Wahoo's on First » casey blake

Why You Should Care About Minor-League Signings

Lewie Pollis — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:30:42 +0000

It’s the end of January and just about every spot on the Indians’ 2013 roster is taken care of. With the exception of a designated hitter, odds are we won’t see the Tribe sign any other free agents to guaranteed contracts before Opening Day. But that doesn’t mean that Cleveland is done for the winter—in fact, as Spring Training nears, you can expect to see a flurry of activity out of the Indians’ front office. (more…)

An Ode to Casey Blake

Merritt Rohlfing — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:41:17 +0000

Casey Blake announced his retirement Tuesday, ending a 13-year career that saw him become a regular in the majors when at the ripe age of 29. He played for five teams in his time—he was originally drafted in the seventh round by the Blue Jays but ended up playing in all kinds of places, from Minnesota to Los Angeles. But to me Casey Blake is, was, and always will be a Cleveland Indian. (more…)

The 2007 Cleveland Indians: Five Years Later

Katie Hendershot — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:41:52 +0000

Remember Roberto Hernandez? No, I’m not talking about the pitcher we used to call Fausto Carmona. (Or do we still call him that? I’m really not sure.) I’m talking about the pitcher that was with the Tribe back in the exciting season of 2007. My guess is that most Cleveland Indians fans don’t remember Hernandez, who appeared in only 28 games before being released by the Indians at the end of June that year.

There has been a lot of turnover in the Indians lineup in the recent years. This season will mark the fifth year since the whirlwind of a season that left Indians fans reeling after coming within one game of the World Series.

Looking at the roster the Indians put on the field in 2007, not many of the players are still in Cleveland. Some of the names are recognizable, and even memorable. But for most of the players, if they were with the Tribe beyond 2007, they probably weren’t there much longer.

It many respects, it’s easy to think of the 2007 Cleveland Indians and the 2012 Cleveland Indians as two entirely different teams, with completely unique identities. We have yet to see if the 2012 version has the ability to make a splash and have a magical season like the one of 2007.

Remember David Dellucci? Maybe, but do you know what he’s done since leaving the Tribe in 2009? He’s not the only member of that team who seems to have disappeared from the sport of baseball entirely and the faded from the memories of Indians fans. I doubt many future grandfathers will tell stories of the “great” Ryan Garko, but they will tell stories of that fateful October. It was one to remember, but it seems that many of the players weren’t. So where are they now? (more…)