Let's Go Tribe: For Cleveland Indians Fans

We are back! After a week-long hiatus due to me being sick, Let's Talk Tribe returns with an episode full of Cleveland Indians talk.Opening Day is rapidly approaching, and that means it's time for the Indians to prepare by adding another outfielder and crowning a fifth starter once and for all. It also means it's the perfect time for Jason and I to make predictions for the upcoming season that will almost surely be wrong.  We missed out on last week's FanPost question, so we made up for it this week by letting Jason tell his legendary Frank Thomas story. I also tell my own traumatic tale of losing a Pittsburgh Pirates hat that was blessed by a parade clown.  Also, of course, we discuss why the Chicago White Sox is just so fantastic to watch from a distance and why maybe have a 14-year-old as your clubhouse leader is not a great idea. Maybe.  Apologies for the frequent Skype screw-ups and my own crackly voice as I recover from an annoying cold. This week's episode clocks in at 65 minutes. Thanks for listeni

We are excited to welcome our first guest onto the show, ESPN.com writer and ZiPS creator Dan Szymborski! Naturally, we talk a lot about projections and how they relate the Indians, and (also naturally) we got a bit sidetracked by more important things -- Ghostbusters, Star Wars, and how to convince people you are related to major leaguers like Gene Larkin. With spring training well underway, Jason and I also take a moment to be thankful for the fact that there are no injuries so far for the Indians, even if the Detroit Tigers have not been so lucky (although Justin Upton appears to be fine). To us, the luster of spring training games has already worn off a bit, but the light at the end of the tunnel is there, Opening Day is just weeks away. Special thanks Intro and outro music: I'm A Machine by Glass LuxQuestions from @XCWarrior1 and @Bud58831769 on TwitterAnd of course Dan for joining us on the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the Cleveland Indians could stop having breaking news right after we record a podcast that'd be great. Last week, Abraham Almonte was suspended one day after we recorded, so it is safe to assume something big is about to go down in the next 24 hours.  Otherwise, we will all be left watching this weird form of baseball that is Spring Training baseball, which is perfectly okay with me. Jason and I also discuss important topics in this episode, like Hank the Dog being an imposter and cereal on hot dogs.  This week's episode clocks in at 43 minutes. Thanks for listening! Subscribe to Let's Talk Tribe On iTunes On BlogTalkRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Check us out on LetsGoTribe.com! I don't know about you guys, but I am unironically pumped that the Cleveland Indians signed Juan Uribe. Naturally, I made sure to bring it up on the podcast, and at the very least, we can all agree he is going to fun to write about. There were some other non-Uribe things to discuss of course, such as the fact that goofy Spring Training games are just a week away.  Jason and I also review the Top 10 Indians prospects as voted on by the Let's Go Tribe community, including why Mike Trout and Bryce Harper have ruined everything when it comes to evaluating prospects. We did not go in-depth with numbers 11 through 20 in the podcast, but you can find more on them here.  Also, we asked around for questions to answer and got some pretty interesting ones. If you would like to ask your own (or if you have any feedback), feel free to comment below, @reply us on Twitter, or email mattr.lyons@gmail.com. Thanks for listening! Special thanks Intro and outro music: I'm A Machine by Glass

Check us out on LetsGoTribe.com! We're back! Jason and I have been working on this for quite some time, so it's exciting to finally reveal the "reboot" of the Let's Talk Tribe podcast. In this newish weekly podcast, we will be discussing everything Indians, baseball, and eventually a bit of post-show extras. In this "first" episode, officially episode 21, we give our thoughts on the Indians offseason so far, Michael Brantley's return schedule, Spring Training battles, and we try to explain why projections systems seem to love the Indians so much. Listen and marvel as I mouth-breath my way through rambling baseball discussions while Jason provides all the real meaningful analysis. You can find the episode embedded below, on our Blog Talk Radio page, or soon (hopefully) on iTunes. Feel free to email any feedback, suggestions, or questions to mattr.lyons@gmail.com and/or leave them in the comments below. Let us know what you think! This week's episode clocks in at 40 minutes.  Topics [01:44] -- Thoughts on

