Cavs 97 Wizards 90

The Cavs swept the Washington Wizards tonight and advanced to the next round of the NBA Playoffs and will play the winner of the Toronto/New Jersey series. The following are my random thoughts as I was watching tonight's game 4:

1. Living in PA the game is available on NBA TV. The great Bill Rafferty is doing color so this should be good but he is paired with the insufferable Ian Eagle.


2. As they pan the crowd lots of people dressed as empty seats.


3. Wow, Daniel Gibson getting early minutes, I like the sound of that.


4. Good omen Drew Gooden is hot early.


5. Andrey Blatche and Calvin Booth sighting. Didn't know they actually wear a jersey under their warm ups.


6. Towel Boy just went in for Washington. Oh wait that is Songaila.


7. 1st quarter ends Washington 23 Cleveland 22. Cavs not hitting shots earlier but the intensity looks to be good. Stay around and Washington will do something dumb


8. Donyell Marshall sighting and then a quick 3.


9. Some kid from crowd is playing for the Wizards. They gave him number 21.


10. Halftime score Wizards 47 Cavs 44. Cavs are settling for way too many jumpers. We are still OK only down 3 and Wizards are playing their best ball. NBA TV halftime crew is terrible. In the second half please get Z more touches.


11. This is the second straight game with bad start to the second half.


12. Jarvis Hayes is currently 0 for 9 from three in the series, that's it Jarvis keep shooting.


13. Wow they dusted Ira Newble off tonight.


14. Is there a rule every player in uniform must play at some point in the series.


15. End of third quarter Washington 67 Cleveland 66. Terrible start to quarter turned it on at the end. Still have the Wizards right where we want them.


16. Kid from the crowd is back in the game for the Wizards.


17. Attention Bennett Salvatore it is not a jump ball if you wrap both arms around someone.


18. Lebron is hitting some big jumpers as this game goes on.


19. Dear god please bring out Joey Crawford!!!!! Bennett Salvadore is horrible.


20. Z has really come to play again tonight. Larry Hughes really taking the bull by the horns in the fourth quarter.


21. Great game tonight by Eric Snow perfect amount of minutes love the toughness he played with tonight.


22. Game finishes 97-90 Cavs win. I must give credit to a few people on the Wizards. I thought Eddie Jordan coached his guts out. Also, Antwan Jamison really showed the kind of superstar he is in the series.

Tribe 6 Orioles 1

The Tribe took the rubber match of the three game weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles. Here are my thoughts on today's game:

1. An outstanding start my Fausto Carmona today. He has strung three magnificent performances together and has given his team a chance to win in every start except his first one. The kid has outstanding stuff and pounds the zone with strikes. I know today was probably his last start for a while but it is nice to know if someone does get hurt we have two pitchers who can be plugged in their and pitch admirably.


2. If they don't want to send Jason Davis down, I think it would be OK to option Choo back to Buffalo and keep an extra pitcher on the major league staff. I just think it would send the wrong message to Carmona to send him back to Buffalo.


3. As a Tribe fan I'm happy with winning today but I really feel for Jaret Wright who was always a stand up guy and never blamed anyone and to see how his skills has diminished is very sad. I have always thought he deserves better and was someone who I have always pulled for.


4. I think the fans who were part of the walk up crowd the last two nights should be commended. Especially last night with all the excitement of the Browns draft and a Cavs playoff game to get a walk up crowd of over 5.000 is tremendous


5. Finishing up April at 14-8 is tremendous because I don't think we have really started playing our best ball yet. The bullpen has been better but I think there is room for improvement. The hitting has been timely but I think the hitting will continue to improve, and the starting pitching has been solid but still will get better. But with an April record of 14-8 and a 1 1/2 game lead is a great starting point.

The Tribe has an off day tomorrow and start a series with Toronto at the Jake on Tuesday with CC Sabathia facing AJ Burnett.

2nd Day Draft Recap

With the Cleveland Browns first selection of the second day they used their fifth round selection on another corner in picking Brandon McDonald from Memphis. This is a nice value pick in stockpiling defensive backs in a need area. He has also returned punts in his college career so he has a chance to see major time in that area if he impresses the coaching staff in minicamp and training camp.

The Browns then traded their sixth round selection to Dallas and received their sixth round pick and the Cowboys 7th round selection. With the sixth round pick they received they selected a defensive end in Melila Purcell. Purcell is 6'5 and 280 pounds. So he would fit the bill as a defensive end in the 3-4 defense. I like picking a Samoan defensive end because when you get a Samoan player your getting someone who is tough and this team needed bodies on the defensive line.

With the Browns first selection in the seventh round they beefed up the defensive line with the selection of Chase Pittman a defensive end who was a highly productive defensive end at two elite programs in Texas and LSU. He left Texas after a death in the family and wanted to get closer to home and transferred to LSU. Of the second day picks I watched more of Pittman than any of the other picks. He dropped down because he doesn't have ideal speed for the defensive end position. But I see him in the mold of a Simon Fraser where he is going to contribute on special teams and in the defensive line rotation. The kid has a high motor and I think he will be a defensive player that the coaching staff and the fans fall in love with.

Then with the final selection in 2007 NFL Draft the Browns took a flyer on an exciting wide receiver in Syndric Steptoe. He is 5'9 170 pound wide receiver. I do think the receiving core needed to add some speed to it and he definitely does that. The only bad thing I know about Steptoe he comes from Arizona the same place we got Dennis Northcutt from. But, Steptoe did return punts and I see this as a way that he can make this team out of camp, if not I see him as a player who will be stored away on the practice squad.

That concludes what might be one of the most exciting draft classes since the rebirth of this team in 1999. I think we added three starters for the next 10 years as well as adding much needed depth to the defensive lines and backfield. To me the only disappointing part of this draft was not adding a running back for depth but I'm guessing either that they are happy with what they have or see that next year is a much more deep running back class. When discussing this point I remember Phil Savage saying a few weeks ago that it was almost impossible to address all the needs but I think the line of scrimmage, defensive backfield, and getting the face of the franchise for the next ten years were the most pressing of needs. I give this draft class a solid A. If the results aren't met on the field I think it is clear that Phil Savage has done his job now it is up to Romeo to produce some wins.

Comments welcomed.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Orioles 7 Tribe 4

The winning streak came tonight in a disappointing loss, these are my thoughts on the tonight's game:

1. After a shaky start to the game, I thought Jeremy Sowers gave the club a quality start. He has shown to me to be a very consistent starting pitcher.


2. The bullpen imploded tonight and this is rather distressing after how during this winning streak they had been so solid. It wasn't one particular pitcher Cabrera, Fultz, and Hernandez were not great. I think it is very important to get Cabrera back out there as soon as possible to get his confidence back.


3. I think the Tribe definitely deserves an answer and an answer fast from the commissioner's office on the debacle of adding a run for the Orioles two innings later. But I foresee nothing forthcoming and this team getting the short end of the stick just like in the home opener.


4. It was really nice to see Josh Barfield get two hits and he seems to be coming out of the funk he has been in.


5. This team has battled back after bad losses this year so I expect the same things from them tomorrow

The rubber match of the three game series tomorrow pits Fausto Carmona against former Tribe member Jaret Wright at 1:05.

2nd Round Selection Eric Wright CB UNLV (From Dallas)

The Browns selected a corner with a second round pick that they got in another trade with Dallas here are my thoughts on this selection.

1. 1. I think we are taking a risk on this selection with his character issues but also with the price we paid to get this selection. But if Eric Wright becomes a contributor I think it will be well worth the price it took to get him.


2. 2. From watching film on Wright and seeing him play in the National Championship game with USC a few years ago this kid is a player and he makes plays. He is a very aggressive corner in pass coverage.


3. It was imperative to pick a corner in this draft and we might have gotten the best corner in the draft. If Butch Davis would have made this pick I would have serious reservations but since Phil Savage has not really drafted bad character guys I will give him leeway with this selection. I can see this being a player that Jim Brown will work closely and I also think that veteran leaders Willie McGinist and Ted Washington could play a big part in showing Wright the way to be a professional. I also think it helps that Cleveland is not as fast pace city as a New York or Philadelphia.


4. I think this selection really helps the other corners such as Devan Holly and Jereme Perry.

That should be all the selections for the Browns for today I will be back tomorrow to blog about our second day selections.

Cavs 98 Wizards 92

Another victory against the shorthanded Wizards in Washington today. Here are my thoughts on Game 3 of the Cavs first round series:

1. I was really impressed with how the Cavs came in with more intensity and seemed to be ready to play from the get go.


2. Lebron came to play and take this game over today. This was by far his best game of the series. Also, the pass to Sasha for a 3 to seal the game was so similar to Jordan passing to an open John Paxson to beat the Suns in the NBA finals many years ago.


3. I was a little puzzled to see that Donyell didn't get into the game tonight, I know he didn't play well the other night but I think he deserved a chance to give the team a spark. Asking Z to play 40 minutes is asking a lot of a big man in his 30's.


4. However, I did like seeing Daniel Gibson seeing time and playing in the playoffs as a rookie is going to really help his development in the years to come.


5. This is just my opinion but when Lebron starts the game attacking the basket I think it helps his outside jumper and just makes him an even more unstoppable force.


6. This team is very difficult to beat when we shoot 50% from the line and over 80% from the foul line.


7. I must also give props to Larry Hughes for being a leader and grabbing Sasha and tell him to focus when he made the mental error of letting the shot clock run out without shooting. Because, shortly after that he made a nice block and then the backbreaking three pointer.


8. I do think it is going to be very important to start strong and take their will away and finish the sweep on Monday night. Because, I think the Toronto/Jersey series has the makings of a long series and any rest we can get will be very helpful in the long run.

The Cavs aim to finish the job on Monday at the Verizon Center at 7 pm. Ill have my blog shortly after the game is over on Monday.

1st round Selection Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame (From Dallas)

The Browns traded back into the first round and selected the quarterback they expect to be the face of the franchise. Here are my thoughts on the Quinn selection:

1. I think Phil Savage was held to pay a steep price but if you want something great you do have to pay the piper.


2. I think the pressure will not be a big thing to Quinn since he was the quarterback at Notre Dame and that is one of the biggest pressure cookers in college football.


3. I don't think they will hand the job to Quinn right off the bat, but I do think they will look to deal Charlie Frye and bring in an experience back up in the same mold that Bernie Kosar had Gary Danielson.


4. I love the confidence that Quinn shows and I think he will carry a chip on the shoulder to all the teams that passed him by especially the Dolphins.


5. I know the jury is still out on the players we have picked but this has to be one of the most exciting days since the rebirth of the Browns in 1999.


6. The biggest complaint I think that will be heard after the draft is that we still have needs to fill but I don't think you were going to fill all our needs in the draft this year anyway.

I will be back to blog on our next selection and after the Cavs game 3 today. This has started like one of the best days in Cleveland sports history.

Comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

1st rouund Selection Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin

The Cleveland Browns today with their first pick have given the fans what they have clamored for, for 9 years a stud offensive lineman. Here are my thoughts on this selection:

1. I think this is a safe pick and when your picking at #3 you have to pick someone who your sure of is going to be a starter for multiple years.


2. I think what this signing does it helps the offensive line as a whole with moving Kevin Shaffer to right tackle and we suddenly have great depth with Ryan Tucker coming back and the signing of Seth McKinney.


3. I wasn't as high on Joe Thomas as many of you had been cause I hadn't seen much action of him and when watching Wisconsin he didn't stand out to me. But to his credit, when you talk about offensive lineman if your watching a game and don't notice them or don't hear their named being called a lot of times that is a good thing.


4. I think Phil Savage deserves credit from the fans he has given you what you have clamoured for and if the offensive line doesn't do a good job next year its coaching not the general manager who deserves the blame.


5. I think with this next pick you will see us go after someone on the defensive side of the ball preferably a cornerback or a defensive lineman. Or possibly maybe going after a running back that falls to us at our next selection.

ill be back to blog on our next selection when it is made.

Tribe 5 Orioles 4

Greetings again everyone after another Tribe victory. If this weekend's recaps of the Indians game lack the same coverage you can blame MLB. Because living in Reading, PA and being 2 hours from Baltimore and with MLB's archaic blackout rules I was unable to watch any of the games with Baltimore this weekend or next weekend. I did however get to listen to the dulcet tones of Tom Hamilton on the radio. With that being said here are my thoughts on tonight's victory.

1. Another solid start from Jake Westbrook. Jake seems to have found his groove after a rough start to the season. I think with the contract situation out of the way and the warmer weather have had a big impact on his success in the last two starts. I know those in attendance will say it wasn't warm tonight but pitching in 50 degree weather as compared to 30 degree weather is like night and day to a pitcher.


2. I thought the ejection of Eric Wedge tonight was planned by Wedge himself because he wanted to get across to the home plate umpire that the low strike needed to be called. Also, was nice to see a really good guy in Jeff Datz get a victory as he was thrust into the manager's chair. That being said in the major leagues when a manager is ejected from the game the bench coach basically is following orders from the manager who is usually watching the game from the clubhouse and has many ways of getting messages down to the dugout from the clubhouse


3. The call by Tom Hamilton on the Grady Sizemore inside the park home run was outstanding. The only people more excited than Hamilton on the homer had to be Grady's Ladies, MLB's most passionate fan club.


4. To anyone who was at the game the slow pace to the game when Trachsel was pitching had to be maddening.


5. Another thing very encouraging was seeing Joe Borowski strike out the side and pick up his 9th save. Finally his ERA of 9.00 matches his save total of 9.

The series continues tomorrow night in a battle of young left handers as Jeremy Sowers opposes Eric Bedard. I hope all of us enjoys how great of a sports day tomorrow is with the NFL Draft, Cavs Playoff game, and a Tribe game. I will blog tomorrow after each Browns selection in the draft, Game 3 of the Cavs playoff series vs. Washington, and the Indians game with Baltimore.

Hope to hear from you. Talk to you soon

Tommy

NFL Draft Preview

It's the end of April and the NFL draft is upon us. I will make the case for picking Brady Quinn as the Browns first round selection in Saturday's NFL Draft. First, let me go over the other prospective first round picks for the Browns and why I don't think they are worth the Browns selection.

I hear a lot of fans fall in love with Joe Thomas. To me I don't see one thing that jumps off the page to draft him. I don't see him as an elite left tackle in the mold of Jonathan Ogden or an Orlando Pace. I personally think Levi Brown is a better option as a first round pick at left tackle. I watch Wisconsin play 3 games this year and at no point while watching the game did I say damn that guy is intimidating or imposing. And the history of Wisconsin lineman in the NFL is not a great one.

I see Adrian Peterson has an extremely talented running back with a questionable injury history. I think he is a sure fire can't miss player but with his injury history and the Browns lack of luck with injured players I think we cant take that risk and put a big time contract to someone with a questionable. Also, running backs is the one position where you can get a talented player in the second or third round.

I don't think Jamarcus Russell will be there when we pick, and I'm not sold on him being a solid pro. I don't see him as having a passion for football like a Brady, Manning, Brees or a McNabb.

I think Calvin Johnson is a sure fire stud wide receiver, but I don't think picking a wide receiver is a glaring need and realistically receivers only affect maybe 15 plays a game.

With all being said I think Brady Quinn is the right player to pick with our first round draft selection. I will dispel the myths of the cant win the big game argument.

I documented in the last two years against bowl teams Quinn's stats.

2005

Michigan 19 comp 30 att 140 yards passing 2 td's 17-10 win

Michigan State 33 comp 60 att 487 yards passing 5 td's 1 int. 44-41 OT loss

USC 19 comp 35 att 264 yards passing 1 td 1 int. 34-31 loss

Ohio State 29 comp 45 att 286 yards passing 34-20 loss

2006

Georgia Tech 23 comp 38 att 246 yards passing 14-10 win

Penn State 25 comp 36 att 287 yards passing 3 td's 41-17 win

Michigan 24 comp 48 att 234 yards passing 3 td's 3 int 47-21 loss

UCLA 27 comp 45 att 304 yards passing 2 td's 20-17 win

USC 22 comp 45 att 224 yards passing 3 tds 44-24 loss

LSU 15 comp 35 att 148 yards passing 2 tds 2 int. 41-14 loss

All these combine for a 236 comp 417 att 57 % comp 2620 yards passing 262 yds per game.

21 touchdowns 7 int. 4-6 w/l record.

I don't think Quinn has excelled in the big games but I don't think he has been terrible like some fans think he has. I also do think its hard to win games when in the six losses his defense has given up at least 34 points. Its hard for any quarterback to win games when there asked to score 35 points.

I will state my reasons why I think Quinn should be the pick:

1. I put a lot of stock into the fact that Quinn has been schooled for two years in a pro style offense with one of the best play callers in the business.


