Cleveland%20Indians%20

It was a tale of two Brett Myers in Goodyear on Sunday as the Tribe fell to the Texas Rangers 7-6. Was it a symptom of Myers' attempt to return to starting after a year in the bullpen, is it a sign that there may have been a reason the Astros put him there, or just a really bad inning that happened to come at the end of his outing? Join the IBI's Arthur Kinney as he looks at this and other issues in greater detail from the first day of 4:05 Cleveland time spring ball...

IBI contributer Jake Dungan takes an initial look at Terry Francona's announcement that Zach McAllister has been named the #4 starter for the Cleveland Indians to start the 2013 season.

The Indians passed the halfway mark in spring training this past week and as of today have just under three weeks left in camp. There have been many surprises and a few disappointments so far, and some position battles are starting to come into focus. Tony touches on all that and also checks in with some updates on some old friends from last year's team, gives some of his thoughts on the World Baseball Classic, and more.

BALLGAME!!! It's another Tribe Spring Training win and the performances behind the linescore are just as stellar. Join the IBI's Arthur Kinney as he looks back on a wonderful day in Wahooland and also takes a moment to reflect on the sorry state of Team USA's World Baseball Classic effort...

Every player in the minor leagues is out to prove something in any given season. Whether it's trying to earn a promotion to the majors, trying to re-establish themselves, or possibly trying to stick with the team, the minor leagues is one big proving ground. Some prospects have more to prove than others, however. Jim Piascik profiles 10 Cleveland prospects with more to prove, including newcomer Trevor Bauer, a holdover from last year's list in LeVon Washington, and more.

The Indians and Royals were able to get in two and a half innings of play before Mother Nature drenched the Phoenix area and resulted in the cancellation of six Cactus League games, including the Indians and Royals game. Before the rains came Drew Stubbs was off to his best game this spring and Corey Kluber was solid in his start. The IBI's Jake Dungan recaps the abbreviated game and provides a few news updates on some walking wounded.

What is Jason Giambi doing here? Why would the Indians sign the aging first baseman/designated hitter to a minor league deal this offseason? Those are two of many questions that that a lot of fans have asked about the Indians signing of Giambi this offseason. The IBI's Jake Dungan gives some answers to those questions and gives his take on why the move makes some sense for the team.

It's only Spring Training, but new acquisition Nick Swisher is already making his presence felt as a member of the Cleveland Indians. The switch-hitting Swisher had a great week for the Indians, who are currently 10-5 in the Cactus League. Ubaldo Jimenez also looks to be on the rebound and Jason Gimabi, yes 42-year-old Jason Giambi, hit his first home run of the spring this past week. Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he recaps the week that was in the latest edition of the Spring Training Notebook.

Ubaldo Jimenez pitched four strong innings, giving up a run without walking a batter, leading the Indians to a 6-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Jason Giambi hit his first home run of the spring, while Nick Swisher and Ryan Raburn kept their averages over .500 by driving in five total runs between them. Join Jim Pete on a spring tour of the Indians latest Spring victory.

Ryan Raburn has proven to pretty much be definition of "league average" over his seven year career. Over his career he has proven to be a versatile player that can handle many positions and provide some pop to the lineup, but he has been inconsistent at the plate the last two years and is now attempting a Major League comeback as a utility bat option off the bench for the Indians. The IBI's Charlie Adams chimes in with some analysis on where Raburn has gone wrong, and why just a few more fly balls off his bat could be all the difference to make him a solid option off the bench.

The good Justin Masterson was on display Wednesday as the right-hander pitched four shutout innings to lead the Indians to a 4-0 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yan Gomes and Mark Reynolds each recorded two hits for the Indians in the contest, and 42-year-old designated hitter Jason Giambi recorded his first hit of the spring. Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he recaps all the action and offers some takeaways.

It's a new day here at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario. While the North Shore spends it's days trying to figure out why that idiotic muskrat in Punxsutawney said winter would be over in two weeks, I'm busy saving my pennies to pick up my very first Ubaldo Jimenez jersey. That's right, it's time to embrace the enigmatic wonder of Ubaldo, and you'll never, EVER be the same again...

Apparently hitting home runs was as viral as the Harlem Shake in Scottsdale, Arizona on Tuesday as the Indians slugged their way to a 4-3 victory over the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Both teams collected their share of runs via the long ball as Cleveland hitters clubbed three solo blasts while the Giants belted two of their own. Tribe bullpen hopeful Bryan Shaw walked away with the win while starting rotation candidate Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched three shutout innings.

Nick Hagadone has gotten off to a torrid start this spring, and it looks as if he could be positioning himself as a front-runner for one of the Indians' open bullpen spots. Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he looks back at Hagadone's career and touches on what the future may hold for the left-hander in this week's edition of Then & Now.

The Indians had a dominant performance on Monday and snapped a two-game losing streak with a 13-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Nick Swisher and Lonnie Chisenhall each had three hits, and rotation hopefuls Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer were in action. Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he recaps the action and also offers some takeaways from the contest.

You can say what you want about the Indians' minor league organization, but their depth of talent in the middle infield is second-to-none. How good is it? Arguably their best position player of the past four years is at shortstop, and arguably their best prospect of the past two years is at second. Two of their top three prospects are shortstops, and you could make a case that four of the top five are middle infielders? So, who will be the best?