Indians Spring 2018 Recap, Player Evaluations, and Predictions

hey, Indians fans! Happy Opening Day Eve! well, we made it through another offseason and spring training! after a 169-day waiting period, the Tribe will begin the 2018 campaign and embark on their journey toward a championship in just a mere 27 hours! who's ready?👏👊

in the meantime, what do you say to a recap of the Tribe's spring? i've divided this blog into several sections including a quick Cactus League overview, a summary of our offseason free agent signings, and of course, my player evaluations. you'll also find a couple Tribe predictions that i made here, as well as predictions for the American League Championship Series, National League Championship Series, and World Series matchups. in addition, i incorporated my final thoughts and some miscellaneous game talk at the end, too. so scroll through everything and let me know what ya think!😉

real fast though, let me first welcome the new visitors who i noticed checked out my blog during the offseason. if you are from Cambodia, New Zealand, and/or Kuwait, thank you very much for stopping by!👋 i'm so grateful and honored that you found All Things Brantley, All Things Tribe and i hope you continue to read my posts during the 2018 baseball season! feel free to leave comments and have your say about any of the topics that interest you.💭💻

Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab #s and My Predictions

hi again, Brantley fans! welcome to my Part 2 blog of Michael Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab information. i kept the emphasis in this one on the numbers, rather than detailed daily updates. here you will find statistics, number breakdowns, and game lines from Michael's rehab game appearances with the Cleveland Indians. in addition, there's a section at the bottom of this post containing some predictions i made about his 2018 regular season. if you're looking for all the specifics of Michael's running progressions and rehab game at bats and plate appearances from spring training, then you'll want to read my previous Part 1 blog: Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab & Game Details. (should you be so inclined, may i recommend having both blogs open in two separate tabs to easily and conveniently compare the game line information with Michael's rehab details per date.💁)


note: i like to lead off my Cactus League #s post by reminding everyone that it can be quite difficult to get a "full" game experience during spring. what i mean by that is, when i do my in-season documentation, i have access to all the info i like/want during a game because i have my MLB Gameday open on the computer and Gameday audio subscription playing. in spring training, those are not always options/reliable. not every game has someone providing play-by-play and color commentary of the contest. when that happens, i'm stuck

Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab & Game Details

hey there, Brantley fans!👋 welcome to another season of blogs about our beloved Dr. Smooth! i can't say it's good to be back, per se, because i was writing all offseason and never really left... 🗍🖉🗐📓lol

so let me get right to it. if you haven't heard by now, Michael is going to open the season on the 10-Day DL. no, he did not suffer a setback. he simply hasn't quite built up the necessary endurance yet that's needed to play complete games every day. he last appeared in a Cactus League game on March 25, so the Indians can backdate his DL stint to March 26. that would potentially allow him to be activated in time for the Home Opener on April 6 versus the Kansas City Royals. fingers crossed he gets adequate playing time with the minor leaguers before then to make that a reality.🤞

in my previous updates blog, Michael was limited to throwing, hitting live BP, and doing straight-ahead running. since then, he's progressed to forward and backward running, lateral movements, outfield progression, a simulated game, baserunning workouts, and three minor league games before finally getting approval to play in Cactus League games with the Indians. he made it through every step on his rehab check list, but

Brantley To Open Indians' 2018 Season on 10-Day DL

today, on March 25, Terry Francona told reporters that Michael Brantley will open the Cleveland Indians' 2018 season on the 10-Day DL. Michael is currently playing in the team's Cactus League game versus the Cincinnati Reds right now, so the club can make his DL stint retroactive to tomorrow, March 26 (if he sits out the final two spring games). in doing that, Michael would only need to spend seven days on the disabled list during the regular season and would be eligible for activation in time for the Tribe's Home Opener versus the Kansas City Royals on April 6. should that scenario play out, Michael would miss just the first six games/two road series between March 29 and April 4. (in my opinion, this is a realistic possibility.👍)

photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter

the skipper made it clear that Michael has NOT

Brantley News & Ankle Updates from February 2018 (Pre-Spring Games)

play ball! the Cleveland Indians will do just that tomorrow when their first Cactus League game officially gets underway. well, most of the Indians, that is. stop me if you've heard this before--Michael Brantley is not quite ready to play in spring games yet. once again, the Tribe is being cautious with the left fielder's rehab, this time from right ankle surgery, and going slow with his running program. he's currently a little over four months removed from the procedure he had done in the offseason on October 18, 2017, to stabilize the ligaments.

like last year, i decided to give you guys all the February updates that i've come across prior to game action. after months of not getting any satisfying information about Michael's status, this blog contains details on where Michael is in his recovery, what he's allowed to do activity-wise, and a tentative plan for progression in the next couple weeks. there are also plenty of quotes, pictures, and links to videos, as well as an interview that Michael did with himself!😀

if you've missed any news since Michael had his surgery, i've got you. here are all the previous blogs i've written with updates between October 19, 2017, and January 27, 2018:
Brantley Undergoes Right Ankle Surgery, Recovery Will Take 4-5 Months
Brantley News from October 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't

