Posts By Christian Petrila
Kuiper’s Lone Home Run a Flash in His Career with Tribe
April 26, 2014 | Christian Petrila | 2 CommentsMany Cleveland Indians are known for a memorable home run in their career. However, Duane Kupier’s home run is memorable because he hit his first home run, the second never came.
Kuiper was drafted seven times – yes, seven – before finally signing with the Indians in 1972. He would spend the 1972, ‘73 and most of the ’74 seasons in the minors before making his debut on Sep. 9, 1974. He played 40 games in Triple-A in 1975, but that was his last stint in the minors as he would be in the majors to stay.
Kuiper only played in 10 games for the Indians in 1974, but the early impression was nothing short of encouraging. In those games, he hit .500 (11-22) with four RBI, his first hit coming on Sep. 24.
Chisenhall and Tribe Future Tied Together
June 19, 2013 | Christian PetrilaLonnie Chisenhall inadvertently threw a wrench in the Indians’ 2013 plans when he began the season hitting just .213 through 26 games.
After hitting a mind-boggling .390 with six homers and 26 RBI in 27 games with Columbus, a few things became obvious.
First and foremost, Chisenhall has absolutely nothing left to prove at Triple-A. In 123 career Triple-A games, Chisenhall is hitting north of .300 with 17 home runs and 88 RBI. However, the biggest key to Chisenhall sustaining MLB success is his patience at the plate, which always seems to disappear once he gets called up.
The Top of Indians Minors not Major League Quality
June 12, 2013 | Christian PetrilaBy Christian Petrila
The Columbus Clippers currently house the MiLB’s greatest collection of “4-A” players.
Definition: Players who always excel in AAA, but never live up to expectations in the Majors.
In fact, there are so many 4-A guys that had they produced well in Cleveland, the Indians’ struggles of late could be a totally different story.
Where Does Myers Fit When He Is Ready?
June 5, 2013 | Christian PetrilaIt seems like a distant memory, but Brett Myers actually began the season in the rotation for the Indians.
Myers was placed on the disabled list all the way back on April 21 with inflammation in his right elbow. Fast forward to June 5 and Myers is still on the DL.
Good Bullpens Can Go Bad Quickly
May 29, 2013 | Christian Petrila | One CommentIf the bullpen’s recent struggles seem familiar, that’s because they are.
Let’s rewind the clock to 2007. The Indians had one of the best bullpens in the American League. Rafael Betancourt, Rafael Perez, Aaron Fultz and even Jensen Lewis all had ERAs under three. Despite his 5.07 ERA, Joe Borowski led the AL with 45 saves. The team even got surprise contributions from the likes of Tom Mastny. With the entire cast (sans Fultz) returning for the 2008 season, hopes were high that the bullpen would help win more games than lose them.
It wasn’t the case.
The Tribe Town Cleveland (Unfortunately) Is Not
May 22, 2013 | Christian Petrila | 4 CommentsCan we all just admit that Cleveland isn’t a Tribe Town?
Regardless of how well the Indians do, they will always be a distant second to the Browns.
This is coming from the same guy who, last season, wrote multiple times incredulous as to why fans weren’t going to the ballpark to watch a competitive team (Those columns were obviously written before August).
Baseball Counseling Sometimes the Best Medicine
May 15, 2013 | Christian PetrilaEvery once in a while, something happens in our lives that helps us realize that there are many more important things in life than baseball.
However, during those same times, we realize just how great baseball is.
Without getting into too much detail, recent events have taken their toll on my mom and me. The one thing that we have in common is our ability to turn to baseball – and specifically the Indians – for solace.
This Year Has the Feel of a Season Not Too Long Ago
May 8, 2013 | Christian Petrila | One CommentThe 2013 Indians are already achieving more than the 2009-2012 teams combined.
In terms of overall enjoyment, this year’s squad has a type of flair that has been missing since 2007.
While the team is just two games over .500, … Read More
Past vs. Future Take the Present Tonight
May 1, 2013 | Christian Petrila | 2 CommentsTrevor Bauer vs. Cliff Lee.
Tonight, it will be an anticipated matchup between the Indians’ past and future.
It will be Lee’s first trip to Cleveland since the infamous 2009 trade that sent him to the Phillies for the first time. The trade has many Indians fans frustrated in retrospect, as the haul included Carlos Carrasco (suspended again), Lou Marson (career .219 hitter on the disabled list for the second time this season), Jason Donald (traded to Cincinnati) and Jason Knapp (out of baseball).
McAllister’s Bad Luck
April 24, 2013 | Christian PetrilaBaseball is an unforgiving sport, but few have felt its wrath quite like Zach McAllister.
Entering Wednesday, McAllister has 29 starts and 160.1 innings under his belt. In that time, he has allowed 104 runs. Out of those 104 runs, 77 of them are earned. That means that 27 runs are unearned. To put it as a percentage, about 26 percent of his runs are unearned.
Think about that. About a quarter of the runs Zach McAllister has allowed so far are unearned.
Sox Sweep Tribe to End Homestand; Red Sox 6, Indians 3
April 18, 2013 | Christian PetrilaThe Boston Red Sox completed their three-game sweep of the Indians with their second 6-3 victory in as many nights.
For the third time in as many games, the Red Sox struck first in the second inning. After a Mike Napoli triple that simply kept carrying, Daniel Nava drove him in with a single to right field. The next two plays were for Mike Aviles, as Jonny Gomes grounded into a fielder’s choice and Jarrod Saltalamacchia popped out. Zach McAllister got out of the inning by striking out Stephen Drew.
Indians In Need of a Good Mustache
April 17, 2013 | Christian Petrila | One CommentAs of Monday afternoon, the Indians have a need to fill. It’s not a starter, not a hitter, not a coach.
The Indians are in need of someone with superior facial hair.
On Monday, the Indians shipped 26-year-old pitcher Eric Berger to the Houston Astros in exchange for catcher Chris Wallace. While Berger never made it to Cleveland in his time with the team, he did have a major league moustache.
The southpaw’s claim to fame was his moustache, which was reminiscent to the one Rollie Fingers became famous for back in the 1970s. It was a phenomenal show of facial superiority that few others throughout the Major Leagues could even compete with. Fortunately, the Indians have a few candidates who can certainly take Berger’s spot as Cleveland’s master of the moustache.
