While We’re Waiting… Daugherty’s Debate, Gilbert Among the Best, Wedge…Not so Much
May 13, 2009WFNY Exclusive: A. Gully is All Business
May 13, 2009The Tribe went into last night’s home tilt with the White Sox hoping for their first set of back to back wins since mid-April. To do so, all they had to do was beat the great Clayton Richard, making his first start of the season after spending it as the Sox long man. The problem was the Indians were sending Jeremy Sowers to the hill on their end.
In a month and a half of statements made about this team, here is another – it’s time for the Jeremy Sowers experiment to end. Since his half-season of keeping hitters off balance while he looked like a young Tom Glavine in 2006, he has shown nothing but a mid to high-80’s straight fastball and off-speed stuff that his flat and has no delta with his fastball. The book is long since been out on this fallen prospect. The numbers tell the story:
In 13 starts in 2007, he was 1-6 with a 6.42 ERA.
In 22 starts in 2008, he was 4-9 with a 5.58 ERA
In his two starts since being recalled last week, the former #1 pick is 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA and a WHIP of 2.22. The question remains how come I know Sowers isn’t a major leaguer starter. You know Sowers isn’t a major league starter. But the Indians don’t? He received a third shot at claiming a spot in the rotation and it’s taken two starts to show that giving him this break was a mistake. Meanwhile, the Indians continue to sink lower and lower.
Sowers was watched Jim Thome crush a two out, two run homer in the first. After a Ben Francisco RBI single got the Tribe to within one run in the third, it took the Wahoo lefty just one batter to give that run back. Vaunted slugger Jayson Nix took him deep for a 3-1 Sox lead. The Indians got three back over the next two innings.
They tied it in the bottom of the third on a Shin-Soo Choo RBI ground out and a big two out run-scoring single by a suddenly hot Jhonny Peralta. Jhonny has raised his average from .198 to .246 since May 4th, thanks to a 7-13 stretch over the last three games. In the fourth, a perfectly placed ground-rule double by Asdrubal Cabrera brought home Matt LaPorta (who played first base for the first time this season) to give the Tribe a 4-3 lead.
Then the boys reverted back to their regular 2009 mode. After a Victor Martinez intentional walk loaded the bases, Mark DeRosa and Choo both K’d swinging to kill a rally which could have broken the game wide open. Instead, they handed a precarious one run lead to their shaky starter. Sowers of course turned that lead into a deficit within the blink of an eye.
Jermaine Dye doubled to start the fifth and Thome hit his second homer of the day to put the Sox up for good 5-4. That was all for Sowers – hopefully for good this time. Sowers is the epitome of 4A – a term used for a player who succeeds at AAA but cannot get it done in the bigs. I fully expect the newly acquired Jose Vizcaino to be called up today and Sowers should be sent packing back to Columbus. By the time his spot comes back around in the rotation, Zach Jackson should be returning to take his starts and Masa Kobayashi will be shipped out.
On a positive note, Jensen Lewis pitched about as well as he has all year, with a solid two and a third innings of relief work. Only a LaPorta error cost him a shot at scoreless work. Matt Herges moped up Tony Sipp’s mess with two and a third perfect baseball. Also, it was nice to see LaPorta in the lineup where he belongs. Before the game, GM Mark Shapiro spoke about a bevy of subjects with reporters, including the kid from Florida. “As you watch the next two or three weeks, he’s going to start playing more and more.”
As Scott mentioned in today’s WWW, Shappy also addressed the future of his beleaguered manager Eric Wedge. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be going anywhere anytime soon: “What I can tell you is that I believe no one cares more about these players or this organization than Eric Wedge. I feel strongly that he’s making every effort to move this in a positive direction.”
The Tribe goes for the series win this afternoon at 12:05 as they send Cliff Lee to the mound against ace lefty Mark Buerhle, who comes in at 5-0 with a 2.61 ERA.
17 Comments
The only player on the White Sox I despise more than Mark Burhle? Bobby Fat Face Jenks.
That’s all I have to say about that.
I saw Sowers walk into his downtown apartment after the game last night. He’s in room 4A.
Sowers needs to be sent back down to AAA, put in to the bullpen to just see if we can get anything out of him like a Trevor Hoffman
If not that then trade him to an NL team for a new hitting coach
I really like Sowers, but the record as you display it is hard to ignore. I would give him another go at AAA as Alex suggested.
“I saw Sowers walk into his downtown apartment after the game last night. He’s in room 4A.”
I see what you did there!
What’s happening with Scott Lewis? He was supposed to be out 2-4 weeks with an elbow issue, but that was more than a month ago. He’s still on the DL and I haven’t heard anything about his progress.
It sure would be nice if he could get healthy and join the rotation again.
TD – I don’t know how you can stomach even watching these games. It’s times like this where I’m glad that STO isn’t locally available on my cable here in DC, because I know I would be tempted to tune into these train wrecks every once in a while, but it’s amazing you’re able to withstand entire games over and over again.
I am in complete agreement with those who say that Sowers should be sent back to Columbus with an eye on shaping him into a reliever. He’s just not good enough to be a big league starter given his lack of velocity. I don’t know if he’d be good enough to be a big league reliever either but it’s worth a shot.
@ Thunder – I believe Hoynes wrote a couple days ago that Lewis had a setback in throwing sessions and is still several weeks away.
Thome goes yard twice.. hilarious. Anybody got this guys BAA the Tribe since he’s left? It’s gotta be through the roof.
If Jeremy Sowers starts another game for the Indians, Eric Wedge should be fired.
When does the Tribe moratorium start???
If the Tribe plays another game, Eric Wedge should be fired.
If I was the tribe pitching coach, to Sowers as he hops into his car for the sad ride to Columbus:
“Two words to remember, young man: knuckle … ball.”
@ Chuck – that’s the fun of it. You can have your very own moratorium any time you like!
I went to the game yesterday. After getting a flat tire AND my spare going flat on the way there I should have known that I needed to just go home.
On a postitive note though, Jensen Lewis was good and Herges was lights out! In fact, Herges almost struck out 3 straight in one inning. (Instead the third batter hit a groundout with a 2-2 count.)
Scott Lewis had a setback…..I wouldn’t be suprised if we find out he’s heading to TJ surgery in the next few weeks. It’s a forearm issue, which is often a precursor to Tommy John elbow surgery…..
Sowers needs a GOOD catcher to be effective. Shoppach and Martinez really aren’t it. Sowers ERA with Fasano was respectable and he NEVER gave up more than 4 earned runs in any of his 7 starts with Fasano behind the plate.
That being said, this is his 4th year, he needs to be able to pitch with any one behind the plate.
Problem is there’s nothing at AAA right now. Huff hasn’t even proven he’s that great of a AAA pitcher let alone able to get ML hitters out. Sowers was pitching light-years better than Huff at AAA. Thinking that Huff will come up and do any better than Sowers is asking a lot…..
Sowers is likely up til mid-June when Westbrook is ready to come back…
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