Goodbye Dr. Smooth

hello all and Happy New Year's Eve. as we're about to close the book on 2018, the time has come for me to finally say my goodbye to Michael Brantley. i don't want to, but i have to. i've written several goodbye blogs to former Cleveland Indians players in the past after they were traded or signed with another team as free agents, yet none were ever as hard for me to compose as this one. i'm still trying to accept the reality of how different everything's going to be next year and i'm simply not okay with it.😭

if you don't already know, Michael officially signed a two-year, $32 million deal with the Houston Astros on December 19. he parted ways with the Indians following a 10-year tenure because they weren't in a position to retain him. that was made clear five days after the World Series ended, on November 2, when they didn't even extend a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Michael, so he entered into free agency for the first time in his career. and it led him to the 'Stros.

Brantley's Career Situational #s & Statistics as an Indian

hi there, Brantley fans! i hope you had a good Christmas🎄 if that's a holiday you recognize and celebrate. i joked that Santa Claus delivered Tribe fans' present to Houston by mistake and now it's gonna be stuck there for the next two years...😞 sad, but true.

anyway, i'm back with the third and final piece of the Michael Brantley's career numbers with the Cleveland Indians series. this one is full of situational statistics--everyone's favorite, am i right? the layout of this blog mirrors that of my usual situational posts. here you will find Michael's batting averages and other numbers against right-handed and left-handing pitching, at home and on the road, with runners in scoring position, with runners on base, with the bases loaded, and with the bases empty. other stats included are his WAR, wRC+, BsR, UZR, and DRS. i also listed out Michael's numbers versus each AL Central Division team and every National League team he played against in his 10-year career. some of Michael's offensive league rankings and defensive league rankings have been archived as well. there's more miscellaneous stuff too, namely his season career highs, team leads, K rate, the types of outs he hit into, his best hitting streaks, and historical moments with the Indians. besides all that, i decided to add a few things i don't ordinarily highlight, those being

Brantley's Career Batting Order Position & LF/CF/PH/DH #s as an Indian

hello again, Brantley fans! this is the second blog in my series analyzing Michael Brantley's career numbers and stats from his 10 years as a Cleveland Indian. it consists of his batting order position numbers, along with his left field, center field, PH, DH, PH for DH, and PR numbers. the format is the same as my typical BOP wrap up blogs, though keen-eyed readers will be quick to spot that there are a few changes.

the thing is, as i mentioned in my previous post, from 2009-2011, i did not document and personally calculate Michael's game stats during his first 214 games in the majors. i very recently researched back through those to complete this. and again, my writing and coverage of Michael's numbers expanded as time went by, so there are certain things that i've been keeping track of in his last few campaigns that i didn't take notes on in the early days even when i was documenting his stats. therefore, i was unable to get an accurate total count for various data and, unfortunately, the following had to eliminated from this blog:
--first at bat hits,
--runners left on base,
--which specific bases Michael stole and which specific bases

Brantley's Career Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes as an Indian

hey, Brantley fans! after much debate, i decided to compile a trio of posts featuring Michael's numbers and statistics from his 10 years as a Cleveland Indian before he starts adding onto his MLB career stats with numbers from his new team, the Houston Astros.

the first installment of my three-part series is his game-by-game numbers and notes. if you're a long-time reader of mine and have followed along with my end of the season wrap up blogs, then you're already familiar with this and how it's gonna go. if not, well, it should be easy enough to pick up on because i section off and divide everything for clarity.

however, in order to make this blog complete, i had to go back and research Michael's first 214 games in the majors due to the fact that i did not personally document those stats from his early years between 2009-2011. also, i didn't get into all the specifics of Michael's numbers when i did begin to keep track of them, so there are some notes and other information that's not included, mainly around the 2012-2013 years of his career. as my writing evolved, so did my notekeeping and you'll discover that once i get to Michael's more recent campaigns. nonetheless, the game lines won't necessarily be

Brantley News and Rumors from December 2018

hi there, Brantley fans. the wait is over and the rumor mill about Michael Brantley is now closed. if you haven't heard yet, earlier this evening, on December 17, Michael left the free agent market when he made the decision to continue his baseball career as a member of the Houston Astros.😮 he's agreed to a straight two-year, $32 million deal and once he takes his physical tomorrow, it will be official. Cleveland fans are weeping, none more than me.😭

but before Michael gave approval to this new contract with Houston, there was a lot of speculation and rumors floating around this month and i've got them all right here for you now.

and in case you missed the rumors and reports from November, or just want to re-visit where Michael was said to potentially go last month, please refer back to this blog: Brantley News and Rumors from November 2018.