Brantley Not Ranked in MLB Network's Top 100 Players Right Now

happy pitchers and catchers report day, Tribe fans! spring training is here and Cactus League games begin in just nine days! so what better time for MLB Network's Top 100 Players Right Now? the three-day countdown features hosts Greg Amsinger, Bill Ripken, and Ron Darling, as per usual. in six one-hour episodes between February 14-16, the Top 100 Players currently in Major League Baseball going into the 2018 season are being unveiled. this year's reveal is coming in 20-player increments in the first four installments, followed by the Top 20 in the final two shows, with the Top 10 broadcast airing live.

photo courtesy of @MLBNetworkPR

this Top 100 list is compiled by

I'll Stand By You, Chief Wahoo

July 2020 edit:

in light of events that occurred in 2020, i felt an imperative need to come back to this blog post. the Indians are currently in the process of reviewing their team name and will most likely move on from it within the next two years. since the team was named for the/their first Native American baseball player from the late 1890s, Penobscot Louis Sockalexis, i do not see the name as being offensive or representative of malicious intent. however, i can understand why Native Americans believe it is an unacceptable moniker. i also sympathize with their fight against racism and for justice and equality. i know the purpose of all the protests was to be heard; i hear you.

while i can't take back what i wrote here in 2018 (i refuse to merely delete the post as if it never existed), i want to take accountability for things that i said that could be construed as insensitive and inappropriate. i am always going to associate warm feelings with the Chief Wahoo because it takes me back to my childhood and it played a large part in my becoming a fan of baseball. but i acknowledge that those joyous feelings are not shared by everyone. i was wrong to propose that people not take offense to the Wahoo and the Tribe's name. i see things from both sides now, whereas i was unwilling to before, and i have no animosity toward those who disagree with my stance on this matter.

i apologize if my thoughts and feelings in this post were triggers for people who have an opposing view and if i came off as condescending. i'm truly sorry to anyone i hurt. i have and always will be very passionate about this Cleveland baseball team, but i want to make it abundantly clear that i do not wish any pain or ill will on any race. as someone who has a very hard time with change and will again need to go through a grieving period before i can accept the new reality, i sincerely hope the change that's forthcoming can somehow bring peace to all those who seek it.

/end edit


START OF ORIGINAL POST:

by now you've all heard the news that the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo logo will be no more come 2019. i can't say i'm surprised because yes, i did know this was going to happen eventually. but getting word of the actual "expiration date" and learning that 2018 will officially be the final year that we see the Chief on the Tribe's hats and jersey sleeves is certainly a tough pill to swallow.

photo courtesy of celinacolombo.wordpress.com

i wanted to wait a little bit after the announcement on January 29 before compiling yet another blog with my reactions, thoughts, and support of the Chief. i needed to cool down; otherwise, this post would have been laced with

Brantley News & Ankle Updates from January 2018

hi, Brantley fans! let me cut right to the chase. January was another slow news month as far as information about Michael's rehab from right ankle surgery goes. he is now over three months into his recovery, but we haven't gotten any insight as to where he is in the process and what type of baseball activities he's been doing thus far, if any. has he started to run on a treadmill yet? no clue. did he swing the bat at all during the offseason? couldn't tell ya. besides that, there's been no timetable put on Michael and it's currently unknown whether or not he'll be ready to open up the 2018 season with the Tribe.🤔

the consolation though is that we're definitely going to hear some detailed updates shortly because Michael is due to report to camp in just two and a half weeks (or possibly sooner)! so hang in there a little longer, #TeamBrantley. the countdown to February 18 is on!😃

meanwhile, if you've missed anything since Michael's surgery or need a refresher, here are my three previous news/update blogs:
Brantley News from October 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base
Brantley News & Ankle Updates from December 2017


now let's get to the January news and updates!

Brantley Not Ranked in MLB Network's Top 10 Left Fielders Right Now

hello, baseball fans! MLB Network is currently in Week 3 of the Top 10 Right Now series where the best players at each position around the diamond are ranked. the 8th annual program has been airing on Saturdays this year, differing from Sundays a year ago and Thursdays in 2016. tonight, on January 27, the "Top 10 Right Now: Left Fielders" show premiered at 9 pm ET.

screenshot cropped from a video on m.mlb.com

host Brian Kenny was once again joined by analyst Eric Byrnes to reveal the Top 10 LFs presently in baseball going into the 2018 season, as determined by

Brantley Will Not Be Attending Tribe Fest 2018

hey there, Brantley fans! i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but today i have some unfortunate information to report. a couple days ago, i noticed that Michael's name was no longer on the list of confirmed players for Tribe Fest, presented by KeyBank, on January 20.😕

screenshot cropped from a video on indians.com

so i decided to reach out to the Indians on twitter and ask if Michael had to cancel. here's how they responded: unfortunately, Michael