Rocky Colavito

      It's been over sixty years since the most controversial trade in Cleveland sports history, 

And while the number of fans who saw him play dwindles, I'm not sure you can be a Cleveland sports fan and not be familiar with the name Rocky Colavito.

The power-hitting outfielder had everything that one needed to become a star for Cleveland fans for his career and one ridiculous general manager took it all away.

Colavito's recent passing at the age of ninety-one brought more to mind than the trade that lives on today and a career that was one of the premier home run bombers.

Colavito smashed 128 homers in his first four seasons in Cleveland, including forty-one and forty-two in 1958 and 59, the latter leading the American League. And as the team's most popular player at only twenty-six years of age, one would think Colavito would be untouchable in trade for anyone shy of Mickey Mantle.

You would be wrong.

Indians general manager Frank Lane didn't receive his nickname of "Trader" for his love of holding his cards. In spring training in 1960, Lane traded Colavito to Detroit for the reigning batting champion Harvey Kuenn.

Lane infamously explained the deal as trading "a hamburger for a steak".

Kuenn would hit .308 for Cleveland in his only season for the Tribe before being traded to the Giants for a washed-up Johnny Antonelli (who finished 0-4 for Cleveland and was out of baseball by the end of the season) and outfielder Willie Kirkland (Kirkland hit .238 and eight homers in three Cleveland seasons).

The Colavito for Kuenn trade may have been the trade that turned Indians fans ambivalent off the field but it was Kuenn for Antonelli and Kirkland that started the multiple-decade decline on the field as in only one season, the Indians had turned one of the best power hitters in baseball into Willie Kirkland.

Colavito would hit 139 homers in four seasons as a Tiger with a high of forty-five in 1961 and knock in over one hundred runs twice. But Rocky's 1963 stats declined a little, dropping to twenty-two home runs and "only" ninety-one RBI, so Detroit traded Colavito to the Kansas City Athletics along with pitcher Bob Anderson and fifty thousand dollars for Jerry Lumpe, Dave Wickersham, and Ed Rakow.

Wickersham won nineteen games for Detroit in 1964 and Lumpe made his only All-Star selection in that season, so Detroit didn't give Colavito away, however, Rocky hit thirty-four homers and finished with 102 RBI in what would be his only season in green and gold.

Meanwhile, Cleveland not only has struggled on the field since Rocky left town (no winning seasons), attendance has fallen and the rumors (which would continue until the team built Jacobs Field in 1994) of the Indians moving the franchise had started to multiply.

Returning "The Rock" to Cleveland would be an easy way to help attendance and appease a dwindling fan base was a great idea except the Indians didn't have anyone that Kansas City wanted in return.

The Chicago White Sox were interested in the Indians catcher Johnny Romano and were told to acquire Colavito and Cleveland would produce Romano.

Chicago was able to bring Colavito over, and the talks began with Cleveland, which also traded two minor leaguers with Romano: Tommie Agee, a solid outfielder who would be named Rookie of the Year in 1966, and Tommy John, who would win 288 games in the big leagues—two of them as an Indian.

Colavito's return was the story of the 1965 Indians, who finished 87-75 and temporarily derailed the talk of moving the team, led by Colavito's twenty-six homers and American League-leading one hundred-eight RBI.

Colavito hit thirty homers for the Indians in 1966, but his average plunged almost fifty points. Midway through the 1967 season, Cleveland sent Rocky to Chicago for journeyman outfielder Jim King and a player to be named later. Rocky would finish the year with a combined eight home runs.

Colavito was obtained by the Dodgers before the 1968 season but struggled and was released in July.

Colavito was signed and finished the season with the Yankees before being released after the season.

Known for his powerful throwing arm from right field, Colavito was feared by American League baserunners who rarely attempted to take liberties on The Rock.

Colavito pitched two games in the majors and in his final season, 1968, Colavito was the last position player to earn a win before Brent Mayne's win in 2000, when Colavito fired two and two/third scoreless innings against the Tigers.

However, the biggest day of Colavito's career would be June 10th, 1959 when Colavito became only the second player in American League history (Lou Gehrig was the first) to hit home runs in four consecutive at-bats against the Orioles at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

Baltimore was the toughest park for power in the American League in 1959.

Colavito hit homers off Jerry Walker, Arnie Portocarrero (two), and Ernie Johnson, the father of the current sportscaster of the same name in his record-setting game.

Colavito worked for the Indians from 1973 through 1978 as a coach or broadcaster. In 1976, he would work in both roles, coaching before the game and then broadcasting the game from the booth.

Colavito finished his baseball life in 1982 and 83 as the hitting coach for the Royals and was ejected along with George Brett in the famous "Pine Tar" game against the Yankees.

Rocky returned to his longtime home near Reading, Pennsylvania after baseball and suffered through diabetes-related problems that would lead to a partial amputation of his right leg in 2015.

In 2021, Colavito received a life-size statue in his honor in Cleveland but its home wouldn't be around the ballpark where the now-Guardians play.

Instead, it would be in the Little Italy section of Cleveland where The Rock would stand the test of time in the batter's box waiting to uncork his powerful swing.

Colavito was named to the All-Star team in seven seasons, and finished his career with three hundred and seventy-four home runs, and over eleven hundred RBI.

Colavito also was one of the players selected to participate in the television show Home Run Derby, appearing in two episodes against Washington's Harmon Killebrew and Boston's Jackie Jensen.

When you look at the Rock's career statistics, had his career not ended so quickly (Colavito was a thirty home run hitter in 1966 and was retired two seasons later) and had he reached four hundred homers and notched another three or four seasons close to his average years, Colavito might have been a Hall of Fame candidate rather than a Hall of Very Good member.

Sometimes in life, you can have influence beyond the norm, and while Rocky Colavito's career fell short of enshrinement in Cooperstown, The Rock created a generation of Cleveland baseball fans, who then sired another and so forth.

Rocky Colavito in Cleveland built a better legacy with the town's fans than many players in the Hall of Fame who played with the Indians.

There weren't very many Cleveland fans or Northern Ohio residents who saw him play who were going to "Knock The Rock".

Not a bad way to be remembered.

Indians busy trade deadline

 The Cleveland Indians up until a week or so were thought to be a player for a big bat for a team trying to stay relevant in the playoff conversation.

How the team was going to afford this bat was a question to ask, but with the team sliding eight games behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central, it wouldn't be unreasonable to see the Indians trade some players and still add a player or two as well.

Cleveland did add a player to the roster and even another one for about an hour or two but with several deals over two days, the Indians managed to make many wonder just what the hell the team is thinking.

Let's start with the trade that brought the one player in these trades to Cleveland immediately as the Indians traded reliever Phil Maton and minor league catcher Yainer Diaz to Houston for outfielder Myles Straw.

Straw had started in centerfield for most of this season for the Astros, batting .262 with two homers, thirty-four RBI, and seventeen stolen bases.

The twenty-six-year-old Straw hits righthanded, is a plus outfielder defensively, lacks power, and has excellent speed.

In other words, Straw fits the Indians' top fetish in outfielders- fast guys without power and they can add to the several that they already have in that department in Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, Daniel Johnson, and seemingly most of their outfielders since Alex Cole.

Straw will likely be given a chance to own the centerfield job as he did in Houston, and hopefully, he'll know how to call a flyball as it seems needs to be worked on with the Indians, as Bradley Zimmer and Daniel Johnson showed last night as the pair turned a deep flyball into a Yoan Moncada homer by running into each other, but I don't see him as an upgrade over the mediocre bunch that they have already on the roster and its a safe bet that one is going out the door to either Columbus or perhaps gone period.

Maton was an average reliever (2-0 4.57 ERA in 41 innings) by most numbers, but his 61 strikeouts in 41 innings this season suggest that he may be on the verge of stepping to a higher level of performance at the age of 28 and Diaz was hitting .314 with five homers for low A Lynchburg stamping him as a prospect of note.

