5-11 200. Nick, not Mrs.

Swisher video:

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ss ... and_i.html

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ss ... ce_of.html

The 2013 Cleveland Indians Season is a complete catastrophe waiting to happen, not worth paying any attention.

The Obama administration is monitoring everything these days, so that is all I will say about that.

The City of Cleveland will produce only losers.

As has been done going back to 1954 and 1964, given the fave team of your choice.


Cleveland might have once ROCKED!......but now it sucks.

On Opening Day in Cleveland, my best suggestion for Northern Oho folks is to risk planting radishes, but to hold back on the lettuce and baby carrots until after the first 30 games.

With global warming we can plant earlier than ever in NE Ohio.

And with Carrasco coming back to his pre-TJ surgery form and Bauer beginning his all star career the Indians will surprise although not win the Central.

Oh, are we starting a new "Bold Predictions" folder?

Regular Season
Round Robin
I'm guessing that I have seen at least 20 of the Aguilas ballgames this winter (regular and post season) and I'm more convinced now than ever that we should give Manny a shot at that DH vacancy. Sign him to a minor league contract. Invite him to spring training. He certainly won't break the bank. I really don't see what we have to lose ?!?!?! So! He's got some baggage with him. He still looks like a big league hitter. I could almost guarantee that he would outperform the combined efforts of DH'ers from this past season. Just my opinion of course.

Where there's smoke: It is rumored that the Houston Astros are in conversation with Manny Ramirez.

Francona Clarifies Comment About Ramirez

By TYLER KEPNER

TAMPA, Fla. –

Back in November, in an mlb.com column about the Boston Red Sox, the venerable Peter Gammons included this devastating quote from the former manager Terry Francona: “Manny Ramirez is the worst human being I’ve ever met.”

It was the kind of comment you tend to remember because of the profile of the people involved. Gammons is a Hall of Fame reporter; Francona is a highly respected manager never known for criticizing his players; and Ramirez is one of the best hitters — chemically enhanced or not — of his generation. And it was right there, in (virtual) print, with attribution.

So when I wrote a column about Ramirez’s comeback Tuesday, I cited the Francona quote as a withering condemnation of Ramirez’s character. I assumed the quote was widely known, but now I know I was wrong. Francona, as it turns out, did not even know about the Gammons column until now.
Francona called me Wednesday to talk it over, and, as always, he was pleasant and professional. But he wanted to make it clear that he was surprised by his characterization of Ramirez.

“I was taken aback by that comment,” Francona said. “I don’t doubt there were times Manny made me pull my hair out – if I had any hair. But I would never say that about anybody.”

After speaking with Francona, I called Gammons. He, too, felt bad that Francona was spending much of his Wednesday doing damage control over the comment, which was said to have been made in exasperation during a game in 2008, before Ramirez’s stormy exit.

Gammons said that while Francona was obviously frustrated with Ramirez that night, it was very possible that he had misheard or misunderstood the exact words Francona had used.

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Terry Francona said Wednesday on The Big Show on WEEI that he's heard from several players since he and the organization parted ways last week. He also heard from an unlikely former player by the name of Manny Ramirez.

"Manny called me, how about that?" Francona said. "I was very surprised. It was actually a very nice message and I appreciate it a lot."

[Shapiro and Antonetti say "NO" to Ramirez. Perhaps the fire is too hot between Francona and Ramirez. Chances are less than %99.9 that Ramirez is on the radar but I still think that the %.1 might be worth it. Oh well! Japan is always an option.]

I prefer DH-by-committee. A pure DH is a wasted roster spot for interleague away games and limits lineup flexibility

I always am looking for "solid major league average" players. 9 of those in the everyday lineup might not win you a pennant, but six or seven plus a star or two is sufficient.

My model of major league average has always been Casey Blake and I took at his career stats recently to see how well he fit that model.

In eight full seasons as a major league regular his batting averages were:

257 271 241 282 270 274 280 248. I consider avg 270. He bounced right around that mean.

Homers and RBI, I'd like a bunch of guys at about 20 and 70. Casey's totals:

17-67 28-88 23-58 19-68 18-78 21-81 18-79 17-64

About as good solid average a career as you're going to find.
If Chisenhall can do that, he'll have a successful career.
I am hoping Kipnis is more than average, but those numbers would be sufficient to make him a mutlimillionaire too.
Brantley will probably never reach the power totals. His career arc will follow more of a Coco Crisp norm.
Asdrubal's all-star first halfs and out-of-shape second halfs give him these kind of annual numbers, too.
I've been dreaming of a major league average 1st baseman for years.

Not a fan of DH by committee unless your team is loaded with hitters, like the Yankees.

A team NOT loaded with hitters needs hitters.

I will say that obviously a DH who plays other positions (Luke Scott) would be preferable however.

Manny needs to lose a few. Maybe it is the roids. Cant believe though that at age 40 on a minimum contract he isnt better than all but 2 or 3 of our stiffs. Then again I dont really follow baseball so I wouldnt know.

kenm wrote:Manny needs to lose a few. Maybe it is the roids. Cant believe though that at age 40 on a minimum contract he isnt better than all but 2 or 3 of our stiffs. Then again I dont really follow baseball so I wouldnt know.

I'd sign Manny. I really would with the current State of The Cleveland Indians.

Butts in the seats, and free PR.

Plus some pop.

Pretty bad that Mark Shapiro in his quarter century of Indian front office time has reduced this franchise to just hoping to sell tickets after the 2013 Home Opener.


Our other hope possibility is that Nick Swisher will enjoy and thrive on his new stage....sans Derek and Alex.

I expect a career big season from my distant relative.

It would be neat to see Manny and Nick hitting back to back in the lineup.

Civ, thanks for letting me know about the earlier planting potential. As a kid, I loved to plant radishes as they matured to eating status in less than a month. I love radishes.

On a similar note, I remember well Dick Radatz with The Cleveland Indians.

Plant a radish.
Get a radish.
Never any doubt.
That's why I love vegetables;
You know what you're about!

Wow the best off season in a decade and you guys poo poo it. Only the Tigers are better than the Indians on paper in the AL Central....