Yesterday, the 2012 MLB schedule was released to the public, providing those of us who won’t be seeing our team advance to this postseason something to look forward to (remember – not all of us really care about football.) The pennant races are winding down and the Wild Card race remains a toss-up as the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are slated to square off in a pivotal series tonight. The regular season is reaching its final weeks and many of us are now falling into, “There’s always next year” syndrome. Next season, the Florida Marlins will be undergoing an extreme makeover in hopes of resurrecting their franchise. The team will be changing its name to the Miami Marlins and relocating to a new stadium in downtown Miami. Come November, the team will unveil its new uniforms, new logo, and new hope for better days.
Now that the season is winding down and it appears that my beloved Tribe will not be turning their bat magic into October magic, it’s time I made a long-due apology. He’s 11-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 143 strikeouts. Sure, his record isn’t sparkling, but given the team he plays for and the circumstances surrounding the season, it’s not too shabby. He also helped one of his teammates gather enough money to fly home to witness the birth of his child. His name is Justin Masterson, and I owe him a beer… or ten. Unfortunately, I’m not quite 21. Therefore, this written apology will have to suffice.
***Note: I wrote this one yesterday morning for MoreThanAFan.net.
It’s clear that the past few days have not been Cleveland’s idea of a good time. After starting off the
Boston series with a solid win, the Tribe has dropped two straight to the Sox – two straight walk-offs, that is.
A multitude of emotions are often associated with a team loss. See: anger, disappointment, absolute rage. But last night, it seems there was a universal plague of resentment and despair overcoming the tweeting thumbs of Tribe fans.
Note: I wrote this a few weeks ago for the two sports networks I write for, so some of the numbers will obviously be off. Oh, and not to mention I wrote this before Grady’s latest fling with the DL. (Sigh.) But with the trade deadline approaching, I thought I’d post it - though it’s clear these two guys aren’t going anywhere. (Double sigh.)
For weeks, the blogging, fandom, and tweet world have been calling for Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona (as well as what seems to be the rest of the Tribe team) to move on. Two of Cleveland’s once most promising stars have slipped through the cracks and failed to perform at their expected levels, and the results show.
The Indians shocked the nation back in April and early May, but have since fallen from grace. Once holding the best record in baseball, Cleveland now sits a half game behind the Detroit Tigers. The team’s hot start can be attributed to reliable pitching and clutch offensive performances, but not necessarily from the expected candidates. Since Opening Day, Carmona has struggled and failed to perform as the team’s ace. He currently posts a 4-10 record and concerning 5.78 ERA, and has already conceded 15 home runs, which is just two less than his entire 2010 season number. The source of Carmona’s struggles has always seemed to root from his mental game, and now it seems it may be irreparably damaged. It appears that the days of his 2007 19-8 season are long gone. Carmona has been an elevator of success and failure, though one thing about him is always static – he’s unreliable.
It also seems that gone are the days of Grady Sizemore. His 2006-2008 swagger has faded and he spends more time on the DL than on the field. Since his 2008 Silver Slugger/Gold Glove year, his batting average has declined and his extra base hits have sunk. Instead of moving to the edge of their seats in anticipation, fans now sit back and groan during a Sizemore at-bat. Grady’s power, speed, and consistency have all weakened and now, he is no longer the #2 face of Cleveland (the #1 face left for Miami last July.) His at-bats lack quality and any clutch reliability he once had is gone. Now, opposing pitchers must simply throw him a curveball and he’s almost a guaranteed out. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen’s words, in which he once referred to Grady as the best player in the AL Central, have been long forgotten and Sizemore no longer frequents the highlight reels. Whether his struggles can be attributed to his injuries, or his swing (his ability to cover the outside of the plate seems completely absent), it is clear that Grady is no longer the Superman we once grew to worship.
As Carmona and Sizemore continue to fall from the ranks, it seems that questioning their worth is inevitable. Have they overstayed their welcome?
I posed the aforementioned question to one of my former teachers, who immediately responded with, “Who would want them?”
I’ll be completely honest here: I never thought I’d see the day when I’d want Grady to go. From the day he was called up, I’ve been on his fanwagon, and even as he continued to decline, I continued to defend him. But not anymore.
The Indians no longer have much use for Grady Sizemore. Though Michael Brantley and prospect Ezequiel Carrera are not superstars, or even core players, they offer enough talent to replace Grady. Grady is no longer an anchor that holds the team in place, but merely another ship that has sailed its course. His numbers are down and his constant injuries have become more trouble than he’s made himself worth.
So who would want him? There was once fear that the Yankees would try to snatch him up, but Curtis Granderson has proven to be more than a perfect fit for the pinstripes. Surely, there must be a team in need of a mediocre centerfielder, right? In Grady’s defense, he does provide some experience having been to the ALCS back in 2007, and if he were to remain healthy, there is plenty of chance he may prove to be useful, but judging from his past, his future looks fairly bleak. There don’t seem to be many teams in need of a centerfielder, especially one plagued by injury. If the Cleveland front office can package Sizemore with other players to boost appeal, they may be able to accumulate another bat to lift the team. Perhaps getting rid of Matt LaPorta and sending Carlos Santana down to AAA-Columbus for a few games to work out the kinks would free up the opportunity for a new first base candidate. While I still believe the Tribe should have invested in picking up the Rangers’ Michael Young, another option would be to search for another left fielder. Austin Kearns has failed to produce much of anything, and Travis Buck also treads a fragile line. Another option rests within the team’s youth, where prospect pitchers Drew Pomeranz or Alex White could be considered as trade add-ons. Combining Grady with one of these aforementioned players may give Cleveland a fighting chance in the offense category.
As far as Carmona goes, he’s had one stellar season and the rest has been too much of a rollercoaster. A team ace is supposed to be consistent and accountable, whereas Carmona has merely been a constant headache. His 2007 ERA of 3.06 skyrocketed to 6.32 in 2009, dipped to 3.77 last year, and is back up to 5.78 this season. More importantly, Carmona has never been able to locate and manage his mental game. Perhaps his experiences as a closer have left him forever scarred, or perhaps he merely lacks the mental edge required of a pitcher to handle the major league game. Bottom line, his psychological struggles of the past haven’t left him, and it’s obvious they continue to impact his game.
Another question is whether or not Carmona and Sizemore could be combined in a package trade. An injury-prone centerfielder and mental case starting pitcher? Sounds like the ultimate dream team. But in all honesty, if Grady can permanently part from his long-term relationship with the DL, he still has a potentially successful career ahead of him. If the Cleveland front office can sell this point, they may be able to generate legitimate interest in Grady.
Whether Sizemore or Carmona go will not impact the team to such an extent that defines contention vs. last place, but seizing an opportunity to trade one, or both, may bring another talent to help carry the team and make a positive difference. As sad as much of Cleveland’s female population will be to see Grady go, nothing gold can stay – and let’s be honest, that coffee cup wasn’t that big anyway.
They’re climbing in your bleachers, snatching your foul balls up. So hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your beer, because they’re taking over your ballpark.
I’m talking about fans. But not just any fans. I’m talking about douchebag fans. Idiot fans. Those sons of bitches who won’t shut the hell up. Whatever you want to call them.
Oy. I’m going to take the optimistic side for a change, and give them a better record than last year. Let’s go with 75? Given that Asdrubal and Choo stay healthy and Grady is at least decent. If Grady has a good year, tack on some more wins. Oh, and we’ll see how well Carmona does as the ace. 16+ wins from him would be nice.
Oh yeah. World Series, here we come. (Sarcasm.)
