Cleveland Indians - The Bush Years (2000-2009)

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2000

Decade

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Titles:

Top Indians Players of the Oughts

2001 - Won Division - Lost ALDS to Seattle

2007 - Won Division Lost ALCS to Boston

Pitchers:

CC Sabbathia (27.6) - 76

BallPark:

Ciff Lee (16.23) - 57

Jacobs Field (2000-2009)

Jake Westbrook (11.23) - 37

Bartolo Colon (14.15) - 28

Team Name: Indians

Bob Wickman (5.51) - 26

Roberto Hernandez aka Fausto Carmona (4.32) - 20

Owners

Dave Burba (3.03) - 19

Richard E Jacobs (2000)

Paul Byrd (2.68) - 18

Larry Dolan (2000-2009)

Chuck Finley (5.84) - 16

Danys Baez (4.1) - 13

General Managers:

Joe Borowski (-1.15) - 10

John Hart (2000-2001)

Steve Karsay (4) - 4

Mark Shapiro (2001-2009)

David Riske (5.42) - 3

Rafael Betancourt (7.81) - 2

Managers:

Charlie Manuel (2000 - 2002)

Catchers:

Joel Skinner (2002)

Victor Martinez (19.25) - 52

Eric Wedge (2003-2009)

Einar Diaz (3.35) - 20

Kelly Shoppach (6.29) - 13

No Hitters:

None

First Basemen:

Jim Thome (17.73) - 32

Hall of Famers:

Travis Hafner (20.24) - 30

Robbie Alomar

Ben Broussard (6.05) - 19

Jim Thome

Ryan Garko (5.15) - 17

Manny Ramirez (Pending)

Second Basemen:

Rookie of the Year:

Roberto Alomar (12.89) - 23

None

Ron Belliard (9.42) - 14

Jamey Carroll (4.65) - 2

MVP:

Brandon Phillips (-0.45) - 2

None

ShortStop:

Cy Young:

Omar Vizquel (11.75) - 25

CC Sabbathia (2007)

Asdribal Cabrera (8.81) - 12

Cliff Lee (2008)

Third Base:

Notable Events:

Jhonny Peralta (13.72) - 36

Casey Blake (15.98) - 28

2000 - The decade opens with very bad news for Cleveland fans. Richard E

Jacobs sells the club to Larry Dolan. Jacobs sells for $320 million, he had

Outfield:

bought the club in 1986 for $40 million. No matter how you adjust for inflation,

Grady Sizemore (27.93) - 62

that's a nice profit of about 20 million a year.

Coco Crisp (8.9) - 25

Shin Soo Choo (10.69) - 22

2000 - The Indians are still a very strong club at the start of the decade finishing

Kenny Lofton (6.05) - 21

second and then first in 2000 and 2001. They would drop off precipitously from

Matt Lawton (3.78) - 18

there as the team starts getting old. The Tribe has a rennaissance in the middle

Milton Bradley (4.52) - 16

of the decade, this time behind a strong pitching staff, before dropping off

Ellis Burks (7.49) - 14

again. A classic roller coaster ride of a decade.

Jody Gerut (3.5) - 10

Juan Gonzalez (4.41) - 9

2001 - another blow, John Hart leaves Cleveland to be GM in Texas. His

Manny Ramirez (4.79) - 7

protégé, Marc Shapiro, takes over as GM. Shapiro had huge shoes to fill

Franklin Gutierrez (5.46) - 6

in Hart's and Hank Peters' before him and he wasn't able to.

Altho' he wasn't terrible.

Notable Events:

2001 - CC Sabbathia, twenty year old lefty, is a rookie. He was a first

2005 - The Indians gain thirteen games in the standings to win the wild

round pick in '98. Sabbathia is one of the best pitchers in the league

card. Pitching rules the day as CC Sabbathia, Cliff lee and Jake

for over a decade

Westbrook have big years as does closer Bob Wickman

2001 - Twenty three year old righthander Jake Westbrook is obtained

2006 - Fausto Carmona, 23, is a rookie. He has one big year, 2007,

from the Yankees for David Justice. He will become a mainstay of

where he goes 19-8.and helps lead Cleveland to a division title.

Cleveland's rotation

Note that Carmona ends up becoming Roberto Hernandez. In 2012

when his fake visa was uncovered. It also came to light that Roberto

2002 - Coinciding with Hart's departure, the Indians collapse. They drop

suddenly became three years older.

17 games in the standings. The eight year run of first and second place

finishes ends as defections and age take their toll.

2007 - After a down 2006, Cleveland bounces back with 96 wins

The Tribe goes 74-88

and a division title. Again, it's the pitching that drives the club with

CC Sabbathis, Paul Byrd, and Fausto Carmona having big years.

2002 - Marc Shapiro gets off to an incredibly good start in the retooling

Joe Borowski has a big year as a closer despite a 5.07 ERA

process. He deals righthander Bartolo Colon, a six year ace of the staff

who had been signed nine years earlier as an IFA, to the Expos for three

2008 - Cleveland drops 15 games in the standings. Considering total

exceptional young prospects. This deal immediately brings life to the

runs scored and runs allowed, the Indians overachieved in 2007

Cleveland franchise while gutting the Expos future. The three are Grady

and underachieved in 2008. Usually a big reason for this type of

Sizemore,19 year old who will emerge as one of the league's top

disparity is the quality of relief pitching. In 2007, Joe Borowski saved 45

centerfielders, 21 year old second baseman Brandon Phillips who the

games, in 2008, Cleveland's closers only saved 13 games. Aside from

Indians will let slip thru their fingers to the Reds in 2005 and who will

the relief pitching, C.C. Sabbathia dropped from 19 wins to 6 and was

become one of the better infielders in the game, and lefthander Cliff

dealt to Milwaukee at the trade deadline in his free agent walk year.

Lee, 23, who will become one of the top pitchers in the majors.

The hitting did not decline in 2008.

2002 - Victor Martinez, 23, hard hitting catcher, an IFA in '96, is a rookie

2009 - Cleveland drops another 16 games in the standings.

This time its not a statistical quirk, they're bad. Cliff Lee, who was 22-3

2003 - Jhonny Peralta, 21, hard hitting shortstop, an IFA in '99, is a rookie

in 2008, drops to 7-9 in 2009 before being dealt to the Phillies at the

trade deadline in the year before his free agent walk year.

2003 - First baseman / DH Travis Hafner, 26, is obtained in a trade with

His decline alone accounts for much of the Indians' drop in the standings.

Texas for Einar Diaz.. Hafner is Cleveland's best hitter for much of the

The losses of Lee and Sabbathia, injury to Westbrook, and the loss of

decade. Travis's acquisition puts the lineup over the top by adding to

effectiveness of Borowski turned a 96-66 division champ into a 65-97

young incumbents Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta

basket case in two short years.