Tribe Still Has Leadoff Woes

Former Indians’ manager Mike Hargrove used to say if a team had a leadoff hitter and a cleanup hitter, everything else kind of fell into place in terms of making out the batting order.

This season, the #4 spot in the order has been one of the more productive spots for the Tribe, with an OPS of 746, ranking third for the season behind the #3 spot, occupied by Jose Ramirez, and the #5 spot, which has an OPS of 781, and has the most home runs (19) of any spot.

However, the leadoff spot continues to be troubling.

Since the job at that spot is to get on base, having a .287 on base percentage from that spot means more often than not, the game starts with one out. And only the #7 and #9 have a more difficult time reaching base safely.

Last season, Cesar Hernandez did a great job in the leadoff spot. He had a .355 OBP, pretty much in line with his career norm. However this season, that figure has dropped to .299. Ideally, a .350 figure equals being a good leadoff man. Right now, it’s a problem for an offense that struggles to score runs, ranking below average in the AL in that department.

The .299 figure is based on the entire season. After Hernandez was moved into the #1 hole by Terry Francona in May, his on base average is actually the same at .299

Granted, the switch-hitter has hit in tough luck for much of the season. He has hit an inordinate amount of line drives that have resulted in outs. So, maybe those liners will start dropping and the former Phillie will get on a hot streak.

He does have a 792 OPS vs. southpaws, but that is a result of hitting for more power right-handed. He has a .476 slugging percentage vs. LHP compared to just .337 vs. right-handers. His on base figure is comparable, .289 vs. RHP and .316 vs. lefties.

The real problem for Francona is there isn’t a viable alternative on the roster. Among players with more than 100 plate appearances, Ramirez gets on base the most at .347, but moving him to the leadoff spot creates a hole at #3.

By the way, that isn’t a reason to not hit him there. We would seriously consider it because it would also get him up to the plate more often.

Ranking behind Ramirez is the injured Jordan Luplow (.331), who actually did leadoff quite a bit before Hernandez was moved there. He still ranks third on the team in walks behind Hernandez and Ramirez. Following Luplow is Amed Rosario with a .331 OBP.

Bradley Zimmer has a .353 on base average, but that figure is skewed because he has been hit by six pitches to date. Without those, his figure drops to .288. If he could promise to keep getting hit, maybe he could bat first, but it doesn’t seem like that’s something that can be sustained.

At Columbus, Owen Miller has a .407 figure, but he struggled when given an opportunity with the big club. Both Gabriel Arias and Nolan Jones are over .350, but neither has spent a day in the majors and thrusting them into the leadoff spot puts a lot of pressure on a young player.

So, the alternatives are hoping Hernandez’ line drives start falling in or putting Ramirez in the top spot in the order, which might work when Franmil Reyes comes back. Francona could go–

Ramirez
A. Rosario
E. Rosario
Reyes
Bradley

Getting guys on base leading off an inning really helps an offense, it doesn’t take a genius to see that. It certainly would help the Cleveland offense.

Is Zimmer’s Rope Getting Shorter?

Besides trying to win baseball games, it feels like the Cleveland Indians’ organization has another objective during the 2021 season. That would be making final decisions on some players.

The Tribe decided to keep Jake Bauers on the Opening Day roster, despite Bobby Bradley having a better spring (not that spring training statistics should be meaningful), because Bauers was out of option and couldn’t be sent to the minors without being put on waivers.

Bauers didn’t take advantage of the opportunity, hitting just .190 (557 OPS) in 113 plate appearances, with just two home runs, before being traded to Seattle. (We do have to point out, he is hitting .315 with a homer in 54 at bats with Seattle).

Yu Chang is getting his first extended look on the roster, and he is struggling too, batting just .167 (488 OPS) in 102 at bats. Chang is 25 years old, and our guess is his roster spot is currently on a day-to-day basis.

Right now, it feels like Bradley Zimmer, a former first round pick in 2014, is in the same situation. Zimmer, who is a tremendous athlete, can run like a deer, and is clearly the best defensive outfielder on the roster.

Unfortunately, he also has to put a bat in his hands every once in awhile.

When Zimmer got the call to the big leagues in 2017, he hit the ground running, batting 285 in his first 151 at bats, with five home runs and a 790 OPS. However, since the All Star break that season, the 21st pick in 2014, has 370 at bats, and has hit .200 in that period, with just six dingers and 151 strikeouts.

