Another NFL football season is upon us, and once again the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers face off in a long dormant fierce rivalry that has fans from both teams clamoring for days gone by.
After three painful seasons that has seen the Browns and their loyal fan base suffer through a 4-44 record, this is expected to be the season of dramatic improvement. Owner Jimmy Haslam mercifully canned Sashi Brown, the main decision maker in the front office, in favor of experienced football man, John Dorsey, a former NFL linebacker. Dorsey immediately transformed an inexperienced roster that also lacked talent, with a slew of trades, free agent acquisitions, and then the April college draft.
One of his first moves was to deal a high draft choice to the Buffalo Bills for veteran QB, Tyrod Taylor, the bridge QB to help guide the franchise back to respectability until #1 pick, Baker Mayfield, the Heisman winner out of Oklahoma is ready to take over. Make no mistake, Mayfield is the QB of the future in Cleveland. He's generally impressed everyone and played very well during the four preseason games.
Other valuable pickups are, receiver, Jarvis Landry in a swap with the Miami Dolphins, Carlos Hyde, former Ohio St. running back and cornerback, Terrance Mitchell, both of whom were free agents signings. Landry has basically been a slot receiver, racking up over 100 catches last season. The curious thing, however, is that he averaged a meager 8 plus yards per catch, not particularly impressive in itself. He has been extremely impressive all of training camp, and one wonders how successful he can become in a Tod Haley run offense.
Hyde is the perfect replacement in the backfield for the departed, Isaiah Crowell. The former Buckeye appears fast, agile and powerful enough to energize the running game. High pick, Nick Chubb will spell him often. The RB out of Georgia has some potential and provides quality depth behind Hyde, along with fourth year RB, Duke Johnson, the versatile receiver extraordinaire, who catches passes both out of the backfield and split out wide.
Lo and behold, blast the trumpet's, none other than the enigmatic ghost wideout, Josh Gordon is about to make an opening game appearance for the Browns for the first time in several years. Just maybe hold your breath, it isn't game time yet. The gifted receiver was thee best wideout in the game way back in 2013. Yes, 2013, five long years ago !
All that has happened to Josh since has been well documented. Any other less gifted player would have been released a long time ago. But, in the NFL, talent is the name of the game. He has previously been dubbed, "Fools Gold," by this writer, but, here's hoping, no, make it praying, that the guy can stay clean once and for all and revive a career that sees him playing at a consistently high level for an entire season. The Browns are counting on him bigtime, make no mistake about that.
Paired with Landry and rookie WR, Antonio Calloway, not to mention tight end, David Njoku, this is a very talented group of weapons as receivers for new offensive coordinator, Tod Haley, the guy who has been calling plays for the Steelers the past several seasons.
Watch for Njoku, one of the trio of 1st rounders last year to bust out and truly blossom in the NFL. He's a fast gifted athlete that had some excellent moments last season, the most impressive of which had to be his long TD reception down the seam...right down the middle of the field. Backup TE's are, Seth Devalve, entering his 3rd season, and Darren Fells, an extremely tall target.
Last year, the Browns defense was relatively stout versus the run game, but, that was the only good aspect of it. The pass defense was like a sieve, the parting of the Red Sea, leaks all around. Even worse, the unit was almost last in the entire league in takeaways. Few fumble recoveries, few sacks, few interceptions. Bookend defensive ends, Myles Garrett and Emmanuelle Ogbah were both troubled by injuries, Ogbah missing the last 5 or so games of the season. Garrett also missed 5 games and was never 100% all season.
For the team to be successful, those two need to stay healthy and be available the majority of the time. They're expected to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks, be the type impact game changers that determine outcomes of games. Coley and Larry Ogunjobi would appear to be the starters plugging up the inside at defensive tackle. Chad Thomas was a high draft pick out of Miami to add depth on the line at DE, and possibly sliding inside on passing downs.
The team is set at linebacker, with the starting trio of Joe Schobert in the middle, Chris Kirksey at weakside LB, and Jamie Collins manning the strong side. While excellent run stoppers, none of the 3 are either outstanding blitzers or edge rushers that can consistently harass the QB. An interesting addition is Genard Avery, a 5th rd. pick the team apparently has high hopes for as that all critical edge rusher that can get to the QB from outside linebacker.
The Browns defensive backfield has been entirely overhauled from a less than impressive bunch from last seasons 0-16 team. Never fear, the team picked Ohio St. Buckeye, Denzel Ward as the 4th overall selection, a guy they sorely need to be the lock down cornerback that often matches up with opposing teams top receivers. Terrance Mitchell has won the starting job on the opposite side, the free agent acquisition that previously played for the Chiefs. E.J. Gaines should also see significant playing time as well.
At the safety spots, Jabrill Peppers moves from free safety to strong safety, a position his skills should be much more suited for. Darrius Randall, obtained in a trade with the Packers for last years QB, DeShone Kizer, takes over at free safety. Derrick Kindred will also see action, especially on projected running downs. Hopefully Peppers will blossom at his more natural spot and with a year of experience under his belt. Boddy-Calhoun is versatile and can slide between corner or backup free safety behind Randall.
All in all, the team is in a much better place, from the coaches on down through the roster. Both coordinators are highly respected, very experienced coaches in the league, both previously having been head coaches. Haley will call plays on offense instead of head coach Hue Jackson, probably a very welcome relief. Tough, hard nosed Greg Williams runs the show for the defense. Jackson no longer has any excuses for mismanaging the clock, or bungling decisions of where and when to kick a field goal.
This version of the Browns will not lose every game ! They honestly should be very competitive in pretty much every single game, even though it's an extremely difficult schedule. They should be interesting to watch...for once, and give the fans and ownership something to be proud of. How many will they win ? It's difficult to predict, but, the way I see it, expect 5 or 6 wins. Anything less, and Hue will be an ex-coach by seasons end.
As for tomorrow's opener at home against those dastardly Steelers, it's expected to be a wet one. Wind may also be a factor at times, resulting in both teams' passing games being somewhat compromised. It's time for the Browns to awaken this intense rivalry from the dead !
Dave Burkey
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
BROWNS RIDING WITH KIZER ON HORIZON OF 2017 OPENER
Don't expect an overabundance of sugar coating from this corner, however, particularly in light of a deceptive 4-0 preseason record. Yes, there are legitimate reasons for optimism and enthusiasm for this team, but, there are still numerous questions that need to be answered. And, frankly, the schedule maker kinda stuck it to the Browns right off the bat with four extremely difficult games. After the opener at home v. Pittsburgh, the team plays at Baltimore, at Indianapolis, then back home for an encounter against the Bengals.
As much as I hate to say it, the Browns could very possibly start 0-4. There may be a saving grace , however. QB's Joe Flacco of the Ravens and Andrew Luck of the Colts both are experiencing injury issues. The guess here is that Luck in particular may be in jeopardy of being able to go due to a surgically repaired shoulder that's been troublesome for quite some time. To say the Browns desperately need to win at least one of the first four is a major understatement.
There's been a considerable infusion of talent to last years forgettable inept edition of this once proud winning franchise, thanks in large part to three 1st round draft picks that for once, all seem to be very athletic talented "impact" type players necessary to succeed in the ultra competitive NFL. More on those three later.
Absolutely everyone, seemingly, on this planet is aware of the Browns' utterly pathetic record with a never ending long line of QB's dating back to the franchise's rebirth in 1999. And, of course, this season introduces yet another new starter, the 27th since the NFL undid Art Modell's unforgivable sin in moving one of the league's premier franchise's out of the city that could never be whole without it's beloved Browns !
The graveyard of NFL QB's is passing that unenviable torch to none other than Notre Dame QB, De Shone Kizer, drafted by Cleveland in the 2nd rd. of the April draft of college players. As someone who's seen every Browns QB since Bill Nelson in the late 60's, admittedly, I initially thought the drafting of Kizer was a wasted pick. I also badly wanted, Mitch Trubisky, the QB the Chicago Bears coveted enough to trade into the 2nd overall slot to pluck away from other teams after the Browns opted for Texas A&M DE, Myles Garrett.
Well, I have no problem being wrong about a player and after having viewed Kizer get significant time in parts of three exhibition games, I'm honestly excited seeing this kid perform and have no issue with coach Hue Jackson's decision to start him against the Steelers. The only QB I recall seeing play for the Browns these past five decades with the arm and athleticism of Kizer would have to be Vinny Testaverde, who Bill Belichick unceremoniously picked to unseat Bernie Kosar as starter in the early 90's.
Kizer has a bazooka arm, plenty of confidence, stands in the pocket well, runs very well and throws well on the run among other attributes. Unlike Cody Kessler, he regularly is looking to throw downfield the way most of the better QB's in the league often do. He's also about 6'4", so no issues seeing over lineman there.
The Steelers will test him without question and are likely to throw the kitchen sink at him. In other words, multiple fronts, blitzes, mixed coverages and what not. Hopefully, the kid can weather the storm and hopefully the Browns' revamped offensive line can keep him upright and not flat on his back. And, here's praying the coach isn't afraid to attack and throw on 1st down, cause there's no sense starting him otherwise and they need to avoid 3rd and long situations.
That revamped OL consists of starting center JC Tretter, a key free agent pickup from the Packers, Kevin Zeitler, a high salaried free agent pickup from the Bengals, longtime stalwart, Joe Thomas at left tackle and 2nd year man, Shon Coleman at right tackle. The left guard will be Joel Bitonio, though he may not be able to go in game 1 due to yet another injury. At the moment, however, there doesn't appear to be much quality depth backing these guys up.
At the skill positions, the Browns have added three wideouts just in the past few days, namely Sammie Coates, an Auburn long ball specialist and speedster obtained in a trade with the Steelers. Clearly, however, until a couple out of this group establishes themselves as consistent quality NFL caliber receivers this is not a position of strength. The one veteran of the six is former Ram, Kenny Britt, another free agent acquisition and in essence Terrelle Pryor's replacement.
Wide receiver Corey Coleman, the Browns' speedy little 2016 #1 draft pick looks to be a prime target of the strong armed Kizer. The two connected on several passes in exhibition play and hopefully can ignite a much needed spark to the passing game. Ricardo Louis, along with Coates likely are the prime backups. Louis, as a rookie last year, another Auburn, Alabama guy showed spurts of speed and athleticism in limited action.
A "wild card" receiver so to speak is expected to be 3rd year man, Duke Johnson, who's previously been a running back often targeted as a receiver out of the backfield. Hue Jackson however, has said he will often be utilized out of the "slot" receiver position, a 3rd wideout in three receiver sets. When the Browns go to four receiver sets, I'd expect to often see TE, David Njoku, an extremely athletic fast receiver drafted as one of three 1st round picks out of U. of Miami.
If ex Brown, Joe Haden starts at cornerback for Pittsburgh, expect to see the Browns go deep often as he was burned deep for late TD's several times in his time in Cleveland. Surely, expect to see him as a 3rd corner at the least, which makes for quite a side story to this game. The Browns know his weaknesses well and of course, the NFL is a premier game of matchups as well as mismatches.
Also look for a lot of double tight end sets, featuring Njoku and 2nd year guy, Seth DeValve, who's emerged as a receiving threat. Njoku is listed 3rd on the 1st listed depth chart on the team website, but, take that with a grain of salt as Njoku is being counted on heavily to justify being one of the team's three 1st rd. selections.
Hue has said he would like to run the football more often this season. Take that observation with a grain of salt as well, as "game situations" and score are always determining factors as to play calling. Plus, coaches always say that. That said, the Browns are set with Isaiah Crowell as the featured runner out of the backfield. Frankly, he should have a great shot at a 1,000 yard season, what with experienced quality veterans at the majority of the offensive line spots. Johnson can also be used back there along with impressive looking rookie, Matt Dayes, a shifty, speedy little type.
The punting duties are in the very capable hands of, Britton Colquitt for another season, while rookie kicker, Zane Gonzalez was chosen over Cody Parkey, which is a debatable choice considering Parkey had a very good season last year and performed well in the just completed exhibition games. But, Gonzalez was a draft pick and it's well known teams always favor their draft picks when a competition is basically even.
Browns' punt returns may once again become exciting as talented rookie, Jabrill Peppers has easily stepped in to fill that role. Some guys just have an innate ability to return kicks and he's one of them. He's already had a few electrifying returns in exhibitions, so hopefully that added dimension gives the team much better critically important field position to work with.
Now for the defense.
Everyone insisted the Browns take defensive end, Myles Garrett out of Texas A&M with the 1st overall selection in April's draft. Well, they did and with it comes enormous pressure for him to produce bigtime right from the get go. No question the guy's got great "potential" with excellent speed and quickness, but, fans should temper their expectations a bit. He spouted off about sacking Steelers QB, Ben Roethlisberger, so the Steelers are gonna game plan to stuff the brash rookies' mouth.
Those thinking Garrett's gonna lead the league in sacks, or even register double digits should temper their enthusiasm. The intensity of real games will open any rookies' eyes. Consider this. At about 270 lbs., the average NFL OT blocking him will outweigh him by upwards of 50 lbs. ! He's now playing with the big boys. Hopefully, that speed and quickness gets him around the tackle straight to the QB.
2nd year DE, Emmanuelle Ogbah has comparable skills to Garrett in my view and the Browns are counting heavily on them both.
Those two bookends are expected to help anchor a considerably improved defense with an aggressive attacking blitzing style, rarely, if ever seen in Cleveland. Even the better Browns defenses of long ago were more known for a bend but not break presence. The entire defensive line is expected to be a major team strength, but, on paper don't count, production does.
New defensive coordinator, Greg Williams, with his intense, no nonsense style is a welcome site. Multiple alignments with various blitz packages designed to get to the QB have already produced positive results, though of course teams never game plan for the opposition in exhibitions, not to mention the utilization of numerous guys that have been cut from the roster.
Williams has instituted a base 4-3 defense, the old traditional NFL style defense, a switch from the 3-4 previously used. That means three linebackers with a middle backer and two outside, one on the strong side and the other at the weakside backer spot. The strong side being the tight end side, more often lining up on the outside of the right tackle. Joe Schobert, a reserve last season mans the middle, Jamie Collins is set on the strong side and Chris Kirksey has moved to the weakside spot.
Schobert is an unknown quantity but, has looked good thus far. Don't be surprised if Kirksey and Collins are sometimes flip flopped depending on matchups, or, remain on the field in tandem in a 4-2-5 alignment, something Williams' defenses are noted for. The Browns, however, are woefully thin as far as backups, so, pray the starters don't get injured.
The secondary is now minus longtime starter, Joe Haden, cut and immediately signed by the Steelers of all teams. He's now the enemy ! Jamar Taylor is solid at one cornerback spot with Jason McCourty taking over for Haden. Boddy-Calhoun is now the 3rd corner, but the Browns are also woefully thin as far as depth here as well. In fact, there's currently only one other corner on the roster which is quite curious considering teams often go with four receiver sets nowadays. So, what happens if even one gets hurt during a game, God only knows.
One of the safeties, the last line of defense would have to man a corner spot. Jabrill Peppers, the team's 3rd pick in the 1st rd. of the draft quickly took hold of the strong safety spot, while 2nd year man, Derrick Kindred starts at free safety. Expect those two to flip flop also, however. In fact, Peppers will line up in multiple spots most likely, including a linebacker spot at times or blitzing. He is expected to bring a dynamic presence to a defense sorely in need of "impact" players.
Ok, so, how many games will this version of the Browns manage to win ? The guess here is anywhere from four to six, nothing exhilarating exactly, yet, a heck of an improvement on last season's ineptness. And, as far as this Sunday against those hated Steelers ?
Hopefully it will be a competitive exciting game, but, it's a tall order to say the least for the Browns to knock off Pittsburgh. Wouldn't it be sweet to burn ole buddy, Joe Haden deep late in the 4th Q. for a scintillating come from behind victory !
