INDIANS 5/2/03
May 02, 2003
THE BOTTOM LINE
By: Jason Wachs
This is pathetic, disgusting, mind boggling, and amazing all at the same time! The Indians are off to their worst start since 1969. They have lost eight in a row, a streak that hasn’t been accomplished since 1991, and they can’t hit for crap right now. In the first edition of the Bottom Line I said that I considered the Detroit Tigers a minor league team. I may have to take that back, because the division comparison on radio talk shows in Cleveland isn’t how many games out of first they (Non of the news guys can count that high), but how big of a lead the Indians have on the Tigers. It is at 3.5 games right now. Ouch! When your team is getting compared to the Tigers on a nightly basis, all you want to do is stick your head in the sand, and never come up. The other topic on radio shows is whether or not the Indians would be better off with Charlie Manuel as manager. For those of you who don’t know who Charlie Manuel is, or have never heard him speak consider yourself blessed. By my accounts, he is one of the dumbest people who have ever walked onto a baseball field, and is insulting to have him compared to Wedge. That includes those morons who charge the White Sox field weekly…errrr I mean sometimes. (To me it just seems like it happens weekly.) I will not blame any of the Indians problems on Eric Wedge this season under any circumstances. He has nothing to work with. The talent isn’t ready. People that are calling for his head, or even questioning his right to manage have no right and are simply ignorant. Omar Vizquel has been shown on the front of The Plain Dealer three times this week looking like he wants to commit suicide. Still want to not waive your no-trade clause Omar? Didn’t think so. Anyway, back to my point. Those subjects being discussed around Cleveland are just the beginning of notifications of how bad the Indians have been playing.
The only positive things from the beginning of the season are starting to fade away. Danny Baez, who went his first five outings without giving up a run, has been bombed in his last four giving up eight runs in only 2 1/3 innings. Two of those games were blown saves, and another he came in with a tie game and gave up the winning run. That includes a game against Seattle in which he blew a two run lead, and gave up five runs without getting an out. The dagger in that one was a walk off grand-slam form Mike Cameron. Baez has gone from un-hittable to disgusting. He has no control, and everything is up and over the plate where it gets demolished. The other positive, which was the starting pitching, has gone down the toilet as well. Ricardo Rodriguez and Brian Anderson who both started off the season brilliantly, have been bombed in their last five combined outings. Rodriguez I hoped would keep it up, but I never expected much from Anderson. The only person that has done anything offensively, Milton Bradley, is now own the DL. Why the hell didn’t I see this coming? Nothing else is going right!
The offense is still doing squat. The Indians have lost twelve of their last fourteen games, and in those fourteen games they have scored more than three runs only three times. Two of those games they won, and the other was the one where Baez exploded to give up five runs in the ninth. When tied or trailing after the six innings the Indians have never won. Here is perhaps the most vulgar stat of them all: In their current eight game-loosing streak the Indians are 3-40 with runners in scoring position. That means that they are averaging five at-bats per game with runners in scoring for those of you who are mathematically challenged, which still isn’t very good, but to only convert three times is unthinkable. The Indians have turned the most double plays in the league to bail out their poor pitching, but they are third worst in the league in grounding into double plays, but it seems that every one of theirs ends a rally. The Tribe is last in the league in batting average, Runs, RBI, Slugging Percentage, Hits, and OPS. (Remember I don’t count the Tigers for any team statistics.) One more stat to throw at you: The average ERA for a member of the Tribe bullpen is 6.80.
I hate the rule that every team ahs to have an All-Star. Clearly the Indians don’t deserve to have an All-Star, and neither do a few other teams. This is probably too early to discuss this, but if you go by stats, and pure performance it would have to be Milton Bradley (By the time he gets off the DL he will still have better numbers than most guys on the team.) My vote would have to go to Omar or Ellis Burks just for putting up with this crap. I love Omar, and feel for him. Those pictures that I mentioned in the paper really hurt. It is sad to see a player spend the majority of this career with one team, and have to have it end like this.
Honestly, I have tried to find something positive to leave you with. I can’t do it. There isn’t anything good happening with this team right now. The best I can do is to tell you that Matt Lawton ash raised his average 100 points in the last two weeks. Congratulations Matt, you are now batting .189 and in my mind you deserve to be moved up from Double-A to Triple-A! The Bottom line is that the Indians suck right now, and things aren’t going to get any better anytime soon. Their next fifteen games are against the AL West, which is the best division in baseball. Brace yourself Tribe fans, because we are in for a long, bumpy, and nauseating ride.
Here's your positive spin Jason. Despite a horrendous start out of Jason Davis earlier tonight and a 5-1 deficit entering the bottom of the fifth, the Tribe rallied for one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and two in the eighth and stole a 6-5 win against the Rangers. I believe that this is now the first time they've won when trailing or tied after six innings.
Very nice showing from Billy Traber out of the 'pen, with 5 K's against just 1 hit in 3.2 innings. Unfortunately, he wasn't rewarded with the win, as Elder replaced him with two outs in the top of the eighth. Baez gave up a hit in the ninth, and he threw deep into counts. Overall, he threw a solid inning in a tight game for the save.
Chin up Tribe fans.... it's gonna be a long year, but it should be worth it in a couple of years.
Jim, I wrote this before last night's game, but yes you are right, because last night's game was very encouraging. It was the first time the y had a comeback win after six innings, and Gerut, and Hafner's homeruns very very pleasing. The only bad thing about last ngiht, is that the Tribe sitll didn't have many scoring oppurtunities. Burks's doubles were the only htis with runners in scoring position. Also If you take away the two solo-homeruns, then the Indians only had htis in the sixth, adn eight innings. They went one, two, three in four innings, and in the innigns with the homeruns, everyone else got out. They still don't have any consistent offense.
Traber has had his highs and lows this year like msot other indians have and will continue to have. The problem with all of these young players, is that none ahve been consistent yet.
I agree with you 100%, that it will be worth the wait, because in 2005 I see this team contending. Mark Shapiro ahs done a fablulous job in getting young talent into our farm system. To go from one of the worst farm systems to the best in one year is incredible. To throw away only two seasons when rebuilding, assuming that the team will be good in 2005, would be incredible as well. Especially with the extent of our rebuilding.
