Thanks! Tribe fan in SC, can I ask for a present of stopping your complaining? I don't know what has gotten into you but it seems to have started either after your move or when your dad died. Thanks for the wishes.

fkreutz wrote:Ya JR I think he is a FA after next year....

Nope, he is eligible for arbitration next year, but won't be a free agent until after the 2015 season.

GAYLORD: Did you know you share a b-day with Cleveland?

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2013

Cleveland Turns 217 Years Old Today- Happy Birthday, Cleveland!

Posted by Alaina McConnell on Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 12:33 PM

The city of Cleveland is celebrating its 217th birthday today! Boy do we feel old.

We feel even older knowing that there's not a whole lot going on today to ring in our fine city's 217th year.

Granted, there was the presentation of the annual Herrick Memorial Award, which was issued to Congressman Ralph Regula this year (bravo, sir!), and Twitter seems to be alive with a frenzy of #HappyBirthdayCleveland tweets, but we're still waiting for word of the real celebration.

Nevertheless, we've come a long way since good ol' General Moses Cleaveland from the Connecticut Land Company surveyed the 3.3 million-acre piece of land on the shores of Lake Erie.

At the very least we can toast to how far we've come. And to how far we still plan to go.

Happy birthday, Cleveland.

Are you sure JR?

From everything I can find, he is eligible for arbitration in 2014, which the Indians usually avoid, then can become a FA after the 2015 season.

gaylord perry wrote:Thanks! Tribe fan in SC, can I ask for a present of stopping your complaining? I don't know what has gotten into you but it seems to have started either after your move or when your dad died. Thanks for the wishes.

Gaylord, thanks for the note.

I've never met you, but your words here over the years make me feel like you are "a good catch" for whoever "caught" you.




The passing of my Dad has nothing to do with my latest tirade on Mark Shapiro, Chris Antonetti, and their inept moves under their current aged and apparently feebled team owner, Dolan.

Gaylord, I'll give you that visiting the Cleveland area in the days before and after I buried my Dad did inspire some fresh feelings and thoughts.


The area has gone to hell in a hand basket over the 30 years since I was last residing there, and we all know the place and CITY had been in decline well before THAT.

And most sane, thinking and paying attention....should realize that this Shapiro/Antonetti brain trust has no baseball or business brains.

Perhaps you visited "Snow Days" promoted by Mark Shapiro a couple of years back and enjoyed "Walking Through a Winter Wonderland" as it likely aired.

Or at least I hope it did, for that event, if Shaps executed well and on Holiday Point.

Maybe not.

Agreed seagull.

When you see guys come out of nowhere like we have this year and up their performance (we could even include Masterson there) you have to wonder if the coach is the reason.

There is a VERY available hitter out there who I think would be a perfect fit for this team.

That said, I don't think it would happen.

Aramis Ramirez.

Good RH bat, cleanup type hitter, and third baseman.

But his contract is not pretty. Kind of guy the Dodgers would grab. (Overpay for the upgrade type.)

Corner infielder or corner outfielder would be the perfect fit.

Would you do that trade for Chisenhall ? Seems like most teams are asking for him.

I think our main need this year is relief pitching, although I agree with John Hart, who says it's always a crapshoot, so I'd hate to overpay for it. Our pen seems to be losing its effectiveness, whether that's due to wear and tear or the other teams getting familiar with them.

I hate to give up on Chiz, although he has been inconsistent.

With a plethora of pretty damned good middle infielders, would it be a good idea to move Kipnis to third base???

Good news tonight is that Nick Swisher who was gifted the contract by Shaps and Antonetti is one of the rare top paid players at his "position" who can ACTUALLY go 5 for 21 since the All Star Break and ACTUALLY raise his batting average for the season.

Not so good news is that The Cleveland Indians have now officially lost the first two series since the break.

Worse news is they are playing .200 ball while frittering away near 10% of the remaining games after the break when they already had ground to make up.

Those 87 wins I believe we all KNOW they have to get to have a smidgen of a chance to make the the post season have now amped up in difficulty.

Shaps and Antonetti need to be sellers this week.

The Chicago White Sox were only 3 1/2 back whey they made their at the time labeled "White Flag" trade in recent board history.

They later received organizational World Series Rings.

Of course the Chicago White Sox organization leader of those days was Kenny Williams who ACTUALLY played baseball prior to EARNING his position that both Shaps and Antonetti were gifted for unknown reasons. Kenny Williams at least had a pot of coffee playing MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, in fact.

This week, Nolan Ryan moved fast and quick, as he always has, and snatched up Matt Garza to solidify Texas Ranger post season plans, and post season run.

Oh, and Nolan Ryan also played baseball. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL.

Dolan is indeed as big a screw up as KenM has always touted, and now I agree.

Dolan has got to dump baseball neophytes at best Shapiro and Antonetti and do whatever he can to get someone to get the Swisher million lead weight off the organizational books before even more fan seasons are strangled by Shaps ineptitude.

This week, Nolan Ryan moved fast and quick, as he always has, and snatched up Matt Garza to solidify Texas Ranger post season plans, and post season run.

Nolan Ryan has a title with the Rangers but very little actual decision making authority.