That latter total is astounding, considering the lack of pop and the lack of walks. The only two things that stand out to us offensively is he has been hit by 10 pitches in 2020-21, in just 128 plate appearances, and he has stolen six bases.

Terry Francona loves his defense in the middle of the outfield for sure, who wouldn’t? Cleveland has gone through Ben Gamel, Amed Rosario, Jordan Luplow, and Harold Ramirez in center, and by far Zimmer is the best at going out the catching the ball.

However, we always maintain the as great as Ozzie Smith and Omar Vizquel were defensively, if they could not hit respectably, they would have found themselves on a bench more often than not. You have to be able to hit to play.

The best role for Zimmer right now might be as a defensive replacement late in close games where the Indians have the lead. Start Ramirez in center, and if you have the lead after six, move him to another spot and let Zimmer patrol center.

The question is will the organization give him more rope, and if they move on, who gets the next shot? Oscar Mercado is hitting just .220 at Columbus, but his walk rate has improved, and that has been a big problem in the past. We have seen opposing pitchers seemingly try to walk Mercado, only to see him keep swinging.

Daniel Johnson is batting just .223, but has banged out 20 extra base hits, leading to a .458 slugging percentage. And perhaps he has the same problem Bobby Bradley had when he was sent out after spring training. That is a feeling he should be in the bigs.

Or could Andres Gimenez be brought back to play SS, with Amed Rosario going back to centerfield. Gimenez has an 834 OPS at Columbus, but has a poor 35:8 strikeout to walk ratio.

Is Bradley Zimmer getting his last shot with Cleveland? He still can be sent to the minor leagues or he can be useful as a 26th man. Either way, if he can’t improve his hitting, he likely won’t get another shot with the Tribe.

What Should Cavs Do With Third Overall Pick?

The Cleveland Cavaliers got some lottery luck Tuesday night. moving up in the process to get the third overall pick in this summer’s draft.

Now, the speculation can begin. What should the Cavs do this summer so they can win more often during the 2021-22 season.

You have to assume the Pistons will select Cade Cunningham with the first overall pick, so Cleveland will be reliant on what the Rockets will do with the second overall pick. But likely they will have to choose between USC big man Evan Mobley, Gonzaga point guard Jalen Suggs, or Jalen Green, who spent the season in the G League.

Any of those choices would likely cause of reshuffling of the roster, at least to us.

Why take the 7’0″ Mobley if the wine and gold will be offering Jarrett Allen a long term contract this off-season? Our other issue on him is his weight, he likely needs to put on 30-40 pounds to withstand the pounding NBA big men take inside. He will surely have to play there on the defensive end.

As for drafting Mobley and dealing Allen? We know the type of player Allen is and he is just 23 years old. He’s demonstrated he can play and will likely continue to get better. If Allen were approaching 30, trading him might make sense. Right now, he seems to be a guy you should be building around.

Green is a 6’6″ shooting guard, which would seem to put four players (Green, Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, and Isaac Okoro) at guard, but only two can play at a time, and you can only get enough minutes to keep three of them happy. We understand Okoro played small forward much of his rookie year, but his size would seem to indicate his future is at guard.

The second best player in the draft after Cunningham just might be Suggs, the 6’4″ lead guard who helped take his college team to the NCAA title game. If Houston passes on him, the Cavs almost have to take him, right?

GM Koby Altman’s history has been to pick the best player available, so if Houston passes on Suggs (they have John Wall, although they are probably trying to move him), do the Cavs take him? Again, if they do, it would seem they would have to reshuffle the roster, particularly in the backcourt.

He’s strong, a good passer, and can defend either guard spot.

For us, we would take either Suggs or Green and then see what you can get for one of the starting guards currently on the roster, and try to fill the biggest position of need (as we see it) on the roster, that being at small forward. Cleveland desperately needs someone at that spot that demands attention from other teams defensively.

Which leads us to the other debate surrounding the Cavs this week, would/should they try to get Ben Simmons if Philadelphia wants to move him?

That answer is unequivocally yes. Simmons is probably one of the top 25-30 players in the league, his playoff performance vs. Atlanta not withstanding.

No, he’s not a good shooter, but on the other hand, he knows it and does force shots. He’s a very good passer, good rebounder, and was runner up for defensive player of the year, something the Cavaliers need badly.

