Tribe Talk: Cleveland Indians Say Goodbye To "The House That Ruth Built"

My favorite though has to be the Indians clinch the ALCS in Yankee stadium last season. It was great to do it on their turf and watch the Yankee fans with their sad looks on their faces. Like they haven't won it all in sooooo long.

Player Debate of the Week: Rafael Betancourt--
We have now seen him in the closer role for two weeks. He has two saves a loss and a blown save. What is your opinion on his time as the closer and do you see him returning into the role at some point this year after Borowski returns?

Samantha Bunten: If the only 2 options at closer for the rest of the season are Betancourt and Borowski, then I choose door #3: jump off a bridge. Seriously though, Betancourt is a good 2+ inning guy and I would hate to waste him in the closer’s role if he doesn’t prove to be particularly good at it. I would rather get 2 good innings out of him as a set up guy. If Borowski can return to his scary, yet mostly effective 2007 form, I’m all for giving him his job back.

Nino Colla: I think he has done a solid job and I don't blame the blown save on him. I do think he hasn't been as good as everyone expected, but right where I expected. With that he goes right back to the set-up role after Borowski gets his feet wet when he comes back. You can't throw Joe back into that role immediately, but he will be back there. I think if anything should arise again, Masahide Kobayashi would take over the closers role, as he has proved to be a good set-up guy so far and really he has been the most reliable arm in hold situations since getting put there.

Michael Taylor: Aside from the fact of the Indians offensive struggles, the bullpen is flying under the radar with its own problems. At the time of the Borowski injury I was all for Betancourt, just to see if his stuff would work this time as the closer, but obviously he has again regressed as he did in 2004 as a closer. We now know the answer, and Borowski will likely return to his job and restore order to the bullpen. We'll have to see how long it lasts though.

The best part of this has been the emergence of Kobayashi, he has solidified his job as a setup man and possibly the closer in-waiting for the next opportunity.

Fun Question of the Week: What is your favorite promotional item recieved or promotion attended at a MLB ballpark?

Samantha Bunten: I once got an Indians “10th man” wristband, which I dutifully did not take off for the entire season.

Nino Colla: I'm a fan of any bobble head really. But as someone who attends 20 games a year (mostly weekends, so I get a lot of the good promotions), my favorite item has to be the Drew Carey Bobble head... No, I'm just kidding. I really enjoyed the rally towels from the playoffs last year, I have them hanging in my room. My favorite bobble head is the Jhonny Peralta one, just because I think they did the best job in terms of likeness. The Grady ones don't really look like him and they both look different. The Sabathia disco one looks goofy.

Michael Taylor: I would have to say Magnet Schedules. I love them and have collected about 5-6 years worth of them to put on my refrigerator. Although, I now have lost that battle with my wife and they are stuck to my filing cabinet in the basement office.

Another is of course bobble heads, I have more Cincinnati Reds bobble heads than Indians because I went to school near Cincinnati, but nevertheless they are fun to collect and put on your shelves. I just wish I could have gotten that Bob Wickman "bobble belly," that one was really hilarious.

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