The Indians currently have eight players on the DL. It’s Pronounced Lajaway now has one member on the DL. Stephanie called me today. She is having emergency gall bladder surgery this evening. Please send some positive healing vibes her way.

Commenters on this blog have had a fantastic conversation the past few days on fair weather fans and apologists vs. realists. I don’t know that it has be that black or white. You may not be happy with  your spouse every day but that doesn’t make you a fair weather spouse. Speaking only for myself, I’m currently a frustrated fan. I’ve been in love with the Indians and with baseball for more than 30 years. Griping about the team losing a game they easily could have won isn’t being fair weather, it’s wanting the team you love to live up to its potential.

The Ubaldo trade has ruffled a lot of feathers, but I still don’t think we’ll know if it was a good trade or not for a couple years. Yes, the team has been focused on building an enviable farm system and traded two of its top pitching prospects for a guy who’s been inconsistent thus far. Trading White and Pomeranz seems slightly incongruous to the youth movement plan, but Jimenez is only 27, the age when most players are typically reaching their prime. He isn’t old.Maybe the front office wouldn’t have made the trade if the team hadn’t been so surprisingly competitive this year.  And to say that we might be winning more games right now if we didn’t have some of our key hitters on the DL isn’t being an apologist. It’s true. Kipnis came out with both offensive guns blazing, and we’ve lost his bat. And Brantley’s bat. And Hafner’s bat. And Tomlin’s and Carrasco’s arms. Those are big holes to fill all at once.

One of our readers commented that no one thought Carrera or Chisenhall would be playing at the major league level in 2011. I’m sure they didn’t either (maybe their mothers did, but moms always think the best of us.) But the fact that they’re getting so much major league experience now can only bode well for 2012, which is the earliest the team most of us thought the team would be competitive again anyway.

I still don’t think this season is done. It’s close, but the hole they’re in isn’t insurmountable yet. It’s getting darn close, but cheering for the 2011 Indians isn’t a lost cause. Cheering for your team never is.

Okay, back to watching the game. We’re up by one; Detroit is down by four… Steady as she goes. (And here’s hoping for a quick recovery for Stephanie.)

 

3 Comments

  • SeattleStu says:

    a win’s a win, i’ll take it…but would it kill our boys to win a game by more than 1 run?

  • SeattleStu says:

    hey best wishes to stephanie…thanks for giving us all a forum for exchanging ideas :-)….GO TRIBE!

  • Joe Diestel says:

    Best wishes to Stephanie.

    Also, with regards to the many Indians on the DL, once again Manny Acta has been a stabilizing factor in dealing with this. Last year injuries hurt but the Tribe was kinda thin anyway. This year several key players have matured and several more have been given an early opportunity to shine because of the injuries; moreover, they’ve been pushed into pressure-packed situations. This can only bode well for the future. Lest we forget, that future may be now–despite the injuries. As
    SeattleStu said ‘Go Tribe!’