A Baseball Rant On The Lockout And Expanded Playoffs

The end of February will be here very soon, next Tuesday to be exact. Baseball should be on the minds of fans right about now, but the idiocy of the owners (that’s right, they are the ones locking out the players) is keeping us from getting ready for the 2022 season.

Being a huge fan of the sport, we realized how much we were detached when Marcus Semien was mentioned in an article, and we had to look up what team he was going to be with this season (it’s Texas).

It has been so long since any player movement or talk of who will be contenders this season, this kind of news fell out of our consciousness.

And that’s sad.

We aren’t going to get into a huge discussion (at least more than we already have) about who is right and who is wrong in this dispute. We will only say this–if you think small market owners are really losing money owning Major League Baseball teams and can’t spend the same as big market teams? We would strongly disagree.

We do like the universal DH. The so-called strategy involved is overrated. In the National League, if a runner is on base and the pitcher comes up? He’s more than likely bunting. That’s not really mind blowing.

And executing a double switch doesn’t qualify you for MENSA.

However, the expanded playoff system proposed by the owners just makes us shake our heads.

We understand other sports have bloated post-seasons because the networks pay them a lot of money to broadcast them.

How many times does a team that reaches the NBA playoffs as a 7th or 8th seed win a title? We know the Atlanta Hawks were a 5th seed last year and went to the Eastern Conference finals, and Miami went to the NBA Finals the prior year as a fifth seed. But if the league made the cut off the 6th seed, would anyone care?

And that’s with an 82 game schedule.

MLB is proposing seven teams from each league reaching the post-season. Seven! Keep in mind they play 162 games, which is enough games to determine who the best teams in the game are.

You can understand the NFL putting 14 of their 32 teams in the playoffs. They only play 17 games. Look at the AFC North. This year, there were no bad teams in the division, so no division team had the advantage of picking up two easy wins against an inferior opponent.

Add in the nature of baseball. Is it called an “upset” if the Orioles beat the Yankees in a three game series? Of course not. It’s the way baseball is. The best teams in a given season lose 60 games. No one goes 140-22.

Heck, Cleveland has two cases of this in their history. In 1954, the Indians won 111 games, then an American League record, and lost in the World Series in four games to the New York Giants.

In 1995, the Tribe went 100-44 in a shortened season, and perhaps could have broken the ’54 squads’ record. But they lost the World Series to Atlanta as well.

What the sport is engendering is having average teams winning its championship. Why try to win your division? Baseball fans may have to get used to the term “load management”.

Baseball fans have accepted the wild card and even a second wild card. Having 10 out of 30 teams in the post-season isn’t a big problem but playing 162 games to eliminate just slightly over half the teams is going too far.

Unfortunately, all the owners see is dollar signs, and that goes for all professional sports. The integrity of the competition, finding a true champion, not just a playoff champ doesn’t matter anymore.

We are critical of the NBA at times, but at least in basketball, the commissioner works on behalf of the owners and the players. Baseball needs the same thing, but the owners will never let it happen.

A Major Off-Season Starts For The Guardians

The 2021 Major League Baseball season ended last night and fans of Cleveland baseball were subject to seeing highlights from the 1995 World Series, because the Atlanta Braves won their first world championship since defeating the Indians in six games that season.

And the end of the season means any reference to the team henceforth will be as the Guardians, as Cleveland’s name change takes effect. In fact, the name “Indians” above the giant scoreboard in left field was starting to be removed on Tuesday.

Besides the name change, the front office has a lot of work to do before spring training opens (hopefully because of the negotiations for a new CBA) in February in Goodyear, Arizona.

The offense needs to be improved for sure. The Guardians have finished in the lower half of the league in each of the last two seasons in runs scored, and it has been noted, you have to score runs to get into the post-season. Four of the top five teams in scoring made the playoffs in the American League.

While it is always noted pitching wins in October, and that is true for the most part, but in the regular season, teams need to score. Cleveland finished 9th in runs in 2021, and they likely need to get into the top six if they want to play past game 162 in 2022.

The corner outfield spots need to be upgraded badly, as well as second base and first base. And the offense in general would be helped by getting more guys who avoided making outs. Guardian hitters had an on base percentage of just .303 in ’21, ranking 13th in the league.

They ranked 7th in home runs, but it would be nice if there were men on base when Jose Ramirez or Franmil Reyes launched one into the seats.

