Category: Cleveland Indians (Page 57 of 96)

Honestly, is anybody surprised by this?

Former baseball star Albert Belle was arrested Thursday and charged with stalking his ex-girlfriend, police said.

Scottsdale police said the 39-year-old Belle was taken into custody after a former girlfriend told officers that he had stalked her.

This is my favorite part of the article, though:

The volatile Belle often ran into trouble on and off the field during his playing days.

He was fined in 1994 for using a corked bat and suspended after instigating a brawl by elbowing an opposing player. In 1991, he threw a baseball into the chest of a fan taunting him. Years later, he tossed a ball at a photographer.

Ah yes, the good old days. Who can forget when Joey ran down a bunch of kids in his SUV after they threw eggs at his house on Halloween?

Nestled in between the New Yorks (Yankees at #3 and Mets at #5) on ESPN’s first MLB Power Rankings for the 2006 season are the Cleveland Indians:

Overcoming last September’s stretch-drive failures early will be key. How much will they miss Coco Crisp?

If anything, I see last season’s late-season collapse as a positive for this team. They’re young and hungry, and coming so close last year before falling on their faces is only going to make them hungrier. Sure, the loss of Coco will be a factor, as will the losses of Kevin Millwood and Bob Howry, but this is still a very good team and, if the rotation and Bob Wickman stay relatively healthy, they should again be in the thick of things. Do I think they have a chance to knock off the White Sox? Absolutely. Anything can happen in baseball. But they’ll have to make some moves at the trade deadline to shore up any weaknesses if they want to make a legitimate run.

I recently caught myself reading articles on the Cleveland Indians and constantly saying “we are building a winner”. It’s cheap and less risky to continue building a winning team. The expensive and challenging part is maintaining one. The Indians (Dolan) are always focused on the future. The batting average for Coco Crisp against competitive teams was huge and he always stepped up in the key situation. The same can’t and shouldn’t be said for Aaron Boone or Casey Blake.
The Boston Red Sox want to win now, hence they didn’t ask for either one of them. The Cleveland Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert, is out spending money and creating an entertaining and competitive franchise. Mr. Dolan, if you can hear all of us baseball fans, “win now”, before all the young talent you have leaves for big money or start to slide. We need to start saying this is year, and not next year in this town!

As Bob pointed out in a previous post, the Indians are reportedly talking to the Reds once again about an Austin Kearns/Jake Westbrook trade. At first glance, it’s easy to say, as Bob did:

I think that Mr. Dolan needs to understand that keeping a nucleus together is critical for success, even if it means spending money.

But then I read this:

Losing Westbrook would leave a giant hole in Cleveland’s rotation. According to a rival team, Shapiro has been in recent discussions with free-agent right-hander Jeff Weaver (14-11, 4.22 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005). Weaver, 29, made $9.5 million last season, but the market for him has been thin, and he might be willing to take at least $1 million less on a one-year contract. The cost of his salary would be offset by the departure of Rhodes ($3.7 million) and Westbrook ($4.25 million). Michaels will make $1.5 million this season.

Now, there’s no way you can trade Jake Westbrook without getting a competent replacement for him. I agree wholeheartedly. But Weaver is Jake Westbrook, or a damn fine clone:

Weaver
2005: 14-11, 4.22 ERA, 157 Ks, 220 IP
2004: 13-13, 4.01 ERA, 153 Ks, 224 IP

Westbrook
2005: 15-15, 4.49 ERA, 119 Ks, 216 IP
2004: 14-9, 3.38 ERA, 116 Ks, 211 IP

You may be tempted to say that Weaver’s older, and he is, but only by one year (29-28). So if Shapiro’s able to land a power-hitting outfielder, albeit one with some issues but one with a lot of potential too, without losing anything in terms of starting pitching, would that be such a bad thing?

Everybody likes Westbrook, just like everybody loves Coco, but again, Westbrook’s not a great pitcher, nor will he ever be one. He was so erratic last season that he often wasn’t even a very good pitcher. Granted, you’re not getting someone with Andy Marte’s potential in return, but Kearns is still just 25 (younger than Coco, by the way) and he’s got GOBS of power. And by trading Westbrook, Dolan would then open up his wallet for Weaver, which is what we all want to see him do, right? Start spending. Well, he may do just that soon.

And for everyone accusing the Indians of not trying to compete, think again. Shapiro’s gearing this team up for a playoff run, but in the process he’s also solidified the future of the franchise. Without question, we’re talking about one of the best general managers in baseball. It’s a shame so many Cleveland fans don’t recognize it yet. But they will soon.