Brantley's 1st (Mild) Concussion

FUCK YOU John McDonald! >O

why the vitriol towards this former Indians player you ask? cause he did my boy dirty, and i don't like it. for the first time in Michael's career, he has a mild concussion. and i am pissed.

how did this happen? well i'll tell you. with 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd inning in a game against the LA Angels on June 16, Michael hit a go-ahead RBI single and was at 1st base. then when the next batter, Jason Kipnis, hit into an inning-ending double play, Michael tried to break it up when sliding into 2nd base. unfortunately for Michael, the Angels shortstop at 2nd base, John McDonald, didn't even try to avoid the collision and just kneed Michael in the fuckin head like it was nothing as he turned the double play.

photo courtesy of The Plain Dealer

that's a dick move and it's not the first time McDonald's done this. he did the same thing before to 1st baseman Justin Morneau on July 7, 2010, and Morneau's concussion was so bad that he did not return that season. the concussion also negatively impacted his playing ability for some time after that year as well. most guys who turn a dp know enough to at least try and avoid contact when a runner tries to interfere with his path. old man McDonald, who isn't even a good player and should probably just retire anyways, needs to take a Baseball 101 course again or something.

so after Michael got bonked, he just kinda sat on the infield for a bit.

screenshot taken from a live look-in

then when he got up, he didn't look right.

screenshot taken from a video on Indians.com

i was "lucky" enough to have a live look-in on my computer for his RBI single and then Kip's inning-ending dp. so i saw how Michael was looking into the dugout, almost as if to say, 'did you see that? should i keep playing? should you take me out of the game?' i think if Michael had gone back into the dugout once the 3rd inning ended, he never would have gone to left field and played the top of the 4th inning. but since he was already on the field when the inning ended, his hat and glove were brought to him, as is common practice, and he trotted back out to left field. Michael even managed to record the 2nd putout of the inning. but something didn't look right about his catch. he was looking into the dugout and rubbing his eye or his head afterwards.

series of screenshots taken from a video on Indians.com

he probably should not have been out there in the first place and he was removed from the game before the top of the 5th started.

later on in the game it was revealed that Michael left the game with head/neck soreness. my immediate fear was concussion. after the game they said Michael passed all the initial concussion tests, but it didn't make me feel better because i knew he very well could show up to the ballpark the following day with a concussion.

on June 17, the starting lineup was released online with Michael batting 3rd. a short time later, a new lineup was released without Michael's name. it was then that i learned that while Michael was performing his pregame baseball routine, he started feeling pressure in his head and had a stiff neck, though he claimed he was feeling fine prior to this. the Indians then sent him off to Cleveland Clinic for further testing.

we did not get another Michael update until June 18, when it was finally confirmed that he did have a mild concussion. "i just didn't feel perfect (Tuesday)," Brantley said. "it's a day-by-day process. i don't want to put a deadline on anything, but my goal is to get back out there with my team as fast as possible. that involves listening to the medical staff and making sure i'm ready to go 100 percent. i'm making progress each and every day. it's all positive."

because of the progress he's making and the fact that he already played catch and hit off the tee today, they opted not to put him on the special concussion DL. Francona said, "the way it was explained to me, it's the type of concussion that should go away faster. and i think we're actually seeing that. Brantley already looks more clear-eyed. i think he's doing very well. every activity that's been given to him (Wednesday), he's handled without any occurrences of anything. there's a progression in place."

they're hoping Michael will be okay to play again on Saturday, June 21. (coincidentally, that is the next Tribe game i'm going to. so i REALLY hope he's back then.) if this happens, he would only miss a total of 3 games, which isn't that bad. but it still doesn't make me forgive McDonald.

let me tell you how angry i was with McDonald the night this all went down. i threw things, i swore (way more than i've written here lol), i tried not to cry. then i thought shit, could this have been a set up? we have no idea what goes on in players' heads and we've all seen how some athletes will play dirty to get ahead. maybe it was planned on the part of the Angels. like, the players came together in a meeting and said 'if anyone gets a chance to take out Brantley, go for it,' as a way to ensure Mike Trout wouldn't lose his starting spot on the All Star team or something. who the fuck knows. okay maybe i was reaching there but i was fuckin furious and i needed to place blame somewhere. McDonald called the "accident" unfortunate, but did he even apologize? cause i never heard anything about that. he did ask Michael if he was okay afterwards, because that's what he "tends to do," then didn't give it a second thought. but that doesn't exactly make him or the situation look better imo.

if Michael had done this purely on his own, like banged his head against the left field wall while making a catch, i'd be less upset. but the fact that it was done to him and that it was avoidable, has me fired up. Michael was killing it on the field prior to all this. the hits just kept on coming for him and his batting average kept going up every game he played. Michael had a .323 BA with 11 home runs and 46 RBI before the incident. he also had a 5 multi-hit games streak going, which McDonald abruptly ended. additionally, he had an 8-game hitting streak and a 15-game reached-base streak. if when Michael comes back on June 21 his streaks come to an end, i am gonna be fuckin infuriated.

Michael has not been on the DL since he broke his hamate bone in late July 2011. so he's gone quite a while without needing to be put on the DL for anything, which is good because it shows he's not injury prone. missing games due to a concussion, however, is still worrisome to me because i'm not sure how that will affect him. he could lose his timing and the roll he's been on. this could ultimately fuck up his entire season. as i said, he was literally on the up and up, on his way to challenging for the AL batting title, and now i fear when he comes back he'll be on a downward trend. it would have been nice to see how long Michael's multi-hits streak could have continued, but now we'll never know.

another cruel twist of fate? when Michael is scheduled to come back, he'll have 2 games under his belt before...wait for it...more goddamn interleague play. why?! ugh. that's the last thing Michael needed, to sit out a while and then have to come back and play interleague games, the one area where he's struggled this year. IL games have messed up his numbers every month this season. in April, before the IL games, he had a respectable BA. then after that dreaded San Fran series, his BA became unacceptable. and who can forget how at the end of May, Michael's overall hitting streak and franchise home game hitting streak both ended during IL play. so this is just fuckin typical that he's gotta come back and try to find his momentum again during another IL series. grrr.

i'm also concerned that Francona will put Michael back to his original 5th spot in the batting order when he comes back. i liked Michael batting 3rd when Kip was out, and was happily surprised when Francona let Michael stay there even when Kip came back from his DL stint. but now, i figure Francona will just let Kip have that spot again and Michael will go back to 5. goodbye regularity, it was fun while it lasted.

don't get me wrong, i am very grateful that nothing more serious occurred (even though a concussion is kind of serious), and that no bones were broken and he doesn't need surgery or a DL stint or anything like that. but it still agitates me that this whole thing could have been a non-issue if McDonald would have just moved out the damn way. my advice to Michael, next time someone hits into a double play, just let it happen. don't risk injury to yourself just cause the player behind you is a shit situational hitter. i don't ever wanna see this happen again.

Brantley's 1st Career American League Player of the Week Honor

let me take a minute to get my scream outta the way... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! lol

Michael Brantley has been named the American League Player of the Week for June 9-15, 2014! this is Michael's first career AL POTW honor. he's also the first AL POTW for the Tribe this season. the last Indian to receive this honor was Jason Kipnis on July 1, 2013.

Michael led all major leaguers in batting average (.538), runs scored (9), and on base percentage (.625). he led all American League players in hits (14), total bases (23), and times on base (20). and mind you, he did all this on the road.

