Musings for a Friday the 13th

• Of the teams that have played home games (22), the Indians are dead last in attendance trailing Houston, who is 21st, by over 4,000 fans a game.  Only one of the remaining 8 teams (KC) is even a remote possibility to have fewer fans than the Indians.  The Indians are averaging just over 18,000 people per home game but the last 3 games they didn't even average 10,000 people a game.Bottom line: fans are not going to go see this team.  The basketball team stinks, the football team stinks, yet no one is going to spend money watching this collection of AAAA players.Remember, as I said, except for the 30-15 start last year the Indians are averaging 69-93.  They started 1-4 AT HOME.  This franchise is in trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Let's officially bury the CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee trades.  Anyone who still says that we got anywhere near reasonable value in either of those trades is just flat out wrong.  As I have said previously, those trades, plus the desperate trade for Jimenez and the resultant desperate trades to justify the Jimenez trade will make it so this franchise does not have a winning season for 10 years in a row.

• With the signing of Johnny Damon we will probably bid farewell to Aaron Cunningham, another of Antonnetti's stupid, desperate trades after the Jimenez deal.  The Cunningham deal cost us both Cory Burns and Josh Judy, both of whom are doing well in the minors.

• BTW, have you seen how well the guys we traded for Jimenez are doing?  Even Matt McBride is looking like he might be more than a throw-in on this deal, not surprising as he was hitting well before the trade.

• The Kevin Slowey trade is looking like another dog of a move.  The guy couldn't even make our ML roster this spring.   So, tell me now if you would rather have Zach Putnam or Wheeler/Asencio.

• On a brighter note, LeVon Washington, the guy a lot of fans panned over the winter and when we drafted him, is an on-base machine at Lake County.  He, Francisco Lindor and Luigi Rodriguez are showing why they are among the top Indians' prospects.  Also, the starting pitching throughout our system has been great.  Part of this is due to the backup of pitchers due to our ML depth at AAA but it is encouraging, especially in light of us not having Pomeranz, White and Gardner any more.

• Now, about Johnny Damon.  Hey, with that contract and our current offensive woes he can't hurt this team.  I think, given everything, this is a good addition. I don't see anyone at AAA ready to step up and claim a starting OF spot.  Crowe is a 4th outfielder.  I think he is better than Brantley but that is just my opinion.  Carrera is a classic AAAA player so far as none of his tools play that well in the majors except maybe his defense/arm and LaPorta is not really an OFer.  Huffman is just a AAAA guy, as well.  Sizemore is hurt so Damon is an answer.  Once again, however, it shows how foolish the Indians were to give Hafner and his bad wing a long-term contract at DH.  Giving DHs long term contracts is even more foolish that giving pitchers long term contracts, IMO.  DH is where you put your guys to rest them or for a year or two later in their career.  If Hafner stays healthy and stays productive he can be an average DH, meaning we don't need to give his ABs away.   Still, signing Hafner KILLED our flexibility, first with VMart and now somewhat with Santana. 

Well, on to KC and a franchise that is headed in the right direction.  How times have changed since I used to go over to KC and watch the Indians spank the hapless Royals.

So, Mr. Antonnetti, good job so far....if you spend your days watching the ownership of "Major League".  You are doing a great impersonation of those people!