A Letter to Paul Dolan

The day after the Cleveland Indians traded last year’s Cy Young Award winner, CC Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers, I received a letter from the team’s President, Paul Dolan, explaining the trade to his franchise’s fans. The letter was barely read when it arrived. A couple of days later, I decided to give it a good read. My first reaction was correct, I should have ignored it. Then, I decided I should respond.

Dear Mr. Dolan:

I received your letter explaining your recent personnel decisions, including trading C.C. Sabathia. I would advise you to save the paper in the future. Your fans don’t want to hear about how you tried to sign the big left-hander, nor do they want to hear about the injuries to Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner, and Fausto Carmona. Injuries are part of the game and so is free agency.

As fans, we know you wanted to sign Sabathia, but if he wanted a six or seven year deal, it’s not a good business decision for any franchise, let alone one in a mid-sized market. However, that doesn’t make our disappointment any less. The Indians missed the World Series, a Series they likely would have one, by one game last fall. We were hoping this was the year the Tribe would bring home Cleveland’s first championship in 44 years. Instead, we are watching a team that will be trying to lose less than 90 games this season.

I understand that many of the fans of the Indians feel you are frugal, and do not want to spend money. I do not share that opinion. You invested a great deal of cash in Hafner and Jake Westbrook, as well as poured capital into the farm system. I’m sure many people want you to throw around cash like a drunken sailor, but that doesn’t guarantee success. The Indians haven’t won a title under your ownership, but they have made the playoffs twice, and missed two other appearances by one game apiece. So, the Dolan regime has not been a failure.

However, as fans, we don’t want letters covering your rear end. We don’t want any more excuses. Your father told us he wanted to win multiple titles, and I don’t doubt that the both of you have that desire. We just want to see progress toward that end. You have admitted that this season has not been one of progress, and dealing one of the best pitchers in baseball doesn’t seem like an end to that goal.

The letter seemed to be an immediate response to make us feel bad for your situation. Perhaps a better reaction next time is to wait until the end of the season, so you can explain the reasons why the campaign went the way it did. The letter sounded like a little kid whose first reaction was "I didn’t do it". We are all Indians’ fans, and we likely will be for life. If we could survive the teams of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, we can handle a trade that was made to avoid losing an elite player for amateur draft picks.

Sincerely,

An Indians Fan for over 40 years.

More Thoughts on the Trade

It was quite a contrast last night. In Milwaukee, CC Sabathia received a hero’s welcome as he won his debut with the Brewers. In Detroit, his former teammates got a Casey Blake double and a Jhonny Peralta home run in the first to take a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately, those would be the only hits the Tribe mustered in a 9-2 shellacking at the hands of the Tigers. Get ready for more tough times ahead with Paul Byrd serving up homers tonight, and apparently minor league veteran Matt Ginter will pitch for Cleveland against the Rays on Saturday. Ouch!

That being said, here are some more thoughts on Monday’s big deal.

The Key to the Deal. Yes, Matt La Porta provides a much needed power bat to the organization, but in many ways, the key to the trade is Fausto Carmona. Before he injured his hip, Carmona had an inconsistent 2008 season, walking more hitters than he struck out (38/23). The fact that he had an ERA of 3.10 despite these control problems is a testament to how good his stuff is. If the right-hander can throw strikes, he would replace Sabathia as the ace of the staff, with Cliff Lee as the #2 starter going into next season. The Tribe needs a Fausto Carmona closer to the 2007 model than the 2008 pitcher.

Scouting Problems. The deal underscores the problem the Indians’ scouting department has had since the turn of the century. They have been unable to draft a productive hitter. Last year’s #1 choice, Beau Mills is hitting pretty well at Kinston (.276/.361/.492) with 41 extra base hits in 83 games. Another left handed hitter at Kinston, Nick Weglarz, just 20 years old, also shows promise (.272/.398/.449). However, both are 1B/LF/DH types. 3B Wes Hodges is doing well at Akron, and hopefully we will see him in Cleveland before the season ends. However, there isn’t much at AAA Buffalo, outside of another left-handed hitter, 1B Jordan Brown. Obviously, the need for a right-handed power hitter was dire for the Tribe.

Let’s Be Aggressive. Watching the Red Sox’ game the other night, made me think that Jonathon Papelbon would never have been given the job as Tribe closer as a rookie. According to the Indians’ thinking, you have to have a veteran in that spot. Why? Here’s hoping La Porta is moved to Buffalo after a good week at Akron, and then up to the big club if he has a couple of good weeks at the AAA level. There is no reason to hold him back. Also, let’s take a look at Hodges, and some more pitchers such as Jeff Stevens. Why not give Stevens a shot at closing? He might just do the job.

It Should Have Been Us Last Year. The Brewers made the bold move the Indians should have made last season. The Tribe did pick up Kenny Lofton to replace an injured David Dellucci, but Mark Teixeira was on the block, but the Indians didn’t pursue him. Would they have won the World Series by making a deal for the slugging 1B? Maybe not, but perhaps they would have. The Indians are hesitant to deal prospects, but the players the Rangers would have wanted would have been guys like Adam Miller (now injured), Ryan Garko (struggling), and Ben Francisco (an okay player). Over estimating their minor league talent is a definite problem for this organization.

The Heat Has Been Turned Up. Ryan Garko, Ben Francisco, and Shin-Soo Choo should have a little more pep in their step today. Matt La Porta was brought in because these guys have been less than overwhelming. They have been handed regular jobs, but haven’t taken advantage. Garko in particular has been a huge disappointment after solid seasons in 2006 and 2007.

The Indians need to give us a reason to watch them the rest of the season. Trotting out Jeremy Sowers every fifth day doesn’t do it. Neither does penciling Dellucci in at the DH spot. If Mark Shapiro is serious in having a contending club in 2009, he needs to find out about some young players, and why not try something different by using some youngsters.

The Re-Tooling Starts

Most of the reaction to the deal which sent C.C. Sabathia to the Milwaukee Brewers was not positive nor negative, but it was inevitable. The Indians’ market size and the contract demands of the big lefty meant GM Mark Shapiro didn’t have an alternative if he wanted more than the two first round amateur picks in the 2009 draft for his ace. So, it’s now official. The Cleveland Indians are looking ahead to the ’09 season.

In return, the main player the Tribe received in return is slugging 1B/OF Matt LaPorta, who will report to Akron to start. My guess is the front office want a very close look at him before sending him to Buffalo. After hitting AAA, the right-handed hitter is just a couple of good weeks away from joining the big club. LHP Zach Jackson is a throw in, but the young righty the Indians picked up, Rob Bryson is someone to keep an eye on. Bryson was just promoted to the high Class A level, and although his ERA was over 4.00, he has fanned 72 batters in less thant 60 innings.

The Indians have one more player coming, considered to be the second best prospect in the trade. Many reports have that player being Taylor Green, a third baseman currently playing at the high A level. Shapiro made the comment that the deal would not have been made without the inclusion of this player, and the Tribe has until the end of the year to decide who will be coming to Cleveland. The decision will probably be made at the end of the month, so the front office can get a good look at him in the Tribe organization before the minor league season ends.

There are most definitely other moves to be made. It is more than likely that Casey Blake is on the block, and he would most definitely be attractive to a contender because of his versatility. It’s also time to remove the dead weight from the big league roster, which means a severe cut in playing time for David Dellucci. It’s time to start looking at the Jordan Browns, Michael Aubreys, and Trevor Crowes of the organization so the management can get an idea of who can help next season. As soon as Josh Barfield is ready to go, he should get a long look as well.

It has been reported that veteran Jeff Weaver will get the start tomorrow night in Detroit, although Jeremy Sowers is also a possibility. Weaver and Manager Eric Wedge seem to be an odd mix, since Weaver is a bit of a hot head, definitely not the attitude Wedge likes in a player. I can’t wait to see the skipper go to the mound at a time that Weaver doesn’t think he should be removed. By the way, the revamped bullpen hasn’t done the job so far, but on the other hand, at least there are new faces blowing the leads.

There are several Indians who are playing for their future in Cleveland the rest of the season. Guys like Ryan Garko, Franklin Gutierrez, Andy Marte, and Jhonny Peralta have to be productive or they likely will lose their spots on the 2009 roster. Mark Shapiro made a huge decision today, but he has several more to make between now and Opening Day 2009.

It Was Time for a Meeting

I would have given anything to be a fly on the wall during today’s conference call involving the coaching staff and the front office of the Cleveland Indians. The first news to come out of the meeting was the demotion of Joe Borowski from the closer’s role, and apparently the rest of the bullpen’s problems are the fault of Rick Bauer, who will be designated for assignment after pitching three times since being promoted, each time with at least a week’s rest.

There is no truth to the rumor that David Dellucci was spotted near the meeting room with an ear to a glass on the wall, trying to listen in.

The guess here is GM Mark Shapiro is seeing if there is any interest in the struggling Borowski so he doesn’t have to designate him for assignment. Shapiro likes to handle these types of things in the most humane way, so as not to embarass a veteran who has shown nothing but class in his time in an Indians uniform. The GM is probably willing to deal him somewhere for a player to be named later. If Borowski isn’t capable of closing, it’s hard to see where he fits in the Cleveland bullpen.

Bauer removal from the roster (I’m sure he thanks his skipper for the opportunity) should result in the recall of either Jeff Stevens, Jensen Lewis or Brian Slocum from Buffalo. Hopefully, either pitcher will be used better and more frequently than Bauer. If it’s Lewis, he will because Wedge likes him. Stevens or Slocum will have to earn Wedge’s trust, which is difficult to do if you don’t pitch for seven days.

Here’s hoping that someone asked the staff about some of the horrible at-bats seen in the Chicago series. Last night, Ben Francisco came up with a man on third and no one out, had a 3-0 count, swung at the 3-0 pitch and grounded to third, therefore not advancing the runner. You cannot swing at a 3-0 pitch unless you are going to drive it. Tuesday night, Franklin Gutierrez struck out swinging without coming near the ball.

Tom Hamilton pointed out on Sunday that pitchers who throw curve balls and change ups give the Indians a lot of trouble. Why isn’t Derek Shelton addressing this with the hitters. I understand he is working with young hitters, but there doesn’t seem to be any progress made with these guys. As for the Francisco situation mentioned earlier, why isn’t there a take sign given. You can trust guys like Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez in that spot, but not a guy who has around 300 big league at-bats.

Another situation that should be addressed is moving the AL home run leader out of the leadoff spot. Sure, Grady Sizemore is comfortable leading off, but don’t you want someone with a slugging percentage over .500 batting with men on base? And for those who say the Indians don’t get guys on, need I remind you that last night Dellucci made two outs with the bases loaded, and Saturday night, Ryan Garko left a small village on base. Against right-handers, put Shin Soo Choo in the #1 slot, and against southpaws, Jamey Carroll could hit there. The time to bat Sizemore in the #3 spot is now.

More details of the meeting will be revealed soon, but this meeting should have held a couple of weeks ago. This team has needed a breath of fresh air since the Kansas City series in early June.

Let's Look at Some Alternatives

As the season sails away further and further with another blown save by Joe Borowski, the time to start the tryout camp for 2009 draws near. The first bit of business for GM Mark Shapiro is C.C. Sabathia. If the reigning Cy Young Award winner is interested in re-opening negotiations before the trading deadline, which is doubtful, Shapiro and the Dolan family have to make a determination they can sign him to a long-term deal. If the big lefty doesn’t want to talk during the season, the Indians have no choice but to make a mega-deal.

I am a firm believer in the “can’t do any worse” theory, particularly in sports. For example, since I have mentioned Joe Borowski, why doesn’t Eric Wedge try Masa Kobayashi as the closer, since he “can’t do any worse” than JoeBo’s four blown saves in 10 opportunities. He certainly could do the same as the man who led the AL in saves last season, but it is virtually impossible to do any worse. The added bonus is you might find out that Kobayashi can do the job better.

