Kuzul

Surprisingly the Indians are seventh in baseball in ERA, led by the strong performance of the starting rotation. Arguably Josh Tomlin has been the Indians’ most consistent pitcher this season, behind Justin Masterson, after throwing another quality start against the Royals last night. His ERA currently sits at 2.33, and his WHIP sits at a stunning 0.89.

The question that remains is whether Tomlin has changed his approach and if he can keep pitching at this level. Well, let’s take a look at Tomlin’s approach in 2011 compared to last season.

In 2010 Tomlin pitched to a 4.56 ERA in 72 innings with a 5.30 K/9 and a 2.34 BB/9. Tomlin pitched to an extreme fly-ball rate (50.4 percent), and his ground-ball rate (28.6 percent) was close to his line-drive rate (21.1 percent). He also had a favorable .271 BABIP, showing that Tomlin got some breaks, but not enough to affect his performance. His xFIP of 4.76 indicates that he pitched as well as he could have in 2010 given these factors.

Tomlin has made some improvements this season. This season, even though Tomlin’s velocity has been down a touch and his K/9 rate is down to 5.0, it is worth noting that his swinging-strike percentage has increased to 10.1 percent from 7.9 percent in 2010. Opponents are making less contact (81.9 percent) against Tomlin in 2011 compared to 2010 (92 percent).

Tomlin has also improved his batted ball rates. He has improved his ground-ball numbers to 43 percent and decreased his fly-ball percentage to 35 percent. Those are steps in the right direction for Tomlin, who was victimized by the home run in 2010.

However, there are numbers that indicate Tomlin has benefited from all of the breaks this season. Tomlin’s BABIP is at an unsustainable .182, and his strand rate is above average at 86.5 percent. I was wrong in thinking that he would pitch to an ERA close to 5.00. He has made the necessary adjustments to stay in the league, but he won’t finish the year with an ERA below 4.00.

Tomlin is going to come back to earth, and Indians fans should act accordingly. Remember when Mitch Talbot got off to a great start last season? With that said, I can’t deny the fact that he has helped propel the Indians to a 13-7 record and to first place in the AL Central. Just enjoy it while you can.

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Winning. Did anyone who remotely follows baseball predict that the Cleveland Indians would be in first place in the AL Central for even one day?  Through 14 games, the Tribe is tied with the Kansas City Royals atop the AL Central standings. Did they get an injection of tiger blood?  One can only wonder how long the young and inexperienced Indians (and Royals, for that matter) can maintain their stellar play.  

Let’s consider some numbers.  The Cleveland lineup is batting .259 on the year, middle of the road in the AL.  They rank no higher than fifth in any major offensive category.  Thus, one can safely say that the Tribe’s lineup is not on a gigantic hot streak that accounts for the winning.  

Now, let’s look at the pitching staff.  The staff ERA is at 3.34, fifth in the AL.  The eye-popping stat is that their batting average against is an excellent .212.  The rotation has been stellar thus far.  They are putting up quality starts one after another.  

One reason for the Tribe’s hot start is excellent pitching.  The other is solid defense.  General Manager Mark Shapiro made it a point of emphasis this offseason to improve the infield defense.  Starters Masterson, Carmona and Carrasco are all primarily ground ball pitchers who rely on the guys behind them to make plays.  The Cabrera duo up the middle is a large upgrade over last season.  Jack Hannahan has been pleasantly solid at the hot corner.  

Cleveland can contend in this division if a number of things continue:  1) the young and inexperienced rotation continues to piece together quality starts,  2) the defense holds up,  3)  the offense is above-average.  

Will these things happen?  I would say no.  Unfortunately, I have a difficult time seeing this rotation continue to throw as well as they have.  They are too young and hitters will adjust given time.  I also do not see the lineup hitting this well for very long.  An improvement over last season can surely be attained.  But a division crown will not happen this year.  

But they are winning, for now.  

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Dear Clevelanders,

I hope I don’t jinx anything, but the Indians are playing some good ball right now.  They have won five games in a row, and have done it in different fashions, showing their versatility.  I don’t harbor any World Series illusions, but a little support for these guys couldn’t hurt.  Hear me out before saying you hate Dolan and Shapiro and write off the idea of attending a game.

The Tribe are sitting at 5-2 right now, when many expected them to have three wins at the most through their first seven games.  The starting pitching has had five straight quality starts.  The hitters are showing versatility to not only score in bunches, but also to get the clutch hits (or squeeze bunts) when needed.  The bullpen, led by the Perez boys, has been in lockdown mode.  The question is: Is anybody watching? 

