I was trying to find a worse run of four games from an Indians starter. B-Ref has everything for the past 52 seasons, and here’s what I came up with.

Rick Waits, June-July 1979

Jaret Wright, May-June 1999

Both are about as bad, but neither is worse than C.C.’s last four starts.

C.C has to be tipping his pitches right? He could not gotten this bad, this quickly. This is 6 bad starts in a row (going back to last year).

WHATS WRONG WITH MY INDIANS

At the risk of jinxing tomorrow’s game, I’m hoping that tonight is as bad as it gets for us for the time being. Losing by a run or so in the eighth and ninth inning is demoralizing enough, but maybe this team (or at least the godawful offense) needed a vicious, no-doubt, all-out thrashing like this to get their heads out of the clouds and back into the game.

Verlander is up tomorrow, and if our recent history of beating up aces and getting owned by scrubs holds true, ol’ Verlander is in for a rough night.

Let’s go, tribe. Please.

What is it about his pitches that he needs to tip?

He’s not getting the ball over for strikes. Even when he gets to strike 2, he’s not been able to put the hitter away. Instead he walks them. That’s a recipe for disaster.

I missed, thankfully, the start of the 5th inning. I tuned in just in time to hear Vic’s brain fart – tagging the plate while Thames slid in to score, but does anyone get a sense that this was a textbook, young C.C. meltdown – where he let his emotions take over and fell apart in terms of his approach to the hitter?

Think of how sick we’d feel if we had just signed him to a multi-year deal? Unless he’s hurt, he’ll eventually turn things around and throw some gems. Then what do we do at the end of the season?

When I looked at the schedule before the season and saw this two game series, I imagined that it would be battle between these two teams for position in the AL Central.

I just never fathomed that that position would be last place.

CC needs to go on a rehab assignment with Zumaya.

Then 4 hours of Guitar Hero after that.

At least Hammy’s interview of Baerga was interesting….

Remember how last year we worried that Pronk lost it because he was worried about his contract. He re-signed and then didn’t really get any better the rest of the season? I’m worried about repeating history.

I hope that Pronk finds his Pronk-dom again. I hope that CC resigns. I hope that CC finds his stuff again.

Thing is, at this point I only have hope that one of those things happen.

Changing tactics, release point, something, may be the only way for CC to stabilize. Unfortunately now is not the time to change your mechanics. Send him down to AAA and have him work ono-on-one with Orel… :) I think Sowers can do better at this point than Sabathia. It’s not that difficult to make a case for Laffey or Sowers. Not with a double digit ERA and almost 2 hits an inning average. If anything, he is helping the opposition break out of their hitting slump.

All I can say I’m glad I was out on the golf course today and missed the entire game. Opening up my emails there was one from a fellow NZ Tribe fan titled “Great 5th Innings” for one small moment I was excited!!

I was at the “game” last night and found it really discouraging. CC did react emotionally to the bad play at the plate, but his problems were there before that. He couldn’t get people out all night; got to two strikes continuously and failed to close people out—Detroit spoiled pitches effectively and waited for a good pitch to hit. I had thought he was tipping, but I think he’s just predictable and unable to hit spots. Maybe he’s hurt a little, too. And his head’s messed up. The grand slam was hit off what looked to me like an “I give up, get me out of here” meatball.

I wondered what Wedge was thinking leaving him in. He’ll probably say he was hoping CC would get through the fifth and create something to build on. But everyone in the place could see CC was done well before the grand slam. Could Wedge not see that? If so, he’s really obtuse. It’s also possible he was sending CC a message—bear down, big guy, or you get embarrassed.

In the “old days,” pitchers who fell apart like this would be sent to the bullpen (to give them a chance to find it in a different role). I think that might be in order for CC, who doesn’t show any signs of getting things under control. Mastny was awful and could/should be returned to AAA. Call up Laffey, put him in the rotation, and use CC as long man for a few weeks to see if he can get it together. He could focus on a couple of his pitches in that role, which would simplify, something I think he probably needs at this point. Westbrook found himself in that role a few years ago. Why not try it again?

The hitting is a whole other kettle of fish. Just pathetic. Bad at bats all over the line up. Time to send a message. Bad at bats = Buffalo. Asdrubal and Frankie G. need to hear that. Michaels and Blake are beyond redemption, but they can be benched (or, in Michaels’ case, released).

The energy and anticipation the fans started the season with are completely gone, replaced by depression and growing hostility. Last night, there was hardly a cheer in the place all night (unsurprising), the biggest one coming when Carroll got hbp (resulting in a base runner). Boos were plentiful, and hostility to CC was palpable. The team’s in trouble, folks, and they need to respond, somehow. We’re only two weeks in, but you could feel people giving up on them and the Indians played as if they had too.

Go Tribe!

Yes, I know it’s a SSS, but no regular has been worse at the plate this year than Droobs, and he was arguably the one getting the most love during the offseason. I’m not saying Barfield would be better… i’m just sayin’.

Ryan – This was Game 15, not Game 16

Can we just use CC’s $$ to extend the only player worth his salt right now? I mean Vic is about the only guy doing anything this season and I think he’s the next “big” guy to become available. Just take the $20M we were gonna offer CC and use it to extend Vic.

As bad as we are playing (and it smells rotten), all we need is one good week and everything will be ok. But if this malaise continues for another couple of weeks …. we may never get back in it.

I hope Wedge channels a bit of Leyland and erupts at the team. They need a good butt-chewing. A massive butt chewing.