NBA Blog Contest – Game 2
May 3, 2010After One Start in 2010, Cliff Lee is Already Talking Free Agency
May 3, 2010Tough to come up with a good headline for this one. What happened exactly on Sunday? Pretty simple – the better team won and came through in a close game when the inferior team could not. Seems like the story for the majority of the first month of the season, doesn’t it?
In all fairness to our fair Wahoo Warriors, they are a young team with a rotation that is either unproven or trying to regain past form and a bullpen without its closer and a bunch of guys trying to figure out their respective roles. This isn’t even mentioning a left-handed heavy lineup whose key players seem to be shells of their former selves (yes, I’m talking about you, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner).
Somehow, Manny Acta continues to soldier on. Even though he seems to be the anti-Eric Wedge, his first April certainly mirrored the the majority of those during the era of “The Grind.”
Sunday afternoon’s tilt with the Twins was a game they could have lost by double digits. The Twins, playing without the best catcher in the game, Joe Mauer, teed off for 20 hits, but left 16 men on. David Huff, who hasn’t looked the same since his complete game against the Rangers three weeks ago, gave up a single to Denard Span and a two run shot to Orlando Hudson and before the first bite of your hot dog, the Tribe were down 2-0.
Hudson’s homer was the first of three he would give up in his five plus innings of work. Huff was this close to staying out of real trouble, but with two outs and nobody on in the fifth, Jim Thome and Delmon Young hit back to back jacks. “He threw a lot of balls right down the middle of the plate, and they really hurt him,” Acta said. “He didn’t have command.”
SIDE NOTE: Anyone who still boos at Jim Thome, get over it already.
Amazingly, when he left, the Indians were down just 4-3 against the new and improved version of Francisco Liriano, who entered the game with an ERA of 0.93. They got two in the first thanks to a Liriano three base throwing error, a groundball, and a balk. Unconventional yes, but the runs count the same. It should have been a bigger inning, but Mark Grudzielanek grounded into a double play with two on and one out.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lou Marson and Asdrubal Cabrera hit back to back singles to start the frame. With two out and runners at the corners, Austin Kearns doubled to right scoring Marson, but Grady Sizemore was gunned out at the plate trying to scored from first.
That was the closest the Indians would get.
Rafael Perez was the first to relieve Huff in the sixth after the he allowed the third hit of the day to rookie catcher Wilson Ramos, making his major league debut (Ramos would end up with four hits, the first player to do so ion their debut in 12 years). Nick Punto bunted Ramos over to second, which would be the only out Perez would record. Not only did he fall behind Punto 3-1 before the sacrifice, but he walked Span. Hudson followed with a sharp single to load the bases.
I, as well as Manny Acta, had seen enough. Jamey Wright came in and induced a 6-4-3 inning ending double play that at the time, looked like a huge play. Little did we know, it was really like putting bubble gum over a hole in the dam. The Twins would get two in the sixth off of Wright and two in the ninth off of Hector Ambriz, activated from the DL over the weekend. His cause wasn’t helped by a Marson error in which he literally dropped a throw to home. Again, at this point, it was all over but the shouting.
The Twins took two of three from the Indians and showed why they are clearly the best team in the AL Central. So what were the three things we learned this weekend?
Lou Marson stuck it in my face – A week ago today, I was calling for his exit in favor of Wyatt Toregas. Manny Acta and Mark Shapiro have preached patience with their starting catcher. Since I wrote it, he went 8-15 (.533) with three doubles and five runs scored. Marson raised his average from .088 to .224.
”I did the same thing last year in Triple-A, started slow,” Marson said Sunday. ”Early this year, I was taking a lot of pitches. Now I feel I have a better idea of the strike zone.” He earned himself a stay of execution for now.
Rafael Perez is done – I’ve long been in the tank for Raffy. I guess I just cannot forget how dominating he was in 2007. But the fact remains that in the last year and a half, Perez has literally fallen off the table.
Yesterday was yet another example of how he falls behind seemingly every hitter and his out pitch, the slider, isn’t biting anymore. His pitches with no confidence and cannot be counted on. In nine appearance this year, he has a whopping 2.59 WHIP (13 hits and six walks in just 7.1 IP). Every time Acta has given him the ball in a key situation this year, its a struggle.
