Indians Decade in Review: Optimism and a hot start in 2011

Oh boy, were there negatives. Mainly Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore.

Poor Sizemore played in only 71 games after only playing in 33 the year before. He just couldn’t stay healthy after making three All-Star Game appearances from 2006-2008 and winning two Gold Gloves in that span. The worst part of it all is that he was only in his late 20s. This was a young player who was supposed to be part of the team’s future success.

Then there is Hafner. The man who hit 42 home runs in 2006 was fading fast by 2011. He only played in 94 games and finished with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs. He became a 1.6 WAR player and was the highest paid man on the team. Second on the payroll was Sizemore.

Third was Roberto Hernandez, who is still Fausto Carmona to me. He was an All-Star in 2010 and a liability in 2011. He finished the year with an ugly record of 7-15 and a 5.25 ERA. He only recorded 109 strikeouts in 188.2 innings of work and allowed 22 home runs.

The three men who were supposed to be the best were not adding much value to the team. Two struggled to stay healthy and the third was barely doing enough to stay in the starting rotation.