My thoughts on: the LF platoon

[Pronk48]

Jason Michaels

Games: 5
At Bats: 18
Runs: 1
Hits: 1
Doubles: 1
Home Runs: 0
RBI: 0
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 6
BA: .056
OBP: .150
SLG: .111
OPS: .261

David Dellucci

Games: 6
At bats: 7
Runs: 2
Hits: 0
RBI: 0
Walks: 3
Strikeouts: 2
BA: .000
OBP: .364
SLG: .000
OPS: .364

This platoon SUCKS! One hit in seven games?!

In spring training it looked like the Tampa Bay Rays had interest in trading for Dellucci, bit Shapiro didn't deal him. I was surpirsed anyone wanted this bum due to the contract he was given by the Indians.

There was talk about moving Micheals, the Mets were interested in him. He knows the NL East well, playing for the Phillies before coming to Cleveland. We didn't move him either.

If we could have moved one of these two, then there would have been a spot open for Ben Fransisco to regularly play left field. Here are Fransisco's stats from last year:

Games: 25
At bats: 62
Runs: 10
Hits: 17
Doubles: 5
Home runs: 3
RBI: 12
Walks: 3
Strikeouts: 19
BA: .274
OBP: .303
SLG: .500
OPS: .803

He has won the AAA batting title three years in a row. I don't see why we kept Michaels and Dellucci just to send this talented kid back down to the minors for another season. He can't do any worse that our current platoon.\

But now we're stuck with Michaels and Dellucci for another season. Unless one of them get hot and go on a tear, we won't be able to trade them for a bag of peanuts and a flat root beer.

All I can hope for is one to get hurt so they can call Fransisco up, so we can at least see if he can play well at the MLB level again.

[catman]

AAA success does not guarantee Major League success. There have been many guys that have torn up minor league pitching only to fall flat on their faces when they get to the bigs.
This said, I do not disagree with your assessment of the situation, however, the scouts in Cleveland seem to have done a pretty good job of judging talent in the past. I don't see any reason to think they have blown this one.

[Pronk48]

My biggest gripe with the front office and coaching staff of the Indians in the fact that they refuse to trade their top prospects for proven guys, however they don't give them the chance to prove themselves in the majors either. They'd rather hang onto hacks like Dellucci and Michaels. The only way a prospect gets a shot is if the guy in the majors gets hurt.

If you won't trade them for proven talent, then at least give them a shot on the big league roster. Fransisco has nothing left to prove in the minors. Michaels and Dellucci have proven that they both suck. One is supposed to hit righties, the other is supposed to hit lefties...but neither of them can hit anything.

Not to mention Fransisco's defense is better in left field and he is a stealing threat when he gets on base, something else the platoon isn't.

I agree that they have done a good job evaluating talent. Micheals and Dellucci however, are no better than Fransisco. But Wedge loves his left field platoon, even though it hurts the team.