When the best hitter on the Indians is a YOUNG DH who ONLY DH'S and can't play a regular position, it really creates a huge problem. An Older DH might not play everyday and this would allow other players a chance to "rest" while DH'ing. But because we have a young DH who DH's everyday, no one can else can ever be used there, and that becomes a huge issue.

When Jhonny struggles in the field, wouldn't it be wise to put him at DH as a form of a very mild reprimand for the next game, or even just as a rest day? We can't do it because we take Travis's bat out of the line-up. What about Ronnie, why can't he get a rest day as the DH twice a month? What about Grady, it would be nice to give Grady a break yet keep his bat and speed in the line-up by letting Grady DH a couple of times a month.

When our offensively talented catcher cannot DH because the regular DH DH's everyday, a problem begins to appear. When a successful platoon at first between two other players roadblocks our catcher from taht position as well, the problem compounds. Because our offensively gifted catcher can now only catch, and has no other position to play, our back up catcher uses up a critical spot on the roster yet barely gets to play at all because our main catcher can only play if he catches. Yet our offensively talented catcher then allows the other team to run on us, some of which could be related to catcher fatigue.

The roadblock at DH, the platoon at first of two SLOW MEN, a second string catcher who barely gets to play are all components of a reserve bench that has no ability to provide a spark in late innings.

What the Indians need to do is realize that the reserves MUST HAVE SPEED so that the bench is OPPOSITE to what the starters have to offer. Therefore, BOTH Ben and Eduardo have to go if Vic is to get any playing time at first.

If Vic plays most of his games at first, he still can catch some games to rest the regular catcher. Now it becomes important that the first base replacement brings a different dynamic to the club than being a slow moving power hitter, since we already have plenty of those on the team.

I suggest, Vic moves to first, Ben and Eduardo are BOTH traded, and Shoppach becomes the regular catcher. One can now have a bench consisting of a fleet reserve for first and third base, a fleet backup for second and short, AND, we can now carry TWO reserve outfielders, not one, but TWO (one of whom would also be fast, AND have a reserve catcher who is actually playing regularly at first. Suddenly the bench has been transformed from a lethargic group of spare parts that don't offer any late inning spark, to an Ozzie Guillen kind of bench, built on speed and defensive proficiency.

The roster has now gone from ZERO speedsters on the bench and the elimination of the back-up catcher who never plays, to three reserve speedsters and a veteran outfield presence, and suddenly the chance for late inning lightening to occur has increased dramatically.

Think about it, why would we want our bench to have the same type of slow moving players with some power that are clones of our starters?

Besides the lefty righty strategy, it's EQUALLY important to have speed off of the bench if the starting line-up does not possess it.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 30, 2006 06:26 PM: Message edited by: Alex ]</font>