The Browns latest crack at a new culture: While We’re Waiting…
May 4, 2016Hue Jackson on Browns’ RB tandem: “Those two guys are as good as I’ve seen in a while”
May 4, 2016The Cleveland Browns participation in the 2016 NFL Draft might have taken my writing priorities for the week, but I still suffered along with everyone else through the gut punch of the 1-5 week that was coupled with all five losses being by a single run. After falling two games below .500 and six games back of the Chicago White Sox, the Indians needed a jolt to energize themselves and the fanbase as well as to demonstrate the team is indeed better than yet another miserable April record indicates.
Well, the Indians (11-12) welcomed the Detroit Tigers (14-11), a team they swept out of Comerica Park just last weekend in fantastic fashion. Changing venues to Progressive Field did the Tigers no favors as the Indians look to make Detroit their whipping post for the 2016 MLB season.1 On Tuesday, the Indians scored early and often in what became a 7-3 victory over Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers.
I’m still in NFL Draft mode, so to ease the transition back to baseball, here are some scouting profiles on the players including their key contributions from the fantastic win Tuesday while wearing their best-looking uniform combination — the red and cream.
Francisco “Truffles” Lindor Scouting Profile
Position: Shortstop
Bats: Both, Throws: Right
Height: 5-foot-11, Weight: 190 lb.
Age: 22
Analysis
Even with the 2015 AL-ROY race somehow deciding to give the award to Carlos Correa, Lindor is considered the finest shortstop in all of MLB. He is a prototypical defensive 6-position from gloving liners, moving linear to both sides to engulf grounders, and with the ability to make the throws across the diamond necessary to be a defensive wunderkind.
Strengths: Lindor’s intangibles are what set him apart from other star players. For one, he now walks to the plate to the theme from Space Jam. Then, he makes like Bugs Bunny taking over the game all by himself.
He is tough, durable and willing to step into a double-play throw with oncoming baserunners breathing down his neck. He even took the time and effort to give Jason Kipnis a big ole hug after Kip did his best Lindor impression to rob Victor Martinez of a hit in the fourth inning.2 And, Lindor’s smile is bright enough to light up the ballpark on its own.
The tangibles ain’t half bad either. Truffles is up to a .315/.380/.438 slash line with a 133 wRC+ that was boosted by a 3-for-4 night that saw him cross home plate three times, while also driving in three teammates and finish a triple short of the cycle. All three of those RBIs were garnered on a Monstar-ous 106 mph, 418 feet home run to right field off Verlander in the fifth inning.
Weaknesses: There are no inherent weaknesses to Lindor’s game. Perhaps he feels a bit of empathy as he did ground into a bases-loaded, rally-killing, inning-ending, double play in the sixth inning well after the outcome of the game had been decided. He must have felt bad for Tigers pitcher Buck Farmer who had to relieve starter Justin Verlander after the Tribe chased the newly engaged gentleman after a mere five innings.
https://vine.co/v/ixj1223neml
Carlos “Slamtana” Santana Scouting Profile
Position: Designated Lead-off Hitter
Bats: Both, Throws: Right
Height: 5-foot-11, Weight: 210 lb.
Age: 30
Analysis
One could say that manager Terry Francona’s move of Santana to lead-off has been a bit of a success. After going 0-for-2 but with two walks on Tuesday, Santana now maintains a .333/.407/.725 slash line when hitting first in the lineup, while he is .196/.357/.392 from the middle of the order. Small sample sizes and all, Santana is putting the ball in play more often from the top of the order. His K-rate is down to 7.4% (15.4% batting fourth, 13% fifth) and his walk rate is down to 11.1% (23.1% fourth, 11.1% fifth).
Strengths: He likes that OBP (yeah, you know me). But, Santana has sacrified a bit on OBP (current .340 is good but would be a career low) for added power as his .225 Iso3 would be a career high. His biggest change to achieve this shift has been a sharp decrease in swings outside of the strike zone (swings 15% on pitches outside the strike zone when he had a steady 21% throughout most of his career), which has led to more hard contact (32.9% hard hit rate).
Weaknesses: Well, the soft hit rate is still high at 21.4%, which is part of the reason for his .229 BABIP and a drop off in his line drive percentage to 14.3% down from his career norm of 19%. It is up to Santana to adjust his new hitting profile, while adjusting to ensure he still hits the ball square more often.
