(9.10.13) Cleveland Sports Weekly: Browns lose in week one, again

The Cleveland Browns have lost 14 of their 15 opening games since their return in 1999. Amazingly, in every year except 2004, the Browns started 0-1 and immediately gotten off on the wrong foot.

One game does not make a season, but it is hard not to be discouraged after yet another loss in the first week of the season. The Browns were a popular sleeper pick amongst the national media before the season, and while the Dolphins are not considered a bad team, many expected Cleveland to get a win Sunday.

Yet they didn’t. Just like always.

It’s not as if everything was bad Sunday. There were some pretty good takeaways from the loss. Read More…

From Daily Kent Stater, September 10, 2013

 

(9.5.13) Around The Farm: September 4, 2013

Around the Farm takes a quick look at some of yesterday’s performances by Indians prospects throughout the system. The positions listed below are where the player was playing in yesterday’s game. 

Nellie Rodriguez (1B, Mahoning Valley): 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 E

This game was a microcosm of Rodriguez’s time in Mahoning Valley. A little bit of power, a little bit of on-base ability, and some strikeouts. There is no denying that Rodriguez’s time with the Scrappers went a long way toward rebuilding his value after a rough start in Lake County. Rodriguez’s .287/.366/.452 line with 16 doubles, nine home runs, and a 61:29 SO:BB shows what he is capable of, though he still has a ways to go before he can make designs on starting in Cleveland. The next step for Rodriguez will be erasing his Lake County stats from this year (.194/.305/.256 line in 47 games), something he will look to do out of the gate in 2014. Read More…

From Indians Baseball Insider, September 5, 2013

 

(9.3.13) Launching off with the Aeros: The 2013 season in review

On the surface, calling a 68-73 season a success — especially when that season follows a championship campaign — would be ludicrous. In the case of the 2013 Akron Aeros, however, it would be true.

While last year brought Akron an Eastern League championship, 2013 saw the arrival of numerous top prospects and brought the future one step closer to Cleveland. The ultimate goal of the minor leagues is development and graduating players to the major leagues, something Akron excelled at this season.

If you made it out to Canal Park this year, you saw the future of Cleveland. To recap that future and everything that happened in 2013, join me for one last time and go Launching off with the Aeros. Read More…

From Indians Baseball Insider, September 3, 2013

 

(9.3.13) Cleveland Sports Weekly: Don’t forget about baseball

School is back in session, fall is in the air and football season is underway. Fans all over Northeast Ohio celebrated wins for the Kent State Golden Flashes and Ohio State Buckeyes while anxiously awaiting the Cleveland Browns’ opener this Sunday.

But what about what’s going on at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario?

Sure, Cleveland is a football town that routinely fills Cleveland Browns (now FirstEnergy) Stadium while Progressive Field is often half-empty. Fans feel burned from Larry Dolan not spending much money on payroll since becoming the team’s owner, the historic collapse last August and the lack of winning baseball in Cleveland since 2007.

But it is not like the Browns have played any better. During that same timeframe the Browns have not won more than five games in a single season. The common line of thinking is that the baseball team will always let you down, but if that is the case, why keep going back to the Browns?

There is promise with this year’s Browns, but why invest in promise when you already have a team in contention? Read More…

From Daily Kent Stater, September 3, 2013

 

(9.1.13) Ranking the 2013 Cleveland Indians’ roster at the stretch run

With the calendar turning to September, Cleveland remains in playoff contention with a 71-64 record. Sure, the team has its issues, but anyone would have taken this before the season. It is September 1 and Cleveland could make the playoffs. That’s amazing considering where the team was last August.

I previously ranked the roster before the season, at the 40-game mark, and at the All-Star break, so click on those links if you want to check them out. If not, here are the current roster ranks: Read More…

From Indians Baseball Insider, September 1, 2013

 

(8.31.13) IBI Digest: 8/24/13 – 8/31/13

As the calendar turns to September, the big league club is preparing to welcome numerous minor leaguers thanks to expanded rosters. The best way to familiarize yourself with the new callups — including Akron Aeros infielder Jose Ramirez — is to follow IBI. As always, IBI had all the coverage of the major and minor leagues you could possibly want.

Here are all of the pieces that went up on IBI over the past week: Read More…

From Indians Baseball Insider, August 31, 2013