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 The Top 5 Things The Indians Must Do Differently To Improve by Marcus Barkley
652- That’s the number of wins the Cleveland Indians amassed from 1995-2001, which many consider the Golden Years of the modern franchise, though the Tribe always seemed one bit of bad luck away from winning a World Series Crown. Overall, in those 7 seasons, the ball club went 652-462, which comes out to a win percentage of .585 for those of you without a calculator or a Mensa mind handy.
Now, let’s compare those numbers with the next 8 seasons and the start of this 2009 season-
582-585, which comes out to a losing percentage of .499. Now, it’s not like being nearly .500 is a horrible mark for over 8 seasons of play (just ask the Pittsburgh Pirates)- but it still shows room for improvement, especially considering that 96 of those 582 wins were from 2007- which almost seems like a freakish aberration when watching the team perform this season.
But what has brought me to post my thoughts on how the Cleveland Indians can improve is that it seems, especially in this season so far, that the team just seems to be stagnant and, at times, almost ok with being mediocre at best. The once illustrious and packed Jacobs Field often feels like a ghost town (with a stupid new name) and even though I love getting $75 seats for $10 bucks a piece, I would rather have a ball club I could be proud of.
So here are my Five Things I Think The Tribe Needs To Change Or Improve On To Get Out Of Their Rut Of Monotony:
5.) A change in the roster- This one is more on the marketing side of things than the actual team side of things (we’ll get to a bunch of those in time). I like the roster as it is (though I can’t stand David Dellucci and I don’t even know why)- but I think it may be time to package some of our more raw talent in an attempt to get some notable players. The fans seem uninspired and the Indians as a team have seemed to fade into the maelstrom of mediocrity that is nearly 2/3’s of MLB. But beyond picking up notable names, some experience is needed. Sure, we have guys like Derosa and a number of pitchers who have experience, but we need a guy who can become a leader in the clubhouse, even if he isn’t the best player. Just look at the likes of Kevin Seitzer, Trot Nixon or Kenny Lofton in his third stint here (why did we get rid of him?) for example- they weren’t even necessarily great players for the Tribe, but it was how they stepped up in the clubhouse and got the rest of the guys on the right track that was important.
4.) A change in mindset- Now I don’t want to have a bunch of players who act like Milton Bradley or a manager who acts like Ozzie Guillen (…necessarily), but I think one of the biggest things this organization lacks from the bottom up is passion. Growing up with the Indians of the mid to late 90’s, that team exuded passion. Sure, they were more talented in many ways compared to the Indians of today, but what set them apart is how they played the game. And not only did the team win- a lot- they made the team fun to watch and the enjoyment was infectious. Now, it seems like the Indians have about as much chance of infecting people as leprosy. I believe that if the players got a little more fired up and actually expressed anger over their putrid start, and the manager actually argued with officials over things like 'home run balls that obviously weren’t' (against the Yankees)- we’d be on the path to a much better rest of the season.
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3.) A change in attitude- This one is seemingly an easy one and goes along with the mindset change, but just doesn’t seem to be addressed a lot, not only for the Indians, but for the entire arena of pro sports (probably because athletes have become celebrities and their coaches are often afraid of retribution if they lay down punishment). If a guy isn’t performing- bench him. If a guy isn’t hustling- bench him. If a guy isn’t fielding well- get where I’m going with this? This may be the foundation of issues for the team. I don’t know how many times I have been watching, or stomaching as I like to call it, an Indians game and watch guys field like they are on a Single A team and run out a pop up or weak ground ball like they are too good to hustle. It then just infuriates me more when these guys continue to play and start like it’s no big deal. If Jhonny Peralta can’t hit a curve ball or sinker to save his life- maybe he should have to earn his spot back. If Ryan Garko can’t handle a ball at first, maybe it’s time he sits and we move people around and let Matt Laporta play a bit more. Any way you look at it, the players just aren’t competing to their optimal levels and I believe that some healthy competition and retribution could be the kick in the butt they need.
2.) A change in the bullpen- Where do I even start with this one? If it wasn’t enough that I have to watch a number of seemingly winnable games go down the tube in the later innings, it’s seemingly gotten so bad the Tribe announcers almost accept it and expect the fans to as well. Well…I don’t…and won’t. If you can’t get a couple guys out to preserve a win, go back to Buffalo or Akron. I don’t want to hear about slumps or arm problems or being shaken- if our relievers cannot get three to six batters out without giving up multiple runs, they don’t belong on the team, at least not for the time being. Also, giving these guys chance after chance just blocks the minor league tubes, which often can produce good players that don’t get their chance because we keep trying to give our current players too many chances (just look at the Tony Sipp situation). And no- putting Laffey (one of the few producers this season) in the bullpen and letting Jeremy Sowers (whose career record speaks for itself) try again is not the answer. And how do I know I’m right on this one? Sowers just, as I was typing this, gave up a two-run homerun to Jim Thome. Just call me Nostradamus…or wait…don’t, that’s stupid.
1.) A change in the clubhouse- Now, it’s not like I put Eric Wedge in the same box as Romeo Crennel (especially because I don’t think Wedge would fit). But, for whatever reason, Wedge just doesn’t seem to be working out anymore. Maybe it’s that the 2007 season was as good as it was going to get under Wedge, maybe he can’t incite his players anymore, maybe the way the team is now coming together just doesn’t make it easy for his coaching style. Regardless of the reasons, I think it is time to bring in a new regime- and to do it quickly. Though the team is going down with the ship right now, the boat hasn’t capsized yet. I think, by following my other tips along with this one, we could still see the Indians at least contend for a playoff spot this year, especially in a Central so weak the Royals (yeah…those Royals) are in first place.
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