LaPorta down, Crowe up
Roster tinkering continues
over 2 years ago
FallsTribeFan
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Roster tinkering or management of service time? We all knew that when the Hafner injury resulted in LaPorta making an early debut in Cleveland that he’d also be making an early exit (for the time being).
I’ll be glad Laporta is getting regular ABs again and I’ll be happy to see him not become a super-2 guy. He didn’t embarrass himself up here and I’m sure we’ll see him more regularly in July.
What are service time ramifications of bringing him up and are they in any way negated by sending him down?
Stuart Dean
There were a couple of long posts on this, but the basic idea is that if he spent a certain amount of time on the big club this year, he’d have enough service days to qualify for arbitration as a super-2. If he would have stayed up all year from the date he was called up, he would have likely qualified, and that would have meant at least an extra couple of million for next year, with more in following years.
I forget where I read this, but I am losing hope that Wedge gets fired. Might have been ESPN magazine or something like that. Shapiro was quoted as saying he takes full blame for the losses and that he has absolutely no intention of firing Wedge
well it is kind of Shaprio’s fault to be fair. Sure we can all point to things Wedge ought not have done in our opinion, but Wedge didn’t build the bullpen, the starting rotation, Wedge didn’t get hurt.
by world dictator on May 26, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Everyone in the bullpen was terrible the first 1.5 months, but it is his responsibility to employ his relievers optimally. Not saying he didn’t do so here, necessarily, but it’s a major part of his job description.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 26, 2009 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Did Wedge employ his relievers so poorly it caused us to have the second worse record in the majors? No, I don’t think so. People too often conflate, making a bad decision with “this is the reason we suck this year”
by world dictator on May 26, 2009 7:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I didn’t say that. On the other hand, he hasn’t done anything affirmatively to help.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions
Not sure if my sarcasm meter is off this morning. But actually, I think bullpen management has been a strength over the course of his career—the hellpens have tended to stabilize as the season goes on, which is a function of both new players (Wickman in ‘04, Perez/Lewis in ’07) but also a function of Wedge understanding who to utilize and when. This includes the fact that he’s not afflicted with the common managerial crutch of using mediocre LOOGYs just because.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 7:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Assuming you’re not being sarcastic, I’m not here with a pitchfork, but the blame is shared, and don’t be protective of him just because others blame him too much.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 7:49 AM EDT up reply actions
My faith in you was well-placed.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe it’s because I saw it this weekend, but our coaching and management reminds me of the scene from Star Wars – Stay on Target. Switch out the good guys for Indians relief pichers and the bad guys as other team batters:
[the Indians are tied at home going into the top of the 7th]
Willis: The other team has stopped warming up relief pitchers.
Wedge: [realizes the Indians starters are out] Get Sipp and Perez up. Watch for pinch hitters.
Willis: It’s the heart of the lineup! Hitters 2-3-4!
[Perez surrenders a lead-off walk, Wedge starts to panic subs in Sipp, Sipp walks next better]
Willis: It’s no good, we’re not getting outs!
Wedge: Stick with the matchups.
Willis: We’re too close to winning, we need someone else!
Wedge: Stick with the matchups!
Willis: [shouts] Loosen up!
[Sipp gives up a three run homerun, Wedge subs in Lewis]
Wedge: Mark, I’ve lost Perez and Sipp.
Shapiro: I copy, Wedge. Just stick with the matchups.
Wedge: I think their team has made some good adjustments….
[Lewis gives up homer….]
by ShawnK on May 26, 2009 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
That’s a great point, Dorn. I’d like to see an end to the begging for Wedge’s head and for the rooting for him to fail to cease.
Wedge in the Plain Dealer explaining his thinking:
“It’s tough for a young player to come up and play every day unless he really dives in with success right away,” said Wedge. “It tough to play him every day. It’s tough to commit every day at-bats to a young player over people who have been here and experienced success.”
A quote of Wedge’s which has stuck in my mind this year was something to the effect of, “These guys aren’t kids anymore, this is a team in its prime years.” Leads me to believe that, in Wedge’s mind, you either manage for next year, or you manage for right now.
I think, in general, Wedge has shown himself to be a competent caretaker of prospects. Maybe he just doesn’t see that as his role at the moment. There’s some merit to that. He’s out there telling this team that they’ve got a division to win; it would be inconsistent to run out a lineup he finds to be “sub-optimal.”
At the same time, you know, contending teams need fresh blood, too.
by fleerdon on May 27, 2009 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Oof.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 7:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Its hard for me to fathom that David Dellucci, Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco are better players than Matt Laporta right now. I’m ok with him being sent down (or if he would have been kept down) for service time, but if he is on the twenty five man roster he should be getting regularly at-bats in five out six games a week. Using “the kid has to earn his way” thing reaks of ego massaging to the below avg. vets on this team who would obviously lose their playing time to the guy.
I think, in general, Wedge has shown himself to be a competent caretaker of prospects.
My initial reaction to this is that it’s ridiculous. I tried to think this one through, but my first thought is, He hasn’t had many prospects. But, then, I figure we include Asdrubal and Valbuena and Choo—and maybe going back a few years, Peralta and Shoppach—and this makes more sense. He was egregiously lame with Marte, and has been not so good to date with LaPorta (though Wedge knows it is imperative he win games right now).
Pitching prospects have been another story. How would he have handled Adam Miller?
You forgot Victor and Pronk. Jody Gerut, if you want to call him a prospect. Coco Crisp.
