The Indians leave one first-place team to take on another. Oh, joy.
View full sizeIndians manager Manny Acta was booted for only the third time in his Major League managerial career on Wednesday night. And it was by the time who'd don't it the other two times, as well: Umpire Tim Timmons.The Indians just can't catch a break. Maybe because they have to play someone other than the Indians. The Tribe ran into Colby Lewis at the Ballpark in Arlington Wednesday night, and came away 4-3 losers.
All Lewis did was run his strikeout total to 105 for the season. He's the first Rangers pitcher to do that before the All-Star game in 20 years. The last? Dude named Nolan Ryan.
Here's a snippet from Enson Grant, a writer for the Dallas Morning News, about the pitcher who last year played in Japan:
When Colby Lewis came back from Japan, there were lots of uncertainties about what would and wouldn't translate in the majors. One thing that seemed certain: He wasn't going to strike out the same number of hitters in the U.S. that he struck out in Japan.
No, he may actually strike out more.
. . . Lewis' 105 strikeouts are tied for the seventh most by a Ranger before the break. The guys ahead of him are Ryan (three times), Ferguson Jenkins, Bert Blyleven and Jose Guzman.
"I thought I'd still be able to strike guys out," said Lewis, who led the Japanese Central League in strikeouts each of the last two seasons. "But I thought the numbers would be down from the last two years. I didn't think I'd punch out as many guys as I did in Japan. I think that's just a credit to commanding the fastball first."
Oh, and just to finish the thought from the beginning, when we said the Indians couldn't catch a break? Well, the Tribe is in Tampa Bay tonight, and the Rays are at 51-33, a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Yankees. Meanwhile, the Rangers will play host to Baltimore, whose 25-59 record is eight games worse than the Indians' 33-51 tally.
It just keeps getting betterRichie Witt, who writes for the Dallas Observer, noted that the Rangers are contemplating what contending teams always contemplate: ways to strengthen their roster. Specifically, Witt said that the Rangers are looking for starting pitching. Guess which starting pitcher.
I don't remember feeling more hopeful, more optimistic at an All-Star break in a long time.
Now, the question is, should the Rangers go for it? As in, do you trade long-term prospects for right-now help?
The Rangers are apparently intensifying talks with the Seattle Mariners about pitcher Cliff Lee. Good news: He would instantly become this team's ace. Bad news: He's a free agent after the season.
The Mariners reportedly want someone in return like pitcher Tanner Scheppers, Martin Perez or Alexi Ogando. The Rangers, meanwhile, are dangling AAA players Chris Davis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
If it's the latter two, I say done deal. You?
Actually, what SB says is you aren't gonna get a former Cy Young and World Series winner for two minor leaguers.
Even if he is a former Indian.
From The Plain DealerA bazillion times a day, planes take off and land successfully. The exception is what makes a crash big news. Fortunately, Plain Dealer beat writer Paul Hoynes isn't writing about crashes (other than the usual wreck that is the Indians' record), but today's piece does feature something almost as rare as a plane crash: The ejection of manager Manny Acta.
Manny Acta is as patient as any Indians manager in memory. But when first-base umpire Tim Timmons called a strike on Jason Donald on a checked swing with two out in the ninth inning Wednesday night, Acta had seen enough.
Yes, closer Neftali Feliz was about the drop the hammer on the Indians in a 4-3 Texas victory, but that didn't stop Acta from sprinting to first base to argue with Timmons, who had already ejected him for taking his hat off in frustration while standing in the Indians' dugout after Timmons' questionable call against Donald.
"I get thrown out for taking my hat off," said Acta. "I have to go 150 feet to argue and delay the game. They talk about pace of game.
"I've been doing rebuilding jobs for four years. These kids don't get the best of the deal. If you have a roster full of players that [the umpires] don't know, these kids don't get a break.
"I know you're not supposed to criticize them publicly. I just got the letter, but so be it. Look at my record. I'm pretty easygoing. I took my hat off and got thrown out. ... The check is on the way."
It was only the third time Acta has been ejected as a big-league manager, the first two coming with Washington.
"The same guy [Timmons] got me twice in the last two years," said Acta. "I went out there and he said, 'The kid Shelley Duncan stared at me all the way out to the outfield [earlier in the game].' What do this have to do with Shelley Duncan?"
Game, set and match to Acta, who is showing himself to be a class act operating in a really tough situation.
Hoynesie's Indians Insider column further underscores Acta's value as a manager and a man. The column focused on Matt LaPorta, who was knocked cold by an inadvertent flying elbow on Monday night. He still hasn't made it back into a game, as Acta is taking the advice of Lonnie Soloff and waiting to make sure one of the Indians' hottest hitters is OK before sending him back onto the field.