Michael had a hit in 7 of the 7 games he played from June 9-15 and reached base safely in 7 games. he currently has a 7-game hitting streak and 14-game reached base streak. he also had 6 multi-hit games during this time.

in the past week, Michael bat. 588 (10-for-17) against right-handed pitchers and .444 (4-for-9) against left-handed pitchers. he bat .333 (2-for-6) with runners in scoring position, with 1 single, 1 double, 1 RBI, and 2 walks. he also hit .667 (2-for-3) with 0 outs and runners in scoring position and .429 (6-for-14) with 2 outs in an inning.

on June 9, Michael hit his 10th home run of the season, tying his career high from last year. then on June 15, Michael hit his career high 11th home run. i have a blog about that here.

additionally, Michael had 2 nice outfield assists, both at Fenway Park. my boy knows how to work that left field Green Monster wall lol


June 9-15 batting average: .538

OBP: .625

SLG: .885

OPS: 1.510


Michael played in 7 (of 7) games, 6 complete, from June 9-15. he started and played left in 7 games, completing 6 of those games. he left 1 game early after 7 innings because it was a blowout and Michael had done more than enough.


Michael bat 3rd in 7 games.

Michael played left field in 7 games. (6 complete, 1 started: 7 innings)


from June 9-15, Michael had a total of 32 plate appearances and 26 at bats. here is how he fared:

14 hits

9 singles

3 doubles

2 home runs

5 extra base hits

3 RBI

9 runs scored

3 walks

3 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

4 first at bat hits

23 total bases


6 left on base

10 putouts

2 assists

59 innings, 7 games

(6 complete games)

June 9-15 batting average: .538 (14-26) (7 games)



everyone knows i'm well aware of all the stats Michael's been racking up lately, but i never once thought about him being named the AL Player of the Week. this season just seems to be getting better and better by the day for my boy. congratulations, Michael!

Brantley's Career High 11 Home Runs

Michael Brantley was not projected to be much of a home run hitter. year after year, writers talked about how he lacked power. and i would defend him against this, saying that with all the other things he does for the team, he doesn't need to worry about being a power hitter. well, i think Michael had enough of that because it's June 15, and he's already hit his 11th home run, most on the team by 3 right now. he leads the team in pretty much every category that matters, and it's pretty obvious he's on his way to the first All Star game of his career. there are more career highs coming, he's hitting too good right now for there not to be. he's going to shatter some of his other previous career highs this year, no question. but right now, let's talk about his latest feat.

with 2 outs in the top of the 1st inning at Fenway Park, Michael hit home run #11 on the 7th pitch of a 2-2 count from Brandon Workman of the Boston Red Sox. 11 home runs is now a career high for Michael. during his at bat, Hammy was talking about how Michael went 3-for-3 against Workman when we played Boston in Cleveland on June 9. so i thought back to what Michael did against him, and i remembered that was when he hit his 10th home run. so then i thought, "he's gonna hit another home run off this guy." because sometimes you just know, you can sense these things. the count was 1-2, then Michael fouled off 2 pitches in a row before ball 2 came. and then bam! the next pitch was hit to right field, just inside Pesky's Pole =D

picture courtesy of The Plain Dealer

i knew when this day came it would be special, for him as a player and for me as a fan. and maybe Father's Day (Michael's first officially) had something to do with it, maybe not. but either way, the pride i am feeling for this modest, underrated athlete is immense. it's going to be a season of happy tears for me, and i can't wait to see what he accomplishes next.

Brantley's May 2014 #s

at the end of last month, i said there was nowhere for Michael to go but up, and up he went. forget about a gradual progression. he put his foot down on the pedal and didn't let up. this is the best May Michael's ever had in the big leagues. shit, it's the best month he's had period. he accomplished things he's never accomplished before, he set a new franchise record, and he brought his overall batting average up .048. my boy played the hell outta this month and it was more than i could have asked for.

i have a plethora of statistics in this blog because Michael did so many things worth mentioning, so bear with me. this really was the shortest synopsis i could write lol but if you're not big on reading long blogs, then just direct your eyes to the parts in bold italics, cause that's the best stuff ;D

we're only two months into the season, yet we can already see some big changes in Michael's ABs. and i don't just mean his power equating to more homers. for example, he's hitting more ground balls and less line drives. he has 81 groundouts through May versus 59 flyouts. his fly ball percentage is down quite a bit, which is clearly a result of the increase in balls going out of the park for home runs instead of being caught at or near the wall on the warning track. his home run to fly ball ratio is near 17% so far this year, compared with 6.2% for his career.

at the plate, Michael has also been seeing fewer fastballs and more breaking and offspeed pitches. because of this, he's swinging earlier in the count and taking less pitches. he's swinging less overall on pitches inside and outside the strike zone. he'll jump on a pitch early if he thinks he can do something with it. consequently, that's made his swing-and-miss rate increase to 4.1%, the highest of his career. (thank you to Jordan Bastian for these percentages.) i'm very curious to see how these numbers change as the season continues and if possible future movement in his batting order position has any effect.

on May 2, Kipnis went on the DL and Michael was quickly inserted into his spot in the 3 hole, where he remained for the rest of the month. he proved to be a more than adequate replacement. however, there were two things i disliked about this new BOP. the first thing was that Santana was then batting behind Michael. because Santana was still struggling, he didn't hit to get on base much and that hurt Michael's chances of scoring many runs. the second thing was that hitting higher in the order took away some of Michael's RBI opportunities—at first. it certainly wasn't due to lack of hitting; Michael was swinging the bat well and getting himself on base. it's just that a lot of times there wasn't anyone on base or in scoring position when it was his turn to bat because Swisher was totally lost at the plate in the 2 hole and Bourn wasn't getting on base much then either. the fact that over 30% of Michael's RBIs this month came when he hit his 5 home runs proves this.

but thankfully on May 18, Tito moved both Swisher and Santana down in the order, giving Michael a better chance to add to his RBI total. oddly enough though, Michael hit a solo homer on this date, giving him his first RBI in 9 days since he hit his last (solo) home run on May 9. it measured 423 feet, one of the furthest he's hit in his career. moving Santana down also improved Michael's odds to score more runs other than just from the homers he hit himself.

when Kipnis came off the DL on May 28, Tito opted to keep Michael in the 3 hole and have Kipnis bat cleanup. he thinks Michael has done a great job there and, for once, does not want to move him. Tito believes giving guys some regular spots in the lineup will help the team overall, and i'm all for that where Michael is concerned. i'd love to see Michael finally get one regular place in the batting order after being moved around so much in the past 2 years. so i am hoping now that this will be Michael's new permanent spot in the lineup regardless of whatever handed pitcher is on the mound.

Michael had a hit in 25 of the 27 games he played in May and reached base safely in 25 games. he only had two 0-for games this month.

Michael had 3 significant hitting streaks this month, each a team high. the first was an 11-game hitting streak from April 29 - May 11. during his hitting streak, he bat .356 (16-for-45) with 16 hits and 29 total bases. 7 of those hits were extra base hits, 4 being doubles and 3 being home runs. he also tallied 11 RBI, 7 runs, 3 walks, and only 6 strikeouts. his OBP was .388 and his SLG was .644, making his OPS 1.032.

Michael reached base in 12 straight games from April 28 - May 11 as well.

