Cleveland Sports Forum

They were just talking about that promo on the TV broadcast.

Universal Windows is having a watch party tonight at The Corner in the Jake. Fred Greetham, a Cleveland sports writer who writes for Orange and Brown report now, is there. If we win he is one of the lucky winners.

Been hearing Universal Windows Direct on all the national shows. Whatever the owner payed for the insurance policy will sure be worth it for all the publicity they're getting.

After Cleveland lost 6-1 to the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 23, 7.5 games separated the Indians from the American League-leading Houston Astros. That gap has since closed to 2.5 games as Cleveland heads home for a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles. Most impressively during their winning streak, the Indians have been without the services of Andrew Miller and Jason Kipnis [and Michael Brantley, how soon they forget], while midseason addition Jay Bruce hasn't played since a doubleheader Sept. 1.
The 2016 Indians won 14 straight games in the first half en route to winning the American League pennant. This year's team has shown it has the pieces to once again challenge for a spot in the Fall Classic.

Recent Transactions:

Cleveland Indians
Released: OF Dan Robertson [he was helpful mid-summer]
Traded: C Erik Kratz to Yankees for cash
Added to 40-man roster: LHP Craig Breslow | OF Greg Allen
Removed from 40-man: RHP Diego Moreno (outrighted to Triple [rather short Tribe career]

Red-hot Indians reportedly lose Bradley Zimmer to broken hand for rest of 2017
The rookie's hand was stepped on when he slid into first base Sunday night


by Mike Axisa @mikeaxisa 1h ago • 1 min read

Sunday night, the unstoppable Cleveland Indians won their 18th consecutive game (CLE 3, BAL 2), though they also lost rookie center fielder Bradley Zimmer to a hand injury. His hand was stepped on -- unintentionally, of course -- as he slid headfirst into first base.



Following the game the Indians announced Zimmer suffered a fractured fourth metacarpal in his left hand and would be evaluated further this week. It is now being reported that the injury will end Zimmer's season:

The team has not yet confirmed the injury will sideline Zimmer for the remainder of 2017.


Naquin finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year voting last season and he spent a bulk of this season in the minors. Brantley is expected back later this month, and for the time being, Chisenhall has been manning left field. Guyer can play both corners and Almonte can man all three outfield positions. So too can Naquin and Allen, a rookie September call-up. The Indians have no shortage of bodies.

Of course, the Indians are at their absolute best -- it's weird to be talking about a team on an 18-game winning streak not being at full strength -- when everyone is healthy. Zimmer's bat has cooled considerably -- he's hitting .241/.307/.385 overall following a hot start -- but he brings speed and impact center field defense. There's no way to replace that.

Depth chart Left Field Center Field Right Field

Starter


Michael Brandley (injured)


Bradley Zimmer (injured)


Jay Bruce

Backup


Brandon Guyer


Austin Jackson


Lonnie Chisenhall

Third String


Abraham Almonte


Tyler Naquin


--

Emergency


--


Greg Allen


--

Indians' winning streak unlike any in history

Tribe's dominance during 18 wins unmatched in modern era

By Joe Posnanski / MLB.com | @JPosnanski | 11:07 AM ET

Yes, it is easy to overrate the present. That's a big part of sports, a big part of life. Every time someone or something new and exciting comes along, we trot out the overbearing superlatives.

Best player ever! Greatest team ever! Most amazing thing ever!

Well, we want to celebrate our time, right?

Trouble is, we say it so often that "ever" begins to lose meaning. How can you really compare Mike Trout and Willie Mays? How could we possibly know if Giancarlo Stanton has more or less power than Josh Gibson? Does it enhance or cheapen to contrast Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax?

Still, we do these things because it's fun to believe we are seeing something that has never happened before.

So let's just say it: No team has ever played baseball like the Cleveland Indians have been playing during their 18-game winning streak.

There are numbers that show this -- numbers we will get into -- but first we need to talk about just how unlikely an 18-game winning streak is. There have been two 18-game winning streaks since baseball expanded in 1961. A movie was made about the first of those -- the 2002 Oakland A's won 20 games in a row while Brad Pitt waited outside in his car.

The second is this Cleveland streak. It is unclear if there will be a movie made about this Cleveland team's streak, but if there is I hope Kevin Spacey plays Terry Francona. They don't look all that much alike, but I think Spacey would get that Tito vibe.

In any case, these streaks are rare, because of course they are. The chances for a mediocre team winning 18 games in a row is, as you might expect, almost nil. The math tells us that a .500 team's chances of winning 18 in a row is 262,000 to 1 -- these are the same odds of you flipping heads on an equally weighed coin 18 times in a row. Go ahead, try it. We'll wait.

The odds of a very good team -- say a .650 winning percentage team (105 wins over a full season) -- winning 18-in a row are much better, but it's still 2,330 to 1. There are very rarely teams that win 105 games over a season, by the way; it has only happened nine times since 1961. And the odds are wildly against even those teams.

So right away, we know this Cleveland streak is uncommon and special.

But here's the crazy part: Even among the rare long streaks, this Cleveland thing is unique. No team has ever been so dominant over a winning streak.

Well, there's that word again: Ever. What does it mean?

There's no point in trying to compare this thing to the 1884 Providence Grays' 20-game winning streak or the Chicago White Stockings' 21 game streak four years earlier, or even the 1916 New York Giants' 26-game streak (which did include a tie). That was very different baseball.

The Chicago Cubs won 21 in a row in 1935. That, too, was very different baseball -- it was before integration, before lights, before a lot of things -- but it's a lot closer than the Deadball Ear stuff. So let's compare. The '35 Cubs hit .314 during their streak, their pitchers had a 2.02 ERA, and they outscored opponents 137-50 -- 6.5 to 2.4 per runs game. That's pretty special.

That Cubs team had Hall of Famers Gabby Hartnett, Billy Herman, Chuck Klein and Freddie Lindstrom. Herman -- one of the least-known members of the Hall of Fame -- was especially good; he played in all 21 games, hit .396 and scored 18 runs.

The 1947 Yankees won 19 in a row. They outscored their opponents, 119-41 (6.3 to 2.2 per game), mostly behind some crazy-good pitching and defense. The crazy thing about their streak was that the Yankees threw zero shutouts. I'm not sure how you win that many games in a row without at least one shutout. The star of the streak was, of course, Joe DiMaggio, who hit .375 and slugged .653 for the 19 games that more or less put away the pennant -- this probably was a reason he won the American League MVP Award even though his season numbers were dwarfed by Ted Williams.

The 1953 Yankees won 18 in a row, outscoring their opponents, 129-44 (7.2 runs to 2.4). They were the most dominant of the pre-Cleveland winning streaks; only two of their games were one-run wins, and only one of those games went into extra innings (they were tied 5-5 with Chicago when the streak was at seven; Gil McDougald ended the drama with a two-run homer in the 10th).

And then we get to Oakland's amazing 20-game winning streak in 2002. Those A's hit .299 and slugged .519 for the 20 games. They outhomered their opponents, 30-16. They were plenty dominant.
But more than dominant, they were opportunistic. They won four one-run games, including a 1-0 victory over Chicago when the barbershop quartet of Cory Lidle, Ricardo Rincon, Chad Bradford and Billy Koch outdueled Mark Buehrle (who gave up his one run on a Jermaine Dye homer).

That A's club just had some serious magic going. The streak started when they got out of a jam in the ninth inning against Toronto. They scored three runs in the ninth to beat the Twins in a game. Their last three victories in the streak were all walk-off victories. This, of course, included Win No. 20, when they blew an 11-0 lead to a terrible Royals team and needed to score in the bottom of the ninth to win.

This isn't to underplay their success; the A's outscored opponents 141-65 (7.1 to 3.3). They were incredible. But now we get to what Cleveland has done for these 18 games.

The Indians' offense has hit .309/.387/.568 for these 18 games. It's simply unprecedented in long winning streaks.

OPS for 18-plus-game winning streaks since the Deadball Era
1. 2017 Indians, .955
2. 2002 A's, .886
3. 1953 Yankees, 845
4. 1947 Yankees, .804
5. 1935 Cubs, .800

OK, that's just ridiculous -- a .955 OPS for the whole team? Jeff Bagwell's career OPS was .948. Frank Robinson's was .926. Entire teams do not have .955 OPS for any extended stretch of time, much less three weeks.

But here's the craziest part of all: The pitching has been even better.