Host Jason Lukehart and host Phil Kehres discuss the first month of the Cleveland Indians' 2014 season, which ended with a six-game losing streak. Topics include questions about who should be in the starting rotation (call up Trevor Bauer or Josh Tomlin, giving Carrasco another chance?), which players are most and least likely to turn things around (or are already turning things around), and how realistic playoff contention is at this point (the Tribe is already 5.5 games behind Detroit). Plus, what is up with this defense?! Is it Lindor time yet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Ryan Richards discuss the first week and a half of the 2014 Cleveland Indians season, including the early returns on Carlos Santana at third base, how Lonnie Chisenhall is being used, the state of the starting rotation, and the somewhat shaky performances of new closer John Axford. Jason and Ryan then talk about what they expect from the team and its American League Central rivals over the course of the season. Can the Tribe make its way back to the playoffs??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart talks with Jonah Keri, lead baseball writer for Grantland and the author of the upcoming book, Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos, which will be released on March 25. Topics include the creation of the book; the ill-fated 1994 season, which saw excellent years for both the Expos and Indians washed away by a labor stoppage; the Bartolo Colon trade between Montreal and Cleveland; and the upcoming 2014 season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Ryan Richards discuss the Indians offseason to this point, starting with the starting rotation and its need for one more arm. Re-sign Scott Kazmir? Bring in Phil Hughes and see what Mickey Callaway can do with him? Talk then turns to the lineup, including newly acquired outfielder David Murphy, the possibility of someone being traded away, and Carlos Santana continuing to be wildly underrated by many Tribe fans... Why people, WHY?! The conversation wraps up with a look at new additions to the 40-man roster, as Cleveland protects some interesting prospects, and finally some speculation on Franciso Lindor's arrival date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guests Ryan Richards and Jay Levin discuss how the Indians find themselves hosting the WIld Card game after a season in which most saw them as a .500 team. What impact have Terry Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway had? Which offseason player acquisition has made the biggest difference? Who's the Tribe's MVP this year? Is Danny Salazar the right man for the job in this do-or-die game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart talks with ESPN.com writer Dan Szymborski, to examine the American League Wild Card race as the season nears its end, and look at what goes into ZiPS, the player/team projection system created by Szymborski. Other topics include what kind of losing team is the worst kind to cheer for, which Indians have overperformed their projections this season, and what it's like to get hate mail when the real villain is a cold, calculating computer that cares not for your human emotions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Ryan Richards (and some friends) discuss the Indians' push for Wild Card spot in the playoffs. Ryan joins the show from the Great Lakes brewery in downtown Cleveland, where he's hanging out with a group of Tribe fans before they head over to Progressive Field for tonight's game with the Astros. Jason, sadly, could not join them, and didn't even have an Eliot Ness to enjoy from his living room. Sigh... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Dean Klubnik (Let's Go Tribe contributor and historian) discuss the Indians' playoff chances, as they sit just 1.5 games back of the second Wild Card, in the thick of a 6-team race for two spots. Other topics include the future of Carlos Santana and Yan Gomes, which starter belongs on the mound if the Indians do make the Wild Card game, and Michael Bourn's comments on attendance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Carson Cistulli (editor at FanGraphs) discuss the Indians' playoff chances, and examine the team's starting pitching options for September and future seasons, with special emphasis on Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Ryan Richards (editor and lead writer at Let's Go Tribe) discuss the Indians' dreadful series in Atlanta, and what it means for their playoff chances as they head into this weekend's showdown in Detroit. Other topics include the surprisingly strong pitching the Tribe has gotten in August... and the awful hitting. For good measure, and to cheer themselves up, Jason and Ryan think back to the 1995 Indians, a team that had no trouble putting up runs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Mike Bates (designated columnist at SBNation, co-founder of The Platoon Advantage, writer at Notgraphs) discuss the American League playoff picture, the Indians' starting rotation, Joe Mauer's concussion and whether he and Carlos Santana should continue to catch or move to other positions, and the future of the AL Central (who's the team to beat come 2015???). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Jason Wojciechowski (who runs Beaneball, ESPN's A's blog and hosts the Back of the Bullpen Podcast) discuss this weekend's series between the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics, the pros and cons of the second Wild Card, 'small market' baseball, Bartolo Colon, and the best Jasons in baseball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Adam Van Arsdale discuss the Indians' last couple weeks, sorting through the wreckage of the sweep by Detroit to determine where the season stands as mid-August nears. Other topics include Ryan Raburn's extension, Mark Reynolds' DFA, Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber, and Mount Kilimanjaro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart and guest Ryan Richards (editor and lead writer at Let's Go Tribe) discuss the Indians state of affairs at the All-Star break, looking back at the first half and ahead to the trade deadline and beyond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Host Jason Lukehart talks with Clark Fosler of 'Royals Review' about this weekend's series between the Indians and Royals. Other topics include each team's chances of contending after the All-Star break, each team's inability to develop starting pitching over recent seasons, and rebuilding vs. going for it as a middling, small market team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices