The B-List Lite: 7/30 - 8/2

The stripped-down Indians are better than the originals and take two of three from Toronto.  The game recaps feature:

• Justin Masterson taking one for the team
• Two unbeaten sub-2.00-ERA rookie starters
• On short rest!
• The bullpen redeems itself
• Chris Perez as Really Big Bob
• A surprising home run
• Managerial Head Scratchers
• A misuse of resources

There are lots of places to see the Indians field AAA callups, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/29

The Tribe pitching staff appears on "Top Chef," and the game recap features:

• Mitch Talbot!
• Raffy Perez!
• Frank Herrmann!
• Tony Sipp!
• Joe Smiff!
• Jess Todd!
• A special guest contestant!
• A shoe, bromine, and a ham sandwich

There are lots of places to see a Tribe pitcher walk a batter (and I mean LOTS), but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/28

The Tribe drops another to the Yanks, and the game recap features:

• Really, really, really, really ...
• ... really, really, really, really bad Fausto
• Farewell to Jhonny Peralta
• Hector Ambriz' enticing K stuff
• Hector Ambriz' horrifying performance vs RHB
• Jess Todd peeks around the corner, may turn it
• 0-for-10 with RISP?  0-for-10 with RISP.
• Crowe taking advantage of an opportunity

There are lots of places to read about Jhonny Peralta going away, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/27

Josh Tomlin repeats Jeanmar Gomez' debut feat, and the game recap features:

• Josh Tomlin, sooper awesome!
• Josh Tomlin, pretty ... um ... lucky
• One last cheap shot at David Huff
• Who am I kidding, it won't be the last
• Confidence from unexpected sources
• The Bob Wickman Commemorative Save
• Matt LaPorta's emergence
• Tales from the Wazoo Zone
• Our best-hitting infielder

There are lots of places to see the Indians DFA a guy and have no one care, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/26

The Indians blow a game late against the Yankees, and the game recap features:

• Jake Westbrook's tremendous 7-inning start
• The unfortunate fact that Westbrook's start wasn't only 7 innings
• Curtis Granderson's platoon split
• More ducks, same pond
• Vintage 2006 baserunning
• Carlos Santana's platoon split
• Trevor Crowe's excellent throw!
• Trevor Crowe's taking advantage of a bad call

There are lots of places to see the Indians blow a lead, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/23 - 7/25

The Rays finally beat the Indians in Cleveland, and the game recaps feature:

• Squander Ball and an examination of approach
• A hit with a runner in scoring position!
• Twenty outs with a runner in scoring position!
• Dominant Fausto, Sub-dominant Talbot, Non-dominant Masterson
• Tony Sipp's zero-pitch outing
• Travis Hafner's adjustment and poor timing
• Shin-Soo Choo and Jhonny Peralta meeting expectations

There are lots of places to see the Indians lose a series, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/21

The Tribe lost to Frank Liriano again, and the game recap features:

• Jake Westbrook's five good innings
• Jake Westbrook's one awful inning
• Ducks on the pond
• Ducks erased via double plays
• Hector Ambriz, still on the roster
• Jess Todd, still not ready
• Jason Nix' terrible approach
• Chris Gimenez!

There are lots of places to see the Indians get shut out, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/20

The Tribe wins six straight while I'm on vacation, and today's game recap features:

• Justin Masterson's improved approach to lefties
• The theory and practice of bunting for a hit
• Raffy Perez: back from the dead
• Joe Smiff: back from the even more dead
• Carlos Santana: still good and not dead
• A surprising note from our best domestic outfielder
• Asdrubal Cabrera Returns!

There are not many places to see Joe Mauer sacrifice bunt, but only one place to read The B-List.

Trade Deadline Primer

I have teamed with a number of other bloggers to produce a Trade Deadline Primer for fans. I have written several Indians-specific essays for the book, including report cards for all players (note: my submission deadline was early-mid June, so some notes are ... um ... less accurate now than I would have liked), a description of the season to date, and a discussion of what players we should be trading and what we should target.

Because I've teamed with other bloggers, you can see what players THEY see as reasonable and relevant targets from THEIR systems and perspectives as well. It's a nice, comprehensive guide to the July 31st Trade Deadline, or as Cleveland Fans know it, "The most relevant time of the year."  The book is in PDF format, and costs $9.95 to download from the folks at TwinsCentric.  (It's okay: I know they're evil, but they did all the editing.)


Here are some excerpts from the book:
How would I describe the Cleveland Indians’ 2010 season? I would probably start with the story of the three-run error.

The B-List Lite: 7/9 - 7/11

The Indians drop two of three to Tampa, and today's game recaps feature:

• The functional difference amongst the starters was tiny
• Tandem starting pair: Laffey & Masterson
• Suggestions for Andy Marte
• Mike Brantley should drop in the order
• (Eight slots)
• Santana, Kearns, LaPorta, and Peralta hit
• Hand-buttering relievers
• Jayson Nix: all or nothing machine
• (Mostly nothing)
• Welcome back, Chris Gimenez!

There are lots of places to watch Indians pitchers walk batters, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/8

The Tribe loses opener in Tampa despite several Apocalyptic Signs, and today's game recap features:

• Jake Westbrook's excellent K:BB ratio
• Jake Westbrook's execrable home run pitches
• Signs of the Apocalype: Mike Brantley
• Signs of the Apocalype: Andy Marte
• Signs of the Apocalype: Carlos Santana bunts, Jason Donald fields
• Signs of the Ordinary: Most everything else
• Salient observation about LeBron James

There are not many places to see Mike Brantley hit a home run, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/7

The Tribe loses the rubber match of the Texas series 4-3, and today's game recap features:

• Mitch Talbot's great and terrible movement
• Jayson Nix cannot be contained
• Carlos Santana: still good
• Bottom of the order: still bad
• Tony Sipp: good once again
• Manny Acta's objectionable baldness
• Managerial Head-Scratchers

There are lots of places to see the Tribe hit a home run and have it matter not one iota, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/6

The Tribe drops a heartbreaker 12-1, and today's game recap features:

• Live weasels
• Coked-up Gila Monsters
• Very bad foul-catching technique
• Anderson Hernandez' 16th minute
• Michael Brantley, jack of no trades
• Nice hose!
• Pointless butchery

There are lots of places to see the Tribe hit a home run and have it matter not one iota, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/5

The Tribe takes the opener in Texas 9-3, and today's game recap features:

• Aaron Laffeybuss
• Clutch relief strikeouts
• A proper application of replay
• Matt LaPorta's soft head
• Chicks dig the long ball
• Middle infielders with sticks
• Poor Austin Kearns' body

There are lots of places to see the Tribe hit a home run, but only one place to read The B-List.

The B-List Lite: 7/2 - 7/4

The Indians drop two of three to Oakland through feeble hitting, and today's game recaps feature:

• Shin-Soo Choo's injury
• The Replacement Players Plus Three
• Variant-free starting pitching
• Run-free relief pitching
• Jason Donald: steel glove, or stone hands?
• Clutch LaPorta
• Mike Redmond: not fast
• Fausto Carmona, All-Star!

There are lots of places to watch low-scoring games, but only one place to read The B-List.