Team ERA for 18-plus-game winning streaks since Deadball

1. 2017 Indians, 1.78
2. 1947 Yankees, 2.00
3. 1935 Cubs, 2.02
4. 1953 Yankees, 2.32
5. 2002 A's, 2.65

Cleveland pitchers have thrown five shutouts over the stretch. They are striking out more than a batter per inning. The Indians have a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio as a team, which is all but impossible. The Tribe has outscored opponents 121-32 -- that's 6.7 to 1.8 per game.

It's unprecedented, all of it. The Indians are without a couple of their best players -- Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley are both on the DL -- and their superweapon reliever Andrew Miller has been out since before the streak began. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters.

Corey Kluber has won three of the games with a 1.96 ERA. Carlos Carrasco has allowed two runs in his three starts during the streak. The mercurial Trevor Bauer has been credited with four wins.

Francisco Lindor, who had not been hitting, suddenly is -- he's at .357/.430/.757 with eight home runs during the streak. Jose Ramirez has been even better; he's slugging almost .900 with 16 extra-base hits in his 14 games during the streak.

This has been a season of extremes. The Dodgers looked to be the greatest team in the history of baseball; now they can't win a game. The Astros looked to be the greatest team in the history of baseball; now they are behind the Indians for home-field advantage in the AL. The Nationals have wrapped up their division in early September; the Cubs are terrific and miserable, often just innings apart.

And none of it is decisive. This streak all but guaranteed the Tribe a choice spot in the playoffs, but once we get there, it's all brand new. The 2001 Mariners won 116 games but didn't make it to the World Series. The 1935 Cubs won 21 in a row but lost pretty decisively to the Tigers in the World Series. The 2002 Oakland A's blew a 2-1 Division Series lead and lost to the Twins -- a scene not shown in the movie.

Still, this Cleveland thing is one-of-a-kind baseball. There's no telling how long it can last, but that might miss the point. It's a miracle that it has lasted this long.

Carlos Santana: Cleveland is my home

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carlos Santana, early in the season, was bothered by the fact that he would be a free agent at the end of the year.

“It was tough for me,” said Santana.

But Edwin Encarnacion, who went through the same process a year earlier in Toronto, kept talking to him.

“My friend Edwin told me, ‘Bro, just enjoy the game, enjoy the time, enjoy your teammates and worry about winning,’’ said Santana. “He kept telling me to relax. And I relaxed.”

A relaxed Santana is just what the Indians need as they go down the stretch trying to win their second straight AL Central championship. Santana and the Indians entered Monday night's game against Detroit with an 18-game winning streak.

Santana, as he usually does, has found his swing in the second half. Since the All-Star he’s hitting .312 (58-for-186) with 13 homers and 33 RBI. He hit .238 (76-for-320) with 10 homers and 47 RBI going into the break.

But it’s hard for Santana to think about leaving Cleveland when this season, no matter how far it goes, ends.

“I love it here,” said Santana, acquired by the Indians from the Dodgers on on July 26, 2008. “This is my home. I love Cleveland. They gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues, to play every day.”

He calls Progressive Field, “My house. Everybody knows me and I know everybody here.”

But just how free agency unfolds for the Santana and the Indians is a mystery.

“This will be tough for me after the season, but I’m going to have to make a hard decision about my career,” said Santana. “I love it here. I don’t want to go anywhere. Everybody knows. My teammates know. The front office knows. But that’s not something I can control.”

Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

He most certainly can control it, unless the Indians don't want him any more!

No restraints for Bradley Zimmer

Rookie Bradley Zimmer’s headfirst slide into first base Sunday night may have ended his season. He suffered a broken left hand and was in New York on Monday undergoing tests on the hand.

Zimmer has earned good marks for his aggressive play in center field and on the bases since joining the Indians on May 16 from Class AAA Columbus, but it has come at a cost. He was just cleared from MLB concussion protocol on Wednesday after injuring himself on an attempted catch.

Still, it did not sound as if Francona was going to ask Zimmer to take it down a notch, especially when it comes to headfirst slides.

“I talked Zim on Sunday night and told him, ‘If you’re feeling something about the way you play, don’t,’” said Francona. “I know you hear it so often now, ‘Don’t slide headfirst into first.’ You hear it all the time.’ I disagree.’”

Francona said when a baserunner is sprinting to first with a defender running at him from the side, “sometimes the best way to get to the bag is slide. Yeah, he got stepped on. But he could just as easily blown out an ankle or a knee. That guy hit his hand. He would have hit his foot.

“Sometime I actually think going headfirst is safer. This didn’t work, but he could have just as easily blew his knee out. So I kind of disagree when people say just don’t do it.”

Zimmer was stunned for several minutes after the play. It appeared he hit his head on the slide, but Francona said Zimmer was not treated for a concussion.

“His batting helmet cut him above the eye,” said Francona.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jay Bruce overwhelmed by support

Jay Bruce said he has been overwhelmed by the support shown from Indians' fans and his teammates as he helped raise of $300,000 for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Bruce, in conjunction with Cleveland Indians Charities, raised the funds to help his hometown of Beaumont, Texas and the surrounding areas recover from the floods caused by the hurricane.

"The response was very, very positive," said Bruce. "Honestly, it was a little overwhelming. Everyone has been asking about it and the team response has been awesome."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stingy Tribe pitchers

The Indians, through the first 18 games of their winning streak, allowed 32 runs. It’s the fewest runs allowed over any 18-game period in the big leagues, according to Elias, since 2013.

Three other teams in major league history, all playing in the dead ball era (before 1920) allowed 32 or fewer runs over 18 games, all wins: the Providence Grays on the National League in 1884 with 30 runs, the 1906 White Sox with 23 runs allowed and the 1916 Giants with 17 runs allowed.

CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis is going back to an old stomping ground.

Cleveland's two-time All-Star second baseman could get some playing time in center field as the Indians look to add depth in their outfield after rookie Bradley Zimmer broke his left hand in Sunday's game.

Kipnis, who has been on the disabled list since Aug. 23 with a hamstring injury that has bothered him for a couple months, is excited about the prospect of returning to the outfield. He played outfield in college and began his minor league career in the outfield for Class A Mahoning Valley in 2009.

"I'm pretty sure I've still got it in me," Kipnis said before the Indians extended baseball's longest winning streak since 2002 to 19 games with an 11-0 blowout of the Detroit Tigers on Monday night. "I think I can still do it."

Unrelenting and unbeatable at the moment, the Cleveland Indians refuse to lose. They extended the longest MLB win streak since 2002 to 19 games with an 11-0 blowout of the Detroit Tigers on Monday.


Zimmer was injured diving into first base in the seventh inning of Sunday's 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles. He'll undergo surgery on Tuesday in New York, and it's likely that Zimmer, who had a huge impact in his first season with his defense, speed and hustle, is done for the season.

Once it became clear Zimmer would be out, Francona approached Kipnis about the chance to play in the outfield, and the 30-year-old was receptive to the idea.

"The main thing is just to get back and get healthy," Kipnis said. "I can't do anything or I can't help anyone if I don't do that first. But then, once we get back, I mean, the competitor in me just likes to be on the field. If it means I have to be in center, then I have to be in center. I just want to play."

Kipnis took some fly balls in center during batting practice before Monday's series opener with the Detroit Tigers. At one point, he pretended to track a ball to the warning track and make a leaping catch to rob a home run.

Soon, he may get to try it for real.

With a huge lead in the AL Central, the Indians have time to experiment with Kipnis in center.

"If he's comfortable enough to do it, we might play him out there a little bit just to see how he does," Francona said. "If he's able to handle it, all of a sudden you go from moving somebody out of the infield -- because we've got a really good thing going there -- to adding his bat in the lineup in center field. So, again, it's not a lock. But the fact that he was willing to try it is really meaningful to us. And we appreciate it.

"And my guess is that he's probably pretty good. He's so athletic in going to get balls in the air, I think he's going to have some fun doing it."

Since Kipnis went out, Jose Ramirez shifted from third to second with Giovanny Urshela taking over at third. Kipnis won't argue that both are solid defensive players and give the Indians are a stronger alignment. [I guess they have not noticed Yandy's been the regular the past 10 days]

"I do have pride and the competitor in me thinks that, if I'm healthy and playing, that we're not even having this conversation," Kipnis said. "But, at the same time, you adjust accordingly to the way the year's gone and, with injuries and everything, you just try to fill in where you can. There's no doubt that Josey and Gio are fantastic defenders. I'm not blind. I can see it. They're making awesome plays and night in, night out.

