Another weekend, another lost series for your Cleveland Indians. Since winning three straight series and getting to within 5.5 games of first place Detroit two weeks ago, the wheels have completely fallen off the wagon. The Wahoos have lost 10 of 12 and fallen deeper into the basement of the horrific AL Central division to the tune of 12 games. Sunday’s 8-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds was another snoozer where Eric Wedge’s listless bunch did him no favors in regards to saving his bacon.
The weekend started great as they usually do. Behind Behind Shin-Soo Choo and Victor Martinez’s combined four RBI, the Indians took the opener 9-2 with the nine-lives man himself Jeremy Sowers pitching into the eighth inning before turning things over to the bullpen. My favorite whipping boy seems to have the same pattern of behavior. He pitches like garbage four consecutive times and seemingly gets to the end of his cord before saving himself with an outing like he had Friday night. Sowers truly is the ultimate tease.
Friday night’s win also featured the last of what we will see from Jensen Lewis for a while. After coming in with two on and nobody out in the eighth, Jenny retired three straight to get Sowers out of the jam. Meanwhile, he came out for the ninth and promptly walked the first two Reds. Wedge had seen enough and went to Tony Sipp, who K’d the next three batters to finish the game. With the newly acquired Jose Veras ready for action, someone had to be shipped out. It turned out to be Lewis, who truth be told, earned several stays of execution with the parent club, despite never coming out of his season-long funk.
Per Sunday’s PD – Lewis loved to tell reporters that he had turned the corner, even though that never actually happened. Said the Grinder in response to Jenny’s talk; “He does this to everybody. I think it’s something that works against him a little bit. You have to look in the mirror. He doesn’t need to talk about it. He need just needs to do it. There have been several other opportunities to send Jensen out. We chose to keep him here to give him a chance to work things through. Jensen showed flashes of what you’d like to see, but he hasn’t shown the consistent control he needs to show to be effective, especially in a pivotal role.”
Meanwhile, Veras, pitched a perfect ninth in Saturday’s 7-3 loss. This one featured a brutal start from journeyman Tomo Ohka. One thing you can say about Ohka – he throws strikes. Too bad for him, they were mostly flat on the middle of the plate where Cincinnati hitters could pound him. On one of the most beautiful nights you will ever want to watch a ball game at The Jake, his control was even failing him. Ohka lasted just four innings plus, allowing six runs on eight hits, walking four. The Tribe offense had plenty of opportunities to stay in the game despite Ohka’s struggles. Reds starter Homer Bailey, somehow walked seven in his five innings of work, but the Indians couldn’t deliver the big hit. They loaded the bases with nobody out in the second and could only manage one run thanks to a Luis Valbuena double play ball. A Grady Sizemore RBI single in the fourth brought them to 6-3, but that’s as close as they got.
Noticeably absent from the lineup Saturday night was Mark DeRosa. He had been in a mini-slump, so conventional wisdom thought that it was just a day off. WRONG. After the game, it was announced that DeRosa had been dealt to St. Louis for reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named later. We can’t say that this is any sort of surprise. DeRosa was a coveted multi-dimensional player with one year left on his contract. The Indians are going nowhere fast so there really is no point to keep him around. As for the haul in return; Perez was actually the closer late last season in St. Louis and has a power arm. At 23 (turns 24 in July), he is major league ready and should be moved right into the back end of the bullpen. He is the kind of guy GM Mark Shapiro craves – young, on the come, and inexpensive. Do not discount the Player to be named later either. Its been said that the player will be among the top prospects that the Cardinals possess. Shappy has turned previous PTNBL’s into Coco Crisp and Michael Brantley among others. Can he pull the magic off again?
In the meantime, the Indians continue to sink lower and lower. The rotation is Cliff Lee and four guys who from start to start you have no clue if they will go more than five innings tops. With Veras in and Lewis out, the bullpen, next to Kerry Wood, does not carry one single member that started the season on the every day roster and has lasted until now without at least one option to AAA. DeRosa is gone, and the white flag has been officially waved. More moves have to be made.
