This just in…The Cleveland Indians are red hot, having won nine in a row and 15 of their last 18 games. They moved into third place in the AL Central with last night’s 10-4 victory over Detroit, which was won by southpaw Cliff Lee. The remarkable Mr. Lee ran his record to 19-2 on the season, and will look for his 20th win Monday against the White Sox at Progressive Field. When he gets #20, he will be the first Cleveland pitcher in 34 years (Gaylord Perry) to reach that plateau. That said, here are some thoughts on the suddenly hot Tribe:
· There has been a lot of talk about Kelly Shoppach being the everyday catcher in 2009, with Victor Martinez playing more at 1B. Here’s something to ponder…in his career, Shoppach has 562 at bats and has struck out 208 times! That’s a Russell Branyan like pace. It’s another reason I would look to deal Shoppach in the off-season assuming Martinez’ elbow is sound.
· Speaking of strikeouts, I would like to see the ball club put an emphasis on contact in the off-season. The Tribe ranks third in the AL in whiffing this season (behind Oakland and Texas), and ranks just 10th in walks received. It is difficult to play situational baseball, which a good team needs to do in late innings, when the lineup is filled with guys who strikeout.
· There is talk that the Tribe will move Jhonny Peralta to 3B in the off-season, but here’s another thought…what about 2B? Peralta is strong which would help him on the pivot, and his strong arm would be an asset on relay throws. As it stands now, there will be an opening at either 2B or 3B, so maybe it comes down to whether the front office thinks more of Wes Hodges or Josh Barfield.
· Question: If you could only keep one of these three players: Ben Francisco, Shin-Soo Choo, or Franklin Gutierrez, which one would you keep?
· Statistical oddity: Ryan Garko’s power numbers are down drastically from last year (.483 slugging percentage in 2007 vs. .371 in 2008), but he has knocked in 69 runs in 412 at bats this season compared to 61 in 484 at bats last season.
· Consider me among those who would prefer the Indians select OF Michael Brantley as the player to be named later in the C.C. Sabathia trade. Brantley is a speedy outfielder that has a .395 on base percentage at Class AA Huntsville. He has also stolen 28 bases, and walks more than he strikes out. He is reportedly more of a LF than a CF, but that’s okay because Grady Sizemore plays for the Tribe. He could be the leadoff hitter who pushes Sizemore into the middle of the batting order.
· Jensen Lewis has stabilized the back of the bullpen for now, but I would like to see prospect Adam Miller get a shot at closing in spring training. Miller has had some arm problems, so working an inning at a time might be a help. Plus, he throws in the mid to high 90’s, which is preferable for a closer. Remember, Jonathan Papelbon was a rookie when the Red Sox gave him the gig.
Don’t kid yourselves; the Indians are not back in the race. However, it is better to win that to lose these games, and it gives some of the players the experience of playing winning baseball. Also, it would be nice to finish over .500 and in third place ahead of Detroit as well. It appears Victor Martinez will rejoin the club Friday night when they take on the Mariners. Hopefully, Travis Hafner is close behind.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 