Victor Martinez rounding the bases in the 2007 American League Championship Series after being driven home by a Jhonny Peralta home run.

Tomorrow night, Victor Martinez will take the field as the Indians lone member of the American League All-Star team. Last season in the Bronx, Cliff Lee started for the AL and pitched two solid innings, while striking out two batters. Grady Sizemore also participated going 1-for-5 and scoring a run in the American League’s 15-inning, 5-4 victory. This year will mark Martinez’s third appearance in the midsummer classic.

In his two previous appearances (2004 and 2007), Martinez recorded two total at-bats. But he will be remembered by Tribe fans for what he did during the 2007 matchup in San Francisco. With a slim 3-2 lead for the AL entering the 8th inning, Martinez came in to pinch hit for the pitcher’s slot, and promptly launched a two-run homer over the left field fence. This gave the American League a 5-2 lead, but also provided the deciding runs as the National League rallied in the bottom of the ninth to fall 5-4.

On the year, Martinez is batting .294 with 14 home runs, 59 RBIs, and 54 runs scored. With injuries to key players such as Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner, Victor has definitely had to pull more than just his own weight for the club this year. In such a trying season, Victor Martinez remains to be one of the bright spots for the fans, and the organization as a whole…hopefully for future seasons as well! Congrats, Victor!

Tomo Ohka acting out the familiar role of Indians' pitcher.

As if it mattered to Tribe fans, the All-Star Break is now upon us, and the Indians are still in last place…and worst in the American League. Barring something that happens in the movies, such as Major League (parts I or II), this season will go down like several others in Cleveland sports lore…a huge disappointment.

Sunday afternoon, the Indians (a microscopic 13 games out of first place) tussled with AL Central leading Detroit. The Tigers demolished Cleveland 10-1 in the rubber match to win the series.

As if facing Cy Young candidate Justin Verlander wasn’t enough to dampen the Indians lumber a bit, Detroit put up a combined 9 runs in the 4th, 5th, and 6th innings. Tiger rightfielder Clete Thomas, replacing Magglio Ordonez, homered, tripled, and singled on the day to drive in half of the Detroit’s runs. He also scored two of his own. All-Star third baseman (and Home Run Derby participant come Monday) Brandon Inge hit two homers, driving in three runs. Not to be left out, Marcus Thames had a sparkling day at the plate as he went 4-for-4 with an RBI.

Justin Verlander (10-4) recorded the win while pitching seven strong innings, striking out eight, and only surrendering five hits and three walks.

On the flip side, Grady Sizemore was the only Indian to have a multiple hit afternoon, with two. The lone All-Star from Cleveland, Victor Martinez, went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Starting pitcher Tomo Ohka (0-3) only lasted 3 2/3 innings while giving up five earned runs, aided by two long balls. The bullpen didn’t fare much better, but little was left in doubt at that point.

After the game, Ohka stated, “My fastball was up. I felt OK, but I kept making bad pitches.” Last I checked, leaving a fastball up in the zone usually doesn’t make any pitcher feel okay.

Eric Wedge countered with: “It’s been a disappointment. There’s a long way to go, and I still feel good about the lineup we are putting out there every day, but we’ve got to improve the rotation and our bullpen.”

Really Eric?

A resurgent Jose Contreras dominated the Indians for six and one-third inning. He allowed six hits and one run, while striking out nine and walking only one. Cleveland hitters fanned 12 times overall on the night.

The only bright spot for the Indians was a solo home run off the bat of Jhonny Peralta, his sixth of the season. For Peralta, the home run offers little solace in what has been an otherwise forgettable year.

The return of Grady Sizemore had sparked the Cleveland offense slightly, but the star mustered only one hit tonight, equalling the team high (yes, six batters recorded a single hit).

After yesterday’s blowup on the mound, Chris Perez pitched a scoreless inning while strikeout out two, dropping his ERA to a microscopic 16.20. This is an improvement after Perez’s blown save yesterday, in which he allowed two runs on three hits, the devastating blow being a home run.

Aaron Laffey (3-2) earned the loss while giving up four runs on seven hits in six innings. The effort was enough to drop Cleveland to just 19 games back of .500.

One has to wonder what is keeping Mark Shapiro from making some serious changes.

Despite the lack of wins, fans in Columbus have enjoyed seeing Cleveland stars rehab while with the Clippers, even if the Indians’ fans are tired of seeing their stud players get hurt. Travis Hafner, Fausto Carmona, and Rafael Betancourt have all spent time in the state capital of Ohio this season, the latter of which recorded a win in today’s 8-1 victory over the Toledo Mud Hens.

In typical Tribe fashion, the Clippers swing some of the best bats in the league. Their .277 team average is currently tied with Norfolk for the IL’s best. Columbus’ 69 home runs are 4th in the league, while their 396 runs scored is 2nd in the IL, only three behind Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the pitching for Columbus. The staff has given up more home runs (75), more runs scored (420), and more hits (831) than the rest of the league. Even worse, no other team in the IL has given up more than 800 hits or 400 runs, not even the lowly Buffalo Bisons. The club also maintains the worst ERA (4.67) and lowest strikeout total (506) for the league. And the Clippers have only recorded ONE shutout…ONE!

