Where's Jhonny's Power?

David Golebiewski takes a look at Jhonny's new found love for groundballs and infield pops.

Comments

Peralta is showing similar plate discipline, with a 9.8 BB% (9% career average) and an Outside-Swing Percentage of 24% (23.5% career average), so he’s not hacking his way to a sub-.670 OPS. Jhonny’s 25.7% K rate is also near his career norm (25.7%) and his BABIP is .331, so it’s not as though a bunch of balls put in play are finding gloves.

This is really disheartening. Have pitchers just figured him out completely?

by danvail on Jun 19, 2009 5:36 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ouch.

by Voltaire on Jun 19, 2009 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

No THIS is ouch:

His .086 ISO is way below his .162 career average. To put that figure into context, the immortal Willie Bloomquist has out-ISO’d Peralta by 11 points.

by world dictator on Jun 19, 2009 8:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I suspect Jhonny’s elbow injury is playing a number in his power drought this year. It reminds me of how Vic’s elbow injury sapped him off all his power last year and everyone thought he was done.

by world dictator on Jun 19, 2009 8:57 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

He has an elbow injury?

by NickFantana on Jun 19, 2009 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We didn’t know about Victor’s last year.

Who needs affection when you can have blind hatred?

by ClemsonGirl on Jun 19, 2009 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

Let me clarify.

I suspect that a nagging elbow injury might be playing a factor in Jhonny’s power struggles. He injured it sliding early in the season. He only missed a game or two, but I’m wondering if its one of those serious “not to serious” injuries that the Indians seem to have. Or if its at least bothering him enough to knock off his swing.

by world dictator on Jun 19, 2009 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s interesting.

by NickFantana on Jun 19, 2009 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I suspect Jhonny is in a funk because of the move to 3B.

I think it’s in his head … and affecting everything else …

Wedge himself has pretty much said Jhonny isn’t trying real hard to make the move a success.

I’m not saying he’s tanking it … just that maybe he and Carmona aren’t real mentally tough.

by FallsTribeFan on Jun 19, 2009 11:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Objection, your honor. Hearsay that Fausto and Jhonny ain’t mentally tough. How do you know that Wedge hasn’t been unkind to them both? Jhonny is in a funk, that’s agreed. He’s said he wasn’t happy with moving to third. But he was sucking at the plate before that. I think Wedge has lost Jhonny for whatever reason. It is possible, if not likely, that this is Wedge’s fault and not Peralta’s. Same with Carmona.

by odradek on Jun 20, 2009 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Carmona is being supervised by a mental skills coordinator.

by palcal on Jun 20, 2009 1:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Second the notion that Carmona’s a zen rockstar, and probably Jhonny too. We have no reason to think that their struggles wouldn’t have completely broken lesser players by now.

by fleerdon on Jun 20, 2009 2:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Could be odardek … but I really feel Fausto’s problems are more mental than physical.

Jhonny is … inexplicable.

It’s his age 27 season, the year he should he busting out into a 30 HR guy.

Instead, he has an ISO below Willie Bloomquist.

I’ll say this … if he’s going up the plate thinking about Wedge … it’s MORE of a sign the problems are between his ears.

by FallsTribeFan on Jun 20, 2009 9:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I’m not saying their problems aren’t mental, because that does seem to be a component. I just want to remind people of Fausto pitching to A Rod and Jhonny in the ALCS. These are two extraordinarily tough players. It’s understandable that people project such characteristics on them, but everyone needs to remember midges and Jhonny’s blast to dead center in Fenway. In Jhonny’s case, I think he’s pissed off more than anything (how’s that for amateur psychologizing?). Fausto, it seems, has always had problems controlling his emotions.

by odradek on Jun 20, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fausto’s problems are almost completely due to a massive breakdown in his mechanics. I think that’s been pretty clearly determined.

I become an expert simply by doing something.

by fwembt on Jun 20, 2009 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Sliding headfirst into second, wasn’t it? I remember there were a few vague hints about it later. It could still be bothering him.

by odradek on Jun 20, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I would think that if he’s hurt … the FO would be protecting him … and Wedge wouldn’t be throwing him under the bus.

by FallsTribeFan on Jun 20, 2009 9:01 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read a comment on cleveland.com: Why did Wedge call out Jhonny and Shoppach for trying to pull the ball when the team’s worst pull hitter gets no mention?

by odradek on Jun 20, 2009 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wedge is a big believer in “trying hard” or at least looking like you try hard. So even if Peralta is injured I can totally see Wedge calling him out for what he perceives as lackluster effort.

by world dictator on Jun 20, 2009 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If this comes out later, I’ll be really pissed. It seems that the Indians have a tendency to hide behind this sort of thing when a player underperforms or a season goes by the wayside.

“Oh yeah, we’ve known about this nagging injury all year and, let me tell you, ~~Victor~~, ~~Grady~~, Jhonny is really tough and has proven himself to be very brave just to play as hard as he has through this injury”, they might say. I, for one, can’t stand that.

by jakesinger777 on Jun 20, 2009 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You’ll be pissed because they didn’t disclose the injury or because they’re keeping Jhonny in the lineup?

by world dictator on Jun 20, 2009 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Both

by jakesinger777 on Jun 20, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Allow me to clarify: both, but only together. I don’t think we, as fans, necessarily have the right to know every single detail of every injury, unless it directly impacts the product on the field. So non-disclosure, in and of itself, doesn’t bother me.

by jakesinger777 on Jun 20, 2009 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I still don’t get why fans have a right to know if a player is hurt even if it impacts the team

by world dictator on Jun 20, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It’s not so much that the fans have a right to know about the injury than that the team has a duty to the fans to do what is best for the team. That, I think, isn’t debatable. If a player is too hurt to play well, the team should either DL him or bench him (if it’s something that could heal with a few days off). I think that in either case, the injury will become apparent to fans. So, directly or indirectly, the team will have informed the public.

by jakesinger777 on Jun 20, 2009 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If the front office made decisions based on what the fans think is best for the team, then the Indians would be run by Cleveland.com

Needless to say, “best interests” of the team is a highly subjective term

by world dictator on Jun 20, 2009 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t disagree with you there. But in the context of the conversation we are having:

I still don’t get why fans have a right to know if a player is hurt even if it impacts the team

Playing a player who is too injured to play at his normal level is clearly not in the best interest of the team. Right?

On another note, just saw the Hangover and it was awesome.

by jakesinger777 on Jun 21, 2009 2:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

But you can’t use hindsight to evaluate who’s too hurt to play. if Jhonny had a broken arm, alright thats a pretty clear cut case. But if a player has a minor nagging injury the play/not play area is gray.

Keep in mind, we only focus on the situations where a player is playing through an injury unsuccessfully. If Jhonny had played through this injury and performed normally no one would have even remembered that he hurt his elbow.

by world dictator on Jun 21, 2009 3:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs