Thursday, May 29, 2008

Happy to have a night off

I'm happy the Tribe played a day game yesterday. I'm even happier they have the night off tonight. My wife and I had to catch up on five episodes of "Lost" we missed during the end of the NBA season and the playoffs. And our DVR has been at about 99% capacity for the last week. So we got in three episodes last night and will probably get the other two tonight. That has to be more entertaining than watching the '08 Indians invent new ways to lose every game.

Yesterday's loss was really a backbreaker in a couple ways. First, the Tribe is now 5.5 games behind the White Sox, instead of 3.5 had they won. But more crushing was how they lost this game. They took an early 2-0 lead in the first, of course still leaving runs on the board when they couldn't score again with no outs and men on first and third (shaking my head as I type this). Then after falling behind 3-2, Jhonny Peralta hit a big HR to put the Tribe back on top 5-3 in the sixth. In comes Rafael Betancourt in the top of the 7th to promptly give up the lead and the game.

More of the same at the Prog on Wednesday afternoon

Betancourt, who was so dependable last year, is now sporting an ERA of 5.56. And Eric Wedge is not happy about his performance yesterday. Even more troubling to me is the fact that the Tribe has now not scored a run in the 7th inning or later in 10 straight games. Just stop and think about that for a second and it becomes clear why they are 2-8 in those ten games. They get back on the horse tomorrow night in Kansas City and it looks like Pronk will give it a go with his bum shoulder, even if he is afraid of needles. Personally, I'd rather see him go on the DL and get himself straightened out. It's not like we'd miss his hitting (or lack thereof).

Cavs Update:
Terry Pluto has put together a fictional conversation between Danny Ferry, Dan Gilbert and Mike Brown that is mildly entertaining. This obviously will be a huge off-season for the wine and gold and the clamoring has already started to put Michael Redd in a Cavalier uniform. It will be interesting to see what Mr. Ferry can pull off this summer with all these expiring contracts (Wally Szczerbiak $13M, Eric Snow $7.3M, Joe Smith $4.8M, Damon Jones $4.4M, not to mention Andy Varejao's one year left with a player option in 09-10, Sasha Pavlovic's non-guaranteed contract after this year, and deciding what to do with Boobie Gibson and Delonte West). It should be an interesting summer.

Browns Update:
I caught an interesting interview with Phil Savage on the drive home from work yesterday. Every time I hear this guy talk I like him more. Check it out if you haven't heard this two-part interview from WKNR: part one & part two.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

A Rare Offensive Explosion

...well, not really an explosion, but 8 runs in a game for this year's version of the Tribe is definitely a sight for sore eyes all over northeast Ohio. The offense actually made an appearance early last night, with Franklin Gutierrez's first inning grand slam off of Mark Buehrle. The Indians also pulled off the incredibly rare triple steal in the 6th inning last night. I didn't even realize it at the time because it was such a bizarre play, but trust me, it involved bad baserunning by the Tribe and even worse defense by the White Sox. At any rate, it was the first triple steal in the major leagues since 1987. So this month has featured and unassisted triple play and now a triple steal. Call me crazy, but I'd rather just see wins and good hitting. Aaron Laffey also pitched another solid game, giving up 2 runs over 6 innings. He is now 3-3 with a very nice 1.59 ERA. He will obviously be very important over the next month with Fausto's hip injury.

Gutierrez provided a much-needed offensive spark on Tuesday night

Today Jake Westbrook makes his return from the DL for the noon start against the White Sox. I hate these day "getaway" games but we do have a one-game win streak in them, so maybe our luck is changing. Also, it looks like Travis Hafner's bat might be missing from the lineup for a while. Wait, hasn't it been missing the entire season??? (insert Big Chuck and Lil' John laugh track here)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Another Weekend of Futility

Apparently my phone-wallpaper-switcheroo had no effect on the Tribe's play. I know you are all shocked out there. Over the long holiday weekend the Indians were only able to muster only one win, 5-2 over the Rangers on Saturday night. Sandwiched around that game were three losses (12-9 on Friday, 2-1 in extra innings on Sunday, and then 6-3 last night in extra innings to the White Sox). So here we sit, just 10 days after the Tribe was in sole possession of first place in the Central. Now they are 5.5 games behind the White Sox and closer to a trade deadline fire sale then another Central division crown.

Not to sound like a broken record, but the way this team plays on a daily basis still follows the same script. Poor execution with runners on base, sloppy relief pitching, and absolutely no scoring threats from the 7th inning on. Not exactly a recipe for winning the close games that we are inevitably involved in with this starting rotation and feeble offense. I've run out of ideas for solutions, short of giving Derek Shelton the axe. But apparently he walks on water and can do no wrong in the eyes of Eric Wedge. All I know is I'm sick of watching this team piss away games. I was at the Prog for Sunday's debacle. I knew it was over when the Rangers tied it at 1-1 in the 7th. Pretty sad when you know your team has no chance to score again after that... sigh.

Terry Pluto is also sick of watching the same thing every night. Ditto for Sheldon Ocker. Just to add more misery, Fausto Carmona will be out for at least a month. Fun time to be a Tribe fan right now. Maybe there is something to the odd year theory for the Indians ('95, '97, '05, '07). Does that mean we'll have to wait until 2015 if that pattern holds true? Shoot me now.

