CC Sabathia Shuts Down Indians, Adds Insult to Injury for Cleveland
Maybe I’m too nice, but generally when I watch a baseball game, I root for my team to win, but not for the other team to lose. When the Indians walk off the field victorious, I get no pleasure from seeing the other team slink back to the clubhouse in frustration.
Last night was an exception. And watching the Tribe lose was heartbreaking.
When the New York Yankees come to town my blood always starts to boil, and as if having the Best Team Money Can Buy in town wasn’t enough, the most infamous ex-Indians player in recent history was taking the mound in pinstripes.
CC Sabathia might not be as—shall we say—unpopular in Cleveland as LeBron James, but Carsten Charles probably doesn’t have many friends left in Northeast Ohio. It’s not just that Sabathia sold his soul to the devil out to the Yankees. It’s that he then tried to pin the blame for his departure on the Indians. (more…)
What Should Indians Expect in Rematch with Yankees?
Today is the United States of America’s 235th birthday, and all over the country people are celebrating with barbecues, picnics, and fireworks. But for the Cleveland Indians on this Independence Day, the Yankees are the enemy.
The Tribe lost three of four in the Bronx last month, and now New York is back for more—the Indians and Yankees kick off a three-game series at Progressive Field tonight.
To get an expert’s perspective on the Indians’ holiday guests, I talked to BronxBombersReport.com‘s Craig Williams about New York’s approach to the trade deadline, the team’s clubhouse chemistry, and the Yankees’ overrepresentation in the All-Star starting lineup. Here’s what he had to say:
WAHOO BLUES: Just after the halfway point in the season, the Yankees are in first place in the AL East, but the Red Sox are just 1.5 games behind and the Rays are only four games out. How do you see the division shaking out?
CRAIG WILLIAMS: I still see the Yankees making the playoffs – barring unforeseen injuries and the like. On paper, the Red Sox might be ever so slightly better than the Yanks, but New York still has their top prospect in the minors and the resources to address needs at the trade deadlines. I don’t know if they’ll win the division or settle on the wild card, but I think they can land one of those two playoff spots.
WB: There’s been a lot of talk about chemistry in the New York clubhouse—Posada’s unhappiness with being demoted in the lineup, Jeter’s struggles, and A-Rod’s everpresent ego have all had people worrying. Is this overblown or is it a real problem? (more…)
Yankees, Red Sox Fans Hurting Themselves with All-Star Votes
Everyone knows Major League Baseball’s annual All-Star vote is a popularity contest.
People don’t vote for the most deserving names on the ballot—they punch in for their favorite players or the stars they recognize. As a result, the starting lineups for the Midsummer Classic say more about the fans and media than the accomplishments of the players.
As is to be expected, it’s usually the biggest-market teams who dominate the voting—the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers have had some of the most inflated vote totals over the last couple years in the AL, while the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals get some of the most blind ballots in the NL. And, of course, there’s the most evil recognizable sports franchise in the universe: the New York Yankees.
Looking at the latest voting updates, this season’s balloting looks just as screwed up as (if not more than) usual. Current projected starters Lance Berkman, Troy Tulowitzki, Brandon Phillips, and Russell Martin would be good (or at least defensible) choices for reserve spots, but they’re definitely not the best at their positions. And a number of voting leaders—Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Josh Hamilton, and Albert Pujols—are completely undeserving of All-Star appearances. And that’s just among the No. 1 vote-getters at each position.
Moving down the lists in the AL, Mark Teixeira is somehow ahead of Miguel Cabrera and Mitch Moreland is inexplicably beating Adam Lind. Orlando Cabrera has more votes than Ben Zobrist and Howie Kendrick. Ichiro Suzuki, Carl Crawford, Nelson Cruz, and Nick Swisher, who have combined for 1.7 WAR, are among the Top 8 outfielders. And Jorge Posada, the DH with an 88 wRC+, is in third place.
Things are just as bad in the NL. Ryan Howard has nearly 1.5 million votes even though, at 1.1 WAR, he’s been roughly a league-average player. Dan Uggla is hitting .178 and has topped a million votes, while Chase Utley is nearing 2 million despite having missed nearly two months of the season. And Yuniesky Betancourt has been well below replacement value (-0.6 WAR) at least 860,163 people say he’s better than Jose Reyes.
I realize there’s no way All-Star voting can ever be objective. I understand and appreciate homerism—I’m guilty of it myself. But the striking thing is that these results betray the voters’ complete unawareness of the consequences of their actions—the fans who are affected most by the outcome of the Midsummer Classic are the ones who are putting the least thought into their selections. (more…)
Cleveland Snaps Losing Streak, Holds on to First Place
Had the Cleveland Indians lost to the New York Yankees Monday night, it would have been their fifth consecutive defeat and their 10th in 11 games. They would have slipped into second place for the first time since April 6—a symbolic blow that, to many, would have seemed like the end of the Tribe’s improbable run.
But they didn’t. (more…)
What Should Cleveland Indians Expect From New York Yankees?
It’s been a rough week for the Cleveland Indians. They got swept by the Texas Rangers and dropped two of three to the Minnesota Twins. Combined with the Detroit Tigers’ sudden hot streak, the Tribe’s struggles have been enough for their once-formidable AL Central lead to fall to just one game.
This weekend, the Indians will look to recapture their lost momentum on one of the biggest stages in baseball as they travel to the Bronx for four games against the New York Yankees (33-27). And unlike the 2007 ALDS, they won’t have the midgies on their side.
To get a better idea about what to expect from the Tribe’s weekend hosts, I talked to BronxBombersReport.com‘s Craig Williams about Derek Jeter’s long-term role, Curtis Granderson’s breakout year, and what the Yankees will do at the Trade Deadline. Here’s what he had to say:
WAHOO BLUES: The Yankees have slipped behind the Red Sox, and the Rays and Blue Jays aren’t far behind. How do you see the AL East standings shaking out?
CRAIG WILLIAMS: Whenever the Yankees play against a team other than the Red Sox, they will often look fine. The offense is clicking – even if it’s a bit reliant on homers, the starting pitching is solid and the bullpen does work. As soon as the Red Sox come to town, it’s like a cue for the starters to serve up homers, the relievers to cough up leads and the offense to kill rallies.
With that said, I still think the Yanks have what it takes to make the playoffs. The Red Sox have the better team right now, but are not without their flaws. The Rays and Blue Jays figure to be tough down the stretch – the Orioles too for that matter – but the Yankees have the resources to plug holes from within and to tap into the trade market for help.
WB: Do you see New York making a big splash at the deadline? Who would you go after, and who would you be willing to give up? (more…)
