The five-game winning streak following the all-star break helps provide hope for the future. Also, Choo and Cabrera; trade deadline; Ray Fosse and Pete Rose; more.
Travis Hafner is greeted in the Indians' dugout after scoring on Trevor Crowe's double during Monday night's 10-4 win over the Twins.Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians are not going to play their way into contention in the American League Central Division even if they double -- probably not even if they triple -- their current five-game winning streak.
The players who aren't too young are too mediocre, in the long run, and the Tribe is significantly behind not one, but three better teams.
The reality doesn't dampen the cautious optimism that some of the young players could become impact players, and the recognition that numerous prospects in the Cleveland farm system are making meaningful advances.
And, simply, it's fun to watch some good baseball, like the Indians played in their 10-4 victory over the Twins on Monday night in Minnesota. It's the first time in Indians history that they have won their first five games following the all-star break. The All-Star Game began in 1933.
Twice before, the Indians had won their first four games after the all-star break. Baseball-reference.com details those teams. Click here for a breakdown of the 1970 Indians, and click here for a look at the 1995 Indians.
Cleveland plays at Minnesota again tonight, with Indians right-hander Justin Masterson and Twins righty Kevin Slowey the starting pitchers.
Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes is in Minnesota. He writes the game story of Monday night's Indians win, the Cleveland Indians Insider and Indians Chatter. The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto writes a column about Indians pitcher Jake Westbrook.
Getting ready
Indians right fielder Shin-Soo Choo (sprained right thumb) and second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera (broken left forearm) could return to the Tribe lineup this weekend. Both are on rehabilitation assignments with the Class AA Akron Aeros. Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal writes about Choo and Cabrera, and the parts they played in Akron's 4-1 win Monday night over the Altoona Curve. She quotes Aeros manager Joel Skinner:
''It's always nice when you have big league guys around the clubhouse because it gives the young guys someone new to talk to and pick their brains,'' Aeros manager Joel Skinner said. ''Plus, it means [the major leaguers] are close to returning to the big leagues.''
Maybe moving
As the July 31 trade deadline approaches, Jon Heyman lists for Sports Illustrated's SI.com some position players who might be available to teams in trade, such as:
22. Jhonny Peralta, Indians 3B. Lacks power for a third baseman. Very little value.
Heyman also analyzes what pitchers could be moved. Three of them are Indians, including:
6. Fausto Carmona, Indians, SP. All-Star pitcher has had a nice turnaround, from 5-12 with a 6.32 ERA last year to 8-7 with a 3.64 ERA this year. "They like their rotation,'' said one GM who envisions Cleveland holding on to Carmona. Another noted that the club has three option years for 2012, '13 and '14 on Carmona, and said, "They have to figure they'll be a factor within four years.'' Probably will stay.
Just one game, Howie
Howard Sinker of the Minneapolis Star Tribune was not pleased with the Twins' play against the Indians on Monday night. He writes, referring to Twins starting pitcher Scott Baker:
Baker was brutal. Fourteen outs, 13 baserunners. Dick’n’Bert, who were almost making Cleveland’s last-place staff of 5+ ERA guys and minor-league call-ups into legends on the game (Aaron Laffey? Gimme a break.), were rightfully apoplectic about Baker’s work.
Treat them alike
The Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins are the contending teams in the American League Central Division. Monday's night's win over the Twins followed Cleveland's four-game sweep of the Tigers, and Sheldon Ocker notes for the Akron Beacon Journal:
For the second time in a month, the Indians have put together a five-game winning streak. They have tried to be fair to all of the Central Division contenders in that they are 8-4 in the season series with the White Sox.
40 years (and a few days) ago
The previously mentioned four-game winning streak by the 1970 Indians following the all-star break is notable for an unfortunate reason. Ray Fosse caught and hit cleanup for the Indians in all four of the games, even though he had been injured when Cincinnati Reds star Pete Rose barreled into Fosse at home plate and scored the winning run in the National League's 5-4, 12-inning All-Star Game win.
Fosse and the Indians did not know his left shoulder had been fractured in that July 14 collision, as X-rays did not reveal the injury. That he continued playing, instead of letting the injury heal, affected the rest of his career.
In 1999, the San Francisco Chronicle's Ron Kroichick wrote one of the most informative articles about the infamous play, one that many considered unnecessarily aggressive on Rose's part. Kroichick wrote:
Fosse played nine more years in the majors -- and won two World Series rings with the A's in 1973 and '74 -- but was never quite the same. The injury forced him to develop a less powerful swing; he never hit more than 12 homers in a season.
``If the play had not occurred, who knows what direction my life would have taken?'' Fosse says. ``I had 16 homers at the break. Could I have hit 25 to 30 consistently every year?''
Fosse is a commentator for telecasts of Oakland Athletics games. Rose, baseball's all-time hits leader, is banned from baseball for gambling on games.
Also
On MLB.com, Anthony Castrovince writes his Indians notes, and tonight's game is previewed.
The Indians' four-game sweep of the Tigers over the weekend moved them up a bit in ESPN.com's power rankings.