The poor attendance at Progressive Field has gotten national attention.  Many analysts are wondering if the Indians are turning into the new Pirates, unable to escape the cellar because of poor attendance and inability to make any money.  This should not be happening.  I don’t really blame you, Tribe fans in Cleveland, but I think we as fans, can help.

I understand times are tough in Cleveland.  I can sympathize with the unemployment problems and the issues with the price of taking a family to a baseball game.  I just graduated college and work a dead-end job that I am incredibly overqualified for.  Believe me, I get it.  I can barely make my student loan payments.  But yet, by eating PB&J’s for the whole Iowa winter, I scraped up the money to renew my MLB Extra Innings package on DirecTV so I could watch all the Indians games my little heart desires.  I am not telling you to go out and buy a full season ticket package.  Just attend a game here and there.  Show some support to the team.  Still not convinced?  Here is a few reasons to answer my call to arms.

As I said, the Tribe are playing good.  They are a scrappy bunch.  There really isn’t a star player on this team.  Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner could be considered stars by some, but we all know they haven’t been themselves for a few years.  Hafner has been pounding the ball this year, and Grady is still recovering from knee surgery.  Hafner may be overpaid, but at least he didn’t flee for greener pastures when he was one of the best hitters in baseball.  As for Sizemore, I would bet he hates not producing like he used to more than any of us hate seeing him not produce. 

The “kids” on the team have been outstanding so far.  Carlos Santana looks like every bit the catcher he was last year before his gruesome knee injury.  Asdrubal Cabrera looks like a legitimate shortstop.  Michael Brantley has strung together his best week as a major leaguer.  Orlando Cabrera, who was signed in the offseason amid calls from fans saying it was ridiculous to sign a veteran like O-Cab, has been a steadying influence on the bottom half of the order.  Fausto Carmona rebounded from the worst start an “ace” pitcher can have to pitch seven shutout innings against one of the best lineups in baseball.  The list goes on and on. 

I think one guy who deserves a lot of credit for this is Manny Acta.  His positive attitude and his Coach Eric Taylor-like tough love is just what the Indians needed to rebound from their 0-2 start.

The most common argument against supporting the Tribe during the last few years is that people don’t like the ownership and don’t trust them and their unwillingness to spend money.  Again, believe me, I can relate to your frustration.  I loved watching C.C. and Cliff Lee pitch in an Indians uniform.  I thought Victor was the heart and soul of the Tribe.  Heck, I was even disappointed when they traded away Jake Westbrook, who had worked so hard to come back from Tommy John.  The ownership hasn’t done us any favors over the last few years. 

But, think about this: Remember 2007 when we were one measly game away from playing the Rockies in the World Series, and how the next year many people picked us to win the whole thing?  Do you remember what the front office did following the 2007 ALCS collapse?  They went and got two major free agents.  They gave Kerry Wood $20 million over two years to solve the closer problem, and then, to the delight of many Indians fans, including myself, signed Mark DeRosa, who was supposed to be the premier utility man in the MLB.  It isn’t really Shapiro or Dolan’s fault those guys didn’t pan out.  They tried in those cases. They were able to spend money because the Indians fans showed a willingness to come out and watch that 2007 team play, and often win. 

Things went terribly wrong in 2008.  Many stars from the previous year had major issues in 2008.  Since then, things have been all downhill.  Maybe 2011 is the start of the uphill climb again.  I don’t see the Tribe winning 90 games.  I don’t even know if they can realistically win 81 games and finish .500.  I do know that they have some players who seem happy to be wearing a Cleveland uniform and a manager who seems to legitimately care about the franchise.  LeBron bailed (the dirty trader), and everybody rallied around the remaining Cavaliers.  Can’t we do the same with the Indians who are going out there for three hours every single day? 

I know things are working against the Indians and the city of Cleveland.  Money is hard to come by for the average person in Cleveland and the Indians franchise.  It is difficult to find the time, in this day and age, to get away for four or five hours to attend a Major League Baseball game.  The ownership has been a mess since 2008.  The Indians haven’t had a winning season since 2007.  I KNOW how good of fans the Indians have, even if they are not in the seats at Progressive Field.  I know all of this.

But, let me ask you this: Did the city of Cleveland and the Tribe fans quit on Lou Brown and Jake Taylor when Rachel Phelps was a terrible owner and wanted to move the team to Miami?  No, they did not.  They went out and bought “Wild Thing, I think I love you” shirts, started appreciating the power of Joe Boo, went out in April for “Roger Dorn” night.  So I ask you, give the kids a chance.  Give this 2011 version of the Indians a chance.  I know the front office should do more, but we can’t help that.  We can show the Indians who are there now that the city is behind them.  You can show the national media that Cleveland is STILL a great baseball town.  Jump back on the wagon now, because when the Indians get good again, it will be just that much sweeter.

Sincerely,

Geoff Estes

Tribe fan since 1990.

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Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn’t won a game for the Boston Red Sox in a long time.

In his first start of the 2011 season, the Red Sox were defeated Wednesday night by the Cleveland Indians, 8-4. Matsuzaka pitched five innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs.

His last winning start was on September 2, 2010, against the Baltimore Orioles.

Matsuzaka’s struggles are consistent with those of his team, as the Red Sox are winless in their first five games of the 2011 season.

Coming into the 2011 season the Red Sox made headlines with the signings of Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. It was suggested the team would’ve made the postseason last year if not for the multitude of injuries they suffered.

Boston’s lineup looked poised to make a deep run into the postseason this season, and the Red Sox were considered the favorites by many to win the AL East and the World Series.

Rosters don’t win baseball games.

Carl Crawford isn’t quite living up to his $142 million contract. He has a miserable .211 batting average and six strikeouts. He has attributed his hitting slump to a lack of timing and plans to get in the batting cage to work it out.  

The Red Sox have had a disastrous start, losing all five games so far this season, but Adrian Gonzalez has been worth the money. He’s batting .350 and slugging .600 with five RBI.

Gonzalez hit his first home run of the season against the Indians, but it wasn’t enough for Boston to get their first win.

The bullpen couldn’t keep the game within reach.

Matsuzaka left the game with the Red Sox trailing 3-2. Dennys Reyes and Dan Wheeler gave the game away in their relief appearances.

Reyes had a 16.20 ERA allowing three earned runs on only 12 pitches. Wheeler made it a full inning before being pulled with an 11.64 ERA after giving up a sixth inning home run to Asdrubal Cabrera.

The season is far from over, and Boston has plenty of time to rebound from their early struggles. Although it is still possible for them to win the AL East and eventually win the World Series, it isn’t probable.

No team has started a season 0-5 and went on to win a World Series.

If the Red Sox don’t win a game soon, it may be worth it to have Gonzalez come out of the bullpen.

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In recent memory, we’ve always heard about how the AL East is Major League Baseball’s toughest division, with the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays beating up on each other, along with the rest of the American League.

Some people make a case for the NL East, where the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves have a stronghold, combined with an over-acheiving Florida Marlins squad and an even more under-acheiving New York Mets team.

It’s easy to say one division is better than the other based on records alone, so I had an idea: What if we take the best player at each position, from each division and create separate “All-Star” teams?  Which division would have the most talented squad?

That’s exactly what we are going to do in hopes we can finally come to a realization of which division is MLB’s best.  You might be surprised at how good (or bad) some of the teams end up being.

The selection process is simple: It will be the best player at each position today. It won’t be based on future potential, and it won’t be based on a player having a monster season five years ago. 

This will be a seven part series over the next two weeks: one part for each of baseball’s six divisions, followed by a summary piece that will hopefully allow us to figure out and debate which division really is MLB’s best.

We begin with the AL Central.

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Any article written with a positive spin about the state of the Cleveland Indians provides insight of what it must be like reading propaganda fliers in some rogue totalitarian regime. The dictator in this version is none other than Cleveland Indians owner Larry Dolan, and it’s time for a fan uprising.

Only one problem: There are no fans.

The smallest crowd in Progressive Field history showed up to watch the Indians lose, and who can blame them? It’s one thing to have a bad team or organization. It’s an entirely different thing to not even attempt to field a winning team.

Dolan has repeatedly told fans he will spend money when they show up.

This is kind of like owning a restaurant where the food is terrible and nobody eats there.  Your few loyal patrons beg you to invest in top-dollar chefs and ingredients to improve the food. You acknowledge the problem, and the need for better cooks, but instead declare not to make these top-level hires and investments until people start showing up to your restaurant first to eat your bad food.

An article Saturday on Cleveland.com described how Alex Rodriguez’ annual salary totals 88 percent of the Royals’ 2011 payroll. We all know the problems of baseball are rooted deeper than Northeast Ohio.