2. I think Quinn makes good decisions, is mobile enough, strong arm and great pocket presence.


3. I think the receivers had at Notre Dame are similar to the Browns receivers.


4. Quinn loves to throw to the tight end, and the Browns do have a great tight end.

As I analyze this situation it is eerily similar to the predicament the Eagles were in during the draft of 1999 when the fans wanted them to pick Ricky Williams and the Eagles picked Donovan McNabb. I would love to hear what you guys think?

Now I will list my ten players who I think are destined to be studs in the NFL and the ten players who i think will be busts.

Top 10 studs

1. Calvin Johnson WR Georgia Tech


2. Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma


3. Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame


4. LaRon Landry S LSU


5. Patrick Willis LB Ole Miss


6. Levi Brown OT Penn State


7. Paul Posluszny LB Penn State


8. Tony Ugoh OT Arkansas


9. Zach Miller TE Arizona State


10. Anthony Gonzalez WR Ohio State

Top 10 busts

1. Marshawn Lynch RB Cal


2. Michael Bush RB Louisville


3. Sidney Rice WR South Carolina


4. Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin


5. Buster Davis LB Florida State


6. Leon Hall CB Michigan


7. Greg Olson TE Miami


8. Trent Edwards QB Stanford


9. Chris Henry RB Arizona


10. Robert Meachem WR Tennessee

Tribe 9 Rangers 4

Another strong performance from the Tribe in the matinee of the brief two game series with Texas. I was working while the game went on but was able to watch on mlb.tv most of the game. My random observations from this game were:

1. Typical Paul Byrd pitched game. Byrdie doesn't overwhelm you with any thing he throws but he pounds the strike zone and works fast and keeps his defense involved.


2. The one constant in this winning streak has been getting out to a lead and when this happens it looks like this team tends to relax and not press.


3. Excellent game by Choo again today. Two hits, a laser throw from left field and solid glove work in the field. I think when Dellucci comes back from the DL that Choo will go back down to Buffalo, but he has shown management what he can do and if the team makes a playoff push you could see Choo being added in August as a fifth outfielder for his superb defense. By making an excellent showing does increase his trade value as well.


4. It was also very nice to see Josh Barfield get a hit and hopefully this will start to get him out of his slump. I personally don't think he has look terrible at the plate and it is very encouraging that his defense has been as good as advertised and it hasn't wained as he has struggled from the plate. The last week Barfield has been getting some good swings at the plate and I believe his offense will come in time.


5. Last night a classy move by the fans in giving Kenny Lofton an ovation when he came in and pinch ran. Are you watching Jim Thome?


6. I have not been one to crucify the management of the team but why not let the overflow crowd from the Cavs game into the stadium to watch the conclusion of the game last night? It would have been seen as good will to the Cleveland sports fans. I can see not letting people in who are drunk and/or belligerent but folks come on this team can use all the good will it can get in the city.

Up next is a three game series with the Baltimore Orioles at home. The pitching match up is Jake Westbrook vs. Steve Trachsel so if your going to the game you might want to pack a dinner with Streve Trachsel on the hill it could be a long, long night with the amount of time between pitches when he is on the mound

Cavs 109 Wizards 102

The Cavs played well enough to win tonight but it wasn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. The following is my random thoughts that I jotted down while the game was going on.

1. Living in Pennsylvania on my local cable I was able to watch the Wizards pregame show. It just befuddles me how these analysts in Washington think the Wizards can actually win in Cleveland.


2. I tune in to the game on NBA TV and Jack Ramsey and Ian Eagle are on the call a solid but not spectacular crew, but it is nice to hear the game broke down from a hall of fame coach's perspective who is easy to understand unlike John Thompson.


3. Wow a Daniel Gibson sighting in the first quarter.


4. 23-23 at the end of the first quarter. The Cavs come out flat once again. Mike Brown can you please get it across to your team this is the playoffs where is the intensity to start a game. The fans had it where was it from the players on the court.


5. At halftime its a 51-48 Cavs lead. The intensity seems to pick up on the court once Varejao enters the lineup. For as sluggish and lethargic as the Cavs have been up 3 is a good spot to be in at half.


6. Jamison just pulled up lame with a rib problem. Please coach Brown lets go right at him and attack him on offense.


7. Attention Brenda Haywood no one cares about what you have to say, you talking smack is like the towel boy talking smack it serves no purpose.


8. Cavs 75 Wizards 63 at the end of the third quarter. I thought we played our best ball in the last 6 minutes of this quarter. Offense running precisely, more intensity and seem to be taking the life out of the Wizards as the lead climbs.


9. Final Score 109-102 Cavs. We made this game much too close at the end but it was good to see everyone on the floor make foul shots for the Cavs to close the game out.


10. I thought Larry Hughes had an excellent game running the team from the point and all of his shots seem to be in rhythm. Also my players of the game would be Gooden and Z, took the scoring pressure off Lebron and was a total team effort on offense


11. We need to come more ready to play if we expect to win Game 3, I think you will see an even more spirited effort from the Wizards in the Verizon Center on Saturday.

Lets get ready for Game 3 i think it will be the toughest game of the series. Ill also have my Browns draft preview up tomorrow night.

Tribe 8 Rangers 7 (11)

A hard fought win tonight for the tribe. This game should have been an easy laugher but a win is a win. Here are my random thoughts as the game goes on:

1. The field looks in great shape. From the naked eye on the broadcast cant tell that it rained. Great job by the grounds crew.


2. I turn over to ESPN during commercial and by god the White Sox and Tigers are on. It is nice to see that the worldwide leader noticed that a good brand of baseball is being played in the AL central. I don't know about you folks but I get a little tired of anything to do with baseball on the four letter network is always led off by what happened with the Yankees.


3. With the empty seats at the Jake it makes it look like a mid 1980's April home game at Municipal stadium.


4. The Ian Kinsler error might have been one of the dumbest plays I have seen a second baseman make in my lifetime. But give credit to Choo for hustling and making Kinsler make the mistake of hurrying the throw.


5. Through 5 innings CC is dealing, but then the bottom drops out of it. I'm not hard on CC though since he has pitched like an ace every game except for the sixth inning tonight. I do give props to CC for staying in uniform throughout all 11 innings and cheering his teammates on.


6. A huge 2 out hit for Choo in the 7th inning that really loomed large as the game went on.


7. I know Borowski was shaky tonight and he blew the save but no one should be expecting him to be Mariano Rivera. But if he would continue to falter you might want to think about giving Cabrera a shot in that role because he has been the most pleasant surprise from the bullpen this year.

Noon game tomorrow as the series concludes with the Rangers as Paul Byrd will toe the slab against Kameron Loe.

Tribe 6 Twins 4

The following are my thoughts on tonight's win over Minnesota.

1. 1.The Indians finally showed a good approach and did a nice job of situational hitting. Scoring 4 runs off Johan Santana is more than I expected tonight.





2. Fausto Carmona was nasty tonight. This team has to find a spot on the pitching staff for Carmona when Cliff Lee comes off the DL. The thing that I take notice about Carmona is that when he pitches the batter hardly ever makes good contact.





3. It never gets old seeing your team a top the standing in the AL Central, and please don't say I'm overreacting, I know were not thought April yet, and I don't put a lot into standings right now but it is nice to see this club get off to a good start. Keep in mind the last two years the White Sox and Tigers got off to blazing starts and ran away with the division, and yes I am cognizant that the Tigers didn't win the division but they got out to such a huge lead they still got the wild card.





4. I never thought I would see three weeks into a season the leader in saves have 8 saves and a 10.00 ERA. But if you throw out Borowski's first save in Chicago, and the meltdown at Yankee Stadium his saves have been relatively uneventful.





5. I must ask where is the national media outrage about the sick and disgusting act of booing Shin Soo Choo in Minnesota on Monday night because he just happens to be Korean in the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting. Folks come on do you really honestly think he had something to do with it? Choo worked his but off this spring to get a chance and he didn't pout when he had to go down to Buffalo and the first game he makes it to the show and this is what he gets. I know ESPN only cares about the Red Sox and Yankees but if you claimed to be the worldwide leader in sports this needed to be discussed on your airwaves. I must also say that if this event happened in a market like Cleveland or say Philadelphia we wouldn't here the end of it from the blowhards in the national media. Folks sorry for going off on a tangent, but this act by the Twins fan needs to be talked about.

Up next is a two game series with Texas at the Jake. CC takes the hill against Vicente Padilla.

I will have my thoughts on late Wednesday night on the Tribe and Cavs game.

Tribe 7 Twins 3 (12)

The following are my thoughts on tonight's win over Minnesota.

1. A very nice, effective start from Sowers tonight. Sowers is going to give up his share of homers, but at least the Hunter homer was a solo homer, and then I thought the other two runs were on a double that had eyes on it. Sowers did work out of several jams and I thought he came through with a gutty performance.


2. Excellent pitching in relief from the bullpen, every one that took the mound of out of the bullpen was effective and the bullpen pitched perfect ball except for the Hernandez walk in the 12th inning. I must say I was somewhat nervous when I saw Hernandez take the hill in the 11th, but after the walk he seemed to find his stride.


3. Another great performance from Pronk and it just seems natural for him to get four hits. Just shows that he is more than a power hitter, but us tribe fans have known that all along. All winter long I have been telling people here in PA that Pronk is a better overall hitter than Ryan Howard and finally it is getting through to people outside of northeast Ohio.


4. Ryan Garko continues his clutch batting with the bloop single that had eyes on it. The hit seemed to open the floodgates in the 12th. I thought Jason Michaels had a great game as well coming in as a pinch hitter and staying in right field. J-Mike is starting to show tribe fans the kind of ballplayer he can be.


5. I think it could turn out to help us tomorrow in that we made the Twins use 6 pitchers out of their bullpen and if it is a close game tomorrow their bullpen might be a tad bit fatigued.


6. Lets hope that Fausto can pitch well tomorrow, I think there will be incentive for him to do so since Cliff Lee is scheduled to come off the disabled list in the coming days.

Tomorrow's game is an 8:05 start time Fausto Carmona vs. Johan Santana. Ill have my thoughts posted on the game tomorrow night.

Comments welcomed, I love hearing what others think of my opinions.

5 thoughts on Cavs and Tribe wins

Welcome to my new blog on Cleveland sports on blogspot.com. To those who have read my blog on pennlive.com. I had to change over to blogspot when I had problems with them after I changed over to my new Dell computer.

Ok let’s get down to business. These are my five thoughts on today’s Cleveland Cavaliers Game 1 in the NBA playoffs.

1. It is so weird how much less buzz there is too me about this series as compared to last year’s first round series against Washington. I predicted that the Cavs would win in 5 since if you look at this team’s history all year long with playing to the level of sub par competition after big wins over quality teams.

2. Now I am not part of the fan base who thinks Mike Brown is a complete idiot and I think for being a second year coach he has done as well as you realistically could have thought that a second year coach could do in this situation. I think he tries to coach this team like Larry Brown coached the 76ers. Have a star player carry the team and sprinkle in complementary role players.
3. My big criticism of Coach Brown is where was Daniel Gibson today, I know he is a rookie and I don’t expect him to play 30 minutes, but when Ira Newble plays more than Gibson something is wrong.
4. I know in playoff time you shorten the bench but 44 minutes from Larry Hughes and 22 from Eric Snow is entirely too much against a team that struggles to score 80 points. I would like to see Hughes play 35 minutes and Snow play 10 to 15 minutes.
5. I was not as bent out of shape by our sluggish performance today as the TNT crew was. It was obvious to any one watching this game that this team knew that they could run away from the Wizards when they wanted to. I also think as the series goes on we will wear the Wizards out down on the block. Let’s be honest here, Michael Ruffin, Brenda Haywood, and Etan Thomas don’t scare anyone.


Here are my five thoughts on the Indians big win today.

1. I really do think today’s game was a must win. Not only would of losing two of three to the Rays would have been bad enough but we would have been under .500 for the first time all year.
2. I have grown increasingly aggravated with Casey Blake’s lack of hitting with runners on base, but today when Marte went down he gives this team so many options when a injury happens to someone who isn’t a middle infielder

3. The other thing that really bugs the heck out of me with this team is no matter who it is, but whenever we face a rookie pitcher they always befuddle this team no matter how good or bad that certain pitcher is.

4. It was nice to see Jake Westbrook pitch like the Jake Westbrook of old and gave the Tribe a solid quality start.

5. Monday and Tuesday is a big series with the Twins, but I think after 3 weeks this team is in good shape. 1.5 games out of first and a game over .500. I think the biggest thing with this division is that no one has run away from the pack.

I will try and get back in the mode of posting my five thoughts after all the Indians and Cavs game and some time upcoming this week I will have a Browns draft preview post.

Comments welcomed.