Sometimes, the more things change, the more they remain the same. Last season, the Cleveland Indians eliminated the Yankees in the playoffs and the Red Sox advanced to the World Series by beating the Tribe in game seven of the ALCS. Last night, the Indians’ loss to the Sox did the same thing. It allowed Boston to advance to the playoffs and knocked the Bronx Bombers out of the post-season for the first time since 1994. Once again, Indian players had to watch the Carmine celebrate at Fenway Park. Arrrrgghhh!
Cleveland delayed the Boston party by winning 4-3 Monday night, as Zach Jackson, of all people, defeated Josh Beckett. Jensen Lewis saved his 12th game in as many chances by striking out rookie Jed Lowrie with the winning run on second base. That showed me something.
Lewis retired the first two hitters in the inning by striking out Dustin Pedroia and getting David Ortiz on a liner to right. After Kevin Youkilis (another Tribe killer) singled on a pitch off the plate, Jason Bay followed with a double to left, moving Youkilis to third. With the Fenway crowd standing, anticipating the clinching of another playoff berth and a walk off win to boot, Lewis calmly struck out Lowrie to end the game and shut up the Red Sox fans.
It was the kind of moxie that gives you hope that Lewis could be a closer.
Look, I still would like someone who throws aspirin tablets at opposing hitters, and the front office has said that oft-injured fireballer Adam Miller will go to spring training as a reliever. He would definitely be a power type closer. However, he has never been in the major leagues, let alone being a closer. The emergence of Lewis as an option in that role will allow the Tribe to bring Miller along slowly in a relief role.
This is vitally important because the biggest reason both the ’06 and ’08 versions of the Indians didn’t contend was the horrible performance of the bullpen. It would not be far from the truth to say over the last four years, when the Indians have a good bullpen they are a very good baseball team, and when they have a bad relief corps, they stink. There has been no middle ground with the Tribe. They haven’t had an average bullpen in several years.
It’s also up to Eric Wedge to handle the bullpen properly, and to use alternatives quickly when the first option doesn’t work out. He must develop confidence in everyone wearing an Indians uniform sitting in the bullpen.
Taking a chance on people who have failed as closers in the past isn’t a good option, either. You might catch lightning in a bottle, but you might get electrocuted too. GM Mark Shapiro must provide as many options as he can to build a good bullpen, and those options have to include young guys like Miller, Tony Sipp, and Rich Rundles. The front office needs to realize experience isn’t the only thing that helps relief pitchers, good stuff gets it done as well.
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 