Game Sixteen: Indians 11, Tigers 1

by Ryan on Apr 18, 2008 12:19 AM EDT in Game Recaps

Highest WPA	Lowest WPA
Fausto Carmona .243	Jhonny Peralta	-.167
Jamey Carroll .110	Rafael Betancourt	.000
Franklin Gutierrez .106	"Slide Gary Slide!"	-∞

Excerpts from Managing to Win (11th Edition), by Leo Martin:

If your charges aren't putting out, the first step is always a chewing out. First of all, it usually will shock the lackadaisical guys out of a rut. And the public will just eat it up. Trust me, you can never go wrong with a good old verbal tirade.

On building team unity:

If team chemistry just isn't there, try building it with a beanball war. This especially works with a big rival. You don't need much of a pretext - any old brushback will do. If you get lucky and the other guy plunks one of yours, you probably won't even need to start the ball rolling, if there's any starch in the boys at all. As an added touch, nail the biggest SOB on the other side - this way everyone's behind you. And if some hack asks you about it after the game, act all indignant and so forth, like you would never dream of stooping to that level of indecency, all the while grinning like a cheshire cat inside.

On the secret to winning:

Do you actually think I can answer that? Get some [deleted] good pitchers and [deleted] good hitters, and you have a chance.

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Comments

Finally.

Proud supporter of the Cleveland.

by Brad D on Apr 18, 2008 12:31 AM EDT reply actions

Was at the ballpark.

THAT ROCKED.

Enough said.

by Voltaire on Apr 18, 2008 1:30 AM EDT reply actions

Same here. First game of the season I’ve gone to. Now I’ll have to go to every single home game to come so the Tribe can return to prominence.

by ahowie on Apr 18, 2008 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions

PERFECT!!! Wedge has been reading.

by lesterjl on Apr 18, 2008 2:14 AM EDT reply actions

As an added touch, nail the biggest SOB on the other side – this way everyone’s behind you.

I am greatly amused that like a half dozen of us were loudly calling for Shef’s plunking as that inning started. What a hilarious surprise it was to see Fausto give him and Santiago given a little going away gift .

I guess I’m glad we didn’t try idea this the other day as there are so many tempting jackass targets in that Red Sox line up that we might have just had to bean them all, which might have been a bit obvious of us.

That said, I am wholly in favor of every pitcher in the Indians lineup “hanging” a slider high and tight over the left side of the plate whenever Rat Boy is standing in the box.

Even the ones who don’t know to throw ‘em.

--
Right now, I'll take .500 and run. I'm a cheap happy.

by vbc3 on Apr 18, 2008 5:01 AM EDT reply actions

PEDroia and Perzyniskahsifapunk should be on notice.

I love Fausto more than words can say.

by gte619n on Apr 18, 2008 8:03 AM EDT up reply actions

Amen. The team and the fans needed this.

"Mixed emotions. Rather see him hit PEDroia [with that pitch]. I don’t care if he is in the dugout"

by Gradysmanldy on Apr 18, 2008 6:53 AM EDT reply actions

Also, who is Leo Martin? The googles doesn’t seem to know…

by gte619n on Apr 18, 2008 8:04 AM EDT reply actions

I’m thinking maybe Ryan make the whole thing up?

by JulioBernazard on Apr 18, 2008 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions

made

by JulioBernazard on Apr 18, 2008 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions

You are correct. I thought the amlgamated name gave it away.

by Ryan on Apr 18, 2008 8:20 AM EDT up reply actions

The amalgamated name was not quite as apparent, but now that you point it out – quite funny! (Do you find it easier add these sublime touches after a victory or a defeat – I can see it both ways).

Thanks for the great summary.

Yankees and Red Sox - MLB's Axis of Evil
(And ESPN is right in the middle)

by Spidey on Apr 18, 2008 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions

The fact that the “book” is in it’s eleventh edition is what slays me.

by Fiddlesticks on Apr 18, 2008 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions

I think it’s easier to come with stuff when the team’s losing. It’s hard to write funny and positive at the same time.

by Ryan on Apr 18, 2008 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions

This site is fast becoming my fiction one-stop.

by JulioBernazard on Apr 18, 2008 10:31 AM EDT up reply actions

Damnit. I actually was on Amazon looking for that book for a solid 20 minutes. New rule to not post before 9am.

by gte619n on Apr 18, 2008 8:37 AM EDT up reply actions

I think it’s a testament to the inanity of baseball CW (and Ryan’s skillz, of course) that it was totally believeable.

by fingolfin on Apr 18, 2008 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions

The sun seems brighter today. Huh.

by afh4 on Apr 18, 2008 9:00 AM EDT reply actions

This win is great, but we need to start winning series. This weekend would be a great start.

Hope ol Cliffy can give us another good start. But, its completely understandable if he doesn’t.

by Toxicadam on Apr 18, 2008 10:33 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, I wish I could have watched that. I’m going through withdrawal here not being able to post from home!

Lots and lots of great stuff here, big picture and small picture. Pronk is back, the offense is awake, and Fausto is still awesome.

BRING IT ON MOFOS!!!

Burn on, big river, burn on...

by Turkmenbashi on Apr 18, 2008 11:50 AM EDT reply actions

Let’s hope they can sustain this without the need for more whips and chains.

Travis certainly looks like he is getting back his Pronkitude. I want to see him hit some homers in a close game, though.

The true beauty was Fausto. It looks like we can count on him this season (knock wood). To plunk 2 batters leading off an inning and give up just 1 run – what a thing of beauty! He and Jake are stepping up as the leaders of the pitching staff. That will take some pressure off CC – maybe move him out of the #1 role and have him skip a start?

And, though Ryan is quoting a fictional book, there is a lot of truth to building team chemistry through bean balls.

I’m still worried about the season, at least until we reach .500.

Yankees and Red Sox - MLB's Axis of Evil
(And ESPN is right in the middle)

by Spidey on Apr 18, 2008 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Did Pronk’s game winner against the Angels not count as a home run in a close game?

by Chief Wahoo on Apr 18, 2008 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

This beanball stuff might be the most divisive LGT debate since the great Julio/Elarton debate of March. You guys are kidding about this right? Right?

by supermarioelia on Apr 18, 2008 6:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m sorry but that is very true.

More true for a team that is a bunch of new guys, because I’m pretty sure that this team already knew and liked each other a lot.

A shared experience that clearly pits one side against another will always strengthen chemistry. Doesn’t matter what sport it is.

The beanballs didn’t suddenly make us a good team, we were already one, but they certainly intensified the game.

by gahnki on Apr 18, 2008 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions

The two key questions are (1) whether that “intensifying” has any effect at all on the outcome of a game and (2) if so, whether it tends to be a positive effect.

by Jay on Apr 18, 2008 7:46 PM EDT up reply actions

1) I think we would have won anyway.

2)Probably depends on how many times it happens in a season, and what type of people the players are.

by gahnki on Apr 18, 2008 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions

We could almost substitute “beanballing” with “fighting in hockey” and have the exact same debate….and what I’ve learned from those arguments is that either you’re for or you’re against. There’s no convincing the other side.

by supermarioelia on Apr 19, 2008 11:26 AM EDT up reply actions

I think that there’s a difference there.

In hockey fighting happens more often than a beanball war does in baseball. At least, that is my initial reaction. I will see if I can find numbers on hockey fights/beanball wars later on.

by gahnki on Apr 19, 2008 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

To be fair, we haven’t had enough close games for him to have that many chances.

And when he has had that opportunity he’s come through nicely.

by gahnki on Apr 18, 2008 7:12 PM EDT up reply actions

I think if we can bean someone in the first inning of every game, we can win the rest of ‘em.

by elsandito on Apr 18, 2008 7:24 PM EDT reply actions

But, if the bonding theory is valid, it would have to be in response to our having been beaned first—so we’ll have to pay an opposing pitcher to bean Grady to open each game (or bad Garko lead off to increase the chances of beanings?)

by peter m on Apr 19, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions