The Cleveland Indians have played one-eighth of their schedule and the results haven’t been pretty.  The front office or the fans didn’t expect a 7-13 start after 20 games.  When they get good pitching, the hitting doesn’t produce, and when they score runs, they get no pitching.  It’s a classic sign of mediocrity.

 

The Indians will point out that they are currently 5^th in the American League in runs scored, but if you eliminate the 22-4 beat down of the Yankees, they rank near the bottom (10^th in the league).  They do walk a lot, but if you watched the Twins series over the weekend, if you throw strikes to this bunch, they have a hard time scoring. 

 

And of course, they strike out way too much, currently leading the league in not making contact.  It’s not just a couple of guys whiffing either; it’s the entire team.  Only Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko are on pace to strike out less than 100 times this season.  In addition to those two, the only hitters with strikeout to walk ratios of less than 2:1 are Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera. 

 

Jhonny Peralta (25K’s/8 walks), Kelly Shoppach (16 K’s/ 1 walk), and Ben Francisco (16K’s/6 walks) are huge offenders.  Especially since Shoppach and Francisco have just 39 and 58 at bats, respectively.

 

The Indians have played 22 games this season and have five sacrifice flies, but three of them have come the last two nights against the Red Sox.  Their previous total of two ranked last in the AL.  Of course, it’s hard to hit fly balls with a man on third when you are striking out all the time.  Both Martinez and Garko have two run scoring fly balls.  Why?  They put the bat on the ball.

 

Not putting the ball in play is not a recipe for success.

 

Last weekend against Minnesota emphasized how putting the ball in play and doing the fundamental things can lead to victories.  Saturday night, they got hits on several seeing eye ground balls, and wound up taking a 5-1 lead.  The Indians offense is too dependent on banging the ball out of the park, and when they aren’t hitting homers, they struggle to score.

 

That philosophy has to change, not only among the players, but among the management as well.

 

Add in the lack of pitching, and it’s even worse.

 

The Indians rank 11^th in the junior circuit in ERA, and the poor performance is based on both the starters (13^th in ERA) and the bullpen (10^th in ERA) both stinking equally.  Tribe pitchers lead the league in walks allowed, with the relief corps allowing bases on balls at a stunning rate. 

 

I can’t blame this on pitching coach Carl Willis because he has instructed back-to-back Cy Young Award winners.  However, there is nothing wrong with lighting a fire under some of these guys.

 

Something has to change, but will the always patient Mark Shapiro make any moves soon?

 

The best thing the Indians have going for them is the AL Central Division, where in spite of their bad start, they are still just 3-1/2 games behind the Detroit Tigers.  They could be six or seven out in a better division.

 

With Travis Hafner going on the disabled list with a recurrence of his shoulder problems, David Dellucci will be back for this weekend’s series with the Tigers.  Rich Rundles will be sent back to make room for him.  I also believe Masa Kobayashi will be released or designated for assignment and another position player will be activated.  Luis Valbuena should be a candidate, but it will probably be Josh Barfield.

 

The Tribe needs a shock, not a tweak.  This team did not play well in spring training, so they have been struggling and losing since they took the field in mid February.  It’s still early enough to make an impact, but waiting another couple of weeks could be too late.

 

MW

 

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business quickly and coldly in the first round of the NBA playoffs, dismissing the Detroit Pistons in four straight, with only one game really in doubt going into the fourth quarter.  It was simply a case of a very good team beating one that has seen better days.  Don’t read anything more into the sweep than that.

 

The next round should and will be a little tougher as the wine and gold will take on either the Miami Heat or the Atlanta Hawks.  The Heat has Dwayne Wade, so you know it will be a more difficult series because he’s as competitive as LeBron James.  The Hawks gained a lot of experience last season when they took the Celtics to seven games in an opening round series.  Both these teams are hungry, unlike the Pistons.

 

Let’s face it; the fight is gone from the Piston veterans, particularly after a disappointing season for them.  Tayshaun Prince is hurting, Chauncey Billups is in Denver, and if the Cavs were interested in signing Rasheed Wallace as a free agent this summer, they may not be now after his disappearing act in the series. 

 

Don’t read much more into the Cavs’ sweep than this…The Pistons are a below .500 team, and a team with the best regular season in the league should sweep them.  Detroit got a lot of credit because of their past success, but really, the Detroit Pistons are not a real good basketball team.

