Cord Phelps has been terrible in his return to Columbus. He seemed to have had a breakthrough spring training but nothing since then.

MtFan wrote:Good on Giambi and Francona. They're exhibiting a difficult kind of leadership for professional sports in general, and hopefully more leaders are doing the same.

Now, prepare for more announcements from other gay athletes since a certain 7 foot tall center has breached the dam. It really shouldn't be a big deal. I held different views for a long time but my kids taught me tolerance in this matter.

Glad you agree with the dam breaching.


Comedian Ron White has an oft purchased and viewed DVD with his thoughts on the wasted time of being a homophobe.


Just for historical perspective.....as a History Major......there was an "Archie Bunker's Place" sitcom episode about 30 years ago that addressed gay athletes in the NFL.

Rusty used to get pissed off at me for saying (not when I was not blocking him) I knew guys who threw like a girl and ran like a girl back in elementary school. Turned out later, they were all gay.

Gay is not a matter of choice.

Abortion is a matter of choice.

Rusty used to get pissed off at me for saying (not when I was not blocking him), I knew guys who threw like a girl and ran like a girl back in elementary school. Turned out later, they were all gay.

Gay is not a matter of choice.

First off, super egomaniacs like yourself do not block anyone no matter how many times you keep saying it.

So let's see if I have your logic correct. If you throw like a girl and run like a girl then you are probably gay. No wonder, no one thought Jason Collins was gay. I guess there has never been any gay athletes in baseball, football, and basketball before this.

Same guy that thinks all girls experiment with other girls too. Of course maybe we should have them run and throw to figure that out too.

Gay is not a matter of choice.

Actually sometimes it is.

I know quite a few men and women who have "Swung both ways" or have "Gone back and forth".

Many of them in the Military, before Don't Ask Don't Tell was instituted or repealed.

Yes there are some people that are born with the innate attraction to the same sex.

Just as there are some who bounce back and forth and can find pleasure in either or. Sometimes one or the other for exclusive periods of time, because the PERSON they are with makes them happy.

For example a woman who was happily married for 15 years with three kids is suddenly and shockingly widowed. She was deeply in love with her husband, and for some reason dating other men just didn't work for her. She met another friend of mine, who was gay, and lo and behold they hit it off splendidly. So now she's a lesbian. Was she always, no. In fact she admitted that sometimes she misses the comfort and passion her late husband gave, but no other man she met made her feel as close to the way she did with him, and this woman does. BTW this woman claims to have never "experimented" in college and never felt any "urge", but when it came down to our mutual friend it was "right at the time."

Born gay no. Matter of choice. Yes.

Some people on the other hand are not and find no attraction, in fact in some cases a revulsion towards intimacy with members of the opposite sex.

There is no cut and dry answer. And that is the problem, when we as a society stop giving a shit about what other people do in bed, AND on the other hand not shove what is done in bed in everyones face, then we can move forward with more important problems. Sadly I feel that will never happen.

And why the hell is this in "Articles" and not Idle Chatter?

Elias: Ryan Raburn joins exclusive club; Tribe match World Series year
May 2, 2013 by Scott 9 Comments

Cleveland Indians super-sub Ryan Raburn, who was 4-for-5 on Wednesday night, is only the fourth major-league player in the last 75 years to have at least 11 hits and four home runs in a three-game span, per Elias Sports Bureau. The others do so were Duke Snider (1955, Dodgers), Kirby Puckett (1987, Twins) and Shawn Green (2002, Dodgers).

Raburn is also the first major-league player since former Indians third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff in August 2009 to collect 11 hits in a span of 12 at-bats, then with the San Diego Padres.

The Indians have now won their last four games, outscoring opponents by 34 runs over that stretch (39-5). Cleveland last won four straight games by such a large combined margin in August 1948 (41-7, including a 26-3 win over the St. Louis Browns) on their way to winning the World Series.

Jim Ingraham: Raburn, Aviles are most valuable utility players

Published: Friday, May 03, 2013
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By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com
@jitribeinsider

Click to enlarge

If it's true a baseball team is only as strong as its weakest link — I believe it was Connie Mack who had those words written on the inside of his derby when he was managing the old Philadelphia A's — then the Indians are in great shape.

If the season ended today, Ryan Raburn would be in the discussion as the team's MVP, and Mike Aviles would at least be honorable mention.

Those are the Indians' two utilitymen, but there is nothing pedestrian about the utility both offer Manager Terry Francona, who clearly knows the value of spare parts.

Over the last four games, Raburn has been a man among boys, hitting a lusty .857. He is 12-for-14. Nobody goes 12-for-14. Earlier this week, Raburn hit four home runs in just over 24 hours.

Aviles recently hit a clutch home run in Kansas City that was last seen heading for Topeka.

Both players can play any position on the field, and play it well. Both can hit, and can hit after sitting for long stretches. Neither one is a whiner. Both are great teammates who realize and relish what it means to have a job in the major leagues.

