Fausto Carmona is long gone, but the midges are back. Sandy Alomar won’t be hitting a game-tying home run that sends Paul O’Neill into a tantrum on the warning track, but he will be managing the Tribe. It’s the Indians and the Yankees meeting in the first round of the MLB postseason again, and Waiting For Next Year’s Mitchell Krall joins The Nail to give us a crash course. Topics covered: Presumed Cy Young winner-to-be Shane Bieber and the Indians pitching staff, potential AL MVP Jose Ramirez and whether the Tribe can generate enough offense, what role having Alomar manage in place of Terry Francona will play, and what we need to know about the team from the Bronx and the new postseason format.
Sooooo...you could say the Indians took care of business on Wednesday night. But 24 hours earlier—you know, back when they weren’t putting up 19 runs—a lackluster start to the 9th inning by closer Cody Allen, a miscommunication between manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Carl Willis, and a bad matchup for reliever Dan Otero turned a fine night at the ballpark into downright ugly loss, bringing out the boo birds at Progressive Field. It was called the nadir of the season for the team's beleaguered bullpen, and aggravation is mounting amongst the Tribe faithful. A talented-but-flawed Indians roster continues to trudge through the season in first place in the AL Central, but clearly is a step behind the rest of the league’s top teams. What is the Tribe front office waiting for? The guys discuss that, as well as Travis’ adventures at the AAA Home Run Derby in Columbus on Monday night. …. Plus: Travis is once again riding in Pelotonia to raise money for cancer research. You can help by donating at: pelotonia.org/travisulle
On the eve of the Indians making their first appearance in the AL Division Series since 2007, the guys look back on the long road that got them here, starting with the hiring of Terry Francona. Tito has pushed all the right buttons this year, and he’ll have to keep it going against a formidable Red Sox team. … Plus: It’s been a tremendous first five weeks for the college football season, and the guys put together their short list of teams with a shot at the national title.
