Is the day of Kelly Shoppach coming?
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Chicago White Sox
Things are looking sunny in The Windy City. The White Sox had an impressive four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins that should make every Sox fan happy. Manager Ozzie Guillen promised to change up the line-up to something more permanent. Essentially all he did was push first baseman Paul Konerko and designated hitter Jim Thome back to the four and five slots, respectively. But what it did was energize the two. Konerko, who was hitting darn-near the Mendoza Line, appears to have fully recovered from his ailing wrist injury, capping off the four-game sweep with a two run blast during a seventh-inning rally to help the Sox finish off the Twins.
A side note must be made for the impressive two-week stint of utility player Alexis Ramirez who has been absolutely smoking the ball. He is an excellent flier on AL Only formats and deeper mixed leagues.
If this keeps up, it will be another hunting party that Manager Ozzie Guillen has avoided. For now, at least, the dogs have been called off and the hunting party is resting… until the next time the team fails to meet the high expectations of White Sox fans and the ownership team.
Cleveland Indians
Despite the injuries to Jake Westbrook, the Cleveland Indians and Cliff Lee continue to press forward. Lee claimed his 10th victory of the season, capping the longest trip of the season. The team is struggling, regardless of the 11-game road trip, and it is apparent that the team really needs to step up their game if they are going to be contenders in August.
On a good note, first baseman Ryan Garko, with limited at bats, has really stepped up his game over this road trip, hitting over .400 with a handful of runs and runs batted in. In my opinion, it is time to make this kid a full-time spectacle in the line-up and really get this kid moving. There are several young players that should have an impact on the team long-term. Asdrúbal Cabrera has had flashes of brilliance, Franklin Gutiérrez, although injured, can have a big impact on the team.
The biggest disappointment is the lack of power and offense from power-hitting catcher/first baseman Victor Martinez. Through the past 21 days, Martinez has gone homer-less and it appears that there are issues of his health as he has rested on the cusp of the disabled list several times, primarily due to hamstring issues.
The team needs to make a decision. They either need to get Kelly Shoppach more time behind the plate, getting Martinez into the designated hitters role and get Garko in the line-up or trade Garko, insert Martinez full-time and let Shoppach bloom.
Oh… What ever happened to Andy Marté? Jeremy Sowers? Why does Cleveland have so much trouble developing their talent? This could be part of the reason that team has struggled so often this season; they simply do not have their organization in line with a formula for success.
Detroit Tigers
It is a “catchy” situation in Tiger town these days. The news came down the wire from Manager Jim Leyland that Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez and Brandon Inge are officially splitting the workload behind the plate. Although Leyland did not say that this implies anything for Rodriguez down the road, it is safe to say that actions speak louder than words. There is no doubt that Rodriguez is on a steady decline regarding his defense and arm strength behind the plate, not to mention the knees and back that has given him trouble over the past several seasons. In addition, the team needs to get Inge’s bat into the lineup to try and generate some offense.
Looking at this club, it appears this may say more about the future of Gary Sheffield and the designated hitter’s position than it does about Rodriguez and his tenure in Detroit.
Despite their immense payroll and star-saturated line-up, the team continues to struggle in every phase of the game, from starting pitching, bullpen, defense, and offense seeming to be non-existent at times. There is a difference between underachieving and simple poor play.
Kansas City Royals
Do not look now, but the Kansas City Royals have just split a four-game series with the New York Yankees. I realize that the Yankees do not “feel” like the Yankees right now, but you have to give credit where credit is due. The Yankees still have a slew of talent including Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Bobby Abreu, Johnny Damon, Robinson Cano, and Jorge Posada to name a few.
Two hitters have really stepped up their game in the past couple of weeks, outfielder and Mitchell Report suspension recipient Jose Guillen and David DeJesús.
Both have hit over .300 for the past two weeks, combining for six home runs in 12 games. Each has had an impact on the field and in the clubhouse. Guillen has erupted in the past six games and should be picked up on every waiver wire that includes the American League.
Seattle Mariners
I love it when a team is struggling. Why? Glad you asked. I love it because one of two things can occur. Either one, a few, or many individuals step up, take the leadership role and accept the blame or two, the team goes on a massive firing spree that appears to be minimal at first, but typically grows.
In step the Seattle Mariners who yesterday, fired hitting coach Jeff Pentland. The former Hitting Coach Lee Elia replaced him. “As if the team did any better prior to Pentland’s tenure. The truth be told, although the hitting coach can play a part, ultimately is the talent and responsibility of the players.
Thankfully, outfielder Raul Ibanez took some blame, stating that it was their fault that they are hitting an abysmal team average of .248 with an on-base percentage just a few ticks over .300 for the season. They basically rank next to last in batting average (13th) and dead last in on-base percentage (14th) in the 14-team American League. Personally, I blame the team ownership for over-paying for Adrián Beltré and Richie Sexson, who have lost almost all their power and have no plate presence whatsoever. To top it off, they traded away Adam Jones, arguably their best talent in the minors for a pitcher, Érik Bédard, that has been nothing short of awful since his arrival.
When they continue to struggle at the plate, which will be next in front of the firing squad?
Tampa Bay Rays
Off to the hottest start in the teams’ history, the Tampa Bay Rays appear to be hitting wall in their progress. Since the “Brawl in Boston,” which landed several players on suspension, the team seems to only be getting worse. First, Carlos Pena, their home run hitting first baseman, goes down with a wrist injury and lands on the disabled list. Now Matt Garza has a scuffle with catcher Dioner Navarro. No one knows why Matt Garza exploded on the team’s starting catcher or why Navarro was growling back. Either way, it appears that the stress of being supplanted as the division leader has gotten to some players. Will this help the team? Who knows, but at this point, the team has to go through some growing pains to really define who they are, not only to baseball, but also to themselves. Let us hope, for the team and baseball’s sake that the team is able to pull together and repeat their first half efforts, heading into the heat of summer.
On a good note, the team ventured to Anaheim to face the Angels. Evan Longoria, rookie sensation, had himself quite the homecoming as he slammed home two home runs, crossed the plate four times, helping the Tampa Bay Rays crush the Angels 13-4. This is easily the most lopsided victory for the team this year and exactly what they need to put Boston Brawl and the Battery Brouhaha behind them.
Texas Rangers
Everyone knows that pitching in Texas is going to be difficult. For one, it is a hitter’s ballpark. Two, the team seems to take quality pitching and run them into the ground, Kevin Millwood for just one example. And three, when they do have a fairly solid arm, they decide that off-the-field issues are simply too much for the ballclub’s image.
This is the general census by the media when discussing the decision to rid themselves of Sidney Ponson, his poor attitude, and his alcohol problem. I, for one, agree with the team. Although Ponson was essentially the second best pitcher on the staff (Vicente Padilla inheriting the “ace” role), you cannot allow such a figure in the dugout when you have the likes of Josh Hamilton. Hamilton has overcome a severe drug addiction to become one of the most productive members of the staff, if not the Major Leagues overall.
What kind of image would you be sending to your star player if you allow someone like Ponson and his issues to influence the ball club. Would you not rather Josh Hamilton has that impact instead?
