fielder would do something to put the Brewers in a position to win tonight after I wrote what I did about him, sorry.

Cliff Lee almost untouchable, three-hits the Cardinals. Cleveland Indians 3, St. Louis Cardinals 0 posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Sunday June 14, 2009

Progressive Field - Cleveland, Ohio

Cliff Lee vs. Chris Carpenter

I just heard that there will be no John Miller on the ESPN broadcast tonight, nice! The Indians are looking to take their third, yes you read that right, third series in a row for the first time all year. I’m looking forward to Cliff Lee vs. Albert Pujols and to see if Pujols can add to the three home runs he already has in this series.

Things that caught my script “I”:

-Brendan Ryan from the Cardinals looks a little like Rob from MTV’s Rob and Big.

-I’m not a big fan of the block “C” hats or the cream uniforms for that matter. Throwback or not, I think in 2009 all uniforms should have the players names on the back.

-Right on cue, Mark DeRosa hit’s a two-run homer as the ESPN crew was talking about his trade speculation. In my opinion the Indians can’t afford to trade him just yet with this injury riddled lineup. And by the deadline I think the Tribe is going to be closer in the standings. If the Indians start to get some guys back and they are hitting (I.e. Sizemore and Cabrera), then that could be a different story if we could get a quality arm for maybe DeRosa and a prospect or two.

-Imagine how big of a star Grady Sizemore would be if he had the personality of say Nick Swisher. Grady’s in-game interview with the ESPN crew seemed to be the last thing on earth he wanted to be doing at that moment.

-That being said, in-game interviews should be eliminated forever.

Huff's the stuff as Indians fans "don't go away mad" on 80s night. Cleveland Indians 7, St. Louis Cardinals 3 posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Friday June 12, 2009

Progressive Field - Cleveland, Ohio

David Huff vs. Joel Pineiro

Interleague play is back and the Indians will be taking on arguably the National League’s most historic franchise who arguably has the National League’s best player in Albert Pujols. This is definitely an interleague matchup to get excited about, not like the two vs. the Reds every year. This is when I kinda dig interleague play. The Indians are looking to win two in a row and start this nine game home stand at 3-1. A win tonight would be “nothing but a good time”, and hopefully David Huff isn’t on the “wild side” tonight to kick off 80s weekend at Progressive Field.

Here are some things that caught my script “I”, as well as Tron’s (this weekend only):

-I propose that instead of showing Major League on the scoreboard after the game tomorrow night, the Indians should show The Neverending Story in honor of this year’s injuries. In all seriousness, I give the real promotion an A.

-Jamey Carroll is a gritty guy but I’m definitely missing Asdrubal Cabrera leading off.

-A wild pitch combined with a walk usually come back to bite ya, as was the case for St. Louis, as Victor Martinez wouldn’t have scored from first, but did from second on Shin-Soo Choo’s single in the bottom of the first. Martinez was able to advance on Joel Pineiro’s wild pitch after walking. All of this happened with two outs.

What a Meche that was! Royals 9, Indians 0 posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians vs. Kansas City Royals Preview/Recap

By Brad VanFossan

Wednesday June 10, 2009

Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

Carl Pavano vs. Gil Meche

My favorite Indian is on the hill tonight looking to help lead the Indians to three in a row and push the Royals a little further into last place. Tonight’s stats of the night going into the game: Pavano has struck out 56 hitters while walking only 15 in 72 innings pitched this season, and he has gone 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA since the end of April. To put that into perspective a bit, CC Sabathia has struck out 61 in 86 innings pitched while walking 27. Am I saying that Pavano > CC? No, not quite, but when looking at the stats, one thing is for sure, 1.5 million < 15.2 million. Ok, time for the game and any other random thoughts that might come along.

Here are some things* that caught my script “I”:

*These things can be anything I saw during the game, anything that was talked about during the game, or anything that came to mind today in the world of sports, the Indians, and everyday life. Again, here are those things:

-This fall from behind thing worked last night, so what the heck, why not try it tonight? The Royals strike first on a walk, single, and sacrifice, taking the lead 1-0 in the top of the 2nd.

-Shin-Soo Choo showed flashes of Roberto Clemente, nailing Tony Pena Jr. at home from right field with a laser of a throw that was an on the money, money ball.

-An idea for a new drinking game: guess the color of Jimmy Hanlin’s pants before Tee It Up Ohio and whatever you choose to drink at that point would be up to you. Maybe you could do a shot for each putt Mike Cairns misses too?

Indians give General Lee the support he's been wanting. Cleveland Indians 8, Kansas City Royals 4 posted by Brad VanFossan

Cleveland Indians vs. Kansas City Royals

Cliff Lee vs. Brian Bannister

Tuesday June 9, 2009

Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

The Indians are looking to win their second straight series vs. a divisional opponent tonight. With a win tonight, the Indians can also leap frog KC and climb into 4th place in the A.L. Central and climb out of the basement, hopefully for good. Some things that I kept my “I” on:

-I’m liking the navy alternate jerseys at home.

-Jamey Carroll’s hit streak sits at seven, we’ll see if he can make it eight tonight.

-Well that was quick, it’s now at eight, not too shabby for a utility guy.

-Before I forget, I would like to send my condolences out to Matt Underwood and his family for the loss of his mother.

-am/pm went from a bad commercial to possibly a worse one with this guy asking for a cart in what looks like a Randall Cunningham throwback Eagles jersey minus the name and logo.

-I’m feeling a 7-2 homestand coming up, with a sweep over the Royals, and then taking 2 out of 3 from the Cardinals and Brewers.

-Miguel Olivo gives the Royals a 1-0 nothing lead with a solo shot in the top of the 3rd.

-KC adds another run on a single then stolen base by Willie Bloomquist, who would later score on an RBI triple from David DeJesus.

-Cliff Lee pitches an important scoreless fourth after giving up two in the 3rd, now it’s time for some run support.

-This might mark the first time in my 32 years that I’ve seen a pitcher take their shoe off and put it back on in the mound during the game. Cliff Lee had on black socks by the way…a fab five fan possibly? Nah, I would have to say the Razorbacks for sure, at least from the mid 90s.

Indians activate All-Star CF Sizemore

The Cleveland Indians have All-Star center fielder Grady Sizemore back.Sizemore, out since May 31 with an inflamed left elbow, was activated from the disabled list Tuesday before the struggling Indians opened a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Bothered by soreness in his elbow since training camp, Sizemore was batting .223 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 49 games before going on the DL for the first time in his career. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Indians send Carmona down to rookie ball

The Cleveland Indians have activated designated hitter Travis Hafner from the 15-day disabled list and optioned struggling starter Fausto Carmona to the Arizona Rookie League.Carmona, who won 19 games for the Indians in 2007, is 2-6 with a 7.42 ERA this year. He was sent Friday to the Indians' minor league complex.Hafner had been on the disabled list since April 29 with soreness in his surgically repaired right shoulder. He is hitting .270 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 17 games. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Former Indians owner Jacobs dies at 84

Richard E. Jacobs, the former Cleveland Indians owner and commercial real estate developer, has died. He was 84.Jacobs' real estate company confirmed the death on Friday.Jacobs owned the Indians from 1986 to 2001.Progressive Field, the Indians' ball park, was known as Jacobs Field from the time it opened in 1994 until it was renamed last year. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB