Down on the Farm Report: Kelvin De La Cruz

Today we will look at Lake County Captain pitcher Kelvin De La Cruz. This guy is ripping up Single A with a 4-2 record with a 1.57 ERA in 51 2/3 innings. Kelvin idolizes fellow countryman Fausto Carmona, who are both from the Dominican Republic. He boasts a 94 MPH fastball to go along with a change and a curve. The amazing thing is his dominance at the level has occurred at such a young age. De La Cruz is 19 years old, and a towering 6'5, but still needs to gain weight as he is listed at only 187 lbs. With the depth of the pitching in each level, this guy may be a pitcher other teams target in future dealings with the Tribe. Look for him to be at Kinston sometime later this year with a spot in the Akron rotation looming in 2009.

"It is What it Is"

Manager Eric Wedge is the king of cliches. Grinding, battling, taking one day at a time, tomorrow is another day, and we're close, are all phrases used by the skipper. Well Wedge decided against using any of these today as he pretty much layed into Rafael Betancourt after he blew yet another game for the Tribe today. Betancourt was abused by his fastball staying up in the zone and his inability to pitch inside.

This is out of the ordinary for Wedge, as he usually spits out hyperbole. Maybe the manager shouldn't have pulled out Rafael Perez when he put two runners on in an obvious sacrifice situation? The first runner got on due to a Mandy Marte error, and the second runner got a bloop broken bat hit. With no outs and the White Sox trailing by two, you would figure Ozzie Guillen would have Orlando Cabrera bunt (he did). Then with one out and runners on second and third, lefty A J Pierzynski was due up. Why not keep the lefty on lefty matchup prevail and force the Sox to make a move? Well Betancourt proceeded to give up back to back doubles and the game was over right there.

Why bring this up? Wedge is not the reason this team can't hit or pitch out of the bullpen. He is becoming frustrated and feeling a bit helpless. That is not a good sign for Tribe fans when the usually stoic Wedge is fuming publicly. I unfortunately do not have the answer to the Indians problems, but as stated earlier I believe a deal for a polished hitter would at least shake things up.

Here were some of the Highlights:

Aaron Laffey: 6 IP, 7 hits, 1 earned run. Pitched out of trouble a few times, continues to show grittiness and calmness on the mound. Should not even be considered in any trades as he looks to be a staple in the rotation for years to come, especially with the injury to Adam Miller (my friend Ryan says he told us so).

Jhonny Peralta: 4-13, 2 Homeruns. At least he drove in a runner than himself today. Still sucks at shortstop, but hit the ball hard Wednesday. Hopefully his flailing away at third strike curveballs in the dirt are over.

Tuesday's Game: They won a game, which was a nice change of pace.

Areas of Concern:

Grady Sizemore: 2-13. Regressed a bit from a solid weekend. If this team can ever find a leadoff hitter, he needs to be batting 3rd to alleviate the pressures of getting on base.

Rafael Betancourt: Blew the game Wednesday, giving up back to back doubles. His control has been off and on. Need him to staighten himself out before the season is lost.

Ben Francisco: 2-13. Seems to have caught "the sickness" from the rest of the lineup. It is a sad state of affairs when a guy who was not good enough to start the season on the 25 man roster is now our 3 hitter. He may be pressing. Also his rightfield defense has been shaky at best.

An 11 game homestretch begins Friday in Kansas City as Cliff Lee takes on Gil Meche. There are still 109 games left, so I guess anything can happen.

Believe it or not, Jorge isn't at home

Anthony Castrovince of indians.com is reporting that Jorge Julio will be designated for assignment tomorrow when Jake Westbrook is activated from the disabled list. Jorge has been horrible as of late, laying proverbial eggs against the White Sox and Rangers. Management liked his fastball, and apparently so did opposing hitters. Everytime he came in to pitch, Tribe fans everywhere I think died a little. Surprisingly, Scott Elarton and Edward Mujica survived to pitch another day, but neither are on solid ground. The Bullpen now consists of...

Borowski

Kobayashi

Perez

Betancourt

Elarton

Mujica

Not exactly reminiscant of the Nasty Boys. Hopefully guys like Mastny and Lewis can figure out there issues in Triple A. Also I imagine that they will eventually stick Travis Hafner on the DL and promote Shin Soo Choo over the weekend. With Interleague play coming up, the current lite hitting Hafner won't be needed until the end of June.