Now, the question is do the Cavs have what the Sixers want? My guess is they would want Garland and Larry Nance Jr. for starters. That’s the bigger question.

Our guess is winding up with the third pick will mean a roster shakeup for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and a reshuffling of what has been ridiculously called the “Core Four”.

Get ready for an interesting basketball summer.

If Tribe Can Hang In, Will The Front Office Get Some Help?

The Cleveland Indians were thought to have a softer part of their schedule in June. Starting June 4th, the Tribe started a stretch of 24 games in which only the Cubs and Cardinals had winning records.

To date, they probably haven’t fared as well as they would have liked, with an 9-7 record entering play on Monday night at Wrigley Field. However, they have trimmed a game and a half off the AL Central Division lead, and now sit just two games out (just one in the loss column).

And they are also just two games out of the second wild card spot in the American League, meaning they are very much in the post-season race.

As we approach the end of July trading deadline, the question must be asked: Will the Indians be buyers or sellers come the end of next month.

Certainly, much depends on how Terry Francona’s squad does in the brutal stretch coming up as the calendar turns. Leading up to the All Star Game, Cleveland plays four at home against the Astros, three in Tampa, and come back home for four with the Royals.

The Astros have the league’s best record and the Rays are fifth.

Then, coming out of the break, the Tribe has three with Oakland (currently with the 2nd best record in the AL), three more with Houston, and four at home vs. Tampa, with the Cardinals coming to Progressive Field for two more.

If the Indians emerge from that gauntlet still in the race, doesn’t the front office have to do something to help the current roster down the stretch?

Keep in mind, Cleveland has a boatload of prospects in the lower rungs of the minor leagues, some of which will need to be protected for the Rule 5 draft at the end of the Winter Meetings. They cannot protect all of those players, so it could be prudent for the organization to try to move some for some help on the major league roster.

We aren’t suggesting the team should move the organization’s top prospects, Nolan Jones or Tyler Freeman, and really when you look at deadline deals, it is very rare for another organization to part with their top two or three prospects in the system.

The question is will the Cleveland organization be open to such a move?

Yes, we know that has been the recent history. In 2016, they made a move to get Andrew Miller. In 2017, they got Jay Bruce, and in ’18, it was Brad Hand. The following year, the made the deal to get Franmil Reyes and Yasiel Puig, although it cost them Trevor Bauer.

But those teams had higher expectations coming into the season, although the 2021 Tribe were expected to be competitive, we have a feeling the front office figured this team wasn’t going to be this close at this point in the season.

We don’t know that for sure, but the severe payroll reduction points to just that.

If the front office (and we are including ownership in that group) were really interested in getting to the playoffs this season, they would fortify the roster, particularly the starting pitching staff prior to the stretch of games coming up starting July 1st.

There are plenty of teams already making plans for the winter, so why not try to swing a deal for a serviceable starting pitcher? We know JC Mejia and Sam Hentges did well over the weekend (the former after a bad first inning), but remember, the Pirates have one of the game’s worst offenses.

Playing well over the next six weeks would put a lot of pressure on the organization to help the 2021 edition of the Cleveland Indians. And based on how this group of players and their manager have battled to this point, we wouldn’t put it past them.

Tribe Need Quality Innings Out Of Guys Who Start

It was another week involving injuries for the Cleveland Indians. After the shocking news at the beginning of the week that Shane Bieber had a shoulder strain, the Tribe also lost Austin Hedges to a concussion on Thursday and in Friday’s 11-10 loss to the Pirates, they lost Jose Ramirez with a bruised foot after being hit by a pitch.

That necessitated veteran Ryan Lavarnway being called up to help out behind the plate, and yesterday, Bobby Bradley, who doesn’t have 100 big league at bats yet, was forced to hit third.

Amazingly, the Indians cobbled together a sweep against Baltimore despite not having any starting pitcher throw more frames than the five pitched by Aaron Civale in game three of the series.

In fact, the last Cleveland starter to go more than five was Bieber last Sunday and he only went 5-2/3. The last Tribe hurler to see the seventh inning was Civale, who pitched eight, one hit innings against the Mariners a week ago Friday.

It’s difficult to imagine that working over a decent period of time without taking a toll on the entire pitching staff.