Rough day for the Uptons: Kate watching her fiance get shelled; Justin forgetting Yan Gomes has a cannon
https://vine.co/v/ixj1JMxllVm
Josh “Little Cowboy” Tomlin Scouting Profile
Position: Starting Pitcher
Bats: Rarely, Throws: Right
Height: 6-foot-1, Weight: 190 lb.
Age: 31
Analysis
Decry pitcher wins as much as desired, but the Little Cowboy keeps steering the W’s onto his side of the prairie. Another six innings with just two runs yielded dropped Tomlin’s 2016 ERA to 3.13, while driving his record up to 4-0. Everyone that had Josh Tomlin as the Cleveland Indian starting pitcher with the most wins in May(now 4-0), raise your hand.4
Strengths: Tomlin is the master of his domain as control is his specialty. After having his second outing of the year with zero walks given up, the Cowboy forces people to get on their horse as he has only allowed two walks in 23 innings of work in 2016, while striking out 16 batters (includes five on Tuesday).
Weaknesses: Well, normally giving up nine hits in a start will not end well for a pitcher. And, Tomlin seemingly gives up one and exactly one home run in every game he pitches.5 Tuesdays jack-a-roonie was courtesy of Ian Kinsler with a man on base to account for two of the three Tiger runs.
Bryan “the Ring Bearer” Shaw Scouting Profile
Position: Relief Pitcher
Bats: Afraid of those winged rats, Throws: Right
Height: 6-foot-1, Weight: 220 lb.
Age: 28
Analysis
Master of intimidation, Bryan Shaw sauntered to the mound and rather demonstrably removed his wedding band from his left hand. No, he was not sending a message to his wife, but instead to Tigers manager Brad Ausmus who had attempted to utilize The One Ring to make Bryan Shaw disappear last weekend during the sweep. Instead, earned runs against Shaw have disappeared as he has gone his past 3.2 IP without allowing a runner to cross the plate. Heady stuff for a reliever who had entered that last game with a 14.29 ERA (now 9.00).
Strengths: Shaw’s SO:BB ratio in 2016 is a career high 3.25 despite his initial struggles, while his SO/9 is up to a ridiculous 12.5, which would shatter his previous career high of 8.8.
Weaknesses: Oh, when Shaw doesn’t have control on a particular day, Tito better be warming someone in the bullpen quickly. When issuing a walk during an outing, Shaw has given up 10 runs in 2 IP. On the days where he is locating as he was on Tuesday (zero walks), Shaw has given up zero runs in 8 IP.
Obligatory Lindor Highlight
https://vine.co/v/ixjneqV3PLI
How did we forget?
- Marlon Byrd throwing out J.D. Martinez at the plate in the first inning.
- Mike Napoli coming up with a huge two RBI double.
- Jason Kipnis went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored.
- Yan Gomes not only gunned out Justin Upton with a pickoff at first, tagged out Martinez at the plate, but he also came up with a timely RBI hit.
- Cody Allen struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth.
17 Comments
damn Indians …
i think mr. verlander’s mind is somewhere else … though i can’t blame him.
Probably not his idea to be staying up late at the MetGala and announcing their engagement to the world with subsequent celebrating the night before he was set to start a game. I mean, he only needs to start once per week or so…plan it out dude.
May the Fours be with you
I have no idea what you just wrote above, and I don’t want to bother scrolling up right now.
LOL !!
Jabba the Uribe in the middle?
I feel like Francisco gets 80% of this team’s outs. Every time you hear a bat connect with a ball it appears Frankie magically pops up with it and express mails it to Napoli. Have to love that.
Was talking to the girl about my favorite Indians and their demeanors. On one end of the spectrum there is dour Kipnis followed by professional Brantley and the class clown Lindor. Kind of in love with that spread of emotions.
He is the meat
http://image.cleveland.com/home/cleve-media/width620/img/plain-dealer/photo/2013/03/12449023-mmmain.jpg
(Insert crying kid gif here)
Kipnis dour? He’s probably right behind Frankie with the tomfoolery.
Dour may be too strong a word, but he clearly is upset by losses and when he hits a cold streak. The game and performance “get” to him.
Lindor would too but he doesn’t have cold streaks.
Yes, I really meant the Bugs comparison. It is nuts.
If a tree falls in the forest… ?
Napoli is nice things.
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