I saw "Drive" today at Cinemark. I thought there would be more, well, driving. There was a terrific scene at the beginning of the movie where Ryan Gosling, as a getaway car driver, delivers the goods with the cops actively seeking his vehicle. But we had only three scenes or so, where his driving skills were needed. It's obvious they wanted some differentiation from the "Transporter" series.

This movie was actually quite a surprise. Let's hope Gosling and Carey Mulligan were not paid by the word, because the dialogue here was sparse, at best. Especially the scenes where both were involved. Bryan Cranston took time off from "Breaking Bad" and is good as Gosling's daytime and nighttime boss. The two heavies are partners Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks. Brooks gets the juiciest of those two roles, as he gets to do some interesting killing.

And that's where the movie takes a turn, so to say. You think Gosling is just a quiet guy going about his business. But oh, he's got a mean streak and can kill with the best of him. And the violence is almost over-the-top, but somehow fits the crimes.

I liked this one a lot. A throwback-80's style soundtrack, a non-glitzy LA, minimal dialogue, all make for something different at the cinema. And for all the driving and violence here, it was one of the quietest movies I've seen. If you were chomping on popcorn during this one, it would have sounded as if you were at the feeding trough.

Really good stuff, one of the best I've seen this year.

Meal of Links

The Marble Rye Lady died. Much scarier in her David Lynch appearances.

Johnny Depp is shown in "Dark Shadows". Oh, I dunno about this one. But I saw a trailer for "Rum Diary", where he plays Hunter S. Thompson again. That looked good.

The Republican strategy to beat President Obama? Electoral college shenanigans.

Exercise Yard

The Indians minor-league team that probably gets the least amount of publicity locally is the Kinston Indians. Well, they are moving. To Zebulon, NC. For some reason, I have never forgotten that Zebulon is the hometown of comedian Lonnie Schorr.

Visitor

47 Down: "Chestnuts roasting..." co-writer (5 letters) Answer: Torme

Last week, the discussion was the Indians had to deal with lots of reasons for fans not attending. The Highlights:

A palpable hatred of the Dolans.

1994 Fan too accustomed to wins. 1964 Fan goes regardless.

The economy.

Ticket prices.

Gas prices.

Hard to support a team that has really stunk the last two seasons.

No stars on the team.

This week? People upset that Mitch Talbot went on the DL. Jeanmar Gomez returns.

See how things change when you win? Today they got homers from:

Grady Sizemore, in his first game back from serious injury.

Carlos Santana, who had hit only one ball to the outfield this past week. Sits out 2 games, hits 2 warning track flyballs on Saturday (one robbed by Adam Jones) and seems to have corrected things.

Travis Hafner. As I said, it's not 2005 Hafner, but he recommitted to getting into shape and look at his line: .354 BA, .407 OBP, .646 SLG, 1.053 OPS. That is insane!

I'll get a look at them against KC when they come back.

Meal of Links

Break up the Indians! Here is the at-bat music of the team. Grady Sizemore is into BRMC? Uh-oh, I may have to sling less arrows that way.

Five brain hacks that make you better at sports. Celebrating was one of them.

Nicolas Cage was arrested for a dispute with his wife in New Orleans. Here's how he acted during Mardi Gras.

There was a Sony factory in Sendei, the Japanese earthquake city. They manufactured HDCAM SR tape used in the film and TV industry solely in that factory. Hence, a shortage.

Hitch reads the Bible.

All about balancing the budget. Stop the Tax cuts!

Exercise Yard

Just when you think the FA Cup doesn't matter. Manchester City beat Manchester United yesterday. Then, Stoke beats Bolton today by a 5-0 score. Stoke! Biggest win in the FA Cup since 1939.

Visitor

None, on a cool Sunday.

Opening Day 2011

Got my first look at the Indians of 2011 yesterday. Naturally, they lost. This time though, it was embarrassing. The White Sox absolutely pounded Fausto Carmona on their way to a 15-10 win. Gale and I had seats in Section 109, and I got to be "End of Row Boy".

Progressive Field was a beacon in the distance, two hours before game time.





















Things of note: Typically, everyone wants to know what's going on inside the park. No, I didn't go all the way around, but virtually everything inside has gone up in cost. Opening Day Parking, BTW, was stable. I paid $20 in the traditional Hanna Garage spot, and most places were charging that price.

Rabbi Feldman's grilled hot dog stand in right field has changed this year. It's a bigger grilled dog slathered in onions, called a Slugger Dog, and that'll set you back (gulp!) $8.50. Not sure if other grilled dog stands exist. We'll find that out later. You can get a Brat or Italian Sausage there for $6.75. Not sure about the price of vendor dogs.





















Cracker Jack is $4.00, Peanuts are $4.50, so Marc's still cannot be beat. New this year is multicolored Cotton Candy. This comes in a bag for the amazing price of $6.00. A unique concept of a product kids love, but don't like to share, at exorbitant prices! Bottles of water were $4.50 and Gatorade will set you back $5.00 a bottle.

But, what about the beer? OK, I didn't see the foreign beer stand where, in years past, you could get Guinness and others. The Leinie Lodge had $7.75 Leinenkugels.

Dad's Beer Stand, predictably, had the longest lines. You could wash down Andy Capp Fries and Beer Nuts with a 12-oz. Blatz, Gennesee, Iron City, Natural Light, Pabst, Rolling Rock, Schaefer or Stroh for $4.50. I honestly don't get the nostalgia here. There are some lousy beers in that bunch.





















Beer from a vendor? This is where the variable pricing model has run amok. You can get a 24-oz. can (yes, they are back this year) of beer for $10.00. Yes, beer has hit $10 at the park. Or you can get a 16-oz. bottle for $7.75. Even more choices, a Gennessee vendor has 24-oz. cans for only $8.00. That would be Gennesee, Genny Cream or Gennessee Ice.

Bob Feller Salute

I'll hand it to the Indians, they did a much better job with the Feller salute than with the Herb Score Tribute a couple of years back. Big time ups on the video. The team wore Number 19 uniforms in the pre-game. Mrs. Feller put the ball of the first pitch on the pitching rubber. Bunting. Balloons. Bigass Flag. As Always. Real nice stuff.





















The Game

Can we quit with the White Sox as an opener. Chicago's Mark Buehrle now has 9 Opening Day starts. Six against the Indians.

Even though I was in the park, I have yet to see the Indians score a run in person. in a tribute to Bob Feller...Redass, we did a "five-and-fly". We had good seats in right-centerfield, but our row should have been renamed Row P. Our row seated 24 people, but it might as well have been 100, because I have never had to let that many people out to buy a beer or pee in all of my years attending sporting events. Ever.

Combined with a joke of a game, where I think I saw Austin Kearns flag down seven balls in the leftfield corner and watch two homers fly over his head. And, while it was 14-0 in the fifth and watch the Tribe look at only four pitches in their half of the inning, it literally drove us to drink, cheaply, at Alesci's. Where we got to see whatever faux comeback fall short.





















White Sox kill the Tribe on Opening Day. Loss No. One, 15-10. Today, the smallest crowd in the history of the park watched them lose again. It's a shame, but that's Baseball 2011.

Meal of Links

I realize I am a bit late to this game, but I went to Outback Steakhouse for the first time on Thursday. Kind of impressed with the place. My Dad had been there before and got a 6-oz. size and enjoyed his potato soup. I opted for a 10-oz. ribeye that was chargrilled over an open flame with a baked potato and salad. At the very least, I'll consider this as a dining option and no, I have no idea why it took this long to get there.

Us polkateers went to the early morning viewing of "Polka: The Movie". So popular, the Film Fest had two showings this morning. I figured at least 300 people were there to see this one. Kind of an average movie, which suffered from some decidedly poor editing. We get it, the Slovenian neighborhood of Cleveland is in decline. They really needed more music here. It was like they got to the '70s and said OK, who still plays this stuff? If it was a history lesson, you never got the full version. Not even any "Polka Varieties" footage. Hell, even Paul Sciria was in "Kill The Irishman".

After the movie, we visited P.J. McIntyre's in West Park. Heavy Irish vibe, but really good food, liquor and beer selections here. Not a surprise, it's a popular place. I shared some Reuben Egg Rolls and followed that with some Angus Beef Sliders. Homemade chips, too.

Your cell phone as wallet. Coming soon.

Record Store Day is in two weeks. Here are the most interesting releases. Check out the new license plate in Tennessee.

It's the Ramones. Always good, no matter what is recommended.

Looks like Eddie Izzard will have another go at an FX series. "The Riches" first season was superb, I thought.

They have announced the 2011 Peabody Awards. Those you may have heard of: "Justified", "Men Of A Certain Age", C-SPAN, "Degrassi", "If God Is Willing and da Creek Don't Rise", and ESPN's "30 For 30".

How to play well with drugs. Mainly, don't mix your drugs.

New book is out. "The Oxford Book of Parodies", which asks the question, "Mickey or Bugs?" As a cynic, I am solidly in the corner of Bugs.

Exercise Yard

Who won the World Cup of Cricket? Why, that would be India.

Visitor

30 Across: Mattingly's predecessor (5 letters) Answer: Torre

Why do an Indians recap when DiaTribe does it better. Lots of good stuff, especially on next year's targets at third and starting pitching. And reasonable arguments on why the Indians should not extend Chris Perez and Asdrubal Cabrera just yet.

Two things need to take place next year. The Indians need full recoveries from Grady Sizemore and Carlos Santana. If so, they have 4 positions taken care of. Santana behind the plate, Sizemore in LF (Yes, I think he moves), Michael Brantley in CF and Shin-Soo Choo in RF. 5 positions if you pencil in Travis Hafner as DH against righthanders.

Next year, we still have question marks all around the infield. Third base was really a black hole and they need to find someone who can catch the ball over there. Cabrera really took a step back in 2010, but I'm leaning towards giving him a pass because of his injury. Second base was an issue. Jayson Nix hit when he played there but sucked at third base and I'd like to see more hitting from Jason Donald. I think we are forced to give Matt LaPorta a pass because of his injury-filled season. But I was very disappointed in him. 2011 is make-or-break for LaPorta, in my opinion.

Chris Perez is a definite find at closer and Rafael Perez basically saved his career, by being superb after June 1. They probably need to find another veteran out of the bullpen and revisit the scrap heap that provided them with Kevin Millwood in 2005 and Carl Pavano in 2009.

Here are my good predictions from last year:

I predicted 74 wins. Actual total: 69 wins.

I predicted a 4th place finish. Actual finish: 4th place.

I predicted 15 wins for Fausto Carmona. Actual total: 13 wins.

I said that Jake Westbrook would get 10 wins. Actual total: 10 wins (6 CLE, 4 STL)

I said Chris Perez would be OK as the closer. Actual totals: 2-2, 23 Saves, 1.71 ERA.

Bad predictions:

I predicted 10-12 wins for Justin Masterson. Actual total: 6 wins.

I predicted major innings for Aaron Laffey. Actual total: 56 innings.

I predicted 10 agonizing wins and more losses for David Huff. Actual totals; Well, I had the 11 losses right but missed big on the 2 wins.

I said Travis Hafner would be a 20-100 guy, if healthy. Actual totals: 13 HR, 50 RBI (Can't explain the 29 doubles though.)

