The Cleveland Indians showed some encouraging signs immediately following the All-Star break, winning 13 of 24 games against contending teams (Detroit, Tampa Bay, Boston, New York, and Minnesota).  The young players contributed, the starting pitching was surprising, and the bullpen was very effective.

 

Since then, the Tribe has dropped six of nine, despite playing three of the American League’s bottom feeders:  Baltimore, Seattle, and Kansas City.  Such is life for skipper Manny Acta managing a very, very young team.

 

Acta held a team meeting yesterday, probably to remind his squad that the same intensity and execution needed to play well against the contenders is needed to beat team on the same level as the Indians. 

 

Of course, then they went out and made five errors in a 7-3 win over the Royals.

 

The team dealt 3B Jhonny Peralta, which was definitely the right move, but since the trade, the hot corner was become the black hole.  Anyone who plays the position has seemingly forgotten how to field a ground ball.  Andy Marte, who normally is a solid defender has made 3 errors.  Jayson Nix has made four since Peralta was dealt.  And those numbers don’t include the grounders scored as hits that should have been fielded.

 

Cleveland pitchers have got to cringe every time a ball is hit to the third baseman.

 

That’s why the organization should bring up Jared Goedert from Columbus right away.  Yes, he’s made 15 errors at AAA, but he’s young and deserves a chance.  Plus, as is our mantra, he can’t do any worse.

 

 

Michael Brantley:  Hopefully, Brantley’s ankle problem is minor because he’s starting to look like a guy who can play in the majors.  He has started to drive the ball, which was our criticism in the off-season.  And he’s started to hit the ball on the line and on the ground instead of hitting an endless supply of fly balls. 

 

Jayson Nix:  Nix seems struggle when there are men in scoring position, but the stats don’t bear that out.  He’s hitting .286 with men in scoring position.  However, he has an extremely low total of RBIs (22) compared to home runs (10).  His biggest problem seems to be strike zone judgement.  He’s fanned 49 times in 197 at bats, which projects to about 150 whiffs in a full season.  He seems to take many called third strikes.

 

Frank Herrmann:  Herrmann provided a boost to the bullpen when he was called up, but has struggled lately.  He throws hard, but lacks a strikeout pitch, fanning only 14 in 30 innings.  He’s allowed five home runs, and seems to give up a lot of long fly balls.  He does throw a breaking ball, but doesn’t throw it often.  He needs to come up with an off-speed pitch to put hitters away.  It bodes well for his future that he throws in the mid-nineties.

 

Luis Valbuena:  What is he still doing on the roster?  He hit well in Columbus after being sent down, but after returning to Cleveland, it’s been more of the same.  He batting just .163 in over 200 plate appearances.  He’s not a platoon candidate either right now because he’s hitting .141 against right-handers.  Perhaps Josh Rodriguez should get a chance?

 

MW

 

 

Travis Hafner is the oldest member of the Cleveland Indians, and with his contract continuing for two more seasons, it seems very likely he will remain an Indian through 2012, when his contract expires.

 

Hafner has been plagued by shoulder problems much of the last three season, and his 2007 season wasn’t up to previous standards either, even though he did hit 24 HR and knock in 100 runs with an OPS of 837.  However, when you put up OPS numbers like Hafner did earlier (993 in ’04, 1003 in ’05, and 1097 in ’06), even a season where you have 100 RBIs is considered an off season.

 

Hafner is portrayed as the prototypical big hulking slugger, but do most people realize he’s only hit 40 home runs once in his career?  And that he’s crossed the 30 HR mark just one other time?

 

While the slugger nicknamed "PronK" will likely never reach the numbers he put up in 2004-2006, he still had an OPS of 826 last season, and currently is at 817 for the 2010 season, both above average considering all American League hitters.

 

So, he’s still a productive bat in the Tribe lineup.

 

The point is in Hafner’s glory days, he didn’t put up overwhelming home run numbers.  In fact, outside of his epic 2006 season (.308, 42 HR, 117 RBI), he has always had more doubles than home runs.  He had 28 dingers in 2004, but 41 doubles.  In 2005, he doubled 42 times to go with his 33 home runs. 

 

What happened in 2006?  Likely, some of the balls that normally went up the gap for doubles had more loft and sailed over the fence.  And remember that Pronk’s big years came when he was 27-29 years old, the statistical peak years for most major league players. 

 

Yes, the shoulder injury has taken a great deal of power away from the big man.  However, he did have a .470 slugging percentage a year ago, and that number exceeded his 2007 campaign when he knocked in 100 runs for the fourth straight year.  The problem was that he only had 383 at bats because of the shoulder. 

 

He should top that number in at bats this season, but the power production hasn’t been there, although the slugging percentage is climbing at .444 for the season.

 

What is odd is that Hafner seems to do well against power pitchers, meaning the bat speed is still there.  He seems to have more problems with soft tossers and recognizing when they are throwing strikes.  This typically happens to older players, who start to "cheat" on fastballs, but are more susceptable to breaking stuff. 

 

Hafner did hit one out against wunderkind Steven Strasburg.  He’s also homered against Felix Hernandez and Javier Vazquez.  He’s 3 for 6 against Justin Verlander of Detroit and 3 for 5 against Zack Greinke from Kansas City.  Early in the season, he turned a 98 mile an hour fastball from the Tigers’ Joel Zumaya into a double off the wall in right at Progressive Field. 

 

Whether or not he can make the adjustment to recognizing a breaking ball for a strike will determine if Hafner can be a guy who can hit 25 homers and knock in 100 runs again.  That and can he stay healthy.

 

The Indians could use a productive Pronk in the middle of the lineup.  He’ll never hit 40 bombs again, but if he could go back to being a 35 doubles and 25 home run hitter, he would be a big piece in the middle of the Tribe batting order.

 

KM

 

 

 

 

It is rare that both teams are happy about a last second game winning field goal, but that is the oddness of the NFL pre-season schedule.  No one wants to play overtime in these meaningless games, so the Packers were probably thrilled that Phil Dawson made a 46-yard field goal to give the Browns a 27-24 win.

 

Imagine the sense of panic from both teams when Dawson tied the game with a little over a minute to go in the contest.

 

As we said over the weekend, the most important thing to look at in these games in individual performances, because a win or loss can depend on a bunch of guys who will not make the final roster. 

 

Still, you have to be a little happy with the quarterback play from Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace in the first couple of series against the Packer defense.  It is refreshing to see guys who can hit open receivers, and for the most part, make completions that did not depend on a tremendous catch by a receiver.

 

The offense looked like a professional one, an attack that could mix both the run and the pass, instead of succeeding despite the quarterback play.  And both Mohammed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie hauled in three catches, with the latter scoring on one. 

 

The tight ends were utilized too.  Ben Watson caught one ball good for 20 yards, and Evan Moore caught two for 24 yards.  And Peyton Hillis was a factor in the passing game as well; making three catches, including one for 26 yards.

 

Jerome Harrison did well, rushing for 25 yards on seven carries, and scoring a touchdown, while James Davis, last year’s early camp sensation, gained 24 yards on six attempts.

 

On defense, T. J. Ward looked very impressive.  Yes, he made mistakes in coverage and he couldn’t stop John Kuhn at the goal line on Green Bay’s second touchdown, but he made eight solo tackles, a few of them being in the open field.  It was nice to see someone in the secondary actually bringing someone down. 

 

Ward and first round draft choice Joe Haden got plenty of action because of the absence of CB Eric Wright, and both did alright in coverage.  Packer QB Aaron Rodgers hit 12 of 13 passes during his time in the game for 139 yards, but he is one of the NFL’s best passers.  What you want to see out of the two rookies is improvement going forward.

 

It was not like last year when the Packers ran all over the Cleveland defense.  Green Bay averaged just 3.7 yards per carry with a long run of 15 yards.

 

Despite not using perhaps the NFL’s best, Josh Cribbs, in the return game, the Browns had success here too, averaging 26.5 yards per kickoff return, with Haden’s 34-yarder being the longest and Syndric Steptoe returned two punts for a 16.5 yard average.  Steptoe did have a critical dropped pass late in the game, though.

 

And Phil Dawson made a 58-yard field goal to tie the game in the fourth quarter, showing he is in mid-season form.

 

So, the offense looked better, some new players contributed, and the Browns won.  Two of those things are important.  All in all, it’s a much better start than the team had last year after the first pre-season game.

 

JD

 

Tonight begins one of sports’ biggest scam for its fans:  The NFL Preseason Games.  Actually, the games started last weeking in Canton with the Hall of Fame Game, but this evening the Cleveland Browns take the field for the first time against someone other than themselves.

 

Paying full prices to see legitimate NFL players play for 15 minutes ranks as one of the biggest injustices in sports. 

 

And tomorrow will start the over-reaction of fans and sports talk show hosts who will overanalyze most of the things that happen in the game.  And if the Browns win, they will be considered a playoff team by some, and if they lose, people will forecast another dismal season by the orange and brown.

 

Don’t buy into anything you see from the team tonight.  THE GAME MEANS NOTHING!!!!

 

What should you watch instead?  Look at the performance of individual players.  Check out how the rookies play.  Safety T.J. Ward has been getting rave reviews in training camp, see if he merits that hype against a good offensive team like the Packers, or if the Browns’ front office is merely justifying a pick that many draft experts thought was a reach.

 

Check out how the secondary as a whole plays.  GM Tom Heckert brought in three draft picks and veteran Sheldon Brown over the off-season to upgrade the unit.  If Green Bay receivers are running free in the first half, that’s not a good sign. 

 

Watch how the offense functions with Jake Delhomme at quarterback.  Is he forcing balls into coverage like he had a tendency to do in his last season with Carolina?  And are young wide receivers like Mohammed Massaquoi and Brian Robiske getting open and catching the ball? 

 

Also, watch for the improvement of other second year guys like Alex Mack, Evan Moore, and Coye Francies.  Mack showed signs he can be a stud, and can the latter two be contributors to the 2010 edition of the Browns.

 

Another thing, don’t pay much attention to the second half.  This isn’t what the advertisers who are paying for time on tonight’s broadcast/telecast want to hear, but much of play after halftime will be done by players who will not be on NFL rosters come opening day.  The one thing Browns’ fans will be anxious to see is the fourth quarter, when Colt McCoy will make his long awaited debut.

 

You also don’t know how the respective coaching staffs will play the game.  Some coaches think it is important to win these games to develop a winning attitude.  Others don’t want future opponents in the regular season to see game plans so they play it very vanilla.  Remember, the Detroit Lions won all their exhibi…pre-season games two years ago, and then went 0-16 when it counted. 

 

Oh, and one more thing.  Hope there are no serious injuries.  For both teams.

Enjoy the game, football is back, and that means a lot to this pigskin crazed city.  Just don’t overreact.  When the Browns take the field for their opener against Tampa Bay, they will be 0-0 for the season.  No matter what happens tonight.

 

JD

 

 

The Cleveland Indians are in a period of learning.  Manny Acta and the front office are trying to find out who can play at the big league level and who can’t. 

 

Here is a clue for the Tribe brass…Justin Masterson is not a starting pitcher. 

 

This is not based on last night’s performance against the woeful Baltimore Orioles, who have been playing better under new manager Buck Showalter.  No, this is based on Masterson’s body of work this season.

 

In the 21 starts the big right-hander has made against teams other than the Boston Red Sox this season, he is 2-11 with an ERA of 6.05.  Hitters are batting .292 against him for the season.  Left-handed hitters are batting .313 against Masterson with an OPS of 863. 

 

That means every left-handed hitter that faces Masterson turns into Shin-Soo Choo. 

 

This is not to say Masterson is a lost cause.  He has a tremendous ground ball to fly ball ratio and he throws in the mid 90’s.  He’s just not a starting pitcher.  He’s more suited to being a set up man or down the road, maybe even a closer.

 

After last night’s game, Acta protected his starter by saying the defense failed him.  Luis Valbuena booted a ball at third base to key a four run fourth for the Birds, and in the fifth, Acta felt 2B Jason Donald should have turned a double play which would have got Masterson out of the inning.

 

However, there is no defense for the hurler giving up several hits after the miscues.  Sometimes, the pitcher has to pick up the guys behind him.  Also, the skipper didn’t mention the incredible play SS Asdrubal Cabrera made on a ball hit off Masterson’s leg in the fourth.  The Indians had no business getting an out on that play. 

 

Acta said he sees in Masterson a pitcher with swing and miss capabilities.  That’s true.  The big righty leads the staff in strikeouts, and he and perhaps Fausto Carmona are the team’s only starters who have what you would call power arms.  However, unlike Carmona, Masterson gives up more hits than innings pitched (158 in 133.1 IP), and if you walk four guys per nine innings, that’s a problem. 

 

Mitch Talbot will likely return to the rotation this weekend against Seattle, and probably will replace David Huff in the rotation.  Perhaps he should take Masterson’s spot so Acta can give Huff a few more looks.  Or send Huff back to Columbus and put Masterson in the bullpen so Carlos Carrasco can get some starts at the big league level.

 

It’s not as though Masterson has earned his continued presence in the rotation.  In fact, since coming over to Cleveland at the trade deadline last year, he is 5-18 with an ERA over five.

 

This is not meant to bury the pitcher acquired from Boston for Victor Martinez.  However, it is time to give him a new role on the team.  He’s made a year’s worth of starts (33) since coming to the Tribe, and you can count the times he’s pitched real well on both hands. 

 

He simply doesn’t have the consistency to be a quality starter right now.  And his success in Boston came mostly out of the bullpen. 

 

Justin Masterson has the power arm this organization needs, but right now that arm would best serve the team in a relief role.

 

MW

 

It has now been one month since “The Decision”, and Cavs’ owner Dan Gilbert has been quiet since his initial salvo regarding his former star player and the future of the franchise. 

 

New Cavs’ GM Chris Grant has made a trade for G Ramon Sessions and C Ryan Hollins, giving up Delonte West’s buyout clause in return, and he has also signed free agent F Joey Graham as a free agent.  Graham is a defensive minded frontcourt player, while Sessions should help in new coach Byron Scott’s up-tempo offense. 

 

You have to wonder what season ticket holders are thinking about now since they had to pay their money way back in February. 

 

Although Scott hasn’t issued any comments on his roster, it seems the only starter etched in stone is J.J. Hickson, who made big strides in his second year, and reportedly has been working on getting some range on his jump shot in the off-season. 

 

Mo Williams will likely start at one of the guard spots, but it is not clear if he will be the starting point guard, or come off the bench like Dallas’ Jason Terry, while Sessions runs the team. 

 

And who starts at the off guard spot?  Will it be Anthony Parker or perhaps second year man Danny Green? 

 

Will Scott bring both veteran big men Antawn Jamison and Anderson Varajao off the bench, or will one start with Hickson? 

 

And, of course, who replaces LeBron James in the starting lineup at small forward? 

 

That’s a lot of questions for a team that is supposed to win an NBA title before the Miami Heat.

 

This is not to criticize Gilbert for sending the letter, because it was how the majority of Cavalier fans felt at the time.  Add in the fact that the owner spent a considerable amount of time and money in an attempt to make and keep James and his friends happy, and you can understand the vitriol that came from Gilbert.

 

Really, he was in a no-win situation.  He is being criticized by many in the national media for not standing up to James and telling him his behavior and that of his “entourage” was unacceptable. 

 

However, had he done that and James still would have left, those same people would have hammered Gilbert for not doing enough to keep the star player with the franchise.  He was open for criticism no matter how he handled James.

