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Last Night's Game
MLB Final Score/Recap: Cleveland Indians 5, Seattle Mariners 4 - Let's Go Tribe
Cleveland Indians survive 9th-inning blown save to beat Seattle, 5-4 | cleveland.com
Seattle Mariners at Cleveland Indians - May 18, 2013 | MLB.com CLE Recap
Thanks to Detroit's loss in Texas last night, the Indians start today in sole possession of first place. And not only that, but every other team in the AL Central lost as well. Here's the standings:
This next stretch of the Indians' schedule is particularly nasty, as it involves road trips to places that have traditionally been very difficult for the Indians. Between now and the middle of June, the Indians make their annual visits to Boston, Cincinnati (part of a 4-game "home-and-home" series), New York, and Texas, along with five more games against the Tigers and home series against the Rays and Nationals. By the end of June, they'll just about be done playing the AL East (there's a home series against Toronto in July and a home series against Baltimore in September). So we'll have a really good idea about just how good this Indians club is by the official start of summer.
Other Indians News
This hot streak has been fueled by not only the offense getting on a roll, but the rotation as well. The team's top four starters (Masterson/McAllister/Jimenez/Kazmir) have all been outstanding since that second game of the Kansas City doubleheader, and Corey Kluber, the starter who began that great stretch of pitching, has been very good filling in for Brett Myers.
Speaking of Myers, he'll make one more start in the minors, and if the elbow feels good afterwards, will be activated probably during the Reds "home-and-home" series the week of the 27th. That would give Kluber at least one more start with the Indians.
Carlos Santana’s Coming Out Party | WaitingForNextYear
Jon looks at Carlos Santana's great start.
Highly-touted prospect Wolters transitioning to catcher | indians.com: News
Tony Wolters has just appeared in a few minor-league games this season, but it's not because he's been hurt. Wolters has been learning a new position, the most difficult position to learn in baseball: catcher. After some time in Arizona and a recent one-day trip to Cleveland, he's going to re-join Carolina today as a regular catcher.
In the piece Bastian gives the background behind how the decision was made from both management and player's perspective:
During Spring Training, Indians manager Terry Francona mentioned to Cash that Wolters -- a semi-regular fill-in during the late innings of Cactus League games -- reminded him of Tigers catcher Alex Avila in terms of his body type, hands and demeanor. Francona waited before bringing it up in a meeting that included general manager Chris Antonetti and vice president of player development Ross Atkins.
"It took me a while to make the decision," Wolters said. "They put it in my hands, and I told them I'd do it, whatever makes it faster to what my end goal is. I was just glad that Terry saw that in me. We'll see how it goes, but I'm excited."
If this works out, the Indians will have themselves a very nice prospect. Wolters is still only 21 years old (in baseball age), and was before the transition one of the better hitting prospects in the system.
AL Central News
Remembering Fred White - Royals Review
Longtime Royals broadcaster Fred White passed away last week, and Craig Brown penned a very nice tribute to him.
Right on Q: The White Sox and "Star Trek" - South Side Sox
In honor of this weekend's Star Trek premiere, SSS looks at at the what the White Sox did on the other Star Trek premier dates.
Torii Hunter's success due to reinvention, not luck - Bless You Boys
So says Danny Vargovick of Bless You Boys
The Minnesota Twins Are Like Beer - Twinkie Town
How could I resist not linking this article?
Today's Classic Clip: Bring Up Baby (1938)
This delightful screwball comedy stars Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant. The "Baby" in the title is a leopard, and in this clip, Grant meets Baby for the first time.