Do you realize our Opening Day bench was:

Russell Branyan (traded to the Mariners on June 26)
Mark Grudzielanek (released on June 10)
Austin Kearns (traded to the Yanks on July 30)
Andy Marte (Sucked at 1B, but 3B stats: .306 BA, .355 OBP, .510 SLG, .865 OPS)
Mike Redmond (released July 16)

Yikes!

Meal of Links

Last night was the finale of "Rubicon". I really thought this had no chance of going to a Season 2, then I saw James Badge Dale doing a promo for AMC and thought it odd if they were getting ready to cancel the show. They closed up just enough loose ends to bookend the series if it was the last episode. And left a few open, just in case they come back. If the first 4 episodes were better, who knows what press it might have gotten. It's too bad because Arliss Howard was absolutely off-the-charts with his portrayal of Kale Ingram.

Opening a show or movie with a sex scene. Yes, the good "Crash" is here. Marisa Tomei, too. Lila from "Dexter". And a recent "Eastbound and Down".

More privacy issues for Facebook. This is a recurring theme, it seems.

Exercise Yard

James Hunt had some unusual training methods in his F1 glory years. 33 stewardesses in 2 weeks.

Visitor

52 Across: She replaced Paula Abdul as an "American Idol" judge (14 letters) Answer: Ellen Degeneres

The one thing you can count on, oh, every 4 years or so at this time, is when many individuals dust off their old arguments about why they hate the World Cup. It's actually quite laughable. I don't know if it's because, heaven forbid, foreigners are involved. Lack of scoring seems to be another issue. They are "forcing it down our throats" is another belabored point.

Personally, I think that stuff is a bunch of hooey. Think about it. There really aren't many sporting events where people gather in rather large groups to have a few drinks and watch the game. The Super Bowl is king, but that's a one-off. Another one-off might be something like the USA-Canada Olympic hockey final. If you happen to be lucky and your team makes a playoff run, sure, some games are targeted, but many choose to watch the games at home. The World Cup is one event where that camaraderie lasts for a month. But let's be honest, for every USA-England game that draws people out, you have an Algeria-Slovenia that won't draw flies. I always say at tournament time, it's better if England participates.

But they don't score, who wants to watch that? Think about that the next time you are watching the Indians losing, 11-3 in the sixth inning. I dare you to watch that game in its entirety. Seriously, try it. That game may last another hour, it may go longer. Over the years, I've found myself going from watching every pitch in a ballgame, to most times, just checking the games out. Sure, I may watch an entire game, but it's rare. Lord Football, again, a different story. I'll watch those games to the bitter end. But, how can you argue with the World Cup? The early-round games are always within a two-hour window. "Idol" lasts that long every week.

They are cramming it down our throats. Pump your breaks there, Sparky. Really, at 7 a.m. on a Sunday, you are being forced to watch the World Cup? Instead of, what, the Mass for the shut-ins? Yeah, but each time I turn on ESPN, it's the World Cup! Who can blame them, if they invested the cash. Of course, ESPN overpromotes everything they cover. Or have you forgotten about poker? But there are matches on the weekends during the afternoon, isn't that overboard? Huh, the Indians are on every Sunday and there's always golf and NASCAR. Have you ever seen a Channel 5 schedule on a Sunday? How many paid programming specials or "Matlocks" can you watch? Five Sundays of soccer every four years is not "cramming it down our throats".

Geez, you'd think the Olympics or the WNBA would catch more heat.

Glenn Beck hates soccer. Conveniently forgetting his parent company has a cable network known as "Fox Soccer Channel".

And, seriously, what other event brings out funny shit like this?












































































Meal of Links

The Dead Weather absolutely tore it up at Bonnaroo last night. NPR has the audio.

BP. You have 48 hours. Are you in or out?

They may ban vuvuzelas at the World Cup. Just last week they were charming, now they are a nuisance.

Some of the inner turmoil at Activision. They only make Call of Duty, the Tony Hawk games and Guitar Hero.

Ford finally killed Mercury. I guess no one put Mercury on their list.

"Mercury Blues"/David Lindley and El-Rayo X



Exercise Yard

Case in point about watching the Tribe. Big time hype because Stephen Strasburg was in town. Additionally, it was another chance to see the Indians catching prospect, Carlos Santana. So, there were butts in the chairs and it was a decent game.

But after Strasburg left the game, and the Indians had Tony Sipp throw gas on the fire, what was the point in watching that dreck. MLB Network has it right. On, their "MLB Tonight" show, they just have every pitch Strasburg throws and you don't have to wait through the other crap. Saves a bunch of time.

Visitor

None, on a humid Sunday.

As the Cavs go after Tom Izzo,

David Geffen tries to mess us up.

And the Indians DFA'ed Mark Grudzielanik.

What's the bigger news?

Meal of Links

How did Bonnaroo get its name? It comes from a Dr. John album. Bonnaroo is loosely translated from Creole meaning "good stuff".

Yeah. Those lines at BK can be tiring.

Looking at new candy and snacks. Hey, there's Perky Jerky.

BP kinda sucks.

Exercise Yard

Even The New Republic covers the World Cup. Today's subject: The coach of Chile, El Loco.

Visitor

36 Across: 1971 Sutherland title role (5 letters) Answer: Klute

I had to DVR the Cavs game today and it's a good thing I remembered to record the following show in case the game ran past its prescribed time. So, while everyone was watching the agonizing finish, I was preparing to watch the start of the game.

I think it's easy to pinpoint this one. Just a really bad start to the 4th quarter. The Cavs had clawed their way back into the game, but played a fairly pedestrian defense for the first 4 minutes of the last quarter. And then they finally scored their first basket in the quarter with about seven minutes left in the game.

Too bad. The Cavs mainly went seven deep but wasted a supreme effort by Shaq today and they still can't guard Rondo. But they got outrebounded and shot poorly (4 of 21 on threes).

Cavs lose by 10.

Meal of Links

My brother and I decided we were gonna see "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". Thought we'd see it at the Capitol, but had to motor to the Cedar-Lee because of a lack of an early afternoon showing. You know, because of the Cavs. This was a Swedish thriller. Yes, we had to read it. I wasn't sure how to react because there were more than 20 people in the theater.

Kudos to the Swedes, it was a good one. Some rich guy hires a disgraced journalist to solve a family mystery. With the help of the goth chick in the title (who had tats, piercings, and some deep secrets), the mystery deepens. Geez, we had Nazis, a sadistic legal guardian of the tatted girl, great research techniques (spycams, hacking, etc.) and a really good story. Definitely more than an episode of "CSI: Hedestad". The title character has that really intense appeal we haven't seen since, oh, I don't know, Nikita, way back when or maybe Lola more recently. Of course, the American rework is already being discussed.

We also got to see trailers for The Good, The Bad and The Weird" (a 2008 South Korean western), "Looking For Eric" (finally the 2009 Cantona movie arrives, "I am not a man, I am Cantona"), and "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" (the new doc). They all looked worthwhile.

Is there a cure for alcoholism? It might be baclofen.

We need one of these around here. The Soda Pop Stop. I mean the dude still sells Jolt.

Exercise Yard

CNN has a list of the Top 20 Sportscasters of All Time. Hard to see any major omissions here.

BTW, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the present-day Indians link to their past, Sandy Alomar. Here is Sandy coaching first base really hard yesterday.

















Visitor

None, on a brisk, sunny Mothers Day.

Yeah, I know. FIGJAM won the Masters. The over-the-top rooting for the guy by CBS always dampers the event for me. Lee Westwood, for one, bore the brunt of the ignorance since the implausible eagle-eagle-birdie run by Phil on Saturday. When Peter Kostis, who I really like, said this, "Lee Westwood is like a heavyweight champ who just got hit with two roundhouse rights and is dazed right now..." I was in pain. Ahem. First of all, Westwood had been playing swimmingly and had only one bogey at the time and secondly, HE WAS STILL LEADING THE TOURNAMENT! And still had the lead after 54 holes.

I get it. FIGJAM's popular for reasons I don't get. I mean the guy aligns himself with ExxonMobil, (you know, he's a tinkerer) and that's like rooting for the devil. So, there are enough people cheering for him without members of the broadcast team chipping in.

Meal of Links

There is a movement about for a Bad Baseball Hall of Fame. There has to be one Indian who stands out, no? Someone who showed up and stayed around even though they sucked. Jack Heidemann?

Fox affiliates say no to Conan. I don't think it'll happen.

Lots of R's want Zack Space's seat. I had a guy yesterday at the Giant Eagle see my bumper sticker so he decided to make a crack about President Obama. This was an Angry Guy who was making a scene at the self-checkout, so my motto was "self-preservation" and I let it go. Speaking of Anger, check out the photo of one guy running.

Exercise Yard

Hey, they're starting to pick on Windy in NYC. Author says it's a joke.

Visitor

None, on a cool Masters Sunday.

I think the Indians were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race today. Not a good start.

One week til I get my first look.

Yes, This Actually Happened Last Night



Meal of Links

Nine suspect music videos made by film directors. Landis and Scorsese with the Jacko videos.

The 50 best music movies. "Control" is #3 and "24-Hour Party People" is #1.

Startling news from Boston. Some of the Red Sox think Jason Varitek is dead.

Exercise Yard

Can Butler win tonight? Would be a great story (and more fans for next year's CSU-Butler game), but Duke is playing extremely well right now.

Sadly, I think Duke rolls.

Visitor

51 Across: Five-time A.L. batting champ Boggs (4 letters) Answer: Wade

The Indians, baseball's version of "Breaking Bad", start play tomorrow, as they open the season at Chicago. I've taken a hard look at the club and see them winning 74 games this year. Which is actually 9 games better than last year, but still not even close to where they need to be. I think the Most Interesting Manager in the World, Manny Acta, will be a breath of fresh air, but it looks like a 4th-place finish in the Central. That means plenty of good seats available starting, oh, next week or so.

Starters:

This year's rotation is Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Justin Masterson, Mitch Talbot and David Huff.

Seriously, if they get 10 wins out of Jake Westbrook, they should consider themselves lucky. Hasn't pitched since early 2008. I believe he is the longest-tenured Indian at this point. Doesn't mean all that much, but it's a Fun Fact to Know and Tell.

Fausto Carmona will win 15 games this season. I firmly believe the Hispanic voice of Acta pays dividends here.

Justin Masterson is murdered by lefties. And lefties are still allowed to play this season. I looked it up. 10-12 wins, tops.

Mitch Talbot. We traded Kelly Shoppach for him. 5 wins. OK, that dripped of sarcasm. Make it 6 wins.

David Huff will have me yawn more than most of the pitchers. 10 agonizing wins and probably more losses. At least, no Ryan Garko in left field when he pitches this season. That always kept me awake.

Bullpen:

Chris Perez, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Jamey Wright, Aaron Laffey and Jensen Lewis.

I actually think Chris Perez will be OK as the closer. I firmly believe the job is his for a long time. We just gotta get to him.

Rafael Perez will never duplicate 2007. Let's hope he never duplicates 2009 again.

Joe Smith is murdered by lefties. Yeah, him too. But he's healthy this year. So when lefties hit him this year, no excuses.

Tony Sipp. Not a good spring after a decent 2009.

Jamey Wright is an innings eater. His arm will eventually fall off and when he realizes he's with the Indians, that should probably happen before June.

Aaron Laffey should get major innings this year from the left side. I see many 2-inning outings from him this year. Should be fine.

Jensen Lewis needs to stop throwing gopher balls immediately. Leads the league in whiplash.

Everyday Lineup:

Matt LaPorta, Luis Valbuena, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jhonny Peralta, Michael Brantley, Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo Lou Marson and Travis Hafner.

Matt LaPorta finally starts somewhere, now it's at first base. About effin' time.

Luis Valbuena is at second. Can't hit singles for some reason. Current regime seems down on him, while The Departed couldn't talk him up enough. Not good defensively.

Asdrubal Cabrera should be fine. Droobs was the most consistent Indian last year. On the good side. We had many who were consistently bad.

Jhonny Peralta. Has not hit well since "his vee-zee-own is twenty-twenty". I think he'll do well this year. Knocked in 83 last year while the entire community crapped on him. Should sleep better now that Eric Wedge ("The Mentalist") can't yell at him. So, he'll be well-rested while seeing clearly.

Manny Acta is high on Michael Brantley in left field and that's a good thing. I'm sure the front office is still concerned with service time, but Acta is making a stand. Good for him.

Grady Sizemore is healthy once again. So, what do we get? .260 with a bunch of strikeouts or a major leap in play to match the hype? Still waiting.

I have apologized for calling Shin-Soo Choo the "Asian Trot Nixon". Now, he's one of my favorites. I know it's as juvenile as it gets, but I just love saying "Choo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!" at the ballpark.

Lou Marson is the catcher. Unlike Valbuena, he hits an absurd amount of singles. Hopefully, not another Eddie Perez, who knocked in 3 runs in his first game of 2002 and then waited until the last week of the season to drive in another one.

Travis Hafner should be a 20-100 guy if he's finally healthy. On-Base Percentage, Slugging and OPS were all up last year and he had a better year than most were willing to admit. Can't stomach that pay though, if he's a 20-71 guy from here on out.

Backups:

Russell Branyan, Andy Marte, Mike Grudzielanek, Austin Kearns, Mike Redmond.

Russell Branyan. Cue Nancy Kerrigan: "Why? WHY?".

Andy Marte. The Cleveland version of "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave".

Mike Grudzielanek. He ruins the most Indians Spelling Bee contestants since Masa Kobayashi.

Austin Kearns got one line in today's PD preview as the fourth outfielder. Enough said.

Mike Redmond is the backup catcher and was the big free-agent signing over the winter. I cannot believe I just typed that. Saw him hit into a triple play once.

Yep, that looks like about 74 wins.

Meal of Links

They found the Missing Link. Doesn't this happen every few years or so?

How to make your own Girl Scout Cookies?

Ah, Opening Day. Let's see what Vin Scully is up to.

Why bring Ring-Dings to your Easter gathering, when you can have bobka? I wonder if they carry the "lesser bobka"?

















Exercise Yard

Charley Rosen answers some NBA questions. Z gets discussed and not in a good way.

Crack Reporting from the EPL



Visitor

None, on a sunny Easter Sunday.

Time to catch up:

Absolutely fantastic weather lately, so with the afternoon off, I had to fire up the grill. You don't get to say I am having shrimp on the barbie very often. But I said it today.

You know it's spring when you can hear the grunts of the neighborhood mentally-challenged kid.

I hate to bring this up, but you know me. The other day, I was at Subway for lunch. I usually get a roast beef because it meets the healthy sandwich requirements. Anyhow, I'm behind a guy who KNOWS THE NAMES OF THE EMPLOYEES!!!!! Says hello to the order taker, than the first veggie person. Seriously. I've been going for there for years. I don't know their names and I'm pretty sure I do not want to know their names. He was also talking to a corporate bigwig who happened to be in front of him, so I had to hear all of his plans for Easter weekend. As he was finishing with the cookies, it was then the old, "Today, I'm gonna have...". How come God works in mysterious ways, except when I'm in a line?

I went to see "The Ghost Writer" the other day. It was the first time I bought a beer at a theatre (they had Magic Hat!). I said bought, not brought. It was also the first time in a long time, I had a private showing. Yep, I was the only one there. Too bad, because it was a really good movie by that Roman Polanski guy. Pierce Brosnan was a former Prime Minister of England who was writing his memoirs and Ewan McGregor was his ghost writer. It was interesting how many characters surprised me on their entrance. Hey, there is Duncan from "The Class" as McGregor's agent. Hey, who's that bald head of the publishing company? Why, it's Jim Belushi. Then it's Kim Cattrall with a British accent. Then it's Olivia Williams who seems to be taking the Emma Thompson/Kristin Scott-Thomas roles lately (she was in "An Education"). Eli Wallach...still alive. And, finally, even Tom Wilkinson shows up! It's at the Capitol for another week.

Our favorite Polka DJ heads to Buffalo for Dyngus Day on Monday (third graph from bottom).

Time Warner Cable finally made the channel switches this week on my box and the Navigator seems to work better for me. They added NHL Network and Fox Soccer Plus and I succumbed to their siren call. It's only 5 bucks. That eliminates one trip a month to Subway, which was perfect timing on their part.

Meal of Links

Why buy an iPad? I'm very happy with my new laptop.

Anna Paquin says she's a bisexual. Or is it she just can't make a decision?

Andy Rooney still reads the funny papers. Good God, I think I could take his job.

Movies with the worst opening weekends. Did not pay for any of them, although I thought about "Astro Boy".

There is a new "King of Kong". I sense a rumble.

Best Friend alerted me to this methane bubble. I'm not weirded out by the bubble, but I am taken aback by the overzealous farmer who wants to pop it with his knife.

Everybody loves flyovers, but here are the 10 best flybys. The guy in Number 3 has, as Jerry Caesar would say, "balls the size of church bells".

"Here come those Santa Ana winds again."

Exercise Yard

It's getting closer to the time I actually think about the Indians. Leitch wrote this about 6 weeks ago. How true.