My last ditch effort to change the Tribe's luck - it's up to Jobu now

Friday, May 23, 2008

This ship is sinking fast...

...the good news is that I think I can fix it. I'm very superstitious when it comes to sports. It makes absolutely no sense at all but it makes me feel better thinking that I can somehow personally have an effect on the outcome of a game. So after the Tribe's 6th consecutive loss last night, I started trying to figure out what I might have done to play a part in all of it. Then I remembered that I changed the wallpaper on my phone to the old 70's Chief Wahoo logo on Saturday:

Well, that wallpaper has officially been replaced as of 9:30 eastern on Friday morning with old faithful that led us to the ALCS last year:

At this point I don't really care if I'm made fun of for having a picture of Grady Sizemore on my phone. I'll take one for the team, and at least my wife will like looking at my phone. And if that fails, I will start my own personal campaign to have Derek Shelton fired. Just look at what this guy has done for this team so far in '08. How is he still employed???

NAME AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS
Ben Francisco 54 7 18 7 0 1 6 2 8 .333 .373 .519 .891
V. Martinez 140 9 42 8 0 0 15 9 16 .300 .344 .357 .702
G. Sizemore 173 26 44 9 1 7 23 25 38 .254 .363 .439 .802
M. Aubrey 8 2 2 0 0 2 2 0 1 .250 .250 1.000 1.250
Ryan Garko 143 15 35 8 0 4 19 16 20 .245 .339 .385 .724
F. Gutierrez 127 15 29 7 0 2 12 7 29 .228 .274 .331 .605
D. Dellucci 114 13 26 5 0 4 14 11 22 .228 .310 .377 .687
K. Shoppach 57 7 13 2 0 1 3 3 16 .228 .290 .316 .606
Casey Blake 134 20 30 10 0 3 27 13 34 .224 .307 .366 .672
Travis Hafner 148 17 32 9 0 4 21 20 42 .216 .318 .358 .676
J. Peralta 148 23 32 5 0 8 15 12 36 .216 .273 .412 .685
Jamey Carroll 65 15 13 0 1 0 4 9 12 .200 .333 .231 .564
A. Cabrera 128 14 22 5 0 1 13 17 31 .172 .272 .234 .506
Andy Marte 26 1 3 0 0 0 0 2 6 .115 .179 .115 .294

Thursday, May 22, 2008

This is sucking the life out of me...

...well, not really but you know what I mean. I hate to be a downer, but none of my teams have won since Friday night's Game 6 Cavaliers win in Cleveland. The Tribe looks terrible right now, with a season-high 5-game losing streak after last night's 7-2 debacle. The script was went pretty much the same as it has lately... Paul Byrd pitched 5 strong innings (only giving up 1 hit!), and, of course, the offense struggled. So with a slim 2-0 lead in the 6th, Byrd completely unraveled. After the dust settled, Indians pitchers (Byrd, Jorge Julio, and seldom-used Craig Breslow) gave up 3 home runs in the final 3 innings and have now given the White Sox a ton of confidence. And to rub salt in the wound, Jim Thome hit another home run against his former team. At least I'm not the only one who's frustrated.

Maybe I need to start following the Gladiators more closely. I just checked and they did actually win on Saturday, moving to 7-4 on the season, so scratch my comment above. Our teams haven't won since Saturday. That makes me feel a LOT better. Sigh.

Time to start following summer football more closely?

Browns Update: More bad news from Berea and the season is still 3-1/2 months away. It looks like we have lost a cornerback for the season to another injury. Great. But there was some good news yesterday - super a-hole agent Drew Rosenhaus stated that Kellen Winslow, Jr. will be in June minicamp and July training camp, instead of holding out for a new contract.

Cavs Update: The Chicago Bulls, fresh off their draft lottery win, might be interested in Eric Snow as their next head coach. Personally, I doubt the Cavaliers would allow this, especially since Snow's expiring contract will be so valuable as a trading piece this year. We'll have to keep watching to see what happens.

Finally, on a totally unrelated note - SplitVizionz over at RCF put together this incredible image of a Zoolander parody featuring some of our Cavaliers. Maybe the target audience is small (Zoolander fans & Cavalier fans) but I nearly pissed myself when I first saw it. Nice work.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Bats missing again in the Second City

After taking Monday off to grieve for the Cavaliers and hopefully regroup for an Indian Summer, I was excited to watch the Tribe last night in Chicago. Then late in the work day yesterday, my buddy Nicko reminded me that we have only two guys in our entire lineup hitting over .241. Yikes.

So it was more of the same for the anemic offense last night. CC pitched 7 solid innings, giving up two runs on two solo homers (or course one by Jim Thome, who has done that about 200 times to us since joining the White Sox). But the bats could only muster one run against Jose Contreras and the Tribe fell to its fourth straight loss. (Ryan Garko did manage to get a hit last night to raise his average to .243, so we now have a whopping 3 guys hitting over .241. Yipee!) And this is on the heels of them reaching their high-water mark of the season at 3 games over .500. Baseball is a funny game, but honestly, I'm really not laughing right now. Something has to change soon. The team's batting average is now down to an eye-popping .234!

