PRINCE FIELDER A TIGER!!!!!!!

[Flipper]

C'mon...Charlie Spikes had at least a decent year or two in Cleveland...so what if Nettles became a key member of a two-time WS champion?

I'd like to see a RH bat for the OF in Detroit because other than Ajax, we don't have a dependable RH OF. We have Raburn and Delmon...assuming VMart comes back in September...otherwise, we just have Raburn and Raburn doesn't look like he's gonna heat up like he usually does in the second half. It's true that Boesch hit LH well....but he's so inconsitent.
I could live with the lineup we have now though and look to address OF in the offseason. I don't want to have to count on Castellanos next year. I guess I should point out that Infante has played some LF...he could be the guy to plug in there on days you want to get Santiago in there at 2B.

With Turner, a lot depends on his slider...I guess he picked that pitch up in the last year or so. That looks like a pitch that could develop into a K pitch for him. That's something Porcello lacks...a true swing and miss pitch. Still don't see Turner ever being a #1 starter though.

[hammb]

I'd like to see a RH bat added too. And while it's been working okay of late I'm also leery of relying on Delmon, Boesch, and Berry to be in the lineup on an every day basis. My thinking though was what would you be willing to give up and would you actually improve?

I'm not willing to give up Castellanos for anybody not named Justin Upton. And with Turner gone I don't think the Tigers have anything that will land Upton, so that's out of the picture. Other than Castellanos I don't see the Tigers having chips to really get any sort of OF that is even an upgrade over what they currently have. Maybe there is a guy they could land as a pure salary dump from somewhere, but I'm not sure who. I'm thinking that the lineup is pretty well set at this point.

Now going into next year my plan would be to re-up Sanchez and see if you can get a decent OF bat for Porcello. Perhaps others will buy into the notion that Porcello is better if you give him a better defense (I'm not buying it, but maybe some stupid team will). I'd hate to give up Scherzer to get an OF bat, but that could be an option as well.

Alternatively, they could sign a meh vet that will at least be an improvement over what they've got now with the hopes that Nicky C is ready to go midseason next year. He's looking as though he'll probably start next year at AA or AAA and if he starts hot I don't see the Tigers letting him stay down there. That's not their style. They've already changed their tune and made him an OF, and I fully expect he will be starting there at some point in 2013, unless the wheels totally fall off for him next year.

[Flipper]

I don't want Upton...and I don't want to trade Castellanos. Not really looking for an elite guy...someone serviceable as an insurance policy in case Castellanos isn't ready. Why they kept Delmon this year when Josh Willingham was out there willing to sign for just a tad more is beyond me

[hammb]

I don't want Upton...and I don't want to trade Castellanos. Not really looking for an elite guy...someone serviceable as an insurance policy in case Castellanos isn't ready. Why they kept Delmon this year when Josh Willingham was out there willing to sign for just a tad more is beyond me

I'm sure they must have believed that last year was an aberration and that Delmon would bounce back to closer to 2010 form than 2011.

Personally I hate Delmon because even when he WAS hitting well he still refused to take a walk and is always among the worst fielding OFs in the game. But I have to believe they figured they'd get 15-20 HRs and a .750+ OPS from him.

Of course I must agree whole-heartedly RE: Willingham. That's a guy who wouldn't have cost much more, would have been better in the OF, and is a virtual lock for an .800+ OPS, something Delmon has only done once in his career. Sure Young is a lot younger (that sounds weird), but since we're talking 1 year deals I'd have much preferred Willingham. And that is BEFORE he blows up and has a career year this year.

[Falconfreak90]

Can the Tribe play the Tigers the rest of the season? Cle wins 3-2 last night and is now 6-1 vs Det this year. After laying a serious egg against Baltimore, no doubt. Cle is a frustrating team to watch...

[Class of 61]

Can the Tribe play the Tigers the rest of the season? Cle wins 3-2 last night and is now 6-1 vs Det this year. After laying a serious egg against Baltimore, no doubt. Cle is a frustrating team to watch...

Interesting thing in the AL Central...Tribe seems to play better against the Tiggers, Detroit seems to own Chisox, and Chicago has killed the Indians so far....
NONE of these teams has shown the consistency needed to advance very far in the playoffs IMO.

[Falconfreak90]

I agree Den...they are decent teams but not one of them, IMO, are "World Series" material. But ya never know when the playoffs start.

BTW, Tigers got the better of the Tribe Wed night, 5-3.

[hammb]

I agree Den...they are decent teams but not one of them, IMO, are "World Series" material. But ya never know when the playoffs start.

BTW, Tigers got the better of the Tribe Wed night, 5-3.

I think the Tigers or White Sox would be fully capable of putting together a run in the playoffs to win a WS. Winning in the baseball playoffs has very little to do with who are the best teams and much more to do with who is hot at the right time. Baseball is a game where the best teams still only win about 60-65% of their games. The worst teams still typically win 40% of their games.

In baseball, moreso than any other sport, you sell out to get to the playoffs and then hope to get hot at the right time. That's all it is. It's pretty rare that the team that looks the best throughout the regular season goes on to win the WS.

I'd be shocked if the Indians could put together a WS run because I'd be shocked if they ended up in the playoffs. Still, if they did get in they'd be no worse off than the '06 Cardinals were, and they won it all.

[Flipper]

Not suprised the Tribe took 2 out of 3 this week...getting swept would have put them 7 back and conjured memories of last year...but I'm stunned they hit JV so hard in the 7th. Teams are jumping on that first pitch fastball. Might be time to start mixing it up a bit.

The failure to get guys in from third killed them this week...Cabrera GIDP with a man on third? When was the last time THAT happened.

Would love to see Alfonso Soriano in Detroit...If the Cubs pick up most of his salary...and Delmon Young on a bus out of town. The Tribe radio guys said he's "quietly having a good year". WTF? Have they looked at his numbers other than his .270 BA?

[Redwingtom]

Hey, Delmon walked twice this month...cut him some slack!

No...seriously...he now has a grand total of 2 walks in July. And yes...seriously...that is twice as many as he had the entire month of June when he walked once!

[Class of 61]

I know many of you guys are Tiger fans, but I'm still maintaining that the Tribe continues to play well against the Kitties....and I'm not sure, but I think this is the 2nd time IN A ROW that Cleve. has beaten Verlander. I was at the game last nite... looked like we were in for a long nite at 1st, but bounced back to tie, than fell behind again as JV looked untouchable for about 4 innings...then Cleve. started to hit the ball HARD but "at ems"....until that is, the 7th. Wonder how many times he's given up HR's on 2 consecutive pitches.

[Flipper]

Way less times than Ubaldo Jimenez ....

[fredthefalcon]

Hey, Delmon walked twice this month...cut him some slack!

No...seriously...he now has a grand total of 2 walks in July. And yes...seriously...that is twice as many as he had the entire month of June when he walked once!

Tom, you underestimate Delmon. He has 3 walks for July including 2 in the Cleveland series. Will wonders never cease???

[hammb]

Delmon is freaking awful...so hard to believe he's the best thing they can find at D-freaking-H...

As for the Indians I think one of the reasons they do so well against Detroit this year is that Detroit doesn't have a lefty in their rotation with Smyly on the DL. I have continued to believe the Indians are at best mediocre, but that is largely because they're horrendous against LHP...they're actually pretty good against RHP.

I didn't get to catch last night's game, but it happens...sometimes even the best in the world has an off night.

[Falconfreak90]

And the swoon continues for the Tribe...they look like sheet these days. YUK.