The title says it all. At this point its right out there in front for everyone to see: The Indians are not a playoff-ready team at this point.
Not at all.
After consecutive losses in HOUSTON to left-handed starters, the Indians are now 5-15 with southpaws on the hill.
The need for a right handed bat in Cleveland is far from breaking news. The Indians have been highly left-hand dominant since the beginning of the 2011 season, with much talk and little action taking up the one-and-a-half years since.
But instead of addressing the need, the Indians front office declined to add a third year necessary to sign Josh Willingham, passed on Michael Cudduyer, and instead chose to sign 38-year old Johnny Danon, not in the offseason but nearly three weeks into the season.
This half-assed approach to building a title contending team in Cleveland is what has led to the 360-degree turn from the 6 division titles in 7 years between 1995 and 2001 and the single division title since.
Yet there is much more to this problem than executive incompetency. In fact, many in baseball consider Mark Shapiro to be one of the best executives around, responsible on his own for keeping the franchise afloat through a rebuilding decade that coincided with a sale of the team.
Certainly there are the poor decisions, but the overriding issue in Cleveland is the pervasive "woe is me" attitude that has spread beyond the fan base and into the club itself.
During the offseason, its the "small market, cant sign anyone" issue. Isnt Minnesota small market? Didnt you put up $5 mil for Grady Sizemore? Didnt you sign Travis Hafner to a big deal a few years ago?
There is some weight to the small market argument, but if the right free agent presents himself (Josh Willingham), there is no reason why even the Indians cant seal the deal.
Once the season starts, that inherent pessimism remains. Memorial Day is usually the first checkpoint in the baseball season as to whether or not a team should be a buyer or seller. And while it seems the Indians have been perennial losers since the end of the 90's era, they have been in serious contention on Memorial Day at least 5 times during the post-2001 era.
In 2005, the Tribe were right in the thick of things until the final day of the season. Yet all the club did in order to bolster their lineup for the stretch run was complete two "blockbuster" trades for Jason Dubois and Ramon Vasquez.
In 2006, Cleveland had a shot to contend for the Wild Card, with the Indians actually above .500 in early June through 53 games. This time the club went one step further, trading Brandon Phillips to the Reds for PTBNL (Jeff Stevens) because manager Eric Wedge felt that Ramon Vasquez gave the club a better shot to reach the playoffs.
The Indians finally did reach the playoffs in 2007, winning the AL Central and coming up just one game short of the World Series (thanks to a poorly managed starting rotation in the ALCS). But even in their "breakthrough" season, the club made virtually no attempt to dive into the trade market to fortify their lineup. Trading Max Ramirez to Texas for former Indian Kenny Lofton was a good move both from a practical and from a fan-support standpoint, but it was far from a blockbuster.
2008 was perhaps the worst (until 2011 that is). Coming in as the defending Central champs, the Tribe got off to a slow start but managed to work their way into a 1.5 game lead on May 15th. On May 16th, Jensen Lewis blew his 1st career save opp (his only blown opp as the Indians closer- they released him in 2011) and the Indians began a 7-game slide that dropped them to 4 games back.
Even so, the club battled through injuries and stayed within 7 games up until June 27th when the injury-depleted squad began a season-crippling 10-game slide (the 2008 Indians are the only team EVER to have two 10-game winning streaks and two 10-game losing skids in the same season).
89 wins ended up being enough to win the division in 2008. The Indians were sellers. Out went Cy Young winner CC Sabathia and Casey Blake, replaced by promising prospects in Matt Laporta, Michael Brantley, and Carlos Santana.
2009 and 2010, thanks to more injuries (fire Lonnie Soloff already!), were throw away years. The Indians continued to sell, as they should, completing the "reloading" process ready to contend in 2011.
Gone were Victor Martinez, Franklin Guitierrez, Ryan Garko, Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Mark DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt, Kelly Shoppach, Johnny Peralta, and Jake Westbrook. In came Justin Masterson, Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, Lou Marson, and Chris Perez.
Yet once that promise of contention came to fruition, it was as if the team was surprised their plans had actually worked out.
After surging out to a 30-15 start and a 7-game lead in the division, the offense sputtered, leaving the Indians in a duel with Detroit that went back and forth for the better part of June and July.
The need for a right handed bat that is now at the forefront was already rearing its ugly head. Yet to address their (injury-enhanced) need for an outfielder, the Indians went out and got Kosuke Fukudome, a disappointing left-handed hitter who never hit after the start of summer throughout his time in Chicago.
