Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

by MikeCP on Oct 29, 2007 12:46 PM EDT Comment 21 comments

Of course the homer in me would say this but I think the Tribe is one of the most likeable teams in the AL. From top to bottom there isn't much to dislike. Of course, I'd still like the team if it was a bunch of overpaid jerks (ahem...redsox), but I'm particularly proud of the classy reputation the team's been given.

That being said, which team in the NL do you think equates?
Sub-question: Does that team have an equivalent to LGT?

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Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

comparing OPS+ and ERA+, the indians (100, 114) are most similar to the rockies (103, 111) and cubs (97, 115). considering the spending habits, it has to be the rockies.

by 7foot3 on Oct 29, 2007 12:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

I think he's talking more about character than payroll or stats. That said, I'd still probably go with the Rox or maybe the Phils.

Now the Lord can make you tumble, and the Lord can make you turn, and the Lord can make you overflow... but the Lord can't make you burn

by Turkmenbashi on Oct 29, 2007 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

Brewers

by ASP on Oct 29, 2007 2:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

would be my pick too

by mkwng on Oct 29, 2007 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

Agree with this. Fanbases come from strong blue collar cities, both have great parks, clubs built from within, with strategic signings and trades. The Brewers are almost scary in their parallels.

-Erik

by drerikbrady on Oct 29, 2007 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

Plus, the Indians actually played as the home team in their park. :)

Disclaimer: this post doesn't mean what you think it means.

by AngG on Oct 29, 2007 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

The Brewers are good, but so are the Rox. O'Dowd is from the School of Hart. He saw an aging team full of fan favorites (Bichette, Castilla) and knew what he had to do.

by nickjs21 on Oct 29, 2007 7:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

With the expen$ive blip of chasing Hampton and Neagle first. Not sure how he survived in his job, having come up with that "plan."

by JulioBernazard on Oct 30, 2007 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

Every GM has a learning curve. Shapiro and the Alomar trade, for example. You just have to hope your GM learns from the curve. ;)

by Voltaire on Oct 30, 2007 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

You must mean the Matt Lawton extension that followed, or the Ricky Gutierrez signing. The Alomar trade was brilliant. Traber and Escobar were huge prospects, and Lawton was half-decent. It just didn't work out with some of the guys, but it wasn't a mistake. Far from it.

by homelytourist on Oct 30, 2007 12:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

Yes, I do mean those things as well, but I also mean Alomar himself. Shapiro called the trade and the following events (which you chronicled) mistakes (in Pluto's book "Dealing") based on trying to rebuild and content at the same time, something he realized was impossible.

by Voltaire on Oct 30, 2007 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

All that really means, however, is that Shapiro should have skipped the major leaguer(s) and gone for one or two more prospects along with Escober and Traber (or get prospects from another team). If he goes back in time, he's still trading Alomar.

by Jay on Oct 30, 2007 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

Right, of course. The mistake wasn't trading Alomar, it was who he got and what he did with the players he got.

by Voltaire on Oct 30, 2007 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

I was very bummed when Escobar ran into that wall. Literally, I mean, in Spring Training. I see how that statement could be taken metaphorically.

by nickjs21 on Oct 30, 2007 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

I really thought that Traber was going to be Glavin, and that Brian Tallet and Cruceta, Davis, and Cabrera represented the future. I still hadn't given up hope for Tim Drew or Ryan Drese, either. And then Ricardo Rodriguez entered the mix. And then Dittler, and Martin, and Denham, and so on.
I thought we were loaded. I figured that if even half of these guys panned out we'd return to contention through our starting pitching alone.

I hadn't even heard of Carmona.

by homelytourist on Oct 30, 2007 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

You going through that list basically named every Indians baseball card I have of those teams. Companies were trying to land the next big thing and didn't cared about printing many cards for vets. I love my "Rising Star" Tallet cards. Also, my "Limited Edition" Cruceta numbered out of 40. Ah, memories...

by Voltaire on Oct 30, 2007 9:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

I think the last pack of cards I bought had a Barfield in it.

Jesse Barfield.

by homelytourist on Oct 30, 2007 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Re: Which team is the NL equivalent of the Tribe?

I love opening packs of cards with my dad.

"Gary Mathews? You've got to be kidding me!"
"No, dad, that's his son."
"Oh, okay. [ripping of pack] Tony Gwynn. Isn't he already in the Hall of Fame?"

Good times. :)

by Voltaire on Oct 31, 2007 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs