Sunday, Indians Catcher Carlos Santana celebrated his 26th birthday by ripping two home runs, helping the Tribe pick up their first win of the season...Tuesday he had something else to celebrate...
Tuesday Santana signed a five-year, $21 million extension with the Indians, with a club option of $12 million for 2017...The switch-hitting catcher is on verge of being a super-star...
Last year, Santana came back from a major knee injury, and hit 27 HR's...35 doubles...2 triples...With 79 RBI's...A .351 on-base percentage and a .239 batting average...Without a doubt, the Indians want to see his batting average improve...They also want to see some improvement in his defense...
Which, we are starting to see some of that already, as bench coach, and former Indians catching great, Sandy Alomar Jr. has been working a great deal with Santana...He's also not going to be playing as much at 1st base as he did last season, now that he is completely healthy...
This news comes a week after signing slick fielding, Silver Slugger winning shortstop, Asdrubal Cabrera to a two-year, $16.5 million extension, that will keep under contract for three more years...
Without a doubt, these two guys are core pieces to build around...And it looks like the Indians may be going back to John Hart's old play-book, from back in the '90s, when he locked up, their young, talented players early, to try and get the most out of them, and not get raked over the coals in Arbitration and Free-Agency...
The only question is...Who's next to be signed? I say they should lock-up starter, Justin Masterson...
I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday...Of course it would have been better if I was spending it with Kate Upton...
I'll be honest, I had stuff I was going to write about...But then I fell asleep putting the baby to bed around 8:30 PM...I woke up around 1:00 AM and didn't feel like doing shit, but going back to sleep...And the stuff I was going to write about all slipped out of my head...But I'll take a crack at it...
The other night the kids were getting ready for bed and my oldest daughter was doing a check list at the end of some diary book...It was asking questions like "Do you have a crush?" "Have you told them?" 'Do you blah blah blah?" and she would say "Check" as she was marking it off, and after the third or fourth one the Little Beeze chimed in and said, "Are you a bitch? Check!"
It wasn't right, but the Mrs. and I were laughing our asses off...The kid had perfect comedic timing...
-In Sports, Boston College Took home the NCAA Hockey Championship, beating Ferris State in what was probably the most entertaining game that was on Saturday...
-Baseball season is now in full swing, and the Cleveland Indians have been a nightmare to watch so far...Thursday Justin Masterson pitched an eight inning gem only to have Chris Perez blow it in the ninth...Then the game went into the 17th inning before the Tribe lost 7-4...
Saturday Ubaldo Jimenez pitched well, considering he sucked all Spring...But the pen blew the lead...Then in the 12th inning, Toronto took another 7-4 win...
Sunday, Derek Lowe pitched well, and Carlos Santana got the offense going with 2 HR's...In the 9th, leading 4-3 the Indians brought in Perez...As always he put runners on base...After an error by Asdrubal Cabrera, and a walk, the bases were loaded, two outs, with Jose Bautista coming to the plate...And some how Perez got him to pop out...I guess he Jose didn't take his Brady Anderson juice Sunday!
-Both the Yankees and the Red Sox have started the season 0-3, which has to have a lot of people smiling...
-Some guy named Bubba Watson won the Masters...I didn't watch any of it, because well, it's golf...
-Bobby Petrino is in all kinds of trouble after getting into a motorcycle accident with his 25 year old girlfriend on board...At first the married, with 4 kids, Arkansas football coach denied he was banging this chick, but has since admitted to the affair, along with a previous affair...This guys track record of being a fucking douchebag just keeps getting better...
-Everyone knows I'm a loyal Notre Dame fan, but after reading THIS story...A story that has been pretty well kept quiet...Well, it makes me question my loyalty...We all know big-time football programs let shit slide with football players, but there has to be a line...Especially a school like Notre Dame, that always tries to stand on the moral high ground...Very disappointing...
That's it for now...I need to get back to sleep...I've wasted too much time trying to write this while watching "The Wire."
There he is...The good old days, perched up on top of the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium...The Mighty Chief Wahoo...But as we wait for opening day to get started, we have to remember, outside of Progressive Field there will be a small group of "Activists" protesting...It happens every year for opening day...Then the number of protesters drops as the rest of opening weekend goes on...Then you don't see them for the rest of the year...Not much conviction there huh!?!
And what are they protesting? Two things...The Cleveland Indians name itself...But more so, Chief Wahoo...The Indians mascot/logo since 1915...He's changed over the years, and there are people who continue to cry about the changes...
Many feel the smiling, red faced Chief is offensive, disrespectful, and racist...I have no problem with the name Indians, and it annoys me when ever I hear people complain about it, along with The Braves, Redskins, Blackhawks, Seminoles, and Fighting Sioux, just to name a few...These names were given out of respect for the many Native American tribes...
Is Chief Wahoo the best depiction of an Indian...Maybe not, but look at the rest of those logos...All those Indians are portrayed as fierce, or angry, or ready for war, or at least very serious...At least our guy actually has a smile on his face...Would these P C obsessed dolts prefer a honest representation of Native American life...