Perhaps the Indians were longshots to get (some of) them, but Carlos Beltran, Hunter Pence, Delmon Young, Jonny Gomes, and Derrek Lee were all on the market.
All the Indians got was Fukudome, Jim Thome, and a very unnecessary Ubaldo Jimenez (enough on that deal). And dont forget they actually got rid of Orlando Cabrera (to make room for Jason Kipnis, but Cabrera would have been a key bench asset)
Not one of those moves addressed a need, short or long term.
What the Indians have done is try to make moves simply to have the appearance of making moves. There is no legitimate effort to fill the holes this team has, just as there was no effort to plug the gaps last season.
There is only one thing baseball teams cannot get on the market and that is the intangible ability to simply win games, to overcome poor efforts, to win in extra innings, to come out on the "left side" as Bo Ryan would say.
The 2012 Indians have that ability. They are 12-2 in one-run games and are 30-1 when leading after 7 innings (30 straight wins).
That is why the front office needs to complement the intangible with some tangible help.
There is plenty of it out there: Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Lee, (no longer) Kevin Youkilis.
Lets hope history doesnt repeat itself and the Indians actually go out and make themselves into a playoff caliber team. Because with the youthful talent core set to hit free agency in the next few years, the window of contention is yet again short lived.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Why Cleveland Sports Fans Are Inherently Pessimistic
With the Indians playing arguably their worst game of the young season and former hometown hero Lebron James beginning a 2nd straight NBA Finals, tonight seems an appropriate time to outline the pessimism at the heart of Cleveland sports.
Lebron was far from the beginning. In fact, I would argue that the reaction to James' departure for Miami was and continues to be a symptom and not a cause of the pessimistic atmosphere that envelopes Northeast Ohio.
As I have mentioned before, Cleveland is a city that for whatever reason is stuck in a depression that is every bit as much a concoction of the collective mind as it is a necessary evil of modernization and the economic decline rampant throughout the Rust Belt.
That depression extends to the sports fan and manifests itself virtually on a nightly basis. Indians fans expect a 10-run lead to vanish in a few innings. Cavs fans wait for the 20-0 run that will erase a halftime lead. Browns fans in a weird way look forward to the fourth quarter drive that ultimately leaves their beloved squad a few points short at the end.
In short, losing in general and heartbreak more specifically, has been allowed to become a part of the Cleveland sports "experience". Fans of the Indians, Cavs, and Browns are so accustomed to defeat that they cannot accept success and seem to somehow yearn for what they feel is inevitable defeat to come at the bitter end.
Even more unfortunate is that of late this doomsday attitude has crept into the decision-making process on the front office level.
Take the Browns: Colt McCoy starts to struggle, immediately draft Brandon Weeden rather than waiting for the maturation process to take hold.
The Cavs: Spending two years so preoccupied with the inevitable loss of Lebron James that they inexplicably load up on old, highly salaried "talent" in an attempt to win immediately, forgoing a perfect opportunity to trade James for a plethora of talent available on a number of over-exuberant suitors across the league.
The Indians: Feeling inadequate after the loss of Cy Young winners Lee and Sabathia, they made an ill-advised move (the feeling AT THE TIME across the board) shipping their top TWO pitching prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, a former ace that was widely regarded as the definition of a one-hit wonder.
Each of these moves resulted from a lack of long-term focus and an emotional pull to end the city's 50-lus year championship drought as soon as possible.
And in the process, each move has set hopes for an eventual championship back far longer than the doom they hoped to prevent.
Right now Cleveland is a sports town that, just as with its economy, is lost. There is plenty to be hopeful about in the coffers. Young talent on the diamond, a star in the making at the Q, and a solid defense (I think) out by the lake.
But Clevelanders still cannot get themselves to see beyond the heartbreak of the past, continuing to expect the careers of these young players to end up just like those of their predecessors: title-free until their free agency and inevitable exit from the shores of Lake Erie.
I get it: a city that has gone through the Drive, the Fumble, the Catch, Jose Mesa, and Eric Wedge's inexplicable decision to start Sabathia in Game 5 (I had to get my random '07 complaint in there) is going to have demons to get over.
But I think its about time that the fan base at least begin to make an attempt at getting over them.
Lebron is not coming back. Kyrie Irving, however, is. And he is a potential superstar that could be the catalyst for a not-too-distant playoff run.
