Indians continue to slide
You know, if you had told me, a few weeks ago, that an Indians lineup with Casey Blake batting third would produce two runs in 18 innings, I'd have said:
"Well, yeah."
I know Blake's not to blame for the Indians offensive woes. But the idea that Eric Wedge even thinks of Blake as a No. 3 hitter just sends chills down my spine.
It's as if Wedge thinks he will turn Casey into a solid run producer by sheer will power. Personally, I'd put Kenny Lofton in the leadoff spot, put Blake second, and Grady Sizemore third.
Then you have Sizemore, Victor Martinez and Travis Hafner in a row.
Oh, and why is Trot Nixon still in the starting lineup?
Labels: Casey Blake Watch, MLB
posted by Zach @ 10:24 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Friday when Wedge decided to move Blake to third, Wedge said something during the pregame show to the effect of, "We think he can really help us there."
To which I responded, "Is there anyplace where Wedge think Blake can't help the team?" Probably not.
See my comment to the post below. Why does this keep happening, every year? Why do the Indians keep going through these inexplicable offensive dead spots that last for weeks upon weeks?
Who is leading this team? Who is cracking the whip and getting these guys to play instead of think about what they're not doing?
It's not Wedge. I now firmly believe that the late season run in '05 can be directly attributed to the leadership of Kevin Millwood, Bob Howry and Bob Wickman. They compensated for what Wedge doesn't bring as a leader.
Wedge can sit around like a bump on a log, or he can scream and howl and flip tables. It doesn't matter. His players do not look to him to lead. There is a disconnect between the team and the manager. There has to be.
Unfortunately, the ties between the manager and front office remain extremely strong, so Wedge stays. And these tease-and-falter seasons will keep occurring.
You're right Zach, Sizemore is the answer to the Indians' offensive woes. You know, the guy who's fourth in the league in strikeouts. He's playing very well this year.
(where's that sarcasm font?)
I think it's hilarious that Wedge shaking up the lineup, doing something, or anything, to shake this slump, is met with the predictable response, because By God, it's Casey Blake!!!!
Uh, Joel, did you read this post?
I think, because of his strikeouts, Grady Sizemore is better suited for the No. 3 spot instead of the leadoff spot.
In the Indians' win Friday, he drove in four runs. He doesn't get many chances to do that with Josh Barfield batting behind him.
I also think that a hitter with an RISP average below .170 should not be hitting third.
And did you see my sentence about not blaming Blake for the offensive woes?
Also, here's one last thought on Wedge:
Since the three division system started, has there been one manager who has lasted more than five years without getting his team to the playoffs?
Zach:
Five words that make the world go round:
Mike.
Rouse.
Designated.
For.
Assignment.
Which means the Indians thought and thought and thought ... and thought and thought and thought and thought and thought. For months upon months. They probably even did a quantifiable statistical cost/benefit analysis on Rouse once or twice or 12 times, trying like crazy to arrive at the conclusion that Rouse is a potential core player.
But finally, on August 6, 2007, the glacier moved and Mark Shapiro begrudgingly came to the same conclusion everyone else came to about five months ago: Mike Rouse is hurting the team and needs to go.
I bet the secretary had to pry the fax out of Shapiro's hands to send it to the league office.
Yes, I read it, though without you explicating your reasons for wanting Sizemore third, I did miss the point on that one.
You say, "I know Blake's not to blame for the Indians offensive woes." But then, you've got to get this one in: "It's as if Wedge thinks he will turn Casey into a solid run producer by sheer will power."
I don't understand how one four-RBI game from Sizemore turns him into the anti-Blake. So you'd rather take your chances with Sizemore in the 3 hole, and him striking out twice a game, than Blake, who actually puts the ball in play?
Masquerade this post as whatever you'd like, but no one's blind/naive, Zach.
It's yet another dig on a guy who, on a team of struggling hitters, isn't near the worst offender.
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