CLEVELAND, Ohio: The Indians were off Monday. Their record is 10-7. In this 60-game baseball season, it means the team is already at the quarter-pole. To be exact, 28% of the season is gone. Scribbling about what we’ve learned so far:
1. From team president Chris Antonetti to GM Mike Chernoff to manager Terry Francona to the coaching staff, the leadership has been strong and firm in the age of COVID-19. The Indians players put together a code of conduct to avoid an outbreak of the virus on the team. It was embraced by management and implemented.
2. When baseball resumed, Antonetti and Francona both mentioned the Tribe can use self-discipline and team unity as an advantage to stay healthy and keep the team from losing games to the virus. Franmil Reyes was kept away from the team for three days when he went to a Fourth of July event without a mask. He didn’t test positive for the virus, but a message was sent.
3. You could hear the disappointment and anger in the voices of several members of the organization when Zach Plesac broke team rules and went out with friends after Saturday’s game. He was sent home. Now, he’ll be tested a few times for the virus before he can return to the team.
4. Then the new broke Monday night that Mike Clevinger also was out when the team was in Chicago. He was pulled from his Tuesday night start against the Cubs, replaced by Adam Plukto. Like Plesac, he’s being quarantined and will have to pass some COVID-19 tests. So the Tribe has two starters on hold, at least for a few days.
5. The Indians have been disciplining each other, trying to stay away from large groups. They have seen the Cardinals, Marlins and some other teams hit hard and lose games to the virus. The Indians also stressed to everyone that certain members of the organization such as Francona and pitcher Carlos Carrasco have a history of health issues that make them very vulnerable to a severe reaction to the virus.
6. That’s why there was so much disappointment with Plesac. This team has strong chemistry. They stress doing things together. They also know what happened with Plesac and his discipline being public will serve as positive peer pressure for the rest of the team. Meanwhile, Plesac certainly can re-establish himself with the organization with a sincere apology and by being self-disciplined.
7. Francona was out for more than a week with health problems (non-virus). He returns for Tuesday’s game. Antonetti has been very helpful doing several Zoom press conferences in the manager’s absence. That’s especially important with bench coach Brad Mills and hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo also gone from the team as they opted out of the season for personal reasons.
8. One of my favorite baseball people is Sandy Alomar, and he stepped into the leadership role with Francona gone. He worked with the front office and the coaching staff adapting to new roles to keep this team handling the adversity.
Cleveland Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez hits a 3 RBI double in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
9. I’ve heard from some fans that the Indians should put Francisco Lindor back in the leadoff spot. I’m sure it’s been discussed. Lindor is having a miserable season at the plate, hitting .221 (.671 OPS). His on-base percentage is .274. He has only four walks compared to 14 strikeouts. Lindor had been leading off the last few seasons.
10. The Indians signed veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez with the idea of him leading off and Lindor batting third. From 2017-19, Lindor averaged 34 HR, 86 RBI with an OPS of .855. The Indians wanted that power in the No. 3 spot.
11. Hernandez had some success as a leadoff hitter with the Phillies earlier in his career. The Indians put him at the top of the order. He is hitting .305 with a .414 on-base percentage. That’s exactly what you’d want from a leadoff guy. That’s why I think the Indians are reluctant to change the lineup.
12. Lindor’s issues are impatience at the bat. He’s swinging at pitches in the dirt. He’s trying to pull the ball too much. In a normal 162-game season, there wouldn’t be much said about his slow start. But there’s nothing normal this year. He is the team’s highest-paid player and needs to shape up at the plate.
13. In case you’re wondering, Lindor and Carlos Santana are both listed as being paid $17.5 million (normal salary) for 2020. But the Indians are paying Santana $14 million, the rest is picked up by other teams in that three-way trade before the 2019 season.
14. Santana is having a strange/frustrating year. He has a .451 on-base percentage. His 23 walks lead the American League, and his .451 OBP is No. 2. But he’s batting only .188 with a homer and three RBI. Like Lindor, it’s time for him to start hitting.
15. This is a down season for hitters. The average MLB team is batting .231. But even with that low standard, the Tribe’s .196 batting average is the worst in baseball. For those who like OPS, they are at a miserable .610 – 29th out of 30 teams.
16. That said, the Indians are 10-7. Their pitching is not likely to stay at an MLB-best 2.05 ERA. But their guys can really pitch. Give a lot of credit not only to pitching coach Carl Willis, but also his assistants Ruben Niebla, Brian Sweeney and Eric Binder. While Binder is listed at VP of baseball operations, he specializes in pitching, analytics and putting it all together.
Cleveland Indians designated hitter Franmil Reyes hits a 2 RBI single in the seventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
17. Former Tribe assistant GM Dan O’Dowd told me the Indians have gained the reputation as having baseball’s best organization for developing pitchers. It’s a combination of new- and old-school approaches, along with sharp scouting.
18. Franmil Reyes is a guy who can carry the offense for a while. After batting .171 in his first 10 games, the Big Man is hitting .348 with a pair of homers and seven RBI in the last six games. For a while, teams were walking Santana to pitch to the then-slumping Reyes. That should change now.
19. As for the other Santana – Domingo Santana – he has shown very little: Batting .188 (.678 OPS) with a homer and two RBI. He’s fanned 11 times in 32 at bats.
20. Young outfielders Jordan Luplow and Oscar Mercado are a combined 6-for-64 (.093) with 19 strikeouts, four walks and one homer. Bradley Zimmer is batting only .214, but at least he has a .395 on-base percentage. He should remain a regular in the outfield for now. I keep hearing Tyler Naquin is due to come back from his broken toe. They need him.
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New Indians face masks for sale: Here’s where you can buy Cleveland Indians-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($14.99) and a 3-pack ($24.99). All MLB proceeds donated to charity.