[horseofcourse]

yeah enough of this Browns nonsense and you have to take the "opposite" is true stance to defend them, lets go to pure quality.....

I’m one of those guys that doesn’t think a MLB manager makes a great deal of difference to a team’s record. That’s why I still don’t understand the Terry Francona hiring. And I may never understand why Francona wanted the job given the dearth of talent he inherits here.

Take a look at the lineup of position players objectively and tell me this team isn’t a long way off. Third base is a hole with either an ineffective veteran like Jack Hannahan or unproven young player Lonnie Chisenhall in line for most of the time there.

AT SS you have a solid MLB player in Cabrera.

At 2B you have a decent player in Jason Kipnis, but he’s a guy Tribe fans currently overvalue. I love Kipnis and his approach and believe he has a chance to elevate himself from ‘decent’ to ‘good’. But if you think he’s beyond that right now then take a look at the Tigers Omar Infante, a guy who personifies ‘decent’, and tell me Kipnis is the better player. He’s not. Infante out produces Kipnis pretty much everywhere other than in stolen bases.

First base is a hole that has no promise of being fulfilled by a Tribe prospect, your productive (but not elite) RF will likely be gone at the end of 2013 if not before, your CF is solid, your LF is non-existent and your catcher is an enigma who’s quickly running out of ‘prospect’ status. That doesn’t even include how erratic your top two pitchers in the rotation were this season and that you have no “can’t miss” pitching prospects on the farm ready to burst on the scene.

That’s a lot of mediocrity to overcome, which would be one thing if you could buy your way out of it, but the Indians can’t/won’t do that. That’s why I can’t help but be bearish on the Indians chances heading into 2013. This team needs way too many breaks and once again you’re betting on the “if come” if you think they’ll contend next season.


(in other words we're back in the late 70s 80s!! 1975-1992 we're right at the beginning of that period) we do have a 25 win Cav season commencing next week so there is that.