The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Looking at unsung heroes for the Indians
Jeff Schudel lists his unsung heroes for the Indians this season. Plus, thoughts on what GM Koby Altman should say about questions directed toward LeBron James during Cavs’ media day.
It’s always fun to debate which player is a particular team’s most valuable player, and when it comes to the Indians, there are almost enough candidates to form a starting lineup. Jose Ramirez, Francisco Lindor, Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller before he was injured, Edwin Encarnacion, Trevor Bauer and even Jay Bruce, though he wasn’t acquired until Aug. 9, are candidates.
Miller, Encarnacion, Bauer and Bruce aren’t legitimate American League MVP candidates as Ramirez, Lindor and Kluber are, but they should be in the discussion as team MVP.
The Indians got hot about the same time Bauer (169) did. Bruce saved the day when Michael Brantley went down with an ankle injury and Encarnacion, unlike Mike Napoli a year ago, continues to hit in September. The Indians will need Encarnacion in late October.
But who would be your choice for the Indians’ unsung hero?
• First baseman Carlos Santana, outfielder Austin Jackson, starting pitcher Mike Clevinger and lefthanded relief pitcher Tyler Olson all deserve consideration for the Tribe’s unsung hero.
Santana doesn’t get the recognition Ramirez and Lindor do. He doesn’t have their flashy glove, but as a first baseman, he turns would-be errors into outs by picking throws out of the dirt. Santana has 78 RBI — two more than Ramirez — and he is always one of the most durable players on the roster. He has played in 147 games this season with eight games remaining heading into the game Sept. 23 at Seattle.
• Clevinger is 11-5 with a 3.13 ERA. He hasn’t lost since Aug. 17. He has won five straight games, and in that streak he has allowed only two earned runs in two separate games. Despite that, the Indians have decided to use Clevinger in the bullpen the rest of the season and in the playoffs.
• Tyler Olson has been nothing short of amazing. He was promoted from Columbus when Boone Logan was sidelined with an injured lat muscle injury on July 19.
Olson has appeared in 26 games as a situational reliever, sometimes pitching to only one batter. He has pitched 17 2/3 innings without allowing a run. Opposing batters are hitting .194 off him. He has 17 strikeouts while allowing four walks.
Manager Terry Francona will have the luxury of having Olson and Miller as left-handed relievers in the playoffs. This means he won’t have to call on Miller as early in the game as he did in the postseason last year.
• Jackson has the highest batting average of any Indians player with more than 75 games played. He is hitting .318 (79 games) with seven home runs and 33 RBI. He doesn’t cover as much ground as Bradley Zimmer, but he plays well enough, and with Zimmer (hand), Michael Brantley (ankle) unlikely to play in the postseason, and with Lonnie Chisenhall still hobbled with a calf injury, Jackson figures to be an important part of the playoffs.
Altman should stay quiet
Practice for the 2017-18 NBA season begins for the Cavaliers on Sept. 25 at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence. It is going to be a media circus.
I hope, and fans should hope too, that General Manager Koby Altman lets LeBron James answer the questions that are bound to come. I say that because Altman intercepted questions directed to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert at the news conference introducing Altman as general manager. Altman also intercepted questions directed toward Isaiah Thomas at that news conference so he didn’t have to answer questions about the hip injury that knocked him out of the Eastern Conference finals last year.
James is a grown man. He doesn’t need Altman talking for him.
James will be asked what he thinks about Kyrie Irving demanding a trade because he didn’t want to play with James anymore and he will be asked about his plans for next season — because that is the burning question on everyone’s mind.
It would be stunning if James gave a definitive answer to either question, but Altman should at least let James give his own non-answer instead of answering it for him.
Britt has to take charge
The Browns panicked when they signed wide receiver Kenny Britt because they did not re-sign Terrelle Pryor and now they’re paying for both bad decisions.
Or rather, Coach Hue Jackson is, because he is the one stuck answering questions why Britt has been so incompetent so far. It has been only two games, but Britt has just two catches for 15 yards.
More telling what Jackson thinks of Britt — Jackson calls the plays — is Britt has been targeted only five times total despite being on the field for 79 percent of the offensive snaps in the opener against the Steelers and 59 percent of the snaps in the game with the Ravens.
Jackson early in the week deflected questions about Britt’s effort, but later in the week he had a heart to heart with the ninth-year veteran. Presumably Jackson did most of the talking.
“I’ve challenged him that he needs to step up and make plays and I think he will, I really do,” Jackson said. “We have to make some plays and we understand that these are the guys that we have. Kenny is the elder statesman in that room and I think he’ll raise up and help lead these young guys and we’ll go play good this week.”
Britt said Jackson told him he has to be a leader on the field and in the classroom. Excluding Britt, all the Browns receivers have less than two years in the NFL.
“Doing the right things — just doing all of the small things,” Britt said when asked how he can show leadership. “That’s what’s been killing us the last two weeks — the details, finishing on certain plays and things like that. That’s something that we’ve been doing since OTAs and camp. We took a step back from that, and we need to just get back.”
To write all the receivers with the exception of Britt have less than two years in the league isn’t quite accurate. Sammie Coates is in his third season, but he has been lost in the woods without a compass since being acquired on Sept. 2 in a trade with the Steelers. Plus, he has a hamstring injury and is doubtful for the game with the Colts Sept. 24.
I didn’t know that
… Until I read my Snapple bottle cap:
The Saturn V moon rocket consumed 15 tons of fuel per second. … Dolphins sleep with one eye open. … Of the 92 counties in Indiana, only five observe Daylight savings time. … Thomas Jefferson invented coat hangers. … Interstate 90 is the longest U.S. interstate with more than 3,000 miles between Boston and Seattle. …. Alaska was bought from Russia for about 2 cents an acre.