CLEVELAND, Ohio – Carlos Santana has played 10 seasons in the major leagues. He spent a little over nine with the Indians, and they could be the quietest nine years in franchise history.
What Santana did best was on foot. He drew 881 of them, the second most common in franchise history. There’s nothing quieter in baseball than taking a walk.
It’s the other way around on a home run, except when Santana hits her. He is fifth in team history with Hal Trosky with 216. Jim Thome, Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez and Earl Averill are the only Indian players with more. Homers Thome, Belle and Ramirez smashed windows and fired the second coming of Indian baseball. Averill’s Homer came much earlier, but they must have been making noise because he’s in the Hall of Fame with Thome.
Santana’s first homers came in the lean years of 2010-12. He came out of the AAA Columbus class on June 11, 2010 via the Los Angeles Dodgers. Manager Manny Acta put him third on his big league debut and Santana has stayed pretty much in the middle of the lineup since then. Current manager Terry Francona met Santana on occasion and he has done so too. Just ask Justin Verlander.
Santana left the Indians for the second time on Tuesday when he agreed to a two-year $ 17.5 million deal with Kansas City. When Santana first left, he was only gone for a year, spending 2018 in Philadelphia after signing a three-year, $ 60 million deal. He returned via trade in 2019 and had a career season.
He won’t play for the Indians again. He is 34 and has had the worst season of his career. The 60-game sprint didn’t treat Santana well. But the Indians would not exercise his $ 17.5 million option for 2021, even if he did a good job of emulating Mike Trout.
I was told they made a serious effort to re-sign Santana, but it’s hard to believe they got close to the Kansas City offer. In this pandemic scorched market, Santana was wise to accept with 31 homers against the royals.
Santana, the top switch hitter in franchise history (# 1 on Homern, RBI, and Walks), came to Cleveland as a catcher. His rookie season ended on August 2nd at Fenway Park when he blew out his right knee in a collision with Ryan Kalish. The collision was so severe that Santana was literally knocked out of his spines.
He was recovering from the knee injury, but continued to get worried when nasty spikes hit his mask. He moved to the third base before eventually settling down where he became a good defender.
When Santana joined the Indians, he followed his own rhythm. I remember a teammate who is no longer in Cleveland and said, “Santana doesn’t get it. He has to go. “But he has changed and Francona has played a role in it. When the Indians signed Mike Napoli for the first game in 2016, Santana wasn’t happy. He didn’t want DH, so Napoli, Santana and Francona found a way to to get it working.
The Indians went to the World Series that year. Napoli hit 34 homers and drove 101 runs. Santana hit 34 homers and drove 87.
Before Game 5 of the ALCS, Santana told Napoli that he felt like he was doing something big in the game. In the first inning, Napoli doubled to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. In the third round, Santana prevailed 2-0. Santana crowned the victory that sent the Indians to the World Series by catching Troy Tulowitzki’s foulball in ninth in front of the Indians’ dugout.
Santana fell to her knees and made the sign of the cross before the celebration began. During the World Series against the Cubs, Francona stuck him in Wrigley Field’s left field for Game 3 and escaped with a 1-0 win. It became Francona’s “Get Out of Jail Free” card and Santana kissed Francona on the bald head before every game.
It’s hard to replace players like Santana. The Indians have said goodbye to far too many in the past four or five years. They managed to mess up the squad and manage payroll while bringing winning teams onto the field.
But for those just playing like Santana, there’s a lot to say. They go to the post office every day and do their job. The only way you can know they’re around is if you don’t include them on the lineup. Santana was like that to the Indians. He will be missed.
A variety of Cleveland Indians face masks are available online today. (Fanatics.com)
New Indian face masks for sale: Here, you can purchase Cleveland Indian-themed face covers for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ($ 24.99). All MLB proceeds are donated to charity.
More Indian coverage
Carlos Santana agrees to a two-year deal with Kansas City Royals worth $ 17.5 million
Freddie Freeman of Atlanta and Jose Abreu of the White Sox win the Hank Aaron Awards
Could MLB virtual winter get-togethers limit Francisco Lindor’s trading market? Podcast
White Sox fueled Indians with Lance Lynn deal: Hoynes
Long-time Cardinal Royals reporter Dick Kaegel wins the Spink Award for baseball writing
What about Reds & Francisco Lindor? What’s next for Nolan Jones? Terry is talking
How about LeBron James buying a piece of Indian? Hey, Hoynsie!
Make a list, check twice for 2021 Indians: The Week in Baseball