Columbus is sending three younger stars to the Triple-A All-Star Game in Portland, Oregon: catcher Wyatt Toregas, infielder Andy Marte, and outfielder Jordan Brown…all of whom are in their mid-20’s. Marte and Brown are both in the top 10 in the IL for hitting, and are the leaders for the Clippers in RBIs with 46 and 42, respectively. Torregas has done an admirable job catching during the absence of Chris Gimenez, with 7 home runs and 27 RBIs in just a handful of games.

Top prospect Matt LaPorta continues to impress as he has raked in 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, and a .307 batting average. Even better, his strikeout to walk ratio remains rock solid, something that can hopefully keep intact by the time he reaches Cleveland.

Perhaps the brightest spot for Columbus this season is the attendance marks. The Clippers have averaged 9,347 fans a game at Huntington Park, tops in the league. They are the only club to average over 9,000 thus far. Here’s to a great finish to the season for some great fans!

Before June, the Indians were still described as contenders in a weak division. Most of the team’s struggles were blamed on injuries to star players, such as Grady Sizemore and Asdrubal Cabrera. Despite being stuck in the AL Central basement, the Indians were within ’striking distance’ of the Detroit Tigers. The Indians were rolling until the midpoint of the month, as they took two out of three from the White Sox, Royals, and Cardinals. Pitching problems and bullpen woes seemed to be at rest as Cleveland hurlers allowed only 30 runs in the nine games against the aforementioned teams.

Then…the Milwauke Brewers strolled into Progressive Field and swept the Indians in three games decided by two runs or less. Pitchers allowed 30 runs alone in the three game set against the Brewers. The Indians then went to Wrigley Field, only to be swept again, mainly due to monumental bullpen breakdowns. Newly acquired closer Kerry Wood finally made Cubbie fans appreciate his on-mound talents, albeit, while playing for the opposing Indians. Cleveland rounded out the month going 2-6 against the NL Central’s Pirates and Reds.

The interleague woes continued, and the pitching turned horrible. What started out as a promising month turned into a 9-18 slump leaving the Indians as cellar dwellars still.

Despite some solid performances from newcomers Luis Valbuena and David Huff, the Indians season remains bleak. Granted, Grady Sizemore is healthy, and the Tribe looks to bolster their pitching staff with the return of healthy arms.

Unfortunately, Cleveland is now 13.0 games behind the 44-35 Tigers. Detroit, Chicago, and Minnesota have all managed winning records in their past ten games, while Cleveland has fluttered at 3-7. if it hasn’t been already, is the white flag going to be raised soon?

Chris Perez gives Cleveland fans a taste of what is not to come, hopefully.

In a move that could have helped Cleveland’s bullpen and raised the white flag at once, Mark DeRosa was sent to St. Louis for a young reliever named Chris Perez. DeRosa, the all out, “play ball like a kid,” kinda guy, gone. How could the trade possibly be worth it?

Insert Perez, the 24-year old righty drafted in the first round of the 2006 draft by St. Louis, a club known for selecting talented players and milking the most out of them. Surely, the young gun could do nothing but help the team with arguably the worst bullpen in the majors, right?

In his Indians’ debut on Monday, Chris Perez officially became a member of the Tribe. No, I don’t mean he put on the cap and the uniform and waltzed on to Progressive Field. I mean, Chris Perez folded. He choked. He said it himself, the first impression was downright pathetic.

In 29 appearances in the National League, Perez managed 30 strikeouts against 15 walks, but only allowed 11 earned runs. Only 17 hits had been gathered against Perez in the other league, as he accumulated a win, a save, and three holds.

Perhaps his worst outing came at Wrigley Field on April 28th when he gave up two runs in the bottom of eighth, ensuring himself a loss and a blown save. In that frame, Perez gave up two earned runs on an Alfonso Soriano blast. Sure, his numbers have been worse before, but not in a clutch situation.

Come Monday, that all changed. Facing a 2-0 defecit against the White Sox heading into the top of the ninth inning, Eric Wedge decided to give his new weapon a shot. Instead of displaying some skills that could help him become a key arm in the bullpen, Perez hit the first two batters (near the facial area both times), then walked the bases loaded. A fielder’s choice scored Jayson Nix, followed by a double by Chris Getz that plated two more. A wild pitch brought in A.J. Pierzynski, and a single by Gordon Beckham brought in Getz.

After just two-thirds of an inning, Perez let the lead balloon to 6-0, officially ending hopes of a possible Tribe comeback, despite their own 3-run ninth.

Chris, welcome to Cleveland!

Micah Owings (5-8) went six strong innings for Cincy, allowing only five hits and one earned run, to go along with four strikeouts. David Huff, one of the few bright spots for the Indians as of late, gave up seven runs (six earned), on nine hits through five innings.

In an extremely non-clutch situation, the Cleveland bullpen managed to pitch four innings while giving up a lone run, off of lefty Rafael Perez. Perez still gave up four hits over two frames.