Michael's second hitting streak this month was a 15-game hitting streak, longest on the team and 3rd longest in the American League this season, from May 14-30. during this streak, he bat .383 (23-for-60) with 23 hits, 7 for extra bases. he hit 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 home runs, giving him 35 total bases. he also had 9 RBI, 14 runs, 6 walks, 4 stolen bases, and just 4 strikeouts. his OBP was .456, his SLG was .583, and his OPS was 1.039. this streak is also the longest streak by an Indian since last year when Jason Kipnis had a season high 16-game hitting streak from June 18 - July 5.

Michael also obviously reached base safely in 15 straight games from May 14-30.

additionally, Michael set a new franchise record with his 19-game hitting streak at home (Progressive Field/Jacobs Field), longest in the major leagues, which was snapped on May 31. it dated back to April 20, 2014. during this streak, he bat .408 (31-for-76) with 31 hits, including 7 doubles and 6 home runs equaling 56 total bases. he also had 20 RBI, 19 runs, 7 walks, 4 stolen bases, and just 3 strikeouts. defensively, he recorded 4 of his current 6 outfield assists as well.

Michael is now batting .309 (43-for-139) against right-handed pitchers and .290 (20-for-69) against left-handed pitchers. these are both great improvements from April, especially with the righty pitchers. and like i said last month, these numbers are closer together and fairly comparable because Michael is a good hitter no matter who is on the mound.

Michael's ability to hit in the clutch has not wavered. he's batting .302 (16-for-53) with runners in scoring position, producing 29 RBI. he's also hitting .222 (2-for-9) with 0 outs and runners in scoring position, .400 (8-for-20) with 1 out and RISP, and .250 (6-for-24) with 2 outs and RISP. Michael's batting .326 (30-for-92) with 33 RBI with runners on base, and .667 (6-for-9) with 16 RBI when the bases are loaded. lastly, he improved to hitting .303 (20-for-66) with 2 outs in an inning.

Michael continues to quickly increase his home run total. he hit 5 homers in May, a career high for the month. he had back-to-back home run games on May 8 and 9, and again on May 18 and 19. the home run that he hit on May 19 was his 9th home run of the year, a walk-off no less. 9 home runs at this point in the season is another career high for Michael, and he still holds the team high HR total. last season, he didn't hit his 9th home run until September 21! i might be a believer now that he can finish the year with 20 homers or so.

Michael now has a team high 39 RBI, also a career high for him through May. his 39th RBI didn't come last year until June 28. he's ranked 8th in the American League and 10th overall in the league with his 39 RBI as well.

it's interesting to note that 6 of Michael's 9 home runs have been solo, while the other 3 were 2-run homers. therefore, 6 of his 39 RBI have come from solo homers, and 12 of his 39 RBI (just under one-third) have come from all 9 of his home runs. this shows that Michael doesn't need necessarily need to hit home runs to drive guys home, as has been the case throughout his career so far.

when asked about his newfound power, Michael jokingly credits it to the daddy strength he's acquired from carrying around his newborn baby girl during the offseason. "i'm just putting good swings on good pitches," Brantley said. "i worked hard this offseason to mature my swing and grow as a hitter. i feel like i'm doing a great job at it."

Michael said working in the offseason to have more of a "mature" swing this year was key. "that means just trusting my swing," Brantley said. "it's trusting that every time it's going to be all right and not trying to tinker or make adjustments when there's no need to."

this season he's tried to be the same hitter with the same swing and not toy with his mechanics, as he's sometimes done in the past when going through a little slump. "i was young. i was trying to do whatever worked that felt good at the time, instead of going back to the basics and doing exactly what i was doing before. that's just not trying to do too much and putting good swings on good pitches." sounds like a good strategy to me.

but with newfound power comes responsibility and i do have one concern. it's very important that Michael does not start to get pull happy now and try to knock one out of the park every time he's at the plate in a big situation. he had some poor at bats during the Orioles series this month where he wasn't using the entire field and his fluid swing was absent. he can be too anxious during certain at bats, sometimes swinging at the first pitch and/or not working the count much, resulting in a quick out. he's also striking out more than normal. i just don't want him to lose what's made him such a great hitter to this point--intelligence, confidence, patience, and of course the swing that dubbed him as Dr. Smooth.

aside from once again leading the team in home runs (9)* and RBI (39)*, Michael also leads the team with: 63 hits*, 22 extra base hits*, 104 total bases*, 34 runs*, 8 stolen bases, 54 games*, 231 plate appearances*, 208 at bats*, .303 BA*, .368 OBP*, .500 SLG*, and .868 OPS*. he also leads the outfielders with 6 assists*.

he's tied for 2nd on the team with 12 doubles, and is 3rd with 19 walks. he has the least amount of strikeouts with 19 as well.

(*denotes these are also career highs for Michael through May. these rankings include qualifiers only.)

after doing extensive research, i found that Michael set career highs for himself in the month of May with the following: 38 hits, 13 extra base hits, 62 total bases, 5 home runs, 19 RBI, 21 runs, 9 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 121 plate appearances, .345 BA, .405 OBP, .564 SLG, and .969 OPS.

among Indians players with at least 100 at bats, Michael's slash line of .345/.405/.564 in May was the best in one month since Grady Sizemore's line of .377/.455/.642 in June 2005. before Grady, there was Roberto Alomar in July 2001, Manny Ramirez in September-October 2000, and Alomar again in September-October 2000. besides that, the last Indian to hit .345 with at least 5 home runs, 19 RBI, and 21 runs in one month was Shin-Soo Choo in September-October 2008.

want to know some other facts about Michael's season thus far? okay. he's hit safely in 24 of 28 home games overall. he has 14 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games. he has 11 go-ahead hits and 11 go-ahead RBI this season. and these all rank towards the top of the American League.

now let's get into a couple of the more noteworthy events of the month. a minor scare occurred on May 14 when Michael left the game early with mid-back tightness due to playing on the astroturf in Tampa and Toronto. luckily he only missed 1 game and it didn't hurt his timing or his stats.

on May 19, Michael hit his first career walk-off hit, a home run, on a full count (6 pitches) with 2 outs and no one on in the bottom of the 10th inning against Detroit's Al Alburquerque. Michael got mobbed at home plate, literally running into a waterfall and his excited teammates. it was so funny to me because he is always the guy on the outside of the home plate mob when other guys get walk-off hits, because he doesn't want to get injured. but he had no choice other than to be right in the middle of it all this time, and he loved every second of it. this was his 9th home run of the season and his 33rd RBI. i have a separate blog commemorating this occasion here.

on May 21, Michael tied the franchise record of hitting in 18 straight games at home. the last player to accomplish this was Roberto Alomar in 2000, and Kenny Lofton before him in 1996.

also on May 21, Michael recorded the seventh 4-hit game of his career with 3 singles, 1 double, 3 RBI, and 2 stolen bases. the last player in the big leagues to accomplish this was Alex Rios (then of the Chicago White Sox) on October 3, 1999 at Detroit.

Michael became only the 6th Indians player in history (dating back to 1914) with at least 4 hits, 3 RBI, and 2 stolen bases in a game. the last player to do so was Franklin Gutierrez on July 16, 2007 in an 11-10 loss to the White Sox at Progressive Field. the other Indians who achieved this were Joe Carter on June 10, 1986; Chuck Hinton on June 27, 1965; Lew Fonseca on April 18, 1929; and Charlie Jamieson on June 15, 1925. (thanks to TribeVibe for these statistics.)

on May 30, the next home game following May 21, Michael set a new record by extending his home hitting streak to a franchise high 19 consecutive games (as i mentioned earlier). his historical streak ended the following day when he went 0-for-4. (blame it on bad timing/more goddamn end-of-the-month interleague play again lol) i wrote a blog with all the details about his record here.

