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: The Improbable Fall Classic #Indians #Cubs #WorldSeries

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

Six months ago, 30 teams started on their quest towards the World Series and now we’ve reached the final two.  What makes this year unlike previous years, this year’s World Series features a matchup that no one could’ve predicted…Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago Cubs.  What some refer to as the, “Apocalypse World Series” really looks like one of the most intriguing matchups in recent years for the World Series.  These are two teams who have gotten to this point in completely different ways with completely different managers running them.  Look beyond the obvious, “big market vs. little market” and you’ll see that these two teams create quite the World Series where both teams seem to cause problems for each team’s weaknesses.  With that said we’re going to dive into the differences between both teams and finally who I believe is going to win the World Series.


Manager

This is a matchup between two of the best managers in the game today.  Joe Maddon might be the best strategic manager around who has shown he can win with almost any team put in front of him.  Terry Francona is the best clubhouse manager in the game today, who masterfully gets the most out of each of his players.  What separates the two this year in this matchup is the way Francona has worked with the hand he’s been dealt and how he’s helped lead his team through all the adversity.  Joe Maddon and the Cubs have had little to no adversity as they’ve cruised throughout the whole season to this point.  Francona in a way deserves an edge over Maddon because it seems he’s evolved as a manager to more than just a clubhouse manager, but adding more strategy into his game, which had been lacking in previous years with the Indians.  I think even if the Indians faced adversity, Francona would lead them through it, while for the Cubs I don’t know against a battle tested team like the Indians that Joe Maddon might get them through it.  With that said I’m giving the slightest of edges to the Indians because of the amazing job Francona has done to this point.

Edge- Indians


Lineup

I’m not even going to hide the edge here, the Cubs have the obvious edge here, especially with the return of Kyle Schwarber after his Torn ACL he suffered the first week of the season.  The Cubs have said he’ll be used as a DH, but that gives the Cubs a great hitter for the DH role as before his announced return this might’ve been a question mark for the Cubs.  The Cubs are led by Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant who can get hot at any time and torment pitching staffs.  Not to mention the emergence of Javy Baez and Addison Russell offensively throughout the National League playoffs.  The Indians in contrast have a scrappy lineup that when they’re hot, it’s hard to stop them as they feed off of each other.  It’s going to take one Indians bat to get hot for the rest to follow suit.  So far Carlos Santana, Mike Napoli, and Jason Kipnis haven’t really done a whole lot, but just enough to get by.  The Indians can’t afford to let that happen in the World Series.  While I believe their ALCS offense was a fluke, it showed the Indians offense knows how to score when they need to score.  In a lot of way that’s all that matters, but purely by overall pure talent and potential, you have to give the Cubs the edge.

Edge- Cubs


Starting Rotation

Game 1 will feature a stellar matchup of Jon Lester vs. Corey Kluber that already shows a lot of promise for this series.  If we simply go by names, the edge will go to the Cubs, but the Indians rotation actually poses a real challenge for the Cubs.  What the Indians rotation features is 4 starters all of which are completely different.  With the return of Danny Salazar, the Indians get a much needed boost in the rotation and a flame-throwing starter with an excellent changeup.  The Cubs rotation relies on veteran pitchers who either are entering the last of their prime years or are rejuvenated careers.  While the Cubs rotation can be deadly, I’ve gotten the sense that they’re potentially vulnerable against the right opponent.  The Indians ability to work the count when they’re on can cause major problems that the Indians can thrive on.  But in terms of who has the edge overall, you could make a case either way to who has the edge, so in terms of fairness let’s call this even here.

Edge- Even


Bullpen

We all know about the Indians bullpen, but the question is in comparison how good is the Cubs bullpen?  The Cubs obviously have Aroldis Chapman as their main guy in the bullpen, but the question is who is after him?  The Cubs do have former Indians prospect Hector Rendon as their flame-throwing righty, but Rendon has been average in the postseason.  Travis Wood and Rob Zastryzny have been their top two relievers, but honestly there’s not much proven depth after Rendon for the Cubs.  This is where the Indians ability to work the count and get starters out of the game will be their biggest key to winning the World Series.  The Indians, much like the Royals of last year have their, “Big 3” relievers in Bryan Shaw, Cody Allen and Andrew Miller.  That doesn’t even count Dan Otero, Jeff Manship, and ALCS hero Ryan Merritt to back them up.  The Indians bullpen is extremely deep and more importantly battle tested.  This isn’t even a contest in terms of who has the edge, that goes to the Indians.

Edge- Indians


Prediction

A drought will come to an end when this is all said and done.  The question is who?  To give a historical aspect to this, I look to the 1990 World Series between the Oakland A’s and the Cincinnati Reds.  The A’s were the defending World Champions and looked destined to repeat as World Champions with an outstanding lineup, strong rotation and a solid bullpen.  It took some magic from the Reds lineup along with the outstanding performance of Jose Rijo and the Reds dominant bullpen to shut down the, “Bash Brothers” offense which would end up being a Reds 4-0 sweep of the A’s.  On paper without looking too much into it, it’s easy to pick the Cubs, but the Indians are that team that is so resilient that they’ll overcome any challenge.  On top of that, the Indians are the underdog…exactly where they want to be. 

