With the owner's pockets zipped shut, the cashless Tribe front office has gone into hibernation or hiding or both.
Some rumors floated around a week or so back about finding a bargain basement right handed bat....apparently no one wants to play for free.
Meanwhile, the team seems content going into the season with a bunch of ????marks and some AAAA guys as its 'starting' rotation. Not even a reclamation project(Millwood/Pavano) to be found.
To listen to the talk...Jake Westbrook, who is a solid #3 starter when healthy, is expected to be the Ace of the staff...coming off Tommy John surgery.LOL
If he falters, Fausto Carmona (who hasn't gotten anyone out in two years) could be the next in line.LOL
After that come Jeremy Sowers, and Aaron Laffey, who have showed an occasional flash of brilliance....when they haven't been hurt.LOL
Then there's Justin Materson...a legit prospect, but largely unproven.
Probably the guy they can count on the most to eat innings is mentioned almost as an afterthought despite leading the team in wins last year...David Huff.

All in all...the sorriest excuse for a rotation that I have ever seen.
Even in the rosiest of scenarios...this may well be the worst group of starters in baseball.
Please Mr. Dolan.....can we get real pitcher? Just one?
This year is shaping up as a year when the Tribe will be out of games early and often....not making for much fan interest.

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100209&content_id=8046676&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle

The Indians are going to be bad for many years to come. Makes me sad, very sad.

It's unreal how far they've fallen since being 1 game away from the World Series in '07. My guess on this year is 55-107.

Yeah, should be a fun and exciting year.....Hopefully the Cavs are playing into June to soften the blow.

Indians have a baseball team this year? WTF

miller45452003 wrote: Indians have a baseball team this year? WTF

Yea they've got uniforms and everything

Benny The Jet wrote:

miller45452003 wrote: Indians have a baseball team this year? WTF

Yea they've got uniforms and everything

I lol'd at this. Those 1 liners from the movie never get old. That movie really sums up how are season could go minus the success.

They did bring in an old aging catcher who makes way more "than the major league minimum."

enjoy it Cleveland fans.... No willingness to spend money+hiring Manny Acta=Doomed...

darbypitcher22 wrote: enjoy it Cleveland fans.... No willingness to spend money+hiring Manny Acta=Doomed...

Thanks...we will. :rolleyes:

Back to the good ole days when it wasn't stressful to watch baseball because you didn't need to worry about winning anything.

HitsRus wrote: Back to the good ole days when it wasn't stressful to watch baseball because you didn't need to worry about winning anything.

One of my earliest memories was going up to Municipal Stadium and it being completely empty pretty much, pretty much sat wherever you wanted, and watching the awe inspiring Brooke Jacoby haha

Benny The Jet wrote:
One of my earliest memories was going up to Municipal Stadium and it being completely empty pretty much, pretty much sat wherever you wanted, and watching the awe inspiring Brooke Jacoby haha

Now this is well said. But I go all the way back to the 60's with Duke Sims.

Would take the Van Aiken Rapid (10c) down to the terminal tower and walk to the stadium.

Buy a General Admission ticket for a buck fitty. After the 3rd inning, the ushers didn't give a shit if you snuck down to the 3rd row behind the Indians dugout.

It was like a morgue. You could here the 3rd base coach yelling encouragement to the hitter. Kind a like a high school game.

Anybody remember Freddie "home run" Beane?

Benny The Jet wrote:
One of my earliest memories was going up to Municipal Stadium and it being completely empty pretty much, pretty much sat wherever you wanted, and watching the awe inspiring Brooke Jacoby haha

Exact same here, I was only about 4 or 5 but can I remember my Dad going nuts because Jacoby would always swing at the first pitch no matter what the scenario. Good times. I can only imagine the joy that's going to come from watching superstars like Mike Redmond.

wes_mantooth wrote: Yeah, should be a fun and exciting year.....Hopefully the Cavs are playing into June to soften the blow.

Good point. If the Cavs can get me into mid-June, that's only about 7 weeks until the Browns' first preseason game. I'll be busy enough during those 7 weeks that I probably won't even notice the Indians, unless I have Tom Hamilton on in the background while I'm working on something.

Lets play....can you guess the 2010 opening day starting lineup?!?! Try not to cheat either and look up current players online. Just name all that you can think of that are on the team this year....should be interesting.

Benny The Jet wrote: Lets play....can you guess the 2010 opening day starting lineup?!?! Try not to cheat either and look up current players online. Just name all that you can think of that are on the team this year....should be interesting.

C - Santana
1B - ?
2B - Cabrera
3B - LaPorta
SS - Peralta
LF - Brantley (?)
CF - Sizemore
RF - Choo
DH - Hafner

P - Carmona

Sizemore CF
Cabrera SS
Choo RF
Hafner DH
Peralta 3B
LaPorta 1B
Valbuena 2B
Marson C
Brantley LF
Westbrook SP

To be honest, I don't have too much problem with the position players. Only question marks are whether LaPorta and Hafner are/can be healthy and productive. Catching is weak.
Starting pitching is atrocius. We've gone from one of the best staffs to the worst in two years, thanks to a tightwad owner and a GM who won't stand up to him.

Bench

Redmond
Marte
Kearns
???

I wouldn't be surprised if they started Brantley off in Columbus.

Offensively, this team should score some runs. The trouble is they are going to have to score 6+ most nights in order to win.

Mulva wrote: I wouldn't be surprised if they started Brantley off in Columbus.

I have kind of heard this, I guess whatever it takes to delay the kids chance to get paid by another year? It's not like he is going to be a superstar, If we can't afford to pay a guy like this once he becomes arbitration eligible then that is really sad.

I expect the offense to at least be average for the American League. The starting rotation on the other hand could be historically bad.
Jake Westbrook - when healthy is a legitimate #3 starter for almost any team.
Fausto Carmona - Has #1 stuff with little control and at times even less confidence. Although pitched better after his recall from AAA.
Jeremy Sowers - In all seriousness, I think I could make contact off this guy.
Aaron Laffey - Would be a decent #5 or spot starter for most teams
David Huff - Better stuff than Sowers, but still not in the rotation on most good teams.
Justin Masterson - Pitched well out of the bullpen for the Bosox. Now that he has a full offseason/spring training to prepare to start will be interesting to see how he does. Probably the only guy that I will try to watch as many of his starts as possible.
Carlos Carrasco - was highly touted 2 years ago. Has struggled a bit at AAA and in the bigs, but probably worth a look. Has above average stuff, but hasn't put it together yet at the big stage.
Hector Rondon - Had a great year at Akron, probably not quite ready for the bigs.

The sad thing is, are Carmona, Masterson, Laffey, Rondon and Carrasco a young core of starters that get you excited? Not really. Maybe 2 of those guys pan out, and we are still waiting for a couple more years until guys like Hagadone, Knapp, De La Cruz and White are ready to make an impact. Unless we play out of our minds, I do not expect the Tribe to contend again until at least 2012.

It doesn't look good on paper. (probably a big understatement) But I will still watch. You never know.......

They probably go on a run when we aren't expecting them to. Get our hopes and get crushed AGAIN.

^^^^I expect a lot of "runs" especially against our starters.