Michael is making a strong case to be named to the All Star team this year. compared with other qualifying outfielders in the American League, Michael ranks 2nd in RBI (39) behind Jose Bautista; 4th in batting average (.303) behind Alex Rios, Bautista, and Melky Cabrera; 3rd in OPS (.868) behind Bautista and Mike Trout; and tied for 5th in extra base hits (22) behind Yoenis Cespedes, Trout, Bautista, and Cabrera. (apparently Nelson Cruz is not counted in the rankings since he's played almost half his games as a DH.)

keeping in tune with Michael's outstanding offense, he had a great month defensively. Michael spent the majority of May playing left field, as was expected now that Bourn is back. also as expected, Michael did not commit one error and his fielding percentage for the month is a perfect 1.000. he had 45 putouts this month. on May 21, he played 13 innings in left field and did not record one putout. the major league record for zero putouts is held by Chuck Hinton in an 18 inning game way back on June 14, 1963.

also this month, Michael had 3 more nice assists. his 6 total outfield assists tie him for the lead in the major leagues. his 5th assist came on May 20 at Progressive Field, when he caught the ball off the 19-foot left field wall, spun around, and threw a runner out at 2nd base. don't run on Michael! or no, please do, so he can continue to add to his assist total and hopefully get some consideration for a Gold Glove this year ;D




now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his May #s, the 6th spot #s, the 3rd spot #s, and the DH #s, as well as the left field #s, the center field #s, and overall outfield #s.


May batting average: .345

OBP: .405

SLG: .564

OPS: .969


Michael played in 27 (of 28) games, 26 complete, in May. he started and played left in 25 games, completing 21 of those games. he left 1 game early with mid-back tightness and played 4 innings. he started and played center in 1 game, and completed it. he was part of a defensive switch in 3 games, moving from left to center. he played 10 innings when he moved over to center with 4 official at bats. he started and was the DH for 1 game. he missed 1 game with mid-back tightness from playing on astroturf.


Michael bat 6th in 1 game.

Michael bat 3rd in 26 games. (Kip DL)


Michael played left field in 25 games. (21 complete, 4 started: 22 innings)

Michael played center field in 4 games. (1 complete, 3 defensive switches: 10 innings)

Michael was the DH in 1 game.

Michael played in 26 complete games.



in May, Michael had a total of 121 plate appearances and 110 at bats. here is how he fared:

38 hits

25 singles

7 doubles

1 triple

5 home runs

19 RBI

21 runs scored

9 walks

2 hit by pitches

4 stolen bases

4 GIDP

11 strikeouts (9 swinging, 2 looking)

7 first at bat hits

62 total bases


41 left on base

45 putouts

3 assists

232.1 innings, 27 games

(26 complete games)

May batting average: .345 (38-110) (27 games)


now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.


when Michael bat 6th in May, he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 5 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

3 hits

2 singles

1 home run

3 RBI

2 runs scored

1 strikeout (swinging)

1 first at bat hit

6 total bases


2 left on base

9 innings, 1 game

(1 complete game)

May batting average in the 6th spot: .600 (3-5) (1 game)
overall batting average so far in the 6th spot: .257 (9-35) (10 games) (85.1 innings)


when Michael bat 6th and played left in May, he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 5 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

3 hits

2 singles

1 home run

3 RBI

2 runs scored

1 strikeout (swinging)

1 first at bat hit

6 total bases


2 left on base

9 innings, 1 game

(1 complete game)

May batting average in the 6th spot while playing left: .600 (3-5) (1 game)
overall batting average so far in the 6th spot while playing left: .333 (4-12) (4 games) (27 innings)


when Michael bat 3rd in May, he had a total of 116 plate appearances and 105 at bats in 26 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

35 hits

23 singles

7 doubles

1 triple

4 home runs

16 RBI

19 runs scored

9 walks

2 hit by pitches

4 stolen bases

4 GIDP

10 strikeouts (8 swinging, 2 looking)

6 first at bat hits

56 total bases


39 left on base

45 putouts

3 assists

223.1 innings, 26 games

(25 complete games)

May batting average in the 3rd spot: .333 (35-105) (26 games)


when Michael bat 3rd and played left in May, he had a total of 103 plate appearances and 94 at bats in 24 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

33 hits

21 singles

7 doubles

1 triple

4 home runs

16 RBI

19 runs scored

7 walks

2 hit by pitches

4 stolen bases

4 GIDP

7 strikeouts (5 swinging, 2 looking)

6 first at bat hits

54 total bases


38 left on base

38 putouts

3 assists

205.1 innings, 24 games

(20 complete games)

May batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .351 (33-94) (24 games)


when Michael bat 3rd and played center in May, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 7 at bats in 4 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 walk

2 strikeouts (swinging)

1 total base


7 putouts

18 innings, 4 games

(1 complete game)

May batting average in the 3rd spot while playing center: .143 (1-7) (4 games)


when Michael bat 3rd, he was the DH in May for 1 game. he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 4 at bats. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 walk

1 strikeout (swinging)

1 total base


1 left on base

May batting average in the 3rd spot as the DH: .250 (1-4) (1 game)


May/overall batting average so far as the DH: .250 (1-4) (1 game)


now let's break down his outfield numbers.


when Michael played the outfield in May, he had a total of 116 plate appearances and 106 at bats in 26 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

37 hits

24 singles

7 doubles

1 triple

5 home runs

19 RBI

21 runs scored

8 walks

2 hit by pitches

4 stolen bases

4 GIDP

10 strikeouts (8 swinging, 2 looking)

7 first at bat hits

61 total bases


40 left on base

45 putouts

3 assists

232.1 innings, 26 games

(25 complete games)

May batting average while playing the outfield: .349 (37-106) (26 games)
overall batting average so far while playing the outfield: .304 (62-204) (53 games) (466.1 innings)


now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.


when Michael played left in May, he had a total of 108 plate appearances and 99 at bats in 25 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

36 hits

23 singles

7 doubles

1 triple

5 home runs

19 RBI

21 runs scored

7 walks

2 hit by pitches

4 stolen bases

4 GIDP

8 strikeouts (6 swinging, 2 looking)

7 first at bat hits

60 total bases


40 left on base

38 putouts

3 assists

214.1 innings, 25 games

(21 complete games)

May batting average while playing left: .364 (36-99) (25 games)
overall batting average so far while playing left: .320 (54-169) (45 games) (377.0 innings)


when Michael played center in May, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 7 at bats in 4 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 walk

2 strikeouts (swinging)

1 total base


7 putouts

18 innings, 4 games

(1 complete game)

May batting average while playing center: .143 (1-7) (4 games)
overall batting average so far while playing center: .229 (8-35) (13 games) (89.1 innings)


 
May #s while playing left: 38 putouts, 3 assists, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (214.1 innings, 25 games)

overall #s so far while playing left: 68 putouts, 5 assists, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (377.0 innings, 45 games)

May #s while playing center: 7 putouts, 0 assists, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (18 innings, 4 games)

overall #s so far while playing center: 24 putouts, 1 assist, 1 error, 0.962 fielding percentage (89.1 innings, 13 games)

May #s while playing the outfield: 45 putouts, 3 assists, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (232.1 innings, 26 games)

overall #s so far while playing the outfield: 92 putouts, 6 assists, 1 error, 0.990 fielding percentage (466.1 innings, 53 games)



now my game-by-game numbers and notes.