Neither one is a star, unless you're picking an All-Utilityman team, in which case they would be your captains. Neither is an everyday player. Both could be everyday players, and on some teams they should be everyday players.

Both are 32 years old, so this is not their first rodeo. They know the drill, they know the game and they accept their place in it. You win with guy like these. Guys who don't play a lot, but when they play they do a lot.

Managers love them because they are low-maintenance team-first winners. They play the game the right way, the winning way.

One month into the season Raburn and Aviles have already made their value known. They are hitting a combined .310 with six home runs and 22 RBI. Aviles has already started games at second base, third base and shortstop. Raburn has started games at second base, left field and right field. Continued...

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In other words, the two players combined have already started games at every non-pitching position on the field but catcher, first base and center field.

But it's more than just being able to play all the positions. It's being able to contribute when they do. Raburn and Aviles both do that.

Francona admits that when he was hired as the Indians manager one of the first discussions he had with General Manager Chris Antonetti was about acquiring quality utility players.

Francona had his eye on Raburn right from the start. Raburn played for the Tigers last year.

"I told Chris if Detroit ever takes him off their roster, he's a guy we should look at, and Chris agreed," Francona said. "I liked him as a guy off the bench because he has a nice short swing."

Aviles was the everyday shortstop for the Red Sox last year, and was a productive one: 13 homers, 60 RBI. Francona managed Aviles in Boston in 2011, so the manager had a history with the player.

Boston traded Aviles to Toronto after last season and the Indians quickly traded for him on Nov. 3 — less than a month after Francona was hired as the manager. That timing was not a coincidence.

Francona was a role player during his playing career. He knows the value of guys who can do that for a living, and do it well. One of the first things he did as manager of the Indians was push for the trade for Aviles.

One of the second things he did was to push for the signing of Raburn as a minor-league free agent.

One of the third things he's done since the season has started is to sit back and watch the valuable play, both under and over the radar, of the Indians' tag-team utility players.

The Indians this year probably have their strongest bench in more than 10 years, and it's due in large part to Raburn and Aviles — their versatility, production and professionalism.

Consider what the two of them have already done for the Indians this season, and then consider some of the tumbleweeds that have blown through the Tribe's clubhouse in a utility role over the last 10 years:

Brent Lillibridge, Jason Donald, Luis Valbuena, Adam Everett, Andy Marte, Drew Sutton, Chris Gimenez, Anderson Hernandez, Niuman Romero, Mike Rouse, Ramon Vazquez, Hector Luna and Joltin' Joe Inglett.

The Indians no longer swim in those waters.

No more utility futility.

Baron wrote:

Gay is not a matter of choice.

There is no cut and dry answer. And that is the problem, when we as a society stop giving a shit about what other people do in bed, AND on the other hand not shove what is done in bed in everyones face, then we can move forward with more important problems. Sadly I feel that will never happen.

And why the hell is this in "Articles" and not Idle Chatter?

First of all, Amen to what you said - all of it. Unfortunately if moving forward never happens it will be because some core beliefs and interpretations of scriptures by the Judeo-Christian-Muslim religions, and them alone. You are condemned to eternal damnation if you don't match the right parts and pieces together according to their interpretation of the book, don't you know?

As to why it ended up in Baseball Articles, well our team's manager and his elder statesman/role model commented specifically on it in an article. And Amen to them as well.

MtFan wrote:

Baron wrote:

Gay is not a matter of choice.

There is no cut and dry answer. And that is the problem, when we as a society stop giving a shit about what other people do in bed, AND on the other hand not shove what is done in bed in everyones face, then we can move forward with more important problems. Sadly I feel that will never happen.

And why the hell is this in "Articles" and not Idle Chatter?

First of all, Amen to what you said - all of it. Unfortunately if moving forward never happens it will be because some core beliefs and interpretations of scriptures by the Judeo-Christian-Muslim religions, and them alone. You are condemned to eternal damnation if you don't match the right parts and pieces together according to their interpretation of the book, don't you know?

As to why it ended up in Baseball Articles, well our team's manager and his elder statesman/role model commented specifically on it in an article. And Amen to them as well.

I must have missed that while skimming due to the over saturation of the topic in recent days.

Went back and read it...good on them. If they can hit or get outs, who cares.

Gaylord's post indicates that we would be better off with Francona than Shapiro or Antonetti managing the whole shebang.

Gaylord's post indicates that we would be better off with Francona than Shapiro or Antonetti managing the whole shebang.

Thinking back to well before even Acta was hired as manager, it seems as though the front office held a philosophy with their manager of "you will make the best with the guys we give you," and the manager didn't have much input as to who the players he fielded were.

I think part of the deal with Francona, as we saw right off the bat (pun intended), is that he was given a much larger input in the talent acquisition department than the previous managers.

Maybe Shapiro and Antonetti realized they needed to change their approach, and that they didn't know as much as they thought they did, or what they did know wasn't enough to put together a winning ball club. Dolan loosening up the purse strings to pay for some talent (and the manager) was a boon, for whatever reason.