Kerry Wood is heading out to a rehab assignment in Akron and if all things go well, could be back within a week. Don’t be shocked if the Tribe finally cuts the cord with Raffy Left.
The sad state of affairs down at Progressive Field – I know the sun wasn’t out yesterday, and they had to share Saturday night with the Cavs, but the crowds down at the Jake are depressing. The temperatures were perfect all weekend. Nobody is watching this team. Pulling 12,619 on a 75 degree Sunday afternoon is very troubling. Its only May 3rd.
What happens if things get worse? What kind of crowds will they pull in September when Kansas City and the likes come to town?
(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
9 Comments
I gotta say, I think Acta should get a pass on comparisons to Wedge in terms of April performance. Wedge frequently had teams that were expected to compete over the past couple of years, and yet almost always came out of April hovering at or below .500 (save for the fateful 2007 campaign). Maybe Acta will continue to stink in April (I hope not), but given how low expectations were for this team, and how uncertain the future is, I think it’s premature to kill Acta for a losing April this year. As WFNY has pointed out regularly (and you mention above), we have a bunch of unknown starters, several new and unknown bats, and an uncertain bullpen; expecting a dazzling April was unrealistic, and I think Acta’s done a good job with what he has. Now, if we’re in contention in 2011, 2012, 2013, and Aprils continue to stink, then I absolutely think the Acta-Wedge comparisons are fair. But for now, we should definitely cut him (and the team) some slack – it’s a transitional period. (And certainly, the MLB schedulers starting us on the road and giving us 15 of 22 games on the road in the first month isn’t exactly a neutral arbiter, either).
The Indians = Jake Delhomme. They’re a stop-gap between NBA and NFL seasons.
I will boo Jim Thome forever. He’s absolute trash in my book. He could have accepted a trade in 2002 but instead set the franchise back two or three years. He’s my least favorite athlete of all-time and I will continue to boo him … oh wait … I wouldn’t pay two cents for a ticket to watch this team.
I love the Tribe but I am further loving the small crowds and general apathy of the fans. The Dolans are absolutely awful and I’m just hoping and praying (really) that they sell the team very shortly.
Them selling the team and new ownership ridding the Indians of the stink that is Mark Crapiro is our only chance of getting a winner back in town.
Also, F Jim Thome.
“SIDE NOTE: Anyone who still boos at Jim Thome, get over it already.”
No.
1. The Dolan’s deserve the small crowds, this is what happens when you get rid of Lee, CC, and Victor and provide absolutely no hope that any young player who becomes a star will be retained.
2. Agree with comments 3 & 4 about Thome. He lied to us. He said it was not about the money, but in the end that is exactly what it was about. He wanted one more year, and the front office would not agree. Manny and Albert made no bones about it, it was about the money for them. At least they were honest. When Thome apologizes to the fans for lying, then we wil stop booing.
Honestly I’d rather spend 8 bucks and get the same enjoyment out of a Lake County Captains game.
what colin said. I’m not entirely sure that everyone can really blame the Dolans. Baseball in general is in a weird transition period to post-Steroids. Not everyone can hit 40 homers anymore, so those that do get paid way too much money for a market like Cleveland. The elite teams (Boston, New York, Philly) have finally figured out that having a good farm system is crucial and they now outspend teams in the draft and through player development. The way baseball is moving, a market like Cleveland can at best hope for a 3 year play-off run before players leave for big money or are outspent. Of course I think the Dolan’s are aloof and do not manage the fan base well, but it’s hardly entirely up to them or the money they spend whether Cleveland is a competitor–see the contracts of Carmona and Hafner.
btw, if this team wanted to put butts in seats they would have gone out and signed Omar Vizquel, Thome, Man Ram, and any other glory day ex-triber not named Russel Branyan……I hate to say it but even if this team signed Barry Bombs I’d probably be more inclined to go down to the park and spend my hard earned money.
stin4u is bang on here. I would have gone and watched if we’d brought in Manny Jimmy and the ever-youthful Omar, who cut us up bad when we played him.