Young Browns Need More Time on Field

Traditionally, the third preseason game in the NFL is the dress rehearsal, the game which most simulates a regular season contest. However, because the Cleveland Browns opponent last night is the same one they will open the season with in two weeks, it was a little different atmosphere.

At least, that’s what they are telling themselves on Saturday. The Browns were manhandled by the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 on the lakefront.

Rookie QB Brandon Weeden looked good early, hitting on his first four throws, but with the Browns in the red zone, the Eagles turned up the heat defensively and the starting unit couldn’t handle it.

Weeden fumbled the ball away there, and later did it again deep in Cleveland territory, making it the third time he’s done that in three games. This isn’t to say he will do this throughout the regular season, but the coaching staff needs to work with him on ball protection.

A more troubling matter is the lack of ground game when Montario Hardesty is in the game. The third year man from Tennessee carried eight times for 12 yards and fumbled again, his second game in a row where he put the ball on the ground.

He seems to wait and dance before hitting holes which gives the defense time to react and close them up. It was a contrast to Brandon Jackson, who hits the hole quickly.

Hardesty may need a good performance against the Bears to make the final roster. In the meantime, hurry back Trent Richardson.

And the lack of a quality ground game doesn’t help a rookie quarterback.

On the plus side, rookie WR Josh Gordon looked good, catching three passes for 50 yards including a beautiful grab to beat Nnamdi Asomugha.

Defensively, CB Joe Haden played well after being tossed out of practice earlier in the week for too much aggressiveness, getting an interception and making a nice play on a wide receiver screen.

However, Sheldon Brown had a tough time with a fast receiver, which is becoming a norm as he gets older. He may be better suited to being a nickel back in favor of Buster Skrine and/or Trevin Wade, but with a suspension looming for Haden and an injury to Dmitri Patterson, coach Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Dick Jauron may not have that luxury.

The tackling was also poor for the Cleveland defense, which a great deal of Eagles yardage coming after contact. This too, must be corrected before the September 9th game against Philadelphia.

Still, keep in mind that this is what happens with a young football team, and the Browns are certainly that, with perhaps as many as six rookie starters come opening day.

There will be ups and downs, the young players will look great at times, and on other plays look like they are right out of high school. The hope for Shurmur and Tom Heckert, is that they will grow up quickly, and the learning curve won’t last very long.

Even with all the mistakes, the young Browns show enough flashes to give the front office and fan base hope.

That’s why, even though many NFL teams won’t put starters on the field in the last preseason game next week, Shurmur should give his young guys a little time on the field, perhaps a quarter. It will help them get more acclimated to the speed of NFL football, and could pay dividends in the season opener.

That’s when the rookies real first test will take place.

What Are Browns Fans Worrying About Now?

For the most part, the Cleveland Browns have had a pretty successful training camp. They’ve won both of their preseason games, and it seems a lot of their young players look to be players.

That doesn’t mean Browns’ fans have nothing to worry about. In fact, if the team ever won the Super Bowl, many supporters would be concerned about repeating the following year.

That’s just the way it is.

Anyway, here are some comments on what is weighing on the minds of fans of the orange helmet.

Colt McCoy. While it is clear that Brandon Weeden will be the starter when the Eagles visit on September 9th, who will be the back up quarterback?

Most think the Browns will deal McCoy for a low round draft pick, but should they?

The only reason for doing so would be so that if Weeden struggles, the crowds at Cleveland Browns’ Stadium can’t start chanting his name.

And that seems silly, but it’s tough on a rookie to have a divided fan base.

McCoy is probably better than veteran Seneca Wallace, and probably gives the team a better chance to win if something happens to Weeden.

Plus, McCoy seems to be more engaged in the games than Wallace, who hasn’t been seen wearing a headset during exhibition play.

GM Tom Heckert and president Mike Holmgren will likely deal McCoy after the last preseason game next week, but it’s for the wrong reasons.

It’s an emotional decision rather than a football one.

Playing the Eagles twice in three weeks. The answer here is that the Browns need to do what is good for the Browns, and they can’t worry about injuries and showing the opponents too much.

