The Best Team in the Universe?

Birds Crap on Cleveland's Windshield Again

Baltimore beat Cleveland again today, 9-4. Last night it was 18-9. Cleveland held the O's to a tidy 32 hits in 16 innings.

Did any of these so-called experts who predicted that Cleveland would win, I don't know, 130 games and sweep the playoffs and World Series, look at Cleveland's pitching staff at all?

Honestly, should this rotation scare any opposing team?

Jake Westbrook: Has shown flashes, but really has never been that good. For his career, 43-45, 4.46. Chews up innings but to what availe? Besides, everyone knows all the good ex-Yankee pitchers are on the White Sox.
Cliff Lee: A solid starter. 20-game winner potential.
Jason Johnson: 54-86 with an ERA approaching 5 for his career.
Paul Byrd: 74-65, 4.27 for his career (much of that in the NL). Journeyman. Another guy who gives you innings but is a .500 pitcher. And he looks like your creepy "uncle" your mother warned you too stay away from. 9 teams in 11 years.
Fausto Carmona: Too early to tell, of course. Could end up being very good. Had one good start his first time out, got torched today.

In the bullpen, Cleveland has some weapons. Wickman, Sauerbeck, Mota. Betancourt has been pretty decent in years past, is off to a bad start. Rafael Perez, too soon to tell. But, um . . . Danny Graves? Danny Graves? (He beat out Steve Karsay (ROFL!) in spring training, I guess.)

I don't see this team unseating the White Sox or beating out Boston or the Yankees for the wild card without a serious improvement in the pitching staff. They subtracted Milwood and added Byrd, not an even trade. I know that Sabathia is hurt, but how good is he, really? For his career he's 24 games over .500, but half of those 24 came in 2001, when he was 17-5. 2001 is a long time ago. Since then he's 52-40, with an ERA in the 4s. A pretty average pitcher. And could the Indians come clean about his weight? He's listed at 290. CC's a biscuit away from 320, at least.


From the Future News File

December 19, 2017 -- The New York Mets accounced that they had re-signed 42-year-old Victor Zambrano to a one-year deal. Terms were not disclosed.

Observers were surpised that Zambrano was retained, having gone 2-19 with a 7.79 ERA in the recently-completed 2017 season. Mets GM Omar Minaya denied that the signing had anything to do with the fact that Bill Kazmir won his 250th game on the final day of the season and led the Devil Rays to their third consecutive World Series title and sixth in 9 years.

"I talked it over with Joe (Mets manager Joe Torre) and Mel (pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre) and they agree with me that Victor still has a lot of life in that arm and that he can help us a lot in 2018."