For the first time in awhile, the pitching was also below the league average, with Cleveland ranking 10th in the AL in ERA, dropping from 1st in the COVID shortened season of 2020.

Certainly the injuries to Shane Bieber, Aaron Civale, and Zach Plesac had a lot to do with that. For a stretch in June and July, Terry Francona was using J.C. Mejia and Sam Hentges as rotation pieces.

However, the pitching for 2022 could actually already have been bolstered by what happened this past summer. Cal Quantrill emerged as a rotation piece, going 8-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 40 appearances, including 22 starts. As a starter, he went 8-2 with a 3.12 ERA.

He most certainly will start spring training as a starter.

The other excellent development was the growth of Triston McKenzie. The wiry right-handed finished the season 5-9 with a 4.95 ERA, but in a seven start span from August 5th to September 14th, he went 4-2 in 46 innings, with a 1.76 ERA and 48 punch outs. Included in that span was a near perfect game against the Tigers, where he didn’t allow a baserunner until two outs in the 8th.

On the other hand, this season should have told the brass you can never have enough pitching depth. Eli Morgan is still around, and they traded for Peyton Battenfield and Konnor Pilkington at the deadline, and second round pick (2020) Logan Allen had an excellent season. And of course, Mejia, Hentges and Logan Allen (the Reyes’ deal) are still around, depending if they stay on the 40 man roster.

Hentges might be viewed as more of a reliever.

The first big decision will be which minor leaguers need to be protected from the “Rule 5” draft, and that determines how many players currently on the 40 man roster will be protected.

It should be an interesting winter, besides the rebranding, for the Cleveland Guardians

Memories Of One Last Indians’ Game

Saturday night, we made our final trek to Progressive Field to watch the Cleveland Indians. Yes, we know the team isn’t going anywhere, and there will major league baseball on the shores of Lake Erie in 2022, but as we headed down to the ballpark, there was a melancholy feeling here.

We thought about the games we attended as a kid, and joked about taking the rapid downtown from West Park before we were able to drive, something we would never let our kids do today. It was no big deal back then.

Our group talked about where we used to park when the new park first opened and attending World Series games in 1995 and 1997, and reminisced about how we couldn’t believe the Indians, who were mediocre as long as we remembered, finally made it to the Series, something that was just a TV show in October.

We were handed rally towels as we entered Progressive Field that said “Let’s Go Tribe”, curious indeed considering the upcoming name change.

We settled into our seats down the left field line, near the “Home Run Porch”, fine seats indeed. Our friends thanked us for the choice, but we didn’t want to sit in the upper deck for this one.

The ballpark wasn’t really enthusiastic when the game began, and there were many at the game from Chicago, doing the weekend thing of seeing the White Sox and the Bears in our town on the same weekend.

However, Jose Ramirez shot some energy into the crowd with a two run HR in the first, and the “Jose, Jose, Jose” chants were heard all around us. After that, it was more about taking in the atmosphere for our last Indians’ game.

A lot of jerseys were worn by fans, many of them bearing the name of “Lindor”, a symbol to us of an ownership that has never connected with the fans, despite putting a winning team on the field for most of the last eight years.

It was also discussed that the ownership trading the beloved “Chief Wahoo” mascot to get the All Star Game in 2019, and probably dealt the name “Indians” to get the state government to pony up some funds to renovate Progressive Field and extend the lease.

The best throwback jersey we saw was a 1970 pinstriped jersey with the shadow lettering and numerals with #48 on it, the number of our first favorite player, Sam McDowell.

We talked about the surveys the organization sends to fans talking about ticket plans, renovations to Progressive Field, etc. and how no one ever hears from the organization about responses. We laughed about the questions, asking essentially, why we go to the ballpark. Our answer: “to watch a baseball game”.

Sometimes it seems like the organization is looking for a secret answer as to why people don’t come down to the place formerly known as “The Jake”. Sometimes, it’s a simple as talking to fans, real baseball fans, to find out what’s missing. That’s what the great Bill Veeck would do.

As for the new name, we all agreed the ownership could’ve handled it better. They could have picked three or four names and had the fans vote on it, including them in the process. Another way the disconnect could have been narrowed.

It could be part of the problem with the new name is the fans feel it was forced upon them. They had no say.

