On Deck Circle 7/24/17: Solving The Indians Starting Rotation

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Going into the season, starting pitching for the Indians seemed like a huge strength of the team. Corey Kluber is a top 3 pitcher in the AL, Carlos Carrasco could be the ace of many other staffs, Danny Salazar has been very solid for the past 2 seasons and Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin have been serviceable pitchers for end of rotation.

This season, Kluber and Carrasco are still performing well and to their norm, the others though…not so much. A team that went to the World Series last season and has expectations of being there again this season is currently underperforming and clinging onto a division lead in which they should be running away with and that is falling on the shoulders of the starting pitching.

So now with the trade deadline approaching and Danny Salazar returning from the disabled list, the big question is what the Indians should do with the starting rotation. Salazar’s return means that there are 6 starting pitchers on the roster so there will be one odd man out now and even then, most aren’t overly optimistic that going with the current starters on the roster will be enough to capture the AL pennant. So where do the Indians go from here and who should be the 5 starting pitchers?

First, let’s not even bother with talking about Kluber or Carrasco. Those 2 are the top 2 starters and won’t be moving at all from the rotation, so those spots are set.

Next comes Mike Clevinger, who started out on fire in triple A and has carried over his pitching performance to the big leagues. Clevinger is a smaller sample size than the others with only 12 starts this season, but his 2.73 ERA and 1.12 WHIP puts him right up there with Kluber and Carrasco and is a solid #3 starter. Him being the “new guy” with less time in the MLB than the others shouldn’t matter, he’s outperforming the other candidates for the 3 spot and should remain as the guy there, would be a huge mistake if experience trumps production in this case.

Before we continue on about current Indians pitchers, here’s where the potential for a trade comes in to play. I know many fans will be upset if the Indians do not make a move for a starting arm before the deadline(July 31st), but the reality of it is they are most likely not going to be...

Why? A number of reasons.

The first being that there’s not really a big market for available starting pitchers. The Rangers are shopping Yu Darvish but he comes with a monster price tag and is a rent-a-player, Indians won’t be re-signing him considering he will be an 100+ million dollar contract likely and the tribe will have their hands full with Francisco Lindor this offseason. The Rays would be insane to trade Chris Archer with the way he’s performed along with his money and years friendly contract, the Pirates just sprung right back into division contention so Gerrit Cole is off the trading block, so we are looking at Sonny Gray as the best available target out there as far as pitching goes.

Sonny Gray is a good pitcher, but that’s it. He would be a solid upgrade over whoever is the #4 starter, but he’s not an ace of a staff or anything as his 3.66 ERA and 1.18 WHIP shows. The biggest issue with trading for Gray is his price, especially when considering what the Cubs recently gave up for Jose Quintana (who Gray is better than.) The Cubs shelled out a top 10 prospect in Eloy Jimenez, a top 70 prospect in Dylan Cease and 2 other prospects for Quintana, so if the A’s are looking for that type of deal then the Indians most likely will not be in the running. They gutted the farm system a bit last season with the acquisition of Andrew Miller, and right now only have 3 prospects in the top 100. So Indians fans need to ask themselves if Sonny Gray is worth giving up both Francisco Mejia and Triston McKenzie for, or McKenzie and Bobby Bradley for, any combination of 2 of the top 3 prospects being involved in this trade.

Big deals in consecutive years are damaging to the farm, it’s just a matter of Sonny Gray being that guy that puts Cleveland over the top, like Miller was last season, and if not then they should pass on the deal.

For now, we will stick with who the Indians have in order to fill out the remainder of the pitching rotation, and what player should occupy the #4 spot. While he possibly may be having the worst season off all the starters on this team, this is where Danny Salazar fits in. He’s the best overall pitcher of what’s left and the 2 previous seasons his ERA has been under 4.00, so I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to him based on his track record. He’s just getting back from the DL and we can revisit this after his next few starts but right now, he has the best chance of turning it around and pitching well down the stretch.

So that leaves us with Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin for that 1 final spot. This is a tough call really, both have pitched poorly overall this season but Trevor Bauer should remain a starting pitcher, sending Josh Tomlin to the bullpen. This seems like it would be an unpopular pick as Bauer has fallen out of graces with many fans, partly due to his political views and overall attitude, but there are a few reasons why he should be the 5th starter over Josh Tomlin.

One of the worst things a relief pitcher can do is come out of the bullpen and walk guys, especially since there will be times he’ll come on in relief with men on base already. Bauer leads the team in walks and has a higher WHIP than Tomlin, I’d trust Tomlin to come out of the bullpen and shut down an inning before Bauer would, especially considering how different of a change it would be for hitters if Tomlin were to relieve Kluber or Carrasco. When splitting hairs over pitchers with similar stats, how they fit in to the bullpen should definitely be a factor, and Tomlin would make a better pitcher coming on in relief than Bauer would. He could easily smooth over the rockiness of Brian Shaw, where Bauer might just be another Brian Shaw out of the bullpen.

