No offense at all this week against chicago, sure we scored 4 runs tonight, but Contreras' earlier control problems should have led to more. It was nice to see Sizemore go yard, and hafner finally hit the ball hard at the end of the game, but what was Victor Martinez doing swining at the first pitch, after he just saw Hafner work the count and get a ptich he can take left-center to right center? Lets hope Martiniez is still just anxious from the new season.
I liked what I saw from Lee pitching wise, but his throw to first base tonight resembled little-league. We would have saved a run if he just would have ate it and held onto the ball.
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
First Week Finished
My observations from the Indians first week of baseball:
1.) Kevin Millwood certainly seems to be worth every penny we spent on him so far this season. If the Tribe could simply just score around three runs for him while he starts he probably be alot happier right now. Also, Westbrook had a great start and a horriffic start, so its too soon to see what kind of season he will have. Finally, Jason Davis had a great start tieing hs career high in K's with 7, while Cliff Lee bombed like he did during the 2nd half of last season.
2.) I am one of the many who expects the Indians offense to regress a little this year, but not this much. They have had some big innings, but there has already been a couple of games where the offense has been anemic (like Chicago's and yesterdays home openers), as well as the 11-2 routing we had as well.
3.) Finally, the bullpen has been great other than Wickman's explosion the 2nd game of the yr., and the bad game against Detroit. Betancourt, Rhodes, and Riske have been great.
So if the Indians can bump up their run scoring up a about 2-3 runs, and they get similar pitching they could atleast be 4-3 this week.
1.) Kevin Millwood certainly seems to be worth every penny we spent on him so far this season. If the Tribe could simply just score around three runs for him while he starts he probably be alot happier right now. Also, Westbrook had a great start and a horriffic start, so its too soon to see what kind of season he will have. Finally, Jason Davis had a great start tieing hs career high in K's with 7, while Cliff Lee bombed like he did during the 2nd half of last season.
2.) I am one of the many who expects the Indians offense to regress a little this year, but not this much. They have had some big innings, but there has already been a couple of games where the offense has been anemic (like Chicago's and yesterdays home openers), as well as the 11-2 routing we had as well.
3.) Finally, the bullpen has been great other than Wickman's explosion the 2nd game of the yr., and the bad game against Detroit. Betancourt, Rhodes, and Riske have been great.
So if the Indians can bump up their run scoring up a about 2-3 runs, and they get similar pitching they could atleast be 4-3 this week.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
The New Florida
What is with all this rain in Florida? Doesn't mother nature understand the importance of getting ur baseball fix Spring Training provides us all?
There are certainly a lot of bloggers and baseball writes who are giving the Indians a decent chance to win the division this year. I certainly think its possible, but not without some amount of uncertainty. There are some factors I will keep an eye as Spring Training moves along and as we run into the beginning of the season here shortly.
1.) Will the Tribe's young hitters maintain their gaines from last year?
The young trio of Hafner, Martinez, and Broussard certainly impressed the Indians brass for a good amount of time the previous season, but the Tribe's offense will rely upon them mainting those types of perfomances. If they were to slide back to the mean a bit, that will put more pressure on the Tribe's pitching staff...
2.) Can the pitching staff keep it together for an entire season?
I think most of us can agree to assume that the Indians' bullpen should be alot more consistent than last year, and do they ever need it. Even if Wickman's age were to throw him out of the equation, I still think the bullpen is improved with Howry the entire year, Rhodes, Riske, and the rest returning ot the Tribe's bullpen. The starters are what worries me the most. Sure we added Millwood, who could possibly be a better-than-average innings eater, but his health will be a concern until he proves us all wrong. Sabathia had a couple of arm scares last season, and his injury in Spring Training certainly has to push us on the concerned side for him. However, I see Lee, Westbrook, and Elarton going both ways. Westbrook certainly had a breakout year last year, and the key will be to see if he can maintain that level of performance with such a low K/9 rate. Lee started the season off well last year, but seemed to tire as the season went along as his HR rate skyrocketed as the season came to an end. FInally, Elarton isnt the worst number 5 starter a team could as he could prove to be a sleeper this year for the Tribe's rotation.
Id love to see the Tribe's offense keep its ground, while the pitching staff allows about 100 fewer runs and see what happens. I think if that happens, the Indians will win another AL Central division title. It will be interesting to see if the Twins continue to just be happy to win the division, or get serious and start using their roster more efficiently and challenge the Tribe long past 2005.
There are certainly a lot of bloggers and baseball writes who are giving the Indians a decent chance to win the division this year. I certainly think its possible, but not without some amount of uncertainty. There are some factors I will keep an eye as Spring Training moves along and as we run into the beginning of the season here shortly.
1.) Will the Tribe's young hitters maintain their gaines from last year?
The young trio of Hafner, Martinez, and Broussard certainly impressed the Indians brass for a good amount of time the previous season, but the Tribe's offense will rely upon them mainting those types of perfomances. If they were to slide back to the mean a bit, that will put more pressure on the Tribe's pitching staff...
2.) Can the pitching staff keep it together for an entire season?
I think most of us can agree to assume that the Indians' bullpen should be alot more consistent than last year, and do they ever need it. Even if Wickman's age were to throw him out of the equation, I still think the bullpen is improved with Howry the entire year, Rhodes, Riske, and the rest returning ot the Tribe's bullpen. The starters are what worries me the most. Sure we added Millwood, who could possibly be a better-than-average innings eater, but his health will be a concern until he proves us all wrong. Sabathia had a couple of arm scares last season, and his injury in Spring Training certainly has to push us on the concerned side for him. However, I see Lee, Westbrook, and Elarton going both ways. Westbrook certainly had a breakout year last year, and the key will be to see if he can maintain that level of performance with such a low K/9 rate. Lee started the season off well last year, but seemed to tire as the season went along as his HR rate skyrocketed as the season came to an end. FInally, Elarton isnt the worst number 5 starter a team could as he could prove to be a sleeper this year for the Tribe's rotation.
Id love to see the Tribe's offense keep its ground, while the pitching staff allows about 100 fewer runs and see what happens. I think if that happens, the Indians will win another AL Central division title. It will be interesting to see if the Twins continue to just be happy to win the division, or get serious and start using their roster more efficiently and challenge the Tribe long past 2005.
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