As the Cleveland Indians limp their way to the halfway point of the season, it’s a good time to review the performance or lack of it regarding this baseball team.
Yes, there have been injuries to key players Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore, but that doesn’t excuse the poor fundamentals, poor situational hitting, and lack of strike throwing we have seen from the team all year long.
It’s also time to take a look at Manny Acta’s managerial style, and quite frankly he has been as disappointing as his team’s record.
It was thought Acta would not tolerate the mistakes that seem to occur daily with this baseball team. However, the same players keep going out there every day, seemingly without a penalty.
They complain about pitchers who don’t throw strikes, and then they promote someone who has walked 20 and struck out 13 in AAA like Aaron Laffey.
This is a team that needs leadership. There are no veteran players with a history of winning or who seem vocal enough to communicate with the young players to tell them this losing isn’t acceptable. It seems like the culture of losing has infected this organization, and that has to change.
Acta has also disappointed because he still seems to follow the company line on certain matters. For example, why is Kerry Wood still closing games? Is it because the owners are paying him a ton of money? He certainly hasn’t earned that spot with his pitching.
Wood has pitched in 17 games so far this season. He has recorded a 1-2-3 inning exactly three times in those 17 appearances. That’s not a guy who should be closing games. The Tribe is trying to showcase him, but no one will want him as a closer, so why not use him in a set up role, and let Chris Perez close.
Wednesday night’s game was a perfect example of Wood’s problems. Brian Schneider led off for the Phillies and he came in with an average around .220. Wood promptly walked him on a 3-2 pitch.
Dude, you throw 97 miles per hour, why not fire a fastball right down the middle and see if the guy can hit it? Even if Schneider hits one out, which he did earlier in the game, his first of the year, it’s still a tie game. You cannot walk a hitter like that.
The defensive has joined the lack of hitting and pitching as things that make this ballclub hard to watch. Russell Branyan compounds his lack of contact (48 strikeouts in 161 at bats) with abysmal defense at 1B. He charges bunts at the wrong time, he throws to the wrong base, he doesn’t catch balls thrown to him. Why did we sign him again?
It seems like Acta is afraid to do something different, although his hands are tied by the dormant front office, who continues to act like they are smarter than everybody else.
Why is there a middle infielder on the roster that is hitting .150 in over 100 at bats? Why is Andy Marte on the roster if he is going to play once a week when the Tribe faces a southpaw? Why are there two ineffective left-handed relievers on the roster?
It really doesn’t help the skipper when he is hamstrung by what he has to work with from the GM.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt if Acta took a sterner approach with this group of players. Without a veteran leader on the club, the manager and coaching staff should take more of a role in teaching these young players what is right and what is wrong.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 