With that in mind, there are several moves the front office can make prior to a possible huge trade involving Sabathia. The first involves the DH spot, where David Dellucci has proved to be a bust. Giving the 34-year-old extended at-bats doesn’t do anything for the Tribe’s future. The veteran received the benefit of the doubt last season because of injuries, but his numbers this year should not earn him any more playing time. Why not bring up Michael Aubrey to take these opportunities, or maybe even Jordan Brown who has been hot at Buffalo? A left-handed hitter, Brown is up to .290 at Class AAA. He has just three home runs, but has banged out 20 doubles. As an added bonus, he doesn’t strike out a lot, whiffing just 37 times in 238 at-bats.

Besides making Kobayashi the closer, there are some moves to make with the bullpen as well. Why not take a look at Jeff Stevens, the pitcher acquired from the Reds in the Brandon Phillips transaction? The right-hander had his first bad outing at Buffalo the other day, which raised his ERA to 5.40 at the AAA level. However, he has struck out 22 batters in 13-1/3 innings, and opposing batters are hitting just .204 against him. Why not give him a shot at closing? Heck, last night, the Rays used Twins reject Grant Balfour to close out a win against the Red Sox.

Besides C.C., another Indian that should be popular on the trade market is 3B Casey Blake, who is having a solid year and can play four positions. That would leave an opening at the hot corner, and apparently the management has no intention of filling the spot with Andy Marte. One possibility that should be looked at is moving Jhonny Peralta to 3B, and replacing him with Asdrubal Cabrera, who has a better glove. Peralta drives people crazy, but will provide the team with 20 HR, and his lack of range shouldn’t be an issue at third. Wes Hodges, who is hitting over .300 at Class AA Akron, is another option.

The Cleveland Indians are sitting at 10 games below the .500 mark, and 11-1/2 games out of first place. They are in last place in the AL Central Division. The management of this team needs to stop wasting time wishing that it is still 2007, and start looking at some alternatives. The fans would also enjoy seeing new people try to succeed rather than watching another summer rerun.

Disappointments A-Plenty

There is no question the Cleveland Indians season has been a disappointment. After coming within one game of the World Series last season, the Tribe finds itself tied for fourth place in the AL Central Division, 9-1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox. Injuries have played a part in the fall, but they are by far not the only reason for the poor first half of the season. What individual players have been the biggest disappointments for the 2008 Indians?

Rafael Betancourt. GM Mark Shapiro knows that the most volatile part of a baseball team is the bullpen, and he tried to fortify this area of the squad by signing Masa Kobayashi. However, no one could have predicted the decline of Betancourt from 2007 to 2008. Last year, the righty had arguably the best season by a set up reliever in history, and this year he has been dreadful. In 2007, hitters batted only .183 against him, in 2008, they are teeing off at over a .300 clip. His ERA is 4.5 runs higher than last season, and is over 6.00 overall. His ineffectiveness has contributed to making the Tribe bullpen one of the game’s worst.

Ryan Garko. Garko had a good first year as regular, hitting .289 with 21 HR’s and 61 RBI in almost 500 at bats. That followed a partial season in 2006 where he hit .292 with 45 RBI in less than 200 plate appearances. It was thought he would be a solid component in the middle of the Tribe order. However, he has been anything but that. His average has dipped to .242, and he has just 6 HR. His walks have almost exceeded last year’s total, but maybe that patience at the plate has taken away his power. He may want to go back to his style of hitting from last season.

Franklin Gutierrez. After hitting around .270 in his first two seasons, although in limited at bats, Gutierrez was expected to blossom as an every day player this season. He received the bulk of the time in RF down the stretch last season and was the star of training camp. However, he has not progressed in strike zone judgment and has looked lost at the dish in 2008, hitting just .227 with 3 HR. His strikeout rate is down from a year ago, but so is his walk rate. At this point, he looks very much like a fourth outfielder that is an excellent defender.