 

The Cavs will have to continue to play better as the playoffs continue if they want to reach their ultimate goal, which is hoisting the Lawrence O’Brien Trophy.  Mo Williams has to do a better job in stopping the penetration of opposing point guards.  Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varajao have to be better on the defensive end, although to be fair, Detroit’s big men took a lot of perimeter jumpers.  There is room for improvement for the wine and gold.

 

The good news is that this team isn’t satisfied, and we know that because of their leader, LeBron James.  James has made a title his goal from the beginning of the season, and his teammates have all bought in.  He isn’t about to take his foot off of the pedal at this point.  I’m sure that the Cavs will have some tough practices to keep their edge in the week or so layoff before the next series.

 

By the way, the time off is a good thing.  Even if the Hawks-Heat series goes seven games, which seems like a good possibility, the NBA will start the next round probably with one day off for the winner.  Therefore, the fatigue and emotional factor of a seventh game will far outweigh the rustiness the Cavaliers will have.  Also, the time off for the Cavs will be an advantage as the playoffs continue.

 

My feeling is Game 1 will be next Tuesday night at the Q.

 

JK

 

The Browns draft figured to be full of surprises because they would be looking to make trades to get more choices, and from that standpoint it was.  GM George Kokinis engineered three deals on Saturday that netted the team three more draft picks, and they got out of the fifth pick which would have cost them a ton of cash. 

 

However, it was stunning that WR Braylon Edwards remains on the team, they still have two quarterbacks because they failed to deal either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson, and they chose not to improve their porous defense through the draft, instead, they received two possible starters in the trade with the New York Jets (who else?) in DE Kenyon Coleman and S Abram Elam. 

 

The draft pick of California C Alex Mack isn't all that surprising because the Browns were definitely interested in him, and Hank Fraley is not the center you want if you plan on running the ball.  However, WR Brian Robiskie might have been a little bit of a reach at #36.  Robiskie might have been there at #50 or #52.  I like the Ohio State product, he has good size and good hands, but I wish there would have been more of an emphasis on defense at that choice.

 

To follow that pick up with another WR in Mohammed Massaquoi from Georgia is really puzzling, unless a trade involving Edwards is still in the talking stage.  Massaquoi is a good blocker and another possession receiver, the same as Robiskie.  With their third pick in the second round, the Browns finally took a defensive player in David Veikune, a DE from Hawaii, who will be moved to OLB.  He didn't start until his senior year, and is regarded as a project at best.

 

It appears that Eric Mangini is putting his defensive eggs in his former players' basket, as the Browns now will have three new defensive starters from the Jets.  That would be great if the Jets led the NFL in total defense last season, but they didn't, they ranked 16th in the NFL, right in the middle of the pack.  It's not like the Browns' holdovers will add to much, although NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D'Qwell Jackson could have started for the Jets and helped them.

 

The Browns did emphasize defense on the second day of the draft, choosing only one offensive player, Clemson RB James Davis, on Sunday.  The rest of their picks were to get help at cornerback and linebacker, most notably USC LB Kaluka Maiava.  However, all of the defensive players they drafted this weekend will likely only be special teams contributors in the 2009 season.

 

They also went for smart football players.  Mack won the Draddy Award for being college football's best student athlete, and Robiskie was a finalist for the same award.  After seeing some of the dumb penalties and guys lining up in the wrong spot, I guess this is an upgrade.

 

The biggest problem with the Browns' draft was that they had a chance to add a player who could become the leader of the defensive unit, and they didn't do it.  Perhaps they thought the only player who could be that guy was Aaron Curry, so they decided to build the line and the receiving corps.  Alex Mack will help and will start from day one, so should Robiskie.  However, the defense needs an upgrade, and all they have added are serviceable players, no impact defenders. 

 

It looks like another year for the bend, but don't break philosophy.

 

JD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, it’s the closest thing to getting to the Super Bowl for Cleveland Browns fans.  It’s the NFL Draft.  It’s where the team will pick the next bunch of budding superstars that will take the orange and brown to their first league championship game since 1965, or they will pick more guys like Tim Couch, Gerard Warren, and Mike Junkins. 

 

One thing is for certain.  Eric Mangini and George Kokinis cannot afford to screw up the draft as their predecessors have done for the last 10 years.  The Browns need to start turning it around and they need to start right now.

 

Currently, the Browns have five selections this weekend, but I fully expect more selections than that by the end of the draft on Sunday.  Although it has been reported the Braylon Edwards to the Giants deal is dead, don’t be surprised if the wide receiver is moved on or before the draft for at least two more choices.  It’s not that New York doesn’t want Edwards, it’s that the two parties cannot decide on the price.

