02-10-2008, 09:37 AM
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Why so serious?
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Join Date: Apr 2004
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CPD
Quote:
Terry Pluto: Terry's Talkin'
Posted by Terry Pluto Plain Dealer Columnist February 09, 2008 21:13PM
Categories: Terry Pluto columns
TERRY'S TALKIN'
ABOUT THE TRIBE . . .
Fans love to talk about hitting, but pitching is why the Indians tied Boston with 96 victories -- most in the big leagues. It's why the Tribe won the Central Division -- they had the third-lowest ERA in the American League overall (Boston was No. 1), and the best after the All-Star break. Pitching is why they knocked the Yankees out of the first round of the playoffs. And yes, the collapse of the pitching -- especially Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia -- was why the Indians lost to Boston in the ALCS. The question is if the Indians can continue to pitch well.
A big concern is innings piling up on starters. Sabathia led the majors with 241 innings and threw 15 more in the playoffs for a total of 256. That's 46 more than any season in his career, his previous high being 210 in 2002. Carmona threw 230, counting the playoffs. His previous high was 173 in 2005 in the minors, so he exceed that total by 53 innings. Will their arms feel tired this season? That sometimes happens, and it's one of the reasons that teams who advance deep into the playoffs one season don't do as well the next -- the sheer weight of the innings.
Continued......
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