Projected 2009 Starters:

CF Grady Sizemore
LF Ben Francisco
RF Shin-Soo Choo
3b Mark DeRosa
2b Asdrubal Cabrera
SS Jhonny Peralta
1b Ryan Garko
C Victor Martinez
DH Travis Hafner

Important possible bench players:

OF Trevor Crowe
IF Jamey Carroll
IF Josh Barfield
C Kelly Shoppach

Baseball America rates Carlos Santana as our top prospect (lololol Dodgers), who mashed in the minors for us.

Top prospects that might see the show in 2009:

OF Matt LaPorta
OF Michael Brantley (might play 1b to replace Garko)
IF Luis Valbuena
C Carlos Santana
LHP Tony Sipp
LHP Scott Lewis
RHP Adam Miller
RHP David Huff
RHP Jon Meloan (lolol Dodgers)

Per Baseball Prospectus Depth Charts, we are projected to finish 83-79, winning the division with a 829-814 run differential. Woohoo!

(White Sox finish last at 73-89 lolz)



Anyway, go Tribe IMO. Hopefully I will return from Spring Training with pictures of the new stadium in AZ with KJS and I getting smashed in the desert heat.

Probable pitchers:

SP Fausto Carmona
SP Cliff Lee
SP Carl Pavano
SP Aaron Laffey
SP Anthony Reyes

Reliever roles:

Long Juan Salas
Long Edward Mujica
Middle Rafael Betancourt
Middle Masahide Kobayashi
Setup Rafael Perez
Setup Jensen Lewis
ROOGY Joe Smith
CL Kerry Wood

So in your opinion this is the Cleveland Indians thread? What if your opinion is wrong?

Answer:

That's just like, your opinion man IMO

Please to be beating the Sox.

You should post that in the 2009 Royals thread, since we're not going to have any problem with that.

where did they have them last year

Where did they have them in 2007 >:[

ROOGY imo.

whoops, roogy is correct my bad

Sox won 1 more game in the playoffs then the Cubs.








and the Indians.

What is this, the 2008 White Sox thread? I think not.

Care to bet on who wins more games?

what a refreshing thread to see

I didn't realize how potentially weak the Indians starting rotation is. Carl Pavano as the 3? Are there back-up options?

Oh yes the rotation is quite nice.

We have Huff and Lewis as potential starters, as well as Miller (LOL yeah right).

TWINS

what about them

Carlos Santana is a bit old imo.

bump

fine job, kyleb...i've thought several times to start this thread, but it wasn't going to be a 'let's go tribe' type post...lotta pressure on that first post, sort've like the EDF monthly MMA thread..

anyhow, listened to the first spring training game today, sounds like the ball FLIES out of goodyear..gonna have to keep that in mind if/when hafner starts going deep, they aren't going to fly at the jake as much..

i have literally memorized every word written about the indians in the BP, pumped about having baseball. already told my principal to expect me to call in sick for opening day. he said, 'just don't be on tv'..

lol..

could be an UGLY year for the central based on those projections. personally, i hope the sox/tigers tank, the twins hang around for a while, then fall off, and it comes down to the tribe and the royals the last month..

also, i've traded pm's with a couple people about having a couple 2+2 meetups this year...in the bleachers (OBV), if only because that gives me a chance to hassle the ******ed ticket-taker guy that's right there...we have history, i'm sure i'll get around to posting the story..

I'll be in town in early September for sure, and probably in July or something as well. Maybe tolbiny will call me back next time I'm in town.

Go Tribe!

I have a good feeling about this year. Not a strong division, Tribe upgraded in a couple places and were already in great shape in the second half of 2008 (6 games better than anyone else in the division).

A lot depends on Carmona, Hafner, Shoppach, Francisco and Choo. If they get average output from all of them the team should be good. If Carmona and/or Pronk get closer to their 2006 it would be a big boost. Will the other three show what they did last year? If they do, it would be excellent. But my hopes are not too high for all three of them to repeat what they did last year.

Psyched about having a real closer in Wood. Hoping to see some Huff and some Miller in the bigs in 2009 too. And maybe a studly position player too.

Goodyear park looked good on TV, although no one showed up. Can't wait to see some games there in person this spring.

Got my Indians 2009 Annual today, written in large part from the Let's Go Tribe crew on SB Nation. Good stuff there.

KJS

hahahahaahahaha.

actually im pretty sure he tried to get ahold of you and did mention it to me. likely, what happened was he thought really hard about calling you and then didnt. antisocial is apt.

Yeah, the rotation is weak until/if we get Westbrook back. It'd be big for the club to get him back in early June, but I haven't seen any recent timetable on his return and don't expect to anytime soon. Huff is ready right now IMO, and should be given every shot if anyone falters or is injured quickly into the season.