Anyone who sees Ben Francisco and Ryan Garko play on a regular basis knows they are not every day players and have worn out their welcomes in Cleveland. Both are good guys, but very average at best ball players. Shame on Eric Wedge for trying to turn Garko into an outfielder and shame on Shapiro for not having a Plan B in left field when Francisco inevitably failed. It’s been over a full season of regular time for Benny, and he is barely hitting his weight, not to mention being a butcher in the outfield.
Here is a microcosm of the season for these two, who should be replaced by Matt Laporta and Brantley on the roster immediately. In the fifth inning of Sunday’s game, Joey Votto hit a one out fly ball to Garko in left. On the run, Garko inexplicably tried to make a basket catch and dropped the ball for an error. Rick Manning, on the STO telecast said “he has to make that play, but you know what? Ryan Garko is not a left fielder.” Naturally, Tribe-killer Brandon Phillips laced an RBI single up the middle. Francisco’s throw home was way too high to be cut off by first baseman Victor Martinez, allowing Phillips to get to second. This is baseball 101 – hit the cut off man! Seriously though, Garko has been a regular now since 2006. Francisco is now 27-years old and had plenty of opportunities to prove he is worthy of everyday play. Neither of them have stepped forward in the clutch. In fact, Garko has done his major damage once the pressure was off last year.
Time to see what the kids can do.
Tribe fans, its not even July 4th. Its gonna be a loooooong summer. Hey, at least Asdrubal Cabrera is back.
Author: TD
TD is a born and bred Clevelander who agrees with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt when he says ""Ranch Dressing makes everything better except for cereal and ice cream."TD has written 253 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I still maintain my stance that Garko, Shoppach, and Francisco need to be gone…LaPorta, Brantley and Santana (or Gimenez to catch) would be much better than that trio of turdnuggets.
“Tribe fans, its not even July 4th. Its gonna be a loooooong summer.”
Not so fast, my friend. 32 days until the Browns open training camp!
Meanwhile, Paul and Daddy (Larry) show ZERO sense of urgency or committment to their loyal fanbase by continually making statements such as “we’ll meet with Mark at his request at some point”, to the equally inane “we won’t make any rash decisions”. Ok then……begin yet ANOTHER annual fire-sale instead of directing and facing the situation head-on.
Fans should be irate at the calm, cool, lack of fire shown by this team’s ownership in regards to holding accountable the shambles of a coaching staff and front office that had failed them so miserably. How about starting with a year by year analysis of Shapiro’s free agent signings? Or the abysmal start that is standard Wedge profile?
Maybe empty seats will get the laid back Dolan boys to at least yawn?
TRIBE MORATORIUM!!!! NEEDS MORE BROWNS!!!!
Can we call this season “The Curse of the Moratorium?” I need someone to blame for this summer. I don’t feel like blaming Shapiro and Wedge anymore, so I am going to blame TD for putting a Browns Moratorium on WFNY.
Who’s with me?
Can’t believe I once wrote: “If I had to line up the bullpen right now with the current guys in it, I would leave Jensen Lewis as the closer to begin the year.”
I think grading Shapiro is tough to do. To grade out his FA signings and make a blanket statement would be shoddy work at best. Having Steinbrenner’s pocketbook doesn’t make Brian Cashman a “good GM” for instance.
With DeRosa gone, can anyone tell me why LaPorta isn’t starting in left field every game? What’s the point of having Francisco and Garko play there? And why have Josh Barfield taking up LaPorta’s roster spot when he doesn’t ever play?
Yesterday’s listless effort was Exhibit A why it’s time for a change in the clubhouse. Unfortunately, Shapiro is too busy looking at VORP and OPS to notice it.
@ #1 – vomit.
Meanwhile, Franklin Gutierrez is coming off of a .284/.346/.514 June…
Craig, totally with you-the Indians under Dolan/Shapiro deserve not a single line of print. Let’s focus on organizations that are committed and have passion.
