Indians playoff chances...

[PIP]

........are not looking good..

The Yankees just tied the Tigers for the wildcard lead.. (Pretty impressive surge if I do say so myself)

However, that also mean the Indians could be screwed... I don't see Seattle staying in this for long, so the race is between the Tigers, Yankees and Indians... And honestly, the Yanks and Tigers are better ball clubs..

The Indians are a very poor fundamentally sound club... Other than K-Love, they have nobody who can drop down a bunt... They can't hit and run, and they can't hit with runners in scoring position... They have a tone of strikeout hiiters, and they're starting to waste gem pitching performances from Fausto and CC, while losing 1-0, 2-1 games...

Tigers will get that BP healthy, and the Yankees are starting to hit their stride, all the while the Indians are doing what they've known to do with this particular club under Wedge --falter down the stretch, and choke...

Extending Wedge was moronic.. He's proven nothing and his teams have been very poor fundamentally ever since he's been here..

 

[Clevelandfan15]

Tigers play us and yankees 12 times this month and i think yankees play us tigers and red sox about 18 times this month. Yankees have a tough aug. All we have to do is win.

 

[PIP]

Which has kinda been the problem as of late...:chuckles:

 

[James]

Yanks havent played anyone good since the All Star break, ill see how they play against the Indians before id start say they make some post-season noise.

Pip, you were nowhere to be seen when the Yanks were way below .500 and now you come out of the woodwork like TJ and start defending them, and how you claim the Yankees and the Indians still makes no sense to me, isnt it because Jeter gave you a handy at a bar or something so now your some kind of dual city fan?

Ill await a wit filled response that will be sure to make the 16 year old demographic chuckle.

 

[PIP]

This thread would have been created if the Blue Jays were the team in place of the Yankees.. It's more about how the Tribe is falling on their face than the Yankees being the actual team making the charge...

However, I press on... Yes, I am a fan of both teams.. I was a Yankees fan years prior to Jeter.. I loved the late 80's/ early 90's Yankees with Mattingly, Roberto Kelly, Jessie Barfield, Ricky Henderson etc....

I love the Tribe as well, and if I had to have one of the two teams win it, I'd like for the Tribe to win it... Not gonna lie, I was a Yankees fan before I was a Tribe fan.. I went to my first Indians game in '94, and I was hooked...

When the two teams met in the 1997 ALDS, I was cheering for the Indians... When they met in the 1998 ALCS, I was cheering for the Indians... I'd like to see this team win a championship... Otherwise, I always cheer for the Yankees, and always will...And I'm a huge Jeter and Arod fan..

As long as one or the other makes the playoffs, I'm good.. And that looks to be the case..

Ill await a wit filled response that will be sure to make the 16 year old demographic chuckle.

You're not really worth it..

 

[The Oi]

Look at Casey Bleak finally gettin runs in with RISP. Figures the last two times dude's done it it's been off lucky fielder's choices and groundouts. Guess you gotta start somewhere.

He is absolutely terrible in the clutch.

 

[Smooth]

Yanks havent played anyone good since the All Star break, ill see how they play against the Indians before id start say they make some post-season noise.

Totally agreed... They've been playing series against: Chicago, Baltimore, Tampa Bay (twice) and Kansas City (twice) so it's kinda part of the reason why they've been so hot...

Now they have series upcoming with teams like Toronto, Cleveland, Detroit, LAA Angels, and Boston...

Cleveland hasn't had the toughest schedule either but he has been a wee-bit tougher...

All in all the big problem in scoring runs is two things:

1). The Indians don't have a leadoff hitter... Well we have one in Kenny Lofton but we have a manage who refuses to move Grady Sizemore from the leadoff spot to the third spot to where he belongs... It's puzzling to me...

2). Our 'big' hitters aren't hitting... Hafner and Sizemore haven't been their normalselves and I'm hoping they can turn it around... It also doesn't help that Blake has cooled off and the new additions -- Barfield, Nixon and Delucci -- haven't done much either...

I think the Indians will ultimately make the playoffs... Every team has their slump and eventually this team will start to turn it around...

