2nd Week of the Season...

[Alex]

It's hard to figure this team out. Last years team seemed to have 3 distinct flavors of players, the vets who got on base, the young power guys, and the middlins, aka the middlin Indians, a combination of middle age for a player, middle power, and middle speed... (such as Broussard, Blake and Belliard)

This years team seems to have two gears instead of three, the young power guys, and a whole bunch of middlins.

Sizemore and Crisp are the speed guys but they really are more interested in hitting the ball as hard as possible rather than where they ain't, in essence, they have become part of the middlins rather than be the first gear.

As a result, NO infield hits, no high OBP, etc. for the top of the order. This low OBP appears to then affect the middle power guys.
As long as Crisp and Sizemore take hearty swings every at bat, we'll be a two gear offense instead of a three gear offense like last year.

[Alex]

I should give credit to the lights out pitching!

Relief pitching beyond description. Betancourt has ptiched to 29 batters since the start of the season and has yet to allow a run.

Cliff Lee looks like he's gaindd some lower leg strength. Cliff Lee has an ERA of 0.76 in four career starts at K.C., sheesh!

CC looked good in his first outing.

Millwood, lights out.

Westbrook, overall very decent.

Davis, don't know, there's something about his delivery I just don't like, maybe he should dabble in a sidearm delivery???

Matt Miller was sent to the minors even though his ERA was 0.00, or did he finally give up a run before he was sent down, I'll have to check.

Wickman had one bad outing and since then has recorded three straight saves. Howry has been solid.

This all begs the question, does the lack of hitting simply put less pressure on the other teams offense to perform and therefore our pitching looks better than it really is, or is this a new year and we're getting better pitching?

Arthur Rhodes has been scholarly. Looks like a good trade for both Pittsburgh (Matt Lawton) and the Indians, (Arthur Rhodes).

Elarton has been fine as a fifth starter, but hasn't had his turn in the line-up everytime because of off days.