It keeps getting earlier and earlier

I swear I keep waking up earlier and earlier every morning and I can't get back to sleep.

This morning, I would have laid there until I had to get up, but I had a splitting headache and needed to take something.

And then I thought...

Well I need to waste a half hour.

So here I am, wasting a half hour.

Not really wasting it, but the Indians, oh man.

Let's tidy up some things here with what time I do have.

Last night was the Triple-A All-Star Game. The IL won, Jordan Brown played in left field and went 1-4, but the mammoth that is Andy Marte didn't participate, jerks.

The Double-A All-Star Game also took place, with the South prevailing in the Eastern League. As noted, we had tons of Aeros in the game, and here is what they did.

Carlos Santana started at catcher and went 0-1. I'm assuming since he played in the futures game, they went easy on him. Same with Nick Weglarz who went 0-2 with a run scored. And the other offensive player, Beau Mills, went 1-4.

Jeanmar Gomez pitched a perfect inning of relief and Akron's own Carlton Smith picked up the save by giving up a hit, but recording the last out.

Anyway... It's been a nice few days off, that I purposely took off so I didn't destroy myself from talking about the Indians with nothing to talk about.

They don't deserve it.

Today we resume baseball and it feels good to have it back, even if we are going to suck. I'm not sure if I want to be good though. This team isn't competing for a division title this year, why turn it around and knock ourselves out of a good draft position.

Either way...

The rotation looks like this.

Cliff Lee, David Huff, Tomo Ohka, Aaron Laffey....

Jesus...

They're giving Pavano an extended break, which will mean after the Monday off day, Lee will go again on Tuesday and Pavano goes after that.

So much for skipping Ohka until Carmona is up here.

Carmona and Rondon are starting things off for Columbus in their first two games back.

This is just a mess.. There's like nine thousand different articles out here from the Plain Dealer about the Indians suckness, three from Terry Pluto.

One
Two
Three

I've barely got time to write this, so I have no time to read those.. But really, what more can Terry say other than we suck and everyone was wrong?

Paul Hoynes tried to top him, but again, suck!

One
Two
Three

I'll give Hoynes some credit with Dos, it's more about the second half and what this team needs to do or else we might be seeing things blown up.

Ya..

Like Wedge earlier this year though...

How many different ways can you say, "We're almost there," or "We just haven't hit our stride yet."

It's like...

How many different ways can you say this team sucks and failed expectations?

Lots, but I got one that ends it all.

This team sucks and they failed expectations.

And then Bud Shaw says something that I've been saying.

You trade Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, you just piss everyone off. Then attendance will go down and what revenue we were making off ticket sales, is now gone, and this team is even more strapped for cash.

And here comes the love for once.

Victor addressed these trade rumors at the All-Star break, and pretty much broke the hearts of many media folk, especially in Boston.

Not that Victor has any control over getting traded. But he does control where he signs.

And if the Indians just show up, they can get Victor Martinez back.

"I can't see myself in another uniform," said Martinez, during Monday's media session for American League All-Stars. "We'll see what happens."

That's him talking about the trade rumors.

This is him talking about the fact that he's a free agent after next year (assuming they pick up his option after this one, safe assumption though).

"It's not about me," said Martinez. "It's what they want to do. I'm open to anything they want to do. They hold the option [for 2010], but if they want to talk, I'll talk."

"This organization is great," said Martinez. "This organization has made me a better player and a better person. I love this organization.

"In my mind, I'd like to retire as an Indian."

In other words... He isn't CC Sabathia/Manny Ramirez bolting once he hits the market. He genuinely loves this place and he wants to stay. You might have not been able to buy that talk from CC the past few years...

But you can damn well buy it from Victor Martinez, because we know what kind of person he is and what kind of love he really does have for this organization. Now he can say I want to retire as an Indian and of course when he hits the market, his mind might change. But he is saying right now, he wouldn't mind talking about a new deal.

And if he signs a new deal, it won't be too lucrative.

It will be better than what he as, but he isn't breaking the bank like he would if he hit the free agent market.

And you can tell from that, he loves this team.

I don't know why he would.. I guess I wonder why I do, maybe it's just the attraction to disaster or whatever.

But, he likes us, he really does like us.

Count me in as one of the disappointed that didn't get to see Tim Wakefield pitch in the All-Star game. Not just because he's very old and this was his first, and possibly last, All-Star game, but seeing someone like Victor or Joe Mauer catch his knuckleball would have been great.

Joe Maddon joked he might put Inge back there to do it. Vic wanted to do it though.

"I've never caught a knuckleball. Not in my life. I know it's hard to hit. I can't imagine how hard it is to catch. But I'm looking forward to it."

Oh well.. Victor went 0 for 0 in the game on Tuesday, but he did draw a walk and catch out the remainder. He made a nice stop late in the game on that strikeout of Ryan Howard I believe to prevent anyone from advancing.

Anyway, my time is up and my last day of work for the week is today. I'm hoping I'll have time to pick up my laptop today, because this computer is driving me insane.