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's Career All Star Game #s (Through 2018)

Michael Brantley is now a three-time All Star. he was selected to every game by his peers as an American League OF reserve. his first All Star Game, back during his 2014 season, was all new to him and more about the experience than the results. in his second Midsummer Classic last year, Michael got his first career ASG hit. and most recently, just yesterday in Michael's third affair, he acquired his first ever RBI in an All Star Game.👏👍

photo courtesy of @SportsTimeOhio on twitter

this blog combines Michael's stats from

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

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

Brantley News & Ankle Updates from December 2017

Happy Almost New Year, Brantley fans! we're coming down the homestretch of the offseason, as spring training is right around the corner!😎 but first, here's the latest and last news about Michael from 2017. while there wasn't much information this month regarding his rehab and recovery from right ankle surgery, we at least now know what position he'll be playing with the Indians in 2018.

there's also a surprise at the end of this post detailing something i'll be starting in the new year, so be sure to read it!

for all the offseason 2017 news from October and November, plus my argument to keep Michael in left field (before we officially found out where he'd be playing), please read my previous blogs:
Brantley News from October 2017
Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base


December 5: in an article on indians.com, Jordan Bastian discussed some of the Tribe's needs for 2018. he once again stated that Cleveland might consider moving Michael

RIP Walter Goldbach

i just want to take a minute to say rest in peace to Walter Goldbach, the creator of the Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo, and offer my condolences to his family. Goldbach died on Wednesday, December 13, at the age of 88, as was reported by wkyc.com yesterday. i am very sad to hear this. the Wahoo was partially what made me become an Indians fan 20-some years ago, so this is particularly upsetting for me.😢

photo courtesy of @wkyc on twitter

what's more upsetting is, as of right now, the Indians have not even

Goodbye Slamtana

after losing Bryan Shaw earlier this week to the Colorado Rockies, the Indians have now also lost their biggest free agent on the market. that's right, this afternoon, on December 15, Carlos Santana agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, per Jon Heyman. it comes with a fourth year, $17.5 million option as well, according to Jesse Sanchez. and so it's time for me to write another goodbye blog.😢

let's go back to the beginning. on July 26, 2008, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Santana (and Jon Meloan) to Cleveland for Casey Blake and cash. once in our system, he played strictly behind the plate for the Single A Kinston Indians, Double A Akron (then) Aeros, and Triple A Columbus Clippers. as he was coming up, it was assumed that prospect Santana would be the Tribe's future every day catcher. not only that, but the switch-hitter was pegged to be this big power bat, which the Indians desperately needed.

when the phenom made his Major League debut on June 11, 2010, fans were so excited. he was immediately thrust into the 3rd spot in the batting order, but later turned into the cleanup hitter. unfortunately, Santana suffered a huge blow on August 2 when he blocked the plate in the game against the Boston Red Sox and collided with a baserunner. the terrifying event resulted in a high grade strain of his LCL, hyperextension of his left knee, and season-ending

Goodbye Bryan "Geek" Shaw

Indians fans knew this was coming eventually and now, on December 12, the details have emerged. almost five years to the day after he was traded to Cleveland from the Arizona Diamondbacks, free agent Bryan Shaw has agreed to a three-year deal with the Colorado Rockies, pending a physical. according to Buster Olney, Shaw is expected to earn around $9 million annually. congrats.💰

whenever a player who's been on the team for a long period of time is traded or becomes a free agent and then signs elsewhere, i typically write a goodbye blog containing a few kind words and maybe a nice memory or two. i haven't done one of these in a while, but Shaw's departure is certainly worthy of a formal farewell.

Shaw has been a vital member of the Tribe's bullpen since 2013. in each of his five seasons with us, he made at least 70 regular season appearances and pitched no less than 64.0 innings. in the last four years, he appeared in at least 74 games. the right-hander set a single-season franchise record in 2014 by pitching in an MLB-best 80 games. he was also tied for the most appearances in baseball this past season with 79. basically, all the guy does is pitch.

more importantly, he never gets hurt. you would think that all these outings in consecutive years would catch up with him sometime, but Shaw never

Brantley News from November 2017 & Why He Shouldn't Move to 1st Base

hello, Brantley fans! how's your offseason going? good i hope. earlier today, i posted a quick and unexpected, albeit very pleasant surprise involving Michael. now i've got a monthly news post for ya, except it's not so much "news" as it is complaints and speculation. this blog starts off on a positive note, then evolves into disappointment from fans over the Indians' decision to keep Michael for $12 million.🙄

in addition, it contains numerous article blurbs stating that Dr. Smooth could be in for a position change in 2018. that prompted me to take some time and make a compelling argument detailing why Michael should remain the Tribe's left fielder next season and not move to 1st base. so let's get into it!

for information about Michael from October (following the Tribe's elimination from the postseason), check out my Brantley News from October 2017 blog.


