What happens when a team that has lost 10 out of its last 12 games plays a team that has lost 11 in a row? We are about to find out tonight when the struggling Cleveland Indians start a three game series against the Kansas City Royals. Don’t be surprised if all of the games are scoreless going into the 12th inning because of the offensive ineptness of the two teams. The Tribe needs to start a turnaround right away, but you have to believe the Royals are due for a win.
Do you think any team would replace a player who is hitting .240 with one who is batting .290? Understand there are other things that go along with this; such as is the .240 guy hit for power versus the .290 hitter who is a slappy? What we are talking about here are similar players, one hitting 50 points higher than the other. In that case, most people would make the change to pick up the extra hits. Not the Indians, however. Let’s say Josh Barfield would conservatively hit .230 if he were called up to the big club. That would be a 50-point jump over what Asdrubal Cabrera is currently hitting.
Yes, Cabrera is an outstanding defensive player. He has made several highlight reel plays in the first third of the season. However, no matter how good defensively you are, you can’t play everyday in the major leagues batting .180. No one saves his team that many runs to make up for that horrible batting average, particularly when the alternative is a pretty good defender in Barfield. This is not to say Barfield is the cure for the Tribe’s offensive woes, but he wouldn’t hurt the team.
Travis Hafner received a cortisone shot to help his aching shoulder, and if he can go tonight, he’ll be back in the lineup. Any chance the Tribe can cure its woeful hitting attack rides on Pronk’s ability to resemble the player he was in 2005 and 2006. Also, Ryan Garko is important as well. Eric Wedge needs to put him back in the lineup on an everyday basis to get him going. Michael Aubrey hit two homers in his brief time here, but he doesn’t look like the solution in the short term. He should go back to Buffalo to play everyday.
Unless Hafner has to go on the disabled list, the guess here is Aubrey goes back when Shin-Soo Choo gets activated early next week. Choo probably takes David Dellucci’s at bats against right-handers in a platoon with Franklin Gutierrez, that is, as long as Ben Francisco keeps hitting. It would be nice if the team could find a way to drop Grady Sizemore in the order, but that’s not going to happen.
Since the front office asked Sizemore to be more selective in the leadoff spot, he’s hasn’t hit as well. He raised his walk total to over 100 last season, but his extra base hit total dropped as well. Perhaps he’s better suited to hitting down in the order where he can swing freely and drive the ball consistently. Guys who can get 100 extra base hits in a year are far more valuable than guys that walk that many times.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 