In the case of the Cleveland Indians' infield and baseball in general, I would argue that sometimes, you can have too much.
Lets continue by taking a look at First Base and Catcher: "Great, Good, Average, or Below Average?"
First Base:
These positions have me borrowing from another cliché, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
- Ryan Garko did an admirable job in his first full season at a new position. Early on in 2007, Blake was splitting time before his move to third, and it seemed that many were concerned about Garko's defense. Garko did make 8 errors at 1B, but overall, was hardly the "black hole" defensively that seemed to to be holding him back initially. This was slightly below average, but now that he has a full season under his belt, we will label him as "Average" defensively heading into 2008. Offensively, he batted .289, finished 3rd in the AL with 21 HR, and only C.Pena and Youk had a higher .obps in the AL. Once again, given that this was his first full season, we will give Garko a rating of "Good" offensively.
- Victor Martinez filled in at 1B periodically and while his offense is considered "Great" for a catcher, we will give him an offensive rating of "Good" while at 1B. Defensively, Victor started 24 games and had a .995 fielding percentage, earning him an "Average" rating defensively.
- Travis Hafner started 11 games at first base and did not make an error earning him a rating of "Average" defensively. Some would argue he deserves lower (or perhaps even higher, if only looking at errors), however, I would argue that in the role of a 1B in National League parks, Hafner did a satisfactory job, no more, no less. Of course offensively, I would love to revert back to 2006 and rate him "Great", however, we all know how 2007 unfolded, and Travis will get a rating of "Average" for the time being.
Cather:
- Victor Martinez as we all know, is one of the best offensive catchers in all of baseball, earning him a rating of "Great" offensively. Defensively, Victor made tremendous strides, especially in regards to base-stealers. He is no Pudge, but considering where he was a year and a half ago, I am more than satisfied with Victor's defense. If he continues to improve a little each year, then we may end up with a Hall of Fame catcher when all is said and done. For the time being, Victor is "Average" defensively...a far cry from one of the worst in the league in 2005.
- Kelly Shoppoch quietly was one of the biggest surprises of 2007, especially early. His defense is "Good" and has the potential to improve to "Great". He has a rifle for an arm and did a magnificent job calling games for Paul Byrd and his bounce back, 15-win season. Offensively is where Kelly surprised many of us. His numbers project to 18 HR and 85 RBI in a full season...stats that most teams would be happy with from a backup catcher. Considering he is a backup, I will give Kelly a rating of "Good" offensively.
First Base and Catcher Summary:
Overall, these are two positions where we have just the right amount of quality, experience, youth, and depth. I wouldn't expect much movement here for years to come, although according to Eric Wedge, "If he's (Marte) on our ball club, he's going to have to be able to play some first base, too," manager Eric Wedge said. "That comes with the territory." This may have much more to do with the Tribe struggling to find some ABs for Marte, but that said, there really won't be much time for him at 1B. I think it is fair to say that most Tribe fans would be much more understanding to Marte taking Blake's ABs than Garko's or Victor's. For now, I won't put a lot of stock into that comment. However, if it does come to fruition, then the theme continues as the log-jam in the infield just won't leave us alone.
Tomorrow, we will take a look back at this week's analysis of the infield and present a couple different scenarios in a humble attempt to identify which scenario is best for the Tribe in 2008 and beyond. Until then,
Goooooooooooooooooooooo Tribe!
Cheers!
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