CLEVELAND, Ohio: The Indians had Monday off. Her record is 10-7. In this 60-game baseball season, the team is already at the quarter pole. To be precise, 28% of the season is over. Doodling over what we’ve learned so far:
1. From team president Chris Antonetti to GM Mike Chernoff to manager Terry Francona to the coaching staff, the leadership in the age of COVID-19 was strong and firm. The Indian players have put together a code of conduct to avoid an outbreak of the virus on the team. It was accepted and implemented by management.
2. When baseball resumed, Antonetti and Francona mentioned that the tribe can use self-discipline and team unity as an advantage to stay healthy and keep the team from losing games to the virus. Franmil Reyes was kept off the team for three days when he went to a July 4th event without a mask. It didn’t test positive for the virus, but a message was sent.
3. You could hear the disappointment and anger in the voices of some members of the organization when Zach Plesac broke the team rules and went out with friends after Saturday’s game. He was sent home. Now he’s being tested for the virus a few times before he can return to the team.
4. Then the new Monday night broke that Mike Clevinger was also outside when the team was in Chicago. He was pulled against the Cubs from his Tuesday night start and replaced by Adam Plukto. Like Plesac, it will be quarantined and will have to pass some COVID-19 tests. So the tribe has two starters on hold, at least for a few days.
5. The Indians have disciplined one another and tried to stay away from large groups. You’ve seen the Cardinals, Marlins and several other teams hit hard and lose games to the virus. The Indians also stressed to everyone that certain members of the organization such as Francona and pitcher Carlos Carrasco have had health problems in the past that make them very susceptible to a severe reaction to the virus.
6. That is why there have been so many disappointments at Plesac. This team has strong chemistry. They emphasize doing things together. They also know what happened to Plesac and his discipline, which is public, will serve as a positive peer pressure for the rest of the team. In the meantime, with sincere apologies and self-discipline, Plesac can re-establish itself with the organization.
7. Francona had been traveling with health problems (non-virus) for more than a week. He is returning to Tuesday’s game. Antonetti was very helpful at several Zoom press conferences in the manager’s absence. This is especially important as bench coach Brad Mills and punch coach Ty Van Burkleo have also left the team as they left the season for personal reasons.
8. One of my favorite baseball people is Sandy Alomar, and he took over the leadership role after Francona was gone. He worked with the front office and coaching staff, adapting to new roles to help that team deal with the difficulties.
Cleveland Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez scored a 3 RBI double in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
9. I’ve heard from some fans that the Indians should bring Francisco Lindor back to the top. I am sure it was discussed. Lindor has a miserable season on her plate and hits .221 (.671 OPS). Its base percentage is 0.274. He only has four walks compared to 14 strikers. Lindor had taken the lead for the past few seasons.
10. The Indians signed the experienced second base man Cesar Hernandez with the idea that he would take the lead and beat Lindor to third place. From 2017-19, Lindor had an average of 34 HR, 86 RBI with an OPS of 0.855. The Indians wanted this power in third place.
11. Hernandez had some success as a leadoff hitter with the Phillies early in his career. The Indians put him at the head of the order. He hits .305 with a base percentage of .414. This is exactly what you want from a leadoff guy. So I think the Indians are not ready to change the line-up.
12. Lindor’s problems are impatience with the bat. He swings on parking spaces in the dirt. He’s trying to pull the ball too hard. In a normal 162 game season, not much would be said about its slow start. But nothing is normal this year. He is the highest-paid player on the team and has to get fit on the plate.
13. In case you’re wondering, Lindor and Carlos Santana are both listed as $ 17.5 million normal salary for 2020. But the Indians pay Santana $ 14 million, the rest will be picked up by other teams this way trading ahead of the 2019 season.
14. Santana is having a strange / frustrating year. It has a base percentage of 0.451. His 23 walks top the American League, and his .451 OBP is No. 2. But he only beats .188 with a homer and three RBIs. As with Lindor, it’s time for him to hit.
15. This is a low season for hitters. The average MLB team beats .231. But even at this low standard, the tribe’s .196 batting average is the worst in baseball. For those who like OPS, they’re on a miserable .610 – 29th out of 30 teams.
16. That means the Indians are 10-7. Her pitching is unlikely to stay at an MLB Best 2.05 ERA. But their boys can really be unlucky. Give credit not only to pitching coach Carl Willis but also to his assistants Ruben Niebla, Brian Sweeney and Eric Binder. While listed on the VP of Baseball Operations, Binder specializes in pitching, analysis, and compilation.
Franmil Reyes, known as a batsman by the Cleveland Indians, hits a 2-RBI single in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
17. Former tribal assistant GM Dan O’Dowd told me the Indians had a reputation for being the best organization for developing pitchers in baseball. It’s a combination of new and old approaches and keen scouting.
18. Franmil Reyes is a guy who can take offense for a while. After betting .171 in his first 10 games, the Big Man hits .348 in the last six games with a pair of homers and seven RBI. For a while, the teams went with Santana to the then collapsed Reyes. That should change now.
19. As for the other Santana – Domingo Santana – he showed very little: batting .188 (.678 OPS) with a homer and two RBI. He fanned 11 times out of 32 on bats.
20. Young outfielders Jordan Luplow and Oscar Mercado are a combined 6v64 (.093) player with 19 spikes, four walks and a homer. Bradley Zimmer only beats .214, but at least he has a base percentage of .395. He should remain a regular in the outfield for the time being. I keep hearing that Tyler Naquin will come back from his broken toe. You need him.
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