Cleveland Sports Forum

I don't care about Frazier's hair or his Mickey Mantle issues. He should be a very good major leaguer.

March 27, 2017

The Dodgers have agreed to a minor-league deal with free-agent righty Justin Masterson

Masterson, who recently turned 32, had been looking for a new organization after failing to receive a shot at the majors last year with the Pirates. He threw 54 1/3 innings at Triple-A, over five starts and twenty relief appearances, compiling a 4.97 ERA with 5.3 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9.

As recently as 2013, Masterson seemed on the rise, as he turned in 193 innings of 3.45 ERA ball in a bounceback campaign. But extension talks with the Indians stalled and disaster struck in 2014, when he lost nearly three full ticks of fastball velocity. That trend only continued after Masterson signed a make-good deal with the Red Sox, but his velocity dove further as shoulder problems emerged.

It’s not clear at this point whether Masterson will be assigned to a minor-league roster or instead spend some time at extended spring training working with his new organization’s staff. The Dodgers have employed a fair number of pitchers in recent years who rediscovered their past form after stretches of injury-driven ineffectiveness, so perhaps there are some lessons to be conveyed to Masterson.

[He seemed like a good guy and a real talent. Sorry things have not worked out for Justin. Lucky Indians that the signing didn't happen.]

Masterson, from what I hear, is truly one of the "good" guys on and off the field. Either he, or his agent, got a little too greedy about signing a long term deal and when the physical problems emerged, crashed and burned.

Can't believe he's only 32.

When the Indians finally stopped getting steamrolled by players and agents, is the day they started building the team we see today.

Milwaukee lost today 2-1 but Colorado can't seem to get Aguilar out. He' been alternating between pinch hitting and starting. Today he got the start 2-3 with a walk and he's hitting at a meager .714 clip. So far, pinch hit single, started went 1-2, pinch hit single, started went 2-3 with a double and a walk. Colorado won 3 1-run ballgames to take the set 3 out of 4.

The White Sox finally got a game in and stomped all over the Tigers 11-2.

The Cubs have won two in a row now after losing the opener at St. Louis. Time to start purchasing game 7 playoff tickets before the Cubs fans beat us to it. (Are they on sale yet??)

Whoa! Hold on to your britches. There's a new player in town. The Twins just swept the Royals and are tied with Cleveland for first place, both teams with 3-0 records. !!!

Clint Frazier and Brian Cashman has both came out and denied that Suzyn Waldman report (about Mantle's retired number), and she has now apologized.

I tell you though, it wouldn't shock me. Frazier wasn't the most popular guy around the Akron clubhouse. Rumor is he was quite the jerk. So who knows, maybe they're just trying to cover up that dumb move.

If he can hit, and field and run no one will really care. Lots of successful jerks in baseball history. If I recall Ty Cobb and Pete Rose had solid careers.

Tigers bullpen just allowed 5 runs in top of 8th.

They were ahead 4-0.

Wasted outing by Fullmer.

If he can hit, and field and run no one will really care. Lots of successful jerks in baseball history

Like Nelson Cruz for example

Look who's 4-0 !
Twins !

Wild win: Brewers walk off on Cubs in 11th

Aguilar stays scorching: Jesus Aguilar walked in the 11th inning to cap a big night at the plate and in the field. A waiver claim who won a roster spot with a 1.376 OPS in Spring Training. Aguilar's OPS to start the season is 1.420 and is the only Brewer with a hit in each of the team's five games this season. The first baseman added a pair of singles on Friday, including an opposite-field hit with two strikes and two outs in the sixth that tied it. Aguilar is 7-for-11 to start his Brewers career, and he's walked twice, too.........................

The Venezuelan slugger got his third start of the season at first base on Friday night and made the most of it. Hitting fifth, he went 2 for 4 with a walk, drove in the tying run in the sixth inning and also turned two nifty 3-6-3 double plays in an eventual 2-1, 11-inning victory at Miller Park.

Mazara's slam, 6 RBIs lift Texas to first win

Nomar Mazara's grand slam came off Athletics starter Raul Alcantara, who lasted just two innings in his first start of the season. Mazara finished the night with a career-high six RBIs, and Rougned Odor also hit a two-run home run, his third of the season.

[ I'm very happy that we left Texas when we did. ]

Timely hits, great D lift Twins over White Sox

Phil Hughes, making his first start since June 9 of last season, allowed one run over six innings and the Twins won their fourth straight to start the 2017 season with a 3-1 victory over the White Sox Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. It's the Twins' first 4-0 start since they won the first four games of their 1987 World Series championship season.

Timely hitting: There wasn't a great deal of offense for either team Friday, but Minnesota got the hits when it needed them. With one out in the sixth and the game tied at 1-1, Miguel Sano laced a double off of Holland to right-center and scored Robbie Grossman with the go-ahead run. Grossman opened the inning with a single and had two hits on the night.

Guthrie started for Washington tonight. 2/3 of an inning, 6 hits, 4 walks, 10 earned runs as Philadelphia score 12 runs in the first sending 17 batters to the plate.

All good things must come to an end sometime. Aguilar with the hat trick on an 0-4 evening. It took Kyle Hendricks to stop him.

Guthrie started for Washington tonight. 2/3 of an inning, 6 hits, 4 walks, 10 earned runs as Philadelphia score 12 runs in the first sending 17 batters to the plate.

Which might explain why he was DFA'd after the game. Doing some quick math, his 2017 ERA should be 135.00. Might not get an opportunity to bring that down.