Stock up on the Antacids

by talonk on May 4, 2008 12:18 AM EDT

While the offense continues to %&*$ing stink, I reviewed the recap for tonite's game. In the Notes to the AP recap was the following tidbit:

Manager Eric Wedge said RHP Joe Borowski (strained triceps) will return to the closer's role when he comes off the disabled list. Borowski is scheduled to throw off the mound next week

While I know Wedge likes to be loyal to the veterans on the team, I think this would be a very poor decision.

First, RaffyB has yet to get a real chance to prove he can or can't do the closer's job. Second, if Joe is not throwing at the velocity he did last year during his high wire acts, he really needs to be eased into use again. I'd rather him get a few games/weeks in lower leverage situations first before being thrown into fire.

We are trying to win a pennant here, not smooth over Joe's ego. Besides, Joe more than likely retires at the end of the year anyways.

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Is the7th, 8th or the 9th inning the most critical inning?

In any case, hopefully Borowski won’t be back until he is dong really well, even if that means another trip to the disabled list.

The Indians have 4 saves, the lowest in the AL after Detroit (5), but are not first in blown saves (6) vs. 7 by Texas.
Not all of the Indians blown saves have been in the 9th inning. For example, Perez blew 2 saves in the 7th inning.

by palcal on May 4, 2008 2:27 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Well if you look at it in the leverage sense, its the ninth because you have less chance to come back (or score any more runs in general) at that point in the game, so a run given up in the ninth (say in a tie game) is more damning than a run given up in the eighth (tie game thing again as an example). Now it may be that the heart of the order comes up in the eighth more often (although I have nothing to support this and it may be the ninth inning that draws the heart of the order more often) and you would want Raffy B available to handle the more difficult hitters regardless of situation leverage, but that argument is held more to the “relief ace” theory of simply using the best reliever against the best hitters.

by hans on May 4, 2008 2:50 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

In the last 17 days, Breslow and Mastny have pitched a combined 2/3 of an inning. I would think that Shapiro would be looking at replacing 1 or both of them with a player who would contribute more.

Wedge made some comments that indicate he thinks that Betancourt may not have the right temperament to be a closer. He was displeased with his post-game blowup after he blew the game on the field the other night. Wedge said he placed a high priority on separating from one game so that the failure does not carry over to the next.

by palcal on May 4, 2008 2:40 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

fire wedge

Sizemore-Shapiro 2008. The Official Red Bull of Let's Go Tribe Game Threads.

by Gradyforpresident on May 4, 2008 10:28 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

At the very least, fire vexing usage patterns.

by NickFantana on May 4, 2008 10:35 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

It is strange that we’re basically playing with a 22-man roster right now, with the trio of Marte, Breslow, and Mastny never playing.

by APV on May 4, 2008 12:04 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Right? I mean, am I crazy for thinking that he didn’t use to ignore guys so much? I don’t really remember this happening last year or the year before.

Bottom line, there’s no way Marte doesn’t deserve at least two starts a week. Totally mystifying.

by NickFantana on May 4, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I think Jay’s right (in another discussion) that Wedge is boxed in. The team is obviously struggling and he needs them to turn it around soon. Playing Marte is unlikely to help in the short term (since he’s not gonna be light year’s better than Blake for now; if we’re lucky, he’ll hit .250 and play the field reasonably well—even that can’t be assumed). He should have established a rotation for Marte earlier, but he didn’t, so now he’s stuck. He has to hope that the regulars get better, and while Blake has in some ways been the worst over the last week, the problem goes way beyond his struggles.

Breslow, Mastny and even Julio don’t pitch much because they’re getting good starts and most of the games are close. Guys like them pitch in games where the Indians are way behind or when the team wins by a ton (haven’t had a whole lot of those kind of games, either way).

by peter m on May 4, 2008 5:07 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

That’s almost what I meant but not quite. Starting both Marte and Blake (in LF) won’t get the offense going, and starting Marte instead of Blake won’t get Blake going.

by Jay on May 5, 2008 12:30 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Yes, on both counts. If there was some chance that Marte would bust out and be a big contributor, it wouldn’t matter as much if Blake ever got going (and playing Marte more would be a gamble the team might be willing to take), but I suspect that Marte will take time to develop (and he may never develop if some of those scouts are right). So, they have to hope Blake turns it around, and he won’t do that sitting on the bench more than occasionally. They do seem to have painted themselves into a corner, as it were.

by peter m on May 5, 2008 10:01 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

The thing is…Blake getting going is not like Pronk getting going.

It’s not going to make a huge difference.

So why not Marte?

by gahnki on May 5, 2008 11:54 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I actually agree, to a point. It’s hard to imagine that Marte could play worse than Blake has the last week or so. But, I also can see why Wedge might be reluctant to single out Blake for replacement, since he’s one of MANY Indians who have hit badly on this homestand. Will subbing Marte for Blake get those other guys going? I don’t really see how; and I’m pretty sure that Marte’s development takes a back seat in Wedge’s mind to getting the team’s offense started. I’d like to see Marte play as much as anyone (and I’ve never liked Blake at 3B), but I can see what Wedge is thinking (even if I don’t totally agree with him).

by peter m on May 5, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I fail to see how Blake getting going will jump start our offense. And we don’t even know how long it’s going to take for him to start hitting. We are just wasting developmental time on Marte this way.

I was all for Blake getting some time to show what hes got. However, it’s been over a month and he’s not even putting good at bats together. If I see another first pitch groundout/popout I’m going to scream.

To me, Blake getting going is not going to create a large difference unless other players do as well. In past years we have never relied on Blake to really do anything but be average. It’s not like out entire hope resides on Blake starting up again.

Play Marte for a week and see if he can put solid at bats together. I don’t even care if he gets hits. I just want to see him hit the ball hard somewhere.

by gahnki on May 5, 2008 12:26 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

We’re not disagreeing, really. I’m just trying to figure out what Wedge is thinking. I really do think he believes that switching to Marte won’t help one way or the other right now and he’s focusing on getting the veterans to hit. He may also think that playing Marte regularly over Blake may create some discontent within the team and/or may put a target on Marte’s back (if people expect him to be the savior). I’m just speculating, but I don’t think it’s just an irrational love of Blake that’s at work here.

I totally agree that we’re wasting development time on Marte. They should have played him several times a week from the beginning of the season so he would have had a chance to become a useful part of the team.

by peter m on May 5, 2008 12:42 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I’d rather see Raffy pitch earlier in the game. I think he is more useful there and I really didn’t like his tantrum after he blew a save.

I’d like to see us try someone else out at closer though. Unless Borwowski regained 4 MPH on his fastball, which is possible, then i think we need to look elsewhere.

by gahnki on May 4, 2008 11:12 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Wedge is allowed to change his mind later. There’s no reason for him to announce right now that JoBo will do anything be reclaim his job, which would be the customary thing for a veteran coming off the DL. Until he’s actually off the DL, at which point we’ll have velocity reports from rehab appearances, Wedge’s best move is to say he’s still the closer.

by Jay on May 4, 2008 4:29 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

besides, this goes deepeer than betancourt. do any of you have blind faith in perez, lewis and masa? why would wedge? hoping borowski can slide the ladder rungs is probably worth a shot. probably worth more than dismissing it anyway.

by Brick. on May 4, 2008 8:35 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs