over the past 10 days, the Indians have done some dealing and today specifically, on August 7, a big deal went down. so i'm going to take a minute to say goodbye to the 5 men who started 2015 as Cleveland Indians and will now be finishing their years elsewhere. usually i reserve these types of blogs for the guys who've spent a long duration of time with the team, but i will recognize everybody here because i feel like that's the right thing to do.
i briefly acknowledged the David Murphy trade in my latest Brantley blog, but i didn't get into all the details. he was traded on July 28 to the Los Angeles Angels for Double A shortstop, Eric Stamets. Murph's only been with the Indians since 2014 and had the most impact this season, when he was platooning with Ryan Raburn and playing mainly against right-handed starters. he seemed like a nice guy, hell his nickname was "Good Guy." i never had any interaction with him. in all the games i went to in the past 2 years--17 to this point--he never once signed an autograph. never before a game or after in the players parking lot. that disappointed me. but i wish him, his wife Andrea, his daughters Faith and Madison, and son Cole all the best.
Murphy had this to say a few days after the trade:
Showing posts with label trade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trade. Show all posts
Friday, August 7, 2015
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Goodbye VFP
looks like the Indians will never see Vinnie Fucking Pestano run out of their bullpen and race to the mound in record time ever again. in a surprising minor move today, the Indians traded relief pitcher Pestano, who was currently a member of the Columbus Clippers, to the LA Angels for Single A RHP Michael Clevinger. i don't know anything about this guy and i'm not sure why the Indians wanted to acquire him; he sure as hell isn't going to help us out anytime soon. i'm also not sure why the Indians desired to trade Vinnie. the move seems to imply that they gave up on him, which makes me sad.
Vinnie was an integral part of our bullpen in 2011 and 2012. he was an awesome 8th inning man, a freakin' strikeout machine, and there was even talk of him becoming our closer some day. but he had some elbow injuries he was trying to work through and that negatively impacted his performance. he was demoted to the Clippers last year after having continual tough times on the mound. he started 2014 with the Indians, but was quickly sent down to Columbus, where he stayed for a while. he was brought back up in June for a short stint before going back down to Triple A in July before now being traded.
even while pitching for C-bus, i was anticipating that he'd get things fixed, get back to striking batters out on the regular, and then be called up to Cleveland again to stay here for good. so much for that happening. honestly, he was slowly starting to improve. he made minor changes to his delivery and was getting right-handed batters out with ease again. but apparently the progress was not fast enough for the Indians to tolerate anymore.
upon hearing the news that he was traded, Vinnie tweeted the following. "What can be said after 9yrs? Thanks isnt enough. I am extremely grateful to the@Indians for the opportunity and the belief they had in me. Drafting me knowing I needed surgery and giving me a chance to fulfill my dreams is something I will never get to repay. To the fans who stuck by me through my highest highs and my lowest lows
thank you for your support and I’ll miss your cheers very much. Im thankful for the new opportunity with the @Angels organization and could not have thought of a better place to go than where I grew up."
in a phone interview with Jordan Bastian, Vinnie also said this. "i saw the writing on the wall a little bit. there are some other guys that [the Indians] are more fond of. it's part of the game and i get that. i'm excited for a new opportunity. it's good to feel wanted. you're always pitching for 29 other teams--not just your own. i'm glad to get a fresh start with somebody else and an opportunity to impact their club. i'm not upset or mad or anything. i've been in the shadow of that halo for a while, so it'll be nice to get back out there."
when i think about Vinnie's time with us, two major things come to mind. the way he would seriously RACE out to the mound when he was summoned out of the bullpen is what i remember Vin for the most. nobody else did that, and i loved it. the other thing i loved about Vin? his fucking awesome intro music. he had, by far, the best music imo because i love rock. Volbeat's "A Warrior's Call," Pantera's "Walk," and Five Finger Death Punch's "Lift Me Up" were my favorite songs that he ran out and warmed up to. hearing that music blasting throughout the park got me so pumped up, and it will definitely be missed.
Vinnie was very fan friendly. he was active on twitter and did many Q&As with fans. he also took time to sign autographs for fans in the players parking lot after games. i've gotten his auto several times on my baseball cards, baseballs, and Batter Ups!
Jason Kipnis was his best friend/roommate for a long time. he was sad enough when Vinnie was sent down to Columbus, so i'm sure he's taking this trade pretty hard. as luck would have it though, Vinnie could possibly reunite with an old bullpen mafia member in the future, submarine style relief pitcher Joe Smith. but for now, Vinnie will be reporting to LA's Triple A club, the Salt Lake Bees. i wish him very good luck in the LA organization and i hope he gets back to the major league level real soon.
Vinnie was an integral part of our bullpen in 2011 and 2012. he was an awesome 8th inning man, a freakin' strikeout machine, and there was even talk of him becoming our closer some day. but he had some elbow injuries he was trying to work through and that negatively impacted his performance. he was demoted to the Clippers last year after having continual tough times on the mound. he started 2014 with the Indians, but was quickly sent down to Columbus, where he stayed for a while. he was brought back up in June for a short stint before going back down to Triple A in July before now being traded.
even while pitching for C-bus, i was anticipating that he'd get things fixed, get back to striking batters out on the regular, and then be called up to Cleveland again to stay here for good. so much for that happening. honestly, he was slowly starting to improve. he made minor changes to his delivery and was getting right-handed batters out with ease again. but apparently the progress was not fast enough for the Indians to tolerate anymore.
upon hearing the news that he was traded, Vinnie tweeted the following. "What can be said after 9yrs? Thanks isnt enough. I am extremely grateful to the
in a phone interview with Jordan Bastian, Vinnie also said this. "i saw the writing on the wall a little bit. there are some other guys that [the Indians] are more fond of. it's part of the game and i get that. i'm excited for a new opportunity. it's good to feel wanted. you're always pitching for 29 other teams--not just your own. i'm glad to get a fresh start with somebody else and an opportunity to impact their club. i'm not upset or mad or anything. i've been in the shadow of that halo for a while, so it'll be nice to get back out there."
when i think about Vinnie's time with us, two major things come to mind. the way he would seriously RACE out to the mound when he was summoned out of the bullpen is what i remember Vin for the most. nobody else did that, and i loved it. the other thing i loved about Vin? his fucking awesome intro music. he had, by far, the best music imo because i love rock. Volbeat's "A Warrior's Call," Pantera's "Walk," and Five Finger Death Punch's "Lift Me Up" were my favorite songs that he ran out and warmed up to. hearing that music blasting throughout the park got me so pumped up, and it will definitely be missed.
Vinnie was very fan friendly. he was active on twitter and did many Q&As with fans. he also took time to sign autographs for fans in the players parking lot after games. i've gotten his auto several times on my baseball cards, baseballs, and Batter Ups!
Jason Kipnis was his best friend/roommate for a long time. he was sad enough when Vinnie was sent down to Columbus, so i'm sure he's taking this trade pretty hard. as luck would have it though, Vinnie could possibly reunite with an old bullpen mafia member in the future, submarine style relief pitcher Joe Smith. but for now, Vinnie will be reporting to LA's Triple A club, the Salt Lake Bees. i wish him very good luck in the LA organization and i hope he gets back to the major league level real soon.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Goodbye Cabby
today the Indians sent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and cash to the Washington Nationals for infielder Zach Walters. it's another move that i have no problem with, but again, it is somewhat sad. Cabby was having a rough year, that's no secret. and it came at the worst time for him considering he was to become a free agent at the end of the season. he was making so many errors and struggling at the plate, and there was no way we were going to retain him after the year ended, so it's good that we got something for him now. but the guy was still trying hard every day and was a dedicated player. for that, i have respect.
Asdrubal had this to say after hearing the news. "i had fun here, you know. this is the team that gave me the opportunity to play at this level. those guys, my teammates, i'm leaving good guys. it's hard, but this is what it's about. that's the game."
i have fond memories of Cabby. i only got his autograph once, and currently have 4 unsigned Cabby baseball cards =( but i have taken tons of photos of him throughout his time in Cleveland when i was at games. i remember so many times when i'd catch Cabby looking into the crowd in between innings before the game would resume, and we definitely had some eye contact on more than one occasion. i like when that kinda thing happens with a player, i'm all about making a little connection lol Cabby's not a bad guy, he's just having a rough stretch, including a bad year this year. i truly believe the potential for him is still there. i've seen it, we all have. i watched him turn a lot of impressive double plays over the years. i was proud of him when he was named to the All Star team in 2011 and 2012, and of course i'll never forget how important of a role he played in getting us to the playoffs in 2007. it wasn't all bad with Cabby, and i'm thankful for the memories.
so good luck to Cabby with the Nats. maybe the change in scenery will help him turn things around and end his year on a high note. i wish him, his wife Lismar, his son Asdrubal Jr, his second son Meyer (he was the cutest kid of all the players' kids btw), and his daughter Ashley nothing but the best. and maybe someday the Indians will be drafting his son and it will be a happy reunion.
Walters is headed to the Columbus Clippers for now. he mostly plays short but he can also play 2nd and 3rd with potential to play the outfield. he's also a switch-hitter, just like Cabby. the plan is for Mike Aviles and Jose Ramirez to fill Cabby's spot at short for the time being. some fans i'm sure will be pissed that Francisco Lindor is not coming up yet, but i don't see any reason to rush the kid. the Indians' plan for him all along was to let him play a little bit in Columbus, and then bring him up in September. that wasn't going to change even if Cabby was traded. but if you know Tribe fans as well as i do, you can guess that there's a group of them who aren't pleased. some people will find anything to complain about even if something good just happened.
we were not going to acquire a top of the rotation starting pitcher for Cabrera after the way he played this year. think about it. at the end of the day, the 2 deals made in the past 2 days were done in order to get something for 2 free agents now, instead of nothing for them at the end of the year. no, these deals are not going to help us surge to the playoffs this season, but that's why there's still the August 31 deadline. chillax people.
 |
| after Cabrera heard the news he was traded. photo courtesy of Brian Dulik on twitter |
Asdrubal had this to say after hearing the news. "i had fun here, you know. this is the team that gave me the opportunity to play at this level. those guys, my teammates, i'm leaving good guys. it's hard, but this is what it's about. that's the game."
i have fond memories of Cabby. i only got his autograph once, and currently have 4 unsigned Cabby baseball cards =( but i have taken tons of photos of him throughout his time in Cleveland when i was at games. i remember so many times when i'd catch Cabby looking into the crowd in between innings before the game would resume, and we definitely had some eye contact on more than one occasion. i like when that kinda thing happens with a player, i'm all about making a little connection lol Cabby's not a bad guy, he's just having a rough stretch, including a bad year this year. i truly believe the potential for him is still there. i've seen it, we all have. i watched him turn a lot of impressive double plays over the years. i was proud of him when he was named to the All Star team in 2011 and 2012, and of course i'll never forget how important of a role he played in getting us to the playoffs in 2007. it wasn't all bad with Cabby, and i'm thankful for the memories.
so good luck to Cabby with the Nats. maybe the change in scenery will help him turn things around and end his year on a high note. i wish him, his wife Lismar, his son Asdrubal Jr, his second son Meyer (he was the cutest kid of all the players' kids btw), and his daughter Ashley nothing but the best. and maybe someday the Indians will be drafting his son and it will be a happy reunion.
Walters is headed to the Columbus Clippers for now. he mostly plays short but he can also play 2nd and 3rd with potential to play the outfield. he's also a switch-hitter, just like Cabby. the plan is for Mike Aviles and Jose Ramirez to fill Cabby's spot at short for the time being. some fans i'm sure will be pissed that Francisco Lindor is not coming up yet, but i don't see any reason to rush the kid. the Indians' plan for him all along was to let him play a little bit in Columbus, and then bring him up in September. that wasn't going to change even if Cabby was traded. but if you know Tribe fans as well as i do, you can guess that there's a group of them who aren't pleased. some people will find anything to complain about even if something good just happened.
we were not going to acquire a top of the rotation starting pitcher for Cabrera after the way he played this year. think about it. at the end of the day, the 2 deals made in the past 2 days were done in order to get something for 2 free agents now, instead of nothing for them at the end of the year. no, these deals are not going to help us surge to the playoffs this season, but that's why there's still the August 31 deadline. chillax people.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Goodbye Nasty Masty
so news broke a little while ago that the Indians traded Justin Masterson to the St. Louis Cardinals and got prospect OF James Ramsey in return. this was a good move by the Indians. Masterson was not going to get re-signed with the Tribe after this season and at least now we got something in return for him. and this Ramsey guy has gotten some good reviews and high praise by baseball media. with the lack of OF depth in our farm system, this is a welcome addition. Ramsey will go to the Columbus Clippers and then if another one of our OFs gets hurt, he could get a call up to the Tribe.
but back to Masty. when Mickey Callaway lead Masterson into an office with the blinds closed and Terry Francona, Chris Antonetti, and Mark Shapiro waiting for him, he knew what was coming. "i said, 'uh oh. either i'm going to get beat, or i'm getting traded somewhere,'" Masterson said. "i was surprised it took place, but i understand and see it. it's bittersweet. i'm forever grateful for all that they've given me the chance to do within my career. i'm sad to leave the fellas and the fight that we're making here in Cleveland, but excited to get to St. Louis and be a part of what they have going on there."
i'm happy with this move, but it's sad at the same time. Masterson did not pitch well this year. we lost a lot of games in the beginning of the season thanks to his non-quality starts. i felt like something was wrong with him for a few months before it finally came out that he had been experiencing a knee problem since the 2nd game of the season. when the team put him on the DL and he did his rehabbing in Columbus, he still wasn't pitching well. despite the fact that he's shown in the past that he can pitch like an ace, i just didn't believe that he would turn things around and pitch well enough for us in the final 2 months of the season. so i don't view this as a loss to the team whatsoever. but it is a loss of a nice human being. he was such a polite person, always smiling no matter the situation. he was very positive, almost to a fault.
Masterson was the best Indians player when it came to fan interaction. he always signed autographs for fans. and he didn't just sign for a few people. he'd sign for every single person who wanted an autograph, no matter how many people were there. he'd go all the way down the fence in the players parking lot and sign, then he'd take more time and pose for photos. he'd go all down the 3rd baseline and sign for everyone who had something for him to sign. he was a great man. i've gotten his autograph several times while he was here and i'm happy that i did.
Nasty Masty was part of a lot of good times for the Tribe and he did do a lot of positive things in the past. so i'm sorry to see Justin go in that regard. but he hasn't been Nasty Masty in a while. he was too inconsistent for the team to keep putting out on the mound every 5 games. and that is unfortunate because i know a lot of fans really wanted him to perform better, but it just didn't happen. so thank you Justin for the memories. and i wish nothing but the best for him, his wife Meryl (the team's DEFINITELY gonna miss her free cookies lol), his daughter Eden Joy, and his baby twins, Nadia and Cruz. good luck in St. Louis!
one thing that Indians fans need to realize is that this trade is not the Indians giving up on the season or being "sellers." all Justin did was hurt the team this season to be frank. and with the way Tito was loyal to him, that didn't help either. so getting a team to trade something to us now instead of just letting him walk at the end of the season was the way to go. losing Masterson does not put our playoff hopes this year to an end. and honestly, i think the Indians would be wise to do the same thing with Asdrubal Cabrera, if any team can offer us anything of use. dealing Masterson and Cabrera now, at this point in time, as odd as it sounds, does not label the team as sellers. this isn't even close to a fire-sale. remember that. this season is far from over, and dropping the dead weight now does no further harm.
but back to Masty. when Mickey Callaway lead Masterson into an office with the blinds closed and Terry Francona, Chris Antonetti, and Mark Shapiro waiting for him, he knew what was coming. "i said, 'uh oh. either i'm going to get beat, or i'm getting traded somewhere,'" Masterson said. "i was surprised it took place, but i understand and see it. it's bittersweet. i'm forever grateful for all that they've given me the chance to do within my career. i'm sad to leave the fellas and the fight that we're making here in Cleveland, but excited to get to St. Louis and be a part of what they have going on there."
i'm happy with this move, but it's sad at the same time. Masterson did not pitch well this year. we lost a lot of games in the beginning of the season thanks to his non-quality starts. i felt like something was wrong with him for a few months before it finally came out that he had been experiencing a knee problem since the 2nd game of the season. when the team put him on the DL and he did his rehabbing in Columbus, he still wasn't pitching well. despite the fact that he's shown in the past that he can pitch like an ace, i just didn't believe that he would turn things around and pitch well enough for us in the final 2 months of the season. so i don't view this as a loss to the team whatsoever. but it is a loss of a nice human being. he was such a polite person, always smiling no matter the situation. he was very positive, almost to a fault.
Masterson was the best Indians player when it came to fan interaction. he always signed autographs for fans. and he didn't just sign for a few people. he'd sign for every single person who wanted an autograph, no matter how many people were there. he'd go all the way down the fence in the players parking lot and sign, then he'd take more time and pose for photos. he'd go all down the 3rd baseline and sign for everyone who had something for him to sign. he was a great man. i've gotten his autograph several times while he was here and i'm happy that i did.
Nasty Masty was part of a lot of good times for the Tribe and he did do a lot of positive things in the past. so i'm sorry to see Justin go in that regard. but he hasn't been Nasty Masty in a while. he was too inconsistent for the team to keep putting out on the mound every 5 games. and that is unfortunate because i know a lot of fans really wanted him to perform better, but it just didn't happen. so thank you Justin for the memories. and i wish nothing but the best for him, his wife Meryl (the team's DEFINITELY gonna miss her free cookies lol), his daughter Eden Joy, and his baby twins, Nadia and Cruz. good luck in St. Louis!
one thing that Indians fans need to realize is that this trade is not the Indians giving up on the season or being "sellers." all Justin did was hurt the team this season to be frank. and with the way Tito was loyal to him, that didn't help either. so getting a team to trade something to us now instead of just letting him walk at the end of the season was the way to go. losing Masterson does not put our playoff hopes this year to an end. and honestly, i think the Indians would be wise to do the same thing with Asdrubal Cabrera, if any team can offer us anything of use. dealing Masterson and Cabrera now, at this point in time, as odd as it sounds, does not label the team as sellers. this isn't even close to a fire-sale. remember that. this season is far from over, and dropping the dead weight now does no further harm.
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