Paul Byrd. After last season’s 15 win season, some people (this blog) advised the front office against picking up Byrd’s option, citing his good year, bad year career. The veteran has been a huge disappointment after some early success, with a 3-9 record and an ERA of over 5.00. He has been giving up home runs at an alarming rate, particularly to left-handed hitters. He has been prone to the big inning, and his ineffectiveness has ruined any chance for a winning streak after following Cliff Lee and C.C. Sabathia in the rotation.

Jhonny Peralta. Peralta appears to be an odd year player. He had solid years in 2005 and 2007, but 2006 was a downer, and 2008 has been the same. His batting average is .244, but that’s a high water mark for the season. His on-base percentage is under .300. His strikeouts are down, but so are his walks. His defense is average at best, and if he’s not a key contributor offensively, it is tough to live with his shortcomings with the glove.

Excuses. This team has had injuries to key people, but enough using those injuries as excuses. The Red Sox have lost David Ortiz and Daisuke Matsuzaka; the Tigers have lost Gary Sheffield, Jeremy Bonderman, and now Magglio Ordonez. Eric Wedge talks about grinding it out all the time, but he and the front office haven’t done that. It’s time to play some different people. It should start with the release of David Dellucci and the call up of Michael Aubrey or a red hot Trevor Crowe.

Bold Moves are Rare Here

Cleveland is a conservative sports town. The fans are thirsting for a winner, a championship, and the front office people of two of the city’s professional teams are very, very cautious. The Indians missed a World Series appearance by one game a year ago, and GM Mark Shapiro’s big off-season acquisition was Jamey Carroll. Last night, Cavs’ GM Danny Ferry picked J.J. Hickson from NC State, a player who likely will not be a contributor next season. Thank goodness for Phil Savage.

The Browns’ GM saw that his team missed the playoffs by one game in 2007, so he went out and traded his draft picks for proven veterans. The goal is to get back to the post-season in 2008. Getting Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers to upgrade the defensive line, a major weakness for the Browns, is a bold step in winning the AFC North. There is no question Savage is taking a gamble. He traded a starting cornerback in Leigh Bodden to get Rogers, leaving that spot weaker than last year, even more so with the injury to Davin Holly. Still, you have to like that Savage is going for it this season after being so close the year before.

Contrast that to the Indians, who seem to be in a constant state of inertia. It was obvious to most people the Tribe needed another reliable hitter coming into the season. They talked about players such as Miguel Cabrera and Jason Bay, but were reluctant to give up prospects. I understand that the ballclub has suffered injury problems this year, particularly to their #3 and #4 hitters, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, but the offense has struggled mightily, even before the disabled list called for Pronk and Victor. Meanwhile, highly touted farm products like Franklin Gutierrez and Jhonny Peralta have regressed and no longer have the value they did a few years ago.

The Cavaliers did pull off a huge deal at the NBA trading deadline last season, moving half of their roster to pick up Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, and Joe Smith. However, it feels like that deal was done more to rid the team of Larry Hughes’ bad contract and sour attitude. That deal did not bring the second star than LeBron James and the franchise desperately need to win an NBA Championship. Perhaps Ferry will make that move prior to the start of the season, but he didn’t do it last night.

The Cavs needed someone to be able to contribute in the 2008-09 season, and instead drafted a project. Hickson has some skills, as scouting reports have said he has a nice touch inside, something the Cavs need with the lack of offensive skills of Wallace and Anderson Varajao. However, he is 19 and probably isn’t ready to play the type of defense that Mike Brown requires in order to actually earn some playing time. Therefore, LeBron still has no Robin to play opposite his Batman.

Ferry still has three months before training camp opens to make a move. Here’s hoping he follows Savage’s lead rather than Mark Shapiro’s. The wine and gold need the rare Cleveland bold move to return to the NBA Finals and bring this city their first championship since 1964.

Draft Night a Big One For Cavaliers

Despite being eliminated in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers are probably a better team than they were a year ago, even though they lost in The Finals in 2007. The mega-trade at the deadline made the wine and gold a much-improved team come playoff time, although they struggled down the stretch of the regular season. However, there is still work to do. The Cavs still need to get better to compete for a title in the upcoming 2008-09 season, and that makes tomorrow night’s draft a big night for GM Danny Ferry.

