Cleveland Sports Forum

Ban the troll known as TFISC.

I don't think we need to ban anyone, we can all choose we to block. I would again ask that politics be confined to Politics and other non-baseball to Idle whatever.

I love to see guys like Michael Brantley and Joe Smith do so well. I say that because those were guys we got in trades who didn't seem like much at the time.

Now, the guys we traded away are distant memories for the teams they went to. And we still have Brantley and Smith, two very nice players, still contributing.

Just goes to show how it can take a very long time to see how a trade shakes out.

Now, the guys we traded away are distant memories for the teams they went to.

Except for JoeZ who never lets go.

Tribe Fan in SC/Cali wrote:Back to baseball and certainly Cleveland Indians conversation related, the Pittsburgh Pirates won tonight to go to 43-30.

For those apparently mesmerized by the "magical spell" of Mark Shapiro, I'll note there are 30 teams in Major League baseball and only THREE have failed to have a winning season in the years since 2007.

The aforementioned Pittsburgh Pirates who seem inclined to leave the group of perennial non winners to make it just TWO teams in MLB to not have a winning season since 2007.

Kansas City, and the Cleveland Indians "our" Mark Shapiro "built" for us this year after many prior losing Shapiro years.

Mark Shapiro is on a teeter totter for 2013 with the honor of having the current most consecutive losing seasons of any MLB organization on the line.

We won tonight. Yay! Really.

Update post, Pittsburgh is now 46-30 and will have a winning season even if they go 36-50 the rest of the way.

Mark Shapiro's personally shaped Cleveland Indians organization is "rassling" with Kansas City to see who gets the honor of "most consecutive non-winning seasons since 2007" of all the teams in Major League Baseball.

Shapiro has to unload at least Swisher before the trade deadline.

We have $25 million committed to Swisher and Cabrera in 2014, and a whole bunch of short timers on our current roster.

Don't get me wrong, I like both those guys as A Fan. I just don't think we have a strong chance of making the playoffs this season with the strength in The East and the easy pickings for those somewhat strong in The West. We're not going to catch Detroit this season.

Swisher had a decent game tonight but has had few multiple hit games in the last couple months and is now around .236 and tracking for a 15 HR, 52 RBI season or thereabouts at present. Cabrera is around .254, and coming off an injury.

I think Swisher is an "old" 32, and will be 33 in November. We're on the hook to pay him $15 million in 2014, $15 million in 2015, and $15 million in 2016. And if by some miracle he gets 550 AB's in 2016, Cot's Contracts says we are on the hook for $14 million to him in 2017.

Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti gave Swisher a contract near equaling TWICE the money he had made in his CAREER before age 32.

If we keep Swisher after the trade deadline, it's the equivalent of keeping the needed die and schlepping the other four hoping for a miracle in the final roll of Yahtzee for 2013, and neglecting to look at 2014 Cleveland Indians Baseball or Cleveland Indians Future.

The rest of the world is not thinking that Swisher has gotten soft after locking in on his $56 million and life changing contract, but for now, I am.

I firmly believe his best trade value is right now, if even to just cleanse the organization of the salary obligation weight going forward. Hearing about Travis Hafner's salary tying Tribe organization hands for multiple seasons is a story I think we can and should avoid with Swisher.

The Indians traded veteran infielder John McDonald to the Phillies on Thursday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

joez wrote:The Indians traded veteran infielder John McDonald to the Phillies on Thursday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

That'll improve the 2013 edition of The Cleveland Indians.


It's fun to be 2 games over .500 and mathematically involved as July approaches. That's rare air for those of multiple decades of Cleveland Indians Fandom.

I get it, and understand it.

And commiserate with those who are hopeful. I was hopeful when Carl Stokes was elected Mayor of Cleveland with that fabulous story as he took office as both Bobby and Martin were still alive.

Sometimes, hope sucks.

And love hurts. Check with 10cc

Detroit is 7 games over with their loss today to keep those loving Mark Shapiro and hoping for a 2013 Cleveland Indians post season, and more, still paying attention to the games.

Check my math, but I think Detroit can get to 85 wins by going a tick over .500 the rest of the way. 43-42, as I clock it.


We need to go 46-38 the rest of the way to get to enough wins to top Detroit on the last day of the season, if they indeed go just that tick over .500.

This Tribe Team went 11-13 in April, and is currently 10-13 in June. Personally, I do not see any way we will catch Detroit.

If the Tribe and their Fans here want to prove me wrong on legitimate Hope, the team needs to pretty much ace the upcoming seven game road games and then return to Cleveland to at least take two of four from Detroit. Do that, and I might pay closer attention in the seven home games with KC and Toronto before the All Star Break.

Shapiro needs to unload that Swisher salary he took on that will handicap his successor ( the successor I "Hope" for ), or fans will continue to see more years of handicapped Cleveland Indians Losing Baseball.

On a bright note, I'll note that I think Dan Gilbert has big balls and I applaud what he did with the first pick in the NBA Draft tonight, with the cards he had to work with.

This garbage is getting old.

A while ago, i was asking about when the players stopped coming out on the field before the playing of the National Anthem. But I was just in Baltimore, and they were out there. However, the Nats do like the Indians, and stand on the top step of the dugout, then run out when the team is introduced. So I guess it is up to the individual teams.

Indians are now ONE game behind the Tigers. But don't be fooled. Both CALIFLA and KENM have told us that there is no way we can catch them.

I guess no-one forwarded the memo that the the season is already over and the Tribe should pack it in and trade all their players. As long as that conversation with Shapiro was that was posted here, you'd think he would have gotten the message.

If you can't get enthused about what we are seeing these days, that is sad.

I give Francona a lot of credit for the kind of team chemistry we see out there. Read his book, and it is not surprising. That's what he does.

He gets everyone involved! You see it in the lineups.

Darkstar wrote:Always Loved J-Mac's glove.

But he's not even on the Interstate, batting wise, for the season. Is he really a better choice than Chiz?

Apparently the answer is no.

kenm wrote:

J.R. wrote:I guess a 4.5 game lead in mid-June is insurmountable? Nobody has ever overtaken a team with such a lead?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1353 ... ll-history

btw, we play the Tigers 11 more times this season.

Do you really believe that this club can make up 4. games against the tigers.

We just did!

I really like the bench that was assembled this year. Today Swisher, Kipnis, Bourn were all out. Raburn and Gomes were important contributors and if Aviles was hitless today he's been a great utility player all season