Building a team capable of winning a World Series used to be Mark Shapiro’s responsibility, but when he was promoted to team President in 2010 he has been responsible for a re-branding effort of the Cleveland Indians’ public image. Under Shapiro, the Indians have made a concerted effort in improving the game day experience for fans and making Progressive Field a family-friendly environment, and he goes into detail on a lot of things in this IBI exclusive.
It was a great day to be an Indians minor leaguer at Goodyear Ballpark as the fledgling featherheads lit up Reds pitching in the latter innings of Saturday’s Cactus League finale between the interleague Buckeye rival Reds and Indians as the Tribe came out on top big time 9-1 over Cincinnati.
August saw several teams eliminated from playoff contention in the Nostalgia League. One team is running away with the Boudreau Division, but first place in the Speaker Division changed places again and it represents the closest race for a division title. History guru Rick Lamborn provides the recap of the month of August in the league and gets us all up to date on some of the noteworthy game outcomes, stats, standings and more.
Two important dates are quickly approaching – Easter Sunday and Opening Day!
Both of these days will always be remembered in Tribe history. On Easter Sunday, April 17, 1960 – the day before Opening Day – Frank “Trader” Lane made the most hated trade in Cleveland Indians franchise history. Rocky Colavito, the 1959 A.L. home-run champ (42) was traded for Harvey Kuenn,...
Friday's outing by Ubaldo Jimenez was nothing if not unusual. If not for three solo homers that he allowed, he pitched well. The lineup was loaded with minor leaguers filling in so regulars could be well rested and not risk injury before the start of the season. Saturday is the final day of spring training before the Indians break camp and get this party started for real!
The Nostalgia League - an 18-team league matching up the greatest Indians teams of all time - continues on. July started out with a no-no and was bookended on July 30th with another no-no. Mike Hargrove's 1995 Indians have built up a comfortable lead in the Boudreau Division, but the Speaker Division changed leaders. Larry Doby and Mike Garcia shined in July, and the IBI's Rick Lamborn shares all the details of what happened over the entire month.
Zach McAllister had some unexpected success during the 2012 season. With the 2013 season now just days away, how can fans expect McAllister to perform? Could he perhaps be the cog that holds the Indians' rotation together? Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he touches on McAllister's future in the first edition of a new IBI weekly staple appropriately titled Orbiting Cleveland.
It has been almost five years since the Indians traded C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers for a package of four players. The key player at the time of the deal, Matt LaPorta, has since struggled with injuries and performance; however, in his debut piece for the IBI, John Mast says that the deal is not a bust thanks to one player in particular.
Some Tribe fans may have had flashbacks to opening day 2012 watching Thursday’s bout between the Indians and Padres in Peoria, Arizona. Justin Masterson shined in five innings of work leaving with a 3-2 lead. In the seventh, closer Chris Perez came in and not only blew the lead, but gave up four runs on five hits including a pair of 2-run bombs, leading to a 6-4 loss.
The 18-team Nostalgia League has reached the midpoint of its season. Where do all of the Indians great teams of the past sit as of July 1st? How are former great players and fan favorites doing? Which teams are running away with their division and which teams have been a disappointment so far? The IBI's history guru Rick Lamborn gets us all up to date in this fascinating simulation league!
Spring training officially comes to a close today, and who better to wrap it all up than the IBI's DJ Sebastian. You may recall that when spring training opened he provided an overview of memories from spring training's passed, and today he provides some thoughts, insights, and neat little anecdotes from this year's spring training.
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.
Daisuke Matsuzaka made his first appearance since being resigned by the Indians to a minor league deal, and the right-hander impressed as he allowed just two runs while pitching into the sixth inning. On the offense end, third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall also continued his tear and led the Indians with two hits. Join the IBI's Steve Orbanek as he looks back at Wednesday's game and offers some key takeaways.
The Nostalgia League continues on and two months are in the books. As the season moves into June, some teams like the 1995 and 2005 Indians continue to dominate, while the 1968 and 1976 Indians have struggled. Shortstop Lou Bourdreau is setting the league on fire with his hitting, Vic Wertz and Rocky Colavito are showing the power, and Cy Falkenberg has been dominant on the mound. Check it out!
It's hard to believe, but this is the last Corner of Carnegie and Ontario before the regular season kicks off next Tuesday in Toronto. The Indians secured one of their most successful offseasons of the year, and are now led by one of the best baseball minds in the game today. Will their offseason success translate to on-the-field victories? Jim Pete walks through the 25-man rotation, with a preview of what's to come...
On the night the Indians traded Shin-Soo Choo to the Reds for a deal that included Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs, the IBI's Michael Hattery was elated with the Bauer acquisition but did not know what to thing of the Stubbs pick up. After some time to think about it, one thing struck him as interesting, that being they were two high ceiling players being given up on by their draft teams a little too soon and that Stubbs could be in for a comeback season.
The 2013 Cleveland Indians Baseball Insider book featuring the Indians' Top 100 Prospects and more is now available. Also, previous editions from 2008-2012 are also available at a discounted rate. Just click on the book image for more information. Thanks again for all the support!
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