More of the same from the Tribe on Tuesday - bad hitting and ex-Indians beating them

Browns Update: I wish I had good news to report to Berea, but over the weekend I saw that Ryan Tucker broke his hip. Reports are that he will be back in about three months, but still not real good news. At least Phil Savage is smart enough to stockpile bodies on the o-line, so we'll see what Rex Hadnot can do for us. Bad things always happen in threes I'm told. So with the Cavs losing to Boston, the Tribe in a tailspin, and Tucker's hip, let's hope things start looking up soon.

Cavaliers Update: I want to take a break from this team but I can't, mainly due to my addiction to the RealCavsFans forums. Here's an interesting read on Dan Gilbert's thoughts of the state of the team.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Another season ends without a title...

It's days like Sunday that remind me what it means to be a Cleveland fan. Not that I expected the Cavaliers to run away with an NBA title this year - I didn't. But it's easy to get caught up in a playoff run, especially with a unique talent like LeBron on your roster. And after the Cavs lost Game 7 yesterday I realized I wasn't quite ready for this year's run to end. After he dropped 45 on the Celtics I fully expected to walk away from there with an improbable win. But it wasn't meant to be - I should have realized this when Ben Wallace deflected a pass and it landed perfectly in the hands of Paul Pierce who drilled a three. Or when Kevin Garnett drove wildly to the hoop, lost control of the ball and is crashed hard off the backboard, somehow dropping right through the hoop. Or when the Cavaliers forced a jump ball late in the game and the tap from Z somehow squirted loose, Pierce fell on the ball with two Cavaliers and the refs somehow awarded Boston a timeout. Or really, when 87-year-old PJ Brown just couldn't miss a shot.

There were a lot of signs that the sports gods just were ready to piss on another season for me, but I had my Cleveland sports blinders on again I guess. I started to believe after Game 6 on Friday night that the Cavaliers would do the improbable, but I'm still proud of the heart most of them showed yesterday (and yes, I've gotten way too used to saying that over the years). As my buddy Niro painfully reminded me last year - we're in our early 30's now, and if we're extremely lucky we might have another 50 years on this earth at best. That leaves about 150 more chances at best to see the Cavs, Tribe, or Browns win a championship. Make that 149 at best now.

Keep fighting LBJ, you are so close

And to add insult to injury, the Tribe decided that 3 games over .500 wasn't fun and were swept by the lowly Reds in Cincinnati over the weekend. The focus shift squarely back on them tomorrow night. I think I'll use today to just mourn and hope for a big offseason for the Cavs.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Game 6 Anticipation

As I sit here and think about Game 6 tonight, there are a lot of thoughts swimming in my head:

  • Can we hold serve at home, or will the pressure of 20-1 in the second round for the home teams destroy us?
  • Can we survive the loss of Boobie tonight, and possibly the rest of the playoffs?
  • Will Mike Brown peel Damon Jones off the bench tonight? And if so, will it play out like I envision (where he is on fire from downtown and torches the Celts)?
  • Will the Celtics fold under the immense pressure of winning a road game in a hostile environment?
  • How will the Cavs respond to their first elimination game since Game 4 of last year's Finals?
  • Will linking to this oldie-but-goodie inspire the Cavaliers to beat the Celtics, a la the '92 playoffs?
I guess we will know the answers to all of these questions soon enough. But for what it's worth, I had a dream last night that I was talking to LBJ about Game 6. He reassured me that they Cavs are bringing it tonight and wouldn't let us down at home. It's pathetic that I did actually have that dream, I know, but it actually made me feel better when I woke up. My wife sort of rolled her eyes when I told her about it this morning, as I would expect any female to do when their husband tells them such a thing. TMI coming out in the blog today so let's move onto something else...

Can DJ be more than a cheerleader tonight in Game 6?

Tribe Update:
Aaron Laffey gave the Tribe another superb start yesterday, even if the scoreless streak from the starters was ended. I can't complain about the one unearned run he did allow in the Tribe's 4-2 win. It was concerning to see Rafael Betancourt have to be yanked in favor of Masa Kobayashi to get out of the ninth, but a win's a win's a win as they say. The Tribe is now a full 1.5 games in first and 3 games over .500 for the first time all year. And the Tigers keep sinking deeper into the abyss. As Borat would say: "Niiiiiiiiice!"

Small Browns Update:
With OTA's currently going on for the Browns, we got this small bit of information about Josh Cribbs' more expanded role in the 2008 Browns offense. Any time you can get the ball in this guy's hands, good things are bound to happen. Can't wait for September!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The Return of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I was hoping the Cavaliers were past these types of performances on the road. You know, when they jump out to a big lead, look confident and aggressive, and then blow it in a matter of minutes? Well apparently they just can't shake it because they did it again last night. The actually held a 14-point lead midway through the second quarter and were looking good. I made the mistake of thinking ahead to how awesome the atmosphere would be at the Q on Friday night for a closeout Game 6. Maybe that upset the sports gods.

