The Cleveland Indians have lost nine of their last sixteen games and panic is spreading throughout northern Ohio.
However, the team finished the first third of the season at 33-21, which means they are on pace to win 99 games this season, which is about 25 more than most people thought they would end the year with.
Still, the last 16 contests have shown some weaknesses which need to be addressed if the team is to continue their winning ways.
First off, the defense is starting to become an issue once again. Orlando Cabrera has been inconsistent defensively and Matt LaPorta has made a few mental mistakes at first base.
And in the outfield Shin-Soo Choo has displayed a rocket for a throwing arm, but has misjudged several balls in right field.
Also, the offense has been too hit or miss lately. More consistency is definitely needed.
The hitting has developed into an attack in which the Indians either score seven or eight runs on a given night, or they are completely shut down by the opposing pitcher. They have been unable to manufacture runs when these nights occur.
Many people will point to the Tribe missing Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner as the chief reasons for this off and on attack, but it’s now time to put the spotlight on Choo, who was considered the be the team’s best player coming into the season.
The Cleveland rightfielder is hitting just .246 on the season with 5 HR and 22 RBI and an OPS of under 700. His last home run came the night Hafner hit the walk-off bomb against Seattle, and that would be May 13th. He’s had just four multi-hit games since the beginning of May, and all of those have been just two hit nights.
He’s also had just two games of more than one RBI in the same time span. That’s not good enough production from a guy hitting in what normally is the spot for the team’s best hitter.
Acta needs to slide him lower in the lineup due to his production.
Who should bat third in his place? How about the team’s best hitter this season, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, who is among the American League leaders in home runs (11) and RBI’s (40).
In fact, perhaps a flip-flop of Cabrera and Choo might be in order since the latter is second on the Indians in walks, and he and Michael Brantley would give Acta plenty of speed at the top of the order.
Moving Choo out of the three hole might also allow him to relax and also to cut down on his swing. After cutting his strikeout substantially in 2010 (from 151 in ’09 to 118), the left-handed hitter is striking out more frequently this year. It appears he feels he is the Tribe’s biggest power threat, and is trying to pull everything.
That’s not the approach that has made him a lifetime .292 hitter.
This is not to bury Choo, as the Indians need him to be productive if they are going to continue their run this season. However, it is clear that right now he doesn’t have the same impact on the batting order he did last season.
Getting back to basics may be just what he needs, and the Cleveland Indians need the Shin-Soo Choo of the last two seasons to start showing up night after night.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 