Return of the Mack

I knew this day would come. Actually, there have been a couple of those "days" lately. The day when I got tired of letting this blog go to waste. The day when I returned to giving my views on the goings-on in sports to the five readers of this site. The day when I would return to the virtual world of college football in NCAA 10' and lead Michigan to it's rightful place atop the college football world. (Sidenote: In my first dynasty year, I went undefeated. However, it was not enough to get me in the BCS Title game, as Texas and Florida also go undefeated. Talk about a kick in the nuts. It was like the Missouri/Nebraska Kick Play TD all over again) The day when the Indians would truly become a AAA team. The day Phil Hughes finally turned himself into a legitimate MLB pitcher. The day when The Gate would get married, only to have it on a FOOTBALL SATURDAY!@#!@! Make no mistake about it, I am shocked and a bit disappointed that such a "die-hard" Michigan fan would choose a date in which our beloved Maize and Blue are on the gridiron. Granted, it is against Eastern Michigan; but if 2008 taught us anything it is that horrible MAC schools are ripe for upsetting Michigan if our quarterback acts like he is playing with two broken arms and legs.

So all of these things have happened since I have lasted posted on this here blog. I really did not have a good excuse to stop posting. I have been working a fair amount and my Texas Rangers franchise on MLB 09' The Show is in full swing. It really boils down to the fact that there is nothing interesting enough to write about on a daily basis in July. Sure, I follow baseball day to day to keep up with the Yankees and my fantasy team, but nobody wants to read about how Chien Ming Wang imploded my ERA and WHIP categories with his first half performance.

So we are finally to August 1st, and this is when the real sports season begins. Football training camps are starting up, college football is nearing the start of fall camp, high school football is beginning practice, and the MLB is finally relevant after the trade deadline. It is finally time to start really paying attention to your team.

Uhh...unless you are an Indians fan. In that case, just go watch the Toledo Mud Hens or Columbus Clippers and you will save yourself $15 a piece on tickets and still get the same product. To see Garko, Lee, Martinez, Francisco, and Derosa go to different teams for the return they got has me disappointed for Cleveland fans. And if you follow this blog, you know how much I dislike Cleveland fans.

To analyze this, let's focus on the big three; Derosa, Lee, and Martinez. In Derosa's case, many have already forgotten this trade since it took place so far before the deadline. The Tribe weren't going to get the Cards top prospect for DeRosa, but they settled for RP Chris Perez, who has not looked anything like a future closer. The Lee trade came next, and this is where the wheels really fell off. Consider that the guys Toronto wanted for Roy Halladay were Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor. And then consider that Cleveland got NONE of them for the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner who is locked up at a reasonable rate for 2010. The deal may work out if the 4 prospects they did receive pan out, but when you trade a Cy Young winner you need to get one of the organizations top prospects. They got none. With Lee gone, Victor Martinez had to go. Teams knew this, and used that leverage to bend the Tribe over like Tobias Beecher in the first season of Oz. The Red Sox came calling, and they possess a number of top tier prospects. Lars Anderson, Clay Bucholz, and Daniel Bard are probably considered the top three in their organization. Once again, the Indians settle for less by taking Justin Masterson, who has looked shaky in relief this year, and two more prospects. Masterson is still young, but will he ever be anything more than a solid set-up guy? For now, the Indians get an Incomplete grade. But the perception from these trades matters almost as much as the value they got in return. The perception out there right now is that other teams took the Indians out back and took their lunch money. Fans need to be disappointed, and GM Mark Shapiro (and manager Eric Wedge, for that matter) need to go.

Feels good to be back, and NRTTS, even in NCAA 10'.

Coach Deuce