Injun Update

It has been a great season for the Injuns so far. As SJR said, the Injuns always come out on the warpath looking great early. It really frustrated me last year and I expect the same thing to happen again this year. There is a reason for it and I am not sure I have the guns to fix the problem this year. Though, with Rodrigo Gonzales out with an ankle sprain, at least I get to hold tryouts for a couple open pen positions. Jose Lopez has been temporarily called up. We are worried about his durability being able to fit the system. But after a 13 inning game, we needed long help in the pen and he was the only one close to being ready.

I had to put the last three seasons together to understand the problem. After All-Star break and division rivalry week, the Injuns quit playing. It has happened every year after I put two and two together. The change in ballparks didn't change the problem what so ever like I thought it might. I might have been better off going to a plus park instead of a mostly neutral park but that is even doubtful. The problem has been two fold and completely deals with the schedule. For one, I can't win in New York, but they can't win in Cleveland so that evens itself out along the way. But this year I don't get to play the Yanks at home and the Mets already rattled me a little. This year I get the AL South and Austin for 6 games home and away series. What is up with that anyway, think the team has enough money to visit Tampa. Not sure of the effect that playing the South will bring.

The biggest problem after the All-Star break and the reason for the great start is I don't face the power house teams early. It has been short 3 game series only here and there. Normally I might win 1 or 2 of three which tells me I can compete with them. Normally it deals with where the rotations fall on both teams on how I do early. But after All-Star break I face each of those teams 7 times. That means I have 20 division games and normally 42 power house games in the span of 71 games. That doesn't leave any breathing room. Now ya know why I can't win 30 games to break 500 and go on long frustrating losing streaks. The only solution is to get better, but how can you tell if everything seems kosher? Player wise I believe I have the team that can compete, though I know I could use two to four players. All of those players are in the minors but one. I am hoping to draft that one player this year. The bad part is they won't be ready for at least 2 years. So I am not going to rush them and will make do with what I got. So you won't hear any rumblings out of Cleveland this year on that matter.