In a matter of minutes, the Cavaliers' 14-point lead had been cut to just 4 at halftime. A pair of Rajon Rondo three-pointers were prominently featured in the Celtics' run, just to illustrate how mad the sports gods were at Cleveland again. But that wasn't even the worst part. The Cavaliers then opened up the third quarter with three consecutive turnovers and they were the team shrinking under pressure. The only hope I really got from this game happened late when the Celtics had the game in the bag and mystifyingly let the Cavs back in it, at one point cutting the lead to 4 late. I never made the mistake of thinking the Cavs would actually win it, but maybe, just MAYBE they got some hope for a potential Game 7 on Sunday in the same arena. But first things first - Game 6 on Friday night. It's desperate times like this where I like to call on a quote from the Shawshank Redemption for some hope, modified to fit the Cavaliers' current predicament:

"I find I'm so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the excitement only a Cavalier fan can feel, a Cavalier fan at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope we can win Game 6. I hope to see LeBron dominate, and dunk again on that a-hole KG. I hope Game 7 is satisfying as it has been in my dreams. I hope. "
Tribe Update: Back in first place where we belong after a 2-0 win over the A's. Now 2 games over .500. And the Tribe starters' shutout streak now sits at 49+ innings as I am typing. They are winning 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth in the dreaded day "getaway" game at the Prog. CC was great again last night. Our entire staff has just looked incredible. I'm actually running out of adjectives. I'd trade it all for a Cavs series win over Boston but I don't think it works that way...

Tribe starters continue to roll, CC pitching the latest gem

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Let's see what these guys are made of...

And when I say "these guys", I'm referring to both the Celtics and the Cavaliers. I say that because I'm not convinced the Celtics are ready to be an elite team. I think they are vulnerable, but the time to pounce on them is tonight. I don't want to see this go to a Game 7. But I also want to see what the Cavaliers are made of, because you never really know what you will get from them on the road. Tonight will tell a lot about the make up of both of these teams. If the Cavaliers can pull this one out, I don't see any way the Celtics can win on Friday night.

I've been saying it for a couple games now, but LeBron still hasn't exploded in this series. And 'The Dunk' at the end of Game 4 just might be foreshadowing things to come tonight. I know the Celtics will do everything in their power to stop him from beating them, but the Pistons tried that too in Game 5 last year and look what happened (and yes, I do enjoy repeatedly linking to that box score).

I still feel the best recipe for success tonight is what the Cavaliers usually bring in the playoffs. Good defense, hitting the open shots, keeping the turnovers under control, and winning the rebounding battle. If they can do those things and keep it close, the pressure will really increase for the Celtics at home. And I think this is a team that might crack under all that pressure. Or at least that's what I hope. We'll see in about 10 hours...

Did 'The Dunk' unleash Game 5 LeBron? We'll know soon...

Tribe Update:
The Indians have now won 6 of their last 8 games after last night's 4-0 win over Oakland. We knew this team had good pitching coming into this season, but I'm not sure even the most optimistic Tribe fan could have expected this: Indians starting pitchers have not given up a run in their last 34 innings. That number is just mind-boggling. The team is now back over .500 and let's hope it stays that way for the rest of the year. Only a half game out of first now and a (hopefully) rejuvenated CC Sabathia on the mound tonight.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Game 4 Afterthoughts

Wow. It's been about 12 hours and I'm still amazed at LeBron's dunk at the end of the 4th quarter that sealed the win for the Cavaliers. Sometimes he just does things that make you shake your head. For those of you that didn't see it, here it is:



As Brian Windhorst wrote after the game, that one could be remembered as the play that changed the series. Of course the Cavs still need to go into Boston and find a way to win there. But after evening the series 2-2 in resounding fashion last night, today that task doesn't seem like such a tall order. The Cavaliers' team defense has been incredible over the last two games. They have held the Celtics under 80 points two games in a row (something Boston had only done twice in 82 games in the regular season).

And just when I had written off Anderson Varejao for the season, he comes through with a throwback performance. This was the Andy we knew from the last two years - the indispensable hustle player that provided great defense and timely baskets. His defense on Kevin Garnett in the second half was incredible. He made KG fight for position down low and I think he finally figured out that Garnett goes baseline about 95% of the time (something I've been screaming at my TV for four games now).

Also chipping in nice performances were Boobie Gibson, Joe Smith, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West, whose ballhandling this series has really helped take a load off LeBron's broad shoulders. LBJ still is having problems with his outside shot, but his 3-pointer late in the fourth, along with one by Gibson were timely daggers as well. Just a great win tonight and an outstanding crowd at the Q. Now we are guaranteed at least one more home game on Friday night. I will be there in my season tickets (finally!) and I'm hoping that one is the series clincher.

(One final side note about LeBron's dunk - How does Garnett not get a foul called on him there??? He blatantly shoved LeBron with two hands. Maybe the refs were too baffled by the dunk, but Garnett gets away with a lot of this kind of crap. I used to like him as a player. Now I really can't stand him. And him yelling "fucking faggots" to the crowd tonight was really classy.)


