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

My Final #s for the Cleveland Indians' 2018 Season

this is my annual My Final #s blog, where i go through everything i collected throughout the latest baseball season. i wrote it a little earlier than usual because i'm still having a hard time dealing with the Indians' postseason elimination (which is why i pushed back my Analyzing the Tribe's Season post) and the fact that Michael Brantley is about to explore the free agent market for the first time in his career and he's all but done in Cleveland. yeah.😞

this post mainly features the number of games i went to in 2018, how many games i missed, the number of player autographs and baseballs i got at games, and the grand total of pictures and videos i took at games. there's also a section where i've noted which players usually sign autographs and where it's best to get those autographs, for those looking to increase or begin their own collection. i understand this won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's why i don't really promote it too much. i'm not trying to come off as bragging. i know i'm very lucky to not only go to the games that i do, but also occasionally come home with a nice souvenir. so my intentions are not to throw anything in other people's faces, i just want to see how this season stacked up compared to past seasons for me personally. if you're not interested, you don't have to read this. i won't be offended and i'll see you in the next one.👊 otherwise,

Wrapping Up Brantley's 2018 Season + Postseason

hi again, Brantley fans. i'm back with a final blog to wrap up Michael's year. this was extremely hard for me to write, knowing in my heart that 2018 was his last season with the Cleveland Indians. a lot of tears have been shed since October 8 and i'm not afraid to admit it's been difficult looking back on things that we're not going to see Michael do with the Tribe ever again, so i needed extra time to put this together and i apologize that i didn't get it published sooner.😔

the culmination of my wrap up series features a selective set of Michael's final numbers, but it mostly contains a season sum-up, my favorite moments from the year, comparisons to past seasons, and a review of my preseason predictions vs. what really transpired. and at the very end, i also included countdowns to 2019 and personal thank yous to all of my top Tribe sources that i look to for news on Dr. Smooth, as well as the people who visited, read, and shared my posts in 2018!👏

before i get started, here are the previous Brantley wrap up blogs i wrote earlier this month, detailing things like Michael's daily game lines, BOP breakdowns, situational #s, career highs, team leads, league rankings, and

Brantley's 2018 ALDS #s

hi, Brantley fans. so it would appear as though we have watched Michael play in a Cleveland uniform for what most likely was the last time. that's because yesterday, on October 8, the Cleveland Indians were eliminated from postseason play when they lost the American League Division Series to the Houston Astros in a very quick three-game series. i wish i could say i didn't see this coming, but i think a lot of us did. the only thing that surprised me is that the Tribe got swept. i really thought they'd make it a close series and go the full five games. i was at Game 3, the first and only game in Cleveland, so my blog is going up a day late. my apologies.

the format of this is much like a monthly post, except i've added some pre-ALDS news to start with. also, because i only had three games to cover, i went ahead and listed out all of Michael's at bats in my redesigned Game Talk, At-Bat Details, Pictures, and Quotes section.

while many want to say that the top of the order didn't perform well, i'm about to prove that Michael was actually one of the top performers and did

The Indians Are the 2018 AL Central Division Champions!

great news, Tribe fans! after defeating the Detroit Tigers today, on September 15, your Cleveland Indians are the 2018 American League Central Division Champions!👏👏👏

photo courtesy of @MLB on twitter

this is their third straight season winning the division, having clinched it last year on September 16, and on September 26, 2016. the Indians have not won that many consecutive division pennants since 1995-1999! in addition, this marks the club's fourth division title since 2007 and 10th title in

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

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

What Went Wrong for the Cleveland Indians in the 2017 ALDS

it's all over but the crying. i think i've already used that as a lede in one of my older blogs, but it sure is appropriate again now. last night, the Cleveland Indians lost to the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series and were eliminated from postseason play. so what's next? the grieving period.😭 before anyone can look ahead, we must accept the reality and mourn what just happened if need be. part of that process for me involves going back over everything in my head and wondering why certain moves were or were not made.

