30 Teams In 30 Days

Cleveland Indians: The Biggest Enigma In Baseball?
(Over the next 30 days, BERNing on Sports will be previewing every team in the majors, yes, even the Royals. Only one a day, every day, so try not to get too hooked.)

Can Lee And Carmona Be a Great 1-2?
Well, if the Indians want any semblance of a shot to win the AL Central this year, that answer must be a resounding yes. Cliff Lee was maybe the best pitcher in the game last year, winning the AL Cy Young award in the textbook definition of a career year. Dude went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA, struck out 170 and walked only 34. Let the dominance of these numbers wash over you for a second. Now, let the fact that it was Cliff Lee of all people to put up these numbers wash over you. Yeah. Big question mark for this season. As for Fausto Carmona, after a great 2007, the 2008 season was a big step backward. He won eleven less games in 2008 than 2007, and his ERA jumped nearly two and a half runs. Now that C.C. Sabathia has left for some mega cash and the New York spotlight (he did start last season with the Indians, remember) the depth of this rotation will be be lacking. That's why Tribe General Manager Mark Shapiro is praying for good years from his new one-two punch every night before he goes to bed.

The New Guys From the North Side
One of the biggest points of criticism in my neck of the woods this baseball off-season was Cubs GM Jim Hendry's decisions to let beloved former starter turned closer Kerry Wood go to Cleveland (even though he wanted to return to the Cubs) and to deal the popular and versatile Mark DeRosa to the Indians for three minor league pitchers. Assuming health, which is a lot to assume with Wood who has already had an achy back in spring training, these two guys could be valuable pieces to the puzzle should the Tribe win the division this season. Since "Sweaty" Joe Borowski donned Tribe colors and held the closers role, the ninth inning at an Indians game was a roller coaster ride. With Woody replacing him roller coaster should become more of a merry-go-round. It'll have it's bumps along the way, but for the most part it'll run smoothly. As for DeRosa, he's one of the most valuable players in baseball if you ask me. He's a very good hitter (although he's coming off a career year) and he can play not only adequate but good defense at nearly every position on the diamond except center field or behind the plate. Good moves by the Tribe. (And, the Indians visit Wrigley June 19th, if you're looking for some drama during interleague play.)

Project Donkey
Those are the two words that were shortened to give Indians embattled D.H. Travis Hafner his endeering nickname "Pronk". Whether the man who was one of the most feared hitters in baseball in 2006 can return to that form this year remains to be seen, but boy could the Tribe use his production again. Last year Pronk played in just 57 games, and hit just .197 as he was hampered by a shoulder injury. Questions about whether he was on steroids have swirled, but that's true of basically every player in baseball at this point. With Hafner in the line-up, and hitting well, the Indians were legitimate competition in the AL Central. Without his bat last year they weren't serious contenders most of the season. They're working him back slowly in camp this spring and believe he's going to be back on track. He better be, for his sake.

Kobayashi Out of the Pen
Did you know the competitive eater was coming out of the bullpen to pitch for the Indians? I certainly didn't. I know the guy can eat 60-plus hot dogs in twelve minutes, but how does that translate as a right handed reliever? If you haven't figured this out by now, I'm kidding, it's not the same guy. The Tribe's reliever is Masa Kobayashi. The eating champ is Takeru Kobayashi. If only there could be a fourth "Major League" movie made, because imagine the comedic possibilities for famed Indians broadcaster Harry Doyle.

Bold Predictions

1. The Indians will compte all season, but will not win the AL Central as some others believe. I think the winner of this division will either be Minnesota or the White Sox.
2. Victor Martinez will come back from the injury-plagued 2008 season he suffered and have a big 2009. He'll lead all major league catchers in home runs.
3. Jeremy Sowers will finally put together a year showing the promise the Indians organization believes he has. 12 wins for the former 1st round pick.

Up next...Monday, Reds.

I Will Always Remember This Night

The first post I ever wrote on this blog chronicled how I remembered nearly every moment of Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game May 6th, 1998. I could tell you what I was wearing, where I was, and the most minute details of that cold afternoon when I was home sick from school.

Now I can add March 12, 2009 to a list of dates I'll remember the rest of my life.

A six overtime, 70-game minute basketball game that started just after 9 on the east coast and ended after 1:30 AM on March 13th. My alma-mater, Syracuse, beats arch-rival UConn in the Big East Tournament 127-117.

To digest this game fully really is impossible right now. As I write this post it's after 1 AM here in Chicago. This was a game that was so action packed, and so unbelievable, that it's really hard to put into words right now. The superlatives are endless. The heart palpatations were plentiful.

The 40 minutes of regulation basketball was great. Even when Eric Devendorf's buzzer-beating attempt (correctly) didn't count.

Each five minute stanza of overtime, all six, incredibly compelling every possession. The swings of emotion, the back and forth. The fact that Syracuse trailed by six at one point and stormed back to tie it and force another five minutes.

The fact that Syracuse didn't lead in an overtime until the last one, yet continued to force more and more. They didn't even win the opening tip of any overtime until the sixth.

This is the type of game you tell your kids and grandkids you saw. For those privileged members of the Madison Square Garden crowd, you were lucky to have been there Thursday night. Many of my friends attended tonight's game. And while I could call them now, at 2 AM eastern time, (I know they're still up), I'll wait until tomorrow to give them time to digest it.

Because like I said, there's no way to really digest everything that's happened right now. I can't even recall all the specifics right now. All I know is, this is one of the greatest moments of my life as a sports fan. Maybe the game didn't mean as much as others, but the feeling I have right now compares with any elation I have ever felt watching sports.

What an amazing night.

Uh Oh

Mets ace Johan Santana has "tightness" in his elbow.  Now he's flying back to New York Monday for an MRI just to check things out.  GM Omar Minaya is calling it "precautionary", but don't tell that to Met fans who I'm guessing are very nervous right now.

I don't blame you.  I had to deal with this almost yearly with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood.

Reports indicate Santana may not be ready to make his opening day start in Cincinnati on April 6th.  That's at least the word right now.

But I've seen pitchers go down this road before.  Opening day turns into the first week.  The first week turns into the first month.  The first month turns into mid May.  Then all of a sudden he'll have minor league rehab.  Then the guy is instructed to wait until the all-star break to return.

I'm not saying this is the case for Santana, but this possibility has to be in the back of every Mets fan's mind.  If they were to lose Santana for a lengthy period of time, they'd lose their only bona fide starting pitcher in their rotation.

Oliver Perez, John Maine, Mike Pelfrey, Tim Redding and Jonathon Niese are decent options for the rest of your rotation.  But any baseball person would tell you this is not a rotation that without Santana can contend for anything but maybe a first round exit in the playoffs.  And that would be the very best case scenario.

The Mets have good offensive talent and a bolstered bullpen with the additions of Frankie Rodriguez and J.J. Putz.  But how long would those guys be able to keep the team afloat without Santana?  Especially when you're competing with the defending champion Phillies, an improved Braves team, and an always pesky Marlins club?

They probably wouldn't stack up that well.  If I'm a Mets fan, I'm on pins and needles until the results of Santana's MRI come back.  If he's healthy, a big sigh of relief.  If this is a major injury or at least a nagging one?  Well, then I'm afraid the frustration continues for the Queens faithful.