While We’re Waiting… KG, Maualuga, and Alex Mack to Start Your Day
April 30, 2009Should The Lakers Be Worried?
April 30, 2009Its been said a lot lately; the sign of a bad team is one that can’t seem to do everything it takes to win on the same night. Examine if you will the three game series the Cleveland Indians just concluded with the Boston Red Sox. In game one, Cliff Lee pitched eight scoreless innings, but the offense was a complete failure in the 3-1 loss. In game two, starter Anthony Reyes couldn’t get out of the third inning, but the offense (helped by three Boston errors) put up nine runs and the bullpen pieced together seven solid frames of one run ball in the 9-8 win. Then we move to last night, the conclusion of the series. Fausto Carmona was good (his best start of the season, pitching into the seventh), the offense put up five runs, but the defense and bullpen failed them, blowing a 5-0 lead and losing a game they had in the bag 6-5.
As if things weren’t bad enough on this night, DH Travis Hafner was placed on the DL with fatigue and soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder.
There are four people that deserve to be picked on this morning. What I am about to say may be sacrilegious in this town, but I’m gonna put it out there – Grady Sizemore is starting to move towards the dreaded “O” word, as in overrated. In the last couple of years, while his power numbers have improved, his batting average has dipped and strikeout numbers have continued to be too high, especially for a leadoff man. Take a look:
2006: .290/28 HR/76 RBI/153 K’s/78 BB’s
2007: .277/24 HR/76 RBI/155 K’s/101 BB’s
2008: .268/33 HR/90 RBI/130 K’s/98 BB’s
Thus far in 2009 he is hitting just .239 with 23 K’s (5th in the AL) in 92 AB’s.
Its not just the number of strike outs, its the spots in which he is doing so. I know its still just one month of the season, but this is supposed to be our superstar player. He was 1-14 in this three-game set and was miserable with runners on base, leaving 10 men on. Last night he had two shots to be the hero, and both times he failed to come through. In the bottom of the eighth, he flew out with the bases loaded and two out against Manny Delcarmen. In the 10th against against closer Jonathon Papelbon, he K’d with the tying run on second base to end the game. He finished the game 0-5. Maybe it’s time to move him down into the middle of the order, especially without Hafner?
As bad as Sizemore has been struggling of late, he can only be topped by Peralta, who looks completely lost at the plate. Without Hafner in the lineup, Jhonny has to be the one who steps up in the run-producing situations. Again last night, he had plenty of opportunities to deliver. In the bottom of the ninth with the winning run on second, he was punched out by Hideki Okajima looking. That ended his night at 0-5 with three K’s. He is currently sitting at .211 and dropping and we all know he isn’t in the lineup for this defense.
Sizemore and Peralta left nine runners on base combined on a night the Indians once again were brutal in such situations (0-7). That brings the three game total for the Wahoos to 2-30.
DeRosa is on the list for his defense. With the Indians nursing a shaky 5-2 in the top of the eighth and Rafael Betancourt on the hill, Jeff Bailey hit a double play ball right to the Indians third baseman, and he booted it. All runners were safe and the bases were loaded. If he does his job, the inning is over and the Tribe lead is safe at 5-2. Instead, the flood gates opened and a two out, bases loaded single by Jacoby Ellsbury off of Jensen Lewis tied the game.
Credit DeRosa for being a stand-up guy after the game:
“I put this loss on me,” said DeRosa. “Raffie [Betancourt] comes in and gets a double play ball. It’s got to be turned. Even if it’s not, it’s first and third and two outs. You’ve got to get an out there.”
The worry with DeRosa is his defense. Readers of mine know I was no fan of Casey Blake, but DeRosa’s glove at third isn’t what we hoped for. I know his stick will come around, and errors are going to happen, but he has picked some inopportune times to boot grounders this week.
Lastly – who is the real Jensen Lewis? In 2007 and at the end of last season, we saw a guy who looked like a fixture at the back end of the bullpen. He was fearless and went after hitters, despite a fastball in the low 90’s. But the 2009 version of Jenny looks a lot like the guy who stumbled out of the gate in ’08 and was sent to the minors.
He gave up the game-tying two out single in the eighth to Ellsbury, and was taken deep by former Tribe farmhand Jonathan Van Every in the 10th that sealed the Tribe’s fate. Its one thing to get crushed by Kevin Youkilis or David Ortiz, but Van Every? Lewis has given up five homers in 12 1/3 innings pitched, four of them were in key spots were the Indians were either tied or in the lead late in the game.
I hate being this negative so often this early. I know its been a month and I know there are over 130 games left in this marathon season and I know the AL Central is pathetic, but does anyone see signs that this is a team that can contend? They have yet to win more than two games in a row and have yet to put it all together in the same series. The Red Sox took two of three at Progressive Field and very easily could have been swept. By contrast, the Indians also could have easily been swept. When they split the series at Yankee Stadium, the Tribe bullpen blew the two losses.
I’m staying the course, the way Eric Wedge would like his team too. All its going to take in this bad division is a five game winning streak and the next thing you know, the Wahoos will be in first place. The rotation is stabilizing somewhat, Rafael Perez has shown some life in his last three outings, and you still have Kerry Wood at the back end. The offense has got to break out of this funk in RISP situations. A big hit or two here and there is contagious.
All I know is that I shouldn’t be this frustrated on April 30th. Tomorrow is the start of a new month and a seven game trip, beginning in Detroit, and hopefully, a new beginning for this club. Expect my boy (ha ha) David Dellucci to be activated and get some time at DH.
21 Comments
Time to move Grady out of the leadoff spot.
I’ve been saying since 2005 that the main problem with this team is above the ears. I’m a believer that teams take on the personality of their coach/manager, and this team personifies Wedge. The guy is a choker that is wound tighter than the Dolans’ purse strings. I’m sick of watching him in the dugout looking like if you stuck a lump of coal up his a** you would have a diamond in an hour. Let’s face it, every time this team has had a chance to win something they choke. When they’re 20 games out in July and the pressure is off, they’ll play great. Bring Buck Sholwalter in to manage, at least he’s dealt with the pressure of New York.
1) Sizemore can hit 40 HRs this year and would still not be enough to compensate for .260 at the top of the order. If he looked like Otis Nixon, would he continue to get a free pass from the casual fan?
2) Who had Victor Martinez in the “First Indian Triple” pool?
3) Lewis was forced to go out and pitch in three different innings due to the lack of arms in the bullpen. This baffles me, as we’re carrying 14 pitchers. A lot of Ks and he was missing bats. The one he didn’t miss, of course, was some shlub’s first career home run.
4) Was Kerry Wood even available? He pitched the two previous games, albeit non-save situations.
5) Fantasy sites are claiming LaPorta is a speculative add. They must not know what team they’re dealing with.
I think Grady is as good as he’s gonna get. There will never be that .320, 40 homer, 120 RBI season. It’s fine, he’s still a very good player, but he’s not going to be the Indians’ version of LeBron.
Hey Go Cavs,
Who cares what a manager looks like in the dugout? That has no bearing on the game. Please with that. Belichick and Tom Landry are stoic. So?
Right on, especially re: Grady. Don’t you think that all of this has to implicate Wedge?
I too wonder when we really have to start to look at Eric Wedge as being a big problem here. Yes, players play and managers are in the dugout, but I completely agree with “go cavs” that this team has taken on Wedge’s personality. What does it say about Wedge that in 6 of his 7 seasons the team has started off with a less than .500 record in April?
If this team isn’t within 5 games of .500 by the All Star break Wedge should be fired. He’s not the only reason the Indians aren’t performing, but if they disappoint this year, a shakeup has to be in the cards.
kingdiesel,
You have to at least admit that this team struggles in pressure situations (like with RISP), and it has been that way since Wedge has been here.
“The one he didn’t miss, of course, was some shlub’s first career home run.”
And, of course, that shlub was in the Tribe’s system for 7 years. Let the BP comparisons start….now!
just kidding. kind of.
Re: Headline
There are thousands of sports sites, including hundreds of Cleveland sites that don’t care about maintaining this type of environment. We feel there should be a place where all Cleveland fans should be able to read, and comment about their favorite teams without being subjected to foul language and pornography.
The Indians blow, as in stink. If you went to porn with that headline, that’s on you.
I all for moving Grady down…. but who bats leadoff? That’s the only problem, at least until Brantley gets called up.
Who would be the best candidate to take Grady’s spot at the top of the lineup? Droobs? Choo?
Sidenote
…thanks for keeping it classy here,WTFNY. I’ve been around the net and there are quite a few people who are unable to get their point across without being profanely offensive. I’m a woman and it’s nice to come here and not be inundated with soft core porn like on ESPN , etc.. Most men don’t realize how quickly that gets old for us girls. Thanks for keeping it clean.
Thanks for the kind words, Cee L. Glad to have you as a reader.
Rick
The last thing I want to do is start a silly argument. Are you really not aware of the origins of the word “blow” in regards to something or someone “stinking?”
The one person I can think of who would make sense leading leadoff other than Grady is Crowe. I don’t see why not give it a try, given the fact that we clearly need to shake things up.
I’d also consider sticking Peralta in the cleanup spot. Yes, I know that he shouldn’t be rewarded for hitting so poorly, but I don’t regard this as a reward; he was at his most comfortable and productive as an Indian when in the cleanup spot last season. I wouldn’t have ever removed him from there in favor of Hafner in the first place.
I just tried to figure out how the lineup would look if these suggestions were taken seriously, and I had Francisco DH’ing and didn’t really have an obvious place for Grady. I’d want Victor hitting 3rd, so I guess maybe 5th…
But yes, let’s hope that Double D can infuse the lineup with the surge of energy it needs…
I’m so glad I’m starting to see some comments supporting getting rid of Wedge. I’ve been sick of this guy ever since the Indians blew their playoff chances in 2005. Wege just doesn’t have what it takes to get this team over the top. On the same token, shouldn’t we just blow up this bullpen? They cost the team 5 games this year (which would put them at 13-9 by the way with a 1 1/2 game lead in the division) and put countless others out of reach. They need to get rid of the following people in order of importance: ERIC WEDGE, JENSEN LEWIS, and if that doesn’t work, then I’m sorry, Mark Shapiro needs to go too. The Central is weak and the Indians should contend simply by having a lot of talent.
COULD IT BE OUR PITCHING IS TOO MEDIOCRE?
I know defense and clutch hitting help… and please don’t use Lee’s game 3-0 loss as your only comeback. That’s the exception not the rule.
I saw the game, I was speechless when Betancourt and Jhonny ruined three hours of my life by beeing the Tribe lose.
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