As the Cleveland Indians’ season slides into the abyss, the management has tried meetings, changing players, and changing the roles of players.  None have seemed to work.  It’s now time for a more drastic action, one I never would have imagined suggesting at the beginning of the year.  It’s time to replace the manager, Eric Wedge.

 

The Tribe is now 11-20 for the season, but because of the weakness of the AL Central Division, they are only seven games out of first place.  So, there is a lot time to get back into the race, but first the Indians need to get back to the .500 mark. 

 

Wedge’s stubbornness will prevent that from happening.  GM Mark Shapiro has to be chapped when he sees David Dellucci (1 for his last 18) and Ben Francisco (a fourth outfielder) in the lineup while the team’s best prospect sits on the bench.  Matt LaPorta has been on the roster for eight days, and has played only half the games.  He would be better served playing everyday in Columbus, but I’m guessing that wasn’t part of the plan when he was called up.  The same is true for INF Luis Valbuena. 

 

Mark DeRosa continues to bat fifth even though he is struggling, and Grady Sizemore probably won’t be moved out of the lead off spot until either Congress or the Pope agrees to it.  Sizemore is a very good player, but right now he is killing the team with his .300 on base percentage and constant strikeouts.  Why not try Asdrubal Cabrera in the #1 hole with Shin-Soo Choo batting second.  Both players are in the top 15 in the American League in on base percentage.

 

The point is why not try something different?  Yes, the bullpen has been a major cause for the losing, but the offense has taken on the personality of Kelly Shoppach, it is all or nothing.  Perhaps Derek Shelton is preaching proper situational hitting, but if he is, the message is not getting through.  The fact that Dellucci came up in a situation with the Tribe trailing 2-0, and with runners on first and second with nobody out and first failed to get a bunt down, and then lined into a double play, is a microcosm of the season. 

 

This is not to pick on Dellucci, as he is hardly the only Indian to fail in this regard this season.

 

The bullpen failure is also a by-product of Wedge’s stubborness.  Jensen Lewis was being brought in the key situations well past the time he was pitching effectively, and last night the skipper brought n Rafael Betancourt, even though he pitched the night before, and two of the next three hitters were left-handed hitters.  Why move Aaron Laffey to the bullpen if you aren’t going to use him.

 

The players aren’t producing, but they really aren’t trying to save Wedge’s job either.  Francisco was thrown out trying to stretch a single with the Tribe trailing 13-2 the other night.  Cabrera was out doing the same thing against Detroit on Friday.  These boneheaded plays do not reflect well on the manager.

 

Also, you can’t fire 25 players.  So, if a team is struggling, it’s the manager that goes.  Buck Showalter, who worked in the front office a couple of years ago, would be a good choice.  He would make the players accountable.  It’s time for a little fire and brimstone for the Cleveland Indians.

 

A national writer a couple of weeks ago, I believe it was ESPN’s Rob Neyer, but I’m not sure, said that Wedge may not be the problem, but he may not be the solution either.  The Cleveland Indians need to find someone who is the solution.  This team shouldn’t be 11-20, they need a new leader to get them out of the doldrums.

 

MW

 

 

 

It’s been a busy week in Cleveland sports with the Cavaliers starting their second round series and the Indians’ season teetering on the brink.  Here are some of my thoughts on both teams—

 

·          The Cavaliers have certainly been impressive winning each of the six playoff games by 10 points or more.  However, neither the Pistons nor the Hawks are among the elite teams in the NBA, something many national experts are pointing out.  I agree with them, but isn’t that the advantage you get by being the conference’s top seed?  You get to play the lowest qualifier in round one, and you avoid a division winner in round two.  You can’t fault the Cavs for beating up on these teams.

 

·          Remember, last year’s number one seed, the Celtics were pushed to seven games in both their first round and second round series.  They had the same advantage and didn’t dominate the same way the Cavs have.

 

·          Atlanta will be tougher on their home court, but if Joe Johnson is out tomorrow night, it may not matter.  If the wine and gold take game three, this series will be over Monday night, and the Cavaliers will have another long layoff before the conference finals.

 

·          Danny Ferry has put together a wonderful team.  Of course, LeBron James was here to start with, but Ferry has brought in a great mix of veteran experience off the bench and has made this team very, very deep.  This team gets a significant contribution each night from someone off the bench.  Last night, it was Wally Szczerbiak, but Joe Smith, Ben Wallace, and even Sasha Pavlovic have stepped up.  It is truly a joy to watch.

