Is This Years Indians Team Better Offensively than the Teams from 95-99???

[Alex]

Is it possible that the 2004 squad is equal to or a better offensive team than the great offensive teams of the mid to late 90's?

The answer could be a resounding yes, this team might even be better than the very great 1999 offense that scored over a thousand runs and was in the top ten of all time.

Yikes, how is this possible?

As I alluded to a couple of weeks ago, by not crowding the plate the Indians players are taking away the brush back pitch and the tight inside pitch that usually affects a player on the next pitch. The result is the Indians are more zoned in from the first pitch to the last pitch of their at bat.
Brushback pitches seem to matter less to the Indians batters because they don't crowd the plate. They simply wait for the pitch they want, and they connect, and they usually get a base hit.

The Indians OBP is currently an astounding .364 after their 14-0 win over Baltimore. A win that featured our bench giving some of the regulars a day off. This team still may have one more notch to improve depending on if Ben Broussard starts hitting like his teammates.

This team is smarter than the teams of the 90's, has equal starting pitching, and the relief pitching seems to be sorting itself out. Team speed is incredibly well balanced on this team, a trait the 2002 World Champion Angels possessed.

We also have a power hitter poses as a leadoff hitter in Matt Lawton. Since we have decent speed at the bottom of the order, when the bottom of the order gets on base, Matt wears his clean up hitter uniform, when the bases are empty, Matt wears his leadoff hitter attire. It's an amazing dual role that Kenny Lofton never even began to master.

Although we are probably somewhat weaker in the infield defensively, we are probably much stronger in the outfield.

But MOST IMPORTANTLY, the offense this year wins close games. The teams of the 90's tended to shellack weak opponents game after game and then lose to the good teams.

This years Indians team is presently 14-8 against first place teams outside of our own division! The Indians teams of the 90's wold usually finish 20-30 games over .500 in their own division and then play .500 ball or lower outside of the division, especially against the good teams.

None of the teams from the 90's have so dominated the first place teams in other divisions the way the Indians have this year!

I don't believe it is a fluke either. Every at bat seems to be a quality at bat. The ability to take the ball where the ball was destined to go has become gospel with this years team.

In case you wonder why I am the only one touting how this years team is EQUAL to or BETTER to the Indians teams of the 90's, it's simple, I am not seduced by the home run, and in the home run department, we are mired in the bottom ten in all of major league baseball. Baseball adrenaline freak ESPN types broadcasters can't comprehend a team being so good offensively when they aren't mashing Barry Bonds type homers.

So enjoy the season and the best offensive team to hit the Majors in a long long time.

And one more thing. THE 2004 INDIANS DON'T ARGUE WITH THE UMPS! The last time we did not have a Kenny Lofton or Milton Bradley on our team was 1997, the last time we went to the World Series.

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[The RotoTribe]

This year's team reminds me more of the 1994 team than the 1995-99 teams. Why? Because they are not expected to be this good. Tribe brass were sky high on the 1994 team, and it proved to be true. This year, the team has surprised.

They still need to do better against left handers, however. If I were the opposition, I'd go out of my way to throw lefties against them.

Of course, this will eventually backfire, because with practice, the Tribe will learn to hit them.

[Alex]

The Indians continue to improve against left-handed pitching. Belliard has been lights out against lefties.

As for whether or not this team is as good offensively as the mid late 90's team, Here is Some Evidence!

Cleveland 18, Seattle 6
Preview - Box Score - Recap

By JIM COUR, AP Sports Writer
July 17, 2004

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AP - Jul 17, 1:12 am EDT
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SEATTLE (AP) -- Victor Martinez hit three of the Cleveland Indians' club record-tying eight homers and drove in a career-high seven runs in an 18-6 rout of the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

Matt Lawton, Martinez and Casey Blake connected for consecutive homers in a six-run third inning for the Indians. In the ninth, Martinez, Travis Hafner and Ben Broussard all homered off Julio Mateo. And Jody Gerut connected off Mike Myers for Cleveland's eighth homer, which tied the club record set at Milwaukee April 25, 1997.

After Hafner's homer, Mateo hit Lou Merloni in the back with a pitch and was ejected by plate umpire Tim Tschida. Both benches emptied onto the field, but there were no punches thrown.

The eight homers were the most given up by the Mariners, who have lost 10 of 11. The eight homers also were a record at Safeco Field.

The 18 runs and 21 hits by the Indians were season highs.

The switch-hitting Martinez went 5-for-5. He hit a three-run homer and a solo shot from the right side of the plate and a solo shot from the left. He also had a two-run single.


Cliff Lee (10-1) won his fifth straight decision. The 25-year-old left-hander who came to the Indians in a trade in June 2002 that sent Bartolo Colon to Montreal, pitched six innings and gave up three runs on four hits and two walks, with six strikeouts. His only loss in 19 starts this season came June 3 in Anaheim.

Rookie Travis Blackley (1-2) couldn't get a batter out in the sixth, when the Indians took a 7-0 lead.

Lawton, Martinez and Blake gave Cleveland a 5-0 lead with their homers in the third. Lawton's drive was a two-run homer, his 16th of the season.

It was the 11th time in franchise history that the Indians had three consecutive homers, the last time was against California on Sept. 12, 1996, by Jim Thome, Albert Belle and Julio Franco. Their four home runs in the ninth tied a club record for homers in an inning, last accomplished against the Los Angeles Angels on July 31, 1963.

Jody Gerut added an RBI double and Ronnie Belliard an RBI single for Cleveland's other two runs in the sixth.

Blackley, 21, a left-hander from Australia who is regarded as one of the most promising prospects in the Mariners' farm system, gave up seven runs on seven hits, three walks and a hit batter in two innings. In three starts since being called up from Triple-A Tacoma July 1, he has an 11.37 ERA.

Ron Villone, who will make his second start of the season for Seattle Monday night against Boston, allowed Martinez's 14th homer in the sixth.

Martinez had a two-run single off George Sherrill, making his major league debut, in the seventh.

Mariners rookie Justin Leone had a three-run homer in the fourth, his second homer in two nights, and an RBI double in the ninth.

Bucky Jacobsen, 28, went 1-for-2 in his major league debut for Seattle. ^Notes: The Indians had two runners thrown out at the plate in the fourth, when Martinez and Blake opened with singles. Second baseman Bret Boone threw Martinez out at the plate when he attempted to score on Hafner's fielder's choice. Blake was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Raul Ibanez for a double play after Ibanez caught Meloni's shallow flyball.

Updated on Saturday, Jul 17, 2004 1:35 am EDT

[Alex]

This team may not have been quite as good offensively as the teams from the mid-to late 90's, but it was close, and sure darn fun to watch.

Good job Tribe!