Welcome to Tribe Talk, a season-long look at the trials and tribulations of the Cleveland Indians from the views of the loyal Tribe fans here on Bleacher Report.
I would like to thank my fellow Indians community leader, Nino Colla, and this week’s participants, Samantha Bunten and Dr. Jeff Poove’, for pitching in their takes.
This discussion is not just meant for the included Indians fans. Please feel free to comment on any of the questions or any of our answers below.
As the Indians continue to slide down the American League Central standings, we will now begin to discuss who the Indians should start to put on the trading block.
We already know that Sabathia will be up for grabs, but who else should be a target? Also, who is the team MVP, and which song would you like as your theme if you were a major leaguer coming to bat?
Without further ado, let's talk Tribe!
We have hit the midpoint of the season, and it is time to shell out some awards. Who is your team MVP so far? Who is the biggest disappointment?
Samantha Bunten: I would give the MVP to Lee or Sabathia. Lee has done an excellent job of proving he's returned to form, and Sabathia, well, he's proving he's worth big money as a free agent, and at least we're getting some benefit from it while we can.
As far as the biggest disappointment, the easy answer is Pronk. But if injuries really are the cause of his poor performance, maybe the award should instead go to the bullpen. These guys look absolutely nothing like they did last season. I expected far better.
Nino Colla: Can we just say Cliff Lee and be done with it? I don't think anyone has to even provide a reason.
The biggest disappointment is much harder. How about Ryan Garko or Rafael Betancourt. Considering this isn't "most surprising disappointment," I'd have to give the nod to Raffy Right.
I didn't expect him to light the world on fire like he did last year, and unlike some, I still remember when he was mediocre the previous years. He's been downright awful this year. I'm disappointed he's been this bad, really.
Garko is one of my favorite players, so to see the consistency thing continue into 2008 frustrates me. He swings a good bat, but for some reason he is one of the most up and down, hot-and-cold players I've ever seen.
Doctor Poove’: Cliff Lee has to be the team MVP, with Sizemore a close second. In Sizemore, you always knew he was capable of the run he's on right now.
With Lee, after the disastrous 2007, and the fact that many thought he had an awful attitude after his demotion, the fact that he has pitched so phenomenally for the entire season is incredible. He has been dominant in all but a few starts and is one of the few Indians who looks focused and has been dialed in all year.
Biggest disappointment is Jhonny Peralta, by a nose over Rafael Betancourt. While you can expect young players like Asdrubal Cabrera and Franklin Gutierrez to struggle in their second season, and bullpen work can be up and down from year to year, although saying Betancourt is awful is an insult to awful, Peralta's performance this year is a microcosm of the team in 2008.
After a stellar 2007, when Jhonny looked to finally "get it", he has reverted back to his 2006 form. He looks lazy in the field, bouncing routine throws to first from time to time, his plate discipline is awful, as he is swinging at breaking pitches away once again, and he just doesn't look focused when you watch him play.
Throw in the lack of production with men on base, a large number of strikeouts, and poor at-bats and poor swings in hitters' counts, and he is sickening to watch. The classic "has all the talent but doesn't live up to it" player.
Michael Taylor: I feel dumb for even asking the question, because it has to be Cliff Lee for everybody. I just can't imagine where this team would be if not for his 11-1 record. We'd still be in last place, but not even close to the Royals!
Other than Lee, you would have to go Sizemore. He continues to do everything that makes him great. Hits for power, steals bases, and make amazing catches in center field.
My biggest disappointment has got to be Ryan Garko. He was supposed to continue his development into being a middle-of-the-lineup power producer this season. Many were projecting upwards of 30 home runs and 100 RBI. He has been very inconsistent and is barely keeping his average above .240, and he only has six home runs.
We've all heard the talk about C.C. Sabathia. It has been retread so many times it is sickening. Besides C.C., which Indians player would you be looking to move over the next month?
Samantha Bunten: I like Gutierrez, so I would hate to lose him, but we do have enough talent in the outfield to trade someone. Gutierrez could probably bring us someone decent in return. I'm not ready to throw in the towel on our season yet, but our front office tends to underreact to everything, so it would be nice if for once, they actually did something proactive.
Today's Must Reads
Nino Colla: Casey Blake, without a question. He has value, he's a free agent, he leads the team in RBI, and you have the biggest question mark on your team playing behind him. We need to find out about Andy Marte, and in order for Wedge to actually do that, we have to get Casey Blake off this team.
He won't be back next year. I think he will want a good chunk of change that the Indians shouldn't pay him. You can get something for Casey Blake, so go ahead and do it.
Doctor Poove’: Unfortunately, it is Casey Blake. Only because I think the Indians can get a good return on him. I am not a Casey Blake basher, of which there are many. I just don't think he is an everyday MLB third baseman.
He is, however, a very valuable part of the team, who can play four or five times a week at multiple positions to give guys days off, or spell a guy in a slump and still be productive. A smart, contending team will see the value in that and make a play for him.
