December 16, 201014 yr http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1104565/10/index.htm
December 16, 201014 yr Here is my brush with greatness: October, 1993. Late Sunday night, I was at the Cincinnati airport heading out on a business trip. There was only one available seat next to an old man who appeared to be talking to himself. I took my seat, started reading my book, and tried not to make eye contact. Since I was sitting there, the old man started talking to me, and I couldn't avoid him. When I finally looked up, I realized who he was! He was heading back to Iowa after attending the Indians final 3 games at Municipal Stadium. The Indians were swept by the White Sox in 3 games, and he was not a happy camper! I told him I was a displaced Indians fan who was lucky enough to attend Reds WS games in 72, 75, 76, and 90 but they could not compare to potentially attending an Indians WS game. I told him how I wished the team they were assembling could have been put together while still at the Stadium, so the Indians fans could pack the place as they did in 48 and show the world it wasn't because of the old ball park. I think they would have too! He proceeded to talk baseball with me for over an hour! He told me what he liked about it and what he didn't like anymore (players, salaries, etc). He spent a good portion of the time telling me why Pete Rose would never get in the HOF while he (Feller) was still alive. Here was a man who appreciated everything baseball had given him, and he could not abide by a cheater. He truly was a hero, I was sorry when they called my flight.
December 16, 201014 yr When Bob Feller first came to Cleveland he stayed in a boarding house. While he was there he met a guy who was in the war. The civil war. I read that in some article today. Ill try to find it if it hasnt been posted already. It had a bunch of little facts like that.
December 28, 201014 yr From the PD/Cleveland.com obit (http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2010/12/the_greatest_cleveland_indian.html): Feller, who had learned to fly an airplane in 1939, bought a Beechcraft Bonanza in the late 1940s and would fly the small craft from his home in Gates Mills to Burke Lakefront Airport for Indians games. Then he would get on a collapsible scooter and drive to the nearby ballpark. Awesome. He was the ultimate renaissance man. That's amazing.
January 18, 201114 yr And the Tribe avoids salary arbitration yet again: Cleveland Indians sign Shin-Soo Choo to one-year, $3.975 million deal to stay arbitration free once again CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shin-Soo Choo and agent Scott Boras promised to be a tough hurdle to clear if the Indians were going to avoid arbitration for the 20th consecutive year, but GM Chris Antonetti got it done. Choo signed a one-year, $3.975 million deal before the 1 p.m. deadline to exchange salary figures. Choo made $461,100 last year. http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/01/cleveland_indians_sign_shin-so.html
January 18, 201114 yr I know they're going to be terrible, but I'm looking forward to baseball season.
January 19, 201114 yr ^Probably true, but you never know. That's what I love about baseball... and the NFL I suppose. At the beginning of every season you always feel like you have a chance. The odds are against them this year, but you never know. I mean who would have thought before the 2007 season that Carmona, Rafi Perez, and Betencourt would have done what they did that season? It's fun to watch young guys exceed expectations. That's what I'm most looking forward to this year.
February 17, 201114 yr http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2011/02/cleveland-indians-motivational-posters/ These are worth a look. The Peralta one is a classic..."because you already failed at spelling." LOL
February 20, 201114 yr So, it seems to me that barring a blockbuster trade by the Cavs, the Indians are the team closest to real contention. The Browns, IMHO, will be better but have much stronger opposition. But, as with any team, there are many 'ifs'. IF Grady Sizemore is ready to play and returns to form IF at least one of our top draft picks can mature and move up to the majors IF Travis Hafner has at least some juice left in his bat IF Carlos Santana is as good as he seems IF Fausto Carmona at least approaches his previous success A Kevin Milwood-like signing would be huge for the pitching staff. Someone experienced and consistent and not Kerry Wood like expensive.
February 20, 201114 yr "IF Travis Hafner has at least some juice left in his bat." I sort of wish he had some juice left somewhere else
February 21, 201114 yr The Browns are closer than the Tribe, IMO. The Indians are spending half as much as their division rivals and a fraction of what the larger market teams. They have obstacles the Browns do not. And it is a lot easier to catch lightning in a bottle through the draft in the NFL than it is in the MLB.
February 21, 201114 yr I'm much more an Indians fan than Browns or Cavs and nothing would make me happier than their having a successful 2011 year. That said, it's important to be realistic about the team. Barring another impossible-to-predict 2007 Carmona or 2008 Cliff season, here's the reality. 1. Our pitching is truly miserable, and we are relying a hell of a lot on Carmona (the assumed ace despite a bland career outside of one great season) and Talbot (good first half, then a long rough patch throughout the rest of the season). We have glorified minor league pitching at the 3-5 spots, and while there is some love for Masterson and Huff, I don't see it. Sure they all might have 15 win seasons and pitch 200 strikeouts - baseball is unpredictable that way. However, we can't anticipate or depend on a miracle, and these guys just don't have it if you look at their numbers and how they stack up to other teams. At least not based on their careers so far. 2. Third base. 3. Virtually the same lineup as last year with not one major trade (no offense Orlando or Austin (what's with these city named players)). Who knows if Grady is finished? One thing is for sure - I'm pretty pessimistic with Grady being Grady and can't imagine him playing a full season even if there is a return to form. And when I'm seeing virtually the same team as last year 60 win team, then %&$@. 4. The year 2011. I don't know if there has ever been as awful a year for Cleveland sports, really any city, as 2011. It's...stunning, and the lack of momentum and abundance of doom and gloom can't help. Fans will support the Browns through anything and the Cavs have had a surprising number of spectators to their embarrassment, but I feel the Tribe, barring an amazing season, will feel the blunt of fan burnout. I mean, we can only abused so much by our sports teams. They've done a number of the fans, that's for sure. 5. Injury bug. It does seem to hit us harder (I mean, Santana, really? Already?) than most teams, and they always have more in depth rosters. We seem to have an awful lot of bad luck there. 6. Lack of momentum. The Indians have two players of any legitimate interest in the MLB: Choo and Chris Perez. Otherwise, they're just an invisible team, no different than the Pirates really, and that kind of apathy hurts a team in so many ways. Again barring some miracle seasons, we only have one reliable hitter: Choo. That's it. Asdrubal and Santana might be good, but only Choo is reliable, someone who is mentioned with respect by other teams and broadcasters. How can we compete with that? The fact is we don't have the stuff to compete, and we have to hope that some 1994 or 2005 out of the BLUE magic happens. If you're a baseball purist, then I don't know how you can say we have what it takes to be competitive. I mean, where on earth are we even going to pull 70 wins from at this point? ...please let me be wrong
February 21, 201114 yr I would say this team is still a year or two away, but they are closer than many think. They have some top level talent in the upper tiers of the minors, guys that just need a little more time on the vine so to speak. Many experts have their farm system rated near the best in the league and it's due to the breadth and depth not becausebof a few "can't misses".
February 21, 201114 yr The Indians should let go of Sizemore so the Reds can take another low risk-high reward shot on a player :wink:. He'd fit nicely in LF.
February 25, 201114 yr FYI: 2011 single-game tickets for all 81 games on sale beginning February 28 at 10 a.m. http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20110225&content_id=16731278&vkey=pr_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle
March 2, 201114 yr Well the Indians ownership is trying. First a three-year contract for Snow Days and now this. Now, let's just get some more players! Cleveland Indians Music Festival Coming This Summer Written By: Craig Lyndall | Category: Cleveland Indians A couple quotes come to mind right off the bat. ”Why can’t they just focus on putting a good product on the baseball field?” Or, “Don’t they have better things to spend their time on other than music as a baseball organization?” Now that I have those out of the way for all the cynical, angry people who also made fun of “Snow Days” let’s talk about what the Indians are doing this summer. On June 11th at 4:00 PM (just after the Indians hopefully beat the Yankees in the Bronx) Progressive Field will host a country music show featuring Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, and Jerrod Niemann. As I said in the open, I am sure a lot of people who have been less than satisfied with the baseball team over the last couple years will have arrows aimed squarely at the Tribe for this. Is it a way for the Cleveland Indians to make money unrelated to baseball? Yep, it sure is. Still, to think that the Indians can’t run their baseball business and also use their facility for things like “Snow Days” and rock country concerts while the team is away in the summer time is ridiculous. http://www.waitingfornextyear.com/2011/03/cleveland-indians-music-festival-coming-this-summer/
April 1, 201114 yr Opening Day! Yeah, I know they stink, but still my holiest secular holiday of the year. And just in time for opening day: http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/video/suffering-cleveland-bans-all-professional-sports,19701/ (cross posted from Cleveland in National News thread)
April 1, 201114 yr With Opening Day, fans treasure magical baseball event with family Published: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 9:05 PM Updated: Thursday, March 31, 2011, 9:45 PM By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer The Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio — Every Indians Opening Day, I think of the old baseball scorecards. They cost a dime, or maybe a quarter. They were just that, a card set up for keeping score. There was a roster with names and numbers. That mattered, because I remember some openers before the Indians had names on the back of their jerseys. With each scorecard, they gave up one of those mini-pencils. My father also kept score -- neatly -- then he'd stick that pencil behind his right ear, the scorecard in his lap. That's because Opening Day is about more than baseball. It's about family. It's about the person who took you to opening games when you were a kid. It's about anyone who takes a kid to a Progressive Field for Friday's 3:05 p.m. opener, the Indians against the Chicago White Sox. http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2011/03/with_opening_day_fans_treasure.html
April 1, 201114 yr Yeah, at least they showed a little life at the plate. Then again, getting 17 hits and losing is pretty ugly. Tomorrow we rebound!
April 2, 201114 yr These guys don't look to f'ing good. I haven't heard of most of these guys and the ones I have heard of are way past their prime. Most of those guys never had a prime. This guy is dead! Cross him off, then... "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
April 3, 201114 yr Dolan's Discounts back to their usual April form.. It's going to be a looong season, again..
April 3, 201114 yr holy municipal stadium days batman....9,853 fans! And a big chunk of those were White Sox fans. I don't even want to guess what the attendance will be for the weeknight games against the Royals later this month if the weather is the least bit chilly or wet.
April 4, 201114 yr It's cold and rainy. I spent the whole game in the Terrace Club because it started to rain a bit by the time we were thinking about heading down to our seats. It was a bit depressing watching highlights from bright and sunny Cincinnati on the scoreboard.
April 4, 201114 yr These guys don't look to f'ing good. I haven't heard of most of these guys and the ones I have heard of are way past their prime. Most of those guys never had a prime. This guy is dead! Cross him off, then... They called and asked me to manage the Tribe this year, but I had a guy on the other line about a pair of white walls.
April 4, 201114 yr 8,726?? What's going on up there? wish i could have nbeen one of them -- at least those lucky few got to see a triple play and the first tribe win of the season! also, from a pitching perspective that strikeouts can be overrated as long as everyone is grounding out. all in all a great game for the hometown fans despite the weather.
April 4, 201114 yr Is that number of tickets sold or actual attendance? I wonder if it also factors in employees of the team/stadium. Watching the game yesterday, I dunno, that number seems a little high.
April 4, 201114 yr These guys don't look to f'ing good. I haven't heard of most of these guys and the ones I have heard of are way past their prime. Most of those guys never had a prime. This guy is dead! Cross him off, then... They called and asked me to manage the Tribe this year, but I had a guy on the other line about a pair of white walls. With this kind of attendance, Dolan might not be able to feed Cha Cha real dog food.
April 4, 201114 yr I agree. Sadly, the Saturday game was nationally broadcast and I watched an inning from my hotel room. I've never seen the Jake that empty. Sure, the crappy weather had something to do with it, but I think it has a lot more to do with Indians fans being fed up with Dolan and MLB. I know the lack of parity has made me lose my love for the game. I'm pure, unadulterated bandwagon dude when it comes to the Tribe now. Let me know when they are good again and I will break out the #15 jersey
April 4, 201114 yr The MLB has run things so poorly that I have lost interest. Having Dolan as owner and everybody else in the Indians administration doesn't help either.
April 4, 201114 yr yeah, the lack of parity is a real turn-off. but also -- when stoudamire and melo need new headbands the little brother dolan loses out.
April 4, 201114 yr You dont just get a bad product, you get poor customer service. The workers dont smile, you over pay for concessions, and they wont even look you in the eye.
April 4, 201114 yr I'm fairly certain I've posted as much on the board but I was in the "the MLB system makes this non-compelling and I should vote with my feet" camp for two years. However, two weeks ago I realized I want to be back into baseball and since I'm a total sports homer that means I'm back into Indians baseball for better or worse. For me that means I'll attend at least 12 games this season. I don't really have a point, just wanted to be vocal on the other side of this argument after two years of being a troll in the other direction.
April 4, 201114 yr I really can't fathom the logic of trading CC, Lee, and especially Victor for nothing. It seems kind of obvious that we would attract 10-20 thousand more a game if we had held on to those three. Maybe the attendance wouldn't totally offset the salaries, but it would come pretty damn close. I understand maintaining the bottom line, but why did you buy a baseball team if you had no intention of investing in it? It's so frustrating.
April 4, 201114 yr I agree generally on the parity front; but I think the Indians in the 90s (heck, even five or six years ago) and the Reds of today show that with the right management, small-to-mid market teams can do well (though maybe not year in year out). As Indians fans, do you place the onus mostly on management/ownership? I know that things were bleak for the Reds before Castellini got involved, and the entire organization has been on the upswing since he came in.
April 4, 201114 yr Plus, better teams attract better local tv contracts, improved merchandise sales, etc. Is it because it's hard to think about all those things at once and you don't want to work very late Mr. Dolan? I mean, the amount of talent the Indians have dispersed into the majors since their 2007 run is astounding, and they have virtually nothing to show for it. They missed on LaPorta, they probably missed on Brantley, they got nothing for Victor. Casey Blake for Carlos Santana is the only trade that's given us anything. Growl
April 4, 201114 yr Don't get into the chicken and the egg debate with Dolan. I think he has shown an unwillingess to compromise on that front. Best we can hope for is to catch lightning in a bottle like we did in a BIG way in the 90's and to a lesser extent what you saw with the Tribe in 07 and the Reds last year. But sustaining that success is nearly impossible. The system is f'd. I don't think that Dolan should be our owner, but I don't blame him either.
Create an account or sign in to comment