Game 28/Game 1, May 2: 3-5, single (first at bat), run scored, home run, run scored, 2-run single. AVG: .272
(6th/LF/CG9)

Game 29/Game 2, May 3: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .271
(3rd/LF – 3 i, CF – 6 i/CG9)

Game 30/Game 3, May 4: 1-5, single, run scored. AVG: .268
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 31/Game 4, May 5: 1-4, double (first at bat). AVG: .267
(3rd/LF – 8 i, CF – 2 i/CG10)

Game 32/Game 5, May 6: 1-3, RBI single (first at bat), run scored, walk. AVG: .269
(3rd/LF – 7 i, CF – 2 i/CG9)

Game 33/Game 6, May 7: 2-4, 2-run double, single. AVG: .276
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 34/Game 7, May 8: 3-5, double (first at bat), run scored, single, 2-run home run, run scored, RBI fielder's choice. AVG: .289
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 35/Game 8, May 9: 1-5, reached on fielding error (first at bat), home run, run scored. AVG: .286
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 36/Game 9, May 10: 1-3, walk, single. AVG: .287
(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 37/Game 10, May 11: 1-4, walk (first at bat), single. AVG: .286
(3rd/DH/CG)

**Michael's 11-game hitting streak and 12-game reached base streak end**

Game 38/Game 11, May 13: 0-4. AVG: .278
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 39/Game 12, May 14: 1-3, double. AVG: .279
(3rd/LF/GS4)

^^Michael left the game after the top of the 5th inning with mid-back tightness and is day-to-day^^

May 15: precautionary day off, should play tomorrow.

Game 40/Game 13, May 16: 1-4, single. AVG: .278
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 41/Game 14, May 17: 1-3, walk (first at bat), single, run scored. AVG: .279
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 42/Game 15, May 18: 2-3, walk (first at bat), single, home run, run scored, RBI walk. AVG: .287
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 43/Game 16, May 19: 2-4, double, walk, hit by pitch, home run, run scored. AVG: .292
(3rd/LF/CG10) 

^^Michael hits first career walk-off home run^^

Game 44/Game 17, May 20: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .291
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 45/Game 18, May 21: 4-7, 2-run single, stolen base, run scored, double, single, stolen base, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG13)

Game 46/Game 19, May 22: 2-6, RBI triple, run scored, single, run scored. AVG: .303
(3rd/LF/CG13)

Game 47/Game 20, May 23: 1-4, single, run scored. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 48/Game 21, May 24: 1-3, walk (first at bat), stolen base, RBI hit by pitch, single, run scored. AVG: .303
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 49/Game 22, May 25: 1-4, single. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 50/Game 23, May 26: 2-3, RBI single, walk, stolen base, run scored, single. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 51/Game 24, May 27: 1-4, single. AVG: .306
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 52/Game 25, May 28: 2-4, single, single, run scored. AVG: .310
(3rd/LF/CG8.1)

Game 53/Game 26, May 30: 1-4, reached on fielder's choice (first at bat), run scored, double, run scored. AVG: .309
(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael sets new franchise record with 19-game home hitting streak^^
**Michael's 15-game hitting streak and 19-game home hitting streak end**

Game 54/Game 27, May 31: 0-4. AVG: .303
(3rd/LF/CG9)



so far in 2014, Michael has a total of 231 plate appearances and 208 at bats in 54 games (466.1 innings). in total, he has 63 hits, 41 singles, 12 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 39 RBI, 1 sac fly, 34 runs scored, 19 walks, 3 hit by pitches, 8 stolen bases, 7 GIDP, 19 strikeouts (14 swinging, 5 looking), 12 first at bat hits, 104 total bases, 89 left on base, 92 putouts, 6 assists, and 1 error.

2014 season batting average: .303 (63-208)

OBP: .368

SLG: .500

OPS: .868

Brantley Sets Another Franchise Record with 19-Game Home Hitting Streak

on May 21, Michael Brantley hit a 2-out, 2-run single in the bottom of the 2nd inning, giving him an 18-game hitting streak at home. that also tied Michael for the longest hitting streak at Progressive Field by an Indians player. at that time, he shared the home hitting streak franchise record with Roberto Alomar, who last achieved it in 2000, and Kenny Lofton, who achieved it in 1996.

unfortunately, the next home game was not scheduled until May 30, so i had to wait all that time to find out if Michael would in fact break that franchise record and set a new one. so this blog may seem like it was posted very late, but i wanted to see if i could blog about Michael setting a new franchise record, rather than him just tying the record.

finally on May 30, a much anticipated game of the season for me, Michael broke the record around 9 pm in his 3rd at bat with a 1-out double in the bottom of the 5th inning! he now has a 19-game home hitting streak, and sits in the record books all by himself. not only that, but Michael's home hitting streak is currently the longest in the major leagues this season. and if that weren't enough, Michael also has an overall 15-game hitting streak going. he's basically on fire lol

screenshot i cropped from his record breaking video

during Michael's record breaking home hitting streak, he hit .408 (31-for-76) and recorded 18 singles, 7 doubles, 6 home runs, and 20 RBI with 19 runs, 7 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 4 stolen bases, and 56 total bases, while only recording 3 strikeouts (swinging) and 1 GIDP. also during this streak, he tallied 4 of his current 6 outfield assists.

breaking into the history books and going back to the days of the Tribe at Municipal Stadium, the last player to have a 19-game home hitting streak pre-Jacobs Field was Julio Franco. he recorded his streak from June 8-22 in 1984.

Michael's next task will be to try and break the longest hitting streak in Progressive Field history by any player who is not an Indian. that record currently stands at 22 games and is held by Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers. and i like Michael's odds.

so congratulations to Michael on setting yet another new record for himself and the Indians! remember, his first franchise record was set earlier in April with his 247 consecutive errorless games in the outfield, and he's set a second record now with this home hitting streak. something tells me there are more records to be broken by this man, whether franchise or career highs for himself, as Michael continues to play like an All Star and MVP this season.

and there's still a chance that Michael can add onto this new franchise record if he keeps hitting while playing at home. i think i will write a whole new blog if he resets the record to a much longer streak, including if he beats out Andrus' record. however, if he ends his streak say tomorrow, then i may just do a quick edit and add that information into this blog. either way, it's a hell of an accomplishment and i am so, so proud of my boy =D <3



**MAY 31 UPDATE**

to my dismay, Michael's 19-game franchise record home hitting streak is not to be extended any more. he went 0-for-4 on May 31, ending that streak as well as his 15-game hitting streak. i was at this game and i wanted him to get a hit more than anything. i felt terrible when his 4th at bat came and he had grounded out for the 3rd time. actually no, i was depressed. i know Michael probably doesn't give a fuck about personal hitting streaks and making Indians history, so why should i be fighting back tears over it like a little bitch? lol i can't help it. i just want him to do amazing things all the time and make his feats as untouchable as possible. is that really too much to ask? =P

but anyways, congrats again on the 19-game hitting streak at Progressive Field! i think it'll be a long time before another player even comes close to breaking your new franchise record ;D

