The clock is counting down on the beginning of spring training. The equipment truck has left for Goodyear, Arizona, no doubt taking as many downhill routes as possible in an effort to save fuel.
Sadly, no one is looking forward to the crack of the bats and thumping of catchers’ mitt. The anticipation for this baseball season is very low.
Part of it is the fault of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are pursuing the first major sports championship for this city since 1964, and has the best player on the planet on its roster in LeBron James.
The other part of the equation is the lack of any move by the ownership and front office to make the 2010 Indians any better. In a division in which there is no dominant team, GM Mark Shapiro, probably under the restraints of the Dolan family, has decided to take a course of signing low cost minor league free agents and other players trying to rehabilitate their careers.
The latest signing in this category was veteran right-hander Jamey Wright, who chief accomplishment in his career is durability. It certainly isn’t effective pitching.
Wright, 35, has been in the major leagues since 1996, a total of 14 seasons in the bigs. His lifetime record is 82-115 with an ERA of 5.03. He also carries the ghastly strikeout to walk ratio of 940:843 in 1702 innings.
Well there you go, our pitching problems are solved.
Wright is in on a minor league contract, and is likely a better candidate for the Columbus Clippers bullpen than the one in Progressive Field, but isn’t his presence in camp keeping the team from looking at younger arms?
He had a decent season for the Royals last season, going 3-5 with a 4.33 ERA in 65 games. That ranks as one of the better seasons in a pretty mediocre stay in the majors. In his 14 seasons, he has had an ERA under 4.00 for a campaign exactly once, in 2007 with Texas.
And that was a season in which he walked more (41) than he struck out (39) in 77 innings.
Why even bring him into camp?
One of the story lines of this spring is how the young pitchers perform, and if they do well, will the Tribe bring them north to start the season. For example, let’s say Hector Rondon is very impressive in Arizona. If he is, he should open the season in the majors. In the past, the Indians have sent a guy like him back to AAA for more experience.
Who knows? Perhaps Rondon can become this year’s Rick Porcello?
This organization is too worried about these guys failing instead of looking at what might happen if they succeed. Granted, it’s a fine line, but not everybody is fragile mentally. And if a Rondon can help the club in 2010, he should be here right from the get go.
The guess here is that the normal Indian thought process will be in play, and they will take the conservative route. The wild card is new manager Manny Acta, however. Acta may take the approach of wanting to win any game he is managing, and being less concerned with the developmental process. That is to say, if a player needs to be developed, he should be in the minors, but if he can help us win, he should be on the major league club.
However, the ownership of the Indians is probably more concerned about how they didn’t think of the idea of taking water fountains out of Progressive Field. Once again, the Dolan family is behind Dan Gilbert.
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 