 

It seems like this was all in place no matter what happened this season, or no matter what the Cavalier franchise did for James and his people.  The three players in question got together and set this up years in advance, which is a huge problem for the league, right David Stern? 

 

It’s a problem for Stern because however powerful of a commissioner he may be, he’s no longer in charge.  The players are now running the NBA, setting up their own teams; competitive balance is out the window.

 

Now it’s up to Grant and Scott to start the process of remaking this team.  Don’t forget, the wine and gold have a huge trade exemption they received in the transaction made to get #23 more cash to spit on the franchise.  They have to use a least a part of it this year, or else they lose it. 

 

With less than two months remaining until the start of training camp, it is interesting to see what course the Cleveland Cavaliers will take this season.

 

JK

 

Since the Indians traded Jake Westbrook last weekend, several sports talk hosts have complained about the Tribe dealing their opening day starter for the third year in a row.  Although the front office should be open for criticism based on the team’s record the last three seasons, this one is unfair.

 

First, Westbrook started the first game in the absence of any better option.  Remember, he missed most of the last two seasons with elbow surgery.  And as the season went on, it’s become evident that Fausto Carmona is the current staff ace. 

 

The critics point out that if the Indians could have kept both C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee, and Westbrook, they would be contenders this season, and for years to come.  That’s pretty unrealistic thinking.

 

Westbrook inked a deal paying him over $10 million per year in 2007.  While the merits of that decision has been talked about here (we felt he was overpaid at the time-look it up in the archives), it is doubtful the Tribe could have kept all three hurlers because of the market.

 

This is not to cry small market as the Dolan family likes to do, however, there is a limit to the payroll any owner can sustain in this market, and I would guess it would be tough for the Tribe to carry $120 million in salaries.  That’s probably what would have to happen to keep the two Cy Young Award winners and still have a competitive teams.

 

The Indians could have done things differently back in the day, but once again, the lack of ability to evaluate talent got in the way.  Following the 2006 season, the Indians knew they had three players eligible for free agency following the ’08 season:  Sabathia, Westbrook, and Travis Hafner.  It should have been easy to say the best player and #1 target of those three was Sabathia. 

 

Westbrook is a solid starter and Hafner, although he had a monster year in 2006, is a DH, which eliminates interest from 16 major league teams. 

 

That means the Tribe should have targeted the big lefthander for a long term deal.  Remember, this is before he started his tremendous 2007 campaign.  In fact, he was 12-11 with a 3.22 ERA in 28 starts in ’06.  Certainly, he would have commanded a big deal, but no where near the $20 million per year he is getting now. 

 

Once, Sabathia won 19 games and the Cy Young in 2007, he was out of the team’s price range.

 

For all of the credit the Minnesota Twins get for running their franchise in a smaller market, they have bit the bullet on some players and let them go.  They dealt Johan Santana because they didn’t feel his price range was in their ballpark, and they let Torii Hunter walk away as well. 

 

However, they kept the two best players in Justin Morneau and hometown boy Joe Mauer. 

 

Would the Tribe future look different if Sabathia was still here for a couple more years and Lee and Victor Martinez were still here, while Westbrook and Hafner were gone?  Of course, it would.  However, that’s what happens when you make the correct personnel decisions. 

 

Instead, the ownership wanted show they could spend money so they signed the two guys they could sign, not the one they should have signed.

 

Still, in this market, there is a limit to what the franchise can spend.  To be able to win, they need the skill and talent judgment to keep the players that are stars, and not to overpay the ones who aren’t.

 

KM

 

 

 

 

 

Every once in a while there are a bunch of things on my mind, and they’ll be addressed in today’s blog.  Once again, it’s a Cleveland Sports Perspective potpourri.

 

·          David Huff lost his tenth game Tuesday night in Boston, joining Justin Masterson in that category this season.  In games when those two pitchers get the decision, the Indians are 5-20.  In all other games, the Tribe is 40-42, a pretty respectable record. 

 

Obviously, it’s not only the starter’s fault when a team loses, but the Indians have a 50-50 shot of winning when someone else is involved in the decision.