December 1: in Paul Hoynes' Hey, Hoynsie on cleveland.com, David of St. Augustine, Florida, wanted to know how the Indians were going to solve the Yandy Diaz, Jose Ramirez, and Jason Kipnis problem. and he did not want to hear that Kipnis would play left field. sadly for David, Hoynsie told him what he didn't want to hear, with his solution being

Brantley Agrees to Two-Year, $32 Million Deal with Houston Astros

this is a sad day for Tribe fans, but a good day for Brantley fans. and if you're both like i am, then i'm sure you're very torn. after being with the Cleveland Indians for 10 years, he is no longer ours. today, on December 17, it was announced that Michael Brantley has agreed to a two-year, $32 million deal with the Houston Astros.

photo courtesy of @MLB on twitter

Ken Rosenthal was the first to reveal a deal was close at 6:47 pm ET. Jeff Passan disclosed that Michael had been discussing two-year deals with a vesting third-year option, according to sources, before he reported the deal was a straight two-year deal with no options at 7 pm ET. evidently, there is "still some work for it to be official, but

Brantley Nominated For 2018 Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award

what's up, Brantley fans? i've got a quick post for you because today, on December 2, it was publicized that Michael had been nominated for the 2018 Frank Gibbons-Steve Olin Good Guy Award. unfortunately, he didn't win. instead, Cleveland's franchise leader in saves, former Indians closer/now free agent Cody Allen was named the winner of this annual award for his assistance off the field. congrats, Cody!👏

the Good Guy Award has been given out by the Cleveland chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America since 1968. it is bestowed upon the Indians' player, coach, manager, or team employee who understands the media's job when it comes to covering a baseball team, per Paul Hoynes' article on cleveland.com. more specifically, the recipients of this honor are known for always being accommodating and reliable with the local media, as well as accountable, approachable, and insightful whether after having a good game or bad game. (source: Anthony Castrovince's mlb.com article.) that absolutely described Allen this year, as he never shied away from reporters when he was going through tough times. his selection was well-deserved.👍

the naming of this particular award comes from columnist Frank Gibbons, who

Brantley News and Rumors from November 2018

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

Brantley Wins Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award!

don't call it a comeback! wait... yes, do! hey there, Brantley fans, i have great news! remember on October 16, when Michael Brantley was named a finalist for the Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year? well tonight, on November 27, the winner was finally revealed, live from the Four Seasons in Dallas, Texas, and... Michael won the PCA for 2018 American League Comeback Player of the Year!!! congratulations, Brant!!!👏👊😀

photo courtesy of mlbplayers.com

Michael will now receive a $20,000 grant from

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

Lindor & Ramirez Win Louisville Slugger's 2018 Silver Slugger Awards!

hey, Tribe fans. today, on November 8, Fran Charles and Eric Byrnes revealed on MLB Network that the Cleveland Indians have two Silver Sluggers on their team! Francisco Lindor won Louisville Slugger's 2018 American League Shortstop Silver Slugger Award & Jose Ramirez won Louisville Slugger's 2018 American League 3rd Baseman Silver Slugger Award! this is the second Silver Slugger for both and second straight year that the two won the award together. congratulations!👏

photo courtesy of @MLBNetwork on twitter

Brantley Does Not Receive One-Year, $17.9 Million Qualifying Offer from Indians

hi, Brantley and Indians fans. sorry, but i'm about to ruin your weekend. i regret to inform you that this afternoon, on November 2, the Cleveland Indians announced they decided not to extend a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Michael Brantley for 2019. to say i'm stunned is putting it mildly. none of the Tribe's free agents received a QO, but the news on Brant, one of the most likely candidates for the one-year offer, is particularly unsettling.😟

photo taken from mlb.com/indians article

according to Jordan Bastian's article on mlb.com/indians, Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti explained in a conference call, "ultimately,

