Justin Masterson entered the second half of 2012 with perhaps a chip on his shoulder. While much of his season has resembled his much heralded break-out season in 2011, he's had moments of struggle where his velocity was down, and his control was erratic. That wasn't the case on Friday Night, as Masterson dominated. Jim Berdysz shares his "Second Thoughts," after the jump.
Indians left-handed reliever Nick Hagadone suffered a self inflicted hand injury last Friday, and may be lost for the season. The Indians were not happy about it as they placed him on the minor league disqualified list which keeps him from getting paid, and now the Players Union may step in and file a grievance. With everything that is going on, Adam McGavin chimes in and says that while Hagadone has opened himself up to being labeled a hothead, trying hard is easier to forgive.
As we hit the All-Star break, the 44-41 Indians have used 35 different players on their active roster. Obviously, some were better than others, but who was the best? Who was the worst? How high does Lou Marson's hot streak have him? How much has Ubaldo Jimenez improved his stock? As always, Jim Piascik gives his opinion as he sifts through all 35 players and ranks them from worst to first.
Tonight the 83rd edition of the midsummer classic, MLB's All Star game, takes center stage. With the first half of the season for the Cleveland Indians now in the books, Adam takes a look at some of the performances from the first half and names his MVP, breakout player, comeback player, and more.
Zach McAllister and the Indians dominated the Rays for much of the game on Sunday, looking like they were going to run away and hide early on. With the Indians leading 5-0, things began getting hairy in the sixth inning, as the Rays would put four on the board. Staying resilient, the Indians would score another before All-Star Chris Perez imploded in the ninth. Join Kevin Dean with his "Second Thoughts" on the final game before the All-Star break...
In Tony's weekly Sunday notebook, he touches on the injury to third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall that will likely sideline him for the rest of the season and how it affects this Indians now and in the future. He also breaks down the numbers at the break for the lineup and pitching staff, explains how a run producing bat could be the linchpin to making the Indians lineup a good one, applauds the play of Lou Marson and much more.
Cleveland entered the game struggling against left-handed pitching, and facing one of the best young left-handed pitchers in the American League in Tampa Bay's Matt Moore. Cleveland unleashed a doubles barrage on Moore early and often, plating five runs in the second and third innings, then watched Ubaldo Jimenez lock down Tampa for the 7-3 victory. Jim Bierdysz rolls out his 'Second Thoughts' on the game-time action.
The Indians middling at or near .500, and July has turned into a battling ground to find out whether or not they are a legit contender, or just a small market failure. With Grady Sizemore and Roberto Hernandez out of sight/out of mind, and with Carlos Santana in site and struggling, can the Tribe stop being a .500 team, and become something more? Join Jim Pete for his weekly rendition at the Corner of Carnegie and Ontario...
With all of the trade speculation swirling in Tribe nation about the best right-handed hitting options on the trade market, few have given much thought to targeting a starter or reliever. However, there is a better chance of the Indians landing a middle-reliever or middle of the rotation starter in a savvy, understated trade, than fleecing an unsuspecting seller who has a power-hitting righty for sale.
The Indians entered Friday Night's contest coming off a big opening series win and with their staff ace on the mound. The Tampa Bay Rays were struggling, and everything seemed pointed towards another victory. Of course, that's why they play the games. The Rays, given a big advantage by Masterson's lack of command, dominated the contest from the start. Check out Jim B's "Second Thoughts" on Friday Night's game action.
While there weren't many moves, there were certainly some moves of substance throughout the week. Tyler Holt finally made a progression, as did Alex Monsalve. The headliner had to be the return of Travis Hafner to the big league club. Take a look at our weekly transaction rundown from the entire Indians organization with Arthur Kinney...and did I fail to mention, Pronk is back?
The Indians continued their winnings ways on Thursday night with a 3-1 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a four game set. The Indians have now won three in a row and six of their last eight games, and with three games left before the All Star break they will look to finish strong this weekend. Jason Ruggiero shares his "second thoughts" on last night's Tribe victory...
The Indians exploded for 12 runs on 15 hits in a 12-3 win over the Angels on Independence Day. The game quickly turned into a laugher in the second inning when a three-run homer by Kotchman put the Indians up 9-1. Charlie Adams shares his "second thoughts" on the game and breaks down another Indians' series win.
After scoring 32 runs against the Orioles in a four game set over the weekend, the Indians returned home to Progressive Field on Monday night in the hopes of continuing their good play from over the weekend. But even with another good outing from Ubaldo Jimenez, it was not enough as Jerad Weaver shut the offense down and the Indians lost 3-0. Adam McGavin shares his "second thoughts" and more on the game.
There are big-time names out on the market that several teams will be looking at as the trade deadline approaches. Jeff Ellis will look at a couple of those names, but will throw out a few more that aren't being talked about at all. With the Indians struggling to find offensive help from the right-handed side of the plate, they'll have to get creative. Join Jeff to find out a few of those creative ideas...after the jump...
After falling behind the White Sox, the Indians began the toughest part of their schedule to date. With both teams matching each other blow for blow, last week Chicago beat out Cleveland to acquire Kevin Youkilis from Boston. Brian La Shier wonders if Cleveland’s hesitation in the bidding inadvertently strengthened its rival’s position.
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!