Month: August 2006 (Page 8 of 17)

Santana snaps streak

August 16, 2006 / John Blake

You had to know the off day would be nothing but a bad thing for the Indians. They were playing their best baseball in several months and were riding a season-high six-game winning streak until Tuesday when they fell to the Minnesota Twins 4-1. Jake Westbrook pitched great until the eighth when he allowed three runs. It was a 1-o game with two outs when Westbrook gave up a backbreaking two-run single to Michael Cuddyer that barely got past the outreached arms of Jhonny Peralta. The Indians did score off closer Joe Nathan in the ninth but that didn’t matter. The story of the night was Twins starter Johan Santana, who allowed only three Tribe hits while striking out nine in eight innings.

“Santana was as good as we’ve seen him,” said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. “He was moving the fastball in and out, up and down, and he always has that changeup. Tonight, he had his slider working, too. He pitched a [great] game.”

The Indians were completely overmatched in this game. With the bottom of the order being Shoppach, Guitierrez, and Marte, those inexperienced guys aren’t going to have a whole lot of success against an experienced All-Star pitcher like Santana. So, the Indians were basically relying on the other six in the order to produce and it’s difficult to win that way.

Cleveland Indians

Suggs traded to…no, scratch that

August 15, 2006 / JEC

Remember Lee Suggs, the fragile former Browns running back dealt to the Jets yesterday? Well, he’s a fragile current Browns running back again after reportedly failing his physical:

Running back Lee Suggs failed his physical with the New York Jets on Tuesday, voiding his trade from Cleveland.

Suggs, who has had myriad injuries throughout his four-year career, was brought in to help bolster the group of backs struggling without the injured Curtis Martin. Now he is headed back to the Browns. Cornerback Derrick Strait, who was sent to Cleveland in the deal made Monday, returns to New York.

“We have a whole series of tests that we do, and we were very thorough with the process,” Jets coach Eric Mangini said. “He just didn’t pass those tests. … Each team has a criteria they set up that they believe is what’s important and what’s needed to be competitive. I’m very comfortable with the tests we have set up.”

It’s obvious the Browns aren’t all that interested in retaining Suggs, so maybe they’ll just flat out release him now.

Cleveland Browns

Dolan must buckle down and pay up

August 15, 2006 / John Blake

The Dolans understand this off-season is extremely critical. They have to worry about putting a talented product on the field as well as trying to win the fans in Cleveland back. It’s no secret that Tribe fans are disappointed not only with the poor season by the team but also with the penny-pinching ways of the owners, Larry and Paul Dolan. To win you need to spend and the Dolans are willing to do that this off-season. Just how much is unknown.

“We will spend more money next year. We plan to be aggressive. We will probably spend more than we will anticipate taking in, but I won’t say how much. It’s too early to know.”

Dolan said next year’s payroll will be “north of $60 million.”

Realistically, the payroll must approach $70 million if ownership is serious about returning the team to contention.

The front office also has to change some tactics. So often, they spend the winter chasing free agents and signing none of them. A better approach would be to explore the trade market, dealing for talented players on teams looking to cut payroll, and using prospects as bait.

“That is a possibility,” said Dolan. “We will be in a compete mode this winter, not development.”

Next season is arguably the most important in recent Indians’ history. The Dolans need to show fans that they care about winning as this team is reaching a pivotal juncture. Wedge will be on the hot seat next season as well. After winning 93 games in ’05 and dipping to whatever their win total comes to at the end of this season, the Tribe can’t afford to have another losing season next year. It’ll be up to the ownership and the manager to do their part so they can get this franchise on the right track again.

Cleveland Indians

Buckeye coaches overcome adversity

August 14, 2006 / Bob

The Ohio State Buckeye football team has to look no further than two assistant coaches when searching for inspiration to win a football game. Joe Daniels, the quarterback coach, and Jim Bollman, the offensive coordinator both battled heart problems during the off season.

Coach Daniels is being treated with biotherapy, which has him taking pills for 28 days then going off for 14 before repeating the cycle. He received an NCAA waiver to have a coach replace him if he couldn�t lead the team for any period of time. So far, he’s been up for the task.

Coach Bollman underwent bypass surgery on three clogged arteries during this past summer. He has participated in every practice to date, only saying he has to move a little slower than in the past. Both are entering the 6th season of coaching and enjoy being a part of Tressel and Buckeye nation.

OSU Football

Dealing Day in Cleveland: Browns trade Suggs

August 14, 2006 / JEC

Not too many Browns fans are broken up over this one:

The New York Jets got the running back help they needed Monday, acquiring Lee Suggs from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for defensive back Derrick Strait.

With Curtis Martin on the physically-unable-to-perform list because of a lingering knee injury, the Jets were desperate to get another back on the roster. Derrick Blaylock and Cedric Houston were taking most of the plays at running back, but neither is the type of player who can shoulder the entire rushing load.

Suggs hasn’t been able to stay on the field for the Browns, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. At various times in his pro career, Suggs has been sidelined by injuries to a shoulder, neck, toe, ankle and thumb.

The speedy 6-foot, 213-pounder appeared in only seven games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury he sustained at Virginia Tech. In his final game that season, he ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns.

As for the player the Browns got in return, Derrick Strait:

Strait was a third-round pick in 2004 but has been a backup in his two NFL seasons. During camp, he moved over to safety in the absence of Erik Coleman, out after an appendectomy. Strait had 31 tackles last season, but has yet to notch his first career interception.

“It’s a great opportunity for Derrick,” said his agent, Michael Lartigue. “They know what kind of player Derrick is. Lee Suggs is a great running back. It’s a fresh start, change of scenery for both Derrick and Lee.”

This move tells us a couple of things. First, the team is concerned about depth in the defensive backfield with Daylon McCutcheon (knee) and Gary Baxter (pectoral muscle) sidelined. Second, William Green likely has a spot on this team behind Reuben Droughns. And third, the Browns weren’t able to turn some of their backfield depth into help at center. Rumors had the Browns dealing Green to Philly for backup center Hank Fraley, but I highly doubt Green’s going anywhere now that Suggs has been sent packing.