Red Right 88

In Cleveland, hope dies last

Archive for the tag “Cleveland Indians”

25 Sep 2013

Indians narrowly avoid a costly lesson

With a season that spans six months and 162 games, baseball is truly a marathon rather than a sprint.

And while wins in April count as much as wins in September, the same can not always be said of losses – especially for a team in a race for the playoffs. A loss in September can leave a team scrambling as, with the number of remaining games dwindling, there is more of an urgency – and fewer opportunities – to get back on track.

That is a lesson that Cleveland Indians avoided learning Tuesday night against the Chicago White Sox.

02 Sep 2013

1 Comment

From the editor’s notebook …

For a few weeks now we’ve been wondering if the Cleveland Indians have one last run in them to stay in the playoff race or if it’s time to call the season.

The last week may have provided us with the answer.

A three-game sweep in Atlanta … a weekend to forget in Detroit that was saved only by an improbably Mike Aviles grand slam … a series-opening loss to Baltimore where Justin Masterson left in the second inning with an injury … and, well, we’re ready to call it a season.

Sure, it is conceivable that the Tribe can stay in the playoff race (just like it is conceivable that the Cleveland Browns could win the AFC North Division this fall), with the hope resting on the weak slate of opponents left on the schedule once Baltimore leaves town. After all, the Tribe is “only” four games out of a Wild Card spot (but that could change for the negative by the time the Orioles leave town).

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Liverpool and tagged Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Liverpool

25 Aug 2013

1 Comment

From the editor’s notebook …

A look at a few items that warrant attention but not necessarily a full post …

Just like the Tribe “Drew” it up

It wasn’t always pretty, see their four errors, but the Cleveland Indians pulled out the series win on Sunday as Drew Stubbs hit a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning and and the Tribe went on to win 3-1.

“I felt like we were trying every way we could to give it away,” Stubbs said. “We hung in there, we battled and were able to do enough to win. An ugly win is as good as a pretty win.”

After going 6-3 on their recent road trip, the Indians came home and took two-of-three from the Twins. That leaves the Indians heading into Monday’s off day just 1.5 games behind Oakland in the chase for a Wild Card spot.

It doesn’t seem to matter if the national media write off the Indians, or if the fans can’t seem to get behind this squad, this team seems determined to find a way to stay in the playoff hunt.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Liverpool and tagged Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Liverpool

11 Aug 2013

2 Comments

From the editor’s notebook …

A look at a few items that warrant attention but not necessarily a full post …

Are the Indians done for the year?

Is it OK to call the season over for the Cleveland Indians? Is Sunday’s comeback win the start of another streak? Or was the win just a reprieve until until the inevitable becomes reality?

We need answers after the Tribe rallied from five runs down on Sunday to beat the Los Angeles Angels and salvage one win on the seven-game homestand.

The Indians opened the week just three games out of first place in the A.L. Central and holding the second Wild Card spot. After being swept by the Tigers in the biggest series since 2007, and losing two-of-three to the Angels, the Indians head off to Minnesota seven games behind Detroit and four games back in the Wild Card.

09 Aug 2013

Time for Tribe to forget Detroit, focus on wild card

It’s all over for the Cleveland Indians and it is still early in August.

No, it’s not the season we are referring to but the Tribe’s hopes of catching Detroit for the A.L. Central Division.

After being swept in the four-game series by the Tigers in some pretty dramatic (and ugly) ways, the race for the division title is effectively over.

But unlike the last two years when the Indians stumbled in the second half of the season, this year’s squad still has something to play for as they are still just three games back in the wild card standings. Now that Detroit is out of the town, the Indians need to put the last four days behind them and get back to business. Because there is still a lot to play for over the final weeks of the season.

We look to figure it all out over at The Cleveland Fan.

(Photo by The Associated Press)

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians | Leave a comment

04 Aug 2013

From the editor’s notebook …

A look at a few items that warrant attention but not necessarily a full post …

The Indians make it out of Miami in one piece.