Shapiro should listen to all offers for people not named Sizemore, Martinez, or Carmona.
Michael Taylor: You have to move Casey Blake right now. He is a free agent at the end of the season, and there should be no plans on re-signing him anyway. He is a valuable commodity as a utility player who can play first, third, or either corner outfield positions.
Plus, right now, he has great stats for himself. I could not believe my eyes when I saw the .281 average, and he remains the team leader in RBI.
As much as I have grown to respect Blake as both a player and individual, it is time to move on. There will be a contender somewhere looking for that veteran presence to come off of the bench and provide key hits, which is something that he has done very well this season.
Mercifully, the interleague season is now over. The Indians were the only AL Central team to have a losing record against the National League, and by a wide margin. Why do you think the Indians struggled so much in the games?
Samantha Bunten: I know we can't just blame Wedge for everything that goes wrong, but I really think our poor interleague performance has a lot to do with his style of management.
Wedge is too slow to make adjustments, and he consistently makes bad decisions about when to pull pitchers, use pinch hitters, and how to move runners. This is a problem against any opponent, but the issue is particularly glaring when we face NL opponents who are more accustomed to this style of play.
Or maybe we just stink.
Nino Colla: I don't know, but I'm just glad to see it end. Interleague is always a tricky thing; there are always teams that struggle and ones that do amazingly well. The Twins and Tigers have used it to get back into the race. The Indians have used it to get out of it. I'm glad to see it end, because for whatever reason, when they started interleague play, they just died.
Or the reason they struggled is maybe because they actually aren't very good. Who knows now a days, you know?
Doctor Poove’: You give them too much credit. Worst interleague record in MLB. 6-12. The Tribe normally thrives versus the NL, but not so in 2008. Why? They aren't a very good team, duh, but they just couldn't get any one phase going.
They had some bad outings from starters (Byrd, Sowers and even Laffey), which has not been the norm. So the bullpen was used earlier and more often, as is does in the NL parks, so the inconsistencies of the pen were more evident.
Plus, runs are at more of a premium in the NL, and we all know the Tribe's problems there, so the NL teams and their "small ball" decreased the already microscopic margin of error for the Tribe.
Michael Taylor: The Indians are typically very good in interleague play, but as we have seen, this is no typical season. I think a lot of it has to do with how the season progressed.
They were treading water and staying in the race before interleague began, but once guys started going down with injuries, and the team started losing, everything snowballed. It just happened to have come against the National League teams.
Plus, when we're not able to score, thus putting pressure on a below-average bullpen, that hurts. Especially in low scoring, close games as they have played. I just think that it has shown the Indians for what they are this season, a bad team.
Player Debate of the Week: Jeremy Sowers
Sowers is a former first-round selection that the Indians that flew through the minor-league system within two years, and had great success in 2006. Since then, he has struggled in most major-league starts and has an ERA of 5.97 in six starts this season, entering Monday night. Do you still see him as a pitcher who can succeed? If not, what would you do with Sowers?
Samantha Bunten: I'm not totally prepared to give up on Sowers. I just don't think he's ready. The fact that he catapulted through the system so quickly could be part of the problem. I really think players who are rushed, especially pitchers, suffer tremendously in the majors if they aren't prepared to be there.
Sowers may be one of those guys whose talent looked major-league ready, but who wasn't mentally prepared to handle the pressure yet.
Nino Colla: Nope, which sucks because Sowers is the type of pitcher I like. He is a smart kid who has a game plan for the most part. Yet, for whatever reason, he just isn't very good. The league has the book on the kid and he has not adjusted, which is surprising for a guy like Sowers.
This team has pitching-depth problems, with two free agents and an injured starter, so you can't exactly ship him off. I think a trade in the offseason needs to be explored though, especially if we get some near MLB-ready pitching for C.C.
Doctor Poove’: Yes, there is still hope for Professor Sowers. He is still young, he barely has two seasons under his belt, and he showed he could pitch during 2006. Last year, he struggled, which young pitchers do. This year, he has been up and down to Buffalo so much I don't think he has settled in.
He knows Carmona is coming back after the All-Star break, and I think it shows. That's why they need to make a decision on C.C. and Byrd now, rather than later. It will give them the proper setting to accurately evaluate Sowers.
Michael Taylor: I want to believe. Sowers was projected by many to be a great pitcher, but sometimes it just doesn't happen. He did have a solid start last week, pitching seven innings, and he was able to get out of some jams.
He's starting to figure it out, but the league has adjusted to him and he has not been able to re-adjust. I hate to think it is because of his lack of velocity and stuff, but what else could there be.
He is a smart individual who has the desire to succeed, he just can't rely on any one pitch to get outs. He will be a back-of-the-rotation starter who will likely bounce around a bit in his career. For right now, he sticks in the rotation to see what he has. You never know.
Fun Question of the Week:
If you were a player and could pick any song to come to bat to, or come out of the bullpen to, what song would you choose?
