Written by Brian McPeek

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Maybe Manny Acta means something different when he says, “We’re not going to let Jose Bautista beat us this series.”

Because when I hear or read that I’m thinking that you’re going to pitch around the guy leading the majors in home runs and that you’ll walk him when necessary and not let him swing the bat late in ballgames. You know, take your chances with the immortal Adam Lind or someone else in the Blue Jays lineup.

Apparently I’m way off base because Bautista pretty much beat the Indians in every single game of their four-game series this weekend, including in the only game the Indians actually won last Thursday night.

You remember Thursday night I assume? The Indians surrendered a solo homer to Bautista in the 9^th inning to give Toronto a 4-0 lead. That lead was erased and the Indians won dramatically in the bottom of the 9^th when Travis Hafner clubbed an incredible grand slam home run of his own to give the Tribe a feel good walk-off win. That win gave the Indians wins in six of their previous eight games, kept them in control of first place in the division and set the weekend up for a nice little run heading into the All Star break.

 

But the best-laid plans often go to hell in a handbasket or something to that effect.

The Blue Jays took the final three games of the series when Bautista hit 12 or 13 home runs and now the Tribe heads into the break losers of three straight and looking up at the Tigers in the AL Central. Yes, they trail by only half a game and have surpassed even the wildest of expectations (especially given a year ago they were 20 games under .500 and 15 ½ games off the pace in their division). But it sure seems like there are any number of folks in that Tribe clubhouse who can desperately use the next three days to unwind, relax and gear up for what could be an interesting second half of baseball.

That includes Manny Acta. The Indians skipper has pulled far more positive strings than negative ones but his handling of Bautista this weekend is a head scratcher. Hopefully Acta can get in some rest and relaxation in between four hour flights to Phoenix and the Mid-Summer Classic itself where Acta will be a coach for the American League.

The Defense Rests (And Apparently Sleeps A Lot As Well)

Ask anybody what the Indians need to continue to compete in the soft AL Central and it won’t be long before you hear, “They desperately need a bat”.

I agree to an extent but I think with Shin Soo Choo recovering more quickly than was expected (the cast is already off that thumb he injured a couple weeks back in San Francisco) and with Hafner not being restricted to PH duties since interleague play has ended that the Indians offense (as poorly as its produced at times) can support an excellent pitching staff. And at times in the first half all of the Indians starting pitchers have been very good (with the possible and noted exception of Mitch Talbot).

The bullpen has been tremendous as well, though clearly a few guys will benefit from a couple days off. The Indians simply aren’t going to club too many times and their wins are far more likely to be close and relatively low scoring giving their pitching and their offense are what they are.

Where I see the need for the biggest improvement and where I see the biggest need being is defensively.

The Cord Phelps experiment failed miserably because Phelps simply isn’t ready offensively to outhit his horrific defense. Five errors in an 11-game span proved that to be the case and the Indians correctly shipped Phelps back to AAA Columbus when Acta became reluctant to watch Phelps give major league teams extra outs in an inning.

The issue is that the 37-year old Orlando Cabrera is clearly the best 2B option the Indians have right now. Recent Tribe picks Phelps, Lonnie Chisenhalll and Jason Kipnis are similar in that they all project as major league hitters but they also project to be adequate defensively at best. And ‘at best’ isn’t right now. In fact, I can’t even see it from here.

All three of those kids have bounced around from position to position during their high school, college and minor league careers. In part that’s because they are versatile and the Indians recognized needs at 2B and 3B long term but it’s also in part because none of them rate very highly defensively regardless of where they play.

When your offense is anemic you need to take outs away defensively and not give away more. The Indians need to put their best defenders on the field right now as long as those guys can hit a bit. If it’s Orlando Cabrera and Jack Hannahan that give you that defense then that’s what it has to be. Personally the thought of watching Jack Hannahan spiral toward the .200 mark makes me ill which is why I really believe a guy that can play above average defense at 2B and 3B (cough…Jamey Carroll..cough) and that can hit, bunt, move runners, steal a base and just pretty much do everything you need done (cough..Jamey Carroll..) is the guy the Indians need to target.

Who might that be?

No idea really. But they really need to get one of those.

Breaking News

ESPN reports that while rescuing a cat from a tree Derek Jeter noticed the adjacent building was on fire. He saved a baby and an elderly woman while gently stroking the cat to keep it calm throughout the ordeal. ESPN reports Jeter was on his way to the cancer lab where he's developing a cure for the dreaded disease on his off days.

The network also may have mentioned the Yankee SS homered Saturday for his 3,000th hit.

I get the feeling that if Jeter was hit by a truck it would be a truck made of pillows and lobster tails and that his fall would probably be broken by either a bed of $100 bills or a supermodel.

Suck it Brazil

I don’t know exactly when my transformation began from a guy who couldn’t stand watching soccer to a guy who now builds his day around it began, but for the most part it can be traced back to when my daughters started playing it.

I became more interested in learning the rules and in the strategies and personalities of the game and that continued as my kids started playing at the travel and premier levels. I also know many of you out there don’t give the first rip about soccer and likely care less about women’s soccer.

But keep in mind I’ve been watching baseball since I was six and now have the opportunity through TheClevelandFan.com and STO.com to see ball players up close and personal. I was also on the sidelines and closer to the action than coaches for Browns games in 1986 and 1987, including the double-overtime win against the Jets that people still talk about today. I’ve been a Cavs fan forever, sleeping with a radio under my pillow during every one of those Miracle of Richfield playoff games (there was no local TV broadcasts back in the NBA’s dark days) and radios back then were at least the size of a tackle box.

Damn thing probably led to a fusion surgery 30 years later.

But I reference all that only so you might be able to relate to the following statement: two of my most vivid and emotional sports experiences are absolutely the 1999 Women’s’ World Cup penalty kick win over China and the thrilling, ‘no way in hell that can happen against all these odds’ penalty kick win this weekend over Brazil.

Despite the obligatory highlight, 1999 was far more than Brandi Chastain’s sports bra moment. It was a sport being played at the very highest level that provided huge emotional swings, drama, tension and ultimately elation.

Sunday’s win over Brazil was even more emotional given I’ve actually developed a true passion for watching the sport. The Americans Sunday were nearly victimized by not only the world’s greatest female player in Marta, but also nearly by the world’s worst soccer referee. She not only called a questionable foul on the U.S that gave Brazil a penalty kick but then, after Hope Solo had miraculously stopped that kick, ordered it be re-tried. There’s still no good reason I’ve heard for that. But the foul that allowed the penalty kick also came with an ejection and the Americans were forced to play one of the most talented teams in the world down one player and facing an 11 on 10 situation.

That game went to extra time tied at 1-1 after the ‘do over’ on the penalty kick gave Brazil their only goal to that point. In extra time you play two 15-minutes sessions regardless of scoring (no ‘sudden death or ‘golden goal’). Brazil scored early to take a 2-1 lead and then they went full blown soccer diva on the field. They flopped, they fell, they screamed and moaned and stalled at every single opportunity. This is the part of soccer I still and will always hate with a passion and the Brazilians took it to a terrifying and ridiculous level given the official was clearly overwhelmed by the situation.

How bad was the Brazilian behavior? It turned a neutral crowd in Germany almost entirely pro-America. That is simply not something you see in many instances these days.

But it cost Brazil.

Because down 2-1 against one of the best teams in the world, playing that team short-handed and for over 120 minutes, and with the Brazilians going to disgusting levels to run out the clock, the USA saw three minutes of stoppage time added to extra time. In the final minute of stoppage time play, facing elimination, Megan Rapinoe sent a perfect cross to Abby Wambach who sent the header into the Brazilian goal with literally just seconds remaining to tie it at 2-2 and send my house into a full-blown uproar of clapping kids and screaming parents.

That was akin to winning an NBA playoff series in the fourth overtime session  after officials put a couple tenths of a second back on the clock and having your shooting guard bank in a half court shot.

But it was beautiful. It was the game being played at the very highest level in a do or die situation and it had drama, tension, excellence, anger, mistakes and tremendous exhibitions of skill. And it was a shared experience that will never be forgotten.

And isn’t that why we watch sports to begin with?

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