The youth and exuberance of the Indians, especially through times when they’ve been down will cause major problems for the Cubs.  While the Cubs seem to be that, “Team of Destiny” remember they didn’t get to this point last year.  Their NLCS victory celebration is one of a team that still doesn’t understand what it means to get to this point.  While the Indians celebration was fun, what sticks out is the Indians never celebrated on their home field.  That leaves that feeling of something is missing in the celebration.  From the beginning in my MLB Playoffs Preview, I had the Indians defeating the Cubs in the World Series.  I’m sticking by that and will go further, the Home Field Advantage that the Indians of 1995 and 1997 never had will be a major player as Cleveland will win the World Series at Progressive Field after Game 6 bringing home the Indians first World Series Championship since the 1948 Indians led by Lou Boudreau.  I believe that Francisco Lindor will be your World Series MVP emerging as one of the best young Shortstops in the league.

Pick- Indians in 6

All the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedy throughout this season has led us to the improbably World Series.  A 7-game series to decide who will be crowned as World Series Champions.  I can guarantee that this World Series will be like one you’ve never seen before and this is can’t miss television.  They don’t call this the Fall Classic for nothing, and I have a feeling we’re going to have some memorable moments in store for this one.

Tribe Talk 9.27.16: Dear Tito, I'm Sorry

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

Dear Tito,

I’ve been a die hard Indians fan since I was 4 years old and attended my first Indians game on July 18th, 1995 when Albert Belle hit a grand slam off Lee Smith.  I grew up only knowing the Indians because the Browns left and the Cavs were in the Pre-LeBron era.  I grew up only knowing the Indians and having a Championship contending team.  I would consider myself one of the rare Cleveland fans who would prefer an Indians World Series over a Browns Super Bowl.

The moment you took the job in 2013, I was excited to get someone with a Championship pedigree.  I guess I would consider that year the “honeymoon” phase of my connection with you as my team’s manager.  It was a magical year that got us into the Wild Card Playoff game that we would eventually lose to the Tampa Bay Rays.  I was upset because I had tickets to go to Game 3 of the 2007 Division Series and I would finally attend my first Indians playoff game with my Dad, who has adopted my love for the game.  I mean before me, my Dad wasn’t a baseball fan, but now he loves his Indians.  I was upset that we weren’t going to have that moment and after a disappointing 2014 season, part of me doubted I would get another chance for some time.

I guess that’s what has made me so critical of the way you manage this team.  Understand, I want nothing more than to see my Indians in the playoffs fighting for a World Series Championship every year.  Last year, I saw a team that had what seemed to be a lost identity with a few good players like Brantley, Kluber, Salazar, Carrasco and Kipnis and a potential young star like Fransisco Lindor, but the direction of the team seemed foggy.

I started the year slating the Indians to finish in 4th Place in the AL Central.  I had no faith in you as a manager, but I guess that’s where you thrive the best, when everyone counts you out.  While I must give credit to Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff for bringing in guys like Andrew Miller, Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis, and even Dan Otero throughout the past year to play crucial roles for this team, it was you Tito who made all the pieces come together.  Even though we struggled out of the gate, you made sure these players didn’t lose sight of the goal you had for them.  We’ve had numerous injuries all year, players who struggled on the mound and while at times I’ve called your faith in players, “arrogance” there has always been a method to your madness.

From the moment this team really started to emerge as the AL Central frontrunner during their 14 game winning streak, you got them prepared for this moment to finally take back the AL Central crown for the first time since 2007 and last night, we finally got there.  It took magical moments and comebacks along with strength and overcoming adversity to get this team to where they are today and for that Terry Francona, I’m man enough to admit I was wrong and…I’M SORRY.

Congratulations to the team and hopefully this is only the first step on one October Cleveland will not forget for a long, long time.

All the Champagne

Members of the @Indians won't let Tito finish his interview giving him the "bath of his life." pic.twitter.com/ID2XvqMyjB

— SportsTime Ohio (@SportsTimeOhio) September 27, 2016

Your Biggest Critic
Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

PS- Don’t think this doesn’t change me being critical of you in the future, Tito.  But I gotta think you wouldn’t want to have it any other way…congrats Coach.

Tribe Talk 6.10.16: The Rise, Fall and Resurgence of Josh Tomlin #Indians

By Alex Hale, @DaSportsGenius7

The Baseball world today loves the power pitcher that throws in the upper-90s and has filthy stuff.  Nobody ever appreciates the Greg Maddux-type anymore that is a pitcher who locates his pitches and gets players out.  Over the past year now, Baseball has overlooked one of Baseball’s best stories in Indians SP Josh Tomlin.  As Indians fans know, Tomlin has never fit the mold of what fans think an All-Star pitcher looks like, but Tomlin is proving in 2016 that he’s the kind of pitcher that breaks the mold.  While his fastball sits more in the high 80s-lower 90s, his ability to locate his pitches and more importantly the ability to locate his secondary stuff has made him into one of the league’s more dependable arms.

