hey, Brantley fans. the news and rumors about Michael sure added up this month. i didn't anticipate this blog being as long as it is because, thanks to a reporter's suggestion that Michael could sign a new contract before Thanksgiving, i thought a deal would be done by now. alas, Michael is still on the free agent market and on a lot of teams' radars.
between the change in agencies, not getting a qualifying offer from the Indians, and being a so-called best fit for several ballclubs, there was quite a bit going on in November. and of course i had many opinions about the rumors, too. so let's just jump right into it!
November 1: there is now a Michael Brantley Rumors page on mlb.com dedicated to all the latest predictions and such. it again noted that Sports Illustrated thinks Michael will go to the St. Louis Cardinals despite his "lengthy injury history." (well that's not exactly true.) that said, Michael would likely have to play right field with the Cards due to their other outfield spots already being occupied. Michael's never played one game in right in either the majors or minors, so i don't know if that's really a realistic projection.
Jon Heyman's article for fancredsports.com contained an expert's guess that
Showing posts with label November. Show all posts
Showing posts with label November. Show all posts
Friday, November 30, 2018
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Analyzing the Tribe's 2018 Season + Postseason
hey, Tribe fans. how ya doing? i'm truly sorry for the delay with this blog, but with all the Michael Brantley news that came out so early during this offseason, i didn't have as much time to dedicate to working on this as i usually do. my apologies.
it's already been a little over five weeks since the Cleveland Indians' offseason began on October 8, after what turned out to be a quick postseason appearance. their 91-71 record was the worst of all American League playoff teams and that's part of the reason they were considered underdogs. the Tribe officially won the AL Central Division on September 15, but they really had it wrapped up after like the first month of the season. not one divisional team presented serious competition for this Indians squad and now many are speculating that that could actually have been why the Indians got swept right out of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros. angry fans also pointed fingers at manager Terry Francona and some of his decisions, including leaving a pitcher in the game for too long, not leaving a pitcher in long enough, and calling the wrong relief pitcher out of the bullpen at specific times. and that's to say nothing of the lack of hitting in the series, which the hitting coach is getting much of the blame for. whoever you want to be mad at, well, your feelings are justified. if the Indians continue to own their division each year, but keep losing in the playoffs, or worse keep getting knocked out of every ALDS, how can anyone be content with that? i get it and i feel the same.
so who wants to go back and
it's already been a little over five weeks since the Cleveland Indians' offseason began on October 8, after what turned out to be a quick postseason appearance. their 91-71 record was the worst of all American League playoff teams and that's part of the reason they were considered underdogs. the Tribe officially won the AL Central Division on September 15, but they really had it wrapped up after like the first month of the season. not one divisional team presented serious competition for this Indians squad and now many are speculating that that could actually have been why the Indians got swept right out of the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros. angry fans also pointed fingers at manager Terry Francona and some of his decisions, including leaving a pitcher in the game for too long, not leaving a pitcher in long enough, and calling the wrong relief pitcher out of the bullpen at specific times. and that's to say nothing of the lack of hitting in the series, which the hitting coach is getting much of the blame for. whoever you want to be mad at, well, your feelings are justified. if the Indians continue to own their division each year, but keep losing in the playoffs, or worse keep getting knocked out of every ALDS, how can anyone be content with that? i get it and i feel the same.
so who wants to go back and
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base
hello, Brantley fans! how's your offseason going? good i hope. earlier today, i posted a quick and unexpected, albeit very pleasant surprise involving Michael. now i've got a monthly news post for ya, except it's not so much "news" as it is complaints and speculation. this blog starts off on a positive note, then evolves into disappointment from fans over the Indians'
decision to keep Michael for $12 million.🙄
in addition, it contains numerous article blurbs stating that Dr. Smooth could be in for a position change in 2018. that prompted me to take some time and make a compelling argument detailing why Michael should remain the Tribe's left fielder next season and not move to 1st base. so let's get into it!
for information about Michael from October (following the Tribe's elimination from the postseason), check out my Brantley News from October 2017 blog.
November 3: the Cleveland Indians announced that they
in addition, it contains numerous article blurbs stating that Dr. Smooth could be in for a position change in 2018. that prompted me to take some time and make a compelling argument detailing why Michael should remain the Tribe's left fielder next season and not move to 1st base. so let's get into it!
for information about Michael from October (following the Tribe's elimination from the postseason), check out my Brantley News from October 2017 blog.
November 3: the Cleveland Indians announced that they
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians' 2017 Season
after weeks of focusing on Michael Brantley and the rest of the Tribe's performances for the 2017 season, now i get to look back and see how i did. this is my annual My Final #s blog, where i peruse through all of the baseball stuff that i acquired in 2017. my collection generally consists of player autographs, baseballs, pictures and videos i took while at games, and photos of me with baseball players. i never heavily promote this blog because it's one of my more delicate posts on here and can be perceived as bragging. but if you're subscribed to my mailing list, then you got direct access to the link. so let's see if i achieved any records or personal bests during this past baseball season.
