June 12 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Cleveland 7, Washington 2 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Minnesota 2, Atlanta 1 | Minnesota Star-Tribune
-Detroit 6, Pittsburgh 2 | Detroit Free-Press
-Chicago White Sox 10, Chicago Cubs 5 | Chicago Tribune
-Kansas City 6, Cincinnati 5 (F/11) | Kansas City Star-Tribune

Standings:

Team W L GB
Minnesota 36 25 --
Detroit 31 29 4.5
Chicago Sox 27 33 8.5
Kansas City 26 36 10.5
Cleveland 24 36 11.5

Welcome to the Bigs

Catching prospect Carlos Santana has been promoted by the Indians. The team optioned Lou Marson to make roster space.

At this time, it is unknown if he will start tonight against Washington.

Yesterday, reports came out that said Santana would be promoted to Cleveland before the All-Star Break, but few likely expected the move to be made already.

Santana was hitting .316 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs at AAA Columbus, but he only throws out 23 percent of base stealers (9-for-31), the biggest concern in his overall game.

"He's young. He's got a cannon and he wants people to see it," manager Manny Acta said to The Plain Dealer. "Sometimes he gets a little long [throwing motion] because of it. He does fine during the drills, but it changes during the game."

Marson, a key piece of the trade that sent Cliff Lee to Philadelphia, has struggled in Cleveland, hitting just .191 with one home run and 12 RBIs, but he was strong defensively, throwing out an AL-leading 35 percent of base stealers (14-for-40).

Veteran Mike Redmond is Cleveland's other catcher.

Plain Dealer image

June 11 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Cleveland 8, Boston 7 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Kansas City 9, Minnesota 8 | Kansas City Star
-Chicago 3, Detroit 0 | Chicago Tribune

Standings:

Team W L GB
Minnesota 35 25 --
Detroit 30 29 4.5
Chicago Sox 26 33 8.5
Kansas City 25 36 10.5
Cleveland 23 36 11.5

Branyan saves the day

The Cleveland Indians looked down and out twice against the Boston Red Sox in tonight's 8-7 win.

After two innings, Cleveland trailed 5-0 and already amassed three errors...actually Andy Marte had already amassed three errors. How long before he's out of town? I'm guessing 7-10 years.

The Indians quickly regained three runs in the third and then took a 6-5 lead in the sixth. Cleveland recorded 10 hits for the second straight night (they had 12 tonight).

The game stayed quiet until the ninth (other than some unruly fans), when closer Kerry Wood entered the contest. He recorded two quick outs, but a slider to J.D. Drew went awry, hitting him, and the next batter, Adrian Beltre, smashed a home run to put Boston back on top by one.

Cleveland again rallied back quickly, as Trevor Crowe walked, Shin-Soo Choo doubled and Austin Kearns walked to load the bases with no outs against hard-throwing Daniel Bard, who is replacing Jonathan Papelbon, who is on the bereavement list, at closer

Travis Hafner, who hit a grand slam in last night's game, struck out looking and Jhonny Peralta popped out in foul territory just behind the plate to bring up Russell Branyan, who entered the game in the seventh for Marte.

Branyan, who is hitting .252 and has 40 strikeouts in 40 games, stroked a ball to right field, which just barely found its way to the ground against a Boston shift. Two runs scored on the play and the Indians earned a series split with the Red Sox.

AP image via ESPN.com

Is Izzo the man for Cleveland?

One of everyone's favorite sports stories right now is whether or not Tom Izzo is going to leave his position as head coach of the Michigan State men's basketball team to become coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Each day there seems to be new speculation saying he is leaning toward taking the Cleveland job, only for there later to be a report saying he'll be staying in Michigan State. However, the past few days have warranted mostly stories of the former.

Izzo was reportedly in Cleveland today with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. That obviously gives no real indication on whether or not he will take the job, but it does give seem like he is leaning toward taking the job. He has also reportedly been offered a contract of at least $6 million, which is double his MSU salary. But let's forget about dollars and cents for a moment.

Is Tom Izzo the right man to coach the Cavs?

Izzo definitely has championship coaching experience, which is a must for any coach Cleveland hires, especially if they do so before LeBron James makes his decision. In 15 seasons with the Spartans, Izzo has one championship (2000), six Final Four appearances and six Big Ten Championships. He has a .745 winning percentage in NCAA Tournament games, proving he can win games when it matters most.

He uses a defensive-based system and has shown an ability to rebuild, which will both be beneficial to the Cavs. I'm not going to say the Cavs are an old team, but I'm also not going to say they are young. With a lack of draft picks lately, the new coach needs to know how to find talent among players thought to be mediocre. As a college coach, that's been part of Izzo's job description for years.

Byron Scott's name surfaced recently as well. While he does provide an intriguing case, I still think I'd pick Izzo given the choice. Scott was on three championship Lakers teams in the 1980s, but he never matched that success as a coach, reaching the playoffs twice with New Orleans but never making it past the Conference Semifinals and losing the NBA Finals twice with New Jersey. He coached nine full seasons. He is known for making stars of point guards (Jason Kidd and Chris Paul) but that has no bearing on Cleveland unless Daniel Gibson becomes a full-time starter if Mo Williams is traded.

Do I believe either of these men will make better coaches than Mike Brown? Absolutely not. But do I think a change needed made? Yes I do. It's funny how sports work sometimes isn't it?

