Cleveland Indians

[Mike Aller]

I've been stuck for virtually the entire season in "trying not to get overly excited" mode, but I don't think I can hold back any more. With a division even worse than expected, they seem to find ways to win virtually every close game they're in.

 

Over/Under on a collapse?

[rocket]

they'll coast to a division title

[TruffleShuffle]

I've been stuck for virtually the entire season in "trying not to get overly excited" mode, but I don't think I can hold back any more. With a division even worse than expected, they seem to find ways to win virtually every close game they're in.

 

Over/Under on a collapse?

 

alarm bells should have started going off in your head as you typed this.

[Mike Aller]

I've been stuck for virtually the entire season in "trying not to get overly excited" mode, but I don't think I can hold back any more. With a division even worse than expected, they seem to find ways to win virtually every close game they're in.

 

Over/Under on a collapse?

 

alarm bells should have started going off in your head as you typed this.

Yeah, I get that it's meaningless jibber-jabber, but I'm not really sure how to define it. The bullpen has been absolutely amazing, and the lineup seems to always end up scoring just enough. Although, with Sizemore and Hafner both playing extremely well and now on the DL, I don't like the idea of "random below average outfielder" hitting DH every day.

[17 Seconds]

they probably win like 84 games and the division

[Prizefight]

They have basically top 5 stats in every major offensive/defensive category. Call me a believer

[SouthSideRyan]

11-7 in one run games (a worse winning % than their total). It feels like they're winning every close game, because it feels like they're winning every game period.

 

They'd have to play 54-63 the rest of the way to win 84 games. I'll take the over.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I'm buying the Indians. There's no one else in that division that impresses me. They should win around 90+ games which would be enough to take the division. I'll admit, I haven't seen them play except for on highlights, but that will change in a week when I can spend my days and nights sitting around watching baseball or whatever else I choose.

[TruffleShuffle]

i dunno, everything about their pitching staff just screams regression. very low BABIP, one of the lowest K rates in the majors, high LOB%, low HR/FB%... i get that they have some nice young arms on that club, but last year their pitching was just lousy and i don't see this year's team as being that much better.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm buying the Indians. There's no one else in that division that impresses me. They should win around 90+ games which would be enough to take the division. I'll admit, I haven't seen them play except for on highlights, but that will change in a week when I can spend my days and nights sitting around watching baseball or whatever else I choose.

 

[expletive] YOU

[TruffleShuffle]

in related news - is asdrubal the best shortstop in baseball?

 

no no no no his ops was below .700 last year, of course he's not. reason # a billion to not watch baseball tonight.

[TruffleShuffle]

I'll admit, I haven't seen them play except for on highlights

 

joe morgan is that you?

[Little Slide Rooter]

They just keep winning even with Hafner and Sizemore on the DL. The fruits of the Sabathia and V mart trades seem to be ripening as well. Masterson, Carrasco, Talbot, White, and Tomlin could be a very good young pitching staff for several years to come and Faustos been solid too.

[champaignchris]

Who's going to catch them? At this point, it would take an absolutely epic collapse for anyone other than the Tigers to catch them (and, no, the Royals don't count as "anyone" - Call me back in about a year and a half), and the Tigers would have to significantly pick up their play to catch the Indians playing .500 the rest of the year.

 

It's not so much how well the Indians have been playing, as much as how horrible the two teams which were supposed to compete for the division title have been playing. If either were playing just a little worse than expected and were hovering 5 or 6 games behind the Indians, I wouldn't be saying the Indians had it in the bag.

 

But, as it is, "the Indians have it in the bag."

[TruffleShuffle]

Who's going to catch them? At this point, it would take an absolutely epic collapse for anyone other than the Tigers to catch them (and, no, the Royals don't count as "anyone" - Call me back in about a year and a half), and the Tigers would have to significantly pick up their play to catch the Indians playing .500 the rest of the year.

 

It's not so much how well the Indians have been playing, as much as how horrible the two teams which were supposed to compete for the division title have been playing. If either were playing just a little worse than expected and were hovering 5 or 6 games behind the Indians, I wouldn't be saying the Indians had it in the bag.

 

But, as it is, "the Indians have it in the bag."

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

[champaignchris]

Who's going to catch them? At this point, it would take an absolutely epic collapse for anyone other than the Tigers to catch them (and, no, the Royals don't count as "anyone" - Call me back in about a year and a half), and the Tigers would have to significantly pick up their play to catch the Indians playing .500 the rest of the year.

 

It's not so much how well the Indians have been playing, as much as how horrible the two teams which were supposed to compete for the division title have been playing. If either were playing just a little worse than expected and were hovering 5 or 6 games behind the Indians, I wouldn't be saying the Indians had it in the bag.

 

But, as it is, "the Indians have it in the bag."

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

 

If the Indians do have a .460 winning percentage the rest of the way as predicted by BP, I'd feel comfortable labeling it as an "absolutely epic collapse."

[davearm2]

Who's going to catch them? At this point, it would take an absolutely epic collapse for anyone other than the Tigers to catch them (and, no, the Royals don't count as "anyone" - Call me back in about a year and a half), and the Tigers would have to significantly pick up their play to catch the Indians playing .500 the rest of the year.

 

It's not so much how well the Indians have been playing, as much as how horrible the two teams which were supposed to compete for the division title have been playing. If either were playing just a little worse than expected and were hovering 5 or 6 games behind the Indians, I wouldn't be saying the Indians had it in the bag.

 

But, as it is, "the Indians have it in the bag."

 

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/odds/

 

If the Indians do have a .460 winning percentage the rest of the way as predicted by BP, I'd feel comfortable labeling it as an "absolutely epic collapse."

It'd be an "absolutely epic collapse" if the Indians started playing the way most folks anticipated they would (and how they have, for the last couple years)?

[kylescubs23]

The thing that has to be encouraging for them is Santana and Choo really haven't gotten it going, and as others have mentioned, Sizemore and Hafner are currently on the DL. That's four huge pieces of their lineup.

 

Masterson, Tomlin and White is a pretty good young start to their rotation.

 

Hard not to a little bit of believer...

[Mike Aller]

in related news - is asdrubal the best shortstop in baseball?

 

no no no no his ops was below .700 last year, of course he's not. reason # a billion to not watch baseball tonight.

He isn't, but it's not as ridiculous of a discussion as you might think. He made some changes to his swing, and he actually has some decent power. He is a solid defender (Maybe someone could chime in with defensive metrics? I don't actually have anything to back that up) and is having a breakout year. There is no way you can put him above Troy, but it's not too terribly ridiculous that you can have the discussion considering how well he's playing.

[TruffleShuffle]

i just hate these "is ____ the best in baseball" because they have a good month to start the season. yes he's playing awesome right now, give it a week and he'll be back to being pretty good.

[Bote McBoteface]

I've seen this story before. The Tigers will catch them in the final weeks of the season. There may even be a 1 game playoff. Then one of those two will get swept in the ALDS.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I dont want to see the Indians win the world series for simple petty reasoning. Since our near miss in 2003, 7 of the last 8 series winner has been either another long suffering franchise, or one known for failure: Red Sox('04, '07) Phillies('08), Giants('10), a bitter rival Cardinals('06) or both White Sox ('05). We need someone to share in our misery.

[hardcorecubfan]

If their is a team other than us that deserves a title it is the Tribe, my dad's favorite team. One of his last request was to have me go to a tribes WS if it ever happened in my life time. When we moved to NE Ohio, after living in Chicago he would take us to Clev. Stadium 89000 seats and 3000 people there. We would by the buck seat and walk over to the box and the usher would let us sit for a 1.00 bribe by my dad. Boy it got cold though, and today tockets are outragous at Jacobs field (is it still called Jacob's Field?)

[UMFan83]

I dont want to see the Indians win the world series for simple petty reasoning. Since our near miss in 2003, 7 of the last 8 series winner has been either another long suffering franchise, or one known for failure: Red Sox('04, '07) Phillies('08), Giants('10), a bitter rival Cardinals('06) or both White Sox ('05). We need someone to share in our misery.

 

If the Indians were to win the world series, the 2nd longest world series drought would either be 52 years shorter than the Cubs (if you count expansion teams who've never won - the Senator/Ranger franchise), or 71 years shorter (if you are counting only teams that have won the title before - the Pirates)

 

Seriously, the Indians win and this is what the longest droughts would look like:

 

Cubs - 103 years

Pirates - 32 years

Orioles - 28 years

Tigers - 27 years

etc etc etc

 

Also, no its call Progressive Field now

[Mike Aller]

I've seen this story before. The Tigers will catch them in the final weeks of the season. There may even be a 1 game playoff. Then one of those two will get swept in the ALDS.

When have you seen that story?