The Indians' front office has to do something. That is clear at this point. It can't keep going this way. The Indians offense isn't getting any better.
Monday night's 4-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox may be just one game out of 162, but it speaks to what has happened this whole season. Cleveland is not hitting. But the real problem is that there is no improvement.
The Tribe's season is officially 45 games old. Outside of a game here and there, the team has been atrocious at the plate. As of this evening, here are the Indians' hitting statistics, as a team, compared to the other 29 teams in baseball:
30th in batting average at .234
22nd in runs with 183
30th in hits with 344
19th in home runs with 36
30th in total bases with 527
22nd in runs batted in with 179
23rd in on-base percentage at .317
27th in slugging percentage at .366
When Jason Michaels was released in favor of Ben Francisco, the Indians' brass finally admitted that the team was in an offensive slump. At the ensuing press conference, Cleveland Indians GM Mark Shapiro admitted that the key to offensive success lies within. Since that time, the Indians are averaging only 3.7 runs and seven hits a game. That is not going to get the job done.
The Indians have been lucky to this point. They havebeen able to stay in contention despite their hitting woes, because of their outstanding starting rotation. Given Cleveland's starting pitching, the Indians should be in first place by several games.
But as the starters start to come back down to earth, the Tribe front office needs to make another change. It's time for Derek Shelton, the Indians hitting coach, to get his walking papers.
Rewind to 2005. The Indians were struggling at the plate. Eddie Murray was ousted after such a drought by the Indians lineup. Yet, for some strange reason, in similar circumstances, the team continues to stick with Shelton.
Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for what Shelton has done, but we are not just talking about one or two hitters. We are talking about seven of the Cleveland Indians' regular starters. Victor Martinez and Francisco are the only two Indians hitting above .300. The team has only four hitters hitting above .240. The statistics speak for themselves.
It's not just this season either. In 2006, we saw a dramatic drop off from Jhonny Peralta. Again, Shelton never got Peralta turned around. Last season, the Indians had only one hitter who batted over .300 for the whole season.
Most importantly, Shelton cannot get the most important hitter, Travis Hafner, straightened out. Since last May, Hafner has been in a slump that is progressively getting worse.
Since putting up career numbers in 2006, Hafner has been anything but spectacular. Most Indians fans know that if the Indians are to have a chance at a World Series title, Hafner is going to need to be hitting like his old self. But in a year, Hafner has just gotten worse.
It’s understandable that teams go through hard times at the plate. But this is becoming more of a trend then an isolated incident. This lineup, on paper, should be one of the most feared lineups in the game. But that is not the case. And let’s not forget the slump this lineup was in through most of May and June last season.
So what is the answer? Michaels was the scapegoat. Michaels went to Pittsburgh and hit .294 over his first nine games. That leads me to believe it's not the hitters, but the hitting coach. This slump has continued, and it’s time to find a new hitting coach.
Firing Shelton is the only way to change some things around. There is no way this team will win the division the way they are hitting now. Maybe this team needs a fresh set of eyes to diagnose the troubles of the Tribe bats.
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4 months ago
I hate to see it happen, Shelton came in a and seems to have done a great job until the last season or so back to the Al--Star break last year. Don't know what could have happened with just him, but it is a disturbing trend and he is responsible for that aspect of the team. It happened to a hall-of-fame guy in Eddie Murray, I agree it will likely soon and rightfully so, be his head on the block to be fired.
4 months ago
Yeah Shelton has to go. He did a good job, but every once and awhile you need to change it up. Switching the hitting coach is a good way of doing that.
4 months ago
The turn-around that happened after Murray was fired is atypical. I'm not saying Shelton shouldn't be fired just saying that don't expect it to be a cure all.
