Cleveland Sports Blog

Browns 27 Texans 17

2007-11-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

The following are my thoughts on today's win over the Texans:

Derek Anderson had another outstanding start today. He did throw the one pick which we have come to expect. But the fact is he is winning and gives us the big play capability we have been looking for. I do love the fact that he isn't afraid to make a tough throw and he seems to relish the opportunity to do so.

Jamal Lewis had a great day and he really punished the Texans defenders with his aggressive, downhill running style. It was nice to finally be able to run the ball at the end of the game to milk the clock and not have to rely as much on the passing game.

Braylon and especially K2 had great games today. Winslow made a lot of great catches in traffic. We as fans have really come to expect Winslow and Edwards get a 100 yards in receiving every game.

The defense as a whole had its best game of the year today. We finally saw corners with excellent coverage as well as constant pressure on the quarterback. Its amazing how much better the defense and the defensive backfield look when we get constant pressure on the quarterback.

I know their were times that we didn't get to Schaub but at least for the most part we made him at least move his feet in the pocket.

Brandon McDonald had a breakthrough game tonight and if he continues his solid play you could see him making Leigh Bodden a permanent nickel back in the future. It also lets Eric Wright recover from his knee injury and not force the Browns to rush him back into the lineup before he is fully recovered.

Can CBS please tune down the volume on Gus Johnson's microphone about 10 notches please.

I must give props to Nick Sorenson for a great game on special teams, he made two great tackles and nicely grabbed the onside kick to salt away the victory. The guy looks like someone from the munilot we found tossing around the football in the parking lot and gave him a uniform. Honestly, though if we see too many drops out of Tim Carter, why not make Sorenson a wide out.

I thought the most important play in the game was the D'Qwell Jackson interception because at that time the Browns were down 7 and the Texans were driving for another score. It was great to see D'Qwell back on the field again.

Looking ahead to next week's game against the Cardinals is a game that really scares me. Its not that the Cardinals are a juggernaut or anything but I have seen a lot of teams (i.e Philadelphia Eagles) riding a wave of momentum go out to Arizona and lay an egg. This game will tell a lot about the makeup of the team, cause this game does have trap written all over it.

The one good thing about playing the Cardinals is that they are fresh off a demoralizing loss and someone you want to get on early.

My 4 game balls go to

Kellen Winslow

Brandon McDonald

Brodney Pool

Nick Sorenson

Browns 33 Ravens 30

2007-11-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Here are my thoughts on Sunday's thrilling overtime win over the Ravens:

Derek Anderson bounced back from the Pittsburgh game with a solid effort. He did throw a pick that was returned for a touchdown, but ran the offense very effectively. Like I have mentioned in previous weeks the big thing with DA is that at the end of the game he always gets his team down the field and gives them a chance to win the game. His best play was in the fourth quarter shrugging off a defensive lineman and throwing a 15 yard completion to Braylon Edwards that set up the tying field goal.

Jamal Lewis responded and had a solid effort against his former team. I do like the intensity he brings and even though he did get a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for spiking the ball on the Ravens sideline, I think this is something that will endure him to the fans who all would love to do that to the Ratbird sideline.

The defense seems to have found the fountain of youth with a day of six sacks against Baltimore.

If you asked me to name a defensive MVP for the team this year I would have to go with Robaire Smith. He has been excellent in run defense and leads the team with four sacks. Phil Savage should be lauded for an excellent signing. The thing I like about Robaire is that he goes out and does his job and you don't have to worry about him doing something stupid or undisciplined.

The Eric Wright loss will hurt the defense. He was really coming into his own and was excellent in run support. Preliminary indications say he will be out 2-3 weeks. While he has improved every week it seems that Leigh Bodden has gotten worse week by week.

Brandon McDonald has played well in his limited reps. I would like to see him come in as the nickel corner which I think he would do the job at.

The following is the biggest understatement of the year. Josh Cribbs is a beast. He is the best special teams player in the NFL. As a returner the thing that he does the best is always goes north and south and you rarely see him put the team in a bad situation. He also caused a fumble in coverage. The rest of the mainstream media is finally taking notice to the type of player he is.

The best thing about the win was seeing pompous Brian Billick out coached and then seeing him cry in a press conference and on the field after the officials got the call right.

I think if the Browns make the playoffs this year we all owe a beer to Pete Morelli and his crew.

With the win and the Steelers loss the division title is still attainable but were going to have to run the table and hope that Pittsburgh loses to Jacksonville and New England.

My game balls go to:

1. Pete Morelli and his crew.

2. Josh Cribbs

3. Kellen Winslow

Steelers 31 Browns 28

2007-11-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

The following are my thoughts on today's loss against Pittsburgh:

Derek Anderson had his worse start of the year today. He started out strong but really was shaky in the second half throwing behind receivers. He should get credit for still finding a way to give his team a chance at the end of the game to tie with a field goal.

I give credit to Braylon for making a tremendous catch in the end zone for a touchdown, but if he wants to be the player he says he can be he needs to have more than just one catch. K2 and Jurevicius came to play but sadly Edwards didn't. I do realize he isn't throwing the ball but I just think he should be able to get more than one catch.

I give Romeo credit for having the team ready to play at the onset of the game and they look fired up and ready to go. But the two timeout fiasco in the 4th quarter was a huge blunder. Look at it this way, if he doesn't waste those timeouts we get the ball back with around 2 minutes instead of 1:10 left in the game.

More infuriating is after the game he had no explanation for it, he just described the situation. I really think if Romeo would just say I screwed up and say put the blame on me for that, the fans would at least not be as hard on him. He needs to and will be held accountable for this.

The only problem I really had with the game plan on offense was that I thought it would have been nice to see Jason Wright get a few carries to see if he could give a change of pace and get some yards on the ground.

The biggest reason for the collapse in the second half was that we only ran about 16 plays and it tired the defense out.

To me the biggest turning point in the game was the Lewis fumble, because at that point the Steelers offense was sputtering. Also, that is really where the Browns started to struggle on defense.

I have ripped the defense in past weeks, but I do believe they deserve credit for getting more pressure than they had in the past few weeks. One thing that bothers me does Kamerion Wimbley know more than one pass rush move to get to the quarterback. Lineman are intelligent and pick up on this.

While analyzing the schedule if we want to win the division we really have to win out and even that might not be enough. But on the wild card chase our remaining opponents have a 23-39 won/loss record while Jacksonville's remaining opponents have a 33-28 record and Tennessee's opponents record is 27-34.

I really believe playing Baltimore is good for the Browns in that their should not be much of a lingering factor in this loss because were playing a team we hate just as much. This is a game where you want to get on them early because their liable to pack it in pretty quickly, but look to see Kyle Boller at quarterback on Sunday for the Rats.

My 3 goathorns go to:

Jamal Lewis: His turnover changed the game.

Roemo Crennel: His mismanagement of timeouts cost the team a chance of winning in overtime.

Braylon Edwards: Need more than one catch out of your big play receiver.

Browns 33 Seahawks 30

2007-11-07T18:02:00.001-08:00

The following are my thoughts on Sunday's thrilling overtime win over Seattle:

Derek Anderson had another solid game. I think this was his best game so far since he put 33 points up against a very good defense and he picked apart that defense when they were expecting passes to be coming. There were some runs mixed in but the Seahawk defense was playing pass coverage much of the second half. He did throw a pick but it really wasn't his fault the defensive lineman just mad a great play. He did a great job of taking what the defense gave him and checked down numerous times.

Jamal Lewis had a big day with his 4 touchdowns, but the even bigger play was his reception on a screen pass in overtime that but the Browns in position to win the game. As this team evolves in the coming years I think you could groom Jamal Lewis into a Bettis type role. I think his contributions behind closed doors have also helped this team immeasurably.

Kellen Winslow had probably the best game of his young career. He played eerily similar to the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State in that the opposition knew he was going to get the ball, but had no way to stop him.

The defense gave up plenty of yardage but didn't let the Seahawks in the end zone in the second half. They aren't playing great but they are playing well enough to keep the team in the game until the offense catches fire. But like Tony Grossi said in years past the defense would play great for 58 minutes and lose it in the last 2 minutes, but now they are playing below average for 58 minutes and winning the game in the last 2 minutes.

Seeing that we cant get any pressure, I really think our game plan against Pittsburgh should be to keep the quarterback in the pocket and make him beat us from their.

The defense really didn't give up the big play so that is progress in that regard as well.

I really think it is about time to extend the contract of Romeo and give him that security that he deserves.

Browns 27 Rams 20

2007-10-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

The following are my thoughts on today's win over the Rams:

Derek Anderson had another solid day throwing 3 td's and not turning the ball over he is showing that he is growing in leaps and bounds as a player. You can tell in some of his throws how his confidence is growing in leaps and bounds. It is scary to think how close he was to getting waived in training camp.

The big negative for me in today's game was the way we started. If we want to be a playoff team we have to come out strong. Because when we score early it takes the opponents running game out of the equation.

I love how we used all three running backs today. They all our different kinds of backs and really give a defensive coordinator fits.

You could really see today after we got the passing game how the running game really got going and the holes started to open up.

Give the offensive line credit again though on opening up the holes and keeping Derek Anderson clean in the pocket.

Braylon Edwards had an excellent day today. It really seemed like he could of caught the ball at will anytime he wanted today. The only negative was his drop that could have salted the game away today. But with that being said, Braylon is well on his way to being in Honolulu for the pro bowl. Also, Derek Anderson deserves consideration for the pro bowl.

I know the defense game up lots of yardage today, but when they needed a play to win the game they got it. Also, they only gave up 2 field goals after the first quarter. But we are going to need a bigger performance out of them next week against Seattle.

Tribe 7 Red Sox 3

2007-10-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians took a commanding 3 games to 1 lead tonight with a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

Paul Byrd came through win a solid start tonight. He was a big key in that he matched 0's with Wakefield and wouldn't let the Tribe fall behind. He really only had one inning in the first five where he fell into trouble. I thought he did get tired in the 6th inning but I think the 30 minutes sitting in the dugout had something to do with it. But give Byrd credit he has given his team a big lift in his last two starts.

Nice job by Jensen Lewis and Betancourt of pitching 4 innings of quality relief. I would have liked to see Rafael Perez get some work tonight, but you cant fault Eric Wedge for going with the hot hand tonight.

I love the quiet confidence this team plays with. You could tell just by the look in the player's eyes in the dugout and in the field that they fully expected to win tonight.

I think the off day will be a good thing for the Indians with giving the bullpen a day of rest and there will be no hangover from tonight's game.

The fans tonight were tremendous and have had a huge impact on the game the last two nights and have been much louder and more intimidating than those idiot Red Sox and Rockies fans.

Big props go to the Tribe hitters because they kept a solid approach against Tim Wakefield and didn't let the knuckleball get to them. Hitting coach Derek Shelton deserves a lot of credit for this as well.

I really believe that if we can get a lead early against Beckett on Thursday night we will be in really good shape. Because you don't want to give the Red Sox any hope because they can turn things around in a big way.

Tribe 4 Red Sox 2

2007-10-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians took a 2-1 series lead in their ALCS series with the Boston Red Sox tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Jake Westbrook was great tonight. He was locked in with getting numerous ground ball outs and worked out of a key jam in the second inning that was the turning point in the game. The key thing with this rotation is that your going to get professional outings out of all four starters.
Another key in tonight's game was Jensen Lewis getting a big strikeout over Pedroia in the 7th inning. This really stopped the momentum the Red Sox had with the Varitek homer to cut the lead to two.
Rafael Betancourt was locked in and worked a 1-2-3 inning in the 8th and this was really where the save was had.
I have said before but tonight pointed out that if you can keep the Boston 3, 4, 5 hitters off the bases you will beat the Red Sox.
You have to love the Indians chances tomorrow night against a guy who hasn't faced live action in 22 days. I fully expect Paul Byrd to give a good outing. I'm not a big believer in momentum but has been clear the last two nights the Tribe is the better team.

Tribe 13 Red Sox 6

2007-10-13T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians pulled even tonight in their American League Championship Series tonight at Fenway Park. Here are my thoughts on tonight's big win:

Fausto Carmona was not sharp tonight and only lasted 4 innings. I thought he had good stuff tonight but his command was lacking. He along with Rafael Perez but the bullpen in a bad spot but the club rose above it.

After Perez came out of the game the bullpen was awesome tonight and was a huge difference in the game. Jensen Lewis, Betancourt,Mastny, and Borwoski were outstanding.

I along with a lot of people were clamoring for another bullpen arm at the trading deadline and when you watch Tom Mastny go 1,2,3 in the 10th and then you see Eric Gagne throw up all over himself you have to wonder what do us fans really know. I guess we can cue up the Brian Billick quote "This is why players play, coaches coach, and managers manage".

How satisfying was it tonight to see the bean people leaving Fenway while the game was still going on. I thought these were the greatest fans in baseball.

Another big key in tonight's game was Grady Sizemore's play. He really led the club from an offensive standpoint and the rest of the team seemed to follow.

Can the Trot Nixon bashers please go away now. I think this will finally put him into the good graces of all Tribe fans.

To show the kind of team this two of the biggest contributions tonight were by Trot Nixon and Tom Mastny.

Another key tonight was that Eric Wedge out managed Terry Francona. He did well to manage to get 7 innings of relief out of the bullpen.

Tribe 6 Yankees 4

2007-10-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians are headed to the American League Championship Series as they eliminated the New York Yankees three games to one. Here are my thoughts on the game and the series win:

Paul Byrd came through in a big way with a gritty pitching performance. He battled and kept the Yankees off balance with his guts and guile. He also proved Eric Wedge to be a genius for starting him in this big game.

Grady got the club started tonight with a big lead off homer and it really set the tone as the Yankees were always battling uphill tonight and in the series.

Rafael Perez wasn't as dominant as he has been in the past but he made some big pitches to get out of some jams. He was a big part in winning the series. Rafael Betancourt steadied the fort in the 8th with his pinpoint control. Plus, it just wouldn't of seemed right if Joe Borowski to have him pitch a 1-2-3 inning.

The timely hitting in this series had a huge impact on the series and had to be deflating to the Yankees. This also bodes well for us in the next series.

The thing that is so special about this Indians team you cant really name one or two guys who were a MVP of the series. It was a total team effort from the batting, defense, and pitching.

Eric Wedge and the whole coaching staff deserve a lot of credit. They had the team prepared from the first pitch of game 1. This team plays with the confidence of its manager.

One note on the Yankees. Joe Torre is a class act and it was very nice and touching to see him heap praise on the Indians. Mr. Torre deserves a much better fate than he is receiving from his ownership.

This win is so gratifying in that it shuts up the National Media who never gave us a chance in this series. I also believe the more you count this team out the harder they play.

The Indians will now head on to the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday night. The pitching match up will be CC Sabathia vs. Josh Beckett.

