Thought the Tribe's starting pitcher picks the uniform for the game.

Yes, that's right, a major league above-avg 2nd baseman is not worth an all star left handed pitcher. But Kipnis does have a pretty user friendly contract so he could be a building block of the trade, But we'd probably have to surrender our best minor league lefty starter, McKenzie or Aiken as the Sox prefer, and some other stuff too.

McKenzie is a righty.

You'd have to be an idiot not to want Sale on your team but this offseason, after a World Series win hopefully, I will be wanting a great hitting slugger again.

Yeah, I had noticed that about McKenzie. I originally thought we had picked three HS lefties in 2015 draft so I'll probably continue to think so. Please keep reminding me.

Hard to keep track of everything on all these guys. You do better than I and most.

Further research on the Post-Season Rosters and Yandy Diaz:

1. I didn't know this, but anyone on the 40 man roster as of August 31 can be designated f0r the 25 man roster set for each playoff round. Not required to be on the 25 man roster as of August 31. So all the days currently on assignment like Gonzalez and Urshela; Adams and Armstrong and Anderson; are available.

2. So Yandy would have to be added at least to the 40-man roster by August 31. That would mean dumping someone who's on it now which is easy since Cowgill for some reason remains on that list.

3. But Yandy would also have to added to the 25-man roster by August 31 or otherwise use one of his 3 minor league waivers to be assigned to Columbus. That means removing someone else from the 25 man roster and optioning him out. Which means:

a. Anyone who has used one of his options earlier this year can be optioned again and it doesn't add to his 3 option limit.
b. Usually a player cannot be recalled until he spends 10 days in the minors BUT
c. That rule does not apply if the team to which he has been assigned has completed his season
d. So the simple expedient is to option let's say Mike Clevinger on August 31 to the Arizona summer league, whose season by then will have ended, and recalling him on September 1.

There's another interesting rule that lets any player at all on any of the minor leagues be added to a post season roster to replace someone who goes on the DL after August 31. Not sure how much of a loophole that is but there's no question that the front office knows how to exploit all of these possibilities.
In fact, I have to assume that keeping Cowgill on the 40-man has been done to provide an easy way to place any newly acquire player on the roster without having to get rid of someone we want.
And it suggests that Yandy will stay in Columbus until the last minute while the team looks for flexibility to add another catcher or another Almonte-replaement before midnight on Aug 31.

Good stuff Civ! One almost needs a law degree to figure this stuff out.

So its CIV......ESQ

Looking at team stats in today's paper, it's rather remarkable to note that Indians are 2nd in both team batting average and team ERA. On offense the hits have not been wasted as they're also 2nd in runs scored. The pitchers have lost their No. 1 spot in strikeouts that they had last year. But do lead the AL in shutouts.

By comparison with the other top teams in the AL:
Orioles are 7th in AVG, 7th in runs; 10th in ERA. [How come their record is any good?]
Blue Jays are 14th in AVG, but 3rd in runs; and lead in ERA. [How come they're not running away with the East?]
Red Sox are top in AVG and runs, both by a wide margin; 8th in ERA.
Rangers are 4th in AVG, 4th in runs; 11th in ERA.

If pitching is 9/10 or so of the game, it looks like Toronto would be our only serious rival. [And that the Cubs should be prohibitive favorites for their first World championship since 1492.]

[And that the Cubs should be prohibitive favorites for their first World championship since 1492.]

1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

you mean the Cubs last won Before Columbus discovered America? I thought the Series ended that year on October 12, the day he got off the boat?

Indians add John Sherman as minority ownership partner



11:39 AM ET
Associated Press

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan has brought on a minority partner.

After a yearlong search to find an investor to alleviate some of the financial burden, Dolan, whose family bought the club from Richard Jacobs in 2000, has partnered with John Sherman, a business entrepreneur from Kansas City, Missouri.

It's not immediately known how much Sherman paid for his share or his ownership percentage.

The Indians have struggled in recent years with attendance, and have been challenged to compete in free agency against teams with more resources. However, the club is currently in first place in the AL Central, and with a roster of young players and strong pitching, the future looks bright.

Sherman says he's excited to be joining the Indians and will work with Dolan and "further the organization and team in any way that I can."

Orioles are good cause their tops in league in home runs. They must come at key times.

So dolan finally unloaded the share that I sold him