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July 13, 2009Browns Drafting Skill Will Be Apparent This Year
July 13, 2009
UFC 100 was definitely the attraction for all of those that enjoy hand-to-hand combat. But one match that should have been pegged for the under card used words as the weapon of choice. In one corner, Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee. In the other, Tribe skipper Eric Wedge.
Lee took the hill this weekend in attempt to top the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers and All-Star Edwin Jackson. Our ace tossed seven innings of five-hit ball, striking out eight while walking only two. Unfortunately for all involved, the Indians offense mustered one run. Adding insult to injury, two of the runs that the Tigers plated came on a fly ball to right field – a right field where Ryan Garko happened to be playing.
The ball was brutally misplayed, and the runners scored from first and second after the hitter was credited with a double. Following the game, the words started to fly.
Asked if he felt the ball should have been caught, Lee said, “Do you? I don’t pass judgment on that. I throw the pitches. Where it goes it goes. It’s not up to me to move the outfielders or infielders. All I do is pitch.
It did seem like it was in the air a long time. I don’t know if they had him shaded the other way or what. You’d have to ask him or Wedgie.”
The “do you?” line is eerily similar to the beginning of the infamous Brett Myers interview where he went on to completely tear apart a reporter. To Lee’s credit, he didn’t go on to call his very reporter a “retard.” The passive-aggressive nature of Lee’s answers, however, are intriguing to say the least. It is times like this where you would just love to talk to someone off of the record.
And if questioning his coach’s use of players in the field was not enough…
“My job is to give the team a chance and get as deep into the game as I can,” said Lee. “I feel like I did that and have been doing that. We’re not scoring enough runs to win. That’s the bottom line.”
Despite having an ERA under 3.50 and 93 strikeouts in 127 innings pitched, Lee sits at 4-9 on the season. Quite a difference from the 22-3 season from one year prior. Sure, a few of the losses could be pegged to Lee as he has been up and down throughout the season. However, the Indians have managed to combine for nine runs in the last four games in which Lee has started.
His last win came on June 14th as the Indians topped the Cardinals 3-0. Thankfully Lee was able to shut them down completely in his three-hit gem as three runs is still questionable in terms of support. Couple all of this with the lack of attention paid to his contract and recent reports that he will no longer consider signing an extension before free agency, and you can almost hear the bubbling frustration that Lee has inside of him as the Tribe sits at 35-54 at the All-Star break.
Garko defended himself, perhaps feeling that Lee was throwing verbal darts his way. We heard about the outfield experiment in pre-season and there was a collective concern, for good reason. Sure, Garko’s bat is a tough one to keep out of the line-up. But there are just certain times and places where experiments of this ilk are not warranted.
We mentioned times last season where Eric Wedge would put Franklin Gutierrez in the game with Joe Borowski, almost as a safety net for any potential hard-hit balls to the corners. But what does Lee get? A catcher that was converted to first base playing in one of the larger outfields in the American League.
“Print the same thing I said the last time,” said Lee, an edge to his voice. “It’s the same story.” Same story is right. It seems like every recap that TD provides begins and ends in a similar fashion. Either it’s a lack of hitting, a bullpen implosion, or a concoction of both.
Our ace pitcher is obviously unhappy. While the rest of the world is looking at 2010 as the Year of LeBron, Lee is counting down the days until he can join a staff that not only provides him with run support, but also a coach that provides him with the best defense behind him.
Where Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun pleads for help from his GM, Lee may be pleading to just get the heck out as there is no one player that can be added to the Indians that would right this ship.
You have to wonder if this latest war of words will lead to Lee getting traded before next season even rolls around. After the All-Star break concludes, the rumor mill will heat up as to who is the next to be moved from this woeful team. We’ve seen Jhonny Peralta’s (and even Garko’s) name being floated around. You have to imagine that Lee’s name cannot be too far behind. Especially if Travis Hafner continues to get some time at second base…
16 Comments
This team could use a fight in the clubhouse. Much better than the malaise they’ve been playing with since DeRosa got traded.
Hafner is getting time at second base???? Thats news to me!!! Goes to show you how much I am paying attention to the Indians this year
The funny think was Garko said he hit a home run in the same game and we have to look at both sides of the ball. That one statement sums up what is wrong with this team. Hey Garko you kinda need to play defense too.
Yeah, but the fight should be the players lining up and punching Wedgie in the face.
” … Lee is counting down the days until he can join a staff that not only provides him with run support, but also a coach that provides him with the best defense behind him.”
Love that idealism. Here I thought Cliffie’s well-documented personality issues were being exacerbated by his looming free agency, not just his competiveness. As in, “Who will give me an eight figure contract if I only win 6 games this year, even if I’m pitching my ass off.” Frankly, who can blame him.
I feel bad for Cliff. he is the ultimate red-a*s. He just wants to win and not talk to anyone….right now, he cant do either.
The sad part is Cliff Lee will be gone, but Eric Wedge will still be there.
There’s obviously an undercurrent of bitterness brewing with the Players against Wedge. It’s only a matter of time until it bubbles over. How can Shapiro continue down this path?
Hafner playing second??? Come on, not even Eric “Dead Man Walking” Wedge would do that. You’re joking, right?
I agree that a clubhouse fight might help. Couldn’t hurt.
Aha, you were joking. Got me.
I know, I know, Indians fans. We felt your pain last year. We, Tiger fans, got dinged last year and there is nothing you can do about it when things go sour. I know it’s frustrating. Even though you are our archrivals, hang in there and don’t dog on Eric Wedge too much. We wanted to run Jim Leyland back to Pittsburgh last year. However, we got rid of the right guy, Chuck Hernandez. Sorry, you ended up with him. He might be the person might want to run out of town
I will give Garko the Syndric Steptoe defense. It isn’t his fault he is being asked to do something he isn’t ready to do, or capable of…
Our lame duck coach should be gone now. Why do we have to wait for next year? I would have a call out to Hargrove begging him to line himself up a staff and be ready to go asap. Then fire all of the coaches at once. Start our spring training for next year now. Bring up Laporta and Brantley. Give the fans SOMETHING to hope for. Too many people on the same page… Dolan, Shapiro, Wedge. We need a fresh set of eyes.. Someone who will challenge Shapiro… WHY ARE WE ALWAYS WAITING FOR NEXT YEAR?
It was very obvious Garko was not an outfielder when Wedge put him out in left, why in the world would he put him in right? I can give him some slack there…just some.
This is why we lose all of our good players…there is no support in the office. We’ll lose Lee who will probably go on and kick a** on the mound somewhere else.
What about the pitching and batting coaches? Do they even practice with these guys? Don’t they see their weakness’s and aren’t they supose to work with them to correct them?
[…] evident that Cliff Lee has no intentions of being here past 2010. But even with the team struggling as bad as it is, Martinez has no […]
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[…] was, by all accounts, disastrous. In one game he “brutally misplayed” a ball and that led to a tiff between pitcher Cliff Lee and manager Eric Wedge over player […]