I think Maton is on the verge of being an excellent bullpen piece and I hate the Indians losing him.

While I don't have a problem with the Indians trading for an outfielder, I would have liked to have seen someone that isn't so similar to what the team already possesses.

I don't think Straw looks any better or worse than what the team already has and if that's the case- why trade away a decent setup guy in Maton or what appears to be an interesting catching prospect in Diaz?

With the Straw trade raising a few red flags, the other trades set alarms of various noise.

The one trade that I really liked was with the Tampa Bay Rays as the soon-to-be former Tribe shipped another of their clump of outfielders in Jordan Luplow and minor league pitcher D.J. Johnson to the Rays for minor league pitcher Peyton Battenfield.

Battenfield was a combined 5-0 with an ERA of 2.14 in fourteen starts between High A Bowling Green and AA Montgomery with 95 strikeouts in 67 innings.

Battenfield was the Astros ninth-round pick in 2019 from Oklahoma State and his numbers make him a pitcher that I think could be very helpful in the long run.

Battenfield was assigned to AA Akron.

Jordan Luplow had been on a rehab assignment with AAA Columbus and will remain on assignment with Tampa's AAA affiliate in Durham.

Luplow hit only .173 in his 121 plate appearances this season before an ankle injury but did hit seven homers and with his reputation as a lefty murderer, it made sense for Tampa to take a chance at a bounceback off their bench.

Journeyman pitcher D.J. Johnson was included in the deal after spending most of the season at AAA Columbus in their bullpen (1-2 with six saves, 3.32 ERA) and will give Tampa Bay a veteran option in their bullpen, should they require it.

This one was my favorite of all the trades considering the potential of Battenfield and the value of journeymen Luplow and Johnson.

The day before the deadline was a bit of a head-scratcher but it was possible that the market was limited for veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez despite a career season in power numbers.

Hernandez was traded to division rival Chicago for minor league pitcher Konnor Pilkington and while I don't think the Indians are legitimately a threat to catch the White Sox, it was a sign of surrender to send Hernandez there.

Hernandez was hitting only. 234, but his eighteen homers exceeded his career-high by three already which I would have thought would have made him more desirable to a contender.

Hernandez was a free agent at the end of the year, although there is a team option and the Indians have a group of young infielders ready to move up next season, so I understand moving him but it's a really bad look when you send him to a team that you are supposedly trying to catch, even it isn't realistic to do so.

Konnor Pilkington is a lefthanded starter, who pitched fairly well for AA Birmingham in fourteen starts (4-4 3.48 ERA with 71 strikeouts) this season.

Pilkington was the White Sox third-round selection in 2018 from Mississippi State and had struggled until this season as a pro but I like his 71 strikeouts in 62 innings.

My problem with this trade isn't Pilkington, who like Peyton Battenfield was assigned to AA  Akron, trading Hernandez, or even trading to the White Sox as a division rival.

It's more about another bad look for a franchise that seems to be piling bad looks up in a large photo album.

The final deal is one of those deals that are all about the money even though the team insists it's not about the money as the Indians sent their top free-agent signee in Eddie Rosario to the Atlanta Braves along with cash considerations for veteran Pablo Sandoval, who was immediately released by Cleveland.

Rosario was on the disabled list and I'm sure that hurt his marketability but he didn't play up to expectations hitting .254 with seven homers and forty-six RBI and the Indians shipped some cash to Atlanta to help with the remainder of his one year eight million contract.

Rosario wasn't going to be back next year and again I was Ok moving him but it looks like the team is being cheap as usual to trade him for a player that they immediately released.

Sure, the trade was a way to open a spot on the 40 man roster and it will allow a few outfielders to get some at-bats and that's all well and good but it just makes the organization look so awful.

Look, I know the Indians were tied up a bit trying to trade an injured Eddie Rosario and I thought they did very well in getting Peyton Battenfield from Tampa Bay.

But I'm far more pessimistic about the trade for Myles Straw than it seems that most are and the small payroll with promises of more next season with a new minority owner could be true but it's never going to be as much help as the franchise needs to compete consistently.

The news out of Progressive Field of late has been good on few occasions, it didn't get a lot better at the trade deadline. 

Indians to Guardians

     As I catch up from my weekend, another change occurred besides the Devils drafting of Luke Hughes as the Cleveland Indians announced their decision on what nickname would represent the baseball team by Lake Erie for the 2022 season and thereafter.

The decision to change the Indians nickname to the Cleveland Guardians was one that was destined to take place eventually and even though Rob Manfred had stated that the Indians name was safe when the team agreed to whack the logo of Chief Wahoo, Manfred's word wasn't enough to stop the momentum against the name change.

As a longtime traditionalist, it bothers me that the name Indians is no longer going to be used.

As a realist, while I had hoped that the elimination of Chief Wahoo would be enough to satisfy the wave against the name change, I thought the name would eventually have to be changed.

While I'll miss the name, I do understand why some were offended and there is a certain sense of relief that the constant drumbeat (pun intended) of protests and complaints can move south to Atlanta or west to Kansas City to complain about their team nicknames.

The Guardians name doesn't do much to move the needle for me as the new nickname.

Named after the "Art Deco" style statues that reside on the Hope Memorial Bridge, Guardians isn't a terrible name, it's just a boring one.

There wasn't exactly a barrel filled with names that would have been excellent choices ( I liked Spiders and Commodores as my favorites) and the choice of the Guardians isn't the worst option that could have been chosen, that I would give that honor to Rockers, which was a name that people outside the Cleveland area seemed to like but very few in the area thought of it as highly.

Guardians didn't rank very highly on my list for nicknames but what doesn't help with the name is the very small tweaks to the already boring "Block C", the logo that looks very minor league (A G gripping a baseball), and an all-around dull looking set of uniforms and font.

Plus Guardians doesn't work very well to the inevitable shortening by media and marketing (The Guard?) and comes up short in that department.

Look, I don't hate Guardians so much that I despise it, but it's average at best, I'm really not happy with basically the same crappy Block C, and the nickname sounds like an arena football league franchise more than a major league baseball team, but I'm glad that the situation is finally finished.

As much as I miss Chief Wahoo for the memories of childhood and I'll likely still call the team the Indians forever as I'm the same guy that still calls the Washington Wizards "Bullets" years after their name change but as blah, as Guardians are as a nickname, I'll get used to it and will survive! Ha Ha!

Back later with the beginning of NHL free agency and what appears to be a surprising addition for the New Jersey Devils.

Baseball Openers!

    I wrote yesterday about Opening Day and what was taking the joy away from baseball from me, so I decided to spend the day watching the Indians in the afternoon in Detroit against the Tigers in the snow and then the Giants from the road office with their opener in Seattle in an (ahem) interleague matchup.

The avenues may have been different, but the destination ended in the same manner for each team= an L.

And the worst part? Both teams' losses may have played out as many eventual defeats could as the season moves by.

In Detroit, a day filled with snow showers along with lots of wind, saw the Tigers drop the Indians 3-2, but the game played out as many could for the Wahoo's-they fell behind and didn't have the offense to catch up.

Shane Bieber struck out twelve Tigers in six innings and allowed only five hits, but the game was decided in the first inning when Miguel Cabrera drove a Bieber serve to the opposite field through the falling snowflakes and barely over the right-field wall for a two-run homer.

The snow shower caused visibility that was bad enough that Cabrera didn't know the ball carried into the seats and slid into second base.

Cabrera, who is attempting to reach career goals of 500 homers and 3,000 hits, both of which are likely should he stay healthy this season, looks to have lost twenty pounds and looks in better shape than he has been in recent years.

The Indians would not score until a two-run homer by Roberto Perez with one out in the ninth inning cut the lead to 3-2, but Cleveland would score no more.