Not So Indian Summer

I will not be doing a recap of the Rangers series because who really wants to discuss anything about this lifeless team anyways. The Indians are a bad baseball team right now in need of some help. Minor league moves like promoting Shin Soo Choo or Josh Barfield will not do the trick. Some sort of impact bat is needed for the immediate future to help ignite the smoldering offense. With Travis Hafner sucking and now apparently having some sort of shoulder injury, the middle of the order has no power threat whatsoever. You may say, "Jhonny Peralta has 10 homers!" He also has driven in only 7 runners besides himself. The stat line of 10 HR, 17 RBI looks video game-esque.

The Tribe still has a pretty deep minor league system, especially when it comes to pitching. I would hope GM Mark Shapiro would stop sitting on his hands and make the impact trade for major league talent that he has yet to make in his seven years as general manager. They can ill afford to be afraid of dealing a potential top prospect anymore, this team is on the cusp of disaster.

I really do feel for Eric Wedge. People can blame him for lineup issues or relief pitching matchups, but really what can he do at this point? With the extreme lack of clutch hitting, it taxes the bullpen and starters. The pitchers can't give up any runs or the game is over. He could pull a Jim Leyland and swear up a storm, but that would go against everything Wedge's character as manager.

Mark Shapiro and company must let the fans know what their focus is for the rest of 2008 and beyond. GM speak is getting old quickly, so if he feels that this year may be a bust, then it his duty to cut bait (trade CC, Byrd, Blake) and focus on the future.

Fausto to DL, Lewis sent down, Mujica, Elarton called up

A whole bunch of roster moves were made Saturday, as apparently Fausto Carmona's hip hurt him enough for the Indians to place him on the 15 day DL. Also, the Tribe sent down Jensen Lewis in a move to help locate his velocity. Lewis has not pitched horrible, but if his fastball is not clocking in at least the high 80's, it is a problem. Scott Elarton returns to Cleveland to fill a role in long relief. The team did not really have an innings eater out in the pen all year. Edward Mujica was added for the time being until Jake Westbrook is activated from the DL. Mujica has been pretty bad in the big leagues so far, so I would imagine he will only come in in mop up duty, Elarton took the place of Breslow on the 40 man roster. Finally, the Tribe won last night for the first time in 8 games. It figures the first game I don't watch in a week they win.

Breslow Designated for Assignment, JoeBo Back

Anthony Castrovince of Indians.com is reporting that Craig Breslow will be DFA'd tomorrow in order to add Joe Borowski back to the big club. Breslow had a 3.24 in 8 1/3 innings of work. Craig, we hardly knew you since Wedge would pitch you every ten games. Andy Marte lives to sit on the bench another day.

That's all we got, two goddamn hits?

The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians today 3-1, sweeping the three game series. The Tribe collected 2 hits, that's write, 2 freakin hits, one of which was a bunt single. I could give some sort of analysis, but it would be repetitive. The starters are good, the hitting is pathetic. There were zero highlights, just wasted starts by CC Sabathia and Aaron Laffey. The Wahoos scored 13 runs on the road trip in 6 games, a new high in futility. Seven players ont the team have as many or more strikeouts than hits. The areas of concern are the whole lineup and bench, as they collectively show no plate discipline, fire or toughness. It is almost like they have given up on themselves. You can blame Wedge or hitting coach Derek Shelton, but what good would that do? These are grown men who made the ALCS last year. If the season is a marathon as the Indians management keep insisting, then our team has been hit on a side street by a Greyhound bus. Shapiro has to make multiple moves, whether it involves trades or demotions. Manager Eric Wedge keeps insisting that this team will eventually come out of it, but he says it everyday and I am not so sure he even believes it anymore. His team has went from a 1 1/2 game lead in the AL Central to trailing 4 1/2 games behind the White Sox. The Texas Rangers come to town this weekend, as Kason Gabbard battles Fausto Carmona. Let's hope for a miracle, because anymore of this and I am heading for the 480 bridge.

If I were GM for a day...

Just when you think things can't get any worse, they are. The Indians 7-2 loss to the first place White Sox was there fifth in a row, slipping two games under .500. Since the majority of the Indians offense was produced by Ben Francisco and Michael Aubrey, both minor league call ups, these are some of the moves I think Shapiro should make over the next few days.

Send down Asdubal Cabrera and call up Josh Barfield. Now I know J-Barf hasn't exactly been tearing up Buffalo, but Cabrera looks totally lost at the plate, almost hoping for a walk. Barfield cannot possibly due worse, since his .177 batting average places him 90th out of the 90 eligible batters in the AL, 23 points behind 89th place Robinson Cano (.200).

Cut Craig Breslow and activate JoeBo. Although I cringe every time Borowski toes the mound, Breslow has no role on this team and has shown nothing. Need to keep as many hitters on the roster as possible.

