Read this intro, then close your eyes, and take a deep breath before continuing on. Let Hammy’s words, “Cleveland! We WILL have an October to remember!” sink in. That feeling we all had in our gut just a few months ago has returned, where we all just know for whatever reason that this season was different from anything else. The fans know it, the players know it, and just like we have done ALL 2016 long, the world is about to be reminded of it one more time. Cleveland isn’t done winning yet and the Indians are on deck.
Early on, before the season even started, there were worries surrounding the Indians best hitter OF Michael Brantley. There were options that could take his place if, for whatever reason, he would miss legitimate time. One of those options was rookie CF Tyler Naquin, whose name has been coming up in ROY award conversations all season. Right now, Naquin 5th in AVG (.301), RBIs (42), and HRs (14), 4th in doubles (18) and hits (91), and 3rd in walks (34) among all American League rookies this season.
The other option was Jose Ramirez, a platoon guy who no one really expected to do more than ride the bench most of the season. Ramirez has shocked everyone, stepping up to become exactly what we needed with the absence of Brantley. Before our eyes, he’s grown into a force of defensive nature, gaining the trust of Tribe fans with his timing on a ricochet off the wall in left, or his quick precision at third. This Ramirez that’s come to play for us day in and day out has the confidence which deserves his swagger, and that confidence is seen even more at the plate. He’s batting above .300 overall (.315 and 3rd highest on the team), with men on base (.346 highest on the team) and with men in scoring (.358 3rd highest on the team), and he’s only a single homerun shy of where I expected him to end up (12).
A few other options to mention from the outfield that have made just as big a difference as the two above are the newly signed Rajai Davis, The Man of Many Steals, and Lonnie “Executive-Walk-Off-Water-Tray-Runner-Outterer” Chisenhall. Davis leads the not only the Indians with 41 stolen bases (only to be caught SIX times), but also tops the American League (second place Royals Jarrod Dyson with 28), and is 4th overall in baseball (he also stands with the top 15 in baseball history for single season stolen bases).
Mister Chisenhall took an opportunity to be the starter we all needed and completely ran with it. He played just 47 games in right field last season, a small sample that proved enough to give him the spot after camp broke in March. Since then, Lonnie had batted up and around the .300’s (currently .293) all season, and has come into clutch situations with a fiery bat, getting 54 of his 56 RBIS with men on base and 47 of those with men in scoring. With Lonnie, I’ve always preached that when he figures out his defense, it will reflect in his offense, and that’s exactly what has happened here.
There is a duo in the Indians batting order that could be called the sleeping giants, tucked away in the middle of the lineup. What have we always been told about sleeping giants? You never wake them, and in this case, when someone does, those two giants tend to go yard…34 times each. DH Carlos Santana and 1B Mike Napoli have put some fear into opposing pitchers, as they should because they both also lead the Indians in RBIs this season (1. Napoli 100 – 2. Carlos 83), and walks (1. Carlos 94 – 2. Napoli 74). They have made 162 games into a competitive performance, adding a magic to this club that could rival the Rock’n Blast fireworks.
Separately though, the duo has been just as effective. Carlos batting leadoff has surprised almost everyone, as he has hit 16 of his 34 homers from the top of the order, along with 16 doubles and collected 39 RBIs. Napoli on the other hand has put up his best numbers of his career,
The bats have been a mind-blowing improvement this year, staying hot and coming to the aid of a pitchers off-day to keep the game going, but it’s those arms that the season rides or dies on, even more so in the post season.
The pitching has had its ups and downs, though overall continued to impress and compensate for a lack in other aspects of the game. Where a starter would have an off day and come out early, the pen was there to pick up the pieces, and the same could be said if the bats didn’t show up to the party. Guys like Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin found a new spark in their arms, and a new handle on how to regain control of potential out of control situations. Other guys like Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Cody Allen have done exactly what’s needed, being the workhorse power arms that this team can lean on. But, the two that have stood out more than all these others between the starts and the pen are Ace Corey Kluber and setup man Bryan Shaw. With an ERA OF 3.11, 2 shutouts, an 18-9 record and 3 complete games, Klubot is putting up a season very much like his Cy Young year in 2014. He’s been a dominant ace with his sick cutter and nasty fastball leading the way for the rest of the rotation.
From the pen though, there has been a mix of names and numbers coming to the aid of the team, and one guy in particular has created a rift between the trustees and the nervous. When Bryan Shaw is bad, he is REALLY bad, and I mean the type of bad that makes you not want to watch a game for the rest of the week. He’s given up home runs, and put men on at the worst of times, BUT to outweigh his few bad outings, Shaw has actually been pretty impressive. He didn’t hit a solid consistency until about the second half, and I credit that to the addition of closer Andrew Miller from the Yankees. This addition would take pressure off of Shaw, who I never believed was a legit setup man, but more of a 6th or 7th inning guy, and that release made all the difference in his focus on the mound. With his 24 holds this season, and more appearances than any other reliever this season, Shaw has scared most of us into no choice BUT to trust him.
In a twist to a massive change in perspective, guys like Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis have put up numbers that would make anyone happy. In past years, these two were the talk of the town, playing into stand out rolls that the team needed to win. But now, they’re less standouts and more part of the fabric that helps this team work and stick together so well.
This is a testament to how perfect these group of guys come together, both core guys and new, to create something so perfect, from the pitchers to the bats, the infield gloves to the hot cleats running bases, each and every player on this team had a hand in the success of this season. They learned out of the gate how to play as a unit, and how to move and work like one. When one falls they all fall, and when one succeeds they all succeed, and from this came a 14 game win streak, 11 walk offs, and over 30 come from behind wins. It’s been the most amazing year for the city of Cleveland, and with the blessing from our beloved Tom Hamilton, Cleveland, we will have another October to remember!
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