Pronk Needs You!

It’s Friday morning and I’m sitting at my kitchen table listening to my Internet radio station (Festival Radio), and, in a nice stroke of coincidence, it’s playing Michael Stanley (“Working Again”).  Alas, however, I am sitting at my kitchen table because I am not really working.  Three weeks ago, I was cut back at my job, where I’m now working about a day and a half a week, though I’m being paid for 20 hours at a lower rate and allowed to keep my health insurance.  I tell you all this in order to say that I’ve not been particularly inspired to blog about baseball recently.

However, spring training is coming to an end, the season starts on Monday, and it’s time for some news and observations.

• After winning the last open spot in the Indians rotation, Scott Lewis went out in his next two ST tuneups and got hammered like a drunk on a bender.  He claims he’s having trouble gripping the ball in the drydesert air, and certainly that would explain why a finesse pitcher is leaving so many meatballs up over the plate.  However, he wasn’t leaving those meatballs over the plate before he won the starting job.  Lewis needs to find it again or his stay will be short and we’ll be seeing Laffey up in Cleveland sooner rather than later.
• We don’t have Eddie Moo to kick around any more.  He’s been traded to the Padres for a PTBNL or cash.
• Based on his ST results, Masa Kobayashi could be the next off the island – he has a spring ERA of 12.27.  Kobayashi wore out very quickly and is in the last year of his contract.  He would have to agree to be sent down to the minors, and, really, at his age, what would be the point?  If he continues to struggle during the first part of the season, the Indians have enough live arms at AAA that it would be pointless to keep him around.
• A big surprise of ST has been the performance of Vince Chulk.  Chulk has bounced around between the majors and AAA for a couple teams and was signed to provide bullpen depth.  All he’s done in ST has been to pitch 15.2 innings with an ERA of 1.72.  Although he’s already been sent to Columbus, he will likely be the first one up if (when?) the Kobayashi experiment fails.
• Josh Barfield has won the 25th spot on the roster, despite pretty much sucking at the plate (.258/.303/.306).  He appears to have adjusted to his chance to be a true utility player, getting reps at third base and the outfield.  Congratulations, Josh.  You are the new dominoes go-to-guy and pinch-runner extraordinaire.
• Trevor Crowe has also won a spot with the big club out of ST as the fourth outfielder,  while the Indians figure out what to do with David Dellucci, who has been placed on the DL with calf tightness.  Wedge says that they didn’t award the spot to Crowe for him to sit on the bench.  You’ll have to forgive me if Wedge’s past tendancies to go with veterans over rookies makes me more than a little skeptical about how much time Crowe will see over the first couple weeks.  Crowe does provide speed off the bench, and appears to be capable of playing at all three outfield positions.
• Nobody will mistake Ryan Garko for a gold glove outfielder, but he appears to at least not be an overwhelming defensive liability.    It is worth noting that Wedge has all but announced that Shoppach and Martinez are in a job share at catcher and that Victor will be playing first base the majority of the time he’s not catching.  Pronk will be doing the majority of the DHing, leaving few at bats for Garko.  His ability to play the outfield makes him a viable late-inning bat off the bench.
• Jhonny Peralta has been clubbing the ball this spring (.400/.429/.633).
• The wind appears to be blowing out everywhere in Arizona.  There have been some wild games with football scores this spring.
• After many weeks of concern, it appears that Pronk is finally putting something together.  He’s homered twice in the last week and raised his line to .260/.333/.460.   The Indians seem to not be concerned and say the timing will come back as he sees more live pitching.
• Speaking of Pronk, Jay Levin of Let’s Go Tribe has posted a great Q & A he did with Indians Assistant GM Chris Antonetti regarding the Indians’ due diligence (medical and otherwise) on the Pronk contract extension.   It’s definitely a must-read.
• The very last spot in the bullpen was won by Zachson.  Given how many questions there are about three/fifths of the rotation (i.e., everyone but Lee and Carmona), it is likely the Indians felt they needed someone who could give them some length in the pen in case (when?) Pavano, Reyes and/or Lewis implodes early in a game.   In fact, if Lewis implodes enough to be sent down, Jackson may well be given the fifth starter spot and Chulk brough up to the pen.