Ohio with Jim Banks

One of the fun parts of this blog for me is when I can get other people to do the actual work. That Opening Day live blog was WAY too much work. So we had the "Preview with the Stars" during spring training -- let's keep that going all season long. You never know who will be interviewed on here. Bruce Springsteen? Natalie Portman? The cast of The Office? Blogger Curt Schilling? The American Idol winner? Anna Kournikova? Who else can I include in here so that it will come up on Google searches? The point is it could be anyone.

This time around we talk to my friend Jim Banks, now the deputy managing editor at MLB.com but for many years better known as "The guy who I would go to Indians games with when I was in town." The new gig probably pays better. Jim grew up as Indians fan in Cincinnati, and now he's a Skyline Chili fan in Cleveland, so he's obviously confused. He's an unabashed disco fan, believes (rightly, in my mind) that U2 was better than the Beatles and sets decent playground basketball picks, but never rolls. Part of his job is being the day-to-day editor on both the American and National League Centrals, so he's able to keep tabs on the two teams of his youth, and so we kick off the season by talking all things Ohio.

Start with the basics – you're high on both the Reds and Indians this year. Why?

I’ll start with the Reds because I think that’s a harder case to make. They play in a weak, wide-open division and GM Wayne Krivsky has really pushed the club in the right direction. The infield defense, with Gonzalez at SS and Phillips at 2B, should be very good. The OF defense, with Dunn working to improve and Griffey mercifully moved to RF, should be better, too. And they still have enough offense to score … if the pitching is middle of the road, that just might be enough.

The Indians were last year’s hard-luck team, outscoring opponents by 88 runs and yet finishing with a losing record. That won’t happen again. The bullpen was historically bad, and by default has to be better. With Foulke’s retirement, GM Mark Shapiro has $5M to burn in trade to go get the bullpen help he’ll likely need. The offense is stellar and I like the addition of Barfield at 2B. They have a loaded farm system to fill any injuries and maybe even will have a impact player come up in the second half, like RHP Adam Miller. I just think they’re poised to make this year their year, especially if Peralta returns to form. He had a good spring, both offensively and defensively.

OK, you grew up in Cincinnati, you live in Cleveland, you've loved both clubs. If they play in the World Series this year, who are you rooting for?

I’ve gone on record about this many times with many friends and family members: I would unabashedly pull for the Tribe. I started rooting the Indians on a lark back in the early-80s when someone gave me an Indians hat. It started as a joke and became an obsession. Then I went to college in 1984 and met my wife, a Clevelander, and just fell in love with the town (for the record, it’s a waaaaay better town than Cincy). I went to a game at old Cleveland Municipal Stadium in the summer of '85 and it was everything baseball was supposed to be – played on grass, opening out to Lake Erie, it just felt right. I grew up watching baseball in sterile Riverfront Stadium and there was just no comparison. That day firmly entrenched the Tribe in my heart and 23 years later they remain there.

Let's go Cleveland first. You watched the closely all year – the Indians scored almost 100 more runs than their opponents and finished with a losing record. How do you explain that?

It was pretty amazing, I’ll tell you that. It was almost comical after a while. They lost in every way imaginable. The bullpen, without question, was an abomination. So was the defense and they just seemed to have a knack for doing whatever it took to lose a game. They were young, and they got rattled, including the manager. Peralta struggled in the field and took it to the plate, and the criticism – from the media and the manager – really stung him.

A lot of Indians fans still bemoan the Coco Crisp trade, but that wasn’t it then and isn’t it now. They did gamble that Jason Michaels could play every day – a gamble I supported, for the record – and it turned out that he wasn’t up to the task. That hurt, as did the loss of Millwood somewhat. But the key loss, believe it or not, turned out to be Bob Howry. The Indians simply could not get the ball to Wickman, and Howry had been a rock in the eighth inning for them in 2005 and was exactly that for the Cubs in 2006. And these days, his contract doesn’t look so bad, either. If there was a big miss, that was it.

How bad a defensive shortstop is Jhonny Peralta? And what's the deal with the H in his name?

Well, I don’t have to tell you how frustrated I was with Peralta last year. He was an absolute statue at shortstop. His range was non-existent. It wasn’t the errors, which were about the same as the year before, it was what he didn’t get to, which was everything. If you look at the stats of Jake Westbrook, a groundball machine, over the past three years, his hits allowed and ERA jumped significantly after Peralta replaced Omar Vizquel. That’s no coincidence. So Peralta’s bad, but I’m not sure he’s as bad as he was last year.