Cut Jorge Julio and bring up Adam Miller. With Jorge arguing and shouting at Victor Martinez tonight, get him out of here, he is a stiff. Miller has been lights out in Buffalo and would bring some excitement to a dull team when he pitches.

Trade Paul Byrd to the Braves for infield hitting prospect. Byrd is a gamer and a great clubhouse guy, but he has some value to teams in contention. Paul is a free agent next year, so we may have to pick up some of his salary. Thanks for being a gamer Paulie, it is time for a youth movement.

Cut Andy Marte, activate Jake Westbrook. Marte is a corpse on the bench of the Indians. He is only 24 but his best days will not happen in a Tribe uniform.

Cut David Dellucci and bring up Shin Soo Choo. Choo is raking in Buffalo, Dellucci is who he is. Eat his contract and cut bait.

These moves won't make the lineup menacing, but it may give this team a spark it so desperately needs. The roster changes also may send a message to the team that complacency is not tolerated.

*Note: I know this moves can't all happen in a day, but a fan can dream.

No excuses

Manager Eric Wedge continues to watch dreadful offensive baseball. The Indians lost today 4-1 in a game typical of the entire season. They banged out a whopping 4 hits, 3 of the infield variety, while walking zero times. Jensen Lewis came in and gave up two runs, something the bullpen has had a tendency of doing. On the season, the Tribe has now scored 3 or fewer runs in 25 games, which is downright terrible. The starting pitching (CC Sabathia) kept the game close, but was afforded absolutely no help. An outsider may look at the lineup and wonder why us Indian fans believe or offense should even be average. The order looked like this...

1.Sizemore .264

2.Francisco .356

3.Hafner .226

4.Martinez .313

5.Garko .239 (good for 4th best on the team)

6.Dellucci .222

7.Blake .232

8.Carroll .206

9.Cabrera .180

Does not make you forget murderers row does it? 6 through 9 is down right horrid, posing no threat at all to the opposing pitcher. Now I am usually not one to rush to judgement, but something has to be done soon. I know it would be practically be impossible for the whole lineup to collectively stink so bad, but who knows at this point? The front office said that the 40 game mark is when you can really begin to evaluate a team. Well we are 45 games in and the offense is anemic. It is almost like they keep waiting for someone to step up and carry the whole lineup, which is unrealistic and impossible the way this team is composed. Whether it is benching veterans, sending a caravan down to Buffalo (or possibly even Akron), or making a momentum altering trade, the Cleveland Indians are quickly becoming tough to watch for everyone.

CC See Ya?

Being a fan can be an excruciating experience. You watch a player grow up on your favorite team, mature into a superstar, and then worry that the front office will be able to keep him well into his thirties. Most Cleveland fans share this impending feeling of nervousness, but it probably is about LeBron James's contract being up in 2010. My nausea comes from the thought of the Tribe's very own hefty lefty CC Sabathia rockin' a crooked hat of another team in 2009.

Why should I worry about him leaving? No one stays an Indian. Look at Belle, Thome, and Ramirez. His ERA is over 5! All of these questions and statements provide merit, but Sabathia provides that extra oomph to an already outstanding starting staff. Looking at the American League so far this year, the one constant has been good pitching will beat good hitting, which was evident in the last series the Indians had with the Reds. CC has been the Tribe's stopper for the staff over the past 8 years. 103 wins is no fluke. His early season struggles are a thing of the past. CC seems to generally want to be on this team for the long haul, so why the paranoia?

The Tribe is really in a tough spot when it comes to the 2007 Cy Young Award winner. They love his make up as a pitcher and as a person, but the funds just not be there. Shapiro & Company would like nothing else but to offer Sabathia a contract comprable to his market worth, somewhere around the Peavy/Zambrano contracts (5 year 90 million). The problem is Sabathia will get pressure from the MLB Players Association to shop his wares to all of the other 29 clubs in order to gauge his maximum worth. If this occurs, the Indians will not enter into a bidding war, Cleveland's market size just can't justify an outrageous contract. It would restrict all future roster opportunities (free agents, trades) the Tribe would be able to make, virtually eliminating any payroll flexibility down the road. Cleveland is unfortunately a mid market team, so GM Mark Shapiro is forced to reinvent his ballclub every few years.

The Minors seem to be ripe with pitching talent, as the names of Jeremy Sowers, Aaron Laffey, Adam Miller and David Huff hopefully bring potential prosperity to the big league club. Whether they maintain a track record of excellence is up for debate. As a suffering Tribe fan who has yet to see a World Series Champion, give me a CY Young award winner anchoring my starting staff for the next five years any day of the week.

Down on the Farm Report: Wes Hodges

With the Cleveland Indians offense woes continuing, we decided to take a look at what players may be able to help out in minors. Since Travis Fryman retired in 2002, the last 5 years have seen Casey Blake, Bill Selby, Ricky Gutierrez, John McDonald, Jhonny Peralta, Aaron Boone, Greg LaRocca, Angel Santos, Zach Sorensen, Jose Hernandez, Andy Marte, Ramon Vazquez, Lou Merloni, Hector Luna, Kevin Kouzmanoff, Ronnie Belliard, Mike Rouse, Chris Gomez and Asdrubal Cabrera occupy the hot corner for the Tribe. This spot in the lineup is generally a power position, but as you can see the Indians have been lacking in this area for most of the decade. Currently, the roster is comprised of free agent to be Casey Blake and bench warmer bust Andy Marte, which makes you long for the days of this guy. This seems to be area that needs to be improved in 2009.

To the rescue, (hopefully), is Akron Aeros starting third baseman Wes Hodges. A 2006 2nd round pick out of Georgia Tech, Hodges has quickly moved up three levels since 2007. He is currently batting .287 with 7 Homeruns and 34 RBI. Scouts have said that he in a natural hitter, and possesses outstanding athleticism. His range and arm strength seem above average in the games I witnessed in spring training. Wes has only made 5 errors so far, not bad for his relative youth. Hodges on base percentage (.340) is not quite where it should be, only walking 11 times in 155 plate appearances. As his OBP grows, walks increase and defense remains consistent, Hodges should be in Buffalo sooner rather than later. I would not expect to see him in Cleveland this year unless Major League injuries on the big club arise, as he is not on the 40 man roster. 2009 seems to be Wes Hodges year to compete for the Third Base spot in Spring Training. That would be a welcome addition to a team looking to find another solid run producing staple in the middle of the order for the future.

To read more about Wes Hodges and more, please visit Cleveland Indians Minor League Insider. The site is like a bible to the Indians Minor League system.

Tribe adds pitcher to 40 Man Roster, Oneli Perez

The Cleveland Indians claimed relief pitcher Oneli Perez off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox. In 14 appearances at Triple A Charlotte, the 25 year old Perez went o-1 with a 9.53. (eesshh). Shapiro and the gang must like something about him to give the guy a trial run for a week or two until Shin Soo Choo comes back from his rehab assignment. Not player was needed to be dropped since the team DFA'd Jason Tyner Friday. I know absoulutely nothing about old Oneli, except by the picture to the left he seems to like children, mascots, and blondes.

Gunned Down in the Queen City

Just when you think your team is on a roll, disaster strikes. Sunday was a crappy day in Cleveland sports as the Cleveland LeBrons were beaten in seven games by the geriatric celtics. Looks like two years left of professional basketball in Cleveland!

Getting back to baseball, we have all heard that the season is a marathon and not a sprint. Well interleague play became an annoying bunion on the big toe of the Indians as they were miserably swept by the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend. The hitting continued to suck dramatically, and our bullpen savior decided to recreate Bob Wickman's Great American Ballpark meltdown of 2006. How is it that Adam Dunn can be a slow, underachieving, below average fielder most of the season and then see Cleveland across the jerseys of the opposing team and immediately become Ken Griffey Jr in his prime? (Not the Griffey now, he looks about done). Watching Dusty Baker chew on his toothpick and readjust his wristbands in the dugout made me want swallow my remote. The Reds are playing well now, but I am sure that reality will strike them by the all star break as it usually does. Their old man general manager will hang on to Griffey and Dunn too long because the organization feels that they can compete this year. The two will leave for free agency, bringing no prospects in return. Also, what team starts Jerry Hairston and Corey Patterson? Those guys make Dellucci and Blake look like cornerstones to any franchise.

The Reds did uncover the flaws that have been plaguing the Tribe for most of the season. Through the first two games, the team went 0-15 with runners in scoring position. Some of that was due to pitchers batting, but most of it was due to the ineptitude of the lineup as a whole. I understand that Wedge is pretty much clueless as to who to bat where in the order (understandably so) but batting Dellucci 3rd is down right ridiculous. He has had some clutch hits with runners on this year but that is way too high of a spot for pretty much a journeyman fourth outfielder. It killed them in the first inning Sunday as he was up with two on and no out and flailed away at a high fastball. Might as well let Francisco hit 3rd as he right now is swinging the best bat. I would prefer just sticking Hafner back there Tuesday and letting things sort themselves out.

Also the savior to the bullpen, Masa Kobayashi became ordinary again. I like his demeanor on the mound but if he ever were to become the closer, these sort of blown saves may occur due to his stuff not being overpowering. His fastball to Dunn was right in his kitchen. The media has reported JoeBo will probably be back in a week and they seem to believe this will settle things down. Most fans will believe what I do, that the 9th will not be safe unless a legitimate closer is brought in. I was all for Raffy, but he wilted under the pressure of the 9th. Kobayashi would provides a decent option, but he is suspect to the gopher ball. As for JoeBo, get out the heart medication because he is excruciating to watch.

Here were some of the Highlights:

Michael Aubrey: First Major League hit was a Home Run: This one week honeymoon by Aubrey will be interesting to watch. His call up may show how committed they are to Garko for the long run. He now has 1 more than our cleanup hitter.

Ben Francisco: 5-11, first HR of the season: I think his teammates should take some notes on his hitting style. Don't over think, see the ball, hit the ball. Has played himself into the everyday lineup.

Fausto Carmona: 7 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 0 walks, 4 K's, 1 earned run: Continues to deal, was robbed of a victory by the bullpen and the offense. No walks is an excellent sign.

Jorge Julio: 1/3 IP, 0 earned runs. Got to pitch, probably a big deal for the Julio family.

Areas of Concern:

Ryan Garko: Got thrown out Sunday at second base after hitting the ball off of the wall. Decided to watch his stroke instead of getting out of the box and hustling down the line. Wouldn't be surprised to see him in a platoon with Aubrey over the next week as Wedge usually does not tolerate lazy play. Also I am gettin tired of his front knee hitting the dirt when he swings at a low pitch. Probably not the best form.

Masa Kobayashi: 1/3 inning, 3 run bomb to Adam Dunn in the 9th, blown save: Crushed the hopes and dreams of every Tribe fan hoping we finally found a closer.

Asdrubal Cabrera: 0-10. Even though his glove has been superb, may need to be sent down to regain confidence in his bat. He is only 22 but he is pulling the ball and hitting way too many fly balls.

David Dellucci: 1-9. Rough weekend for DD, Wedge is asking too much of him by batting him 3rd. Needs to be dropped down immediately.

The Indians get a much needed day off Monday before they face the Chicago White Sox for a three game series in Chi Town. 52 year old Jose Contreras battles CC Sabathia Tuesday.

Aubrey Called up, Sowers sent back to Buffalo

First Baseman Michael Aubrey has been called up by the Tribe, as Jeremy Sowers has been sent back down. Aubrey is in the last year of options so they will get to see him pinch hit and play some first base over the next week until Joe Borowski (gulp!) is ready. He has been raking at Akron and Buffalo, so hopefully he will be a helpful left handed bat off of the bench. Sowers pitched OK yesterday, going 5 innings while giving up 3 runs. He is the teams 7th starter, and probably won't see much more action unless injuries or rainouts happen.

Tales from the Teepee Volume 7: Kevin Seitzer

The year was 1996, and the Indians were desperate for a veteran bat after they traded Eddie Murray back to Baltimore. August 31st was the last day to add a player to the post season roster, and John Hart felt he needed a spark to the lineup. Kevin Seitzer was added from the Milwaukee Brewers for a young outfield prospect named Jeremy Burnitz. Burnitz did have 7 homeruns and 26 RBI while batting .281 in 71 games. This was the first deal of a few more to come when Hart dealt up and coming players for veterans and specialty players (Casey, Giles, Graves). Kevin Seitzer did have a great month with the Tribe batting .386 with 1 homerun and 16 RBI in 83 at bats in September. He also batted .294 and drove in 4 runs during the ALDS, but the Indians fell to the Orioles in 4 games.

Terry Pluto wrote in his book, "Our Tribe," wrote this interesting story about Seitzer.

"In 1996, teammate Kevin Seitzer missed a couple of weeks with appendix surgery. When he returned to the team, (Manny) Ramirez was excited to see him back. He came up behind Seitzer and lifted him off the ground, putting his hands around Seitzer's waist.

Seitzer screamed in pain.

Ramirez quickly put him down.

"Manny," said Seitzer. "I just had an operation there."

"oh," he said. "I thought you had heart surgery."
Our Tribe, Terry Pluto page 66.
Yet another example of Manny being Manny.

Seitzer played as a role player in 1997 participating in 64 games and batting .268 while making the post season roster. He retired after the season, compiling a career batting average of .295. All Jeremy Burnitz did was have 6 seasons of 30 plus homeruns and 4 seasons of 100 plus RBI. These type of deals eventually spelled doom for the Tribe (see 2002-2004). Seitzer currently runs a baseball training facility in Kansas City with former Royals teammate Mike Macfarlane. I will always remember him as the professional hitter with the weird batting helmet whose last name ryhmed with mine.