Friday, August 12, 2005
Meanwhile in Cleveland…
While I’ve been so intent on following the fortunes of the Red Sox, A’s and Angels (as they relate to the fate of the Yankees), there is another team that I’ve probably brushed away at least five times at various points this season as “not contenders yet.”
While I’ve given some attention to teams that have floundered in these dog days (Baltimore, the NL West, Washington), the Indians deserve more than a glance for positioning themselves in 2nd place in the Wild Card race entering today’s games. In the hottest, most draining month of the season, they are playing their best ball of 2005.
The Tribe is surging (six in a row, 9-1 in their last 10), and are now 11 games over the .500 mark.
I know I can harp on their schedule; the only opponent with any teeth in their recent stretch of games is the Yankees.
But as I look out toward the approaching horizon, there doesn’t seem to be many upcoming games that will keep Indians fans up late at night worrying.
To start with, they’re about to start a nine-game homestand against Tampa, Texas and Baltimore. From there, seven road games: four in St. Pete, three at Skydome, er… the Rogers Centre.
They wrap up August with three games at home vs. the Tigers.
September will be a bit tougher, but not impossible. They play six with Chicago, but all of them September 19 or later. The Sox will certainly be in post-season ready mode by then, and at the very least by the last weekend of the season when the teams finish in Cleveland.
They have six games vs. the Twins who are likely to feisty, if not daunting, and probably still in the race themselves. And in the series of the month for Cleveland, the A’s come to town for three games: September 12-14.
Other than that, they’ll have more doses of the Tigers, Rays and Royals.
In all, Cleveland has 47 games left. By my count, they have 18 “nutcracker” games, i.e. games against teams over .500: six vs. Chicago, three vs. Oakland, three vs. Toronto, six vs. Minnesota.
Nutcracker Games
Boston: 25
New York: 22
Oakland: 23
Anaheim: 22
Although it’s likely that one or more of the sub-.500 teams will be more difficult to play than I’ve given them credit for in this crude exercise (Tigers, Texas, Tampa, etc.), it appears Cleveland has a clear schedule advantage as we hit the middle of August.
While I’ve been so intent on following the fortunes of the Red Sox, A’s and Angels (as they relate to the fate of the Yankees), there is another team that I’ve probably brushed away at least five times at various points this season as “not contenders yet.”
While I’ve given some attention to teams that have floundered in these dog days (Baltimore, the NL West, Washington), the Indians deserve more than a glance for positioning themselves in 2nd place in the Wild Card race entering today’s games. In the hottest, most draining month of the season, they are playing their best ball of 2005.
The Tribe is surging (six in a row, 9-1 in their last 10), and are now 11 games over the .500 mark.
I know I can harp on their schedule; the only opponent with any teeth in their recent stretch of games is the Yankees.
But as I look out toward the approaching horizon, there doesn’t seem to be many upcoming games that will keep Indians fans up late at night worrying.
To start with, they’re about to start a nine-game homestand against Tampa, Texas and Baltimore. From there, seven road games: four in St. Pete, three at Skydome, er… the Rogers Centre.
They wrap up August with three games at home vs. the Tigers.
September will be a bit tougher, but not impossible. They play six with Chicago, but all of them September 19 or later. The Sox will certainly be in post-season ready mode by then, and at the very least by the last weekend of the season when the teams finish in Cleveland.
They have six games vs. the Twins who are likely to feisty, if not daunting, and probably still in the race themselves. And in the series of the month for Cleveland, the A’s come to town for three games: September 12-14.
Other than that, they’ll have more doses of the Tigers, Rays and Royals.
In all, Cleveland has 47 games left. By my count, they have 18 “nutcracker” games, i.e. games against teams over .500: six vs. Chicago, three vs. Oakland, three vs. Toronto, six vs. Minnesota.
Nutcracker Games
Boston: 25
New York: 22
Oakland: 23
Anaheim: 22
Although it’s likely that one or more of the sub-.500 teams will be more difficult to play than I’ve given them credit for in this crude exercise (Tigers, Texas, Tampa, etc.), it appears Cleveland has a clear schedule advantage as we hit the middle of August.