Yankees 8 Tribe 4

2007-10-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost Game 3 of their AL Division Series tonight at Yankee Stadium. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

Jake Westbrook started and was effective for 4 innings before the Yankees caught up to him in the 5th inning. I know Jake was effective early but he still didn't throw enough of strikes.
Trot Nixon got the surprise start tonight which I was OK with since he had great success against Clemens and game through with 2 hits and 2 RBI's but gave those runs back with his error. I know other people who hate the guy wont like the move but I wont go crazy either way.
The bullpen was effective again. I really think all we will need is 5 quality innings out of Paul Byrd tonight and then go to the quartet of Lewis, Perez, Betancourt, and Borowski.
I know the national media will say the Yankees got their offense back on track but to me I wouldn't be so sure. Also, I like the way we did battle when we were down five runs.
In this series I have always felt the magic number of runs for a win would be 5 and I still feel that way going to tomorrow night. I seriously hope Wedge takes the initiative and treats it as a must win game.

Tribe 2 Yankees 1 (11 innings)

2007-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians took a commanding two game lead tonight in their division series with the New York Yankees in heart stopping fashion. Here are my thoughts on the game:

What a performance by Fausto Carmona tonight. You run out of adjectives when describing his performance. It is among the greatest pitching performances in a postseason game for a Cleveland Indians pitcher. It seemed he got stronger as the game went on and was determined not to let us lose tonight.

I know we were feeble in our attempts to get a run in tonight, but you have to like how every inning we were relentless and kept pushing the envelope.

The national media and the Yankee fans will claim that we won because of the bugs in the 8th inning. But i simply say we didn't let the critters get us out of our game. Then you hear Yankee players still moaning about it. Its part of the conditions deal with it.

The crowd was excellent the first two games of this series and had a huge impact on getting the victories. Ive heard other raucous ballparks this postseason but none as loud as the Jake.

If you were going to give a MVP for the first two games of the series, I think you would have to give serious consideration to Rafael Perez. He has pitched four perfect innings of relief against the supposed best lineup in baseball.

I also think its time the fans and the national media give Eric Wedge a boatload of credit. He has clearly out managed Joe Torre in this series.

The Indians will now head to the Bronx to try and finish off the sweep as Jake Westbrook faces Fat Boy Roger Clemens at 6:30 pm on Sunday night.

Tribe 12 Yankees 3

2007-10-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians started the postseason in an outstanding way with a big 12-3 win over the Yankees tonight at Jacobs Field:

CC wasn't great but was good enough tonight. He made enough pitches to keep the ball club in the game. I loved the way he kept his composure on a night when Bruce Froemming had a microscopic strike zone.

By the way, Froemming it is about time you retire. It was absurd that this guy is a home plate umpire in the opening game of a playoff series.

The Indians showed growth tonight in that they came right back at the Yankees every time the Yankees put runs on the board. The big thing is that how does this club play after a big win. You have to feel good with Carmona on the mound.

A big key tonight was that the marquee players for the Tribe stept up and had big nights and the marquee players for the Yankees had disappointing nights.

The Tribe gets back at it tomorrow with Game 2 as the Fausto Carmona faces Andy Pettitte.

Browns 27 Ravens 13

2007-10-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here are my thoughts on Sunday's big win:

The Browns were prepared right from the start of the game and Romeo and his whole coaching staff deserve all the accolades for this win. He should be lauded for winning two division games which is something he was criticized for in the past. I believe if he guides this team to a 7 or 8 win season and keeps his job he will look back at this win as a job saving win.

Also, accolades should go to both coordinators. I called out Todd Grantham last week and he came with a good game plan and made the Ravens work for what they got. He was astute in knowing that the Ravens aren't going to beat you going up the field 5 yards at a time without giving up the big play. I still would like to see us get more pressure on the quarterback.

Great game plan by Chud in that he attacked early which did open up the running game. I think he has shown the ability to be the best offensive play caller since Lindy Infante. I love how he went for the jugular after going up 7-0, he went up top for the big touchdown pass to Braylon Edwards. Baltimore was never the same after this.

Great job by the fans in making their voices heard. This was one of the more satisfying wins in that in the third quarter you could sit and relax and know we were going to get the victory.

Derek Anderson wasn't great but he was solid and besides the one pick he really made some good decisions and had some nice throws to K2.

Speaking of Winslow, he had a great game playing with a bum shoulder. I really feel like he is becoming the vocal leader on offense along with Jamal Lewis.

Yardage wise Jamal Lewis didn't have a great game but he did run hard and made the Ravens honor the run and not play pass coverage all day. I really felt like the Ravens were hell bent on not letting Jamal beat them and it allowed Braylon and K2 to have great days.

I also wanted to spotlight that on offense Josh Cribbs had a nice day with a return to the 40 yard line that set up the ball club in great field position to start the day. Also, Jason Wright had some nice runs on a couple of draws which helped the offense put points on the board.

Willie McGinest had a nice day in his return to the field and really made his presence felt in being a stabilizing force to the other players on defense. Also, Eric Wright had a much better day and hopefully this will help his play improve.

With the Patriots next on our schedule, I don't expect us to go into Foxboro and win. But I just want to see a good effort and let it all out their on the field. It will be a great measuring stick to see how much better we have gotten since week 1.

My game balls go to:

Whole Coaching staff

Kellen Winslow

Offensive Line

Raiders 26 Browns 24

2007-09-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

The following are my thoughts on the Browns frustrating loss Sunday in Oakland:

Derek Anderson didn't have a great game but after a shaky start did some very good things in the second half. He should be lauded for giving his team a chance to win. Especially impressive was how he led the team down the field with less than 2 minutes and no timeouts.
Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow had great efforts in this game. Was really good to see Braylon put two solid efforts in a row. This is a sign of maturity in his game. It has come out later in the week that he played with a separated shoulder. Which is more impressive that he had such a good game with a bum shoulder.
Once again the defense was bad. When is Todd Grantham going to get criticism from the media. This guy is Teflon in the local media. I'm not saying it is all his fault but he is in charge of the unit.
Ive heard numerous people blame the defensive line. While breaking down the tape they aren't getting pushed around, their just not athletic. With this being said it is up to the linebackers to fill the gaps and make some plays.
Scott Player punted well in subbing for an injured Dave Zastudil. I like that he punts to the sideline and does a good job of allowing his coverage team to make a play. I love the guy's look, finally a punter who looks like a hard ass.
Josh Cribbs had another stellar game and really gave the team a lift and changed the momentum in the game. When will the national media start talking about him in the same company as a Devin Hester.

Browns 51 Bengals 45

2007-09-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

The following are my thoughts on Sunday's thrilling win over Cincinnati:

Derek Anderson had a phenomenal game in his first start of the year. I thought it was the best single game performance by a Browns quarterback since Kelly Holcomb in the playoff game with Pittsburgh. The only difference he found a way to win the game. I don't mind that he takes chances when throwing the ball since he always seems to give his receiver a chance to make a play.

Outstanding game plan and play calling my Coach Chud. I criticized him last week for going away from the run, but today he managed to be very aggressive while never going away from the run. Finally it was nice to see an offensive coordinator not be predictable. The most predictable call he made was Vickers on the dive on 4th and 1. Romeo also deserves a lot of credit for keeping the team focus on the Bengals and not let the national media's opinion of this team be a distraction.

Kellen Winslow had a great game and I really feel like he is becoming a leader on offense. Braylon Edwards probably had the best game of his career on Sunday as well, but the big challenge for him will be stringing good performances on a week to week basis and becoming the complete #1 receiver everyone expected him to be when we picked him as the #2 pick.

Jamal Lewis had a vintage day and it was good to see him look like the Jamal Lewis of old. I think the game will do wonders for his confidence. Also, it should definitely be noted how well the offensive line played. I might be going out on a limb here but I think it is the best performance by a Cleveland Browns offensive line since the rebirth in 1999.

The defense did give up 45 points, but when we needed stops we did get them. The most disappointing part of the defense's performance was their poor tackling. Numerous times we had Rudy Johnson stopped behind the line and we missed tackles. Also distressing was the lack of pass rush again against Cincinnati.

The crowd was phenomenal and did us proud in pouring beer on Chad Johnson.

My game balls go to:

Derek Anderson

Offensive Line

Edwards, Jurevicius, Winslow

Jamal Lewis

Coach Chud

My goat horns go to:

Todd Grantham

Fans in the Dawg Pound hugging Chad Johnson

National Media Pundits who still refuse to give Browns any credit on win.

Steelers 34 Browns 7

2007-09-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

The following are my thoughts on today's opening game debacle:

Charlie Frye looked like he had never played a game in his life. He must be the only quarterback who doesnt understand the concept of throwing the ball away. I mean Rex Grossman at least knows how to throw a ball out of bounds. So much for all that he learned this summer with Donvan McNabb. I think it is a good chance that today was his last action he sees as quarterback of this franchise.

Derrick Anderson was ok and at least he looked like he knew what to do when he was in there. I ripped him in the preseason for looking lost but he gives us a much better chance to win until the powers that be see fit to let Brady Quinn put down the damn clipboard.

I wont rip Coach Chud's playcalling, but with having a trio of young quarterbacks, it is imperative to not go away from the running game down 17 in the second quarter.

I really thought the offensive line was solid today. Frye basically sacked himself today numerous times. I didnt expect a totally cohesive unit out there but I expect it to improve as the year goes on and especially after week 4 when Ryan Tucker comes back.

The defensive as a whole was ok, we did give up our share of big plays but the offense did them no favors. I thought we did a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback but still have plenty of room for improvement.

Did Romeo Crennel move at all during the game, all I saw from him was his arms folded and looking puzzled. You would think a guy who has his job on the line would show a little bit of intensity. That is why I liked the fire that Todd Grantham showed and if becomes the next coach I dont think many of us would be upset.

Living in Reading, PA I was forced to go to a sportsbar littered with Steeler Fans to watch the game today. But I must give a shout out to the three fellow Browns fans who sat with me today. As one of these Dawgs pointed out the two words you will never hear when describing a Steeler fan are classy and sophisticated.

My last thought is that if Paul Ernster is on the roster come Monday something is wrong. I'm not blaming him for the loss but his bonehead play of dropping a punt started the ball rolling down the slippery slope today.

My 3 gameballs go to

Kellen Winslow- Played a good game today and really seemed to try and get something started on offense. I loved how he told Vickers to stop with the dance down 17. Shows that he wants to take on a leadership role.

Joe Thomas- For his first game I thought he was solid. I like the aggression he plays with.

Derek Anderson- Came into a tought situation and played admirably and if your not going to play Quinn right now he deserves the start. I dont think he set the world on fire but he at least gave the team a chance.

My 3 goathorns go to

Paul Ernster- As mentioned above got the season off to a rocky start. Im praying Zastudil's back gets a lot better quickly.

Charlie Frye- Played easily his worse game as a Brown. Hopefully sometime soon Brady will pass him the damn clipboard.

Lawrence Vickers- Made a complete ass of himself out there dancing after scoring a touchdown as mentioned above. Was just glad to see someone call him out on it.

If anyone has anything they disagree with me on I would love to hear from you. Folks hopefully things get better next week.

Browns 17 Broncos 16

2007-08-28T20:08:00.000-07:00

The Browns improved to 2-1 on the preseason with a win at Invesco Field at Mile High on Saturday night. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought all three quarterbacks played their best games of the off season. Charlie Frye had an impressive first drive and moved the team well and was solid in his time on Saturday. I thought Anderson was better but still is struggling with this offense and I think the writing is on the wall that he is the odd man out. Brady Quinn was really impressive. In all likelihood he really led the offense to two touchdown drives. I think having him as the number two quarterback at the start is the right thing to do for the long term needs of the team and his career. But when you watch him it is obvious the kid is going to be a great player in the league. I hope he gets at least a good half of play on Thursday night.
It was really good to see that Joe Jurevicius is still on the team, as he caught a couple of balls on Saturday night. I thought Braylon looked great out their against a really good shutdown corner and if he continues to impress this will really help the offense as a whole.
It is amazing how well the offensive line is playing as a unit. The Frye backers cant use the offensive line excuse this year because I really cant remember one play where a quarterback got killed except for the Anderson fumble at the start of last week's game.
The defensive line and run defense as a whole continues to be an easy. They aren't getting gashed for huge runs but the 7 and 8 yard runs they are giving up will take its toll. The one good thing I think with the run defense this year is that I think the defense wont be on the field as much this year so hopefully this results in some improvement. Also, give credit to the Broncos they are the number one running team in the league for a reason.
I thought our pass defense regressed some in this game but I think that is a result of the lack of pressure on the quarterback. But the lack of pressure could be in part of calling a vanilla defense.
After watching the Chudzinski offense for three weeks I really like what I see from the new offense in that it is much more creative and player friendly.
The last thing I wanted to mention is that after watching numerous preseason games on the NFL Network, it is obvious that Bernie Kosar is really one of the better color men during preseason. He does a great job of keeping the viewers informed and I feel like I'm learning something when I tune in.

The Browns will head to Chicago to finish up the preseason schedule on Thursday night.

Lions 23 Browns 20

2007-08-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here are my thoughts on Saturday night's loss to Detroit:

Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson were inconsistent yet again. I thought Frye was more of control than Anderson. Frye seems to have a good grasp of the offense he just his hampered by a lack of talent. When I look at Anderson's play he seems to really have a tough time grasping the offense and that when he is in the game things are going at a thousand miles per hour and he is just trying to catch up. This being said the debate between the two of them on who to start really isn't that important, because there not going to be a starting quarterback for more than 5 or 6 games. If I was in charge I would name Frye the starter, move Anderson and keep Dorsey as a mentor to Quinn. I like having Dorsey on the roster because he knows this offense as good as Coach Chud does.

I was impressed with Brady's performance but like everyone has said we shouldn't over exaggerate it. The things I was most impressed with in Quinn's performance were that he took what the defense gave him and played with poise in a situation where a lot of young quarterbacks would just try and make the big play. He also earned points in my book for his control of the huddle and the fact that he answered the questions from the media in a professional manner and knows he needs time to grow.

Jamal Lewis looked strong again on Saturday night. I really think we should limit his carries in the next two games to keep him fresh for the start of the season. I also think the battle for the 3ed running back spot on the roster is very interesting and I would give the nod to Barclay over Harrison.

It was good to see Braylon play well in catching a few balls and laying a block on Frye's 15 yard run. It would be nice if the Browns would find a way to get Jurevicius a catch in the preseason.

The offensive line as a whole has played solid despite playing without Steinbach. They have given the quarterbacks more than enough time to find receivers and have done a decent job in run blocking.

The defensive line continues to be a weakness on the team and unless we add someone of importance before the season starts it will continue to be an area of concern.

I thought the linebackers had another outstanding game. I love the way Wimbley and Peek feed off each other play with passion and get pressure on the quarterback. Wimbley also has improved in his play against the run.

Kudos go to Eric Wright for not giving up a reception to Calvin Johnson. Also, I think the team should really limit the snaps Leigh Bodden sees in the next two games so like Jamal Lewis he is ready for the Steelers in Week 1.

Browns 16 Chiefs 12

2007-08-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Browns got off to a winning start in their first preseason game of the year. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought Charlie Frye was the much better of the three quarterbacks who played for us on Saturday night. He still made a few mistakes but I thought he looked pretty comfortable in the offense. My biggest fault on Frye's play was the horrific decision to get tackled at the end of the half and let the clock run out. I do think had he gotten the offense into the end zone a time or two he might have been named the starter right after the game.

I thought Derrick Anderson looked tentative and really unsure of himself. I know he didn't get good field position on his series's but still should have been better than he was.

On the running backs I thought Jamal Lewis looked sharp and ran with great intensity. It was good to see him get some work but he really shouldn't need that much work to be ready. I was most disappointed in Jerome Harrison that he really made a couple of bonehead plays in not running after the errant lateral and missing a few blocks in pass protection but he did run hard on his runs. Jason Wright ran hard as he usually does and I think Chris Barclay deserves a chance to win the third running back job away from Harrison.

On the receivers front I thought what we saw out of our first team receivers and tight ends weren't much but they did do good things. Cribbs had a nice end around and I really hope he is featured more in the offense. The Steptoe kid after making a mistake early I thought had a good game. Mosley had a nice catch as well as Ryan Krause had a really stellar game. But this shouldn't come as a surprise since he knows the offense probably better than anyone in camp.

The offensive line had a solid game in that I felt they got really good push on plays in the running game. The pass protection was really good as well. Joe Thomas had a decent game but did get whistled for two holding calls but the most important thing was he did a really good job pass protecting against Jared Allen.

The biggest surprise of the game was the play of Antwan Peek at the outside linebacker position and this really should help Wimbley in getting to the quarterback.

Eric Wright had a good game for his first time out against another team. He made a nice play in coverage and I liked how he stuck his nose in and made a nice tackle against the run.

I think for a first preseason game this was the best the Browns have looked in years but really that's not saying much. I think the next game will be more of a factor on where we are at as a team.

10 observations from the first week of Browns training camp

2007-08-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

After a week in the books the following are my 10 thoughts on the opening week of camp:

I really think its obvious to see that Kellen Winslow will emerge as our best player by far and I think you will seem him take more of a leadership role because of his comfort in this offense. Also with the same offense in which he excelled in college you will see him as much more of a threat down field which in tune will make the wide receivers better.
You have to love the way that Jamal Lewis has busted it thorough the first week of camp and how excellent of shape he is in. From watching him on film I love the take no prisoners attitude he has shown. I have always thought we needed more players who aren't fun to play against. This team has had far too many players who play like nice guys on the field.
Kameron Wimbley looks to me like a player who is going to get even better in his second year. Having another rusher in Antwan Peek on the other side and just getting more comfortable with the defense will propel his development that much more.
I like everyone else want to see one of our quarterbacks take the job from the other but I'm not ready to panic that they haven't picked up the offense that quickly yet but I think as this team builds the running game which I think will happen that will aid the quarterbacks in their understanding of the offense.
As a Miami Hurricane fan who has watched the Chudzinski offense before I really think it will be one the fans will grow to love. It will be an offense that is based on the running game but will aim to make big plays in the passing game. The other thing you will find from this offense after a big turnover on defense look for this offense to go for the jugular right away. The days of fullback option passes and predictability are over.
I have joined the rest of you in questioning our defensive line. We really need someone in their to step up and have a good season. I like what I have seen out of Shaun Smith and I think at the nose tackle we will be fine but on the end opposite Robaire Smith we need someone step up.
It sure looks like we might have gotten the steal of the draft in Eric Wright. The kid just looks like a natural at corner. You have to give Crennel, Savage and Grantham credit in that they have started to build a solid and maybe excellent secondary.
As everyone has heard Ryan Tucker is out 4 games for testing positive for steroids. I like everyone else is disappointed. I do give the guy credit for not hiding behind any flimsy excuses and maned up for a dumb decision.
I like everyone else here is really tired of this Brady Quinn saga. I know the reporters have to ask the questions but I just assume not talk about him till he gets in camp. I like how Romeo has just called him the quarterback and refused to refer to him by name.
The most pleasant surprise to be in camp is how well the offensive line has looked and how they seem to be meshing as a unit. This is the biggest key to a successful season this year.

Tribe 5 Twins 2

2007-08-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won back to back games for the first time in a couple of weeks. Here are my thoughts on tonight's win:

CC wasn't as dominating as he was on Sunday but he still pitch well despite not having his dominant stuff. I love how he rebounded so well after a devastating loss on Sunday afternoon. I think it helped to get CC really up for this game going against one of the games best pitchers in Johan Santata.

Grady once again set the tone for the club with his big two run homer. He really seems to be setting the tone for the ball club. I love how he is picking up his play as the season goes along reminiscent to a certain basketball player in town did this year.

I don't know how many of you get to hear the opposing announcers on TV but I love hearing them bitch and moan about how much time Betancourt pitches. It was good to see Betancourt pitch effective again after a tough last two outings.

Tonight's win was huge in not only getting the division lead but just giving a good start and big boost into this important road trip. Right now with the Tigers having all sorts of bullpen problems and injury woes you have to take advantage of it. Because I still think the Twins will have an impact on the division and wild card race.

A big play in tonight's game was when Lofton hustled and didn't dog it and got to second on a botched popup by the Twins. Plays like this especially when it happens to a veteran have a big impact on the team. Like many have said the idea of moving Grady to third and having Lofton hit lead off is coming.

The Indians will play a mid afternoon matinee tomorrow at 3:55 as Aaron Laffey makes his big league debut against another young phenom in Matt Garza.

Tribe 5 Rangers 0

2007-08-02T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians put a halt to their longest losing streak of the year with a good effort today at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

Jake Westbrook really seems to have found his groove and is pitching his best ball of the year. He looked good in making good pitches and getting out of some jams early on. I have always thought this year that sooner or later Jake would figure things out, he is too good of a pitcher not to.

Grady had another good game today. He has been the most consistent player during this awful home stand. I really wonder if he had been slumping if we would have won a game during this home stand. Also I think the decision to give him a somewhat game off today by having him DH was a good decision by Eric Wedge.

Today's game has to leave you feeling better because against a starting pitcher who has had the Tribe's number they found a way to manufacture and scratch out five runs.

This series is huge for the Indians in the way that if you can find a way to win 3 of 4 or sweep that you really can put the Twins behind the 8 ball. If you look at the pitching matchups for the series none of them looks like a situation where we cant win.

The Indians will now head to the Twin Cities with a great pitching matchup on Friday night as CC Sabathia faces Johan Santana.

Rangers 3 Tribe 1

2007-07-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians have now lost three in a row after dropping a downright boring game tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Fausto was solid tonight but not great. He seemed to get more fly ball outs tonight. But we really shouldn't put any of the blame on him and he has been sensational this year especially in July.

Now let me get to the non activity in the trade market at the deadline. I wasn't expecting a Gagne but I really think we needed a veteran bullpen arm. I guess Shapiro sees it as no worry that Betancourt has been overworked this year. Why is it in this town that when any of your teams gets on the verge of being a championship club all the general managers want to do is stand pat and let every other team pass us by. If we don't make the playoffs this year Ill say that the division was their to be won and the general manager didn't see fit to improve the bullpen.

I must also call out the starting lineup tonight. They looked like they had no energy and emotion and were just going through the motions. The fans that attended the game tonight deserve an apology and a refund.

Finally they have put Miguel Cabrera out to pasture. I really felt bad for the guy because he knew he was gone and really wasn't given a chance to get back in the good graces. He wont have a hard time finding another gig in baseball.

Tomorrow night is a must win. I was glad to see Wedge sorta call out the players especially the lack of hitting.

The Tribe will try and get a win as Paul Byrd faces Jon Rheinecker tomorrow night at 7:05.

Twisn 3 Tribe 2

2007-07-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost a tough one tonight at Jacobs Field to the Minnesota Twins. Here are my thoughts on tonight's loss:

Jake Westbrook gave the club his best outing in a couple of months. If we can continue to get these kind of performances from Jake we will be a playoff team. He gave the club a chance to win which is something he hasn't done a lot this year.

It really seemed like Santana was in the zone tonight. The guy had pinpoint control and he was throwing in the high 90's which made his changeup even tougher.

The Pronk home run was a big shot in the arm to the team tonight and to him on a personal level. Like Mike Hegan said on the radio this was probably his biggest homer since the game winning homer in Milwaukee against the Angels. Hopefully this will catapult him into getting hot as the pennant chase heats up.

I have no problem with bringing Joe Borowski into the game in the 9th inning. It was the correct managerial decision and Joe Bo has said that he is better when he pitches a lot. If you didn't get him into the game tonight that would mean he would have only pitched once this week and that just isn't enough work for your closer. Say what you want he still almost worked his way out of the jam in the 9th. I swear to god with some of the fans when any one little thing goes wrong it is instantly Wedge's fault. It really is time to give the guy credit to him for how he has managed the club this year.

I really think its time to pull the plug on Mike Rouse and designate him for assignment. When he comes to the plate its almost like having a pitcher hit.

Tomorrow's game is huge in that if we can get a win it will really put the pressure on the Tigers as they play the late game tomorrow night. From watching them lately it really looks like when they have the bullpen in the game they expect everything to go wrong.

The Tribe will finish the series against Minnesota tomorrow as CC Sabathia faces Matt Garza at 1:05.

Tribe 10 Twins 4

2007-07-27T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians got the bad taste out of their mouth from last nights game with a big win tonight against the Twins at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game.

Paul Byrd had another typical Paul Byrd performance. He threw strikes and let his defense make the plays in the field. With all the talk of Fausto and CC maybe getting to 20 wins, it has gone unseen how Paul Byrd has an excellent shot at getting to 15 wins.

Ok on to the biggest item of the day. The Kenny Lofton trade was a great trade in getting a guy that will really help our lineup for a single A catcher. The trade was pulled off at the perfect time with that it got the whole team into a good frame of mind so they could quickly forget the horrible game last night. He really seemed to take the pressure off the other hitters in the lineup.

Also I think the front office was proactive in moving Cliff Lee to Buffalo and getting Aaron Laffey ready for his call up for early next week.

I really don't think this team is done wheeling and dealing. After listening to Shapiro tonight on the broadcast he really seems to want to be proactive in the trade market. Because I think he realizes if he shores up the bullpen the division is ours for the taking.

After watching tonight the Twins look like a team that is resigned to their fate.

The Indians return to the field tomorrow night in a tough match up as Jake Westbrook faces Johan Santana at 7:05.

Red Sox 14 Tribe 9

2007-07-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost tonight to the Boston Red Sox at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

Cliff Lee was again disappointing and came up very small. The tiping of the cap to the fans was another disgraceful act by Lee a week after getting in a fight with Victor Martinez in the dugout. I always here Eric Wedge trump out the whole you have to respect the game. If he truly believes this Cliff Lee needs to be moved. Ive heard people say you wont get anything for him but to my knowledge he is coming off of three seasons with at least 10 wins in each season.

I know some people will panic over tonight's game. But when you play games in the postseason your rotation gets shortened to 4 and your bullpen gets shortened as well. In the pen you have to have four guys you can count on. So were going to have to find another starter let it be Laffey, Sowers, Stanford. As for the bullpen the four that you really can count on are Betancourt, Perez, Borowski, and hopefully Fultz when he comes off the DL. I personally hope they keep Perez in the bullpen because if you move him to the rotation you will really weaken the pen. This is why another arm in the bullpen would be a great addition.

Shapiro spending tonight in Buffalo can not be overstated. When the radio play by play man is talking about trades and your GM is watching his AAA club you can expect something to happen. Because you can definitely expect Detroit to do something to shore up their bullpen.

The series with Boston really showed that you cant play from behind against them. I believe the Red Sox are the most complete team in baseball.

The loss tonight wasn't devastating in that we didn't lose any ground in the division or the wild card race. The other good thing is that the Twins are coming in leaking oil. The Tribe has to take advantage of playing a Minnesota team not playing their best ball. Cause if you take two or even sweep the series you can almost deliver a death blow to their playoff chances.

The Tribe will now begin a three game series as Paul Byrd faces Boof Bonser.

Tribe 1 Red Sox 0

2007-07-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians put a halt to their two game winning streak tonight in a pitcher's duel at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the win:

Fausto was plain nasty tonight. He made a great lineup look bad tonight. It should be pointed out tonight that when the Red Sox hit the ball hard it seemed to be right at a Indian infielder. He really seems to have picked up his play after that bad outing against Oakland about a month ago.

Thank god that Beckett made one bad pitch tonight to Gutierrez or we might still be playing. Ill give credit where credit is due Josh Beckett was just as good as Fausto tonight.

Memo to Pedroia: You might have talent but your a joke up their complaing about a pitcher coming to close to you and bitching about a pitch that was clearly a strike.

Tonight's win was huge in that we did not play that well but still found a way to win.

The Indians will finish their series with Boston tommorrow night as Cliff Lee faces Kason Gabbard.

Red Sox 6 Tribe 2

2007-07-23T20:17:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians returned home tonight and lost 6-2 to the Boston Red Sox at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Jake Westbrook was not good at the onset of the game tonight. I know he pitched better after the second inning. But he needs to be better from the get go. I know we have a great come from behind ball club but we cant keep falling behind by five runs to start a game off.
I think fatigue played a little bit of a factor. Right around the time our game started Boston was arriving in Cleveland and resting up for tonight's game. MLB really needs to look into making the Rangers play Sunday afternoon games.
I will give credit to Jake Westbrook for saving the bullpen tonight in the fact that he went 6 innings.
Jensen Lewis had an even better outing tonight. I think the kid deserves to keep pitching at this level.
The game was lost tonight when we couldn't get any runs in when down three runs and had the bases loaded.
I'm not trying to be cruel here. But please ESPN I knew you couldn't resist from making tonight the Jon Lewis telethon for cancer. He even stated before the game he wanted this to just be about baseball.

The Tribe will get back at it tomorrow night as CC Sabathia faces Daisuke Matsusaka.

Rangers 8 Tribe 5

2007-07-21T20:56:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Indians had their short two game winning streak snapped this evening in Texas.
Here are my thoughts on the game:

Cliff Lee was horrible in the first inning, then went on to hit Sammy Sosa unintentionally in the head in the second inning, and then have words with Victor Martinez in the dugout in the third inning. But somewhere along the line tonight the light bulb went on with Lee and he pitched great after the first inning. At the start of the game I thought we would be lucky to get three innings out of him and he pitched into the 7th inning.
The bats have really gone silent the last two nights. We still have found ways to get runners on base and scratched out some runs but we should really be able to do more against a sub par Rangers pitching staff.
Josh Barfield is really scuffling up at the plate. From watching him this year Barfield is a very streaky hitter that you will have to ride him through the good and bad. But lately he really seems to be getting himself out in front of everything at the plate.
Tonight's game showed that we have to get another late inning reliever if we want to be a serious contender. Mastny just isn't ready to be a late inning reliever yet.
Tonight's loss hurt in the fact that we fell back to two games behind Detroit and couldn't gain any ground in the wild card race.

The Indians will get back at it tomorrow night as Paul Byrd faces Robinson Tejeda.

Tribe 3 Rangers 2

2007-07-20T21:17:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won their second straight game tonight with a heart stopping win in Arlington, Texas over the Texas Rangers. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Fausto Carmona was dominating tonight. He really looked like the Carmona of May and June. I really think that when he pitches against a team for the first time he holds a huge advantage over them. Also good to see Fausto pitch well at night after he had much success in day games.

The 9th inning definitely got very nerve racking. I definitely was fearing the worst and hoping for the best. I can understand the Garko error because he is not a great fielder and Blake his bound for an error every now and again. But I find it unacceptable for a guy like Rouse booting a ball since he really is only up in the big leagues cause he is supposed to be a good fielder.

I was expecting fireworks to be shot in the air tonight when Mike Rouse got a hit.

It was impressive tonight to see Borowski keep his composure out their as Tribe fielders were booting balls left and right. I also think it was the right call to bring him into the game in the 9th inning. Carmona had 103 pitches through 8 innings and with the warm temperatures in Texas he probably was more fatigued than normal.

I don't know how many of you get the Tribe games through MLB Extra Innings or the MLBTV package but the Rangers announcers were not only god awful but just unbearable to listen to.

The Tribe got back to within a game of Detroit with the win tonight and the Tigers losing to Kansas City. Every time you think one of these two teams is going to get some breathing room in the division it gets that much tighter.

Also a note on Kansas City, if the Royals get anywhere close to the .500 mark give the damn manager of the year to Buddy Bell.

The Tribe gets back at it tomorrow at 8:35 as Cliff Lee faces Jamey Wright.

Tribe 6 White Sox 5 11 innings

2007-07-17T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians got back on the winning track tonight at Jacobs Field with a big 6-5 win over the White Sox at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Paul Byrd was good early and then it seemed like he just hit a brick wall. He really wasn't himself with walking batters and leaving the ball up in the zone.. He still only gave up four runs in six innings minimized the damage.

This was just the case of another game that we really should not have any business winning but the belief this team has in itself is that they expect to win every game they are a run or two down in the late innings.

I'm all for aggressive base running, but the sending of Ben Francisco on the shallow fly out in the 8th inning was not aggressive it was pure stupidity.

I thought the bullpen pitched well again tonight and I don't want to sound like I'm bashing Tom Mastny but I don't think he is a guy to depend on in the 7th and 8th inning in close ballgames. So I still say a late innings reliever to go with Borowski, Betancourt, and Perez is the most important need. Hopefully, with Fultz set to go on a rehab he will help stabilize the pen.

I'm not one for bashing the general manager but what in the hell is Fernando Cabrera still doing on the roster. I mean I understand not wanting to bring up another young reliever but jeez Matt Miller would be much better than Cabrera right now.

The win was big tonight in keeping pace with the Tigers and gaining a game on the Twins and Mariners.

White Sox 11 Tribe 10

2007-07-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my weekend in the beautiful city of Cleveland. Had a great time and saw three good games over the weekends. Ok here are my thoughts on tonight's loss:

I personally thought Cliff Lee wasn't as bad as the score would indicate. He never pitches well against the White Sox but it was deflating to fall behind again like we did on Friday and Saturday. After watching him over the past couple of weeks Lee seems to lack focus and really needs to bear down and make some good pitches.

The one thing that really drives me crazy with the whole pitching staff this year is how poorly they pitch when they get a hitter down in the count 0-2. I'm not saying waste a pitch but please no fastballs right down Broadway.

I was a little disappointed to see only 23000 people there tonight. I know tickets aren't cheap but this team plays with the heart and passion we love in a team and they definitely deserve more support during the week at home.

I think we might have seen the end of Fernando Cabrera as an Indian tonight. When your trying to be a championship ball club you cant have someone who is so wildly inconsistent.

You had to like what you saw out of Jensen Lewis tonight. I know he walked a few but he still battled and got out of a couple jams. If he is going to stick in the bullpen he needs to avoid the base on balls. But the one thing t hat I noticed with him is that he does have a deceptive delivery.

Also great job of scoreless relief by Stanford and Perez. Perez needs to keep pitching in close games. The guy made Jim Thome look terrible out there tonight.

The Tribe will get right back at it tommorrow night as Paul Byrd faces Jon Garland at 7:05

5 things I hate about the All Star Home Run Derby

2007-07-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

During the all star break I thought I would vent on an event that absolutely drives me crazy. So here goes:

Chris Berman: I mean this guy's comedy ended being funny in about 1986. I mean when your introducing the contestants to the fan's would it be too much for you to leave out your dumb ass nicknames. Is there a sporting event on ESPN that he doesn't have to barge his way into and ruin.
The dumb contestants who try to win a house: I swear to god these people look like they have never seen a baseball field in their life.
Time: This event lasts longer than a college basketball game and my god how many commercial breaks does ESPN need.
Joe Morgan: If this guy paid a compliment to a white player it would be a miracle. Quite simply he is ESPN's version of Jesse Jackson.
The softball interview with Bud Selig: Would it kill Berman to ask some tough questions? Like about the dumb rule about every team represented or the archaic blackout rules.

Tribe 9 Blue Jays 4

2007-07-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians ended their three game losing streak today with a big 9-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto. Here are my thoughts on the today's win:

Fausto had another solid start today. The team really needed it and only really ran into trouble in one inning. Fausto has also seemed to be getting more strikeouts lately. Today's win was his 10th on the year.

Victor left the game today with a left knee bruise. Hopefully this injury wont force him to miss the All Star game.

Good to see Trot Nixon get a homer today. We could really use him getting back to the form he had really early on this year. But I think he has been a quiet leader behind the scenes on the ball club this year.

I must rail on one thing this MLB Blackout policy for people not in the Cleveland area is god awful. People wonder why this commissioner is in the stone age and this is just one reason why.

The Indians will aim to finish the first half on a high note as Paul Byrd faces Josh Towers at 1:07 tomorrow afternoon.

Blue Jays 8 Tribe 6

2007-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost their third straight game last night in Toronto. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Cliff Lee was not good and really seemed to get hit hard last night. Every time we seemed to get back in the game he would give back the runs we had scored.
Going into the game if you have told me we would get 5 runs off Halladay I would have felt really confident.
I think the All Star Break is coming at a time. You can really see that this team is showing signs of the fatigue and this year we will get 4 days off during the break.
With tonight's loss we are back in a tie with Detroit. It really seems to me that every time it seems one team is running away with the division a few days later the division is tied again.

The Indians will get back at it today with a matinee in Toronto as Fausto Carmona faces Shawn Marcum.

Tigers 12 Tribe 3

2007-07-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

The Indians lost today for the second straight day in Detroit. Here are my thoughts on today's loss:

Today was CC's worst start of the year. I don't think he had good stuff today and the Tigers really pounced on him today. But I fully expect him to come back from this and be the same strong pitcher he has been this whole season.
I think this series really has made this into a rivalry this weekend. The one thing I really think is that if it's a close game the Tigers will 9 times out of 10 find a way to lose the game.
The bullpen still is in needs of that one more late inning guy. Whether it is Adam Miller or someone from another club this needs to be addressed in the second half and I fully expect it to happen.
I think the division race is going to go back and forth so its not time to panic by any stretch of the imagination.

The Tribe now heads to Toronto as Cliff Lee faces Roy Halladay.

Tribe 5 Tigers 4 11 innings

2007-07-03T20:28:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians took the first game of their three game series against the Detroit Tigers in Motown at Comerica Park. Here are my thoughts on the win:

Paul Byrd gave the ballclub a solid 7 innings. I thought early was key when the Tigers had him on the ropes and he minimized the damage. What was more surprising is that he actually walked a batter tonight.

I know I'm not alone in my thought on that I thought it was ludicrous how the umpires were calling the timing rule to the letter of the law. If this is true how comes in the two starts against Steve Trachsel this rule wasn't called. Even on the Tigers radio feed they didn't think Betancourt took an inordinate amount of time between pitches. I think that this directive to the umpires might have come from an opposing manager. I'm not naming any names but it might have come from an old grumpy manager with a mustache.

The Ben Francisco euphoria continues with his big tying solo homer tonight. I think you have to keep playing him and riding the hot hand.

Also, great job by Tom Mastny in walking the tight rope in the bottom of the 10th. I don't think its just a coincidence we took the lead right after that, not scoring was a deflating blow to the Tigers. Plus, a nice job by Joe Borowski working a 1-2-3 11th inning to pick up his 25th save.

This club continues to find ways to win close ballgames against quality opponents. Also, with this win we are 6-2 against Detroit and 18-7 against the AL Central. My friends that is how you win a division.

It was clear tonight's game really had a playoff feel to it. Every pitch had you on the edge of your seat.

The Indians will be back at it tomorrow night in Detroit against Jake Westbrook vs. the Cheater Kenny Rogers.

Tribe 10 Rays 2

2007-07-02T22:24:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians completed a four game sweet of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought Fausto got back on track tonight with a solid start. I thought he had good stuff and got some ground outs but surprisingly he had his career high in strikeouts as well. The strikeouts I think are an indication of just how free swinging and aggressive Tampa Bay is.

Outstanding job tonight by Rafael Perez in getting out of a bases loaded no out jam. Also was good to see him have an outstanding outing after struggling his last time out. I think as time goes on this year he will become our number one lefty out of the bullpen.

Ben Francisco had another outstanding game tonight. It is very evident when you watch him play he has great raw and natural ability. I also like the fact that he doesn't let the pressure get to him and he has a smile on his face when he is in the game.

I thought tonight the big 7 run inning was huge because it let Betancourt rest after pitching a third of an inning and it gave Borowski the night off.

I don't need to tell anyone that this Detroit series is huge but if we can take two out of three it can really propel us into the all star break.

The Indians head to Detroit for a 7:05 start as Paul Byrd faces Nate Robertson.

Tribe 3 Rays 2

2007-07-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won their third straight game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and their fourth straight overall. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought today Cliff Lee pitched his best game since his first start of the year against the Angels. I know some of the success he had was because of the level of hitters he was pitching against but the last few starts I have really taken notice to how he seems to be getting into a groove.

The one disappointing thing in today's game was the Indians hitters had James Shields on the ropes and they couldn't get a big hit to blow open the game.

But the offense did do a decent job of manufacturing some offense today.

I thought Jim Leyland did a good job of picking three worthy representatives for the All-Star game. We could of had more but its nice to see that we are well represented.

The Indians will go for the sweep tomorrow night as Fausto Carmona opposes Andy Sonnanstine at 7:05.

Tribe 8 Rays 6

2007-06-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won the second game of their four game series with the Devil Rays tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the win:

CC with another solid start tonight. He wasn't as dominant as he has been in some of his past starts but still against the Rays you don't have to be great to get a win. I think with today's win he really is in a two horse race to be the starter of the All-Star game. The only other viable candidate I believe there to be is Dan Haren who has a much lower ERA but doesn't have the win total that CC has. His next start is slated to be in Detroit and with him pitching against the AL manager in the all star game. So if CC gets to 13 wins I think he is a shoe in to get the nod in the midsummer classic.

Rafael Perez was shaky tonight in his relief outing. I really think this has been his only bad outing so hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come. Hopefully, Eric Wedge will get him back in a game soon so he can work through whatever wasn't working tonight.

Good to see Pronk hit a bomb tonight and through the last week he has really started to hit the ball very hard which is a sign he is getting back on track.

The All Star team will be announced tommorrow and I believe that Victor Martinez, Rafael Betancourt, Joe Borowski, Grady Sizemore, CC Sabathia, Jhonny Peralta and Fausto Carmona deserve consideration. As a first place team we deserve to have at least three on the team.

With the win today we gain another game on the Tigers and have a 1.5 game lead in the division.

Now this point has nothing to do with tonight's game but could someone tell the Pirate fans are a joke when they organize a walkout and only 100 fans leave the stadium.

The Indians will return to the field tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 as the Cliff Lee faces James Shields.

Tribe 2 Rays 1

2007-06-29T19:16:00.000-07:00

I wanted to first start off by apologizing for not posting lately. I have had computer problems that wouldn't let me get online. But the problem has been solved so the problem is in the past. The Tribe got a thrilling final inning win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the win:

Jake Westbrook had another solid start tonight. He got more strikeouts than he usually does but kept the ball club in the game tonight. Also, the run he gave up tonight had he not walked a batter he probably would of pitched a scoreless game tonight.

I'm not going to rip our offense for looking inept out there tonight. I thought Jackson for the Rays had electric stuff tonight. But you have to wonder why after he struck out the side in the 6th why the Rays manager took him out of the game.

Nice to see Ben Francisco get two hits tonight and the big game winning homer. Francisco seems to be another gem that the Tribe has uncovered from their deep minor league system. The only thing with him is that I had hoped he would of seen a start of two before that since he has been up for a week now.

Another good job by the bullpen tonight pitching two scoreless innings. Also, Borowski finally pitched well in a non save situation, and he has his ERA to a season low 5.70.

The win coupled with a 11-1 Tigers loss gives the Tribe the division lead again. I think its key for the Tribe to take advantage of playing a Triple A team this weekend while the Tigers are playing a hot Minnesota team.

The Indians will be back at home tomorrow night against Tampa Bay at 7:05 as CC Sabathia faces JP Howell.

Tribe 5 A's 2

2007-06-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians returned home and back to their winning ways with a 5-2 win at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the win:

CC started off very shaky in the second inning but after that he really seemed to lock in mentally and physically. It was nice to see him finally have a good outing against Oakland seeing that they have had great success against him in the pass. I think this win makes him a clear lock for the all star game. If he makes it to the all star break at top of the league in wins I think you will see him get the start in the midsummer classic, especially with a manager from the AL Central at the helm of the American League team.

I think the biggest thing to come from the win was that Pronk finally hit a homer and really seemed to swing the bat with confidence and hit the ball hard tonight. Hopefully this can be the springboard for him to get back into a groove.

I think a thing that has really hurt us in this month is the amount of strikeouts Grady Sizemore has gotten. He now leads the league in that category and if we want to be a playoff team this needs to improve. Now I know Grady is going to strikeout some but we need him to get on base more than he has this month.

I liked the decision of letting CC go out and finish the game tonight in the 9th inning. A lot of other pitchers would have been content on letting another pitcher finish the game out. But with CC he has a mindset that he is going to pitch 9 innings every night out.

The win was big in that we got back to a game of Detroit and still maintain a 3 game lead over Seattle in the Wildcard standings.

The Tribe will get back at it on Tuesday night with Cliff Lee facing Dan Haren at 7:05

Tribe 10 Phillies 6

2007-06-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won another series on Wednesday as they beat the Phillies 10-4 on Wednesday night at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

CC was solid tonight. I thought he had good stuff but he was facing a good offensive lineup and only really ran into trouble in two innings.

The offense really seems to be back on track with being able to score more than 6 runs in the last three games. All 9 starters in the lineup had a hit tonight as well.

Really good to see Trot Nixon get three hits and break out of his slump. But was not good to see him bobble that ball down the right field line and let another run in for the Phillies.

I must give the Indians for credit for not letting a problem linger and giving Roberto Hernandez his release. He did have some good outings but was never up to what we thought he would be. I just really like the message that it is sending by keeping the best pitchers on the major league rosters.

The Indians will now head to Washington to take on the Nationals as Fausto Carmona faces Micah Bowie.

Phillies 9 Tribe 6

2007-06-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost the middle game of their three game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Jason Stanford was a little shaky at the beginning of the game tonight, but his defense didn't help him out any. He got much better as the game went on. I hope they decide to keep Stanford on the roster and make him the long man or a situational lefty out of the pen, because I definitely think he has the ability to flourish in that role.

We seemed to do a better job of hitting tonight. We got a long ball from Garko and then we also had two nice rallies to get multiple run innings. The offense seems to be slowly coming out of the doldrums.

I don't mean to sound mean but I don't think the Dellucci injury is a big blow since it will force Wedge to put Jason Michaels in left field full time. I give Dellucci big credit for even as he was in great pain that he still dove and beat out a possible double play that would of ended the inning.

Roberto Hernandez fell back into the shaky pitcher he was for the first two months of the season. I must ask in a situation like that why wasn't Bettancourt brought into the game, if we keep the lead at one we win the game.

With the loss tonight were back to even with the Tigers. So hopefully with a big performance by CC and then going to Washington we can be back on top in no time.

The Indians will conclude the series with a 7:05 game with CC Sabathia taking the hill against Jon Lieber.

Tribe 10 Phillies 1

2007-06-18T20:04:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Indians opened up their three game series with a win tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Cliff Lee had another good start tonight. I still don't think he is pitching at the level he has in the previous three years. He didn't have command of his cut fastball tonight again but got the Phillies hitters to swing and miss at some of his pitches and then on the other pitches which they hit hard he seemed to get them to be hit right at his fielders.

The offense was good again for a second straight day. The Tribe seemed to have a very good approach at the plate against Cole Hamels who is going to be an NL All-Star. The approach seemed to be to take Hamels pitches especially the changeup to the opposite field. I think hitting coach Derek Shelton deserves some of the credit for coming up with a good game plan against an excellent starting pitcher.

Of the three games in this series I thought tonight's game would be the most difficult to win since we have favorable pitching matchups in the remaining two games.

It was great to see Brady Quinn and Joe Thomas throwing out the first pitches tonight. I love how the other sports teams in town have rolled out the red carpet for the both of them and have really made them feel welcome in town.

The win was big tonight in keeping pace with the Tigers as they held off Washington.

The Tribe returns to the Jake tommorrow at 7:05 as Jason Stanford faces Kyle Kendrick.

Tribe 5 Braves 2

2007-06-17T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians salvaged one game of their three game series with the Atlanta Braves today at Jacobs Field. These are my thoughts on the game:

Another great performance by Fausto Carmona this afternoon. I think it is becoming very evident that he has electric stuff and he makes really good hitters look terrible at the plate.

We still didn't swing the bats great but persevered and found a way to get 5 runs across the plate. Plus, with Carmona on the mound and pitching with 5 runs a win seems like a lock.

We really threw the leather out their today. Two great catches by Jason Michaels and an outstanding catch by Grady. I still standby my statement that had Michaels been in the game for defense on Friday night we would have won the game. I think Michaels has made a case to warrant more playing time by the way he has hit both righties and lefties.

The bullpen was again good and closed down the game for us to get the win.

With the win today we held onto a slim one game lead. The next series will be huge with the Phillies as the Tigers are playing the lowly Nationals.

The Indians will return to the Jake tomorrow as Cliff Lee faces Cole Hamels.

Braves 5 Tribe 4

2007-06-15T21:07:00.000-07:00

The Indians lost the opening game of a three game series with the Atlanta Braves tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

CC was not as good as he has been in the past but still pitched well for 8 innings and then came apart in the 9th inning. I know Borowski probably wasn't available I would still have liked to see us let Betancourt or Hernandez try and close the game out. CC earned major points with me for taking the blame for the loss even though I thought he was running on fumes in the 9th inning.

I know the offense is still struggling but we did a good job of manufacturing 3 runs and getting a big homer from Casey Blake in the 8th inning.

The one thing I have really noticed lately is that it seems like every time Garko is up he has a huge uppercut swing and just swinging for the fences. He doesn't seem to be getting the clutch hits he got with runners in scoring position that he did last year.

The other thing I will criticize Eric Wedge for why in the 9th inning was Jason Michaels not inserted for defense in left field. I know its easy to criticize with the result but just my opinion.

The Tribe will get back at it tomorrow at 3:55 with Paul Byrd facing John Smoltz.

Tribe 3 Marlins 2

2007-06-14T19:57:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Indians took the final game of a three game series with the Florida Marlins tonight. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Great job tonight by Jason Stanford in holding a good Marlins offense to 1 run over 6 innings. I don't think any of us were expecting Stanford to pitch this well tonight. I think he definitely earned another start and even when Westbrook comes back I think it is possible you will see Stanford go to the bullpen so we don't lose him through waivers.

Victor Martinez has a big home run tonight in the first inning. We went back to our method of winning games early which was score early, let your pitchers take the mound with confidence and then keep adding on runs as the game continues.

I thought we did a decent job of hitting as we pushed two other runs across the plate, and would of had a third if not for an excellent throw from center on a single by Marlins center fielder Reggie Abercrombie.

Roberto Hernandez really seems to be coming into his own and gave a strong inning of relief as did Betancourt. The 9th was a little hairy but Joe Borowski got the job done.

The Tigers lost again today so the Tribe takes back a 2 game lead and hopefully with the Tribe playing a reeling Braves team and the Tigers heading to Philadelphia to face a hot Phillies team that our lead in the Central can grow.

The Indians will return home to the Jake for a three game series with Atlanta tomorrow with CC Sabathia facing Buddy Carlisle.

Spurs 75 Cavs 72

2007-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 3 of the NBA Finals to the San Antonio Spurts to fall behind 0-3. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I cant fault the effort tonight. Everyone on the team responded and I felt like we left everything we had on the floor tonight.

Lebron had his best game of the series and even though he had some turnovers I thought he played a good all around game.

All through this series I have felt the thing that has killed us has been the proficiency of the Spurs from the three point land.

I hope we as fans don't make a big deal about the no foul call at the end of the game. Yes, it was a foul but its not the reason we lost the game. Quite frankly, we didn't play well enough to win the game.

I have no criticism of Mike Brown in this game. The defense was a lot better and on the offensive side of the ball we had tons of open shots that we didn't knock down.

I thought the fans brought their A game tonight and were wonderful and did have an impact on the game. As fans we showed the passion that makes us great.

I think the good that is going to come out of this series is that the Cavs will realize what it takes from intensity standpoint to compete on a championship level. That being said this team desperately needs another player on it that on a regular basis we can count on them as a solid 18 to 20 points a night scorer. It could either be a guard or a low post player but it is vital if we want to be a championship team.

Game 4 is slated for Thursday night at 9.

Marlins 3 Tribe 0

2007-06-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost the opening game of their three game series with the Florida Marlins at Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Florida tonight. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

Fausto Carmona was splendid again on the mound. The three runs came on a high hop ground ball double. He definitely deserved a better fate. It will be interesting to see how he rebounds in his next start after taking the loss.

The offense again was anemic tonight. I find it hard to imagine that we cant get more than three hits against the Marlins. Even with the three hits we still had chances to get some runs across. The double play by Casey Blake with a runner at third was the start of things early.

When a team gives u extra innings in an inning twice you have to take advantage of it. The Tribe really left the Marlins off the hook.

Matt Miller pitched a scoreless inning in relief tonight. The bullpen does seem to be really picking it up lately.

With this loss and the Detroit win tonight we are back in a tie for the division lead. Hopefully our bats can come back to life soon.

The Indians will return to the field tomorrow night with Cliff Lee opposing Byung Hyun Kim at 7:05 pm.

Mariners 8 Tribe 7

2007-06-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost their brief one game makeup series with the Seattle Mariners tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Paul Byrd was not good tonight. His stuff looked to have no bite to it and he wasn't fooling anybody. I know he was really geared up for this start. It could be possible he had too much adrenaline for this start but still I'm not looking for excuses and he needs to pitch better than he did tonight and I expect he will.

After falling behind by 7 the offense finally came back to life. The really good sign about the hitting tonight was that we scored runs by manufacturing offense and we just didn't do it with a bunch of home runs. Hopefully the offense will continue as we head to Florida.

I thought Skinner should have held Dellucci at third in the 8th inning but I'm not going to kill him over it. I like that he was aggressive and he was taking the chance at trying to take the lead.

I thought the biggest thing to come out of tonight's game was the three solid innings from Fernando Cabrera. It was nice to see him pitch like he is capable of. If you have him throwing well it greatly improves the bullpen. Also, Roberto Hernandez was good again tonight with pitching a scoreless inning. That is three straight outings he hasn't allowed a run.

With our lead in the division down to a game these next two weeks against the NL East are huge in building back our lead.

The Indians will head to South Florida to play the Marlins tomorrow night at 7:05 as Fausto Carmona will oppose Scott Olsen.

Spurs 103 Cavs 92

2007-06-11T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 2 of the NBA Finals last night to fall behind 0-2 in the series to the San Antonio Spurs: Here are my thoughts on last night's game:

I thought we looked ready to play at the start but the second foul on Lebron completely took us out of the game. Mike Brown has to trust him enough to let him play through the foul trouble. If I'm the coach I want to go down with all my guns firing and this clearly did not happen.

During the second and third quarters I saw a lot of players just throw in the towel. This is the NBA Finals where is the passion. I thought Lebron gave everything he had last night and Varejao, Eric Snow, and Boobie also busted it out their but the rest of the squad needs to look themselves in the mirror because they should know they didn't give everything they had.

I'm not going to kill Mike Brown because when you have certain guys not giving full effort out their whatever you draw up isn't going to look good. Also, Popovich is a great coach and in the past series he has out coached Dantoni, Sloan, and George Karl as well.

I had a feeling last night the Spurs would come out on fire and trying to blow us out and they indeed did that.

I think these first two games of this series show us that this team is in dire need of a true point guard. I feel most confidant about the Cavs management over the other teams in town will do what it takes to make sure they add the pieces needed to compete on this level against championship teams.

The Cavs will come home for Game 3 on Tuesday night at 9 at Quicken Loans Arena.

Reds 1 Indians 0

2007-06-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost the finale of their three game series in Cincinnati today by the score of 1-0 in 12 innings. Here are my thoughts on the game:

CC was great again today and deserved a better fate. He did it all today pitched 9 quality innings and got two hits himself at the plate. I think he has really raised his level of pitching even from earlier on this season.

This loss is hard to take because we had plenty of chances to get a run in and we didn't get the job done. Not being able to push a run home against the sub par Reds bullpen is inexcusable.

The Indians did the right thing today and sent down Jeremy Sowers to get his command straightened out. The club is faced with a tough decision on who to bring up for a start or two while Jake Westbrook gets back to health. I might be alone here but I would be in favor of giving Chuck Lofgren the start.

The Indians return home for a brief one game series with Seattle on Monday night with Paul Byrd facing Cha Seung Baek at 7:05.

Tribe 8 Reds 6

2007-06-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians got back on the winning track tonight with a big 8-6 win in Cincinnati over the Reds. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Jeremy Sowers once again had no command and got hit hard. I thought we were lucky to only be down 4-3 when he left the game. I must ask how many more times do we have to run him out there and see him get bombed. He really should be in Buffalo working on getting his confidence back. I know Westbrook is hurt but wouldn't giving Brian Slocum or Jason Stanford or even Rafael Perez a start or two be any worse than what Sowers has shown.

Maybe last night was an aberration but tonight the Reds showed what their bullpen is and it really blew up in their face. Great job all night by the Tribe of making the Reds pitchers work and it finally took its toll as the game progressed.

The Tribe hit better tonight but still left 17 runners on base. If we want to be a playoff team this has to improve. Great job tonight by Grady in leading off with a homer and getting two other hits and a walk and scoring twice.

I thought the bullpen was fantastic tonight. Rafael Perez was good again in long relief with only giving up one run. Betancourt was the solid reliever we have come to expect. Tom Mastny pitched like the Tom Mastny of April and early May. Finally, Joe Borowski gave us a 1-2-3 11th inning to close the Reds out.

I think tonight's win will be one when we make the playoffs we go back and think this might be one that really made a difference. Big props to Franklin Gutierrez for giving up his body and saving the win with a great catch in the 10th inning. I really think he is making a case to be the 5th outfielder on the club.

The Indians will finish up their three game series with Cincinnati tomorrow at the Great American Ballpark at 1:15 with CC Sabathia facing Aaron Harang.

Reds 4 Tribe 3

2007-06-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost their series opener tonight in the second series of the Battle of Ohio in Cincinatti tonight. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought Cliff Lee pitched better than he has the last few starts. The home run ball really did him in tonight. But I thought he challenged hitters tonight and seemed to look like the Cliff Lee we have come to expect.

The Tribe made another rookie pitcher who they are facing for the first time look like Tom Seaver. They had him on the ropes in a few innings and only scraped out two runs. Plus, if the Reds had even a below average left fielder we would have only gotten one run off Bailey.

Even after Bailey left I had a good feeling with facing the sub par Reds bullpen, and then we just get one run the rest of the game which is completely unacceptable.

Josh Barfield really seems to have found his comfort zone and I never expected the dazzling defense that we have gotten from him. I still think he will continue to improve. He has also done a great job of hitting with runners in scoring position.

Can someone explain the rationale for giving Peralta the night off? Its not like were playing a day game after a night game. I just didn't get it since we are playing by National League rules and then we lose one bat, I felt like we lost two bats in our lineup.

The Tigers were shutout tonight so we still have the 2 1/2 game lead. Lately we really haven't lost much of our lead to Detroit. But if we want to stay ahead of the pack the bats need to pick up.

The Indians will get back at it tomorrow night at 7:10 with Jeremy Sowers trying to get on track against Matt Belisle.

Spurs 85 Cavs 76

2007-06-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened up their NBA Finals series with the San Antonio Spurs with a loss at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Here are my thoughts on Game 1:

I thought we seemed ready to play last night but wore down as the game went on. We just couldn't hit open shots especially when the Spurs struggled in the first half.

I will criticize Mike Brown for one thing. The guards seemed to have no clue how to guard Tony Parker, he just was able to get to the basket anytime he wanted. Nice job by Lebron in playing effective defense on Parker.

Lebron didn't have a great game but I'm confident he will be better. Hopefully we will go away from the pick and roll because the Spurs blow this play up every time we ran it.

I'm not blaming the officials for the loss but if Lebron or some of the other players could have gotten a call it would of been a miracle last night. By the way David Stern what the hell is Steve Javie doing officiating an NBA Finals game.

I like everyone else here would like to see more of Gibson out there because we are going to have to score at lease in the mid 80's to beat the Spurs.

The other positives I took from this game tonight was I thought Gooden had a solid game and also Sasha seemed to have found his offensive game again.

The Cavs will return to action on Sunday for Game 2 of the NBA Finals in San Antonio at 9 pm.

Tribe 8 Royals 3

2007-06-07T21:37:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians got back on the winning track today with a win in their afternoon matinee with the Kansas City Royals. The win gives the Tribe another series win. Here are my thoughts on the win:

A great start this afternoon my Carmona. I thought he pitched his best ball in a month since the afternoon start against Minnesota. His command was good and he really pounded the strike zone.

The one bad thing to come from today's game was Tom Mastny was ineffective again. He really seems to have lost his command. I don't see him challenging the hitters like he was in the first two months of the season.

I must say I'm not a big fan of the three man booth on STO for the matinee games. There is too much talking during the broadcast. Underwood and Manning are a solid team there is no need to tinker with it.

Good sign seeing the bats come to life again. With Lee and Sowers taking the hill we really need the hitting to continue.

With a 2 1/2 game lead going into the weekend the series with the Reds is huge. Cincinnati is a team you have to destroy and take their will away, since in all likelihood they are playing out the string.

The Indians will start the second round of the Battle of Ohio in Cincinnati against the Reds with Cliff Lee opposing Homer Bailey.

Royals 4 Tribe 2

2007-06-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Indians lost the middle game of their three game series with the Kansas City Royals tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought Paul Byrd really didn't have his great stuff tonight, but he still gave the club a chance to win.

Great job by Rafael Perez in giving the team 2 1/3 innings of relief tonight. I really hope they decide to keep him in the bullpen because I really like the idea of having two quality lefties in our bullpen. It just gives Wedge more options late in close ballgames.

Now I'm not a Wedge basher, but I really hated the idea of pinch running for Pronk in the 8th inning. Ive never been a fan of pinch runners and it really came back to bite us in the butt in the 9th inning. Also, I really don't think Pronk is a slow runner and he is a very good baserunner. I just hope we don't continue to do this in close games.

It is disappointing to watch this team struggle against the Royals. I think the Royals have improved, but I think we don't get up to play them like we do against the other teams in the division.

We really need the bats to start picking up some of the slack especially with the shaky pitching of Sowers and Lee.

The Indians will return to the field tomorrow afternoon at 12:05 as Fausto Carmona opposes Odalis Perez.

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Tribe 1 Royals 0

2007-06-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians started their three game series with the Kansas City Royals with a win tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Great start by CC Sabathia tonight. I think this might have been his best performance of the year. CC was simply dominating tonight. He keeps making a strong case for consideration of being the starter for the AL in the All Star Game, which would be a nice feather in his cap since the game is near his hometown of Oakland, CA.

It was really nice to see Franklin Gutierrez help out with a big solo homer. He has made numerous trips from Buffalo to help the Tribe out when needed. You have to feel good for a player who has never complained and plays hard no matter where he is at.

Now I'm a big uniform buff, but I really liked that the Tribe went back to wearing the blue tops at home. I thought they really looked great and it brings back memories of the late 90's Indians ballclubs.

The Indians will get back on the field tomorrow night with Paul Byrd taking the hill against Brian Bannister.

Cavs 98 Pistons 82

2007-06-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers have advanced to the NBA Finals with their 4th straight win over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Here are my thoughts on the win:

Saturday night might have been the greatest moment in Cleveland sports history in my lifetime. The game had everything and was so satisfying to be able to relax as the 4th quarter went on knowing we had the game in the bag.

I believe this whole series was a total team effort from Lebron's great performances, Daniel Gibson rising to the occasion, Andy Varejao and Big Z's grittiness inside, Mike Brown's defensive game plan, Danny Ferry's astute drafting of Daniel Gibson, and finally to the vision for the organization that Dan Gilbert has established.

The three pointers by Gibson in the 4th quarter were like daggers in the heart of the Pistons and if you look at their reactions after every one of them they got more and more discouraged.

As fans you just had to know that the series was going to end the way it did for Rasheed. I believe Rasheed is the classic basketball villain but I don't have the contempt for him that I do for Webber. At least Rasheed showed that he cares. All Mr. Webber did was beg his way off a last place club so he could find his way to a playoff contender. But like he has always shown he never gets it done in the clutch.

The crowd was tremendous on Saturday night and had a huge impact on the win.

It was great to see the Gateway complex so packed like it was a new years eve celebration. I know at the game I was hugging people I had never met but this is what is so great about the City of Cleveland.

Big props to the fans for acting responsible and showing the rest of the country we can act like adults when we do something great.

No matter what happens in the Finals lets all just enjoy the ride that this team has given us. I do think this is the first of many trips to the mountaintop.

The thing about getting this far this year is that like Steve Kerr mentioned this team is not really a finished product. Plus, with a general manager like Danny Ferry who has done a good job the talent on this team will continue to improve.

The Cavs will begin the NBA Finals in San Antonio on Thursday night at 9 pm.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Cavs 109 Pistons 107 2 OT

2007-05-31T21:21:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers won a thriller in double overtime tonight at Detroit tonight in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs. Here are my thoughts on tonight's epic win:

Now I'm 30 years old, but I cannot remember a more exciting and memorable game in Cleveland sports history. I was not here for the Miracle at Richfield or the Browns championship in 1964.

This win cannot be overstated the momentum that comes from this win is huge. But also we still have to come out on Saturday with the same intensity and focus.

I think overall Mike Brown coached a great game. I know people will hammer him for the wasted timeout at the end of the first overtime. But it was clear he once again out coached Flip Saunders.

Another big factor in the win tonight was that we won the third quarter.

It was so evident tonight that Detroit came with every thing they had early and I think it really frustrated them that they could never put us away.

I looked back at the box score of this game and I really think the fatigue factor will hurt Detroit more because they had four players play over 45 minutes. The Cavs only had Lebron playing 50 minutes and Sasha with 42 minutes.

I thought Larry Hughes played excellent tonight when he was in.

I thought the officials really were heavy on the whistle tonight but I really think they were consistent and that is really all you can ask for.

Friday will be a great day I think the National Media should just call it Lebron Appreciation Day. Skip Bayliss I cant wait to see you eat crow tomorrow.

Saturday is a day I cant wait for and the city of Cleveland will be on a national stage and the city will be electric.

I would love to hear responses from everyone what they did as they were watching this classic Cleveland sports moment.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

comments welcomed

Tribe 8 Red Sox 4

2007-05-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians staved off a sweep by winning the finale of their three game series in Boston. Here are my thoughts on tonight's win:

Another solid start by Paul Byrd. He really kept the ball club in the game as they were struggling to get the big hit to put some runs on the board. He once against allowed no base on balls. Plus I don't think many of us thought he would be 6-1 at the end of March.

It was great to see Grady finally break out of his slump in Boston and get three big hits. Usually when Grady gets on base good things happen.

Also nice to see Pronk come through with three hits. He had started to scuffle again lately but his offense was really needed tonight because of Victor Martinez having the night off.

I loved seeing Shoppach get 4 hits and a homer against his old team. I really think he has the talent to be a starting catcher in the big leagues.

Nice job by Tom Mastny and Aaron Fultz in getting out of a no out bases loaded jam in the seventh inning. The game was clearly won in this big situation. Big props to Fultz for getting David Ortiz to pop out.

The win was even bigger tonight with Tampa Bay helping us out and beating the Tigers. The Tribe has their 2 1/2 game lead back heading into the big 4 game home series with Detroit.

The Indians will return to the Jake to play Detroit on Thursday with CC Sabathia facing Justin Verlander at 7:05.

Cavs 91 Pistons 87

2007-05-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers evened up their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Detroit Pistons with a 91-87 victory at Quicken Loans Arena. Here are my thoughts on the win:

My first point is I thought the crowd had a huge impact and I think it got the Cavs to play better when they struggled in the third quarter and it made it tougher for Detroit to run their sets in the 4th quarter.

I also want to give big props to Drew Gooden for playing a great game after I ripped him for playing soft in Game 3. I was even ok with his technical foul tonight because it let Rasheed know he wasn't going to push this team around anymore.

Also, Daniel Gibson showed his talent at both ends of the floor. He also showed that he plays like a 10 year veteran out their. Also give credit to Mike Brown for finally taking the training wheels off him.

I think Larry Hughes deserves to be lauded for sucking it up for the team and you cant question his heart.

For two years in a row Mike Brown is out coaching Flip Saunders.

It is just great watching the TNT halftime crew eat crow after the Cavs win another one.

Seeing Rasheed throw a tantrum and also seeing Chauncy Billups have more turnovers than assists it is evident we have their attention and we are getting in their head.

Sorry for not mentioning sooner Lebron showed that he is a closer and a money player in the 4th quarter again. Hey Skip Bayliss were you watching tonight?

The two biggest reasons we won tonight were we got to the foul line 33 times and shot at a 82 percent clip from the line. The other reason is we held them to 38% from the field and 1 for 12 from three point land.

The series will continue on Thursday night at 8pm when the Cavs will travel back to Detroit.

Red Sox 5 Tribe 3

2007-05-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost the opener of their three game series with the Boston Red Sox tonight at Fenway Park by a score of 5-3. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Cliff Lee was a lot better tonight and pitch decently well against a potent Red Sox lineup that was without the services of David Ortiz. It was good to see him pitch much better than he did last week against Kansas City. Hopefully this is a positive step in getting him to pitch like he is capable of.

Curt Schilling had our lineup looking clueless at the plate tonight. I think this isn't anything to be alarmed about he is still a good pitcher and always is tough to beat at Fenway.

I thought Roberto Hernandez pitched better tonight, and the inside the park homer really should have been caught by Grady and if you asked Grady I'm sure he would say the same thing. But to Grady's credit playing center at Fenway is different than any other park in baseball.

I think I'm ready for the Koplove experiment to end, his run that he gave up really was a blow and when your trying to come back from a two run lead you cant afford to give up runs in the late innings to a good ball club.

I loved the way we battled in the late innings and made a dominant closer look somewhat ordinary. Were not going to sweep Boston but as fans we still have to feel good on a night that we didn't play our best we still had a chance to win the ballgame.

So that's two games we have gotten the shaft from Rick Reed and his crew. But the good news the Tigers bullpen blew up again in Tampa, so we still maintain a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL Central.

The Indians continue their series in Boston as Jeremy Sowers will face off against Josh Beckett.

Cavs 88 Pistons 82

2007-05-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers got back in the winning column tonight with a big win at Quicken Loans Arena against the Detroit Pistons. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Lebron was the leader that we all want him to be and he played with an attitude that he wasn't going to be denied. He played 46 minutes and never showed any signs of fatigue throughout the whole game.

I thought as a team we didn't play that well with the rebounds being even and only getting one more shot at the line. I still think we can play better and fully expect we will.

It was really nice to finally hear an analyst give the Cavs credit for their defense and not just say its Detroit playing badly.

Z had a great game tonight. I thought he battled and hit big shots and was a force out their tonight.

I thought Sasha hit some big shots tonight and it was nice to see him come back with a big game after he had a sub par effort in Game 2.

I love seeing Boobie Gibson out their and I know when he is out their we don't really have a point guard but I love how he plays with no fear and he played excellent defense tonight.

The one thing that irritated me tonight was the amount of idiot Pistons fans in the crowd. I hope the fans who were down their made their night a living hell. Also TNT who cares if Kid Rock is their, this guy hasn't done anything in five years.

I thought tonight would have been the easier game to get but I think we will have to play even better on Tuesday night.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 5 Tigers 3

2007-05-27T20:17:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Indians finished off the sweep of the Detroit Tigers tonight at CoAmerica Park in downtown Detroit by the score of 5-3. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Another outstanding start by Fausto Carmona. I thought he had great stuff and worked out of some jams. He really was only threatened in the third inning and did a good job of escaping without giving up the lead.

The big blow was the Garko three run homer. It is very important to get out to a big lead against the Tigers like we did on Friday also because they have a potent offense and you always feel like the Tigers are one big shot away from tying the game.

Casey Blake's homer was also a big blow and gave us some breathing room after the Tigers got the lead back to within 1.

Was very nice to see Joe Borowski pick up another save and I thought the whole weekend he pitched as well as he has all year. Also another excellent job by Betancourt pitching a strong 8th inning as well.

This series sweep is big in instilling confidence in the team that we are better than Detroit. Also, it sends a message to the rest of the AL that the Indians are for real. We finally have some breathing room atop the division. But it only gets tougher now with playing the Red Sox at Fenway. But I think we will play fine since this team really gets up for playing big series against good teams.

The Indians will now head to Boston to play the Red Sox on Monday night at 7:05 with Jeremy Sowers aiming to go for two wins in a row against Curt Schilling.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 6 Tigers 3

2007-05-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won the second game of their weekend series with the Detroit Tigers this afternoon at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

I thought a pretty solid start by CC Sabathia this afternoon he wasn't dominating like he usually is but kept the Indians in the game and gave the club a chance to win the game.

A big thing in today's game was not letting the Tigers score more than one run in any inning and all the pitchers for the Indians did an excellent job of working out of jams and limiting the damage. Because numerous times the Tigers had runners in scoring position with less than 2 out.

Was really nice to see David Dellucci come through with a big homer in the 8th inning. I still think he is going to play better and even though he hasn't hit like he will hit I don't think he has been a liability in any facet of the game.

Casey Blake also deserves praise for settling into the two hole in the lineup and playing his usual great defense that we have come to expect from him.

The Tigers lost Polanco and Grilli today and I think they are really starting to get killed by the injury bug. They seem to be the type of team this year who might not ever get back to full strength cause of the injury bug. This is why getting out to a bigger lead could be important while Detroit is so shorthanded.

With Dellucci delivering the big hit today I really have started to notice that this team has gotten big hits from numerous people it just isn't the Pronk and Grady show up their.

The Tribe will go for the sweep tomorrow night on ESPN at 8 as Fausto Carmona goes up against Mike Maroth.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 7 Tigers 4

2007-05-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians were victorious tonight in the first game of their three game weekend series with the Detroit Tigers 7-4. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Solid start tonight again by Paul Byrd. I don't think he had great command tonight. A lot of his pitches were getting up his zone and really started to catch up to him later in the game. But still he threw strikes and really gave the Indians a chance to win.

The defensive play by Jason Michaels was huge in many ways. Had he not caught the ball and it did go over the fence the Tigers would of had a 4-2 lead and right after this catch the Indians would go on to stretch the lead an inning later in the 4th.

Every player had a hit tonight in the starting lineup and like I have said in the past when this team gets balance they are extremely difficult to beat.

The Pronk triple was huge in that it gave some breathing room and really salted the game away. Hopefully this will help him get out of the mini slump he has been in.

For all the experts who say how Detroit has such a better bullpen than us, well the Tribe pen outperformed the Tigers pen tonight.

Tonight's win was huge to get off to a good start against the Tigers and grab the division lead back again.

The Indians and Tigers will continue the series tomorrow afternoon at 4 with CC Sabathia taking the mound against Justin Verlander.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Pistons 79 Cavs 76

2007-05-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons tonight in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I was very pleased with the energy the Cavs played with tonight and showed once again they don't fear the Pistons.

Lebron needs to be more aggressive than he was tonight. 10 shots is unacceptable. Like Charles Barkley said in the post game show when Lebron drives to the whole he gets the opposition in foul trouble.

I know the Pistons have improved but so to have the Cavs.

Sasha needs to be better than he was tonight. I think he is starting to show the inexperience of playing in his first playoffs. I also think if we want to be an elite team Sasha is a nice player but I don't know if he is a starting shooting guard.

I would have liked to see more of that lineup with Donyell and Daniel Gibson especially when we had the lead in the second quarter and maybe if they had knocked down some shots they really could have built an even bigger lead.

I think after tonight this has the makings of a very long series. It is very evident we are the only team in the east besides Miami that gives Detroit fits.

The loss was very frustrating but folks lets look at what we thought after game 1 last year and we have grown leaps and bounds as a team.

Also Z had a great game tonight and if he continues to play this well this will really help us out as the series unfolds.

The Cavs will resume their series with the Pistons on Thursday night at 8.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 5 Mariners 2

2007-05-21T20:19:00.001-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won their makeup game from the snowstorm of April tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

I thought CC pitched well tonight with not having his good stuff on the mound tonight.

The bullpen pitched very effectively except for Roberto Hernandez who reverted back to his sub par self. I must give credit to Tom Mastny he has been the most pleasant surprise in the bullpen this year. Borowski got his 14th save tonight. Now I don't think there are many fans who thought he would have 14 saves by March 19.

Turning point in the game was clearly Blake's home run and really seemed to get everyone relaxed at the plate.

Like I have said before this lineup is really starting to show balance with 7 of 9 batters getting a hit tonight.

Josh Barfield really opened up the game tonight with his big two run double in the 7th inning.

With the win tonight the Indians are back where they belong on top of the AL Central by a half game.

The Indians will now embark on a three city road trip that will start in Kansas City where the Tribe will play an improving Royals squad. Fausto Carmona will try to continue his brilliance on the mound against Odalis Perez.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 5 Reds 3

2007-05-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won the series over the Cincinnati Reds today with a 5-3 win at Jacobs Field this afternoon. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

Paul Byrd gave another solid start today. He didn't have great stuff but he still kept the ball club in the game. Any team will live with 7 innings and 3 runs allowed from their supposed #5 starter.

It was refreshing again to see the Tribe come right back after falling behind. Also, they did score five runs against a pretty good starting pitcher in Aaron Harang.

Jhonny Peralta continues his hot hitting and he seems to be over the sophomore slump he had last year. The homer he had today gives him ten for the year.

Once again the Indians had 8 of their starting 9 hitters get hits today. Keep doing this and the wins will pile up.

Was also nice to see Joe Borowski work a 1,2,3 9th inning to get the save.

Today was the tenth series win of the season for the Tribe. The Indians didn't accomplish this feat last year till mid August.

The Indians return back to the field on Monday to play the Mariners in one of the makeup games from the snowed out home opening weekend. CC Sabathia will face Cha Seung Beak at 7:05.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Reds 10 Tribe 5

2007-05-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost the middle game of their three game series with the Cincinnati Reds this evening at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the loss:

Another troubling start by Jeremy Sowers tonight. I thought at times he pitched better but again was susceptible to the long ball and the big inning. I think the writing is on the wall that as soon as Jake Westbrook comes back Sowers will be going back to Buffalo.

Fernando Cabrera was again shaky and seems to have reverted back to his form of last year. The thing about this guy is he has great stuff but something is obviously preventing him from being the pitcher we think he can be.

The one really good thing I take from this game is that we had hits from 8 of the 9 guys in the starting lineup. This lineup is really starting to give us balanced hitting.

Also was good to see Pronk go yard and when we see him take off from the plate this team will continue to improve.

Andy Marte was activated off the DL and Franklin Gutierrez was sent back to Buffalo today. I think Marte will get a chance to earn back his third base job but folks lets be honest here there will not be a long leash and if he doesn't pick up his play Casey Blake will move back to third full time. I hope we work him gradually back in the lineup maybe playing him 3 or 4 times a week.

The Tribe returns to the field tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 as Paul Byrd opposes Aaron Harang.

Tribe 9 Reds 4

2007-05-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians took the first game in the battle of Ohio tonight at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on tonight's victory:

Cliff Lee pitched well after a shaky second inning in which he gave up four runs. But he regained form and pitched well the rest of the game. Also I have never seen a pitcher who constantly gets such run support that Lee has gotten in the last three years as a starter for the Tribe.

When watching this team play at home I get the vibe from them that they just expect to win every game they play at home. This is a welcomed site after the last few years watching Indians team struggle playing at Jacobs Field.

Nice to see another quality effort out of the bullpen by Roberto Hernandez and Aaron Fultz finishing the game out.

Grady really seems to be locked in at the plate now and with Garko and Pronk picking up the pace I think this team is about to really start to catch fire.

To all my readers who were down at the game or just downtown in the Gateway District let me know how crazy was it. I honestly can say I wish I was in Cleveland on nights like this.

The Indians will continue their series with the Reds tomorrow night at the Jake with Jeremy Sowers facing off against Matt Belisle at 7:05.

Cavs 88 Nets 72

2007-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Jersey Nets tonight to win their Eastern Conference playoff series 4 games to 2. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

I ripped Mike Brown for not having this team ready to play on Wednesday night. But it was very clear he had this team's attention at the task and hand.

Also much credit goes to Lebron for setting the tone in the first quarter and then again setting the tone in the fourth quarter.

It was so much easier to watch this game with a quality announcing team of Tirico and Hubie Brown.

With being a resident of Reading, PA I am the biggest Donyell fan. He has had his struggles this year but he showed the moxie and character he has as a player after going 0 for 7 in Game 6 to come back with a great performance with the six 3 pointers tonight.

I must give big props to Mike Brown for going with the lineup of three point shooters to start the fourth quarter. I caught myself saying "what the hell is he doing" when i saw Damon Jones in the game. But I give him all the credit in the world for doing so, it was a very gutsy coaching decision. I think he should get credit for the fact that his team didn't panic and lose its cool. Also I think in the next series going on it will help the bench's confidence in seeing that they really helped the Cavs get the win tonight.

The only player I thought had a disappointing performance tonight was Sasha, but he still played great defense on Vince Carter. He has grown leaps and bounds as a player this year.

The Nets are the prime example of why jump shooting teams will never win an NBA title.

I know Larry Hughes only had 5 points and 1 field goal but he was much more effective tonight and he deserves credit for not letting the last game linger.

I know we go into the next round as an underdog but I feel like unlike Chicago and Orlando we have respect for the Pistons and the team that they are but we don't fear them. Also the last two games we played against them in the regular season were games that could have been won by both teams.

The Cavaliers will start their Eastern Conference Finals series with the Pistons on Monday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Tribe 2 Twins 0

2007-05-18T06:54:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians completed a three game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Jacobs Field. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Fausto Carmona was simply dominant today. The Twins had no chance at the plate today against him. Listening to their post game comments I find it amazing they even got four hits off him. Hopefully he continues this great pitching and gives the Tribe two ace starting pitchers.

I also wanted to salute the defense that the Tribe have been playing. What once was considered a weakness is now getting a lot better. Nice play by Josh Barfield on the grounder up the middle.

It was really nice to see this great pitching match up live up to its billing.

The day got even better yesterday with Detroit losing a twin bill yesterday.

The Indians start the Battle for Ohio on Friday at Jacobs Field with the Reds as Cliff Lee opposes Kyle Lohse.

Nets 83 Cavs 72

2007-05-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 5 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal to the New Jersey Nets tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs still maintain a 3-2 series lead. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

The lack of intensity was unacceptable tonight point blank. Where was the fire to close the Nets out. I think Mike Brown is a good young coach who continues to improve as a head coach. But, clearly the Cavs were not ready to play and he should take the blame for not having his team ready to play.

With Z the only starter really playing good last night where was the part of the game plan to get him the ball.

Now I'm Lebron's biggest fan but he definitely did not have a good game last night. But with his pregnant girlfriend falling ill and leaving the arena in the third quarter it is definitely understandable of why he didn't seem as in to the game as usual. I think its almost a sure thing you will get a great performance from Lebron on Friday night.

I must give credit to Eric Snow for one of two players playing hard tonight.(Z being the other one) He really seemed to be the only one who wanted it as much as the fans did tonight.

Attention Mike Brown is it possible to get Lebron the ball closer to the basket than the 30 feet away from the basket he has been getting the ball.

I feel very confident going into Game 6. A stinker like Game 5 is usually one that is easy to get out of a team's mind. I have this feeling as long as the game is close on Friday we will prevail since Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson will play small like they usually have in close games in this series.

Another reason I feel confident is that this team will not shoot 30 percent from the field again and the Nets wont shoot 55 percent for two more games.

The Cavs will play Game 6 in East Rutherford, NJ on Friday night at 7.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 7 Twins 1

2007-05-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians won their second straight game in as many nights with a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins at Jacobs Field on Wednesday night. Here are my thoughts on tonight's victory:

Another typical start by CC tonight. 8 innings of one run ball with 5 strikeouts and gives the bullpen a good night of rest as we have a day game tomorrow. It is plain to see how much Sabathia as grown as a pitcher this year.

Another quick start with the bats and when the Tribe scores early in a ballgame they have been very dominant.

The lineup is really starting to hit well. Tonight only Josh Barfield didn't reach base. Also, we scored five runs against a quality pitcher in Carlos Silva.

Big props to Grady for continuing to pick up the average and giving a spark to the lineup early in the game. Also, Trot Nixon should be lauded for a great game tonight.

Tonight was another win against an AL Central club. We are now 8-2 in the Central, and yes I know we haven't played Detroit yet but this is the formula the White Sox used two years ago to win the division by feasting on AL Central competition. Detroit was rained out so we gained a half game on the Tigers and we stand 1/2 game back of them in the AL Central.

If I was in the Cleveland area I would take off work to see this pitching match up which is worth the price of admission.

The Indians finished their three game series with the Twins at 12:05 as Fausto Carmona opposes Johan Santana.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 15 Twins 7

2007-05-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians returned to Jacobs Field in a big way tonight with a 15-7 victory over the Minnesota Twins. Here are my thoughts on tonight's victory:

Nice job tonight by Paul Byrd in that he pitched well enough to win. I don't think Byrd had his best stuff but he understood the situation and after giving up the 2 run homer in the first really helped the club by getting out of the first with only giving up the two runs on the homer.

When the bottom of the lineup hits like it did tonight this offense runs like a well oiled machine and really puts the pressure on the pitcher and gets the top of the lineup better pitches to hit.

Best thing to happen in the game tonight was that Grady got back on track with the four hits and a home run. I never felt like he was slumping just had not had a dominant game at the plate like he did tonight.

The one distressing thing that happened tonight was the ineffectiveness for a second straight day from Fernando Cabrera. I think it is obvious he has talent but I just get the feeling he is going to become a reliever who is very streaky. But I think it is important to keep giving him opportunities so we can get his confidence back. But it was nice to see Roberto Hernandez come in and pitch and 1 2/3 innings of shutout relief.

I saw a stat tonight that the club is 21-5 when we score 5 runs or more. That turns out to be a percentage of 81 percent, which is very impressive. I think a big reason why the record when we score 5 or more runs has to do with the excellent starting pitching we have gotten.

The Tribe get back on the field tomorrow night at 7:05 against the Twins with CC Sabathia opposing Carlos Silva.

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Cavs 87 Nets 85

2007-05-14T19:56:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 4 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal Series with the New Jersey Nets 87-85 tonight in East Rutherford, NJ. Here are my thoughts on tonight's game:

This by far was the most exciting Cavs playoff game this year. If you want to be an elite team you have to win games like this.

I thought an excellent game plan by Mike Brown and the players executed it very well. In this series the uglier the game is the more it benefits the Cavs.

I love the toughness the Cavs showed tonight and they didn't back down from the Nets tonight, and I thought the flagrant foul on Sasha tonight woke the team up and really raised our level of play.

The Cavs definitely deserved to win this game because they got stops in the 4th quarter. This is the one thing that Mike Brown preaches. The Nets didn't have a field goal the last 6:58 of the game.

People will say how that punk Mikki Moore had a great game, but he did nothing the last six minutes of the game. And he also awoke the opponent when we were struggling along with that punk ass flagrant foul.

I was happy with the game that Lebron had tonight I thought he played like the superstar that he is and he played a complete ballgame tonight.

I thought Z had a solid game tonight even though countless times he was slow getting back when defending the pick and roll.

I know Sasha didn't have a great game point wise but at least he brought the toughness and he and Eric Snow really frustrated Vince Carter.

I know Carter had 25 tonight but he did it on 23 shots and he showed once again why he is not an elite superstar and not a big time player in the clutch. Also before this series started I heard all the national media analysts say how great of an addition Nachbar was to the Nets but he has showed me nothing in this series and has shrinked more and more every game.

All right Eric Snow haters even you have to admit the Cavs don't win this game without his defense and toughness. Sometimes I marvel at the disdain some people have for him. He honestly isn't the most talented guy in the world but he is a good veteran presence on the team and his toughness wear off on his teammates.

The Cavs will try and close out the series on Wednesday night at Quicken Loans Arena and I expect a rocking house to greet the Nets.

A's 10 Indians 7

2007-05-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians ended their 10 game road trip with a disappointing loss today in Oakland. Here are my thoughts on today's game:

Cliff Lee was not sharp today and was obvious he didn't have really good stuff today on the mound.

Joe Borowski blew his second save with the Indians today. I must say when he blows them he blows them in a big way. But I'm not ready to give up on the guy he has been pretty consistent.

Another excellent game by Ryan Garko today. He just really looks locked in at the plate.

Pronk looked more comfortable than he did on Friday, hopefully this will help him get out of his slump.

The rest of the bullpen was pretty effective again. I get the sense that Wedge is becoming much more comfortable with Mastny than he is with Hernandez.

As I'm typing this now the Tigers are losing so hopefully the Twins can beat them tonight so were still only 1.5 games behind. But if we would have managed to hold on for the win we would have only been a half game behind. The Tribe rebounded in a big way the last time Borowski blew a save so hopefully the same thing will happen.

Big home stand coming up with a Minnesota team that is leaking oil, a sub par Cincinatti Reds team and a payback game with the Mariners. So hopefully we can get back on a nice winning streak during this home stand.

The Indians will play Minnesota on Tuesday with Paul Byrd facing Ramon Ortiz.

Nets 96 Cavs 85

2007-05-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinal Series to the New Jersey Nets. Cleveland still maintains a 2-1 series lead over the Nets. Here are my thoughts on Game 3:

The Nets clearly deserved to win the game, there was no sense of urgency from the Cavs in the game.

Did Sasha make the trip to New Jersey cause it sure felt like he wasn't there.

The Nets did a better job on the glass in this game but as this series goes on I still like we will wear them down in this area.

Now I must say I am a big Lebron supporter but I think in the next game he must take the bull by the horns and show the Nets they have no hope in winning the series.

Attention Mike Brown can you please but Scot Pollard into the game to put that punk Mikki Moore on his ass. I'm tired of seeing this jackass talk after every play he makes.

In the next game we must get back to pounding the ball inside I really felt that this was a big downfall in the game on Saturday afternoon.

comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 6 A's 3

2007-05-12T19:00:00.000-07:00

I first want to apologize to all my readers. I had a cable modem connection problem last night and couldn't get online to blog about last night's game. OK on to today's game, the Indians beat the A's 6-3 today in the second game of a three game series. Here are my thoughts on today's victory:

Fausto Carmona really picked the ball club up today with another solid start. It was good too see Fausto pitch well after getting into trouble in the first inning. I think we found out more about how good Fausto is today.

I thought Eric Wedge did a good thing in giving Pronk a day off, he really looked bad last night and hopefully this will help him get back on the right track.

Nice game today from Josh Barfield with two triples and two RBI's. He seems to finding his stride and even while he was slumping his defense has always been solid the whole year.

I want to give props to a pitcher who doesn't bet much accolades but I think Aaron Fultz has been the most consistent pitcher in the bullpen and has been a great signing by Mark Shapiro. You can bet Charlie Manuel and the Phillies sure do miss him.

Also Casey Blake and Jason Michaels had solid games today. I even criticized Blake for his lack of clutch hitting but he now seems to have found his stride and really looks comfortable at third.

Tomorrow's game is big in the fact that with a win the Tribe finishes their road trip at .500.

The Indians finished up their road trip with the rubber game of the three game series with Oakland at 4:05 with Cliff Lee facing Chad Gaudin.

comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Angels 8 Tribe 0

2007-05-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost their second straight game this afternoon today to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Here are my thoughts on the game:

Another disappointing start from Jeremy Sowers again today. The sad thing is that in the third inning he was one pitch away from getting out of the inning without yielding a run. But that didn't happen and he put the team behind the eight ball again today just like he did last week in Baltimore.

Inexcusable base running blunder by Mike Rouse cost the team a quality scoring chance in the top of the third inning. When the offense is struggling against a good pitcher these mistakes are simply inexcusable.

I'm searching for positives on today's game and the only thing that I could come up with is that Pronk got back on track and had two hits.

The Angels are a team that really exposes the Indians weaknesses of defense and throwing out baserunners. But, it is imperative to play from in front against this team. That way you can take them out of their running game.

The Tribe relinquished the division lead but lets not get bent out of shape about that we still have a 3.5 games lead in the wild card and if we get back on track and keep winning series we will be fine.

The Tribe now will head to Northern California for a three game weekend series in Oakland. CC Sabathia will take to the hill against Joe Blanton tomorrow night at 10:05.

comments welcomed

ctownsportsfan.blogspot.com

Tribe 5 Angels 1

2007-05-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians started their three game series with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim with a 5-1 victory tonight. Here are my thoughts on tonight's win:

Outstanding performance tonight from Cliff Lee. Complete game effort and only 3 hits and 1 run allowed. Lee pitched no hit ball until the sixth inning.

Great game by Victor Martinez with an RBI single in the first to get things going and a home run later on. I thought Victor's single in the first helped Cliff Lee get settled in and pitch in a comfort zone. Victor also held the Angels potent running game at bay tonight.

I felt like Grady made some catches tonight that prevented big innings. Nice to see him play well with the news of him being on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated.

The complete game really could pay benefits in the games to come with letting the bullpen get acclimated to the western time zone.

The Tigers won tonight but the Tribe is still in first place by a half game. These two teams seem to be trying to run away from the rest of the division.

I wanted to apologize to everyone for posting the wrong starting pitcher for the Angels tonight. I assumed it would be Weaver but it was Ervin Santana who got the call tonight.

The Indians continue their series with the Angels tomorrow night at 10:05 with Paul Byrd facing Jered Weaver.

Cavs 102 Nets 92

2007-05-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers took Game 2 of their playoff series with the New Jersey Nets this evening. The following are my thoughts on tonight's win:

Big props to the Cleveland fans for making it a hostile environment like usual. I felt like the fans made a huge impact on tonight's game.

This team is so much fun to watch when it gets great performance from numerous players.

Lebron had is best game of the playoffs tonight. I felt like through the whole game he wasn't going to let the Cavs lose tonight.

The game was won the boards and on defense tonight. I think it was very evident to see how we wanted this game a lot more than the Nets did.

I thought the game was well officiated tonight but NBA how does Bennett Salvatore get to ref big game after big game.

Great job by Sasha tonight defending Vince Carter and as the game went on he seemed to be getting Carter more and more frustrated. Sasha also played well on offense and I love when he is more aggressive because he becomes a complete player.

Larry Hughes has been criticized for most of his tenure in Cleveland but when Lebron draws defenders and gets Larry Hughes wide open jumpers he seems to have the knack to knock them down.

It was a nice surprise going to the TNT halftime crew and hearing them say good things about the Cavs. I thought Doug Collins and Kevin Harlan were outstanding on the commentary tonight.

Great game by Varejao tonight getting the hustle points and taking the will of the Nets away on the boards.

I'm really beginning to get a hatred for Mikki Moore. Does he have to open up his big fat mouth every time he does something.

The Cavs now will travel to New Jersey for the next two games at Continental Airlines Arena. Game 3 is on Saturday at 5 pm.

Tribe 10 Orioles 1

2007-05-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians today won the final game of their four game series with the Baltimore Orioles. Here are my thoughts on today's win:

Another outstanding performance by Fausto Carmona today. The kid has electric stuff and its a very good thing that he was almost unhittable against the same team two games in a row. I personally think Carmona is in the starting rotation for good now.

Trot Nixon continued his hot hitting today with two hits and Pronk added a grand slam. Pronk had started to struggle on this road trip and it was good to see him get back on track. Beware that Pronk has routinely hit well in Anaheim so this is a very good thing.

The Indians made two roster moves today with putting Jake Westbrook on the DL and declaring Jason Davis for assignment. In turn they recalled Fausto Carmona and Edward Mujica from AAA Buffalo. It was a little sad to see Davis lose his gig with the Tribe and I for one always found him to be a very nice person and wish him nothing but the best on his next stop in the big leagues.

A lot of fans have knocked Jhonny Peralta for his lack of range and defense but he deserves a lot of praise for his great defensive play at short in the game today. It should be noted that this play totally changed the game because right after that the Indians took the lead and never looked back.

With today's win the Tribe goes right back into the top position in the AL Central with a half game lead of the Tigers. The Tigers also suffered a big blow with phenom reliever Joel Zumaya tearing a tendon in a finger on his pitching hand. Zumaya will be out for about three months. This is a huge blow to the Tigers bullpen.

The Tribe will now fly west to Anaheim to play the Angels in a three game series with the first game being tomorrows night at 10:05 against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Cliff Lee will face Jered Weaver.

Tribe 9 Orioles 6

2007-05-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians halted their mini 2 game losing streak today with a win against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday by the score of 9-6. Here are my thoughts on today's game:

Good job by CC today pitching like the ace that he is and stopping a losing streak. I think CC has put himself into the lead for the AL Cy Young award. Also I would point out that the Tribe is 7-0 in games CC has pitched.

Great day for Trot Nixon. I think Mark Shapiro should be lauded for his signing. He has brought an attitude to the team of doing things the right way and I love the toughness he plays with. A player the ilk of Nixon is something that was missing the last two years. With all that being said 5 for 5 with 4 RBI's is a great day and big props to the Trotter.

Attention ESPN please open your eyes the next time that you say Jose Reyes is the most exciting player in baseball. I and a group of ladies in the Northeastern Ohio (Grady's ladies) would beg to differ vehemently. Another web gem to add to his arsenal today.

Also ESPN I would like to laud one of your analysts today. John Kruk told it like it is today. Roger Clemens will only pitch one game every five and their bullpen still blows.

I know Detroit beat KC today but I think were in great shape being tied with them for the division lead. Also the Tribe and the Tigers seem to be getting some breathing room from the rest of the division. Also look at Detroit's schedule they have played KC nine times to our zero and they have not played really any tough teams outside of the division with the exception of the Angels.

The Tribe hope to gain a split in the four game series with Baltimore with a 12:35 matinee with the Orioles tomorrow. Fausto Carmona will take to the hill against the human rain delay Steve Trachsel.

Cavs 81 Nets 77

2007-05-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers started their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New Jersey Nets with a win in Game 1 on Sunday afternoon. The following are my thoughts on today's win:

I thought during today's game the long layoff had very little effect. The only thing I could notice was that we weren't very crisp in running our offensive sets in the first quarter.

It was very clear today that Mike Brown out coached that midget of a coach for the Nets Larry Frank. It was very clear to see his strategy, make the big 3 for the Nets jump shooters and let our big men do their job against the mediocre front line of the Nets.

I see during a timeout Jason Kidd had a ring tattooed on his left ring finger. Was just wondering how that's working out for ya J Kidd?

OK Eric Snow haters get ready, E Snow is going to play a big role in this series. He has historically been a great defender on Vince Carter. If you don't believe me look back at when Snow was with the Sixers and they played the Raptors in the playoffs. Carter would go off on Philadelphia when Snow wasn't in the lineup.

Great game by Sasha today, when he starts off taking the ball to the basket he is much more of an effective player and then it opens up his outside shot.

Larry Hughes played another solid game at the point and hit some big jumpers down the stretch.

Big props to Lebron for playing while being sick today. 21 points 11 boards and 7 assists while being under the weather is pretty damn good.

Hey New Jersey please get rid of the red jerseys you are ruining the color of my television set. The first game this year that I had to wear Oakley's to watch the game.

Big props to the Cavs for recognizing the three top picks of the Browns today. It was nice to let these athletes see how amped up this city gets for a big game.

Just a hunch here but Mikki Moore never graduated from college.

The Cavs take on the Nets on Tuesday in game 2. Ill be back to blog about it after the game on Tuesday.

Orioles 8 Tribe 2

2007-05-05T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians lost their second straight game tonight. Here are my thoughts on the loss:

Troubling start by Jeremy Sowers tonight. Never looked effective and I think the hitters have caught up to him. It is up to him to make some adjustments and pitch better.

This loss really troubles me more than any other this year cause we were never in the game. Also, the Baltimore lineup isn't exactly the Yankees. Giving up 8 runs to them is totally unacceptable.

Nice job by Jason Davis and Rafael Perez tonight in eating some innings and saving the rest of the bullpen for tomorrow and the upcoming games. I especially liked Perez tonight and hope he can find a spot in the bullpen as the season continues because I really like the idea of having two lefties in the bullpen.

Detroit won tonight as well so we are tied in the division. The Tribe needs to start playing better, the last two nights have been very disappointing.

The Indians continue their series with Baltimore tomorrow afternoon as CC Sabathia opposes Brian Burris.

Orioles 3 Tribe 2

2007-05-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians started their road trip with a tough 3-2 loss tonight in Baltimore. The following are my thoughts on tonight's loss:

Excellent start by Paul Byrd tonight. I thought he really only made one bad pitch. I have heard people clamoring to trade Byrd, but I really think he is a professional and someone that the younger pitchers on the staff can learn from. His professionalism and competitiveness are two traits that should not be overlooked.

I know Betancourt let in the tying run tonight but I wasn't expecting him to be perfect for the rest of the season. I think I speak for a lot of people in saying he is the most consistent pitcher in the bullpen.

It seems that lately in my blog when I call out a player he then goes on to have a nice contribution in the very next game. i.e Roberto Hernandez and Casey Blake. Nice to see Casey get a big two run homer. Hopefully that can break him out of his funk in hitting with runners in scoring position.

Our defensive woes came back to the surface tonight hopefully this can be corrected but it played a big part in the loss tonight.

The Indians continue their four game series with Baltimore tomorrow night, as Jeremy Sowers takes the hill against Baltimore's young phenom Daniel Cabrera.

Tribe 6 Blue Jays 5

2007-05-03T20:26:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland Indians completed a three game sweep with another one run victory tonight at Jacobs Field. The following are my thoughts on the game:

Cliff Lee started his first game tonight and I thought he showed some rust and gave up five runs. But, as the game went on he was very solid and gave the team 6 good innings.

The Tribe fell behind by four early in the game but put the nose to the grindstone and quickly erased the early Toronto lead. No deficit seems to faze this team lately.

Great job by David Dellucci tonight sticking up for a teammate. This could be the kind of thing that really endures himself to Indians fans. I don't know about you but I was hoping they would hit Jason Phillips in the ribs the next time he came up.

Great job of hitting by Victor Martinez tonight with a 4 for 4 effort tonight. I thought the Indians did a great job of manufacturing runs tonight. Also, great job of 2 out hitting. Seems funny we hit better with 2 outs tonight with Casey Blake out of the lineup.

I thought the fatigued bullpen pitched well tonight and even Roberto Horrendous gave us a good inning of relief tonight.

Were in good shape with a 2 game lead in the division going into a big 10 game three city road trip.

The Tribe starts its ten game road trip in the Charm city of Baltimore with a 7:05 game as Paul Byrd opposes Eric Bedard.

Tribe 7 Blue Jays 6 (11 innings)

2007-05-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Indians beat the Blue Jays for the second straight night in a 11 inning affair that took over 4 hours to complete. The following are my thoughts after tonight's win:

Jake Westbrook went down with a lower abdominal injury. Sounds like something similar to what put Cliff Lee on the shelf. So it sounds like Fausto wont need to unpack in Buffalo.

I thought the bullpen kept things in tact tonight for the most part. Some of the relievers pitched great others not so great. But they never let the game get away from us.

I don't know about you? But I have been very impressed with the Masterpiece Tom Mastny. He comes in throws strikes, works quickly, and has been very effective. I think I speak for a lot of Tribe fans out there when I say we would welcome more of the Masterpiece and less of #39 Roberto Horrendous.

In the last week I have been really impressed with the play of David Dellucci. He is starting to heat up and getting some hits to start rallies as well as clutch hits to drive runs in. Same can be said for Trot Nixon. Also give credit to Eric Wedge for going with the hot bats even when lefties have come in the game.

Hopefully tonight's win has a carry over affect like the last two extra inning wins have had for us. We need Cliff Lee to give us some innings tomorrow. To say the bullpen is fatigued would be an understatement.

The series wraps up tomorrow when Cliff Lee makes his 2007 debut against Dustin McGowan at 7:05.

Tribe 12 Blue Jays 4

2007-05-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Tribe was victorious again tonight in the first game of a three game series with the Toronto Blue Jays. The following are my thoughts on tonight's victory.

I thought CC was shaky at first with giving up the three solo bombs. But I think this was a result of the carry over from his last start. An interesting stat I came across today CC won loss record is 4-0 but the team is 6-0 in the games he has pitched. That is the sign of a true ace pitcher. I thought the rain delay helped CC get focused and re energized tonight.

A great point was made tonight on the STO broadcast of how the whole team really worked the Toronto pitching staff and just wore them down.

Jhonny Peralta is really starting to play like the Peralta of 2005. Also, good to see Pronk get back on track.

Is there a more overrated starting pitcher in baseball than AJ Burnett. I mean the guy has great stuff but something is missing there. Great job Toronto on signing a .500 pitcher to a 55 million dollar contract.

Tonight was the first time this year I thought the Tribe showed a total team effort. The bats seem to really be catching fire.

It is good that were starting to play really good ball with the upcoming schedule. We have series with good teams such as Anaheim, Oakland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Boston in May.

Tomorrow the Tribe takes on the Jays in the second game of the three game series as Jake Westbrook opposes Victor Zambrano.

Cavs 97 Wizards 90

2007-04-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

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:

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.

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

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

Good omen Drew Gooden is hot early.

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

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

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

Donyell Marshall sighting and then a quick 3.

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

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.

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

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

Wow they dusted Ira Newble off tonight.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2007-04-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

2007-04-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

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

2007-04-28T19:58:00.000-07:00

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

2007-04-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

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. 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. 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.

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.

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

2007-04-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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)

2007-04-28T13:32:00.000-07:00

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:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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