 

It also appears that Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree no longer interests the Browns which is fine with me.  However, what should the Browns do with the 5^th pick?

 

The defense is the big weakness for this team so that’s the direction I would go in on Saturday.  If Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry is still there at #5, that’s the pick.  However, if he’s not, there’s another question.

 

USC MLB Ray Maualuga would fit Cleveland’s needs, but he’s not projected to go until around picks 10-15.  The Browns would like to trade the fifth selection and go lower, but it doesn’t appear there is a market for the choice, unless maybe if USC QB Mark Sanchez is still available.  However, if the Browns can’t trade down, and they really like Maualuga, then they should take him.

 

You can’t pass on someone because Mel Kiper and the other draft gurus don’t think he’s worthy of the pick.  Of course, if he’s considered by everyone to be a 2^nd or 3^rd rounder and you pick him fifth overall, that’s a problem.  But, if he’s ranked the 12^th best player and you pick him fifth, what’s the problem?  The Browns need the toughness and leadership on defense that I think Maualuga will bring.

 

The other rumbling going around is that the Browns could take Sanchez and then trade Brady Quinn.  If other teams desire Quinn, then shouldn’t Cleveland hold on to him and see what they have?  Also, taking Sanchez means you likely are getting nothing out of the fifth pick in the draft, at least this season.  The 4-12 Browns can’t afford to have their top pick standing on the sidelines holding a clipboard this season.

 

What if Quinn goes somewhere else and shows that he can play?  That will just confirm everyone’s fears that the Browns’ front office has no clue.  The smart thing to do is give Quinn the starting job and let’s find out if he can play.  He started just three games, put up more than 20 points in two of them and got hurt in the third.  In other cities, he would be looked upon as a quarterback with a great deal of potential.

 

I would lean heavily on defense in this draft because the Browns still cannot rush the passer and still have problems stopping the run.  The reason they would like more picks is that Mangini and Kokinis would also like to fill holes on the offensive line (Cal C Alex Mack?), running back, and at wide receiver if Edwards is indeed moved. 

 

The Cleveland Browns will be one of the movers and shakers this weekend.  Sit back and enjoy the drama.

 

JD

 

I have long maintained that in a seven game series, the even numbered games are most important until you get to the seventh and deciding game.  If you are up 1-0, then Game 2 means you can take a commanding lead.  If you lost game one, then you have an opportunity to even up the series.  The Cleveland Cavaliers took that commanding lead in the series with a 94-82 triumph at Quicken Loans Arena last night.

 

Prior to last night’s game, Pistons’ coach Michael Curry openly discussed how he was going to take the ball out of LeBron James’ hands.  His theory of guarding #23 man to man failed miserably in the series opener, with James going to the basket early and often in route to a 38-point performance.  So, he doubled James more often and went to a zone look at times during the game.

 

It didn’t work.  James took just 14 shots, but still scored 29 points and dished out six assists as he found open teammates who made shots, thus foiling the Detroit strategy.  Early, it was Zydrunas Ilgauskas hitting open looks, and later Mo Williams started to find his shot, and Delonte West took the ball to the hole with authority.

 

Also, stifling defense keyed the wine and gold effort.  The Pistons were held under 20 points in each of the first three quarters as the Cavs built a lead that eventually reached 29 points.  The Cleveland defense did not allow many uncontested shots, but they also forced many turnovers, and when Detroit missed, the Cavs cleaned up the boards, led by James’ 13 rebounds.

 

Unfortunately, the Cavs’ reserves got sloppy in the fourth quarter and allowed the Pistons’ subs to climb back into the game.  The Detroit veteran starters seemed disinterested and beaten, but the bench, led by Will Bynum and Aaron Afflalo, outscored Cleveland 32-17 in the last stanza, and actually closed the gap to seven at one point. 

 

Therefore, even though the Cavs lead the series 2-0, they still feel like they have something to prove as they head to Detroit for the next two games.  I would envision Detroit coach Michael Curry giving more time to some of Bynum or Afflalo, and perhaps even Jason Maxiell to provide a spark.  I would also figure that Mike Brown would come up with a better way to defend those guys based on what they did last night.

 

The problems in the fourth quarter also came from the Cavs’ reserves turning the ball over way too much, as well as forcing bad shots.  If the game were in doubt, the starters wouldn’t have left the floor all together.  The biggest concern is the confidence the Pistons gained from making a blowout into a game.  This means the Cavs need to come out quick on Friday night and remind the Pistons who had the league’s best record in 2008-09. 