Samantha Bunten: Whatever song the opposing pitcher hates the most.
Nino Colla: I'm not a big music guy, so this is going to take me wrestling around with the question for five minutes to give you an answer. I'd pick something stupid or silly...maybe one of those YouTube remixes of Bill O'Reilly saying "We'll Do It Live! F' It!" That's how screwed up I am.
Ryan Garko has the right idea, he let's C.C. pick his walk up music, that's probably what I'd end up doing, and even though I hate rap, that's probably what I'd end up coming out to. I'd have to pick someone who doesn't like rap of course.
My favorite musician is a guy named Stephen Lynch, and he is a comedic singer. That tells you all you need to know about my taste in music, which is not very good. Now that I think about it...I'd like to come out to "Mark Out" by Nedly Mandingo.
Doctor Poove’: "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" by Van Halen The guitar rift at the beginning always gets me pumped, the bass beat is amazing, and it has all the classic David Lee Roth high-pitched screams that give you goosebumps. I think that would make a better entrance song for a closer than a batter. Get the crowd rocking and juiced up for the ninth inning.
A close second..."Somebody Get Me A Doctor" by Van Halen. But that goes without saying.
Michael Taylor: I always enjoy the players' song that they get introduced to. It is a peek into their personality. My wife would always identify to Thome or a Fryman who came to the plate with some country song.
I, on the other hand, love rock music and enjoy hearing the likes of "Hells Bells" as Trevor Hoffman enters a game or "Enter Sandman", even though it is for Mariano Rivera.
If I were to choose, I would have to choose a song from one of my favorite bands, the Foo Fighters. They have so many great songs to choose from, but "Everlong" or "The Pretender" would be my top two. Maybe even add in some Audioslave with "Cochise".
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2 months ago
I know I said my music knowledge was awful, but Cochise would be a great song to enter to. Especially a reliever. That would rock.
I wanna expand on Sowers a little bit and his 65 mph fastball here(was that supposed to be a changeup to Swisher?). I was the one defending him against the people that said "he's just a soft tosser who is bound to implode sooner or later." Well he is a soft tosser that has now imploded.
He simply doesn't throw hard enough to get by on stuff. With that, you need to spot your pitches and have impeccable control. Neither of those elements are there for Sowers.
I also disagree with his choice of clothing, but that's a different story for a different time of day.
2 months ago
I agree that Blake should be traded if you are a Tribe fan. He won't draw much, but more than you'll get later barring an unseen break out month.
2 months ago
Expect Byrd to be moved as well as CC, who will be moved by the All-Star break.
from 2 months ago
Unfortunately, we probably couldn't get much more than a bucket of balls for Byrd. At this point, though, I'd take it.
2 months ago
Sell the whole team to somebody who actually REALLY wants to win. I've been saying this since Dolan bought it. He's a cheapskate in a big-spender's game
from 2 months ago
Okay.. I wanna hear it.. Someone care to give me the reasons why he is a cheapskate.. I'd love to finally debunk this crazy myth that people don't understand.
from 2 months ago
I don't understand it either Nino, Dolan spent money when he first bought the team. If people would look back he really pushed the Indians into rebuild mode with some less than stellar free agent signings when spending money trying to keep the great Indians teams of the late '90s going.
Now that the team has been rebuilt, it still has a payroll of $80 million, which is 16th in the league. This is a very reasonable payroll given the market of CLeveland. Not every team can play in New York or LA and have huge markets with big TV deals that give them infinite amounts of money.
Dolan and Shapiro have shown a willingness to extend out contracts of key players instead that fans love, Hafner, Martinez, Sizemore, Carmona, etc...and have done a very good job of showing that they will spend money when needed. We will see if the team is willing to dish it out to C.C., he is the last of the main guys to not have a recent extension. Even if they don't sign him, they will make a decision that will be for the better of the organiztaion. Not every player can be signed. Baseball is a business, not a fantasy as we would like it to be.
2 months ago
I think Dolan got the reputation of being a cheapskate because he buys little suzie's instead of straight out the door ho ho's. Other than that, he has spent on the team.
I would pick the theme song "Tequilla" I would be a great walk to the plate, probably resulting in some sort of Dance Delay rule. The Crowd yelling out the name of booze right before you step up to the plate sounds like great incentive.
2 months ago
I'm the first one to we suck, but I think we can turn it back on in the second half. If we can get pronk, fausto, Joe Bo, and victor back healthy and motivated we can suprise some people. I don't like CC but I say keep him unless you're ready to give up on the season, all we need is a strong starting 5 and bullpen then the offense should turn around. For trades Get rid of Byrd and peralta for some hard throwing prospects and try to get a left or right fieleder with some what of a bat a pat burrell type of player;not pat burrell. If the full team comes and starts hittin and you got CC and fausto and cliff pitchin well, you have a chance to go somewhere like last season. Then due to success maybe CC won't want to leave.................................. maybe.
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