This is not to say Pat Shurmur should use the same game plan he is going to use on September 9th this Friday against the Eagles, but it shouldn’t affect anyone’s playing time.

The rookies and young veterans on this squad need playing time and need to be prepared to play four quarters when the opening bell rings.

Use a basic offense and defense and keep the starters in for three quarters. That’s what is beneficial for the Browns.

New Owner Jimmy Haslam. After Randy Lerner’s ownership, a guy like Larry Dolan might look like Redskins’ meddling owner Dan Snyder, which Browns fans are fearing Haslam may turn into.

Why? Because he’s gone to a few practices? He’s had the audacity to be seen at games?

Those are things most owners in the NFL do.

Now, if Haslam starts standing on the sidelines during games, like the Cowboys’ Jerry Jones, then it’s time to be a little concerned.

If he starts sitting in the war room on draft day and tells Heckert who to pick, then Browns’ fans should be worried.

If he goes over the GM’s head and starts spending huge amounts of cash on marginal free agents, then he’s turning into Snyder.

So far, he hasn’t done any of that, he’s just watching the team he paid one billion dollars for practice. And in that regard, he’s the same as the thousands who attend training camp in Berea everyday.

If Haslam learned anything from his partnership with the Steelers, it should be to let his football people do their job.

If he wants to truly be a part of the city and become one with the fans, he’ll start to worry about insignificant things.

Who is to Blame With Tribe?

The one thing the Cleveland Indians have done during this collapse which has extended to 18 losses in 22 games in put their entire organization under the public microscope.

Unfortunately, most of the blame is placed at the feet of the ownership. From the standpoint of they are the ones writing the checks and putting the people in charge, then they should shoulder that burden.

But this horrible situation is like an onion, there are many layers to peel away and doing it makes your eyes water.

Certainly, the Dolan family has put Mark Shapiro in charge of the organization. Under his watch, the Indians have put together nine of eleven losing seasons.

There are people who think Shapiro should stay because he’s not involved in the day-to-day running of the baseball operations. However, he would hire the new GM if he chooses to fire Chris Antonetti, and more than likely, he will hire someone with similar ideas.

So, there wouldn’t be a new direction there.

Others feel Manny Acta should be the fall guy. But if Antonetti and Shapiro stay, do you really think the new manager will be different from Acta or his predecessor Eric Wedge? Doubtful.

Fans blame the organization for not wanting to go a third year for Twins’ slugger Josh Willingham last winter, but whose decision was that?

Did the ownership tell Antonetti not to include a third year or did the baseball people decide it wasn’t worth the risk?

Did the ownership push the baseball people to sign Grady Sizemore or Casey Kotchman? Doubtful.

Did the ownership say not to call players up from Columbus? Also doubtful.

Did the GM make the decision to deal three top ten prospects for a pitcher with make up problems in Ubaldo Jimenez, and then deal a pitcher who could have helped the bullpen in Zach Putnam for Kevin Slowey?

On the other hand, did Acta push for Kotchman in order to improve the infield defense?

Does the skipper have a problem with young players Matt LaPorta and Lonnie Chisenhall and that’s why they both started the season in Columbus?

Does anyone know if Acta went to the front office and asked for reinforcements at the beginning of June, or did he assure Antonetti and Shapiro that the Indians could contend with its current roster.

We just don’t know. Nobody does, and it is doubtful anyone will find out the answers to these questions any time soon.

That’s why the Dolan family have to do something we know they are loath to do, and that is clean out the entire organization.

Since they’ve owned the team, they have put a great deal of trust in Mark Shapiro, but seriously name one area of the franchise that is in top-notch shape right now.

The farm system is ranked very low by experts. The top two levels (Columbus and Akron) don’t have many impact players.

We’ve talked about the performance of the big league team over the same time frame. It also doesn’t pass muster.

And fan morale and belief in the front office is at an all-time low. That means it is getting more and more difficult to sell new season ticket packages.

What makes it more difficult is that the Dolan’s seem to be good people. It would be very hard to get rid of someone who they have worked very closely with since they bought the team.

