Hopefully My Favorite Indian Again One Day Soon
by westbrook on Jul 31, 2010 2:24 PM EDT
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PrintOnce upon a time, I had a favorite Indian who was traded for guys who I thought were bums just like the bums I thought we got for Bartolo Colon.
So a guy with a 956 OPS was gone, not that I'd ever heard of this statistic... but there was an obscure reliever on that team that I happened to think pitched darn well but was being underused. He started 6 games in 2001 and appeared in 17 more out of the pen. The following season was more of the same, except with even fewer appearances. In 2003, he finally started more games than he relieved, but all that earned him was a spot in the 2004 bullpen.
His third relief outing of 2004 was when everything changed. See, that was the day this guy I really liked proved me right. The enormously esteemed Jeff D'Amico started that day and—well—didn't retire a batter on his way to giving up four runs. Mr. Jake Westbrook came in to relieve him and struck out seven in seven innings.
Oh, yeah— and in those seven innings, he did not allow a hit, nor did he walk or hit a batter. Even with 9 ground ball outs, Casey Blake didn't manage to make an error. Nobody did. Westbrook was on his way to pitching an unofficial perfect game. Hey, I think it should have counted. Anyways, he didn't get that chance because Mr. Moron pulled him for some Betancourt guy who imploded.
Jake would go on to pitch a complete game two-hitter 6 days later and he was in the rotation to stay.
He finished the 04 season with 215.2 innings pitched and was all over the pitching leaderboards when the season ended.
Three seasons later, he would finally get to pitch in the postseason. In the 2007 ALCS, he was a bright spot appearing within an otherwise heartbreaking result. He and some Jhonny fellow almost stopped the slide. That Betancourt fellow wanted no part of the impending WS appearance. Shout out to Fat Jackass and Zombie Perez!
Then Bobby Cox thought he was destined for further greatness. Too bad that sudden ascension may have led to serious injury. Jake would later need Tommy John surgery and not pitch again until 2010.
He was alright this season, but he'll be better next year. Hopefully that's with us, so we can have more 2-hour Westbrook-Buehrle matchups and if we're lucky, an actual Hallabraden.
Which Indians opening day starter gets dealt in 2011? Jake's offseason contract with us needs full no-trade protection. Buhbye, Fausto... you're too good to be on a small market team. Eff you, Bud Selig.
And to think, I initially intended on this being a photoessay...
More pics coming when I get the DVD backup of my family's old PC popped in.
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Sincerely, Westbrook might have been my consistent favorite Indian ever since those seven perfect innings of relief. His declining his trade bonus strikes me as a really great thing. It’s easy to forget there are good guys in sports.
I hope he goes on to win a Cy Young next year. Hell, if he does, I’ve got two Jake autographed baseballs and one or two cards I can unload.
I enjoyed his fielding – he really should have picked up a gold glove somewheres.
by stuart dean on Jul 31, 2010 6:27 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Sorry for all of us, but especially you, westbrook. Jake has been one of my favorites for a long time. Even if this trade makes sense under the insane market structure that is MLB, it makes me sad. I do predict that Jake will remember who his teammates were, though.
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Aug 1, 2010 11:30 AM EDT reply actions
Who was that big lefty? You know, the one from California. Always seemed to mess up in big games? I think he got traded or something.
'If I'm not here, 'I'll be somewhere else.'' Andy Marte
by peter m on Aug 1, 2010 10:05 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
American League GB/FB Rankings
2004: 1st (1.73)
2005: 1st (1.59) … nobody else above 1.11
2006: 2nd (1.63) … C.M. Wang
2007: NQ (1.19 puts him superficially 5th) … nobody rivals Fausto’s 1.82
2010: 6th (1.16) … Masterson first, Carmona second
I fully understand the pain of losing a favorite player. I was a kid when Jim Thome left for greener (get it) pastures; I was so crushed, I missed a day of school because I couldn’t stop crying. And so, if this post was just a longing recap of Jake’s career, I probably could have resisted commenting.
But, although I know this was mostly a cathartic rant, I do take issue with some of it.
The implication that Jake was too good to pitch on a small market team, for one. In fact, Jake was not good enough to make $11 million / year while being a below average pitcher for a small market team. Now I see the argument that if we had more disposable money to throw around — like the Red Sox or Yankees — we could afford a bad contract or two. But then, I don’t see the inability to afford the bad contract of a nice guy grounds for being all that bitter.
Second, the idea that he was “destined for greatness” (in Bobby Cox’s mind, or in reality). He had a great spring training in ‘08, and a good start to the regular season. But in many ways, Jake’s injury insulated him from the argument that even in ideal circumstances, he may never have been an $11 mil / yr talent.
Finally, the selective memory of the ‘07 playoffs. Compared to Fausto and C.C., he looked like Bob Gibson . . . in the ALCS. Of course, his numbers (in one more start), looked fairly comparable to Paul Byrd’s. And in the ALDS, he put up a less than sterling 5 inning, 6 run performance.
In the end, I’ll have fond memories of Jake. I think his willingness to part with some of his trade bonus only confirms our suspicions that Jake was a genuine person in a field where few exist. But revisionist’s history is a dangerous thing; he was a decent pitcher who spent his final three years as an Indian overpaid. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think that Hafner’s being traded would produce this kind of emotional outpouring
…his willingness to part with some of his trade bonus
It is possible this was purely an altruistic gesture on Westbrook’s part, but it was also prudent. It could be that without his sweetening the pot, the trade would not have happened as it did, and Jake would have gotten none of his trading bonus. He then would have played out the year in the bright lights and exciting pennant run of the Cleveland Indians, which probably would hurt his free agent market. It made good business sense for him to trade in part of his bonus. Half of it is better than none of it.
This is a great point. But I still appreciate that he paid lip service to the fact that he didn’t “earn” his $33 mil and wanted to do everything in his power to help the tribe.
I wouldn’t have considered him overpaid if he hadn’t spent the bulk of those 3 years on the DL and instead pitched up to his ability level.
In the new Geico commercial, Marte sings "Let me be myself" on Wedge's front lawn (with the cavemen).
by V-Mart Shopper on Aug 3, 2010 8:22 PM EDT up reply actions
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