Thoughts for a Saturday night

LEARNING FROM ADVERSITY...AND PRIVILEDGE

Francona said they were looking to see how players (particularly Bobby Bradley) handled the adversity of being sent down to the minors when he didn't deserve it.   Well, instead, he found out 2 things, although he sugar-coated the second one:

• He found out that Bradley pouted when he was unfairly sent to the minors.   While that isn't good, it is not unexpected and, frankly, actually makes me feel better about his slow start this year.  
• Francona also found out how Jake Bauers performed when given something he didn't deserve.  Did he take the opportunity and run with it?  Nope.  Just like he had 3 errors in the game after he was told he made the team, he hit and fielded in the regular season like...well...Jake Bauers.   He has been bad-to-terrible his entire career and I will always believe that the only reason he lasted this long with the Indians is because we traded him for Yandy Diaz and the latter has actually really helped his team win.

Bradley started out well today with a double and a run scored.   Francona may be right.  Jake Bauers may learn to hit with another team.   What Francona will never know is how many wins it cost the Indians by having Bauers play instead of keeping Bradley at the beginning of the season.

Good luck to Jake Bauers.   I will always be disappointed that you did little to nothing for my team after you were given a gift you didn't deserve.  Being on this team at all this year.  Hope you treat the next team that gives you an opportunity better than you treated the Indians.  

Maybe Bauers ends up in Pittsburgh. They seem to be collecting ex-Indians.  

BLAKE PARKER

He showed AAAA stuff today.  Fortunately he and Karinchak kept the Orioles from scoring after Parker loaded the bases with no outs.   I really wish we had a real prospect or two who was ready to help us.in the bullpen.   I have seen so many of these AAAA guys go through Cleveland since Tito has been here that it almost hurts to watch another one.  I hope I am wrong and he turns into a guy like Maton but what he showed today is that he was getting AAA guys out on experience, something that I saw when I watched him pitch at Columbus.   That is probably not enough to pitch effectively in the majors.  Guys get signed to minors deals late basically because they are not likely to be effective in the majors.   As I said earlier...if there was anyone else ready in the minors...but there isn't.  So, Parker becomes a mopup man like Plutko until we find someone more effective.

HELP FROM THE MINORS

You know I have said how disappointed I am in Owen Miller.   I just don't get it.  He is so lost and looks like he doesn't have a clue at the plate.   He looks like he doesn't belong in the majors instead of looking like he had nothing left to prove at AAA.    How many times over the past few games has Miller been in situations where he had a chance to gain confidence and help the team?  Many.   And each time he looked overmatched.   I just don't get it.   I have been watching baseball for over 50 years and I just don't get it.   Normally I would say send him out now but we don't have ANYONE in the minors who deserves a promotion to the majors, except Lavarnway who I still think should replace Rivera to give us some more hitting.  But for infielders and outfielders, there is no one in our entire minor league system who deserves a chance in the majors.   Even Tyler Freeman is not ready.   You can see it watching his ABs at Akron as he has a lot of soft hits.   He will probably get even better at AA and may start hitting the ball hard consistently as the season wears on.  He will likely get a promotion to AAA and probably have middling success there and be a factor sometime next year.   But at this point, if you think Miller is overmatched, it appears Freeman would be worse.  None of our exiled ML outfielders is ready.

I thought Bradley Zimmer was ready to help but the game today was typical for him.  Each AB he had a very hittable pitch to hit and he let it go by and ended up striking out every time.   Interestingly the announcers are always harping on our better hitters when they miss 'their' pitch.   They don't say anything about Zimmer.   I think everyone has given up the idea of him ever being an offensive threat again.   This is almost as disappointing as Miller as all we would need is for Zimmer to hit .260 with a .320 OBP and a .700 OPS.  Along with his speed and defense in CF that would be enough on this team.  I don't know that this is too much to ask but, after today, I am worried that Zimmer follows Bauers out of town before the end of this season.   Really disappointed if that happens but, when you get chance after chance, at some point you have to help the team that is giving you all those chances.  You just have to.

As far as pitchers, anyone we bring up from the minors at this point is really a Hail Mary.  Scott Moss is still not ready.  Juan Hillman is still not ready. Nick Mikolojchak is still not ready.   Robert Broom isn't ready.  There is no one truly ready  Kirk McCarty might be worth a look but, again, this would just be a Hail Mary.   Ditto for Justin Garza.  Eli Morgan still is worth a look but I would like to see him get at least 5 more AAA starts before he is brought back up again.   Maybe 10 starts to be safe, if he stays healthy in that stretch.

TOMORROW

Another interesting game tomorrow as Quantrill gets the start.   I hope he does well but just as much of a concern to me is how the bullpen does when Quantrill is taken out tomorrow.  It would be great to win this series and stay ahead of KC and make up ground on the White Sox...and get a little more over .500 in case the next stretch taxes our team's talent.