It would be very easy to write about curses and jinxes on a day like today with the Indians blowing a 3-1 series lead in the ALCS and losing Game Seven to the Red Sox, 11-2. I’m sure several other people will place blame on third base coach Joel Skinner for not sending Kenny Lofton home with the tying run in the seventh inning. However, the real reason the Tribe did not advance to the World Series comes back to execution. That’s why the players will be cleaning out their lockers at Jacobs Field today, and not celebrating an American League pennant.
On October 14th, we wrote about the keys to the series. Basically, it boiled down to two points: Stop the top of the Red Sox order, and score more runs. In the last three games of the series, the Tribe pitchers could not keep Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis off the bases. Pedroia got on seven times in the last two games of the series, and drove in five runs in the deciding game. Youkilis wore out the Cleveland pitching staff the entire series, and would have been the series MVP if not for Josh Beckett.
On offense, the Tribe simply stopped swinging the bats. We can all talk about C.C. Sabathia not pitching well enough in Game 5, but the reality is he would have had to throw a shutout to win that game. Cleveland could not get the big hit against Curt Schilling on Saturday, and couldn’t put any pressure on Daisuke Matzusaka until the Red Sox had a 3-0 lead. Travis Hafner gets a great deal of criticism for his performance in the series, but Grady Sizemore did not come through either. He was not the igniter the attack needed in the last three games against Boston.
You had to figure it wasn’t going to be the Tribe’s night when Manny Ramirez’ double play bouncer in the first hit the lip of the grass and hopped over the head of Jhonny Peralta for an RBI single. Boston got the breaks it needed to secure the series and they took advantage of them. The Indians had some opportunities as well (for example, the Lugo error in the seventh), but couldn’t convert them into a big inning.
Eric Wedge stuck with Jake Westbrook even though Boston was threatening in each of the first three innings, and his confidence was rewarded when the right-hander cruised through the middle innings. He gave his team a chance to win, and that’s all anyone could have hoped for when he took the hill. Unfortunately, Rafael Betancourt’s magic season came to an end when he gave up a huge two run dinger to Pedroia in the seventh.
Having played the Yankees and the Red Sox in the post-season, I do have this comment. Although I absolutely hate the Yankees, they have more class than the Red Sox. Besides Manny’s posing in the fourth game, and Josh Beckett’s outrage with Kenny Lofton in Game 5, last night we had the Sox bringing out an active player in their own division to throw out the first pitch. To me, it’s just another example of New York and Boston thinking that all other teams are insignificant. If I were the Orioles’ management, I’d release Kevin Millar today. If he wants to play for Boston, let him.
Also, it was a no class move by David Ortiz to show up in the Sox dugout in the top of the ninth with his uniform replaced by a sleeveless windbreaker and goggles to show he was ready for a celebration. We all knew the result was inevitable by that point in the game, but could you imagine Derek Jeter or Alex Rodriguez doing something like that? Joe Torre wouldn’t have allowed it.
The Indians have a young core of talent, and hopefully they will be back in the post season soon, hopefully next year. What hurts is that I think either American League team would beat the Rockies in no more than five games in the Fall Classic. The 2007 Tribe was this close to being that team. This ballclub learned a lot this season, and in the post-season. Maybe they can apply what they learned in 2008.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 