Tag: Ohio

Spring Training Starting Yet?

On By Chris ElliottIn baseballLeave a comment

The Red Sox won another title. Hey God, I know they didn’t win for almost a 100 years but I think that’s enough championships for one city for awhile, don’t you think?

Regardless, I miss baseball season already and since the Indians should be poised next year for another division title why not try to predict the opening day roster. The tribe (RIP Chief Wahoo) have some big free agent decisions to make, huge contract increases to make, and virtually no financial flexibility. Making any moves is going to be extremely difficult. This team is going to have to be replenished virtually from within. Unless they get creative and dump some salary and find someone cheap. I’m not counting on it.

So here we go. Let’s start with the pitchers. The starting staff first four will be easy. Kluber, Bauer, Carrasco, and Clevinger make up the best 1-4 in baseball. That 5th spot could be open and I think they let Salazar takes that spot coming out of Spring Training. Now, I think Shane Bieber deserves it but I think they let Salazar start out as the 5.

The pen is where we have the most questions pitching wise. Brad Hand, Adam Cimber, Tyler Olson, Dan Otero and Neil Ramirez I think all make this staff. Nick Goody should be back from injury and I think makes it as well. That should leaves one more spot. Cody Anderson should finally be healthy as well and I think he gets that spot. It’s a very righty heavy pen but you make do with what you got.

In the field, you have Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez begins the plate. Yonder Alonso at first and Edwin at DH. Lindor is of course your SS and I’m going to put Jose at second. Which means Yandy Diaz will finally be your regular everyday third basemen. Erik González once again is your utility infielder. That’s 8 guys. The tribe will carry 5 outfielders. In center, I think they let Leonys have that. Jason Kipnis becomes a permanent outfielder and does it in left because no one wants that contract. Then in right you have Tyler Naquin. The fourth is Greg Allen and the 5th guy is going to be a wildcard here. I think Oscar Mercado the player they traded for from St. Louis makes the roster.

So here it is.

Starting Pithcers (5): Kluber, Bauer, Carrasco, Clevinger, Salazar

Bullpen (7): Hand, Cimber, Olson, Goody, Otero, Anderson, Ramirez

Catchers (2): Gomes, Perez

Infield (6): Alonso, Edwin, Frankie, Jose, Yandy, González

Outfield (5): Martin, Kipnis, Allen, Naquin, Mercado

Now, they could sign some veterans for cheap deals or make a move no one is expecting, but for now this is the roster I expect the Indians to open up the season with.

First Four, Dayton, and a Gas Leak

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Basketball, Brewery, College, Restaurants, TripsLeave a comment

There are certain sporting events that every guy should go to. Things that don’t require being a fan of either team to enjoy. The NCAA First Four in Dayton is one.

My buddy and I drove down for Day two of the First Four and took in the city of Dayton. We managed to stuff our faces in food ranging from poutine to pizza. We visited five breweries. Lock 27, Dayton Beer Company, Warped Wing, Carillon and Toxic City are all doing really good things with beer. Dayton Beer Company had a great stout. I really enjoyed Lock 27 as the best of the bunch though. Really nice location next to the Dayton minor league baseball team. I imagine that makes for a great summer night.

Then, there is the First Four. We saw two games with the second one being a great one. Syracuse vs Arizona State came down to the end. The crowd was dyed orange as this was clearly a Cuse home game. Really not a bad seat in that arena. I can see why they play those games there in this small midwestern city. Just pure hoops fans in Dayton as we saw people wearing shirts ranging from Ohio State to South Dakota State. First Four does not disappoint.

Now, I have to say I’ve never had and issue with AirBnB and credit to the company and our hosts for refunding our money. See we couldn’t stay in the house because not only was the furnace broken, which they told us as we arrived but we walked into the place and it clearly smelled of a gas leak. If you lit up a cig, I’d imagine that placing blowing up like a fireworks display. So after a day of drinking and right as the hangover hit due to no alcohol in the First Four, we drove home at midnight. Three hours back to Cleveland made for a late night but it was a hell of a day. Dayton didn’t disappoint.

Filled to the BRIM

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

East side vs west side. Each part of Cleveland has a very distinct feel and culture. Sometimes, it is hard to believe they are the same metropolitan area. While I am a West sider, I do venture on over to the East side often where my girlfriend lives.

Saturday night, we went out with friends to BRIM Kitchen & Brewery in Willoughby. While I had quickly stopped in once before for a drink while killing a few minutes, this was my first time really sitting down to enjoy the place.

BRIM is located just passed the main portion of Downtown Willoughby. The inside is very modern and has that clean, slick feel to it. The brewery process is visible behind the bar as well.