It’s time for a new fresh set of ideas. That can only come with new leadership.

To borrow a phrase from a different sport, Mr. Dolan, the ball is clearly in your court.

Manny Acta’s Imaginary Job Interview

When Manny Acta was hired as the skipper of the Cleveland Indians, both GM Chris Antonetti and team president Mark Shapiro were very impressed with the way he knew a lot about the organization. He did his homework.

Here is how we imagine the interview wrapped up:

Shapiro: Congratulations, Manny. You are the next manager of the Cleveland Indians.

Antonetti: We do have some things we want to discuss as to how we run things here before we make the announcement.

Acta: What do you mean?

Antonetti: Well, things like we have total control over the roster. You can make out the lineup, but we get total control over who is on the 25 man squad.

Acta: You mean to open the season? No problem. I get to make suggestions right?

Shapiro (laughing): Oh yeah, we’ll listen to you, but no, we get to have total control of the roster for the entire season.

Antonetti: And we have to talk about how we speak to the public. You have to use words like “process” and phrases like “in our situation”.

Shapiro (laughing again): You can’t use “grinding” anymore. Wedgie used it so much that people are sick of it. They make fun of him now.

Acta: OK?

Antonetti: We like to use platoons too. We think instead of getting one good player, you can use two limited ones and get the same production. Can you like with that?

Acta (thinking about not getting the job): Sure, no problem.

Shapiro: That’s good. You know, we had Showalter and Farrell in the organization and they kept telling us different things we did wrong. We told them we had to be in charge for the process to work.

Antonetti: Good one, Mark! You used “process”.

Acta: Well, what if a guy who makes the opening day roster starts out struggling, how long do we stay with him?

Antonetti: We are very patient. I’d say we have to wait until around the All-Star game before we can be sure the guy can’t hit. We don’t want to give away someone who can play.

Shapiro: Like Phillips. I told Wedge that was going to bite us in the rear end. We won’t make that mistake again. By the way, Manny, you said “what if”. I like that. I think we can do something with that phrase.

Acta: Ok, I think. Does the ownership plan to invest if we are contending?

Antonetti: We tell the public that, but we’re in this to make money. If we win great, but the owners want to recoup the cash they put up when they bought it. Old man Jacobs really snookered them.

Shapiro (sternly): Chris! We’re not supposed to talk about that. We’ll spend a little, but when a player starts creeping up on free agency, we have to think about moving them. Remember, I’m good at that, I stole three good players for Colon. Damn, we should’ve kept Phillips!

Acta: I think I’m fine with that. I’m not a real fiery guy, is that ok with you?

Antonetti: No problem. Hey Mark, remember when Manuel got thrown out of a couple of games early in his first year? We had to talk to him about calming down. It doesn’t present the right corporate image.

Acta: Corporate? This is baseball, I’m a little confused.

Shapiro: This is the new age, Manny. Heck, if we could make Polo shirts part of our uniform, we would. You’ll see in a few years, every team will operate like we do. We’re on the cutting edge.

Acta: I hope so. I’m your man, let’s do this.

Young Browns Show Improvement

Let’s not get carried away.

We say the same thing whether the Cleveland Browns win or loss one of these pre-season games. They don’t count in the standings so no one should overreact.

Each team approaches these contests differently. Look at Packers’ coach Mike McCarthy. He obviously used the game to find out if he needed a back up to Aaron Rodgers. And he does.

So, the score doesn’t matter.

Still if you are a fan of the Browns today, you have to shelve some of the venom being spewed toward the youngsters after the first exhibition game against the Lions.

They are rookies. They will get better with experience, but they will have ups and downs on the way.

Not to discount the defense, but it is difficult to judge their performance last night because Rodgers played only three series. He had a short field on his first drive because of Montario Hardesty’s fumble and quickly converted into a touchdown.

The defense did force a turnover on Green Bay’s second possession and held them on downs the next time the Packers got the ball.

Rookie CB Trevin Wade continued to impress, playing the slot receiver with the starting unit. He defended the pass on the last Rodgers’ throw and was right on his man.

But the fears surrounding QB Brandon Weeden should be allayed at least for one week (remember, we are in Cleveland folks). He completed 12 of 20 passes for 118 yards.

The only concern is the offense still seems to be the conservative one run by Pat Shurmur last season, filled with short throws under coverage. Weeden has a big arm, so why not allow him to show it off.

However, it is the preseason. Perhaps the offense isn’t installed it is entirety as of yet, or maybe the coaching staff doesn’t want future opponents to see that aspect of the offense yet.

Rookie T Mitchell Schwartz was not the turnstile he was criticized for being in his debut. He did a much better job in his second game, which objective fans figured he would.

So, the talk of this year’s draft being horrible will have to be delayed at least until the Browns play the Eagles next weekend on the north coast.

Among the veterans, Hardesty had 12 carries for 45 yards, but fumbled once, and Brandon Jackson toted the ball 14 times for 35 yards. However, the longest run by a Cleveland back was a whopping nine yards.

The offense needs the big play capability of Trent Richardson, who is still rehabbing his knee.

It’s tough to score points consistently in the NFL relying on 12 play, 80 yard drives. There has to be some big play capability. They need to mix in an occasional 40 yard gain.

Again, it may just be Shurmur and new offensive coordinator Brad Childress keeping it vanilla during the preseason, but the Browns will need to have the ability to strike quick when the regular season starts.

In the meantime, the local panic can be abated just a bit. GM Tom Heckert didn’t draft the worst players imaginable in last April’s draft.

Remember, the Cleveland Browns are playing and relying on a lot of very inexperienced players. They will have highs and lows. They should get better each and every game they play in.

You have to admit there was much improvement from the first game in Detroit last week.

Browns’ Fans Need to Chill

The Cleveland Browns have many knowledgeable fans, they just don’t seem to be very vocal.

How else can you explain the reaction to last Friday nights ~~exhibition~~, er, pre-season game, a game in which Cleveland ended up winning!

What was viewed as a very good draft by GM Tom Heckert is now relegated to horrible, based on one quarter of the Browns first game that doesn’t count.

How ridiculous is that.

Let’s look at the first few picks made by Heckert last April:

Trent Richardson, the third overall pick, had a “hangnail piece of cartilage” removed from his knee last week, so he is referred to as a bust who will never, ever be healthy. We aren’t doctors, but it sounds like a very minor procedure and it shouldn’t keep Richardson out of the season opener against Philadelphia.

The team’s second first round pick, QB Brandon Weeden didn’t complete every pass he threw, and didn’t lead the Browns to touchdowns in the three possessions he played, so now fans are looking forward to getting the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft so they can pick USC signal caller Matt Barkley.

It didn’t help Weeden that Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck looked impressive in his first start against the St. Louis Rams, who had the second worst record in the NFL last season. The Lions, by the way, made the playoffs.

Second round pick T Mitchell Schwartz was shaky against a pretty good Lions’ pass rush, led by All Pro Ndamukong Suh. So, he’s another rookie labeled as a bust, despite playing a half in his team’s first pre-season contest.

Supplemental pick WR Josh Gordon didn’t catch four passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns, so he stinks. Of course, no one allows that he hasn’t played a meaningful game of football on any level for over a year.

Detroit ran the ball very well last Friday, so third pick DT John Hughes certainly will never become even a decent NFL player.

The complaints go on and on.

The truth is these guys are rookies. This was their first game played at that speed, the professional speed. It would be very odd if they played great right out of the gate and stayed at that level for the rest of their careers.

It just doesn’t work that way.

Luck was regarded as the most NFL ready passer to enter the league since Peyton Manning, who’s been in the NFL for more than ten years. That’s how infrequently players like that come along. So, it’s not fair to Weeden to expect he plays at a high level right from the get go.

It will be interesting to see how all of the rookies play Thursday night at Green Bay. Will they take the lessons learned in the first game and make corrections.

Even if they don’t, it’s still crazy to proclaim them busts until they’ve played at least an entire NFL season.

