Outsiders' View: FCs From Around the League Weigh-In on the Indians

Over the years, Cleveland sports fans have been subjected to some spectacularly bad teams.

The Browns have had exactly one good season since their reincarnation in 1999. They have never won a Super Bowl. Their biggest moments were "The Drive" and "The Fumble", both of which serve as reminders of failure rather than success.

The Cavs were pathetic B.L. (Before LeBron). People outside the state of Ohio seemed largely unaware that Cleveland even had a basketball team. Their only other successful stretch was a few playoff runs in the early 1990s that are remembered more for the buzzer shots by Michael Jordan that took them down, than the team itself. They have never won an NBA Championship.

The Indians, of course, were epically bad for 20 years in the 1970s and 1980s. In two decades they produced the inspiration for Major League, provoked the infamous "10 Cent Beer Night" riot, and secured exactly zero playoff berths. They have not won a World Series since 1948, a championship draught second only to that of the Cubs.

Suffice it to say that we Cleveland fans have a lot of experience with bad teams. We know how to love a loser, or at least have a good time heckling one.

We spend a lot of seasons expecting to lose and are trained to be okay with it. Given that, you would think we would be able to accept the 2009 Indians with, at the very least, a sense of resigned detachment. Unfortunately, it seems that we can't.

The problem is that we didn't expect this team to lose. They were supposed to be contenders. We had every reason to expect great things from this team before the season began, so instead of being resigned to their incompetence, we were shocked, disappointed, and can't stop trying to figure out what went wrong.

Most of us are pretty sure we are more qualified to evaluate the team than its own front office, but we've spent the whole season trying to determine what went wrong, and how to fix the mess. And we can't figure it out either.

Eventually, it occurred to me that maybe we were just too close to it to see things clearly.

Were we all perhaps clinging to expectations for players who would never meet them, when we should have been cutting the cord and searching for replacements? Were we waiting for the team to turn it around long after we should have seen that it would never happen?

Worst of all, had we perhaps overestimated our chances in the first place, believing we had a team with potential to contend, when in fact, there was little chance of this in reality?

By the midpoint of the season I deemed myself (as well as my fellow Indians' fans and the organization itself) to be too biased and too bewildered to answer these questions accurately. The only way to determine the truth seemed to be to seek outside opinion from an objective party.

It was thus with the hope of seeking the truth about the 2009 Indians from an unbiased source that I decided to poll my fellow featured columnists on Bleacher Report about the my beleaguered team.

I would like to thank the following 40 Bleacher Report MLB Featured Columnists who participated in the survey:

From the AL: Nathan Stoltz (Athletics), Casey Greer (Mariners), Bo Reed (Rangers), Lawrence Barecca (Orioles), Isaac Barrow (Orioles), Sean Kennedy (Red Sox), Todd Civin (Red Sox), Joseph DelGrippo (Yankees), Stephen “Heartbeat of the Bronx” Meyer (Yankees), J.C. De La Torre (Rays), David Allan (Blue Jays), Geoff Zochodne (Blue Jays), Joe Slowik (White Sox), Dave Hampton (Tigers), Greg Eno (Tigers), Clark Fosler (Royals), Marty Andrade (Twins), Andrew Kneeland (Twins), and Jeremiah Graves (Twins).

From the NL: Anthony Masterson (Rockies), Tyler Thompson (Rockies), J.C. Ayvazi (Dodgers), Leroy Watson (Dodgers), M.T. Robinson (Padres), Andrew Nuschler (Giants), Kevin O’Brien (Giants), Cameron Britt (Braves), Brett Kettyle (Braves), Lou Cappetta (Mets), Christian Karcole (Phillies), Scott Eisenlohr (Phillies), Dave Nichols (Nationals), Farid Rushdi (Nationals), Tab Bamford (Cubs), Cliff Eastham (Reds), Ilya Harrell (Reds), Jesse Motiff (Brewers), Tom Au (Pirates), Andrew Mease (Pirates), and Greg Jergens (Cardinals).

The following is the product of the survey results and demonstrates what I now believe to be the objective truth about the 2009 Indians, based on my interpretation of the answers the aforementioned writers provided.

In addition to the quantitative conclusions I deduced from the survey results, a selection of the survey respondents' insightful thoughts is included as direct quotes. I regret that I did not have the space to include all of their comments, as every one of them impressed me with their enlightened, thought-provoking answers.

1. before the start of the 2009 season, did you see the Indians as a contender to win the AL Central? If so, did you see them as a contender to win the AL Pennant or even the World Series?

As it turns out, the Cleveland faithful weren’t the only ones who were wrong about the Indians’ chances in the AL Central this season. Sixty-eight percent of the Featured Columnists (FCs) polled thought the Indians had a good shot at winning the division at the start of the season.

The NL FCs seemed more inclined to believe this than the AL FCs: Almost 80 percent of those representing NL teams responded “yes.” Still, the same answer prevailed among AL FCs, though the percentage was decidedly smaller. Four of six respondents representing teams in the Indians' division thought the Indians would take the AL Central as well.

That Indians' fans were not alone in overestimating the Tribe's chance to contend before the start of the season did not particularly surprise me. What was more interesting were the reasons given as to why the Indians looked like they had a shot to win the division.

Those of us in the Indians' camp spent the offseason seeking out every possible justification for believing we could win the division, but mostly, we believed we could do it because we simply thought we had a great team. The view from outside turned out to be very different.

Of those survey respondents who thought the Indians would win the division, very few indicated that they made this choice because they thought the Indians were a particularly good team.

Rather, most saw the Indians as a possible division winner because they believed the competition in the central was either weak or impossible to predict.

In fact, many of those who answered "yes" added that they did not mean they were certain the Indians would come out on top, but rather that they thought the Indians had as good a chance as anyone because the division was wide open “Unless you’re Kansas City,” noted Blue Jays' FC Geoff Zochodne.

Said Giants’ FC Kevin O’Brien, “I expected them to be a contender in the AL Central due to overall unpredictability of the other teams in the Central. The Tigers were coming off a bad year, the White Sox had lost two key cogs from their playoff team a season ago (Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera), the Royals were still unproven, and there were a lot of question marks with the Twins' rotation.”

Several FCs from struggling teams even liked the Indians' chances because their own teams were so bad that the Tribe looked great by comparison. Take it from Padres FC M.T. Robinson, “Compared to the Padres, the Indians are the equivalent of the 1927 Yankees.”

Just two of the respondents said they guessed how bad the Indians would be from the start, predicting they would finish last in the division. Had I conducted this survey before the season started, I would have thought they were complete fools. Now I’m more inclined to believe that they are actually way smarter than the rest of us.

No one liked the Tribe for the AL Pennant or the World Series much. Four respondents saw the Tribe as a possible dark horse in the World Series, but most everyone else who thought the Tribe would win the AL Central went on to predict that they would fizzle out early in the playoffs.

2. Please BRIEFLY describe what you think went wrong for the Indians this season.

It should come as no shock to anyone what the most frequently cited reason for the Indians' demise was: 60 percent of the FCs polled believed pitching (whether relating to the rotation, the bullpen, or the whole staff) was to blame.

Said Tampa Bay FC J.C. De La Torre, “The Indians starting pitchers are dead last in the majors in ERA. Look at the teams near them—San Diego, Baltimore, Washington…they are all at the bottom of their respective divisions.”

The fact that Carl Pavano was the team’s No. 2 starter was an indicator of just how bad the starting pitching was according to several FCs. “Maybe Carl Pavano as the No. 2 starter should have been a red flag”, said Detroit FC Greg Eno. According to Rockies FC Tyler Thompson, “There is no way you can cover for a rotation that awful.”

The bullpen was mentioned specifically in most responses, described as (among other things) “a dumpster fire” by Toronto FC David Allan.

The dismal performances of Fausto Carmona and Grady Sizemore also came up frequently as huge contributing factors to the Indians’ disappointing season. A number of respondents thought the Indians were relying heavily on the hope that Carmona would return to his 2007 form, a foolish move because they had no backup plan and no proof that he was headed in that direction.

A few FCs felt that the drop in the numbers that Sizemore put up this year was severe enough to play a big role in the team's failure. Yankees FC Joseph DelGrippo had this to say about Sizemore: “His decline is very troubling. He appears to want to be a home run guy, but his job is to get on base and set the table.”

Many focused their attention on Eric Wedge’s shortcomings as a manger. Said Cardinals FC Greg Jergens: “(Wedge’s) pitching decisions and constant lineup changes made it very hard to get any continuity.”

Perhaps more damning than the manager’s ability (or lack thereof) was a string of poor decisions by the front office. Cubs FC Tab Bamford said “They shouldn’t have moved prospects for DeRosa because he was a Band-Aid. They shouldn’t have moved Casey Blake last year. They’re effectively the same player. They also need to cut their losses with Hafner and invest in an everyday DH.”

The signing of Kerry Wood was specifically designated as one of the aforementioned poor front office decisions. GM Mark Shapiro’s trades over the past two seasons were viewed as equally damaging. Said Phillies FC Scott Eisenlohr: “How can you trade back-to-back Cy Young Award Winners (Sabathia and Lee) and still charge full price at the ballpark?”

Frequent team-wide hitting slumps, poor team chemistry, and an overrated lineup were also cited as reasons for the Tribe’s awful season, as well as the fact that they got off to such a bad start in April. Rangers' FC Bo Reed said “Had the Indians gotten off to a better start, things would have been much different, but the hole dug in April was too much to overcome.”

There was even one mention of a possible curse at work: Giants' FC Andrew Nuschler worried that the baseball gods had it out for him this year and thus, perhaps he jinxed the Tribe by picking them as a World Series dark horse. This forced me to consider that he might be Jose Mesa operating under an alias, but the rest of his answers indicated he knew too much about pitching for that to be the case.

At the end of the day though, the answer that best sums up what went wrong for the 2009 Indians may be that of Toronto FC Geoff Zochodne: “The season started.”

3. What Indians' player(s) have been the most disappointing in their performance this season?

The overwhelming choice for the most disappointing player for the Indians in 2009 was Grady Sizemore, who received more than half the votes. “If he’s supposed to be 'untouchable' (for trades), somebody needs to tell him to play like it,” said Dodgers' FC Leroy Watson.

Fausto Carmona had the second-highest vote total for this question. “Remember when he was unhittable?” mused Twins' FC Marty Andrade.

Kerry Wood was next on the list, usually accompanied by a comment about how severely the Indians' overpaid for him, followed by Jhonny Peralta and interestingly, Cliff Lee.

Every single player in the regular lineup or on the pitching staff got at least one vote to receive this dubious distinction, except for three players: Victor Martinez and Asdrubal Cabrera, who deserved to be left off the list, and Trevor Crowe, who I can only assume wasn't mentioned because he was so bad to begin with that no one was particularly disappointed when he failed to perform.

Four votes went to the bullpen collectively, and Atlanta FC Brett Kettyle cast his vote for “every pitcher not named Cliff Lee”.

4. Despite the Indians' failure to perform as a team, which Indians' player(s), if any, have performed well this year as individuals?

Shin Soo Choo and Victor Martinez were tied for the most votes in this category. Atlanta FC Cameron Britt said, “If not for (Martinez), this team might be as bad as the Nationals.”  Now that he has been traded away, perhaps they will be.

Asdrubal Cabrera was next in the vote totals, and finishing in a surprisingly distant fourth place was Cliff Lee. Ryan Garko and Travis Hafner also received a few votes each, with several FCs commenting on how nicely Hafner had bounced back from injury.

Mark DeRosa received a few votes as well, despite the fact that he was traded in June. Said Stephen “Heartbeat of the Bronx” Meyer: “Arguably your best performer was traded for a reliever who wasn’t ready for the majors.”

What is truly alarming is that the Indians actually traded away FOUR of their best performers, according to the results of this survey. This means that only three players who respondents thought performed well this season remain with the team.

For those keeping score at home, that would be 12 percent of a 25-man roster. Any sabermetricians out there know if there is a formula to determine the number of expected wins if only 12 percent of your roster is remotely decent? Or should we just assume that a percentage this low means we should start casting for a remake of Major League?

5. Other than Grady Sizemore (who the Indians have designated as their lone untouchable), which Indians' player(s), if any, would you like to see your team make a trade for?

This question was meant to be hypothetical, as it was posed before the Indians traded Garko, Lee, and Martinez, and before I had even considered a trade of Lee or Martinez as real possibility.

As it turned out, there was nothing hypothetical about it for the FCs from Philadelphia, Boston, and San Francisco. Both the Boston FCs, Todd Civin and Sean Kennedy, submitted their answers before the Martinez trade, but I imagine they're both happy since they both listed Martinez in their answers.

Phillies FC Christian Karcole included Cliff Lee in his answer, which was submitted before the trade. Phillies FC Scott Eisenlohr answered after the trade by simply saying, "We already got him."

So four respondents got their wish, but since Lee was the top vote-getter for this question and Martinez a close second, it appears many others did not.