This game was exactly what I (and every Cleveland fan likely) worried about entering the season- receiving a good pitching performance and not being able to stay in the game due to a weak offense.

Three runs allowed is respectable, but it could reach the point that the staff cannot allow more than two to have a chance to win and that is called a very narrow needle to thread.

One thing that I did notice about this game was from myself.

I noticed that I was counting a large number of Tigers that I had met/seen as they moved through the minors and the number of them that hadn't started in the Detroit system.

Of the nine starting position players (Including the DH, but not starting pitcher Matthew Boyd), I had met/seen eight of them (only Miguel Cabrera missed the cut) and of the eight, only one had been with the Tigers when I saw him, (Shortstop Willy Castro with AA Erie after he had been acquired from Cleveland that year).

It'll be interesting to see how many players that I can count this season under that scenario because as each season goes by, those numbers are going to dwindle.

Nine hours after the start in Detroit, the San Francisco Giants started their season in Seattle.

I would imagine that there are few readers here that don't know how much I dislike interleague play, so it was an extra sting that the Giants started their season not only in interleague but on the road as well.

Still, I kinda like Safeco Field of the retractable dome stadiums, so it could have been worse- it could have been Anaheim.

The Farhan Zaidi-led Giants have been frustrating, not because they are rebuilding, but due to the revolving door of players that can make it hard to follow and enjoy the team.

I don't have a problem with trying to find a gold nugget from a prospect pool with players that might need a break, and it worked out very well with Mike Yastremzski and to a lesser extent with Alex Dickerson.

However, the batting average is never going to be great and how could it be, if they didn't have questions the player wouldn't be available, still it doesn't make it easy.

The Giants jumped out early with a second-inning two-run shot from the returning Buster Posey, would add another homer from Austin Slater in the fifth to build a 5-0 lead after six innings and a 5-1 advantage after seven to combine with a terrific start from Kevin Gausman, who allowed only two hits and a seventh-inning run to seem to be cruising to a win.

And then, the wheels came flying off.

Gausman was replaced for one out by Caleb Baragar to finish the seventh and so far so good.

That worked, but Gausman had thrown ninety pitches and while the "analytics" swear by their pitch counts, I'm a believer that if a guy is pitching well then ride the horse.

I'm not saying throw 180 pitches and I can give a pass on this one because it was the opener, but it sure seemed like Gausman had another inning in him.

Matt Wisler starts the eighth, doesn't retire a batter on two hits and a walk, and leaves the bases loaded for Jarlin Garcia, who manages to strike out one, but walks in two runs.

Here comes Tyler Rogers and he does get the two outs to finish the inning- after allowing the Mariners to wind up with a 7-6 lead after a double, a hit batsman, and a fielders choice on a Jose Marmelejos (Former Hagerstown Suns) grounder to Brandon Belt that could have ended the inning with a double play, but Belt's throw to Brandon Crawford was low and away from the bag to allow the leading run to score rather than an inning-ending twin killing.

Rogers would retire the next two batters, but a five-run lead had melted into a one-run deficit in one Seattle at-bat.

Seattle calls for closer Rafael Montero, so Gabe Kapler calls for lefthanded hitting Alex Dickerson to face the righthanded Montero rather than righthanded hitting Austin Slater.

Dickerson takes Romero downtown and suddenly as I watch this game, Fred Landucci informs me that MLB is using the runner starts on second in the extra-inning rule that was used in the exhibition that was 2020's season.

I didn't know that they had kept that silliness, but apparently when the players refused a certain offer for the season, the league was allowed to make certain decisions and some genius decided to stick with this mess.

As I rooted to avoid the tenth, the next three Giants were retired, new Giant closer Jake McGee did the same to the Mariners and here we go.

You can cut the tension with a paper-knife as Evan Longoria trots to second for this farce, but does not score after two ground outs and a Buster Posey flyout.

The new pitcher for the Giants is Jose Alvarez and it's Seattle rookie Taylor Trammell starting at second as Alvarez tries to work through this fake crisis.

And the thrilling conclusion?

Alvarez walked Dylan Moore.

Alvarez walked Evan White.

Alvarez walked Jake Fraley.

Ball game. Whoo Hoo.

Manfred baseball, everybody!

A Giants loss and an excellent outing from Kevin Gausman wasted for nothing.

It was fun to watch baseball again, but I have a feeling that this is going to be a frustrating season with both of these teams for two very different reasons.

Opening Day and Baseball Talk

   Opening Day! or opening day.

Jim Bouton wrote that phrase in Ball Four before the 1969 opener as he played for the Seattle Pilots and it has never been more true for me than this opener.

With a new item to feed my disenchantment with baseball every day for months it seems, it's now time for the game to take the field for what may be a full regular season.

I'm not going to do season previews, because honestly, I just don't feel like doing them, but because I've paid so little attention to the Cactus League (where both the Indians and Giants train), I'm not even sure I'd be satisfied with them.

I've written often of the litany of decisions and changes due to Rob Manfred and his reign of terror, but there's more than Manfred to disappoint me.

The Indians continuing to develop pitchers at a surprisingly stunning rate and their ineptness of doing so with outfielders ( the decision to keep Bradley Zimmer rather than Clint Frazier in the 2016 Andrew Miller with the Yankees could haunt this team), the unwillingness or inability (depending on whom you ask) of the Dolan family to spend any type of money on what could be a contender with a few roster moves, the state of the game that allows a home-grown superstar in Francisco Lindor to walk away because you cannot afford to keep them and if you actually tried you would handicap yourself to put a team around that player, and a stadium lease that expires after 2023 all add up to a storm around the Indians for me that makes it very difficult for baseball enthusiasm.

Add the continual rebuilding of the Giants in a division with the National League version of the "Evil Empire" and the suddenly cash-flush San Diego Padres with has-been's, faded prospects, and never were players has made the proverbial "need of a scorecard to tell the players" often for the Giants.

Even the networks that televise the games have cut their budget as the Giants, who won me over as a fan with late-night games with the best broadcast bunch in the game with Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, and Amy Gutierrez, won't have one-third of their unit doing the games as NBC Bay Area decided not to renew Gutierrez's contract and the team will not be using anyone in the reporter role this season.

Fortunately for Giants fans, Gutierrez was quickly hired by the team and will be doing all the types of features for the team website and social media that she had been doing for NBC Bay Area.

That's a smart move to keep someone that is very popular with the fan base in the organization by the team, but it shows the stress that the financial losses from last season aren't limited to the franchises.

Cleveland's broadcast team returns on the newly re-branded Bally Sports Ohio with Matt Underwood, Rick Manning, and Andre Knott.

The Indians bunch isn't awful, but it's not outstanding either.

They aren't top of the line as Kuiper and Krukow are, but they are decent enough and certainly aren't enough to make you reach for the remote button or your bottle of choice as can be the case with Pittsburgh's Greg Brown or Washington's F.P. Santangelo to name two.

I nearly did not order the MLB plan this season with my current feelings, but Cherie thought that I should in order to give me something to do with so little live baseball in store for me this season.

I know I've written often about having a summer without baseball in Hagerstown or Frederick, but for someone that was consumed by going to games for the last decade and a half, the summer looks very bland.

Assuming that things progress to anything close to normal, my season looks like a July visit to Harrisburg to see the Akron Rubber Ducks (Cleveland AA), one visit to Altoona in August for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (San Francisco AA), the usual trip to Eastlake, Ohio for the Lake County Captains (Now Cleveland's High A team) for their annual Cleveland Sports Night, and maybe a late-season trip to Lynchburg, Virginia for the Lynchburg Hillcats (Now Cleveland's Low A team), and that's likely the ballgame, no pun intended.

As far as autographing goes, I'm not sure many players will even sign at all and I'm not sure that I even care all that much.

I have decided that I still want to do the Indians minor league teams that I can and Richmond, as long as they stay with the Giants as Richmond is now the only Giants farm club on the East Coast, but otherwise unless a team has a coach or manager from the "old days" that I may need for a set, I don't think I'll be bothering with more than that.

The netting all over the field now and Covid have created an environment that has melted the hobby and without a team close by, I think I'm finished for the most part and that's saddening.

I've met so many great people during my collecting time, both on the field and in the stands, so I'll miss that, but I see no other choice.

It's a crazy time in baseball as a man and his minions seem bent on twisting a game away from the people that love it most to favor others that aren't likely to care no matter what they change.

Hopefully, I can find something that I can continue to care about as the marketing majors and bean counters take a game I love and pass me by...

Indians add Rosario, keep Cesar Hernandez

   The Cleveland Indians have been shedding salary to the point of ridiculousness, but the team did unhinge their rusty wallet and spend a little bit as they retained a player that played well last season along with attempting to solve one of their perpetual sore spots in the outfield.

Former Twin Eddie Rosario was signed to a one year contract worth eight million.

Rosario hit .257 with 13 homers and 42 RBI in the sixty game season for Minnesota and although those numbers are solid, if not spectacular, on the Indians they would be Albert Belle-type numbers with the lack of production that they have received.

The 29-year-old played left field for the Twins and is expected to play in left for Cleveland where the Indians have had a gaping vacancy with players trying and failing to fill it for years.

Rosario hits lefthanded and has hit well for the Twins playing at Jacobs/Progressive Field through the year with a .353 average, eleven home runs, and an OPS over a thousand.

From 2017-19, Rosario hit 83 homers for the Twins and in 2019, Rosario hit a career-high 32 homers and 109 RBI, and honestly, I'm not sure why the market wasn't higher for Rosario.

He's probably a little below average defensively in left field, but not so awful that you wince when the ball is hit to him and while he's not a burner on the bases, Rosario isn't a clogger either.

This seems like a very good signing to me at reasonable pricing and has the potential to solve an outfield problem for a season- mainly because if Rosario hits as hoped for, he'll be off to a new location for 2022 as this team isn't going to pay him more!

As for Cesar Hernandez, the Indians were pleased with his play as the second baseman last season enough to re-sign him to a one year contract with a team option for 2022.

Hernandez will receive five million this season and six million if the team picks up the option for 2022.

The thirty-year-old Hernandez hit .283 with three homers last year for Cleveland and won his first Gold Glove at second base after shifting over from the National League.

This signing is fine and worked for both parties as the second baseman market was congested with free agents so Hernandez wasn't going to get much more than the Cleveland offer, and the Indians are able to keep a player that they were pleased with at an acceptable cost- which right now (and almost always) is the top issue with every player that they have or are considering adding.

Considering the Indians' budgetary problems, these might be the top additions of the winter.

Cleveland could add a reliever or two if the price is right but other than maybe that I don't see the Indians doing much more to add to the roster.

Indians trade Lindor, Carrasco to Mets.

   The day that Cleveland Indians fans were dreading but knew was inevitable arrived on Thursday when the team traded the face of the franchise, shortstop Francisco Lindor and veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets for a four player package that included infielders Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez.

Francisco Lindor had been the Indians star player and a home-grown one to boot.

In Lindor's six seasons in Cleveland, he made four All-Star teams, won two Silver Slugger awards, two Gold Gloves, and hit over thirty home runs three times.

Lindor didn't have his typical season in 2020 as he hit .258 with eight homers in the Covid shortened campaign, but at 27 Lindor is in his prime and should bounce back into his normal form in 2021.

Carlos Carrasco's placement in the swap came down to being able to save even more money and at 34 before the season starts and a record of health problems, the Indians forced him into any Lindor deal.

Carrasco isn't shot by any means and the Mets should be more than pleased to place him into the lower end of their rotation. Carrasco finished 3-4 last season  for Cleveland in twelve starts with 82 strikeouts in 68 innings, sp as long as he can stay healthy, Carrasco can help the Mets .

Lindor was extremely popular with the fan base with his exuberant personality and will be extremely difficult to replace on and off the field as will Carrasco, who was the Indians nominee for the Roberto Clemente award for his off-field charity work.

I have to be honest, I winced when I was told of the deal and that it was the Mets that had won the Lindor lottery.

Nothing against the Mets, I don't really have an opinion on them, but they are a team that historically has overrated their prospects and any New York based team will always have players that are overhyped.

I was even less thrilled when I saw the actual return,

The Indians farm system strength is in pitchers and middle infielders with a lack of prospects in the outfield, so explain to me why the two cornerstones of the trade are middle infielders?

Amed Rosario hit pretty well in 2019 with a line of .287 15 homers, 72 RBI, and 19 steals.

The 25 year old Rosario also hit 30 doubles in 2019, but his numbers slipped in the year of Covid when hitting .252 and four homers in 147 plate appearances and the most concerning parts?

Rosario hit only three doubles and didn't steal a base.

The Mets had been rumored to be considering moving Rosario to centerfield to make space for Andres Gimenez as shortstop, but the Indians have been quoted as deciding to keep Rosario at shortstop and play Gimenez at second.

I'm not sure what the Indians long-term plans are, but that alignment may not last past 2021.

The 23 year old Gimenez made his major league debut for the Mets in 2020, hitting.283 with three homers and twelve RBI in 132 plate appearances with eight stolen bases.

The lefthanded hitting Gimenez is a contact hitter and doesn't project anything more than average power at best.

Gimenez is rated to have a plus glove and has drawn comparisons to Omar Vizquel as both are natives of Venezuela.

The other two players in the trade have barely played in a game in one case and not at all in another, so both players will start in the low minors, assuming that the teams of that level even play this season with the Covid situation.

Righthanded pitcher Josh Wolf was the Mets second round draft choice in 2019 as a high schooler from Texas.

The Mets bought Wolf out of a commitment to Texas A&M with a 2.15 million bonus and assigned him to the Gulf Coast League where Wolf would pitch eight innings before the end of the season.

At 6'3 and 170 pounds, Wolf is reported to have a mid 90s fastball with a plus curve, but is still quite raw.

Outfielder Isaiah Greene was the Mets second round pick in the 2020 draft and has yet to play a professional game.

The 6'1 Greene is a toolsy outfielder with excellent speed and defense, but his lefthanded bat didn't dominate in high school with his bat and was rated by scouts as an outfielder that isn't going to hit for power and will have to get by with his legs.

In other words, Greene will fit perfectly into the Indians outfield situation at any level.

I realize that the game has changed and huge prospect hauls for rental players (Lindor is a free agent at the end of the year) just aren't what they used to be.

However, the Indians could have used an outfielder and in the Indians top 10 prospects, only one is an outfielder (George Valera at 5), while they have three shortstops (Tyler Freeman 2, Gabriel Arias 6, and Brayan Rocchio at 8) and a second baseman (Aaron Bracho at 9) in the same list.

While an argument can be made that only Freeman could see Cleveland in 2021 and that would be during the season in a best case scenario and the Indians needed an immediate shortstop replacement for Lindor and a second base replacement for the departed Cesar Hernandez, I still wonder about how this plays out.

Rosario and Gimenez were considered top 30 prospects at one time, although never elite ones and I'm not sure that either become more than slightly above average with the bat.

Wolf is worth a chance on a power arm and Greene could grow into his frame and develop power, I suppose although few scouting reports seem to think so.

I could recite the arguments for a level playing field, but I'm as tired of writing them as you are of reading them, but I do know this- when you develop a charismatic young star that plays well with the media and fans- you try to keep him and the Dolans seem to have made a lukewarm effort at best.

For the first time, I can see a narrow path for the franchise to leave Cleveland.

It's a narrow path, as baseball still has to clean up its messes with Oakland and Tampa Bay and there isn't an abundance of cities seeking major league baseball currently other than an ownership group in Nashville.

Still, the lease at Jacobs/Progressive Field is up after the 2023 season and even though the Dolan family are Cleveland natives/residents, I'm not sure that the beating that they consistently take from the fans and media ( most of it deserved) isn't beginning to wear them down a bit.

I would still rate the chances as slim, but I wouldn't rank the chances at zero either.

As for me, I'll miss Francisco Lindor.

Lindor was my favorite Indian player in years and after a run of successful yet somewhat plain teams before Lindor's arrival- Lindor was a welcome addition to the Cleveland sports scene.

I always enjoyed meeting Francisco in the minors and he was always very nice to me (although someone out there had a different engagement with him then) with two interactions with Lindor ranking with some of my best graphing memories.

Players like Francisco Lindor don't grow on trees and when you do, you would like to think that you have a chance to keep them.

Sadly, for various reasons Indians fans will watch Francisco Lindor work his magic in the Big Apple...

Indians will be no more

   I remember the GIF to the right from my very early days (I was three in 1971 when it was first televised) that was a public service announcement against littering, pollution, and any other item of the time that dirtied our planet.

While Iron Eyes Cody, who portrayed Native-Americans in films, was actually not a member of that demographic, the commercial was very well-done, hit all the right heartstrings, and I'd even go as far as to say that the PSA played a crucial role in getting the environment movement moving into the mainstream.

And yet for all the personal memories that I have of the Cleveland Indians baseball team from the actual team and games to the memories that the Indians are just a part of a bigger memory when I woke up from yet another long sleep (I did not watch one snap of football on Sunday) when I saw a DM from Ryan informing of the official decision of the Cleveland Indians dropping the Indians half of the team name- my first thought was Iron Eyes Cody.

It's not like I didn't see this coming and it's not like I am furiously upset either.

It's actually a relief.

It just became old that every year Opening Day arrived in Cleveland and here come the protestors.

I understood (I have a small percentage of Native American in my heritage) and for as much I like Chief Wahoo as the logo for the franchise, I was understanding of why the time had come for Wahoo's departure- even with all the memories of the Big Chief that I recall fondly.

It'll be nice to finally have the focus on baseball and not a name or a cartoon and while I am a bit disappointed to lose the history behind the name, I'm not against a new start- Especially if the team would decide to use the Crooked C cap as a nod to the past that doesn't cause any uproar.

Using that cap would be a very nice touch.

I've always thought that the Indians name was tolerable but understood why people had issues with Wahoo, while with the Washington football team, it was the nickname that was the issue more than the logo.

Rob Manfred has pulled so many scams among his three-card monte game that he continues to play to this day that one that he pulled early in his reign of terror is often forgotten.

Manfred threatened the team with pulling the 2019 All-Star game from the city if they didn't remove Wahoo from the jersey sleeves, and remove the logo from any part of the park except (of course) the team store where they could continue to sell Wahoo items with the flimsy reason that if they didn't eventually Wahoo would slip into the public domain, where unscrupulous folks could make money off Wahoo and by golly only MLB is going to make money off a banned logo.

Supposedly, Larry Dolan, the owner of the Indians, had made a deal with Manfred that the team would remove Wahoo if the league would not push for a name change- that unwritten agreement lasted less than three years.

As I wrote, while I'm not thrilled, it's hard to be mad as well.

The key now is what is the new name?  And the sinking feeling that I have is this isn't the end of controversy with baseball in Cleveland- it may be only the beginning.

I wouldn't rule out a "perfect storm" scenario- A team that lost money during a pandemic, could lose more this season, is about to trade a homegrown superstar that is the most popular player that the Indians have had in years, is going to change its name, who knows what they'll rename it, and the kicker- the lease of Jacobs/Progressive Field is ending in 2023, with the team asking for stadium improvements as people need help from the pandemic.

The result of that perfect storm?

Well, I'm not predicting this, but I found this interesting a few months ago- Nashville looking to bring Major League Baseball to their town.

It's not the entertainers that make this interesting, it's the heavy hitters from inside baseball- Dave Dombrowski, Dave Stewart, and until he was hired to manage the White Sox (which could be short-term) Tony LaRussa.

When you have those types of insiders, you have a leg up on the average "we want a team" group.

I'm beginning to think that the worst-case scenario has a small chance of happening and I wonder when the threat of moving the team will begin.

And why do I worry about a move?

After all, MLB has the anti-trust exemption to control such things, which the NFL, NBA, and NHL lacks.

Tsk Tsk- They might not have that exemption much longer.

Thanks to Rob Manfred's cutting of minor league franchises, something that might have been blocked had Covid-19 not appeared when Covid-19 is finally part of the past, some of these congressmen and senators just might need an easy issue to get into the good graces of their constituents.

What better way to do that than to go after the people that took baseball away from your town?

And the best way to do that?

Revoking baseball's anti-trust exemption.

Without that exemption, teams can move where they wish without the league having the power to block them.

I'm sad about the loss of the name, not for what it represents in the name, but for what it means in memories.

Still, a name change can't change those memories and I only hope that the first name of the Cleveland Indians doesn't change in a few years.

Rule 5 Fever: Indians select Trevor Stephan

  The Rule 5 draft has been referred to by some as the nerdiest of all baseball events and that might not be far off.

However, I've always enjoyed covering this draft because I've seen many of the eligible players play.

That changed yesterday with the loss of Hagerstown and Frederick and the result will be this- as years go by, I'll have fewer and fewer chances to see players in action and who knows if I'll write much about this draft anymore.

Hell, with the way I feel about baseball right now, who knows if I'll even care by then.

Until then, I'll be writing about what I know and this article will look at the players the Cleveland Soon to be not the Indians selected and lost in Rule 5 Fever.

I hope to have a Giants version soon after or later in the week if football and boxing get in the way.

Thank you to Fred Landucci, who sent me the entire draft and helped me get a good start on this post by thinking of TRS with the information.

Cleveland selected one player in the major league portion and lost two others, while they added one player in the triple-A phase and didn't lose anyone in that part of the draft.

The Indians selected righthanded pitcher Trevor Stephan in the major league section from the New York Yankees with the 24th selection.

The 6'5 right-hander pitched for the Arkansas Razorbacks in college and was the Yankees third-round pick in the 2017 draft.

Stephan was moved aggressively by the Yankees and after seven strong starts at High A Tampa, was promoted in 2018 to High AA Trenton.

Stephan's Trenton numbers weren't dazzling (3-8 4.64 ERA), but the number that caught my eye was 91 strikeouts in 83 innings.

Stephan's 2019 saw him struggle at Trenton (2-4 5.24 ERA) and was demoted to Tampa with mechanical issues, where his numbers don't look impressive in eight starts (2-3 4.01 ERA).

However, if you go game by game, you see Stephan's final five of his eight starts were impressive and he finished the year back in Trenton

Stephan again posted good strikeout numbers in Trenton with 91 strikeouts in 80 innings and his numbers with his two-pitch mix between a mid to high 90s fastball and a good slider scream reliever.

Stephan could be hidden in the Cleveland bullpen and at his age (25) with college experience, Stephan may be able to be used more than the average Rule 5 draftee with some work on his control and keeping his mechanics clean.

Stephan will need to stay on the roster all season or be offered back to the Yankees for $50,000.

Cleveland lost two players in the Rule 5 draft as the New York Mets selected pitcher Luis Oviedo with the tenth pick and the Oakland Athletics tabbed outfielder Ka'ai Tom at pick twenty-six.

Luis Oviedo was a highly thought of righthanded pitcher before a rough 2019 that saw him struggle at Low A Lake County in 19 starts (6-6 5.38 ERA) and dealing with a back injury that sidetracked him for part of the season.

Oviedo was rated by some as a top 100 level prospect entering 2019 and at 6'4, a fastball in the mid-90s and three other pitches, Oviedo could be a player that the Indians regret losing if he can put it together in his new surroundings.

Those surroundings will not be with the Mets though as immediately after the draft, the Mets sold Oviedo to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash considerations,

The Pirates are likely to try to stash Oviedo in the bullpen for the year as I would think the Indians would take Oviedo back for $50,000, half of the purchase price.

At 21, Oviedo still has plenty of time to harness his potential and is a good risk for the Pirates.

On the other hand, his lack of success beyond the now-defunct short-season level makes him a low risk-high reward selection.

Ka'ai Tom has been around the Indians system since Cleveland picked him in the fifth round of the 2015 draft from Kentucky.

The 26-year-old outfielder seemed to be a typical organizational soldier before he began to develop some power in 2019 when he hit .285 with 14 homers in half a season in his second tour at AA Akron.

Tom was promoted to AAA Columbus for the final 51 games of the year and hit well there with a.295 average and nine homers.

Tom likely was selected in hopes that the Indians wouldn't buy him back and could play for their AAA affiliate in Las Vegas to provide outfield insurance in the event of injuries.

Oakland has a crowded outfielder roster currently, so I'd be surprised to see Tom make the Athletics roster for the entire season, but I would be surprised to see the Indians buy him back for the fifty thousand dollar check that Cleveland would be forced to send for his return.

Cleveland didn't lose anyone in the AAA draft and selected only one player.

In the AAA part of the draft, teams pay $24,000 for each player added, but unlike the major league version, the drafting team doesn't have to offer the player back and has no restrictions on where the player's level can be.

Cleveland drafted outfielder Chris Roller from the Dodgers system.

Roller looks like a younger (24) version of Ka'ai Tom and was the Dodgers 30th round pick in the 2017 draft from a JUCO in Waco, Texas.

The six-foot Roller has yet to play more than 88 games in a season as a pro and never above Low A either.

Roller hit .274 with seven homers with Low A Great Lakes, but the unusual number is eight triples, which indicates above-average speed, but only ten steals, which is a pretty average number.

My guess is that Roller winds up at High A Lake County as a veteran hired gun for the always outfielder hurting Indians in their system wherever he is needed.

I will take a look at the Giants in the Rule 5 draft as well as a veteran signing for the major league team either tomorrow with time or next week if not.

The Newest Indians

The nine (after the Padres receive their PTBNL) player trade between the Cleveland Indians and San Diego Padres sent away one of the better pitchers in the game in Mike Clevinger.

We covered that last time but from the side of what San Diego was receiving in the swap.
This time, it's all about the six players joining the Cleveland organization, how they will fit, and what I think of the trade as of this writing.
The prospects to me are more interesting than the major leaguers acquired and with prospects, there is always hope.

The top prospect in the trade is shortstop Gabriel Arias.
The twenty-year-old from Venezuela had a breakout 2019 with the bat at High A Lake Elsinore, hitting .302 with 17 homers and 75 RBI in 477 at-bats.
However, there is one word of caution- the California League is a hitters league filled with small ballparks that have the bonus of baseballs carrying well into the air.
Arias hit only six homers in 2018 for Low A Fort Worth, so I'm skeptical of this power improvement being a Cal League flash in the pan.
I'll need to see a 2021 season with the improved power levels to feel comfortable with projecting his future power potential.
Arias is reported to have a plus glove, so it's easy to see that the Indians think that Arias could be the eventual replacement for Francisco Lindor.
Cleveland does have a shortstop prospect in Tyler Freeman, but Arias would have the advantage if his power is real.

Lefthanded pitcher Joey Cantillo is a twenty-year-old pitcher from Hawaii that spent most of 2019 with Low A Fort Wayne before three late-season starts at High A Lake Elsinore.
Cantillo is 6'4 and is noted to have a very deceptive delivery with Joe Werner reporting that Cantillo has an above-average curveball and a "Vulcan" changeup (love the Mr.Spock reference).
Cantillo was 9-3 with a 1.93 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 98 innings in the Midwest League, which is an excellent ratio and the first thing that I look at in evaluating lower level pitchers.
Cantillo finished 1-1 with an ERA over four in those three late-season starts at Lake Elsinore along with striking out 16 in 13 innings.
I'm very intrigued by Cantillo and with the Indians track record of developing pitchers Cantillo could be an excellent addition.

Owen Miller was the Padres third-round pick in 2018 from Illinois State and spent all of 2019 at AA Amarillo, where he hit .290 with 13 homers in 507 at-bats.
Miller played shortstop at Amarillo but is considered to be a second baseman or a utility player at the big league level.
Miller is compared to Adam Frazier by Joe Werner and I can see the comparison with a little bit of pop and be able to play around the infield.
Miller will turn 24 before 2021, so he may have a chance to fight for a job in Cleveland in 2021, depending on what the Indians off-season may bring as far as moves and how many of them.

The big leaguers that were immediately brought to Cleveland are a trio of prospects that have disappointed to various degrees in San Diego and are players that I wonder just what the Indians have gotten themselves into.

Josh Naylor was installed as the Indians left fielder, but defensively he is better suited to stay at first base, and at 5'11, 250 pounds might wind up being a big liability.
The Indians outfield situation is a mess, so they are looking to try almost anything to boost the lineup at this point.
Naylor was hitting .270 with a homer in thirty-seven at-bats for San Diego this year after hitting .249 with eight homers last season in 253 rookie at-bats for the Padres.
Naylor was obtained from Miami after the Marlins picked him in round one in 2015. I do think that a positive is Naylor's splits away from Petco Park are impressive, so I think Naylor has a chance to hit but I'm not sure that he'll ever be an outfielder.

Cal Quantrill struggled as a starter for San Diego last season as a rookie finishing 6-8 with an ERA over five in 23 appearances (18 starts).
The 2016 first-rounder from Stanford struck out only 89 in 103 innings and allowed 15 homers in an unimpressive rookie season, especially when you consider that he pitched in one of the best parks for pitchers in the majors.
Quantrill pitched better this season after being moved to the bullpen with an ERA of 2.60 in ten appearances (one start) and he doesn't walk many either (28 in 2019, only six this year).
Quantrill sits in the low 90s and has two nice breaking pitches in his changeup and slider.

Austin Hedges is a glove-first catcher that has power but doesn't make enough contact to play every day.
That's too bad because defensively, Hedges is all you could ask for, but he's basically Sandy Leon with power.
Hedges was hitting only .158 with San Diego this season, but among his nine hits were three homers.
Hedges hit 18 homers in 2017 and 14 more in 2018 but hit only .214 and .231 in those seasons and his 2019 was worse with an average of .176 and eleven homers.
Hedges will be a reasonable backup for Roberto Perez, but that's about all that you can expect.

In the end, the Indians decided  (or were forced because the Padres refused) to follow the Pirates return when they traded Gerrit Cole to Houston- quantity over a few elite prospects.
Ask the Pirates how that turned out and perhaps San Diego wasn't offering those players, but I'm thinking this is an average package.
I like the prospect end of the trade as Arias and Miller could eventually be part of the Cleveland infield and Cantillo has some upside, but I wouldn't say any are can't miss prospects.

I am even less thrilled with the big league portion.
Josh Naylor may have been hurt by Petco Park, but I'm concerned that the Indians are trying to make him an outfielder and he might have to be a first baseman sooner than later- maybe as soon as next year if the Indians refuse the Carlos Santana option.
I'm hopeful of Naylor hitting in Cleveland, but he could be this deal's Matt LaPorta as well.
Quantrill has disappointed as a starter, but I do have confidence with the Indians work with pitchers, so while I am not confident that Quantrill will be more than an effective relief arm, there is a chance that he could be refined a bit.
Hedges is only a backup that can hit an occasional homer

I'd say the Indians return is okay.
Not great, not awful- Okay.
I'm not sure that you are able to rebuild quickly with returns such as these, but it's possible for a better return.
If Quantrill is able to return to what made him a top prospect and if Naylor can reach his power potential and play even a passable left field, this could be an excellent deal.
However, for now- the return is only okay.

The teardown begins- Indians send Clevinger to San Diego

The beginning of the program for the Cleveland Indians that was expected to begin in the offseason started a bit early as the Indians made an early trade on the final day before the trade deadline.

Cleveland sent pitcher Mike Clevinger, spare outfielder Greg Allen, and the notable PTBNL to the San Diego Padres for three players off the Padre major league roster and three more from the deep San Diego minor league system as Cleveland will be exploring one of three directions for the 2021 season.

Cleveland obtained pitcher Cal Quantrill, first baseman/outfielder Josh Naylor, and catcher Austin Hedges from the Padres major league roster with shortstop Gabriel Arias, second baseman Owen Miller, and pitcher Joey Cantillo from the San Diego system.
I'll be writing about the Indians' newest arrivals tomorrow, but in this post, I want to write about the players leaving Cleveland.

The Indians had been rumored to have been shopping Clevinger after he and fellow pitcher Zach Plesac had violated the league's Covid-19 policy and then attempted to conceal that fact to the team and his teammates.
Clevinger (and Plesac) were assigned to the Indians minor-league center in Eastlake (Lake County) and the end result had Clevinger not making a start for twenty-one days before his start last Wednesday against the Twins, allowing two runs over six innings in a no-decision for the righthander.
Clevinger was 1-1 with twenty-one strikeouts and an ERA of 3.18 in four starts this season after winning thirteen games in each of the two previous seasons.
Clevinger is arbitration-eligible and the Padres will have two years of control over him, which helped in the Indians receiving the amount of talent that they did in the trade as he will not be a rental for the Padres.
Clevinger turns thirty after the season, so he would hit free agency at thirty-two, which is a little old for a player to hit the market for the first time and even more so for a pitcher.
Plus there is some reason to think that Clevinger could eventually break down with a high effort delivery and mechanics that are always going to be on the verge of going off-kilter.
Between all of that and Clevinger's history of nagging injuries that have caused him to miss time (although none of those injuries were to his shoulder or elbow), I can see why the time was right to strike if the Indians really liked this six-pack from San Diego.


Greg Allen was the other player heading from Cleveland to the West Coast.
The speedy Allen was hitting .160 with a homer for the Indians in twenty-five at-bats this season and hit .229 with four homers last season in splitting his season between Cleveland and AAA Columbus,
At 27 years of age, Allen profiles as a fifth outfielder that will fit the role of a late-inning defensive replacement and pinch-runner, and should the Padres reach the postseason, Allen could be used in a similar manner as Kansas City used Terrance Gore in their playoff runs a few years ago.
Allen isn't quite as fast as Gore, but he can "pick them up and put them down" as they used to say and could be helpful in that spot for the Padres.

There is a player to be named and while it could be a low-level minor leaguer as a lottery ticket, please allow me to take a long shot at trying to figure out who the PTBNL could be.
Could it be Bradley Zimmer?
Zimmer's injury resume' has been vast and his bat has been anemic throughout his Cleveland tenure, never hitting above .241.
Given a chance earlier in this cameo of a season. Zimmer hit one homer in fifty plate appearances with five other singles for a batting average of .162.
Sometimes, players need a fresh start and with several outfielders of similar production on the roster currently, the Indians could be ready to cut bait with the Padres willing to risk next to nothing for Zimmer, who with his excellent defensive skills, should be a defensive upgrade for a backup outfielder in the vast expanse of Petco Park.

That's my take on what the Indians have given up, but what about the newcomers from San Diego?
I'll be writing about the new Indians in our next post.

Moving Plans?

No, I'm not moving, but a recent article that I read on the NHL and their 30 something teams made me think a bit.
The article could be one that I tackle sometime as it imagined a revamp of the league where you were forced to keep the number of teams that currently are in the league, but can place them where you think would be best.

The article sent me in a different direction as I thought of this- how many of my teams would I continue to root for in the event that they would move?

I've been through this once with the Browns and the Devils were very close to moving in the mid-nineties, so I have some experience in this area.
I've had teams move, very narrowly missing a move, and teams that float rumors to see what they can pull from a city with the threat of leaving.

I'm sure that through the years of writing this small piece of work that I've told the stories of how I've come to root for certain teams, but I'm sure that I haven't written an article of who I would follow and who would be cast aside for a new team as a price for their deception.

I'm so disgusted with baseball right now that I'm not sure that I wouldn't just say to hell with it, should the Indians (or soon to be whomever's) leave Cleveland.
The Indians lease at their stadium expires after the 2022 season and should a city step up to the plate and build a new stadium, I wouldn't put it past the team leaving Cleveland.
Fortunately, that's unlikely because there aren't any cities that are suitable and ready to go.
The fan apathy has been rising towards the team of late as the refusal of the Dolan family to spend money on a player or two to allow the team to support Francisco Lindor before he leaves for free agency and with the team asking for more money for renovations at a time of national emergency, I think that there will be more and more whispers about the future of the team in Cleveland.
Had the pandemic not occurred, I think the team would be in far more danger than they will turn out to be in the end.
There aren't any standout cities that have the size and stadium ready to go to attract a team and I'm doubtful that a city will step with baseball in the flux that it currently finds itself.
But could it happen? Sure.
Would I follow? Doubtful, but maybe depending on where they would land.

The Giants and Pirates?
Both have beautiful ballparks that make watching home games a treat, but I don't have a connection to either city and both have problems with relocation.
The Giants would be unlikely to bring their announcing crew along with all three of their television crew living in the Bay Area, and the Pirates would likely pursue a name change.
Without the broadcasting crew that brought in as a fan, the Giants might become just another team and without the memories, the Pirates would be the same.
The Pirates lease ends after the 2030 season, while the Giants lease runs through at least 2038.
So for baseball, I might move with the National League teams, but the chances are equal that I wouldn't either.
The Indians, I could consider depending on where they would go, but it's unlikely that would happen.

In football, I wouldn't follow the Browns.
I had the chance to do that once and it took me about a half-second to make that decision.
Perhaps much of that was the selection of Baltimore as the destination, but Art Modell's treachery was never going to be rewarded by me.
I cannot see a scenario short of a move in-state that I would consider leaving them for.
The Browns lease expires in 2029, so some sort of renovation or even a new stadium talk will begin in the next few years.

In the NBA, I would likely not follow the Cavaliers in such a scenario.
That's not going to happen after the recent renovation to the Gund/Q/Rocket Fuel Malt Liquor Arena/Fieldhouse which locked the Cavaliers to Cleveland through at least 2034 and through two options as long as 2044.
The Cavaliers are the team that I have rooted for the longest, and I'd be doubtful to go with them to a new city, especially if they dropped the nickname.

Moving to the NHL, the New Jersey Devils are in a unique situation as the owners own the lease to the building, but not necessarily the building itself.
The owners aren't likely to leave an arena that they have a business interest in, but the Devils are part of a market that is one team too large and with the Islanders building a new arena, I wouldn't feel safe in the long run.
I've read two conflicting pieces that listed the end of the Devils lease at Prudential Center as 2027 or 2032, so there is time to see what the future would bring.
The Devils are the only number one team on my list that I don't have a personal reason to follow, my fandom doesn't have an attachment to New Jersey, and the transient history of the team (Kansas City and Colorado before New Jersey) would make the Devils the one team on this list that I would be likely to consider following.
Other factors could change that, such as the team moving far west where I couldn't see as many games or changing the nickname to something like the Kraken, but the team could be possible to stay as my favorite NHL team.

That's how I'd feel about if my teams moved, but stay tuned as later this week, I'll be continuing the possible scenarios with this- If I didn't follow my teams, what teams would be in the running to take their place?

Changing Names?

The various protests around our country have now entered sports with the continuous effort to get the Washington Redskins and now the Cleveland Indians to change their team nicknames.

The Indians shuffled Chief Wahoo off in 2018, in what essentially was a trade to land the 2019 All-Star game, and although Wahoo merchandise is still available (MLB which hates the idea of Wahoo, yet likes the dollars that he still brings in), as the team claims if they don't sell at least some merchandise with his likeness the image will eventually move into the public domain, but they don't use the logo around the stadium, on broadcasts, etc.
Supposedly, the team was unofficially told that they didn't have to deal with the name of the team should the jettisoning of Wahoo occur.

Two years later, the team is "exploring a thorough review of the team's name", which basically means one of the following two choices.
1: The decision has been made to change the name and they need to move through the facade of compiling the facts.
2: The team doesn't want to change the name and they are hoping to see some of the current moods in the country slow down a bit and buy some time.
I suspect number one is the choice as the team announced this without being the focus of the protests.
The Washington Redskins are the main target currently, but the team has to know that should the Redskins be taken down successfully the Indians would be next in their sights.
Cleveland likely thinks that this is inevitable now and perhaps the PR would be better should they volunteer to change rather than being forced into changing.

I wrote two years ago that I would miss Wahoo, but I understood why the time had come.
I'm not as understanding this time, especially considering the Atlanta Braves haven't really been touched yet for a team that plays a war chant and sells Tomahawks to their fans, but honestly, I'm just tired of hearing it.

I know that giving in and giving protesters what they want is like giving the toddler throwing a tantrum their toy, but now inevitability has set in.
The name is going to be changed, it is now a matter of time and what name will be chosen as the new nickname.
I'm OK with Spiders, the original team name and some have offered Buckeyes for the Cleveland entry in the Negro Leagues, but I wonder if Ohio State might have something to say about that one.
Many people, usually from outside the area, keep saying Rockers, but that was the name of the failed WNBA team and I just don't think that it fits.
I haven't anything I really love yet, but I'm sure they'll be picking something awful!

I'm sure that I'll have more to say about this as the situation continues.

Indians select Carson Tucker

The Cleveland Indians made a surprise selection with their first-round pick, but it was a pick that didn't disappoint me as the Wahoo's tabbed Arizona high school shortstop Carson Tucker at the twenty-third slot of Wednesday's draft.

The eighteen-year-old Tucker is the younger brother of Pirates shortstop Cole Tucker, who Pittsburgh selected in the first round of the 2014 draft and made his major league last season.
Cole Tucker ranks at the top of the nicest players to move through the minors, so it'll be easy to root for Carson, who has a similar projection as Cole as a glove-first shortstop.
Tucker is a right-handed hitting infielder that most think can stay at shortstop, but could also be able to handle a move to second base if need be.
Tucker doesn't appear to have plus power, but he does have the frame to give him a chance to develop it, even if the chance is an unlikely one.

Keith Law of The Athletic disliked the pick of Tucker, having him rated as a late-second to early third-round prospect and listing him with "zero plus tools and as an average defender at shortstop, if he stays there".
Others seem to like him better, but the consensus is that this was a mild overdraft, but considering his background and work ethic, Tucker's pick isn't being overwhelmingly panned.
Tucker moved up draft boards in the last year with a growth spurt that saw him gain several inches in height and resemble his brother physically.
Tucker does have a commitment to Texas that will have to be bought out for the Indians to sign him, but I haven't heard that Tucker is locked into the Longhorns firmly and shouldn't be a major obstacle in getting him signed and into a system that has other promising shortstops in top 100 prospect Tyler Freeman, Brayan Rocchio, and Yordis Valdes that are jockeying for position to be the replacement for Francisco Lindor when he leaves via free agency after the 2021 season or is traded before then.


The Indians also picked with the 36th pick with a competitive balance choice and took college pitcher Tanner Burns from Auburn.
Burns throws right-handed and finished with a 2-1 record for the Tigers with a 2.42 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 22.1 innings in the Covid-chopped season.
Burns whiffed 2010 batters in his two-plus years with Auburn and the Indians say he sits around 92-93 MPH and gets as high as 96 MPH when needed.
Burns did miss time in 2019 due to shoulder issues, but the Tribe thinks those problems were not only minor but in the past.
The stocky six-footer is projected to be a back of the rotation starter or possibly a late-inning reliever in the majors.

A little of this, a little of that.

In these times when very little news from the sports world is available after the NFL Draft as the other three major sports are in the midst of a roster freeze, it can be a grind after a while to come up with topics to write about.
I've come up with an idea to kill a few columns if the people close to me that I've asked to participate choose to do so.
I'll have no idea how that will turn out, but it might be interesting at a minimum.

Here are a few notes and opinions on items that didn't quite make into Cleaning out the Inbox, but are newsworthy on their own.

Boy, I thought the Indians trade of Corey Kluber was light in its return as it was, but the 80 game suspension of the main piece coming to Cleveland in pitcher Emmanuel Clase for a PED, makes the trade even more questionable.
I know Kluber battled injuries last season, but he was on track for full recovery on the last time that I heard about his status and what looked to be a pure salary dump in December looks awful now with Clase's suspension.
With Clase on the sidelines, the Indians only have another light-hitting outfielder (Delino DeShields Jr) to show for a Cy Young contender as recently as two years ago.

The Browns picked up the fifth-year option on Myles Garrett and David Njoku, which would have been a mild surprise a few months ago in the case of Njoku.
The option doesn't mean more than the Browns will have the pair for the 2021 season, although the Browns are likely to work on a long-term extension for Garrett.
Njoku will be a wait and see candidate for an extension beyond 2021.

The Browns also made a popular move with the fanbase by agreeing to a one year contract with Rashard "Hollywood" Higgins to keep Higgins with the team.
Higgins had fallen deeply out of favor with former coach Freddie Kitchens and rarely saw the field after returning from injury.
Higgins took less money to remain with Cleveland, which will endear him to fans even more and will fight for the third wide receivers spot on the roster.

Since today is supposed to be Kentucky Derby Day and there isn't a Derby to run, Churchill Downs and NBC are running a virtual Derby involving all the Triple Crown winners that you can even bet on.
While I would bet on Citation, such races tend to favor the best known (Secretariat) or the most recent (Justify), but often the winner is one that you wouldn't expect.
I remember attending a computer race at Pimlico for the greatest horses of all-time and the winner in an upset was the great handicap horse Kelso.

What have I been watching during the Covid-Hiatus?
Been mixing up a few series from Netflix and the Roku Networks that aren't on the networks anymore, but I've never watched either at all or from beginning to end.
ABC's Once Upon A Time, CBS's Without A Trace and a Spanish Language mini-series on former middleweight champion Carlos Monzon have been my home viewing while I've been watching the various Star Trek shows at the road office and I'm now starting Deep Space Nine.

And the games?
Well, I've been in a basketball mode and I haven't played any of the other games of late, so it's been a lot of the 1974-75 Kentucky Colonels.
I've rallied the Colonels since the last notation and they have moved into a tie for first with the New York Nets with a record of 19-16, percentage points ahead of the Nets and a half-game ahead of the Spirits of St.Louis.
The Colonels had won five in a row before a blowout loss to the Spurs in San Antonio.
Artis Gilmore leads the team in scoring (25 PPG), rebounds (14.7), and blocks (3.3) while Ted McClain leads the Colonels in assists with 5.1 per game.
Dan Issel is averaging 18 points and 7 rebounds a game, while Louie Dampier is averaging 16 points and just under five assists a game.