Moratorium on Indians, PLEASE!
DP-can you do me a favor (and all of us) and list Shapiro’s YEAR BY YEAR free agent signings, beginning with his tenure in 2002? (I believe Brady Anderson was his first gem). Look at the facts…..then let us know your thoughts.
I meant TD, not DP.
Methinks Craig was joking, and Isis be serious.
I mentioned something about Shapiro’s FA signings not being a fair indicator of the entire job he’s done. Look at our lineup. How many of those guys were FA signings versus players traded for?
My point is that Shaps is working with one fifth of the budget of New York, so he’s obviously not going to be signing players of the impact of Teixeira.
I was kidding, although I would love to see an honest debate on which owner is betterererer between Dolan and Lerner…
I bet you would get about a 50 / 50 split in the fan voting…
Also @DP
I agree with your take on Shapiro and making sure we are fair in judging his performance. At the same time, the worst part about the last few years was that I bought into “the plan.” I jumped on board when they traded Bartolo. I waited patiently and believed in loading the farm system. The frustration comes from the fact that it just hasn’t worked. Even in finding some great talent in Grady, Victor, Sabathia, Cliff Lee, etc… I still can’t say that it has worked. And for all the writing that people have done about Oakland and Minnesota, how many World Series titles do they have with their systems?
Money doesn’t buy championships directly, but it usually buys playoff appearances, and subsequent chances. The failure of the “rebuilt” Indians is so extremely crushing to the foundation of my baseball fandom that I can’t even put it into words yet. It makes me start to believe all those who said I was in denial when I insisted that baseball wasn’t broken.
I am starting to fall into that category of fans that thinks the Indians either need to be bought by Mark Cuban, or the game needs to be leveled with a salary cap and floor. This team was “set up” to be really competitive right now. And yet, it feels like playing the lottery more than anything else.
@ Craig – obviously Gilbert is the greatest owner in the history of owning things. Your omission is glaring and I award you no points.
I think it is time for Tribe fans to demand a new management. I’m not kidding. The current “plan” for the Tribe isn’t going to work.
DP-check the facts first ok? You’re missing my point entirely. I’m not judging nor asking Shapiro to sign Teixeiara types. Merely make the signings count for something other than abysmal failure. Take the signings in any context you want……just review them. It’s not about the profile or dollars, it’s about the execution and production. On that basis all of us can be judged and graded.
As absurdly misguided, midirected, and misplaced-at least Lerner cares, is committed (methinks), and spends (often wayward) whatever it takes. Nothing among those respects can remotely be applied towards the Dolans, so I’ll take Lerner anyday and “hope” he gets lucky and finally directs his cash towards a managment team that can make it happen. (methinks [WFNY edit: Management nickname not to be uttered in these parts] is another of his wayward misguided but well-intentioned sprees).
Dolan can’t even feign a yawn.
oh man – I hope I didnt get censored for writing the alternate word that my kids use for #2…lol…my apologies if thats the case…
just wanted to say LaPorta, Brantley and Santana are a much better trip that Garko, Francisco, and Shoppach
*much better TRIO…
darn Mondays…
They may be a better trio now, but I’m sure they’ll regress once the major league “coaching” (and I use that term loosely) staff gets ahold of them.
@ boom – right on. And that’s why all of those who say, “What good will having an interim manager do?” are wrong. Wedge has proven time and time again he’s unable/incapable/unwilling to assist in the development and consistent maturation of young talent that Shapiro brings into this organization. Why would I want to give a lame duck manager the keys to LaPorta and Brantley?
@ 17 Denny
Duh… Gilbert doesn’t belong in the convo with Dolan and Lerner. His name was omitted so as not to get any unnecessary stink on his name for no apparent reason.
@24 – agreed…I think the trio of twits (Wedge, Shelton, and Willis) need to mosey their way on outta town…they have something against talented rookies or young guys looking to make a name for themselves…
Is this Iran or just pandering to the Browns where censorship rules in that camp?