What people forget is the journey Josh Tomlin has been on throughout his career.  Tomlin was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 11th Round out of Texas Tech in 2005, but Tomlin chose to not sign.  One year later, the Indians selected him in the 19th Round in the 2006 MLB Draft and signed him.  Tomlin was an advanced arm that had experience in college that made him adapt to hitters in the lower levels in the Minors.  By 2008, Tomlin was pitching at the AAA level, just one step away from The Show.  In 2009, Tomlin played the year down at AA Akron and was respectable, but once again because of the kind of pitcher he was, not too many people expected him to be a real MLB rotation option.  Things changed quickly in 2010 when he returned to AAA and was dominant going 8-4 with 2.68 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.  This was noticed by the Indians Front Office and then manager Manny Acta and Tomlin finally debuted in Cleveland where he finished the year going 6-4 with 4.56 ERA and 1.24 WHIP.

  Although his numbers weren’t “sexy”, they were the foundation for a pitcher who would rely on consistency throughout his career.  In 2011, Tomlin got a spot in the rotation and started 26 games and improved going 12-7 with 4.25 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.  He tied for the team high in wins with Justin Masterson, although Tomlin got 12 wins in 7 less starts than Masterson.  Tomlin was one of the main reasons the Indians found themselves in July with a chance to make a run for the playoffs.  There was a lot of hope for Tomlin and people saw him as a solid starter that was consistent.  Things were looking up for Tomlin at this time.

Coming off his successful 2011 season, fans expected Josh Tomlin to be a big part of a rotation that included a then budding ace in Justin Masterson and 2011 Trade acquisition Ubaldo Jimenez.  In 2012 there seemed to be something wrong with Josh Tomlin.  His ERA soared to over 6.00 ERA and his K/BB ratio jumped up along with his WHIP, something wasn’t right.  Early in the year he had soreness in his wrist, which an MRI revealed to be inflammation of the soft tissue.  Tomlin never seemed to shake the injury off when he returned to the rotation, but in August things took a turn for the worst.  In August Tomlin learned he would need Tommy John surgery after complaining about discomfort in his elbow.  Tomlin would return in 2013 to face the White Sox in a relief appearance and threw 2 shutout innings.  It seemed like the old Josh Tomlin was back and after a Wild Card Game appearance in 2013, fans felt that adding Tomlin with Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Danny Salazar would give them a very good rotation going forward and there was reason for hope.  In 2014, Tomlin would return to the rotation, but again something seemed off about Tomlin still.  He was better than where he was in 2012, but the consistency of Tomlin we were used to just wasn’t there.  In April of 2015, Tomlin learned that he would need more shoulder surgery that would keep him out of action for 3-4 months and most fans were losing hope that the consistent, change of pace starter we saw Tomlin as just wasn’t coming back.

I remember back in 2013 during a rehab stint at Akron, I saw Tomlin start a game for Akron and was amazed with his location of his pitches, but even more impressed with a new nasty curveball.  I was used to seeing Tomlin locate his fastball and changeup and keeping his pitches down in the zone, making hitters hit ground balls.  Instead I saw a pitcher who knew he had the ability to locate, but also had the stuff to get guys out.  I remember walking away amazed with Tomlin and was excited for his return to the Indians.  When he did return for that relief appearance in 2013, I saw the same Tomlin pitching in that outing.  That made his whole 2014 all the more confusing.  He seemed to be lacking trust in his stuff and was trying too hard to keep the ball down and locating it.  After his 2nd shoulder surgery, I tried to keep faith he would return with a fury, but his minor league numbers in rehab appearances weren’t anything to get excited for.

In the 2nd Half of 2015, the Indians really didn’t have much to cheer about.  The hitting outside of Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis was non-existent, Corey Kluber was solid but got no run support, and the bullpen was shaky.  When Josh Tomlin returned, I think a lot of fans were rooting for him to return to at least a solid starter or at least a solid reliever out of the bullpen.  Nobody was prepared for what happened next.  Tomlin finally trusted all of his pitches and decided to just deal the ball.  In 10 starts, Tomlin finished with a 7-2 record with 3.02 ERA, .83 WHIP, and the biggest shocker, a 7:1 K/BB ratio.  Not only was Tomlin getting guys to ground out, he found out how to strikeout batters in the process by way of a new dominant curveball, the same one I saw back in 2013 at Akron.  Through 2016, Tomlin has continued that success, leading the Indians in wins at an 8-1 record, a 3.54 ERA, and 1.09 WHIP.

Josh Tomlin is one of the best stories in baseball that nobody talks about.  Tomlin shows that you don’t need to throw 100MPH fastballs or have a Curveball that has a big break on it.  Tomlin shows that locating your pitches, consistency, and most importantly HARD WORK can make you into a potential All-Star pitcher in the MLB.  To all the players and whoever else votes for Pitchers in the All-Star Game, I urge you to vote Josh Tomlin in.  Tomlin has been through it all and after a major surgery in Tommy John surgery, plus another shoulder surgery to see the pitcher he’s become today, as of right now I feel Josh Tomlin should represent the AL in the All-Star Game.  It’s amazing to see how far this man has come to where he is now, he is another reason why Baseball is the greatest game in the world.  Against all odds Tomlin has defied them all to become one of the league’s most consistent pitchers and every fan should recognize him for his resiliency and strength through the years, it’s the least he deserves.

