Hello again, everybody! We have reached our fifth day of our report cards today, and that means it's time for the Cleveland Indians to step up and receive their grades for 2009. Let's take a gander at their record and team leaders:
Cleveland Indians:
Record: 65-97 (tied for last place in the AL Central with Kansas City, 21.5 games behind Minnesota).
Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Asdrubal Cabrera (.308)
Home Runs: Shin-Soo Choo (20)
RBIs: Shin-Soo Choo (86)
On-base Percentage: Shin-Soo Choo (.394)
Pitching Leaders:
Wins: David Huff (11)
ERA: Cliff Lee (3.14). Bullpen- Tony Sipp (2.93)
Strikeouts: Cliff Lee (107)
Innings Pitched: Cliff Lee (152.0)
WHIP: Cliff Lee (1.30)
Saves: Kerry Wood (20)
Highlight of the Season: In an epic beatdown that delighted Yankee-haters all across the country, the Indians smashed the Yankees in their new house, 22-4 on April 18. The attack was buoyed by the Indians' 14-run outburst in the second inning, which was the most runs ever scored in the second inning of any game in baseball history. The 22 runs they scored altogether was also the most for the team since 2004, when- wouldn't you know it- they beat the Yankees in New York, 22-0.
Lowlight of the Season: The trade of staff ace Cliff Lee to the Philadelphia Phillies on July 29. Even though the Indians' ship was already taking on water by that point, that trade was the final missile that sunk it.
The Lowdown:
In the last two years, there has been no team that has fallen further than the Cleveland Indians. They were on top of the world in 2007, making it to the playoffs with a MLB-best 96 wins, and coming within one victory of an AL pennant. Then, the wheels fell off of the wagon in Games 5-7 in the ALCS against Boston, and they have not been able to get them back on since. They sorely underachieved in 2008, finishing with a .500 record that looks all the more worse when you consider where they were in July and August of that year. Just when Indians fans thought it could not get any worse, 2009 reared its ugly head.
The incredible disappearing act of Travis Hafner continued. Fausto Carmona continued to try his absolute best to prove that 2007 was indeed, a fluke. The so-called "smart" front office of theirs continued their fire sale of the 2007 squad by dumping Cliff Lee and catcher Victor Martinez to Philly and Boston, respectively. Adding insult to injury, Grady Sizemore put together a mediocre year by his standards, all while battling chronic injuries in 2009. With the team seemingly in shambles, let's begin the analysis of this wreckage.
Offense:
Despite their struggles, their offense was modest in 2009. They finished 12th in MLB in runs scored (773), fourth in doubles (314), 14th in home runs (161), tenth in batting average (.264) and tenth in on-base percentage (.339). Even if you take Victor Martinez out of the equation, their numbers would likely take just a slight hit. With that, let's take a look at who made their lineup what it was in 2009.
The best hitter in Cleveland this past season is someone you would least expect. Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo had a fantastic season for the Tribe, hitting .300, with 20 home runs and 86 RBIs, and paced the team in three out of the four major offensive categories. The 27-year-old from Pusan, South Korea was another one of baseball's best kept secrets this past season, but if he continues at this torrid pace next year, you'll start to see him get a little more attention.
Another one of Cleveland's standouts was shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera. He saw his batting average increase by a whopping 59 points in 2009, hitting .308, and he also provided some decent speed, stealing 17 bases. Other than that, it was nothing but underachievement, disappointment and injuries for Cleveland's major hitters, Hafner and Sizemore. Travis Hafner played in only 94 games this season, hitting 16 home runs while driving in 49. While the numbers aren't horrible, they are still cause for concern. In 2005 and 2006, Hafner was one of the most feared hitters in the American League, going deep 33 times in '05 and 42 times in '06, all while hitting over .300 both seasons. From 2007 to now, he has seen his power numbers shrink more and more, while battling several injuries. One has to wonder if "Pronk" has anything left in him.
Grady Sizemore also had a fairly disappointing season, hitting only .248, with just 18 home runs and 64 RBIs in 106 games. While the power numbers are around his career average, his batting average was the lowest it has been since his rookie year in 2004. Despite this, his numbers may not entirely be his fault. Now that the Indians' lineup is without a true power hitter, pitchers have likely been pitching around Sizemore more and more. Since he's still a young player, I have no doubt that he will make the necessary adjustments to get back to his 2008 level next year.
Overall, this lineup did not have a terrible year, but considering where they were just two years ago, it has been quite a fall.
Final Grade: C
Pitching:
Even when Cliff Lee was with the team before July 29, the Indians' staff was nothing worth writing home about. They ranked near the bottom in some of the major statistical pitching categories, including ERA (29th) and strikeouts (27th). They did finish near the top in some pitching categories; however, they are not the ones you want to be near the top in. They ranked third in total runs surrendered (865) and teams hit off of them at a .280 clip, which was the second-worst in the game. Also, once Lee left, their next best starter was David Huff, and he finished with an ERA of 5.61.
If there was one person worth mentioning on their pitching staff, it would have to be reliever Tony Sipp. In 46 games, he put together a solid 2.93 ERA, while recording 48 strikeouts in 40 innings pitched. Other than than, this staff was very unimpressive.
Final Grade: F
Wild Card: Front Office
I wish that the media (*cough* Peter Gammons *cough*) would stop treating GM Mark Shapiro like he's some sort of genius. He has destroyed the 2007 playoff team that he created, and has not even bothered to replace the key parts with major league-ready talent. He did make a solid step forward by firing the entire coaching staff at the end of the season, but, of course, he took two steps back by hiring Manny Acta in the offseason. The jury is still out on their minor leaguers, but in the meantime, Mark Shapiro= overrated.
Final Grade: C-
Overall:
This team, thanks to their joke of a pitching staff, is flat out terrible. Their lineup is solid, but they are much like Washington in the fact that they aren't good enough to save this team.
Final Grade: D
Check back tomorrow for the report card on the New York Mets!
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