While We’re Waiting… Avoiding the Browns, Tribe Training Staff, and the USC Non-TD
September 17, 2009Focus On The Line
September 17, 2009
In all seriousness, how many of you actually knew the Indians played a day game yesterday? The team, save for a few players, played like they didn’t know they were scheduled for one either in their Metrodome swan song. The 7-3 loss to the Twins had all of the making of a team licking the stamp. They couldn’t get out of Minneapolis fast enough. For the most part, the Tribe is closing the season as if they cannot wait for it to be over. They have now lost 13 of 16.
Aaron Laffey, who had beaten the Twins three times this year, didn’t have it for his second consecutive start. He pitched into the seventh inning, but was chased after Jason Kubel’s single and Michael Cuddyer’s RBI double. For the day, Laffey allowed six earned runs (one unearned) on 12 hits and three walks. He didn’t strike out anyone and only induced one of his trademark double-play balls.
Laffey allegedly threw a chair in the tunnel to the clubhouse after a rocky fourth inning, something he denied to the media after the game. One thing that couldn’t be denied was Eric Wedge’s disgust with his ballclub. He was seen screaming at them in the dugout during the middle innings.
Between missed/bad cut-off throws from the outfield to bad base-running, the Grinder seemed to have reached his breaking point. The normally even-keeled manager let it loose. “I didn’t feel like we played well at all behind him (Laffey). We made some poor decisions on cutoffs, decisions where we could have taken the out that would have saved us two or three runs easy.”
“I wasn’t yelling at any one person,” he said. “I was yelling at everybody. This is the big leagues, man. We’re better than this.”
It is clear that Grindmaster is at the end of his rope. He knows it, the players know it, and the fans know it. At this point, it would be an absolute shock if Wedge can survive.
The lone bright spots in yesterday’s debacle were the two kids who came over in the CC Sabathia trade, Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley.
LaPorta, who struggled over the last few weeks after a hot start, capped off a 6-12 series with three hits and three RBI, including a two-run blast to deep center in the seventh, which knocked out Twins starter Nick Blackburn. Brantley had two more hits bringing his average to .328. These two are clearly core pieces that must play every day from the start next year, regardless of who the manager is.
While the Cliff Lee trade continues to look worse and worse by the day (I know, we have to give it time, but when the centerpiece of the trade is a 19- year old pitcher who now has shoulder problems, and the other three have done nothing, its an issue), LaPorta and Brantley are putting the CC trade in a completely different light.
Listen to the Gator, talking in Wedge-speak: “It’s important not to give in right now,” LaPorta said. “It doesn’t matter what the situation is around you. That’s part of being a man is finishing strong. Just come out here every day and try and get better for the ballclub.”
The Twins are now 4.5 games back with a big weekend series with the first place Tigers ahead. I can’t help but root for them. They are what the Indians should be. Without Justin Morneau for the rest of the season, Joe Mauer has to continue to be the man for the Twins. If he could only play the Indians every game. The stat of the year has to be that Mauer hit .536 (30-for-56) with two homers and 10 RBI against the Tribe this year.
Before returning home next week, the Indians are lucky enough all the way to Oakland for a four game series with a fellow last place team, the A’s. Over/under on how may people stay up and watch these 10:05 start times the next two nights is 10. Justin Masterson takes on Clayton Mortensen tonight in the opener.
14 Comments
The difference between the Indians and Twins is that the Twins’ minor league system and big league coaching staff actually teach their players fundamentals and make them better. The Indians’ only teaches how to grind.
How many of you still want to pencil in Laffey as next year’s #1 starter? Or Westbrook? Any way you slice it………2010 = 100 losses. No plan in site other than Shapetti’s “Marlins” approach. No home grown talent anywhere to be seen in the lineup or rotation, or pen.
Go Cavs.
I cant get over that the Twins have traded away Johan Santan and Matt Garza yet still compete every season. Model franchise given our wallet.
100 losses … do you know how hard it is to get to 100 losses let alone 100 wins??? If you had said 80 Isis I could have agreed with you but they’re likely going to pull out at least a few series wins in order to keep it above 100 losses
Come back to me when you get some sensibility about these things
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Isis. I’d be shocked if they lose less then 90 games next year. It isn’t that hard to get 100 losses, just ask the Nats. They have a rotation full of #4-5 starters.
“At this point, it would be an absolute shock if Wedge can survive.”
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. He’s got one year left on his contract, and they will not pay him to go away. He’ll be back next year.
And my first point was written poorly, let me try it again.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Isis. I’d be shocked if they lose less then 90 games next year. They have a rotation full of #4-5 starters. It isn’t that hard to lose 100 games, just ask the Nats.
I guess I’ll start predicting losses as soon as I see what the opening day roster will be…
Even with the Nationals they are at 95 losses with 11 games to go … they’re a mockery of a team with only about 3 players with any discernible pro talent, and yet even they are going to have to push it to make it 100+ losses. The Indians on the other hand are in a much easier division than the NL East and has talent (Choo, LaPorta, Grady, Asdrubal, etc.) that will make it even more difficult without even regarding our pitching staff to lose 100+ games. By luck a long I’d be shocked if lost more than 90 games.
I wrote that wrong… “The Nationals are going to hit 100+ no doubt, but even they had to work hard on making it 100+ with their lack of talent” is what I should have written.
And it’s 17 games because I’m in law school and not math school and therefore cannot add… Okay I’m done with my correcting myself
Remember when the Twins were criticized for taking Mauer because they didn’t want to pay Mark Prior?
I wouldn’t say the Tribe is “mailing” it in at all.. from the appearance of the last three weeks it seems like it was mailed in already.
Hard to watch.
I’m happy to see LaPorta and Brantley playing hard. They seem to “get it.” I guess they’ve fought so hard to get the majors, they don’t want to spoil it.
Keep grinding.. TD is right. Brantley and Gator are studs. The guys we got from Philly in the CP Lee trade are anything but.