The Cleveland Indians’ offense continues to sputter after ranking 5th in the American League in runs scored last season. In 2005, the Tribe ranks 10th in the league in scoring. What was been the biggest reason for the drop off? You can start by checking out how often the team strikes out. Unfortunately, it ranks 2nd in the AL in that category.
Situational hitting is greatly helped by being able to put bat on ball. Moving runners over, scoring with outs, getting runners in from third with less than two outs, all of these things require hitting the baseball. This team has too many players in the lineup who whiff in critical situations. That’s why they struggle with these opportunities.
This is not to say that striking out is the worst thing in the world. The Texas Rangers lead the AL in K’s, but they also rank 3rd in league in runs scored. This is due to hitting 52 more home runs than the Indians total of 120. So, the Tribe ranks 6th in round trippers, but 2nd in striking out. Not a good combination.
In Saturday’s loss to Seattle, the Indians had a chance to tie the game late with the bases loaded and one out in the 8th inning, trailing 3-2. But, Jason Dubois and Grady Sizemore both fanned, and the tying run was left at third. This happens far more often than not.
To make things worse, Cleveland’s hitters do not walk much either making the team rank 10th in the AL in on base percentage. In fact, only three Tribe hitters have OBP’s above .350: Travis Hafner (.416), Jhonny Peralta (.355), and the recently traded Jody Gerut (.357). Here is another stat which shows the lack of plate discipline on the team. The only Indians who have NOT struck out twice as much as they have walked are Hafner, Victor Martinez, reserve catcher Josh Bard, and barely Coco Crisp (55K’s, 28 walks).
Among the horrific K/BB ratios are: Grady Sizemore (86/32), Aaron Boone (62/19), Jose Hernandez (42/8), Peralta (70/27), and Casey Blake (73/30). It is much to late in the season to expect these guys to start making contact to advance runners.
Tribe Manager Eric Wedge is asking the impossible. It is like he expects my Chrysler Sebring to win the next NASCAR race. It simply isn’t going to happen.
One of the newest Indians fits right into the whiff machine, outfielder Jason Dubois. The righthanded "hitter" has fanned 17 times in 31 official at-bats. If Wedge thought he was going to tie the game on Saturday, he’s not as smart as I thought he was.
That’s why GM Mark Shapiro has to make contact more of a priority for Cleveland both the rest of this season and next year. Too many K’s leads to not enough R’s.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 