Let's call this one "The Series Changer"

Monday, May 12, 2008

Game 4 Thoughts

Tonight's game is the biggest one at the Q since Game 6 vs. Detroit last year. Yes, I'm excluding the Finals from consideration because I think the team was just happy to be there and not really ready to face the Spurs. So as I sit here and prepare myself mentally for what I expect to be an exhausting game, here are my thoughts:

  1. LeBron HAS to start making shots. I don't think it's physically possible for him to stay sub-30% for the entire series. He is just too good a player, no matter what the Celtics try defensively.
  2. Ray Allen also HAS to start making shots. He is now 1-11 from 3-point range in the series. He has made things a lot easier on Wally Szczerbiak by missing open looks. And if he wants to continue, who am I to stop him?
  3. Ben Wallace HAS to play. He is listed as day-to-day with the inner ear infection and allergy problems and I fully expect him to play. In my previous post, I outlined why he is so important to this team. And even if Garnett is shooting 59% for the series, I shudder to think where we'd be without Big Ben on him.
  4. The Cavaliers need to play with the same step-on-their-throats mentality that they displayed on Saturday. I expect the Celtics to be more focused and determined at the start of this one. But if the Cavs can still get them down early, it might be very demoralizing for them.
  5. The fans need to bring it just like on Saturday. The Q was as rowdy as I've seen it in a long time for Game 3. I'm hoping for the same type of atmosphere tonight. But it will largely be up to the players to set the tone early on and the crowd will follow.
Interesting note: The Cavaliers are 5-2 in Game 4's in the LBJ era, with their only losses coming in Washington in 2006 and vs. the Spurs in last year's Finals. Boston has also lost 7 games in a row overall at the Q.

Game 4 usually brings out the best in the Cavs - will LBJ return to form?

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Home Cooking in Game 3

Ben Wallace is an overpaid athlete. Everyone who follows the NBA knows this. The Chicago Bulls gave him a ridiculous contract back in 2006 and he could have never possibly lived up to it. He is a garbage man, an energy play, and a player who impacts the game by doing the dirty work. But that doesn't mean the Cavs aren't happy to have him on their roster, especially after games like last night.

Going into Saturday's Game 3, Wallace was listed as doubtful with dizziness from an inner ear infection and allergies. That's why it was quite surprising to see during the Cavalier introductions on the video board when Anderson Varejao's name and picture briefly appeared and then were replaced by Wallace. It seemed that the late decision even took Cavalier PA announcer Olivier Sedra by surprise. And Big Ben immediately impacted the game with his presence, getting 6 points in the first quarter. His final stat line reads like this: 9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks. Anyone who has followed this team since the big trade knows that when Big Ben is this actively involved, the Cavs rarely lose. His energy and defense set the tone for a big night for the Cavs at home.

And the Cavaliers' 24-point drubbing of the Celtics was especially satisfying when you consider that LeBron James had another off-shooting night. He will not keep misfiring like this. Maybe we just take his greatness for granted, but even on a 5-16 shooting night he still found a way to chip in 21 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 block shots (including one where he pinned Rajon Rondo's layup high against the glass). LeBron did have a lot of help offensively from some of the other newer faces, with Delonte West, Joe Smith, and Wally Szczerbiak all stepping up with very big games.

So now the series sits at 2-1 and the pressure is tilting heavily onto the Celtics after their fourth straight road loss in the postseason. If the Cavaliers can duplicate this effort on Monday, I think we may see a repeat of last year's Eastern Conference Finals. And on a personal note, I'd like to thank the arrogant Boston idiot in Section 219 that was wearing the "Got Banners" t-shirt last night. Thank you for riling up our section and making it the rowdiest I've seen since Game 6 vs. the Pistons last year. Please come back tomorrow for Game 4.

LBJ finds a rare chance to throw one down in Game 3

One final note on Game 3: I know this will probably come off as me being a whiny homer, but I'm sick and tired of guys taking these cheap shots on LeBron. Last night it was James Posey clotheslining LBJ as he drove to the lane, full speed. It may not have been intentional, but the way Posey grabbed him was very dangerous. I personally thought it deserved an ejection. He should at least be fined a pretty penny for that maneuver.

Tribe Update: I'm very pleased with Friday and Saturday's games from our Indians. I was there on Friday night and it looked like they were heading for another ho-hum, no-offense loss when they were down 1-0 in the 6th with only three hits. But the bats came alive for 6 runs and CC Sabathia did more than enough to get the 6-1 win. And I honestly didn't see one pitch from last night's game since I was inside the Q, but I did get to hear Grady's leadoff HR from right outside the Jake, errr, Prog. That set the tone for a 12-0 Tribe beatdown of the Blue Jays, and the rare Cavs/Tribe double-win. Let's hope for a few more of those all the way into June...

Sunday's Mother's Day game has just been postponed so we'll have to wait until Monday to see if the Tribe can climb back over .500 again. They will play a traditional doubleheader vs. the Blue Jays starting at 4:05 tomorrow.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Down in a hole... losing control

That's one of my favorite AiC songs from my college days, and an appropriate way to describe our Cavaliers today. I purposely waited to post my thoughts from Game 2 for a variety of reasons. Honestly, I'm tired of having to wait to spill my thoughts after these head-scratching losses. I have no answer for how the Cavaliers can race to a 21-9 first quarter lead, and then let it all slip away so quickly. I know the Celtics play very good defense. I know the crowd was likely a factor in the first two games. But I don't see how our shooters can perform so poorly. And I have no explanation for our terrible execution on offense or the incredible amount of unforced turnovers. It feels like a broken record at times with this team on the road this year. But I don't think it has looked worse than it did yesterday in the second quarter for the Cavs.