November 3: the Cleveland Indians announced that they

Brantley Confirmed for Tribe Fest 2018

hey all! Tribe Fest is back and bigger than ever! and surprise, surprise! today, on November 30, the Indians announced that Michael Brantley has confirmed to attend the 6th annual event, presented by KeyBank.

photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter

this year, the one-day event will be held on Saturday, January 20, 2018, at a new venue

Tribe Needs: Looking Ahead to 2018

the Cleveland Indians created many incredible moments and memories throughout their 2017 regular season. despite that, the team seemingly took a step backwards by not even making it out of the first round of the playoffs. so now i'm going to look ahead and try to figure out what the Tribe's needs are and who they should aim to acquire in order to not only get back to the World Series, but hopefully win it in 2018.

the Indians have most of their core players under contract for next season, which is great news. on the contrary, they did lose a couple key guys to free agency who must be replaced. that's where the front office comes in. a few pieces are all that's really required to complete the roster; however, determining if there's anyone internally that can fill their needs or if they'll have to go outside the organization to find what they seek will be no small task. some of these decisions may not be made or finalized until February. as we're waiting, i'm going to take on the role of the general manager and see what i can come up with.

this blog contains the following:
--Indians players already on the 2018 roster
--players the Indians have lost to free agency
--contract extension ideas
--the approximate 2018 payroll
--Tribe needs for 2018

Corey Kluber Wins BBWAA's 2017 AL Cy Young Award!

it's week two of the baseball awards and the Indians have yet another winner in their midst. this evening, on November 15, it was announced that Corey Kluber won Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2017 American League Cy Young Award! this is Kluber's second Cy Young of his career, having previously won it in 2014. congratulations, Klubes!👏

photo courtesy of @MLB on twitter

this year, Kluber was a Cy Young finalist along with Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox and Luis Severino of the New York Yankees. he finished with

Carlos Santana Wins Wilson's 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Award!

another day, another trophy for an Indians player! this evening, on November 10, it was announced that Carlos Santana won Wilson Sporting Good's 2017 Defensive Player of the Year Award at 1st base! this is the first Defensive Player of the Year Award of his career. congratulations, Santana!👏

photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter

created by Wilson in 2012 to recognize the best defensive players in the game, this award uses several defensive metrics to determine its nine winners. a player's defensive WAR (wins above replacement) counts for 25%, Defensive Runs Saved factors in by another 25%, Inside Edge field ratings and Inside Edge arm ratings are 20% apiece, and the final 10% is based on

Lindor & Ramirez Win Louisville Slugger's 2017 Silver Slugger Awards!

baseball awards season is well underway and this evening, on November 9, it was revealed that two members of the Cleveland Indians won Silver Slugger Awards for the first time in their careers! Francisco Lindor won Louisville Slugger's 2017 American League Shortstop Silver Slugger Award & Jose Ramirez won Louisville Slugger's 2017 American League 3rd Baseman Silver Slugger Award! congratulations, boys!👏

photos courtesy of @Indians on twitter

Louisville Slugger's Silver Slugger Award is Major

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

Indians Exercise Brantley's $12 Million Option for 2018!

hello, Brantley fans! it is a good day! why? because today, on November 3, the Cleveland Indians announced that they have exercised Michael Brantley's $12 million club option for 2018!😂😌👏🙌 Josh Tomlin's $3 million club option was picked up as well. the deadline for the decision(s) was tomorrow at midnight. congratulations on continuing to be two of the longest tenured players in the organization!

photo courtesy of @SportsTimeOhio on twitter

"Josh and Michael have been integral parts of our team for the last number of years," President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said via

Brantley News from October 2017

hey, Brantley fans! the uncertainty surrounding Michael's future with the Tribe should be settled by the weekend, if not sooner, depending on when the World Series ends and whether or not the Indians wait the allotted three days after its conclusion to publicize their decision. (if the Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in Game 6 and become World Champions, the Indians have until Friday, November 3 to make/announce their decision. however, if the Dodgers win and the Series goes to a Game 7, then the "deadline" is Saturday, November 4.)

normally, i would prefer to accumulate more news before posting a blog such as this, but because we're about to find out the status of Michael's contract, i thought i would give y'all what i have as of right now real quick. so here is everything i've heard about Michael--with a focus on his $12 million club option for 2018--since the Indians were eliminated by the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the American League Division Series on October 11. 


October 13: Indians manager Terry Francona, President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti, and General Manager Mike Chernoff got together for an hour long sit-down to answer questions about the 2017 season, the playoffs, and the offseason.

Wrapping Up Brantley's 2017 Season + Postseason

this is gonna be the last blog wrapping up Michael Brantley's 2017 season. it includes some of his final numbers, but focuses mostly on things like my favorite memories and highlights from his year, comparisons to past seasons, consequences of missing so many games, and how my preseason predictions did not pan out. and please be sure to read the end of this post because i took a minute to say thank you to every person whose articles may have contributed to portions of my content, as well as all of the people who visited my blog this year!🖐

if you want to see or re-read the previous trio of wrap up blogs i wrote about Brantley's 2017, which consist of his daily game lines, BOP breakdowns, and his situational numbers and league rankings, please refer to these posts:
Brantley's 2017 Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes
Brantley's 2017 Batting Order Position & LF/PH/DH #s
Brantley's 2017 Situational #s & Statistics

i know things have gone up a little out of order and later than i would have liked, but i got backed up when i went to the Indians' final homestand from September 29 - October 1 and then lost another day of writing when i went to Game 1 of the American League Division Series on October 5. then i also had to write a few unexpected blogs because the Indians

Brantley Undergoes Right Ankle Surgery, Recovery Will Take 4-5 Months

i am so sorry to have to report this to my Brantley fans, but today, the Indians announced in a Press Release that Michael Brantley had surgery on his right ankle yesterday, on Wednesday, October 18, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Dr. Robert Anderson performed an arthroscopic surgery to stabilize ligaments in the joint. Michael will require four to five months to recover, and then he can resume full baseball activity.😟😭

photo cropped off indians.com

four months takes us to February 18, 2018, which Jordan Bastian estimated