Whatever happened I'm glad we have a change of pace from the old scraping the bottom of the barrel for the oft termed "Professional Hitter" or the parade of garbage utility guys that probably should never have been on a major leage roster.

I hope that this hot streak lasts and that the starting pitching settles in to a nice groove. As much as I would love to see us pulverize teams. I remember a few short weeks ago when we couldn't seem to buy a hit let alone a base runner.

Francona did a good job of getting them out of that slump and getting them pumped back up.

We will see what happens next. And if I'm going to subscribe to MLB this year.

Five questions with ... Indians DH Jason Giambi about team chemistry

Getting to know your teammates is a big part of building good team chemistry, says Indians DH Jason Giambi. (Pat Sullivan, Associated Press)


By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

on May 04, 2013 at 3:42 PM, updated May 04, 2013 at 3:43 PM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A quick chat with Indians veteran Jason Giambi.

Q: How hard is it for a team to build good chemistry?

A: It's an effort to get to know your teammates and not just be stuck in your locker on your iPad.

Q: What are the benefits of a team having good chemistry?

A: I know I always make a huge effort to make sure I know all my teammates. Ask about their families. That's how it starts. Before you know it, it turns into everybody rooting for everybody. It takes the pressure off yourself. This game is hard enough. When you start worrying about how the team is playing, how other guys are playing, it kind of lets you relax a little bit.

When you start to hold on too tight, saying "I've gotta' get a hit here," you start checking out of the team function. Then it goes on you and it gets harder.

Q: The Indians are your fourth team. Is the chemistry different from team to team?

A: Yes. In New York with the Yankees, everyone was in the prime of their careers. Everyone had their families. So we were tight when we played. At the end in New York, we had Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano and Melky Cabrera. We went young and the vibe changed.

Q: There's an old saying about baseball being a team game played by nine individuals. How do you get around that to build chemistry?

A: It's true. It's you against the pitcher, the pitcher against the hitter and then you've got to make the play on defense. But it also takes a team effort to win. I think that's what chemistry brings because you have to have that guy who is willing to give himself up to move the guy from second to third or hit a ground ball to drive a guy in from third base.

That's what it takes to win a World Series. When everyone on the team is willing to do that, and if you look around this team everyone is willing to do that, that's how you win ballgames.

Q: When you signed here, what were your expectations?

A: It was two parts. I definitely wanted to mentor and help some of these younger players, but I also wanted to contribute. That's the most important thing -- to be able to contribute and pull my weight.

I came here to win. I didn't come here to just be part of the team and babysit. I came here to win and I came here to push these young kids and help them become the next superstars of the game.

Indians Designate Ezequiel Carrera For Assignment


By Zach Links [May 5 at 11:32am CST]

The Indians announced that they have designated outfielder Ezequiel Carrera for assignment. In a related move, the Tribe recalled left-hander Scott Barnes from Triple-A Columbus.

The move marks the second time that Carrera has been designated for assignment by Cleveland this season. For those of you keeping track of the 25-year-old's travels, Carrera was DFA'd by the Tribe and went to the Phillies before winding back up with the Indians.

Carrera had three hits in 21 plate appearances for the Indians and Phillies this year. In parts of three big league seasons, Carrera owns a .251/.306/.339 slash line with two homers. He's fared better at the Triple-A level where he has hit .286/.351/.372 across three seasons.

Carrera designated for assignment, Barnes recalled


By Tony Lastoria
May 5, 2013

Today the Cleveland Indians announced they have designated outfielderEzequiel Carrera for assignment and recalled left-handed pitcher Scott Barnes from Triple-A Columbus.

Barnes has spent most of the season at Triple-A Columbus where he has gone 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA in 8 relief outings (9.2 IP, 8 H, 4R/ER, 5 BB, 10 K, .250 AVG) and has limited left-handed batters to a .222 (2-for-9) average against. Over his last 4 outings since April 20 he has an ERA of 1.93 (4.2IP, 3H, 1R/ER, 6K). He was with the Indians on April 28 as the 26th-man for that day’s doubleheader and appeared in the day game (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R/ER, HR, BB).

Barnes should help fill a short term need in the bullpen while the Indians are a little short-handed with right-handerVinnie Pestano still day-to-day with elbow soreness. He will probably be sent right back to Columbus once outfielder Michael Bourn returns, which could be some time later this week.

Carrera went 2-for-4 at the plate in two games with the Indians the past few days. He was claimed off waivers and added to the roster on Friday. The Indians have 10 days to trade, release, or outright him to the minors.

With first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher back in the lineup and Bourn expected to return soon, the Indians had no need for a fifth outfielder on the active roster. There is a good chance he could clear waivers as he passed through all the NL clubs last week and half the AL clubs before the Indians claimed him. If he clears waivers he would have to accept an outright assignment and would be sent to Columbus.