Background
for those of you who don't already know, i am a Ride or Die Tribe fan currently living in the Western New York area outside of Buffalo. this is not the most ideal location to be a fan of the Indians because STO is blacked out on the MLB Package here. so i cannot watch the games on TV unless they're on a national channel such as FOX, MLB Network, ESPN, or YES. thankfully, i can rely on the internet for game highlights and photos, and i always listen to Tom Hamilton broadcast the games on WTAM 1100 and/or 100.7 WMMS through my Gameday audio subscription. Hammy's the best! when i do go to Cleveland for Tribe games, i still
Background
for those of you who don't already know, i am a Ride or Die Tribe fan currently living in the Western New York area outside of Buffalo. this is not the most ideal location to be a fan of the Indians because STO is blacked out on the MLB Package here. so i cannot watch the games on TV unless they're on a national channel such as FOX, MLB Network, ESPN, or YES. thankfully, i can rely on the internet for game highlights and photos, and i always listen to Tom Hamilton broadcast the games on WTAM 1100 and/or 100.7 WMMS through my Gameday audio subscription. Hammy's the best! when i do go to Cleveland for Tribe games, i still
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Analyzing the Tribe's 2017 Season + Postseason
the Cleveland Indians won over 100 games this season, 102 to be exact, for only the second time in franchise history and first time since 1954. they were the favorites to win the American League pennant and many predicted them to win the World Series as well. unfortunately, to every Tribe fan's dismay, they didn't even make it out of the Division Series. so while the 2017 regular season was exciting and filled with highlights, the postseason was crushing. now i'm here to give you a final recap of the Tribe's year and my annual player evaluations.
and i want to apologize for posting this later than i would have liked. once i started going back over all the players' seasons and postseasons, i realized there was quite a lot to cover and i needed to make sure i included all the big and important stuff. i was very thorough and i hope you enjoy my analysis!
note: this blog is LONG, and i do mean LONG. feel free to just read what you like about who you like and what interests you the most. or, read it all over several days. whatever you prefer.📖✌☮
Looking Back at the Team's Most Memorable Moments
i'm going to spotlight some of the Tribe's best and worst moments from the 2017 campaign now. because i
and i want to apologize for posting this later than i would have liked. once i started going back over all the players' seasons and postseasons, i realized there was quite a lot to cover and i needed to make sure i included all the big and important stuff. i was very thorough and i hope you enjoy my analysis!
note: this blog is LONG, and i do mean LONG. feel free to just read what you like about who you like and what interests you the most. or, read it all over several days. whatever you prefer.📖✌☮
Looking Back at the Team's Most Memorable Moments
i'm going to spotlight some of the Tribe's best and worst moments from the 2017 campaign now. because i
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Brantley News & Updates from November & December 2016
Happy New Year's Eve, Brantley fans! since the conclusion of the World Series, there really hasn't been a whole lot of notable information on
the update front other than the plan for Michael's upcoming hitting progression being unveiled during the Winter Meetings. the rumor mill, however, was abuzz with unfounded gossip around the Christmas holiday. so before the clock strikes midnight and we start the new year, i present you with this last bit of news about Michael in 2016 from both November and December.
November News & Updates
November 4: the Indians twitter account reported that Michael is expected to resume baseball activities in December and be ready for spring training. Jordan Bastian followed up by tweeting the Indians are planning on Michael being ready for a normal spring training and will navigate the offseason with that expectation.
"Michael's progressing really well," Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said in Bastian's article on indians.com. "he's right on schedule for his rehab." and from a video on indians.com, Antonetti further elaborated, "he'll complete all of his normal physical work and then begin baseball activities at
November News & Updates
November 4: the Indians twitter account reported that Michael is expected to resume baseball activities in December and be ready for spring training. Jordan Bastian followed up by tweeting the Indians are planning on Michael being ready for a normal spring training and will navigate the offseason with that expectation.
"Michael's progressing really well," Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said in Bastian's article on indians.com. "he's right on schedule for his rehab." and from a video on indians.com, Antonetti further elaborated, "he'll complete all of his normal physical work and then begin baseball activities at
Monday, November 14, 2016
My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians' 2016 Season
finally, i get to take off the baseball statistics hat and focus on my own numbers from this season for a minute. this is the My Final #s blog, where i go back through all of my baseball stuff and see what i acquired during the year. typically that includes player autographs, photographs taken with players, baseballs, and pictures and videos that i took at games. i don't generally promote these blogs because they can be presumed as bragging, but if you're subscribed to my email list, then you're getting the direct link sent right into your inbox. honestly though, i just like to see if i can set new records and accomplish personal bests with each new baseball season.
