Patrick

Thank you Kyle Farnsworth! Home streak for Tribe now at 14. Cleveland bullpen starting to come back to earth a bit.

Extremely bush league. Does Dwight Howard really want to be traded to that situation?

If the time is now (eg 1995 with a Tribe staff headed by oldtimers Dennis Martinez and Orel Herschiser), go with the veterans. If it isn't, go with the kids. Right now, Texas is in that tough spot where you could argue either way. Or be the Phillies. [...Still awaiting greatness from the Cliff Lee Philadelphia Quartet of Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald (utility infielder), Lou Marson (backup catcher), and Jason Knapp (hard thrower starting A ball season). Carrasco has shown promise on the major league club this season.]

I thought the clock had struck midnight on Colon awhile ago. Getting any useful production out of him this season is a bonus. Despite Rick Sutcliffe effusively championing Bartolo's adoption of the two-seamer, I think time (or the league, or his waistband) will catch up to him fairly soon. Enjoy what you can get out of him now. Thanks to the Yankees for trading Zach McAllister to the Tribe for an Austin Kearns rental last year. Kearns is back on the Tribe bench at deservedly low coinage ($1.3M), and McAllister has improved. Last year at Scranton/WB: 8-10 with a 5.09 ERA, 165 H and 88/38 K/BB in 132 2/3 innings. It was his first season at AAA. Thus far this season at Columbus (AAA), 5-0 with a 3.09 ERA in 32IP. Terry Pluto suggests he could get called up at some point this season. I don't think anyone has too many hopes pinned on him, but another potentially useful starter is a plus.

Indeed. Caught the tail end of the last game. I thought they had no chance beating Lincecum and Bumgarner. Nicely played. Storen looks like a solid closer.

Oh Yes!!! My expectations remain modest. Just enjoy the early success, see some of the kids improve, expect some bad luck, big injuries, and/or opponents figuring it out second or third time around the league. They then may fade, hopefully not all the way into the AL cellar. I will admit I'm watching more MLB Network than I thought I would. Why the success? Hard to point at any one thing. Initially I was most impressed by the starting pitching, even with supposed ace Fausto Carmona alternating between stud and BP pitcher. Justin Masterson, the Big Masty, who took so long to get to 2 wins last year is locked in (...though not his best this afternoon). Josh Tomlin and Mitch Talbot, two soft tossers, have been solid (...though Talbot is now injured). Even Carlos Carrasco has had some decent starts [Note to MLB Network: I know it's the lowly Indians, but the dude's first name is Carlos, not Tony!!]. Carrasco is also now injured, so their prime pitching prospect Alex White debuted this afternoon, and pitched well for a debut. [boy does Miguel Cabrera just eat Indians pitching for lunch, ...dinner, and midnight snack! Manny Acta fears him.] With exceptions of Chad Durbin and Joe Smith (I'm still not a believer), the bullpen of Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp, and Vinnie Pestano has also been great. R Perez seems to have regained what he had lost the last season or two. So I thought it was the pitching. But the Tribe are leading the league in batting. Grady Sizemore missed the first two weeks or so, but has been solid in his return from microfracture surgery (12 extra base hits in 11 games). Travis Hafner, who seems to have had shoulder problems for a year and a half, is crushing again (though now has a foot injury). Shin Soo Choo, arguably their best player, is slowly getting going. Carlos Santana, arguably their best young position player, is still around the Mendoza line, but raking at opportune times. Michael Brantley filled in well in the leadoff spot with Grady on the shelf, and now bats 7th. Matt LaPorta has shown flashes, and they have him in the low pressure position of batting 7th or 8th. Orlando Cabrera has been more than a good luck charm--he's showing leadership. Asdrubal Cabrera is finally healthy again and has a little pop in his bat. And the Indians are stealing by getting any production at all out of Jack Hannahan (and Adam Everett) at third (...keeping the corner warm for Lonnie Chisenhall). Though Hannahan does improve the infield defense substantially. My folks now call me up within a few minutes of the end of a Tribe win (...much like what happened with the local NBA outfit for several years). Good times. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Absolutely. For the image-conscious would-be playboy that has learned how to "talk jazz" from another website.

Joe West remains a brutal umpire.

The Creator has a master plan...

Fortunately I don't get the heartburn with the garlic fries. Had a nice batch of Gilroy garlic fries at the SF park in July 2001 (don't recall which phone company was paying for signage at the time). Sat in the upper deck in left field. Curt Schilling pitched 7 scoreless innings, surrendering just one hit and striking out 12, as the DBacks prevailed 9-2. Nice end to a long couple of workdays on the road. Best part of the Gordon Biersch microbrewery franchise are the garlic fries.

I see. So he didn't die of steroid induced cancer then? Hm. I plainly said no such thing. Just correcting the record. And not taking any bait. Chili dogs -- thumbs up or down? What about garlic fries?

Yes, this is a waste of time to read, so why am I here? I don't know. Lyle Alzado was not a linebacker, he was a defensive end.

Minor Manny coverage pet peeve: His career did not start in Boston. His success did not start in Boston. His goofiness did not start in Boston. He played more postseason games as an Indian (and specifically more WS games). His Bos/Cle stats are pretty darn comparable, though his best two individual seasons were his last two in Cleveland. Yes, he helped end a biblical drought in a northeast port (...for which many of us will be eternally grateful). You'd basically only know the last item on this list if you relied on ESPN. ...Not that it matters.

Go Tribe!!! Back in first place! After brutal season debuts against the other Sox by Fausto Carmona and Carlos Carrasco, the back end of the rotation (Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, and Mitch Talbot) has been solid. Talbot only went 4 1/3 last night, but Manny Acta had his whole bullpen available due to 7 innings from Tomlin, and used most of it. Bullpen has been solid and Carmona had a great start this afternoon (lowering his ERA from 30.00 to a miniscule 9.00). All this with Shin-Soo Choo, arguably their best position player, very slow out of the gate. I'm confident that they will torment Tribe fans much of the season, but at least they are showing some signs of life (...yes my standards are set low, life is too short). Look for Asdrubal Cabrera to have a solid season after being injured much of last year. He came into camp in better shape and looks to have something to prove. And Orlando Cabrera has been a worthwhile addition so far.

I am so fortunate. Sun is shining, it's about 75 degrees in DC on my day off. [And neither the Cleveland Indians nor the Cleveland Cavaliers will lose today.] Come back to the house after a run to learn that I've won the new Reptet release. Outstanding!!! Johnny, PM on the way on possibly adding other Reptet titles.

Tribe turn first triple play of the season--initiated by Carlos Santana playing first. Masterson looked like a major league starter, though almost nobody saw it at the Jake/Prog. [insert seasonal rant asking why baseball must be played on north coast in early April, and in Texas in August.]

Do you think you have until Memorial Day? I'm not so sure...

Just checked the Tribe/Chisox score. Palehouse winning 14-0 in the 4th inning. It's gonna be a long season...

I know the weather outside is frightful, but try Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, KC, etc. Enjoy the talent on your team, and the good season they are likely to have. Tribe currently in first place.

Very cool, wish I had thought of this! Milwaukee, Milwaukee, gosh, for the life of me, I can't think of a single reason they would get 2 t-shirts, and Rollie Fingers image, instead of Oakland! How could one even consider such an enterprise without celebrating Oscar Gamble???

Anywhere south of Philly? Say in our nation's capital??

Thanks for the heads up. It was good to make it out and see Butch in person. Good job on the discographical spin through the years. Has inspired a new playlist with about 25 of the album titles you list, including what likely are several desert island picks of mine. Go Butch!!

Hey Bertrand. I think I will try to make this after work this evening. First time for me on the UDC campus.

Whatever. I saw Konitz for the first time at the Kennedy Center in November 2009 and the full house audience looked much like the photo above. No one appeared to leave early, and Lee and company were warmly received. Are we to conclude that DC is hipper than NYC? Or that Kennedy Center is hipper than Lincoln Center?

Renaud and Solal arrived in great shape. Thanks for the quick delivery!