Cleveland Sports Forum

The game of life is played with skill, weighting, advantages, disadvantages, equalizers, new angles, new strategies and changing rules.

So is the Game of Baseball.

Just doing a casual glance at today's standings and looking for miracle angles for The Indians I note that Houston is likely going to be mathematically eliminated within the next week, or so.

I looked at their active roster and salaries and noted their highest paid player makes about three times the amount of most of the players and makes twice the amount of the second highest paid player.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/team/roster/_/na ... ton-astros


Did anyone guess their highest paid active player...by far.....is:
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Ben Francisco?

This article just recaps the obvious, but in case anyone, like CALI/FLA, still has hope:

The Tribe's number is up: Cleveland Indians daily briefing

Published: Friday, August 17, 2012, 7:58 PM Updated: Friday, August 17, 2012, 9:05 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Indians have 44 games left in the regular season entering Friday's series opener against the A's at the O.co Coliseum. It's time to get realistic about where they stand.
Just where might that be? Try out in the cold. The real cold.

They are 11 1/2 games out of first place in the AL Central. It's their biggest deficit of the season. In the race for the wild card, Baltimore and Tampa are tied for the first two spots. The Indians are 10 games behind the leaders.

It's over. It has been over since the 11-game losing streak from July 27 through Aug. 6. The streak dropped the Tribe from 3 1/2 games out of first place to 10 1/2 out.

But just to make sure everyone is on the same page: To finish .500, the Indians would have to go 27-17. Raise your hand if you think this team is going to play .614 ball from here through Oct. 3.

To finish with 85 wins, the Indians would have to go 31-13. This from a team that has yet to win more than four games in a row this season.

Here's one more. To finish with 90 wins, the Tribe would have to play .818 (36-8) ball the rest of the way.

There is always another game in baseball, but eventually the numbers catch up to every team. Consider the Indians caught.

One game edge over KC; still a few better than the Twins. But last place and worst record in the AL are very easily within reach.

Who is available for Sept 1 promotion when the rosters enlarge:

Only 5 uninjured pitchers on the 40-man roster not already with the Tribe:

Scott Barnes not doing especially well at Columbus. Huff has had a lousy season. Gomez good at AAA until he was raked yesterday. Add Danny Salazar who was recently promoted to AA; and Fabio Martinez recently signed for Hi A who has the worst control in baseball. So don't expect much pitching.

Lots of AAA first basemen: Lars Anderson, who stinks; Matt LaPorta who's done nothing since May; Russ Canzler who has picked up his hitting since May but is bad defensively. Add Vinnie Rottino the 32 year old who got a week with the Tribe recently. Cord Phelps who can only play 2nd, but has been hitting very well, which you can't say for Kipnis in the past 2 months, so might as well bring him up. And finally Juan Diaz who has recently been promoted from Akron. Some help perhaps among the hitters.

Could also add some guys to the 40-man roster without difficulty, since any of Tomlin, Slowey and Hafner could shift over to the 60-day DL. That would enable us to add some other medium grade talent like LF Tim Fedroff who has hit with more power in AAA than he ever has shown before; Jared Goedart who's been around for years without ever making anyone's prospect list, although he hits well in spurts. They could always bring up Luke Carlin, aged catcher, for a little variety back of the plate. Or promote Thomas Neal to honor his 300+ power and moderate power at Akron but since they've refused to let him play in AAA I guess they wouldn't bring all the way to Cleveland.

I assume they will call up Barnes and Gomez. They already have 13 pitchers, so even with the recent run of terrible starts, it's not like we're hurting for bodies there.

I'd like to see Fedroff in September, though he'd have to flash 15-20 homer power to really start interesting me. It's incredible how long this organization has gone without producing someone who could legitimately hit in the middle of the order on an average major league team. I guess the last one was Victor Martinez, and it's not like Victor was going to be invited to the Home Run Derby or anything.

http://www.change.org/petitions/larry-d ... erm=733009

Petitioning Larry Dolan
Larry Dolan: Sell the Cleveland Indians.


by Dale Schantz-Tursi
Brook Park, OH
Sign this petition
with 13 supporters
87 NEEDED







Larry Dolan made his first mistake in November of 1999, when he agreed to buy the Cleveland Indians. Dolan had missed out on buying the Cleveland Browns, and decided he wasn't going to miss out on owning the Indians. At the time, the sale price - $320 M - was the most ever paid for a baseball team. Dick Jacobs, who, along with his brother David, paid $36 M for the Indians, said something that should have sent Dolan running away.

''There's a time to hold and a time to fold,'' Jacobs, 74, said during a news conference with Dolan, whose initial bid of $275 million was rejected last week. ''I don't think I'll suffer from seller's remorse.''

The Indians core had pretty much topped out after losing in the 1st Round to Boston. They had no true ace, and their best SP's - Finley (37), Burba (33), and Nagy (33) were aging. The team's young stud - Bartolo Colon - was close to free agency and was due for a huge payday. The team's other young "stud" - Jaret Wright - had fallen from grace.

The storied offense was also reaching a difficult time. Kenny Lofton (33) and Roberto Alomar (34) were close to free agency. Travis Fryman - at 31 - only had a good year or two left. David Justice (34) and sandy Alomar Jr. (34) weren't getting any younger either. Most of all, Manny Ramirez was in the final year of his contract and was making it clear he planned to sign with whoever offered the most money.

At the same time, the Browns - Cleveland's one true sports love - were back in town.

Larry Dolan was walking into an absolute mess.

The Indians payroll was $73.2 M in 1999. It was increased to $75.8 M in 2000, Dolan's first year as owner. Feeling the Indians were still a World Series contender, he upped the payroll in 2000 to $91.9 M - the highest in team history. The Indians didn't make the playoffs. That offseason, Dolan didn't go for a rebuild - he went for another shot at the Series. He offered Manny Ramirez at least 8 years, $20 M per year - a total of $160 M - possibly even more. (Note: Great read here for those who think the Indians just made a "PR offer"). Manny chose Boston. Dolan/Shapiro went out and signed Juan Gonzalez and Ellis Burks to help alleviate the loss of Ramirez. It brought the Indians a Division Title, but after they lost in the 1st Round again, it was clear that changes would be needed. They began a rebuild in 2002.

At the same time, spending around baseball was getting out of control. The Yankees, who had a $92 M payroll in 2000, were up to $125 M in 2002 (and $150 M in 2003). The 2nd highest payroll in 2000 was $88 M (Angels). Seven teams would eclipse that number by 2002. MLB was quickly becoming the "Have's" and the "Have-Not's".

The Indians rebuild almost came to fruition in 2005, when the team won 93 games. Unfortunately, they missed the playoffs by two games. The next season the Indians disappointed, finishing below .500. They rebounded again in 2007. The Indians won 96 games, led the major in comeback, walk-off victories, won the Division Title, and were one game away from the World Series. They had the Cy Young Award winner, four All-Stars, and an exciting young team. The problem was that the fans had never really come back since the team of 90's heroes was disbanded:

2001: 39,694 (4th)
2002: 32,307 (12th)
2003: 21,358 (21st)
2004: 22,400 (22nd)
2005: 24,861 (25th)
2006: 24,666 (25th)
2007: 28,448 (21st)

To review, the 2007 Indians won 18 more games than the 2006 team, the Division Title, and were one game away from the World Series (the 2006 team finished 4th in the Division) - and only drew 3,782 more fans.

The dwindling fan support didn't stop the Indians from trying to lock up their young core. They signed Grady Sizemore to a 6 year extension in 2006. They signed Jake Westbrook for 3 years, $33 M in April of 2007. Travis Hafner was locked up for four years, $57 M at the 2007 All-Star Break.

That 2008 team was ravaged by injuries. Martinez played in 73 G, Hafner 57 G, Westbrook 5 G, and Blake 94 G. Fan support was also down, despite the excitement of 2007. They also were faced with a tough decision regarding C.C. Sabathia who not only struggled early, but also immediately declined a four year starting offer from the Indians of $18 M per year. They decided to deal Sabathia. Fans turned away from the Indians, as the Tribe finished 22nd in attendance.

Despite the poor numbers, they addressed their most pressing weakness - closer - heading into 2009 by signing Kerry Wood for two years, $20 M. The payroll was at $82 M, 15th highest in MLB. The were once again hit by injuries to Sizemore, Martinez, and Hafner, and Kerry Wood was average...the Indians, as a team, were a huge disappointment.

The Indians as a whole were facing another tough reality - two of their stars were off of the field more than on it, one had turned into a headcase, one was approaching free agency, and their staff ace, two years away from free agency, had already turned away any attempts by the Indians to extend his contract. Attendance was also way down again - 22,492, good for 25th in MLB.

They traded Lee and Martinez that summer. The fans - those who remained anyhow - were gone, this time for good. They didn't trust Larry Dolan. They didn't relate to him. To them, he had not only let their 90's heroes leave, but also had let the Cleveland Indians as they knew them go away.

Was this fair? Absolutely not. Larry Dolan had tried to spend, but couldn't keep up with the New York's, Los Angeles', and Boston's of the game. He had tried to put a winning team on the field by locking up young, core players - the same strategy used by John Hart in the 90's. Hart's core turned into Hall of Famers, Shapiro's turned into disappointments. His biggest mistake was that he was largely absent from the public eye. He didn't do many interviews. He didn't make public appearances to fans. His image was created - a cheap owner who didn't care about the fans or the team - and he did nothing through public relations to change that. He still hasn't.

He took one more shot at winning over fans in 2011 - the team was on fire and seriously contending, so Dolan OK'd a deal to send away the Indians' best pitching prospect for Ubaldo Jimenez - viewed as a potential ace. The Indians still faded, the attendance still didn't improve (22,726, 24th in MLB), and the deal was largely viewed as a mistake.

With he and Antonetti both feeling the heat from that failed deal and from the fans to do something big, they failed to significantly improve the team. They balked at giving three years to Josh Willingham due to injury concerns. They passed on making a significant offer to Michael Cuddyer. They were also afraid that Grady Sizemore, finally deemed 100%, would rebound elsewhere, and gave him $5 M. They picked up Fausto Carmona's option, only to see his scandal take place weeks later. Both Sizemore and Carmona..errr...Hernandez have yet to play a game for the Indians this season. They also signed Casey Kotchman and Johnny Damon, both better suited for bench roles.

This all brings us to today. The team has fallen off, again. The team's "window" is closing soon. Attendance is a pathetic 30th in MLB - 20,846. And nothing Larry Dolan does, short of winning a World Series, (as evidenced by 2007), will be good enough for the fans to give even average support this team.

Larry Dolan isn't a perfect owner, but he's not a terrible one either. He cares about the team, and seems like a good enough person. His two biggest mistakes have been buying the team was far too much and failing to relate to the fan base.

But this will be a vicious cycle as long as he is the owner. Fans, who don't trust him no matter what, don't come out. In turn, Dolan keeps payrolls no higher than $75 M as an attempt to stay out of the red. The team competes in "windows" while young players are under team control, supplementing the roster with one year free agent deals to low-cost veterans. They must hope lightning strikes as it almost did in 2007. The chances of that happened aren't likely.

Of course, the main problem - should they choose to sell - is finding a buyer. With a mid-sized market and poor fan support, it might be difficult. Dan Gilbert would be a great fit, but there's no guarantee MLB would allow him to own a team.

But it's time for Dolan to try. He doesn't deserve the treatment he receives and Cleveland deserves a winning baseball team. Sometimes it's better for both parties to move on. It's why Larry Dolan needs to sell the Cleveland Indians.

-sgm405, realcavsfans.com 8/4/12

http://www.change.org/petitions/larry-d ... erm=733009

Pretty good summary of the Dolan ownership saga.

Why did the Bataan Death March pop into my head?

One might survive the Bataan Death March.

The Indians as a whole were facing another tough reality - two of their stars were off of the field more than on it, one had turned into a headcase, one was approaching free agency, and their staff ace, two years away from free agency, had already turned away any attempts by the Indians to extend his contract. Attendance was also way down again - 22,492, good for 25th in MLB.