We looked at the giant scoreboard in behind the left field bleachers with sadness, knowing “Indians” would either be gone or replaced with “Guardians” the next time we were at the park.

At the 7th inning stretch, the crowd seemed to increase the volume when the line “root, root, root for the INDIANS” was reached, seeming to say they weren’t happy with the change.

We walked around the ballpark one last time, knowing there will be big league baseball there in 2022, but also aware the park will look different, with the renovations starting this winter.

Again, we understand why the name was changed in our heads, but that doesn’t mean it hurts our hearts as fans. Memories will still be with the Indians, the Tribe, and the Chief. Heck, every spring, stations play Major League and Major League 2, which of course, feature the Cleveland INDIANS!

So, the name isn’t going to go away. Nor will it be ignored.

The elementary school and church we attended as a kid has changed its name too. But not for the people who attended it. We are sure that’s how it will be for Cleveland baseball fans in the future.

Tribe Needs To Do Better Vs. Good Pitching

It would not be shocking to say the Cleveland Indians need offense in the off-season. After all they rank 10th in the American League in runs scored, 12th in drawing walks, and 13th in on base percentage.

They also have a dreadful record against the better teams in the league, save for the divisional rival Chicago White Sox, who they have an 9-9 record against.

They are 9-25 against the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, Astros, and Blue Jays, all of whom have won 85 games or more this season, so they will all approach 90 victories. And throw in the beating administered at Progressive Field by Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago, and that mark drops to 9-28.

After an offensive resurgence in August, the hitting has been abysmal in September, as Friday night marked the fifth time (in 24 games) that the Indians were whitewashed. They have also scored 3 runs or less 14 times (more than half for non math majors) in the last month of the season.

The league average for runs scored by an AL team this year is 4.6, and Cleveland averages 4.38, making them below average, which we already established.

We wanted to see how they did against the best pitching staffs in the league. Tampa leads the AL in ERA and in the seven games against the Rays, Tribe hitters scored 23 runs, just 3.3 per contest.

New York is second, and thanks to the pair of drubbings in Yankee Stadium last weekend, the Indians averaged over five runs per game. They also had the best record against them out of all the AL East post-season contenders.

Third best in ERA is the White Sox, and although the Tribe is 9-9 against them, they are only scoring four runs. Fourth place Houston? Cleveland went 1-6, averaging exactly 3 runs a game.

Toronto is known for their hitting, but they are 5th in ERA and the Tribe scored just 22 runs in the seven games, which is a 3.1 average. Then comes Oakland, whom the Indians went 2-4 against, mainly because they scored just 17 runs in the six games, which is less than three per contest.

Why have the Tribe struggled against the good teams? Because they can’t score against good pitching staffs, and they have to get some bats that can succeed against the better hurlers in the game.

We have long maintained that you have to score runs to get to the playoffs. The top five in the Junior Circuit this year? Houston (likely AL West champs), Tampa Bay (playoffs), Toronto (wild card contender), Boston, (wild card leader), and the AL Central champion White Sox.

And against good teams, you have to execute offensively. How many times this season have the Indians had a leadoff double, only to see the runner never move off second? It happened Friday night when Owen Miller got to second base with no one out, only to see Roberto Perez, Oscar Mercado, and Bradley Zimmer not even put a ball in play.

Yes, the Indians are a young team, so there is room for improvement and growth, but on the other hand, we haven’t seen many hitters making adjustments from at bat to at bat against good pitching, recognizing what the opposing guy on the mound is trying to do and then counteracting it.

Some times you have to tip your hat to the pitchers. We have seen opponents have to do that to Tribe pitchers.

It can’t just be Jose Ramirez though. The Indians have to be able to handle good pitching, and it hasn’t just been this season. It’s one of the reasons the franchise hasn’t won a post-season game since they took a 2-0 lead against the Yankees in the 2017 Division Series.

Sad, But True. Last Weekend For The Indians.

With yesterday’s rainout, Monday afternoon will be it for the Cleveland “Indians” playing at Progressive Field. When the 2022 season opens, the script of the team’s name will no longer sit atop the huge scoreboard in leftfield.

Whether it is replaced with “Guardians” remains to be seen, and also as everything else with this franchise currently, probably depends on the cost.

We understand many fans are pissed off about the change, and we get that, but it was inevitable, although it seems like the Kansas City Chiefs and Atlanta Braves’ fans can use a native American war cry at their games without people going crazy.

Some people don’t react well to change. It’s understandable, especially when you are in our age bracket, and you spent your entire life with the baseball team in Cleveland being the Indians.

Chief Wahoo was retired a few years ago, and we can remember in our college days wearing a pullover with the iconic logo on it, and a young woman commenting that they liked the “little dude” on the apparel. To this day, our friends still sometimes refer to Wahoo as the “little dude”.

We understand fans attending the last game (which is now Monday) will receive some sort of memento from the team identifying the event as the last contest in the ballpark with the team being called “Indians”. Perhaps that will be valuable in a few decades.

The loss of the mascot and the name change has driven more of a wedge in the relationship between the fans and the organization, most notably the Dolan ownership. And despite what many on social media tell you, it is on the franchise to repair that rift. Fans don’t have to buy tickets, it’s not a mandatory thing.

Hopefully, this .500 season is the low point of “retooling” of the roster, and the Guardians can be back in the mix for a post-season berth next season. It is somewhat remarkable the run the organization has been on since Terry Francona was hired prior to the 2013 season. This is the first time since then the franchise has not played meaningful games in September.

Winning is important to fans, but attendance has waned despite good teams. The local television ratings are extremely high, so the front office should be challenged with finding out why people watch on TV, but don’t come to the ballpark. That needs correcting and we don’t think it has anything to do with way the edifice is laid out now.

Speaking on that, the end of this season also is the last time Progressive Field will look the way it does right now. The modernization of the now 27 year old facility will begin this season, although it has not been announced what will be the first step.

Even though the time has come for the franchise’s nickname to go away, it doesn’t mean fans don’t have the right to be melancholy about it. For many of us, the names “Indians” and “the Tribe” were part of growing up, it was synonymous with baseball, summertime, and for our age bracket, a lot of losing.

On March 31, 2022, a new era will start at Progressive Field when the Cleveland Guardians takes the field. New traditions will start, and heck, maybe “the Guards” will be what folks will say when they talk about going to Progressive Field.

Make no mistake, it will be strange not to have the Tribe around anymore.

Why Not Take A Look At Gonzalez, Kwan Before Season Ends?

It is not a secret that the Cleveland Indians’ offense needs to score more runs, and unfortunately consistency is not in their arsenal.

In two of their last three games, the Tribe has scored double digits, getting a dozen against the Twins on Wednesday night and 11 yesterday vs. the Yankees. That’s the good news.

However, in the last 11 games, Cleveland has been shutout four times, including being no-hit for the third this season, the first time in MLB history a team has done that. Included in that span, besides the no-no, the Indians were one hit, three hit, and four hit.

That’s a whole lot of ineptitude.

On an every night basis, interim skipper DeMarlo Hale trots out a lineup with as many as five or six batters who would at best be called mediocre. Is that in the name of development? Because at this point, we think most people would say players like Oscar Mercado or Bradley Zimmer aren’t going to become players who hit well enough to be in there everyday.

Now, what if we told you the organization has two players at AAA who have OPS of over 875 this season in the minor leagues. Wouldn’t you think the organization would like to take a look at these guys as the regular season winds down?

Cleveland is 7th in the American League in home runs, but in 9th in runs scored, mostly because they rank 13th in the league in on base percentage and batting average.

And down at Columbus, the organization has a player who has compiled a .413 on base percentage in 66 games between the AA and AAA levels in 24-year-old Steven Kwan, a fifth round pick in 2018.

A left-handed hitter, in his minor league career he has reached base 38% of the time, but the only year he’s been under .400 was in 2019 at Lynchburg. He hit .337 at Akron this year (950 OPS) and .339 in 15 games with the Clippers.

He also has a little pop as well with 28 extra base hits in 287 plate appearances. The big club has only two players (Myles Straw and Jose Ramirez) who get on base more than 35% of the time, so they could use more hitters who avoid making outs.

They could certainly use an outfielder who hits with power and has a good batting average, and Oscar Gonzalez, who is just 23, certainly fits that bill.

A right-handed bat, Gonzalez has hit .300 with 28 homers and 76 RBIs (886 OPS) in 112 games, 63 of them at the AAA level. He has a .548 slugging percentage and has struck out just (relatively in today’s game) 97 times in 459 plate appearances this season.