Brantley's First Career Walk-off Home Run!

earlier tonight, on May 19, 2014, Michael Brantley hit his first career walk-off home run, his 9th home run this season, against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field in front of 12,709 ecstatic fans. when he came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning with 2 outs, nobody on, and the game tied at 4, and he swung and missed at the 4th pitch of the at bat, you could tell he just wanted to end the game right there. and i thought how awesome it would be for Michael if he could get himself a walk-off homer and be the hero of the night.

now Michael is no stranger to late inning heroics. he's had plenty of go-ahead RBI hits in his career that gave the Indians a lead they would never relinquish, but he's never had an official walk-off hit. the closest he came was on May 10, 2011, when he drew a bases loaded walk-off walk in the bottom of the 9th inning against Kyle Farnsworth and the Tampa Bay Rays.

but tonight was different. Michael showed patience and confidence at the plate against Detroit's Al Alburquerque. the count was full, and on the 7th pitch, he just pounded that ball to the visitors bullpen in deep right field. i was lucky enough to be able to watch this game on TV because ESPN was kind enough to show it. (i think they were just trying to embarrass Cleveland by showing the Indians-Tigers game in assumption that the Tigers would demolish us. too bad that didn't happen lol) but of course, i still had Hammy on my computer for great audio. Hammy was ahead of the TV by a pitch and when i heard Hammy start screaming, "A SWING AND A DRIVE TO DEEP RIGHT," my eyes lit up and i screamed, "HOLY SHIT!" he finally did it! and to get to see that as it was happening made me very happy. i could not have been more proud.

Michael got absolutely mobbed at home plate, literally running into a waterfall and his teammates. this was nothing like the walk-off walk from 2011, where he was actually running away from his teammates lol he welcomed this celebration and loved every second of it. and he deserved it.

photo courtesy of The Plain Dealer

photo courtesy of The Plain Dealer

"i hit it kind of low," said Brantley, after the first walk-off homer of his career. "i was kind of nervous and trying to run at the same time. i was fortunate enough that the ball went out. after that i don't remember much until i got to my teammates (at home plate) and they started beating on me."

when Brantley got to the plate, his teammates not only mugged him, they doused him with water. "it's cold outside and they're throwing ice cold water on me. then they got me good with the cooler (during a postgame interview). no one gave me a heads up. i heard them coming, but i didn't want to dive out of the way." (postgame quotes courtesy of Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer)


some fun facts about Michael's walk-off home run:

--it's the 71st walk-off home run in Jacobs Field/Progressive Field history.

--it's their 12th walk-off home run against the Tigers, which is the most against any team.

--it's also the first walk-off home run the Indians have hit against the Tigers since Carlos Santana did it on April 29, 2011.


congratulations, Michael! <3

Brantley's March/April 2014 #s

**blogger's note: it is important for me to make it known that this year i have been going through some health issues that i've never had to deal with before. it has been challenging, as i feel like crap almost on a daily basis. i am going to try my hardest to get these monthly blogs written and posted in a timely manner, but there may be times when i just can't get them posted immediately after the month ends. i have never been a slacker, it's just that now sometimes my health (or lack thereof) prevents me from doing what i love. my apologies in advance should this occur at any time this season and thank you for reading.


as my readers already know, i try to step up my Brantley documentation every year that i do it by providing more and more game details. i've added new colors to my color coding system in my notebook, but i don't think it's overwhelming to everything else that i normally keep track of. on top of that, i have a new section in my notebook dedicated to Brantley's ABs against right-handed vs. left-handed pitching; with RISP; with RISP and 0 outs, 1 out, and 2 outs; and with 2 outs in the inning. however, there is no way i am listing all those statistics here in my blogs. but you can be assured that because i am documenting those numbers daily, all of Brantley's #s here are accurate, even without me presenting the proof. now let's get to his first official blog of the 2014 season.


Michael's usual tendency is to start the season a little slow, and then by the end of April he normally takes off. that pattern did not hold true in 2014. Michael started out very well and was leading the team in almost every category on April 24. immediately after that, we faced some tough interleague play and unfortunately, Michael did not get one hit. that really brought his overall batting average down, as well as the BAs of his BOPs. every out in the month(s) of March/April takes the BA down a lot more than it would in say the month of August or September. this is not a good time to be slumping, because it will be a difficult hill for him to climb to get that average back up to something respectable.

however, as evidenced by some of his other numbers, he still amazingly had a productive month. Michael wasn't the only batter who had a rough start to the season, which explains why he still currently leads the team in some categories. not only that, but Michael even set a few career highs for himself. so it wasn't all bad.

it's still early right now, and even though i am disappointed in some of his numbers, i'm not yet worried or concerned that he can't come back from this. i believe he will get his average back up as the season continues. this could be a season similar to his 2012, where he started out slow and gradually built his numbers up as the year went on. Michael is just too good a hitter to keep trending down, he's got nowhere left to go but up.

Michael had a hit in 19 of the 27 games he played in March/April and reached base safely in 24 games. Michael reached base in 15 straight games from April 9 - April 24 as well.

he bat .246 (15-for-61) against right-handed pitchers and .270 (10-for-37) against left-handed pitchers. Michael usually hits both righties and lefties about the same, not to mention fairly well. so as the season goes on, i expect those numbers to get closer together.

Michael hit .310 (9-for-29) with runners in scoring position, 2nd highest on the team, and provided the team with 17 RBI. he also hit .250 (1-for-4) with 0 outs and runners in scoring position, .455 (5-for-11) with 1 out and RISP, and .214 (3-for-14) with 2 outs and RISP. with runners on base, Michael hit .326 (15-for-46) with 18 RBI. additionally, he's batting .667 (4-for-6) with 9 RBI when the bases are loaded, which is already a BIG improvement from a year ago. he finished with a team high 20 RBI, also a career high for March/April. his 20 RBI currently tie him for 7th in the American League and tie for 11th overall in the league. furthermore, Michael's batting .226 (7-for-31) with 2 outs.

a pleasant surprise this month was seeing Michael hit 4 home runs in just 7 games. 4 home runs is a team high and career high in the month of April for him. he didn't hit his 4th home run last year until June 19! so the fact that Michael has already hit 4 balls out of the park has many wondering if he's finally developed power. while the long ball is a nice thing for Michael to add to his repertoire, i certainly don't expect him to hit 24 homers this season. and as i've said plenty of times in the past, that's okay.

besides leading the team in home runs and RBI, Michael also leads the team with 25 hits and 42 total bases (career high). he's tied for the team lead with 4 stolen bases, another career high, and 13 runs scored. he's currently 4th on the team with 10 walks. out of all the regular starters, Michael has the least amount of strikeouts with 8. he also leads the outfielders with 3 assists, yet another career high for Michael for the month. his .255 BA is actually 2nd highest on the team when counting only the players with at least 60 at bats for the month. moreover, Michael is 2nd in SLG and OPS, and 3rd in OBP.

there's no denying these team rankings are very good, but something tells me these numbers won't lead or be near the top of the club for long. the players who are slumping now will eventually come out of it, and Michael's going to need to make up for his mini slump from his California road trip if he wants to continue being one of the best players on the team.

