Protection, Protection, Protection...

[Alex]

Protection, Protection, Protection...

Tribe managment has forgotten what this word means. They think putting Victor Martinez in the back of the line-up, followed by Travis Haffner and then Johnny Mac, somehow "protects" Martinez and Haffner and somehow takes the pressure off of them.

hahahahaha.

Do you know what takes the pressure off of a young power hitter? Sandwiching the young power hitter between two established hitters, IRRESPECTIVE of where that puts them in the line-up!

What's the worst thing you can do to a young power hitter? Put them in such a bad spot in the line-up (as the Indians are currently doing) that the pitcher only throws them junk. When Haffner bats in the seventh spot, the pitcher has no fear of the number 8 hitter, Johnny Mac. Nor is there any added pressure of a base being stolen by the previous hitter. (Broussard or Martinez). As a result, Haffner gets junk to hit.

Welcome to the Cleveland Indians Line-up card! Featuring Vic Martinez in the sixth spot, Travis Haffner in the 7th spot, and then followed by Johnny Mac. That is a recipe for disaster! And the disaster is bearing itself out in sluggish performances from both Martinez and Haffner.

Coco Crisp, Jody Gerut, and Milton Bradley have proven their ability to not waste too many at bats. Clumping these three guys together is pointless. Just as pointless is sticking Casey Blake anywhere between these guys. Casey Blake seems to be a .260-270 hitter NO MATTER WHERE CASEY BLAKE HITS!!! Since Blake isn't benefiting or excelling in the number two spot, it's time to give that very important position to an Indians rookie that will benefit, such as Victor Martinez.

Line-up as follows
Coco Crisp,
Victor Martinez,
Milton Bradley,
Travis Haffner,
Jody Gerut,
Ben Broussard,
Casey Blake,
Johnny Mac,
Peralta or Santos or Sorenson

I guarantee you Martinez will see better pitches to hit in the two-spot whenever Coco is on base. Whenever Coco is not on base, Martinez will STILL get better pitches to hit because Bradley follows him in the line-up. That is how you "protect" your younger power hitters, you force pitchers to throw them better balls to hit, and you do this by placing a good hitter before and after them.

The same holds true with Travis Haffner. Bradley should hit in front of Haffner, and Gerut should hit behind Haffner. Haffner will see more fastballs as a result of hitting in the fourth spot in between Bradley and Gerut.

Ben Broussard can stay in the sixth spot.

Casey Blake should replace Haffner in the seventh spot, in front of Johnny Mac. This too is a no brainer. Whenever Casey gets on base, he and Johnny Mac can work the hit and run. Casey has decent speed and baserunning skills, and will excel in the seventh spot.

When Manny Ramirez first came up with the Indians, he hit in the 8th spot and the seventh spot. Even though Manny was down in the line-up, what must not be forgotten is good hitters were still in front and behind Manny. The key to "protecting" a rookie power hitter is to surround them with quality batters. Manny Ramirez was not protected merely by being put at the end of the line-up, but by having good hitters in front and in back of him.

I find what the Indians are currently doing by placing Martinez and Haffner in the back of the line-up to be saboteging their development.

For shame. [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img]

[Alex]

Cleveland Live keeps banning my ID for posting a link to this editorial. Are you the worse off for having read it?

Being banned by a subsidiary of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, how appalling.

[Alex]

myforumvisit just got banned. EVERY post with that name. I contributed a lot of nice stuff to the Cleveland Live forum, yet it was all banned in an instant.

I even got a "nice job" comment from sdd1. You're welcome. I tried to thank you on the forum, but to no avail.