typically, when things don't go the way we want them to, there's gonna be a scapegoat. and i know a lot of people are currently pointing their finger at the guy leading the charge, much to the players' dismay. the most i've ever criticized Terry Francona since he's been the manager here is by conceding that he can be too loyal to his players at times, particularly when they are struggling. i've never harshly gone in on him before, but i'm going in on him now.😠

photo courtesy of John Kuntz via The Plain Dealer

Tito had all the

Brantley's 2017 ALDS #s

it is with a heavy heart that i post this blog. even though Michael Brantley finally got to be a part of the Cleveland Indians' postseason as an active player, the team's playoff appearance was very short-lived, taking practically everyone by surprise. earlier tonight, on October 11, the New York Yankees eliminated the Tribe in the American League Division Series by beating them, 3 games to 2. if you need a minute to cry, go ahead; then keep reading. believe me, i'm right there with you.😭

i had originally planned on posting separate blogs for each series that the Indians played in but... this is it. the format here consists of sections from both the Brantley's 2016 Postseason blog and my monthly Brantley blogs. i've also changed some things around a bit because i felt like it made a little more sense for such a short series.

now without further ado, let's relive the last 10 days.😟


Pre-American League Division Series News

October 2: the Indians held an optional workout on Monday and Michael

The Indians Are the 2017 AL Central Division Champions!

hey there, Tribe fans, i've got good news! the Minnesota Twins were eliminated from the AL Central Division race and so the Cleveland Indians are now the 2017 American League Central Division Champions! this is the second consecutive season that the Tribe won the division, as they clinched it on September 26 last year, and first time they've won the AL Central in back-to-back years since their dominant stretch from 1995-1999. it's also the club's third division title since 2007 and ninth title overall in franchise history! congratulations, fellas!👏😀👊

photo courtesy of @indians on instagram

on the afternoon of September 16, the Indians

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,

Analyzing the Tribe's 2016 Season + Postseason

what a season the 2016 Cleveland Indians had! and, for the first time in 19 years, what a postseason they had, too! whether you're currently feeling immense pride or still nursing a broken heart over the outcome, it's time to pick up the pieces and take a trip down memory lane.

this blog recounts some of the particulars that happened on the Tribe's journey from their postponed Game 1 Home Opener back on April 4, all the way to the last out of the 10th inning in Game 7 of the World Series on November 2. more importantly, it contains my analysis of every player who spent time with the Indians this year. unlike in the past, however, this analyzation covers player performances in both the regular season AND the playoffs. so yes, it's quite a long read.

let me also acknowledge that this blog is being posted a good three weeks later than i usually post it because the Tribe's season unusually stretched all the way to the Fall Classic and into the early days of November. their final game was a mere 10 days ago, so truthfully, i got this up pretty quickly. enjoy!


Terry Francona Led the Way

the Indians amassed their best record in the Terry Francona era this year,

Brantley's 2016 Postseason October/November (w/ Rehab Updates & Pics)

it may not have ended how Michael Brantley, the Cleveland Indians, and all their fans wanted, but this was one hell of a postseason October/November. congratulations to the Tribe for extending their 2016 season into the early hour of November 3 (crazy right?! lol) and making it an exciting one.

despite Michael not appearing in any postseason games or series, i of course still had to write this blog. the format of it follows my more recent Brantley monthly blogs, where he didn't play at all and i provided a recap of the Tribe's performance for extra content.

there are four sections in this blog. the first covers the overall postseason for Michael and the Indians. the second focuses solely on the ALDS, the third is all about the ALCS, and the fourth discusses the World Series as well as some rehab updates! each section contains subsections that include an overview, Michael news and pictures, and/or win celebrations. had Michael been healthy and played in these playoff games with the Indians, i for sure would have created separate blogs for each series. but since i didn't have any numbers to document and breakdown, i decided to combine everything into one postseason blog.

The Indians Are the 2016 AL Central Division Champions!

tonight, on September 26, after beating the Detroit Tigers in Game #156, the Cleveland Indians clinched the American League Central Division and secured their spot in the 2016 postseason AL Division Series! this is their first AL Central Division title since 2007 and eighth title overall in club history. it's been a looong nine years but it had to happen again sometime, right? congratulations, boys!!!

photo courtesy of the Cleveland Indians facebook page

the Indians won the game, 7-4, when

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:

Brantley Has Right Shoulder Surgery, Will Miss Start of 2016 Season

heartbreaking news for the Indians regarding Michael Brantley was revealed on November 9, though clearly Michael knew this was going to happen well before it was announced to the public. the Tribe made it known that earlier today Michael had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder to repair a slight tear of the labrum--a circular ring of cartilage (or piece of rubbery tissue) attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that helps keep the shoulder in place. Dr. Craig Morgan performed the procedure in Wilmington, Delaware. Michael will be sidelined for 5-6 months and is undoubtedly going to miss the beginning of 2016.

photo cropped off Indians.com

while everyone was hopeful that

Tribe Spring Recap and 2015 Predictions, Thoughts, & Player Evaluations

Happy day before Indians Opening Night! and/or Happy Easter if you celebrate it.

now that my Brantley spring #s and season expectations blog is done, it's time for me to discuss the Indians spring as a whole and how i think things will shape up for the team in 2015.

last year the Indians finished with the best record in spring, and it didn't amount to anything in the regular season. this spring, it was quite the opposite. in 33 games, the team's spring record was 14-18-1, but i have my theories about that. honestly, it seemed like many of the opposing teams we played were

Tribe 2014 Predictions, Thoughts, and Analyzations

now is the time where i take a few minutes to talk Tribe 2014.


first i'll go on record with my prediction for the Tribe's 2014 season. assuming everyone plays to the max of their abilities and we don't get hit with too many major injuries, i think we'll finish 84-78. because we won 92 games last year, i think a lot of people will predict wins more towards the high 80s, but i'm not willing to go that high. and regardless of exact record, i don't think we'll be good enough to win our division. it's probably going to take at least 90 wins just to nab a wild card spot because there are a lot of good teams (at least right now on paper) in the AL this season. maybe if the stars align, we could possibly build on last year and bring a little more postseason play back to Cleveland this season. is this the year we finally win a World Series? after glancing at our starting rotation, on good conscience, i can't realistically say yes. but, anything can happen and i'm so ready for the season to get underway.



my PD boys, whom i respect a great deal, have made predictions that i want to keep on record here.

Hoynsie: 90-72, wild card

D-Man: 85-77, no wild card

Terry: 85-77, no wild card

Bud: 88-74, no wild card

Z-Mise: 88-74, wild card

i'm with D-Man and Terry here. i don't think we will crack 90 wins and if we do not, then we are not getting a wild card spot. it's interesting that Bud and Zack are predicting the same record, yet Zack thinks the Indians will get a wild card spot, while Bud does not. and as much as i love Hoynsie, i can only hope his prediction ends up being right lol he's way more hopeful than i can be right now. at least everyone has us finishing over .500!



the majority of players, pitchers and hitters, had successful springs. that is evident by the Indians' record of 20-9-2, best in both leagues. we displayed both great offense and defense. even the kids in the lower levels of the organization demonstrated star play. if anything, knowing we have some stellar athletes coming up in the farm system bodes well for the future of the franchise.

there is pressure on the team this year to prove that last year was not a fluke. it's going to be very difficult to match last season's record of 92 wins. at the very least, it's going to be tough just to put together 2 winning seasons in a row, something the Indians have not done since 2000-2001. a lot of things will have to go right, and sometimes in sports you just have to get lucky. the atmosphere around the Tribe players in spring seemed loose and confident, and if that can carry onto the field this year, then they will be a threat to every team they face.


some things that might make a difference this year that we didn't have last year:

--a full season with Salazar in the starting rotation

--Swisher starting the year without a shoulder injury and hopefully playing a full season healthy

--Bourn being more acquainted with AL pitchers, leading to more stolen bases

--Santana not catching as much, which should help his offense and take the pressure of calling games off him

--having a healthy Vinnie Pestano back in our bullpen for a full season

--having a full season under their belts with Francona as manager

--all of the players who were newbies last year have now gotten familiar with everyone and meshed very well together with the rest of the guys
 

the Indians did not make any big splashes in the free agent pool this offseason, mainly due to our higher salary acquisitions from the previous offseason. so i cannot honestly say we've improved any from last year. in fact, due to some of the big factor guys we lost, i think we may be, not necessarily worse, but possibly more inconsistent. as was the case last year, i think pitching is once again going to be questionable, both starting and relief.

our starting rotation has potential, but let's face it, it's not great. and it sure as hell is not intimidating to opponents by any means. Masterson is not a true ace, though he is our best starter hands down right now. he is capable of achieving a 20-win season, if our offense wants to help him out when he pitches. unfortunately, because Masterson pitches in the #1 spot, he usually goes against the opposing team's ace, and so it's easy to see why he's yet to have a 20-win season in his career. Kluber and McAllister are more than capable of throwing solid games, but they can also throw some ugly ones. not to mention there's concern that both will regress this year. Danny Salazar is getting his first full year in the big leagues now, and even though this kid has the stuff to be great, i think it's fair to say he will experience some struggles at times this year. and rounding out our top 5 is Carrasco. he would be better suited in the bullpen in my opinion, but what Tito wants, Tito gets. Carrasco has 2 personalities: the one who pitches well and remains focused on the game, and the one who's immature, forgets to use his fastball, and sometimes can't handle the pressure. i just hope that if the Carrasco Fiasco takes over the month of April, a change will be made by May.

