OQB;742724 wrote:I take it you want chisenhall (sp).....

Lol I know how many games there are...my smart phone doesn't....lol

OQB;742742 wrote:Go Tribe!!

royal_k;742750 wrote:The question is, who goes when Grady comes up? It's gonna be Duncan or Buck. Prolly Buck cause of the team already being heavy from the left side. Personally I like Buck's bat. We haven't seen much of it so far, but he can hit.

Con_Alma;742802 wrote:Sizemore strikes out too much to lead off. He's never been a pure lead-off hitter. There's no reason to put him there now.

Orlando Cabrera started his lobbying early in spring training, Cleveland Indians Manager Manny Acta recalled, after Cabrera watched teammate Asdrubal Cabrera take batting practice for the first time. "Orlando was impressed with his power, and he started talking with him about the mental aspects of hitting," Acta said.

Orlando Cabrera encouraged Asdrubal to look for more opportunities to drive the ball, to look for a pitch in a particular part of the strike zone. Orlando encouraged Asdrubal that he could do more at the plate. "He told him that he could take a bigger swing, look for extra bases," Acta recalled. "Because he's a guy who could hit for more power," Acta said. "And he's been in the middle of everything."

Yes. Cabrera drove in four runs on Friday, which gives him 14 in the Indians' 13 games, and he's got seven extra-base hits in his first 53 at-bats, including four homers. He's never hit more than six in any season, but Asdrubal Cabrera, looks like a different hitter, now that he's 25 -- bigger, stronger. Just as Carlos Guillen matured physically from his first days with the Seattle Mariners and developed into a power hitter, Cabrera seems to be making a transformation.

And he is healthy again, after breaking his forearm last year. "I don't think he was 100 percent healthy last season, and now he's back," Acta said. "This guy is one of the best shortstops in the American League."

The Indians are 9-4, in the aftermath of Justin Masterson's latest masterpiece; he has continued to grow and develop. It's time to climb onto the Indians' bandwagon, writes Bill Livingston.

A rival GM noted this week how many tough outs the Indians have amassed in their lineup, from Michael Brantley to Cabrera to Carlos Santana. "That is not an easy lineup to face," he said.

dave;742858 wrote:The days of a pure leadoff hitter are about over. You want your best players getting the most ABs, if Sizemore can return to form he needs to bat near the top. He probably isn't there yet though. It's not like they have a 40+ HR hitter in the 3 or 4 hole where you need a high OBP in front of him.