Chris Perez Going Off Again

Indians closer Chris Perez has been vocal all season long about his team, his city and most recently, his front office.

Perez brought up a reason to the media that separates the Indians from other teams in the league, specifically the Tigers.

“Different owners,” Perez said “It comes down to that. They (the Tigers) are spending money. He (Indians' owner Mike Ilitch) wants to win. Even when the economy was down (in Detroit), he spent money. He’s got a team to show for it. You get what you pay for in baseball. Sometimes you don’t. But most of the time you do.


“You can’t miss,” Perez said. “You have to be right. That’s why I say it’s not just ownership. They don’t make the trades. It’s the GMs. It goes hand in hand. The GMs can only spend the money the owners give them, but they pick who they spend it on or who they don’t. They pick. The owners don’t pick. Josh Willingham would look great in this lineup. They didn’t want to (pony) up for that last year. That’s the decision they make, and this is the bed we’re laying in.”

Perez continues to rub people the wrong way and by doing so, he's making some good points.  The Indians have made several poor moves over the years, acquiring a sputtering Ubaldo Jimenez, dumping CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez which have added up to zero winning season in the past five years.

Earlier in the season, Perez ripped into the hometown fans for not supporting the team when they were on top of the division, pointing out that Oakland was out-drawing them night after night.  Oakland, a fellow small-market ball club, has not had the fan base, but has made the moves, dumping big name players, but getting good young talent in return, giving themselves the ability to have a season like they're having right now.

So when the Tribe was good, they had no fans, and now that they're bad again, well, no surprise there.  Perez has converted 34 of 38 saves this season, which means he has needed to save over half of the Indians' wins on the season, so if he's trying to talk his way onto a winning franchise, he's doing a damn good job.

When the Bullpen Mafia Speaks, You Listen

Photo: Cleveland.com

The Cleveland Indians aren't messing around this season.  There's no Ricky Vaughn, Willie Mays Hayes or Pedro Cerrano.  Instead, there's Derek Lowe, Carlos Santana, Travis Hafner and Chris Perez.

The Tribe has come out of the gates with a 23-19, two and a half games in the lead for the AL Central division.  While its not a staggering lead this early in the season, the Indians have been playing good baseball.  The Tigers, with arguably the scariest line-up in the American League, are sitting in third place.  So with the standings the way they are, what's getting under the skin of the closer, Chris Perez?

"I'm not stupid, I understand the economy's bad around here. I understand that people can't afford to come to the game," Perez said Sunday. "But there doesn't need to be the negativity. I don't understand the negativity, why? Like, enjoy what we have. You have a first place team. How many third-place towns in the country would want that right now?"

The Indians have an 11-12 record at home, the only division-leading team to have a losing record in their respective ballpark.  Perez pointed out that its because the fans aren't giving them any sort of home-field advantage.

"It's just a slap in the face when you're last in attendance. Last. It's not like we're 25th or 26th. We're last. Oakland's outdrawing us. That's embarrassing."

Can't argue with that, it is embarrassing.  The Tribe open up a series with Detroit on Monday, a series that will surely draw a few more fans, but whether or not they'll be wearing the Cleveland colors could be a different story.