Tribe Prospect Countdown: #33 RHP Steven Wright

6'1", 200 lbs, 27 in 2012

2011 Stats (A, A+, AA, AAA): 4-8, 4.58, 1.61 WHIP, .284 OBA, 4.6 BB/9, 6.5 K/9)

Oh, good, another right-handed pitcher and this one's 27 with crappy numbers.  What's the deal?  As recently as 2009, Wright was a reasonable and traditional prospect.  At 24, he put up a 10-0 record and 2.32 ERA for AA Akron.  So, what happened?  As he pitched at four different levels last year, one might suspect that Steven is recovering from an injury.  That would be entirely incorrect.  After two unsuccessful stints with AAA Columbus (6.61 ERA), Wright traded in his 94 MPH fastball and hard slider for the hard-knock life of a knuckleballer.  Following extensive work with former Indian Tom Candiotti during the off-season and through spring camp, he built his repertoire from around 60% knucklers in his first 2011 start to around 90% as the season wound down.  The BB/9 average describes the predictable control issues and the 18 home runs he allowed over 133 innings are indicative of his overall lack of feel for the notoriously touch-oriented pitch.  Still, Steven has a lot going for him.  Given the the recent renaissance of knuckleballers (R.A. Dickey anyone?  Even Charlie Haeger), he will likely get a shot at the big league level if he can show even moderate command.  With the Candy Man in his corner, Wright has a leg up on those without easy access to one of the fraternity's select few.  Unlike many prospects, his success is a true coin flip.  Neither age, nor injury, and not even middling minor league statistics will hamper his advance.  Wright is completely committed to the new school 72-76 MPH knuckler and if he can continue to advance his mastery of Uncle Knails, then a big league call is truly just a knuckle's length away.

Up Next: #32 - RHP Bryan Price

Suicide Squeeze - Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Pretty Girl Update! - Lauren Conrad

Do you get it?  Huh?  Do you get it?  Nah.  It's just about Lauren's boobs.

INTJ

INTP: "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. They are good at logic and math and make good philosophers and theoretical scientists. 1% of the total population.

There are 99 people of every 100 to do the rest.  I'm just gonna do me.

The bit you have to get is that it's not about just doing it, it's about believing it, believing yourself.

Also, it's step 1.

Cheers. 

Pretty Girl 11.01.11 - Jenna Lee

I'll tell ya, I might have to go right just for the "foxtrots."

Suicide Squeeze - Cue Little Green Bag

Lowe Point

On the same day that the Indians declined their $9mil option on former face of the franchise Grady Sizemore, the organization also made two moves to "bolster" the starting five.  Frankly, neither move makes any sense whatsoever to me.

In a hotly debated decision, the Tribe picked up Fausto Carmona's $7mil option for 2012.  I could have done without that.  In an even more bizzare transaction, the Indians have acquired veteran RHP Derek Lowe from Atlanta for incosnsequential LHP Chris Jones.  The Braves will pick up $10mil of the $15mil owed to the 38-year old in the final year of his contract.

You might recall Lowe for his career 2.45 ERA against the Tribe, their struggles against him the '98 and '99 postseasons or, more recently, the rotten egg he laid for the Braves in September.  Derek posted 0-5 with an 8.75 as the Bravos mailed in the season's final month and ceded the Wild Card to the eventual World Champion Cardinals.

I can just hear my father now, ranting on about how the Indians feel like they can rehabilitate any formerly successful big league pitcher.  I can imagine him conjuring the names of Jim Johnson or Brendan Donnelly, of Carl Pavano.  I'll respond with Kevin Millwood and Paul Byrd.  And Manzo will just say "Another shit-ass move by a shit-ass team."  Still, $5mil for your 4th starter is not bad.

We'll see...

Pretty Girl Update! - Pixie Lott

We're all naked under our clothes, some just look better doing it.  Nice.

What Brown Has Done To Me

After over a decade, The so called Cleveland Browns still cannot field a competitive professional football team. I demand a refund! Not only did City taxes pay for a stadium, and all of us fans spending millions on tickets, and souvenirs, but also the billions we have spent on beer, alcohol and other tailgating/ bar expenses. I would also like to begin a class action lawsuit for the emotional damage of an entire region, along with medical costs for hospital expenses from the fights that have broken out since 1999 as a result of true fans fighting Cleveland Steelers fans. - The Levite

Colt fumbles for the 6th of 19 times on Sunday.

So, the Brownies have gotten pretty goddamn embarrassing.  Sure, their record is 3-4, which doesn't seem so bad, but let's dig just a scoach deeper.  With last week's thrilling 6-3 victory over the Charlie Whitehurst led Seahawks still fresh in mind, also recall that victories 1 & 2 came over the Colts and Dolphins, who have a grand win total of... well... zero.  These three glorious successes have come by an aggregate margin of 12 freakin' points.  Good lord.

Today's rushing leader, in an abysmal loss to the Niners, was Chris Obamayami-something-or-other, whose previous life highlight had been showering next to Colt McCoy at UT.  In his defense, O'bangin-yo-mama did amass a solid 37 yards on 11 carries.  Hell yeah!

And why was Oh-god-no-waya toting the rock?  Because Sam Jackson's Mr. Glass character from Unbreakable is real and he wears #31.  When I first heard that Hardesty was hurt, I was sure that he had torn the ACL in his mutant third knee, just to complete the set.  Sadly, his tweek (as noted on Twikker.com) is a strain of the right calf or goat... chicken/sheep, whatever.

Even that wuss-bag disability isn't as bad our very own Curse of the Madden Cover-boy.  Peyton Hillis has been pulling his own hamstring for a solid two weeks now.  My own inside sources report an alternate diagnosis involving Hilshits' visit to Golden Gate Park following the Raiders game and resultant large quantity of sand lodging snugly within his vajazzled Man-gina.  At least he, and consigliere Tom Hagen, had the dignity to break off contract negotiations given Pgeyton's (silent G) 287 total yards and 3.8 yards per touch in 2011.

Perhaps worst of all is the spectre of 4 losses to Baltimore and Pissburgh over the season's final 5 weeks coupled with possible wins against St Louis, Jacksonville and Arizona.  The result of this equation?  No playoffs.  No top 5 draft pick.  Only another regrettable season of faulty talent recognition, an absent brain trust and poor execution.  Oh and, of course, the cold, steel grip another losing team.

It's days like this (i.e. most of them) that make me glad that the Brown and Orange are often preempted by the Buh-jengals in my Columbus market.

What a great reason not to watch.

At least the Cavs are still undefeated.

Cheers.

Pretty Girl 10.31.11 - Ashley Greene

I've never actually see her in anything, but I hear that she's in all of those crappy Twilight flicks.  And she's hot as hell.  Happy Devil's Night, bitches.  ;-j