Brett Myers
The Glass is Half Something—Random Thoughts from the Month of April
April 27, 2013 | Steve EbyAs the Indians complete their first month of the season, many mixed emotions can and should be felt about this team. We have all seen the bright spots and the low points, but I always feel like it is good practice to point out the obvious anyways. First things being first, Major League Baseball issues should probably take precedence over Cleveland Indians issues.
TERRIBLE UMPIRING
How bad are the umpires this year???
As a person who has spent over a decade involved with high school baseball, I am accustomed to bad umpiring…but at the Major League level? This is embarrassing for baseball.
Calls of strike three are getting called in the opposite batter’s boxes. Players are getting called safe when throws beat them by 10 feet. Pitches right down the middle are being called balls. I know that umpires have always gotten calls wrong but I’ve never seen it this bad. Read More
Roster Shuffles and Injuries Make Consistency Tough
April 22, 2013 | Mike Brandyberry | 2 CommentsEvery manager talks about it as the key to success in nearly every aspect of baseball. You can’t listen to a player talk about their game without mentioning it as a key. You can’t listen to a pregame or postgame press conference without hearing about its importance.
Consistency.
Through 17 games, the Indians are struggling mightily to find consistency and it shows on the field almost daily. Some of the Indians’ lack of consistency is due to bad luck and injuries. The rest of their inconsistencies are a result of their play.
Myers Struck by Long Ball Again; Astros 3, Indians 2
April 19, 2013 | Mike BrandyberryThe Indians fell behind early Friday evening and were never able to catch up, losing 3-2 to the Houston Astros.
All five runs in the game were scored on the home run ball. Brett Myers was stung by two home runs on the evening, while Lucas Harrell was only struck for one home run. The extra long ball turned out to be the difference in the game.
The Astros jumped on top in the bottom of the second inning, when with one out, Carlos Pena walked. J.D. Martinez then homered to right to give Houston a 2-0 lead. Rick Ankiel followed with a solo shot to make it back-to-back homers and give the Astros a 3-0 lead. The two homers were Myers’ ninth and tenth home runs allowed this season, respectively.
Series Preview #6: Cleveland Indians (5-9) at Houston Astros (4-11)
April 19, 2013 | Bob TothThere is no better time than the present for the Cleveland Indians to get out of town. They head to Houston to take on the newest member of the American League, the Astros, in a three-game series starting Friday night.
The bipolar Indians team is mirroring the weather of northeast Ohio. The offense is stellar one day, hitting on all cylinders and lulling fans into a false sense of comfort before the next storm blows in and blanks the starting nine. Just as unpredictable, the starting rotation has been hit or miss (but mainly hit after hit for the opposition).
Houston may be just as happy to have a change in scenery. The Astros, sporting the AL’s longest active losing streak, dropped two of three in Los Angeles against the Angels and were swept in Oakland by the Athletics. Cleveland will be the first opponent they face outside of the AL West.
Wahoo Watch Podcast #23: April 16, 2013
April 16, 2013 | Ronnie TellalianOn this week’s Wahoo Watch podcast Erik Pinkerman, Ronnie Tellalian and Mike Brandyberry talk about the ups and downs of the last week against the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox. The trio talk about the starting pitching including … Read More
White Sox End Skid Despite Solid Myers’ Start; White Sox 3, Indians 1
April 14, 2013 | Matt TravisThe Indians’ day revolved around the strike out and the home run.
After two stellar pitching performances from Justin Masterson and Zach McAllister the past two games, today’s game gave the Indians a chance to get a rare sweep over the Chicago White Sox. The questions of the day were how was Brett Myers going to pitch, which was answered with a strong performance, and how were the Tribe batters going to do against Jake Peavy on the mound.
The problems started when you look at the answer to the second question.
Series Preview #4: Chicago White Sox (4-5) at Cleveland Indians (3-5)
April 12, 2013 | Bob TothTwo slumping American League Central teams will meet in downtown Cleveland and, unless Mother Nature continues to interfere, at least one of these teams will break their losing ways.
The Chicago White Sox are in the middle of a ten game road trip that got off to a rough start against the Washington Nationals during the week. After beginning the season with two off days in the first eight days, they have an awful span of 20 straight days with a game. They have yet to win a road game so far this season and return home in a week to begin a span of ten days of home cooking.
The Cleveland Indians were washed out of a pair of games in a four-game home series against the New York Yankees. The Indians are in the middle of what was supposed to be ten games in eleven days at home after starting the season with six on the road.
Battered, Ejected and Embarrassed by New York; Yankees 14, Indians 1
April 9, 2013 | Craig GiffordIn Monday’s home opener against the New York Yankees, Ubaldo Jimenez was asked by Tribe manager Terry Francona to leave the mound early, in the fifth inning. That was mostly due to ineffectiveness and the fact the visitors were lighting up the Progressive Field score board.
On Tuesday night, starter Carlos Carrasco (0-1) was equally ineffective against those same Yankees as the Indians were soundly defeated 14-1. He, however, was asked to exit the ball game early by home plate umpire Jordan Baker before the New York half of the the fourth was complete. Read More
Series Preview #3: New York Yankees (2-4) at Cleveland Indians (3-3)
April 8, 2013 | Bob TothA beat up New York Yankees squad heads to Cleveland to take on the Indians for four games to open Progressive Field for the 2013 season.
New York is in the middle of a seven-game road trip. They opened the season at home against the rival Boston Red Sox before playing three in Detroit against the Tigers. Cleveland returns home after spending their first six games of the season on the road against American League East opponents. They will continue on the eastern front, but will at least have home field advantage for this series.
It will be the sixth time in 113 opportunities that the Yankees open the Indians’ home field. The Yankees hold a 3-2 edge all-time. Both teams come to Cleveland after winning their Sunday matchups via shutouts.
Five Toronto Bombs and Tribe Miscues Too Much to Overcome; Blue Jays 10, Indians 8
April 4, 2013 | Mike Brandyberry
By Christian Petrila
Nothing was quiet on the northern front, as the Indians and Blue Jays played home run derby with Toronto coming out on top, 10-8 in the series finale.
Facing a familiar foe in Mark Buehrle, the Indians struck in the first inning after recording two quick outs from Michael Bourn and Asdrubal Cabrera, but Jason Kipnis stretched a single into a double on a play that could be characterized as pure hustle. Nick Swisher followed it up with an RBI double that hopped over the wall in left field to score Kipnis. That would be it, though, as Buehrle got the red-hot Michael Brantley to ground out to first.
Brett Myers’ first inning as an Indians didn’t go too well. After walking Jose Reyes on four pitches, he got Melky Cabrera to ground out, but Reyes advanced to second on the play. Jose Bautista followed it up by swinging at a hanging breaking ball and parking it into the second deck in left for his second home run in as many nights. Myers settled down and got Edwin Encarnacion to fly out and Adam Lind to ground out to end the inning with the Jays up 2-1.
Series Preview #1: Cleveland Indians (0-0) at Toronto Blue Jays (0-0)
April 2, 2013 | Mike Brandyberry
By Bob Toth
The Cleveland Indians head north of the border for a three-game set to start the 2013 season against the new look Toronto Blue Jays.
Arguably the two most active and aggressive teams in the offseason in the American League, both organizations surprisingly spent freely throughout the winter months and are looking to impress the league with their new lineups and new (but familiar) leadership within the dugout.
After their similar offseasons, it seems only fitting that the two would face off against one another to open a second straight year.
Milestone Watch: Indians Give Stat Rats Numbers to Cheer For
April 1, 2013 | Mike Brandyberry
By Steve Eby
Did you know that the Major League record for inside the park homeruns was held by a former Cleveland Hall of Famer?
The former Cleveland Spider was named Jesse Burkett and was nicknamed “The Crab”, and he hit 55 inside-the-parkers during his Hall of Fame career from 1890-1905. That ridiculous total has to make you wonder if baseball was played back in the 1800’s without fences, outfielders or maybe even 90-foot bases.
Nowadays, records like the one held by The Crab are probably safe forever, but that doesn’t stop baseball people from keeping track of every little detail and statistic from each and every game. Milestones occur so often that we really only take notice when the accomplishment breaks a record or ends in at least two zeroes.
Several Indians on the 2013 team are poised to set their own personal milestones and/or have a chance to pass some names on either baseball’s or the franchise’s all-time list. Some are obviously more impressive than others, but milestones are milestones nevertheless. Read More
