Now that the season is winding down and it appears that my beloved Tribe will not be turning their bat magic into October magic, it’s time I made a long-due apology. He’s 11-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 143 strikeouts. Sure, his record isn’t sparkling, but given the team he plays for and the circumstances surrounding the season, it’s not too shabby. He also helped one of his teammates gather enough money to fly home to witness the birth of his child. His name is Justin Masterson, and I owe him a beer… or ten. Unfortunately, I’m not quite 21. Therefore, this written apology will have to suffice. Back in April, I wrote the following in a post for a network I used to write for: “If you ask me, Masterson made the lineup because our front office is still fighting to justify the Victor Martinez deal. Sorry, Mr. Shapiro, but justice still hasn’t been served.” Justin, I am so, so sorry. And while I’d still kill to have Victor Martinez back (especially after yesterday’s events), I also apologize to Mark Shapiro – and I’m probably one of the rare few people to ever say that. Anyway, justice has now been served on behalf of Justin Masterson. In fact, I’ll even go as far as to say that Nasty Masty has now become my favorite member of the team pitching rotation – then again, that may be an easy choice considering I’m still not sold on the Ubaldo trade, and Fausto Carmona is, well, Fausto Carmona. Regardless, Masterson has proved himself to be a worthy member of the Cleveland rotation – which I never would have said five months ago. In fact, hearing his name used to make my blood boil. Perhaps I was being a bit irrational, considering he didn’t ask to be traded to Cleveland in exchange for Victor Martinez, but I just could not fathom that anyone short of Albert Pujols would be worthy. Masterson’s spring training numbers were questionable –and while I know spring stats aren’t to be taken to heart, it seemed incredulous that we could entrust Masterson to start for us – then again, we also trusted Carmona. Furthermore, his past big league stats were less-than favorable, such as his 4.70 ERA and 6-13 record last year, in addition to the career-high 107 runs he allowed and 14 homeruns he gave up. Masterson’s record isn’t Cy Young-worthy (not that it seems anyone will surpass Verlander), but the key to his success has been his ability to keep the team well within games. The team’s April-May tear would not have been accomplished without him, as he won all five of his April starts. The most runs he’s given up in a start is seven and he’s accumulated ten or more groundball outs in 22 of his 30 starts. Six of his nine losses were one-run decisions and he’s gone at least six innings in 26 of his starts. Masterson has proved that he provides depth and reliability in an otherwise uncertain rotation. As Fausto Carmona continues to be a letdown and Ubaldo can only seem to win at home, and the fifth spot in the rotation has been a revolving door, Masterson has been the go-to guy Next year, Masterson will be in contention for the Tribe’s ace slot, especially if Ubaldo cannot reconstruct himself and Carmona is (hopefully) traded. If anything, he has solidified his spot among Cleveland’s starters and won the trust of even the most skeptical fans. With three weeks left, his starts will be a pivotal form of life support to keep the comatose Tribe going. Luckily, Justin is an optimistic guy. During a postgame interview yesterday, he told me, “I put forth the best effort I could. But we’ve got a long roadtrip to regroup and win some ballgames. We’ll keep pushing on.” No matter the outcome, no matter where the Tribe sits in the standings on September 28th, and no matter how depleting the season becomes, Justin Masterson has earned my utmost respect – and I’m sure I’m not the only Clevelander who feels this way. His constant smile provides a refreshing bout of optimism and his season success offers a reminder of good things to come. So Mr. Masterson, I’m sorry for those nasty things I said about you. You proved me wrong – and next year, you can bet I’ll be one of your number one fans.
