The Cleveland Indians have acquired Jose Veras from the New York Yankees in a trade today. In exchange for Veras, the Tribe will send cash to the Yankees who had sent the 28 year old to the minors last week.

"We're just looking to try to continue to get better," manager Eric Wedge said. "We're trying to find a combination that works. [Veras] has experience and has a pretty good arm. So we'll go from there."

The Indians are desperately trying to repair a bullpen which has blown leads on a nearly nightly basis recently.

Veras is a 6 foot 5 right hander and weighs 230 pounds. In 106 games at the MLB level he has an 8-4 record with a 4.43 ERA. He has struggled this year with an ERA of nearly 6.

The Cleveland Indians and Direct Energy have announced a new contest. The news release states:

Through Direct Energy's Front Row Friday contest, participants can enter for a chance to win four front-row seats to one of three Friday games in July. The winners will be picked throughout the month of July. The prize package also includes an opportunity to check out the team during batting practice the afternoon of the game. Entrants will also get a chance to win the grand prize of six field-level dugout suite seats for the Indians vs. Royals game on Friday, September 11. The grand prize winner will be picked in August.

"Direct Energy knows how passionate Ohioans are about their sports teams, and we're happy to be able to offer this rare opportunity to Indians fans," said Mike Beck, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Direct Energy - a supplier of natural gas to over 250,000 consumers throughout the state. "We wouldn't be here without the support of Ohio consumers, so this is just one way we want to say thank-you."

You can enter win at the official website of the contest or at the following team shops:

Well so much for my 7-2 homestand prediction. The Indians will have to win this game just to go over .500 at 5-4. Every time I say something positive the Indians give me two reasons to be negative. Carl Pavano is suddenly terrible, and the bullpen has been atrocious again. The offense is averaging 8.5 runs a game vs. the Brewers in the frist two games of the series and has won neither.

I’m not a huge fan of Eric Wedge or Mark Shapiro for that matter and I’ve been trying to give Wedge the benefit of the doubt lately. But one thing that is really starting to infuriate me is the lineup inconsistency. Even before all the injuries, it was almost a different lineup with guys in different positions every night.

Mel Hall, who roamed the outfield for the Cleveland Indians in the mid-to-late 80's and was one of the most feared batters on the team of that found era, learned his fate after being guilty of raping a 12-year-old girl he coached on a basketball team. The 48 year will spend at least 22 1/2 years behind bars with the maximum of 45 years if he is not granted parole.

Prosecutor Kim D'Avignon said after sentencing:

"We believe that the verdict does on some level show that the jury understood,'' adding. "They looked in these girls' eyes and said this is worth 40 years, and we agree with them.''

Hall played thirteen seasons in the Major Leagues with his best years coming with the Indians and New York Yankees.

Unfortunately that goes for both teams.

Screw it, I'm not going to edit this whole thing. This was how things were going to appear as late as the top of the 8th:

The best thing that can happen when you're team isn't getting the best pitching performance in the world is for your opponent to be having the worst pitching performance in the world. Ok, it wasn't quite the worst in the world, but the Brewers pitching was worse than the Indians tonight. Edit: not so much, and add a Napoleon Dynamite saying mannnnn!

Things that caught my script "I"

-I don't really understand why on the night of the Ricky Vaughn bobblehead why the Indians and Brewers didn't wear the retro uniforms again, why not just wear them the whole weekend and tonight?

-Nice to see the long ball back at Progressive Field and all of them not being hit by Albert Pujols. Shin-Soo Choo, Mark DeRosa, Victor Martinez, and Travis Hafner all went deep for the Tribe. Ok, probably every column in Cleveland is going to say it was nice to see Hafner go deep, but it really is.

I just heard that there will be no John Miller on the ESPN broadcast tonight, nice! The Indians are looking to take their third, yes you read that right, third series in a row for the first time all year. I’m looking forward to Cliff Lee vs. Albert Pujols and to see if Pujols can add to the three home runs he already has in this series.
Things that caught my script “I”:

-Brendan Ryan from the Cardinals looks a little like Rob from MTV’s Rob and Big.

-I’m not a big fan of the block “C” hats or the cream uniforms for that matter. Throwback or not, I think in 2009 all uniforms should have the players names on the back.

-Right on cue, Mark DeRosa hit’s a two-run homer as the ESPN crew was talking about his trade speculation. In my opinion the Indians can’t afford to trade him just yet with this injury riddled lineup. And by the deadline I think the Tribe is going to be closer in the standings. If the Indians start to get some guys back and they are hitting (I.e. Sizemore and Cabrera), then that could be a different story if we could get a quality arm for maybe DeRosa and a prospect or two.

Cleveland Indians 3, St. Louis Cardinals 0
June 14, 2009

Cardinals starting lineup:
Brendan Ryan (SS), Rick Ankiel (LF), Albert Pujols (1B), Ryan Ludwick (RF), Nick Stavinoha (DH), Yadier Molina (C), Colby Rasmus (CF), Tyler Greene (3B), Skip Schumaker (2B), Chris Carpenter (P),

Indians starting lineup:
Jamey Carroll (2B), Mark DeRosa (LF), Victor Martinez (1B), Shin-Soo Choo (RF), Jhonny Peralta (3B), Ryan Garko (DH), Ben Francisco (CF), Luis Valbuena (SS), Kelly Shoppach (C), Cliff Lee (P),

Umpires -- Rob Drake (HP), Jeff Kellogg (1B), Tim Timmons (2B), Mark Wegner (3B).

Gametime Weather: 70 degrees, Clear.
Wind: 2 MPH, In From CF.

First pitch by C. Lee at 08:10 PM local time.

Cardinals 1st (Cardinals 0, Indians 0) -- B. Ryan walks. R. Ankiel strikes out swinging. A. Pujols walks, B. Ryan to 2nd. R. Ludwick flies out to S. Choo, B. Ryan to 3rd. N. Stavinoha grounds into a force out, J. Peralta to J. Carroll, A. Pujols out at 2nd.
(0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Friday June 12, 2009
Progressive Field - Cleveland, Ohio
David Huff vs. Joel Pineiro

By Brad VanFossan

Interleague play is back and the Indians will be taking on arguably the National League’s most historic franchise who arguably has the National League’s best player in Albert Pujols. This is definitely an interleague matchup to get excited about, not like the two vs. the Reds every year. This is when I kinda dig interleague play. The Indians are looking to win two in a row and start this nine game home stand at 3-1. A win tonight would be “nothing but a good time”, and hopefully David Huff isn’t on the “wild side” tonight to kick off 80s weekend at Progressive Field.
Here are some things that caught my script “I”, as well as Tron’s (this weekend only):
-I propose that instead of showing Major League on the scoreboard after the game tomorrow night, the Indians should show The Neverending Story in honor of this year’s injuries. In all seriousness, I give the real promotion an A.
-Jamey Carroll is a gritty guy but I’m definitely missing Asdrubal Cabrera leading off.