Mon, Nov 23 2009
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Sheldon Ocker, on the Tribe: Tribe bullpen in dire need of disaster relief SHELDON OCKERAkron Beacon Journal Why not attribute his late-inning failures to an inability to cope with the pressure of the moment?
Because Kobayashi was a top closer in Japan. He was accustomed to dealing with the mental demands of that job, and even though he is pitching on a larger stage, it is doubtful he has turned into a quivering mass of jelly. Kobayashi, like all Asian or Latin players who did not grow up in the United States, has had to adjust not only to a higher level of competition but also a strange environment, different customs and a language he does not speak (but he’s learning). He also has a contract for 2009 and 2010, so he will be given a chance next year to earn his money. The recent peaks and valleys of Edward Mujica remind me of another failed Indians reliever: Fausto Carmona. Like Carmona in 2006, Mujica had a few weeks of success that seemed to indicate he had turned a corner in his career. So Wedge rewarded Mujica, as he did Carmona, by letting him try to keep a late-inning lead. This was not pretty. On July 30, Mujica was summoned in the eighth inning to hold an 11-7 lead against the Detroit Tigers. In a span of six batters, the score was tied. Last Wednesday at Tropicana Field, Mujica trotted in for the ninth with the Tribe leading by three runs. Three batters later, the score was tied. Wedge seemed shocked by the meltdowns. Of the first, he noted that Mujica got the first two batters out, to which I say, “So what?” In the debacle against the Rays, Wedge pointed out that Mujica had been a “lock-down” pitcher for two or three weeks. Albert Belle sometimes went two or three weeks without smashing a thermostat or trying to run down a kid in his SUV; Brett Favre probably has gone two or three weeks without changing his mind; I have gone two or three weeks without misspelling a word (or is it two or three minutes?). Two years ago, Wedge and general manager Mark Shapiro were mystified when Carmona was a total bust as a closer after being a “lock-down” setup man for five weeks. Five weeks! When a pitcher or a hitter plays at the same high or low level for five weeks, the operative phrase usually is, “It’s only five weeks, and it’s a long season.” Somewhere along the way, that kind of sensible thinking was lost with Carmona and now with Mujica. Since when does a five-week (or less) span constitute a meaningful test of a player? Just because the Tribe’s deep thinkers want something to happen — Mujica to justify their hopes as a legitimate asset — doesn’t mean it will. Get a grip, guys. Ocker is the Indians beat writer for the Akron Beacon Journal. Reach him at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. 
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