Traditionally, the night of the NBA Draft is where the biggest moves of the off-season are made. Last year, the Celtics put the first piece of their championship puzzle together when they acquired Ray Allen from Seattle. The Cavaliers are also over the salary cap, so signing free agents probably is not an option, they need to make a deal to make a quantum leap, and more than likely that deal will happen tomorrow night. The asset that the Cavs have is expiring contracts, and those of Wally Szczerbiak and Eric Snow could come into play.

The team has plenty of places were it can improve. They definitely need someone else who can create his own shot. Too many times, LeBron James gets the ball with less than five seconds on the shot clock while being double-teamed. Having another creator would ease the burden on LeBron, and also allow him to finish at the rim more. It would be nice if that player was a point guard, but because Mike Brown does not like smaller guards, Ferry needs to find someone in the 6’3” range to play the point.

The Cavs also need to get younger, particularly at the center and power forward spots. Anderson Varajao is the only big man getting playing time that is under 30 years old, and he is a free agent at the end of the year, and likely to leave. Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert has been rumored to be available at #19, and he certainly is a physical specimen at 7-2. He was under-utilized in the Princeton style offense he played in college, sometimes going long stretches of time without getting the ball inside. He could be a diamond in the rough for the Cavaliers, because he should be good fundamentally on the defensive end.

Of course, the prize would be a trade for Milwaukee’s Michael Redd, who turned the wine and gold down in free agency a few years ago. Redd is a proven 20 point scorer, and he has shown the ability to take the ball to the basket as well. The downside is injury problems the past few years, notably a knee injury suffered in a game against the Cavs two seasons ago. However, he’s good enough to play on Team USA this summer, and is most definitely the all-star type player the Cavaliers need.

Tomorrow’s draft is an important day for the Cavalier franchise. Picking a project type player, one who won’t be able to contribute for two or three years is not an option. If Ferry stands pat, and doesn’t make a trade, he cannot use the 19^th pick on a future star. The wine and gold need to get better now. They are built to win now. This is not a time for patience.

Talk is Cheap, OK, Maybe Not for Sabathia

Since the beginning of May, Indians left-hander C.C. Sabathia has pitched like the reigning Cy Young Award winner. Although his record is just 4-4, his ERA is 2.42 over that span, and he has struck out 74 and walked just 13 in 74 innings. You can make the argument that he has been the best pitcher in the American League in that time frame. He even belted a tape measure home run Saturday against the Dodgers. However, it’s time for the big lefty to put his money where his mouth is.

During the radio broadcast of Saturday’s game, Tom Hamilton remarked that C.C. would like to stay with the Indians. This thought was reiterated in Sunday’s The Plain Dealer. It occurred to me that there is one man who has the ability to make this happen. That man would be the same person who made the comment, Carsten Charles Sabathia. It seems simplistic, but if the big man let his agent know he wanted a deal to get done with the Indians, I’m pretty sure the Dolan family would be willing to do the deal.

There is no question the Indians’ ownership has financial restraints. However, they are not going to offer Sabathia a five-year contract worth $50 million. That’s a low-ball offer, and they understand that. The Indians would be willing to go as high as $18-19 million per year and as many as five year guaranteed. Obviously I don’t know that for sure, but the front office was willing pay market value for Jake Westbrook and Travis Hafner, so why would the big lefty be an exception.

Listen; if Sabathia wants the last dollar, he has to realize he is not going to get it in Cleveland. The big market teams such as the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, and etc. can put together a very lucrative package for the pitcher. There is no question about that. But, the Tribe’s offer won’t be cheap either. If C.C. wants to stay with the team “he grew up with”, he can take that deal, stay an Indian, and still be a very, very rich young man.

If Sabathia is going to go out on the market following the season, he needs to stop telling the media and the fans that he wants to stay. He should say nothing and go out and pitch to the best of his abilities. It hurts the loyal Tribe fans more to hear one of their stars tell them how much they love playing here, only to take the money when free agency comes calling. It would be better for all involved for the big lefty to be quiet. Everyone would like to make an extra $2 million per year, but again, it’s not like C.C. will be a pauper if he takes the Indians’ offer.