 

If Mike Brown’s crew can get back to the defense they played in the first three quarters last night, this series will not go longer than five games.  The difference for this Cavalier team is the offense has improved so much, scoring 90 points almost guarantees a win, especially against a team like Detroit.

 

JK  

 

It's not too often you can say your basketball team won by 18 points, and your baseball team wins by the same margin, but it happened for Cleveland sports fans on Saturday.  The Cavaliers took game one from Detroit, 102-84, while the Indians were waxing the Yankees in New York, 22-4.  It was truly an enjoyalbe sports day on the North Coast.

 

LeBron James made his presence felt early against the Pistons, going to the basket right from the get go, and punctuated the first half by banking in a three at the buzzer, culminating a 21 point first half.  The Pistons tried to guard #23 man to man, but they better come up with a better plan come Tuesday night.  James ended up with 38 points on 13 of 20 shooting.  Joe Smith, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, and Mo Williams also pitched in with double figure efforts. 

 

The only negative was the failure of the team to hold leads while James was on the bench.  Because of the 18 point win, LBJ came out of the game a minute early, and played a little over 40 minutes, which is fine for a playoff game.  Since the wine and gold have often bullt on leads while The King is on the bench, it's not a big concern, but it is something worth watching.

 

Meanwhile, the Indians scored 14 runs in the second inning in route to a thrashing of the Bronx Bombers.  The Tribe hit six home runs on the day in the new Yankee Stadium, which is playing like a bandbox thus far.  Any flyball hit to right field has a decent chance of flying out of the yard.

 

The win guaranteed at least a split of the four game series, which was kind of unthinkable after the 1-7 start to the season.

 

Meanwhile, the starting pitching has improved, but the bullpen is in a state of flux.  The relief corps, not named Kerry Wood or Zach Jackson, has walked 29 hitters in 36-1/3 innings.  That's the main reason for the problems they are having.  Rafael Perez has walked nine and struck out two thus far, and right now cannot be brought in to a key situation.  This means another southpaw is needed in the bullpen, so perhaps Rich Rundles or Tony Sipp will be recalled prior to tomorrow's game against Kansas City. 

 

Eric Wedge's faith in Jensen Lewis is also misguided.  Although both of the homers Lewis allowed were Yankee Stadium short porch specials, the right-hander has still allowed 12 hits and four walks in 6-2/3 frames.  It seems to me that right now Rafael Betancourt should be the eighth inning guy right now, and maybe Masa Kobayashi could get a shot as well.

 

Wedge's stubborness in not recognizing the hot man in the bullpen is one of his weaknesses.  Remember how long he stayed with Betancourt last year when he was clearly ineffective.  Of course, using Raffy Right in a 10-2 win on Thursday probably prevented him from being used on Friday with a 5-4 lead.  Why wasn't Vinnie Chulk used with an eight run lead. 

 

Getting to Kerry Wood has become a big problem thus far.  The Tribe needs to get the relief corps to throw strikes quickly or games like Friday and Sunday could become the norm.  The Indians should have swept the Yanks instead of getting just a split.

 

KM

 

 

 

The NFL Draft will be held a week from Saturday, and the Cleveland Browns are all over the news.  There are many reports that WR Braylon Edwards will be traded either prior to or on draft day.  The Browns reportedly will get a couple of draft picks and a veteran wide out in return.  If I am trading Edwards to the New York Giants, who are the principal partners, I would want a first round pick because the Giants' second round pick is virtually a third rounder. 

 

If the deal is made, the speculation is that the Browns would then take Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree with the fifth overall pick.  I would disagree with that.  I would still go defense, and then use my next pick on one of the plethora of talented wide receivers available in this year's selection meeting. 

 

There have also been rumors about Brady Quinn being dealt to San Francisco for, you guessed it, more draft picks.  Although I would prefer to deal Derek Anderson if I was dealing a quarterback, it would not be surprising if GM George Kokinis added as many as five more picks before or during the draft.  The new regime is committed to building this way, so the more selections they get, the quicker the process will be.  At least, that's the plan.

 

Also, the more picks, the more margin for error.  If you only have five picks, you really have to hit on all of them.  If you have ten picks, and you miss on four players, you still got six players who will contribute to the roster.

 

What also strikes me as funny is the observations the new brass have on last year's draft picks, particularly OLB Alex Hall and NT Ahtyba Rubin.  The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto reported that the coaching staff think they can contribute this season. 

 

This just confirms my suspicions regarding the relationship between former GM Phil Savage and former coach Romeo Crennel.  My contention was that Savage thought he brought in some talented players, but the coaching staff didn't use them.  That Eric Mangini thinks both can play just may show that Savage was correct.  I wonder what they think of WR Paul Hubbard?  To me, this was Crennel's greatest weakness as a head coach.

 

By the end of next weekend, the Cleveland Browns could have a completely different look as a football team, with several new players at key positions.  This year's draft is a huge day is how much time a return to the playoffs may take.

 

JD

 

 

 

The Cleveland Indians are baseball's most disappointing team through the first eight or nine games of the season.  No one envisioned the starting pitching being this bad, and the offense has been feast or famine.  Obviously, no team is as bad as it looks during a losing streak, but if the starters don't start getting to the seventh inning, the big free agent buy of the off-season, Kerry Wood, is an expensive luxury.

 

You don't need a dominant closer if you're trailing 5-0 in the third inning of every game.

 

However, today's blog is about the frustrating offense.  The Indians have some good hitters, but once again the strikeouts are ridiculous.  On Sunday, the Blue Jays' David Purcey, DAVID PURCEY!!!, struck out 10 Cleveland hitters in 4-2/3 innings.  This is not Nolan Ryan or Bob Feller we are talking about.  It's David Purcey. 

 

Right now, the Tribe leads the league in whiffing at almost 10 per contest.  This has been a weakness for this team before, but if anything, the problem has gotten worse.  In Saturday's game and Monday night's contest, the Indians had situations where they had runners on second and third with no one out, a situation where you can and have to score two runs, because it can be done without getting another hit.

 

The Tribe scored no runs in both cases. 

 

Saturday, both Ryan Garko and Kelly Shoppach struck out.  Monday, Victor Martinez fanned and Travis Hafner bounced back to the mound.  You can't be a good situational hitting team if you don't hit the baseball.

 

Grady Sizemore leads the whiffers with 12 strikeouts in eight games.  I will say it again, Sizemore is too good of a hitter to be striking out this much.  And after reading the comments in Bill James' Gold Rush, he does try to pull the outside pitch too often.  Why isn't the hitting coach working with him on this weakness?  Sizemore is already an all star player, but he could be an elite player if he made more contact and took the ball to leftfield when he is pitched away.

 

Mark DeRosa and Travis Hafner are next on the strikeout parade.  When your 1, 2, and 4 hitters are fanning this much, it is a huge problem for the offense because a pitcher can get out of jams without having a ball put into play. 

 

This is why the Tribe attack is inconsistent.  When they are hitting the ball, they can score with anyone, but when they are not making contact, David Purcey can strike out 10 in less than five frames.

 

The pitching in general is a mess, and Rafael Perez' struggles (18.00 ERA, no strikouts and six walks in five innings) have to be a concern.  However, the strikeouts have been an issue for several years.  No one has made it a priority to make contact in crucial situations.

 

MW

 

 

 

If the Cleveland Cavaliers win one of their two remaining games, they will finish the regular season with the best record in the NBA, and therefore will get home court advantage in any series they play in throughout the playoffs.  This is yet another first for the franchise in a season of firsts and records.

 

They achieved their first 60-win season.  They won their first Central Division title since 1975-76.  They have new career leaders in rebounding and blocked shots in Zydrunas Ilgauskas.  They also broke the club records for wins, wins at home, and wins on the road. 

 

However, a new season will start this weekend.  And this one counts more than anything this franchise has accomplished since joining the NBA in 1970.  The Cleveland Cavaliers have a legitimate chance to win an NBA title.

 

Back in November, Basketball Prospectus.com published an article by Anthony Macri asking if the Cavs could win the NBA title.  The article started with the premise that a one star team would have difficulty winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy.  It stated that the 2007 Cavs and the 2001 Sixers, led by Allen Iverson, were the only one star teams to even get to The Finals.

 

However, it did say the last three champions ranked very high in the league in point differential, had at least eight players who averaged over six points per game, and four of those guys averaged in double figures.  So, with just two games remaining on the slate, how do the Cleveland Cavaliers measure up against the last three champs?

 

First, the wine and gold does lead the NBA in point differential at +9.1 points per game, leading the Lakers and Celtics, who both have a +7.6 difference.  Orlando is fourth at +6.8 per game.  They have this in common with both the ’08 Celtics and ’07 Spurs.  The 2006 Miami Heat finished fifth in the league in this department. 