 

·          Now for the Indians.  I’m happy that GM Mark Shapiro and Eric Wedge are thinking outside the box in moving Aaron Laffey to the bullpen, but it shouldn’t stop there.  I’ve heard rumors that veteran reliever Luis Vizcaino may be headed to Cleveland from the Cubs, and I would bring up Jon Meloan as well.  Masa Kobayashi and Jensen Lewis shouldn’t be too comfortable.

 

·          Eric Wedge is managing like a desperate man, making several strange decisions.  He used Aaron Laffey for three innings Wednesday night, thus making him unavailable for the following night’s game, and his non-use of Luis Valbuena has to be driving Shapiro crazy.  Since being called up on Friday night, the young infielder has played two games.  There is no reason to bring him up if he’s not going to play.

 

·          I also chuckled at Wedge’s irritation with Jhonny Peralta’s defense in Toronto.  He’s the guy who plays him there.  Most baseball experts feel the Tribe’s best defensive infield would be having Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, Mark DeRosa at 2B, and Peralta at third.  We know Peralta isn’t a great defensive shortstop, so why complain when he doesn’t make a play.

 

·          Meanwhile, the strikeouts continue to pile up.  However, one guy who does make consistent contact is Ryan Garko, but he seemingly can’t get off the bench.  Shin-Soo Choo DH’d against a lefty in Toronto, while Garko sat out.  Garko is the closest thing on the roster to a professional hitter like Victor Martinez.  Sure, I’d like to see him hit with a little more pop, but his lack of use in puzzling.

 

MW

 

The Cavaliers rolled to a Game 1 victory Tuesday night, 99-72 against the Atlanta Hawks, but I will caution once again that tonight’s game will be a tougher contest.  After shooting very well in the first half, the wine and gold defense tightened up, and stifled the Atlanta attack.  The result was another double-digit playoff win, Cleveland’s fifth in a row this post-season.

 

After the almost inevitable slow start due to having not played a game in nine days, the Cavs got it going in the second quarter, building a lead of between 8-12 points before settling for a five point advantage at halftime.  The new MVP, LeBron James made sure the wine and gold shook off the cobwebs early, scoring 22 points, even though TNT’s Charles Barkley said he wasn’t playing well.

 

By the way, is there any group of guys bitterer than the three ex-players on the TNT set?  Barkley was a great player and a colorful analyst, but doesn’t he realize the Hawks best chance of winning is to make it a running game, and the Cavaliers want to make it a more structured contest?  Also, the Cavaliers are a pretty good defensive team, and that’s what they hang their hat on, not fast break points.

 

LeBron James has more knowledge about winning in his pinkie than Chris Webber has in his entire body, and Kenny Smith continues to talk about how great he was (he wasn’t) during his playing career.  Dudes, the Cavaliers are a darn good NBA team!  They won 66 games this year!  Mike Brown has won 50 or more games in three of his four years as a head coach.  You would think he doesn’t have a club about the game listening to these guys.

 

In the second half, Brown told reminded his team that Josh Smith wants to go to the basket, and they must make him shoot jumpers.  The players followed the instructions and the Hawks chief offensive player in the first half was nullified.  Joe Johnson didn’t play well as he is capable either, Delonte West’s defense was a factor here, and the game turned into a blowout from the middle of the third quarter on, with James starting it by scoring nine straight points.

 

Tonight, you have to figure the Hawks will not continue their ridiculous plan to play #23 one on one.  They will start trapping and doubling James, and so as usual, his teammates must step up.  Mo Williams and West played well on Tuesday, but out of the big men, only Ben Wallace played real well.  Therefore, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Anderson Varajao, and Joe Smith must play better than they did in Game 1. 

 

Also, tonight’s game will likely be a little more physical, and I would also expect Johnson to play much better for Atlanta.  Thus, I would not expect another 27-point blowout in Game 2.  However, another victory would give Cleveland a commanding 2-0 lead, and would force the Hawks to win four out of five against the Cavs to win the series.  It is a very important game.

 

The Cavs know this as well.  They have shaken off the rust and will get off to a better start than they did in the first game.  My guess is Atlanta goes home this evening with their backs firmly against the wall.

 

JK

 

There were a couple of news items coming out of the Cleveland Cavaliers camp yesterday.  First, LeBron James was named the NBA MVP, his first such award, and the first by a Cleveland athlete since Brian Sipe took the NFL honor in 1980.  Second, it seems the team will actually play a game tonight.  Game 1 of the conference semifinals will start tonight at Quicken Loans Arena against the Atlanta Hawks.