I have little complaint with LaPorta. He’s not accomplished enough to warrant complaints over three weeks of handling.
Well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
It’s not whether he’s accomplished enough but rather is he a better option than the now DFA’d Dellucci that Wedge played at DH instead of him for many of those games?
This encapsulates my 10,000 words I tried to express to people about Marte last year (otherwise known as the ‘Great Marte War of 2008’)
last part of the quote pure wedge:
It’s tough for a young player unless you commit every day at bats to
him. On the flip side, a young player has to come in an earn those
at-bats.
i.e. you have to be ben francisco. your first ten ABs need to be stellar or you turn into andy marte.
Can we fire him for this quote? I mean, this is all sorts of stupid.
Juan Salas: Smartest man in baseball?
by emd2k3 on May 27, 2009 3:06 PM EDT up reply actions 5 recs
So your decrease in participation is due to the Indians sucking?
by NickFantana on May 28, 2009 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Pretty much entirely.
Waiting for Rondon.
by Gradyforpresident on May 28, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
If you’ve followed my posts, you know I like to play Devil’s Advocate. I generally agree with the assertion that LaPorta should have played more when he was up, and I generally agree that a good prospect shouldn’t have to do too much to earn playing time. However, let’s look at the best hitters on this team now and what they did in their first year of somewhat significant playing time.
Martinez (2003, 174 PA) – .289/.345/.333
Hafner (2003, 324 PA) – .254/.327/.485
Peralta (2003, 270 PA) – .227/.295/.326
Sizemore (2004, 159 PA) – .246/.333/.406
It’s easy to forget that none of these guys came up and were great right away. And Hafner even got demoted after about the first month of that season. So I would argue that it’s not a certainty that LaPorta would perform as well as Garko or Francisco right now. In the future, sure. I’m not arguing one way or another, but I do understand what Wedge is trying to say.
I would also argue that what Wedge and Shelton see on the technical side probably influences the decision on playing time as well, things that you and I probably don’t understand. Some guys come up and maybe need to make changes to be more consistent at the major league level. As I said in a different post a couple of weeks ago, I’m convinced that this was the situation with Marte. They might have felt that with his approach and swing plane, he had little chance to succeed without making some changes. And he couldn’t/wouldn’t do it. And maybe he’s starting to do it now in Columbus.
I just looked it up. BenFran’s first 3 starts (in which he went 6-for-10 with 2 HR and 4 RBI) were against – you guessed it – Tampa.
by jakesinger777 on May 28, 2009 11:52 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
CastroTurf says this move may be indicative of problems with Grady’s elbow. He said Grady told him the elbow has been bothering him all season and hasn’t gotten any better, so he’s speculating there might be a DL stint coming. This is the first I’ve heard of an injury for Grady, but maybe that’s part of the reason he’s been struggling this year.
I’m beginning to think the DL is actually some sort of exclusive island resort that the Indians are fleeing to as a way of escaping this season. That said, if Grady’s hurt, put him on the DL.
I have a bad feeling this is one of those "we didn’t tell you at the time, but … " type of injuries.
In other words, Grady’s arm is basically being held together with chewing gum.
by FallsTribeFan on May 26, 2009 6:42 PM EDT up reply actions
On the bright side, there couldn’t be a better time for Grady to be injured. Not like we “need” him this year.
I'm *always* in the driver's seat, cugino -- Chuck
by Turkmenbashi on May 26, 2009 10:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Jim Ingraham talks about Grady’s elbow in his notes today:
Sizemore’s elbow condition seems similar to that of Victor Martinez’s situation last season. Martinez tried to play with a sore throwing elbow for the first two months of the season, saw his offensive numbers plunge, and wound up having surgery at mid-season.
Asked how concerned he was by Sizemore’s condition, Wedge said, "It’s (the elbow condition) hanging around. There is no structural damage. We need to give him some more time. We’ll try to DH the thing and see how he feels, and go from there.’’
If this problem is at all like Victor’s last year then let’s put him on the DL and let him heal. Why keep playing him while he’s injured and make it worse so you might lose him for the rest of the season? Didn’t they learn anything from last year? I suppose they don’t want to DL him until they think we’re officially out of the division race and they’re hoping he can play through it, but if he’s going to keep playing like this while he’s injured then what’s the point?
by Buckeye Brad on May 27, 2009 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions
That DH spot won’t even be open in a week or so. What to do then?
I become an expert simply by doing something.
Well, I imagine that what Victor had — bone spurs, right? — would be “structural damage,” whereas Grady must have some sort of inflammation or soft-tissue problem. Of course, Wedge could just be making that up, and what’s more, “non-structural” damage could be every bit as scary as “structural damage,” so it strikes me as a distinction without a difference.
Possibly they just want his bat around until Pronk comes back.
by fleerdon on May 27, 2009 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I believe Hafner’s shoulder ailment wouldn’t qualify as structural in nature, and I still want to buy him a hyper shoulder.
by danvail on May 27, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
YES YES YES YES YES
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Season-ending injuries to DeRosa and Pavano?
by fleerdon on May 27, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions
N. Korean dictator, Kim Jon-il is a huge Andy Marte fan and he is secretly targeting Cleveland?
by Toxicadam on May 27, 2009 3:39 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Only one has first round talent.
Though I look right at home, I still feel like an exile
by Manhattan Tribe Fan on May 27, 2009 12:12 AM EDT up reply actions
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