As a comparison, Bobby Bradley has fanned over 148 times in four different minor league seasons.

What is Gonzalez’ problem offensively? He simply doesn’t walk. He’s drawn just 21 free passes this season, and that’s a career high! However, he continues to hit for a solid batting average, .276 in Columbus this season, and a lifetime minor league .282 mark.

Although we are a big believer in strikeout/walk ratio as a measure of success in the big leagues, there are guys in the majors who succeed despite not walking. Tim Anderson of the White Sox comes to mind.

Anderson averages 166 strikeouts and 24 walks per season, yet has a career .284 batting average, and won a batting title in 2019, hitting .335. Another weird stat about Anderson is that the year he set a career high in walks (2018 with 30), he had his lowest batting average at .240.

Why didn’t (or won’t) the Indians take a look at these two players, who might have helped the offense because their skill set in the minor leagues seems to be the very thing the parent club could use.

Quite frankly, wouldn’t it make the last two weeks of the season more exciting if we could watch this duo get some big league time instead of seeing players who have been decidedly mediocre for two or three years running.

This organization lives in fear at times, and this is one of those times. Kwan and Gonzalez deserve a shot these last two weeks. It would be good for them and the organization moving forward.

Tribe Roster Decisions That Don’t Seem Difficult To Us

The last season of the Cleveland Indians is slowly winding down with just a little over two weeks remaining, a total of 18 games.

Of course, some would say the Tribe hitters have already taken the bats home, as they have scored more than three runs in a game just twice in the last 11 games. And in that span, they’ve been one hit and no hit, and were shutout three times.

When the season ends, besides the name of the team changing to Cleveland Guardians (still difficult for us to type), the next piece of business will be who will remain on the 40 man roster.

This front office is well known for their patience, so will they take into account some flashes from some of borderline players on the roster or will they look at an entire body of work, like more than 300 to 400 at bats in the majors.

For us, it wouldn’t be that difficult of the decision, we could release 5-7 players as soon as the 162nd game is played and wouldn’t look back.

First would be the perpetual prospect group, particularly those getting a little old to be considered prospects anymore.

Bradley Zimmer is the first name that comes to mind. Yes, Zimmer has hit some long home runs this year, and that’s impressive, but he’s also fanned 103 times in 290 plate appearances and has a 698 OPS, and will be 29 next season. The only saving grace would be his skill set (great speed, great defense) could be ideal for a 26th man on a roster, but if the brass is thinking he’s an everyday player, they are mistaken.

Oscar Mercado is another of those frustrating players who seem to have a lot of tools, yet aren’t real good baseball players. He will be 27 next season and has good speed and is a good glove, but can’t get on base enough or have any pop in his bat.

The third is this group is Yu Chang, who has received his most playing time in the big leagues this year, and has managed just a 659 OPS. His biggest issue? 199 plate appearances and just nine walks to go with 54 whiffs. He has some power and has played shortstop so he is solid defensively, but if the organization wasn’t going to play him when he was hot, it’s probably best for him to move on.

There are also some guys in the bullpen we believe won’t be kept either. The organization might be inclined to make another non-roster invitee situation for Blake Parker and Bryan Shaw, but we would doubt either stay on the 40 man.

And Nick Wittgren is likely to be looking for a new organization as well. His performance has declined in each of his three seasons here, and has become prone to giving up the long ball. We should also note that Parker, Shaw, and Wittgren are also all over 30 years of age.

Southpaw Alex Young, picked up on waivers from Arizona earlier this season, may join them even though he’s only 28. Having a 7.84 ERA and having really one effective performance (out of ten) doesn’t seem to engender any confidence in him.

The only thing that could be in his favor is if Carl Willis and Reuben Niebla see something in him they believe would unlock a good pitcher.

It will also be interesting to see how the team handles players like Harold Ramirez (we’d keep him), Scott Moss (who has pitched 20 innings since 2019), and Daniel Johnson (they really don’t seem to like him at all).

That’s a lot of players to make decisions on, but do any of them really catch an eye as a potential everyday player in the big leagues?

Again, the Cleveland baseball team (we are transitioning) is known for patience, but for us, it’s time to make a decision on these players.

Is The Tribe Finding Out About Anyone?

