First place has never smelled quite so mediocre. While the Tribe is technically 2 points up the dream team Tigers and a White Sox team to whom they have lost all 3 games this season, the Indians are certainly not playing like a team on top. Shelley Duncan bashed his 3rd home run last night, the first by a Tribesman in 11 games, a span of somewhere around 370 at-bats. The Indians have also scored just 19 runs in their past 8 games (3-5) with no more than 4 runs scored in any single contest. Ubaldo Jimenez has a 2.12 WHIP and a .986 OPS against in his last 4 starts while surrendering 5 home runs and throwing just 57% of his pitches for strikes. Rafael Perez is on the disabled list and Jose Lopez has been cast away (DFAed) to make room for Johnny Damon.
Let's talk about Damon for second. In a season that has been beset by lies and misdirection from every level of Indians' management, Johnny's arrival has reached a new low. There is no room misunderstanding therein. When Damon was signed on April 12th, the organization announced that he would spend some time at extended Spring Training in Arizona and then make a stop at AAA Columbus before joining the big league club. Lie. Did the brain trust pass along this change of plans to the fans at any point? Sure. It happened on Monday, one day before Johnny was added to the roster. Now, I completely understand that teams, on some occasions, have reason to be tight lipped, but there is absolutely no competitive advantage to be gained by intentionally and absolutely misleading the fan base and, likely, the players on the team. In strong contradiction, this sort of blatant misinformation only serves to distance those hardcore fans who pay attention (like me) and sow the seeds of distrust that have run rampant across the country for decades.
Back to the play upon the ballfield...
Wait, no, let's discuss Shin-Soo Choo. Choo has not played since tweaking his left hamstring on April 24th. The brass (I'm looking at you woManny) decided not to him on the DL and just ride out the injury one player short. Now, I'm no Matt LaPorta fan (in fact, he has recently boiled my ire to a new froth, see next Clippers post), but wouldn't anyone have been preferable to no one? If we take the Indians at their word (which we can't) and Choo returns to the line-up tonight, he will have missed 7 days worth of game action. If he is back to 100% (which he is most likely not) and produces (which he most likely will not), then I guess it's a coin flip. Otherwise, the Indians allowed Aaron Cunningham to play right field for a week, provide no clutch hitting (0-5 with 2 out and RISP) and throw, by my count, 32 balls into the ground from the outfield.
Moving on...
I do not believe that I have ever seen a Major League baseball team have such a poor stretch of five hitters as the Tribe has to begin the 3rd last night. Here's the progression: leadoff home run to a guy batting .153 and hadn't homered all year long (Gordon Beckham); double on a pop fly that went about 55 feet; fielding error at short on a ball so routine that, literally, a 3rd grader could have made it; walk to load the bases; walk to force in a run. Ubaldo, who walked 6 and struck out 1 in 4 and 2/3 innings, should not be an MLB pitcher. He walked 5 more than he punched out for the first time in his career. On the season, his 0.70 K/BB ratio is a third of his already mediocre career number. His 20 walks are the most in baseball and that K/BB is second worst to only Jeremy Guthrie.
Bah.
Still in 1st place.
Roll Tribe.
Cheers.
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