Offseason Swap Series
Offseason Swap Series: Miami Marlins
February 13, 2012 | Staff Special | One Comment
By Matthew Van Wormer
Well, after a long offseason, we’ve finally made it to the end of the weekly Offseason Swap Series that we started back in November. After hitting all the American League teams, we finished off with the Tribe’s Interleague opponents and this is the last one; the newly dressed, named and sheltered, Miami Marlins.
The Marlins made quite a splash in the offseason, reeling in players like Jose Reyes and Mark Buehrle to try to help them improve upon what has been a roller coaster history. Could this be just another attempt at a purchased championship or are the Marlins looking at the long term for once? Here is what David Gershman from MarlinsDaily.com had to say in response to the questions I asked him.
Offseason Swap Series: Cincinnati Reds
February 6, 2012 | Staff Special
By Matthew Van Wormer
Last season for the Cincinnati Reds was very much like last season for the Cleveland Indians. The Reds hovered around .500 all year long but just couldn’t get a push of wins to put them over the hump. Unlike the Indians, Cincy was consistent all year long and didn’t have the benefit of a hot start to give them a cushion over the rest of the competition. I got in touch with Steve, the Senior Editor of Blog Red Machine and asked him about the Reds and what they had in 2011 and what they can look forward to in 2012. Here’s what he had to say.
DTTWLN? #1 – In 2011 Cincinnati was hanging right around .500 all season long. Unfortunately, other teams in the division surged ahead of them to get into the playoffs. What were the Reds missing in 2011 to get them over the hump?
Offseason Blog Swap: Pittsburgh Pirates
January 30, 2012 | Mike B.
By Mike Brandyberry
It appears I have one last blog swap in me before handing the reigns back over to Matt Van Wormer for the final two before Spring Training. This week we talk with Pat Lackey who runs a Pittsburgh Pirates blog, Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke? Not just are the Pirates close to Cleveland in proximity, but also in comparison in baseball economics. The Pirates have developed a young core of players and now find themselves trying to compete with bigger payroll teams in their division.
DTTWLN #1-The Pirates were a lot like the Indians in 2011, contenders for a while, then fading away in August and September. What happened to the Pirates that took them from first place in July to under .500 by season’s end?
Offseason Swap Series: Houston Astros
January 23, 2012 | Mike B.
By Mike Brandyberry
Like a starting pitcher in a big game, I thought I was done, but Matthew Van Wormer sat at the other end of the dugout and never gave me the hook, so I’m going back out to keep throwing. This week we talk with Greg Thurston of Climbing Tal’s Hill, a blog dedicated covering the Houston Astros. The Tribe will travel to Houston in late June to face a team deep in the rebuilding process, but it will be the first of many because the Astros will become American League foes in 2013. With so many changes taking place in Houston, let’s get to Greg’s thoughts.
DTTWLN #1-Last season was another tough one for the Astros. Two years ago, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman were traded away, and last season saw Hunter Pence dealt to Philadelphia. How are fans handling and reacting to a complete overhaul and rebuild?
Offseason Swap Series: St. Louis Cardinals
January 16, 2012 | Mike B.
By Mike Brandyberry
This season the Indians have five interleague opponents and we will try to get five good answers from each as we complete the final leg of our blog swap before heading into full-fledged Spring Training coverage. This week, we start with the World Series Champion, St. Louis Cardinals. You could argue that no team in baseball has made more news since the middle of September as the Cards. We caught up with blogger Daniel Shoptaw of the blog, C70 At The Bat, to talk about the Cardinals wild September and October and their offseason headlines.
DTTWLN #1-The Cardinals run to the 2011 World Series crown has to be one of the most improbable runs in baseball history, considering the September comeback, defeating the favored Phillies and the Game 6 comeback, twice. I have no idea how old you are, or when you became a Cardinals’ fan, but where in your sports life does this Cardinals run rank?
Offseason Swap Series: Texas Rangers
January 9, 2012 | Mike B.
By Mike Brandyberry
The Texas Rangers have made two straight trips to the World Series, only to return home with no trophy. This year, they returned to the Lonestar State without the title and one of the worst heartbreaks in baseball history. If any franchise can relate to the World Series plight of the Rangers, it might be Indians fans, who still can’t shake the visions of that tragic Sunday evening in Miami in 1997.
We were fortunate enough to catch up with Dan Edmonson of Chicken Fried Baseball, a blog covering the Texas Rangers, to talk heartbreak, Yu Darvish and moving ahead.