It was encouraging to see both JC Mejia and Cal Quantrill both go five innings against Pittsburgh in the last two games, so maybe they are finally stretched out enough to get into and perhaps complete six innings in their next start.

The relief corps has taken a heavy toll this past week and yesterday’s game might have been the first sign of pitchers showing wear and tear on their arms.

Bryan Shaw’s comeback story has been remarkable, but he has walked 24 hitters in 28 innings this season, although the damage has been limited because he only gave up 15 hits. However, his last three appearances have been dreadful, pitching two innings, allowing five hits and five walks.

Overall in June, the veteran righty has pitched 7-1/3 innings, giving up nine hits and eight walks for a 9.82 ERA. You have to think Terry Francona will look elsewhere the next time the seventh inning of a close game arises.

James Karinchak also has shown signs of a little wear. Remember, he pitched only 27 innings a year ago, and has already topped that this season. He pitched three days in a row last week in the Baltimore series.

In April, Karinchak was beyond dominant, allowing just two hits and striking out 22 of the 34 batters he faced. In May, he fanned 21 of the 45 batters that came to the plate and allowed only six hits, although three of them were homers.

To date in June, he has whiffed just 12 of the 27 batters who dug in against him, and allowed another home run yesterday. Just something to keep an eye on.

We are sure Francona and the Tribe front office look at the Tampa Bay model in handling the pitching staff without real starters. However the Rays have four pitchers with over 25 appearances, five with over 20, but only one (Ryan Thompson) with over 30 games pitched.

Cleveland has six pitchers with more than 20 appearances, but three of them, Shaw, Karinchak, and Emmanuel Clase, have appeared in more than 30 games.

This might be a subtle difference, but it is something to keep an eye on, and shows again, the need for starters to provide more length. It is very tough for a bullpen to keep this kind of burden over a long season.

The Indians are a team built on starting pitching. To us, as soon as Logan Allen and Triston McKenzie showed they weren’t ready, the organization should have started grooming Quantrill for one of those spots.

After all, he was set to be a starter in spring training. They are doing it now, but they may have lost a couple of weeks of development.

Hopefully, by the All Star break, Plesac and Bieber will be close to returning if not ready. That could provide a boost to a rotation currently running on fumes.

Baseball Needs Someone To Care. The Commish Doesn’t

Hall of Fame player Bill Terry once said “baseball must be a great game to survive the fools who run it”. Terry was born in 1898 and played from 1923-36, and managed through 1941. However, his words seem to be just as true today.

The latest controversy in the National Pastime is the sticky substances being used by pitchers to gain an advantage. Every sport deals with players trying to get an edge on their opponents, but when taken to extreme measures, the sport has to deal with the problem.

We agree some of the substances being used are giving pitchers a huge advantage. We’ve all seen the pitches which show up on the daily highlights where it appears the man on the mound is throwing a whiffle ball to opposing hitters. Our opinion is those pitches are mainly the result of using super sticky stuff, like pine tar or the latest thing, Spider Tack, to accomplish these results.

We digress.

The real problem with baseball right now is who is taking care of the game? And it might be the fans, and only the fans.

The commissioner and his office serve the owners, who don’t seem to be concerned with the play on the field. In the past year, they have instituted a terrible extra inning rule, putting a runner on second base to start the 10th and any subsequent inning in an effort to get games over with quicker.

They’ve also shortened doubleheader games to seven innings. What would be the reaction if the NFL announced Thursday night games were only going to be three quarters because both teams are likely only getting three days off?

You don’t have to worry about the reaction because it will never happen.

The sport seems to go out of its way to tell you how bad it is. The game’s are too long, there is not enough action, etc.

Baseball’s in-house network tries to promote the young players coming into the game, like Fernando Tatis Jr., Vlade Guerrero Jr., and Shohei Ohtani, but they seem to focus on the teams in the bigger markets and home runs and/or strikeouts. They don’t talk enough about players who play a solid brand of baseball, winning baseball.

It’s not up to the players to care for the game either. It is their way of making a living, and therefore their first thought is making money.

That said, you can tell some of them love the game and want to do what’s right, and want to promote the sport.

This latest issue though just shows the disconnect within the sport. Instead of just banning all substances immediately and proposing suspensions, why not talk to the players and work out an agreement everyone is happy with?

