Tribe Watch '13 (Week 10)

Record: 30 - 32

Standing: Second in AL Central (5.5 games behind Detroit)

What an utterly disastrous week for the Indians. The team was already struggling and then they proceed to get swept by both the Yankees and the Tigers. Our losing streak is at 7 games. We have lost 11 straight games on the road, which is the longest streak the Indians have had in over twenty years. We are back under .500 for the season. And we are now 5 and half games out of first place. There just are not many bright spots for this team right now as the offense is not producing and the pitching, while not terrible, have been giving up runs in key situations. The only thing I'm holding on to right now and keeping me from believing we are destined to have another second half implosion is the fact that we are playing an unbelievably rough schedule right now. It's been weeks since we have played a sub .500 team. We've got one more tough week and then things cool off considerably. We have to find a way to weather this storm. This week the Indians finish up this brutal road trip with a 3 game series in Texas. Then they will come back home this weekend to play the Washington Nationals. If we can have even a moderately productive week, it may help us refocus and get back to our winning ways against the lesser teams that we'll eventually play. If we have another week like this past one, then there may not be any recovery from it, which would set us up for another long disappointing summer. It may look bleak at the moment, but we gotta keep this town as "Believeland". Send some positive energy toward this team - any little bit could help these days. As always, Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 9)

Record: 30 - 26

Standing: Second in AL Central (0.5 games out of first place)

From a record standpoint, the Indians did better this week than the previous week, but it was still something of a letdown. The week began with the Indians splitting their series with the Reds as both teams won both of their home games. I was pleased that our starting pitching did well against their potent lineup and if we were to face them again in the World Series, I have confidence that we would not be outmatched. The Tribe then finished out their homestand by losing 2 of 3 to Tampa Bay. The first game should have been a rain out, but given the poor scheduling done by MLB, their hand was forced and the game didn't truly get started until midnight and was a battle of bullpens, so not the best display of our talent. The one that hurts is our loss on Sunday. It hurts for a few reasons. One is that is was a lopsided loss and we haven't had a ton of those so far this year. Second, it was a rare bad start by pitcher Zack McAllister. Losing that game also meant we lost the series. But perhaps worst of all is that it was a deflating loss that comes on the eve of the Tribe's most important road series of the year. Our next 9 games will be on the road against the likes of the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, and Texas Rangers. Detroit and Texas are currently in first place in their respective divisions and the Yankees were atop the AL East last week before going on a recent skid. These are three very good teams that the Indians will need to find a way of staying competitive against. If we can somehow come out with at least 5 wins on this road trip, I'll be very happy. It'll also further bolster my confidence that this team has what it takes to play in the postseason. It may be disastrous, it may be great, but either way I'll be watching them every step of the way. Go Indians!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 8)

Record: 27-22

Standing: Second in AL Central (1.5 games behind Detroit)

Well we all knew that the good times couldn't last forever. After an impressive run, the Tribe came back down to Earth this week. After an improbable win on Monday, the Indians lost both games against Detroit and then lost 3 of 4 in Boston. While the outcome wasn't desirable, I don't think there's any reason to push the panic button just yet. There's a lot of evidence to suggest that we will not have a repeat of the past two years where we get off to a great start and then absolutely collapse in the second half of the season. Even though we did lose five times this past week, our offense still did their job for the most part. I think our struggles can partially be blamed on some absolutely lousy weather this week. There was at least three games that were played in the rain, which can never be fun. If there is an area of concern, it's one that I wouldn't have thought of prior to the beginning of the season - the bullpen. Several of our losses this week were a result of our relief pitchers' inability to hold onto a lead. Vinnie Pestano has not been as effective since returning from the disabled list and closer Chris Perez left today's game with an injury. We'll need the back end of our pitching staff to pick it up if we want to continue to compete. The biggest issue is that the Indians have an extremely rough schedule over the next 3-4 weeks. If we can hold tight during this stretch, we should be ok as the remainder of the schedule is relatively light. If we go into a tailspin during the next month, it may turn into a repeat of the last couple of seasons. That rough stretch begins this week with an interesting 4 game series against our in-state rival, the Cincinnati Reds. It's interesting for the fact that the first two games will take place in Cincy and then the last two will be in Cleveland. The Tribe will then remain in town over the weekend as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays. I'm confident they'll be able to ride out this storm and remain with Detroit in that fight for first place. Regardless of outcome, I'll be watching them every step of the way. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 6)