As for Richardson, from many reports, he could have played with the soreness his cartilage fragment generated, but he and the team figured it was better to get it taken care of now.

If after four games, all of the rookies are struggling, then fans can be concerned. And concerned only. No panic, no proclamations of a horrible draft.

The more comments heard after the Detroit game, the more you have to think about former GM Phil Savage’s comments about Browns’ fans. They have a “woe is me” mentality.

Tribe Needs to Keep Moving Forward

In the past few weeks, really since they were in the middle of their 11 game losing streak, the Cleveland Indians are playing for next season.

They’ve released four veteran players and replaced them with younger guys, trying to get a head start on talent evaluation for 2013. We’ve seen Corey Kluber have one good start and two clinkers, Chris Seddon (who’s actually kind of veteran, he’s 28) has had one good start and one so-so outing, and Ezequiel Carrera has shown Tribe fans that leftfielders can get hits every once in a while.

However, they shouldn’t stop there. When Travis Hafner went out with a back injury, manager Manny Acta said Shelley Duncan would get the bulk of the at bats at the DH spot. Why, exactly would the team want to do that?

Look, Duncan’s a hard worker, and Acta has a soft spot for him. But he’s 32 years old, and is 3 for 22 in the month of August. Wouldn’t it be better for the future if the organization gave those at bats to someone else?

For that matter, why should Casey Kotchman and Jack Hannahan continue to garner playing time. These two players, and Duncan, aren’t likely to be on the roster next season. And if they are, then the front office should have a lot of explaining to do.

The Indians keep looking for the player who batted .300 a year ago, but it’s quite obvious that guy isn’t showing up. His batting average continues to hover in the .220’s, and he shows no signs of having a hot streak.

Hannahan hit .250 a year ago, but he’s a lifetime .231 hitter, and his average this season is….231! And since May 1st, he’s batting just .205. Yes, he’s excellent with the glove, but he can’t hit big league pitching consistently.

It’s time to take a good look, not a September 1st call up, at players like Matt LaPorta, Russ Canzler, and Tim Fedroff.

We are stressing not waiting until the rosters can be expanded because of the baseball axiom to ignore what you see in April and September. Tribe management can get a good look at these players for almost 50 games.

On LaPorta, to be sure some of you are saying “not again”. But the Indians front office have to find out once and for all if he can be a productive big league hitter. He can garner almost 200 at bats the rest of the season.

If he hits, great. If he doesn’t, then the ballclub can release him with a clear conscience. However, they simply have to find out.

Canzler has been on fans’ wish lists since spring training when he hit the ball with authority. Dismissed by some as a “AAAA” hitter, he’s had just three major league at bats. Let’s find out if he can be a contributor in ’13.

Fedroff is 25 and has never reached the majors despite being a .297 lifetime hitter in the minor leagues. His problem is that he’s not a power guy with only 21 HR’s in five minor league seasons.

Along the same thought, it’s also time for Jeanmar Gomez to come back up and take a regular turn in the rotation. He’s 6-2 with a 2.59 ERA at Columbus, and had a better ERA in Cleveland than Josh Tomlin, Derek Lowe, and even Ubaldo Jimenez. For a team needing starting pitching next season, he should be getting an opportunity.

It’s probably something than Acta and GM Chris Antonetti don’t want to admit, but this season has set sail and it’s time to move forward to 2013. Giving these players a chance now would be helpful in that regard.

Browns Are Young, They Will Make Mistakes.

The Browns first pre-season game was a success, at least from the standpoint that they won, defeating the Detroit Lions 19-17.

However, it’s tough to judge what occurred during the game because of the people Pat Shurmur had sitting out due to injuries and/or rest.

For example, the run defense was not good. This is something that has plagued the franchise since returning to the NFL in 1999. But without Ahtyba Rubin and D’Qwell Jackson playing, you really can’t point to this as being a weakness right now.

Neither player is expected to miss any regular season time, so both will be back in there next week.

Of course, everyone wanted to watch the rookies on the offensive side of the ball, particularly QB Brandon Weeden.

