Cleveland Indians

Power Rankings

Date	Ranking	Previous
01/26/2012	19	15
Good business: $5 million seems about right for Derek Lowe at this stage in his career -- which has been way underappreciated, by the way. Bad business: But do the Indians have the infield defense to backstop him and the other ground-ballers in the rotation (Justin Masterson, whatever the hell we're calling Fausto Carmona nowadays)? And how about the offense at first base and in left and center field? And can the bullpen repeat its lockdown performance of 2011? So many questions. Prognosis as of 11:14 a.m. GMT on Jan. 26, 2012: Not to repeat myself, but: So many questions.
10/31/2011	15	15
2011 eulogy: Almost good. Almost fun. Almost. Offseason to-do list: Locate righty-hitting power for first base and the corner outfield slot not populated by Shin-Soo Choo ... Apologize to Ohio gals stung by the team's failure to pick up Grady Sizemore's 2011 option by getting that hunkthrobby Maroon 5 guy to sing the national anthem on Opening Day. Odds of achieving Cardinals-like glory in 2012: You know how we always run those "X team will win if Y player performs to his potential" blurbs right before the season? Cleveland Indians/Ubaldo Jimenez tops that list.
09/28/2011	15	15
What went right: Love those crazy young infield kids, at least the ones at second and third ... They're not saying "boooooo"; they're saying "As-drooooooooooo-bal." Or maybe it's "Shin-Soooooo Choooooo." Too many cranked-to-eleven midgame renditions of Take Me Out to the Ball Game have fried my cochlear nerve ... Manny Acta proved wise beyond his managerial years, abandoning gut feel for strategies outlined in Earl Weaver's The Tao of the Three-Run Homer. There's a Manager of the Year trophy in his not-so-distant future. What went wrong: Cough! Wheeze! Ankle sprain! Punctured spleen! Aaaah-choo! ... Hey MLB, maybe it's time to make a concession to common sense and high-pressure systems alike, and stop scheduling so many Indian home games in April ... Grady Sizemore went from franchise-cornerstone to possible contract-option rejectee ... If this year's results are any indication, I won't be able to fall back on my Matt "The Door" LaPorta nickname bit too much longer. I'm gonna have to hope that Jason "Prole Man" Bourgeois somehow sticks with the Astros. Regular-season epilogue: .500 is a start. .500 is noble. .500 is kind and decent.
09/20/2011	15	15
This is where I am mentally at this late juncture in the season: I saw "J. Judy" in the Cleveland box score last Tuesday night and, after researching the matter, was legitimately disappointed to learn that Judge Judy hadn't traded in her robes for cleats and a cheek full of chaw. ... The best part about the three astonishing catches Shelley Duncan made against the Rangers last Wednesday night was the look of utter astonishment on his face after each one. It was clear he had no more expectation of catching them than he did of someday giving birth. I love Shelley Duncan.
09/13/2011	15	12
Drew Pomeranz may have shut out the Reds for five innings in his big-league debut, but that doesn't mean the Indians should regret dealing him. After all, the Indians employ a fellow named Josh Tomlin, who always pitches into the fifth inning. Having a five-inning gamer like Tomlin at your disposal keeps the bullpen fresh and fannies in the seats. He's as valuable a commodity as there is in the game today.
09/06/2011	12	18
We keep hearing about how the Indians aren't bemoaning their lot in life, about how they refuse to whine about the injuries and related bad fortune that has come their way (e.g., high-fives from Shelley Duncan that sear skin off the palm). Where's the nobility in that? Complain! "We got screwed, dude. This division was winnable if we were anywhere near full strength." That's not a hard case to make and it'd be cathartic to shout it out loud for the world to hear ... And then there's the sad plight of Matt "The Door" LaPorta, recently sent back to AAA to, I dunno, work on his sitting, maybe? The AAA season is basically over, so the message the Indians have sent is more or less "anywhere but here." Poor guy.
08/30/2011	18	15
Have there ever been more good vibes around a mediocre team than there are around this year's Indians? The "Thome-coming" the other night was one part pep rally and one part tent revival, complete with tears and presents (appliances, gift certificates for dry-cleaning, etc.) ... Oh heavens! Josh Tomlin's five-innings-or-more streak has come to a close, depriving his boosters of the one statistical morsel that paints him as anything other than a stuff-free control artist. The reader who compared him to Greg Maddux can stop by the office to pick up the "Drew Henson, Perennial All-Star?" Memorial Jug, awarded annually to the individual who posts the most irrationally exuberant comment. Thanks.
08/23/2011	15	15
OK, relax. The next 10 games are against the Mariners, Royals and A's; 13 of their next 16 are at home. It's not over just yet. Take a deep breath, sip some water, compose yourself -- do whatever you gotta do. We can wait. ... Good for Shin-Soo Choo, returning a fortnight early from a broken thumb that was supposed to sideline him through the end of the month. But does this necessarily mean he's forged from tougher fabric than you or I? Isn't it within the realm of possibility that the doctor overstated the recovery period? I refuse to label him "tough." ... Ubaldo? More like "OOOF-baldo"! Or "U-BAD-o!" Or "Ubal-DON'T"! Am I right? Am I ... Oh lord, just take me now. Please. End the suffering.
08/16/2011	15	14
They visit both the White Sox and Tigers in the days ahead. In theory, this means we'll have a better idea of the AL Central pecking order at this time next week, but really: Unless you're into awarding consolation prizes, nothing we'll learn has any real practical or predictive utility ... I love stuff like this: If the Indians had run out of pitchers during the 14-inning marathon against the Tigers last week, Manny Acta would've sent Jack Hannahan to the mound. I hope there are similar contingency plans for, like, second base. If Jason Kipnis, Jason Donald and Asdrubal Cabrera all went down, who would man the keystone? My best guess: Not Travis Hafner.
08/09/2011	14	18
Can we change the layout of the rankings so that the spots between 14 and 18 sit empty, then pick up again at 19 and keep selectively skipping spots until we reach the Astros at 46?... The Indians did nothing to earn the four-spot jump from last week, but who else ya got? Practically and theoretically, they're in a pennant race, which counts for something ... You play the Tigers six times in the next 13 days. You're done for the season with the Red Sox, Yankees, Rays and Angels. Hit and pitch now, or forever hold your peace.