the M.O. for Michael so far this season is that he hits 5th in the lineup against right-handed starters, and 6th against the left-handed starters. while Bourn was on the DL, Michael played left field while batting 5th, and center field while batting 6th. conversely, Michael did play left and hit 6th against left-handed starters, as well as play center and hit 5th against lefty starters on occasion. also while Bourn was out hurt, Michael was part of a defensive switch in one game, moving from left to center field part-way through. as Bourn slowly started playing games again, there was one game where Michael moved from center to left field so Bourn could play center for the final inning, in order to give us a better outfield defensively. when Bourn came back for good, Michael started batting 6th and playing left field exclusively against the lefties. so it's a safe bet that Michael will now mostly be playing left field (as long as Bourn is healthy) and teetering between the 5th and 6th spots depending upon who's on the mound for the opposition.

i'm personally relieved that Michael seems to finally have more of a regular home in the lineup this year. and just like last season, right now he's thriving the most in the 5 hole. also like last season, that seems to be the best place for him to get more RBI opportunities and rack up that total as well.

now let's talk about defense. i was aware that Michael would be seeing more time in center field this season, but i never really anticipated that Tito would be moving Michael from left to center and vice versa during games. one such defensive switch came on April 2, when Michael went from left field to center and Raburn went from PH to left field. in the 7th inning, Raburn did not hear Michael call for a fly ball, his glove banged into Michael's, and that resulted in neither outfielder catching the ball. to my dismay, Michael was then charged with an error, putting an end to his franchise setting errorless streak as an outfielder. that record now stands at 247 consecutive games, but it could have been so many more had Raburn given way to the CF, as is the unspoken rule in baseball. for more details about this incident, see my previous blog here.

aside from that unfortunate error, Michael still played stellar defense in both left and center field. he made some spectacular catches as the center fielder, robbing players of extra base hits. he also had 3 very nice assists. two came as the left fielder, one during the Indians home opener game when he threw a runner out at the plate. the 3rd assist came while Michael was playing center field, when he threw a runner out who was trying to go from 1st to 3rd base. these 3 assists tie Michael for the most assists among outfielders in the American League so far.

wherever Michael plays in the outfield, he is one of the best defensive players on the team and undoubtedly makes our team defense better when he is out there. he recorded 47 putouts and made some tough catches look easy. i'm so confident in Michael that i'm going on record as saying Michael will not have another error for the rest of the year. we shall see if my confidence in him is warranted as the remainder of the season plays out.



now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his March/April #s, the 5th spot #s, and the 6th spot #s, as well as the left field #s and the center field #s.


April batting average: .255

OBP: .327

SLG: .429

OPS: .756



Michael played in 27 (of 28) complete games in March/April. he started and played left in 19 games, completing 18 of those games. he started and played center in 8 games, completing 7 of those games. he was part of a defensive switch in 2 games, once moving from left to center during a game and once moving from center to left. he played 4 innings when moved over to center with 2 official at bats. he played 1 inning when moved over to left, with no official at bats. the one game he did not play in was just Tito giving him a day off.


Michael bat 5th in 18 games.

Michael bat 6th in 9 games.


Michael played left field in 20 games.

Michael played center field in 9 games.


in March/April, Michael had a total of 110 plate appearances and 98 at bats. here is how he fared:

25 hits

16 singles

5 doubles

4 home runs

20 RBI

1 sac fly

13 runs scored

10 walks

1 hit by pitch

4 stolen bases

3 GIDP

8 strikeouts (5 swinging, 3 looking)

5 first at bat hits

42 total bases



48 left on base

47 putouts

3 assists

1 error

234.0 innings, 27 games

(27 complete games)

March/April batting average: .255 (25-98) (27 games)



now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.



when Michael bat 5th in March/April, he had a total of 75 plate appearances and 68 at bats in 18 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

19 hits

12 singles

4 doubles

3 home runs

18 RBI

1 sac fly

9 runs scored

5 walks

1 hit by pitch

3 stolen bases

1 GIDP

5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking)

3 first at bat hits

32 total bases


39 left on base

29 putouts

3 assists

1 error

157.2 innings, 18 games

(18 complete games)

March/April batting average in the 5th spot: .279 (19-68) (18 games)


when Michael bat 5th and played left in March/April, he had a total of 70 plate appearances and 63 at bats in 17 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

17 hits

10 singles

4 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

8 runs scored

5 walks

1 hit by pitch

3 stolen bases

1 GIDP

5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking)

3 first at bat hits

30 total bases


38 left on base

28 putouts

2 assists

144.2 innings, 17 games

(16 complete games)

March/April batting average in the 5th spot while playing left: .270 (17-63) (17 games)


when Michael bat 5th and played center in March/April, he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 5 at bats in 2 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

2 hits

2 singles

4 RBI

1 run scored

2 total bases


1 left on base

1 putout

1 assist

1 error

13 innings, 2 games

(1 complete game)

March/April batting average in the 5th spot while playing center: .400 (2-5) (2 games)


when Michael bat 6th in March/April, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 30 at bats in 9 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

6 hits

4 singles

1 double

1 home run

2 RBI

4 runs scored

5 walks

1 stolen base

2 GIDP

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

2 first at bat hits

10 total bases


9 left on base

18 putouts

76.1 innings, 9 games

(9 complete games)

March/April batting average in the 6th spot: .200 (6-30) (9 games)


when Michael bat 6th and played center in March/April, he had a total of 27 plate appearances and 23 at bats in 7 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

5 hits

3 singles

1 double

1 home run

2 RBI

3 runs scored

4 walks

2 GIDP

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

2 first at bat hits

9 total bases


8 left on base

16 putouts

58.1 innings, 7 games

(6 complete games)

March/April batting average in the 6th spot while playing center: .217 (5-23) (7 games)


when Michael bat 6th and played left in March/April, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 7 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 run scored

1 walk

1 stolen base

1 total base


1 left on base

2 putouts

18 innings, 3 games

(2 complete games)

March/April batting average in the 6th spot while playing left: .143 (1-7) (3 games)



now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.



when Michael played left in March/April, he had a total of 78 plate appearances and 70 at bats in 20 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

18 hits

11 singles

4 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

9 runs scored

6 walks

1 hit by pitch

4 stolen bases

1 GIDP

5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking)

3 first at bat hits

31 total bases


39 left on base

30 putouts

2 assists

162.2 innings, 20 games

(18 complete games)

March/April batting average while playing left: .257 (18-70) (20 games)


when Michael played center in March/April, he had a total of 32 plate appearances and 28 at bats in 9 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

7 hits

5 singles

1 double

1 home run

6 RBI

4 runs scored

4 walks

2 GIDP

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

2 first at bat hits

11 total bases


9 left on base

17 putouts

1 assist

1 error

71.1 innings, 9 games

(7 complete games)

March/April batting average while playing center: .250 (7-28) (9 games)



March/April #s while playing left: 30 putouts, 2 assists, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (162.2 innings, 20 games)

March/April #s while playing center: 17 putouts, 1 assist, 1 error, 0.947 fielding percentage (71.1 innings, 9 games)

March/April #s while playing the outfield: 47 putouts, 3 assists, 1 error, 0.980 fielding percentage (234.0 innings, 27 games)



now my game-by-game numbers and notes.

