Elias: Cavs Set New Record for Futility
April 4, 2012Giving a second thought to a full Nike Browns uniform redesign
April 4, 2012
Former Major League Journeyman Bill Selby did two things when he played briefly in Cleveland between 2000 and 2003. He hit a memorable, Walk-off Grand Slam against Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees in July of 2002. And he created a nickname for a teammate that has stuck forever.
Selby dubbed Indians DH Travis Hafner “Pronk” because he was then part project, part donkey. The guy was once an absolute beast of a hitting machine and a mountain of a man. His personality never fit his game and body. This is a guy who loves the WWE and will always give you a quote. He’s very approachable, almost a big teddy bear of you will. His teammates all love him. So did the fans.
After putting up MVP type numbers three consecutive seasons (2004-2006), the Indians turned the right-field Mezzanine section into “Pronkville,” a place where his big blasts could land. In 2007, Hafner had somewhat of a down year compared to the previous three seasons, yet he still drove in 100 runs and hit 24 jacks. During June of that season, the Indians rewarded their slugger with a four-year, $57 million contract extension, which would kick in for the 2009 season. They picked up his 2008 club option and doubled his $4 million salary in the process.
At the time, how could you argue with the Indians finally deciding to extend one of their own stars? Look at Hafner’s numbers during that four-year span which earned him that contract:
2004: 140 games/.311/.410/.993/28 HR/109 RBI/
2005: 137 games/.305/.408/1.003/33 HR/108 RBI
2006: 129 games/.308/.439/1.097/42 HR/117 RBI
2007: 152 games/.266/.385/.837/24 HR/100 RBI (extension signed mid-season)
In typical Tribe fashion, the year BEFORE Hafner’s extension kicked in, the injuries began. Over the next four years, thanks to elbow problems and an oblique injury, Pronk played in a total of games 363, an average of just over 90 games a season. His peak was 118 games in 2009. The injuries have robbed him of his power. A guy who hit 127 homers from 04-07, hit just 47 of the next four seasons. There were also whispers of performance enhancing drugs, though Hafner was never implicated or named in the infamous Mitchell report. Its the old where there’s smoke, there’s fire connection. Pronk’s numbers went down and his body began to fail him literally at the same time MLB toughened up its policy against PEDS.
In the meantime, the Indians have been stuck with the Hafner contract seemingly forever. Its an immovable object and his trade value is essentially non-existant because of the fact that his inflamed elbow doesn’t allow him to even throw a baseball. So the Tribe has been stuck with a DH who can’t be used anywhere else, has been unable to stay healthy, and when he is healthy, isn’t nearly the player he once was. All that for the price tage of $13 million.
So we now enter the final year of the Hafner contract and the Indians are once again counting on him to be a horse the middle of their order. Last year Pronk was having a renaissance season of sorts before losing six weeks with that pulled oblique muscle. In 94 games, he hit .280/.361/.811/13 HR/57 RBI. At the plate, Hafner looked the most comfortable he has in years, but the mid-season injury slowed him down. The Indians still don’t use him as much as they would like to protect his balky elbow, but he is still a guy who can drive the ball from gap to gap. The home run power just isn’t there anymore, but he can still be a productive guy.
It is interesting, over the duration of the contract extension, Hafner had become a whipping boy of sorts for Tribe fans. But with Grady Sizemore assuming the mantle of the guy who can’t be counted on, Hafner is back under the radar. Nobody is really expecting him to put up All-Star numbers anymore. He can just relax and do what he can do. The Indians have a club option for him for $13 million in 2013 and there is zero chance it will be picked up. So Pronk has his last chance at age 35 (on June 3rd) to make his mark in Cleveland and hopefully find work elsewhere in 2013.
(AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)
79 Comments
Indians are 2-1 vs. Yankees in playoffs series
3-2 vs. Red Sox in playoff series
in fact, the Giants (0-1) and Marlins (0-1) are the only MLB teams we have a losing record against in playoff series.
I completely get what you are saying. I just think that sometimes a mid-market team has to take a risk now and then. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it does not. Maybe Hafner wasnt the best player to take a risk with, but he was the Indians best player at the time.
I know its not analogous, but Adrian Gonzalez is 30 and just signed a huge deal that everyone thinks is a great deal. Yea he plays the field, but not a premium position like SS. I just cant be mad at the Tribe for locking up a guy who, at the time, was a top 10 hitter in the AL.
Yes there was a huge conspiracy about Hafner and his PED use, and why oh why couldn’t Shapiro predict the future and Hafner’s injuries??
Yeah, gotta agree with you Harv… I mean who was doing the whispering? People in the know? Or fan speculation? The way it is written easily leads one to believe the author heard what he believes to be credible rumors of PED use, when I am not sure that is the case at all.
Even with the decline in power, Hafner has still been productive, not great, and not good enough for a $13 million DH, but he has a .364 OBP over the last 3 years, pretty much equal to David Ortiz, Justin Morneau, and Mark Teixeira. That’s still a middle of the lineup bat.
The PED argument is ignorance at its worst. Testing began in 2004. Hafner mashed the ball for a couple years after testing was in place. His decline does not fall in line with the crackdown on steroids.
Except, those guys actually play. He never does. He’s not worth resigning.
100 games a year is not great, but it would help your cause if you presented an accurate statement (this is twice now in this thread). I didn’t say he’s worth resigning, in fact, I said “not good enough for a $13 million DH”. But when he does step up to the plate, he’s still productive.
See here is where we can cite difference of opinion because neither knows the truth.
As I said, it’s my opinion. Yours is that Hafner was not using PED’s.
It’s just as easy for me to call you ignorant for thinking his rapid decline was not due to his body being unable to adjust.
But thanks for calling me stupid anyways, I so rarely get to here that these days.
No conspiracy necessary, but cool story bro!
Sorry, but you don’t get to make such outlandish claims, then when you get called out on it go “well thats just like my opinion man”
You’ve gone down this dark road, now you need to back it up. If Hafner was a user, why did he not turn into a monster until after testing was put in place, why did he continue to mash for 3 years after testing started, and I’ll patiently await your detailed, and medically proven, description of how Hafner “didnt even look like the same person”.
It was a dark and stormy night……..
Shapiro did not go “Hafner/Westbrook > Sabathia”
Sabathia was dead set on testing free agency, and everyone knew the Yankees wouldn’t be outbid (They supposedly topped the second best offer by almost 50 million). Shapiro signed the guys that actually were signable.
Um, I don’t have a “cause,” and I’m not looking for a fight (not sure why you’re picking one). Resigning Hafner was the main point of my initial comment. It was bad; we shouldn’t do it again. Sorry you didn’t like it. I get it. You disagree. Peace, man.
I’m not picking a fight. Don’t start playing the victim because someone disagreed with you, brought facts to the table, and called out your outlandish claims.
Wait, you’re NOT picking a fight?
No, and I don’t see how you come up with that. Let’s rehash the discussion. You make a comment, with no facts to back it up, followed up by a ridiculously outlandish claim. I bring a fact to the table that goes against your original comment. You make another hyperbolic claim, followed up by a moving of the goalposts. Again, I am left to present the actual facts of the matter at hand. Then you get pissy that someone called you out. This is not a fight, this is one side wanting to rant, and the other side wanting to have a discussion.
Brother, if anyone’s “pissy,” it ain’t me. Truly. If I improperly confused your pointed personal references to me as picking a fight, forgive me. It sure came off that way, but I can accept that I was wrong. I gather that, for some reason, you don’t like me – irrespective of the fact that we’ve never met (or have we?). I’m okay with that, and don’t need to measure my, ahem, (stones? is that right?) against anyone, particularly in the anonymous, falsely adrenalized interwebs.
Glad you picked up on the hyperbole, though. It was purposefully hyperbolic. I generally like to have fun on this site as a fan of Cleveland sports. That’s all. My personal worth is not bound by my thoughts on sports, and I don’t fancy myself some swivel chair GM. I honestly don’t see what you’re so fired up about. My opinion on Hafner is just an opinion (though one that apparently struck a nerve).
If it helps at all, you are absolutely right. I am completely wrong.
Pointed personal references? What on earth are you talking about? And you just jump to the conclusion that I don’t like you and am being an internet tough guy, when all I did was show how productive Hafner could be, and made sure that we accurately portrayed his playing time. Look, if you just want to rant, then whatever. Honestly, tell me how that is interpreted as picking a fight?
Look, you just wanted to have a rant, I get it. But when you put it out in a public setting, you’re going to have deal with people responding to it. Sorry.
Your various responses to me on two threads appeared to be fight picking and internet tough-guyery (“cause,” “that’s twice now on this thread,” “playing the victim,” “bad day on a standardized test,” “have some stones,” etc.). But as I said, you’re right. I’m wrong. I misinterpreted. Seriously. I honestly mean it.
(I think we’re done, because my thoughts are beginning to be compressed in a tight little column of claustrophobia.)
Don’t be sorry; nothing is your fault.
I do enjoy your serious demeanor though…”outlandish claims”,”dark road”,”medically proven”….it makes it sound like a John Grisham novel…..man.
And I don’t need to backup anything. I’m commenting about an article on a sports blog (same as you); not a professional journalist paid to report the truths.
Supposedly!?!!?
I can’t believe you would post a comment on something you didn’t know was absolutely 100 percent truth!!!!!
#potmeetkettle
No idea what you’re getting at. Everyone knew the Yankees blew the second best deal out of the water, at least 20 million, maybe 50 million. That doesn’t change anything about my post. Sabathia was deadset on testing free agency, and the Indians were, in no way, going to beat the Yankees. Shapiro did not think that Hafner/Westbrook were better than Sabathia, just better than not signing anybody.
He didn’t look like the same person?….he lost 10 lbs…he didn’t pull a pudge rodriguez. if travis ever did steroids don’t you think he would have been named in the mitchell report like everyone else. in 06 hafner got tested over 20 times. no he got hurt which sucked but don’t blame roids. remember when they showed his father in minnesota. he was bigger than travis.
He can’t win. If he’s good he does roids and if he is hurt it’s because he’s not doing them
He didn’t look like the same person?….he lost 10 lbs…he didn’t pull a pudge rodriguez. if travis ever did steroids don’t you think he would have been named in the mitchell report like everyone else. in 06 hafner got tested over 20 times. no he got hurt which sucked but don’t blame roids. remember when they showed his father in minnesota. he was bigger than travis.
He can’t win. If he’s good he does roids and if he is hurt it’s because he’s not doing them
because no one pays for defense. the money lies in RBI’s….and 4 seasons in a row with 100+ you do that deal every day.
because no one pays for defense. the money lies in RBI’s….and 4 seasons in a row with 100+ you do that deal every day.
It is true there is zero chance the Tribe will pick-up Hafner’s 13 M contract extension. He is damaged goods and doesn’t play a position. Unlike Prince Fielder, Pronk will not command big bucks in the free agent market. The Indians just might be able to resign him. Like Hargrove, he moved to Cleveland. His wife is here. There are a many good reasons for him to not even want to seek free agency — just take what the Tribe offers and remain an integral part of the franchise.
Good article. I heard Travis Haffner was the highest paid athlete in Cleveland sports so I had to do some digging to find your site very informative. Its just too bad we sign a big contact and hasen’t done squat since. Typical CLE sports.