Patrick

My brick of goodness also arrived today in fine shape!

Thanks for the heads up. I just ordered Konitz, Lacy, Murray from them for $96.54 delivered.

I didn't notice it either. Generally stay out of the forums discussion folder (due to lots of complaining about personalities etc). Paypal payment sent.

Tribe getting trounced early on Sunday. Verlander starting for Tigers against KC. Looks like the Tribe won't be in first place at the ASB. But they will only be 1/2 game out, and showing promise, much more promise than anyone predicted in March. Plenty of "what ifs" for that team--among position players, only Asdrubal Cabrera and Travis Hafner can be said to be exceeding expectations. And plenty of key position players are not meeting them (Sizemore, Choo, Santana head the list). With the glaring exception of Fausto Carmona, pitching staff has performed quite well (though Mitch Talbot has struggled lately--I don't think many reasonably expected him to have a solid year). Masterson and Tomlin have been tremendous, as has most of the bullpen. Go Tribe.

Travis Hafner!!!!!!! Glad that June is over for the Tribe.

I agree. I wasn't sure Masty was more than a shutdown late inning reliever, but he looks to be solid (and given the large number of available rotation slots, he'll have one). As always, we'll see about dollars. Tribe in the past has been willing to pay a bit to forego free agency years. Nice to see some value return for VMart. Tip the cap to Millwood for still playing. He is definitely a grinder. I doubt there's much left (...but I felt the same away about Bartolo). Fausto will get at least one rehab start. Hopefully he'll do more than check that his quad is alright. I would be thrilled if he gets two such starts and does some work on his mechanics, esp from the stretch. Zach McAllister (acquired in the Austin Kearns rental deal last year) will make his major league debut tonight against Toronto. Hopefully he'll pitch as well as Tomlin, Carrasco, and White have this season (i.e. better than Fausto and recent Mitch Talbot).

The Tribe/Yankee series that just concluded illustrates the promise and shortcomings of the Tribe. Two outstanding starts (Tomlin and Masterson), yet Tomlin looked to be taking a tough loss. Something that Masterson has dealt with much of the season. Team just doesn't score enough runs. Carrasco, another young starter with great promise (and high variance) gets trounced in the middle game. Tribe leaves men on base all over the place (at least tonight). Defense is solid (ACab, LaPorta in his first game back, Grady for the Ladies). Only exception tonight was the complete ineffectiveness of Vinnie Pestano. Maybe he just wanted to create a save opportunity for CPerez, and did it just about at quickly as possible. Nice to see Granderson (and his bats) leaving the Jake.

A Cleveland legend. Check out the photo gallery assembled for her 92nd birthday here.

I caught the Rosnes quartet at the Vanguard on Thursday, and share the view of Professor Nash. Friendly chap who responded to a slight handwave from me by coming over to our table and shaking everybody's hand while wearing a big smile. Also caught him with Randy Weston's group at the Kennedy Center fairly recently. Wasn't Rosnes part of SF Jazz Collective for a bit, and maybe writing an arrangement or two for BlueNote 7, not to mention recording and performing with current hubby Bill Charlap?

Not a bad point, not at all, but...I have a very hard time holding any type of enthusiasm or optimism about a team with a bullpen that shows a lack of basic character and skill on anything other than a fleeting basis. Especially when it starts to infect the team in little ways that betray a basic lack of focus. At some point the "organization", be it the clubhouse leaders, the managerial staff, and/or the front office needs to disallow that type of bullshit by any means necessary. Otherwise you're playing me for a chump, and I'll not allow it. Give me a team that loses honestly, hey, I'm good. Give me a team that has the occasional lapse or slump but bounces back, I'm good there, too. Give me a team that has needs but makes honest attempts to meet them, no problem. I don't expect to "always" win, I just expect to see an honest effort executed that exhibits professional and personal pride & self-respect. But I will not invest in a team that continues to perform like the Rangers of tonight and far too many other games this season. This Loyal Doyle stuff is for people who have needs that I do not have (meaning only that everybody has their own needs, nothing more). Like most people, I get paid to tolerate unaddressed & ongoing incompetency, and to pretend to support those who "expect" thing to happen without understanding what it takes to actually make them happen. What I don't get paid to do is watch baseball games and emotionally invest in a team. Like I said, I don't need that in my life. I love it when it's there, but can get along quite well without it. Spent the first decade of this century doing it, and have totally disavowed the Mavericks & Cowboys, so it's not like I don't know how... Now, having finished that little vent/rant. let me add that C.J. Wilson is exempt from all of this, his post-game comments and demeanor after the most vile, bitter, wholly unnecessary and uncalled-for loss of the season being that of a person of true character. He may be a total jerk in his personal life, I don't know, and that's none of my business one way or the other. But as far as professional character, everything I've seen out of him, hey, he's a worthy human being. The rest of these jokers I'm not sure about. At least not at this particular moment. Well stated. I agree with most if not all of it. And I will freely admit that it is not hard to be an easygoing Indians fan this season since the expectation was 4th place and the team's key core is young. Also reasonable for major concern for favorites whose window of opportunity is rapidly closing, though (despite the hysteria on display) I'm not yet convinced the Yankees are in that bucket. Is it time to trade Texeira, Cano, and ARod for prospects? I didn't think so. The Red Sox and the Phillies are definitely not in that category. Don't have a feel for your Rangers, though the lineup looks pretty damn solid. Bullpens can be damn frustrating (see Wickman, Bob and Borowski, Joe for some recent Lake Erie mayhem). The Tribe bullpen has been a strength this year which is another reason for optimism watching the Tribe, even if bullpen success can fade quickly. Your Loyal Doyle view is why I'm a subdued Browns fan since their return. They've been terrible in just about every way. Root for the team, but with little emotional investment. Smile when Josh Cribbs shines. May go that way with the post-LeBron Cavs as well--expectations are definitely dialed down.

No thank you note to the Tribe for the three pack gift they provided your team last week??? Tribe managed to go 4-5 on road against SF, AZ, and Cincy. Hopefully Fausto Carmona will be on the DL a little longer than 15 days and gently moved to long relief. Not going to happen, but one can dream. Hopefully Travis Hafner will have his swing in good shape against NYY at home. He's only had a few pinch hit opportunities over the last 9 games in NL towns. Nightmare June (10-17) now over and Tribe is still in first place at the halfway mark, even with a large number of injuries and quite a few underperformers on the team. Cannot really complain (...just as any fan of a team that is still in contention shouldn't be ). Tribe needs to add a good outfielder if there are any to be had. Not sure GM will do anything besides promote young pitching talent and hope the likes of Travis Buck and Austin Kearns can deliver.

as is the entire city of Charleston, South Carolina?

Add me to the satisfied chorus... Do they have any of the most recent batch of BS/SN boxes? I've checked a few times without success.

Mitch Talbot recovers from a blowout loss to the Bosox with a solid start against the streaking Jays. Even strikes out Bautista with two on. Carmona was dreadful again the previous game. Time to call up some minor leaguers to help with the offense (Cord Phelps).

Tribe is definitely coming back to earth a bit. The lineup definitely misses Sizemore and Hafner. Not too much to worry about in Cleveland. The Rays on the other hand...

A few thank yous are in order. 1. Thanks to ESPN for finally putting MLB's best [Cleveland Indians] on a national broadcast. Of course it had to include Bosox or Yanks. Hopefully, we won't have to wait until NYY for the next one. 2. Thanks to the StL Cards for shipping Chris Perez to Cleveland in exchange for Mark DeRosa. Perez certainly has a bit of that Wickman/Borowski make-your-stomach-do-flips mojo. Why not put guys on first and third so that you need to get a double play out of the fastest guy in the Bosox lineup? Better to be lucky than good. Best to be lucky and good. 3. Thanks to the Seattle Mariners for shipping Asdrubal Cabrera to the Tribe in exchange for Eduardo Perez. Starting AL All-Star at short better not be wearing pinstripes this year. 4. Thanks to Orlando Cabrera for being a good luck charm, and for helping ACab discover his power. 5. Thanks to manager Francona for not pitching around ACab. Ultimate respect for Choo, who arguably was the best position player in Cleveland before the season started. But Choo has been struggling almost the entire season. And Asdrubal is something like 8 out of his last 9 with 3 HRs and a double. Looked like it was going to be another tough luck loss for the Big Masty. He lost 1-0 to Jake Peavy in his last start. Buchholz was way tough. Tribe could barely get the ball out of the infield. But they found a way. Kind of a must win given that multiple-personality disorder Fausto will be going against Beckett and then Toby Namedlater against that Lester guy.

Definitely hope that it remains a good thing to do, for fans of both squads.

Josh Tomlin!!! atta (unheralded, soft-throwing) kid! now 6-1 after 7IP 1ER against the Reds, outdueling Homer Bailey. Tomlin now leads the majors with a WHIP of 0.82, ahead of Haren, Ogando, Verlander, Beckett, Weaver, Halladay, etc. Only loss thus far has been a 3-1 decision against Cahill and the A's.

Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner now on the shelf. Challenging phase of schedule for Tribe coming up (CIN, BOS, @TB, @TOR, TEX). Nice rally tonight in a game that they did not really deserve to win--rookie starter Alex White lasted only 3 innings due to ineffectiveness and soreness in his middle finger [wonder how that happened?], 3 errors, no hit into the 6th. After a two-out triple by Shin-Soo Choo in the 8th, Reds intentionally walk Carlos Santana in order to face Shelley Duncan. Ezekial Carrera, just called up to replace Hafner, pinch hits, and drag bunts the first pitch he sees as a major leaguer for the go ahead run. Last six Tribe wins at home have come in last at bat. Better to be lucky than good. Best to be lucky and good. Hopefully the Tribe will continue to be both!

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.