Tribe Talk 2.20.16: The Pros & Cons of Juan Uribe #Indians

By Alex Hale, @DaSportsGenius7

While Pitchers and Catchers reported for Spring Training earlier this week, the Cleveland Indians were not done making final adjustments to their roster.  On Friday afternoon, the Indians signed veteran IF Juan Uribe to a 1 year deal worth over $4 million.  The Indians plan on having Uribe fill in the role at 3B after Giovanny Urshela struggled offensively last year.  While I do have a lot of problems here with this signing, in fairness to the Indians we're going to give Tribe fans a fair analysis of the Indians signing Uribe with the Pros and Cons of the Indians latest move.

Pros:

- Uribe is a savvy veteran clubhouse presence-  Look at the teams Uribe has played with over the past few years, since 2009, Uribe has played with consistent playoff teams in the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and was a member of the 2010 World Champion San Fransisco Giants (and even earlier a member of the 2005 WS White Sox).  Uribe has been with multiple winning teams and knows what it takes to get to the playoffs and more importantly, how to win in the playoffs.  Indians really have been lacking that kind of a presence since Jason Giambi left.  It's small things like having clubhouse leaders that really can make all the difference.

- Uribe is an offensive upgrade compared to Giovanny Urshela- If we look by the stats, yes Uribe is a major upgrade at 3B.  But at the same time, critics can say Giovanny was a rookie and he can always improve in Year Two.  The bottom line is the Indians are a team that can win the division, and arguably the American League pennant right now.  The Indians can't sit around forever waiting for Giovanny to learn how to hit at the big league level.  Uribe has been known to have some pop in his bat and still has the ability to hit 15 HRs a year.

- Uribe knows the division- Uribe's career really took off in Chicago in the mid-2000's and knows how competitive this division is.  While Uribe has been out of the division for a while now, the one thing about Baseball is the division normally stays the same rivalry-wise.  Having Uribe could help the core of this team clearing the biggest hurdle they have left, beating Detroit when it matters.

- It's only a 1 Year deal- No matter what happens with Uribe this year, he's only signed for 1 year.  Nobody can ever complain about 1 year deals, this buys the Indians time to continue to develop Giovanny Urshela as a hitter, and more importantly buys highly touted prospect Yandy Diaz time in the minors to continue to make strides and climb up the system.  Worst case scenario with this deal is the Indians don't live up to expectations, and Uribe becomes a small trade chip at the Trade Deadline for a contender.

- He plays the entire infield- The Indians lose Mike Aviles and gain quite possibly a better version of Aviles in Uribe.  While Uribe doesn't play the outfield, Uribe has experience at the Middle Infield positions to go with his ability over at 3B.  Francona does love his versatile fielders and Uribe is an upgrade to what Francona already had in Aviles, so this is a move you gotta believe Francona is loving right now.




Cons:
- He's a significant downgrade defensively- When Juan Uribe makes multiple errors at 3B this year, don't come complaining to me.  While he does have a career .970 fielding percentage at 3B (which to the naked eye is good), comparing the number of games he's played at 3B with some of the greatest fielding 3B in the game's history is ridiculous.  Uribe has played in a fraction of the games at 3B they played.  Plus a reminder of his days in Chicago, I remember looking at him as a comparison for Jhonny Peralta, he can hit but he can be a liability defensively.  I wouldn't rely on Uribe to play gold glove defense that Urshela offered, I would instead brace for the problems we complained about defensively at 3B last year before Urshela.

- Uribe's numbers at Progressive Field are horrible- In 37 games, Uribe at Progressive Field is hitting .180 avg with 4 HRs, 17 RBIs, and a .206 OBP.  Bottom line is Uribe has never had success at Progressive Field and that's not a good sign for a guy you're paying $4 million to be an offensive upgrade.  The argument could be made here that last year, Brandon Moss was known to hit very well at Progressive Field and that really didn't help.  Only time will tell if Uribe's struggles at Progressive Field are for real or not, but at first glance...this is questionable.

- Indians are now pretty much maxed out in payroll- The Indians before the Uribe signing were on the books for around $80 million (that's not counting potential Minor League deal bonuses).  After the Uribe deal, the Indians are now pushing around $85 million in payroll, which is really at the max budget the Dolan's would like to spend. If you count maybe 2 more Minor League deals adding to the payroll in time, the Indians could be close to pushing $90 million.  The Dolan's really don't want to go over that which kills any trades the Indians could make at the Trade Deadline.  So if the Indians need another bat, Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff have to make one hell of a presentation to the Dolan's explaining why the Indians need a $100 million payroll.  Money says, the Dolan's won't budge.

- There were more pressing needs- My opinion has always been about 3B, it's a defensive position first.  If you can hit, that's a bonus.  That's why the Royals stuck with Mike Moustakas through his hitting struggles and more importantly that's the biggest trait for every great 3B in the game today (Arenado, Machado, Beltre, Seager).  All the top 3B in the league are outstanding defenders.  The Indians had one in Giovanny Urshela, but are choosing offense over defense.  The Indians could've found that offense at a biggest position of need, the Outfield.

 With Brantley out for a while and we don't know how long it'll take him to get up to speed, the Indians need a more proven bat in the outfield.  Having the speed of Rajai Davis and moving forward with Lonnie Chisenhall in RF are great, but you had Dexter Fowler and Austin Jackson available.  Fowler would've given you a better offensive upgrade, but Jackson gave you better defense, solid hitting, and his familiarity with the Tigers.  The Indians should've inquired more on those two and tried to lure one of them in, even if they got a 1 year deal.

At the end of the day the Indians did what the fans asked them to do, build a better offensive team and Uribe technically will bring that to the Indians at 3B.  In my personal opinion, I'm against the signing, I think Giovanny Urshela needs time to develop his major league game and shows all the qualities of a solid MLB hitter with Gold Glove ability at 3B.  The Indians needed to learn from their mistakes last year which was when we don't have great defense at 3B, the Indians suffer.  Let's all hope Uribe can be serviceable defensively and provide enough offense to push the Indians back to the top of the Central Division.

Tribe Talk 9.1.15: Not So Fast… Indians Season is Far From Done #Indians

By @DaSportsGenius7

Tom Hamilton calls it the, "6 Month Journey, that is Baseball's season" for a reason.  It seems like only yesterday the Indians were starting the season with such high hopes and ended up getting swept by the Tigers in their first Home series.  It's led to a season of change.  The Indians have gone from change from the leadership in the clubhouse (Swisher and Bourn to Kipnis, Brantley and Kluber) and now leadership change in the Front Office with Mark Shapiro leaving.  The Indians headed into Monday's series with the red hot Toronto Blue Jays at 63-66, only 5 GB of the Wild Card.  A month ago I think almost all the fans would've quit on this team, suddenly the Indians sweep their home stand against Milwaukee and the Angels.  Now suddenly the season has taken a turn nobody saw coming.  The 2nd Wild Card now doesn't seem that much of a farfetched possibility.

Now as an Indians fan you're probably thinking that it's a long shot and you're probably right, but I think it's fair to examine, what kind of a chance do the Indians really have?  In my personal opinion, there isn't a team that's currently ahead of us that I'm particularly scared of.  In the last month of the year, after the Blue Jays series, the Indians will have ONE non-in division series until the final series of the year against the Red Sox.  The Indians will have 7 games vs. Detroit, 6 vs. Chicago, 7, 7 vs. Kansas City, and 7 vs. Minnesota.  As crucial as the Blue Jays series could be for establishing momentum, from a schedule standpoint, as long as the Indians can start September on the right note, the Tigers series from the 10th-13th will define the season.  The Indians biggest obstacle has been winning big series at home, especially vs. Detroit.  If the Indians can start off well and win that series, I think the Tribe can seriously make a run for the 2nd Wild Card spot.  The reason why?  Think about it, the teams in front of the Tribe really don't have the pitching staff that the Indians have and for the most part, the critical parts of the offense haven't been hitting like they should and some are coming around at the right time.  So let's examine the other teams the Indians will be watching the scoreboard for in September.

Baltimore Orioles- Lets be honest the Orioles offense really has the potential to score at will whenever it wants.  With Chris Davis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and young budding star Manny Machado, the Orioles can score with any team.  As for their pitching staff...well that's the problem.  When you are lead by Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, and Ubaldo Jimenez, you know you have serious problems long term wise.  While they have the bullpen to back it up, in September it's crucial for teams to have your starters last in games to rest up that bullpen.  I think their hopes are over and compared to the Indians, I'd give the Indians an edge.

Tampa Bay Rays- This one doesn't need a lot of explanation in my opinion.  The Rays have done nothing short of a masterful job rebuilding their team and are still in the hunt with 1st year manager Kevin Cash.  With Chris Archer leading the way, the Rays have an ace that can carry them.  My problem is with the bullpen and offense.  I see way too many holes all around compared to where the Indians struggles in offense lay in players having down seasons and not getting hot.  That's why I'm not afraid of Tampa.

Los Angeles Angels- Indians swept them...do I really need to explain why?  Mike Trout alone only gets you so far.  The money wasted on a mediocre rotation has really made the Angels suffer.  Doesn't help their farm system is so bad they can't trade for an ace.  But at least they got some young arms to build around for 2016.

Minnesota Twins- This is the only one I'm still blown away by that they're still in it.  Their offense is really average, and their rotation has veteran arms, but no ace.  I'll give them this, they got one hell of a closer.  But the Twins I thought would fall apart at this point, but they've stayed on track to be in it.  Something has to give and those 7 games the Twins will face with the Indians will decide who takes the 2nd place spot in the division behind the Royals.  I think the way the Indians have played them recently gives me hope they'll do fine against them and take care of business.