"So, I've just got to find where I fit in at this point. I think I've still got a lot of good baseball in me, whether it's in the outfield or infield."

Because I am so in awe of this Kluber guy:


Trade Retrospective: Cleveland receives prospect Corey Kluber in three-team deal

In a last-second deal at the 2010 trade deadline, the Indians, Padres, and Cardinals completed a minor trade sending Jake Westbrook to St. Louis and a little-known prospect to Cleveland.
by Spencer Bingol Mar 18, 2016, 9:00am EDT


At the 2010 trade deadline, the St. Louis Cardinals had a problem. They faced injuries to starting pitchers Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse, and needed to shore up their rotation for the playoff push. They liked Indians' starter Jake Westbrook, but initially balked at his $3.9 million in remaining salary and the $2 million trade assignment bonus built into his contract. They also were not willing to move a prospect of a high enough caliber to pry Westbrook from Cleveland.

Enter the San Diego Padres. While the MLB Players' Association reviewed Westbrooks' own request to forfeit the trade bonus (he both wanted to play for a contender, and felt injuries had prevented himself from honoring his contract), the Padres had an eye on Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick. As documented in this piece by Terry Pluto, the three teams agreed that Westbrook, Padres prospect Nick Greenwood, and $2.7 million from the Indians would go to St. Louis; Ludwick would go to San Diego; and fringe Padres prospect Corey Kluber would be sent to Cleveland.

. . .

As always, this series is concerned only with evaluating the initial decision made by the teams participating in the transaction, and not later moves that retroactively affect the perceptions of the deal. The final judgement is reached by comparing each player's salary and fWAR-based free agent dollar value from FanGraphs to create a surplus value measurement. Salary and service time figures are taken from Baseball-Reference.

As with other recent editions of this series, a non-scientific attempt is made at future win depreciation. In almost all blockbuster trades, one team (the "buyer") sacrifices long-term wins to improve their team in the near-term. In essence, present wins are more valuable than future wins. The below table is just a rough estimate attempting to accommodate for that consideration.

Year 2011 Value 2011 WAR
2010 150% 1.50
2011 100% 1.00
2012 75% 1.33
2013 55% 1.82
2014 40% 2.50
2015 30% 3.33

As this is a trade deadline deal, a heightened value is placed on wins in the second half of the immediate season (2010). The value is still presented relative to the following offseason (2011 in this case), the period of time around which this entire series has revolved.
The Deal

For the Cardinals, this trade was about acquiring Jake Westbrook to solidify their rotation before a playoff push. Westbrook was the Rockies' first round pick in the 1996 draft, selected from Madison County High School in Danielsville, Georgia. Baseball America ranked him as baseball's 75th-best prospect before the 1997 season, and he'd eventually debut with the New York Yankees in 2000.

He'd be traded to the Indians for David Justice before the next season, and would establish himself as a durable starter with the team. Westbrook made an All-Star appearance in 2004, the first of three straight 200 inning seasons. In 2008, he'd undergo Tommy John Surgery and miss all of the 2009 season, but rebuilt his trade stock in time for the 2010 trade deadline.

Nick Greenwood was included by the Padres to pry Ryan Ludwick free from St. Louis. He was a 14th round pick in the 2009 draft out of the University of Rhode Island. A lefty swingman in the Minors, he was seen as a potential Major League reliever with the ability to get out opposite-handed batters.

The Padres inserted themselves into this trade and received the aforementioned Ludwick, a veteran outfielder. He was the Athletics' second-round pick in the 1999 draft, a college bat out of the University of Nevada. Before the 2001 season, he was ranked the 81st-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America, and would debut with the Texas Rangers in 2002. He would struggle early on, only accumulating 365 plate appearances and an 88 OPS+ over his next four seasons, and spent 2006 with the Tigers' AAA affiliate.

Ludwick would sign with the Cardinals prior to the 2007 season, and quickly burst back into the Majors, rediscovering the promise of his early prospect status. Over the next three seasons, he established himself as a regular in the Cardinals' outfield, producing a 125 OPS+ and 9.8 fWAR, and making the All-Star team in 2008.

The Indians, disappointed with their 30-47 record through the end of June, decided to offload Westbrook to a contender for prospects. While the Cardinals wanted the righty, they weren't willing to offer a desirable prospect. The Padres then entered the fray, and the Indians scouted the team's farm system.