 

·          Speaking of Masterson, isn’t it time the Tribe tries him as a set up man out of the bullpen?  He throws hard and is very tough on right-handed hitters.  Besides, it would open up another spot in the starting rotation.

 

·          Why do people get so fired up about a player’s performance in practice?  Already, there is some hand wringing over how Browns’ QB Jake Delhomme in training camp.  Who cares?  The guy has shown he’s a competent NFL signal caller. 

 

Derek Anderson was an all-training camp performer.  Look how well that worked out.

 

·          Why did WKNR ruin their afternoon drive time show?  Michael Reghi is a pro and knows his stuff, regardless of the sport.  Now he’s teamed up with a wanna be impressionist who only wants to talk about Ohio State football and basketball. 

 

·          Stop all the talk of demonstrations when the Miami Heat makes their first appearance in Cleveland this season on December 2^nd.  There is no way fans can agree about any action, so it’s a complete waste of time.  Miami is going to bring their “A” game that night in order to make sure they win in LeBron James’ return. 

 

·          Who is going to play center for the Cavaliers this season?  They could start Anderson Varajao, but he would have a problem guarding the Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynums of the league.  Plus, it is thought that Byron Scott would like to bring him off the bench.

 

·          The Indians’ Shin-Soo Choo is one of baseball’s most underrated players.  He’s a lifetime .295 hitter with a career 874 OPS.  He has cut down on his strikeouts from a year ago, and has one of the game’s best throwing arms in RF. 

 

He also has a higher slugging percentage this season than Alex Rodriguez.  Also, add in his good base running instincts and you have one of baseball’s best players.  Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Carlos Santana should be the cornerstones of the Indians for the next few years.

 

·          Could it be that the Browns downgrading of first round pick Joe Haden was a negotiating ploy?  All of the negativity about his speed before he even took the field could have been a way of getting him signed and into camp. 

 

·          Keep reading that the Cavs have some interest in Shannon Brown, and if he returns, it would rectify a mistake made by former coach Mike Brown, who didn’t seem interested in developing him as a rookie.  There could have been work ethic reasons involved, but Brown certainly has the athleticism that would work in Scott’s running game. 

 

·          Who would win in a strikeout contest:  Russell Branyan or Chris Gimenez?

 

·          Has anyone heard from Dan Gilbert lately? 

 

MW

 

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It turns out that the Cleveland Indians unloaded all of their veteran players at the trading deadline, outside of Travis Hafner, whose contract, bad shoulder, and lack of a defensive spot make his large contract untradable. 

 

The team is taking heat for some people in the local media, but in this case, that criticism is unfounded.  The Tribe front office did the correct thing, because they need to look at young players. 

 

Outside of Jake Westbrook, who is still an average starting pitcher, what did the Indians give up in the past week?  No one wanted Jhonny Peralta and his .250 batting average and seemingly indifferent attitude in Cleveland any more.

 

Austin Kearns did a good job while he was here, but after an excellent April, he has put together very pedestrian numbers over the last three months.  Kerry Wood was injured a lot of the time he was here, and couldn’t find the plate consistently when he was available. 

 

Westbrook was overpaid when he signed his latest deal before blowing out his elbow in early 2008, and although he took his turn every time this season, you know exactly what he is, a #3 or #4 starter on a contender, which is what he will be in St. Louis. 

 

Please, don’t equate his departure with those of C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee.  Westbrook is a class act, but as a pitcher, he’s not anywhere near those two guys. 

 

Still, there are more moves to be made by the front office to get ready for 2011.

 

They have to find a third baseman to bridge the gap until Lonnie Chisenhall is ready.  That’s why Jared Goedert should be called up right away, because if he can do the job, that’s another spot for next year that is filled.  The early returns on Jayson Nix playing there do not look good, as Nix is another all of nothing hitter, and has struggled defensively at the hot corner.

 

Another guy on the current roster we’ve seen enough of is Chris Gimenez, although he has done a good job with Josh Tomlin in his two starts.  Gimenez simply can’t hit at the big league level, having fanned 10 times in 17 at bats this year, after batting just .144 in over 100 at bats last season.