I tried a couple of the beers BRIM had on tap that night as we grabbed dinner. They had a real interesting Christmas Fruit beer called Mr. Kringle and a pretty decent light blonde ale called the Brim Less. Both were solid, though nothing blew me away from a beer standpoint.

For dinner, I had the Sunday Gravy and a side of mac and cheese. The Sunday Gravy red sauce was definitely the best part of my meal. I cleaned the plate for your reference.

Overall, the place is solid. It was busy throughout and has a good ambiance. Nothing blew me away but no complaints either. Solid experience sums it up perfectly.

New Dog in The Flats

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

Thirsty Dog is by no means a new brewery. They have been around awhile, brewing many different styles and making some of the best Christmas ale beer around. Recently they just opened up a new spot in The Flats Eastbank in Cleveland.

This location takes over for one of the vacant crop locations that was down there. This is a fairly large space with tables and an indoor and out door bar area. Now, the beer here is true to Thirsty Dog form. With about thirty different taps, there is really something for everyone. Plenty of barrel aged varieties and the traditional Thirsty Dog beers as well. The new taproom has great service, we quickly got seated and our waiter was great throughout the night. I will say the food could still use some work but it was overall pretty good. I had the Mac and cheese and we started with the beer cheese chips. Little more cheese on the chips please. The barrel aged Christmas ale is great one. Stick to one though, it will put you on your ass.

Thirsty dog is a welcomed addition to Cleveland as most people here are already familiar with the beer and their new location should do well in the well talked about revitalized east bank. Cleveland can’t seem to get enough beer.

It’s Hoppin’

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

I know it’s a terrible pun for a title playing off the brewery’s name. Just ignore it.

Last week, my buddy and I visited Hoppin’ Frog Brewery in Akron, Ohio. This place has been brewing for a decade and has had their taproom open for a few years now. I just had not made my way down yet.

The amount of different beers this place makes is impressive, especially for a place this size. My friend and I tried a variety of their different fall type beers on tap and their famous B.O.R.I.S. Pretty pleased with everything we tried. Quite the variety at this place. I think that is by far the most impressive quality of the place. Just how many different beers they brew and brew well, along with the different barrel aged varieties. The place is a little hard to see from the side of the road but make the trip down, or up, to Akron and check it out. They have something for everyone.

On the Tracks

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, BreweryLeave a comment

There are kind of two strategies when it comes to picking the location of your brewery, restaurant or other entertainment spot. You can either try to tap an area with few challengers or you can go to where the foot traffic is. In Cleveland, we saw Portside close at least partly due to their location. Railroad Brewing Company decided to open up in the ever growing suburb of Avon, Ohio. Avon is by no means a brewery hotbed like Ohio City but with a couple of wineries, another brewery and plenty of suburb dwellers that may be looking for a spot not too far from home, it could be a great location for them. It can provide the traffic needed without being lost in the shuffle.

Railroad is a taproom only but you’re welcome to bring your own food in. It is a big open space with a bar and picnic tables that opens up to the outside. They have a large outdoor space surrounding their building which I think could lead to some exciting events in the future. Plus they are dog friendly.

The beer was pretty interesting and provided very unique flavors. The B.O.B., a blood orange Blonde Ale, was very flavorful but not overpowering. It was easy to drink and would be great on a summer day. I also tried the collaboration beer for Cleveland Beer Week and enjoyed that one as well. This tap room is a nice addition to the West Side and to the ever growing Cleveland beer scene. A growing beer scene that never seems to stop.

Beer and Academics

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, College, RestaurantsLeave a comment

Beer and college go hand in hand. Usually it’s cheap beer and large quantities. I have to admit I didn’t have much of a care for anything that wasn’t sold in a 30 pack in college.

At Case Western Reserve University, there is actually a brewery on campus. While I didn’t know this when I was picking grad schools, I’m glad the one I decided on is Case Western. The Jolly Scholar has been a campus bar there for awhile but they added brewing to their arsenal and sell craft drafts for 3.99. An unbelievable price point and I tried multiple there and was not disappointed, especially considering that price.

This little pub is literally smack in the middle of the campus inside one of the buildings. I know I’ll be making plenty of stops here over the next three years. Definitely a place worth stopping at in University Circle for a good beer no matter if you’re a student or just hoping being amongst a bunch of college kids will make you feel 21 again. Three years of grad school should give me plenty of time to work through their beer list.

The Beast Within

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

Cleveland keeps producing more and more breweries. While Portside did close a few weeks ago, the breweries that produce quality beer I believe will stick around. Saturday night we went out to another.

Noble Beast Brewery is a relatively new brewery having opened up in the late spring of this year. The brewery has that industrial feel as it sits on Cleveland’s Lakeside Avenue not far from the heart of downtown. The location does not get a ton of night foot traffic but is close enough to other areas that it should do fairly well.

They have a good selection of their own beers on tap as well as several guest beers. I’m always a fan of a brewery willing to put guest beers on tap. My favorite beer of theirs that I tried was the Widowmaker. That beer could kill you if you have a few of them or unleash your inner beast. I truly appreciate the name Widowmaker there. I also tried Kolsch and IPA which were both tasty beers as well but the Widowmaker was my favorite by far.

The food was perfect for the place. Simple but with flavor. We had the pretzel and the zesty fries. The kick on those fries was perfect. I was a little worried they may be spicy, or too hot, but they were just right. Well done on those Noble Beast. Overall, everything was really solid. It’s a well run brewery with a very friendly staff that remembered my name quickly. That personal touch is what will enable them to succeed.

Projecting the Indians ALDS Roster

On By Chris ElliottIn baseballLeave a comment

The regular season is close to wrapping up and while the Indians are still playing to secure home field advantage, it is not too early to start thinking about the playoff roster for the first round.

Majority of the spots I feel are pretty secure. A few guys are injured right now and (knock on wood) hopefully no one else gets hurt at this point. So right now, I am assuming Brantley, Zimmer, and Guyer will be out. I am also assuming Lonnie Chisenhall makes it back.

Saying that, let’s start with the pitching staff. Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer are locked in as the 1, 2 and 3 spots in the rotation. The fourth spot is one of my question marks. In the pen, Andrew Miller, Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Mike Clevinger, and Joe Smith are all for sure going to make it. Still leaves 2-3 pen spots open depending on how many arms Tito wants to carry.

Now, the easiest position is catcher. Yan Gomes and Roberto Perez are locks. That position is set. Edwin, and his parrot, at DH is locked as well.

The infield is easier than the outfield so let’s go there. Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez are all set. Giovanny Urshela will make it at third and I’m going to go with Yandy Diaz making this roster as well.

So heading into the outfield now, we have 16 spots reserved with at least 3 more going to pitchers. Austin Jackson, Jay Bruce, and Lonnie Chisenhall will all make it. I also believe Jason Kipnis gets a spot. Now, how many outfielders do the Indians keep out there is a big question.

With five spots left, this is where it gets tricky. The starting rotation spot is a battle between Danny Salazar and Josh Tomlin. It’s a real toss up here but I think Tito goes with Salazar. Tomlin deserves to be on this roster but I don’t see it in the cards for him unless Salazar has a meltdown in his next start. 21 spots down.

Now to the pen. Keeping Salazar means you need another pen arm with his limited innings. I think Tito picks 8 and that means to me that Dan Otero, Nick Goody and Tyler Olson all make this roster. Ryan Merritt and Zach McAllister are the two arms that get left off for this round. 24 secured leaving us with 1 more position player.

This is really coming down to three players I believe. Erik Gonzalez, Abraham Almonte, and Greg Allen. Gonzalez is a great utility guy and a speedster on the base paths but I think Urshela, Jose and even Kipnis being able to come back to the infield eliminates his need. Which means it’s Almonte or Allen. Allen is the better defender here and for that reason I think the kid makes the roster. There you go. 25 man roster complete.

Here is the quick run down again.

Starting Pitchers:

Corey Kluber

Carlos Carrasco

Trevor Bauer

Danny Salazar

Pen:

Mike Clevinger

Bryan Shaw

Cody Allen

Joe Smith

Andre Miller

Dan Otero

Nick Goody

Tyler Olson

DH:

Edwin Encarnacion

Catchers:

Yan Gomes

Roberto Perez

Infield:

Carlos Santana

Yandy Diaz

Giovanny Urshela

Francisco Lindor

Jose Ramirez

Outfield:

Jay Bruce

Austin Jackson

Jason Kipnis

Lonnie Chisenhall

Greg Allen

Go Tribe!

Getting Saucy

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, RestaurantsLeave a comment

Cleveland just keeps them coming. Saucy brew works is just a couple streets over from the main west 25th strip of Ohio city. This large space, including an outdoor patio, is a nice addition to the Hingetown neighborhood. This brewery opened up a little over two months. While the ordering setup was a little confusing, the staff quickly noticed my awkward standing around while I tried to figure it all out and they came over to direct me to the right place. Good customer service is always appreciated.

The beers were pretty good. While the TPS IPA was ok, but nothing extraordinary, the Save Room for Pie vanilla pumpkin porter was a sweet porter that drinks really easily. The Punchline fruit beer was delicious as well and I think I could easily pound 10 of those back like they were a glass of Welch’s fruit punch.

The pizza was very good as well. The large comes out on this huge serving tray. A large pizza indeed. We had the margherita and was very pleased with it. Overall, it is a great new spot with a pretty extensive tap list for a new brewery with quite a few seasonal brews that I will have to try out next time.