One of the overlooked aspects of the last time the Cleveland Indians made the post-season was the value of the veteran leadership provided by Trot Nixon.
Nixon hit just .251 on the season with 3 HR and 31 RBIs, but he provided a winning attitude since we was a key player on many winning teams with the Boston Red Sox. He didn’t play much after GM Mark Shapiro picked up Kenny Lofton for the stretch drive, but Lofton was another veteran who played on a ton of winning teams throughout his career, most of those being the Indians of the late 90’s.
Since then, the Indians have tried to pick up veterans for leadership but most of them haven’t been able to produce enough to stay on the field, and if they can’t be in the lineup, it is tough to provide guidance for the young players. Look at Orlando Cabrera in 2011, early in the year he provided some big hits and the team won.
However, as the season went on, Cabrera became a problem both offensively and defensively and it was getting difficult for Manny Acta to keep writing his name in the lineup. He was traded to the Giants at the deadline and wasn’t on a big league roster in 2012.
This year, Chris Antonetti has acquired three players who have some grit and can provide leadership and another guy who plays with a little swagger.
Nick Swisher was the plum of the off-season moves by Antonetti, a player who plays everyday and puts up around 25 HR and 80 RBIs on a yearly basis. He also plays with a joy and toughness, something badly needed by a team who has appeared emotionless in recent years, a reflection of the calm hand provided by Acta.
It has been said that Swisher’s enthusiasm was a key addition to a stale Yankee clubhouse when he went there in 2009 and it resulted in the only World Championship for the Bronx Bombers since 2000. He reminded the corporate Yankees that baseball was a game and it was supposed to be fun.
It’s a trait that should be welcome in the Cleveland locker room this season. His personality showed through in the press conference introducing him to the local media.
Brett Myers is another addition with experience on a winner, appearing in three post-seasons with the Phillies from 2007-09. He has been a starter in a World Series game. Put that together with six seasons of throwing 200 innings and he provides help in two areas for the Tribe.
He can give a fairly young pitching staff some leadership and he also gives the Indians a starting pitcher who can soak up innings and pitch deep into games. And he has a lifetime ERA of 4.28 as a starter.
He throws strikes, with a strikeout to walk ratio of over 2 to 1, and allows around a hit per inning for his career. Those are solid numbers.
An under the radar pick up by Antonetti is INF Mike Aviles, who has been a productive big league hitter when given limited at bats. He’s a career .277 hitter with a 715 OPS, but his numbers were dragged down a bit by last season when he played everyday for the first time. He was a .286 hitter with Kansas City (734 OPS).
Aviles struck us as a player with a chip on his shoulder when playing for the Royals. He flipped his bat when homering against the Indians with Kansas City, it was a galling act considering he never hit more than 13 dingers in a season.
However, when he plays for your team, it’s the kind of attitude you like to see. Here’s hoping he brings the same edge to the Indians.
Every move made by the Tribe this off-season has improved the ball club in terms of production, with the exception of swapping Shin-Soo Choo for Swisher which is a break even move.
But these moves have also provided the 2013 Indians with a winning attitude, a ‘tude that starts with the new manager, Terry Francona. The Indians who take the field this coming April won’t make excuses. They will expect to win every game.
MW
Cleveland Sports Perspective 