There’s also their overall stuff, and I know we’ve been hearing about Bauer having a ton of talent and just not producing but I’ll take a “hit or miss” 5th starter with the potential to throw a gem over someone with just decent stuff. We’re not asking either to be a top of the line starter, so the risk-reward with Bauer should come into play here.

And finally, and most importantly here, the mental aspect and personality is in play here. I don’t want to make this sound like Tomlin should be “demoted” for this while also making it seem that Bauer should just get what he wants, but Tomlin is one of those guys that wants to do whatever is best for the team and is willing to help out in any way that he can. Bauer, from the way he talks and portrays himself, doesn’t seem to be that type of player. The worry of sending him to the bullpen could cause a big rift overall, can see him being upset to the point where he blows up and it affects his pitching to the point where he is rendered useless and whether fans like it or not, Bauer will be on the roster this season and won’t be DFA’d or traded (unless the Indians can make him a part of a Sonny Gray deal) so the Indians need to find use out of him. Tomlin would take it in stride and say that he’ll do whatever is asked of him, it makes more sense just to keep things on an even keel here to move Tomlin around while keeping Bauer where he’s at.

So that’s what it should look like going forward barring any trades. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Mike Clevinger, Danny Salazar and Trevor Bauer as the starting rotation and Josh Tomlin in the bullpen. When you look at it that way, if Clevinger remains pitching the way he has and Salazar finds his groove and gets back to 2016 form, this rotation may be good enough for a pennant run after all.

Tribe Talk: It's Only The Beginning

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

They weren’t supposed to be that close to a World Series Championship.  The injuries that depleted their roster would make us just lucky to be in the playoffs, let alone winning the first American League pennant since 1997.  The players that emerged were supposed to be fringe prospects that could be serviceable, but you couldn’t count on them.  The coaching was suspect and with a down year could potentially put a future Hall of Fame Manager on the hot seat.  Yet…after all of that, the Cleveland Indians were 1 WIN AWAY from winning the Franchise’s first World Series since 1948.  And while the loss in the World Series to the Cubs stung, the Indians and their fans shouldn’t hang their heads down over this.  What they did was nothing short of miraculous and shouldn’t be forgotten, given everything that happened.  In 2016 we learned more about the character of the Cleveland Indians franchise than we did by the pure potential of the team in terms of talent.  In this Season Wrap-up we will see how the Indians got to the doorstep of winning the Fall Classic.

We go back to March when Spring Training started, the Indians were looked at by many as a team with a great Starting Rotation, a solid bullpen, but an offense that was extremely suspect, especially with Michael Brantley not scheduled to return until May.  The Indians had added Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis to add some veteran presence along with the power and speed they provided.  The Indians would add Juan Uribe to provide someone to start at 3B, along with his winning attitude that he’s brought everywhere he’s been.  What the Indians didn’t expect was the Spring Training emergence of Tyler Naquin who would torch pitching throughout March, earning his spot on the Opening Day roster.  Going into the regular season, expectations were low, I had the Indians finishing fourth in the division.  Little did we know the craziness that awaited us in the Regular Season…

The Indians started the year at home against the Boston Red Sox, a team a lot of analysts had picked to win the AL East.  That series would have 2 postponed games and the Indians would struggle out of the gate.  The Indians were primarily led by Josh Tomlin who went 3-0 with a 3.18 ERA.  Corey Kluber would start out the year in April going 1-3, leaving a lot of people to wonder if the Indians were going to get the 2015 Kluber, who pitched well, but just had no luck in terms of run support.  Michael Brantley would return late in the month of April, but would only be on the roster for 11 games before suffering a setback that would keep him out the rest of the season.  The Indians would go 10-11 in April, leaving many fans to wonder if 2016 was going to be just another mediocre year.

The Indians would show signs of life in May going 16-13, but it wasn’t until June that the Indians started to really come together.  The Indians would go on a 14 game winning streak that lead to a 22-6 month of June clearly putting the Indians atop of the AL Central.  The Indians were finally getting the 2014 AL Cy Young Corey Kluber back and Josh Tomlin was quietly off to one of his best seasons ever and would be one of the biggest AL All-Star snubs.  The Indians rotation was coming together, the Indians bullpen was hitting their stride and finding some new impact relievers like Dan Otero to bolster the depth.  The biggest story though in the month of June was the emergence of Jose Ramirez, who had burst onto the scene as a clutch hitter who was capable of filling the role left by the loss of Michael Brantley.  By June, the Indians had been platooning Ramirez with Juan Uribe at 3B and by July would become the full-time 3B as the Indians would release Juan Uribe.