 

[James]

Nixon is past his years of doing much. I wouldnt expect to much out of him. Sizemore strikes out more then well....i dont know, but for someone to be that good, striking out almost once a game is never good. And Hafner....how are you going to be that big and underachieve?

Cali boy said it best as far as your 2 aces not getting W's, at this point in the year, your going to need those guys to come through, watching the Sox, i almost always expect at least 2 out of 3 if Beckett, Dice-K and Schill are pitching and expect Wakefield and Tavarez to suck it up almost everytime.

 

[The Oi]

All in all the big problem in scoring runs is two things:

1). The Indians don't have a leadoff hitter... Well we have one in Kenny Lofton but we have a manage who refuses to move Grady Sizemore from the leadoff spot to the third spot to where he belongs... It's puzzling to me...

2).Hafner and Sizemore haven't been their normalselves and I'm hoping they can turn it around...

(1) Yeah...Kenny would be perfect for the leadoff spot. The dude STILL gets bunt singles, hits for a higher BA than Grady (and most others on the team actually) and has a good OBP. Ideal leadoff hitter right there...Grady is a 3rd spot hitter. He's basically a stronger Robby Alomar who strikes out more and 3 spot is where Robby thrived with us. Wedge needs to take a hint from their two separate performances. If Grady was inserted in the 3 spot with Kenny batting first...Grady would get at LEAST 10 more RBI per yr and Kenny that many more runs.

(2) Haf has really been disappointing. I can't imagine this is anything other than the fact that he didn't totally recover from last yr or that he has some sort of mental block. He was just such an awesome overall hitter. He cracked one outta here tonite though which is good.

Grady is actually having a great season in spite of too many K's and a lower BA. The dude is stealing a ton of bases and hitting with more power and looking awesome in the field. Cant be TOO disappointed in him.

Meanwhile...wanna pt out that Byrd is AWESOME tonite. He's gotten through 8 innings with under 85 so far and a TON of popouts and groundouts. Lookin great.

 

[Smooth]

(2) Haf has really been disappointing. I can't imagine this is anything other than the fact that he didn't totally recover from last yr or that he has some sort of mental block. He was just such an awesome overall hitter. He cracked one outta here tonite though which is good.

I agree with what Buster Olney said on Baseball Tonight not too long ago:

"Ever since the contract negotiations started, he put a lot of pressure on him self and tightened up a bit, which resulted in him losing his mechanics... He's still trying to regain those mechanics that he's lost."

Not exactly what he said, but it's close too it... I agree with what he said though... The contract negotiations with Westbrook and Hafner have seemed to done more bad than good...

 

[The Oi]

Anyone else hope that Cliff Lee never comes back and tries to resurrect his career elsewhere? He's Steve Howe without the coke.

 

[_amon _ones]

Even though the Indians have hit a slump, they still are around first place in the Central. Everyone slumps, the Yankees did it early, the Tribe and Tigers are doing it now. Heck, Detroit just lost 9 of their last 10. Those 2 teams will right the ship they are both too good to go down without a fight). The Yankees have made a great surge, but without the Tigers and Indians slumping at the same time, they would stuck 5 games behind both. It just worked out that way. All those teams will be in it at the end. They all have flaws. The Tigers, their bullpen and health; the Indians, their current offensive woes (even though they are the 3rd highest scoring team in the majors); the Yankees, their starting pitching and bullpen; the Angels, their offense; and Boston, their starters health (i.e. Shilling is old and Beckett is a blister away from another DL stint).

But, alas, I would take any of them over the NL. They are even worse off.

 

[The Oi]

How does everyone feel about Barf? I personally can't stand him at the plate but the dude is ridiculous in the field. And who the HELL is this Mike Rouse and what is he doing on the field EVER???

This guy is the new Wayne Kirby. Probably literally the worst player in the major leagues.

 

[cavincali]

Pip how long have you lived in Cleveland? You went to school in San Diego and now your back in Cleveland? Your full of major mongoose shit or you travel a lot.

 

[The Oi]

Mongoose shit!!! Hahahahaa. Rep.

Pip is such a frontrunner.