Indians vs White Sox- Open Thread
May 13, 2009While We’re Waiting… 2000 and Counting, Big Z’s Rest, and the Drama-free Cavaliers
May 14, 2009Yesterday in Cleveland against the White Sox, Matt LaPorta got his 5th major league start. LaPorta hasn’t set the world on fire just yet at the major league level. After last night’s game, LaPorta was 3 for 16 on the season. That is hardly enough at-bats to make any kind of definitive statement about LaPorta and his readiness for the major leagues. A strange twist from Eric Wedge though as yesterday was also LaPorta’s first start at first base since he left college two years ago.
Now, I know Eric Wedge has enough criticism floating over him like a cloud of stink, but does this whole thing seem a bit odd to anyone else? I am sure LaPorta is capable of playing some first base as he is touted as an athlete. Still why in the world would the Indians drop him into the fire at the major league level when he has played outfield exclusively since being drafted?
A quick look at the Indians lineup makes it even more baffling. Starting in the outfield last night were Grady Sizemore, Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo. That is fine, but then Wedge had Ryan Garko at DH. Last time I checked, Garko broke into the majors as a first baseman. Why not have him play first and DH LaPorta or any one of the other outfielders?
Look, I know it isn’t that big of a deal in the long run because of how this team is playing. I know LaPorta has played at first before. It just seems strange that if the Indians knew it was a possibility that he would play some first at the major league level that they wouldn’t have had him play it in spring training or in the minor leagues. On top of that, it wasn’t exactly an emergency situation that saw LaPorta play first yesterday. And if you are trying to build up a young man’s confidence so he can be a part of the long-term plan in Cleveland, why would you jerk him around to different positions of the field so early in his most extensive big league experience? Not unexpectedly, LaPorta committed an error yesterday.
It might seem like nit-picking, but it is just another in a long line of inexplicable decisions that are being made by the Indians this (awful) season.
12 Comments
Totally agreed. Kinda like I totally agree with every post decrying Wedge’s dumb decisions.
Note to writers – we gain more credibility with every anti-Wedge post. Keep in back pocket until the time is right.
laporta is a monster keep playing him!!!! wedge listen or your fired
Sitting where the Indians sit, it is hard to be pro-Wedge right now. We all bought into the rebuild when the Indians went for it. These last two years were supposed to be the benefits of all that rebuilding. Some of us still believe in a large part of the talent on this roster. Who else are we going to blame?
I agree with the anti-Wedge sentiment, but out of all the moves, this is the one I have the least problem with. The Indians don’t have a natural first basemen. Garko and Martinez are both converted catchers, and while they are not bad defensively, they certainly arent gold glovers. LaPorta was a first basemen in college and I believe when he got drafted, but was then moved to the outfield because Milwaukee had to many first basemen. I thought putting LaPorta at first base wasnt a great idea, especially if hes supposed to be our next power hitting right fielder, but putting him at first isnt a great slight to anyone.
To be fair, we converted Garko to 1B, so let him play 1B (every day, not every once in a while). Leave Martinez to catch full-time, giving Shoppach a start every 5 or 6 days and either let Martinez DH or get the day off. Try to trade Derosa, move Peralta to 3rd, Cabrera to SS, and allow Valbuena to show us what he has. Leave Grady in CF, Choo in RF, and play LaPorta in LF. Let Francisco DH, and pray Hafner’s arm falls off and we’ve insured the contract. Bury Dellucci (no, literally. Dig a hole, put him in it, and cover it with dirt). Plug in utility guys as someone needs a day off, and stop screwing with the lineup so much.
There. I fixed the offense. I’m magic.
As for pitching…it may take more than magic….
Primer on “How to Mess with Young Player’s Heads” (Alternative title:”The Smell of Panic Wafting Up from the Bunker”):
– Tell the jewel of your farm system he will play left field, praise his work there all spring, bring him up to the bigs, don’t play him, then suddenly stick him at first.
– Tell the young ex-second baseman he’s doing what he needs to get back to the bigs, learn left field and third, bring him to the bigs, give him 3 ab’s, send him down.
– Take your 20 year-old future starting stud in A-ball, who’s still adjusting to this country and tearing it up as a starter, that he is a reliever starting … right now. At least for a while. Ignore the ghosts of Baez, Guthrie, and Jason What-ever-his-name-was that the organization also screwed up with repeated flp-flopping.
– Make sure all the young ‘uns see that, regardless of their doing what you asked them to do and their minor league performance, an over the hill veteran takes their AB’s, because he ain’t going to just sit or go home if he’s making that much money.
Man, I sound bitter.
LaPorta is eventually a 1B, period, so playing him there didn’t surprise me at all.
For the coming couple of years he’s young enough to probably handle himself OK in the OF, but he’s a below average defender. Choo and Francisco (even given his shoddy play this season) are much better out there and we field a defensively stronger team with LaPorta at first.
Though if Peralta is playing SS still we’re probably splitting hairs.
#6,
Hafner has 4 HRs and a .910 OPS this year!!! Why would we want his arm to fall off? This team needs him in the middle of the lineup. We’re struggling without him. The sooner he’s back the better.
Francisco can sit on the bench where he belongs and be a pinch-hitter/runner.
LaPorta should stay in LF. He’ll likely be at 1B eventualy, but don’t move him around his first year (though he HAS played 1B in the minors this year). But take a page out of the Brewers playbook, play LaPorta everyday in LF like they did with Braun at 3B (Braun’s first week was pretty uneventful as well). If LaPorta needs to move to 1B next year so be it (like Braun moving from 3B). But PLEASE just let the kid hit everyday.
<>
It would make sense if they needed someone new to play 1B.
Maybe Garko is trade bait for a reliever.
Is this STILL Spring Training????
Are they still trying to figure out who can play where and who should be sent where?
What did they do down in Arizona during that extended MLB Spring Training?
Let me guess. . . ahhh. . . Let’s see. . . Wedge isn’t a Fan of LaPorta?
Hasn’t played him since he’s been called up and then put’s him in a situation that he hasn’t done in YEARS!!!!
This sounds familiar?
@#9 – Hafner is a liability for the money he’s making. Mark my words – he will NEVER be the same Hafner from his peak. As such, I hope his arm falls off and we can collect some insurance $$ on the contract.