Lee and Sabathia are gone. But Jason Kipnis is another superstar in the making and the Tribe have a ton of depth in their rotation, not to mention two still-young starters who have shown an ability (if not consistently) to dominate major league hitters.
And I guarantee you that Jim Brown will never have another carry in a Browns uniform. But Mike Holmgren has already built a title-winner in Green Bay and knows what it takes to do the same in Cleveland.
So instead of harping on the past, its time Cleveland sports fans (and jobless workers, but that is for another day) start working to make sure the future is everything it has the potential to be. Go to games, watch the television coverage, buy the merchandise. In short, support the teams that you so desperately want to succeed.
Sure, heartbreak will always be a possibility. But each and every season there is a championship to be given out. Northeast Ohio hasnt been the recipient of one of those since 1960. So lets turn this whole heartbreak thing around. After all, Cleveland is due for a title.
Lebron was far from the beginning. In fact, I would argue that the reaction to James' departure for Miami was and continues to be a symptom and not a cause of the pessimistic atmosphere that envelopes Northeast Ohio.
As I have mentioned before, Cleveland is a city that for whatever reason is stuck in a depression that is every bit as much a concoction of the collective mind as it is a necessary evil of modernization and the economic decline rampant throughout the Rust Belt.
That depression extends to the sports fan and manifests itself virtually on a nightly basis. Indians fans expect a 10-run lead to vanish in a few innings. Cavs fans wait for the 20-0 run that will erase a halftime lead. Browns fans in a weird way look forward to the fourth quarter drive that ultimately leaves their beloved squad a few points short at the end.
In short, losing in general and heartbreak more specifically, has been allowed to become a part of the Cleveland sports "experience". Fans of the Indians, Cavs, and Browns are so accustomed to defeat that they cannot accept success and seem to somehow yearn for what they feel is inevitable defeat to come at the bitter end.
Even more unfortunate is that of late this doomsday attitude has crept into the decision-making process on the front office level.
Take the Browns: Colt McCoy starts to struggle, immediately draft Brandon Weeden rather than waiting for the maturation process to take hold.
The Cavs: Spending two years so preoccupied with the inevitable loss of Lebron James that they inexplicably load up on old, highly salaried "talent" in an attempt to win immediately, forgoing a perfect opportunity to trade James for a plethora of talent available on a number of over-exuberant suitors across the league.
The Indians: Feeling inadequate after the loss of Cy Young winners Lee and Sabathia, they made an ill-advised move (the feeling AT THE TIME across the board) shipping their top TWO pitching prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez, a former ace that was widely regarded as the definition of a one-hit wonder.
Each of these moves resulted from a lack of long-term focus and an emotional pull to end the city's 50-lus year championship drought as soon as possible.
And in the process, each move has set hopes for an eventual championship back far longer than the doom they hoped to prevent.
Right now Cleveland is a sports town that, just as with its economy, is lost. There is plenty to be hopeful about in the coffers. Young talent on the diamond, a star in the making at the Q, and a solid defense (I think) out by the lake.
But Clevelanders still cannot get themselves to see beyond the heartbreak of the past, continuing to expect the careers of these young players to end up just like those of their predecessors: title-free until their free agency and inevitable exit from the shores of Lake Erie.
I get it: a city that has gone through the Drive, the Fumble, the Catch, Jose Mesa, and Eric Wedge's inexplicable decision to start Sabathia in Game 5 (I had to get my random '07 complaint in there) is going to have demons to get over.
But I think its about time that the fan base at least begin to make an attempt at getting over them.
Lebron is not coming back. Kyrie Irving, however, is. And he is a potential superstar that could be the catalyst for a not-too-distant playoff run.
Lee and Sabathia are gone. But Jason Kipnis is another superstar in the making and the Tribe have a ton of depth in their rotation, not to mention two still-young starters who have shown an ability (if not consistently) to dominate major league hitters.
And I guarantee you that Jim Brown will never have another carry in a Browns uniform. But Mike Holmgren has already built a title-winner in Green Bay and knows what it takes to do the same in Cleveland.
So instead of harping on the past, its time Cleveland sports fans (and jobless workers, but that is for another day) start working to make sure the future is everything it has the potential to be. Go to games, watch the television coverage, buy the merchandise. In short, support the teams that you so desperately want to succeed.
Sure, heartbreak will always be a possibility. But each and every season there is a championship to be given out. Northeast Ohio hasnt been the recipient of one of those since 1960. So lets turn this whole heartbreak thing around. After all, Cleveland is due for a title.
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