So was the "headcase" Grady Sizemore?

Sell, Dolan, sell. While there is still a market. NOW.

Chris Perez encounter with an Oakland fan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXo-eath ... r_embedded

The Indians need to send their message to Chris Perez

By Pat McManamon
The Indians need to suspend Chris Perez.

He earned it.

He earned it by representing the Indians, the team, the organization and its fans in a classless, boorish way with that “discussion” with the fan in Oakland. (The video is here … view it knowing the language is inappropriate.)

Perez needs to hear the team’s message, loud and clear.

What he did was vile and crude.

The Indians should never want a player representing them on the field, in uniform, the way Perez did.

Suspend him.

This does not exonerate the fan, who clearly wanted to annoy and harass Perez into just what happened. Fans taunt endlessly these days, and they get away with it. The fan may have been relentlessly obnoxious prior to the video, which clearly was filmed for the world’s benefit (what kind of world is this?). He’s probably at home today, celebrating his little “victory.” Let him live in his small world; Perez can stay out of it.

Problem is Perez gave this oaf what he wanted: Attention.

Let’s also not pretend it’s the first time something like this happened. Fans taunt players into this kind of thing way too often, as if the price of a ticket gives someone license to be a loudmouth bully.

What the fan did matters, but it doesn’t excuse.

The Oakland As organization can handle that guy, and if he crossed any lines the team should handle it.

The Indians can handle Perez.

The fan does not play for the Indians, does not represent the team and its fans. Perez does, and he let them all down. He may have had his reasons for his angry response, and the reasons may be convincing, but his behavior was wrong.

Perez has to walk away. He didn’t. It was caught on film, and it’s embarrassing to the Indians.

Suspend him simply for not acting the way a professional should act.

That’s the first issue.

The second is the way Perez addressed the fan, which should cause the Indians some concern about his long-term future with the team.

That is because he made the most me-oriented statements imaginable.

In response to being heckled, Perez asked: “What’s my salary?”

He pointed out he was an All-Star.

He said he had more saves than the entire Oakland A’s team.

Wonderful. In response to a fan, Perez talks about how great he is. This is logical? It almost seems like one of those moments when a person is cornered and then reveals what they are about.

Perez in the past has come across as a team guy, a guy who criticized the Indians fans for not buying tickets because he cared about the team.

He seemed, briefly, to galvanize the team.

Now the team is losing and he pulls out the “what’s my salary” card? As if the holy dollar is what matters, as if the fact he makes more money than the fan makes him better.

Maybe it does matter, to him.

This is a really shocking response. If that’s what it’s about to Perez, maybe the Indians need to discuss his future with them. Maybe he revealed himself for what he truly is.

Perez has been such a cooperative, standup guy that you want to not believe it, but it sure comes across that way in this situation.

If that’s what matters to one of the team’s biggest contributors this season, then maybe he’s also providing a window into the team’s collapse. Clearly he feels he’s doing his part, so if he feels others aren’t – including the front office – he might just say to himself, “Heck with it, I’ll get mine so I get more in arbitration next season.”

The Indians can sort that issue out, along with a bunch of other issues that will make this offseason one of the more vexing and important in recent memory.

In the short term, it might be a good idea to remind Perez of the only man whose jersey number has been retired by Major League Baseball: Jackie Robinson.

As the first African-American in baseball, Robinson put up with more and heard more than Perez will ever dream of.

He handled it with grace and silence. The same is no doubt true of former Indian Larry Doby, the first African-American in the American League.

Their silence was infinitely louder than the garbage that came out of Perez’s mouth.

Perez embarrassed Robinson’s memory, all of baseball, the Indians, its fans and the city.

He needs to hear a message, and the team needs to send it.

Suspend him.

This entry was posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:19 pm

Pat McManamon, ho-hum, giving Chris Perez more attention. Take your own advice, chump. And learn to lay off the carriage return--maybe someday you can be a REAL sports writer.

Chris Perez does need to learn to keep his mouth shut, though.

carriage return?!?

Someone is dating himself!