However, what has changed? Was there a salary cap when Dolan bought the team? No. Were we a larger market when he bought the team? No. Dolan knew exactly what he was signing up for when he purchased the Indians. Why would someone stay in a business if it wasn’t profitable? The fact is, owning a major sports franchise is like having a license to print money and Dolan puts yours in his pocket rather than on the field.

Fans waited a decade for the Indians to find a legitimate No. 1 starter to pair with the prolific offenses of the 1990s. Under Dolan, they traded consecutive Cy Young award winners for nothing. Absolutely nothing. Why would the fans care if the team doesn’t care? The last time the Indians lost as many games in a two season span as they have the previous two, Woodrow Wilson was president and color television didn’t exist.

Not everything has changed. Some things still remain black and white.

If you aren’t going to try, then sell the team!

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On Thursday, March 31, baseball will make its long-awaited return with its traditional Opening Day.  It will be a day when fans just sit back, relax and enjoy the game before the divisional rivalries cause battles in the bleachers.  With the epic pitching matchup of CC Sabathia vs. Justin Verlander kicking off the season, it’s sure to be a great 2011.

In other games, careers will be made while others may end due to injury.  Fans will laugh, cry and cheer as their favorite players have (hopefully), amazing first games.

Some Opening Day performances have been good enough to be marked in the annals forever, including one notable one by Bob Feller (pictured at left).  To celebrate this long-standing tradition as well as Feller’s accomplishment, here are the top 10 most amazing Opening Day performances in history!

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Let’s take a trip through the looking glass and leave our cynicism behind.

Let’s pretend for a second that the Cleveland Indians are the San Diego Padres of 2010, contending in late July but starting to show signs of fading. What this miracle team needs is some new blood injected via trade.

It’s almost impossible to predict what teams will be struggling (thus wanting to move stars) this early in the spring, but it’s also a stretch to think the Tribe will be contending this year. So let’s use our imagination on both fronts and look at 12 players that could help a surprise Indians team make it to the playoffs and maybe even win the World Series. The year is still young; we can all have our wild dreams.

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Last year, the Cleveland Indians finished second-to-last in the AL Central with a 69-93 record.  Considering how center fielder Grady Sizemore missed most of the season with a knee injury, along with the inconsistent pitching, that’s still a pretty strong performance.

This year, the Indians are just as young a team, if not younger than last year.  With only a few tested veterans on the team, the Indians certainly have some experienced men, yet not one with enough presence to step up as a leader.  That being said, can second-year manager Manny Acta find a way to get his players and their fans back in the game?

The answer is yes.  Let’s look at the entire lineup and see how the team will improve from last year.

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Thirty-six year old Justine Siegal has a passion for the game of baseball, and this has allowed her to make great strides in the sport.

No, she’s not a player—that would be truly remarkable. What makes this event so special is that, for some reason, it’s flown somewhat under the radar.

Siegal has spent the past four years as an assistant baseball coach at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Aside from coaching baseball at the college, she has been working toward her Ph.D. in sports and exercise psychology.

During her time coaching at Springfield, she became the first woman in history to coach a professional baseball team. In 2009 she coached the the Brockton Rox, an independent league team in the Canadian-American Association, to a 56-37 record.

Siegal, a Cleveland native, approached Indians GM Chris Antonetti with a proposal during the Winter Meetings this past December. 

She wanted to throw batting practice to the Tribe in spring training.

So yesterday, Siegal threw four-seam fastballs during batting practice to a group of five Minor Leaguers. After watching the session, members of the Cleveland brass were impressed enough to let her face a few Major Leaguers.

With her 13-year old daughter watching, Siegal threw batting practice to catchers Lou Marson, Paul Phillips and Juan Apodaca.

When interviewed after the history-making appearance, Siegal said, “I’ve been thinking about this almost every hour for the past month. I’m excited to be here and to have done a good job.”

Siegal had been notified about the arrangement three weeks prior and was itching to get out there ever since. 

Teams around the league were very impressed with the performance. So impressed even, that she will be throwing batting practice for the Athletics on Wednesday.

Justine Siegal’s story is one that’s certainly good for the game of baseball. Women may never actually see the field but, who knows, women could one day have a much greater impact in the sport.

The involvement of women is integral to the growth and development of the game. When more women participate, more women watch.

With a larger fan base possibly on the horizon, baseball could be entering yet another period of prosperity, success and glory.

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