How about we show the Chief and his tribe being killed off by disease the white man brought with him...Or how about showing the Chief having his land stolen from him, and then turning to alcohol abuse to drown his sorrows...But don't worry, we'll update the Chief...Because now he's been handed the keys to a Casino, paying squat in taxes, and living the dream...I bet he'd look something like this...
Holy shit, we don't have to change it...They nailed it already!
The organization has tried to quietly, tried to squeeze the Chief out...Around 5 or 6 years ago they introduced a cap with a script I as an alternate cap...This was the hat the entire stadium staff was wearing...But it didn't take off...Then a few years ago, they brought back the block C that they had worn back in the early '80s...They have to versions of this...A red one for the alternate home uniform...A blue one for the road gray uniform...But we have the Chief with the home uniform and the away dark jersey...
I hope the block C falters like the script I...Leave Chief Wahoo alone...He's been fine all these years...I'm tired of this overly PC world always sticking their noses in everything and messing with it...I'm tired of some many people thinking they aren't suppose to be offended...Listen, the world is offensive, get use to it!
This week the Indians sent down 1B/LF Matt LaPorta...During this Spring, LaPorta was hitting below .200...Yep, the key piece the Indians received when they traded C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers, wasn't even hitting his own weight...
For two and a half seasons LaPorta has been one of the more inconsistent bats in the Indians lineup...In his 909 at bats in that time, he's only launched 30 Home Runs...With a .238 batting average...Not the pop the Indians front office was selling us when they made the deal...
Supposedly, LaPorta was the Brewers top prospect...The other guy the Indians got, Michael Brantley is looking to be keeper...Brantley was an after thought, but has become the Indians everyday Center fielder with the constant injuries to Grady Sizemore...I wasn't a fan of the deal...2 unproven guys with nothing but potential, for the reigning Cy Young Award winner...Just wasn't enough, and that has been made more clear with LaPorta's inability to live up to the hype...
The Indians gave him every opportunity to be their 1st Baseman...But just as his bat is inconsistent, his glove was also...He never looked comfortable at 1st...
This year, after signing 1B Casey Kotchman, the Indians made it pretty clear the left field job was his to lose...But LaPorta didn't rise to the challenge, unlike some of his competition, like Shelley Duncan, Russ Canzler, and Ryan Spilborghs...
Unless LaPorta can get things turned around physically, and mentally, while down in Columbus, his chances at big-league success may be done for...
In other roster news...The Tribe announced Jack Hannahan will be their starting Third Baseman...23 year old 3B Lonnie Chisenhall was sent down to Columbus...Chisenhall got a good look last year, and his defense has improved, but he's not hitting enough to make the big club yet...Getting Everyday at-bats will do more good for him, then staying up and getting limited at-bats in a platoon system, like he did late last year.
Coming into Spring Training, The Cleveland Indians thought Michael Brantley would be their starting Left Fielder...Then, Grady Sizemore went down with another injury...This time, he needed back surgery...He's down for awhile...$5 million down the drain!
So Brantley and his speed has been moved to Center Field...So who's in Left?
Well it's been an open competition...Shelley Duncan, is my front-runner...Duncan is leading the team this spring with 5 home runs, and 14 RBI's...Duncan has also worked at 1st base...He looked good there last year, but the Tribe signed Casey Kotchman...Great, another weak hitting, good glove 1st baseman...If Duncan was there every day, his glove would be fine...He was also killing the ball last September when he got some legit playing time...
Also competing in LF is former 3B Russ Canzler...With Lonnie Chisenhall and Jack Hannahan at 3rd, there's no chance for Canzler there...But the some are hoping his bat can find it's way in the lineup via LF...Canzler has also worked at 1B...
Then there is Trevor Crowe, who has been hyped by the Indians PR machine for years, but has never panned out...Speedy Ezequiel Carrera and non-roster invitee Felix Pie have seen work in Left and center...But now Carrera and Thomas Neal, who had a limited shot, are out of the running...
Aaron Cunningham and Ryan Spilborghs have seen time in RF and LF...One of these guys will be most likely be the 4th OF with versatility...
Then of course, there is Matt LaPorta...LaPorta was the key piece in the C.C. Sabathia trade with Milwaukee...But so far he hasn't impressed...Instead, Brantley looks to be the highlight of that deal...LaPorta came in as a Left Fielder...Then the Indians put him at first...The kid doesn't look comfortable there and is still learning the position...And his bat has been inconsistent, and lacks the power that was promised...
With the way Duncan has swung the bat this Spring, and at the end of last season, I expect him to get the gig in Left...Brantley will be in Center, and Shin-Soo Choo will be in Right...Besides having Cunningham or Spilborghs as the 4th OF, Spilborghs seems to be ahead between those two...I expect Canzler to also make the team seeing time the same way they'll use Duncan, in LF, at 1B and DH...