They settled on Corey Kluber, San Diego's 4th round draft pick in 2007. He was old in prospect terms (24, and in AA), but had strong strikeout rates and a four pitch mix that intrigued Cleveland evaluators. The team itself expected a player that could develop into a durable innings eater in the back of their rotation.
The Ripples

Cardinals Transaction With To/By/With For
Jake Westbrook Free Agency
Nick Greenwood Free Agency

Jake Westbrook would reach free agency following the 2010 season, but re-sign with the Cardinals on a three year deal. He won a World Series with the 2011 iteration of the team, and retired following the 2013 season.

Nick Greenwood climbed the Cardinals' system and spent parts of four straight seasons at AAA before debuting as a 27-year old in 2014. He's struggled to establish himself in the Majors, and hit free agency following the 2015 season. He signed in January with the Chicago Cubs.

Padres Transaction With To/By/With For
Ryan Ludwick Purchased Pirates

Ryan Ludwick struggled to hit in San Diego (86 OPS+), and saw his contract purchased by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. He would sign a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Reds in 2012, and rediscovered his stroke with a 130 OPS+. After being released in Spring Training by the Texas Rangers in 2015, he would retire from baseball.

Indians Transaction With To/By/With For
Corey Kluber Extended Indians 5 Yrs/$38.5 Million

Corey Kluber would struggle through his early Indians career, but emerged as a mid-rotation starter during the 2013 season. He then exploded in 2014, becoming an ace, and winning the AL Cy Young Award over Felix Hernandez. He signed a five-year extension with Cleveland.
The Results

Remaining Control fWAR Salary (M) FA Value (M) Surplus Value (M) Surplus Value - Adj (M)
Jake Westbrook 0 1.2 $4.07 $7.20 $3.13 $4.69
Nick Greenwood 0 -0.2 $- $(1.60) $(1.60) $(0.64)
--
$- $- $- $-
Ryan Ludwick 0 0.1 $7.52 $1.80 $(5.72) $(8.40)
--
$- $- $- $-
Corey Kluber 3 16.2 $2.20 $124.80 $122.60 $49.12
--
Cardinals Total 0 1.0 $4.07 $5.60 $1.53 $4.05
Padres Total 0 0.1 $7.52 $1.80 $(5.72) $(8.40)
Indians Total 3 16.2 $2.20 $124.80 $122.60 $49.12

We don't like doing these deals. We want to be on the other end of them.

This was spoken by Chris Antonetti, then Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Cleveland Indians, and the unequivocal winner of this trade. Quotes like this do somewhat enforce the futility of evaluating trades in retrospect, and the unknowable nature of player evaluation.

It wasn't only the Padres that missed on Kluber's potential - Baseball America never ranked him among the team's top 30 prospects, and the Indians themselves only viewed him as an innings eater. Despite having a great strikeout to walk ratio, he was a 24-year old in AA with spotty command and a low-90s fastball. He hadn't yet been introduced to his trademark sinker, or his cutter.

So, while the Indians obviously have seen the best results of this trade, it may be hard to determine the winner of the original decision from a process-oriented perspective. If all of Corey Kluber's potential outcomes and their likelihoods were combined into an expected value, it wasn't high at the time of the trade, and it's completely possible that without the Indians' coaching staff, he wouldn't have developed into much of anything. Their player development department deserves a ton of credit, but it's hard to know if Cleveland's initial decision was actually better than that of San Diego or St. Louis.

In the end, thirty out of thirty teams would prefer to have the Indians' return in this trade, a fact compounded by the Cardinals' and Padres' respective failures to make the playoffs in 2010. In this way, Cleveland definitely won the trade, but did it in what was basically an unpredictable manner.

With that, we've completed this year's trade retrospective series before the 2016 season gets underway. Come back next offseason for more examples of similar pointless, yet entertaining, exercises in futility.

. . .

Spencer Bingol is a Contributing Editor at Beyond the Box Score. He can also be read at Crashburn Alley. You can follow him on Twitter at @SpencerBingol.

Indians' 21-game winning streak is a horse of a different color and size
Updated on September 13, 2017 at 9:21 PM Posted on September 13, 2017 at 8:59 PM

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com



CLEVELAND, Ohio - Corey Kluber said the Indians embraced their 14-game winning streak last year. They probably learned a few things as well.