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4 Down: Hockey Hall of Fame nickname (4 letters) Answer: Espo

It's been a long time since I've read a sportspage where I have a million things running through my head upon completion. But here it goes.

Tony Grossi grades the Browns today.

To show how bad the Browns are, 5 of the top 14 players are significant special team players (Cribbs, Vickers, Dawson, Zastudil, Pontbriand). To paraphrase George W. Bush, "He forgot Cundiff!".

Shaun Rogers at #3? "Child, please." Remains overrated by virtually everyone in this town.

Matt Roth plays 6 games and gets rated (Unbelievably in the Top 10), D'Qwell Jackson plays 6 and is not? I don't care who ended up on IR or not.

Jamal Lewis at #19? Not sure how or why.

One thing bugs me about Terry Pluto's column today. The line "You can be jaded and say that Mangini kept the job" and then lists EXACTLY the reasons why. Lerner paying for yet another ex-employee, the upcoming CBA dispute and Holmgren not yet sure he does NOT want to coach.

Why bang on Braylon Edwards? Dude is gone. Still in the playoffs, but gone.

New Tribe pitching coach, Tim Belcher, talked to Jake Westbrook about how he pitched in Puerto Rico. This always kills me. Hop on a plane and go to PR and see the guy pitch live, you don't even need a passport.

After seeing "Sugar" the other day, I will never underestimate the firing of Luis Isaac by the Indians again. From helping the Hispanic players with the English language and having a father figure around who can speak their native language and prepare them for the dos-and-donts of the majors and guide them when things don't go well, these players go through a lot. I mean how many times will you order "French Toast", because that's the only item you know how to pronounce, even though you don't like it. So, I was thrilled to see that Manny Acta, the Most Interesting Manager in the World, visted with Fausto Carmona in the Dominican. At least 15 wins this year, you watch.

Not a surprise that the Jets handled the Bengals. The Bengals offense led the league in three-and-outs and the Bengals had two of them in the first half yesterday.

Not much of a surprise that the Cowboys whipped up on the Eagles again. The Dallas front 7 is really playing well right now and may give Minnesota some fits next week. Last two weeks, the Eagles ran only 10 and 13 times against that Cowboy defense.

Today, I like the Ravens and Packers, but not sure either team will win. I think they'll be close, but not sure they can get over the hump.

Meal of Links

The World's Most Amazing Views. Hard to believe this did not qualify:




















A long excerpt from the book, "Game Change". About John Edwards, his wife, his mistress, etc.

Credit card rates. Going up.

Ten spinoffs better than the original. I have to think about this one more.

CNET lists the award winners from the Consumer Electronics Show. Do we really need 3-D at home?

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It was Mascot Night at the Bart last night. Slider (Indians), Skipper (Captains), Sully (Monsters), Vike (CSU Emeritus) and Magnus (current CSU) were there. No Mister Chicken or Akron Aero guy.


























It was my first look at the new "pressing" CSU Vikings. Due to attrition and bad play, Coach Waters has decided to go with full-court pressure and let the chips fall where they may. A truly weird game. They were "Homered at home" in the first half by the refs (only 2 foul shot attempts by CSU) and had to go to Plan C, with only about 6 minutes gone. Second half foul shot attempts, CSU 15, UIC, 3! Complete reversal.


























CSU eventually wore down Illinois-Chicago to grab a 16-point lead, 65-49, with only 4 minutes to go. Three minutes later, it's 66-63, WTF? In the last minute, CSU hit 4 foul shots for the final score of CSU 70, UIC 63.

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None, on a cold Sunday.

The Yanks haven't been World Series Champs for 24 hours and there are baseball moves already. Manny Acta, get to work!

Meal of Links

Depp and Jolie? In the same movie? That has to be good.

I didn't even know Echo and the Bunnymen were on tour. Moot point, now that it's cancelled. Not due to illness, breakup nor lousy ticket sales, but profit taxes. WTF?

All of your Ft. Hood news is here.

Exercise Yard

God bless the World Cup! Chilean models pose to get tickets to the event. It's a beautiful game.

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46 Across: Jaime Sommers, TV's "_____ Woman" (6 letters) Answer: Bionic (Today's puzzle was by Xan Vongsathorn)

"I think it’s how you finish, not how you start."

Eric Wedge uses his own words to perfectly frame his managerial career here. His horrible April starts have contributed to the Indians playing catchup for virtually his entire occupation here. And the two seasons which are touted as his best, both ended in collapses of, if not epic, fairly significant proportions.

The 2005 team which had 51 losses heading into August, only lost 18 the final two months of the season (remember Scott Elarton's 5-0 September). Unfortunately, Grady Sizemore dropped a fly ball in KC to start the final week, then they lost 6 of 7 and resulted in Ozzie Guillen giving Tribe fans the choke sign. And in 2007, the blowing of the 3-1 lead against Boston in the ALCS. So, even in the good times, ugliness was just around the corner. His other seasons were nondescript, until this year's slide.

There are several things I did not like about Wedge as manager (besides rarely wearing a uniform, overall twitchiness, and language):

Strategy: How many times did I have to see Casey Blake tossed out on a hit-and-run? He also eschewed the bunt. His base coaches didn't know when to send a guy and when to hold them. I was at 2 games this year where the first-base coach's laziness cost us baserunners. Not the third, but the first-base coach!

Bullpen: Way, way, way too late in making a move. I'm of the school where you can let a guy get of his own mess, but Wedge never made the move fast enough. Jeremy Sowers is a perfect place to start. Earlier this season, he had stretches of going only 4 or 5 innings before blowing up. If you know you have a 5-inning pitcher, get someone ready! And those were winnable games. Too many times, Sowers would be about to or actually lose the lead before a change was made. If you carry 13 pitchers, use them.