Dave Burkey
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
AL CHAMPION INDIANS AIM TO WIN IT ALL
Fourteen games into the 2017 season, the A.L. Champion Cleveland Indians have been a bit up and down to start the season.
They've gone just 4-7 since the opening series in Texas where the Tribe completed a three game sweep of the Rangers. However, a major league baseball season is a true marathon and for the time being at least, there's no need to hit the panic button. The club has taken the first two games of a three game series in Minnesota against the Twins, coming away with a 3-1 triumph behind a solid pitching effort from starting pitcher, Danny Salazar and an 11-4 whooping with Josh Tomlin on the mound to even their record at 7-7.
Salazar seems to be quickly regaining the fireballing form he displayed the first half of last season when he landed on the A.L. All-star team. He did not, however, win a single game the entire 2nd half after being beset by unfortunate arm issues that landed him on the disabled list. This coupled with stellar starter, Carlos Carassco also landing on the DL for the entire last few weeks of the magical 2016 season, as well as the entire post-season, played a significant role in ultimately derailing the Tribe in the World Series versus the Cubs.
Carassco appears to be healthy as well and the five man starting staff of former Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber, Carrasco, Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin are set to carry the load until manager, Terry Francona's magnificent bullpen brigade takes over. Kluber got roughed up in his most recent outing similar to his start in Game 7 of the World Series versus the Cubs.
If Kluber doesn't prove to be the Kluber of old over the long haul, Carassco, Salazar and the others are really gonna have to step it up to take up the slack, otherwise the team could be in for some trouble. He's pitched a lot of innings over the past several seasons. Indians starters must be able to hold leads into the 6th inning at the least so that their stellar bullpen can take over.
It's a bit of a myth that this club has a power laden lineup. The dominating Indians teams of the mid 90's had a true power laden lineup top to bottom, this team doesn't. The key to this club repeating as both Central Division champions, American League champs and a World Series title is clearly the pitching staff. There are two legitimate 'power' hitters in the lineup and Francona chooses to continue to bat one of them, Carlos Santana , leadoff. That may or may not change when 2nd baseman Jason Kipnis comes off the DL in a few days.
I would bat Kipnis leadoff followed by Lindor, Brantley, Encarnacion in the cleanup spot, Santana, Ramirez, then the final three in the order. Those six are the Tribe's everyday regulars and while they'll probably hit a modest number of home runs, they can all smack the baseball around the park pretty darn good !
$60 million dollar cleanup batter Edwin Encarnacion, the huge free agent pickup from the Blue Jays is off to somewhat of a slow start, but, just clubbed his 2nd HR of the year against the Twins. There's a common assumption among fans and media that the former Toronto Blue Jay is a huge upgrade over Napoli. On paper, he should be. But, Encarnacion is past what have generally been considered a player's 'prime' years. Furthermore, the law of averages say no one can be expected to hit over 40 home runs six straight years or more.
That being said, maybe he'll go on to wallop 50 HR's ! With every huge contract come very high expectations and there are some fans whom are restless already, which is utterly ridiculous. There are exactly 148 games left to go in a very long season. Players have ups and downs all the time. Frankly, fans that get bent out of shape at a player's batting average with less than 50 AB'S (at bats) are irritatingly amusing. In this era of endless social media, there's ignorance everywhere.
The biggest addition, by far, to this year's lineup other than Encarnacion is the return of All-star outfielder, Michael Brantley. He walloped his 2nd HR against Minnesota and has been fairly consistently smacking the ball, including one huge game winning walkoff in Cleveland. A healthy Michael Brantley is a whale of a hitter and the club better cross it's fingers...and toes that he stays that way over the course of the long season.
3rd baseman turned temporary 2nd baseman, Jose Ramirez is off to a fantastic start and already has knocked in 15 runs to begin the season. With Kipnis' likely return in a matter of days, Ramirez will return to 3rd and Yandy Diaz, the rookie who's been playing there and doing a very commendable job will get sent back down to the AAA team in all likelihood. The spectacular SS, Francisco Lindor, who played very well on the national stage in the World Series is also off to a great start. The kid is just a refreshing jovial special kind of talent.
The catching situation is rather complicated for the time being. Yan Gomes, while being very early in the season, continues to struggle at the plate while receiving the bulk of the catching duties. He struggled unmercifully at the plate all last year when not injured, finishing with an entirely unacceptable batting average of under .170 ! Roberto Perez, who did a solid job in the post-season last year is primed to take over the fulltime duties behind the plate if Gomes and his toothpick bat doesn't get his average up to a respectable number.
Lonnie Chisenhall has been inserted in centerfield, at least for now, but, I'm not betting a dollar he stays there long. He's sort of a streaky hitter with only average power whom usually hits around .300 the first half of seasons only to tail off considerably in the second half. It was rather shocking that sophomore centerfielder, Tyler Naquin was shipped to AAA. The kid couldn't have been happy about it after hitting over .300 much of last year. It seemed like a rather odd move frankly.
Abe Almonte, suspended 80 games last season for PED use and Brandon Guyer are basically two journeyman types temporarily manning the right field spot. Almonte though has contributed more than expected.
Last, but not least, the magnificent bullpen brigade is a huge key to the fortunes of this club. Andrew Miller, the flame throwing versatile lefty strikeout artist acquired from the Yankees at the trading deadline has transformed this group to a feared bunch from the 6th inning on. Give these guys the lead at that point of the game and it's usually lights out for the opposing club.
Closer, Cody Allen throws a pretty hard fastball himself and generally can be depended upon to close out the game. Hard throwing lefty Boone Logan, another free agent off season acquisition just solidifies the group all the more. Dan Otero did a great job last season as well, generally appearing in the 6th or 7th inning. Then there's Bryan Shaw, who's done a superb overall job in a setup role the past few seasons.
If this club avoids injuries, it stands an excellent chance of winning the Central Division once again. The Detroit kittycats, uh, Tigers that is, probably are the Indians' biggest threat within the division, possibly followed by the Kansas City Royals. The White Sox of Chicago and the pesky Minnesota Twins round out the division.
And, who knows, maybe, just maybe this 2017 edition of the Cleveland Indians advances to the World Series yet again, only this time they win the title for the first time in 69 years. Tribe fans, hold on for a scintillating season !
DAVE BURKEY
E-mail: daveywriter@yahoo.com
They've gone just 4-7 since the opening series in Texas where the Tribe completed a three game sweep of the Rangers. However, a major league baseball season is a true marathon and for the time being at least, there's no need to hit the panic button. The club has taken the first two games of a three game series in Minnesota against the Twins, coming away with a 3-1 triumph behind a solid pitching effort from starting pitcher, Danny Salazar and an 11-4 whooping with Josh Tomlin on the mound to even their record at 7-7.
Salazar seems to be quickly regaining the fireballing form he displayed the first half of last season when he landed on the A.L. All-star team. He did not, however, win a single game the entire 2nd half after being beset by unfortunate arm issues that landed him on the disabled list. This coupled with stellar starter, Carlos Carassco also landing on the DL for the entire last few weeks of the magical 2016 season, as well as the entire post-season, played a significant role in ultimately derailing the Tribe in the World Series versus the Cubs.
Carassco appears to be healthy as well and the five man starting staff of former Cy Young winner, Corey Kluber, Carrasco, Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin are set to carry the load until manager, Terry Francona's magnificent bullpen brigade takes over. Kluber got roughed up in his most recent outing similar to his start in Game 7 of the World Series versus the Cubs.
If Kluber doesn't prove to be the Kluber of old over the long haul, Carassco, Salazar and the others are really gonna have to step it up to take up the slack, otherwise the team could be in for some trouble. He's pitched a lot of innings over the past several seasons. Indians starters must be able to hold leads into the 6th inning at the least so that their stellar bullpen can take over.
It's a bit of a myth that this club has a power laden lineup. The dominating Indians teams of the mid 90's had a true power laden lineup top to bottom, this team doesn't. The key to this club repeating as both Central Division champions, American League champs and a World Series title is clearly the pitching staff. There are two legitimate 'power' hitters in the lineup and Francona chooses to continue to bat one of them, Carlos Santana , leadoff. That may or may not change when 2nd baseman Jason Kipnis comes off the DL in a few days.
I would bat Kipnis leadoff followed by Lindor, Brantley, Encarnacion in the cleanup spot, Santana, Ramirez, then the final three in the order. Those six are the Tribe's everyday regulars and while they'll probably hit a modest number of home runs, they can all smack the baseball around the park pretty darn good !
$60 million dollar cleanup batter Edwin Encarnacion, the huge free agent pickup from the Blue Jays is off to somewhat of a slow start, but, just clubbed his 2nd HR of the year against the Twins. There's a common assumption among fans and media that the former Toronto Blue Jay is a huge upgrade over Napoli. On paper, he should be. But, Encarnacion is past what have generally been considered a player's 'prime' years. Furthermore, the law of averages say no one can be expected to hit over 40 home runs six straight years or more.
That being said, maybe he'll go on to wallop 50 HR's ! With every huge contract come very high expectations and there are some fans whom are restless already, which is utterly ridiculous. There are exactly 148 games left to go in a very long season. Players have ups and downs all the time. Frankly, fans that get bent out of shape at a player's batting average with less than 50 AB'S (at bats) are irritatingly amusing. In this era of endless social media, there's ignorance everywhere.
The biggest addition, by far, to this year's lineup other than Encarnacion is the return of All-star outfielder, Michael Brantley. He walloped his 2nd HR against Minnesota and has been fairly consistently smacking the ball, including one huge game winning walkoff in Cleveland. A healthy Michael Brantley is a whale of a hitter and the club better cross it's fingers...and toes that he stays that way over the course of the long season.
3rd baseman turned temporary 2nd baseman, Jose Ramirez is off to a fantastic start and already has knocked in 15 runs to begin the season. With Kipnis' likely return in a matter of days, Ramirez will return to 3rd and Yandy Diaz, the rookie who's been playing there and doing a very commendable job will get sent back down to the AAA team in all likelihood. The spectacular SS, Francisco Lindor, who played very well on the national stage in the World Series is also off to a great start. The kid is just a refreshing jovial special kind of talent.
The catching situation is rather complicated for the time being. Yan Gomes, while being very early in the season, continues to struggle at the plate while receiving the bulk of the catching duties. He struggled unmercifully at the plate all last year when not injured, finishing with an entirely unacceptable batting average of under .170 ! Roberto Perez, who did a solid job in the post-season last year is primed to take over the fulltime duties behind the plate if Gomes and his toothpick bat doesn't get his average up to a respectable number.
Lonnie Chisenhall has been inserted in centerfield, at least for now, but, I'm not betting a dollar he stays there long. He's sort of a streaky hitter with only average power whom usually hits around .300 the first half of seasons only to tail off considerably in the second half. It was rather shocking that sophomore centerfielder, Tyler Naquin was shipped to AAA. The kid couldn't have been happy about it after hitting over .300 much of last year. It seemed like a rather odd move frankly.
Abe Almonte, suspended 80 games last season for PED use and Brandon Guyer are basically two journeyman types temporarily manning the right field spot. Almonte though has contributed more than expected.
Last, but not least, the magnificent bullpen brigade is a huge key to the fortunes of this club. Andrew Miller, the flame throwing versatile lefty strikeout artist acquired from the Yankees at the trading deadline has transformed this group to a feared bunch from the 6th inning on. Give these guys the lead at that point of the game and it's usually lights out for the opposing club.
Closer, Cody Allen throws a pretty hard fastball himself and generally can be depended upon to close out the game. Hard throwing lefty Boone Logan, another free agent off season acquisition just solidifies the group all the more. Dan Otero did a great job last season as well, generally appearing in the 6th or 7th inning. Then there's Bryan Shaw, who's done a superb overall job in a setup role the past few seasons.
If this club avoids injuries, it stands an excellent chance of winning the Central Division once again. The Detroit kittycats, uh, Tigers that is, probably are the Indians' biggest threat within the division, possibly followed by the Kansas City Royals. The White Sox of Chicago and the pesky Minnesota Twins round out the division.
And, who knows, maybe, just maybe this 2017 edition of the Cleveland Indians advances to the World Series yet again, only this time they win the title for the first time in 69 years. Tribe fans, hold on for a scintillating season !
DAVE BURKEY
E-mail: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Saturday, April 15, 2017
CAVALIERS (NOT) SET TO DEFEND TITLE
It's time for the enigmatic Cleveland Cavaliers to put their money where there mouth is, insisting they're ready to make a run at successfully defending their NBA crown despite losing their final four games of the regular season.
A fair amount of roster shuffling and mounting losses, including a 7-10 record in March would tend to indicate otherwise however. Granted injuries played a significant role, yet a final regular season record of 51-31, while losing out to Boston for the top seed in the league's Eastern Conference are merely the tip of the iceberg amongst ominous signs that a repeat championship seems rather unlikely.
The Cavaliers' first round opponent, the Indiana Pacers finished with a 42-40 record, but make no mistake, they're a dangerous team. In a prelude of what's to come in fact, the Cavs and Pacers battled in a double overtime thriller in Cleveland on April 2nd, featuring a colossal scoring duel between Paul George of Indiana and LeBron James, ultimately won by the Cavs, 135- 130. George outscored James 43-41, in a contest the Cavs should've won in regulation but didn't, largely due to their usual mental lapses in effort and execution, particularly on the defensive end.
The Cavs were merely 23-23 after Jan. 10th with coach Ty Lue resting both Kyrie Erving and James several times on the back end of games on back to back nights. The practice was controversial as a national TV audience missed out on seeing the duo, even drawing the ire of NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver. To be fair, other teams have done the same thing with their elite players, marquee TV audience or not.
The one 'signature' win you might call it came on April 5th as the Cavaliers went into Boston and totally dominated the Celtics from start to finish to win going away in what was billed as the battle for top seed in the East. Unfortunately, that lead was rather short lived as the Cavs proceeded to come home two nights later for the first of two mystifying losses to the Atlanta Hawks. After the game, coach Lue was quite upset referring to it as a 'bad performance.' He also bemoaned the fact the team failed to capitalize on their huge Celtic victory.
In that AP story, Lue was also quoted after the game as saying, "...That's who we've been. That's who we are. I hate it. These games like this come back and bite you, especially down the stretch when you're trying to get some rest. ...." General Manager, David Griffin, the masterful chess player in manipulating the club's roster stated he was "pissed off" they blew the top seed while at the same time expressing the belief the team plays it's best with their backs to the wall.
We are about to find out, however, it's a dangerous viewpoint for any team to have in the ultra-competitive NBA. They certainly pulled the rabbit out of the hat in the finals last year to literally steal the championship from under the noses of the Warriors, but last season was last season and there's no switch to turn on when a team decides it suddenly desires to sustain maximum effort all game long game after game.
Coach Lue has brought up the notion in post game comments to the media that he has some sort of 'secret' defense to employ in the playoffs. He'd better because the Cavs rarely stopped anyone when it counted and finished with a very poor ranking of 22nd in the league on defense. As much as I'd like to believe him, I suspect the idea may be more 'smoke and mirror's than anything. Maybe newly added 7'3" center, Edy Tavares can play superman late in playoff games where the team has a large lead and can come in and swat away some of the endless easy layups the team relinquishes.
Frankly, Tristan Thompson is sorely lacking as any type of legitimate rim protector on defense and while he's a top rebounder, he's a minimal scoring threat and a major liability on the free throw line. Andrew Bogut going down in less than a minute of play was admittedly a devastating injury.
The 'Big 3' of James, Love and Irving need more help from their friends in shouldering some of the scoring load. The team averaged 110 ppg., but, guys like J.R. Smith who played a key role in last season's title and Kyle Korver, the sharpshooter acquired from the Hawks need to step up and consistently hit some shots to make another title run. The bench was woefully inadequate much of the season, continually being unmercifully outscored by other teams' benches.
Love is a tremendous rebounder and outlet passer, leading the club with 11.3 rebounds per game and prior to the knee injury causing him to miss several weeks, had been averaging over 20 ppg. as well. The Cavs seemed to be playing their best in games where Love scored early and often, taking much of the load off Irving and James. Still, the team consistently let large leads slip away resulting in wins that should've come without having to expend so much late 4th Quarter energy.
Edy Tavares to the rescue !
Seriously, don't count on that, but, at 7'3" it brings a dimension the club could sorely use at the defensive end when the Cavs need to get stops. Now, if he can learn the plays as well as tendencies of his teammates....
The road to the championship runs through Cleveland. As LeBron James sets out to play in an amazing 7th straight NBA finals, he's the one player seemingly ready for the challenge ahead. Are the rest of the Cavaliers ? We're about to find out.
DAVE BURKEY
E-mail: daveywriter@yahoo.com
A fair amount of roster shuffling and mounting losses, including a 7-10 record in March would tend to indicate otherwise however. Granted injuries played a significant role, yet a final regular season record of 51-31, while losing out to Boston for the top seed in the league's Eastern Conference are merely the tip of the iceberg amongst ominous signs that a repeat championship seems rather unlikely.
The Cavaliers' first round opponent, the Indiana Pacers finished with a 42-40 record, but make no mistake, they're a dangerous team. In a prelude of what's to come in fact, the Cavs and Pacers battled in a double overtime thriller in Cleveland on April 2nd, featuring a colossal scoring duel between Paul George of Indiana and LeBron James, ultimately won by the Cavs, 135- 130. George outscored James 43-41, in a contest the Cavs should've won in regulation but didn't, largely due to their usual mental lapses in effort and execution, particularly on the defensive end.
The Cavs were merely 23-23 after Jan. 10th with coach Ty Lue resting both Kyrie Erving and James several times on the back end of games on back to back nights. The practice was controversial as a national TV audience missed out on seeing the duo, even drawing the ire of NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver. To be fair, other teams have done the same thing with their elite players, marquee TV audience or not.
The one 'signature' win you might call it came on April 5th as the Cavaliers went into Boston and totally dominated the Celtics from start to finish to win going away in what was billed as the battle for top seed in the East. Unfortunately, that lead was rather short lived as the Cavs proceeded to come home two nights later for the first of two mystifying losses to the Atlanta Hawks. After the game, coach Lue was quite upset referring to it as a 'bad performance.' He also bemoaned the fact the team failed to capitalize on their huge Celtic victory.
In that AP story, Lue was also quoted after the game as saying, "...That's who we've been. That's who we are. I hate it. These games like this come back and bite you, especially down the stretch when you're trying to get some rest. ...." General Manager, David Griffin, the masterful chess player in manipulating the club's roster stated he was "pissed off" they blew the top seed while at the same time expressing the belief the team plays it's best with their backs to the wall.
We are about to find out, however, it's a dangerous viewpoint for any team to have in the ultra-competitive NBA. They certainly pulled the rabbit out of the hat in the finals last year to literally steal the championship from under the noses of the Warriors, but last season was last season and there's no switch to turn on when a team decides it suddenly desires to sustain maximum effort all game long game after game.
Coach Lue has brought up the notion in post game comments to the media that he has some sort of 'secret' defense to employ in the playoffs. He'd better because the Cavs rarely stopped anyone when it counted and finished with a very poor ranking of 22nd in the league on defense. As much as I'd like to believe him, I suspect the idea may be more 'smoke and mirror's than anything. Maybe newly added 7'3" center, Edy Tavares can play superman late in playoff games where the team has a large lead and can come in and swat away some of the endless easy layups the team relinquishes.
Frankly, Tristan Thompson is sorely lacking as any type of legitimate rim protector on defense and while he's a top rebounder, he's a minimal scoring threat and a major liability on the free throw line. Andrew Bogut going down in less than a minute of play was admittedly a devastating injury.
The 'Big 3' of James, Love and Irving need more help from their friends in shouldering some of the scoring load. The team averaged 110 ppg., but, guys like J.R. Smith who played a key role in last season's title and Kyle Korver, the sharpshooter acquired from the Hawks need to step up and consistently hit some shots to make another title run. The bench was woefully inadequate much of the season, continually being unmercifully outscored by other teams' benches.
Love is a tremendous rebounder and outlet passer, leading the club with 11.3 rebounds per game and prior to the knee injury causing him to miss several weeks, had been averaging over 20 ppg. as well. The Cavs seemed to be playing their best in games where Love scored early and often, taking much of the load off Irving and James. Still, the team consistently let large leads slip away resulting in wins that should've come without having to expend so much late 4th Quarter energy.
Edy Tavares to the rescue !
Seriously, don't count on that, but, at 7'3" it brings a dimension the club could sorely use at the defensive end when the Cavs need to get stops. Now, if he can learn the plays as well as tendencies of his teammates....
The road to the championship runs through Cleveland. As LeBron James sets out to play in an amazing 7th straight NBA finals, he's the one player seemingly ready for the challenge ahead. Are the rest of the Cavaliers ? We're about to find out.
DAVE BURKEY
E-mail: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
TRIBE V. CUBS WORLD SERIES !
Who would have dared to think back in early April this 2016 version of the Cleveland Indians, with all the myriad of question marks coming into the season, would be playing in October in the World Series ?
It's already been a magical year, what with the Cavaliers securing an NBA title in June. The city of Cleveland needs another parade ! Now, it's the Indians' turn to win a championship, which would be the teams first since 1948, 68 long agonizing years ago. The team came real close in both 1995, when they should have won it, and then 1997 in an over-achieving year when in essence they came within one pitch, a potential double-play ball of winning it all.
Game 1 of the series is Tuesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland, ironically and fittingly the very same night as the Cavs raise their well deserved championship banner and present rings to players, coaches and so forth. And, just as fittingly, the opposition is the lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs, a club that won 103 regular season games to 94 for the Indians.
But, make no mistake, this dynamic version of the Cubs is no loser, no team wins 103 games by accident. Wrigley Field in Chicago is yet another historic venue, just as Fenway Park in Boston was, for the Tribe to prove doubters wrong. Games three and four will definitely be played in Wrigley, as will game five barring a four game sweep by either club. The ghosts of Ron Santo, Ernie Banks and Fergie Jenkins will no doubt make their presence felt.
At Progressive Field, there may be several ghosts floating around the park as well, all of whom know all too well this team has unfinished business leftover from the at times, dominant 90's teams. Heck, Sandy Alomar will be coaching at first base.
All-stars like Thome, Ramirez, Belle, Vizquel and Lofton made those teams a feared bunch for opposing pitchers, often turning games into just another round of batting practice.
The 2016 version of the Indians are led, of course, by their two-time title winning manager with the Red Sox, Terry Francona. Every move he made seemed to pan out for the most part, even batting Carlos Santana leadoff for much of the season. Santana, to his credit, came through with a career year everyone has been waiting for.
Guys like Mike Napoli, Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis, Tyler Naquin and the supremely gifted one Francisco Lindor, got it done all season long, including a team record 14 game winning streak which began in late June. Of course, let's not forget the stellar pitching staff leading the way, despite a few hiccups in July and August. Ace Cory Kluber essentially came to the rescue when all-star Danny Salazar began having arm issues, while Josh Tomlin had a string of horrible starts.
Carlos Carrasco had a somewhat inconsistent season finishing the year on the disabled list. Fortunately, Trevor Bauer took up some of the slack in the rotation while the key trade deadline acquisition of ace reliever Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees has given the club a tremendous boost, particularly thus far in the postseason. Paired with saves leader Cody Allen, this dynamic duo has proven nearly unhittable.
A special mention should be given to Michael Brantley, the injured outfielder whom was the Tribe's best hitter last season. His injured shoulder never came around after off-season shoulder surgery. Maybe the teams rallying cry should be, 'let's win it for Michael !'
It's a tremendous fall classic matchup. Either the seemingly eternally suffering Chicago Cubs fans, or the decades loyal Cleveland Indians fans will at long last get to bask in the glory of an all too evasive World Series title. Can the unthinkable be possible, two parades for the city of Cleveland in one year ?
DAVE BURKEY
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
BROWNS SET TO OPEN 2016 SEASON
Mercifully, the all but meaningless practice games called NFL exhibition games are over and done with. Many who received a great deal of playing time in those games have now been released or traded. The Cleveland Browns are set to embark upon the 2016 season with a 53-man roster predominantly loaded with 1st and 2nd year players, including approximately a dozen of the clubs' myriad of draft picks from April.
Sunday's opponent is the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly, with rookie QB Carson Wentz expected to get the call for the Eagles. This is thee same Carson Wentz the Browns could have picked with the 2nd overall pick of the draft, yet instead, opted to deal the pick to the Eagles for a slew of extra picks.
So, other than who wins the game, the Wentz storyline is one to watch closely. The guy can throw the football and had an excellent college career quarterbacking North Dakota St. A QB that comes to mind that came from a smaller school like N.D. St. was Phil Simms, who had a very good NFL career with the N.Y. Giants. However, expect the Eagles to run the ball a lot against the Browns' highly suspect run defense.
The RG3 (Robert Griffin 111) era is beginning in Cleveland. Highly touted coming out of Baylor three years ago as a rookie with the Redskins, the past two seasons he's been injury riddled and banished to 3rd string in the Skins' doghouse.
He's clearly a reclamation project new Browns coach Hue Jackson has relished right from the start. Griffin's actually quite articulate and seems to have learned valuable lessons from his time in Washington. Just as important, he also appears to have all the same skills he had coming out of college; strong arm, accurate with his throws and the speed and agility to run when necessary. Additionally, he's shown good poise and pocket presence, other critical skills any good QB must demonstrate to succeed.
It's refreshing to have an NFL QB that understands the name of the game is to lead the team and look to throw first and only take off running when that's the only remaining option left, not the other way around ! The NFL is NOT college football.
Everyone knows what problem child I'm referring to whom is currently unemployed in the NFL. Now that's he's outta here, the Browns still have another, or two, left on the roster. Check that, Josh Gordon once again, though being reinstated by commissioner, Roger Goodell, is under suspension for the first 4 games of the season. That's 1/4 of the season. It's a common theme with Gordon whom can never stay clean for very long.
If not for the fact he's a supremely talented receiver, Gordon would have been gone a long time ago. It's a given that highly skilled players get special treatment from teams in both college and the pros. That said, here's hoping a minor miracle (literally) occurs and for once he manages to stay clean and realize the success he achieved in Cleveland 2 seasons ago.
Presuming Gordon does indeed take the field in game 5 for the team against the Patriots, the Browns clearly will have a variety of weapons for Griffin to throw to, including speedy rookie WR, Corey Coleman who has the speed to run past defenders as well as make them miss in open space. It's up to Jackson and his offensive staff to put Coleman in multiple formations and create opportunities for him to make plays.
Converted QB, Terrelle Pryor has shown the ability to run past people on the 'go' route, but a true NFL WR has to be able to excel at a variety of pass routes, including slants and crossing routes over the middle where nasty linebackers and safeties often lurk, salivating at the chance to deliver a hard blow just as the ball arrives. If Pryor is able to master all aspects of the position, he, Gordon and Coleman could make an incredible triple threat.
There are other receiving options as well, including tight end, Gary Barnidge, a veteran of several seasons who had a breakout season last year for the Browns. He was dependable all season long and made several circus catches, including a few for TD's. Speedy Duke Johnson is a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield to be reckoned with as well.
The view here is that Isaiah Crowell, if given ample opportunity as the featured back running the football out of the backfield, can become one of the better runners in the league. He's shown flashes on several occasions the past two seasons, yet hasn't consistently been able to get untracked. Many runners need to tote the pigskin regularly to develop a rhythm and get better as the game goes on. Of course, this never happens if the team always has to play catchup in games.
The saying goes, the game is won in the trenches. If RG3 is always on his back, or, running for his life, he'll never receive ample time to throw and Crowell won't gain many yards unless perennial all-pro, Joe Thomas and co. do their jobs. The huge question on the offensive line is whether new center, Cam Irving can function as an NFL center.
The right tackle spot is also a question mark after the club lost RT, Mitchell Schwartz to free agency. The two guards, Bitonio at LG and Greco at RG appear relatively solid.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team has more question marks than answers at this point. Several young players need to step up and show they belong in the NFL. The Browns are lacking in 'impact' players, guys who are dominant 'game changers.' One who could become such a players is top 2nd round rookie, Emmanuelle Ogbah. Hopefully the team determines how to utilize his immense physical gifts, whether it be from the DE, or, OLB position.
Rookie defensive end, Carl Nassib was voted top training camp rookie and flashed the ability to get to the QB in several exhibition games. Veteran John Hughes and 2nd year lineman, Xavier Cooper are also at end and need to show the ability to at least hold their ground against the run, enabling the linebackers to come up and make the play.
Returning highly experienced defensive coordinator, Ray Horton has his hands full in attempting to put the pieces together to make this defense competitive and not relinquish a ton of points. The all important inside linebacker position is very suspect with veterans, Christian Kirksey and free agent pickup, Demario Davis manning those spots for the time being.
Ogbah will likely hold down the left (strong side) outside linebacker spot, with 2nd year player, Nate Orchard starting at the right outside LB position. However, don't be surprised if Horton flip flops those two part of the time to take advantage of possible mismatches, another critical aspect of NFL strategy.
Returning vet cornerback, Joe Haden has apparently sufficiently recovered from an ankle injury, and none too soon as the team desperately needs him. Several corners whom were figured to be heavily counted upon are no longer with the team, therefore what once appeared to be a stable position no longer is, particularly considering Tramon Williams, a starter last season is about 33 years old.
Even more questionable are the two safety spots with basically unproven rookies and 2nd year men. Come next April, it appears the Browns will need to seriously consider picking a few defensive backs in the early rounds of the draft.
To sum things up, this is clearly a major rebuilding year which the front office has conceded to all along. Jackson spews the typical coach rhetoric that the team plans on winning, which admittedly is the correct and only approach in the process of hopefully, finally for once, building a winning culture. But, no one should expect miracles. As that saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day ! And, this football team won't be built in one season.
DAVE BURKEY
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Mercifully, the all but meaningless practice games called NFL exhibition games are over and done with. Many who received a great deal of playing time in those games have now been released or traded. The Cleveland Browns are set to embark upon the 2016 season with a 53-man roster predominantly loaded with 1st and 2nd year players, including approximately a dozen of the clubs' myriad of draft picks from April.
Sunday's opponent is the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly, with rookie QB Carson Wentz expected to get the call for the Eagles. This is thee same Carson Wentz the Browns could have picked with the 2nd overall pick of the draft, yet instead, opted to deal the pick to the Eagles for a slew of extra picks.
So, other than who wins the game, the Wentz storyline is one to watch closely. The guy can throw the football and had an excellent college career quarterbacking North Dakota St. A QB that comes to mind that came from a smaller school like N.D. St. was Phil Simms, who had a very good NFL career with the N.Y. Giants. However, expect the Eagles to run the ball a lot against the Browns' highly suspect run defense.
The RG3 (Robert Griffin 111) era is beginning in Cleveland. Highly touted coming out of Baylor three years ago as a rookie with the Redskins, the past two seasons he's been injury riddled and banished to 3rd string in the Skins' doghouse.
He's clearly a reclamation project new Browns coach Hue Jackson has relished right from the start. Griffin's actually quite articulate and seems to have learned valuable lessons from his time in Washington. Just as important, he also appears to have all the same skills he had coming out of college; strong arm, accurate with his throws and the speed and agility to run when necessary. Additionally, he's shown good poise and pocket presence, other critical skills any good QB must demonstrate to succeed.