 

Yes, he’s versatile, and we know the team doesn’t want to call up Lou Marson to sit behind Carlos Santana, but why not bring back Wyatt Toregas to take another look at him. 

 

On the pitching side, the Indians need to get another look at both David Huff and Carlos Carrasco.  Huff won 10 games a year ago, but struggled early this year.  Carrasco got hammered in a September call up a year ago, but has pitched over 300 innings at the AAA level.  He needs to show what he can do in the majors, but he has been sidelined recently with some soreness in his right forearm.

 

They need to know what people should be in their plans heading into 2011, because the young talent is coming soon.  Notice that Columbus is 20 games over .500 in the International League, and there are really no minor league veterans contributing on a nightly basis.

 

There may be some players around 25, who would be with the big club in other organizations, but there is no former big leaguers looking for another shot. 

 

While we can argue about bringing those guys up sooner, you should be optimistic about the Tribe being competitive in their division, a weak one, as early as next season.  They didn’t give up anything of consequence at the trading deadline, but another year of making these types of moves will not be tolerated.

 

KM

 

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Although we have been critical of the Indians’ management since last year’s trading deadline, we still have to tip our cap, at least for now, to GM Mark Shapiro.  After saying there wasn’t much of a market for veterans Jhonny Peralta and Austin Kearns, Shapiro found takers for both of them, with a little help to the Tigers’ injury woes.

 

Peralta was sent off for young left-hander Gionvanni Soto, who is 19, and has a 6-6 record with an ERA under 3.00 at the low Class A level, while Kearns was sent to the Yankees for another prospect, one that Shapiro said could play in the majors.

 

Really though, the reason for the deals was to give some young players an opportunity.  Jayson Nix will get the first shot at third base in place of Peralta, and although we question not giving the shot to Jared Goedert, who has 24 HR and 69 RBI in 92 minor league games this season, at least the process is in place to look at others who can play the hot corner.

 

Eventually, Michael Brantley will be brought back to replace Kearns on the roster, playing CF while Trevor Crowe and others play LF.  Hopefully, this time Brantley will not bring the loop in his swing, which causes him to hit everything in the air, a deadly thing for someone which his speed.  He needs to hit the ball on a line or on the ground consistently. 

 

And reportedly, the Indians are involved in conversations with St. Louis for Jake Westbrook.  That deal would open up a starting spot for Carlos Carrasco or possibly Jeanmar Gomez, if Carrasco’s forearm injury lingers. 

 

That’s what this team needs to do, and their model should be the San Diego Padres.  The Padres have been the National League’s best team since the All Star break in 2009, and have done it largely with youth.

 

The Cleveland front office needs to make a commitment to going with young players.  Already, they are starting to put together some building blocks, such as Shin-Soo Choo in RF, Asdrubal Cabrera at SS, Carlos Santana behind the plate, Matt La Porta at 1B, and Jason Donald at 2B.  Is it a coincidence that the team started playing better after these guys started playing every day?

 

In the off season, new GM Chris Antonetti needs to resist the temptation to bring in marginal veterans to compete with the young guys.  They need to bring in a veteran for leadership, but it has to be one that can play everyday.  Signing the Jamey Wrights and Mark Grudzielaneks of the world doesn’t give the team anything, it just retards the development of the young guys. 

 

Some of the surprise contributions on this year’s team are players like Frank Herrmann, Santana, and Donald, all of whom weren’t given a realistic chance to make the ballclub in Arizona.  The Indians can give you any amount of baloney about Santana not being ready defensively and handling pitchers, but it is clear he should have been the starter on Opening Day in Chicago. 

 

The Indians wonder why they continue to get off to slow starts every year, but we have said this before, it’s because they don’t pick the right players to make the big league team, favoring experience over youth, even though the experience is usually poor results. 

 

Let’s find out as much about these guys as we can while this season is lost  That should be the plan for the rest of 2010.

 

MW