| Power Rankings |
| Date | Ranking | Previous |
| 08/19/2008 | 20 | 22 |
| They became the first AL squad to take a series from the Angels since May. ... Rafael Perez has evolved into one of the league's better lefty relievers. ... I'm not big on style, as witnessed by my usual getup of sweatpants and half-eroded T-shirt, but I sure do dig those new Cleveland home unis. |
| 08/12/2008 | 22 | 25 |
| Paul Byrd in his past four starts: 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA, no home runs allowed, and a .570 OPS against. Plus he's waiver-trade simpatico. ... Here's a deal that helps both teams: Indians GM Mark Shapiro gets loaned out to San Diego to help the Padres locate able position players, while Padres GM Kevin Towers spends a few weeks this winter helping the Indians assemble a coherent bullpen. Win-win, right? |
| 08/05/2008 | 25 | 24 |
| Introducing an exclusive new Power Rankings space-filler ... er, I mean, feature: Irrelevant facts about irrelevant teams. Did you know that Terry "Cotton Top" Turner holds the Indians record for games played, with 1,619? Yup. He earned his nickname after puking himself purple after a cotton-candy binge. He also had frizzy hair. |
| 07/29/2008 | 24 | 25 |
| What's there to say, really? The trajectory of the 2008 Indians make me sad. |
| 07/22/2008 | 25 | 28 |
| Actual AP headline from Sunday afternoon: "Cliff Lee's 11-Hitter Leads Indians Over Mariners." Rarely has semi-dominance been phrased so pithily ... The only upside to the Victor Martinez injury, one of 372 that have befallen the Tribe in 2008: The team's getting an extended look at Kelly Shoppach and has to mostly like what it sees. |
| 07/09/2008 | 28 | 22 |
| The CC Sabathia trade clinches it as a lost year, but that was a real nice get in Matt LaPorta. Bats like his don't come around too often and Sabathia might even be a candidate to re-sign this winter. Getting him back and having some other young talent come along can make them a worst-to-first story next year. |
| 07/01/2008 | 22 | 21 |
| If not for the collapse of the Mariners, the Indians have to be considered the biggest disappointment in baseball in the first half. Unlike some other sinking ships, including the one the Mets are riding, the Indians have injury to blame. They hold the biggest chip before the trade deadline in C.C. Sabathia and clever GM Mark Shapiro should get them the biggest haul of all, even more than the M's Erik Bedard. |
| 06/24/2008 | 21 | 23 |
| They are one of only three AL teams to have a losing record vs. the NL. The other two, Seattle and Toronto, both fired their managers last week amid interleague play. Eric Wedge is safe, but the Indians are going nowhere this year. |
| 06/18/2008 | 23 | 23 |
| They just can't seem to catch a break -- unless it is the wrong kind, of course. They are minus their 3-4 hitters -- not to mention two-fifths of their rotation. Now a C.C. Sabathia deal looks like a sure thing this July. |
| 06/10/2008 | 23 | 20 |
| The pitching depth is all but used up and the offense, save for Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco, still doesn't look capable enough. At what point does C.C. Sabathia become their latest bargaining chip in their every-other-year rebuilding program? |