It's refreshing to have an NFL QB that understands the name of the game is to lead the team and look to throw first and only take off running when that's the only remaining option left, not the other way around ! The NFL is NOT college football.
Everyone knows what problem child I'm referring to whom is currently unemployed in the NFL. Now that's he's outta here, the Browns still have another, or two, left on the roster. Check that, Josh Gordon once again, though being reinstated by commissioner, Roger Goodell, is under suspension for the first 4 games of the season. That's 1/4 of the season. It's a common theme with Gordon whom can never stay clean for very long.
If not for the fact he's a supremely talented receiver, Gordon would have been gone a long time ago. It's a given that highly skilled players get special treatment from teams in both college and the pros. That said, here's hoping a minor miracle (literally) occurs and for once he manages to stay clean and realize the success he achieved in Cleveland 2 seasons ago.
Presuming Gordon does indeed take the field in game 5 for the team against the Patriots, the Browns clearly will have a variety of weapons for Griffin to throw to, including speedy rookie WR, Corey Coleman who has the speed to run past defenders as well as make them miss in open space. It's up to Jackson and his offensive staff to put Coleman in multiple formations and create opportunities for him to make plays.
Converted QB, Terrelle Pryor has shown the ability to run past people on the 'go' route, but a true NFL WR has to be able to excel at a variety of pass routes, including slants and crossing routes over the middle where nasty linebackers and safeties often lurk, salivating at the chance to deliver a hard blow just as the ball arrives. If Pryor is able to master all aspects of the position, he, Gordon and Coleman could make an incredible triple threat.
There are other receiving options as well, including tight end, Gary Barnidge, a veteran of several seasons who had a breakout season last year for the Browns. He was dependable all season long and made several circus catches, including a few for TD's. Speedy Duke Johnson is a legitimate receiving threat out of the backfield to be reckoned with as well.
The view here is that Isaiah Crowell, if given ample opportunity as the featured back running the football out of the backfield, can become one of the better runners in the league. He's shown flashes on several occasions the past two seasons, yet hasn't consistently been able to get untracked. Many runners need to tote the pigskin regularly to develop a rhythm and get better as the game goes on. Of course, this never happens if the team always has to play catchup in games.
The saying goes, the game is won in the trenches. If RG3 is always on his back, or, running for his life, he'll never receive ample time to throw and Crowell won't gain many yards unless perennial all-pro, Joe Thomas and co. do their jobs. The huge question on the offensive line is whether new center, Cam Irving can function as an NFL center.
The right tackle spot is also a question mark after the club lost RT, Mitchell Schwartz to free agency. The two guards, Bitonio at LG and Greco at RG appear relatively solid.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team has more question marks than answers at this point. Several young players need to step up and show they belong in the NFL. The Browns are lacking in 'impact' players, guys who are dominant 'game changers.' One who could become such a players is top 2nd round rookie, Emmanuelle Ogbah. Hopefully the team determines how to utilize his immense physical gifts, whether it be from the DE, or, OLB position.
Rookie defensive end, Carl Nassib was voted top training camp rookie and flashed the ability to get to the QB in several exhibition games. Veteran John Hughes and 2nd year lineman, Xavier Cooper are also at end and need to show the ability to at least hold their ground against the run, enabling the linebackers to come up and make the play.
Returning highly experienced defensive coordinator, Ray Horton has his hands full in attempting to put the pieces together to make this defense competitive and not relinquish a ton of points. The all important inside linebacker position is very suspect with veterans, Christian Kirksey and free agent pickup, Demario Davis manning those spots for the time being.
Ogbah will likely hold down the left (strong side) outside linebacker spot, with 2nd year player, Nate Orchard starting at the right outside LB position. However, don't be surprised if Horton flip flops those two part of the time to take advantage of possible mismatches, another critical aspect of NFL strategy.
Returning vet cornerback, Joe Haden has apparently sufficiently recovered from an ankle injury, and none too soon as the team desperately needs him. Several corners whom were figured to be heavily counted upon are no longer with the team, therefore what once appeared to be a stable position no longer is, particularly considering Tramon Williams, a starter last season is about 33 years old.
Even more questionable are the two safety spots with basically unproven rookies and 2nd year men. Come next April, it appears the Browns will need to seriously consider picking a few defensive backs in the early rounds of the draft.
To sum things up, this is clearly a major rebuilding year which the front office has conceded to all along. Jackson spews the typical coach rhetoric that the team plans on winning, which admittedly is the correct and only approach in the process of hopefully, finally for once, building a winning culture. But, no one should expect miracles. As that saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day ! And, this football team won't be built in one season.
DAVE BURKEY
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
1ST PLACE INDIANS
Fast forward four months from my beginning of the season Indians post in April to mid-August. The club currently resides in 1st place all alone atop the AL Central, five games in front of the Detroit Pussycats, uh, Tigers that is.
After Monday afternoon's one run loss at Progressive Field(Does anyone like that name ?) in Cleveland at the hands of the Boston Red Sox, the Tribe's record stands at 67-49 with only 46 games left until post-season play, everyone hopes. However, don't be surprised if things get a little sticky coming down the home stretch. A five game lead can disappear in one week.
No one, not even the most optimistic of level headed fans could have possibly predicted having 67 wins at this juncture of the season. (Please don't refer to it as a campaign) Many, but not all, things have gone right thus far. The starting pitching has been as advertised for the most part, though there is currently concern for all-star pitcher Danny Salazar who is on the disabled list with an elbow issue but apparently is now scheduled to start Thursday's game.
Salazar's record stands at 11-4 with a 3.38 ERA and more strikeouts than innings pitched which is rather impressive. The true ace of the staff continues to be, Corey Kluber who easily leads the club in innings pitched as well as wins with a record of 12-8. The Indians have finally scored some runs when he takes the mound ! His 3.21 ERA(avg. runs given up per 9 innings) is team best for a starting P as well.
Carlos Carrasco matches Kluber's ERA at 3.21, however due to an earlier stint on the DL also, his total innings pitched is considerably less. His won/loss record currently stands at 8-6.
Basically, those three are the Tribe's top starters that hold the key to the teams playoff fortunes should they manage to stave off the Tigers for the next month and 1/2. The club has two more fairly solid starters who've done a pretty decent job despite a few 'hiccups' in Tomlin and Bauer. Bauer, for anyone who read my April post is that 'quirky' dude who just needed to lasso his 'stuff ' to become a consistent quality pitcher.
He began the season in the bullpen and did a good job for the most part, then when Carrasco went down Bauer moved into the rotation and holds a nice record of 9-5 with a 3.97 ERA. Some fans don't seem to realize how good this guy can eventually become as his only problem at times has been his control.
As for Tomlin he's been very good most of the season though he got hammered two straight starts, one at the hands of the old and mediocre Yankees. He did though bounce back yesterday with a quality start against the Red Sox at Progressive Field losing 3-2. Now, on to the bullpen.
The recent trade deadline deal to acquire premium left-handed strikeout artist Andrew Miller from those dastardly Yankees was a critical necessary piece to the puzzle added to a bullpen that looked mighty shaky to say the least. Cody Allen has been solid as 9th inning closer converting 22 of 24 save opportunities and with 64 strikeouts in just 50 innings, not to mention a fine 2.34 ERA. Dan Otero has quietly done a great job as basically a 6th or 7th inning guy and a very fine 1.52 ERA in 47 1/3 IP.
Can't forget Bryan Shaw, many of the fans' favorite whipping boy for much of the season. However, he has come out of the pen in a string of games recently without giving up a run. His ERA is a little high for his role, prior to Miller arriving, as Allen's 8th inning setup man at 3.60. He does have 52 strikeouts in 50 innings which is excellent of course.
The sequence of the Francona bullpen brigade often beginning in the middle of the 6th should now go; Otero, Shaw, Miller then Allen in the 9th to close it out. That's not saying however, that there will not be a variation of that order depending on the team the Tribe is playing and whether that teams lineup is stocked with left or right-handed batters, as Francona is the ultimate matchup manager.
Quite frankly, the club's hitting as a whole has been a pleasant surprise thus far even without star outfielder Michael Brantley whom is now out for the rest of the season following the latest of a number of setbacks to his surgically repaired shoulder. Several guys have stepped up to ease the loss of Brantley. Mike Napoli has been the teams cleanup hitter and the clear team MVP up to this point accumulating 29 HR's and 84 RBI's. In fact, he may even have a shot at league MVP though the voting is done prior to season's end.
2nd baseman Jason Kipnis, SS Francisco Lindor, utilityman and now starting 3rd baseman Jose Ramirez, DH Carlos Santana, rookie centerfielder Tyler Naquin, outfielder Rajai Davis and even sometimes rightfielder Lonnie Chisenhall have all had very productive seasons.
Lindor, the slick fielding SS has tailed of somewhat since about the all-star break yet is still batting .309 with 14 HR's and 61 RBI's. Kipnis is hitting .290/20/65. Ramirez has come out of mothballs this season surely to the amazement of most hitting an astounding .311/8/51 and has had several timely hits. The club jettisoned veteran Juan Uribe who wasn't even hitting his weight as the starting 3rd baseman, thus it's Ramirez' job for the time being.
In the April post I asked the question of whether Carlos Santana would ever hit from the beginning of the season on. Well, miracles do indeed occasionally occur, huh. His batting avg. has dropped to an unimpressive .239 yet he's managed to put up 25 HR and 62 RBI's which for him is not bad in mid-August. The difference this season is that he didn't wait until well after the all-star break to start hitting.
In the April post I advocated for playing Tyler Naquin often. Well, all the kid has done is bat .314 with 13 homers and 37 RBI's in the equivalent of about half a season as Francona won't let him play against left-handed starters, much to the dismay of many fans. What do they know, right ? I agree with the fan(atics).
Rajai Davis has been a huge veteran outfield pickup leading the club in stolen bases and playing solidly in the outfield whether in left or centerfield. He doesn't have enough gas left in the tank to play everyday apparently yet has smacked 11 HR's, 40 RBI's with a respectable .265 avg. Lonnie Chisenhall rediscovered how to hit this year while generally playing quite well in RF when a righty pitcher is twirling. He's a weak homerun threat with a mere 6, yet has knocked in a very respectable 42 runs and an impressive .293 avg.
So, with only 46 games remaining and a 5-game lead over 2nd place Detroit, the Indians need to keep their foot on the gas and keep winning all the way to a division title, hopefully the AL pennant and then World Series champs. Oh, and they managed to set a club record with 14 straight wins which came to an end on July 1.
The city of Cleveland is salivating at the thought of another major sports championship to add to the one brought home by their NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers !
DAVE BURKEY
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
Salazar's record stands at 11-4 with a 3.38 ERA and more strikeouts than innings pitched which is rather impressive. The true ace of the staff continues to be, Corey Kluber who easily leads the club in innings pitched as well as wins with a record of 12-8. The Indians have finally scored some runs when he takes the mound ! His 3.21 ERA(avg. runs given up per 9 innings) is team best for a starting P as well.
Carlos Carrasco matches Kluber's ERA at 3.21, however due to an earlier stint on the DL also, his total innings pitched is considerably less. His won/loss record currently stands at 8-6.
Basically, those three are the Tribe's top starters that hold the key to the teams playoff fortunes should they manage to stave off the Tigers for the next month and 1/2. The club has two more fairly solid starters who've done a pretty decent job despite a few 'hiccups' in Tomlin and Bauer. Bauer, for anyone who read my April post is that 'quirky' dude who just needed to lasso his 'stuff ' to become a consistent quality pitcher.
He began the season in the bullpen and did a good job for the most part, then when Carrasco went down Bauer moved into the rotation and holds a nice record of 9-5 with a 3.97 ERA. Some fans don't seem to realize how good this guy can eventually become as his only problem at times has been his control.
As for Tomlin he's been very good most of the season though he got hammered two straight starts, one at the hands of the old and mediocre Yankees. He did though bounce back yesterday with a quality start against the Red Sox at Progressive Field losing 3-2. Now, on to the bullpen.
The recent trade deadline deal to acquire premium left-handed strikeout artist Andrew Miller from those dastardly Yankees was a critical necessary piece to the puzzle added to a bullpen that looked mighty shaky to say the least. Cody Allen has been solid as 9th inning closer converting 22 of 24 save opportunities and with 64 strikeouts in just 50 innings, not to mention a fine 2.34 ERA. Dan Otero has quietly done a great job as basically a 6th or 7th inning guy and a very fine 1.52 ERA in 47 1/3 IP.
Can't forget Bryan Shaw, many of the fans' favorite whipping boy for much of the season. However, he has come out of the pen in a string of games recently without giving up a run. His ERA is a little high for his role, prior to Miller arriving, as Allen's 8th inning setup man at 3.60. He does have 52 strikeouts in 50 innings which is excellent of course.
The sequence of the Francona bullpen brigade often beginning in the middle of the 6th should now go; Otero, Shaw, Miller then Allen in the 9th to close it out. That's not saying however, that there will not be a variation of that order depending on the team the Tribe is playing and whether that teams lineup is stocked with left or right-handed batters, as Francona is the ultimate matchup manager.
Quite frankly, the club's hitting as a whole has been a pleasant surprise thus far even without star outfielder Michael Brantley whom is now out for the rest of the season following the latest of a number of setbacks to his surgically repaired shoulder. Several guys have stepped up to ease the loss of Brantley. Mike Napoli has been the teams cleanup hitter and the clear team MVP up to this point accumulating 29 HR's and 84 RBI's. In fact, he may even have a shot at league MVP though the voting is done prior to season's end.
2nd baseman Jason Kipnis, SS Francisco Lindor, utilityman and now starting 3rd baseman Jose Ramirez, DH Carlos Santana, rookie centerfielder Tyler Naquin, outfielder Rajai Davis and even sometimes rightfielder Lonnie Chisenhall have all had very productive seasons.
Lindor, the slick fielding SS has tailed of somewhat since about the all-star break yet is still batting .309 with 14 HR's and 61 RBI's. Kipnis is hitting .290/20/65. Ramirez has come out of mothballs this season surely to the amazement of most hitting an astounding .311/8/51 and has had several timely hits. The club jettisoned veteran Juan Uribe who wasn't even hitting his weight as the starting 3rd baseman, thus it's Ramirez' job for the time being.
In the April post I asked the question of whether Carlos Santana would ever hit from the beginning of the season on. Well, miracles do indeed occasionally occur, huh. His batting avg. has dropped to an unimpressive .239 yet he's managed to put up 25 HR and 62 RBI's which for him is not bad in mid-August. The difference this season is that he didn't wait until well after the all-star break to start hitting.
In the April post I advocated for playing Tyler Naquin often. Well, all the kid has done is bat .314 with 13 homers and 37 RBI's in the equivalent of about half a season as Francona won't let him play against left-handed starters, much to the dismay of many fans. What do they know, right ? I agree with the fan(atics).
Rajai Davis has been a huge veteran outfield pickup leading the club in stolen bases and playing solidly in the outfield whether in left or centerfield. He doesn't have enough gas left in the tank to play everyday apparently yet has smacked 11 HR's, 40 RBI's with a respectable .265 avg. Lonnie Chisenhall rediscovered how to hit this year while generally playing quite well in RF when a righty pitcher is twirling. He's a weak homerun threat with a mere 6, yet has knocked in a very respectable 42 runs and an impressive .293 avg.
So, with only 46 games remaining and a 5-game lead over 2nd place Detroit, the Indians need to keep their foot on the gas and keep winning all the way to a division title, hopefully the AL pennant and then World Series champs. Oh, and they managed to set a club record with 14 straight wins which came to an end on July 1.
The city of Cleveland is salivating at the thought of another major sports championship to add to the one brought home by their NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers !
DAVE BURKEY
Email: daveywriter@yahoo.com
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