Sartorial Tribe: 2005 Indians Alternate

Welcome to the second installment of Sartorial Tribe, where I take a look at some of history's baseball uniforms I like, that I love, and some that I hate. I'll try and feature a good variety too, from every era of Tribe baseball (you can find part one here). Without further ado, let's look at the latest entry:

A sleeveless baseball jersey is a novel thing. At least I thought it was when I first saw them. When I initially discovered these gems of polyester wonder I could scarcely believe my eyes. How the hell does a vest top work as athletic apparel outside of a basketball court? But work they do, at least in this instance.

I'd even go so far to argue that the 2005 alternate Indians edition is a work of uniform art.

This uniform was actually worn between 2003 and 2007, with a modified edition worn in 2002, lacking the player number on the front of the jersey. I've selected examples from 2005 in this case, as it was a decent year for the Tribe. They finished with a 93-69 record and a second place finish in the AL Central, after falling short of the division-winning White Sox (who went on to win the whole thing).

Let's get back to the jersey though. It's sleeveless. Why the hell did they decide to do that? Luckily it works and the contrasting combination of navy and white really make it sing.

One very strange thing I considered about these sleeveless jerseys: did anyone buy them? It's a strange purchase I can imagine, a vest for a baseball jersey, because if you aren't wearing a navy t-shirt underneath then the look is ruined. Also, it probably helps if you're athletic enough to pull it all together (although you could say that about anyone who chooses to wear replica sportswear).

Above we have a pretty good photo of a young Cliff Lee (from 2004 actually) showing off the uniform in all it's glory. I particularly like the blue piping down the center of the jersey, an aspect the current home jerseys could really benefit from I feel. The choice of red for the numbers is also a nice touch, perfectly complementing the rest of the design.

Here's second baseman Ronnie Belliard throwing from deep in the infield. Another element of these uniforms I liked so much was the cursive logo on the alternate hat, however it only lasted as long as these uniforms did, ultimately fading away after 2007.

The issue of Chief Wahoo rears its ugly head again, featuring on the chest of this jersey. Of some comfort however is the fact the logo is at least smaller than it could be, and doesn't feel as prominent here as it once did in the seventies. It's still not really an excuse but thankfully I don't believe it spoils the overall design of the uniform too much. I made my feelings about the Chief pretty clear in 2016.

In conclusion, I'd love to see the Indians bring back this uniform in the future, perhaps swapping out the Chief for the block C logo. Better yet would be a return of that cursive "I" logo that featured on the hats. A larger version of that could really work as a replacement for the Chief on the chest. Sleeveless jerseys still work in today's MLB, with the Rockies sporting them regularly, so it's a look that could hopefully return one day in Cleveland.

Baseball Cards: More Allen & Ginter

Howdy y'all, apologies for not posting the White Sox and Royals recaps recently. Current events (GTA V) have kept the majority of my free time occupied and I just never got around to getting online to write. Since my last post, the good news has been the Indians have managed to battle their way into one of the wild card spots.Now the hope is that they can stay there. As I'm writing this they're closing in on a sweep of the lowly Astros, getting one step closer to the post-season in the process.

Regardless of what happens, I'm pleased for the team and more pleased at the fact we'll have posted our first winning season since 2007. So really, it's my first year as a Tribe fan where we've ended the year above .500 (I only started following the team properly in 2008). That's a cause for celebration in my book.

Anyway, I received some new baseball cards in the post over the past few days so I thought I'd share my new pick-ups here. They're all from the beautiful set that is 2013 Allen & Ginter. Let's begin:

Another Justin Masterson card to add to my PC I'm working on. Here we have a 2013 Allen & Ginter jersey relic that I got for just $1. A bargain and a really nice card (although I would have preferred the jersey patch to be from the home whites).

Up next is a mini jersey relic of Tribe right fielder Drew Stubbs. He hasn't had the best debut season in Cleveland and has really struggled with the bat all year but I've been impressed with his defense in right field. Despite his troubles, I couldn't resist bidding for this card. I really like it's design and Drew comes across as a pretty likeable guy, with that Texas drawl of his. For $1.49 I wasn't going to say no.

Here we have a jersey relic of former Indians ace and 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee. I know, it's not  a Tribe card but come on, he used to play for us. And he's still tearing it up at the age of 35. I was a big fan of Cliff and will never forget his super-heroic 2008 season. All for just over $2 as well. Not bad.

Ok, from here on all connections to the Indians disappear I'm afraid. Why did I pick up this Carlos Gonzalez card? Well the star outfielder for the Rockies has been the heart and soul of my fantasy team this year and for the grand sum of $1 I thought why the hell not. It's a pretty nice card too, although I wish the pinstripe on the patch was slightly more centered. 

Last but not least is this delightful card of the reigning AL Cy Young winner (for just a tiny bit longer) Mr David Price. For just $2 I wasn't going to pass on getting a mini jersey relic of a Cy Young winner and it's a beautiful looking card too. Plus the patch is home-white too, so it's win-win for me. 

So there you have it, my latest additions to my fledgling card collection. As you can probably tell I really love those jersey patch cards, particularly the framed mini's. I expect I'll be looking to add some more before the year is out, maybe in the off-season when the prices drop slightly. We'll see...

Thanks for reading.

Potential Trades For The Tribe At Deadline

Apologies for interrupting your regularly scheduled programme (my series re-caps) but I thought I'd weigh in on some potential moves the Indians could make this month before the trade deadline. With the way things stand at the moment, the Indians are certain to be buyers this month instead of sellers like we've been used to in years past. So let's see who the Tribe might be looking at this month, or rather, who I'd like them to be looking at:

It Could Happen Trades

Matt Garza

Of all the players known to be on the market, Garza is one of the most achievable as far as the Indians are concerned. Competition will be fierce for the right-hander, with a number of teams looking to solidify their rotation ahead of the second half of the season, but the Indians should certainly be interested in the 29 year-old. Cleveland wouldn't have to give up too much to the Cubs either, since Garza is a free agent after this season. Maybe one of our young outfielders would suffice, since Chicago is pretty set with Starlin Castro at shortstop, so shifting one of our prized infielders can be avoided.

Garza is 3-1 in 8 starts this year with a 3.83 ERA, after missing the first seven weeks of the season. He's been getting better as the season has progressed, really getting into his groove lately. He's 2-1 in his last 3 starts with a 0.82 ERA, surrendering only 2 runs over 22 innings. Yes, those results are against mediocre teams like the Mets, Astros and Brewers but still, pretty decent numbers nonetheless, and he lasted at least 7 innings in each of those games.

I'd really like Garza to join the Tribe, even if it is for just 3 months. I've been an admirer of him since his days in Tampa Bay. As good as our rotation has been this year (compared to what we thought it was going to be) we could sure use more help in the second half, as surely injuries will take their toll during the dog days of August and September. A rotation of Masterson, Garza, Kluber, Jimenez, and Kazmir/McAllister (depending on health) is a tasty proposition. As long as the Indians don't give up too much for Garza and we get a fair deal, I'm 100% behind the club trying to acquire him from the Cubs.

Bud Norris

Houston's 28 year-old right-hander is also known to be available this month and the Tribe front office are surely monitoring the situation. So are a lot of other major league clubs though, with teams like the Orioles, Jays and Giants all in search for pitching help and Norris tops most of their wanted lists (although at the time of writing, I believe Baltimore have just made a move for Chicago's Scott Feldman, which would likely remove them from the Norris market).

Norris is 5-7 so far this year, with an impressive 3.35 ERA on a terrible Astros team. He was superb in the month of June, compiling a 2.77 ERA over 39 innings. The best thing about trading for Norris aside from his pitching ability?  He'd join the Indians with plenty of time left under club control, unable to become a free agent until 2016. Norris is enjoying his finest year in Houston to date and hopefully that's a sign of things to come, that Bud will only get better. If he does end up in Cleveland, I sincerely hope that will be the case; that we get a quality pitcher for the rest of 2013, and a reliable arm for a few years in the future. I'm all for us trading for Norris, but its difficult to predict what it will take to pry him away from Houston. There's no way we give up anybody like Francisco Lindor or Trevor Bauer, but maybe someone like Dorssys Paulino or Ronny Rodriguez would be enough. I'm probably way off the mark here and the Tribe would be giving up too much, so I'm really not sure. Let's just say I'd be happy with Norris in Cleveland and leave it at that.

Ricky Nolasco

Despite our need for another starting pitcher, I don't think we're really in the race for the Marlins' Ricky Nolasco, but until he's traded it's still a possibility. With everything I've read so far it looks as if a club with deeper pockets than us will make the move for Nolasco, with the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees and even the Red Sox rumoured to be in the hunt for the right-hander.

The 30 year-old is having a good season in Miami, currently sitting with a 4-8 record and a 3.93 ERA. He would certainly bolster our rotation but I don't expect us to be the team he joins before the deadline. It's long been established that the Marlins have had Nolasco in the shop window and I reckon Los Angeles or San Francisco will become his new home in the coming weeks.

In Your Dreams Trades

Giancarlo Stanton

The Marlins may have the worst owner in baseball in Jeffrey Loria, but even he wouldn't ship away his star player, the face of the franchise? Would he?

Well the rumour-mill is abuzz that the Marlins just might do it, that they might actually trade away 6'6 outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. The 23 year-old MVP-calibre slugger would fetch a huge haul of top prospects from every club in the league. Who wouldn't want Stanton gracing their outfield?

Well Indians fans can keep dreaming because there's a 99% chance that this trade will never happen, not in 2013 anyway. Despite Loria's reputation, it's highly unlikely the Marlins will trade away Stanton this season. You have to believe the rumours are exactly what they are; just rumours, created out of thin air. I'm pretty sure that Cleveland is one of the many clubs on Stanton's no-trade list anyway, so this move is even more likely to remain a dream. But I can dream right? Stanton would look awfully good in Indians red, white and blue, gunning down would-be runners from right field.

Cliff Lee

Ahh, Clifton Phifer Lee, what memories we had. His 2008 Cy Young season was my first proper year following the Tribe, day in, day out. So I was instantly a big Lee fan and was so sad to see him traded away in 2009. But word on the street is that the Indians are trying to make a run at bringing him back to the place where he had so much success.

It won't happen folks. Sorry to burst your bubble but Lee won't be pitching in Cleveland for the home team any time soon. For starters, the Phillies have categorically said he isn't available for trade. They're having another poor year by their standards but won't succumb to the pressures of the trade deadline madness. Their whole roster could do with a shake-up but it doesn't look like happening any time soon (they want to hold on to Chase Utley too). Secondly, we can't afford him anyway. And third, we'd have to give up a lot to reel in a superstar like Lee. To begin with, you can say goodbye to Lindor. The Phillies would certainly demand the best possible prospects for Lee, and I'm not comfortable giving away Lindor this decade, not with Cabrera approaching free agency in the next couple of years. A trade for Lee would certainly deplete the farm system and I'm not sure that's a good idea for the Indians right now.

As much as I'd love to have Lee come back, the price the Tribe would have to pay would be large indeed, too large for my liking. Kyle over at Wahoos On First has written a thorough article examining potential trades the club could try to lure Lee back, it's definitely worth checking out.

Please Poke My Eyes Out Trades

Jonathan Papelbon

I know the Indians have had their fair share of bullpen problems this season, especially when it comes to closing, but the Tribe should not waste their time looking to trade for a new closer. I've seen Papelbon's name floated around and I just have to say:

No.

No no no no.

Not only am I not a fan of the 32 year-old right-hander - I think he's overrated and overpaid - but we don't need him. I know our closer situation has been bad but it's nothing compared to the Tigers, who are actively shopping around for a new closer. Detroit has no one else for the 9th inning (until they just trust Benoit). We at least have a variety of in-house options for the 9th so there should be no way in hell we make a move for a closer, especially one like Papelbon. If the Indians are looking for bullpen help, they can forget all about closers and aim to pick up a left-handed reliever. End of conversation.

I look forward to seeing what the Indians do over the new few weeks, and hope whatever moves they do decide to make prove to be successful for the Tribe in 2013.

Thanks for reading.

Phillies Fall To Terrific Tribe

The Indians have begun their nine game home-stand with a bang, beating Philadelphia twice in a row to take the mini two-game series. Cleveland's winning streak is up to four games now and the club are a single game from getting back to a .500 record. What a lovely way to begin the month of May. Let's have a look at how it went down:

Offense Clicking Into Gear

April saw the Indians offense take on a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde persona. For a couple of games they wouldn't string any hits together, then 24 hours later they'd explode for double-digit runs and leave opposing fans cowering behind their sofa cushions. The inconsistency on a nightly basis was baffling. How could a team with this much power, this raw ability to crush the ball, be so limp at the plate all of a sudden? Well thankfully the last few games have seen the Tribe offense begin to find their rhythm and no game highlighted that more than Tuesday night. 

The Phillies brought Roy Halladay to the mound, not so long ago one of the best pitchers in the game, a two-time Cy Young winner and proud owner of a perfect game to his résumé. But this is not the same Halladay of yesteryear. Doc is having a rough time of it lately and the Indians only added to his misery. Poor Roy got shelled for 9 brutal hits for 8 earned runs in only 3 2/3 innings.

And that was only the beginning. The Indians hit 7 home runs in total Tuesday night in the 14-2 thrashing, taking it to the Phillies' bullpen after Halladay had left the game. The Tribe got homers from Santana, Reynolds, Chisenhall, Brantley, Stubbs and 2 from Ryan Raburn (more on him later). The offensive outburst somewhat overshadowed Zach McAllister's fine outing: Number 34 went 7 strong innings, scattering 5 hits with 4 strikeouts. Zach did give up 2 home runs to the Phillies but they were solo-shots and really the only mistakes the 6'6 righty made all night. 

The offense carried over their fine performance from Tuesday night into yesterday's game. The Indians' bats stayed alive in the 6-0 victory, ensuring the series win and sweep over the Phillies. Cliff Lee made his first start against his former team since his trade out of Cleveland in 2009 but even he couldn't quiet the Tribe lineup. I have fond memories of Lee's 2008 Cy Young season but I can't say I wasn't pleased to see him get smacked around for 9 hits in 6 innings of work. His opponent for the Tribe was our young pitching stud Trevor Bauer, making a spot-start before going back to Columbus today. Bauer lasted 5 innings, only surrendering 1 solitary hit but he walked 6 Phillies batters. He had a lot of trouble in last start in Tampa Bay when he had too many walks (7!), and again last night his control was just as wild. Nearly every fastball he threw was far too high, and he struggled to keep anything down. One positive though was his breaking ball; he had a mean curveball working, a thing of beauty when he got the Phillies' Ryan Howard to strike out looking in the 1st inning, then catcher Carlos Ruiz to whiff badly in the 2nd. Bauer still needs to work on his control before he can be considered MLB ready, that many walks is unacceptable and infuriating, but the potential talent is obvious. I don't expect it will very long before he becomes a permanent addition to the starting rotation.

The key hit in last night's game was Asdrubal Cabrera's 2 RBI double down the left field line in the bottom of the 3rd inning, scoring Brantley and Kipnis to stake the Indians to a 3-0 lead. They never looked back from there, tacking on 3 more runs over the remaining innings, coasting to the win. Cabrera has really been hitting well over the past week and looks to have put his early slump behind him now. Still, he's not as hot at the plate as this guy...

Player Of The Series

Take a bow Ryan Raburn. The versatile 32 year old has been making the most of his playing time lately, doing his best Joe DiMaggio impression. The guy can't miss, he's hitting everything. Since Bourn went on the disabled list, the speedy Drew Stubbs has shifted over to centre field with Raburn taking his place in right field. He got off to a bit of a rough start and I can remember a few times when Raburn swung at the first pitch to end a crucial rally with a double-play ball. But he's done a great job of late to change his critic's opinions.

It started in the final game of the series in Kansas City this past Monday, when Raburn unloaded for 2 home runs, and it didn't stop when Philadelphia came to town. Tuesday night saw him go 3-for-4 at the plate, with 2 more monster home runs in the 14-2 rout. Then last night he went 4-for-5 with a double and 2 RBI in the 6-0 win. He's been unstoppable at the plate, whether its a bloop single, a double in the gap, or another fence-clearing homer, Raburn has been on fire. So the award goes to Ryan for this Phillies series. What a beast.

So the Indians can enjoy their time off today before the Twins arrive in Cleveland tomorrow to begin a three game series, where we'll see Minnesota's Pedro Hernandez (1-0, 2.35 ERA) face off against our Justin Masterson (4-2, 3.12 ERA). Until next time...

Thanks for reading.