But that was a 14-game winning streak. In terms of horseflesh, it was a colt.

What the Indians are dealing with now is a full-grown Clydesdale. If this 21-game winning streak continues, they may need a team of them to haul it out of the dugout every day.

Still as Mike Clevinger said, "The flow is good." The meaning of the flow is open to interpretation, but right now it means things can't get much better.

The Indians beat the Tigers, 5-3, Wednesday to set the American League record for consecutive wins. They are tied with the 1935 Cubs for the second longest winning streak in history.

The record is held by the 1916 New York Giants with 26 wins. The streak includes a tie, but MLB recognizes the Giants as the record holders.

Clevinger (10-5, 3.21) was Wednesday's winning pitcher. He referred to the flow when asked if the Indians were loose and having fun during the streak.

"It's been a little more loose (than usual)," said Clevinger, his shoulder-length hair still wet from the shower. "Everybody has been a little more free. The flow to each day has been just awesome."


Manager Terry Francona even broke from his "take it one day at a time' mantra to congratulate his team.

"I think they're enjoying themselves and they should," said Francona. "What's kind of cool about our game is when you do things and you do them the right way. ... Our guys are playing the game to win the right way.

"That part is really meaningful. They should enjoy what they're doing. It's pretty special."

The pragmatist in Francona will only take that so far. When asked what he considered to be the real record for consecutive wins - the 1916 Giants at 26 straight or the 1935 Cubs at 21 straight, Francona said, "I wasn't there. I have given that zero thought. I promise you I've given that no thought. I don't have a good answer for that."

Francona may not be thinking of records, but he has been in baseball far too long to mess with the mojo of a streak. Why else has replay coordinator Mike Barnett take the lineup card to home plate for all 21 wins?

Pitching coach Mickey Callaway said the pressure of such a streak is a good late-season test for the Indians for what is drawing ever closer - the postseason and the idea of not only reaching the World Series, but winning it.

"That remains the ultimate goal," said Clevinger.


In the era of Dynamic Pricing, walk-up crowds are supposed to be a thing of the past at Progressive Field. But for the last two games, people have been waiting to get into the ballpark until well after the first pitch.

Wednesday's crowd of 29,346 felt like a playoff crowd. When plate umpire Quinn Wolcott called a ball on Clevinger, fans were screaming their dissent - in the first inning.

If that wasn't enough to invoke October, there was the double scream in the seventh inning that bounced from one side of the ballpark to the other. It started in the upper deck down the first-base line and came ricocheting back from the seats behind third.

Giovanny Urshela, a defensive replacement at third, was in the eye of the scream. Detroit's Andrew Romine, with runners on first and third and two out, sent a shot to Urshela. The scream from the upper deck down the first baseline erupted when he caught the ball. The scream from the third base side answered in kind as Urshela threw Romine out to end the inning.

Asked if the game felt like the postseason, closer Cody Allen, said, "Yeah, a little bit. You guys (referring to a growing number of reporters following the streak) make it feel like October.

"We're on a pretty good roll right now and the fans that turned out, especially for a Wednesday noon game, were awesome."

Allen pitched the ninth to earn his 27th save. He liked the idea of winning 21 straight games and setting the AL record. But there are more and bigger games to play.

"We're trying to win as many games as we can," said Allen. "If we win them all in a row, great. If we can win every series ... you're just trying to play good baseball that day. We were a couple of runs better than they were today. Tomorrow we'll show up and try to do the same thing."

I read an article yesterday (on MLB.com, I believe) that pointed out that the "tie" that the Giants had (in accordance with the rules at the time) simply did not count at all for team or individual player statistics (kind of like a game today that does not get thru five innings due to bad weather). Rather, it was played again from scratch as a make-up double header game the next day, which the Giants won as part of the streak.

It is interesting to me that virtually no other article or commentary I have seen or heard mentions this fact (or even seems to know about it).

These facts, if accurate, change my view about whether the "tie game" should be understood of cutting off the "win" streak. Seems to me that it should not. Indeed, it seems to me not to be very controversial.

The Tribe could still pull off that number of consecutive wins. I hope they do. It would be great to take any unnecessary arguments out of a Tribe claim to the longest winning streak ever in major league baseball.