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 25)

Record: 86 - 70

Standing: 2nd in AL Central; current holder of the 2nd Wild Card spot

One week to go. Just six more games. If we can hang on, we will be in the playoffs. We earned this spot after a relatively successful week. While the Tribe only managed to win one against Kansas City, that win was enough to still keep some distance between us and them. Then we did what we needed to do and that was sweep all four games against the American League's worst team, the Houston Astros. That was amazingly our 6th 4-game sweep of the season - a feat that has not been accomplished by any team since 1961. While some of those games were not our finest effort, we managed to get the W nonetheless and that's all that matters. As things stand right now, we hold a 1 game lead over the Texas Rangers for that final wild card spot, while Tampa Bay is one game better than us for the other Wild Card slot. With things that close, we can ill afford any slip ups this week. After having a day off on Monday, the Indians will have to kick it back into high gear with their final series at home, a 2-game set against the Chicago White Sox. We will then finish up on the road as we head to Minnesota for the final four games of the season. Neither team is very good, so let's hope we continue doing what we need to do and that is win these games. It is hard to believe that by this time next week we could be talking playoffs. It doesn't get any more exciting that this, so let's cheer this team into the homestretch. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 24)

Record: 81 - 68

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (5 games behind Detroit; 0.5 games out of the Wild Card)

Now things start to get real interesting. Believe or not, the Indians are in a very good position right now to make the postseason. It hasn't always looked that way, but the cards are aligned right now for them to continue playing baseball in October. Part of the reason is because of what we have been doing. While we only managed to win one out of the three against Kansas City, we swept the four game series against the Chicago White Sox and had our offense come to life in the process. The other reason why we are in a good position is because the teams ahead of us, namely the Texas Rangers and the Tampa Bay Rays have been really struggling as of late. Those teams, as well as the other teams in the playoff hunt (the Orioles, Yankees, and Royals) will be dealing with much more difficult schedules in the final two weeks of the season. As long as the Indians win the games that they should win, we could be heading to the postseason. Our final true test begins tonight when we start a three game series in Kansas City against the Royals. While we are 3 games ahead of them, we can ill afford to get swept by them and put them right back into this. If we manage to at least take two of three, then we can help ensure that they are taken out of consideration. After the Royals we come home for our final homestand of the regular series and begin a four game set against the Houston Astros. Even though Houston has the worst record in the American League, they are not just going to lie down and let us win, so we will need to keep our edge and make sure we don't falter against weaker competition. While nothing will get settled this week, it is exciting to think about the fact that we could be in possession of one of the wild card spots by the end of next week. Given that this team is right in the thick of the playoff hunt, I hope the city of Cleveland finally comes out and begins to support this team to show them we appreciate their effort. It's a real exciting time to be an Indians fan and I'm going to love every moment of it. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 20)

Record: 66 - 58

Standing: Second in AL Central (7 games behind Detroit)

Well anything the Tribe did this past week would have been an improvement over the week before so I guess we should be positive, but I sure would like to see this team playing better than they are right now. After dropping the opening game to Minnesota, they managed to take the next two and the series, which is what they should do against lesser opponents. After heading out west, however, the Indians could only manage to win one game against the A's. Oakland is a decent team, so there's no shame to losing two games to them in their place, but it is just frustrating because they currently sit ahead of us in the Wild Card standings, so it would be have been helpful to gain some ground on them. Right now it seems like our focus should be on earning one of the wild card slots as Detroit shows no signs of relinquishing first place before the end of the year. Our efforts to procure a playoff spot begin this week as we finish up our west coast road trip with a three game set against the Anaheim Angels. Then we finally head back home to take on the Minnesota Twins in a weekend series. Neither of those teams are making the playoffs this year, so we need to rack up a lot of wins against them. Despite our recent struggles, it is still great to be playing meaningful baseball this late into the season. As the Indians try to make that late season push, I'll be there with them each step of the way rooting them on. Go Tribe!