The Indians won 22 straight before losing to the Royals on Friday night. (I'm pleased to report the Indians have a started a new streak, whipping the Royals on Saturday) As a lifelong Indians fan, I watched a fair amount of those 22 W's and I just wanna say two things: 1) congratulations and 2) damn, I'm glad that's over! This Indian team is good, real good, just being good will win them a lot more games than they lose. They don't need to worry about being perfect, just be good! I'm glad they stamped their names in the history books, that's cool, but the goal is the World Series not this streak.
This team is much deeper than the team that was up 3-1 in the World Series last year. And the key to this amazing run has been the pitching. At the trade deadline they remolded their bullpen and around that time SP's Kluber, Carrasco, Clevinger and Bauer went lights out.
Worth noting: the 22nd W was perhaps the sweetest of all: a Lindor double to tie it in the bottom of the 9th and a Jay Bruce single to win it the 10th. Great comeback, fun game, the Royals played well that night and beating them was a real treat, all in all a fitting end to the streak. I was a little surprised by the L that followed in that I kinda thought when the streak came to an end it would be because the Indians played a lousy game (bad at-bats, bad base running, poor pitching, errors, etc.) and that isn't really happened; the Indians had their chances late (I appreciate that Francona left Gomes and Mejia in the bat in the 9th and that he brought in Salazar, the one SP that had no success during the streak, out of the bullpen) but just failed to pull it out like they did the night before. No sweat, I was ready for the streak to end (I bet Terry Francona was too!).
Showing posts with label indians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indians. Show all posts
Monday, September 18, 2017
Thursday, November 3, 2016
World Series
Fuck, what a game! What a series! I love baseball and when it shines out this good, it's such a pleasure to witness. That said, as an Indians fan I wish it had turned out different. Rain delay in the 9th inning....
Look, the Cubs were the best team all year long, no doubt. And after watching the Indians all year long, I loved the team, loved the pitching, loved the coach, loved the vibe, but not until they went up on the Blue Jays did I think they would even make the World Series much less win it. So as a Tribe fan, I'm cool. We had a great year and while the title was palpable, every baseball fan knows that it ain't over til its over. The tricky part as a general baseball fan is knowing all along that the Cubs will be back next year while the Indians will be in the mix in the AL but are by no means a guarantee, so for all the angst of the Cubs fans, they're gonna be dominate the NL for the foreseeable future, they'll have chances to break the curse while us Indians fans needed to hit the mark as soon as possible.
Good year for the Cubs, congrats. After Rajai Davis hit that homer, I really thought all the momentum was going back to Cleveland and the Indians would finish it off. But the baseball gods were rooting for the Cubs. That rain delay...
I think the Cubs should invite Bartman to throw out the first pitch on opening day. He's a legit Cubs fan and to suffer that level of sadness to be associated with the Cubs curse is a unimaginable level of trauma. The curse is over, the championship is won, bringing out Bartman to put the curse to rest is not merely a nice thing to do, it is a necessary thing to do. The Cubs will be good for a while, it is imperative to put the losing past behind them. And to restore a true Cubs fan to his rightful place is the perfect way to do it. It should happen and I think it will. Welcome back to Chicago, Mr. Bartman, the first pitch is yours.
Look, the Cubs were the best team all year long, no doubt. And after watching the Indians all year long, I loved the team, loved the pitching, loved the coach, loved the vibe, but not until they went up on the Blue Jays did I think they would even make the World Series much less win it. So as a Tribe fan, I'm cool. We had a great year and while the title was palpable, every baseball fan knows that it ain't over til its over. The tricky part as a general baseball fan is knowing all along that the Cubs will be back next year while the Indians will be in the mix in the AL but are by no means a guarantee, so for all the angst of the Cubs fans, they're gonna be dominate the NL for the foreseeable future, they'll have chances to break the curse while us Indians fans needed to hit the mark as soon as possible.
Good year for the Cubs, congrats. After Rajai Davis hit that homer, I really thought all the momentum was going back to Cleveland and the Indians would finish it off. But the baseball gods were rooting for the Cubs. That rain delay...
I think the Cubs should invite Bartman to throw out the first pitch on opening day. He's a legit Cubs fan and to suffer that level of sadness to be associated with the Cubs curse is a unimaginable level of trauma. The curse is over, the championship is won, bringing out Bartman to put the curse to rest is not merely a nice thing to do, it is a necessary thing to do. The Cubs will be good for a while, it is imperative to put the losing past behind them. And to restore a true Cubs fan to his rightful place is the perfect way to do it. It should happen and I think it will. Welcome back to Chicago, Mr. Bartman, the first pitch is yours.