Texas Rangers- This is the another team that perplexes me.  Without a doubt they have enough offense to gives teams a headache to deal with and do have an ace with Cole Hamels.  With an offense lead by Prince Fielder, Adrian Beltre and a rejuvenated Josh Hamilton.  The big plus with Texas down the stretch is that although they mostly play their division, they have a good amount of games with the Mariners and A's left.  They have 7 vs. the Astros and funny enough right at the perfect moment for the Indians to strike.  As said earlier I'm focusing on the 4 game home series vs. Detroit, the Rangers series vs. Astros begins that next Monday.  If the Indians can continue to scratch and claw their way up the Wild Card, that will be the moment the Indians can strike.

All I ask of fans is to look at the teams ahead of you...you can't tell me that the Indians aren't better that much worse than these teams?  Hell I'd argue the Tribe might be better than these teams.  This is a team that for the past 2 years have shown, they know how to play in September, it's time to show it guys.  A lot of Indians fans threw in the towel, I admit I was extremely close to doing it.  But in the words of Lee Corso, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND!"  This season a FAR from over.  So Tribe fans, please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times because the Roller Coaster we're going on is going to be one wild ride!

Tribe Talk 8.30.15: Sandy Alomar Jr. Isn't The Best Choice #Indians

By @DaSportsGenius7

There's a controversy within the Cleveland Indians fanbase that has been brewing since the news of Mark Shapiro and the Toronto Blue Jays possibilities first surfaced.  As Indians fans know, Manager Terry Francona has an opt out clause that if Antonetti or Shapiro were to leave, he could seek another opportunity.  My belief is if Shapiro left, he's taking Francona with him to Toronto, a situation I'm sure Francona can thrive in.  But the controversy is with who would replace Francona.  A lot of Indians fans have been waiting for the opportunity to have fan favorite Sandy Alomar Jr finally get his shot as Manager of the Indians.  I know I'm in the minority about this, but I think the time for Sandy to be named the manager of the Indians has passed.  The opportunity was when Sandy took over as the interim manager and showed he could do the job.

Instead the Indians went out and got Terry Francona to manage and the Indians have been extremely fortunate that Sandy has stayed all this time.  While I firmly believe the reason Sandy has stayed is because he's been guaranteed the manager's job when Franonca leaves, I don't think the possibility of Shapiro and possibly Antonetti gone too was weighed in that scenario.  So now I'm going to explain to the Tribe fan base that as nice as it would be that Sandy could be named the manager, I'm going to argue that the best manager choice does lie elsewhere.  Before I get to my choice for manager, let me examine a few other names.

David Wallace (AA Akron Manager)- All I know about Wallace is that the Indians are extremely high on David Wallace and has experience working with guys like Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, and Giovany Urshela that really could help in their continued progression at the Major league level.  He led the Rubberducks to a 73-69 record last year, and is on pace to again finish above .500 this year.  His only bad year as a manager was with High-A Carolina.  Look at that roster, outside of Lindor and Wendle, nobody was hitting down there.  Again I've only heard great things about him at Akron and I know the Indians are looking at him as a potential future manager.  He's only 35 right now so he's got time to still make his name known in the Minors.  I think though he's an up and coming name to watch out for.

Mike Sarbaugh (3rd Base Coach for Indians)- A few years ago when the Indians fired Manny Acta, I was clammoring for him to take over as the Indians manager.  The big plus for Sarbaugh is that he has very strong relations with the core of this team as he managed them as they were coming up.  As a manager in the minors, he was a standout coach and in 9 seasons was 697-511 (.577).  He has an outstanding knowledge of the game and great leadership ability.  Whether the Indians hire him or not as the manager, at some point he's going to get his shot.  I wouldn't be stunned in the slightest if he thrived in the bigs.  By the way with that record, in 9 years, he NEVER had one losing season.  That's impressive with how unpredictable the minors can be with call-ups and send downs.

Torey Lovullo (Interim Manager for Boston Red Sox)- I'm throwing Lovullo in here because he was another former candidate after Acta was fired.  In fact from my understanding, Lovullo was almost hired as the manager.  If I'm an Indians fan I'm closely monitoring how the Red Sox play under Lovullo.  The Red Sox season has been a disaster and I'd be very interested with a mediocre pitching staff and a potentially very good offense, can the Red Sox make some sort of run under him.  If they do that, I'd strongly consider him to replace Francona.

Jason Giambi (Retired MLB Player)- If Francona were to leave, I'm not ruling out the darkhorse here.  Giambi makes a lot of sense if you think about it.  OVer the past 2 years the one constant in the clubhouse was Giambi and his veteran presense.  The players respected him as he led by example.  He took the year off to focus on himself and family.  I truly believe after what he's meant to the team from a leadership standpoint, plus he's got a high Baseball IQ to do the job, I'd interview Giambi for the job.  Would I offer it?  He'd have to blow me away.

Mickey Callaway (Indians Pitching Coach)- Okay in response to a certain unnamed Twitter account, you think he's another Bryan Price?  I'm sorry did Cincinnati ever have one of the most potent rotations with up and coming plus rejuvinated career pitchers?  NO!  Mickey Callaway not only helped the development of Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer, and Corey Kluber but he's rejuvinated the careers of Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez.  He isn't a one dimensional pitching coach.  He develops and motivates his players.  Can anyone name me a pitching coach get so fired up he gets ejected?  Because that happened to Callaway this year.  The man has fire and isn't afraid to get in his players faces when needed.  Callaway comes across as the manager type.  The players already respect him and I believe will follow him.  I truly believe Mickey Callaway is the perfect replacement for Francona.

Now I'm not going to sit here and say hiring Sandy Alomar might be a disaster, but to the fans, your premise for hiring him makes ZERO SENSE.  Your argument for Sandy Alomar is as valid as Cardale Jones being the Browns savior at QB.  Sandy is 3-3 as a manager and has zero experience elsewhere as a manager.  When you make an argument, you must have concrete evidence to make a good argument.  The Indians fans argument is, "Well he's a 90s Indians fan favorite, so he can't fail!"  What happens in the scenario of one of your 90s heros fails?  Right now I can make a stronger argument for Mike Sarbaugh as manager than Sandy.  I think Sandy as all the qualities you want in a manager, but sadly Cleveland the opportunity to do it was 2012 and Cleveland hiring Terry Francona.  The ship has passed and I urge Cleveland Indians fans to not let fan favorite feelings cloud your judgement on who might make a great manager.  I know the 90s were great for the Tribe, but it doesn't mean you put them on a coaching staff, they're going to thrive.  How did Eddie Murray work out as hitting coach?  Trust me I want nothing but the best for my Indians, but at the end of the day, you look at the resumes and what the candidates have done, it's obvious that Mickey Callaway in my opinion is the best choice to replace Francona at this moment.  I'm sorry to the Sandy Alomar fans, but the harsh reality is that you're basing your argument as a fan and not as an educated fan.  This is living proof that fans should not run teams.  The Indians have 3 people on the Major League staff that could manage, its Cleveland's responsibility to evaluate who is the guy.  Sit on it and think about it for a while, Mickey Callaway is the way to go.

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 8.6.14

-What happens if Josh Gordon loses his appeal and suspended for one year from the NFL? Does his suspension start right away? Not so fast. Josh Gordon will play this year. How does he play you may ask? He suppose to receive a year long ban if he loses, you may say in your head. Do you recall Pat and Kevin Williams? If not google it. If Gordon receives a year long ban from the NFL, the following should and hopefully will happen. If Josh Gordon loses his appeal his lawyer Maurice Suh will file a lawsuit in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, while also filing a civil suit requesting a temporary restraining order against the NFL. In the motion for the restraining order, Gordon and his lawyer will ask the judge assigned to the case restrain the NFL from enforcing the suspension. To make sure the the restraining order is granted, Gordon will have to show he is "entitled to the relief demand" in the lawsuit. He also must prove or show if the T.R.O is not granted, he will suffer permanent injury. Which could be monetary damages from not being able to work. He must also prove that the NFL is attempting to threaten what he asking the judge to stop.

Now under Ohio law, Josh Gordon did not test positive for chronic or the active ingredient THC. Under Ohio law "only specimens which test negative on the initial test or negative on the confirmation test shall be reported as negative". So if the NFL must go by Ohio law and since Gordon tested negative on the confirmation test it should be reported as negative. Also under Ohio law, if either the initial test or the confirmation test is negetive the employer is obligated to report it as a negative test.

Here's the tricky part. The NFL substance abuse policy is not written the same as Ohio and the NFL will argue only federal law applies to the Collective Barganing Agreement and substance abuse policy. Josh Gordon is not stating he shouldn't be disinclined by the NFL, but simply he didn't test positive according to the law. Gordon's lawyers will also add a few other issues in his lawsuit as breach of contract, slander and defamation. Now if the T.P.O is granted, Josh will play this season while this whole case is dragged out in court, which may take up to 3 years to complete. But look forward to drafting Josh high, no pun intended, in your fantasy league this year.

-Browns quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer split first team reps yesterday at training camp. Many national and local media outlets have stated that Manziel has closed the gap with Brian Hoyer for the starting quarterback spot. But with the release of the Browns first depth chart yesterday, it listed Hoyer as the starter and Manziel as the backup. Also, Josh Gordon was listed as the starting/number 1 receiver on the depth chart.

-The Cleveland Cavaliers officially announced the signings of two former teammates of LeBron James while playing in Miami, James Jones and Mike Miller. Both are outside threats that will open up the middle for James and Kyrie Irving to drive to the hoop. James Jones won the 2011 3 point shootout at the All-Star game. Mike Miller shot 46% from outside the arc last year while playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.

-LeBron James finally met new Cavs coach David Blatt and General Manager David Griffin for the first time in a face to face conversation. Previously all communication was done either on phone or via text. After the meeting with his new coach and GM, LeBron and Mike Miller worked out together at St. Vincent St. Mary High School in Akron. A news conference is scheduled for Wednesday to introduce Mike Miller and James Jones to the Cleveland media.

-Always a step ahead, the San Antonio Spurs hired 6-time WNBA All-Star point guard, Becky Hammon to be an assistant coach on Gregg Popovich's staff. Hammon will take the job after she retires from her 16 year WNBA career this season. She will be the first full time woman assistant coach in the NBA. In 2001, Cleveland Cavaliers coach John Lucas brought in Lisa Boyer, now an assistant at South Carolina, for some practices and games, but did not travel with the team and did not get paid. Perhaps one day, this opens up the possibility of a woman coaching a team in the NBA.

-Indians pitcher Mike Tomlin went 4.1 innings giving up 8 hits, 5 earned runs and 1 unearned run in a rough 9-2 loss against the Reds last night at Progressive field. The Tribe was only able to muster up 5 hits for the game,as Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto dominated the Indians for a complete game. It's not a lot of good things about the Tribe besides they will now travel down to the 'Nati for a 2 game series before traveling to New York to face the Yankees.

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Tidbits from yesterday...

-Since everyone knows, or if you didn't know, I'm an umpire. People have been calling and texting me, why wasn't the play called dead when two balls were on the field when David Murphy was thrown out at 3rd? Answer is, under high school rules, yes the play would have been dead and runners would be entitled to the base they had possession of at the time of the play being killed. Under MLB rules, a play can not be killed until until the conclusion of the play.

-The Browns signed tight ends Kyle Auffray and Martell Webb. They also signed linebacker Keith Pough and wide receiver Tim Smith.

-Elyria high school alumni Tracy Sprinkle was reinstated to the Ohio State football team but will be suspended for the first game of the season against Navy. Sprinkle had been charged with possession on cocaine and failure to comply after a bar fight in exchange for a no-contest plea bargain after testing negative for any drug use. Sprinkle was fined and must perform community service.

Leadoff with Lee 6.12.14

-The Cleveland Indians lost to the Kansas City Royals 4-1 yesterday. Lonnie Chisenhall remained hot, going 2-3 while batting second in the lineup. His batting average increased from .388 to .393. Jason Kipnis extended his hitting streak to 9 games by going 1 for 4. Trevor Bauer got the start for the Tribe pitching 5 1/3 innings giving up 7 hits and three earned runs in the loss. Bauer is now 1-3 on his struggling season. Greg Holland recorded his 19th save on the season for the Royals. The Tribe open up a 4 game set tonight in Boston against the Red Sox.

-Could the Cavs land Kevin Love? Who knows? But he has stated "Cleveland has great young talent". Could a sign and trade be in the works between the Timberwolves and Cavs? Who knows? Love is going to be a free agent next summer and I'm sure Dan Gilbert won't pull the trigger until he knows Love can be secured for the long term.

-Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon sat out of practice because of a pulled hamstring on Wednesday. Speculation yesterday had Mike Pettine sitting him over his looming suspension. But this was not the case. The Browns have had other key veteran wide receivers miss time due to injury in Miles Austin, Nate Burleson, Travis Benjamin and Earl Bennett.

-Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar was at the Chicago Bears OTA practice yesterday giving advice to Jay Cutler and four other quarterbacks in practice. Bears coach Marc Trestman coached Kosar in Miami and in Cleveland early in his career. Kosar states Cutler has respect in the huddle and great pocket presence.

-Johnny Manziel was drafted last Saturday by the San Diego Padres in the 28th round. Could this mean a career change for Manziel? No. Browns coach Mike Pettine said "I didn't really know he played baseball". Well coach, me neither. He played baseball at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas. Manziel thought about about playing baseball and football at Texas A&M as a freshman, but opted to stick with football. Do you blame him now after becoming the 22nd pick in the first round of the NFL draft? It sure beats the 28th round.

-The New York Rangers defeated the LA Kings 2-1 in Game 4, to stay alive in the Stanley Cup Finals. Game 5 will be Friday night.

-The Miami Heat look to even the series tonight against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Spurs lead the series 2-1 heading into tonight's game in Miami.

Leadoff with Lee 6.2.14

-Michael Bourn brought his broom and the Indians got a sweep! Michael Bourn hit his first walk off homerun of his career to give the Tribe a 6-4 win over the Rockies. The hit came in the bottom of the 9th with 1 on and 1 out, off of Adam Ottavino. Indians pitcher Josh Tomlin had a quality start going 5 2/3 innings, giving up only 2 earned runs while recording a career best 8 strikeouts. Despite the solid start by Tomlin, reliever Scott Atchison got the win for the Tribe. Josh Tomlin has been on fire his last 5 starts and has a 3.06 era and at least 6 strikeouts. Tomlin's pitch count got to him as he was over 100 pitches in the 6th inning. The Tribe are now on a 3 game winning streak with the day off tomorrow. They open a series at home Tuesday against Terry Francona's former team, the Boston Red Sox. Cleveland Browns running back Ben Tate will throw out the first pitch.

-The Florida Gators advanced to the National Championship of the Women's College World Series with a 6-3 win over Baylor. This will be Floridas 3rd trip to the WCWS They will face Alabama tonight at 8 PM on ESPN 2!

-With Alabama's 2-0 win over Oregon yesterday, they have set up the first all SEC WCWS championship. The first of the best out of 3 games will be shown at ESPN2 at 8pm. This will be Alabama's 2nd trip in 3 years to the WCWS.

-Over in the NHL, the L.A. Kings outlasted the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7, 5-4 in overtime. The Kings will host the New York Rangers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday.