CLEVELAND, OH – The Indians were eliminated from playoff contention on Friday night. They’ve been outscored 24-5 in the past three games (all losses).
The Indians are going out with a whimper. They’re limping to the finish line.
Francisco Lindor and Oscar Mercado haven’t had a base hit since Tuesday. Yasiel Puig went hitless in his last three games.
Nick Goody collapsed on Friday. Carlos Santana struggled this week and had a key error that cost the Indians two runs in Wednesday’s loss to the White Sox. All-Star Shane Bieber wasn’t his normal self in his last start.
The playoffs were within the Indians’ grasp on Monday morning and they were gone by Friday night.
Some will say the team was a disappointment. Others believe injuries were the difference between the Indians and the top teams in the American League.
In reality, there is no one thing that kept the Indians from achieving their goals in 2019. There are a bunch of factors that attributed to it, including some that they couldn’t control.
No one expected the Twins to hit 300+ home runs and win 100 or more games. They were aggressive in the offseason and some of their young players blossomed at the right time, which translated into an historic season for Minnesota.
Plenty of people will gripe about the way Paul Dolan runs the Indians and their point is valid – the organization has salary restraints that other teams don’t have to worry about. The Indians could’ve used Michael Brantley, who’s hitting .311 with 21 home runs this season in Houston. The budget restraints are a piece of the problem, but they aren’t the whole pie.
Dolan isn’t the reason Lindor couldn’t hit during the month of September. He isn’t the reason Corey Kluber, Mike Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco and others missed significant time.
The Indians didn’t get eliminated on Friday night for any one reason. There were a lot of contributing factors, which is why it’s hard to say it was a bad year for the Tribe.
The Indians failed. They didn’t win the AL Central for a fourth straight season. They didn’t earn a Wild Card spot. They failed.
They also dealt with countless injuries, salary restraints and were forced to rely on multiple rookies in big moments.
The Indians had a good year. They’re going to win at least 93 games. People will discount the win total based on who the Indians beat and the quality of competition in the bottom half of the league.
Every single Tribe fan would’ve signed up for 90+ wins at the start of the season, especially after what they lost in free agency.
Sometimes explanations require context. Plenty of people think the Indians had a successful year. Others believe it was a disappointment and that they were destined to fail from the beginning.
Both opinions are valid. The Indians trotted out an Opening Day lineup that included Leonys Martin, Hanley Ramirez, Brad Miller and Eric Stamets. Veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez would join them in the near future.
None of those players ended up being long-term contributors, which says more about where they’re at in their career and how desperate the Indians were at the start of the season.
Part of that falls on the Dolans. They have a budget that Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff have to maneuver around.
When you look at what the front office did this season, combined with the injuries and the young players who emerged like Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale, Jefry Rodriguez and Mercado, it’s hard to not look at the year and call it a success.
Even Clevinger and Bieber took steps forward and look like they could be aces on the Indians’ staff in 2020 and beyond.
Roberto Perez showed everyone that he could be an everyday catcher. He helped the young pitchers have success and showed plenty of power at the plate.
Winning 93 games isn’t easy, especially when you consider everything that went into the 2019 season.
The Indians never gave up or complained about the adversity that was thrown their way. Call it a success. Call it a disappointment. Call it whatever you want.
One thing is certain: the 2019 Indians were a roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, all rides come to an end.