DTTWLN #1-How do fans perceive the disappointing World Series loss, for the second straight year? The Rangers remind me of the Indians of the mid-90s who were so close. We have Jose Mesa as a scapegoat figure. What is the feeling with the fans?
Offseason Swap Series: Seattle Mariners
January 2, 2012 | Mike B. | One Comment
This week we cover the Seattle Mariners, a team certainly ahead of the Oakland Athletics, but clearly chasing the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I get to pinch hit for Matt Van Wormer this week, who is preparing some upcoming stories, and correspond with Harrison Crow of SoDo Mojo, an indepth Mariners blog. The Mariners and Indians seem to always cross paths, whether it be with managers Mike Hargrove and Eric Wedge, trades involving Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera or weird rainouts and snow games. Who knows how the 2012 Mariners will intersect with the Tribe. On to the questions…
DTTWLN? #1-Last season didn’t go as planned, a 95-loss season, complete with a 17-game losing streak. Can you explain what went wrong?
Offseason Swap Series: Oakland Athletics
December 26, 2011 | Staff Special | 2 Comments
By Matthew Van Wormer
Of all the teams in Major League Baseball, one team reminds me of the Indians more than any other; the Oakland Athletics. They put a premium on having a great farm system and building a team through the draft rather than signing high priced free agents and players with questionable character. This, however, also puts competing at a premium and usually opens up windows for a year or two at a time. I had the chance to ask some questions of David Wishinsky over at the Todd Van Poppel Rookie Card Retirement Plan to get his thoughts on the Indians western twin.
Offseason Swap Series: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
December 19, 2011 | Staff Special
By Matthew Van Wormer
The Los Angeles Angels were one of the busiest teams during the annual Winter Meetings and took the baseball world by storm by adding two marquee names to their roster; Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson. They quickly became one of the team’s on DTTWLN? writer, Mike Brandyberry’s “Can’t Miss” list for the teams that come into town that you have to see live. I hooked up with Garrett Wilson from Monkey With a Halo to ask him about the Angels in this edition of the Offseason Swap Series.
DTTWLN? 1 – The Angels were neck and neck with the eventual American League Champs right until the end of the season but ended up 10 games behind the Rangers, missing the post-season for the second straight year. Were the Rangers just too much to keep that pace with for 162 games?
Offseason Swap Series: New York Yankees
December 12, 2011 | Staff Special
By Matthew Van Wormer
Today, we finish off the American League East in our Offseason Swap Series as I spoke with Mike D from Yankees Fans Unite and got his take on the end of 2011 and what to look for from the Yankees in 2012. When you are a team like the Yankees, expectations are always high and not meeting those expectations is always a disappointment. So, without further ado, here is my blog swap with Mike D.
DTTWLN? 1 – The Yankees came short of their ultimate goal for 2011, and every year, winning the World Series. What could New York have done better to move forward in the post season?
Offseason Swap Series: Tampa Bay Rays
December 5, 2011 | Staff Special | One Comment
By Matthew Van Wormer
As we continue our tour of the American League East, I caught up with Yossi from The Rays Rant and got him to answer some questions about the team that had the unenviable task of taking on the Texas Rangers in the last two postseasons. I was very impressed by what Yossi had to say, especially after learning that this guy is just 14 years old. His knowledge is well beyond his years and I hope I get to work with him this season whenever the Rays and Indians get together. So, without further ado, here are the questions I had for Yossi.
DTTWLN? 1 – The Rays had a great September but couldn’t keep it going in the playoffs. Do you think the energy they used to get into the playoffs was just too much for the rotation and team to handle?
Offseason Swap Series: Boston Red Sox
November 28, 2011 | Staff Special | 2 Comments
By Matt Van Wormer
At the beginning of September, the Red Sox looked they were going to be able to coast into the playoffs as either the AL East Champion or, at the very least, the Wild Card. We know now that neither of those opportunities materialized as the Sox had one of the worst collapses of all time. How can they put that ending out of their mind and focus on 2012? That’s just one of the five questions I asked Chip Buck from Fire Brand of the American League, a Boston Red Sox blog and fellow member of the Baseball Blogger’s Alliance. Chip gave me some great insight to his team, so let’s get to it!
DTTWLN? 1 – I hate to start things off on a sour note but really, it’s the only first question that can be asked. What happened???
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