GOR Fourth of July Edition

Indians
Here’s the Quote of the Week from Indians’ skipper Eric Wedge as his team continues to fade into oblivion as the heat of the summer approaches – “My focus right now is to keep these guys (players) focused.”

You learn a lot from listening to Wedge, don’t you?

In all seriousness, Wedge did mention in passing he was going to begin using others to close out games for a while. We noted back when Joe Borowski came off the DL, his velocity – which was in the high 80s at best to start with – was down several miles per hour prohibiting him from pitching in the ninth inning anymore. It took several late inning Borowski meltdowns for the Indians’ brass to figure out what they had to know. Better late than never.

Borowski is a good guy who got the most out of limited stuff. But you simply can’t consistently get out big leaguers, especially in the ninth inning, if you have absolutely no velocity coupled with no out pitch. Many Division III collegiate pitchers throw harder than him right now.

This allows us to transition again to one of the team’s major needs – power arms in the pen. You will likely start to hear for the same from local media types as the trading deadline approaches. As usual, they are behind the curve.

I also read the Indians are not sure what to do with Andy Marte. What?

It must be because some in the organization were spooked by the Brandon Phillips mis-diagnosis. Phillips, as you know, didn’t tear the world on fire either at AAA or with his brief stints with the parent club when in Cleveland. The Tribe gave up on him and you know the rest of the story.

My guess is the Indians will give Marte some consistent at bats while playing third base soon to see what he can do. They have nothing to lose – especially if they deal Blake before the deadline.

Here’s another quote that caught my ear the other day. Tom Hamilton said this late in the game with the Tribe down a pair - “The Indians will have the heart of their order up this inning, their 3-4-5 hitters, Francisco, Peralta and Choo.”

I wonder if Hamilton realized what he was saying and if he was chuckling inside when he said those words. I know I was. That line tells you all you need to know about how the season has gone for the Tribe.

Manny
Manny Ramirez recently knocked down the Red Sox's 60 year old plus traveling secretary because he could not get him the 16 game tickets Manny needed for his entourage. The Red Sox did nothing. No suspension. Nothing.

Shoving to the ground a 60 year old man for no reason deserved at least a three-game suspension. The Sox wouldn't do it because it could cost them in the standings having their slugger watching instead of batting fourth. MLB should have stepped in and suspended the mercurial outfielder. Instead, Manny and the secretary had a heart-to-heart and everything is cool according to Manny. Nice.

Good Versus Evil
Tampa Bay just swept the Red Sox. Good. For once, a small market team has momentum. The reality is it is still next to impossible to overcome the money disadvantage the Tampa Bays of this world work under. Reinforcing that thought, I just saw a scroll on ESPN yesterday indicating this is the first time since July of 1997 that neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees led their division this late into the season.

Cavaliers
We hear the Cavaliers are in pursuit of James Posey, a Cleveland native, who has had a rotation role with two teams winning NBA Championships lately – Miami and Boston. Don’t get me wrong, Posey is a solid 25 minute a night player who defends, can knock down an occasional three and does the “intangibles.”

But remember this – when the talking heads say a player does “the little things” or gives you the “intangibles,” it means he’s not a starter and is a solid role player at best. That’s the case with Posey. Again, signing him would be working around the edges and not solve the team’s huge need for another scorer who can get his every night without LeBron’s help.

How many times do we have to say it?

Let’s now then suggest, once again, how to start solving the problem. Our past suggestion of acquiring Kevin Garnett fell on deaf ears. I think he ended up elsewhere this past season and had a decent season. I think.

This time around, we will scale it down some for Ferry and company and suggest acquiring a quality player who should be on the block and would at least address the team’s backcourt needs.

Like his team, he had a horrid 2007-08 season dropping his stock significantly. However, after the 2006-07 season, he was regarded as one of the best young multi-purpose guards in the league. He possesses good size, can play the point and can shoot it.

My guess is he’s somewhere between the player who had an All-Star caliber season in 2006-07 and the guy who lost all his confidence this past season.

I will now give it away if you haven’t put the pieces together yet.

He should be available since his team took a point-guard (Rose) with the first pick in the 2008 draft a few weeks ago.

Yes – it’s Kirk Hinrich, and he would be a significant upgrade at the point.

Pay attention come July 9. That’s the day NBA free agency movement can officially begin. We expect the Cavaliers to be busy this summer. They’d better be if they have any hope of keeping LJ beyond the 2009-10 season. James recently noted in a trip to the Big Apple that New York was his favorite city with Akron coming in fifth. Cleveland was nowhere on the list.

If that doesn’t tell you all you need to know, then you are probably part of the moron majority that believes CC Sabathia will resign with the Tribe this winter – just like Joey Belle, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome did. Right.

This time around, we want Danny to heed our words of the past and acquire quality, rather than quantity.

As for the Cavaliers on draft night, I have no opinion. I never saw their first round pick play, so I would be a fool to comment. I did expect the team to use the pick as trade bait along with others to acquire an established NBA starter who could score the basketball. That did not happen. They acquired three second round type front court pieces in response to having an aging frontcourt. Logical. However, Danny Ferry does not have a good record when it comes to drafting players. Let's hope that changes.

Remember, we noted well over a year ago, the team’s only tradable assets were Daniel G. and Andy V. Nothing has changed. I suspect one or both will not be on the roster when the team takes the floor this Fall. Otherwise, I can’t see how Ferry can swing a major deal that bring back a running-mate for 23. Unlike others, I am not a dreamer and do not expect the Bucks to GIVE the Cavaliers Michael Redd for Wally Z’s expiring contract and a bag of basketball. It doesn’t work that way unless you are the Lakers and the Grizzlies.


NBA Max Deals
Gibert Arenas, who is coming off an injury-plagued season, and is "different" to say the least, is not a max player. Neither is Elton Brand, although I like Brand's skills if healthy, more than Arenas'.

Brett Fabvre
Big surprise – Brett Fabvre has “an itch” to play. Is anyone really surprised? He’s an Hall of Famer who can still play at a high level and his team is coming off a good season. What did you expect?

And what should Green Bay do if Fabvre is serious? This is a no-brainer – welcome him back and ride him as far as he can take you. And please, don’t tell me about Aaron Rodgers. Who the hell is he? This is a business.

Browns Corner
The name Ty Law has come up in terms of an available starting corner the Browns may be interested it. What’s taking so long? Law is probably nowhere near the player he was when he helped the “Evil Empire” win the Super Bowl, but if he can still remember how to put on his uniform and find his helmet, he has to be better than what the Browns will trot out at the corners this season.

NFL Salary Cap
Finally, the NFL owners, through the commissioner, have floated the trial balloon of wanting a cap on rookie salaries. What took them so long? The NBA went to this years ago when veterans like Charles Barkley and company complained the top rookies, who had not done anything yet at the NBA level, made more than veterans who could play.

My guess is the majority of NFL players agree with the owners on this one. Now it’s up to the Players’ Union and the league to work it out in collective bargaining. The league will have to give something up to get their wish.

If I were the players, I would want more guaranteed money in contracts as part of the package beyond the current signing bonus and first year of a new deal.

The NBA and MLB contracts are guaranteed. NFL players have a shorter lifespan and take more physical abuse. That’s where they need to go with their demands – they get more guaranteed years and the owners get team friendly deals for high picks - most of whom don't end up living up to expectations. NFL owners are starting to fiugure it out - these #1 picks are getting paid a ton and floundering. They (owners) have two choices - either they hire better talent evaluators or demand a new system so it does not hurt as much in the pocketbook when the latest "franchise quaterback of the future" (insert your choice of busts) doesn't make it.

Seattle SuperSonics
It’s a tragedy when a city supports a pro team and the team is permitted to leave town. The Sonics are moving to Oklahoma City. That’s just wrong. The commissioner has already stated Seattle is in line for another franchise if they build a “state of the art” new facility. Those type of words from league officials in the major sports always sound like extortion to me.

It’s just wrong if they (fans) come and you move it. That’s just how I feel.

Politics
It’s time for your political lesson.

This one is simple - We need more oil, we have the oil on our own turf, but have refused to drill for the oil because some folks are concerned about the environment, the caribou or think we need to use other “clean” sources of fuel (i.e. wind power).

I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll go along with alternative sources of energy if the tree-huggers (you know who you are) go along with drilling on our own turf. Sounds reasonable doesn’t it?

Bottom line – the Chinese are drilling for oil less than 100 miles off OUR shore! Let’s invest in all potential sources of energy (oil, nuclear, solar, wind, etc..).

Only someone who thinks the spotted owl is equal on the evolutionary scale to mankind (my apologies to feminist) could disagree. Unfortunately, we have many citizens, some who vote, who think that way.

If you ask me, that’s scary.

And pleae, don't tell me it will "take years to get the oil" or "it won't solve the problem." Those talking points only work on the mentally ill.

The sooner you start drilling, the sooner we'll get the oil. And as for it not solving the problem - so what. It will help. That's the point. Besides, how long will it take to perfect wind, solar power. etc. And who in their right mind claims "clean" sources of energy will solve the problem alone and solve it soon?

Turn American ingenuity loose on ALL potential sources of energy and let's have a "War To Achieve Energy Independence" and great things will happen. We put a dude on the moon and saved Europe's ass twice in one century from tyranny. We can surely solve this problem.

Are you listening John McCain?

Meanwhile, Americans wil do what they have done in the past - they will adjust. Four day work weeks for some, buying smaller cars for others, using mass transit for even more. I suspect sweater sales will go up this winter as homes are kept at 65 degrees to try to offset higher heating fuel costs.

It is what it is.