Friday Night Thoughts

Jamaal & Reuben
I was hoping the Browns would keep both Jamaal Lewis and Reuben Droughns in 2007. It would have cost the team in terms of cap space, but having depth at a crucial position like running back would have provided them fresh legs and insurance against injury.

Here's Jhonny
Jhonny Peralta had an oustanding first full season in the big leagues in 2005, then slumped badly after signing a long-term deal prior to 2006. We were big fans of the young shortstop after seeing brief glimpses of him in 2004. However, he needs a good season to re-establish himself and the team needs his '05 numbers to have hopes of contending in 2007.

Lefty
The Tribe looks like it will enter the 2007 campaign with at least one veteran left (Aaron Fultz) in the bullpen. Good. In recent history, the Indians have actually gone stretches without a lefty in the bullpen. That's a recipe for disaster. Some balance is necessary. The '05 bullpen was successful, in part, due to the balance. The '06 bullpen, slumped in part, because of lack of balance. Here's hoping Fultz, or someone else we haven't heard of yet, can do a Paul Aussenmaker this summer in Cleveland.

Not Just 1 Of 82
Some games during the long regular season mean more than others. The Cavaliers had arguably their biggest win of the year in Detroit early this week when James threw in 41 in the overtime thriller. Congratulations to James and company. This corner often complains that Superman gets very little help when he needs it most. Gooden, Z and company stepped up and helped "23" get it done on the road against the East's best team to date. Hopefully, there's more where that came from - especially come playoff time.