Izzo from mlive.com

June 10 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Cleveland 11, Boston 0 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Minnesota 6, Kansas City 2 | Minneapolis Star-Tribune
-Chicago 15, Detroit 3 | Chicago Tribune

Standings:

Team W L GB
Minnesota 35 24 --
Detroit 30 28 4.5
Chicago Sox 25 33 9.5
Kansas City 24 36 11.5
Cleveland 22 36 12.5

The bats awaken

The Cleveland Indian bats awakened tonight in a 11-0 win against the Red Sox, even though they didn't really need to.

Justin Masterson pitched a masterful nine-inning, two-hit shut out, stifling his old teammates' bats. He allowed two walks while striking out six and inducing 17 ground ball outs.

It was the second straight start for Masterson during which the offense has produced 10 runs. He pitched 5.2 innings against Chicago on June 4 in a 10-1 victory, which snapped his 17-start losing streak.

He is 2-5 on the season.

Cleveland led 3-0 going into the bottom of the eighth, when they poured on eight more runs in an awesome display, highlighted by Travis Hafner's first grand slam since May 7, 2007.

Tomorrow, Mitch Talbot will face Jon Lester as the Indians attempt to salvage a series split at 7:05 p.m.

Offensive Box Score:

The Dazzling Debut and Cleveland

Stephen Strasburg arrived bigger than anyone expected last night, striking out 14 batters across seven innings of work. More impressive to me though, he struck out the final seven Pittsburgh Pirates he faced and he only used 94 pitches to finish those seven innings in one of the most impressive Major League debuts ever for a pitcher. I won't put too much stock into him yet though because he was facing one of the lowliest teams in the league (the Pirates are 23-35 this season.

His next stop?

That would be Progressive Field on Sunday.

While his appearance is certain to spike attendance and bring in some cash for the Indians, it is also likely to bring some national attention to Cleveland's inferiority. A friend of mine referred to the game as "Strasburg vs. a AAAA team" in a Facebook status, and that is a fair assessment. Without their biggest stars (Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera), Strasburg still won't really see any superstar competition other than Shin-Soo Choo (Cleveland is an even worse 21-36 and is led in batting by journeyman Austin Kearns at .306).

And we probably won't know Strasburg's full potential for awhile, as his next starts likely will come against the White Sox (24-33) and Orioles (16-42). But that still shouldn't stop you from heading out to Progressive Field on Sunday, just in case this guy does turn out to be the real deal.

Getty Image via Post-Gazette

June 9 -- AL Central Roundup

Links to results from last night's AL Central games:

-Boston 3, Cleveland 2 | Lorain Morning-Journal
-Detroit 7, Chicago 2 | Detroit Free-Press
-Minnesota 7, Kansas City 2 | Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Standings:

Team W L GB
Minnesota 34 24 --
Detroit 30 27 3.5
Chicago Sox 24 33 9.5
Kansas City 24 35 10.5
Cleveland 21 36 12.5

The LeBron sweeps

I'll be honest with everyone right now...there is no way I can keep up with all the LeBron rumors every single day. Anytime I see a significant update or rumor, I'll have it here, but just because Derek Jeter says he's not going to recruit LeBron to New York doesn't mean I really care.

But I'll get to the point: I think LeBron James is going to stay in Cleveland.

That's right, I said it.

Here are a few reasons why:

1) Dan Gilbert

The Cavs owner is well-known for bending over backwards to get the players he thinks he needs to win at whatever cost. While he says LeBron is not consulted on his decisions, that is a bit hard to believe. Sure Mr. Gilbert has the final word, but you can't tell me LeBron wasn't asked about acquiring Shaq, Antwan Jamison, etc.

More importantly, Gilbert will open his checkbook, which he did in the 2009-10 season to the tune of one of the top five payrolls in the NBA. Combine that with the fact Cleveland can pay LeBron more than any other team in free agency, and it all adds up in my mind.

2) Roster

Of the teams that have a strong chance at landing LeBron, only the Chicago Bulls have a comparable roster to what the Cavs have in place. The allure of playing alongside youngsters Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose has to be appealing considering those two led the Bulls to the playoffs this season. But, does LeBron really want to go to a team where the two highest players are washed up veterans Brad Miller and Luol Deng? Chicago's spending of money has to be a concern.

With Cleveland, LeBron will play alongside Jamison, Mo Williams, Anthony Parker and a rising star in J.J. Hickson. While there are trade rumors involving Williams and Parker isn't a superstar, they still give the Cavs perimeter presence that keeps other teams' defenses honest while allowing LeBron more opportunities to handle the ball. Shaq also may be back to play center, and if he stays healthy, he will make the Cavs better even at age 39.

The Knicks, Clippers and Nets have some young talent, but LeBron would more than likely have to wait to win at any of those stops, even if one of those teams forms a tandem with LeBron and another top free agent. With the Cavs, he can win. And he can win now.

3) Endorsements

In all honesty, can LeBron really earn better endorsement deals just because he plays in New York, Los Angeles or Chicago? I think not. LBJ is the most marketable athlete in the world now that Tiger Woods has gone by the wayside. He has secured an endorsement deal with Nike that won't increase in value if he moves to a big market. And that's probably the same for most all his deals. If money is really what LeBron is after, he may dart, but he can make a fine fortune here in Cleveland.

4) Loyalty

LeBron has said before that he is loyal to his hometown of Akron, and if he stays true to his word, Cleveland has to be his destination.

Top image from Photobucket