The first year passer from Oklahoma State played like, well, a rookie. He hit on 3 of 9 passes for 62 yards, making some good throws (the sideline shot to fellow rook Travis Benjamin on the first series), and some poor ones. He was picked off once, and should have had another, although Bernie Kosar blamed that one on Josh Gordon, yet another rookie, not running a crisp enough route.

He also was charged with a fumble, but that was the result of poor pass protection. That’s not to exonerate the rookie, but he’ll learn when to it’s better to take a sack than risk a turnover.

Look, even though he’ll be 29 years old during the season, he’s an inexperienced NFL quarterback. He will get better the more time he spends on the football field. This was one game. If improvement isn’t made next week, and the week after next, then people can question the Browns’ decision. It’s silly to do so now.

It was encouraging though to see some downfield throws, something not seen often last year. In fact, it was telling on Colt McCoy’s first possession at the helm that he threw a completed six yard pass on 3rd and nine.

McCoy played well statistically, hitting 6 of 8 for 88 yards, the bulk of those a 42-yard strike to TE Jordan Cameron that he had to wait on. Still, Cleveland only mustered a field goal in his quarter of play, against the Lions second team defense.

As for the rookies, 2nd round pick Mitchell Schwartz struggled with the speed of the NFL game, but again, it was his first game and he will likely get better.

Benjamin looked good at WR, catching two passes for 46 yards, and flashed the great speed the Browns talked about when they drafted him. Josh Gordon looked raw, like he hasn’t played in a while, which he hasn’t.

The other rookie that stood out was CB Trevin Wade, drafted in the 7th round this spring. Granted, he wasn’t out there covering Calvin Johnson, but he’s a guy that merits watching throughout the rest of the pre-season.

There could also be a problem going forward with WR Mohamed Massaquoi, who may have suffered another concussion on the first play of the game, a 12-yard reception.

It the diagnosis is correct, it would be his third injury of this type in three seasons, and could put his career in jeopardy. The front office spoke highly of his potential all off-season long, so it was be a tough blow to lose the veteran.

Reserve DT Scott Paxson also went out with a knee injury, as did CB Dimitri Patterson. The Browns are already thin at both positions, so these could be key injuries.

It’s still pre-season, so it’s just step one in the evaluation process. Remember, the Cleveland Browns are a very young football team. They will make mistakes, but if they eliminate them going forward, that’s how they should be judged.

Tribe Has Much to Do Before ’13

A few weeks ago, we advocated that the Cleveland Indians be buyers to try to stay in the race for the AL Central Division title.

They were around 3 games out at that point.

We aren’t backing off that statement because if you are that close, you owe it to your ballclub and your fans to try to win and get into the playoffs.

That seems kind of ridiculous considering what has happened since the All Star break.

The purge has started with veterans Derek Lowe, Johnny Damon, Jeremy Accardo, and Jose Lopez all being jettisoned recently, and more moves are likely to follow.

So, if the front office is looking ahead, then we need to as well. And the future is very pretty, at least for 2013.

The lineup has just six players who figure to be in the Opening Day line up for certain: CF Michael Brantley, SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B Jason Kipnis, RF Shin-Soo Choo, C Carlos Santana, and 3B Lonnie Chisenhall.

That leaves gaping holes at 1B, LF, and DH. Oh, and also, the Indians need a quality right-handed hitter to fill in at least one of those spots.

The starting rotation is a mess right now. Justin Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez are the only for sures that have any kind of track record, and both are those hurlers have been inconsistent to say the least.

Josh Tomlin? He has marginal stuff and needs pinpoint control to win. He can’t be counted on.

Zack McAllister? No track record. He’s made less than 20 major league starts.

Roberto Hernandez? Another up and down pitcher, and he hasn’t pitched in the big leagues this year.

That’s not to mention other guys who haven’t proven anything in the majors like Jeanmar Gomez, Corey Kluber, and dare we say, David Huff.

That’s no way to go into next season expecting to win, having a starting rotation full of question marks.

So, from this view, the 2013 Cleveland Indians need at least one solid bat (same as last year), two other regular players, and two solid starting pitchers.

With a farm system without a lot of talent in the upper levels, how does the organization accomplish this?

Well, one way would be to fill a hole by signing a free agent. The Indians have a lot of money coming off the books this fall (Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore’s deals expire, among others), so there may be room to sign one. A reliable starter would be a good choice.

Another avenue to explore is to deal from strength, and the Indians have a pretty good bullpen. Perhaps dealing Chris Perez, who despite recent struggles has proven to be an elite closer, to fill some holes is a move that needs to be made.

Keep in mind what former Indians’ GM John Hart used to say, “closers grow on trees”, meaning they come in all different forms.

Vinnie Pestano is perhaps the game’s premier set up man. Can he close? No one knows for sure, but he is used to pitching in pressure situations.

Heck, for all anyone knows, Esmil Rogers might turn out to be the closer. Did anyone think Jose Mesa would be a good closer when he was a back of the rotation starter for the Indians in the early 90’s?

No matter how they do it, it isn’t just a piece or two that the Tribe needs to address for next season. It’s four or five pieces.

So, Chris Antonetti or someone else has a tall task.

If the Indians want to compete with the White Sox and Tigers next season, they have to do a lot more than they did last off-season.

Who Is Tribe Management Talking About?

As the Cleveland Indians’ season continues to fall into oblivion, one of the mantras GM Chris Antonetti chants consistently is the players currently on the roster have to do better.

That’s easier said than done.

However, who is Antonetti talking about? How many players on the current roster are underachieving?

Certainly, the starting pitchers have not done as well as the organization thought going into the season. Justin Masterson, in particular, looked like a guy who turned the corner in 2011, and has been terribly inconsistent this season.

Ubaldo Jimenez? He’s been up and down since coming over from Colorado last July. Has he under performed? If you compare him to his excellent 2010 season, yes.

But if the front office expected great things based on what we did last year, then they are crazy.

Josh Tomlin had a solid year in ’11, but he’s a control guy with marginal stuff, and struggled in the second half of last season. It can’t be a total surprise that he hasn’t been good this year.

On the offensive side, no one can complain about the job being done by SS Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B Jason Kipnis (although he’s slumped lately), CF Michael Brantley (a breakout player this year), and RF Shin-Soo Choo.

You can’t expect more out of those four players.

Carlos Santana has been a disappointment after last season. His minor league numbers show he’s too good of a hitter to be consistently around .240. He does walk a ton, and lately has started to be productive.

Even in a disappointing season, he still ranks third on the team in RBIs, behind Kipnis and Brantley.

So, what players are failing?

Travis Hafner is having a disappointing season, particularly with his batting average, but the truth is, he hasn’t been really productive since 2007. Why would the front office expect more?

Casey Kotchman is a journeyman 1B, who had a good season in ’11 with Tampa, hitting .306. However, he has a lifetime .263 batting average. It doesn’t take a great deal of vision to see he probably wasn’t going to hit that well this season.

What are the front office’s expectations for Kotchman? It seems they may be looking for too much.

Jack Hannahan? He’s a journeyman as well. He’s 32 years old and has had over 400 at bats in a season just once. Why? Because he’s not a good hitter.

Was the front office fooled into thinking he woke up one morning and became Mike Schmidt?

The management completely ignored the LF issue, unless you consider signing the oft-injured Grady Sizemore as a remedy. Most people, including the fans and media, thought that was a bad idea.

So, again we ask, who exactly has underachieved?

It appears it is the front office because they deluded themselves into thinking that players who haven’t been productive for several years, or who have no real track record for hitting were going to start hammering the baseball.

That’s foolish, and it’s one more reason changes need to be made on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

There aren’t many players on the Cleveland Indians who aren’t doing what was expected. The disappointment comes from a management team who was expecting the impossible from certain players, who weren’t capable of performing.

Perhaps Antonetti is deflecting attention from the inactivity that has plagued this organization over the past 12 months.

The only people who need to perform better are in offices at Progressive Field. For the most part, the players are doing exactly what should be expected.