tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post6893873376994956791..comments2024-02-17T04:00:25.925-06:00Comments on The Platoon Advantage: Indians X-Factor: Matt LaPortaThe Common Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09994070642805307798noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post-77549602376482564662011-03-31T19:21:32.340-05:002011-03-31T19:21:32.340-05:00Who's flogging LaPorta? TCM just expressed an...Who's flogging LaPorta? TCM just expressed an opinion, and sticks by it. X-Factor's a weird term that, to TCM, indicates the season's biggest unknown as far as a team's success goes. The Common Man has a pretty good sense of the Indians young pitching, and it won't help the Indians much now or in the future, but no idea if LaPorta's going to be a decent player or not. You're free to disagree. Indeed, TCM would urge you to GYOMFB so you can express your argument in something approaching coherence.The Common Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994070642805307798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post-56672801897591392012011-03-31T11:25:19.778-05:002011-03-31T11:25:19.778-05:00Quit flogging the LaPorta dead horse. It's a ...Quit flogging the LaPorta dead horse. It's a dumb meme for the season. Accept that the starters count for more, and lets move on to more important things, like...um...well, there are no more important things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post-83271007701989628732011-03-30T13:20:19.542-05:002011-03-30T13:20:19.542-05:00Sure, Branyan is available "every year,"...Sure, Branyan is available "every year," but he's also a) more expensive and b) one of these days he's going to stop hitting.<br /><br />Sure having young pitching is important, but the issue is not that the Indians need to see what their young starters are. The issue is that the Indians don't actually have any young starters who are (or will ever be) very good, with the possible exception of Carrasco.The Common Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994070642805307798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post-38826947689901009752011-03-30T13:11:05.240-05:002011-03-30T13:11:05.240-05:00I coulnd't agree more that the young starters,...I coulnd't agree more that the young starters, Carrasco especially, are more key than LaPorta. It's true that the Tribe needs offense, but Russell Branyan is always available & always hits 25 HRs.Mulletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11214994729318493848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post-52981787217032540602011-03-29T18:27:11.481-05:002011-03-29T18:27:11.481-05:00Masterson has huge split issues he can't recov...Masterson has huge split issues he can't recover from given his arm slot. Needs to be a reliever where the Tribe can pick his spots. Talbot is young like Milton Bradley is even-tempered. What you see (below-average starter) is what you get. Josh Tomlin's similar but two years younger. No Ks and lucked out on BABIP. Don't expect anything. Carrasco has upside. That's it.The Common Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09994070642805307798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064547517730087223.post-32931511431848893442011-03-29T17:51:15.997-05:002011-03-29T17:51:15.997-05:00LaPorta's performance more important than the ...LaPorta's performance more important than the unproven last four starters? Not in my world. LaPorta can take his time and, if he busts, we can always find an over-the-hill hitter to play first (not like that hasn't happened in Cleveland before). <br /><br />Trying to find three or four strters is a little (a lot) tougher. The Indians "X-Factor in 2011 is the peformance of our young pitchers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com