All you other Slim Gradys are just imitating...

Won't the real Slim Grady please stand up? Please stand up? Please stand up?

Seriously. Tribe. What the fuck? Will the real Cleveland Indians please stand up? They are 5-5 in their last ten games, and let's be honest... when I turn a game on, I never know if the starting pitcher is going to go 6 or 7 innings and give up one run, or if the whole team is going to give up 10+ runs. Here are the scores of their last 10 games:

Tribe - Opponents
win, 10-2
win, 15-1
loss, 9-18
loss, 4-9
win, 6-5
loss, 5-11
loss, 1-5
loss, 6-8
win, 7-1
win, 15-3

Seriously, what's going on, here? The offense (with the exception of the 10th game of a 10 day, 10 game road trip in which they only scored 1) has not been the problem. Look at the pitching numbers, though:

5 wins: 12 total runs allowed. 2.4 runs a game. A great number.
5 losses: 46 total runs allows. 9.2 runs a game. NOT a great number.

I know the bullpen has been in flux with Miller, Betancourt, and Cabrera not there. They should be getting Cabrera back soon, and apparently his extended spring has been very beneficial. Betancourt won't be on the DL too terribly long. Miller's done for the year. I also know that C.C. Sabathia is set to come off the DL any day now, and that will only strengthen the starting rotation.

But still... how about a little consistency??


Some other Tribe notes:

• I think it's safe to say you don't ever want to pitch to Ben Broussard with the bases loaded. Last night, he was 2-2 with a grand slam and 6 runs batted in with the bases loaded. That brings his career numbers to: 14-38 (.368) with 4 doubles, 4 grand slams, and a total of 47 RBI. Bases loaded? Call Ben Broussard, that's my name... that name again is Ben Broussard.


• Travis Hafner walked 4 times last night. In his last at bat, he'd been up 4 times previously, but was still 0-0 with 4 BB. How's that for patient, especially when your team is up by 10+ runs?


• Victor Martinez has picked up right where he left off last summer/fall. To have that kind of production in your catcher's spot... wow.


• Paul Byrd has an 8.03 ERA in five starts. If I told you he was above .500, you wouldn't believe me, right? Well, he's 3-2. Mainly, because of the fact that--even though his ERA is north of 8--his run support has been 50 runs in 5 games. Wow.


• Speaking of runs, the Tribe leads baseball in runs scored. They've scored 142 runs in 22 games, good for a clip of 6.45 per game. Only one other team in baseball (Cincinnati, in the NL, with 136) is even over 124 runs. If the Tribe can get any kind of pitching at all, watch out.

In other news, the NFL Draft is tomorrow. Finally, all of the coverage and speculation will end! Some things, to wit:

• The Texans WILL take Reggie Bush at #1. Anyone that tries to convince you otherwise is: a) high, b) completely stupid, or c) the GM of the Texans trying to leverage his contract negotiations with Bush.


• Not being an OSU fan, I'm still not ashamed to say that I support any plan that involves a trade up to get A.J. Hawk, or a trade down to get Bobby Carpenter.


• My gut says the Browns will end up with Haloti Ngata at #12. I have no complaints with that pick. His stock is falling for some unknown reason, and enough people in the top 10 will take guys like Jay Cutler and Mario Williams who inexplicably are the talk of the draft. I'm fine with Ngata at 12.


• My gut also says that if Ngata isn't there, Kamerion Wimbley is our pick.


• My gut (yes, it's getting quite large) also says that if we get Ngata in round 1, we'll take Manny Lawson in round 2, and offensive lineman in round 3, and a change-of-pace running back in round 4.


• Speaking of Lawson (and of Mario Williams) I have this question: if we're to believe that THREE guys from NC State's defense are good enough to be taken in the top 50 or so (Williams is the concensus #2 pick in the draft, Lawson will go in the late 1st/early 2nd, and supposedly John McCargo will as well) HOW THE HELL IS IT THAT I NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR DEFENSE LAST COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON? They finished 6-5, 3-5 in the ACC. Fourth in their own division. They gave up just under 20 points a game. So, what are the odds that these guys are simply workout-warriors? I personally think that whomever takes Mario Williams in the top 5 will be sadly let down.


• But, then again, that's why douchebags like Mel Kiper make six (hopefully not seven) figures a year and never run out of hair gel.

I'm meeting up with some cronies for the draft tomorrow morning/afternoon, and then House of Cards is rocking Skully's later that evening. Should be an action-packed day.

Parker Out.

As if right on cue...

So, all I wrote was one thing about: "...if the Tribe's pitching continues to be there..." and BOOM! I undercut this team... AGAIN.

The offense hung up 9 more runs last night against the Orioles. Should have been more than enough, right? Well, too bad the pitching staff GAVE UP 18 FUCKING RUNS.

And lost two members of its bullpen.

Perhaps I should just hide myself under a blanket until October.

Flight 23...

OK, so all Michael Reghi bashing aside, Steve recently touched on a very large and pressing sports debate.

I read a very good article this morning about the importance of shining in the playoffs for LeBron with respect to securing his legacy over the years, and the writer made a very good argument (perhaps without intending to) for LBJ to be the MVP of the league:

Will LeBron make a big splash in his postseason debut? Could he dazzle the nation the way Jordan did when he hung up a playoff-record 63 points in the Boston Garden exactly 20 years ago this week? Could he lead his team on a deep run like Magic and Larry did in 1980?

It's possible. As of Tuesday, the Cavs still don't know if they will face the Wizards, the Pacers, the Bucks or the Bulls in the first round. But they are hot right now, and LeBron just might be good enough to win a series on his own.

In the long run, however, it really doesn't matter.

Win or lose in this year's playoffs, he is already well on his way to joining Jordan, Bird, Magic and the all-time greats in some other areas.

James is about to become just the fourth player in NBA history (and the first since Jordan) to average 31 points, seven boards and six assists in a single season. But what really should open eyes is the way he picked up the Cavs and carried them down the stretch this season. James ran off nine straight games of 35 or more points, helping Cleveland win 11 of 12 games to secure the No. 4 seed in the East and home court advantage in the first round. On the night his streak ended, James had "only" 32 points and hit the game-winning jumper to knock out the Hornets in Oklahoma City.

That's the kind of thing Jordan, Bird and Magic did.

That's a pretty glowing endorsement right there, even if he doesn't come right out and endorse him.


In other news, the Tribe hung 15 runs on Baltimore last night, a day after hanging 10 on the new-look Tigers. God help the AL if our pitching continues to get right (4 runs in the last three games). This offense is built to mash.

Browns are drafting defense. No big surprises there. It will be interesting to see how the first 11 picks pan out, as to whether a QB will be there at 12 or not, and whether then the Browns would trade down. Though Savage says he projects Bobby Carpenter as an inside 'backer in the 3-4 (he's either way off, way smarter than everyone else, or playing the best poker face I've ever seen), I still wouldn't mind a trade down to #20 or so and a selection of Carpenter. The next 10 days should be fun and speculative. Mel Kiper, Jr., has come out of his hole, seen his shadow, and put on 6 pounds of hair gel.

Something... anything...

So, I've been so busy with work that I have been putting off updating this blog. I put it off, and put it off some more, and then it's gotten to be a month. Let's do a quick-hitting update, just for the sake of updating:

• If you've got a couple of hours to waste being mesmerized by the simplest thing, then I suggest you go here. Use your mouse to move him if he gets stuck.


• On the subject of that guy, a rhetorical question, if I may: So, we now know that he leaked classified information for personal political gain, and the White House hasn't denied it. We know he's spying on Americans. Clinton got impeached for getting a BJ. Why, exactly, is GWBush still president??


• Browns added Willie McGinnest as their outside pass rushing threat, and will probably draft a linebacker or defensive tackle at #12. Their schedule is fairly favorable this year. Look out, 10 wins.


• Tribe lost on Opening Night, and hasn't lost in 5 games since. Just reporting the facts. Not trying to jinx anything.


• In other baseball news, remember how much I complained about the Coco Crisp trade? He's on the DL. Jason Michaels is hitting .346 so far. Shows you what I know.


• The Cavaliers are in the playoffs. They've secured home-court in the first round. All of the nay-sayers that said LeBron couldn't finish games and couldn't carry his team have had to eat their words repeatedly as he has become (in my opinion, at least) the MVP of the league over the past month. And hey, you bitches, he hit another game-winner last night. Between that and the just fucking sick play he made in ending New Jersey's 14-game win-streak, those nay-sayers can all go to hell. Sure, ESPN's BJ Armstrong... the Wizards can win the first round series. Gotcha.


• House of Cards is in the middle of a jam-packed April. And we re-designed our website. Holla if you love frames... I know I do! I can't take credit for the art design, though.

Other than that, more of the same. Hopefully it doesn't take me another month to update this thing.