Wedge Re: Marte

Some quick quotes:
"We want to give him a chance to play two days in a row," Wedge said. "I felt he had some decent swings [on Tuesday] night."

Also:
"His swings have been better," Wedge said of Marte. "This kid does a great job in [batting practice]. It's just a matter of that translating more consistently in the game. That's tough to do when you only play once a week or once every 10 days."

5 days ago joeee Comment 24 comments 0 recs |

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...Or when you get pulled with the bases loaded.

Steel Nick

by nickjs21 on May 8, 2008 8:41 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Or asked to bunt nearly every time a runner gets on base ahead of you.

Free Andy Marte!

Pronk Needs You

by woodsmeister on May 8, 2008 10:44 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

The move hurt everybody’s feelings, but what if Hafner had hit a Reggie Jackson moonshot, and the Indians eventually won 7-5? What if Wedge had left in Marte and he popped up to Cano, and the Indians eventually lost 4-3?

Wouldn’t this have been enough to confirm his decision? Wedge could say, “Never again do I let Marte bat with the game on the line.” He’s pretty close to that position already.

Wedge’s move was appropriate, I think, because the downside of failure was too brutal for Marte, and the potential value for a positive event for Hafner was too good.

Plus, at this stage, Hafner is better suited to endure the sort of failure that transpired.

by odradek on May 8, 2008 9:20 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Plus, Marte bats right and Hafner bats left. That’s the book.

by odradek on May 8, 2008 9:22 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I feel exactly the opposite. Hafner has been scuffling (putting it mildly) not even really driving the ball at all. He’s a veteran and could use a day off to clear his mind and come back with a fresh approach. Meanwhile, Marte’s confidence has got to be in tatters because he only plays once every two weeks and when he does, he always gets replaced either offensively or defensively late in games. So here’s a perfect situation to see what he can do with the bases loaded and a three-run cushion. And he gets pulled, further tattering his confidence. Lame.

As far as the whole “how would you have felt if Hafner ended up ricocheting a line drive off of Cano’s cup and then Cano had to go to the hospital and when he was at the hospital he saw a nurse and they got married, had kids and their second kid grows up to be the Indians starting rightfielder in 2029” scenario, I felt like it was a stupid thing to do as it was happening, as I said elsewhere I was upset, I don’t really care how it turns out.

I firmly believe you can’t live as a fan based on results. Otherwise, I’d never watch sports because every year of my life, the Browns and Indians haven’t won the championship. So if I’m results-oriented then I am mentally deficient.

by NickFantana on May 8, 2008 9:29 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I agree with you about Hafner taking a vacation. They should sit him for three or four games. But with the bases loaded he’s hit home runs 18% of the time. I know that’s past performance.

I wasn’t trying to be conjectural, I was trying to point out the logic of Wedge’s decision. As much as I want Marte to play I might have done the same thing. Although I think the mojo was such at the time I would have let it ride and had Marte bat. Just for the hell of it. Just to give Hafner a day off.

by odradek on May 8, 2008 10:48 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Hafner will get a 3-day vacation in Cincy next week.

by palcal on May 8, 2008 2:48 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I bet he plays some. I think it was Hoynes (Ocker?) who suggested Wedge play Hafner in the field to get his minds off his at bats.

by odradek on May 8, 2008 3:20 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Is he of two minds?

by peter m on May 8, 2008 3:35 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I guess so…

by odradek on May 8, 2008 11:01 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

agh….anyways I don’t think either of the two are pulling the strings above Wedge.

by hans on May 8, 2008 5:12 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

That’s tough to do when you only play once a week or once every 10 days.

Wedge went on to say; “Obviously, it’s not my position in the organization to say who should play when but it seems like, you know, he could use some more playing time. Like I said, none of my business, I’m just the manager.”

Also, don’t these quotes pretty much harpoon the theory that Wedge is “seeing something in BP” that tells him Marte isn’t ready? It really does come down to incompetence people.

by NickFantana on May 8, 2008 9:24 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Marte should probably have batted, I agree. But, cut Wedge some slack. He’s trying to get Hafner started, which is really, really, really important to this team. It was a mistake, but one that at least had a point. Sometimes you roll the dice and you lose.

by peter m on May 8, 2008 10:03 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

At this point, Andy Marte becoming a useful player seems at least as likely as one of our Mendoza-line guys getting hot.

by fleerdon on May 8, 2008 10:37 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

i totally think marte’s gonna bust out

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

by Gradyforpresident on May 8, 2008 10:42 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Wedge and Shapiro both sound as if it’s someone else’s decision that Marte isn’t playing. Am I wrong? Aren’t they the manager and GM, respectively?

by APV on May 8, 2008 4:19 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Shapiro: “Marte just needs an opportunity to play”

Wedge: “That’s tough to do when you only play once a week or once every 10 days.”

THEN WHY NOT PLAY HIM?

by APV on May 8, 2008 4:20 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Wedge has said that Marte has performed impressively in pre game activity and anyone can see that Marte can field his position. That leaves only one other reason. Marte has some other problem that prevents him from being a major league player. And until Andy finds a way to overcome his problem, he will continue to be considered a minor league player. It’s probably the kind of problem that Andy wouldn’t want made public and I respect Wedge for preserving Andy’s dignity.

by elsandito on May 8, 2008 7:32 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Yes, he probably has three left thumbs or some other previously undisclosed problem. Tragic.

by peter m on May 8, 2008 8:16 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Because what’s best for Marte is not the only consideration.

I’m not saying I agree with the actions so far - and you know I don’t - but that’s the part they’re not saying. They don’t want to come right out and say that playing Marte all the time didn’t seem like what was best for the team, because there is no need to demean him publicly that way.

by Jay on May 8, 2008 11:39 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Heres my bottom line:
1.Marte knows Blake isn’t returning next year.
2.If Cleveland doesn’t give Marte a job someone else will.
3.How do I know? Well, if Blake is good enough to start on other teams, other teams must be hungry enough to give Marte a real shot, not just a cup o coffee.
4.So, in Andy’s mind, it’s all good, he’s gonna get his shot whether Wedge does it now, later or somebody else gives it to him.
5.So this is really all about fielding a team this year with the best chance of winning games.
6.If Marte truly is impressive in his pregame preps, and he can field like a real third baseman, Blake must be a heckuva hitter to keep Andy spectating.

by elsandito on May 8, 2008 5:36 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

5a. It’s also about getting through the year with him on the roster while trying to contend. If you don’t use him, It’s like if we grabbed some guy from rule 5 and had to keep him up.

by Brick. on May 8, 2008 5:39 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Interesting analogy, and essentially true.

by Jay on May 8, 2008 11:40 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

There is a huge difference between Casey Blake and Andy Marte in other team’s eyes, if both were to be free agents.

I get that you’re sort of trying to be a smartass about this Casey Blake thing but it’s not really exceptional at all. Chad Tracy, Lyle Overbay, Pedro Feliz, Nick Punto, Melvin Mora, Brandon Inge, Mike Lamb, Jose Bautista, Aaron Boone, Chone Figgins, etc etc.

Once you’re a “major leaguer” there’s no shortage of work if you’re ven barely adequate. Because of the arbitration system there are a limited number of even adequate players at skill positions on the free agency market every year and there’s always some teams with no internal options.

In contrast, if you’re tagged as a problem child, whether that’s an attitude problem, a swing problem, or some other kind of problem, it’s very hard to get work. See Jack Cust.

by afh4 on May 8, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs