Lazy Sorgiunday

A day after a stirring win in FlyerLand (only a 25-point win over the nation’s #6 ranked team to add to a win in Louisville to the resume) and with quite a bit of time until the Colts and Titans determine the playoff future of the boys in Orange, it’s time for a Lazy Sorgiunday:

Lest anyone think that the national media has awarded the AL Central to the Tigers in light of the Cabrera/Willis deal, Yahoo Sports has emerged with a (very) early AL Power Rankings listing the Tribe just a tick below the Red Sox, and above Detroit, in the AL…which really means all of MLB. Obviously, the idea is to FINISH the year at the top of the Power Rankings, but starting near the top shows that the national pundits certainly didn’t see 2007 as a fluke.

Terry Pluto touches on the “What to do with Andy Marte and the BLC” topic, pointing out that both are out of options and Marte is struggling in Winter Ball. While it has been heard that the Indians have asked Marte to try to get away from pulling every ball and using the whole field in Winter Ball (which, to some, could be a questionable strategy as his confidence, without the tinkering, couldn’t be too high), his performance in the DWL is certainly disappointing. Pluto correctly points out that Marte is not an ideal bench player and would have to be given regular AB for a team in line to be in contention from Day 1.

As has been written here before, since it seems that the Indians are committed to Casey Blake being in the everyday lineup and Marte doesn’t figure to be “handed” the 3B job, why not use Blake’s versatility to allow Marte to play 3B against LHP? Seeing that a platoon exists in LF where the RH portion (Michaels) could be moved for another part, what’s wrong with Marte, Blake, and Dellucci platooning LF and 3B?
Against LHP, Blake in LF and Marte at 3B.
Against RHP, Dellucci in LF and Blake at 3B.

I’m actually of the belief that Marte SHOULD be “handed” the 3B job out of Winter Haven to truly see what he can do in an extended period of time (40 to 60 games) before making a decision to possibly pull the plug on him. Consider that Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia had a .544 OPS in April of 2007 through 55 AB in his first extended look at MLB while Marte had a .553 OPS in April of 2007 in 39 AB before his injury sent him to Buffalo for good. Since the Tribe is essentially set everywhere else in the lineup, with suitable back-ups in Shoppach and The Frisco Kid, let’s see what Marte can do with some regular time (or, at the very least, platooning with Blake and Dellucci) before giving up on a 24-year-old (2 years younger than Francisco, by the way) whose only downfall has been high expectations and a slow adjustment to MLB.

As for the BLC, I’m firmly of the belief that this will become one of those “this will sort itself out somehow” roster moves as Choo probably won’t be ready to come back from injury and rehab stints until June, by which time the fate of Dellucci could be sealed or the Tribe gets creative in roster management. Unfortunately for BLC, his history shows that he merely fits as a platoon OF unable to hit LHP and, unless Dellucci is moved in some sort of deal to make room (please, pretty please…), that role is already filled by a player working on a long-term deal.

Tribe Minor League Guru Tony Lastoria begins his Tribe Top 50+ prospect list. If you’re not familiar with Tony’s work and consider yourself knowledgeable about the organization, prepare to be blown away at the depth and breadth of his knowledge about the 2B for the Dominican Summer League team and how he figures into the organization’s plans.
Extremely interesting stuff with all of the legwork done and compiled very neatly for you.

Around the Central, news out of the Twin Cities has the Twinkies holding onto Johan and talking about a 4-year, $80M extension for him…for now.

During some Christmas shopping, I had a chance to stop by the Team Shop to catch a glimpse of the new alternate jerseys and was hoping to see the hats. While the hats had not yet arrived, I am, unfortunately the bearer of bad news.

Yes, Virginia, the new Indians alternates are yellow.
Not cream, not off-white, not beige, not vintage...but yellow. They may not look like it on TV or in pictures, but standing in front of the jerseys, there is no mistaking the color…yellow.

It answers, of course, the question as to why the hats don’t have a white outline around the block “C”. The answer is that if the “C” were outlined in white, it would represent the only white anywhere on the uniform. Since yellow as an outline on a hat looks about as good as a yellow jersey, thank goodness they didn’t outline the “C” in yellow.
Sigh. I suppose at least they won’t be wearing vests.
Someday they'll get this right.

Finally, I’ll be donning these threads today.

OK, maybe not, but seeing as how Sorgi is a Wisconsin grad and one of The DiaperTribe’s gifts in Milwaukee from the in-laws was a Bucky Badger “singing” doll that dances while playing “On Wisconsin”, I’m wearing the battery out on that thing tonight.