Been far too long since I last posted — I've got a lot going on. I'll endeavor to catch up on all Tribe happenings soon. In the meantime, let me just say I hope we win in a rout tonight. More than usual.
Way more than usual. I hope we frickin' demoralize these Mariners.
lunes, 21 de mayo de 2007
jueves, 3 de mayo de 2007
Indians 7, Blue Jays 6
I was planning to write about Jhonny Peralta today, but I'm going to have to push that back. Last night's game deserves its own post.
It's the bottom of the eleventh, and the Indians are running out of time. The bullpen is empty. Westbrook left the game in the second inning with abdominal tightness — it seems Cliff Lee's injury is contagious, and he should have been in quarantine. The rest of the night has been more of a parade than a baseball game, relief pitchers marching in through the outfield, over the mound, into the clubhouse.
First Fernando Cabrera, then Jason Davis, then Aaron Fultz, then Roberto Hernandez, then Rafael Betancourt, then Joe Borowski, and finally Tom Mastny in the top of the 11th. And Mastny threw two innings the night before — so his availability is limited. If this game goes on much longer, Casey Blake might have to take the mound.
Dellucci bloops a leadoff single into center. Vernon Wells, playing deep, comes tearing in to make the play and overshoots his dive. The ball glances off his wrist.
With Dellucci at first, and recently hobbled, I'm thinking this might be the time to get Ben Francisco into the game. Francisco's got some speed, and he's in town by virtue of the roster move that sent Fausto Carmona back to Buffalo. The Westbrook injury probably means Fausto will be recalled, so why not bring in Francisco as a pinch runner before he catches the next bus/train/flight out of town? Put some pressure on the pitcher.
Wedge doesn't make this move, and I'm muttering about it in my bed. I should explain how I listen to these games. For the most part, during the evening, I have the radio broadcast playing over the computer in our study. The Wife bought me bluetooth headphones for Christmas two years ago. The idea was that I could put them on, move freely around the house, and listen to the game — without subjecting her to Hammy's periodic enthusiasms. So when she goes to sleep, usually at around 9:30 or 10:00, I put on the headphones. Once I'm ready for bed, I curl up beside her with the headphones on. For most of the night the game is background noise for me — I drop in and out, and my attention to it isn't consistent. I'm not listening in earnest.
Once I'm in bed, I'm listening in earnest. I should add here that The Wife, despite her best efforts, did not purchase complete peace with these headphones. The headphones confirm the bluetooth connection to the computer by flashing a blue light at regular intervals — something like every seven seconds. I try to screen out the flashes with a wall of pillows — I do my best here, I swear — but I worry that she dreams of police chases every night around this time. But listening to the late innings of an Indians game, in the dark, in bed, with no distractions, is my wife's gift to me, and I owe her for it, because I enjoy it so much. I lie there and, like a nine-year-old, I try to visualize the scene exactly as Hamilton and Hegan describe it.
Right now I'm wondering, under my breath, with my ears flashing blue light, why Francisco hasn't subbed out Dellucci. I'm waiting for Hamilton to announce the introduction of a pinch runner, but he doesn't. So it goes. Now Hafner's at the plate. Hammy and Hegan make a point of describing the Jays' defensive positioning: it's the usual shift with everybody in the infield on the right side, except for Troy Glaus, the Jay's third baseman, who is positioned where a shortstop would be if he were cheating toward second. The outfield is playing deep again — a ball over their heads wins the game — and around toward right field.
Hegan points out that Hafner, before stepping into the batter's box, is surveying the field, taking note of exactly where the Jays' players are. He also notes that Glaus will be taking the throw in the event Dellucci tries to steal second base.
Pronk works the count full, and Wedge sends Dellucci on the pitch. The pitch is low and outside — Hamilton will later observe that it almost bounced before Hafner hit it — but Travis reaches out and flicks the ball right down the third base line. There isn't a Blue Jays player within the same zip code as this ball.
Dellucci scores from first on Pronk's double. BALLGAME. I pump my fist, whisper a celebratory "YES!" to myself, then get up out of bed to see the game-winning hit on Sportscenter. God bless David Dellucci: he was running like hell.
And I'm wondering if, at some point, I need to add a "Great Ways to Win a Ballgame" department to this blog.
It's the bottom of the eleventh, and the Indians are running out of time. The bullpen is empty. Westbrook left the game in the second inning with abdominal tightness — it seems Cliff Lee's injury is contagious, and he should have been in quarantine. The rest of the night has been more of a parade than a baseball game, relief pitchers marching in through the outfield, over the mound, into the clubhouse.
First Fernando Cabrera, then Jason Davis, then Aaron Fultz, then Roberto Hernandez, then Rafael Betancourt, then Joe Borowski, and finally Tom Mastny in the top of the 11th. And Mastny threw two innings the night before — so his availability is limited. If this game goes on much longer, Casey Blake might have to take the mound.
Dellucci bloops a leadoff single into center. Vernon Wells, playing deep, comes tearing in to make the play and overshoots his dive. The ball glances off his wrist.
With Dellucci at first, and recently hobbled, I'm thinking this might be the time to get Ben Francisco into the game. Francisco's got some speed, and he's in town by virtue of the roster move that sent Fausto Carmona back to Buffalo. The Westbrook injury probably means Fausto will be recalled, so why not bring in Francisco as a pinch runner before he catches the next bus/train/flight out of town? Put some pressure on the pitcher.
Wedge doesn't make this move, and I'm muttering about it in my bed. I should explain how I listen to these games. For the most part, during the evening, I have the radio broadcast playing over the computer in our study. The Wife bought me bluetooth headphones for Christmas two years ago. The idea was that I could put them on, move freely around the house, and listen to the game — without subjecting her to Hammy's periodic enthusiasms. So when she goes to sleep, usually at around 9:30 or 10:00, I put on the headphones. Once I'm ready for bed, I curl up beside her with the headphones on. For most of the night the game is background noise for me — I drop in and out, and my attention to it isn't consistent. I'm not listening in earnest.
Once I'm in bed, I'm listening in earnest. I should add here that The Wife, despite her best efforts, did not purchase complete peace with these headphones. The headphones confirm the bluetooth connection to the computer by flashing a blue light at regular intervals — something like every seven seconds. I try to screen out the flashes with a wall of pillows — I do my best here, I swear — but I worry that she dreams of police chases every night around this time. But listening to the late innings of an Indians game, in the dark, in bed, with no distractions, is my wife's gift to me, and I owe her for it, because I enjoy it so much. I lie there and, like a nine-year-old, I try to visualize the scene exactly as Hamilton and Hegan describe it.
Right now I'm wondering, under my breath, with my ears flashing blue light, why Francisco hasn't subbed out Dellucci. I'm waiting for Hamilton to announce the introduction of a pinch runner, but he doesn't. So it goes. Now Hafner's at the plate. Hammy and Hegan make a point of describing the Jays' defensive positioning: it's the usual shift with everybody in the infield on the right side, except for Troy Glaus, the Jay's third baseman, who is positioned where a shortstop would be if he were cheating toward second. The outfield is playing deep again — a ball over their heads wins the game — and around toward right field.
Hegan points out that Hafner, before stepping into the batter's box, is surveying the field, taking note of exactly where the Jays' players are. He also notes that Glaus will be taking the throw in the event Dellucci tries to steal second base.
Pronk works the count full, and Wedge sends Dellucci on the pitch. The pitch is low and outside — Hamilton will later observe that it almost bounced before Hafner hit it — but Travis reaches out and flicks the ball right down the third base line. There isn't a Blue Jays player within the same zip code as this ball.
Dellucci scores from first on Pronk's double. BALLGAME. I pump my fist, whisper a celebratory "YES!" to myself, then get up out of bed to see the game-winning hit on Sportscenter. God bless David Dellucci: he was running like hell.
And I'm wondering if, at some point, I need to add a "Great Ways to Win a Ballgame" department to this blog.
martes, 1 de mayo de 2007
Sabathia
I was wondering if C.C. was tipping his pitches. His last inning against Texas last week (6 ER) and the first inning tonight (3 HR) have been out of character. There was a period in July '05 when Sabathia's ERA spiked — teams suddenly unloading on him. He lost four consecutive games (1, 2, 3, 4), gave up 32 hits and 20 earned runs in 17 and 2/3 innings, and a number of Tribe fans (myself included) were starting to wonder if our beloved Carsten Charles would ever break through as a Number One Guy. Ultimately C.C figured it out and righted the ship .
From the way the Jays were teeing off in the top of the first, I wondered if C.C. had slipped back into an old, ugly habit. But it looks like The Big Fella has settled down now, and the Indians have fought back for four runs to take the lead.
Let's hope everything holds together.
From the way the Jays were teeing off in the top of the first, I wondered if C.C. had slipped back into an old, ugly habit. But it looks like The Big Fella has settled down now, and the Indians have fought back for four runs to take the lead.
Let's hope everything holds together.
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