I think there were a couple of factors involved in his abysmal year. First, he grew about two inches between 2005 and 2006 and that can mess a guy up. He put on some weight, too, and his legs just weren’t used to carrying the extra burden all season. Secondly, he has poor vision, but elected not to wear his contact lenses because he didn’t like how they felt (brilliant!). So he couldn’t see the catcher’s signs and had no idea what pitch the pitcher was throwing. That’s no small deal, as positioning is half the battle at short. And no doubt, he had trouble picking up the ball quickly off the bat.

He had Lasik surgery this off-season to correct the vision and worked hard to get his legs in shape. During Spring Training, it really showed. But he’ll of course have to prove that every day this season. As for the H, the story I heard first was that his dad misspelled it on his birth certificate. But I’ve heard since that Jhonny says his father spelled it that way on purpose. Who knows the real deal?

Best place to get a meal in Cleveland.

That’s a tough one. And to throw a bone to my birthplace of Cincinnati, which I dissed earlier, Cincy is a way, way, way better food town than Cleveland. You just can’t beat Skyline Chili, Blue Ashe Chili double-deckers or Graeter’s ice cream, and the city has much better fine-dining establishments, as well, like The Maisonette, etc. A big strike is LaRosa’s, which is the worst hometown pizza in America, but overall, it’s better than Cleveland on the food front.

That said, the variety of food options in Cleveland is better and that makes it a tough choice for best place to eat. With the diverse culture of Cleveland comes diverse food options. You could go Corky & Lenny’s for the corned beef, the Mad Greek for great Indian (the husband is Greek, the wife Indian), anyplace in Little Italy, and there are some good places downtown. You know my choice was crystal clear just a few years ago, with Ward’s Inn (fabulous duck), but they’ve since closed. I’ll go with the original Johnny’s on Fulton in Tremont.

True or false: Travis Hafner is the best hitter in the American League.

I think there’s little question about it, I’m just waiting for the self-appointed brainiacs in New York and Boston to wake up and realize it. My guess is, if the Indians cannot sign him to a contract extension (his deal is up after 2008), you’ll suddenly start hearing about how he’s the best hitter in baseball as the Red Sox and Yankees gear up to sign him.

Player..............Avg......HR.....RBI.....OB%...SLG%....OPS
Hafner.............308.....42......117......439......659......1.097
Manny.............321.....35.......102......439......619......1.058
Ortiz................287.....54......137......413......636......1.049
Mauer.............347.....13........84.......429......507........936
Morneau.........321.....34........130.......375......559........934

And that’s with Pronk missing the final month of the season. If he doesn’t, he ends up with 51 HRs and 142 RBIs and this isn’t even a discussion. He’s the best hitter in the AL. However, he’s not the best player in the AL, that’s teammate Grady Sizemore.

My sense is that Mark Shapiro is not overly popular in Cleveland though he made a remarkable series of trades – including one where he got potential MVP Grady Sizemore AND the pretty darned good Cliff Lee for what amounted to a half season of Bartolo Colon. How do you explain that?

It defies all explanation. This guy inherited a bloated payroll full over overpaid, aging malcontents and turned it into the burgeoning powerhouse it is today. The fans here in Cleveland quite simply are still in denial. They think the team can and should be run as it was in the 1990s and that’s simply not possible. Back then, a new stadium gave a team a huge financial advantage and they sold that place out for 455 straight games. But the economy is sinking here, quite frankly, and despite putting a team on the field that won 93 games and finished a single game out of the postseason in 2005, the fans didn’t come back. But somehow, they expect them to compete financially with the big dogs with attendance way down.

The expectations are ridiculous and they’ve just been unable to adjust to the new reality, which is that you have to win by doing exactly what Shapiro has been doing – making deals always with an eye toward the future, like dealing Crisp at his peak for a guy like Marte, who could emerge as a star. Trading Ryan Drese and Einar Diaz for Travis Hafner. And the Colon deal, as you mentioned. And Kouzmanoff for Barfield this offseason.

Shapiro's done some good affordable short-term fixes, too, like Wickman a year ago, and Millwood and Howry the year before. All of this, mind you, while running a clean, focused clubhouse with purpose and principles. This team does not get in trouble off the field, and if you do, like Sauerbeck, you’re gone. Fans say they want this, but then don’t give you any credit for it when you do it. Shapiro is bright, accessible and principled. As for me, there’s not a GM in baseball I’d rather have running my team.

C.C. Sabathia – Cy Young winner or perennial tease?

You know, a year ago, I would have said tease. And early last season I said exactly that on more than one occasion. But I’ll tell you, he really changed in the second half last year, I think. He’s matured and has avoided the meltdowns in big games that had plagued him. He’s more focused, more determined, and in better shape than he’s ever been. I think he’s a legit Cy Young candidate.

Who the heck is going to close games for the Indians this year? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Borowski?

It’s Borowski by default, but it won’t be him all season. Either one of two things will happen. One, one of the young guys (my bet is on Cabrera if he can throw strikes consistently) will step up and take the role. Or two, Shapiro will deal for the guy he needs. He’s got the Foulke money in his pocket to use if a guy like Benitez becomes available. I suppose a third option is that the bullpen melts down entirely and ruins their season for a second year in a row, but I’m trying not to let that thought enter my mind. A fourth option would be that Borowski delivers all season long, but I’m trying to stay rooted in reality.

Is there anything less fun for an Indians fan than watching Paul Byrd try to scrape and claw his way through with his stuff?

I think not. Especially with guys like Fausto Carmona and Adam Miller waiting in the wings. My guess is he’ll do his little magic tricks for a couple months this year and then the gig will be up and Miller will take his place in the rotation. He’s in the last year of his deal, so moving him to the pen or dealing him or flat out whacking him won’t hurt as much as it would have last year.

Don't you miss the old stadium? Just a little bit?

I think you can tell my by earlier answer about answer that I absolutely do miss it. It had its charms, and I had some really good times there, including watching an April game there in the snow sitting right next to you. Good times.

Another good story: My first summer in Cleveland, my dad wanted to come up and visit and see the stadium. He kept calling me asking if I got tickets. I’d say, "Dad, don’t worry about it." He comes up and asks if I have tickets and I said, “no, we’ll just walk up and get some,” and I could see the disappointment in his face. So we go down to the park, walk up to the gate and buy tickets about 15 rows right behind home plate about 15 minutes before first pitch. My mom, dad and I, along with about 5,000 other faithful took in the game on a beautiful summer day. The Tribe, of course, lost and my dad and I sat laughing about the game and the intimate crowd for nine fabulous innings.

What is the largest pothole you've hit in Cleveland?

I’ve hit some big ones, and you know I drive a Mini, so there are some that damn near swallow my car. The worst stretch right now is on I-90 eastbound between Rts. 306 and 44. Brutal stretch. That said, the roads up here are nothing compared to some of the roads in New Orleans. The water table is so high down there, and we’re talking pre-Katrina when I lived there, that sections of roads just buckle. I can’t remember how many times I had my car bottom out and scrape the road just in the routine course of driving around.

OK, you have Ricky Vaughn at the end of Major League facing Roy Hobbs from The Natural in the bottom of the ninth. What happens?

Oh, no question here: Hobbs hits a bomb. The guy just flat crushed heat, and Ricky’s heater was dead straight. I don’t care if it was 100 mph or not, Hobbs takes him deep, blowing up the lights at Cleveland Municipal (actually, it was filmed at Milwaukee’s old County Stadium) and circles the bases in slow motion with sparks flying everywhere. The Cleveland faithful walk home mumbling in disgust at coming so close and falling short again. That’s the most unrealistic part of Major League. In reality, Vaughn would have given up a homer.

Bottom line: How will the Indians do this year?

I’m calling them AL Central division champs – all the other clubs are flawed to one extent or another. Right now, the Tigers look invincible, but defending champs always do on Opening Day and yet they rarely repeat. They won’t have everything fall their way this year, and losing Rogers hurts a lot. The White Sox screwed up their rotation and I can see the Ozzie era getting ugly – his act is starting to wear thin, as we all expected.

The Twins rotation is a joke and I’m not a big Morneau believer, or Cuddyer, for that matter. They’ll trade Hunter at mid-season and that’ll be that. Your beloved Royals will be much better, btw. At least they’re being run professionally these days. Beyond that, it’s a crapshoot. Who can predict the postseason with 83-win teams like the Cardinals winning World Series?

Let's move on to Cincinnati, and the best story of spring: Josh Hamilton. How do you explain this guy?

It’s just a fabulous story. I mean, four years of rust and yet he’s playing like he never missed a day. It’s incredible really, and just goes to show you how incredibly talented he was in the first place. He’s damn lucky the drugs didn’t steal that from him.

That said, he’s going to have to prove it at the big-league level and he’s not someone who has dealt well with adversity in the past. If he gets hurt or slumps, or gets sent down … I just don’t know. But the good news is that the Reds have put a good support system in place for him and that manager Jerry Narron has a relationship with him going back to Josh’s high school days. And, there is opportunity there for at-bats, so it just may work. I’m really hoping that it does.

Eric Milton? Can this guy be a reasonable pitcher again?

Not in that ballpark he can’t. He was better last year than the abomination that was 2005, but he’s still a flyball pitcher and those guys, even good ones, don’t fare well in that bandbox. He’s starting the season on the DL, too, so he’s not off to a great start.

Jeff Conine? Really?

