While We’re Waiting… Elam Talks Camp, Admiring Script Ohio, Ranking Delonte’s Lines
August 5, 2009Braylon Edwards Cleared, Attends Practices
August 5, 2009
Lost in my euphoric look into the future yesterday (ha ha) is the fact that the current version of the Indians is still a very flawed collection of players. I know it worked for one night last week, but when an opposing pitcher looks at the Tribe lineup and sees a 6-9 of Chris Gimenez, Luis Valbuena, Andy Marte, and Trevor Crowe, you know he licks his chops. The Twins Scott Baker, who owns the Tribe to begin with, completely shut down the “Columbus crew plus five” for seven shutout innings during a 10-1 loss at Dolan Field.
I was “lucky” enough to be down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario last night with the family. Since the game was pretty much a complete snoozer, I’ll give you a few quick highlights of my game experience.
1. My two year old son learning how to say “Chris Gimenez” and then repeating it over and over again.
2. Sneaking into the club level for free ice cream, which my son proceeded to get all over his Grady Sizemore t-shirt.
3. Seeing a bitter Larry Dolan literally falling asleep in his box.
4. Meeting the proprietors of Cleveland Frowns, Cry Me a Cuyahoga River, and the great Vince from Cleveland Scene’s 64-and-counting.
I mean, you really can’t beat that “sweet action,” as Cosmo Kramer would say.
Back to what happened on the field. Rookie left-hander David Huff continued his pattern of inconsistency with a complete dud of a start. He couldn’t get out of the fourth inning as the Twins touched him up for 11 hits and seven earned runs. Not that it wouldn’t have mattered, but he could have received a better fate if not for the comedic stylings on the mound of Jensen Lewis.
Last year at this time, Jenny was taking over the closer’s role and doing an excellent job with it, saving 13-13. It’s been a long time since those days, my friend. He was miserable during the first half of the 2009 season, despite being handed the set-up role along with numerous chances to work through the kinks. His six home-run April was a precursor of what we would see out of him the rest of the way. Finally, On June 29th, he was demoted for “fine-tuning” with a 5.03 ERA.
While in Columbus, Jenny was dominating. He didn’t allow an earned run in 18.2 innings of relief work, while striking out 28. Had Lewis finally turned the corner? Not so much.
Last night, in his second appearance since being recalled, he was crushed on the first pitch he threw to the light-hitting Carlos Gomez for a three run homer as he replaced Huff in the fifth. That is the 10th home run Lewis has allowed in 41.2 IP. Not exactly awe inspiring.
At this point it was 8-0 and the game was over, especially with the way Baker was cruising. “Baker was really good,” said Wedge. “He did a great job of coming right after us and moving that fastball around up in the zone. He puts the ball in spots where it’s tough to lay off of.”
Meanwhile, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau just pounded the Indians all night long. Throw in Gomez who had three hits, and the trio combined to go 8-14 with seven RBI’s, leading a 10 run, 16 hit attack.
Watching the M&M boys rake all over the field made me think about Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore. The Twins and Indians were very similar coming into this year. Lots of ifs, but things had the chance to progress if the big guns came through and hit like the stars they are paid to be.
While Mauer sits at .359/18HR/60 RBI/.375 with RISP after missing the entire month of April, his partner in crime Morneau leads the AL in RBI’s with 88, while hitting .309 with 28 HR’s and a .333 BA with runners in scoring position. Even with the rest of their club is struggling, they pick up their teammates.
On the other side, Hafner and Sizemore have battled injuries and slumps all year. Pronk has been up and down, and was in a 2-22 slump before going2-4 last night. His numbers on the year (.279/11 HR/29 RBI) certainly don’t reflect a guy who is supposed to be your middle of the order presence (for $14 million a year). Sizemore still cannot escape the strikeout problems and while he has 15 HR’s and 54 RBI’s, a batting average of .227 with 78 K’s is completely unacceptable, as is his .253 average with RISP.
Grady and Pronk certainly are far from the only reason the Indians have under-achieved this season.
It’s not all doom and gloom, I mean, the Indians were due for a bad loss. They had come in winners of eight of 12 despite the flury of trades. But a strange lineup each night will remain.
Said Andy Marte, your everyday first baseman the rest of the way: “This is the team we’ve got. We’re trying to get the job done. We’re all here for a reason. We wouldn’t be here if they didn’t think we could play. We’re not worried about the trades that have been made.”
28 Comments
Waiting for the inevitable “cashing out” comment….
The “Columbus crew plus five”.
Question: If Shapiro called up the ACTUAL Columbus Crew, would their baseball record be better or worse than this Tribe team?
Would they kick the ball back to the infield like Russel in Right Field?
Cashing out.
You’re welcome.
@ Denny: I don’t understand the question.
Wasn’t that what I saw last night?
Indians DFA’d Jose Veras and are bringing up Jess Todd… of course they would when I am going to the Clippers game and he was one of the players I was interested in seeing
(Carassco pitching, LaPorta and Brantley)
Columbus Crew… the MLS team
Tell me you wouldn’t put a soccer goalie at a position like third base. Those guys have crazy hands, absolute guns for arms and are always ready to dive to make a play.
Oh man…does this require a moment of silence as the last member of the Winston Abreu All-Star Fireman Squad is finally shuffled off the big-league team?
Masterson, Todd, Veras AND Abreu coming at 1p… Feel the excitement.
*plays taps for Veras*
Will someone please ask Shapiro and Wedge why they won’t bring LaPorta and Brantley up and just play them everyday? Don’t beat around the bush, just flat out ask them.. These guys are idiots, trade all of our good players and still don’t bring up the guys who have a better chance at selling a ticket.
Why the continued mantra of Jensen Lewis? How much more does anyone need to see before FINALLY getting it that this dude does NOT have major league stuff? What don’t you see about a straight, flat top speed 88mph fastball (sure, he hits 90 on the rare occasion) that hitters salivate at? Look at his stuff, look at his lack of ball movement…….why is he on this team?
Have you ever seen a guy duck so much and so quickly after he throws a pitch?
Give Jess Todd the look, he’s got major league movement on his ball and a true 92 conistent fastball. Get rid of Lewis…….please stop talking about this reject.
Who wants to watch another start from David Fluff?
Hell just froze over. I agree with Isis.
*shivver*
🙂
Remember when everyone threw monopoly money off the left field wall at Belle? If I know I was going to be next to the owners box I may have brought some with me to toss his way…
after seeing K’dy in Center – its time for him to just call it a bad year and have his surgery wo we can have him healthy next year…the twins tubby Left Fielder was on second, a solid line drive up the middle and K’dy didnt even begin to think about throwing home as he scored without so much as a second thought…
get him healthy, play LaPorta in left, Brantley in center and see what theyve got…Jordan Brown should also be called up too…
@DK I totally agree
@ 17: Are you kidding? If Sizemore calls it a season, no one will want to come to the games!
(“See the Dolan … Be the Dolan …”)
@19 – what good does it do to play him? so that his arm doesnt heal in the offseason? so that he continues to not be able to hit the high strike because his elbow wont bend? notice how pitchers are giving him a lot of balls up in the zone lately? wonder why…
and I’ve said it before, I’m actually looking forward to the games now because we get to see the future now…
@DK Couldnt agree more. I hope the Tribe looks at what happened with Hafner (i.e. letting him postpone his surgery until it turned into a really really big problem, leaving him a shell of his former self) and takes the more precautionary route with Grady. Put him on the shelf and let the kids show what they can do.
@ 20, 21: Comment was meant to be intoned with heavy sarcasm. Please increase your computer volume.
@22 – gotcha…seems pretty pointless to have him in there if we are already looking to next year anyways…
Jordon Brown has been overlooked all season. He has been doing his job quietly and effectively in AAA. Time to bring him up and see what he can do in the bigs.
I’d like to see JB in the bigs…hes been an intriguing storyline since hes technically the best hitter we have in AAA…(according to stats this year)
Brown is arguably the best hitter ANYBODY has in AAA right now (at least in the IL).
I hope the Tribe looks at what happened with Hafner (i.e. letting him postpone his surgery and stop taking his steroids until it turned into a really really big problem, leaving him a shell of his former self)
/fixed
lol DP!