With nothing better to do before I go to sleep, I will try to analyze the Indians as they are now.
***** Starting Lineup *****
Victor Martinez ** A ** When he hits a homer, shouldn’t everyone say “Thank you for shopping at V-Mart”? I would, and I’m sure Tony would…but maybe that’s just us. Anyway, I’m happy with V-Mart this year. He is the most consistently solid hitter right now, hitting for both average and power. He is producing runs while Hafner is slumping. Also, he is way better at throwing out runners this year. In fact, he threw out two runners tonight against the Royals. I know..that’s like shooting two fish in a barrel when the fish are already dead..but still, it’s something positive.
Ryan Garko ** A ** I have good news. I just saved a bunch of money on my payroll by switching to Garko at first base. Both last year and this year he was kind of in an underdog role of having to prove that he can play. After he hit something like .292 last year with 45 RBI in the last 50 games of the season, I assumed he was ready for “the show.” So there I was..twiddling my thumbs like an idiot, thinking he was the definite starting first baseman for 2007 when I read that he will have to prove that he can handle an everyday role (for defensive reasons or something..). Long story short, he started in a platoon role but now he is the everyday first baseman and one of the most consistent hitters on the team. Also, no complaints about his supposedly poor defense.
Josh Barfield ** B- ** This is a tough one to grade. I really like the Barf and I think his hitting will come around with more time. The downside is, right now, he is hitting around .240. However, when he does hit, they are usually pretty clutch hits. Right now, his projected stats show that he would get 82 RBI with a .240 average at his current pace. That’s good production out of the 9 hole. The only thing I hope is that he gets consistent and a good eye at the plate to get his OBP up and become a #2 hitter..that’s the only thing I hope. The reason he is still in the B range is because of his defense. He makes crazy plays all the time.
Jhonny Peralta ** B ** Right now, he is a solid hitter, putting up good power numbers for a middle infielder..but his defense, while not HORRIBLE, isn’t quite Omar status. What are you gonna do, though.. If he continues to hit about .300 and gets 25 homers, I don’t care.
Casey Blake ** B ** Casey Blake is the guy you love to hate. And by “you” I mean countless Indians fans. Personally, I think he is a versatile player who has helped the team a lot this year at third base. Sometimes his offense isn’t there. He has some patches where he hits about .200, then others where he hits .300. In the end, he balances out to a .260-.270 guy with some decent power, and can play almost any position you need. I like to imagine that he shows up to the ballpark everyday and says “where do you want me to play, skip!” And yes, I do believe all major league players refer to their manager as “skip.”
David Dellucci/Jason Michaels ** C- ** Eh..I’ll just throw these two together. No offense to them, but if they are going to be used like one player, then I’m going to write about them like they are one player. Let’s call this weird genetic mixture Station (Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey). Station should be hitting a little more than it is right now. There isn’t much power coming out of left field. One thing I do like about Station is some veteran leadership, but other than that, this is a bogus journey.
Grady Sizemore ** B+ ** Grady is my favorite current player, so I want to give him an A, but right now, his offense is a little under the expected. I know he will pick it back up..his average is down, his strikeouts are up..but he is still having an ok season, just not good by Sizemore standards. Grady Sizemore? Grady SizeLESS (I don’t know, I’m tired). But his defense and speed still make him better than most, even in an offensive slump. They will start to give him errors when he dives and doesn’t catch the ball because they will say he normally would catch it. If he gets better with the strikeouts..man, I don’t know what will happen. The universe won’t be able to contain him.
Trot Nixon/Other outfielders ** B- ** Like left field, this is kind of a platoon situation. Trot gets a lot of the starts and has done pretty well when he does play. But the Indians have other guys play right field..like Gutierrez or Choo. Let’s call this mixture Preparation. Let’s go with Preparation H. On the whole, Preparation H is good. Man, that was a lot of setup to get to an Austin Powers joke. Preparation H, like Station, isn’t a big power threat, but I guess if it can collectively .270+ with a little bit of power, then I’ll survive.
Travis Hafner ** B- ** I like Hafner and I know he’ll get back on track. He isn’t hitting horribly, but for him, it’s disappointing. He has the strikeout disease right now, too. The only cure is more Pronk bars. Once he gets out of his funk, the lineup will be, to quote Shaq, like the Pythagorean theorem..there is no answer (Acccording to some ESPN anchor, the answer is c squared).
***** Rotation *****
C.C. Sabathia ** A ** I don’t know why, but some people have doubted that he is an ace. If he puts up numbers like he is now, and last year, he can be the ace on my team (that sounded really gay..in a Top Gun way). Who cares about his size…he’s large and in charge. John Candy was a pretty large guy and didn’t he make us all laugh in Uncle Buck? Well the same can be said for C.C.
Fausto Carmona ** A ** Man, if I had the experience Fausto had as a closer last year, I would have packed up, moved to Cuba and changed my name. That was painful. But he bounced back and has been a Santana-beating machine. If he can have a career anywhere close to the way he is pitching now..then..AAAAAYYYY (Fonzie).
Paul Byrd ** A- ** You know when you are having a good dream but you know you are gonna wake up soon? That’s what it’s like with Paul Byrd AKA Frasier Crane. I think he is a good pitcher, but the way he has been pitching lately is crazy. Hardly any walks, yet he isn’t getting shelled when he keeps the ball in the strike zone. I don’t get it. I hope that he can keep it up, along with C.C. and Fausto, because the rest of the pitching staff is leading me to serious heart problems.
Cliff Lee ** C- ** All I can hope for is that he is still recovering from his injury. He’s been hit pretty hard lately, but did have a game or two where he looked like he was back on track. If he could at least not lose every other start, I’d be ok.
Jeremy Sowers ** D+ ** Man oh man..I was expecting Sowers to become the biggest star in the world. THE WORLD. But this doesn’t seem to be the case. He’s a soft-throwing lefty, so he doesn’t have it easy. I hope that it’s something he can work out in AAA, because if he could get on track, this rotation would be my new best friend.
***** Bullpen *****
Joe Borowski ** B ** Here’s a metaphor: Borowski is like a boat tipping and ALMOST turning over in the ocean, but not quite, then tips back to normal. Ok, I lied, that was a simile. Sometimes, he gets the job done without any problems. But sometimes..he has games that make me sad. Most of the time, he makes me nervous and I pass out and wake up a few hours later to find out that he actually ended up getting the save. He has had two really bad experiences this year, so I can’t put my trust in him completely, but he is getting the job done.
Rafael Betancourt ** B+ ** He is pretty solid, as usual. He doesn’t seem lights out to me, but he is working out pretty well as a setup man. I’d feel better if he had a variety of pitches, but oh well.
Tom Mastny ** B- ** Up until recently, he had been putting up pretty good numbers, but then he had a bad inning and that kind of ruined those good numbers. I still think he can be a solid relief pitcher..he’s a good 7th inning guy.
Roberto Hernandez ** D ** He seems nice and all but…man, I think he is a little too old for this job. I think he is a little too old for social security. Roberto Hernandez is so old..his phone number is 1. Roberto Hernandez is so old..his yearbook is signed by Jesus. Roberto Hernandez is so old..he isn’t pitching well for the Indians. That’s my least favorite of the jokes..because it hurts.
Fernando Cabrera ** C- ** Maybe for my next birthday, I will wish that he goes back to the way he pitched earlier this season. But my birthday isn’t until February, so it won’t work for this season.
And the rest ** B- ** Guys like Rafael Perez, Edward Mujica, Aaron Fultz haven’t pitched a whole lot, but seem to have been effective in the times they did.
***** Bench *****
Kelly Shoppach ** A ** He is the only reason I included a bench section. For his role on the team, he is doing as well as anyone could ask. He is hitting well, has some power, and he has an arm that prevents him from getting through airport security.
Mike Rouse ** C ** I don’t know much about Rouse. I’ve only seen him play a few times. He seems average to me. I like Joe Inglett though…he was good last year as a temporary second baseman. A hard player with some speed..seems like a good guy to have on your team. But what do I know..
***** Overall *****
** A- ** I’ll give the whole team an A- because they are in first, but they aren’t playing to their potential. A few players still need to come around. If that happens, and the bullpen can hold up, then I will be very happy this summer. If not…then onward and upward to 2008!
Cory
