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He needs to turn season around or team may come up with alternatives
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Sunday, Aug 03, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS: There have been obvious signs of impatience with Ryan Garko among the Indians' deep thinkers, manager Eric Wedge in particular.
No doubt that Garko has not lived up to the high expectations he engendered because of a roaring major-league debut late in the 2006 season and a mostly successful 2007.
But of the many things that have gone wrong this year, Garko's subpar performance ranks far behind injuries to Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez; the disintegration of the bullpen, with Rafael Betancourt the focus of that mess; and the inaction over the winter of General Manager Mark Shapiro, regardless of his sincere justifications for maintaining the status quo.
To be sure, Garko has been a disappointment. It took him more than a year, but he finally picked up bad habits at the plate: an uppercut swing, a tendency to flail at breaking pitches down and away, and at times a lack of aggressiveness.
For Wedge, hitters must draw up a plan and have the discipline to carry it out. When they think they have the pitcher on the defensive and see a good pitch to hit, they must attack.
Of course, the manager is right, but executing all of this is easier said than done. Moreover, when things go wrong for a hitter, his mind begins to play tricks on him, especially if he is relatively inexperienced, as is Garko.
More than likely, Garko is going through the same growing pains that most hitters endure. But my impression is that unless he turns his season around yesterday, he will not be given a chance to earn Shapiro's ultimate label of respect: core player.
Only a week ago, Wedge, a slightly sharp tone in his voice, made the remark that, ''Garko has to hit.''
Doesn't every position player? The manager's point was that driving in runs in bunches is the only reason Garko has made it this far as a major-leaguer, and if he doesn't get his act together, he ought to consider an occupation in the real world.
It seemed a little harsh, which is why I'm thinking that Tribe officials already are considering alternatives to Garko. Maybe that's because first base is one position that is stocked with reasonably talented prospects in Cleveland's farm system.
There's Michael Aubrey at Buffalo, highly regarded power hitter Matt LaPorta at Akron (even though he is playing the outfield now) and last year's top draft pick, Beau Mills, at Kinston. And there's always the possibility that Martinez will be switched from catcher to first baseman, though I doubt that's high on anyone's list of priorities.
Even more of a stretch, but certainly not beyond the realm of possibility, is that Shapiro might re-sign Casey Blake and use him at first rather than third. That puts the onus squarely on Garko.
Should it be? It seems management would be wise to be more forgiving in evaluating Garko. Much in the same way that Andy Marte continues to receive chances to prove he was the right guy in the Coco Crisp deal.
That is not to say Marte irrevocably has proven that his acquisition was a mistake. But his batting average still hovers below .200, and he has demonstrated the same flaws in his swing that were evident the first day he arrived in spring training two years ago.
To his credit, now that he is playing every day, Marte has shown somewhat better plate discipline and a more aggressive swing with pitches he should hit. Believe it or not, many batters miss-hit pitches down the middle at the waist. Marte usually jumps all over them. Of course, that's not enough.
What has that to do with Garko? Marte has a long way to go before he reaches Garko's level of accomplishment at the plate, yet there is a perceived intolerance of Garko that is totally missing with Marte.
Usual suspects
What is Shapiro supposed to do with his fractured bullpen over the winter?
Should he scatter the current relievers to the winds and start from scratch? Should he hope that Rafael Betancourt is only going through the ''One Good Year Syndrome'' followed by the ''One Bad Year Syndrome,'' and that he will bounce back in 2009?
Betancourt already has a contract for next season, so his place on the roster probably is secure. It should be. His only lousy year came after four pretty good ones and the incredible season of 2007.
What about Jensen Lewis, who might be the least of the GM's problems, but even so, how does a pitcher with a healthy arm lose his fastball? Lewis seems to be finding his velocity again (don't ask me where it went), and he certainly is young enough to be far short of his ceiling.
Then there's Masa Kobayashi. Can Shapiro attribute his struggles to having to adjust to more talented hitters than he faced in Japan — none of whom did he know — and having to acclimate himself to a totally different culture?
What the Tribe's deep thinkers needed to find out most about Kobayashi was whether he could get big-league hitters out. He has. Dealing with late-inning pressure, which he did in Japan, should not be something that trips him.
We haven't even broached the jackpot question. Who will be the Indians' closer? It's doubtful that individual is a member of the current roster or buried in the farm system. He could be anywhere: on the upcoming list of winter free agents or on the trading block. But picking the right guy will be a formidable task.
At least after a slow start, Rafael Perez has delivered dominating performances as the season has worn on, and Edward Mujica has shown signs he can be a viable contributor (maybe).
Then again, that's this year, which probably has nothing to do with 2009.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
MINNEAPOLIS: There have been obvious signs of impatience with Ryan Garko among the Indians' deep thinkers, manager Eric Wedge in particular.
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