The Tribe closed out Miami on Sunday to take two-out-of-three against the Marlins and finish 6-1 in their recent stretch against the dregs of Major League Baseball.

The Tribe has now won 10-of-11 and return home, where they have the best record in the majors, to take on Detroit in a four-game series.

The Indians enter the series – the biggest the team has played since probably 2007 – three games behind the Tigers for first place in the A.L. Central Division. They also currently hold the second wild card position.

This is the series the Indians have waited for all year. They have spent the entire season trying to convince themselves, the American League and their fans that they are more than just second-class citizens in what is a Browns town. If they are serious about being contenders for the playoffs, this is the series to show it.

Posted in Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Clint Dempsey and tagged Cleveland Browns, Cleveland Indians, Clint Dempsey | Leave a comment

01 Aug 2013

The Indians have a gleam*

What a week for the Cleveland Indians.

The Tribe finished off a 7-0 homestead on Thursday by beating the Chicago White Sox, 6-1. It was a week that included back-to-back shutouts of the Texas Rangers, two walk-off home runs against the White Sox and an eighth-inning rally to defeat Chicago.

By sweeping the homestand, the Indians have now won 11 in a row at home and their 37-19 home record is the best in the American League.

It’s enough to make us think this Tribe team has something special in store for Cleveland over the final two months of the season.

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians | Leave a comment

28 Jul 2013

Tribe sweeps Texas, moves within one game of the wild card

Quite the weekend for the Cleveland Indians, who finished off the Texas Rangers on Sunday for a three-game sweep of the series.

It was the Tribe’s first three-game sweep at home against the Rangers since 1980 – so long ago that current Indians broadcaster Rick Manning was on the Tribe roster that year. (Manning hit .234 for the Indians that year, appearing in 140 games for a Tribe team that was 79-81, good for sixth place in the A.L. East, in case you were wondering).

The Indians did not pick up any ground on Detroit over the weekend, thanks to the fact that the Phillies stink, but they did pick up two games in the wild card standings and now sit just one game back of Baltimore for the second wild card spot.

Not a bad place to be heading into the final week of July.

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians | Leave a comment

24 Jul 2013

1 Comment

Are the Indians nearing a tipping point on the season?

The Cleveland Indians head into an off day on Thursday at what could be a tipping point for their season in teams of staying relevant in Cleveland.

With training camp opening for the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, the Tribe could be in trouble of losing their spot as the current focal point among fans.

The Tribe finished off a disappointing road trip on Wednesday on a high note, beating Seattle by the score of 10-1. The Indians went just 2-4 on the six-game trip to open the second-half of the season and head home knowing they will be no worse than 3.5 games behind Detroit when they wake up in the morning. That is certainly not an insurmountable number by any means.

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians

23 Jul 2013

Tribe should be cautious as trade deadline nears

With the non-waiver trade deadline a little more than a week away, Cleveland Indians general manager Chris Antonetti has a big decision to make.

Should he be a buyer to help the Tribe stay in the race with Detroit in the AL Central Division and, if so, at what price?

Despite losing three of their first four games coming out of the All-Star break, the Indians went into Tuesday night’s game in Seattle just 2.5 games behind the Tigers. The Indians were 5.5 games back of Detroit a little more than a month ago and fought their way back into the race. While we don’t want to see them fall that many games back again, obviously, with the way this team has streaked (both good and bad) this season it’s not unreasonable to think that they can bounce back in the standings again.

But even if the Tribe gets hot over the next 10 days and forces Antonetti’s hand in making a trade, what are the realistic options and how much should Antonetti – and fans – expect to see from this particular Tribe team if it somehow finds its way into the playoffs come October?

We try to figure things out at The Cleveland Fan.

Posted in Cleveland Indians and tagged Cleveland Indians | Leave a comment

Search

Search for:
Archives
Archives
Subscribe to RSS

In Cleveland, hope dies last

Archive for the tag “Cleveland Indians”

Post Navigation

Search

Archives