Simply stunning...

Mark DeRosa is gone.  Enter the Chris Perez era.  In a debut for the ages, Chris Perez, newly acquired from the Cardinals got off to an inauspicious start.  He apparently is truly at heart, an Indians relief pitcher.  Perez pitched 2/3 of an inning, hitting two batters, walking one, gave up 4 runs, one of which was on a wild pitch, while only allowing two hits.  The craziest part of all this may be that after loading the bases with no outs (and almost killing Alexi Ramirez in the process), had Perez done the fundamental move of covering first base, he may have gotten out of the inning and the Tribe would have won the game.  Perez was caught watching a great diving play by Garko and did not cover first base which would have allowed the Indians to turn a double play and end the crazy inning without giving up a run.  Instead, the run scored and it snowballed from there and the three runs the Tribe scored in the ninth were meaningless.  Thankfully, it looks like Perez has some pretty good stuff, but may have been a little anxious to make a good first impression to the 5000 Cleveland fans left in attendance.  If his control comes around, he may get a few people out.  If not, well then he will fit right in with our team concept.  The Indians try to cool off the red hot Sox tonight when stopper Cliff Lee takes the mound.  As long as he pitches a complete game, we got a shot.  Drink more beer Cleveland, it numbs the pain.

PS-That player to be named better be Albert Pujols if this continues.

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The time has come...

A day after Jeremy Sowers pitched one of his best career games, the Indians officially threw in the towel on the 2009 season.  They traded Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals (can't wait to here Cub fan reactions since they never liked the trade in the first place and now he is playing for their rivals) for reliever Chris Perez and the infamous player to be named later.  Chris has a 4.18 ERA this year, but at least has fewer walks than innings pitched (15 BB in 23 2/3 IP).  So once again Indians fans, wait until next year.  That is unless they really start to mortgage the team and we start with new talent next year.  In that case it will be wait until 2012.  I am a Cleveland fan.  Let's get drunk!!!  Game starts at 105pm, so show up at 9am to start drinking away the pain.  Go Tribe.

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Start the Countdown

The Indians lead the league in walks and earned runs.  Correlation?  This is beginning to get ridiculous.  So in honor of that, let the countdown begin.  Which countdown, you ask?  The countdown of number of days before manager Eric Wedge gets fired.  It is never good when you start seeing articles asking the manager if he fears his job is in jeopardy.  Because if that question has to be asked, then the answer is always yes no matter what the manager may say or think.  While the Indians management is at it they need to clean house in the strength and conditioning department as well.  The Tribe has led the league for two years in a row now with injuries.  I realize that baseball is a long season and injuries occur, but to have so many for two consecutive years means something is not being done correctly.

Anyway, if anyone still cares, the Indians are playing at the Jake tonight versus the equally bad Reds.  One of our minor league pitchers who did not start the year on the major league roster is pitching.  Make sure you get to the Clevelander early, so you can get as much booze in you before the game, to be able to tolerate another come from behind loss.  Enjoy.

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Holy Shaq!

Well, the Cavs made their play to keep LeBron happy and in Cleveland, making a deal last to bring the Diesel, Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland.  The Suns, who look to be tearing it down and starting to build anew, traded Shaq for Sasha "I am not a big fan of defense" Pavlovic and Big Ben Wallace, who may be retiring.  They also received the Cavs 2nd round draft pick and a cool half a mil.  I think this move is a little reactionary after what happened this past playoffs.  Shaq is old and no where near the player he used to be.  On the flip side though, the Cavaliers do need a body to bang around in the middle should they face the Lakers or the Magic in the playoffs next year and Shaq is probably the only guy available this year to fit that need.  Also, the Cavs didn't really have to give much up to acquire Shaq and did not take on a ridiculous long term contract.  The most important part of the deal though, is the fact the the Cavaliers management again sent the message to LeBron (last year was Mo and now Shaq) that while they may be a mid-market team, they are willing to spend the money to bring a winner to LeBron and the city of Cleveland.  Go Cavs and let's keep LeBron in Cleveland!

Down the street from the Q, this conversation was overheard.

Aging baseball player - "I play for the Indians."

Old Lady - "I didn't know they still had a team in Cleveland."

Aging baseball player - "Yeah, we've got uniforms and everything."

At this point, let the wagering begin as to who the first player traded when the firesale begins for the Indians.  DeRosa?  Sizemore?  Martinez?  Lee?  Let the rebuilding begin!!!!

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Indians Bar. Drink More Beer Cleveland.

I think I finally figured out why last night was 'Wild Thing' Rick Vaughn bobblehead night.  I think it is because the Indians do not have a relief pitcher good enough to make a bobblehead of.  The Tribe pitchers got back into their bad habit of walking people and it turned disastrous as they blew a 12-7 lead to lose to the Brew Crew 14-12.  Manager Eric Wedge, apparently out of bullpen options, brought Rafael Perez in to get the lefty-lefty matchup versus Prince Fielder with the bases loaded in the 8th.  Bad call.  Prince Fielder only had to see one Perez trademark 87 MPH meatball to hit his first career grand slam and give the Brewers a 13-12 lead on their way to victory.  Pavano struggled again, but the offense hit 4 home runs and provided 12 runs which should have been more than enough runs versus any opponent.  On the bright side, Joe Smith made his 3rd straight scoreless appearance out of the bullpen and looks to be back after an early season shoulder injury.  Why we waited to put him in until the game was over is beyond me, but that is why I just write this silly blog.  The Tribe also received good news when it was confirmed that Grady Sizemore's elbow swelling had decreased and he may resume some baseball activities today.  Jeremy Sowers gets the chance to knock off another ace tonight facing the Brewers Yovani Gallardo in a 705pm stint at the Jake.  Drink a lot of beer Clevelanders, we may need it.

In other news, it looks like the Browns will (no surprise) be without WR Donte Stallworth as he plead guilty to manslaughter charges this morning in Miami.  I think we were all prepared for this, but it wouldn't be the Browns offseason without some chaos and a coaching change.  Yeah, Cleveland, keep drinking.  Its a long way until next Cavs season and it goes quicker if blacked out.  Enjoy and Go Tribe.

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Cliff Lee

For anyone who thinks that Cliff Lee's Cy Young award last year was a flash in the pan, they should have changed their minds last night.  While Lee's win total may not end up as great as last year, but his dominance is still the same.  He required only 93 pitches to retire the Cardinals and pitch a complete game shutout for a 3-0 Indians win.  Mark DeRosa hit a 2 run home run in the first and that was more than enough for the Tribe ace.  Since April16th, Lee has only walked 15 batters, given up only 20 runs, K'd 59 batters, all in 87 innings.  That is a 2.06 ERA, but his record is only 4-4 in that time frame.  More importantly, the Tribe picked up the series win, their 3rd in a row, and although they are still in the cellar, they are only 6 games back of AL Central leading Detroit.  The Tribe has back to back games on ESPN, and tonight's gametime is 705pm.  Carl Pavano looks to bounce back after a rough outing against the struggling Brewers, who have lost 6 of their last 7.  Come down to the Clevelander and drink some brews.  We will see you here.

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Your Home For Interleague Baseball

Well, the Tribe broke out the retro jerseys, but unfortunately the offense performed like those 80's teams.  The Indians lost 3-1 to the Cardinals.  Tomo Ohka pitched well, except to Albert Pujols, who homered deep to left twice yesterday.  The Indians got a break in the 9th when a pop up by Josh Barfield was misplayed, but then was caught in a rundown and the Indians were then retired in order.  Victor Martinez drove in the only Tribe run and made a great play in the 8th, diving and laying out to catch a foul pop.  Today's game is ESPN's Sunday night game and starts at 805pm.  Should be a great pitchers duel as Tribe ace Cliff Lee battles against Chris Carpenter.  Spend a lazy Sunday with us at the Clevelander and then stop by the Jake to cheer on the Tribe to victory.  GO TRIBE!!!

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David Huff for Cy Young

Hey Cleveland.  In case you missed it David Huff threw some ball yesterday.  Huff gave up 3 runs in 7 and 1/3 innings, but was really not touched until some fatigue set in in the 8th inning.  The bullpen allowed two of those runs to score, but closed the door after that for a 7-3 Tribe victory.  Huff threw 17 first pitch strikes to the 29 batters he faced, something he may have learned from watching Cliff Lee.  Victor Martinez and Shin-Soo Choo again provided much of the offense, driving in 5 of the 7 runs.  The Tribe faces the Cardinals again today as another scrap heap arm goes to the mound.  Tomo Ohka will pitch in only his third game and his first start since 2007 when he played for the Blue Jays.  One can only hope this resurrection goes as well as Carl Pavano's has this year.  Today's game starts at 410pm, so if you are not here by now, we will see you later at the Clevelander for all your pre and postgame needs.  GO TRIBE!

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Thank You...Seagulls?

Shin-Soo Choo singled home the game winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning and it may have been aided by the congregation of seagulls that have been appearing at Progressive Field.  The line drive single startled (or may have even hit) the birds that took off and may have caused CF Coco Crisp to misplay a ball that decisively scored Mark DeRosa, who was 3 for 3 in the game.  Whether it was old Cleveland Stadium, or the new ballpark, opponents have to love coming to Cleveland to battle birds, bugs, and whatever else falls out of the sky to help the Tribe.  Jeremy Sowers pitched an effective 5 innings and RP Greg Aquino essentially made one bad pitch that the Royals took yard to make it 3-1.  The no quit Indians battled back, and again due to some poor Royals defense, to tie the game 3-3 in the 8th inning.  Kansas City should have been out of the inning, but a poor relay throw on a double play allowed a run to score and gave the Indians a 4th out.  Jhonny Peralta capitalized with a monster double off of the left field wall that scored Choo to tie the game.  The Indians with the win again moved into 4th place going into the interleague portion of the schedule.  The Cardinals come into town tonight to face rookie David Huff and the Tribe.  Gametime tonight is 705pm so come on down and have a drink and a bite to eat with us.  Then get the not too common opportunity to catch Saint Louis and slugger Albert Pujos as they battle our Tribe.  Let's go Tribe.  Lets get a winning streak started.  Enjoy the weekend with us, at the Clevelander Bar and Grill.

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Cleveland Indians Bar

Well, our stint in 4th place was short lived as Gil Meche pitched a gem striking out 11 in 7 innings.  Carl Pavano had his worst outing since early April and the Indians, who only managed 4 hits, lost to the Royals 9-0.  The loss moves them back into last place in the division, eight games back of the Tigers.  The Tribe gets back to it tonight at 705pm, but it does not get any easier.  Jeremy Sowers has the lucky job of facing Zack Greinke, who the Indians did manage to beat last time around, even though it was simply the Royals bullpen imploding after the Tribe wore out Greinke.  So come on downtown to the best sports bar in Cleveland and cheer on our Tribe, here at the Clevelander!

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Indians Party Room Available

Get your group together and stop by the Clevelander Bar and Grill Party Room before any Indians game to witness the comeback of our young Tribe team from worst to first this summer.  If you wait too long, you may miss out.  The Indians climbed out of the cellar last night, beating the Royals 8-4.  Carl Pavano pitches tonight and tries to make it three wins in a row for this no quit Indians squad.  It may not be the team you expected to see on the field, but these guys are getting the job done in the absence of Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera to name a few.  Always tough Gil Meche (and at times as unlucky this year as Cliff Lee) steps to the mound tonight to face of against Pavano, who is 6-1 in his last 8 starts.  Talk about a great signing.  It is too bad it is only for 1 year, but that year may still be this year if the Tribe can hold on until some of the injured make it back.  Until then, we will see you tonight at the Clevelander for the 705pm first pitch.  Drink up Cleveland!

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Not Pretty, But A Win Is A Win

Cliff Lee again received no run support tonight, but the Tribe did manage to score some runs after he left the game and went on to win a wild 8-4 game.  The Indians scored 8 runs on only 7 hits.  The Tribe managed to score 4 runs in the 6th inning on 3 fielder's choices and a sac fly.  Yes, that it correct.  The Royals gave away 2 outs on errors which allowed the Indians extra opportunities to score, despite the fact that only one ball escaped the infield to drive in the runs.  Then in the 7th inning, after a great nine pitch at bat by Shin-Soo Choo resulting in a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Mark DeRosa stepped to the plate and hit a game winning grand slam home run.  The bullpen pitched great in three innings of relief after Cliff Lee was chased after 6 innings.  Lee did not have his best stuff, but pitched well enough to keep the Indians in the game.  This patchwork lineup has to be commended for not quitting depsite the fact they only jad two hits in the first 5 innings.   This win lifts the Tribe out of the cellar and into 4th place, a half game ahead of the Royals. I hope everyone is enjoying some cold beers at the Clevelander in celebration of a great come from behind Tribe win. 

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2 out of 3 ain't bad.

To take a line from Major League, "Who are these f*ckin guys?"  Well, these guys are David Huff, Luis Valbuena and Chris Gimenez that powered the Tribe to a 8-4 win over the divisional foe White Sox.  The Tribe got 4 solid innings plus a struggling 5th inning from David Huff to get his first major league victory.  The Indians also got back to back jacks...twice, en route to a series win over the Sox.  The Tribe has an off day today before returning to the field tomorrow, back at home versus the Royals.  Happy Monday Cleveland.

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By the way...

Magic in 6.  F the Lakers.  Eastern Conference represent.  Go Cavs.

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Indians Bar

Well, the Tribe broke out of their Cliff Lee hitting slump and scored 10 runs on 15 hits yesterday.  The ten runs scored yesterday were more runs than they had scored in Lee's previous three starts combined (9).  Every starter had at least one hit yesterday in a patchwork lineup that included Ben Francisco leading off and Luis Valbuena and Jamey Carroll starting in the infield due to the rash of injuries the Indians have sustained over the last couple of weeks.  Jhonny Peralta, a traditonal slow starter, continued to heat up last night going 3 for 5 and hitting a three run home run.  Cliff Lee gave the bullpen some much needed rest, working 8 innings in 106 pitches and only giving up one run.  Since his April 16th start, Cliff Lee has a 2.00 ERA with 49 K's in 72 innings pitched, but only 3 wins to show for the effort.  Rafael Perez worked a scoreless ninth and it would be nice to get him some confidence back so he can be used reliably again by Wedge.  The Indians also received some good news on Asdrubal Cabrera, who only has a sprained AC joint and will not require surgery.  He is expected to miss two to four weeks. 

So Cleveland, don't forget today's gametime is 110pm and the Clevelander will have every pitch from Minneapolis.  Stop by for lunch, or even take a half day, and join us for a burger and maybe if your boss is cool, a beer, at the Clevelander Bar and Grill.

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Another Injury

Well, it seems as though no matter what the Indians do, they cannot get past the injury bug.  Travis Hafner may rejoin the team as early as Friday, but so far this week Grady Sizemore and Rafael Betancourt have been placed on the DL.  Anthony Reyes looks like he is done for the year and now it looks like Asdrubal Cabrera is heading that same direction.  Apparently he dislocated his shoulder, which probably means at least 8 weeks out of the lineup.  It is a shame because he really was having a breakout year so far and one of the few Indians who has hit the ball well and consistently this year.  The Indians lost last night in Minnesota 4-3, bringing their record when scoring less than four runs this year to 1-19.  Awesome.  Cliff Lee looks to right the ship tonight at the Metrodome.  Gametime is 810pm.  Join us at the Clevelander and get some drinks so we can all wallow together.  GO TRIBE!

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Walks

Is it football season yet?  I am getting the gambling jones.

Stop walking batters.  Free base runners does not equal wins. 

Tribe can climb back in with wins in the next 9 divisional games.  (see Chicago White Sox)  Tonight's game pits David Huff (last outing pretty good) versus righty Kevin Slowey.  Gametime 810pm.  You all know the best burgers in town by now are at the Clevelander so stop on by and drink away the Cavaliers sorrows.

Go Tribe!  Go...Browns?

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