Tribe Watch '13 (Final Report)

So the Indians season finally came to an end last night after they lost the 1-game Wild Card Playoff to the Tampa Bay Rays. It was a tough loss to watch, but I'm overall still extremely proud of this team for their season and excited for what is to come. Last night was a reflection of what this team currently is - a decent team with a great manager that still has to address some issues before they can be a legitimate contender. As we turn to the offseason, there will be some good dilemmas to deal with. One will be determining if we can re-sign Ubaldo Jimenez, Scott Kazmir, or both. Both guys seemingly got better as the season went on but it seems unlikely that we'll be able to afford both, so the question becomes will be able to keep either here next year. We then will have to look at offering some extensions to players who we will want to lock up for the long term future, like Justin Masterson and Jason Kipnis. There are also some players that I would like to see gone from the team like Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera. These guys do nothing to enhance our team, but hopefully that are seen to still have some talent so that we will be able to trade them. Lastly you have to wonder about Jason Giambi. While the stats do not indicate it, you could potentially argue he was an MVP on this team because of the contributions he made. I don't know whether he's ready to retire or still wants to play. I would like to see him remain with us in some capacity, however.

In general, this was an amazing season that was so entertaining from beginning to end. I love this core group of guys that we have and I truly believe we are moving in the right direction. Last night's loss stings, but that will fade soon enough. The good news is that we are now just four months away from pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training. No matter what the calendar says, I will always say Go Tribe!!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 3)

Record: 7-10

Standing: 4th in AL Central (3 games out of first)

The Indians got off to rough start last week as they were swept at home by the Boston Red Sox. Credit bad starting pitching, anemic offense and an emotionally motivated opponent as the key reasons why the Indians couldn't do much against Boston. The weekend helped turn things around, however, as the bats came alive on Saturday. The Indians put a 19 spot on the scoreboard against the Astros. Our newest acquisitions, Mark Reynolds, Nick Swisher, and 42 year old Jason Giambi, were all major players in that outpouring of offense. Thankfully Saturday's performance didn't result in an immediate power outage on Sunday as the Indians were able to hit four more home runs in order to win by one and take two out of three from Houston. Hopefully the Tribe can carry that momentum with them as they now continue this road trip by heading into Chicago to take on those nasty White Sox. We played Chicago very well in Cleveland and I'd love to see more of the same to start this week. Cleveland will then finish off their road trip by heading to Kansas City for a weekend series. No matter the month, games against divisional opponents are critical, so it will be vital for the Tribe to have a good week. As the Indians hope to gain ground within the AL Central standings, I'll be cheering them on all the way and I hope you will too. Go Tribe!