Tagged: Michael Brantley

Indians Offseason???


With Francona becoming the leader of the Tribe what happens in the offseason??? Let’s evaluate it piece by piece

DH- I don’t see Hafner coming back without a MAJOR pay cut but the Indians have shocked me before.  What I do think will happen though is that the Tribe decides to rotate guys in the DH role but guys like Carlos Santana getting the majority of the reps and Matt LaPorta (providing he makes the team)

C- It should stay the same Carlos getting a lot of PT there and Marson getting more

1B- Here’s the position with the most question marks. Will Kotchman be back, will Ruzz Canzler get playing time there, will matt Laporta be back?? We shall see.  What i see is Matt Laporta and Casey Kotchman getting the majority of the resp

2b- 1 name KIPNIS

SS- A. CAB

3b- rather kevin youklis signs with cleveland or chistenhall and hanahan get the reps

inf role- look at 3b, phelps might get a shot,lillibridge

OF- Choo are everyday Brantly guys like Lillibridge and Canzler should still get a lot of playing time

Projected Rotation-

1.Justin Masterson

2. Free Agent pickup

3. Ubaldo Jimenez

4. Roberto Hernandez

5. David Huff/ Corey Kluber/ Jeanmear Gomez/ Zack McAllister/ Josh Tomlin (they will have to fight it out in Spring)

Bull pen-

Closer: CP

SU: Vinnie Pestano

MR: Joe Smith

Others (most likely to least likely): Cody Allen, Esmil Rodgers, Rafael Perez, Josh Tomlin, Tony Sipp, Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes, Frank Herman, Free Agent, Chris Shelden

Trade Possiblities

Choo???- I dont see this happening the Indians I think will try and sign him to a long term deal, he will be in cleveland on oppening day, they might try and get a long term deal done by the end of spring

CP??- With Vinnie being able to close games this deal would make sense especially after Chris’s crude comments this past season, could get a pretty nice return (prospect wise)

Tony Sipp- A name that could pitch well in a different environment he seems like a NL pitcher

Masterson- this doesn’t look to be happening but if a fanastic return this could happen I don’t see it

Hannahan- ONLY if the Indians sign Youk there would be not point in having him with Chistenhall and Youk all on the same roster

 

Side Note: I feel as if Grady Sizemore will sign a minot league deal in this offseason

July 15th


Derek Lowe was fantastic despite getting the loss.  He would have had a no hitter if the 3rd inning wouldnt have happened.  But during the 3rd toronto burnt lowe terribly.  It all started going sour when derek started the inning by walking the lead off hitter, J. P. Arencibia would single, that would score 1 due to a steal given up while Big Ben struck out.  Colby Rasmus would single as well bringing in Arencibia, Batastia would single (not bringing anyone in) Edwin Encarnacion would walk and Adam Lind would walk too bringing in a run.  Other than that inning  Derek Lowe allowed 1 baserunner (occurring on a walk).

Carlos Villanueva owned the Indians today allowing 3 hits and walked 5, and struck out 8.  Jason Frasor came in and held the indians in the 7th to a hit ,not allowing a run.  Then Darren Oliver came in and closed out a 2 inning save giving up a hit.

The main problem today was coming up with a hit in scoring position going 0-10… that was the PROBLEM

MVI- Derek Lowe

Good- Derek Lowe’s pitching, Michale Brantly came up with big hits

Bad- 0-10 with RISP not going to win

July 14th


ubaldo today pitched like Ubaldo that the Indians saw at first despite the fact he had been pitching well lately.  Ubaldo started off by walking 2 and then then to a 2 run double that would give the blue jays a 2 run lead. The Indians striked back though, they had the bases loaded and then walked shelly duncan which would bring in a run.  Then, the Casey Kotchman grounded into a double play that would score a run but that would be it.  Then in the 3rd Ubaldo was pounded with 6 more earned runs and would leave the game doing 2 1/3 innings of work scott barnes would continue the trend completely the rest of the inning giving up 2.  During this terrible inning the Indians pitching surrendered 2 singles, 2 walks, 4 doubles and 2 home runs

Shelly Duncan thought that the Indians should respond in the next half inning with a 2 run home run nobody would score for an inning then Toronto scored 1 more on a Edwin Encarnacion solo home run.  That would be all the blue jays would score in this game but the Indians made another run in the 8th when Santana would walk, a brantly homerun, a shelly duncan basehit, a casey kotchman homerun, a cab and kipnis walk and a hafner basehit to drive in kipnis but after that the indians did nothing

MVI- Daddy Duncan with a 3/4 day driving in 3

Good- Indians offense, bullpen in some respect

Bad- Ubaldo Jiminez

(July) Firday the 13th


Once again headlines should read MASTERFUL MASTERSON

Masterson , Vinnie and Chris Perez combined for a shutout.  In fact Masterson was fantastic he pitched 7 innings of shutout ball giving up 5 hits, 1 walk nad manged 5 strikeouts.

Vinnie conducted a perfect inning of work that led to another hold (24). In the inning he struck out 2.

The Perez came in during the 9th and was perfect as well, striking out Lind to end the game resulting in his 25th save.

The bats were decently quiet.  fortunately for the Indians Hafner hit a solo bomb in the 2nd that they would rely on for the entire game.  There was a threat later in the game but it started with Kipnis getting picked off (had he not got picked off they probably would have scored again) when after a hafner pop out two straight hits probably would have driven Kipnis in and probably had an oppurtunity for some more but as it is the Indians supplied enough for the win

MVI- (who else) MASTERFUL MASTERSON

Good- Fantastic pitching, no error game (despite a play from Kipnis to Carlos), Hafner bomb

Bad- Little offense

July 8th (the day of the all stars [haha])


There was no score in the first but in the second the indains started it out with hafner getting hit by a pitch.  Next, brantly, got a base hit moving hafner to second.  Carols grounded out sending hafner to 3rd and brantly to 2nd.  kotchman would knock hafner in with a basehit.  Then lopez would ground into a double play to end the threat.  The rays failed to score in the 3rd but the tribe didnt, it all started with a johnny damon triple in which he would score on a error on james shields for trying to pick him off but failing.  A cab and choo both got out but kipnis got a double and would be brought in by hafner on a fielding error by Jeff Keppinger.  No further runs would score in this inning and again the rays failed to score but again the tribe did, casey kotchman lead off the half inning but nobody else would do anything.  The 5th the rays would fail to score again but the indians striked again. Kipnis got a basehit, hafner grounded out which advanced kipnis to 2nd.  Brantly would walk.  Carlos grounded into a fielder’s choice (getting brantly at 2nd) and kipnis advanced to 3rd, then kotchman singled knocking in kipnis.  Then Lopez struck out.

Then the start of the “all star preformance” from a cab. After the indians recorded an out, carlos pena hit a ground ball that should have been an easy play for a cab but he tossed the ball and pena as a result recieved a base hit out of the manner.  Then the indians should have had an easy double play but a cab dropped a catchable kipnis toss putting runners on 1st and second (that of coarse was rulled an error)Luke Scott would then double bringing 2 rays in. Jeff Keppinger would walk.  Desmond Jennings would then double bringing in 2 runs,then acta would go to the bullpen bringing in smith to stop the bleeding (despite the fact McAllister did not allow an earned run) he did.  Nobody would strike again until the bottom of 8 when choo would hit a solo shot. The indians would score no more.

Perez then came into the game saving 25 straight games, or something like that but that wouldn’t last after giving up a lead off home run to Will Rhymes (his first in two years).  Elliot Johnson would triple and carlos pena would hit a triple bringing him in.  Ben Zoberist would bring in the go ahead run in with a basehit and unfortunately that s all she wrote.

MVI- McAllister

Good- “, pretty good offensive production, anyone not an all star

Bad- Both all stars (Perez and a.cab)

July 7th


Well the first inning did nothing but the next inning the bats were really working it all started with a double by michael brantly, then carlos grounded out not advancing him, duncan would walk in a 10 pitch at-bat, lou marson would then hit a double after jennings dove for a catch and missed it, jack then grounded out and duncan to score, cunningham would then hit a double to finish the scoring for that inning.  The next inning would score some runs too.  It started with an a cab walk, then lopez would double, brantly would ground out and score one and put lopez on 3rd, santana would then double bringing in a run and that would be all the scoring for that inning for the tribe.  Moore would last 4 2/3 and give up 5 earned runs during that duration.

Tampa scored 2 in the 4th on a 2 run home run from the freezing cold luke scott.

Nobody would strike again until the 8th when daddy duncan hit a 2 run bomb to blow the game completely open.

BJ Upton would counter that with a solo home run to lead off the next half inning.

Ubaldo did a fantastic job in his 6 innings of work giving up just 2 runs.  He gave up 5 hits, and walked just 1.

Sipp and Pestano both threw a perfect inning while they both struck out a batter.

Rodgers would serve up the Upton HR but other than that he was perfect while striking out 2

MVI- Ubaldo (the one 1 we trded for finally)

Good- Ubaldo, offense, defense without Kotchman

Bad- gave upp 2 HRs I guess?, there was like nothing wrong with this game

July 5th


Well you probably wondered coming in if the Indians offense could continue their hot streak with the bats.  The Indians in fact got the long ball working, first to start the game off choo hit one, then brantly, then pronk (unfortunately they were all solo bombs).  there was just 4 hits other then those shots.  None of which would score a run

The pitching from Tomlin though was on top of his game comparing he gave up just 2 hits in 7 innings of work.  In which he didnt walk a batter.  His run came on a triple then a ground out.  Finally after, Tomlin was done, pestano set up chris perez would would then record his 24th save

MVI- (without a doubt in my mind) Tomlin

Good-Fantastic pitching, home run ball

Bad-little offense besides the home runs

Happy Independence Day!!! Tribe Wins BIg!!


The Indians started their offense early.  After two early walks in the 1st brantly hit his 2nd home run of the year giving the indians 3 runs.  The next inning the tribe struck 6 runs that would include a casey kotchman home run nothing offensively happened until the 5th in which lou marson hit a base hit to score a run with the bases loaded to score a run, then choo grounded into a double play which would scoring a run, then a cab hit a double that would score the last run that the tribe would score in this game.

The pitching for the indians allowed 3 runs during the duration of the game.   Lowe in 6 innings of work allowed 11 hits but did not walk a batter and did not allow a big hit despite the heat.  The bullpen then came with hagadone who walked 1, gave a hit up, but still manged to get out of the inning with no runs.  Then acta brought in struggling sipp who was dominate who was perfect in his inning while striking a batter out.  Finally accardo came in who walked a batter but manged to not give up a hit as a result he didnt allow a run.

MVI- Casey Kotchman

Good-  The red hot offense continued, the pitching was excellent, no errors

Bad- derek lowe giving up 11 hits i guess

What needs to happen…


For starters those people that have had fantastic years behind them but cant seem to find it need to step up such as…

A cab. (who is starting to) Santana Ubaldo(again starting to) MAsterson (same story) Kotchman (with the bat) damon (what the heck is he doing) the #5 starter (rather mccallister or gomez) smith needs to improve slightly and finally get rid of sipp end of story

The Indians could find some answers towards the deadline and through the september call ups lets start with the trading deadline the indains could easily be evaluating guys like beantencourt for the bullpen a guy like carlos quintin would be fantastic for the the outfield… now september call ups guys in the minors are doing a fantastic job like scott barnes wjo in fact i was very impressed with cord at the infield postion could be fun to watch in the future and many pitchers down in the minors to watch

Fianally the Indians still might not need to attack quintin when in fact grady should be coming back soon and should help this club out

Countinue what your doing….

Lou Marson has been tearing the cover off the baseball and to add to that he s one of the best deffensive catchers in the game today

Jason Kipnis is a huge reason that this club is playing its best baseball hes making the plays defensively and is really turining in a great season at the plate

brantly has really impressed me defensively from day one but while he had his hit streak going he should he can hit daily as well

choo lately has been on a tear at the plate in fact ever since he was moved to the leadoff position in the lineup

jose lopez hasnt been half bad i didnt have much expectations for him but he has done a nice job

Shelly duncan lately has been hitting quite well in fact at the beggging of the year when the  signed damon he was doing well (im not sure why shelly isnt the everyday lf)

Finally derek lowe gets an honorable menchuion for pitching so well early but needs to refind that groove

June 22


Well a very impressive start for Ubaldo today in fact I think the best I’ve seen since he came to Cleveland.  He went a little over 6 innings allowing a couple hits but walking a couple.

The offense got just enough to squeak through but the Choo triple was very impressive.  Then the sac fly.  Then the threat in the 9th when they scored 1 more, they might have been able to score had they not sent Kipnis on the Brantly basehit.

Good- We finally got the Ubaldo we traded for

Bad- more offense

MVI (Most Valuable Indian)- Ubaldo Jimnez