I've been trying to tell myself all morning that we were down 0-2 the last two years to the Pistons and rallied to win the next three both times, even closing out the Pistons in Game 6 last year a fourth win in a row. I know it's possible with LeBron - really anything is possible when he's on your team. But the Celtics play such good defense, I don't see them letting LeBron go off like he did with his "Video Game James" performance in Game 5 of the ECF last year. I hope I'm wrong and he can silence the critics yet again. I will be at the Q tomorrow night hoping like the rest of Cleveland that our team has an answer at home yet again...

These easy looks have been few and far between for LBJ in Round 2

Also, as expected yesterday, the Tribe lost in their final game ever (barring this postseason) in Yankee Stadium 6-3. Paul Byrd gave up three home runs and the offense just never really got going (shocker, I know). That runs the Tribe's losing streak in weekday getaway games to about 75 (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration). If you're wondering, the next scheduled one of those games is Wednesday, May 28 vs. the White Sox. I'm already chalking up an "L" for that game unless Cliff Lee is pitching that day.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Lee Dazzles Again

Cliff Lee is on a mission this year and it is quite a thing to behold. I can't believe this is the same pitcher that I watched during this game last year, right before he was demoted to Buffalo. I remember sitting in Jacobs Field at the time wondering if we'd ever see the same reliable Cliff Lee we had known before the '07 season. Fast forward to today and he now stands at 6-0 with a microscopic 0.81 ERA. He is the first Indians pitcher to win his first 6 starts of the year since Greg Swindell in 1988. Lee pitched another scoreless 7 innings in Yankee Stadium last night as the Tribe handed Chien-Ming Wang his first loss of the year. To boggle your mind even further, Lee now has 39 strikeouts and only 2 walks so far this season, with opponents batting just .163 against him! Who knows how long this will last, but it sure is fun to watch. Here is a nice article from today's New York Newsday about Lee's amazing turnaround.

The offense did get some timely hits again last night and David Dellucci has now made me a believer. Ben Francisco seems right at home in a big league uniform and Travis Hafner continued his puzzling and depressing slide at the plate (literally a 2-foot GIDP with the bases loaded!). But today the Indians look for their first sweep in Yankee Stadium in almost 20 years. Unfortunately it is an afternoon "getaway" game and I think the Tribe has dropped somewhere around their last 50 of those. Hopefully they get a good performance today.

39 K vs. 2 BB? The Nintendo numbers continue for Cliff.

And tonight the Cavaliers look to even their series in Boston after letting Game 1 slip through their fingers. The Cavs do have a history of playing well on the road in the postseason after "letdown" games so we'll see what they bring tonight. Don't expect LeBron to dump a 2-18 shooting night with 10 turnovers again. I expect big things from him in Game 2. I smell a win for the Cavs and a loss for the Tribe. Maybe someday soon they can both win on the same day...

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Game 1 Slips Away

Monday night's Game 1 was a brutally ugly slugfest of defense between the Cavaliers and Celtics. Honestly, it reminded me of the days of Fratello-ball for the Cavaliers, which I guess was fitting considering he called the game for TNT. Offensively the Cavaliers were just atrocious shooting the ball, finishing at 30.7% from the field. Considering that and the fact that they only mustered 72 points, you would assume that they got hammered by the Celtics. But they only lost by four, with LeBron having his worst game in quite some time, going just 2-18 from the floor with 10(!) turnovers.

But the Cavs kept things tight all night long with their defense and somehow managed to stay in the game despite their shooting woes and LeBron's meager 12 points. They held Ray Allen scoreless for the first time in 11 years for him. But a loss is a loss. They now find themselves down 1-0 in a game that could have easily been theirs. I'm extremely disappointed in how this one turned out. And I'm still trying to figure out why they decided to not double-team Kevin Garnett when he was isolated against Joe Smith with the score tied and under a minute left in the fourth quarter. Of course he scored and then LeBron missed a layup at the other end. Ball game.

The Cavs will have to dig really deep on Thursday night to pull out Game 2. I don't expect the Celtics to play nearly as bad in that one. But I also expect LeBron to respond after this performance. The Cavaliers have been down 0-2 before and rallied to win the series, but I think that will be a tall order this time around. I just can't wait for Thursday night so I can get rid of the taste of this one. There's really nothing else worth rehashing from Tuesday night so I'm done.

It was a tough night for the King, but he will respond

In less important Cleveland sports news on Tuesday night, the Tribe did pick up a nice win in the opening game of their final series at Yankee Stadium. David Dellucci hit a pinch-hit 3-run home run off of the overhyped Joba Chamberlain to give the Tribe a 5-3 win. It wasn't the win I was really hoping for last night but I'll have to take it. The Tribe currently sits just 1-1/2 games back of the Twins even after their awful start.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Let's Get It On!

