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Thread: Do the Indian have enough Spare Parts on their Bench for a Playoff Run???

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    HB Forum Moderator Alex's Avatar
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    Do the Indians have enough bench players for their September 2005 playoff run?

    In an effort to prevent an unnecessary injury, do the Indians have the ability to pull most of their regulars in a game once the outcome is no longer an issue, especially if playing conditions are not optimal?

    If the playing field is slippery from a prior rain, wouldn't you want to pull your regulars as soon as the outcome of the game is pretty much known?

    I don't think this aspect of the playoff run has been fully considered by the Indians management.

    What if it's late in the game, we have a comfortable lead, (or are very far behind), and the opposing non contending team decides to give a very green pitcher a shot to pitch?

    Do you want Travis Hafner facing a "green" Double A pitcher who may have control issues? If the opposing team can experiment with their pitching staff late in a game when the outcome is already decided, we should at the very least have the option to "protect" our starting group of players by replacing them with reserves.

    The Indians payroll has created a new problem now that the team is in the playoff hunt, because no one is making a lot of money this year, there isn't the appropriate fear or caution being placed on any one player.

    I guarantee you if Jim Thome or Manny Ramirez was still on the team making their double-digit millions of dollars, Wedge would be extremely cautious as to what type of playing conditions his stars were playing in.

    Just because there no longer is a mega paid star on the team is no reason to abandon the idea of "protecting" our everyday starters as a whole from a potentially unfriendly situation once the outcome of a game has pretty much been decided.

    Scenarios that I am concerned about are "payback" brushback pitches, poor playing conditions, "green, unknown" opposing pitching, and pinch running options. It's the 8th inning, we have Blake on Second Base, Grady Sizemore on first, no outs. I'd like to see the tribe at the very least impose the threat of a double steal. Blake gets replaced by a very fast runner, perhaps someone who was in the minors who is even faster than Gutierrez. Whether we try a double steal or not, the batter, Coco Crisp, will no doubt see MORE fastballs with the double steal threat so likely.

    Joe Torre, Mike Soscia, Frank Robinson are stalwart managerial names who have ALL been to the World Series, and they regularly attempt double steals or bunt when it is necessary.

    Do we have currently have a large enough September bench in which we can either replace or spare our everyday starters WHEN IT MAKES SENSE TO DO SO?

    Besides creating more choices on offense, avoiding UNNECESSARY SITUATIONS that can lead to injury is just as critical. Grady Sizemore slams into the centerfield fence in the 8th inning of a 12-4 route even though just 20 hours later we needed our whole team as fresh as possible for the game against Oakland, which we proceeded to lose 2-0.

    Many times what a manager does in the late innings of the current game has direct rammifications towards the next game. Our bench reserves seem to be considerably less than what Boston is carrying, why is that?

    <font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 13, 2005 03:19 PM: Message edited by: Alex ]</font>

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    HB Forum Moderator Alex's Avatar
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    The answer is a resounding no, our bench was in no way planned for late inning strategizing.

    We actually would have made the playoffs if we had brought up several players capable of running well and a couple of players that could bunt, and one with a strong throwing arm would have been a benefit as well.

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    HB Forum Moderator Alex's Avatar
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    Well, there seems to be a run of Cleveland and Akron area sportswriters saying what I say, only they say it days and weeks after I have said it.

    -------------------------------

    Sizemore soon will shine even brighter -- despite the sun

    Wednesday, October 05, 2005
    Bill Livingston
    Plain Dealer Columnist


    When the Indians ran out of gas in the last week, it probably was because the tight payroll left manager Eric Wedge with bench players as corner infielders and minor-leaguers as bench players. Sizemore seemed more drained than any of the regulars, probably because he had expended more than most. Asked to describe the last week, he said: "Exhausting."

    Sizemore Soon Will Shine Even Brighter...Despite the Sun

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