WFNY introspection and Danny Brown’s brilliance: While We’re Waiting
October 4, 2016Cleveland Browns Progress Report: Week 4
October 4, 2016Welcome. The Cleveland Indians are about to partake in the 2016 MLB postseason and you may feel unprepared. Hey, we get it. The Cavaliers took your attention April through June. After the championship hangover, you needed to get in some summer fun. Then, before you knew it, school and work filled up your calendar again. Maybe you even were hypnotized by Hue Jackson’s team once or twice.
You missed an incredible journey. Sure, the Indians held onto first place in the AL Central division from May 16 onward, went on a 14-game winning streak, employ the MLB best shortstop and quite possibly the AL Cy Young Award winner, but there were plenty of moments that gave fans pause too. Just take a gander at the entire 11 games Michael Brantley played or the fact that Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar won’t be starting any postseason games due to injury.1 The season ended well though, because if the Rangers lose in the ALDS to the wild card winner,2 then the Indians could have home field advantage throughout the postseason.
Well, lucky for you the theme of the Tribe playoffs is Rally Together, and the team can use as many fans as possible to shout down the loud, obnoxious fans from Boston in the ALDS. If the Indians have to face the Texas Rangers in the ALCS, then Jason Kipnis might need every person available to help protect him from Roughned Odor.
https://vine.co/v/5eBLvu6P2aU
With that, we felt it would be best to give you all a one-stop shop for everything you need to know about the Indians to help yourself sound like one of the cool kids that watched all 161 regular season games.3 Or, at the very least, enough crib notes to fake it.
Be forewarned: Since you can look up the stats, we’re going to stick to the narratives.
Award Categories
AL Cy Young Award
The rotation was expected to be one of domination, and it was when healthy. ALDS Game 1 starter, Trevor Bauer, didn’t even make the rotation coming out of Spring Training because it was so stacked. Cody Anderson’s 2015 proved to be a bit of a fluke though, so it wasn’t too long before Bauer jumped in. Once he started using his sinker4 as his dominant pitch, Bauer was a reliable weapon but not enough to ever have a shot at the Cy Young Award.
https://vine.co/v/5MtBlAtK65P
Josh Tomlin deserved to make the All-Star game, but was snubbed. Too bad the great calendar year he had (second half 2015, first half 2016) couldn’t be continued all summer, as he hit a horrific rough patch in July and August. The Little Cowboy fixed his issues though by cutting out the cutter, so expect him to be a reliable October arm.
Danny Salazar started the season scorching hot and early in June it appeared that he was the pitcher to beat for the AL Cy Young. He did make the All-Star game, but the team had him rest his arm for the second time of the season that week due to fatigue. He needed to rest his arm with a skipped start again in August, and the team finally shut Salazar down for three weeks in mid-September as the pain traveled down to his forearm. What had been a promising campaign ended with the hope he can use two of his pitches out of the bullpen in the postseason.
Carlos Carrasco hoped to take the next step forward in 2016 and maybe he would have had he stayed healthy. Instead, he was carted off the field with a hamstring injury in April. Then, on the September 17, Cookie was struck with a line drive off of his hand, which broke. The Tribe put him on the 60-day DL, so he is not eligible to return in 2016. Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com was so distraught, he declared the Indians season to be over. At least Carrasco didn’t take a liner off the face this time.
That leaves Corey Kluber. The Klubot is just as effective and dominant as you remember. He did have a mild quadriceps strain in his last start, but the Tribe expects him to be fine to start ALDS Game 2. And, the baseball world expects him to win his second AL Cy Young Award.
https://vine.co/v/5i55B7ZZrv5
AL MVP Award
As the debate rages on about whether Mike Trout’s value was wasted by being on a terrible huge-budget Los Angeles Angels team, there was no Indian player who has a real claim on this award. Carlos Santana was the team’s best hitter, but his lack of defensive playing time would inhibit him. He did play better defense than Mike Napoli at first and stole some playing time down the stretch, but it was as much indictment on Napoli as encouragement for Santana.
https://vine.co/v/5O5b6WEj62z
Francisco Lindor was a beauty to behold and one that fans need constant reminders to pinch themselves else they either take his magnificence for granted or not believe he is real. Yet, a small slump to end the year coupled with a confused state on how to best measure defensive contributions (his trademark) makes the award out of reach for the smiling one.
The other darkhorse candidate from the second best offense in the AL (yes, you read that correctly) would be Jose Ramirez. J-Ram lost 55 helmets on the base paths as he tore through the American League pitching and solidified the Indians defense at third base. Basically, remember Michael Brantley? Well, he missed the year and Ramirez just filled in almost his exact offensive stats. He was even extra good when there were RISP. The kids call it being clutch.5
https://vine.co/v/iTEDqBnxnji
AL ROY Award
Again, no Indian is going to win this one with Gary Sanchez and Michael Fulmer fighting for it, but Tyler Naquin has a legit chance at coming in at third in voting. Naquin was sent down in May after not being able to hit, but he came back sitting on low off-speed pitches. He crushed those. He crushed them good. Napalm also was the batter for two of the Indians’ walk-off wins. The Indians had 11 walk-off wins with nine different batters in the box to close them out.6Â It was Naquin who had the signature inside-the-park home run with a Rock On fired into the sky to punctuate the moment.
Michael Clevinger’s bad May excluded him from the discussion, but his pitching since that time has made many wonder if he could be the Wright man for October.
https://vine.co/v/5Mp2mXqvuMi
AL COY Award
Terry Francona has led the Indians to the best record in the American League since his time taking over the ball club, including two postseasons. He might enjoy the sacrifice bunt more than the statistics bear out (especially from guys like Michael Martinez that either pop them up or foul them off), but Tito’s ability in the clubhouse must be respected. Francona could well win this award.
AL EOY Award
The new members of the Tribe will be mentioned shortly, but any team that loses Michael Brantley, Danny Salazar, Yan Gomes, Carlos Carrasco, Marlon Byrd, Abraham Almonte, and Lonnie Chisenhall among others throughout a division-championship season had a ton of depth built up.7 Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff had helped build up the farm system and supplemented it with some great free agent pickups this past offseason. Including Derek Falvey (Minnesota Twins) and David Stearns (Milwaukee Brewers) going from the Tribe front office to taking over other clubs, and the Indians executives deserve some hardware.
Roberto Clemente Award
Carlos Carrasco does a ton of work through his foundation in the community. He held book drives at Progressive Field that collected 12,500 books. He organized donations to support education in the area. After his injury, he used his “free time” to spend even more of it at University Hospitals visiting children. He also did a bit of studying on his own as he obtained his United States citizenship this season.
Answering the Important Questions
What starting pitchers are we expecting to trot out there in the playoffs?
Kluber and Bauer will see the mound as often as possible. Tomlin will be utilized as the third starter. If the team needs to use a fourth starter though, it might fall to Mike Clevinger and the bullpen to pull the game out. The good news is that the MLB postseason schedule has a ton of extra days built in so that the Indians might mitigate this strength-turned-weakness.
https://vine.co/v/5eVOw5Yg23j
Wait a second, Jose Ramirez could receive votes for AL MVP? What in the world?
Yeah, one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2016 season was the breakout of Jose Ramirez. Here is why you thank Juan Uribe as he took his Mini-Me under his wing in the early goings before the slow bat of El Pavo had him DFA’d.
So it's not ALL 54 helmet losses of the season, but this @MrLapara compilation is pretty great!
h/t @ZackMeisel for keeping track all year. pic.twitter.com/YpFLdg4ksm
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) September 28, 2016
Who are all these new guys and what should I know about them?
- Mike Napoli: #PartyAtNapolis became a sensation in part because of Nate Crowe’s exuberance, in part because the proceeds through 108stitches raised $120,000 for the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, but also due to Napoli hitting 34 home runs (some of which nearly broke John Adams drum).
- Rajai Davis: Despite being considered old by baseball standards, Davis became the most dangerous man on the basepaths this season whether it was a straight steal or taking the extra base on hits.
- Chris Gimenez: An old friend returned to give the pitching staff a reliable defensive framer when Gomes suffered his initial injury. Just close your eyes if he has to hit; I think that might be his approach.
- Dan Otero: A random bullpen signing and just yawn. Oh wait, no. Otero was perhaps the most valuable relief arm the Indians had over the course of the season. Don’t panic when he enters the game.
- Brandon Guyer: Don’t tell him that he’s just a Guy(er) as he can rake against left-handed pitching (important as Naquin and Chisenhall are not trusted to hit against southpaws). Basically, he’s a much (much – did I say much?) better fielding version of Ryan Raburn, though he can hit right-handers a bit too.
- Coco Crisp: Almonte is not allowed to participate in the postseason because he began the year on a PED suspension. So, the Indians acquired another old friend who can replicate not-so-honest Abe’s bat. Unfortunately, Crisp can no longer defend much, and his throws take longer to hit the cutoff man than it would take Davis to just run the ball in.
- Andrew Miller: Bad news if you were a fan of Clint Frazier. He is now a member of the New York Yankees and he lopped off his beautiful red mane. The good news is that the best relief pitcher in MLB was what the Indians acquired for him. And, Miller has somehow gotten even better since joining the team. And, when I say best, I mean so good that opposing batters literally fall to their knees when facing him (see below).
https://vine.co/v/5eVMXutOO9U
Can I have a quick-hitter on the other main lineup contributors you haven’t mentioned much in case someone asks me?
- Roberto Perez: Robo has been among the finest defensive catchers in MLB, though he has struggled at the plate.
- Jason Kipnis: Kip had his most consistently productive season of his career without the usual hot and cold streaks.
- Lonnie Chisenhall: Big Lon’s magic defense was traded for an average glove and average bat. Still a useful player to have.
- Carlos Santana: Huge year at the plate for Slamtana. Again, he has been the team’s best hitter.
- Michael Martinez: As a pinch-runner and defensive replacement, he is useful. Do not put a bat in his hands.
What about the other bullpen guys?
- Cody Allen: Allen continued to be among the better relievers and a consistent backend force for the Tribe.
- Bryan Shaw: Shaw would oscillate between going dozens of appearances without allowing a run to a week of giving up tons of runs. Most of the time, he’s really good.
- Jeff Manship: The bloom came off his rose a bit, but there are worse guys to have at the end of the bullpen line.
- Ryan Merritt: The upside isn’t there for the southpaw, but he has been quite useful in limited appearances.
- Perci Garner: Here is the local kid that you want to make the roster and root like crazy to do well.
- Zach McAllister: You remember Z-Mac from last year? A slightly less effective version of that guy.
What were the best outside the chalk stories of the season?
- Joba Chamberlain playing along with the Indians on social media when the midges returned.
- Afghans were hand-woven by an Indians fan for the entire team.
- Carrasco became a US citizen.
- #PartyAtNapolis raised $120K for kids at the Cleveland Clinic.
- Lindor started using Space Jam as his walk-up music and someone created a Tune Squad jersey for him.
Where can I get more detailed information about some of these topics? And who are all these other guys writing for WFNY about the Indians?
WFNY has become a one-stop place to follow the Cleveland Indians postseason as there is just a wealth of information and a ton of content. For what could be a special run, Mike Hattery, Jim Pete, Dan Harrington, and Jeff Nomina have been added to complement Andrew Clayman and myself (along with others who will pop in for some added insight). We hope to have a wide range and style of coverage so that we can fit any need or desire you might have for following the Tribe’s October.
https://vine.co/v/5eVMm6JQpE0
Here’s a quick sample of what you can expect (along with some more in-depth info):
Andrew Clayman
- Under the C: Jose Ramirez Turns the Tablers
- Coco to Mingo: Top 100 names in Cleveland sports history
Mike Hattery
Jeff Nomina
Dan Harrington
Jim Pete
Michael Bode
- Yes, Salazar is expected to be available in the bullpen and could potentially start later in October, maybe. [↩]
- Baltimore Orioles or Mark Shapiro’s Toronto Blue Jays [↩]
- Yes, 161âthe last one was deemed unnecessary. [↩]
- The Laminar Express [↩]
- Whether or not it is just good fortune or not, it happened. [↩]
- J-Ram the other hitter to have two. [↩]
- Almonte was due to a PED suspension that kept him out the first half. Byrd also had a PED suspension that knocked him out for the year back in May. [↩]
27 Comments
Thanks Bode, this is a great primer for us bandwagoners. The 2007 team was the last I intently followed, so I don’t feel much connection to these guys, but they do seem to have character and mettle this year. I’ll hope to watch some of the playoff games, and am grateful they can fill the Browns void for me this fall.
That said, playoff baseball is not good for me. I may relapse into old pitch-by-pitch anxiety reflexes nurtured throughout the ’90s. Even so, if they play some afternoon games the stress of playoff baseball beats the stress of work đ
You forgot to mention Carlos Santana is now officially the worst professional athlete in all of sports.
And our hitting Coach (Ty Van Burkleo) has a T-ball team that led the little leagues in strikeouts.
Nice work. Now pacing around the house during games can really begin.
It’s been really great watching this team and these guys over these past seasons. Kipnis going from impressive rookie to veteran presence. Cookie going from bust to boom. Santana going from much-maligned quality player to less-maligned quality player.
I could never get behind the Lebron led Cavaliers because, to me, they were the antithesis of a Cleveland team: best player in the league, multiple first picks in the draft, coaches who were afterthoughts. That’s not the kind of team I grew up rooting for. This Indians team, along with this organization, is. So very Cleveland. Small payroll, playing from behind, years in the making, no superstars (Lindor, maybe), no ego, mostly forgotten even in their own town (We’ve got uniforms and everything, it’s really great.) Anyway, just following this team has been rewarding. Anything from here on out is just a bonus.
Also: Clint Frazier is now a member of the NYY. Or is that some hip reference I don’t get.
Man, I’m so excited for Thursday.
*just enjoy the moment* *just enjoy the moment* *just enjoy the moment* *just enjoy the moment* *just enjoy the moment* *just enjoy the moment* *just enjoy the moment*
No worries and this team is so much fun. There isn’t a guy you look at and have to pretend to ignore behavior to root for him to do well. The worst of the bunch is Bauer will throw stuff in the dugout if he has a bad outing – he’s just hyper competitive and he has been showing his fun side with videos he is self-releasing throughout the year.
I am so excited for this run. And, I both hate and love that we have Boston first up. Gotta send Ortiz into retirement.
Freudian slip. I miss Big Red.
(and thanks)
Speaking of that ogre (Ortiz), some food for thought on the baseball front…
I recall you and I recently debated the merits of the 3 major sports with regard to the effects the sport have on the body-type of its athletes (e.g. football necessitates obesity in lineman, basketball tends to produce lean athletes, etc.). Earlier this week, I came across some recently published research from a Penn State colleague demonstrating significant increases in overweight/obesity in baseball players over the last quarter century: http://news.psu.edu/story/428790/2016/09/28/research/heavy-hitters-obesity-rate-soars-among-professional-baseball?utm_source=newswire&utm_medium=email&utm_term=429041_HTML&utm_content=09-29-2016-21-35&utm_campaign=Penn%20State%20Today
If you can identify the Indians player with the pot belly at the end of the short video I owe you a (diet) coke
Who will be the 2016’s Casey Blake? Stay tuned!
Nice piece Bode on one of the best run franchises in all of professional sports.
Since last August, this team has been really fun to watch. You just cannot count them out of a game until it’s truly over. I am perfectly happy without the big dominate star or getting all the jinxed up awards. Rick Manning and Super Joe come to mind.
The Dolan’s have done an incredible job running a franchise in a market that doesn’t support it.
Yes, though I will reiterate that BMI does not necessarily indicate obesity as Conroy himself notes (yes, there can be some negative influences of a higher body mass but lean muscle is still better).
And, given the southpaw pitcher with that complexion and girth…it is undoubtedly CC Sabathia.
Bob Wickman strenuously agrees that high BMI does not equal obesity đ
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NrlqnTqGU-0/T_l_9exiVrI/AAAAAAAAAqA/y9J95zbABBE/s1600/Wickman.jpg
We fell just shy of 20,000 per game on the year (19,650) only better than Tampa and Oakland.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance
Also, somehow we were the WORST road attendance team in MLB though a big part there had to do with playing in the AL Central (all teams were among the “worst road attendance” teams).
But, whatever, the Prog will be packed for the next month. Let’s get a whole slew of new people hooked on this incredible team.
Shucks. The beard shadow messed me up!
Also, the picture appears to have the player pitching with his left hand, no?
veteran player traded for someone who will bring me years and years of joy, while becoming a Top 20 All-Time franchise slugger?
If you weren’t following this team then you missed one of the funnest teams ever.
A rare photo of Bob Whitman’s spring training weigh-in, circa February 1999 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3ca47a4f4044b8b852f2b1472d4ce1bb491dee86c9749c6c707ade16267cb13b.jpg
Anyone got a wager going with a Red Sox fan?
Daughter #1’s boyfriend is a Sox fan, and loser has to wear the other’s cap and carry his clubs on a round of golf. When I win, I milk these kinds of bets with the best of them.
Anyone got a recommended read on Perci Garner? Back around his debut, I saw someone mention that he had a great backstory, but never actually heard what it was. Didn’t realize he was a local kid. Would be interested to read up a little on him.
Also, I seriously hope the Cleveland faithful packs the stands Thursday and Friday. The only thing worse than our home stadium being overrun by fans of the Motor City Kitties is it being overrun by Bahstahners. If Nate is taking suggestions for signs, he should let Ortiz know WE haven’t forgotten about his PED usage. Saw a funny tweet (apologies as I don’t recall who from) that said “It’s just Dustin Roia now – Ortiz stole his PED.” Either that, or “Just retire already – nobody cares.” Obviously I’m in the camp that didn’t think he deserved a season-long Jeter-like retirement party.
Meisel doing what he does on back stories:
http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2016/09/cleveland_indians_perci_garner.html
Grove’s write-up before he became a social media guy:
http://www.scout.com/mlb/indians/story/1701600-garner-gave-his-all-for-call-to-cleveland
Appreciated. Also, great write up, Bode.
Thanks
can someone do us all a favor and lock Joel Skinner in a basement somewhere, just in case? Thanks, Ill hang up and listen
Indians considering just inserting this as their 3B coach against Boston
https://media.giphy.com/media/rU78d0caOCtoc/giphy.gif
Oooo beat me to it!
We used to joke about him sweating out there over hoagie-withdrawal.
I know there’s trolls under every bridge, but I can’t believe the hatred this piece received on the Tweeter.
We never got to see a picture from this bet pay-off.
It is all good. I appreciated people sharing it and reading it. Some didn’t quite understand the playful nature of the opening paragraph.