4 months ago
It is funny to me that everyone calls for a coach's head. They are struggling yes. But why isnt Wedge stepping up like Leyland or other managers and putting some of the responsibility on the people making millions of dollars. Hitting coaches don't hit, pitching coaches don't pitch. The answer is simple, it is easier to eat a couple hundred thousand dollars than it is to eat Millions. So let's blame a coach brilliant. Michaels was a scapegoat no doubt about it, but ask Jason Michaels or Casey Blake or even newly acquired Jamey Carroll what they think of Derek Shelton and the work he does. My thought is let him go and he will get another job and come back and haunt you and then all you people will be saying why did they let him go. People amaze me how critical they can be when they have never stepped between the white lines or laced up a pair of cleats at something other than a beer league softball game. Eddie Murray was a great player but could not communicate to his players, it doesn't take a genious to figure that out. So my thought is better be careful what you sih for, because guys like Derek Shelton will be around for a long time and will manage some day and all you people will be begging for him to come back.
from 4 months ago
Derrick Shelton was a minor league hitting instructor before he was promoted after the Murray firing. I don't think he will come back to haunt us.
Shelton might be a good coach, but it is clear his voice is not getting through to these group of players. A change needs to be made, and I don't think it is all Shelton's fault. The players need a fresh voice in their ears.
Why isn't he telling Asdrubal Cabrera to look at the 2-0 fastball? Manning pointed it out tonight, and Cabrera just watched it go by. He was up 2-0, Vazquez got it to 3-2, and Cabrera struck out.
Come on, even I know that. You look for the 2-0 fastball, and when it comes RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE of the plate, you freaking swing. Is Derrick Shelton telling his young hitter that? He should. If not, see ya
4 months ago
THe thought or idea that it ia always the coaches fault is amazing to anyone hwo has ever played the game. Seems like not too long ago everyone wanted Wedge's head-- then he is the manager of the year. A coach is to prepare a player an dput together a plan, unfortunately once the step on the mound or in the box, the job of exectuing the plan is up to the player. I think Rick Manning put it best on a broadcast a couple games ago: "Players should get the credit when they hit well and the blame when they don't-end of story" I would bet that if you ask any player that there is no one who works harder or is more prepared than Shelton. It makes sense to be disappointed-I'll be the is a whole lot more disappointed that any of us fans.
4 months ago
Larry- I agree with you that the players deserve some of the blame. But as you said you aren't going to sacrifice Hafner, Peralta, etc. I have been between the lines. It's my opinion and you can have yours but I am not sure that you have any better of an opinion because you may have played a little more baseball than me. Regardless of that, whatever work he is doing with the hitters is not producing results. I am not saying it is all his fault, but once again he is the one that is supposed to at the very least get the players on the right track. I will go one further with you. There is a famous Baseball Tonight piece that was showing the difference between Pronk in '06 and this season. His swing is not the same, his stance at the plate is off, and he is pulling his head off when he swings. If these analysts can see this, why is it that these things haven't been done, and if they are why are they not producing results. Since May 5th the offense has gotten worse, not better. That to me speaks volumes about what is going on, because if anything the work should've tripled and we should see at the worst a slight improvement. That has not happened.
Jack- I am not questioning his work ethic. It's simple baseball thinking. As stated above to Larry, the offense has not gotten better since the Michaels/Francisco move, and that was kind of a sound of an alarm that this needs to be addressed. I am not saying he isn't doing his work, but again you can't drop Hafner. Someone needs to be held accountable. Manning has also commented on swings and mechanics of various players at the plate, and the things he says time and time again are not fixed. Manning has also posed the question on the air if he notices this stuff, why isn't the coaching staff. That is my question, somewhere there is not being a connection made. Unfortunately Shelton is the one expendable and thats the way the big leagues work. It worked when Murray was fired, and maybe it will work again.
4 months ago
Great article and you said what most are hesitant to say: Shelton needs to be fired. How much he is responsible for the pathetic offense will always be questioned. But I have never seen so many guys from one team be in such a huge slump for so long. And Shelton is the leader of the offense and has to be held accountable.
The offensive slump has now reached 137 games!
With so many on the team struggling, there has to be something that Shelton is doing in the scouting report, hitter's approach (3 run HR mentality) that has to change. Will things get better right away with a change. Probably not but I see no hope in sight.
As far as Shelton getting a job with another team and coming back to haunt us: I have wondered if Wedge, Shelton or Willis were replaced, whether any major league team would ever hire them. I really have my doubts.
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