Early Spring Impressions

 

The baseball exhibition season is about a week and a half old, and already there are some good things that have occurred, and some disappointing things.  Here is a list of what gets classified as what after the first eight games down in Arizona.

 

 

Grady Sizemore’s slight groin injury normally wouldn’t be a good thing, but it does keep him in the Tribe camp, not with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.  Sizemore will be back in the lineup on Sunday as the DH, so it obviously isn’t a serious injury.  As an aside, many players dropped out of the WBC with a few days to go before the event started.  Teams do not want their players away from their trainers and support staff.  It could spell the end for the classic after just two competitions. 

 

Fausto Carmona.  Carmona came to camp a little overweight, but after a couple of two inning stints, he hasn’t shown any of the control problems he had last season.  He has thrown strikes, and is getting both the ground balls and the strikeouts that were a trademark of his 2007 campaign.  He intimated that he was trying to be too fine last season, and has gone back to throwing toward the middle of the dish, and letting his natural movement take over.  Carmona is the key to the ’09 season.  If he returns to something close to his ’07 form, the Tribe starting rotation gets a huge boost.

 

Victor Martinez.  The veteran backstop hit two home runs in the second exhibition game, showing power we did not see all last season.  Martinez’ elbow and leg problems obviously sapped him of his pop, and if he can get back to the 20 HR guy he has been in the past, it will be a great boost to the Tribe attack.

 

Young Hitters.   I realize most pitchers hasn’t started to mix in breaking pitches yet, but the performances of guys like Matt La Porta, Wes Hodges, Brad Mills, and Chris Gimenez bodes well if injuries occur during the regular season.  Columbus (AAA) should have a strong lineup with guys like La Porta, Hodges, Gimenez, Trevor Crowe, and Michael Brantley playing every day.

 

 

Who’s pitched their way out of Dodge?  Start with Edward Mujica, who has been lit up like the strip in Las Vegas in his three outings, and follow that up with veteran Tomo Ohka, who has thrown batting practice in his outings.  They will likely be among the first cuts in Goodyear, with Mujica likely being designated for assignment.

 

Adam Miller.  The hard throwing right hander just can’t stay healthy.  More finger woes are the problem this time, and the injury will probably cost him a spot on the final roster.  Miller has outstanding stuff, and a move to the bullpen was designed to keep him healthy.  His problems could open the door for a guy like Matt Herges, or maybe a Zach Jackson, if he doesn’t win a job in the starting rotation.

 

MW