Since the Major League Baseball trading deadline on July 30th, the Cleveland Indians have been focusing more on the 2022 season than on securing a post-season berth. But six weeks into the process, have they learned anything that will help them?

The Tribe has used a revolving door at second base, in both corner outfield spots, and in the bullpen. We feel they know they have a leadoff man and centerfielder in Myles Straw, but do they know anything more about the players they have been running in and out of the lineup.

First, let’s discuss Straw, who has played 39 games with Cleveland, getting on base 37.5% of the time, stealing 10 bases, and playing tremendous defense in center. Straw plays shallow, which we love, because he has a tremendous ability to go back on the ball.

At the other spots, though, do we know any more than we did before the end of July.

In the outfield, Bradley Zimmer had a nice hot streak where he belted some long home runs, but in the last 28 days, he’s hit .203 with a 613 OPS and just two homers. Perhaps the front office has finally learned he isn’t a part of the future, but if that’s true, then why not get more of a look at Daniel Johnson, who has had just 42 at bats since the All Star Game.

Oscar Mercado? He’s gone 22 for 97 since the trade deadline, with 3 home runs. He’s improved his strikeout/walk ratio but he’s still not getting enough hits. On the other hand, he’s only had 96 at bats, so is that enough to make a judgment on him?

At second base, the Indians has used a mixture of Owen Miller, Andres Gimenez, Yu Chang, and when he was here, Ernie Clement at the position, and to date Chang has been the hottest hitter, and seems to have received the least amount of at bats.

Perhaps that shows what the organization thinks of the 25-year-old infielder, who over the last month has gone 14 for 49 (.286) with four home runs.

Miller has gone 16 for 61 (.262) with two dingers, and Gimenez is 14 for 67 (.209) since the deadline.

The bigger question is does a 70 at bat stretch give you any insight as to who should the organization thinks can help the Guardians next season? Or will the team go through the process of being unsure in spring training and then into April and May about who can play everyday?

Wouldn’t it have been better to just say, Miller will play second base after the Cesar Hernandez deal, and given him 150-200 at bats to see if he’s the answer there? Or just play Zimmer or Mercado everyday to find out if either is a viable everyday player in the bigs?

To us, this is a major flaw for the front office, they are afraid to trust their judgment and possibly make a mistake. We are called this the “Aguilar Syndrome”, named after Jesus Aguilar, who received 58 at bats in three seasons for Cleveland, and then went on to have solid career (a 30 HR season, and likely his second 100 RBI season this year) for Milwaukee and Miami.

That should be a regret, but a player like Gio Urshela, who had over 400 at bats with the Tribe and hit .225 should not.

The Indians could have used the last two months to pick two or three players and make firm evaluations. Instead, they went with the revolving door method to give everyone a chance. Do they know any more about any of these players?

Maybe Zimmer, who is going to be 29. But we fear not anyone else.

Tribe’s Woes Vs. The Big Boys

There is an old baseball axiom that say to be a contending team, you have to beat up the “bums” and split with the contenders. That would explain why the Cleveland Indians aren’t really in the playoff mix.

Outside of the White Sox, who the Tribe has the familiarity of playing 19 times because they are a division foe, Cleveland has had huge problems with the best teams in the American League.

If the season ended today (it does not, of course), the five teams that would advance to the post-season would be Tampa Bay, Houston, Chicago, New York, and Boston. Take out the splitting of the 14 games vs. the Pale Hose, and the Indians’ record against the other four teams would be 4-19. What is amazing is that eight of the losses have been by one run, and two more have been by two runs.

Two of the wins have also been by one run.

And if you add in Toronto and Oakland, teams very much in the wild card mix, the record is 8-28.

That means against everyone else, Cleveland is 59-38, which is really, really good.

They have been outscored in those contests, 125 to 79 against the Rays, Astros, Yankees, and Red Sox meaning they have been averaged less than four runs per game against those top tier teams. Overall, they average almost 4.5 per contest. It’s tough to win without putting runs on the scoreboard.

It’s not a stretch to say the Indians can dominate the lower class teams in the American League, but have been totally outclassed by the big boys. And that has to change is they want to be contenders next season.

Jose Ramirez and Franmil Reyes have been productive against the upper echelon teams of the AL. Ramirez has hit .322 (19 for 59) with four home runs and 13 runs knocked in. Reyes has hit .324 (23 for 71) with seven dingers (remember he had a great series vs. Tampa) with 19 ribbies.