 

There is no question that James deserved the MVP.  In my opinion, he is now the best player in the world, and he most certainly was the best player on the best team in the league’s regular season.  He set the tone with the wine and gold from the beginning of training camp, and never let up.  With the Cavaliers getting to 66 wins this season, there is no question that the award goes to the right man.

 

As for the Hawks, the do not have one of the game’s top five players like Miami did in Dewayne Wade, but make no mistake, this is a good, young squad that continues to improve.  They are taking the next step in their evolution by getting past the first round after losing to the eventual champion Celtics in seven games last season.

 

The Hawks have a tremendous all around player in Joe Johnson, an all-star, an experienced point guard in Mike Bibby, and a freak type athlete in Josh Smith, so this is not the over the hill Pistons team.  They can run the floor, but they aren’t the consistent defensive team the Cavs are.  They also have a very good power forward in Al Horford and an Anderson Varajao wannabe in Zaza Pachulia.

 

This will definitely be a much tougher series than round one.  In fact, tonight’s game has the potential to be very difficult because of the nine-day layoff for Cleveland.  The Hawks have the momentum of a game seven win at home, so they are feeling pretty good about themselves. 

 

The quicker the wine and gold can get back in the swing of things, the better off they will be.  It would be great if the Cavs came out tonight with a dominate performance to get Atlanta thinking that their victory over Miami doesn’t count for much because the Cavaliers are a much better team.

 

The next step for the Cavs starts tonight, and if we can learn anything from both Orlando and Houston winning on the road last night, the real playoffs start in round two.

 

JK

 

 

The Cleveland Indians’ front office decided it had enough during Thursday’s off day. With Travis Hafner going on the disabled list Wednesday, the team did activate David Dellucci for Friday night’s game in Detroit.  However, it was after the 6-5 win that night that the fireworks really began.

 

For the Indians’ conservative management, it was akin to a massacre of the 25 man roster.  Tony Graffanino was put on waivers, Trevor Crowe was optioned back to Columbus, and reliever Joe Smith was put on the disabled list.  In return, the Tribe called up Matt LaPorta, the featured guy in the C.C. Sabathia deal, INF Luis Valbuena, and Josh Barfield returned to the big league roster.  If the Tribe made this many moves on one day in the Mark Shapiro regime, I cannot remember it.  It shows just how concerned the front office is about the disappointing start.

 

The Indians are 2-10 in games where they have not hit a home run, which points to their all or nothing offense.  In addition, in the 12 games where they haven’t hit a dinger, they have scored 30 runs, and seven of those came Saturday afternoon.  Scoring less than three runs a contest makes winning very difficult.

 

Now, the next shakeup must come in the bullpen, which continues to be awful.  Jensen Lewis surrendered yet another home run Friday night, his sixth in 12-2/3 innings, and he must be part of the overhaul.  It’s hard to imagine anyone coming up from the minors could be worse.  Masa Kobayashi finally pitched in his first game in over a week, and if the skipper has no confidence in him, he should be let go as well.

 

The only reliable alternatives for Eric Wedge are closer Kerry Wood and Tony Sipp, who has only been on the team for a week.  The lack of a viable alternative is causing the manager to make questionable judgments.  Such as Friday night, when Wedge brought in Lewis in the 8th inning instead of Rafael Betancourt, or Saturday when Sipp was removed after a walk for Betancourt, instead of seeing what he could do with Brandon Inge.

 

It is also leading to leaving starting pitchers in for longer stints, such as Cliff Lee’s 120 pitch outing against Kansas City last month.

 

Since I’m a proponent of the "can’t do any worse" theory, I would be in favor of calling up veteran Matt Herges and perhaps Jon Meloan from Columbus to replace Lewis and Kobayashi, and the emphasis would be on bringing in guys who throw strikes.  The only Tribe relievers who have strikeout to walk ratios of 2:1 are Wood, Sipp, and amazingly Lewis, who probably should not be laying it in there, judging by the amount of homers he has allowed.

 

At 9-16 on the season, and now five games behind in a closely contested division, now is the time to make bold moves.  Doing something about the bullpen may have no effect, but it could turn the season around.  The way the team is playing, Mark Shapiro has nothing to lose.  The season is slipping away, and something, anything has to be done.

 

KM