it's comforting to know that we have Tomlin starting in Columbus, ready to be called up at any time. he's been very reliable, always pitching at least 5 innings when he starts. on the flip side, he hasn't pitched a full year in the bigs since 2011. he could struggle as well. we also have Bauer in Columbus, another pitcher with potential that has not yet been reached. he's young, unreliable, and not ready to be a current fixture in our rotation. after that, we really don't have any other strong pitching prospects. TJ House and Tyler Cloyd are both wild cards who would probably labor if brought up.

so there are definite question marks here with our rotation, and in order to win close to 90 games again, we will undoubtedly need our starting 5 to be spectacular. to have a chance at postseason, ideally, we need 3 or 4 of our starters to win a dozen games each. they'll need to be innings eaters, so we don't have to depend on the bullpen to bail us out on the regular. and speaking of that...


besides starting pitching, a team also needs a strong bullpen to be successful. our bullpen this season is very different from years past, and that may cause some problems. John Axford and Josh Outman are basically replacing the holes left by Chris Perez and Joe Smith. while Axford has looked great in spring games, Outman had some trouble with the long ball. that said, you never know how either will perform during the season. we don't know if Axford can close, he lost his closer job last year after all, and we have to be prepared that he may not be able to. then the entire bullpen will have to be shuffled around as far as who takes on which roles.

Vinnie Pestano is back with the club and he looked very good in spring. he's not hurt this year, which was his main problem last season. he's not going to return to his old role of set up man right away, but regardless of what inning he comes out for, if he can pitch like he did in 2012, that's a nice weapon to have.

of course our bullpen wouldn't be complete without a veteran presence, and this year that role is being filled by Scott Atchison. he had a nice spring, but we've seen in the past that the older bullpen guys can be disasters when they get in the real games. he could be this year's Hill or Durbin and get DFA'd before the All Star break. and you can't rule out that a guy his age might suffer a freak injury or two.

Blake Wood is also breaking camp with the Tribe this year. he's had surgery in the past and while that sometimes makes pitchers stronger, it's hard to say if Blake is really going to be a reliable part of the pen yet.

the final 3 making up our bullpen this year are Allen, Shaw, and Rzepczynski, all of whom were with the Tribe last year. these guys pitched very well for us in 2013, and the same is expected from them this year. although again, some regression could be a realistic possibility. if that happens, we have guys in Columbus with big league experience that we can call upon for help. but overall, i think the bullpen definitely has the potential to be one of the strongest in the league and lock down games for us.


i always say, good pitching means nothing if the offense can't score, and a few question marks remain in our lineup as well. Bourn really needs to prove himself this season. he has to do better than last year in order for us to put together a run towards the World Series, not to mention show everyone that he is worth his giant contract. how did he do in spring training? well he didn't play very much because he strained his hamstring. yes, the same hamstring he had surgery on during the offseason. with him starting the year on the DL and not having a full spring in preparation for the year, that doesn't exactly give me a vote of confidence in our center fielder. he needs his legs to be that speed demon on the basepaths, and with a hamstring issue, it's hard say how much that will affect his ability.

Swisher is another big piece of our team who needs to improve his numbers from last season if we want to make a push towards October. hopefully his shoulder won't give him any trouble this year and he can produce when we need him to.

is Cabby going to have a better year? you would think so, especially considering this is his last year before free agency and players have a tendency to step things up during their walk year. if he can improve in any way, that will be a big help for us. the fact that he's had a great camp is encouraging.

last year Jason Kipnis had a cold spring and slow start to the regular season. this spring, his bat was hot. if that can carry over into April, it would give the team a boost that it did not have a year ago.

David Murphy was a new addition to the team this offseason. he's set to platoon in right field with Raburn. unfortunately, Murphy didn't blow anybody away with his spring play. he's also known to have slow starts and unproductive numbers in April. so right now it's anyone's guess if he will even be an asset to this team.

another somewhat new addition to the team is Santana at the hot corner. he is going to play 3rd base this year. he's done a decent job in winter league and spring training, but he still has not played very much there. the Indians have basically said Santana will continue to "try out" at 3rd while the season gets going. we don't know for sure that this experiment will work out well, and if it doesn't, that could cause problems such as affecting his hitting and/or the outcomes of our games. i'm not saying this is something that could ultimately ruin the team, but it's a variable that we didn't have last season. best case scenario, Santana proves he can handle 3rd base and we finally get some nice production from that spot on the field.

because Santana is going to be playing more 3rd, that means Gomes will be our starting catcher. he did quite well coming off the bench last year. will his bat remain hot now that he's going to get more playing time, or will there be a regression?

Santana's time at 3rd also means we won't need to use Lonnie Chisenhall as much. a good strategy for the team would be to simply use Chiz against right-handed pitchers, and don't let him go near the lefties. there's also a chance Lonnie gets sent down to Columbus if the Indians feel like they can't regularly find playing time for him.

the last two additions to the team are Elliot Johnson and Nyjer Morgan. Elliot had a big spring. Tito likes him because he can play every position in the infield and outfield, and he's even been named the team's emergency catcher. his defense is stronger than his offense, so it's possible that once the season gets underway his bat will cool down. Morgan also had a nice spring, but he didn't play in the big leagues last year (he played in Japan) and had a somewhat disappointing year in 2012. if he's only a part-time player here, will he be productive? and will his alter ego "Tony Plush" cause any on- or off-field distraction or drama?

and the questions don't end there. as well as Brantley did last year and this spring, who's to say he won't face any adversity this year? will he still be as clutch as he was a year ago? and Raburn, will he be able to carry over his hot spring to the regular season, or will leg injuries slow him down? will the Goon Squad be as productive as it was last season? will Giambi still be a force, or is he just too old to help us now? and can Aviles continue to be a productive utility man for this team? i'm really not trying to be negative, i'm just pointing out how many question marks there are surrounding this team.


bottom line, this is not the same team that won 92 games last season. it's not a totally different team, but we have changed some of the pieces in our puzzle. it's unclear how any of the new guys will adapt to their new city and new roles. so far everyone's said the right things, but their true characters will come out when we encounter the inevitable tough times that always strike at some point.

this team is not going to be perfect. there are gonna be times when our starters have bad games. and there are gonna be times when the bullpen can't get anybody out, and when our closer blows games. there will be games where we're shut out because our offense can't hit their way out of a wet paper bag and bring anybody home. but there will also be times where we shut the other team out and win blow out games. there will be amazing comebacks and exciting walk-off wins. in order to succeed, we need to believe. hopefully we won't suffer through any long losing streaks, and if we're going in a bad way, that we can turn things around quickly and get back on the right path. the path to winning.


after reviewing the Tribe's spring and looking over the roster, i do think we have a good chance to finish the season with a winning record. i also think it's feasible that we could grab a wild card spot again. how far might we go in the postseason this time? it's hard to say. the odds will be best if everyone can stay relatively healthy, if the players who had bad years last year improve this year, and if our starters can consistently give us 6-7 innings every time out. that's a lot of ifs, but with Tito leading the way, it's not impossible.



i have spent the last 3 seasons arranging my schedule to ensure that i didn't miss any Tribe games. and that was a challenge last year considering all the health issues that popped up on me that i had to take care of in-season. going for a 4th straight year might be impractical because my health is still not 100%, but i will try my best to not miss any games that i can control without life getting in the way of my baseball habit lol based on the promos they're offering this season, i'm aiming to go to at least 8 games this year. and i won't give that up without a fight.

regardless, i am more than ready for baseball to begin. it's been a long 183 days. as always, i will be cheering the team on for all 162 games, through the good times and bad, with unwavering support. what else would you expect from me? ;D Ride or Die Tribe! Let's Go! =D



for the record, i'm picking the Dodgers to go all the way this year. i picked Washington to win it all last year and they disappointed. i think they'll do better this year, but i'm not picking them again lol i'm sure some sportswriters still see the Tigers as the favorites to come out of the AL, but i'm not sold, especially after losing some key players this offseason. i am going with a matchup of the Dodgers and Rays. i believe the AL will beat the NL once again in the All Star Game, so Tampa Bay will have home field advantage in the World Series, but i like the LA Dodgers to win it in 6 games.