 

Last year’s Boston team had ten players averaging over six points per game.  The Spurs had seven players in this category, while Miami had eight.  The current Cavs have eight players with above a 6.0 scoring average (James, Williams, Ilgauskas, West, Varajao, Gibson, Szczerbiak, and Smith).  Boston also has eight, while Orlando and Los Angeles have seven, although the Magics’ Jameer Nelson is included in this list and he is out for the postseason.

 

All three of past champions had four players averaging in double figures, the same as the Cavaliers, who of course are led by James’ 28.3 ppg.  Mo Williams is at 17.8, Ilgauskas is scoring 12.8 per night, and Delonte West is at 11.7 per contest.  The Celtics also have four, while the Lakers and Magic have five players scoring more than 10.0.

 

So, the Cavs have the look of a team that can win the NBA title.  However, so do Boston, Orlando, and Los Angeles.  The next two months will provide plenty of thrills and exciting basketball.  It won’t be an easy road for the wine and gold, but it is a road they can get to the end of.

 

JK

 

The baseball season is only three games old, so there is no need for concern that the Cleveland Indians started 0-3.  The starting pitching hasn't been good, and the hitting has not come through in the clutch.  However, it is disturbing that neither starter was able to get past the fifth inning when the rotation was the biggest question mark on the team.  It doesn't give anyone a warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

The best news about the Texas series is that it was the only visit this year for the Indians into the hitters' paradise that the Rangers play in.

 

However, the three game sweep got me thinking...What happens if the Tribe gets off to let's say a 20-30 start?  Will GM Mark Shapiro decide to end Eric Wedge's tenure as the Indians' skipper? 

 

Wedge does not irritate me as much as he does other people, particularly with his "Wedge-speak" style of describing the game.  However, the results are what they are.  In seven years, the Indians have made one post-season appearance (2007) and they have missed the playoffs by one game once (2005).  Wedge has won more games than he has lost, but they have really only been a playoff contender after the All Star break one other year (2004) since he was named manager.

 

One of Wedge's weaknesses has been the month of April.  His teams get off to slow starts virtually every year.  They have recovered to record respectable finishes by putting together torrid second halves of the schedule, including last year when they won 40 of their last 68 games.  They finished strong in each of the last four seasons.

 

Starting 0-3 doesn't mean another slow start this year, last year the Tribe started 2-0 and still were below .500 for the month.  They went 0-3 in 1996 and still finished the season with 99 wins.  No one is comparing this edition of the Indians to the '96 team, though.

 

We have already speculated that the reason for the slow starts is the incorrect make up of the roster coming into the season.  It seems like the manager treats the first month of the season as some sort of expanded spring training, trying to determine how he will use people instead of formulating that before the bell rings on Opening Day. 

 

The other thing that bothers me about Wedge's approach to this year's team is his love of versatility.  You need that from your bench, but not from the starters.  We don't need to see different outfield alignments on an everyday basis, especially one with Ryan Garko roaming the green.  Former manager Mike Hargrove used to remind people that starters are starters for a reason.  Wedge needs to use his bench, but should also determine starters who will be in the lineup day in and day out.

 

Shapiro and Wedge seem to be joined at the hip, and the manager and GM should be on the same page.  However, the GM also has to see that something isn't working and fix the problem.  Slow starts have killed this team in the past, whether it be the bullpen ('06), lack of hitting ('08), or injuries.  The common thread is the manager.  If the season starts to go south, can Shapiro afford to be extra patient in 2009.

 

KM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cavaliers’ fans were panicked after Friday night’s blowout loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic.  Yes, there should be some concern because the wine and gold is now 2-6 versus the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic.  It would be better if the Cavs record was better against those teams, but quite frankly, Orlando was shooting the lights out on Friday, and it really didn’t matter what Cleveland did that night.

 

However, the team rebounded from that huge loss by beating up one of the NBA’s better teams, the San Antonio Spurs, by 20 points at the friendly confines of Quicken Loans Arena. 

 

The Cavs are now 62-15 on the season with just five games remaining in the regular season, three of those at home.  Several thoughts hit me during the crushing of San Antonio, who of course, beat the Cavs in the NBA Finals two years ago. 

 

First, watching LeBron James take control early with 18 points, and then playing a superb all around game, it struck me that if The King is on the top of his game, the Cavaliers are really unbeatable.  I realize this sounds rather simplistic, but if you think about it, when the wine and gold have lost this year, #23 had one part of his game not at the highest level.

 

Now understand that the opposing team’s defense plays a factor in James not playing up to his usual standard, but there are nights with a player of LBJ’s caliber, that the defense has no answer for the player.  It was like that with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant.  If LeBron has it going, the wine and gold are going to win.

 

The other pleasant sight was the return of Delonte West’s shot.  West had been struggling with both his shot and confidence since returning from his broken wrist, but the last few games prior to Sunday; he started going to the basket.  Against the Spurs, his outside game returned.  He was hitting stationary jumpers, and hitting shots off the dribble.  Having West back involved in the offense will be a huge boost to the attack.

 

Tonight, Ben Wallace will return from his broken leg, which means the team will be whole for the first team in months.  The time missed by Big Ben could be a blessing in disguise, as it could mean a fresher Wallace when the playoffs start.  That would be a tremendous boost for the interior defense.

 

Also, count me among those who would like to see Tarence Kinsey get a shot at more playing time, replacing Sasha Pavlovic and Daniel Gibson.  Right now, the latter duo isn’t really contributing much.  In fact, the bench scored just seven points against the Spurs, all by Joe Smith.  Kinsey is a good defender, which is important to Mike Brown.  Why not see if he can hit some shots in place of the inconsistent Pavlovic and Gibson.

 

Five games to go before the quest for a title starts…

 

JK

 

Since last night’s game opened the National League season, and today the Indians and many other teams start playing baseball games for real, we decided to take a stab at predicting the finish for all the major league teams in 2009.  Please don’t wager any real money based on these picks…

 

AL Central

1.       Minnesota

2.       Chicago

3.       CLEVELAND

4.       Detroit

5.       Kansas City

 

The Twins look to have the best starting pitching in the division, including a healthy Francisco Liriano.  We detailed the Tribe in a blog last week.  They are not helped by a brutal early schedule featuring a ton of games against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays.  We aren’t sold on the whole Royals are this year’s Tampa.

 

AL East

1.       Boston

2.       Toronto

3.       New York

4.       Tampa Bay

5.       Baltimore

 

The Red Sox will get more bang for their considerably less free agent spending than the Yankees.  Even if C.C. Sabathia wins 17 games, that’s three less than Mike Mussina.  The Blue Jays have the pitching, and Vernon Wells will bounce back.  The Rays will experience a success hangover.

 

AL West

1.       Oakland

2.       Los Angeles

3.       Seattle

4.       Texas

 

The A’s have been some shrewd trades (Matt Holliday) and free agent pick ups (Orlando Cabrera) to improve the team.  The Angels were too lucky in one run games last year.  Seattle improved their defense, which will help the pitchers, and Texas is trying to rebuild with some young pitchers and a rookie SS.

 

NL East

1.       Philadelphia

2.       New York

3.       Atlanta

4.       Florida

5.       Washington

 

The Mets improved the bullpen, but K-Rod is fading and J.J. Putz might be a better acquisition.  The Phils can hit, which Charlie Manuel likes, and the pitching is good enough to repeat.  If the Braves starters hold up, they will contend, and Florida will be in the mix with some excellent young players.  The Nationals are not good.

 

NL Central

1.       Chicago

2.       St. Louis

3.       Milwaukee

4.       Cincinnati

5.       Houston

6.       Pittsburgh

 

The Cubs are talented and have the starting pitching needed to win.  It will be interesting to see how Lou Piniella and Milton Bradley co-exist.  The Cardinals have the best player in the NL, and if Cris Carpenter comes back, have good pitching as well.  Milwaukee lost Sabathia and Sheets, but they can score runs.  The Reds have good young players (Bruce, Votto, Volquez) and will be better.  Houston is aging, and the Pirates are starting another rebuilding process.

 

NL West

1.       Los Angeles

2.       Arizona

3.       Colorado

4.       San Diego

5.       San Francisco

 

Manny will be Manny, and the Dodgers will win the West.  Arizona has good starters, but their young players still need to mature.  The Rockies pitching is better than you would think.  The Padres get the nod for 4^th because they are younger than the Giants, who will have trouble scoring runs.

 

MW/KM

 

The Cleveland Browns have given every indication that they are about rebuilding, and doing it the correct way, through the draft.  In the pursuit of more draft choices, it appears the team was involved in rumors regarding Denver’s trade of Jay Cutler with the Browns presumably giving up Brady Quinn to Denver in exchange for these picks.

 

I’m very confused by this.

 

First off, if the Browns are going to give up Quinn in a deal, they should have been trying to get Cutler, a Pro Bowl quarterback last season, in return.  That’s the only way I would give up the former Notre Dame signal caller in return.

 

Can Eric Mangini and George Kokinis really watch films of Derek Anderson’s performance last season and deal off Quinn for draft picks, thus handing the starting quarterback job to Anderson?  DA was frighteningly inconsistent in 2008, and maybe he is better than Quinn, however, he should have to prove it in actual games before trading Brady Quinn.

 

It’s not worth picking up extra draft picks for Quinn, while leaving Derek Anderson as the starter.  As much as I agree with building through the draft, Anderson needs to prove he can play up to his level of 2007 before you leave the cupboard bare behind him.

 

As good as Anderson was in the 10-6 season of ’07, he was equally awful last year.  He arguably should have been benched as early as the third game of the season against Cincinnati, and he saved his job again with a spectacular performance against the Giants on Monday night.  Remember too, that he really didn’t play well down the stretch the prior season either. 

 

If the Browns weren’t going to get Cutler in a deal, and I think they were only involved as a conduit to get Denver a replacement for Cutler, then Quinn shouldn’t have been the bait.

 

I understand that the reason the front office and coaching staff is being non-committal on the starting quarterback is to enhance the trade value of each.  However, even though Quinn hasn’t seen that much playing time, it’s hard to imagine what Mangini sees in Derek Anderson to be willing to deal Brady Quinn.  Anderson was one of the worst passers in the league during the first half of last season.

 

If the management doesn’t like either QB currently on the roster, then they blew it by not dealing for Cutler.  However, based on what the Bears gave up to get him, the price was too rich for the Browns’ blood.  But, it does concern me that the Mangini doesn’t seem to want to take a look at Brady Quinn.  His performance at Notre Dame and in two of his three starts last year merit a longer look.

 

JD

 

Opening Day is less than one week away.  Monday night, the Cliff Lee will toe the rubber against the Rangers in Arlington as the 2009 season gets underway.  How will the Indians do this season?  Will Travis Hafner come back?  How will the bullpen perform?  Will the starting rotation turn into “Carmona and Lee then get down on your knee”?

 

I would love to say the Cleveland Indians will win the 2009 American League Central Division, but I can’t.  My gut tells me we are looking at a third place finish this year, behind the Twins and White Sox, and the biggest reason for that is the starting pitching. 

 

This has nothing to do with Cliff Lee’s struggles in Arizona, either.  Lee’s a proven veteran, and he looks at spring training as a way to try out different things against hitters, and as a way to get his arm ready to make 35 starts throughout the next six months.  Fausto Carmona looks good too.  He seems to have recovered the control he lost in 2008, and is throwing strikes.  AL hitters can attest that if Carmona gets ahead of you, he’s very difficult to hit.

 

I haven’t seen enough of the rest of the starters to foresee a first place finish.  Carl Pavano has looked good in his last two spring starts, but you have to remember that they came against the Padres.  Anthony Reyes has pitched well all spring, but his elbow is definitely a question mark.  Neither right-hander has healthy for a full major league season since 2004.  It’s a giant leap of faith to expect it in 2009. 

 

As for the fifth starter, it will be done as a committee approach as the roster will extend to Class AAA Columbus.  Scott Lewis will not have a long leash, especially after yesterday’s game, as Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, and David Huff are waiting in the wings.  It would not be surprising to see Huff with more starts than the others come the end of the season. 

 

The bullpen will be fine with Kerry Wood as the anchor, and Jensen Lewis, Rafael Perez, and Rafael Betancourt setting him up.  Joe Smith is a good pick up as a situational right-hander.  And another lefty, Tony Sipp, will start the year in Columbus, but could make an impact before the season is done.

 

This team will score runs, with or without a healthy Travis Hafner.  Victor Martinez’ return will give the lineup another professional hitter with power, and count me among those who believe Shin-Soo Choo will have a big year at the dish.  Mark DeRosa looks to be a good fit hitting second behind Grady Sizemore, as he is a patient hitter with some pop.  Also, having an in shape Asdrubal Cabrera will give the bottom of the order a quality hitter.

 

This is not to say the Cleveland Indians cannot win the division, but there are too many question marks in the starting rotation for me to feel confident that they can win.  I think the Indians are a good team, and they will win between 85-90 games.  However, with the rotation in a state of flux, they will probably be on the lower end of that range.  That won’t be enough to get to the playoffs. 

 

If Mark Shapiro can deal some of his excess at the 1B/OF/DH spots and turn them into a reliable starting pitcher, the Indians can win.  However, I don’t have the confidence that this will happen.  Therefore, I have to think third place for the ’09 Cleveland Indians.

 

MW