Monday, October 31, 2016
World Series (After 5 Games)
When the Indians went up 3-1 on the Cubs I could taste it. But I remember the last time the Indians went up 3-1 in the playoffs (Coach Francona does, too, he was the coach of the Red Sox who came back and won), and it went something like this: I knew Josh Beckett was gonna be untouchable in Game Five (he was), I knew Curt Schilling was gonna be tough in Game Six (he was) and I knew Dice-K was not gonna be an easy out in Game Seven (I was right again). I knew the Indian pitching wasn't as good and the hitting was going to disappear...and it did.
Let's look at this time around: Cubs weren't going quietly in Game Four (they did not), Arrieta will be a beast in Game Five (girl, you know it's true) and in Game Seven Hendricks is gonna want payback for the W he wasn't able to lock down in his very impressive Game Three. Series ain't over, Indians fans. To get that ring we gotta go get that last game. And doing it in Cleveland is not going to be any easier than doing it in Chicago. An ominous observation for these young-and-coming Cubs: Wrigley Field in late October does not look like an environment conducive to left handed power hitting. The Cubs are set to dominate for the next coupla years but their homefield may not be an advantage in the coming Fall Classics. (Also, never really noticed before but, man, Wrigley Field looks like a fuckin' dump! Those brick walls, those narrow dugouts, and you know the parts you don't see can't be any better) The upside for the Cubs though is I think they're better off trying to win in Cleveland than in Chicago.
I picked the Indians in 7 at the beginning and I think I'm gonna stick with that. I think Arrieta has one more masterful game in him that the Indians won't be able to overcome (after which both teams will be 2-1 on the road). And then I'll take Kluber over Hendricks in Game Seven. The Cubs' bats have been pretty soft so far and I think the Indians can make that continue for two more games. The Indians have outscored the Cubs 17-10 so far and 6 of the Cubs' 10 runs came in just two innings, in the other 42 innings they've scored just 4 runs. I think the Indians can make that work.
I really admire these Cubs but I really love these Indians. I think the Cubs push the Indians to the brink but I'll stick with the Tribe to finish 'em off. (Indeed, look for the Indians to win big in Game Seven, just a hunch)
Let's look at this time around: Cubs weren't going quietly in Game Four (they did not), Arrieta will be a beast in Game Five (girl, you know it's true) and in Game Seven Hendricks is gonna want payback for the W he wasn't able to lock down in his very impressive Game Three. Series ain't over, Indians fans. To get that ring we gotta go get that last game. And doing it in Cleveland is not going to be any easier than doing it in Chicago. An ominous observation for these young-and-coming Cubs: Wrigley Field in late October does not look like an environment conducive to left handed power hitting. The Cubs are set to dominate for the next coupla years but their homefield may not be an advantage in the coming Fall Classics. (Also, never really noticed before but, man, Wrigley Field looks like a fuckin' dump! Those brick walls, those narrow dugouts, and you know the parts you don't see can't be any better) The upside for the Cubs though is I think they're better off trying to win in Cleveland than in Chicago.
I picked the Indians in 7 at the beginning and I think I'm gonna stick with that. I think Arrieta has one more masterful game in him that the Indians won't be able to overcome (after which both teams will be 2-1 on the road). And then I'll take Kluber over Hendricks in Game Seven. The Cubs' bats have been pretty soft so far and I think the Indians can make that continue for two more games. The Indians have outscored the Cubs 17-10 so far and 6 of the Cubs' 10 runs came in just two innings, in the other 42 innings they've scored just 4 runs. I think the Indians can make that work.
I really admire these Cubs but I really love these Indians. I think the Cubs push the Indians to the brink but I'll stick with the Tribe to finish 'em off. (Indeed, look for the Indians to win big in Game Seven, just a hunch)
Sunday, October 23, 2016
World Series
I love baseball, have my whole life. But I hate cable TV so I haven't watched much baseball over the years. Last year I started watching the MLB free game of the day, a great way to get a random look around the league. I was doing the free style this year when I got an offer to get the rest of the season for a paltry sum, which I jumped on hard. The downside of that was I didn't get the wide look at the league that I did the previous year; the upside was I watched a ton of my beloved Cleveland Indians. I gotta say: I love this team. This is a fun team to watch, they battle, they're clever players, Terry Francona is the man (he won me over two years ago, when he led a really green bunch of bananas into the post-season), and these guys all love each other (a quality palpable in baseball more than any of the other sports). I thought this team was good but flawed, hard working but not necessarily the more talented team night in/night out.
The Cubs, on the other hand, caught my eye last year while pummeling the Cards in the playoffs. They faltered against the Mets but that's okay, they're a young team that was already ahead of schedule. You could tell that 2016 was gonna be their year. They avoided the pitfalls, sidestepped all the tragedies (curses and whatnot), and dominated the NL like they should've. Winning the division was a big step, getting through the playoffs and winning the pennant was another step. Are they ready to win the World Series? They are still a young team ahead of schedule.