Tonight, the rumble in Beantown begins. The Cavaliers look to knock off the heavily-favored Celtics in what I expect to be a hard-fought, tough series for both teams. As I sit here thinking about tonight's game I have the same nervous feeling I had going into last year's Eastern Conference Finals. On one hand, I'm nervous about this Cavs team playing on the road in a hostile environment. But on the other hand, I'm excited to see if they can build on their Game 6 victory on the road in Washington. And of course, I'm always looking forward to seeing what LeBron has up his sleeve in the playoffs. He has always saved an extra gear for the Celtics, probably stemming from his personal rivalry with Paul Pierce over the last few years. And don't discount the fact that the Cavs have had to listen to the entire national media fawn over these Celtics all year long, basically handing them a free pass to the ECF vs. the Pistons. The Cavaliers are the defending Eastern Conference champs and I expect them to defend that title viciously starting tonight.

My Cavalier keys to the series:
  1. The LeBron Factor: If he brings it like he did in Game 6 on both ends of the floor in this series, look out Celtics. It's hard to believe a 23-year-old can be that good (and is still improving).
  2. Our shooters: If our outside threats can consistently knock down shots from the perimeter we will be nearly impossible to beat. One of the biggest factors of this series simply comes down to Gibson, Szczerbiak, and West hitting their open shots. We know the defense will be tilted towards LeBron at all times and he will find them for open looks.
  3. Establishing a low-post game: The Cavaliers often forget about Zydrunas Ilguaskas in their offensive sets. He has a big advantage on offense over Kendrick Perkins and this is one area the Cavs can use to their advantage. I also think they should look to post up Szczerbiak when Ray Allen is guarding him. This can get Wally going offensively and could get Allen into foul trouble. And of course I'm always a proponent of getting LeBron to post up on certain possessions.
  4. Stealing a win in the Garden: It sounds simple enough, but the Cavs have struggled all year on the road. They were 2-2 vs. the Celtics this year, with both losses coming in Boston (although LeBron missed one of those games). And Boston likes to pressure the ball, which could force turnovers early. Our ballhandlers needs to stay under control and composed which can be tough on the road. But if we can steal one in Boston I think we win the series.
  5. Keep the games close, win in the end: This has been the Cavaliers' formula for success ever since Mike Brown took over the head coaching reigns. I think it especially holds true in this series. If they keep the games close with good defense, LeBron will be there to close things out. And I don't think this Celtics team has what it takes to dig out close games. Pierce likes to put his head down and try to get bailed out by the whistle on drives to the hoop. And KG tends to start short-arming shots late. Keep the games close and "win in the end" (for all you Teen Wolf fans out there).
For a more detailed series breakdown, check out what our favorite Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst thinks of this series. I also went behind enemy lines today to see what Boston writers were saying. I was actually pleasantly surprised by what Bob Ryan had to say and by this piece by Michael Vega. It's refreshing when the other team's writers aren't completely delusional or writing with personal agendas. Speaking of Tom Knott, he just can't let go of his idiotic theory that the NBA hates the Wizards and pampers LeBron. For the record, during the series the Cavs were called for 139 fouls, the Wizards 137. And the Cavs shot 175 free throws, to the Wizards' 174 (thanks again to Mr. Windhorst for that great info). Go Cavs!!!

This guy always brings out LBJ's best

Tuesday Tribe Update:
The Tribe decided to give us all a break yesterday and had an off day. Hopefully they put together a game plan for how to wake up the offense for the series in New York. They also officially cut ties with Jason Michaels in favor of Ben Francisco (the loud clapping and cheering you might hear outside your window is coming from the entire Tribe fanbase).

Obligatory Browns Update:
Lost in the shuffle of my weekend of Cavalier and Tribe following, I forgot to mention that Phil Savage was given a 3-year contract extension to remain VP & GM of the Cleveland Browns. Kudos to Randy Lerner and the entire Browns organization for getting this done. Phil has successfully lifted the 'woe-is-me' attitude that hung over this franchise (as he correctly predicted, yet is still no small miracle). It's great to have hope in this team again.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Weekend Recap

After the big Game 6 win by the Cavaliers on Friday I was hoping for a nice weekend from the Tribe to get back over .500. Instead the offense continued to sputter and wasted two decent pitching performances by CC Sabathia and Aaron Laffey. I honestly don't feel like going into all the details right now. It seems to me it's just the same old problems. No patience at the plate, and guys continually being fooled by pitches. After some hope from Travis Hafner, he has disappeared again in the 6th spot in the order. Really, at this point everyone besides Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez looks lost in the batter's box. Victor did continue his hitting streak to 15 games today. And according to the PD tonight, some hitting help is on the way. Thankfully the boys have a day off tomorrow, before heading to New York. I have a feeling Derek Shelton will be busy tomorrow...

Now, on to the good news. As expected, the Boston Celtics did beat the Hawks in their unlikely Game 7 on Sunday. So now the Cavaliers have a chance to slay the overhyped beast of the East in Boston. Consider this payback for the 2007 ALCS. I'm going out on a limb and predicting our Cavaliers in 6. And I did correctly guess the Wizards series. Here's the schedule:

Game 1 - @ BOS, Tue. May 6, 8:00 pm, TNT
Game 2 - @ BOS, Thu. May 8, 7:00 pm, ESPN
Game 3 - BOS, Sat. May 10, 8:00 pm, ABC
Game 4 - BOS, Mon. May 12, 8:00 pm, TNT
*Game 5 - @ BOS, Wed. May 14, TNT
*Game 6 - BOS, Fri. May 16, ESPN
*Game 7 - @ BOS, Sun. May 18, TBD
(* if necessary)


LBJ is not impressed by the hype, and neither am I

Friday, May 2, 2008

3 Times is a Charm

Who's laughing now? LeBron took the high road during his postgame interview session, but you can bet this one tasted good as the Cavs closed out the Wizards' season for a third straight year, winning 105-88 in Game 6 in front of the D.C. faithful. After all the booing and the "overrated" nonsense, you know LeBron enjoyed this one. He was incredible tonight, posting his third career playoff triple double with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists.

Keys to the game from my view:

  • Wally Szczerbiak came out hot and didn't stop firing. He finished with 26 points, going 6-13(!) from behind the arc.
  • Boobie Gibson was also hot tonight, chipping in 22 points of his own.
  • LeBron was an animal on both ends of the court tonight. He willed his team to this win with his leadership by example.
  • Overall the team was much more focused and prepared for this one, compared to Game 5. Hopefully this great performance can carry over into Round 2. I think Mike Brown deserves some credit for the team really being ready to play tonight.
On a personal note, this night worked out perfectly for me. My wife and I decided to skip going to the Tribe game and stay home to watch Game 6. Luckily for us, the game was rained out so we didn't miss a thing. We got to see the Cavs lay a beatdown on Washington and we still get to go to the make-up game later this summer. And to cap things off, the Atlanta Hawks stunned the Boston Celtics in their Game 6 to force a Game 7 on Sunday. Now, instead of the Cavs having to fly to Boston for a game on Sunday, they can rest up until Tuesday when their next series starts. Maybe the sports gods really don't hate Cleveland sports... ehhh, what am I saying? It's been 44 years of pain and agony. But with LeBron, there's always a chance to end the pain... stay tuned.

Have a nice summer jackass...

...this man officially owns you.


Finally, a walk-off winner

Wow, last night's Tribe game was painful for 11 innings, but ultimately they got the job done. Paul Byrd pitched 7-2/3 strong scoreless innings and left with the Tribe up 1-0. Raffy Lefty (Perez) came in and got out of the 8th with the lead still intact. But Raffy Righty (Betancourt) gave up a leadoff single to Ichiro Suzuki and you could just see that he would somehow score to tie it in the ninth.

I won't go into all the details, but the Indians had many chances to win it in the 9th, 10th, and 11th. They were a staggeringly bad 2-for-10 with the bases loaded in the series. But FINALLY, Asdrubal Cabrera singled home Franklin Gutierrez with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 11th for the walk-off win. The Tribe is now 7-3 in their last 10 and only 1.5 games out of first. Notable in this game is the shake-up in the batting order - Casey Blake moved up to the 2-hole, David Dellucci to #3, and Travis Hafner was dropped down to 6th. Hafner did respond with two doubles so hopefully he is finally finding his way out of this slump.

Now the dilemma tonight - we have tickets to see the Tribe vs. the Royals. But the Cavaliers face the Wizards in Game 6 at the same time. I guarantee if we end up going to the Tribe game that the Cavaliers will play well and close out the series. And if we don't go, there will surely be a Game 7 on Sunday. So do I opt to watch the game at the Batter's Eye bar in right field? It will kill me, but I may just have to take one for the fans of Cleveland. More later on this difficult decision.

Cabrera finally broke through in the 11th and was mobbed by his teammates

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Wasted Opportunity

I tried to wait as long as I could before jotting down my thoughts after last night's loss. I didn't want to react too quickly so I thought about if for a while. And the funny thing is, I think I'm even more pissed now than I was watching it unfold last night at the Q. All I know is that with 1:47 left in the 4th quarter and the Cavs up 87-82, I turned to my buddy and said, "It's over." Maybe that was the kiss of death the Cavaliers needed. And yes, I am superstitious about that kind of stuff, as dumb as that probably sounds. I have no explanation for that loss last night.

I wish I could tell you why the Cavaliers came out with absolutely no energy in the first half. Or how we were miraculously down only two points at halftime. I wish I could tell you why the Wizards were able to get about 8,000 offensive rebounds in the second half. Or why the Cavs made the mystifying decision to launch multiple three-pointers with the lead in the final 1:30. I just don't have any answers. I also don't know how that ball didn't go down on LeBron's final drive. Or how a foul wasn't called there. I didn't even see the replay, this is just my view from far above in Section 222. But it should have never come down to that play anyway. We had so many chances to put that team away.

Now my enduring vision of Game 5 is a delirious DeShawn Stevenson skipping toward the visitors' tunnel and gleefully launching his jersey into the stands amid the boos cascading down on him. And he was loving every second of it. Please, just shoot me now. The whole scene was sickening.

At least the Tribe won last night behind Cliff Lee's solid pitching and some life from their bats. Although Lee's 27-inning scoreless streak did finally come to an end, he is now 5-0 with a 0.95 ERA. I'd be happier about it if I didn't have visions of DeShawn Stevenson still dancing in my head. Ugh.

Apparently, he likes 14-year-old girls and playoff road wins