Welcome to a new season of Cleveland Indians Baseball for all you WaaHoo Fans. First change of business this season was a change in the team song, it has been changed from "Sittin on the Dock of the Bay" to "Please Mr Custer".
The Coaching Staff has been juggled a little with some high expectations this season and are as follows:
Hitting: Yannick Thompson: returns for his 3rd season.
First Base: Don Bell: Was resting in his hammock when the Indians called and quickly accepted the job.
Third Base: Joaquin Arias: Had been stagnate at 1B and with the 3B opening gladly pounced at the position. Indians management was not delighted in the idea at first as they had him pegged for the Bench Coach position but he didn't want any part of it.
Pitching: Brian Inouoe: Returns for his 4th season as the mound teacher.
Bull Pen: Hugh Sosa: Returns to the organization after being unceremoniously snubbed by others and looks forward to straightening out the pen and the probable pitching coach next season.
Bench Coach: Patrick Welch: Became the Bench Coach when last years coach went on a money binge with his lack of advancing talent.
Fielding: Christopher Ardoin: returns for his 5th season.
The Indians offense will look the same as last year as they stayed out of the high stakes bidding drama for premium pitching. They were trolling for certain player types that just wasn't on the market however. Well, there is one, but Indians management decided he isn't worth a Type A pick.
C: Bart Ross led the team in walks to SO ratio
1B: Albert Tapies and his Gold Glove
2B: Hideki Huang and his team leading 166 hits
3B: Karim Quevedo and his Gold Glove
SS: Sean Smalley and a possible Gold Glove candidate.
RF: Giovanni Jackson and his team leading 47 home runs
LF: Julio Cubillan was newly acquired in a trade and is penciled in as the starter.
CF: Howard Washington and his Gold Glove
Utility: Kimera Adams, Tony Brown, Pedro Gonzales and a player to be named later.
The Pitching Staff is completely familiar and hopefully stays healthy this season as it was riddled with some injuries last season.
Tito Gao has already been penciled is as the opening day starter.
Brant Brede has drawn the second day start.
Johnny Zeile, Matt Brooks, Jose Crespo, Richard Park, Pedro Roque and Grant Simon may all see starts in the rotation.
Posiedon Marte and Quilvio Olivares will be entrenched as middle to late relief.
Daniel Blackwell and Boomer Thomson will be asked to close the door on late inning rallies while the most unlikely closer in Kory Governale will be asked to lock it once again.
Departures: Wayne Stewart who actually led the team in batting average last season. Indians management and his agent didn't see eye-to-eye and is still on the market losing value quickly.
Tomas Camacho who left town quickly hunted by a couple dozen fans that wanted his scalp as management found a willing trade partner.
Dean Hill wanted too much money for a backup role, good luck Dean as you may be missed...probably not!
From the GM's standpoint the Indians will probably finish a disappointing second again and probably another close finish but out of the Wild Card again as we have done nothing much to improve the team and the blue chip prospects in the minors are just not ready. Although we reserve the right to select in the Rule 5, with a 20 something pick, chances are very slim that we will.
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