Sabathia often talks about how the Indians looked out for him and his arm when he was a young pitcher. They didn’t put undue stress on him, kept his pitch counts down, and he believes that is one reason he has managed to stay relatively healthy thus far. He also talks about how he grew up here, and how much he likes and respects his teammates. If he wants to remain in Cleveland, he is the person who controls that decision. His agent works for him, not vice-versa.

Stubborn Is as Stubborn Does

On May 15^th, the Cleveland Indians headed to Cincinnati with a 22-19 record and sitting in first place in the AL Central Division. Since that date, the Tribe is 11-21 and has fallen 8-1/2 games behind the first place White Sox. A combination of a poor offense, a leaky bullpen, and injuries has turned a team that had pennant aspirations to a squad looking forward to 2009. It’s an amazing turnaround in a short period of time. Equally amazing is the stubbornness of the manager and front office. Here’s a top five list to ponder:

1. Not using the entire roster. This is probably Eric Wedge’s biggest weakness as a manager. The team acquired Craig Breslow from the Red Sox before spring training ended as a second left-hander, and he rotted from non-use. Today, he’s pitching for the Twins, a team ahead of the Indians, and has an ERA under 2.00. The skipper is doing the same thing with Rick Bauer, who is pitching once a week. It’s hard to maintain any type of consistency without pitching on a regular basis.

The same is true for the everyday roster. Before getting Sal Fasano (doesn’t that make you excited) yesterday, the Indians were playing with a 22-man roster. This is because the manager refuses to use Jorge Velandia, Yamid Haad, or Andy Marte. If these guys are major leaguers, they should be able to play. If not, get rid of them. And in Marte’s case, if the GM thinks he should play and the manager doesn’t, there is a bigger problem.

2. The batting order. Is there any reason why Jhonny Peralta continues to hit in a prime spot? We have been critical of Casey Blake in the past, but why isn’t he hitting fifth against the Rockies the past two nights. Blake leads the team in RBI’s, and the Tribe SS hasn’t had a hit with a runner in scoring position seemingly all year long. Peralta should be in the lower third of the order until he shows some sign of life.

3. Asdrubal Cabrera. The Indians played the young infielder a good month after it was clear he was struggling mightily at the plate. Wedge believed Cabrera’s defense justified his inclusion in the lineup, but we will agree to disagree on this one. Anyone batting less than .200 cannot be an everyday player.

4. More bullpen issues. Do you have more confidence in Tom Mastny or Edward Mujica? Mastny has an ERA of under 2.00 at Buffalo, and based on his performance last year, he should be on the major league roster. Also, Jeff Stevens has pitched well at Akron and Buffalo; why not give him a shot at the big league level. Also, Rafael Betancourt’s performance does not merit him pitching in the 8^th inning, but he keeps going out there and giving up runs in that situation.

5. Move the young guys up. The Tribe finally moved C Chris Gimenez up to Class AAA Buffalo after he hit .339 with 6 HR and 26 RBI at Akron. He has an OPS at the AA level of 1.024, an excellent figure. 3B Wes Hodges is hitting .316 with 9 HR and 54 RBI at Akron. Considering the marginal prospects in Buffalo, why can’t these guys on the fast track? The organization values plate discipline (although it seems like they don’t care at the big league level), and Gimenez has a strike out to walk ratio of 33/52, and Hodges is 51/29, an acceptable figure. Let’s let these guys get some time at Buffalo, and if they do well there, let’s take a look at them.

It’s probably a good thing the Indians didn’t make the World Series last year, since they seem to have an inability to beat National League teams. They are now sitting at 2-7 in interleague play this season, five games behind the 7-2 marks of the White Sox and Royals, who are now just 2 games behind the Tribe. That means the Indians would be just 3-1/2 games out without the games against the Senior Circuit.

Now the it’s the Dodgers, Giants, and Reds before it’s back to familiar surroundings. In the meantime, enjoy the Sal Fasano era.