Factory Of Sadness
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Cleveland Indians: 3 big mistakes Sandy Alomar made in Game 2

By Chad Porto

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 29: Interim manager Sandy Alomar Jr. #15 removes starting pitcher Shane Bieber #57 of the Cleveland Indians from the game during the fifth inning after giving up a two run homer to Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 29: Interim manager Sandy Alomar Jr. #15 removes starting pitcher Shane Bieber #57 of the Cleveland Indians from the game during the fifth inning after giving up a two run homer to Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field on September 29, 2020 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Sep 21, 2020; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana (41) celebrates his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2020; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Carlos Santana (41) celebrates his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Keeping Carlos Santana in the cleanup spot.

Carlos Santana has been garbage all year at the plate. He’s been so bad that him being in at that four-hole has cost the Indians opportunities to get hits, runs, and wins. The offense isn’t deep but you could’ve slid Franmil Reyes or Josh Naylor up the order just for today to shake things up. Instead, Sandy Alomar kept Santana in the spot for some unexplainable reason.

Did he expect Santana to hit his way out of the season-long slump? It didn’t work when August ended, why would it work when September ended? The reliance or the refusal to move Santana hurt this team. Not just in the playoffs but all year. It was such a glaring cause for concern, yet Alomar couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it.

It’s not an ideal situation to manage this team, no one said it was. This offense has been bad, and it’s been just unwatchable at times. Yet, if you know your cleanup hitter is going to be bad, why would you leave him as your cleanup hitter? Put anyone in that spot. See what they can do. Mix and match throughout the season so when you go into the postseason you don’t have to rely on a sub-.200 hitter to win you games.

It wasn’t all on Santana, most of the team was hitting below expectations, including Francisco Lindor, who wants some ungodly amount of money. He hit under .260 and was a non-factor for another playoff series but sure. Pay him gobs of money. That’ll work out well for whoever.

Alomar needed to realize where his issues were and work around that. He didn’t and it bit the team over and over and over.

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