After his mega breakout 2007 season, the enigma that is Fausto Carmona has been one of the game’s biggest disappointments. The drop in the performance of Carmona is the leader in a long list of tumbling members of the Tribe which casued the organization to stumble into irrelevancy.
Fausto’s demise has been dissected by just about everybody and yet it really is pretty obvious to why he ended up spending a huge chunk of the 2009 season in the Minor Leagues, a la Cliff Lee 2007.
Carmona dipped from a 3.94 FIP in 2007 to 4.89 and 5.36. His Quality Start percentage dropped from 81 to 41 to 33.
He developed a poor mound presence after his strong 2007 season and in the years since his impact on the team has been increasingly negative.
Fausto on occasion still shows the stuff to be an adequate above average starting pitcher. But, he is the type of player who it is hard to ever trust when on the mound because of his battle with inconsistency. His career has been prone to stints of dominance followed by stretches where you wonder if he has ever pitched before due to an inability to lose the strike zone completely.
In 2007 his fastball was worth over 12 runs and by 2009 it dropped to costing him over 35. The drop is staggering of course but when he ends up getting behind and throwing “get it over” pitches it is going to get crushed. The ball he throws still is as filthy as ever but it just isn’t as dominant because batters are just waiting him out. His pitch count has skyrocketed and his IP/S dropped from nearly 7 in 2007 to barely 5 in 2009. His effectiveness is limited due to an inability to retire hitters in a short at bat and thus leaves the entire staff fatigued because he can’t last deep into a ballgame.
Everyone is aware that Carmona is one of the worst in the league at walking batters and he failed miserably as the long term partner at the top of the rotation with C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee.
The difference often between a pitcher cementing his legacy and failing is simply making adjustments. Carmona had perhaps the heaviest sinker in the game earlier on in his career yet somehow he now has lost his once nearly natural ability to garner a 3:1 GB/FB ratio.
Consider the fact that Carmona allowed just a .661 OPS in 2007 and in 2009 surrendered a .852 OPS. Pretty much nothing has went well for Carmona ever since the bug game against the Yankees in the ALDS.
For Manny Acta one of his biggest keys to success could be whether or not he finds a way to get this former budding Cy Young potential pitcher back on a positive developmental track before it is too late. There is so much natural talent and potential with Carmona that eventually he needs to put things together for the Indians. With the type of arm and pitches he does have it is frustrating watching him not dominate games when so many players with less stuff pile up the victories.
After his disappointing 2007 season Cliff Lee and former Indians coach Carl Willis worked the entire winter to invent an entirely different approach as they entered the 2008 campaign. The new workout regime, attitude and intense focus of Lee led him to winning the Cy Young and becoming the best player in the 2009 playoffs. Carmona could learn quite a bit from the now departed Lee.
Until then, Carmona will be coasting on potential and going through the motions at 95 mph towards a journeyman career.
As Sandy Alomar Jr. eases into his new position as the catching instructor and first base coach the move seems to be both beneficial in the Public Relations Department and on the field.
The 2009 Cleveland Indians rarely had any fight in them. When a lead was lost it was usually a foregone conclusion that the game would end in defeat.
When Manny Acta is filling out his staff he could definitely do Asdrubal Cabrera, Luis Valbuena and Jhonny Peralta a huge favor by hiring Omar Vizquel as an infield coach.
After a 65-97 season the Indians have faded into baseball abyss, a place where few teams other than the Royals and Pirates make their home long term.
With the hiring of Manny Acta to be the new Indians manager one may wonder what the future does hold for the Indians.
Earlier today 40 year old