Tag Archives: Cleveland Indians

Weekly Hit Ground Ball: Trembley the latest AL victim

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WhgbHlSqDave Trembley was sacked from his position as manager of the Baltimore Orioles last week, becoming the second manager to lose his job this season following Trey Hillman’s departure from the Kansas City Royals in May.  

As with Hillman, Trembley’s fate was widely predicted prior to the decision being made.  The team was playing poorly and there was little evidence that Trembley had any answers to prevent the slide from continuing. 

His ability to take the team forward was undoubtedly hampered by injuries and offseason additions that haven’t paid off.  Garrett Atkins has been terrible, while Miguel Tejada’s 2009 renaissance with the Astros looks like being one final flourish by the veteran rather than a sign that the decline he had showed prior to that had been reversed. 

Both outcomes were entirely predictable and General Manager Andy MacPhail therefore has to shoulder some of the blame; however the injuries to Mike Gonzalez and Brian Roberts have been a cruel blow to a team that could not cope with the absence of such important players.  Continue reading →

Out of Left Field: The REAL unwritten rules of baseball

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MlbHlSqIt seems this week is all about everything unwritten. Post-election, there’s been plenty of talk about Britain’s unwritten constitution. And as Matt pointed out on Friday, in baseball, the talk is all about the unwritten rules, following Alex Rodriguez running across Dallas Braden’s pitching mound. I decided to get in the spirit of things, by attempting an unwritten column. However, that didn’t seem to work so well, and so later than advertised, here is this week’s Out of Left Field.

Being the relentless investigative journalist that I am, I have uncovered the REAL unwritten rules of baseball, all handily illustrated this week…

  1. Don’t have a complete and total meltdown on live television, like Bruce Drennan, following the Indians defeat to the Blue Jays
  2. Don’t let yourself get tagged out between second and third when you mistakenly think you’ve scored a home run, like the wonderfully monikered Lastings Milledge
  3. Don’t run on the field, and perhaps more importantly, don’t get yourself tasered, like this rather dumb Phillies fan
  4. Don’t then be the second Phillies fan to run on the field in a week, particularly if you are already in possession of illegal drugs and terrible trousers
  5. Don’t kick a chair after blowing a save, breaking your toe and ruling you out for eight weeks, just as the rival for your spot returns from the DL, like Ryan Madson
  6. Don’t be mean to Hank Aaron. Even if you are Willie Mays
  7. Don’t be a Yankees fan, but DO be a Mets fan, it is a lot more fun. You’re more likely to have a wife, drink beer and are less prone to worry. You are more likely to own a gun, though. Which is a worry
  8. Don’t fall victim to terrible fashion choices
  9. Don’t take the day off to win a $1 million video game contest. You just won’t need to, asm you’ll still win the prize that afternoon, after playing the game for just an hour and a half
  10. And on a more serious note…Don’t go to Arizona, until they withdraw their anti-immigrant legislation

Let me know what you think, or if you reckon there are more that need adding. In the meantime, I’ll try to follow the unwritten rules of column writing: Don’t rely on easy list-making exercises and Don’t file your column late week after week…

Saturday’s early MLB games: Yanks-Red Sox, Braves-Phillies and more

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We’ve got seven early games today and both leagues offer up some exciting contests.  All times are in BST.

18.05. Detroit at Cleveland (Justin Verlander – Justin Masterson)

It’s a battle of Justins in Cleveland, with Masterson looking for his first win of the season and Verlander aiming to improve his win-loss record to 3-2.  Yesterday’s game was postponed due to rain.

18.05. Florida at Washington (Josh Johnson – Matt Chico)

The Marlins took the series opener last night, coming back from 2-1 down to win it 4-2.  Matt Chico is on the all-too-familiar road back from Tommy John surgery.  He is set to be recalled from Double-A to make his first post-surgery Major League start.

18.10. San Francisco at NY Mets (Todd Wellemeyer – Johan Santana)

Rod Barajas and rookie Ike Davis both went deep twice yesterday as the Mets beat the Giants 6-4.  Santana pitched in the Sunday Night Game against the Phillies last week and had the worst start of his Major League career, giving up four homers and a bases-loaded walk to opposing pitcher Jamie Moyer.  A bad day at the office or something more? Pessimistic Mets fans will be peeping out from behind a cushion as they wait to find out.

18.10. Baltimore at Minnesota (Kevin Millwood – Francisco Liriano)

The Orioles and Twins play a double-header today after the first ever rain-out at Target Field yesterday. If only they played in a dome.  Liriano has been a scintillating form for the Twins while MLB.com notes that Millwood is 0-7 with a 5.90 ERA in 12 career starts against Minnesota.

20.10. NY Yankees at Boston (CC Sabathia – Clay Buchholz) * ESPN America

It’s time once again for another instalment of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry.  The hype gets annoying largely because beneath it is always a good game of baseball (if a little long) that often seems to get overshadowed by the soap opera.  The Red Sox entered the series with many of their followers suffering from a crisis of confidence and the Yankees’ 10-3 win last night, their fifth win in a row, wouldn’t have done much to help.  Neither will facing CC today.  Can Clay come to the rescue?

20.10. Atlanta at Philadelphia (Kris Medlen – Joe Blanton)

The Braves have not lived up to pre-season expectations so far and sit bottom of the NL East with a 12-17 record after being shutout by the Phillies yesterday in a 7-0 loss.  Medlen takes over from the injured Jair Jurrjens, while Blanton is making his second start of the season after beginning the year on the DL.

21.05. Tampa Bay at Oakland (Wade Davis – Ben Sheets)

Finally, if the Mets are a little worried about Johan Santana’s start, that’s nothing compared to what A’s fans like myself are feeling today ahead of Ben Sheets taking the mound.  After coming off an injury-lost 2009 season, Sheets has been downright terrible in his last two starts and the Rays are the best team in the Majors right now, with a Major League-leading 22-7 record.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv), while ESPN America is broadcasting the Yankees-Red Sox game. A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com.

Out of Left Field: Vote early and vote often!

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MlbHlSqThis column, whilst still relatively young and sprightly, has quickly descended into a series of odd references and  in-jokes that even your loyal correspondent doesn’t really find funny. And so, in this election week, Out of Left Field, asks you, dear reader to vote for your favourite. Legions of vote counters will work around the clock tallying the votes until we have a winner. Or, more likely, a coalition will be formed. Yes, things will just stay the same with me wittering on about funky pitches, silly outfits and ACTS OF HEROISM, as normal.

But, why not play along with this hackneyed device, and choose YOUR favourite.

Vote fashion corner!

The Joe Maddon hoodie saga continues. After being told last week by MLB that hejust wasn’t smart enough wearing his old hoodie, the Tampa Bay Rays manager got a gift in the post. New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick sent in the mail a brand new, personalised Patriots hoodie for Maddon. I like to think that as this story progresses there will soon be a union of managers across the land refusing to smarten up, a rag-bag army of coaches wandering around looking like they just got out of bed, mumbling under their breath that they’ll wear what they goddamn like and what is goddamn comfortable. As coach of BaseballGB’s finest fantasy side, the mighty Pretzel Vendors, I am making sure I am fully on-trend with a relaxed look of shorts and ill-fitting sweatshirt. I look quite a treat. So, fashion tip of the week for all you aspiring coaches and managers out there – keep it casual guys!

Vote booze!

We must stop this kind of horrible wastage from happening ever again. I have no idea why there were smiling faces after that incident. No idea whatsoever.

Vote Ozzie Guillen!

A massive sigh of relief from me this week, when I discovered that the new MLB Twitter policy, or “strongly worded suggestion”, that MLB personnel do not tweet about non-baseball related matters, does not apply to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. This is the kind of leadership we need to see from MLB. I don’t want to hear what some schmuck had for breakfast, but I do want a full and complete account of Ozzie’s life. Stephen Fry has got nothing on our Ozzie.

Vote stupid merchandise!

MLB have truly excelled themselves this week, by signing a deal with the Craftsman brand, a division of Sears, for MLB branded tools. Yes, soon you’ll be able to pick up hand tools, power tools, tool storage and lawn and garden tools and equipment, all branded with your favourite team. Or if your job is shifting manure all day, perhaps you could get a shovel branded with your least favourite team. Which brings me to…

Vote least favourite team!

But who is the most hated team in baseball? The Evil Empire, surely? No, it’s none other than the Cleveland Indians, according to a survey conducted by Nielsen Co. I find it hard to believe there is that much passion surrounding the Indians. Sometimes I forget they even exist. I think Nielson need to look at those figures again. But if Sears reports a run on Cleveland Indians Shit Shovels, we’ll know why…

Vote bizarre stats!

BaseballGB favourite, Wezen-Ball, is timing each and every home run trot around the bases. I have no idea why he is doing this, I can’t see the point, but I have to say that I think it is wonderful. It’s certainly much more fun that some of the esoteric brain-busting stats being collated out there. I hope it catches on and the players get competitive about who can be the fastest and who can be the slowest. I’d like that.

Vote Carlos Silva!

Carlos Silva is really, really good! Remember, you heard it here first. Well, sort of.

Vote ACTS OF HEROISM!

This week, nodody in baseball has averted a terrorist attack, manhandled a mugger or saved 500 orphans from a burning building. Frankly, baseball has been lazy and needs to take a long hard look at itself.