Game 1, March 31: 2-4, double, double. AVG: .500
(batting 5th/LF/CG9)

April 1: game postponed, to be made up April 2.
(6th/CF)

Game 2, April 2 (Day Game): 1-3, single (first at bat). AVG: .429
(6th/CF/CG8) 

^^Michael sets new franchise record with 247 consecutive errorless games in the outfield^^
**Michael's 247 consecutive errorless games streak ends**
 
Game 3, April 2 (Night Game): 1-4, walk, RBI groundout, 2-run single. AVG: .364
(5th/LF - 5 innings, CF - 4 innings/CG9)

Game 4, April 4: 1-4, reached on fielder's choice, 2-run single. AVG: .333
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 5, April 5: 1-4, single, run scored. AVG: .316
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 6, April 6: 3-5, single (first at bat), run scored, RBI single, single. AVG: .375
(5th/LF/CG9)

April 7: game postponed, to be made up April 9 in a traditional DH.
(6th/CF)

**Michael's 6-game hitting streak ends**

Game 7, April 8: 0-4. AVG: .321
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 8, April 9 (Game 1): 1-3, single (first at bat). AVG: .323
(6th/CF - 8 i, LF - 1 i/CG9)

Game 9, April 9 (Game 2): 0-3, walk. AVG: .294
(6th/CF/CG9)

Game 10, April 10: 1-4, double. AVG: .289
(6th/CF/CG8)

Game 11, April 11: 1-4, walk, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .286
(6th/CF/CG8)

Game 12, April 12: 1-3, 2-run single (first at bat), walk, walk, run scored. AVG: .289
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 13, April 13: 1-3, walk (first at bat), home run, run scored, reached on fielder's choice, reached on fielding error, run scored. AVG: .292
(6th/CF/CG8.1)

April 15: game postponed due to cold, to be made up July 19 in a day-night DH.

Game 14, April 16: 0-3, hit by pitch, stolen base. AVG: .275
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 15, April 17: 2-5, 2-run single, 2-run home run, run scored. AVG: .286
(5th/LF/CG8)

Game 16, April 18: 1-5, single, stolen base. AVG: .279
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 17, April 19: 0-3, walk. AVG: .266
(6th/CF/CG9)

Game 18, April 20: 2-3, home run (first at bat), run scored, RBI double, walk, run scored. AVG: .284
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 19, April 21: 1-4, 2-run home run, run scored. AVG: .282
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 20, April 22: 2-4, single, stolen base, run scored, single. AVG: .293
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 21, April 23: 1-3, single, stolen base, run scored, walk. AVG: .295
(6th/LF/CG9)

Game 22, April 24: 1-3, RBI single, run scored. AVG: .296
(5th/CF/CG9)

**Michael's 15-game on-base streak ends**

Game 23, April 25: 0-4. AVG: .282
(5th/LF/CG8)

Game 24, April 26: 0-3, walk. AVG: .273
(5th/LF/CG8)

Game 25, April 27: 0-3. AVG: .264
(5th/LF/CG8.2)

Game 26, April 28: 0-4, reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .253
(6th/LF/CG8)

Game 27, April 29: 1-3, double, RBI sac fly. AVG: .255
(5th/LF/CG8)

April 30: not in lineup.



i really hope that Michael will go on a hot streak in May. i'd love to see him string together a nice long hitting streak á la 2012 ;D

Brantley's Errorless Streak Comes To An End in Oakland

i knew it would happen sometime, but i was not prepared for it to happen this soon into the new season, and it is with a heavy heart that i write this blog.

tonight, on April 2, 2014, during the night game of a doubleheader against the Athletics, Michael Brantley started the game as the left fielder. as we got to the 6th inning, Tito decided to pinch hit for center fielder Nyjer Morgan, making Ryan Raburn the batter. once we got to the bottom of the 6th inning, a defensive switch was made: Raburn went to left and Michael slid over to center. i did not like that at all because i selfishly knew this substitution was going to make my April blog breakdown more complicated lol

after 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, Josh Donaldson hits a routine fly ball to left-center field. somehow, communication failed to occur between Michael and Raburn. they both held their gloves up to catch the ball, their gloves smacked into each other and the ball dropped. Michael was then charged with the error. Hammy said the error could have been charged to either guy, but i assume it went to Michael because he's the CF, otherwise known as the "captain" of the outfield. and because the center fielder is the captain, in that particular situation, any other outfielder is supposed to give way to the CF to catch the ball, whether there's communication or not. i am not being a Brantley homer here, 3 other Tribe writers have tweeted the same thing tonight.

this photo shows Michael actually had the ball in his glove, and Raburn caused Michael to drop it when his glove smacked into Michael's:

photo courtesy of Indians.com

i could blame this on a lot of things. i could blame it on the stupid rainout in Oakland on April 1, causing this day-night doubleheader to occur in the first place. i could blame it on Tito, who so early in the season felt like fumbling with the batters and using pinch hitters in the 6th inning of a game. i could blame it on Raburn, for trying to show off out there in left. i could blame it on the scorekeeper, for picking the wrong guy to give the error to. hell, i could even blame this on Bourn because he's out hurt again. all i know is, right now my heart is so sad for Michael. he had a full errorless season last year, along with 11 OF assists, and wasn't even considered in the discussion for a Gold Glove. he probably won't be considered this year now, so soon after things just got started.

adding insult to injury, Donaldson ended up scoring the go-ahead run for the Athletics at that time. i am sure Michael feels terrible, as do i. i don't know how long he will dwell on it, but i won't sleep easy tonight. being the #1 Brantley fan that i am, i'm taking it as though I made the error =(

so the new Cleveland Indians franchise record for most errorless games played stands at 247 consecutive games. Michael accomplished this feat from June 5, 2012-April 2, 2014. that's still one hell of a record. and it's still going to be a very tough record for any future Indian to break. but if not for this cruel twist of fate, a rare day-night doubleheader in the city of Oakland, Michael could have made this record even longer.

making it worse for me is the fact that i don't even have time to deal with this. i am writing this blog while the game is still going on and as soon as it's done i have to go to bed so i can get up early and head up to Cleveland. i won't sleep well tonight, and there will be tears. i still love ya Brant, but this is gonna hurt for a while.



postgame edit: on a happier note, Michael's clutchness continued tonight. he didn't let that error affect him mentally at the plate because in the top of the 9th, he hit a 2-run single, giving the Indians the lead that they would not relinquish. still doesn't erase the error though lol =(

and new light has been shed on the situation. in a postgame article that i read, it was stated that Michael DID in fact call for the ball. so now the blame is fully on Raburn, and i'm even more pissed that my boy was charged with the error.

but while i was sick and in tears over the whole thing, Michael took a more mature approach.

After the game, Brantley dismissed the end of his errorless streak to reporters by saying, "That's an individual goal. We don't teach individual goals around here. It's all about team effort."

Then he credited his teammates for getting on base, so he had a chance to win the game.

credit to Terry Pluto for his nice article on Brantley.




i know Michael is not putting on here, but still, when you go THAT LONG without an error, and are in the middle of re-setting a historic record, it has to hurt just a little bit. and if it truly does not bum him out just a teeny, tiny bit, then maybe it's cause he doesn't understand the record's significance. look, i'm glad Michael's a team player, but this was something that hadn't been done since the days of Rocky Colavito. it was kind of a big deal. it shouldn't necessarily just be brushed off the shoulder. it is okay to be sad that the new streak is over. at least that's what i keep telling myself lol

so what's done is done. i am very thankful that Michael broke Rocky's record and tacked on 35 consecutive games to the new franchise record. and who knows, maybe Michael will get to 247 errorless games again someday, and break his own record. if anyone can do it, he can ;D