In the month of July the Indians were at a crossroads, they had a solid offense that would probably propel them to an AL Central Championship as Mike Napoli became the Indians cleanup hitter and allowed the rest of the lineup to find their own roles to create a consistent balanced lineup.  But the Indians were missing something, a lefty reliever that they could rely on.  As the Trade Deadline approached, the Indians searched many options, but decided to go bold and push their chips in acquiring from the Yankees RP Andrew Miller AND Brewers C Jonathan Lucroy…or so we thought.  As the Andrew Miller trade was finalized that sent prized OF prospect Clint Frazier to the Yankees, Jonathan Lucroy would use this opportunity to exercise his No Trade clause, rejecting playing for the Indians.  This would force the returning Roberto Perez to platoon with veteran journeyman Chris Jimenez at Catcher.  But through this process, the Indians Front Office made a statement, “We’re ready to win NOW”.  That message hit home with the locker room who would use Jonathan Lucroy’s rejection as fuel that would propel them to the AL Central Crown, finishing the regular season at 94-67.

But the end of the year caused some roadblocks for the Indians going into the playoffs.  Danny Salazar had gone through shoulder problems in the 2nd Half that would put the Indians down one in their rotation.  Then Carlos Carrasco got in the way of a line drive that would break his hand, ending his season.  The Indians would go on to rely on Kluber, Josh Tomlin (after a horrible month of August), Trevor Bauer and Terry Francona’s “bullpen days” that would utilize the entire bullpen to get them through the game.  Going into the postseason, very few had the Indians really making it past the first round against the Red Sox.  Even Indians beat writers doubted their chances.

In the playoffs the Indians as they had come to show all year long showed the resilience that became their identity.  Against almost impossible odds to even stop Boston and the David Ortiz farewell tour, the Indians made quick work sweeping the Red Sox.  The Indians would then go on to face former team President Mark Shapiro and his Toronto Blue Jays.  With Corey Kluber and a revitalized Josh Tomlin, the Indians took two wins in Cleveland.  But a certain drone incident would set the team back again as Trevor Bauer’s pinky would be severely cut and in Game 3 wouldn’t make it out of the 1st inning because of his cut being reopened.  The Indians would somehow with their bullpen win Game 3 and would lose Game 4 with Corey Kluber starting.  That left Game 5 in the hands of rookie SP Ryan Merritt, who had one other career start late in the year at Kansas City.  Merritt would shock everyone, dominating an extremely talented Toronto lineup before turning it over to ALCS MVP Andrew Miller and the bullpen to close out the series and send the Indians to the World Series.

Now we all know how the World Series went down, the Indians against overwhelming odds and almost every analyst saying the Cubs would easily win this series, would somehow have a 3-1 lead against Chicago.  While the Indians would blow that lead, Game 7 of the World Series was the definition of the Cleveland Indians.  Down 6-1, the Indians wouldn’t quit and claw their way back before Rajai Davis, who had struggled all postseason would hit a game tying Home Run off Aroldis Chapman, who before Davis hadn’t given up a Home Run since he arrived in Chicago.  The Indians would one swing away from their first World Series Championship since 1948.  Even down 2 in the 10th, the Indians would continue to fight, scoring one and have the winning run at the plate before the Cubs finished the series once and for all.

Rajai. Davis.

Cleveland. Legend. #Game7 pic.twitter.com/PptzTVwcu5

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2016

So what did we learn in 2016 about the Cleveland Indians?  The Indians may not have the superstars like most teams, but the Indians have a will to win that can’t be measured.  Every time you count this team out, they fight until the bitter end.  While the ending wasn’t what we all had hoped for, the Indians seem like they’re in the same position as the Royals were after coming up short in 2014.  Like those Royals, the Indians not just have the bullpen, but the resilience that makes you never count them out of a game.  I fully expect the Indians to come into the 2017 season hungry to finish what they started in 2016 and to be honest, no matter what they do in the offseason, I wouldn’t put anything past these guys.  In 2015, I said their struggles throughout the 2015 season was exactly what they needed.  The Indians had guys like Jason Kipnis and Corey Kluber step up as a leaders and hold the team accountable.  It started to rub off on the new blood of the core like Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor who have finally seemingly have the left side of the infield plugged in for years to come.  Most of the team is under contract and will be back together for 2017 and will be ready to finish their mission.

While the Indians have decisions to make on bringing back Rajai Davis and Mike Napoli, I’m going to save my offseason predictions.  I mean nothing really happens until the Winter Meetings, but rest assured, you’ll see what I’d do and more importantly how the Indians have plenty of money to spend this offseason.

Guys…the Indians weren’t supposed to get here.  All the series of events throughout the season screamed that the Indians were lucky to even get to the playoffs.  Yet somehow, someway the Indians were 1 swing away from a World Series Championship.  This is only the beginning Tribe fans, the future is indeed bright for the Cleveland Indians.  WE WILL BE BACK…I guarantee it.

Tribe Talk 8.22.15: 2015 Was EXACTLY What The Indians Needed #Indians

By @DaSportsGenius7

Let's all be honest, the Cleveland Indians season hasn't gone the way most of us had hoped or planned.  But maybe, while fans don't see it now, in a few years I think this season will be deemed as more of a success than a failure.  Yes Sports Illustrated picked us to win the World Series and we haven't lived up to expectations.  Now there's a lot of blame to go around from the people that assembled the team, to the manager, to the players themselves.  But after 2 years of above .500 baseball and a Wild Card Game appearance, now is not the time to blow things up.  In fact throughout the past few weeks, I think Chris Antonetti, Terry Francona and the players have shown that they deserve another year.  So let's rewind to right before the deadline to review what has happened and at the end of all of this, Indians fans trust me, this season was exactly what we needed.

July 30th- Indians trade Brandon Moss to St. Louis for LHP Rob Kaminsky- Brandon Moss was the Indians key acquisition this offseason and although he provided some power in the lineup, he wasn't working out.  In the weeks prior, Chris Antonetti had stated he wasn't interested in trading Moss, but in Antonetti fashion, he got a deal too good to pass on.  Analysts have said this trade is an absolute steal for the Indians, adding a nice young lefty pitcher to the organization.  The Indians could've kept Moss as they did have some club control left on Moss, but Antonetti got a great offer and took it.  While maybe not really popular, Antonetti I think once again stole a prospect from arguably the best organization in baseball.

July 31st- Indians trade Mark Rzepcynski to San Diego for OF Abraham Almonte- While Almonte is a Cleveland fan favorite for now, I'm not expecting huge things from him.  But the Indians found a possible bench player in exchange for a reliever who wasn't pitching like we've been used to.  The Indians can now utilize young lefty Kyle Crockett.  Crockett is more than capable as he's shown before to pitch at the big league level.  Remember this kid had a 1.80 ERA in 43 games in 2014 and in 16 games had a 2.79 ERA in 2015.  Um...what does Francona have against this kid to begin with?

August 7th- Indians trade Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and cash to Atlanta for UTIL Chris Johnson- Remember this trade Indians fans, this is the move that turned everything around.  Bourn and Swisher were brought in to be these veteran leaders that produced, but in the 3 years they've been in Cleveland they've done next to nothing and from rumors with Bourn, were hurting the Clubhouse.  In this deal, Cleveland gets a lefty masher in Chris Johnson.  While the Indians have to pay Johnson a good amount of money, to get rid of Swisher and Bourn, it was the best move they could've made.

Now after reviewing the deals made in the past few weeks, eliminate the fact that Cleveland has actually played better for me.  The key is that the Indians have finally told the young core of Kluber, Kipnis, and Brantley that it's their team now.  The veteran leaders like Bourn, Swisher, and Giambi are gone.  In the players minds its time for them to put up or shut up.  In a lot of ways, this is exactly what the players needed.

Since August 8th, the day after the Bourn and Swisher trade, the Indians have gone 7-5.  Now although its not great, its a nice sight to see the core of the Indians that Chris Antonetti and staff have identified as the core have stepped up.  In this 10 game span, we've seen Danny Salazar dominate batters and look like the pticher we were hoping to see on a consistent basis.  We've seen Jose Ramirez return to the bigs and although more recently has slumped, has shown for the most part he can contribute.  And possibly the most promising sight, Lonnie Chisenhall is showing he can play some outfield and be that guy who can give players a night off next year.

While there are bright spots, there remains a lot of questions to be answered.  One of my biggest concerns is the position of Right Field.  One of my targets would be Yoenis Cespedes, but I get the feeling that he's not in their plans.  I do feel however that this is going to be one of, if not the biggest priority over the offseason.  There are plenty of potential big time trade targets that the Indians can look into (I'll dive into that in the offseason).  But the sense I get from people I know, it's an area that will be addressed.

In hindsight if I myself had looked at the roster more closely, I wouldn't have gotten as all hyped up.  I got hooked, I think we all got hooked honestly.  This year proved to me that the Indians have the pitching to put themselves into contention, but they need the offense.  Look at the Mets, outstanding staff, lackluster offense, then they add Yoenis and they're a major threat.  I think the Indians right now are stuck where the Mets were.  One of my biggest beliefs is if you have the true cleanup hitter, the rest of the batting order will fall into place.  It's Chris Antonetti's job to explore every option that becomes available this offseason.

At the end of the day, the Indians had a bad year, think of it like 2006.  But in a lot of ways, this was the best thing to happen for the Indians.  The Indians now are forcing their core players to become the leaders.  I think with the rest of the season to let Brantley, Kipnis, Kluber and co. to establish their leadership in the clubhouse, plus the right moves to fill in the rest of the gaps on this team, the Indians will make a run in 2016.  But what if I told you that maybe it was best if the team waited until 2017 to make their run?  But that's a topic for another day.  Just remember the future is bright Cleveland, the Tribe has a young core that finally have assumed leadership.  All in all, while we won't probably reach our goals, we're setting ourselves up to a better 2016 season.

Inside The Batter's Box 4.24.15: #Indians vs. #Tigers Preview

By @B_Rock1978

Is it time to hit the panic button Tribe fans? Can we just forget that this series against the White Sox ever happened? Another very disappointing series from our Tribe the past three days. Worst of all, again it was to another team in our division. We now stand at 3-8 against our divisional teams.
(Que Price Is Right waa waa waa waaaaaaaaa defeat music here.)

Game one, Ryan Raburn got things going for the Tribe in the second inning, launching a solo shot. Raburn finished 2 for 3 with an RBI. "Dr. Smooth" Michael Brantley unloaded a double in the third inning, picking up an RBI. Top of the fifth, Brett Hayes, delivered another solo shot and the Tribe looked like they were well on their way to a win. Or so we thought. Tribe closer, Cody Allen, gets rocked in the bottom of the ninth, gives up 4 runs and the ChiSox turn a 3-0 score into a 4-3 win. You got to be kidding?!

Game two, saw both Carlos Santana and David Murphy launch the long ball. Ryan Raburn continued to hit well, going 2 for 2 with 2 RBI. "Dr. Smooth" Michael Brantley added an RBI single. Jason Kipnis sac flied in an RBI. Carlos Carrasco went 5 innings, giving up 1 ER, 8 strikeouts and no walks. Cody Allen pitched the ninth, held onto the lead this time, recording 2 strikeouts and the Tribe won 6-2.

Game three, was a complete nightmare. Tribe ace, Corey Kluber is pitching, we got this right? Wrong! Kluber gets his glove handed to him by the ChiSox. Kluber goes six innings, but gives up 13 hits, 6 ER, 6 strikeouts and 1 walk. Meanwhile, Jeff Samardzija, completely shuts down the Tribe in six innings. The Tribe lose 6-0 and lose the series to the ChiSox. Good grief!!

Next up, the Indians kick off a three game set with divisional rivals, the Detroit Tigers, in Detroit. In case you forgot, the Tigers swept the Tribe in their opening weekend series. Looking back at that series, and looking at how the Tribe have played since that series, I'm honestly scared Tribe fans. How did the Tigers do this week? The Tigers battled the Evil Empire, aka the New York Yankees, in a four game set. Let's take a look at how the Tigers did in their series with the Yanks and who our Tribe will have to watch out for in this series.

Game one, J.D. Martinez got the Tigers on the board in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single. Yoenis Cespedes followed with another RBI single. Alfredo Simon goes 7 1/3 innings, with 7 strikeouts and gave up no walks. Joakim Soria picks up save number 5 and the Tigers stayed hot, winning 2-1.

Game two, J.D. Martinez went 3 for 4, but wasn't an RBI threat. Yoenis Cespedes picked up a sac fly RBI in the seventh inning. Rajai Davis drew a walk in the ninth with the bases loaded, picking up an RBI. Kyle Lobstein went six innings, with 1 ER, 3 strikeouts and 4 walks. The Tigers bullpen collapsed in the seventh inning, however, and the Yanks grab the 5-2 win. 

Game three, the Tigers put four on the board in the bottom of the first. J.D. Martinez picked up another RBI in the series, drawing a walk with the bases loaded. Yoenis Cespedes picked up an RBI with an infield single. Nick Castellanos grounded out into a fielders choice, picking up an RBI. Alex Avila singled in an RBI during his at bat. The Tigers were shut down the rest of the way, losing to the Yankees 13-4.

Game four, Victor Martinez gets a sac fly RBI, but that's all the Tigers can muster as the Yankees cool off the Tigers 2-1 and take the series.

*** Starters For The Series ***

* Tigers *

- Game 1: Shane Green (3-0), makes his fourth start of the year, winning every start this year so far. Green stands with a 0.39 ERA, 11 strikeouts and 5 walks.

- Game 2: Alfredo Simon (3-0), makes his fourth start of the season, sitting at three perfect apperances. Simon takes the mound with a 1.74 ERA, 12 strikeouts and 2 walks.

- Game 3: Kyle Lobstein (1-1), makes his third start of the season, having a decision on all starts so far as well. Lobstein has a 3.27 ERA, 6 strikeouts and 6 walks.

* Indians *

- Game 1:  Danny Salazar (1-0), makes his second start of the year, after being called up from AAA last weekend. Salazar has a 3.00 ERA, with 10 strikeouts and 2 walks on the season.

- Game 2: Trevor Bauer (2-0), makes his fourth start of the year. Bauer, is currently the only original starter from season's beginning, that has had a good year so far. Bauer checks in with a 0.95 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 11 walks.

- Game 3: Carlos Carrasco (2-1), makes his fourth start of the year. Carrasco has a 2.38 ERA, 18 strikeouts and 1 walk on the year.

There is your Indians vs. Tigers preview, continue to join me all season, with Inside The Batter's Box. I'll bring you series previews, recaps, videos and pictures, on the Triple Threat CLE Twitter and Facebook pages.

~B~

Leadoff with Lee 8.7.14

-The newest members of the Cavs were introduced Wednesday. Mike Miller and James Jones made it official at Cleveland Clinic Courts yesterday. Miller has reportedly signed a 2-year deal with a player option for the 2nd worth $5.5 million dollars. James Jones agreed to a league minimum for 1 for $1.45 million dollars. Ray Allen is still contemplating retirement or one more season. LBJ, Jones and Miller are involved with the recruiting of Allen. But they know Ray Allen will do what's best for himself and his family first. That leaves the door open to sign "The Matrix" Shawn Marion. Marion is expected to pass on a contract offer by the Indiana Pacers to sign with the Cavs.

-The Golden State Warriors have signed Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft to a non-guaranteed contract. Good Luck Aaron!

-According to all sources, Johnny Manziel had his best practice of the year and out played Brian Hoyer. Hoyer will get the start in the Great Lakes Classic this Saturday against Detroit. Mike Pettine did hint that the starters may play until the second quarter. With Johnny Manziel playing part of the second, along with Josh Gordon in the 3rd.

-Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported the Browns are bracing for an 8-game suspension for Josh Gordon. Which reinforces why word on his appeal is taking so long. If this is true, I would think the NFL would let him get all the reps and preseason games he can in now, before announcing a lengthy suspension prior to the regular season. Why would the NFL do this? If they suspended him now for 8 games, he is lost with no practice or team participation. If done later, at least Gordon and the quarterbacks can develop chemistry and his return wouldn't be so rough, having to work him in.

-After shooting a 9 hole practice round, Tiger Woods stated he will play in the PGA Championship. Woods also said the injury he suffered at Firestone Country Club last weekend was not related to the surgery he had on March 31st. Woods said and I quate "It was a different pain than what I have been experiencing, so I knew it wasn't the same area of the surgery". Hopefully a pain free Tiger Woods can win his first major since 2008.

-The Cleveland Indians took a second straight loss to the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 in the 'Nati. The bright spot in the lineup was from Jason Kipnis as he went 3-4 on the night, but had no RBI. Danny Salazar went 4 innings giving up 5 hits and 5 earned runs. With 2 straight loses, the Tribe's record is now 57-57 and 2 1/2 games behind for the second wild card. The series ends today with TJ House (1-2,4.09era) going for the Indians and Homer Bailey (8-5 3.89era) pitching for the Reds. After the game, Danny Salazar was optioned down back to Triple-A Columbus after his start. C.C Lee was recalled to replace his roster spot.

Leadoff with Lee 8.2.14

-During last night's USA Basketball intrasquad scrimmage game at UNLV, Indiana Pacers star forward Paul George suffered a VERY gruesome broken right leg. While getting back on defense, George went up in the air to defend a James Harden lay up and landed at the base of the basket stanchion. George's leg buckled and snapped, breaking the skin. Teammates reacted immediately, sickened and doubled over with great concern for their fallen friend, teammate and basketball brother. Medics rushed to the fallen George, stabilizing his leg in an air cast before taking him to a Las Vegas hospital where he was accompanied by his family. Needless to say, U.S. coach and Duke University coach Mike Krzyzewski announced that out of respect for Paul and his family, the game was over.

Almost two hours after the incident, Paul George tweeted this out:

Thanks everybody for the love and support.. I'll be ok and be back better than ever!!! Love y'all!! #YoungTrece

— Paul George (@Paul_George24) August 2, 2014

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo would not speculate on the severity of the injury and asked the media to be patient and not to ask when Team USA roster cuts would be made. Along with all members of both scrimmage teams, players around the league reacted, sending out their well wishes and prayers to Paul and his family.

George, only 24, has emerged as the leader of the Pacers and one of the best players in the NBA and a two-time All-Star. George signed a 5 year $90M extension with the Pacers last season that was ready to kick in this season.

USA Basketball it announced that he had successful emergency surgery of a right leg open tibia-fibula with no ancillary damage and is expected to remain in a Las Vegas hospital for about 3 days. Recovery time could range anywhere from 6 to 12 months, at minimum. A very sad time for USA Basketball, the NBA, the Indiana Pacers and Paul George and his family.
-Chris Williams, The Raven Report

---

-Even though we all know Andrew Wiggins has been involved in the trade talks for Timberwolves big man Kevin Love, I have "may" have further proof of the trade details that were made in principal. After looking at Cavs.com jerseys, Andrew Wiggins' jersey has been labeled discontinued. Could this be a internet error? I for one, don't think so. Remember when LeBron was drafted? His jersey was labeled sold out and wasn't labeled discontinued until he signed with the Heat.

-Josh Gordon's appeal hearing appearantly went longer than I first reported. From the same source I talked to yesterday morning around 10:22 to be exact, called me at 5:45 and told me "That was just a recess at 10:30am. Gordon's appeal hearing will resume Monday afternoon. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will review all the details and I will still say we will hear something Wednesday or Thursday at the latest. In my opinion, sample A was positive and samble B was negative. 1 positive + 1 negative = 0. I was horrible at math but I'm sure that is correct. But according to the NFL CBA, Sample A is the main test and sample B is to confirm the drug was in the system. But I have heard and seen false positive tests.

-Who knew golfers get tested for drugs? Dustin Johnson tested positive for cocaine. He also failed tests for marijuana in 2009, and two more tests for coke in 2012. Johnson has been suspended for 6 months by the PGA. Friday he stated, he will seek treatment for his "personal challenges" I.E his drinking, drug and sex indiscretions.

-The Cleveland Indians romped the Texas Rangers 12-2 on Jim Thome statue day. Danny Salazar pitched 6 innings, giving up one run, 4 hits and 4 strike outs. "Dr. Smooth" Michael Brantley went 3-4 with 2 RBI. Right fielder David Murphy went 4-4, scoring 2 runs and 2 RBI. It was just an all out hit fest as the Indians scored 12 runs on 16 hits. Danny Salazar goes to 4-4 on the season. They will take the field again tonight at 7 PM, with TJ House on the bump.

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Leadoff with Lee 7.28.14

-LeBron James will return to his roots and wear number 23, the same way he did before he went to South Beach. James wore number 23 for 7 years in Cleveland and in his sophomore through senior seasons at St. Vincent St. Mary high school in Akron. James tweeted "23 it is. It's only right I go back. 2.3=6 we still family 6. #home  team #striveforgreatness.

-Word I'm getting is the San Antonio Spurs will open the 2014-2015 NBA season in Cleveland against the Cavs. Why not a big game for opening night? 2 teams the world wants to see. The NBA champs and the new and improved Cleveland Cavaliers!

-The Cleveland Indians avoid the sweep with a 10-3 win over the Royals. Carlos Santana went 3 for 3 with 2 homeruns. Yan Gomes went yard after Santana hit his first homerun. The Tribe racked up 15 hits and 10 runs. Pitcher Danny Salazar improved to 3-4 on the season after being called back by triple A. Salazar pitched 7 innings giving up 7 hits, 3 earned runs and 7 strikeouts. The Indians will get some well needed rest as they return home to face the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

-Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa, Tom Glavine, Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux and Joe Torre were officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

-Are those the new J's? Yes the optic yellow shoes work by Johnny Manziel are called the Vapor Ultimate. NFL rules restrict players wearing colors outside team colors besides white and black. But Johnny has a Nile contract and needed to get the word out to cop the new cleats. Manziel only wore them for a few minutes before changing to a team colored Nike cleat. Head coach Mike Pettine didn't seem alarmed by Manziel's actions. I'm sure it was all discussed before Johnny hit the field. I mean how could Pettine miss those hot yellow shoes on Johnny's feet? The cleats Johnny wore are selling for $250 a pop! But that's them new J's though...

-It has been reported that Josh Gordon will meet with Roger Goddell on August 1st to discuss his future. After Gordon's recent arrest he reported to a rehab facility in California with the hopes of a reduced or no suspension. Ray Rice only got 2 games for beating up his then girlfriend, now wife. So what is going to happen to Josh? Only time will tell... tick, tock, tick, tock....

Leadoff with Lee 5.17.14

Guess what's back? Leadoff with Lee!

Well the Cleveland Browns have been more active than a teenager going through puberty this past week.

-On May 12, the Browns released QB's Vince Young & Alex Tanney, DB Brandon Hughes, DL Brian Sanford and RB Fozzy Whitaker

-On May 13, the Browns inked pro bowl cornerback Joe Haden to a long term deal. Haden has been with the team since being picked 7th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. His new deal will keep him in Cleveland through the 2019 season. It's said that the deal is for $68 million, including $45 million guaranteed.

-On May 15, the Browns signed 2 time pro-bowl wide receiver Miles Austin, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys, and former Chicago Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett on Thursday.

-On May 16, Cleveland released WR Greg Little. Little had little success after his rookie season when he recorded 61 catches for 709 yards.

-Oh I can't forget about Josh Gordon, who is facing a season long suspension for testing positive for marijuana. This is not the first go round for Josh Gordon, he entered the league in the drug program coming out of college. Then he tested positive for the "Purple Drank". He was only suspended for 2 games with no pay and 2 additional games, but was able to play because the "Drank" wasn't on the banned substance list. Did you notice Josh deleted his twitter account?

-Oh and Johnny Manziel? You mean the guy who put Cleveland back on the map after LeBron left? So word on the street is, Johnny texted the Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains and said "I wish you guys would come and get me.", "And hurry up and draft me because I want to be there" and "I want to wreck this league together". His statements were quickly forwarded to Browns owner Jimmy Haslem and he said "Pull the trigger". Therefore, prompting the trade up with Philadelphia to get Johnny. As I stated before, any first round quarterback will start for the Browns regardless if people say this is Brian Hoyer's job to lose. Act like a backup? Please, this is Johnny Cleveland time now. If it's not, why does he have the #1 selling jersey since he was drafted? Show me the money!

- The Cleveland Cavaliers made interim general manager David Griffin the permanent GM this week. Griffin, who is 41, took over as interim GM on February 6, 2014 when Chris Grant was fired from the position. His first move as GM was....

-Mike Brown was fired as the Cavaliers head coach on May 12. Brown was in his first season of a 5 year deal, in his second stint as Cavs coach. Do you think he cares? No, he's still getting paid about $20 million to sit at home. Did I say show me the money yet?

-Tribe pitcher Danny Salazar was optioned down to Triple A Columbus yesterday. The struggling Salazar is 1-4 with a 5.53 era. Trevor Bauer was brought up to replace Salazar and will make his first start on Tuesday to complete the 25 man roster.

-The Indians got molly-whopped by the Athletics Friday night, 11-1. Oakland put up 8 runs in the second inning on starting pitcher Zach McAllister. The Tribe's lone run cam in the first inning on a Nick Swisher solo shot. Hopefully they can turn things around tonight at 7 PM. Oakland is sending out Scott Kazmir against the Indians Josh Tomlin.

Leadoff with Lee 5.8.14

-With Asdrubal Cabrera on third base and a Mike Avila liner to centerfield, the Cleveland Indians earned their first walk off win of the season over the Minnesota Twins, 4-3. Danny Salazar got the start for the Tribe, pitching 6.1 innings with 7 strikeouts, giving up 3 earned runs and 6 hits. John Axford earned the win with one inning pitched. The Indians will close out the 4 game set without the Twins this afternoon with a start time at 12:05 PM.

-Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman signed a 4 year extension for $57.4 million dollars with $40 million guaranteed. As I said last week, I expected Browns cornerback Joe Haden to sign his extension after Sherman's deal was complete.

-With Lob City up 0-1 in the series, the Oklahoma City Thunder came storming back with a 112-101 win. Russell Westbrook had a impressive night with his triple double, scoring 31 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Kevin Durant fell just short of a triple double, with 32 points, 12 boards and 9 assists. The Clippers had a chance to win but they lost the rebound game 52-36. Leaders for the Clippers include J.J Redick with 18 points, CP3 with 17 points, on top of 11 assists and Blake Griffin who scored only 15. The series is tied 1-1 with Game 3 on Friday in L.A.

-Roy Hibbert finally woke up in Game 2, scoring 28 points and 9 rebounds for the Pacers with a 86-82 win over the Wizards. Washington's John Wall had a rough night shooting 6-27 from the field. Marcin Gortat had a impressive 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards. Washington also had a tough time from the free throw line, missing 7 of their 12 free throw attempts. I have always said it's fundamentals that win or lose a game. In this situation its all about the free ones. Game 3 for this series will be Friday night in Washington.