Vote knuckleball!

Andy Pettitte used to throw a knuckeball. They even called him ‘Knucksie’. Then his coaches told him to lay off the pitch. How can the Yankees not be the most hated in team in baseball when they have deprived us of another knuckleballer? Life isn’t fair.

Well, there you have it. Your candidates for this week’s Out of Left Field election. Your vote matters!

Saturday’s early MLB games: After the madness

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It’s a daily ritual of mine, and many other UK baseball fans as well I’m sure, to get my breakfast ready and then log on to MLB.com to catch up on all that happened while I was asleep the night before.

This morning I logged on to a headline story of ‘Freaky Friday: Wild night in The Show has it all’, summing up the night’s play as including “A four-base error. A birthday walk-off. A nasty collision at home plate. An inside-the-park homer that wasn’t. Infield fly confusion. Friday had everything but the kitchen sink”.

Knowing MLB, we’ll probably get the kitchen sink today.  Maybe it will appear in one of the eight early games that begin before midnight UK time?  Details of those games are provided below, with start times in BST, alongside how you can follow the action. Any iPhone/iPod Touch owners who have purchased the MLB At Bat app can watch all of the games this weekend for free on their device.

18.05. LA Dodgers at Washington (Clayton Kershaw – Craig Stammen)
18.10. San Diego at Cincinnati (Wade LeBlanc – Johnny Cueto)
18.10. Atlanta at NY Mets (Jair Jurrjens – Jonathon Niese)
21.05. Cleveland at Oakland (Fausto Carmona – Brett Anderson)
21.10. NY Yankees at LA Angels (Andy Pettitte – Joel Pineiro)
21.10. Seattle at Chicago White Sox (Doug Fister – Freddy Garcia)
22.10. Florida at Colorado (Nate Robertson – Aaron Cook)
23.10. Toronto at Tampa Bay (Ricky Romero – Jeff Niemann) 

A Clayton Kershaw start is always worth watching and the Dodgers need a big performance from him today after being dealt several blows yesterday, with Manny Ramirez heading to the 15-day DL (a blow to my spluttering, to put it politely, fantasy team as well) and Adam Dunn smacking two homers against them in a 1-5 loss to the Nationals.  Meanwhile the Dodgers’ NL West rivals the San Diego Padres are the form team in the Majors having won seven in a row. Can they make it eight straight today?

Series between the Braves and Mets normally produce plenty of drama and last night’s opener suggests this series will be no exception.  Rookie Ike Davis hit his first Big League bomb for New York and Chipper Jones made an odd error to let another run across as the Mets won 5-2.  Netherlands pitcher Jair Jurrjens starts for the Braves today.

Lastly, I’ll be watching my A’s at 21.05 as they aim to improve to 12-7. Brett Anderson takes the mound at the Coliseum today against Fausto Carmona after the A’s beat the Tribe 10-0 yesterday.

All the above games can be followed via various resources on MLB.com (Gameday, At Bat with Gameday Audio and MLB.tv), while ESPN America is broadcasting the Yankees-Angels game. A complete schedule of MLB games can be found on MLB.com.

Rounding the Bases: American League review

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MlbHlSqThere are three main countdowns to the MLB season.  The first is the date that pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training, which has already passed.  The second is the date on which Spring Training games begin and that will turn to zero on Tuesday.  That just leaves us with the countdown to opening night, when the Yankees and Red Sox get the 2010 season underway on Sunday 4 April.  The end to this long winter (and it’s certainly seemed like a long winter) is in sight.

Teams are still trying to improve their rosters and Johnny Damon (Tigers), Jonny Gomes (Reds), Rod Barajas (Mets), Russell Branyan (Indians) and Felipe Lopez (Cardinals) all finally found jobs this week.  A couple of those moves will be taken into account as we follow up last week’s review of National League moves by looking at the key addition and key departure for each team in the American League.  Continue reading →

MLB 2009 season review – AL Central

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MlbHlSqThe American League Central was a difficult division to call this year. That sounds like an excuse for some wildly inaccurate predictions, and we’ll get to some of those in a second, but it’s actually a fair comment.  No one expected the Royals to be in contention, this isn’t 1985 you know, but you could have painted a realistic scenario for all four of the other teams in the division to come out on top.  The closely-contested nature of the AL Central was proved as it ended in a single game play-off for the second successive season. 

BGB Predictions

Joe: Twins, Mark: White Sox, Matt: Indians, Russ: Indians

Joe got it right on the button with his Twins pick, while Mark’s White Sox selection didn’t quite come through.  As for Russ and I, there are your ‘wildly inaccurate predictions’ mentioned above.  Continue reading →