C'ya, C.C.

Sabathia had another forgettable performance. He Lasted just 2 1/3 innings and gave up 8 earned runs. What a stinker. Coming into the season, Sabathia's fifth in the big leagues, he was pencilled in as the number one starter. Quite an achievement for the youngest member of the staff.
Over his last 8 starts his record is 1-5 giving up 38 runs in 36 1/3 innings. That breaks down to a 9.47 era over that stretch. Wow! Wow! He cannot remain in the big leagues with a statline like that. He needs to be sent down to the minors immediately. Before he does any more harm to himself or the team.
It is clear that C.C is struggling with the mental side of being a major league starting pitcher. An assignment in the minors might do more damage to his already weak psyche, but what other alternatives are there? He is not learning from his mistakes. He falls into the same pattern every start. He becomes a thrower and not a pitcher. By thrower I mean that he simply rears back and tries to throw the ball a million miles per hour each pitch. Most every pitch is a fastball.
His rough patch started in a game against the lightly regarded Colorado Rockies. Not much was made of his performance that day, allowing 6 earned runs over 3 1/3 innings. The team was in the midst of its best stretch of baseball all season. His teammates got him off the hook and won the game in the late innings.
He made his next start against the Red Sox. The Indians were riding a nine game winning streak and the Sox posed a big challenge. The game took on a playoff like atmosphere from the first pitch. C.C. wiggled out of trouble in the first and kept Boston off the scoreboard. The Indians manufactured a run in the home half of the first, but C.C. sputtered giving up 9 earned over 5 1/3 innings.
Maybe the pressure of the situation got to him. The pressure on him has not let up since. C.C. looks as though he expects to lose whenever he takes the ball. The confidence he has shown for the first 4 1/2 years of his big league career seems to be gone. When a runner gets on base he tenses up even more. He lacks the focus necessary to get the job done right now.
The high 90's readings on the radar gun indicate that there is nothing wrong physically. Maybe he can turn his season around, but I don't know that he should be doing so with the major league club. I don't know that simply skipping him in the rotation will be enough to get him untracked. He needs to go to a lower level and just focus on pitching.
The immediacy of playing in a pennant race is proving to be too much for C.C. to handle. Maybe he can log a couple of starts at extended spring training. After that, he can do an assignment with the Lake County Captains. Depending on how things go, he could rejoin the big league club in a month or so. If not, he should be shut down for the season.
The Tribe should call up Jason Davis to take C.C.'s spot in the rotation. Also, Mark Shapiro should ask for a refund on the big contract he issued to C.C in the offseason. Right now C.C. cannot get anybody out. He's not helping the team, he is hurting it. He needs to be taken out of the rotation and put out of his misery for a while.

What a year it has been for your Cleveland Indians. Going into the season, the biggest question marks were about the bullpen. Low and behold, the pen is now the backbone of the team. We didn't know if Bob Wickman could hold up. Fast forward to July. Wickman's the lone all star! Last year, the hitters carried the team. This year they're anemic, hitting just .260 and averaging less than 4.5 runs a game. Compare that to last year's 5.3 runs a game and a .276 team batting average. Here's a key difference; on base percentages. Last year it was .351 but so far in 2005 the OBP is a mere .323. Last year's table setters Matt Lawton and Omar Vizquel are long gone. So how'd we get here? Well, if you're true fans, you've been down to the Jake a few times and have kept it locked to FSN for every pitch.

Let's look at the guys who have been getting it done.

Grady Sizemore. He was not expected to make the team out of spring training, but has made the most of his oportunity. He's been setting the table ever since moving into the leadoff spot, leads the team in hits and batting a respectable .282.
Coco Crisp. This guy is for real. Coco has just kept on hitting and getting on base. He's hitting .294 with a .343 OBP. He's always hustling and genuinely looks like he's having a good time out there.
Travis Hafner. No explanation needed.
Jhonny Peralta. Omar who? JP got off to a slow start, but has been coming up big ever since. When the game gets to the later innings, Jhonny comes through hitting .341.

Who are the biggest rally killers?

Casey Blake. Hitting .176 w/ RISP.
Aaron Boone. Has struggled to get above the mendoza line. Don't look now, Boone's hitting .324 since the break.
Ben Broussard. Paltry OPS for his position. His .736 Ranks 16th among AL first basemen.

Pitching Prowess.

The team ERA (3.75) ranks 6th in all of baseball. The bullpen is tops in the majors with a 2.74 ERA and is 28/37 in save opportunities. The starting rotation has remained intact for the most part.

Take Five

Kevin Millwood-- (3-9) 3.34 era QS 9/17
C.C. Sabathia-- (6-7) 4.70 era QS 7/18
Jake Westbrook-- (7-12) 4.51 era QS 13/21
Cliff Lee-- (11-4) 3.87 era QS 9/20
Scott Elarton-- (6-5) 4.66 era QS 9/18

QS=quality start (6+ innings)