Cleveland Indians @ Texas Rangers - August 5th, 6th, 7th

[redscoon]

All of you that are clamoring for AAA pitchers need to step away from the ledge. Joe Smith has been MONEY all year, and he had a tough night. And for those of you that are bitching about how Smith should have been pulled immediately after the walk... please answer me this: Which one of our pitchers was going to come into the game with the bases loaded and nobody out, and sit down Andrus, Hamilton, and Young without giving up any of those runs. Get the fuck out of here with that.

The probably isn't Joe Smith, yet. Even though he did blow two games on this trip. The problem is Chris Perez who has been terrible for an extended period of time. The closer role is on the verge of being a major issue. They better be making some contingency plans.

 

[AZ_]

Actually, I'm done taking it. How is criticizes Acta insulting you?? I can't recall EVER insulting you in here at all. You are constantly dishing it out. Most every post I make actually. It usually involves a decision Acta makes or does not make.

We should be able to criticize decisions made in here in games. What is a forum for if not to do that? Why should we sit here and read about how great Acta is and that it's never his fault? And then be called crazy fans or we are simply looking at hindsight all the time? I don't need that and I'm very sure others don't either. Make your points about why Acta should never be blamed for things and leave it at that. Leave out the smart comments.

I'm more than willing to discuss and debate decisions with you. It makes it tough when you reply saying I'm crazy or a crazy fan, or fans are dumb, etc. Leave that stuff out it please. That's all I am asking of you.

You haven't debated anything with me.

Every post you make directed at me is a complaint I'm not nice enough when I disagree with you....


And you are an irrational fan....it happens.

I'm a douche with little patience for the casual fan opinion....it also happens.

Deal with it...Christ...

 

[B Mac]

I want to address the previous claim that there wasnt time to get another righty warmed up..

I know it's been a couple of years since we've been to the playoffs, or have played meaningful games, but we cant be serious about that. When you need to get a guy warmed up in a hurry you slooooow the game down. The pitching coach is allowed multiple visit's, the catcher can go to the mound, an infielder can go to the mound, the pitcher can throw to first several times, the pitcher and catcher can act like they aren't on the same page and keep going through signals, etc.. If our team doesnt have a gameplan for a situation where we need to get someone up in a hurry like that, then we are in bigger trouble then I thought.

You can argue all you want that you trust your best pitcher's (which Smith has been this year), but we all know that when a pitcher doesnt have his stuff he can be very, very bad. Smith CLEARLY didnt have his best stuff tonight. You could see this very early in his appearance, and to avoid being accused of using only hindsight vision, please re-read the game thread and see how many people were posting it at the time. I, myself was screaming it at my tv, FWIW. So you get someone up and get him warm in a hurry.

This is something we better figure out quick, especially with every game becoming more important than the last.

 

[polska2211]

I wouldn't say they were smacked around AT ALL.

Huge missed opportunity? You bet.

But this team hangs with EVERYBODY in this league, and they've proven that this year.

beat the sox 9-6, lost close, lost close, beat 7-3 in fenway.

up 7-3 after three in arlington, won 7-5, was up 3-0. maybe i was exaggerating, but the indians definitely missed an opportunity like you said. the tribe showed their potential on this roadtrip, and hopefully we see it more consistently and more often.

 

[AZ_]

I want to address the previous claim that there wasnt time to get another righty warmed up..

I know it's been a couple of years since we've been to the playoffs, or have played meaningful games, but we cant be serious about that. When you need to get a guy warmed up in a hurry you slooooow the game down. The pitching coach is allowed multiple visit's, the catcher can go to the mound, an infielder can go to the mound, the pitcher can throw to first several times, the pitcher and catcher can act like they aren't on the same page and keep going through signals, etc.. If our team doesnt have a gameplan for a situation where we need to get someone up in a hurry like that, then we are in bigger trouble then I thought.

You can argue all you want that you trust your best pitcher's (which Smith has been this year), but we all know that when a pitcher doesnt have his stuff he can be very, very bad. Smith CLEARLY didnt have his best stuff tonight. You could see this very early in his appearance, and to avoid being accused of using only hindsight vision, please re-read the game thread and see how many people were posting it at the time. I, myself was screaming it at my tv, FWIW. So you get someone up and get him warm in a hurry.

This is something we better figure out quick, especially with every game becoming more important than the last.

You're talking about replacing your best reliever with Chad Durbin.

You aren't trying to slow the game down in that situation, you're trying to get Joe Smith to do his fucking job.

Durbin is not an eighth inning option with the lead....just because of a walk.

 

[AZ_]

Even if you do go to Durbin to face Andrus in that situation.

He faces one batter, now you have to bring on Perez for Hamilton....then he's forced to face Young and Cruz with a lefty on the mound.

You think THAT is the optimal scenario?

 

[elcheato]

Will Austin Kearns' reign of terror end Tuesday when Hannahan is back?

 

[DougHeil]

Acta did just fine. He made all the right calls and moves like he does each game. I'm proud of him. He didn't make any mistakes in the Friday night loss either. He did just fine.

The players need to do their jobs as well as possible. Smith didn't do his tonight. The loss is fully on Smith. Manny Acta is not to blame. Not even a little bit. He's a great manager.

 

[DougHeil]

Will Austin Kearns' reign of terror end Tuesday when Hannahan is back?

I would think so. Duncan has had a few big hits lately. Or maybe Kearns has more lives left in him?

 

[AZ_]

Acta did just fine. He made all the right calls and moves like he does each game. I'm proud of him. He didn't make any mistakes in the Friday night loss either. He did just fine.

I don't want want any smart remarks coming my way either. If you disagree with me, disagree with me with your good points. I'm sick and tired of sarcasm and insults.

:chuckles:

 

[UDcleveland]

Acta did just fine. He made all the right calls and moves like he does each game. I'm proud of him. He didn't make any mistakes in the Friday night loss either. He did just fine.

The players need to do their jobs as well as possible. Smith didn't do his tonight. The loss is fully on Smith. Manny Acta is not to blame. Not even a little bit. He's a great manager.

While boobie can be annoying at times, so can you, as is evidenced by this post.

 

[GreasySpread36]

I was going to say DougHeil is going overboard playing the blame game with Acta...

... until I remembered I would blame Wedge for everything except sunspots and the Israeli-Arab conflict.

 

[AZ_]

Scapegoating the manager is the easy way out.

Players are responsible for wins and losses.

Nowhere is that more prevalent than Major League Baseball.




But I truly, truly feel it takes a special kind of fan to blame the manager when he goes to his best reliever and he blows it. It's this type of fan I have no patience for, and if you can't find humor in their idiocy than you're taking the game way too seriously.

 

[DougHeil]

Scapegoating the manager is the easy way out.

Players are responsible for wins and losses.

Nowhere is that more prevalent than Major League Baseball.




But I truly, truly feel it takes a special kind of fan to blame the manager when he goes to his best reliever and he blows it. It's this type of fan I have no patience for, and if you can't find humor in their idiocy than you're taking the game way too seriously.

I don't recall anyone in here saying Acta is the only one to blame so don't post like that was written. Smith is to blame. Acta is to blame for leaving him so long. That is what is written in here by most everyone.

Not sure how your post even pertains to anything that was written in here during this game.

Fans are fans. If fans can't criticize the Manager, why have this place. He left Smith in too long. I had no problems with taking Tomlin out when he did. He left Smith in too long. How is that anything like you posted?

 

[AZ_]

I don't recall anyone in here saying Acta is the only one to blame so don't post like that was written. Smith is to blame. Acta is to blame for leaving him so long. That is what is written in here by most everyone.

Not sure how you post even pertains to anything that was written in here during this game.

Fans are fans. If fans can't criticize the Manager, why have this place. He left Smith in too long. I had no problems with taking Tomlin out when he did. He left Smith in too long. How is that anything like you posted?

Meh, nobody really takes your complaints that seriously...hence the smartass comments.

At this point, you're just disagreeing with everything he does because of irrational hatred for the guy.

Obviously Smith was done...but Tomlin was cool despite letting the first two reach, being at 95 pitches with the top of the order coming up in a two run game?

Nobody takes that kind of hypocrisy seriously....Quite frankly I just find myself laughing at it most of the time.

And fans aren't all the same, some of them are irrational and somewhat unstable.