Update, long time coming

Fair readers, we at DoubleWahoo apologize profusely for the insane dearth of posts recently. Although you number few in readership (approximately 2 at last subscription renewal), I have received multiple comments about my lack of progress in updating the world on Cleveland sports, UVA sports, and other stuff that I feel like talking about. So here it is.

The Browns got two of the 5 highest rated players in this years draft, OT Joe Thomas, and QB Brady Quinn. Those two guys also fill 2 of the 5 positions on a team that pundits say make a winning club, left tackle, defensive end, QB, wide receiver, and cornerback. Speaking of corners, the Browns also picked up Eric Wright out of UNLV, who apparently has first round talent, but had some character issues, so he fell to the Brownies in the second round. Personally I’m not worried about character when Romeo Crennel is around. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy you mess with. This draft could go down as the turning point of this franchise, and golly let’s hope so.

In terms of franchises that had their turning points a while ago and are now reaping the rewards, the Indians are atop the American League Central at the end of April. Despite missing 4 games with Seattle due to snow, and having to play three “home” games in Milwaukee, the Tribe posted a 14-8 record for the month of April, and worst case scenario will have a 1 game lead entering the month of May. Here’s some keys to the team thus far.

• They’re winning series: The only series defeat came in a sweep to the Yankees at Yankee stadium against three pitchers the Tribe has never seen before, and with Victor who has been the best hitter with runners in scoring position on the team. The final game should’ve been a win after Fausto pitched a gem, but Borowski came in and choked in the ninth. Not even a save oppurtunity.
• Despite Borowski’s choke in the Bronx, the bullpen has been more successful this season thus far. Cabrera is re-emerging as an unhittable back of the bullpen option. Found it interesting the other day to read an article that in the last two seasons, Cabrera’s slider has been the most unhittable pitch in all of baseball. He misses bats with that pitch around 60% of the time. In ‘05, by far his more effective season, he missed bats close to 3/4 of the time with his slider. Gross. What’s different this year? He has confidence. He goes out there, throws his sinking fastball for strikes, gets ahead of the hitters, and then makes them look stupid with his splitter and slider.
• Some kind of weird, elusive, winning mojo. They’re winning the one run games and extra inning games that didn’t go their way last year.

Reasons the rest of the league could be in trouble?

• Lots of hitters for the Indians are still trying to hit their stride. Guys who are playing well: Grady, Pronk, Martinez, Garko, Nizon. Guys who are still trying to find themselves at the plate a bit: everyone else. That is scary, for a team who is second in runs scored per nine innings to only be able to look up. In the recent win streak even, Grady and Vic had a little bit of a down turn with Hafner turning it on. Now he’s pressing a bit again, but Barfield and Blake are turning it up a bit. Let’s get this offense running on all cylinders and then everyone watch out.
• Cliff Lee is coming back, which means Fausto Carmona who beat Johan Santana and then gave up only 1 run in 8.3 innings against the Orioles has to go somewhere, which is scary. Few teams have six quality MLB starters in their pocket, and you need that many to get through the season, just ask the Yankees.

School is still going well, and we keep plugging along. Four more weeks, and then you loyal readers might see an increase in the rate of posting here.

That’s all for now.

Tribe starts season 2-0

On opening day, the Indians brought their bats. They scored 11 runs in the first three innings, including a 5 spot in the first en route to a 12-5 victory over the White Sox. It’s run production like that that has people picking the Indians as a playoff contender this year. In the second game of the season, the Indians came from behind all day after Jake Westbrook yielded a 3-run homerun in the bottom of the first, but prevailed with an 8-7 victory. Making these victories that much sweeter is the opponent: Chicago White Sox. For whatever reason, as an Indian’s fan I am very bitter towards the White Sox. I think it has a lot to do with their television announcer, Hawk Harrelson. He is an idiot. He was an OK player, a really crappy GM, and now the worst homer in all of baseball. For those unfamiliar with the term, homer means you root for your team and your team only. He is not excited about baseball at all unless the White Sox did something good. Granted, the home team announcer should be a little biased, rooting for his team etc., but Harrelson takes it to new heights. He practically shouts everything that happens for the White Sox and then barely mutters, in the most monotone voice, inserting extra pauses to show you how unexcited he is, whenever the Indians have a positive outcome. I stopped listening to him last year, but just seeing the White Sox station covering the game makes me think of his voice in my head and it almost ruins the game.

This writer is trying not to get overly excited about the first two games, but when you have performancs like todays by Victor and Hafner, you can’t help but get excited. Martinez was 4-4 today with two walks and is batting .750 so far this season. I know it’s only two games, but .750!?! Hafner drew 4 walks today, two of them intentional, the other two intentional unintentional walks. Grady Sizemore has hit two homeruns, one off of the second pitch of the season, and the other today with the Tribe down 1, a man on base, and a left handed pitcher in the game. Huge. Grady is hitting .400 to start the season. Just overall very happy about the Tribe. A few kinks that still need to be worked out, and the platoons aren’t able to substitute very well yet because the regulars against leftys haven’t gotten a chance to play. Once they get their swings under them I think this team could do great things.

While not thrilled with the bullpen today, they got the job done. Mastny came in for two batters and promptly retired them. Then on comes Fultz to get two batters (and surrender a walk), Betancourt on for two batters (with a walk), and then we get to the back-end of the bullpen. Hernandez is 42, still throws the ball 94, and you can tell has the swagger of a veteran. He gave up a leadoff double, but then sat down the next three. Joe Borowski looked to be having trouble finding the zone in the ninth, surrendering a lead-off walk to Darin Erstad, who then promptly stole second because Borowski wasn’t even pretending to hold him on. A strikeout of Jim Thome, then a walk to Paul Konerko, then a strike-out of Jermaine Dye, and then he gets Joe Crede on a full count, Crede gets a hold of one to left field, but Michaels tracks it down and cradles it into his abdomen as he’s falling on his tush to end the game.

Notes:

•  Sizemore is really pumped. He was very excited after his home run, and extremely excited about Michael’s catch. He may not be a very vocal leader, but he plays with a passion that is infectious.
•  The Indians squandered back to back bases loaded oppurtunities in the eighth and ninth innings. Would’ve been nice to see those converted, but, a win is a win.
•  The bottom of the order went a combined 4-19 with a walk. However, those four hits were one after another with Delucci getting a double, Peralta tripling him home, Barfield singling him home, and Marte crushing one to left. Good job by them that inning. Less impressive was Delucci, then Peralta, then Barfield getting struck out with the bases loaded. Followed by Marte and Sizemore in the next inning, and then Nixon gets the new rally going, which also wasn’t converted.
•  Alot of the walk drawing and giving has to be due to an extremely inconsistent strike zone called by the ump. He’s old, and I bet if you look up his computer rating, it was horrible.

Lots of hope going into this season. The bullpen got the job done, I won’t say they looked strong, but this loss is on the White Sox bullpen, not ours. A little better outing from Jake and this game wouldn’t have even been a contest.