A significant number of FCs also expressed interest in Garko, Choo, Peralta, and Cabrera. Mets' FC Lou Cappetta felt his team could benefit from acquiring Peralta. He said, “Peralta is a solid bat who could fill in at shortstop until Jose Reyes returns. After that, Peralta could be moved to first base, where he’s sure to be better defensively than anyone the Mets currently have.”

I was surprised that only one person expressed an interest in Jamey Carroll, and equally surprised that there were people out there who wanted Wood, Pavano, and Westbrook.

San Diego FC M.T. Robinson said he would be happy to take any of the Indians to help his troubled Padres. Conversely, four FCs said they didn’t want ANYONE from the Indians' roster despite the fact that the team appears to be having a clearance sale.

It is unlikely that those who wanted to trade for Choo or Cabrera will get their wish, but there appears to be no guarantees anymore. Boston FC Todd Civin also pointed out that even the supposedly untouchable Sizemore likely “could be had for the right price.”

6. Do you think the Indians will contend in 2010?

The verdict, sadly, was an overwhelming “no.” Many of those polled felt the Indians would go into rebuilding mode. Giants' FC Andrew Nuschler said “Too much young talent has walked out the door for youngsters who won’t be ready by next season.”

Twins' FC Jeremiah Graves said “Without (Martinez and Lee), the team doesn’t look like contenders in the AL Central.”

White Sox' FC Joe Slowik said it was doubtful because “they would need to acquire/develop two or more legitimate starters,” which would be difficult to do in just one year.

As was the case with the 2009 predictions, the NL contingent was more inclined to believe the Indians had a shot in 2010—though this time there were far fewer who had any hope for the Tribe.

A few FCs cast their vote as “maybe,” depending on whether Sizemore can rebound from injury and a terrible season all-around, whether then-Indians can acquire adequate pitching through trade or promotion, and whether the players who remain on the roster can improve.

Said Mariners FC Casey Greer, “Their division is as deep as it is mediocre, so it’s possible if the right players progress, but not a given.”

A few also saw the Indians’ chances in 2010 as dependent on how the rest of the division looks. Dodgers' FC J.C. Ayvazi said, “Anything is possible in the AL Central, but it will be difficult.”

Even though they were far outnumbered, 11 brave souls did vote that yes, the Indians could contend in 2010. Colorado FC Anthony Masterson said “Yes, the upper levels of their minor league system are stocked with big time prospects who will make a serious impact in 2010.”

It should be noted, however, that all of the "yes" votes were cast before Lee and Martinez were traded.

In conclusion, it seems my fellow Indians supporters and I were not as far off base as I had feared. The majority of the FCs polled shared our mistaken belief that the Indians would win the AL Central this year, and the majority also agreed that unfortunately for us, the Indians will not contend next year.

They agreed almost entirely with me (and I venture most Indians' fans) on which players performed well, despite the team's struggle as a whole.

Regarding players who disappointed this season, I wholly agree with the FCs polled on Fausto Carmona and Kerry Wood. Initially, I was surprised Peralta didn't receive more votes, but then I realized it is difficult to be disappointed in a player you don't really expect anything from.

I was also surprised to see Pavano mentioned, not because he's been particularly good, but because he's been far better than I expected and thus, far from disappointing.

Other players I would have included are Trevor Crowe, Jeremy Sowers, and even though he was released in May, David Dellucci.

I thought the severity of the criticism of Sizemore was a bit harsh. I agree that he has been disappointing, but I believe it is largely due to injury. However, because the whole point of the survey was to gain insight from soliciting objective opinions, I will concede that my reluctance to agree with the survey results on this subject may be the result of my inability to consider it from an unbiased position.

We all agree that pitching played the largest role in the Tribe's demise, and that injuries certainly didn't help. I blame moronic front office decisions and poor team chemistry more than the survey participants did, and I was shocked that no one mentioned lack of leadership as a contributing factor.

Unfortunately, none of this changes the fact that the Indians are just really, really bad, and probably won't be getting better any time soon. Still, this project afforded me a lot of valuable insight about my team from an objective, well-informed panel of sources.

My biased opinion may yet affect my ability to be completely objective when assessing my own team, but it did not prevent me from coming to terms with many things pointed out by the FCs I surveyed that I had previously been unable to see through the haze of my affection for my team.

To all the FCs who participated in the project, I wish the best of luck to you and your respective teams for the remainder of the season.

Since 2009 won’t be the Indians' year, I don’t mind supporting your teams’ successes.

We'll get you next year.

Well, maybe in two years.