There have been articles that the “go to” mixture of rosin and sunscreen helps the grip but doesn’t affect spin rates and velocity. That’s the competitive advantage, being able to throw with more velocity and wicked movement on that speed.

Or as was pointed out on the Indians’ telecast on Tuesday evening, Terry Francona wondered why MLB just doesn’t do what Japan does. Apparently, the balls already have some tackiness when they are put into play if we understood correctly.

Either way, there could have been a better solution presented with both parties having some input. That way, both sides have skin in the game and feel better about things, instead of one side dropping a heavy handed edict.

The commissioner and by association the owners seem to want to do things their way without paying attention to the players and even more odd, their customers, the fans. It’s an odd way of trying to work things out.

Someone needs to care about the grand ol’ game, that is besides the fans.

Tribe Needs Starting Pitching…And Quickly

The news came like a gut punch to Tribe fans all over the nation. Shane Bieber was placed on the IL with the shoulder strain.

The Indians are currently sitting with a 34-28 record and are in second place in the American League Central Division, 5-1/2 games behind the White Sox. They are also just 1-1/2 games behind Houston (although tied in the loss column) for the second wild card spot.

That seems good, doesn’t it.

Until you think about the state of the starting pitching for the Tribe, at least currently. Right now, the rotation consists of Aaron Civale, one of the better starting pitchers in the majors right now. It also included Shane Bieber, but he won’t pick up a baseball for at least two weeks.

Civale currently leads the AL in wins with nine, tied for the Major League lead with the Dodgers’ Julio Urias.

Hopefully, Zach Plesac will return sooner than later, perhaps after the All Star break, and he will give Terry Francona a third starter who should be able to give him at least six solid innings.

As for the rest of the pitchers who have started games recently, the numbers aren’t exactly pretty. The once plentiful supply of good arms in the farm system has appeared to have dried up.

Remember what Francona has always said, when you think you have enough pitching, you go out and get some more.

Triston McKenzie has made 10 starts, totally 38-2/3 innings. He has a 6.75 ERA in those frame. The good news? He has struck out 54 hitters. The bad news? He has walked 35.

By the way, that comes to less than 4 innings per start, which is not good.

Left-hander Sam Hentges has made four starts, with a 8.56 ERA in 13-2/3 innings. That’s an average of 3-1/3 frames per start.

Another youngster (McKenzie is just 23, Hentges just 24), 24-year-old JC Mejia, has made three starts. His first was pretty good, going three scoreless innings at Baltimore as the Indians were getting him stretched out. In his second, he didn’t make it out of the first inning in St. Louis, giving up four runs. Last night, he went four innings.

Cal Quantrill has a similar experience. His first start was pretty good, going 3-2/3 and allowing just one run vs. the White Sox, but in his second start, he lasted just an inning and a third, allowing seven runs, five of them earned.

If we include Logan Allen’s five starts at the beginning of the year, which totaled 15-2/3 innings, an average of just over three innings per start, the starting pitchers not named Bieber, Civale, and Plesac are creating a big burden on the bullpen.

Added up, that comes to 24 starts made by other pitchers than the top three in the rotation, and the average number of innings pitched in those starts is 3-1/3.

And we are not counting the opener start made by Phil Maton or the start made by Eli Morgan, which by the way would lower that average, since he worked just 2-2/3 innings.

We understand that average is skewed somewhat by trying to get Quantrill and Mejia stretched out so they can give the team at least five innings. So, their starts this week against the Orioles are huge in figuring out what will happen over the next two weeks.

With Bieber now out, it’s clear the organization needs to do something about the starting pitching if they want to remain in contention for a playoff spot.

There are teams that have fallen out of the post-season race, like the Rangers, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Rockies, and Orioles. However, the reason a few of them have dropped out is because their starting pitching stinks.

Still, you might be able to pry lefty Tyler Anderson (3-6, 4.52 ERA) or right-hander JT Brubaker (4-5, 3.90 ERA) out of Pittsburgh, or might Texas give up Kyle Gibson (4-0, 2.13 ERA, but making almost $18 million over the next two years) for the right price.

Remember, the Indians farm system is deep at the lower levels, particularly in the middle infield, so there could be a fit.

We know the Cleveland organization is known for their patience, but if they are too patient, they could start to see the lack of starting pitching take its toll. Considering how hard they have fought to be in the race, that would be a shame.

Tribe Offense Shows Signs Of Life…In The Last Week

A week ago Saturday, the Indians made the long awaited move, calling up Bobby Bradley from Columbus and designating Jake Bauers for assignment.

Bauers was later traded to Seattle for a player to be named later or cash.

Since Bradley was called up, the Tribe has scored 39 runs in six games, although Bradley hasn’t appeared in all of them. That’s well above their average of a little over four runs per contest.

Bradley has started off hot, going 7 for 14, with a couple of home runs and seven runs batted in. In addition to the slugging first baseman, Amed Rosario and Eddie Rosario have both picked up the pace, and with Jose Ramirez, has given Cleveland a respectable top five hitters in the order.

First of all, although it is great that Bradley is off to a good start, it’s only 14 at bats, and way, way too soon to make any judgments or proclamations that he is the answer to the Tribe’s offensive woes.

At the very least, Bradley should take the at bats Bauers was getting vs. right-handed pitchers, and he has already exceeded the number of RBIs the new Mariner had in 100 at bats with Cleveland. And if Bradley stays hot, give him some at bats vs. southpaws as well.

What does that mean for rookie Owen Miller, who has struggled since his call up, going 5 for 46 with 23 strikeouts. If Miller isn’t going to get regular at bats, and it’s hard to see that he will, he might be best served going back to AAA and getting regular playing time.

Yu Chang isn’t hitting either, but he doesn’t have the minor league credentials Miller does, so he stays for now, but remember Jordan Luplow will need to be activated soon, so someone will have to go.

Then you still have the outfield problem. The Indians could really use Bradley Zimmer’s defense in centerfield on a daily basis, but Zimmer’s strikeout problems have reared up again (16 K’s and just three walks in 38 plate appearances), so it’s tough to put him in the lineup everyday.

Harold Ramirez has been steady at the plate, hitting .269 with a 755 OPS, one of the better marks on the roster. We are sure the organization would like Josh Naylor’s name in the lineup too. Naylor is hitting .251 with a 686 OPS, but his minor league numbers, particularly at AA and AAA, indicate he will be a productive big league hitter.

The solution could be simply starting Ramirez in center, and if the Tribe has the lead after six innings, Zimmer takes over in CF with Ramirez coming out of the game or moving to rightfield.

We understand some people are worrying about who will be replaced when Franmil Reyes returns to the active roster. To them, we will say things have a way of working out.

Besides, it’s not as though the Indians have a bunch of Mike Trouts on the roster. By the time Reyes is back, someone will cool off and deserve less playing time. And if that doesn’t happen, the Tribe will be in good shape for the rest of the season.

We say it all the time, sometimes it doesn’t have to be a big splash move, improving the roster incrementally works too. Even making yourself slightly better helps you in the win/loss column.

Sometimes just tweaking the roster is just what the doctor ordered.

Cavs Working Hard To Sell Fans That Plan Is Working

You wouldn’t think there would much debate about the merits of an NBA team that has won 60 games total over the past three seasons. The normal school of thought would be the team isn’t very good, right?

Welcome to Cleveland, Ohio where there is a lot of discussion about the rebuilding process involving the Cavaliers. There are plenty of people who will tell you the franchise is making progress toward a return to the playoffs, and an equal number who contend the team is stuck in the mud.

We fall in the latter category, mostly because we take a traditional view in terms of how successful teams are built in any sport. Yes, someone may come up with different approach that gets some success in the short term, but usually what happens is the smart people within the sport figure out how to combat the new view and render it meaningless.

Examples in other sports are the “wildcat” formation in the NFL and launch angle in baseball. In the latter example, teams started teaching pitchers to throw higher in the strike zone.

The supporters of the direction of the wine and gold talk about the “exciting, young core” of talent GM Koby Altman has accumulated since LeBron James departed via free agency three years ago, but you would be hard pressed to find anyone outside of Cleveland who shares this viewpoint of Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, and Jarrett Allen.

And we have said this before in this space, but don’t talk to us about statistics when trying to evaluate players. To us, the last thing we use to figure out who played well in any basketball game is the stat sheet. The old saying of a player does things that don’t show in the box score is very true in hoops.

Players have to fit together, play off each other, and do things to make their teammates better. If they do that, the team is better and the ultimate statistic to determine that is in the wins and losses columns. Right now, those columns show the rebuilding effort is not working.

The 2020-21 Cavs weren’t a team that played tough most nights and just came up short either. This is a team that lost 17 games (by our count) by 20 points or more. They ranked 28th of 30 teams in offensive rating and 25th in defensive rating, meaning they weren’t any good on either side of the floor.

This isn’t an indictment on the players, and certainly not a criticism of their work ethic either. We have given credit to Altman in the past for not have any “knuckleheads” on the team, guys who get in trouble off the court. Kevin Porter Jr. had some issues and the team moved on from him quickly, perhaps too quickly.

We also aren’t picking on players who just came into the league either. We love watching Luka Doncic and Ja Morant play. We have had an issue in the past with Trae Young, but it appears Nate McMillan spoke to him about being more like an NBA point guard, and less trying to be the next Stephen Curry. Doing that helped transform the Atlanta Hawks.

This is a big summer for the Cavs’ organization. Next season will determine whether or not they can be like Atlanta and be a playoff presence or Sacramento or Minnesota, franchises continually floundering.

However, they need to stop presenting all kinds of reasons why they are going in the right direction. It’s a bit like peeing in the wind and telling the fans it’s raining.

To Get Some Hitting, Tribe Is Compromising The Defense

We have talked about this many times throughout the baseball season, so excuse us for being redundant. The Cleveland Indians aren’t a good offensive baseball team.

They continue to rank 11th in the American League in runs scored per game at 4.05, almost a half run behind the league average of 4.42. We understand that batting average isn’t en vogue as a key statistic anymore in the game, but the team average of .221 ranks second to last (Seattle) in the AL.

They are 14th in the league in on base percentage too, and the team OPS of 679 is ahead of just Texas, Detroit, and Seattle.

To try to generate even this much offense, Terry Francona and his staff have had to sacrifice things, which is scary when you think about it.

What they have seemingly decided to ignore was on full display over the weekend in Baltimore, where the woeful Orioles took two of three from the Tribe.

It seems to get to a point where they can average a paltry four runs per contest, the Indians have given up a lot on the defensive side of the game, which is kind of weird, considering the backbone of the squad is the pitching staff.

Our guess is the theory is if you can strikeout enough hitters, defense doesn’t mean as much as it used to, because the ball isn’t in play. And currently, Cleveland pitchers rank 6th in the AL in striking out hitters. They led the league in the shortened 2020 season and were fifth in 2019.

And the defense has been lacking at key positions too.

Bradley Zimmer returned to the roster last week, and hopefully he can provide something offensively, because his defense is badly needed in CF. Harold Ramirez has been getting time out there, and he has helped with the bat in his hand (791 OPS, .278, 3 HR, 13 RBI), but he’s not acceptable defensively.

In Sunday’s loss to Baltimore, a pop fly that was in the air for a long time fell in for a hit, and there have been several other fly balls that have landed in the outfield that should have been turned into outs.

Who would have thought where Cleveland missed Francisco Lindor the most was defensively? The Tribe started Andres Gimenez at the spot to open the season, and our guess was watching Amed Rosario out there in spring training games didn’t exactly make the brass feel all warm and fuzzy.

Rosario has made several misplays, some not scored as errors, but giving the opposing teams extra outs. And he can stop trying to make superfluous throws to first when he has not realistic chance to get runners any time now.

The former Met has been okay offensively (he still has an OPS under 700), he stands out because as a whole, the Tribe doesn’t have many better than average bats, but hopefully, Gimenez can hit better because he’s the better defender, and Francona can figure out a way to get Rosario in there.

We should also mention he has plus speed.

We haven’t talked about Josh Naylor either. Naylor has spent most of the season in RF, but his best position defensively is 1B right now. Naylor works hard, and plays with joy and enthusiasm, but it doesn’t help the pitching staff when only Eddie Rosario in LF has been solid defensively.

Add in that Cesar Hernandez hasn’t been as strong in the field as he was a year ago, and you can see the traditional baseball adage of being strong defensively up the middle does not apply to the 2021 edition of the Cleveland Indians.

You want to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses. Unfortunately, with the current roster of players, the Tribe has had to minimize their strength (pitching) to put some runs on the board.

Hopefully, they can overcome this and stay in the AL Central race like they have to this point in the season.