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Analysis of the Indians in 2004 By: Brian Smith Heading into the second full season of rebuilding mode, the direction of the Cleveland Indians is a confusing one. On one hand, the Indians took an aging core group and quickly transformed it into a young group of highly touted prospects. First year manager Eric Wedge saw his young rotation become one of the American League’s best and brightest. Rookie Jody Gerut and the oft maligned Milton Bradley had break out seasons. All of this was accomplished with one of baseball’s smallest payrolls. With those rays of sunlight seeping through the fallen roof of a once perennial power in the AL Central come just as many indicators that say the Indians may be further than ever from the World Series championship that has alluded them since 1948. Owner Larry Dolan has cut payroll steadily each year, has traded away Bartolo Colon two seasons ago and Roberto Alomar three years ago. The former Cablevision owner also let star first baseman Jim Thome and outfielder Juan Gonzalez walk away without a serious contract offer. So what is the real story with the Cleveland Indians in 2004? No one, not even Mark Shapiro, the Indians’ third-year general manager, knows the answer to that. Manager Eric Wedge Eric Wedge led the Indians to a 68-94 record in a less than ideal climate in 2003. Wedge started the season with a roster full of rookies on the roster. The former Sporting News Minor League Manager of the Year in 2002 weathered the storm with a surprising amount of optimism and success. The expectations on Wedge a year ago were not based on wins and losses, though. That will change for the 2004 season. He will be handed the league’s fifth best pitching staff and a steadily improving offense. Wedge is a no-nonsense manager that has pleased the management of the club. The Tribe skipper has been questioned about his skills in handling the bullpen. All eyes will be squarely on Wedge in ’04, especially with former major league managers Buddy Bell, Joel Skinner, and Mike Hargrove in the organization. Pitching Coach-Carl Willis, Hitting Coach- Eddie Murray, Bench Coach-Buddy Bell, Bullpen Coach-Luis Isaac, 1st Base Coach-Jeff Datz, and 3rd Base Coach- Joel Skinner.
The final two spots of the rotation are not set. Eric Wedge must choose between veterans Jeff D’Amico, who had a strong year with a bad team (Pittsburgh) in ’03 and the oft-injured Jason Bere. Bere made just one start with the Tribe last year before arm troubles did him in. Jason Stanford was a surprise, throwing strong out of the bullpen and the rotation. He could make a play for the fifth spot in the rotation. Help may be on the way later in the season. Billy Traber and Brian Tallet, a pair of promising left handers may be done for the season after injuries last summer, but the Indians’ number two prospect, Jeremy Guthrie may be ready before year’s end. The right hander has a power arm to augment an already young strong rotation. Jake Westbrook and Chad Durbin are other options.
David Riske may just be the American League’s best set up man. With a “sneaky-fast” heater, and short arm delivery that makes him tough to pick up, if Wickman is not completely healthy, Riske would regain the closer’s job he held the second half of 2003. The Indians acquired LHP Scott Stewart from the Montreal Expos in the off-season to give them a left handed reliever with electric stuff. Stewart, however, is coming off a bad season that ended in an emergency appendectomy. Rafael Betancourt is a right hander who had a 2.13 ERA in 38 innings last year. Colorado import Jose Jimenez should be a middle innings relief pitcher who had 41 saves two years ago. Jimenez was 20/23 in save opportunities in ’03. Jack Cressend, Westbrook, Mark Wohlers, David Lee, and a host of others will be fighting for spots in the bullpen. Line Up The pieces are in place for the Indians’ offense in 2004. The projections of grandeur just need to come true for the Indians to improve on their paltry 699 runs and .254 team batting average. Those numbers were only matched in futility by a Detroit Tigers team that was one of the worst in MLB history. Outfield- Two spots are all but locked up. Milton Bradley will patrol center field. Bradley had a break-out season in ’03, even through injuries that limited him to just 101 games. Bradley hit .321 with 10 home runs a .501 on base percentage and 56 RBI’s. Rookie of the Year finalist Jody Gerut will start the season in right field. The 26 year old emerging star hit .279 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI’s. Left field will be a fight between Coco Crisp (.266, 3, 27), the disappointing Matt Lawton (.249, 15, 53), Ryan Ludwick (.247, 7, 26) and Alex Escobar (.273, 5, 14). The Indians’ number one prospect, Grady Sizemore, could be ready by the All-Star break, but more conservative outlooks put him as the starting CF for the Indians in 2005. Infield- The starting infield is basically set in stone, especially with Eric Wedge’s announcement in mid-January that Ben Broussard (.249, 15, 55) will be the everyday first baseman and Travis Hafner (.254, 14, 40) will DH. Both are talented players brought in from outside the organization (Broussard from Cincinnati for Russell Branyan; Hafner from Texas in exchange for John Rocker). Ron Belliard (.277, 5, 50) was signed to play second base after a solid year in the thin air of Coors Field. As a Rockie, Belliard hit .311 at Coors, and just .251 away from Denver. Prospect Brandon Phillips was a major disappointment last year (.208, 6, 33) as a starter and should begin the season in AAA. Omar Vizquel (.244, 2, 19) narrowly missed being traded to Seattle in exchange for SS Carlos Guillen this off-season, but the aging star failed his physical following arthroscopic surgery on his ailing knee. The nixing of the deal frustrated the Indians, but pleased a fan base who realizes that Vizquel is the last link to the Indians’ two AL Championships in the 1990’s. Casey Blake, a virtual unknown career minor-leaguer coming into spring training in 2003, shocked the Indians with an outstanding year. Blake batted .257, smashed 17 home runs and drove in 67. All the while, Blake played sparkling defense, securing the starting job for himself in ’04 and making him a valuable commodity for the first time at the age of 30. Victor Martinez (.289, 1, 16) was rated the Indians top prospect for a few years because of his switch hitting power from behind the plate. Martinez shed baby fat this off-season with a winter development program and GM Mark Shapiro looks for Martinez to have a big campaign in ’04. Josh Bard (.244, 8, 36) would start on a majority of major league teams, but he will be stuck behind the emerging Martinez. Indians officials like Bard for his switch hitting ability and prowess behind the plate. Tim Laker (.241, 3, 21) could also get a look during spring training, but Eric Wedge has stated that he will only carry two catchers. Barring trade, Laker, a life-time minor leaguer, would once again be relegated to Buffalo, Cleveland’s AAA team. Bench players will be decided when the left field situation is decided during spring training. John McDonald is one of the best utility men in baseball with defensive skills comparable to Omar Vizquel. Jhonny Peralta also buffed up this off-season in the winter program. Peralta is trying to improve on a season in which he flashed the leather brilliantly, but struggled with the bat (.227, 4, 21). Outlook The Indians are an enigma. On one hand a young, developing team that many experts say have the best farm system in Major League Baseball. From another look, they appear to be a poorly funded collection of talent without well defined roles. The team has shown no propensity for power without the hiatus of DH Ellis Burks and the bullpen is unproven, especially with the free agent departure of closer Danys Baez. That’s why they play the games. |
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