The loss gives Cincinnati the season series over Cleveland, as the Reds took two of three at both Progressive Field and Great American Ballpark. The Indians only managed a 5-13 record against National League teams this season.

Perhaps the brightest moment of the night for the Indians came when recently activated infielder Asdrubal Cabrera singled and scored in the first inning. Then again, in a season like this, returning to the Indians isn’t what the doctor ordered.

On Sunday, Mark DeRosa was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named.

In a deal on Saturday, Mark Shapiro and John Mozeliak, General Manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, finalized a trade that will send Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals for right-handed reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later.

In losing DeRosa, Cleveland gives up a consistent bat, and maybe the best definition of a utility player in today’s game. DeRosa played whatever position was necessary to fit in the lineup. After obtaining DeRosa prior to the start of this season, fans sensed that a missing puzzle piece was finally found. The gritty thrity-four year old still played the game like a kid, wanting to do whatever it took for a win. In a recent interview on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight, Mozeliak praised DeRosa’s versatility, but mentioned that third base would be the primary target.

Chris Perez certainly provides one of baseball’s worst bullpens with some instant relief. Cleveland has been abysmal in holding late leads. This alone has put Eric Wedge, and possibly others, on the hot seat in the city by the lake. Perez is currently 1-1, with a 4.18 ERA, a 30-15 strikeout-walk ratio, and one save. Perez, who turns 24 next week, also brings some youth to the bullpen…hopefully meaning he can further improve on numbers that are akready good enough for the Tribe.

Eric Wedge's Indians have been stuck in last place for most of the season.

When analyzing a manager’s job status, measurements go beyond the wins and losses. It’s how the team loses. What talents does the team have? How does the team respond to the manager as a motivator?

Unfortunately for the Indians, the majority of their losses come from blown leads and poor pitching performances in the later innings. The front office carefully built a power hitting ballclub years back to complement the arms of CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona. This ballclub peaked in 2007 as the Indians were a mere one win from reaching the World Series. Surely, the fans would have reason to cheer, as the Tribe was simply an upstart team, perhaps lacking the experience of the Red Sox. Surely, a year of seasoning would bring even better results on the grand stage.

Flash forward to the current season. Cleveland is last in the division, after several publications projected the Tribe to rebound from a disappointing 81-81 record. Despite that record, people took notice of Cleveland’s 44-28 finish after a pathetic 37-53 start. No doubt, injuries played a factor, as did some major slumps by key players.

These days, Hafner and Sizemore are battling through those pesky injuries…and so is the rising infield stud Asdrubal Cabrera. While Victor Martinez seems to be back on track, Fausto Carmona is nowhere near his former battery-mate in Cleveland. Carmona was recently sent from the major leagues all the way down to rookie ball. The pitcher who began his Indians career with some troublesome head issues, now appears to be heading down the same path, just a few seasons later.

Who is to blame for the teams lack of success, despite the talent? For the people who think this problem is purely because of the bullpen, then pitching coach Carl Willis and bullpen coach Chuck Fernandez take sole blame. Maybe GM Mark Shapiro really didn’t obtain the right personnel to win ballgames with. And lastly, the Big Chief himself, Eric Wedge…maybe he just isn’t cut out to get the job done with this year’s Indians.

The next question, IF Wedge goes, what happens to the rest of the season? Jim Tracy in Colorado is proving that the interim tag could possibly become a permanent gig, something proved by the man Tracy took over for, Clint Hurdle. For years, the Rockies were mired in mediocrity under Hurdle, until the dream stretch in 2007 in which Colorado went streaking through the end of the regular season and the playoffs to reach the World Series against the Red Sox, only to lose in four straight. Interim manager of the 2003 Florida Marlins, Jack McKeon, enjoyed the taste of champagne and the sparkle of a World Series ring after taking over in Miami midseason.

Do the Indians have a man to do the job now? Is Wedge the best option? Does he deserve a chance to finish the season? As the losses to mediocre teams mount, and as the Indians plummet farther from the pack, the seat for Eric Wedge gets hotter. How hot is too hot?

Despite a 5-0 lead headed into the ninth, Matt Herges and Kerry Wood combined to give up five hits, two walks, and four runs. For a change, the comeback by the opposition fell short, allowing the Indians to end their six game skid.

Huff (3-2) was brilliant, allowing only four hits over eight scoreless innings…before the near disaster in the ninth. Huff recorded his third win in his last four starts. Sizemore opened up the scoring for Cleveland with a two-run triple in the third. Later in the inning, Jhonny Peralta singled in two more runs. Peralta later added a solo home run in the sixth inning.

The seemingly safe lead was in jeopardy after a Matt Herges mini-meltdown, and the all too common…Kerry Wood batting practice session.

Grady Sizemore warming up before his return to the diamond after a stint on the DL.

One can only wonder what runs through Eric Wedge’s mind these days when the starter is pulled. One can also wonder how many days Wedge has left to right the ship before the plug is pulled on his managing tenure, and probably this season.