Michael Goodman Archive

A series win! That’s something the Indians haven’t been able to claim in a three game series since the May 17-20 sweep of the Seattle Mariners. Ubaldo Jimenez made it interesting at times and there were still some issues at the plate, but a win is a win. Ubaldo made it through alright, the bullpen held it down, and the offense scored just enough. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on Wednesday's game.

The Indians were swept out of Broadway on Wednesday, losing to the Yankees 6-4 in an afternoon tilt. Corey Kluber struggled early and then pitched well the rest of the way, but former Indians lefty CC Sabathia led the way with a complete game win for the Yankees. The Indians are reeling and have now lost 12 of their last 16 games, and get set for an important series with the Tigers this weekend. The IBI's Michael Goodman shares his second thoughts on the game...

This Indians entered this game really struggling. They’d lost five straight for the second time this season and in the midst of a tough stretch of games that included two more games against a Cincinnati Reds team that has been as hot as the Indians are cold. The good news is that ace Justin Masterson took the hill to stop the losing streak and Jason Giambi came through with a big hit. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on Wednesday's win.

Looking to gain a series split against division rival Detroit, the Indians entered Wednesday’s game hoping for a repeat of their May 11 game against the Tigers, where Ubaldo Jimenez outdueled Justin Verlander en route to a 7-6 win. That was not the case, however, as Jimenez struggled and Cleveland lost. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on the defeat and how worried he is after bad Ubaldo showed up Wednesday night.

The Indians had either won or tied eight straight series heading into Wednesday’s game against the Phillies. Needing a win to keep that streak alive, the Indians relied on Corey Kluber, who was coming off a start in which he gave up eight runs in only 4.2 innings against the Detroit Tigers. Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels made his second career start against the Indians and faced a lineup that was without starters Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on the win.

The Indians entered Wednesday’s game on a three-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 33-5 in that span. For seemingly the first time all season the team has been able to get their offense and pitching staff on track at the same time. Bauer was not perfect Wednesday, but he kept the Phillies off of the board and Cleveland won again. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on the win and the team's sudden surge toward .500.

Coming off three straight wins to climb back to 8-10, the Indians needed to solve Jorge Quintana to leave Chicago with a rain-shortened series sweep. Two weeks ago, Quintana pitched seven innings of one-hit baseball against the Indians, and he was facing a lineup without Michael Bourn, Carlos Santana, and Asdrubal Cabrera during this game. From the start, this looked like a tough game to win. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on Wednesday's loss.

With memories (nightmares?) of Ubaldo Jimenez going through their heads, fans turned to Justin Masterson to try to tame the Boston Red Sox. That plan did not go so well, as the Red Sox knocked around the head of the Cleveland rotation, constantly finding holes in the defense and touching him for his first loss of the season. Nick Swisher and Jason Giambi tried to make the game interesting with their power, but it was too little, too late. Join Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on Wednesday night's 6-3 loss.

Wednesday night's rainout may have been the best thing to happen to Terry Francona and company this week. Still reeling from 11-6 and 14-1 losses Monday and Tuesday, last night's rain will hopefully give the team time to rest and regroup. With no game to write about, Michael Goodman shifts his Second Thoughts toward the starting rotation, focusing on the two pitchers he thinks need to step it up if Cleveland is going to right the ship.

Two games down, two W's in the win column. Ubaldo Jimenez was on last night, pitching deep enough into the game to turn things over to the bullpen. Chris Perez may have blown that lead Ubaldo gave him, but Mighty Mark Reynolds came in to save the day. Join IBI's Michael Goodman as he gives his Second Thoughts on Wednesday's 3-2 extra innings victory.

With opening day almost upon us, it’s time to finish the 2013 Cleveland Indians Key Players series. When the IBI's Michael Goodman discussed Justin Masterson back in early February, he labeled him as quite possibly the most important player on the entire team. The fact is, Ubaldo Jimenez is right there with him. With question marks surrounding every Indians starter, the team absolutely needs at least one of the two to come through in a big way this year.

The fourth installment of our 2013 Cleveland Indians Key Player series focuses on Carlos Santana. After arriving in 2010 with an impressive showing before suffering a serious knee injury, while he has shown flashes the last two seasons, the Indians are waiting for Santana to truly arrive as an offensive weapon. The IBI's Michael Goodman takes a deeper look into Santana, a player he believes is the engine that will make the Indians offense flourish.

Jason Kipnis finds himself on this list for one big reason: the .233/.322/.328 line he posted after the All-Star break last season. Once upon a time last season Kipnis was up for consideration as an All Star and potentially a 30-30 season, but a poor second half leaves some questions as to what can be expected of him in 2013. He is expected to be the lynch pin in the lineup from Bourn and Cabrera to Swisher and Santana, and the IBI's Michael Goodman believes it makes him the most crucial player in the lineup.

The IBI's Michael Goodman returns with his second look into the key players for the 2013 Cleveland Indians and this time focuses in on third basemen Lonnie Chisenhall. Chisenhall enters 2013 as the biggest wildcard of the Indians’ position players as he struggled with an arm injury and consistency issues last season. The Indians hope that 2013 marks a breakout campaign for the former top-prospect who no longer will have to fight Jack Hannahan for the position in 2013.

The Indians have always been known to bring a lot of minor league free agents into Spring Training, but there's a different vibe surrounding this year's crop. With names like Daisuke Matsuzaka and Matt Capps, the quality of this year's signings seems well above the ones seen in previous seasons. The IBI's Michael Goodman touches on how this year's signings may impact the Major League team...

In the weeks leading up to Opening Day the IBI will be doing all sorts of previews and breakdowns of the Indians from the big leagues down to the minors. One the features will be an in-depth look at several Indians whose performance is critical to the team’s success in 2013. Michael Goodman kicks things off with the man who may be the most important of all, Justin Masterson.