Fringe Players: Why did he fall in love with Bill Selby, Lou Merloni, Joe Inglett, Mike Rouse and Chris Gimenez? Can't figure that out. Again, in a season considered good, Rouse hit .118 in 2007 and took a roster spot until August. Matt LaPorta could call up Gimenez in July of this year and ask him how it was going in the majors. Amazing.

Favorites: Grady Sizemore finally broke down this year. Yet, Wedge escapes blame for trying to play him every inning of every game for several seasons. And Sizemore absolutely killed the Indians this year by playing through those injuries. His handling of Brandon Phillips and Andy Marte was abysmal. Josh Barfield may be scarred for life, as well.

Calling Out Players: Shapiro: "Fans want to see those, on the shirtsleeve, they want to feel the frustration, they want to feel the emotion, and Eric, to protect the players, didn’t often do that." Uh, Mark. Tell that to Jhonny Peralta. I always say the team knows it's over when players start getting called out in the media. Even Sam Rutigliano did this. Wedge did this more in 2009 than I care to remember. Always a bad sign.

Lineups: Let's see if Ryan Garko plays in the outfield more than 15 times the rest of his career. This year, the craziness was at its height.

Don't weep for Wedge though. He's 41 and can grind out fatherhood for a year and get paid $1.3 million. And he will resurface somewhere. The Royals, Nationals and Pirates may look at his almost .500 career record and salivate at the possibilities.

Meal of Links

It keeps getting harder to keep up with these things. Now the Missing Link has been disproved.

This is even better regarding live music. Hulu broadcasts the ACL Music Festival. The Dead Weather appears Sunday.

A Ramones biopic is in the works. I think that would be interesting.

LeBron and his high school coach talk about "more Than A Game". We should feel lucky. It's here and in limited release tomorrow.

Lindsay Graham talks about Glenn Beck. Limbaugh, too. With video.

James Franco will appear on "General Hospital". Not just once, but for two months! I sense a ratings boost.

Terrell Suggs intercepts a Ravens team photo. I think it's pretty funny.

Exercise Yard

Joe Mauer and the art of stealing signs. Verlander needed to put one inside to Kubel. That would have ended it real quick.

Visitor

65 Across: D'oh (15 letters) Answer: Homer Simpson Cry

I cannot help it. Eric Wedge is driving me insane. I think it's the lack of shaving.

Yesterday, he offered this quote: "He's a consummate pro. He's somebody his teammates can look to for guidance. In a season that's been very hectic, he's been the one constant." Who is he talking about? Jamey Carroll, "The Elf".

Those are the type of comments you expect to hear from a championship club, not some team looking for discarded cigarettes to smoke. Wedge also compared Carroll to (The Dreaded) Casey Blake, in terms of clubhouse presence and the willingness to take up any position at any time. Casey Blake's Legacy: Ryan Garko and Carroll as outfielders. Or maybe that's Lou Merloni's Legacy (he actually spent time in LF in 2004). Or maybe even Bill Selby's Legacy (he spent time in the outfield in 2002 and 2003). Talk about grinders!

Meal of Links

Yesterday, Pitchfork completed its list of the best tracks of the century. Numbers 50-21 are here and the Top 20 are here. This was a really good compilation, and they are spot on with many of the hip-hop selections, as well. I thought "Seven Nation Army" could have done better than Number 30, because it's now one of the most recognizable songs worldwide. I can see "Crazy" at #11, probably the best word-of-mouth song this decade. I see much love, too, for LCD Soundsystem and OutKast and that's not bad.

Lou Dobbs has an epiphany on healthcare. Sort of.

It's back to the land of one-armed drummers, butter sandwiches, drug overdoses and band breakups. Yep, it's the return of "Behind The Music". First up: Lil Wayne on 9/10.

Joel Stein talks about Las Vegas. Kind of a strange place these days.

Thomas Jones of the Jets just loves to watch "The Golden Girls". I don't think I've ever seen that show.

Exercise Yard

Here is the Cleveland Indians organizational depth chart.

I think there is some promise at these positions:

Catcher: Santana is the real deal. Marson will eventually be here.

Second Base: Jason Donald (Lee trade) is back on the DL. Uh-oh.

Third Base: Hodges and don't forget Chisenhall.

Outfield: Brantley.

Starting Pitching: Rondon, Carrasco, Knapp, Hagadone, Graham.

Relief Pitching: Keep your eye on Francisco Jimenez at Lake County.

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14 Across: Role in the film "W." (7 letters) Answer: Jeb Bush

Of all the food I've tried lately, I gotta say stumbling upon Skinny Cow Fudge Bars was probably the best thing I've sampled. It reminds me of the old-time Fudgsicles, with the wooden stick. This stuff is really good.

Others:

Philadelphia Whipped is better than butter.

Pepperidge Farm bread products are pretty good, especially the hamburger buns. But they also make a mean Swirl bread with Cinnamon and Raisin.

By chance, a few weeks ago, I decided to try a frozen pizza from Giant Eagle. I'm usually a thin crust person, but this was on focaccia. Shockingly, it's one of the best frozen pizzas I've ever had. Definitely worth a try, plus you get leftovers!

Not so good:

This one I cannot figure out. When it comes to Deli cheese, I've always been a Land O'Lakes guy. The Sausage Shoppe carries it, but Giant Eagle has that damn Cheese Please or some other crap. I think Dave's dropped it, too. Marc's carries the small package, so all is not lost. But Sargento also has some packaged cheese slices. The Vermont Sharp White Cheddar is terrific and the Provolone is not bad, but the Sharp Cheddar is pretty yucky.

Giant Eagle Diet Root Beer in the 6-pack of plastic bottles for $1.99. Awful.

I learned my lesson on peanut butter. Smart Balance Peanut Butter blows. Back to Skippy Natural.

For the life of me, I bought ice cream sandwiches a few months ago and I finally tossed out the last two hideous ones today. Can't even tell you what brand, as I pitched the box a while back. Round with chocolate filling. May come in a 4-pack. If you're tempted to buy something close to that description, run the other way.

Meal of Links

If you ever get in a tax bracket argument, here's your answer. Please show your work.

The Big Picture series is always pretty good. This time, it's Apollo 11.

I always try to look in on what Nikki Finke writes about Hollywood. Here are some details about her new website deal.

TV has run out of ideas. Get ready for a fantasy football sitcom. How about a miniseries on watching the NFL draft?

Really bad wax figures. That one of Manson looks like he should play Captain Morgan. Jack Nicholson looks that guy who worked at Clifton Web. Bruce Springsteen = Jon Stewart. Omigod! Sandra Bullock!

Exercise Yard

Of course, no one is paying attention, but Baseball Prospectus had a shoutout to one of the Indians prospects that barely gets a mention. he's a third baseman and his name is Lonnie Chisenhall. File it. Just think, Hodges or Chisenhall at third, Santana behind the plate, LaPorta in left, Brantley in center.

Some day, some day.

Visitor

14 Across: TV host Trebek (4 letters) Answer: Alex

Well, it's the All-Star Game tonight. The Indians suck and have a catcher who made the team. Kinda like 1970. Of course, that was the game where Pete Rose bowled over the Indians' Ray Fosse for the game-winning run.

Here is a look back at Fosse's Cleveland career.

Meal of Links

Ruhlman goes to The Cheesecake Factory. As usual, read the Comments. He has some of the best commenters out there.

Bacon. In various forms.

Another list of the 10 Best Rock Docs. This time from Paste. I think I've posted these every time I come across one, because it's fun to see who gets the love. This time "Dig!" was high on the list. The only ones I have not seen are #4 and #7. The rest are all worthy.

Sarah Palin is now writing op-eds. On things she does not get, like cap and trade.

Google does midgets.

The story behind Breaking News Online. Maybe a Dead Pool section?

Exercise Yard

How about a road trip. To Delaware?

Visitor

Across Down: The Rebels of the Southeastern Conference, familiarly (7 letters) Answer: Ole Miss

I had to go by my Dad's tonight to fix his TV. He steps outside to gaze at his Back Forty for a while, comes back in and his cable box is not functioning. He has Wow! Cable, which has been acting like Damn! Cable for a while. I mean, he has no guide because he only has basic cable.

Anyhow, after manually hitting the power button of his cable box, a message appears on his TV screen: "This cable box is not functioning. To view programming, take the cable wire coming from the wall and connect it to the RF input of your TV". Great, we did that and it worked. Since he doesn't have digital cable, I guess he doesn't need the box and hopefully, he doesn't get charged for one.

Strange though. No notification on the elimination of his guide and now no advanced warning on the cable box.

Meal of Links

I had no idea that Casey Kasem finally left American Top 40. I mean, that didn't happen years ago?

A really bad landlord.

I miss Lebowski Fest once again this year because of the annual family reunion. Now the organizers are taking it on the road

Do the Indians know their farm club is giving away a free liposuction tomorrow? Maybe they should aim that at the bullpen.

From the mouths of babes. Michael Jackson's daughter speaks.

Gone but not forgotten snacks and sodas. My big mystery: Why did Frito-Lay stop making Baked Cool Ranch Doritos? That shit was good.

Palin.

Exercise Yard

SI.com with some midseason baseball awards. Let's see, any Indians? Why, yes. AL Worst Manager: Eric Wedge. AL Worst Executive: Mark Shapiro.

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51 Down: Eric Clapton classic (5 letters) Answer: Layla

Best lines from the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest:

"The Leader of the Four Horsemen of the Esophagus." (Always my favorite!)

"The David Blaine of the bowel."

"His stomach is a cauldron in which food is cooked by the heat of his liver."

"He is a genius of competitive eating. He knows why they call it couscous, and not just cous."

BTW, Joey Chestnut ate 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

Meal of Links

Could the use of Twitter, Facebook, blogging actually take us to a golden age of writing? Are we actually writing more than we have been?

Cheeseburger cupcakes! Nice way to cap off the 4th.

The Indians coaching staff gets the dreaded "non-vote of confidence, we'll decide later." Tribe celebrates with a 5-2 loss upon hearing the news.

Bring on the discount tickets.

Exercise Yard

Steve McNair gone at age 36. Hard to believe. I really, really liked him at QB. One tough guy. I'd say some shady circumstances surrounding his death, but still hard to come to grips with. His death was ruled a homicide and I'm sure there is more to come.

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None on a sunny mid-summer Sunday.

Hey, the "Crank 2" trailer is out!



Mr. Mix blew into town from Nashville. Since it was Fat Tuesday, we met Gale out at Art's. It was not really Nawlins, but I had a Po Boy that was OK. Homemade chips still rock though. A very large Hurricane was much much better. Plus a couple of bourbons and yeah, it was fun.

Meal of Links

This dude is seeing 100 bands in 100 days. That sounds like something I would like.

Cheez-It Scrabble tiles. Fun with your food.

David Lynch is on Twitter. But I'm not.

Breakfast Burritos. And lots of 'em.

A glam rock primer. Always listen to T. Rex.

Today in crime. Captain Save-A-Ho got busted.

Exercise Yard

Paul Hoynes obviously read my mind. Eric Wedge with a Quote of the Year candidate: "Batting average, unfortunately for a lot people, it's only been really noted in the last five or 10 years, that it is somewhat of an overrated stat."

Right, we don't know anything.

Visitor

4 Down: Ben Roethislberger, for one (7 letters) Answer: Steeler