So many of us have played "Bounce or fly" as kids! There is imaginary money involved and since I grew up in Slavic Village and Lee-Harvard our money lines were somewhat low! Hey it's what we knew! A few kids would gather in the field and a batter would toss the ball up and hit it to the assembled group. if you fielded a ground ball you got a quarter, one bounce was fifty cents and a fly ball one dollar! The first one to five bucks got to hit! On the heels of Chang costing the team a game by NOT using fundamentals then making an errant throw the Indians did not learn from mistakes. Now I thought of the "Bounce or Fly" game watching the Indians in the field Thursday in Chicago. I saw FOUR HORRIFIC FIELDING MISCUES that sadly were a harbinger of things to come! Early in the game Amed Rosario casually came in for a fly ball to center and caught it on the first bounce. I hope he heard me yell "this is not freakin' bounce or fly." Did he need the fifty cents. GOOD GRIEF charge the ball and make the catch. It was not deep enough where if it went by him it would be trouble as the LF and RF were running to back him up! Also in the game SS Andres Giminez was a step slow getting to a ground ball in the hole that GOOD shortstops get. More? YUP! How does a fly ball drop between a LF, CF and SS with the Outfielders coming in strong? Ask the Indians AND Josh Naylor, who did you want to argue with as you turned your back on a ball hit into the corner that was fair? Josh TURNED HIS BACK on a playable ball. Loke dlike he wanted to say "it hit the netting" but PLAY THE DANG BALL then state your case.
Thursday morphed into Saturday as Josh did his best Bill Buckner impression letting a routine ball got under his glove and through his legs for the what would have been the THIRD OUT OF THE GAME. Want more? How does a runner go from 2nd to 3rd on a routine fly to CF? Ask Amed Rosario.
Am I worked up? Heck yes and please the Tribe had 10 hits Friday and 8 Saturday so the bats are heating up. OK one more "get it off my chest." Naylor hits into a triple play on a LINE SHOT ROPE that was drilled. I understand the double play getting the man off first in a BANG BANG situation but must ask " do we have a3rd base coach"? We sure do and let the runner take off for home and not call him back. Whew,,,LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES AND LET'S GO TRIBE!