could they field a respectable lineup? What would it be?

I honestly don't think the 2 teams combined could make a serious contender. The jury is still out on the Reds but the Indians look god awful.

Choo CF
Cabrera, A SS
Votto, 1B
Rolen, 3B
Bruce, RF
Kearns, LF
Cabrera, O DH
Hanigan, C
Phillips, 2B

Leake, SP
Talbot, SP
Carmona, SP
Arroyo, SP
Harang, SP
Sipp, RP
Laffey, RP
Perez, RP
Lincoln, RP
Owings, RP
Rhodes, RP
Hererra, RP
Cordero, RP

They would be good, but not good enough to win in the playoffs.

You wouldn't start Sizemore?

Keebler wrote: You wouldn't start Sizemore?

Over who? His numbers are shit.

BCBulldog wrote:

Keebler wrote: You wouldn't start Sizemore?

Over who? His numbers are shit.

I think his numbers are shit because of what's around him.

Keebler wrote:

BCBulldog wrote:

Keebler wrote: You wouldn't start Sizemore?

Over who? His numbers are shit.

I think his numbers are shit because of what's around him.

Still doesn't explain his 28 strikeouts.

miller45452003 wrote:

Keebler wrote:

BCBulldog wrote:

Keebler wrote: You wouldn't start Sizemore?

Over who? His numbers are shit.

I think his numbers are shit because of what's around him.

Still doesn't explain his 28 strikeouts.

And if Austin Kearns can find a way to hit in their lineup, then Sizemore has no excuse whatsoever.

Sizemore's really starting to run out of excuses for his inability to hit the ball. He seems to be one of those guys who's gotten a free pass due to being banged up and due to having great ability...but he really needs to go back to actually showing some of that ability and soon. .220 with NO homers and more Ks than hits in early May can't be what anyone was expecting from him.

Well...at least he's still hot.

I didn't realize how piss poor Sizemore has been this year. I'm wondering if he's trying to find a way out of Cleveland. He's a great ball player.

Fab4Runner wrote:Well...at least he's still hot.

Good thing you think that because he is going to have to find a new line of work soon if he continues to suck like the world's most expensive Shop-Vac.

Keebler wrote:I didn't realize how piss poor Sizemore has been this year. I'm wondering if he's trying to find a way out of Cleveland. He's a great ball player.

I know 'great' is a relative term and I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I'm not sure how he can be described as 'great' when he has never had a season where he drove in more than 90, hit above .290, or had more than a .390 OBP. His career numbers just don't indicate that he should be considered among the great players in the game.

BCBulldog wrote:I know 'great' is a relative term and I'm not trying to pick a fight, but I'm not sure how he can be described as 'great' when he has never had a season where he drove in more than 90, hit above .290, or had more than a .390 OBP. His career numbers just don't indicate that he should be considered among the great players in the game.

I think that's because of how quickly his career started off. He came right out with a couple seasons that put him in the "potentially HoF-great" category, where if he improved his average a bit and cut down on Ks, he'd be a long-time .320/30/100+ guy. But, instead, he stagnated at .270/25-30/70-90 and now has been in freefall.

I think people look at him as "great" because in the early stages of his career he looked like a "can't miss great". Now that he's devolving into a "miss", I think people in general are starting to wonder what happened.

Horrid ownership or no, the sad thing for you Indian fans has to be the simple fact that you'd at least be .500 (and possibly better) if a decent percentage of realistic scenarios happened. Instead...you get this.

1. Sizemore falling off the map.
2. Hafner falling off the map with injuries and ineffectiveness.
3. Peralta falling off the map (2008: .276/23/89....currently .216/2/10).
4. So many pitchers who showed so much promise falling apart. On the bright side, Carmona is showing signs of coming back to life...but R. Perez still sucks and Westbrook has been poor in this rare stint on the active roster.
5. Kerry Wood tranforming his first season as a closer into a big pay-day. Then being Kerry Wood (injured, not always effective).

For all the problems with the ownership concerning the dudes you guys have traded away, the real problem is with the guys they've kept. On your active roster (which doesn't include Wood), Cleveland has 6 guys making over $1M. There's Carmona...and then there's Hafner, Westbrook, Sizemore, Peralta and Branyon. When you're not a big-budget team and virtually everyone you put big money into falls apart, you're going to suck.

The Tribe "aura" would find a way to drag the Reds down to the depths of hell. At least the Reds have won a few championships in my lifetime.

Didn't Sizemore bat leadoff for the most part? Hard to get over 80 RBI's when you are batting there.

Keebler wrote: Didn't Sizemore bat leadoff for the most part? Hard to get over 80 RBI's when you are batting there.

I don't know, I'm a Reds fan and don't really follow the Indians. Regardless, none of his other numbers are good enough for him to be considered a 'great' player even if he did hit leadoff most of the time.

BCBulldog wrote:

Keebler wrote: Didn't Sizemore bat leadoff for the most part? Hard to get over 80 RBI's when you are batting there.

I don't know, I'm a Reds fan and don't really follow the Indians. Regardless, none of his other numbers are good enough for him to be considered a 'great' player even if he did hit leadoff most of the time.

I'm a Reds fan also.

His numbers from 2005-2008 were above average. But unfortunately, he hasn't done much since. 22+ HR's 75+ RBI's 22 SB's .260 AVG for those 4 years.

I think with a change of scenery, he'd possibly get back to those numbers.

As an Indians fan, Sizemore has always been over rated, he has always struck out 150+ times a season, never hit for average and only 1 season of 30 homers. He is rated highly as a defensive centerfielder but his offensive numbers have never lived up to his hype. He is average in every sense of the word.