On the other hand, Amed Rosario has struggled against these teams, hitting just .193 with 3 RBIs, and Harold Ramirez is 10 for 51 with four runs knocked in. Some of the younger Indians have struggled as well. Bradley Zimmer is just 9 for 52 (.173) and Bobby Bradley has gone 9 for 56 with a single home run.

All the losses by one run shows that for the most part, Cleveland has been competing with the good teams, mostly because their starting pitching keeps them in games early.

The Tribe is a very young team, so it might just be a part of the growth process, learning to win against the better teams. One good thing to take away from this is in each of the series, the Indians have won one game in the set, the last game. The early losses, some of them tough to take, haven’t bogged the team down.

Cleveland has gone 23-8 against the Royals and Tigers, but have struggled slightly against Minnesota, who is having a down season. They still have seven games left against the Twins to improve that mark.

Playing much better against the good teams has to be a goal for next year. We understand the mindset of Terry Francona is taking things one day at a time, but getting wins against good teams is needed to make the playoffs.

It’s been a struggle to do that for the 2021 Indians.

Things To Watch For Tribe In September

In many ways it feels hard to believe that the Major League Baseball season has just one month left. It seems like yesterday that Shane Bieber allowed a home run to Miguel Cabrera in a snowstorm at Comerica Park in Detroit.

But here we are, and the Indians have just 33 games remaining. And that’s literal too, because once the campaign is over, the name goes away, and when spring training starts next February, the Cleveland baseball team will be the Guardians.

Even though the front office seems to be focused more on the 2022 season and finding out what players currently on the roster will be able to help next season, the Tribe is still just five games out in the lost column for the second wild card spot and we have always felt there is a chance if you enter September five games or less out of a playoff spot.

That’s a long shot, obviously.

What else is there to look for with the season winding down towards a conclusion?

One thing to watch is the return of Aaron Civale and Shane Bieber. If all went well for Civale last night, he should return to the rotation when the team returns home on Labor Day. By the way, we know pitchers’ wins doesn’t hold the cache it used to, but even though the right-hander has missed a little more than two months, he’s still 7th in the AL in wins with 10.

Bieber could start to make rehab appearances in minor league games next week, which could have him back on the mound in a major league game by the middle of the month.

We have said before it would be important for the organization and the pitchers’ themselves to know they are healthy heading into the off-season.

And we will be left imagining a rotation of Bieber, Civale, Cal Quantrill, Triston McKenzie, and Zach Plesac heading into the ’22 season.

A baseball axiom is not to trust anything done in April or September, but the outgoing position battles in the outfield and at second base bears watching.

At second, we will likely see a revolving door with Andres Gimenez, Owen Miller, and Yu Chang getting opportunities.

Chang has hit well over the last month (12 for 34, 5 HR), Miller has an excellent minor league pedigree as a hitter, and Gimenez, the only left-handed hitter of the trio, hasn’t hit well since being recalled, but has shown a much better eye at the plate.

Can one of them get a leg up on the starting job heading into Goodyear?

The same goes for the ongoing competition in the outfielder, really in the corners, because it appears Myles Straw has taken command in center.

Harold Ramirez has returned and he will be added to the mix along with Bradley Zimmer, Oscar Mercado, and Daniel Johnson.

Zimmer has had a great deal of success since the All Star break, hitting .272 with 6 homers (806 OPS) in that span. However, he’s also fanned 48 times in 142 plate appearances (33.8%), which is very high. He’s hit long, long home runs, true, but is that type of production sustainable.

Mercado has improved his walk rate, but has hit just .223 in the second half (625 OPS), and for the year hasn’t done well vs. RHP (.205 batting average). As a right-handed hitter, he isn’t as good as Ramirez, who has decent enough numbers against righties, although Mercado is a better defender.

As for Johnson, he’s gone 15 for 50 with four dingers in the second half of the season, even though he was sent to AAA during that stretch. It looks like the organization has decided he can’t hit lefties, because he’s pinch hit for whenever a southpaw is throwing.

Johnson has a terrible strikeout to walk ratio (23:3), but we would like to see him get some opportunities vs. lefties.

It would be interesting to see what would happen though, if the Tribe won five or six in a row and got within, say, three games out in the loss column? That would be fun to see.