Let’s hope it’s a one-day deal. He’s a career .556 hitter against Zambrano, who gets the start for the Cubbies in the opener. There’s simply no other rational explanation. I’m guessing he’s the fifth outfielder, replacing Chris Denorfia, who’s out for the season after blowing out his elbow.

How far would you drive for Skyline Chili?

I’m hoping to God that I’ll never have to find out. My son, Ethan, and I have a tradition of grabbing some Skyline Chili after I pick up from school every Friday at the only one left in town on Mayfield Road. There’s never anyone in there. If it closes, that’d be bad news. The one in Toledo, which I usually hit when I visit my brother, went under. So that means the closest one would be on Polaris Pkwy just north of Columbus, about 2 1/2 hours away. Not that I’m addicted or anything.

What do you think: Is Edwin Encarnacion the real deal?

The kid can rake. Not sure if he’s ever going to be an acceptable third baseman. First base may be in his near future. And let’s be honest, how much more can the Reds expect to get from Scott Hatteberg over there?

You don't care much about the Hall of Fame but bottom line: Should Pete Rose be in there?

Man, I couldn’t care less about the Hall of Fame, so it’s really hard for me to say. It’s sacrilege for a Cincinnatian to say it, but I say no. He broke the rules. And, as you know, I don’t think he was that good anyway – he was easily the fourth- or fifth-best player on the Big Red Machine, an awful defender at every position, couldn’t steal bases and didn’t hit for any power. He couldn’t be more overrated as a player and was a brutal manager, too. That’s my two cents, although I do fully acknowledge that he has been treated unfairly. I know a lot of people say he was a leader and he drove that team and that Phillies team in '80, but my gut tells me most of those guys couldn’t stand him. And let’s be honest, he wasn’t the straw that stirred the Big Red Machine – that was Joe Morgan. Unreal player.

Favorite player from the Big Red Machine?

I’m going to say Johnny Bench. I loved Bench. In Cincinnati, you either thought Rose was the greatest Red ever or Bench was. And the Rose backers ripped Bench, and the Bench backers ripped Rose. I was in the Bench camp. The guy was the best catcher ever. And I mean ever. Neither Pudge nor Piazza hold a candle to Bench and I will not discuss it. I just won’t.

That said, both the Bench and Rose camps were wrong. Joe Morgan is the greatest Red ever and was the best overall player on that team – man, he was incredible. Even now in the era of inflated stats, his stat lines just jump out from those 1975 and 76 seasons. Plain and simple, the Big Red Machine took off when Morgan arrived on the scene. If he wasn’t such an awful announcer, I think he’d be held in much higher regard.

Prediction: Number of at-bats Junior will get this year.

I’ll say 400. He’s moving to RF, so that should help him stay healthy. But you know he won’t anyway, so I’ll say he’ll play about two-thirds of the season. Personally, I’m eager for the post-Griffey era to begin. I had enough of Barry Larkin, and I’ve had about enough of Griffey, too, who gets more surly every year as he produces less and less. Not a great combination.

Aaron Harang led the National League in wins, strikeouts and complete games last year, but didn't get a single Cy Young vote. I'll bet that's never happened before. How good is this guy?

He’s pretty darn good. He’s an easy guy to overlook because he’s not overpowering, even as he racks up the Ks. He doesn’t have one dominant go-to pitch, like a blazing fastball or a hammer curve or off-the-table changeup. He just knows how to pitch, knows what he can do and sets up guys and puts them away. He’s really good. A legit No. 1? I still think he’s a step behind the Oswalts and Carpenters in the NL Central, but not far behind.

Bronson Arroyo – that's pretty bad music right?

I’ve never heard his music, but I can only imagine that I’m not missing much.

OK, here's your musical chance: Five best songs from the 1980s.

Wow, now that’s a tall task, and you know I’ll blow it by missing some obvious songs, but here goes:

1. Suedehead, Morrissey: My favorite song of the decade and perhaps of all time. A classic.
2. More Than This, Roxy Music: Just one gorgeous song start to finish.
3. Two Hearts Beat As One, U2: Just explodes right out of the gate, the best band ever at their best.
4. Dream World, Midnight Oil: Classic Oil, with Peter Garrett spewing out the lyrics (btw, best concert I ever saw).
5. (Keep Feeling) Fascination, The Human League: About as danceable a song as there is.

My apologies to The Police, The Cure, New Order, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, The Fixx, Simple Minds, Men At Work, Pet Shop Boys, Madness, Violent Femmes, Split Enz, Billy Idol and Buggles, for the omni prescient “Video Killed the Radio Star.”

That National League Central really is wide open. Reds really have a shot?

Absolutely, everyone has a shot in that division.