Brantley News from October 2018

hey, Brantley fans! thought i would put together a post containing some news that's accumulated about Michael since the end of the Tribe's short-lived playoff run. honestly, this is mostly just a lot of speculation regarding whether Michael will or won't be playing for Cleveland in 2019. and i have to say, the verdict isn't good. i tried to prepare you guys all season long because i don't think he's coming back. this club is going to have a lot more players earning double digit millions next year and they just won't have any extra resources to pay Michael what other teams will propose. the only glimmer of hope Tribe fans have right now is that the Indians should extend a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Michael, which they have until 5 pm ET on November 2 to do. and if Michael doesn't want to start over with a new team in a new city, where he'll have to make new friends and adapt to a new team culture and move his family to all new surroundings, then perhaps there's a small chance he would take the QO and stay with the Indians one more year. but that's really not likely. when money talks, people walk. and Michael will learn to be a leader in a new environment just fine because the man knows how to rise to a challenge and succeed.

looking at it from Michael's perspective, he just finished a full and healthy season and proved to the doubters that he can still play at a high level. so say he did accept the Tribe's QO for 2019, and then he suffers another freak injury. he won't have that safety net of a QO after 2019 to fall back on because

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,

Brantley Named Finalist For Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year

hello, Brantley fans! i'm back with more news! this should come as no surprise, but it was formally announced earlier today, on October 16, that Michael Brantley was named as one of three finalists for the Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year!👏 he's nominated with right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson of the Oakland Athletics and left-handed pitcher David Price of the Boston Red Sox.

photo courtesy of mlbplayers.com

per the website, this award is described as for those who have overcome adversity and

Brantley Finishes 3rd For Sporting News' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award

hey, Brantley fans. i've got another (quick) post for you because today, on October 16, Sporting News announced their winner for AL Comeback Player of the Year. Michael received votes, but ultimately finished in 3rd place while David Price of the Boston Red Sox was named the 2018 Comeback Player in the American League.

this award, given out by Sporting News since 1965, is voted on by the players. there is no set criteria for what makes a player eligible for the Comeback Award, so the players get to decide on their own which of their peers' "career downturns" was significant enough to be considered. the fact that someone missed a year due to an injury is not always a factor in the voting for a Comeback Player. ballots were cast in early September and 14 players in the American League received at least one vote.

according to the article by Ryan Fagan, Price led the way with 20 votes. Edwin Jackson of the Oakland Athletics got 16 total votes, Michael got

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

Brantley's 2018 Situational #s & Statistics

what's up, Brantley fans? this is the third installment of my series of wrap up blogs detailing Michael's season and it has a lot of numbers, as it features all his situational #s and statistics for 2018. more specifically, that includes Michael's batting averages and stats against right-handed and left-handed pitchers, at home and on the road, with runners in scoring position, with runners on base, with the bases loaded, and with the bases empty. you're also going to see his team highs, career highs, offensive league rankings, and some defensive league rankings, as well as his final numbers versus every AL Central Division team and each National League team the Indians played in 2018. in addition, i've incorporated things like his K rate, LOB, types of outs he made, number of times he reached base, and number of times he was left stranded. Michael's WAR, wRC+, BsR, UZR, and DRS are all in here, too. no offense to Michael's game lines and BOP #s, but i'd bet that this is the blog you really wanna see because it's got all the meat of his 2018 numbers. enjoy!😁


in 2018, Michael had

Brantley's 2018 Batting Order Position & LF/PH/DH #s

hi, Brantley fans! hope you are well. this is the second Michael Brantley wrap up blog, which contains all of his number breakdowns based on his batting order positions and LF, PH, and DH #s for the 2018 regular season.

let's take a quick dive back into the past before i get into the present. in case you don't remember, prior to this season, Michael was the Indians' 3 hole hitter. in fact, he'd been regularly batting 3rd in the order since May 3, 2014 (minus the couple of games he played in 2016). even when Michael was out hurt, he would always return to the 3 spot, which he rightfully earned after his outstanding 2014 and 2015 seasons. even manager Terry Francona admitted to essentially building the lineup around Michael in the 3 hole. but while Michael was on the 10-Day DL battling his right ankle sprain in the second half of 2017, Jose Ramirez replaced him in the 3 hole. and Tito liked what he brought to that spot so much that he decided to continue letting Ramirez bat 3rd whether Michael was playing or not.

Michael started the 2018 campaign on the 10-Day DL and he remained in Arizona as he continued to build up endurance after spending another offseason/spring training rehabbing, this time from right ankle surgery. once he returned to the Tribe, Michael alternated between the Tribe's cleanup hitter and 5 hole hitter, depending on