Going into the 2008 season, the one thing that everyone said would give the Cleveland Indians the advantage in the Central Division was their pitching.
Coming off a season where the Indians were one win away from a trip to the World Series, I thought this season would be a breeze. No headaches, no stress, no constant worrying about whether or not the Tribe would make it to the playoffs or to the top of the division.
Apparently I better pull the Ibuprofen out of my medicine cabinet, because the headache has begun.
My one worry coming into the season was the Detroit Tigers.
Their monster trade during the offseason worried me ever so slightly with the acquisition of Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, though I still think Willis isn’t going to provide the Tigers what they were aiming to gain in improving their pitching.
Although it’s no secret that the Tigers began the season going 0-7, which was a surprise to many Tiger faithful. Honestly, I believe it’s more of a surprise that the two so-called “top dogs” of the Central division are finding themselves towards the bottom of the pack.
I know it’s still early and all, but I’m tempted to hit the panic button and this is why.
C.C. Sabathia
The reigning Cy Young winner has done little to impress anyone during his first few starts given that his current ERA is at the ridiculous number of 13.50. I never would have dreamed that I’d be more relieved to see Cliff Lee on the mound than Sabathia.
The one thing C.C. seems to be missing is location and control. It’s obvious whatever is going on with him is mental. I only wish I could dive in between his ears and see what the heck is going on in his head.
Some are blaming it on contract negotiations. I honestly don’t know what to blame it on; I just hope he gets his act together sooner rather than later.
The Dellucci/Michaels Platoon
Someone PLEASE explain to me why we still have these two guys in left field when we have the young and talented Ben Francisco waiting in the wings to take over.
I understand that they’re giving these guys some time to find their groove (40 games to be exact), but wouldn’t it make more sense to put in the younger guy who has repeatedly proven himself in the 2007 season AND in spring training?
The Indians need to eat their money with this one. I’d rather lose a few bucks and gain a much better player than have to watch these two in the outfield anymore.
The Bullpen
With Joe Borowski on the DL and Betancourt stepping in as the new closer, I’m still waiting to see how this whole debacle will turn out. At the end of the Indians/Angels game where Joe Borowski gave up a grand slam to Torii Hunter, I actually felt bad for the guy.
Borowski led the league with 45 saves last season and I didn’t understand why no one seemed to be cutting him some slack. But after he made a repeat performance against the Boston Red Sox with the exact same outcome, I was infuriated.
Maybe everyone was right. Maybe I SHOULD want to strangle this man. Now that he’s on the DL, I’m still not relieved. Hopefully with the help of Jensen Lewis, Rafey “left”, and Rafey “right”, the Indians bullpen can settle down and pitch effectively.
Now that I’ve let off some steam, let’s hope the Tribe's offense gets moving and we can scratch our way back to the top of the division.
I am worried, but I have faith in the Cleveland Indians. I do realize that we’re only a mere 20 games into the season and that we still have plenty of time to work through these problems. I just hope they don’t wait until it’s too late.
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2 months ago
I know its not what you want to hear... Truthfully its not what I want to hear.. But Francisco isn't even hitting above .200 in Triple A right now. So for now the Dellichaels combo is better than what Francisco will give. Don't worry though, if it falters and Ben gets hot, he will be up here.
from 2 months ago
My bad for not glancing at the current Francisco stats before writing this up! Haha. Oh well, those two in left field still make me uneasy.. especially Dellucci and his defense.
2 months ago
This weekend was a stressful weekend to watch, we wasted two great pitching performances from Westbrook and Byrd and scored a total of 1 run for them. Wow, I thought this team was maybe starting to snap out of it after Friday but in typical Cleveland fashion, we have to sweat it out. Let's hope CC gets a great start tomorrow and snaps out of this funk.
Anyway, welcome to Bleacher Report and I look forward to more from you!
Go Tribe!
2 months ago
Explanation for Michaels + Dellucci platoon
Dellucci has a career tOPS+ v. RHP of 107
Michaels has a career tOPS+ v. LHP of 117
According to a study conducted by the Hardball Times the Mean OPS+ of LFers in 2007 was 107 and the Median OPS+ was 101. That is to say, the 'averaged OPS+ of LFers in MLB for 2007 was 107 and the 'middle number' of LFers in 2007 was 101.
Thus, a tOPS+ of about 110-112 is WELL ABOVE league average. And for a team with outstanding offensive production (typically), if your worst position is above league average, you are doing fine.
That said, the hitting has been terrible to this point and I don't think the Michaels/Dellucci platoon is the issue. I would put it on the shoulders of Hafner, Blake and Sizemore. Gutierrez, Martinez and Cabrera are also not carrying their weight.
from 2 months ago
Those numbers are the reason Shapiro and Wedge like this platoon so much.
That and it worked VERY successfully a few years ago at first base with Broussard/Eddie Perez.
I have no issues with Michaels to be honest. He can hit lefthanders, he is a scrappy player with good defense and can do some of the little things. He is very good at working the count as well. Its all about Dellucci staying healthy and hitting well. He didn't do that awesome before he got hurt last year.
from 2 months ago
To be fair, it didn't REALLY work at first base with Broussard and Perez. Both had extremely 'lucky' numbers and Shapiro sold high on both players.
That said, there is going to be a hole in the lineup in LF no matter what. That is the reality of a team with this payroll. However, the objective it to make that hole as small as possible. Shapiro has done an alright job by placing an above league average platoon out there.
2 months ago
HOW ABOUT KENNY LOFTON IN LEFT FIELD? Kenny hot around 300 last year and he was a catalyst that got things moving. The Indians did better with him in the game.
from 2 months ago
I don't care what anyone says! I want Kenny back too!
from 2 months ago
Kenny wants too much money and he isn't giving in to anyone yet.
2 months ago
I actually don't mind Dellucci's bat - he's been hitting as of late. Michaels, on the other hand, continues to struggle mightily. Dellucci plays pretty solid defense but he is slow and has no arm, something that really hurts the Tribe's outfield. Michaels is a better defender with a better arm. Who do you go with? I would lean toward Dellucci, although I acknowledge that it is still a platoon out there in left. I don't see the Tribe making any huge push without a solid, consistent left fielder. Man, I wish Francisco would start hitting...
2 months ago
I love stats but all other stats indicate that Dellucci/Michaels platoon is a failure. It was last season, before Dellucci's injury. And then after they traded for Lofton, Michaels was regulated to the bench and basically so no action in the playoffs. That should show everyone the confidence that Wedge/Shapiro had in these two.
So did Dellucci and Michaels drink some type of new sports drink that would suddenly make them great? Or even Good? Or even Fair?
Dellucci and Michaels on the roster is for one reason. Shapiro doesn't want to show that signing them both to 3 year an 2 year contracts was a bad decision. Same basic reason Marte is on the roster. Shapiro doesn't want to admit the the Coco Crisp for Andy Marte (Basically the 2 main men ) was a mistake either.
Looking at Francisco and saying that he didn't deserve to make the roster and trying to show that his performance at Buffalo is why, is riduculous, IMO. He has tore the AAA apart for 2 seasons, outplayed all comers for the LF and RF positons for the Tribe and was sent back to AAA, again!
Who would not be discouraged. Garko had similar results in 2006 when he was first called up and received no playing time and then was demoted again.
Everyone who knows anything about baseball knows that Francisco/Choo (when activated) will outperform Dellucci/Michaels in all aspects of the game.
Pitching, while CC has struggled and the bullpen has not performed as expected is still our strength. Were we need things adjusted and improved, quickly, is offensively. Same as the second half last season and the playoffs. This meager offense should not be a surprise to anyone if you follow the Tribe.
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