The Indians play hard every night and make the most of their opportunities. The starting pitching was dominant all season long but now injuries have thinned that depth; fortunately, the bullpen that gave me heartburn all year long has been re-designed and has been the MVP of the team so far in the post-season. The Indians are lovely mix of youth and veterans, they could use more pop in the lineup but they steal bases at a high rate, the defense is above average and Francona is a masterful button-pusher. And, again, these guys really love each other, a chaotic force that makes a good team great.
The Cubs are young and talented at every position, they're the better team on the field every night. The starting pitching was solid, the bullpen too. Not a lot of veteran presence on this squad, they're really young all over. They kinda love each other but mostly they're young and goofy and don't know anything but success, so they trust each other. These guys are a Richard Linklater cast of characters out there having fun and winning because they don't know how to lose. And their coach, Joe Madden, is also a master motivator and tactician (and went head-to-head with Francona for years in the AL East).
Who's gonna make the mistakes? That's what this series is all about. Indians mistakes: giving up home runs, running into outs, hitting into double plays, missing the scoring opportunities. Cubs mistakes: errors, hesitating on the base paths, pitchers getting dribbed and drabbed into giving up big innings. Could go either way.
The Indians are hard working consistent team, they have bad nights but they bounce back quickly (because they love each other). The Cubs are just damn good, they have bad nights but they're damn good and they expect to be damn good more often than not. Indians pitching at its best is, I think, better than the Cubs; if the Indian pitchers are dealing, the Cubs might evaporate. The Cubs have more talent, the Indians have more savvy. I really think these teams match up well and this will be a good series. Obviously as an Indians fan I'd prefer the Cubs lose but as a general baseball fan, I'd love to see the Cubs win (curious to see what that looks like honestly). I'm really looking forward to this, I can't lose!
I think it goes 7 games. First thought: the Cubs are cool customers, they'll be fine in game 7 while the veteran Indians will get over anxious and bunge up. Second thought: reverse that. The Cubs youngsters will feel the pressure of the coming expectations weigh on them while the Indians vets will feel the joy of house money and play loose and zen like. Yeah, I'm biased, I'm going with the latter. I'll take the Indians in 7.
The Cubs, on the other hand, caught my eye last year while pummeling the Cards in the playoffs. They faltered against the Mets but that's okay, they're a young team that was already ahead of schedule. You could tell that 2016 was gonna be their year. They avoided the pitfalls, sidestepped all the tragedies (curses and whatnot), and dominated the NL like they should've. Winning the division was a big step, getting through the playoffs and winning the pennant was another step. Are they ready to win the World Series? They are still a young team ahead of schedule.
The Indians play hard every night and make the most of their opportunities. The starting pitching was dominant all season long but now injuries have thinned that depth; fortunately, the bullpen that gave me heartburn all year long has been re-designed and has been the MVP of the team so far in the post-season. The Indians are lovely mix of youth and veterans, they could use more pop in the lineup but they steal bases at a high rate, the defense is above average and Francona is a masterful button-pusher. And, again, these guys really love each other, a chaotic force that makes a good team great.
The Cubs are young and talented at every position, they're the better team on the field every night. The starting pitching was solid, the bullpen too. Not a lot of veteran presence on this squad, they're really young all over. They kinda love each other but mostly they're young and goofy and don't know anything but success, so they trust each other. These guys are a Richard Linklater cast of characters out there having fun and winning because they don't know how to lose. And their coach, Joe Madden, is also a master motivator and tactician (and went head-to-head with Francona for years in the AL East).
Who's gonna make the mistakes? That's what this series is all about. Indians mistakes: giving up home runs, running into outs, hitting into double plays, missing the scoring opportunities. Cubs mistakes: errors, hesitating on the base paths, pitchers getting dribbed and drabbed into giving up big innings. Could go either way.
The Indians are hard working consistent team, they have bad nights but they bounce back quickly (because they love each other). The Cubs are just damn good, they have bad nights but they're damn good and they expect to be damn good more often than not. Indians pitching at its best is, I think, better than the Cubs; if the Indian pitchers are dealing, the Cubs might evaporate. The Cubs have more talent, the Indians have more savvy. I really think these teams match up well and this will be a good series. Obviously as an Indians fan I'd prefer the Cubs lose but as a general baseball fan, I'd love to see the Cubs win (curious to see what that looks like honestly). I'm really looking forward to this, I can't lose!
I think it goes 7 games. First thought: the Cubs are cool customers, they'll be fine in game 7 while the veteran Indians will get over anxious and bunge up. Second thought: reverse that. The Cubs youngsters will feel the pressure of the coming expectations weigh on them while the Indians vets will feel the joy of house money and play loose and zen like. Yeah, I'm biased, I'm going with the latter. I'll take the Indians in 7.
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