Record: 20 - 15

Standing: Tied for first in the AL Central

Wow, another amazing week for the Indians. Two weeks ago they were in languishing in last place and have now won 12 of their last 14 games and have now gotten into a first place tie with Detroit. The past week began with an impressive four game sweep of the A's. The series wasn't without some controversy, however. A blown call by the umpires in Wednesday's game earned national attention and potentially cost Oakland the victory in that game. Then the Indians got a big test this past weekend as they faced the Tigers in Detroit. After dropping the first game, the Tribe came back and won a couple of close games on Saturday and today. Winning close is an extremely good sign that this team can be competitive for the whole season and potentially have success if they make the playoffs. One of the things that has been so remarkable during this good stretch by the Indians is their ability to get big hits with two outs. You gotta love a team that never says die and believes they are in every game regardless of what the score is. The Indians will look to maintain their momentum as they deal with another busy week. It all begins with a traditional doubleheader tomorrow against the Yankees to make up a pair of games that were washed out a few weeks ago. The Indians will then make a brief two game visit to Philadelphia to play the Phillies. We handled the Phillies when they played in Cleveland a couple weeks ago, so they'll no doubt have revenge on their mind. Then the week will wrap up with a trip back home to play against the Seattle Mariners. Whenever we can beat up on a team managed by Eric Wedge, I take extra glee in that. Things are starting to get really exciting in Cleveland, so let's show this team that we're behind them. Despite their impressive play, the stadium hasn't been very full. Let's hope that begins to change. Go Tribe!!

Tribe Watch '13 (Week 4)

Record: 9-13

Standing: Last in the AL Central (4 games out of 1st place)

We're almost a month into the season and it's still tough to get a real beat on how good this team is. This week was particularly tough to gauge their quality given how few games they played. The Tribe only played 2 out of their 3 games against Chicago due to rain and they managed to split that series. Then after a scheduled off day on Thursday, they were rained out in Kansas City on Friday. To make up that game, a double header was played yesterday. Thus far, the Royal have taken 2 out of the 3 games we've played against them, but this is a four game series that ends tonight, so if the Tribe wins that one, they'll have split with KC as well. A win would give us a 5-4 record on this road trip and if they can play .500 on the road, I'll always be fine with that. Right now, the troubling factors are the team's overall record and their sporadic hitting. Those issues are interconnected as better hitting should lead to more wins. I'm far from pushing the panic button on the season just yet, primarily because there have been so few games with our regular lineup. The injury to Michael Bourn has caused changes in the lineup that have forced guys to bat in spots that they don't normally hit. I think if we can get a healthy roster, we'll be in much better shape. Bourn should be back this week, so let's hope that's the start of something positive. Looking ahead to this week, after finishing up with the Royals tonight, we come home for our first interleague series of the season, playing a two game set with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Tribe will have another off day this Thursday and then play the Minnesota Twins over the weekend. Both of those are winnable series if we play well. Let's hope that the end of April marks the end of bad weather and the start of some great baseball. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 11)

Record: 37-34

Standing: Second in AL Central (0.5 games back)

After getting swept the week prior in Cincinnati, the Indians gained a measure of revenge this past week by sweeping the Reds in Cleveland. That proved to be the high point for the week as we not only had won 3 games in a row, but also climbed back up into first place. Sadly, things went downhill from there as they lost the last two out of a three game series against the Houston Astros and fell back into second place. The Houston series was particularly frustrating as the bats went dormant once again against a less than stellar pitching rotatation. In addition, we saw a recurring problem from both Jeanmar Gomez and Derek Lowe. Both pitchers pitched well early on, but got hit bad as they went through the lineup the second and third time. Given that Lowe's a veteran, we can hope that he'll be able to recover from this. As for Gomez, it seems as if he needs to be either sent back to the minors or converted into a long man in the bullpen. In other disappointing news, it was announced yesterday that the longtime Boston Red Sox slugger Kevin Youkilis had been traded to the Chicago White Sox. While I do not necessarily think the Indians needed to get him, the absolute LAST place I wanted him to wind up was in Chicago. If he provides them with any sort of offensive productivity, it could be really harmful to our chances at competing with them for the AL Central title. Despite that, we shouldn't dwell on the negative. Remaining positive will be key as the Indians continue their 10-game road trip with visits to New York for a three game series against the Yankees and then a four game series beginning on Thursday in Baltimore against the Orioles. Those two teams currently sit in first and second place respectively in the AL East. We cannot afford to lose much ground heading into the midway point of the season, so this could be a make it or break it week for the tribe. Now that the NBA season is over and the people of Cleveland can stop dwelling on Lebron, our focus should be on the Indians and rooting them on to victory. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 10)

Record: 33-32

Standing: Second in AL Central (1.5 games back)

This has been a pretty dismal week for the Tribe as the only managed to get one victory. The week began with a rough time in Cincinnati as the Reds swept us. Then we returned home and only got one win against the Pirates. Once again, pitching problems plagued this time. Both Cincinnati and Pittsburg seemed to hit off our pitchers at will. While our hitters could be doing more, this team will live and die by our pitching, so they need to start getting their act together if we have any hopes of contending. If there's a silver lining after such a pathetic performance, it's that the White Sox played just as poorly and thus we did not really lose any ground in the standings. We can't expect that to always happen, so we need to start winning again. We'll get a chance for some revenge against the Reds this week as they come to Cleveland for a three game set. Then we head back out onto the road this weekend for a set against the Houston Astros, a team that isn't very good. Capitalizing on weaker competition will be important. Plus it'll give us an opportunity to do some advanced scouting since Houston will become a part of the American League next year. As interleague play wraps up, I'll be watching to see if we can end this stretch of games on a positive note. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 9)

Record: 32-27

Standing: 2nd in AL Central (0.5 games back)

While far from a great week, there was definitely an improved effort from this team in comparison to how they had played the week before. The Indians managed to score two series victories, taking two of out three from both the Tigers and the Cardinals. Both of those teams, while struggling, are solid opponents so it was nice to come away with wins against both of them. Most notably the pitching was much better this week. Ubaldo Jimenez had two quality starts in a row, which is positve to see. Sadly, the guy who probably had the best pitching performance, Justin Masterson, came away with a loss on Saturday due to the Tribe getting shut out for the first time this season. Of course, I would love to see the Indians continue to improve on offense. Now that we're in the middle of interleague play, it means we'll be playing several games without the luxury of a DH, so each of our positional players need to pick up the slack when it comes to the bat. Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis (who hit the game-winning 3 run home run today) have been great at the plate, but guys like Carlos Santana really need to start having more quality at-bats so that we're not constantly leaving guys on base. Speaking of interleague play, it continues to roll on this week as the Indians will head to Cincinnati to play their cross-state rivals the Reds for 3 games. Then it's finally back home to take on the Pittsburg Pirates in a three game set. Teams that do well during interleague play typically find their way into the post-season, so let's hope the Indians can continue their winnings ways against these National League teams. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 8)

Record: 28-25

Standing: Second in AL Central

The Indians' performance this week did nothing to really motivate me to do this write up, but here I am anyways. This week the Tribe saw themselves fall out of first place, partially because those nasty Chicago White Sox are red hot and partially because we only managed to win two out of six games against Kansas City and Minnesota - a pair of divisional opponents that we need to beat. While our offense continues to struggle due to some key injuries, the bigger issue was the pitching. A staff that looked dominant against the Tigers has really faltered the past three series. If we want any chance of competing in this division, both our starters and middle relievers need to step up their game. We have another off day tomorrow and then head out onto the road for a lengthy trip. It will begin on Tuesday with a stint in Detroit. This weekend interleague play will resume as we square off against the Cardinals. At this point we can't afford to lose any more ground in the standings so we'll need to play competitive against this pair of decent teams. June has not been a good month in recent history for the Tribe, so let's change that up this year. Since the Indians won't be playing many home games this month, everyone needs to do their part in rooting on this team from their living room. Hopefully if we send good vibes their way, they can regain their winning ways. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 6)

Record: 23-18

Standing: First in AL Central

Closer Chris Perez gained some press yesterday by chastising the Cleveland fans for not supporting this team more and he has a point. Despite a loss today, this team won 5 out of 7 games this week and remain in first place by three games. However, I'm not going to be too hard on the fans since the Indians do having a losing record at home (we've been tremendous on the road for some reason) and I still don't think the team has played as well as it could be playing. The frustrating thing is that we're not seeing multiple guys get hot at the same time. It seems like one person each game has a breakout performance while everyone else struggles. If we can be more consistent, who knows how far this team can go. As happy as I am with their success this week, I know that this upcoming week is going to be a major swing week. We get an off day tomorrow and then play the two teams right behind us in the standings - a three game set against Detroit at home and then a 3 game series in Chicago against the White Sox. If we play well this week, we could give ourselves some real distance in the standings heading into June. If we struggle, we could easily see ourselves out of first place by next Sunday. For now though, let's listen to Chris Perez and support this team. Let's show them that this truly is Believe-land and that we love our Indians. Go Tribe!

Tribe Watch (Week 5)

Record: 18-16

Standing: First in AL Central

It was a week that kept looking like it was going to turn out better than it actually did. We began with a great sweep of a doubleheader against Chicago on Monday and then proceeded to lose the next two games to them. Then we started our series against the Red Sox by beating them up, only to see us lose the next three games to them. Up until this week most of the losses we've had, were close, competitive games. This week, however, we had games where all parts of our team faltered. Pitching and clutch hitting need to improve. In terms of roster moves, that too produced a mixed bag. Starter Josh Tomlin went on the DL with a sore wrist, but we finally got rid of some dead weight in the bullpen by designating Dan Wheeler for assignment. Looking ahead to this week, we begin with a short series in Minnesota against a Twins team that has just been awful so far this year. They may just be the perfect team to face to help us get our confidence back and in a good groove. It's then back home to place the Mariners, which is another team that is not very good. Finally we head into the weekend to begin interleague play against (ugh) Ozzie Guillen and the new look Miami Marlins. Here's hoping this will be a good rebound week so that we can maintain our hold on first place in the division. And as always, I'll be there watching each game and rooting my team on. Go Tribe!