Wait til 2011? Maybe Not Cleveland

The 2010 MLB season came to an end earlier this month with the New York Yankees riding off with the Commissioner’s Trophy into the $200,000,000 sunset. This is not me being critical of the Yankees for their spending ways, the league allows them to do this. So who am I to hate them for it? If anything it is envy. Envy because the Yankees, playing in the world’s largest market receive more advertising dollars and other forms of revenue reinvest that cash into putting the best possible product on the field. The following season made me more envious of the Yankees than ever.
As a Cleveland Indians fan I approached the 2009 season with the highest hopes since Manny Ramirez’s final season in Cleveland. The Tribe were coming off a season plagued by injuries but were able to finish strong and end up with an 81-81 record. The acquisitions of Kerry Wood, Mark DeRosa, and Joe Smith addressed the key needs from the year before and showed that the front office was committed to a "win now" attitude and bringing a title to championship starved Northeast Ohio. Then... More of the same. Inconsistent starting pitching combined with a bullpen that never left anyone feeling confident, as well as injuries to Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, and Asdrubal Cabrera resulted in the club’s worst record in almost twenty years.
Yes there was not much to be proud of on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario in 2009. It would be easy for fans to look at the upcoming season with very little hope for success, not only this year, but for years to come. That is where I separate myself from the majority of Cleveland fans. Living in South Florida, I know it is possible for a team to slash payroll and still field a competitive team. It starts from the top and works its way down to the field level. I still have faith that Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti are capable of judging the talent required to make the Indians competitors in a division where everyone is plagued by the down economy.
So what can the Indians do between now and Opening Day to provide little if any hope to all the pessimistic fans along Lake Erie? Here are some of my suggestions that will leave the payroll down and keep the talent up.
1. Sign Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo to multi-year contracts.
After dealing Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee, GM Mark Shapiro told fans to expect to be contenders again around the 2011 season. What better way to show commitment to success beyond 2011 than to lock up the Tribe’s two break out stars. Choo showed signs that he can be a star in this league by staying in the top ten in OBP through most of the season, hitting 20 Home Runs, stealing 21 bases, and playing outstanding defense in Right Field. Cabrera lead the team in batting with a .308 batting average and solidified the defense up the middle of the infield the way Jhonny Peralta never could. These guys hit 2,3 or 3,4 in the batting order all season (while healthy). With Grady Sizemore leading off that makes for a tough first inning for any starting pitcher in this league. They both earned to be rewarded for their work in a season that had few bright spots. Owner Larry Dolan should do what’s right for these players and the fans and keep them in Cleveland as long as possible.
2. The starting rotation should look like:
Um.... wow this is not as easy as I thought. How do you field a starting rotation when your options are about seven guys who have a tough time getting through the fourth inning and Jake Westbrook coming off of Tommy John surgery? I don’t buy too much into the importance of who is the Opening Day starter when the season spans 162 games. Whatever spot he is given in the rotation, Westbrook has to be the ace of the staff in order to contend. It’s a lot to ask a guy who has played in 8 games over 2 seasons, but if the sinker is still down in the zone Jake can give the club a chance to win at least 15 of his starts. Fausto Carmona needs to work with new pitching coach Tim Belcher and find a way to not put the weight of the organization on his shoulders every time he gets behind in a count. During Carmona’s breakout season in 2007, he dominated hitters with his sinker. As batters saw him more, they adjusted to it and jumped all over his fastball. Now it is time for Fausto to make the next adjustment and utilize the talent he has, to get back to his ‘07 form. A 1-2 combo of Westbrook and Carmona will give the team plenty of chances to win with their ability to keep the ball on the ground and in the park.
Spots 3-5 is where it gets tricky. David Huff lead the team with 11 wins last season, that could give him a leg up on his competition. I wouldn’t mind new manager Manny Acta to approach this spring without considering last years results and base his rotation on what he sees in Goodyear, AZ this March. Aaron Laffey showed signs that he can start successfully in this league but had a tough time putting together consecutive quality starts. Jeremy Sowers resembles Bob Lemon until about the 3rd inning when he faces batters for the second time. Carlos Carrasco was acquired in the deal that sent Cliff Lee to Philly, so fans will want immediate return on the trade that parted them with their best pitcher and perhaps he breaks through this season as a dark-horse ace.
Whoever Acta decides to send to the mound every fifth day I only have one request: When a pitcher is named a starter or reliever, keep them there! I watched countless amounts of times when Eric Wedge would flip/flop guys from starters to relievers and it never; not once, did it ever work. I know these guys are professionals but it has to effect them mentally. Justin Masterson is who comes to mind. This young man belongs in the bullpen. He has great "stuff", if you will and that stuff is best suited for a tight situation late in the game. Along with Chris Perez, Joe Smith, and Kerry Wood the Indians have the makings of a good young bullpen. Perez is who I expect great things from. The fact that Shapiro landed him and Jess Todd from St. Louis for Mark DeRosa could wind up being a huge steal if DeRosa signs elsewhere and the two relievers meet their potential.
3. Sign Nick Johnson.
The final member of the Expos squad that relocated to D.C. is now on the open market. The Indians have a hole at first base (the only in house candidate is Andy Marte). Johnson finished up last season with the Marlins after being acquired at the deadline. As he has throughout his entire career, he battled injuries down the stretch. Because of his prone to injury, I do not see any club giving the 31 year old a long-term contract, making him affordable to an Indians team in reload mode. Johnson answers a couple of questions the Indians have. You can put the guy just about anywhere in the batting order. If Manny Acta likes the idea of Sizemore leading of with Cabrerea and Choo 3-4, respectively, Johnson can be inserted to the 2 spot. This could work out great with his ability to put the ball in play along with Grady’s speed on the base paths. Johnson would also prove beneficial in the middle of the order which is where the Tribe received very little help towards the second half of last season. Despite the Tribe’s struggles last season they still managed to finish 6th in the AL in On Base Percentage (.339) trailing only the 4 teams that made the playoffs and Tampa Bay. Adding the career .402 OBP Johnson would be a terrific addition to a young Indians batting order.
The problem I have found with most Indian’s fans is they have this belief that they are the only team that is cutting pay roll. They are quick to call for the owner to sell the team and even quicker to call for GM Mark Shapiro to be fired. Tribe fans need to realize that the 1990's are long gone and they must adapt to the new way to contend, and sad to say a 90 million dollar pay roll is not going to be the approach for a while. The entire AL Central is strapped for cash, not just the Sons of Cuyahoga. Last season the White Sox let Joe Crede go before the season, traded Jim Thome at the deadline, and recently decided to part ways with Jermaine Dye. The Tigers have been rumored to be shopping Curtis Granderson, Edwin Jackson, Brandon Inge, and for the right offer would entertain the idea of parting with Miguel Cabrera. The Royals don’t register as a threat after trading Mark Teahen for whatever reason during the World Series. My point is that in this division, salary isn’t as important as scouting and managerial decision making. These five teams will battle it out all season for the next few years with the winner only being decided by a few games. The Twins have the crown going into next season, but with the right moves made over the winter, the Indians can make a run for the throne sooner than many believe.

My ideal Opening Day line-up
1. CF Grady Sizemore
2. SS Asdrubal Cabrera
3. RF Shin-Soo Choo
4. DH Travis Hafner
5. 1B Nick Johnson
6. 3B Jhonny Peralta
7. LF Matt LaPorta
8. C Kelly Shopach
9 2B Luis Valbuena
Bench
C Lou Marson
1B/3B Andy Marte
2B/SS Omar Visquel
OF Trever Crowe
Rotation
RHP Jake Westbrook
RHP Fausto Carmona
LHP David Huff
LHP Aaron Laffey
RHP Carlos Carasco
Bullpen
RHP Jensen Lewis
RHP Justin Masterson
LHP Rafael Perez
LHP Tony Sipp
RHP Joe Smith
RHP Jose Veras
RHP Kerry Wood

A Plea to Hollywood: Spec Scripts

Alright, Family Feud time. Give me the top 3 reasons why the film industry is in shambles right now, because we all know it is. What would you come up with? One: rising costs. Sure, tickets and concessions are way too high; especially considering the product we’re being given. It’s becoming cheaper to go to a live musical production or a play than it is to venture to the multiplex, and it’s more fun. Two: celebrity. Movies are becoming more and more about who’s in the movie, and not so much “are they good actors?”, but more like “what’s going on in their personal life?” Celebrities with baggage are bringing down movies, and the rise of these miserable publications like “US Weekly” has become more influential in deciding who gets hired for a movie. Because, let’s face it, it’s difficult to delineate between the person you’re seeing on screen and the person you read about at the grocery store. Pretty soon their off-screen antics transfer into your mind’s idea of that actor and it carries over into the theater. I mean, how many big-budget or Oscar-bait films are being thrown at Lindsey Lohan? I bet none, because she drags that film down to her subterranean quarters situated somewhere in the underbelly of Hell. Best idea for these kinds of people: put them back in first grade and make them go through school Billy Madison-style. If they finish, they can resume making films. I’d give 2-to-1 she doesn’t get past 4th grade. Who am I kidding, I’d probably get 3-to-5 she can’t finish a Dr. Seuss book.

But, we all know what’s really wrong with the film industry: lack of creativity. Rehashed ideas, formulaic productions, remakes, and sequels galore. And why? Because Hollywood has gotten lazy and boring. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the Academy Award winners for Best Picture in the last 20 years: Driving Miss Daisy (1989), Dances With Wolves (1990), Silence of the Lambs (1991), Unforgiven (1992), Schindler’s List (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), Braveheart (1995), The English Patient (1996), Titanic (1997), Shakespeare In Love (1998), American Beauty (1999), Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Chicago (2002), Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Crash (2005), The Departed (2006), No Country for Old Men (2007), Slumdog Millionaire (2008).

Not exactly an astounding list, is it? Glance over that list and tell me how many bona fide classics are in that mix. I can think of maybe three (Silence of the Lambs, Schindler’s List, American Beauty), excluding Lord of the Rings because that will be remembered as a whole and not by the pieces, and Titanic will only be remembered for it’s box office figures and a hit song. I might even throw Gladiator in there as well. And, sure, I understand a film doesn’t need an Academy Award in order to qualify as a classic (Forrest Gump beat Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture in 1994, which is, needless to say, unthinkable considering each film’s standing with the public 15 years later).

Now, where do movies come from? They start with an idea, an idea that becomes fleshed out over time. We have screenwriters to thank for that. The noble screenwriters never get their due respect, except within the industry. And that’s the problem. Everyone has to start somewhere, and in the movie business it’s no different. Movie execs start out as interns, directors start out as assistant cameramen, and writers start out as…..well, writers. It’s the lost art of the spec script (def: a screenplay written by someone outside the movie business). Studio executives don’t luck into good screenplays anymore, they’re handed a small stack by “readers”, who’s only job is to read screenplays and decide what’s good and what’s not. And who are these readers? Nobody. Imagine this: the Good Will Hunting screenplay bounced around every studio in Hollywood in the early 90’s without a single taker. Nobody liked it, not one studio reader. Kevin Smith, film director and good friend of Good Will Hunting co-writer Ben Affleck, physically hands the script to Harvey Weinstein at Miramax. Harvey loves it, they make it, and wouldn’t you know it, the script wins Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards that year. Which tells us one thing: not only was it a good script….it was the best fucking script of that entire year!!!!! It makes me want to run into walls head-first. As a matter of fact, I’ll be right back………Ok, all better. A script that goes on to win an Oscar was passed over by reader after reader, studio after studio, until someone with a fucking brain and a set of balls read it. I swear, if there’s ever a nuclear holocaust, Hollywood will survive, just like cockroaches.

And that brings us to the point: Hollywood has no balls. They’re so afraid of change they stick with the same formulas over and over again, treading the same waters and latching onto any trend they can. Now, the consumers are just as much to blame. The general public actually hands over money to watch this filth, so why would they stop making them? They have no incentive. When someone comes up with a truly original idea the public needs to respond and show they appreciate something more than Hollywood normally has to offer. Consider a film like Memento. It’s an independent film made on a modest budget of $5,000,000, and it goes on to earn just over $25,000,000 during its run in theaters. Now, take a look at the IMDB top 250 films based on user rating. It’s #26!!! The general public has rated this film #26 out of all movies, and it’s warranted. It’s one of the most truly ingenious films I’ve ever seen and it deserves its recognition. And, by the way, it was directed by a little known fella by the name of Christopher Nolan. That’s right, kids, the same guy that blew the world away with The Dark Knight directed a cult indie classic that is still only appreciated by devoted cinephiles. And why? Because it’s smart and original. Seemingly, only the independents have the guts to roll with a genre-bending idea like Memento. Present the public with the option, give them a taste of something original and see how it pans out.

But, where are all the original ideas? Not in Hollywood, we know that much. What Hollywood does have is polished writers, veterans who know how to write for the screen but have lost their creative edge. Screenwriters get multi-picture deals with studios the same way directors and actors do. They’re pushed to create in a certain time-frame, under studio guidelines. Can you think of anything more creatively stifling than that? They don’t have the chance to create something organically. Here’s an idea: Hey, Hollywood, you know all those piles of scripts, log-lines and synopsis’ you receive on a daily basis? Take a look at them!! Just because these writers aren’t “in the club” doesn’t mean they don’t have original ideas to offer. With the plethora of information on screenwriting and the availability to view produced scripts online, even the freelance writers can hone their craft. There’s talent amongst the public, but Hollywood is too caught up in its own ways to see it. What would be the harm in optioning a spec script with a fresh take on an old formula, and maybe cleaning up some of the rough points with one of your stock writers you have under contract? So, you get the best of both worlds: an outsider with a hunger and a taste for outside-the-box thinking and a savvy vet who polishes the stone for a small fee. It’s a win-win.

Hollywood, it’s time to look elsewhere. These writers are out there, waiting to be found. For the sake of the industry, give them a chance.