Background
in case you're a new reader and/or unaware of my current situation, i am a diehard Tribe fan living in the Western New York area. my exact location unfortunately does not allow me to watch Cleveland Indians games on TV unless they're on a national channel because STO is blacked out on the MLB package here. luckily, in this day and age, i have the ability to get online and see game highlights and photos on a nightly basis. still, i prefer to take my own pictures and record my own videos when i attend ballgames. then, once i get home,
Background
in case you're a new reader and/or unaware of my current situation, i am a diehard Tribe fan living in the Western New York area. my exact location unfortunately does not allow me to watch Cleveland Indians games on TV unless they're on a national channel because STO is blacked out on the MLB package here. luckily, in this day and age, i have the ability to get online and see game highlights and photos on a nightly basis. still, i prefer to take my own pictures and record my own videos when i attend ballgames. then, once i get home,
Friday, November 4, 2016
Wrapping Up Brantley's 2016 Season
from Michael Brantley's perspective, i cannot say i'm sorry to see the 2016 baseball season go. for him, it was unlike any other and certainly will not be mentioned in the "best of" seasons of his career. we basically got a taste of what Indians baseball will be like without Dr. Smooth in the (hopefully far off) future. except, in an unexpected twist, the team did not seem in desperate need of its best hitter this year; not until the end, that is. on the other hand, Michael can now claim that he's already had a bit of experience as a coach in Major League Baseball once he's a retired player since his main role in 2016 became providing his teammates with his baseball knowledge, guidance, and pointers.
this final wrap up blog is somewhat different from how i've previously done it. that's due to the fact that Michael didn't play a full season, and so i couldn't really give justifiable comments about it or do fair comparisons of it to his past seasons. additionally, it's being posted later than usual because the Indians recently completed a long playoff run and i wanted to include my thoughts on that in here as well. nonetheless, this blog consists of some highlights from Michael's playing time with the Tribe, quotes, and
this final wrap up blog is somewhat different from how i've previously done it. that's due to the fact that Michael didn't play a full season, and so i couldn't really give justifiable comments about it or do fair comparisons of it to his past seasons. additionally, it's being posted later than usual because the Indians recently completed a long playoff run and i wanted to include my thoughts on that in here as well. nonetheless, this blog consists of some highlights from Michael's playing time with the Tribe, quotes, and
Friday, November 20, 2015
Tribe Needs: Looking Ahead to 2016
well, our Cleveland Indians' 2015 season sure did not turn out as everyone had hoped. after Sports Illustrated put the Tribe on their magazine cover and named us as frontrunners to win this year's World Series, we never even made it to the playoffs. instead, we shockingly dropped to 81 wins, down from 85 in 2014 and 90 in 2013 under manager Terry Francona's jurisdiction. this is not the direction that anyone envisioned the Indians would be going in at this point. the task at hand now is mostly up to the front office. new additions to the roster are a must, or else we're in for another year of mediocrity, missed opportunity, and watching other teams play in the October postseason.
in this blog, i go through all the players' contracts and talk about the most sore subject for Tribe fans--the payroll. then i pinpoint our specific needs for 2016 and list players at their positions to see more clearly where we have holes to fill. lastly, following an examination of baseball's current free agents, i name some players that i believe might be a fit for us.
but before we get into all that, i have to acknowledge the biggest Indians news to hit us so soon into the offseason. yes, i'm talking about the
in this blog, i go through all the players' contracts and talk about the most sore subject for Tribe fans--the payroll. then i pinpoint our specific needs for 2016 and list players at their positions to see more clearly where we have holes to fill. lastly, following an examination of baseball's current free agents, i name some players that i believe might be a fit for us.
but before we get into all that, i have to acknowledge the biggest Indians news to hit us so soon into the offseason. yes, i'm talking about the
Monday, November 16, 2015
What Is Labral Tear Shoulder Surgery?
i'm no doctor and don't know all the specifics of the torn labrum that Michael Brantley had in his right shoulder. but i was curious and concerned and wanted to know what his shoulder surgery entailed. so i did some research online for the details and found an actual labral tear repair surgery on youtube. these videos explain the injury and surgery better than i could in words. again, i'm not sure what part of Michael's labrum was torn, so even if these videos aren't an exact duplicate of what Michael had done, they still give a general idea of the procedure that Dr. Morgan performed on Michael on November 9.
the surgery documented in the following videos was uploaded on September 26, 2011. it was conducted by Dr. Bradford Tucker at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, New Jersey. Dr. Tucker is an assistant team orthopedic surgeon with the Philadelphia Phillies, so i think he's a very good source for an injury of this sort. this is a minimally invasive procedure, and i hope Michael's was done this way also.
warning: if you are a bit squeamish and can't tolerate looking at real human anatomy, i don't recommend watching these videos because they are graphic and show a visible labral tear in a man's shoulder.
Part 1 of the surgery:
the surgery documented in the following videos was uploaded on September 26, 2011. it was conducted by Dr. Bradford Tucker at Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, New Jersey. Dr. Tucker is an assistant team orthopedic surgeon with the Philadelphia Phillies, so i think he's a very good source for an injury of this sort. this is a minimally invasive procedure, and i hope Michael's was done this way also.
warning: if you are a bit squeamish and can't tolerate looking at real human anatomy, i don't recommend watching these videos because they are graphic and show a visible labral tear in a man's shoulder.
Part 1 of the surgery:
Friday, November 14, 2014
Brantley Contract Update & BABY ANNOUNCEMENT!
cha-ching!
here's some good news for Michael. because he placed in the top 5 voting for BBWAA's American League Most Valuable Player this season, he's earned himself a little additional salary for the future. his base salary in 2017 and 2018 has now increased by a cool million. i had no idea about this MVPerk, but that's freakin' awesome!
so this is what Michael was going to make before his bonus:
2014 salary - $1.5 million + $3.5 million signing bonus
2015 salary - $5 million
2016 salary - $6.5 million
2017 salary - $7.5 million
2018 salary - $11 million club option/$1 million buyout
before the 2014 season, his contract was for 4 years guaranteed and totaled $25 million, including the 5th year $1 million buyout. and if he stayed with the team in 2018, then he'd get an additional $10 million, giving him a grand total of 5 years for $35 million.
now here is Michael's new updated contract break down for the next 3-4 years:
2015 salary - $5 million (no change)
2016 salary - $6.5 million (no change)
2017 salary - $8.5 million (1 million increase)
2018 salary - $12 million option/$1 million buyout (1 million increase)
he currently stands to earn $21 million in the next 3 years, including the $1 million buyout. if he stays for the 2018 season, the total becomes $32 million.
and if we add that to his $5 million salary for the 2014 season, that's $26 million for 4 years plus the buyout, bringing the minimum contract total as of right now to $37 million for 5 years if that 5th year option is picked up.
but wait. let's not forget about the other bonuses he earned this year:
$100,000 for making the All Star team
$50,000 for earning a Silver Slugger Award
$150,000 for finishing in 3rd place for AL MVP
that's $300,000 worth of bonuses. so that gives Michael an overall $5.3 million made in 2014 and a potential $37.3 million earned from 2014-2018.
this is still a ridiculous steal for the Indians, omg lol
BREAKING: all that extra money's gonna come in handy because it was announced yesterday that... Michael's wife will be having baby #3 early next season! (i just really hope he doesn't go on Paternity Leave during the Home Opener Series lol)
congratulations, Michael! on both counts! =D
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| photo courtesy of expertwager.com |
here's some good news for Michael. because he placed in the top 5 voting for BBWAA's American League Most Valuable Player this season, he's earned himself a little additional salary for the future. his base salary in 2017 and 2018 has now increased by a cool million. i had no idea about this MVPerk, but that's freakin' awesome!
so this is what Michael was going to make before his bonus:
2014 salary - $1.5 million + $3.5 million signing bonus
2015 salary - $5 million
2016 salary - $6.5 million
2017 salary - $7.5 million
2018 salary - $11 million club option/$1 million buyout
before the 2014 season, his contract was for 4 years guaranteed and totaled $25 million, including the 5th year $1 million buyout. and if he stayed with the team in 2018, then he'd get an additional $10 million, giving him a grand total of 5 years for $35 million.
now here is Michael's new updated contract break down for the next 3-4 years:
2015 salary - $5 million (no change)
2016 salary - $6.5 million (no change)
2017 salary - $8.5 million (1 million increase)
2018 salary - $12 million option/$1 million buyout (1 million increase)
he currently stands to earn $21 million in the next 3 years, including the $1 million buyout. if he stays for the 2018 season, the total becomes $32 million.
and if we add that to his $5 million salary for the 2014 season, that's $26 million for 4 years plus the buyout, bringing the minimum contract total as of right now to $37 million for 5 years if that 5th year option is picked up.
but wait. let's not forget about the other bonuses he earned this year:
$100,000 for making the All Star team
$50,000 for earning a Silver Slugger Award
$150,000 for finishing in 3rd place for AL MVP
that's $300,000 worth of bonuses. so that gives Michael an overall $5.3 million made in 2014 and a potential $37.3 million earned from 2014-2018.
this is still a ridiculous steal for the Indians, omg lol
BREAKING: all that extra money's gonna come in handy because it was announced yesterday that... Michael's wife will be having baby #3 early next season! (i just really hope he doesn't go on Paternity Leave during the Home Opener Series lol)
congratulations, Michael! on both counts! =D
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