[zam77]

I'm sure many of you are aware of the early season winning streak the Indians have put together. From what I see, the team seems very grounded and confident from their suprising success. It seems like the team is gelling very well right now and that they are feeding off of one another which is producing positive results.

Pitcher, Josh Tomlin was recently quoted:
"I don't feel like we can be beat right now," said Tomlin, who allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings. "I think everybody feels that way. I feel like, if we play the baseball we're capable of playing, then it's going to be tough for anybody to come in here and beat us.

He's young and maybe portraying a bit of overconfidence, but when players speak like this, it's usually a good sign.

The Tribe has been in the rebuilding stage trying to get back to the years of the mid 90's for quite a while and by the looks of things it's starting to feel like they may be able to suprise some people this year. The Dolan ownership has never made it easy for the team to keep big time talent, but I have always felt Shapiro had a knack for keeping quality talent coming through the system, and currently there is a good mix of new and veteran talent that are really starting to perform. In addition they are looking very healthy and Grady Sizemore is still in the minors making his way back to good health soon.

Of course, it's early. But if you think this is simply just luck, I would think again.

For what it's worth, keep an eye on these guys this year... this streak could be the start of a very good season.

[blackbart]

notice they took a lot of $ today, bandwagon full

[obamaismyuncle]

[bobbyfk]

great write up!!!

[zam77]

great write up!!!

Thanks bobby... can you link this to the baseball subforum? I would like to continue posting any early season thoughts and updates in this thread instead of starting multiples and want to keep the baseball posters involved as well... thanks.

[bobbyfk]

Thanks bobby... can you link this to the baseball subforum? I would like to continue posting any early season thoughts and updates in this thread instead of starting multiples and want to keep the baseball posters involved as well... thanks.

done

[opie1988]

Good stuff, Zammer.

[zam77]

4/18 write up

I've been watching every game. This team is playing better baseball than any other team in the league or at least in the AL. They are firing on all cylinders right now and their confidence is building with every win. Grady Sizemore is back in the line up as of yesterday and is looking great... the team chemistry is superb, you can tell they are thinking they can win every game.

Pitching, although I'm certain it will eventually cool down to a more non-stratospheric degree, is absolutely getting it done (In their last 14 games they have not given up more than 4 runs, and they've only given up 4 runs twice!) My take on the pitching is that they will play as well as the vibe in the clubhouse is giving off, and right now the vibe is simply, go get it done and will win this thing together. Everything is just gelling.

A lot of this talent was learning last year and it looks as though they are capitalizing on what they've learned and they are being well coached and way more focused than their opponents.

In addition, the wins are convincing whole game victories... the Tribe has only been in 2 extra inning games... lucky wins have not been a part of their streaks. They are getting it done and I see no reason they will not continue to do this to some degree all season. Part of me is still a bit skeptic simply because of the expecation level going into this season, but I can't deny the other side that is watching the games and listening to the players after the games talk with confidence and solidness.

This team is very close to earning a lot more respect than they have thus far.

[empty cookie jar]

them dang ole indians

[Vegas_bond]

Indians and Braves at the World Series. Holy cow.

[Sawyer]

Indians' recent performance makes me remember the movie "Major League", lol.

[Smogs]

Major league was a quality film - reckon i'll have to download it tonight lol

[blackbart]

its a longgggggg season

[Fieldysnuts44]

Good stuff Zam. Feels good to be excited about Cleveland Sports again.I was there Opening Day and thought oh no its going to be a long season.Hopefully they can contend for the Central all season long,obviously they are not going to keep winning at this rate but it feels good to have a team thats fun to watch again. "Its starting to come together Pepper,starting to come together"

[zam77]

5/1 write up

Perseverance... since my last write up another major attribute has shined through on this ball club. The Indians faced some adversity on the road with a 3 game losing streak against the royals and twins. How do they respond?... they come home and win 6 straight sweeping the royals and the tigers. A young team that can bounce back and do this is a huge sign of competitiveness AND SHOULD NOT GO UNNOTICED.

In addition here is another very intriguing stat that can also be added to the signs that this team has confidence, drive and focus for the whole game... to date they have outscored teams 16-3 in the eight inning. This means that the hitting is producing ALL game not just early on... and also that the phenomenal starting pitching is not the only reason the Tribe is holding it's ground - the Bullpen is holding their ground too.

The more I watch the team play, the more I am impressed by the team comradery. They are enjoying their success and having fun, but they are also realizing that they know they can make a habit out of winning. And the talent is really there... you can see it.

One other note... everyone is contributing, they are not just depending on any one starter or hitter to set the pace... everyone is getting it done.

Although it will be very hard to keep this pace up in May, I see the Tribe putting together another good month. Their schedule toughens up a bit and will present more of a challenge with some of their opponents starting to find their rythem. They have 27 games of which only 12 are at home. I would like to see them get 14 or 15 wins this month. If they can do this I believe they will have a great shot at winning their division.

Pitching is at 3.49 era
Batting is at .272

[zam77]

6/2 write up

Last month was an interesting month to say the least for the Tribe. They suffered a couple key injuruies to Sizemore and Hafner which definitely effected their offense and they faced some adversity on the road and at home against some quality pitching.

Two negatives I noticed moreso than any other this month. 1.) The Indians are proving not to be a very effective road team as they went 7-8 during May and 2.) they are definitely showing their struggles when facing quality pitching and quality teams as they lost all of their tougher series in May to the Red Sox at home, and Rays & Angels away (as well as losing 2 the White Sox on the road).

The positives this month were a nice sweep of the Reds in interleague play at home and their ability to take care of the lesser teams in the league which is important if they want to win their division. Also can't fail to mention Asdrubal Cabrera, who is having an All-Star caliber year and had a huge May.

The month of June is the toughest thus far for the Tribe as they are have another road heavy month (28 games with 15 roadies) and are not seeing one easy series the whole month. They play division leading Yankees, Rangers and Diamondbacks as well as the Giants, Tigers, Twins and Rockies, which are not to be overlooked.

I think it's safe to say that June will separate some of the boys from the men this month in MLB, and the Tribe is a team everyone should keep an eye on because you will get a very good look at who this team is this month and if they can back up all the hype.

From a betting standpoint I would definitely take into consideration the fact that they are playing 12 interleague games which is a big plus for starting pitching because they are playing teams that haven't seen their new young talent yet. I could see these interleague teams struggling with Tomlin and Masterson... so look for these games in their schedule.

Aside from the point made above this may be the month to begin fading the Tribe or simply stop betting on them. It really is a tough schedule and I don't see much of an edge taking them to the bank this month. I will be keeping a close on this month to get a feel for the 2nd half of the season and how to play them and recommend others doing the same.

Batting is at .263 (down from .272)
Pitching is at 3.83 (up from 3.49)

[firehoyt]

Very informative! Thanks for the info! Think I'll put a small wager on them today however. Bush is garbage!

[jamoc023]

Very informative! Thanks for the info! Think I'll put a small wager on them today however. Bush is garbage!

What Price are the Indians for Title

[cala56]

I like this team. In the world series, no doubt.

[zam77]

6/30 write up

(If a mod gets a hold of this can you change title to "Cleveland Indians Season Long Write Ups" to keep thread in one spot... thanks)

Well the Tribe finished the month of June last night with a series clinching win against the Diamondbacks, which pushed them to 10 very difficult wins for the month of June. As mentioned in my last write up, Junes schedule was brutal facing many good teams and quality pitching. The Indians won 2 series the whole month with a sweep of the lowly Pirates and a somewhat promising series win to finish the month off against the D-backs. Truth of the matter is though, that the Tribe is continuing to struggle putting runs on the board against the better teams in the league.

I have to take into consideration though that team was not playing to their potential (potential being 80% of 100%) last month... and yes they did struggle with the bats... and yes the pitching had its ups and downs... and yes their base running was God awful... BUT, all this being said they managed to avoid letting the bottom fall out in what was by far the toughest part of their schedule in the first half of the season. They are still in a race in their division and have something to play for and they are slowly beginning to show they can get back to their winning ways again.

Pitching... I don't care what anyone says, but the Tribes starting rotation can and may carry this team to a division title. The reason I say this is because of one pitcher... Fausto Carmona. Fausto has continually demonstrated that he is pitching waaaay under his potential this year. From years past Fausto has demonstrated that he is a streaky pitcher, and from what I understand, he is missing on his wind up and follow through and is just now beginning to correct it. Little things like this can really help bring the best out of a pitcher, so I will be very intrigued by watching his next outing or two... if he begins to show improvement, I would recommend betting Tribe when he is starting for the rest of the season.

As for the other starting pitching, another merging guy is Carlos Carrasco. Holy cow, this guys stuff is filthy. The movement on his pitches is fierce and he has been in a major hot zone lately and building huge bouts' of confidence with each outing. He is owning batters right now and simply getting it. The month of June he turned the corner... going 4-1 (should of been 5-0 as his one loss was due to fielding errors, in which he pitched a complete game)... era went from 5.18 to 3.54. I love this guy for the 2nd half of the season... and would definitely recommend throwing some cash down when he's on the mound. In addition to Carrasco Josh Tomlin remains as steady as ever consistently keeping the team in it for 5+ innnings and giving them a chance to win... I would be a little apprehensive to play Tomlin against quality teams second half of the season because the better lineups are going to be seeing him a second and third time; that combined with good opposing pitching is why I feel he may level off a bit over the long haul.

Batting is everything for the Indians write now, and as mentioned earlier in the write up they are not playing to their potential. The pitching is holding their own for the most part, it's getting runs on the board that is screwing the teams chances of winning. Shin Soo Choo, who is on DL (thankfully) has been playing poorly all year, guy has some mental instability he is still trying to get over IMO (DUI is still effing with his head). Indians also brought up Morehead City's finest, Lonnie Chisenhall this past weeks in hopes he can bring a spark to the line-up. He certainly has created a buzz and had a good first week going 3-8 with a couple of doubles. In addition to Chisenhall, Hafner is back from the DL. The Tribe will be looking forward to getting back into the AL games, so they can take full advantage of his DH bat. The bottom line with the hitting from my perspective is that if they can remain healthy, the bats will improve... if the Indians don't make a move for a big bat (I think they will), I still feel the lineup as is can produce as long as Hafner is in it. He is key to the line up. Carlos Santana is also a bat that can really make a difference 2nd half of the season and I think it will... he is only hitting 225 write now, but I expect him to be able to get this up to the 250 range 2nd half of the season.

In conclusion, now that the Indians are beginning to give a pretty well painted picture of who they are this year... putting some money on them should get a little easier. My recommendations at this point are to play the ML when they are at home and they have either Carrasco, Tomlin and maybe Carmona pitching depending on his next couple of outings. I would also play the runline when Carrasco is pitching at home and the ML when he is on the road if the opponent is weak. The month of July has a few tough series in it with Yanks at home, Reds on the road and some division series with Sox and Twins. (stay away from the white sox series... they have Tribes number this year). There are a couple of lesser series as well with Blue Jays, Orioles and Royals which I would consider playing a handful of.

That's all for this month... Hope it helps and GL with your bets in July

[nosniboR11]

Knows the Cleveland Indians, Keep up the good work Zam

[zam77]

double off the wall for the evening crowd

[BigDeem5]

I still think they win the Central.