Game 131: Indians 2, Athletics 1
by Ryan on Aug 29, 2011 9:46 PM EDT
in Game Recaps
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PrintAt this point, with five key offensive players either on the Disabled List of on their way to it, the pitching staff is going to have to carry this club. Four true rookies had plate appearances tonight, and Shelley Duncan was the starting left fielder. Oakland starter Brandon McCarthy had little trouble going eight innings, striking out ten Indians batters.
But David Huff gave the Indians what at this point is almost required: he went six shutout innings. Huff has re-tooled his mechanics, moving to the third base side of the rubber and simplifying his windup, but what's really made him more effective this season was his change in strategy. He's now much more aggressive in the strike zone, emphasizing outs quickly in the at-bat. Huff was around when Cliff Lee was still here, and David has taken a lot from what made Cliff so successful.
The Indians only had five hits on the evening, but they made good use of them. After the two batters of the sixth inning struck out, Ezequiel Carrera singled through the left side, and then Kosuke Fukudome doubled down the right field line. Carrera scored all the way from first base, just ahead of the tag; he's probably the only player on the current roster who would have scored. The Tribe's second run of the evening came from of their few remaining offensive threats:
| Highest WPA | Lowest WPA | ||
| Huff | .346 | Duncan | -.113 |
| Fukudome | .199 | LaPorta | -.070 |
| C. Perez | .155 | Cabrera | -.068 |
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So, the acquisition of Fukudome has worked out pretty OK. He has been about league average at the plate and still not getting on base at his normal clip, but has been better than any other replacement we’ve thrown out there, all while playing good defense.
Matt LaPorta is the bane of my existence.
It’s all about the WAK (wins above Kearns)
by JamesPowell on Aug 29, 2011 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Since being traded to their new teams:
Fukudome: 97 OPS+
Beltran: 113 OPS+
Ludwick: 101 OPS+
Rasmus: 68 OPS+
Nobody has really been that “game-changer”. But, if Fukudome could at least hit for league average it would be strong upgrade over the Kearns/Buck debacle we had earlier in the season.
Adding Ludwick would have been nice considering the lack of depth within AAA at the time of the trade deadline and the fact that Ezequiel Carrera and his 86 OPS+ would have been your only depth if one of Brantley or Choo got hurt (and low and behold both did).
Eight one-run losses since the deadline.
by jhon on Aug 30, 2011 12:41 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I don’t think I ever heard he was available, I mean did St. Louis give up at that point?
Now he is going to be a free agent next season and I would certainly be in on him if possible.
well they should go after him, but of course it’s all relative to what they have to give up. Would he be a Type A or B?
Type A after the numbers he’s put up this season. It’s surprising to me that we (or anyone else) didn’t at least put a claim in and kick the tires on what it would cost for 1 month of him plus a 1st round supplemental. Especially considering the Cardinals probably feel like they could resign him either way.
In the end, I bet the price would’ve been too steep anyway. There really was no guarantee that Berkman would come over and produce anything like he has previously this season.
I saw someone claimed BJ Upton though and never got a deal done. Has anyone heard if that could’ve been us?
If StL hasn’t given up, they should.
by JulioBernazard on Aug 30, 2011 12:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Nope. He’s not doing that. Perhaps figuratively or metaphorically he is, but he is definitely not literally lighting the world on fire. We’d have bigger problems than baseball if that were the case.
My primitive mind can't grasp these concepts.
by Ockus_NYC on Aug 30, 2011 7:15 AM EDT up reply actions 11 recs
I love the David Cross bit about this phenomenon.
by JulioBernazard on Aug 30, 2011 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Caught me red handed! One of my favorite all-time bits of his and I can’t help but think about it every time someone uses that word.
My primitive mind can't grasp these concepts.
I feel like a loser because I totally didn’t find that funny. :-(
by sandyalomarfan on Aug 30, 2011 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I meant to post that in response to the David Cross thing.
by sandyalomarfan on Aug 30, 2011 12:15 PM EDT up reply actions
….cuz it’s true.
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Aug 30, 2011 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions
I think all those usages are basically proper, except for this part.
[overuse ]has literally moved the word “literally” into literal oblivion
The word has not been moved literally, and it isn’t in literal oblivion.
I think it’s a rebuke of Madden or football-speak, like “Boom! He literally ripped his head off on that play!”
by jhon on Aug 30, 2011 6:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I read it as emphasis as well. Either way, your comment still amused me, as I was trying to weigh whether it would be worse if the Indians didn’t make the playoffs or if the world was on fire. ;-)
by sandyalomarfan on Aug 30, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Obviously worse if the Indians didn’t make the playoffs, because Selig would have suspended Pence and they’d have to play Ben Francisco in the Series.
by YoDaddyWags on Aug 30, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
13th in park factor is a “bandbox” now?
by JulioBernazard on Aug 30, 2011 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions
This is funny on so many levels.
"Lotta heart in Cleveland." - Ian Hunter
by Denver Tribe Fan on Aug 30, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
LaPorta is almost approaching ‘Marte-zone’ for me. Impossible for me to even fake hope for him as no part of his game gives me an inclination that he can get better.
Dominoes.
If you squint just right....you can sometimes see the ghost of Andy Marte...playing dominoes in the dugout.
by Seattle Tribe Fan on Aug 30, 2011 12:21 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Tonight was when I finally gave up on him for this season. Hopefully he figures something out during the offseason.
"I want to be playing at the end of October or the end of September -- not just at the beginning of April." —Grady
I really don’t see him getting the 1B job next season. I’d expect to see him in AAA, nolonger a prospect, and only ever making it back if he get’s a shot because the guy in front of him gets injured.
He’s been given the opportunities people pretended were given to Marte, and he’s been as bad as Marte ever was perceived to be.
by Jay on Aug 30, 2011 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
So you’re saying he’s LITERALLY as bad as Marte FIGURATIVELY was.
by Harry Doyle on Aug 30, 2011 1:59 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I can’t believe we’re still bemoaning the lack of opportunity Marte got. Yeah, he most likely didn’t get his fair shake. Nonetheless, he still sucked. This can’t be argued.
My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw
by Turkmenbashi on Aug 30, 2011 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s why I did it
My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw
by Turkmenbashi on Aug 30, 2011 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
It speaks to the organization’s ability to manage player development. The Indians took a player who had been a slow adapter at every level but had then put up good to great numbers and essentially gave him no time to adapt. Time that LaPorta has been given.
@grantgw - sports and Cleveland and Columbus stuff
by woodsmeister on Aug 30, 2011 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not bemoaning it, just pointing out that LaPorta didn’t get “the Marte treatment” — to blunt the occasional criticism I’ve seen (not here) that he’s somehow been mishandled.
Like every other top position prospect we’ve had in the past 10-20 years, he got a sustained opportunity. He just hasn’t performed.
Agree that he certainly hasn’t been mishandled. Just underperformed.
My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw
by Turkmenbashi on Aug 30, 2011 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
So, in the miasma of all his horrid baserunning and defense, Carrera has managed to give us two of the most exciting moments of the season.
Formerly fwembt, now co-moderator of Banners on the Parkway
During last night’s game Undermanning mentioned a conversation with Sandy Alomar about Zeke. Sandy said that he really shouldn’t be in the big leagues right now. Like many of the Indians he’s trying to do too much.
Incidentally, while I kind of like the nick name Undermanning, I don’t get the disdain by some for our STO announcers. In my opinion they are at least league average.
I don’t disagree that they could be league average, but if it’s a binary question I would answer that they’re “bad” before “good.” I’ve been listening to the Tigers TV announcers more this year (living in the Detroit area) and they are definitively better. The play-by-play guy isn’t a walking cliche/trying too hard, the color guy sounds like he wants to be there, and they actually play off each other and don’t appear to hate each other.
Plus, there is such a steep talent difference between our radio and TV men. Hammy makes league average look like little league.
Matt LaPorta is the bane of my existence.
Like his constant shouting for no reason and giving me heart attacks.
"Mixed emotions. Rather see him hit PEDroia [with that pitch]. I don’t care if he is in the dugout"
by Gradysmanldy on Aug 30, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Literally.
"Mixed emotions. Rather see him hit PEDroia [with that pitch]. I don’t care if he is in the dugout"
by Gradysmanldy on Aug 30, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Irrationally love everything about Hammy
My watch is broken... it's stuck on Tribe Time
#suckitLaw
by Turkmenbashi on Aug 30, 2011 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Maybe my Hammy-love has blinded me.
I am not using this as proof of my previous statement, but it just happens to be on topic and I’m curious – MLB has been using his calls overlaid with the video for big highlights this year after playing the straight TV feed. Do they do this with other radio guys?
Matt LaPorta is the bane of my existence.
It’s a good thing that Droobs was able to range back and get that pop to right CF that ended the game because Carrera had stationed himself somewhere around Bratenahl. Droobs turned around after catching the ball and gave Carrera a look of “Where the hell were you and why am I cleaning up your mess, rook?”
@grantgw - sports and Cleveland and Columbus stuff
by woodsmeister on Aug 30, 2011 1:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I am so scared about the White Sox
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Aug 30, 2011 8:40 AM EDT reply actions
We play them 8 more times this year, which is over 1/4th of our remaining games. Combine that with the fact that both the Tribe and CHW play DET 6 times the last month as well. Should be a very exciting September.
You may run like Hayes, but you hit like shit.
by valhallas_own28 on Aug 30, 2011 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
I love it. I think it’s one of the overlooked great things that will be lost when people talk about realignment.
Looks like the AFC North schedule this coming season.
by JulioBernazard on Aug 30, 2011 10:52 AM EDT up reply actions
I know but I feel like we can beat the Tigers six times. I don’t know if we can beat the White Sox 2 out of 8. They freak me out.
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Aug 30, 2011 3:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I feel like we can beat the Tigers six times.
Where were you two weekends ago? Clearly not watching the Tribe.
by JulioBernazard on Aug 30, 2011 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions
But we take 2/3 the week before
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Aug 30, 2011 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
off topic, but what do you guys think of all the Verlander for MVP talk? If the Tigers make the playoffs (don’t worry, they won’t.. heh heh) I think he should be a serious contender, if not favorire. MVP stands for most valuable player, not player with the best numbers (even though JV has both) and he is far and away the MVP of his team and probably the most valuable player to any team in the league. The tigers are an average team. They have a very good offense and a bad starting rotation (w/out verlander, obviously). He has gone out and the Tigers have won almost every start by him this year. I don’t care if he’s not an everyday player. Name one player in the league that almost guarantees that team a win in 20% of their games more than Verlander does.
I hate the Tigers, and it would pain me to see a Tiger win MVP, but still. He deserves it.
If they win, that is. Which they won’t.
What do you think of the argument that while starting pitchers do not play every day, the total number of batters they face in a season is similar to an everyday hitter’s total plate appearances, leading each having a comparable impact on the season? Obviously there are many ways to argue that a SP has as big of an impact as anyone on the team, I just found this numerical comparison particularly compelling.
In fact, the MVP criteria basically state that it’s supposed to go to the player who contributes the most to winning games, i.e., the one with the best numbers. They state specifically that it doesn’t have to go to a player on a playoff team, which debunks completely the nonsense semantic argument that you (and hundreds of others occasionally) have made.
There’s a difference between arguing what should be and making a case that assumes normal customs will apply. I don’t give pitchers consideration because of this custom, but I recognize that the original spirit of the award is along the lines you describe. The Henry Aaron award out to be elevated along with a reboot of the MVP.
by jhon on Aug 30, 2011 7:09 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
A pitcher only wins the MVP in fairly extraordinary circumstances. It’s not really a problem.
Real problems include the emphasis on RBI and playing for a winning team, and the lack of emphasis on defensive value.
Like I said, if Pedro ‘99 didn’t win the MVP, no pitcher ever should.
I like ex-Phillies prospects.
by Gradyforpresident on Aug 30, 2011 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions
Pedro ‘99 was a freakish performance; “outstanding” really doesn’t cover it.
Having said that, the one thing it didn’t have was a freakish number of innings pitched, and many other outstanding seasons have included that.
Pedro pitched 430 innings in his best two seasons. That’s not subpar at all, but it is subpar in the “most valuable ever” conversation. Maddux pitched 535 innings in his first two Cy Young seasons — that’s right, 105 more innings than Pedro. He then pitched 412 innings in the following two seasons — also Cy Youngs — but those were strike-shortened seasons. He was on pace for 515.
Roger Clemens in his first two Cy Young seasons — in the AL, in Fenway, pre-steroids — also pitched 535 innings, by coincidence.
Doc Gooden ’85 — 276.2 IP. Steve Carlton averaged 307 IP — not a typo — in his four Cy Young seasons.
So if the question is “most valuable,” Pedro ‘99 (and the even better Pedro ’00) don’t really stand at the top of the heap. Close to the top, because of the outrageous ERA+, no doubt. But at the very top and not far ahead of the pack.
I have a hard time giving the MVP award to a pitcher because of the past. Back when, a top starter contributed much more over the course of the season. Assuming pitchers and hitters were equally valuable then, a top starter now is less valuable.
I think when a pitcher pierces the 250 IP threshold, that argument kind of fades away. Verlander is on pace for almost 260.
This is the nicest stretch of work we’ve seen from Huff since those Highlander movies he did.
by stuart dean on Aug 30, 2011 6:25 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
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