Who Was Better? The 2005 Indians or 2007 Indians? (Part One)

The ‘what could have been’ question could be posed for both the 2005 and 2007 Cleveland Indians’ ball clubs.

Each team won over 90 games in their respective seasons, but fell short to achieving true October success.

The 2005 squad, which was, 93-69, fell short of the postseason, finishing second in the American League Central Division behind the eventual World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox.

Meanwhile, the 2007 team finished, 96-66, and won the AL Central, but later went on to blow a 3-1 series lead in the American League Championship Series to the eventual World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox.

When taking a quick glance, both the 2007 and 2005 Indians’ teams mirror each other, as there are a lot of the same faces on those teams along with both having solid pitching and hitting.

However, which team was truly better? Here is part one of a two-part series where we take a look at each position and break down who might have just been the better team.

Catching

2005: The 2005 Indians’ catching squad consisted of Victor Martinez and Josh Bard. The bulk of the contributions offensively came from Martinez, as he slashed .305/.378/.475 with 20 home runs and 80 RBI in 147 games. Martinez also posted 5.4 wins above replacement along with a defensive wins above replacement of 1.0, while throwing out 23 percent of would-be base stealers.

As for Bard in 34 games as a backup, he hit .193/.266/.277 with one home run and nine RBI, while posting a -0.2 WAR and a 0.1 dWAR with 36 percent of base stealers thrown out.

2007: In a 147 games, Martinez hit .301/.375/.475 with 25 home runs and 114 RBI with a 4.3 WAR. According to Baseball-Reference, Martinez on defense posted a 0.5 dWAR but threw out 33 percent of runners on the base path.

Kelly Shoppach was the back up for 59 games that season and put together a slash line of .266/.310/.472 with seven home runs and 30 RBI. Shoppach behind the plate threw out 36 percent of base stealers while recording a 0.6 dWAR.

Edge: 2007 Indians.

Offensively, this unit as a whole produced more than the 2005 club, primarily due to Shoppach’s bat generating relatively well as a backup.

First Base

2005: Ben Broussard in 142 games slugged 19 home runs and 68 RBI with a .255/.307/.488. Broussard compiled a WAR of 1.4 in 2005 while committing nine errors, and a -0.8 dWAR. He also had a -0.4 Ultimate Zone Rating on the defensive side of things.

2007: After putting together a solid 50 game stint in 2006 with the Indians, Ryan Garko eventually took over the job at first base in 2007 and put together respectable numbers. Garko in 134 games hit .289/.359/.483 with 21 home runs and 61 RBI while compiling a 1.4 WAR. Defensively, Garko was not all that great, as he posted an -11.8 UZR and a -1.5 dWAR, along with eight errors.

Edge: 2007 Indians.

Despite having slightly better numbers defensively than Garko, Broussard’s bat is what dinged him, specifically when it came to his on-base percentage. Garko posted an on-base percentage 59 points higher than Broussard along with having a .842 OPS compared to Broussard’s .770.

Second Base

2005: After making the 2004 All-Star team, Ronnie Belliard put together another solid season in 2005, slashing .284/.325/.450 with 17 home runs and 78 RBI with a 4.5 WAR. With the glove, Belliard recorded a 5.5 UZR and a 2.3 dWAR in 145 games, but was charged with 13 errors.

2007: Josh Barfield was acquired in the off-season via trade from the San Diego Padres, after putting together a WAR of 3.1 in his 2006 rookie campaign. In one season with the Padres, he hit 13 home runs and 58 RBI with a .280/.313/.423 slash line in Petco Park, which is considered by many to be one of the bigger stadiums in Major League Baseball.

Barfield’s production with the Indians in 2007 declined, as he slashed .243/.270/.324 with three home runs and 50 RBI in 140 games. Barfield’s -0.1 WAR was one of the worst on the team, along with his defense, as he had 15 errors, a -4.5 UZR, and 0.5 dWAR. By the end of the season, Barfield lost his starting job, as Asdrubal Cabrera was called up from the minors, taking over second base duties all the way into the postseason.

Edge: 2005 Indians.

Despite being an All-Star in 2004, Belliard had a better season statistically in 2005. Across the board, Belliard remained consistent throughout the 2005 season, and his production at the plate hardly dipped. Defensively, Billiard’s numbers showed he had some value at his position, despite his quirky style of playing at the edge of the diamond in the outfield grass at second.

Shortstop

2005: Expectations were huge for Jhonny Peralta coming into the 2005 season, especially after the departure of fan-favorite and Defensive Wizard Omar Vizquel. Offensively, Peralta exceeded those expectations, knocking in 24 home runs and 78 RBI, while slashing .292/.366/.520 and a 5.1 WAR. Defensively, Peralta was a butcher in the field, committing 19 errors, while compiling a -6.1 UZR and a 0.3 dWAR in 141 games.

2007: Peralta’s 2007 campaign did not quite compare to 2005, as he hit .270/.341/.440 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI, while compiling a 2.7 WAR. Peralta, with the glove, proved to be even worse, as he posted a -12.5 UZR and a 0.7 dWAR while committing 19 errors.

Edge: 2005 Indians.

The 2005 Peralta was the better version of himself, as he had slightly better numbers on defense, while turning out a better campaign on offense as well.

Third Base

2005: One could argue the signing of Aaron Boone mid-season of 2004 was a bit of a head-scratcher, as he would not be able to contribute until the following year, after tearing his ACL in the offseason. Was it a potential splash signing? After all, Boone, who was an All-Star in 2003, was also coming off of a heroic postseason that same year with the New York Yankees. Boone an extra-innings of game seven of the ALCS, hit a walk-off home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, sending the Yankees to the World Series.

Meanwhile, Boone in 2005 hit .243/.299/.378 with 16 home runs and 60 RBI, along with a 1.5 WAR in 143 games. Boone on the defensive side of things was a bit of a liability, as he had a -4.5 UZR to go with a 0.5 dWAR, while committing 18 errors at the hot corner.

2007: Casey Blake once again, moved back to third, after playing a majority of the 2006 season in the outfield. Blake in a 156 games hit .270/339./.447 with 18 home runs and 78 RBI with a 2.8 WAR. As for Blake’s defense, he was below average in UZR, recording a -2.2, while committing 14 errors and a 0.3 dWAR.

Edge: 2007 Indians.

Blake’s overall worth seems to be greater than Boone’s, as indicated by his WAR and offensive numbers. Overall, Blake had a solid season for the caliber of player he truly was, while the former All-Star in Boone was beginning to show signs of decline, most likely due in part to his 2004 injury.

Designated Hitter

2005: Finishing fifth in the AL MVP voting, Travis Hafner, literally put the ‘Pronk’ in ‘Pronkville” that season, as he slugged a team-high 33 home runs and drove in 108 RBI, to go with a .305/.408/.595 slash line in 137 games. Hafner also finished the season with a 5.4 WAR while, second-best on the team behind Grady Sizemore, along with recording an OPS of 1.003 and an OPS plus of 165.

2007: Hafner’s 2007 campaign for many players would be a solid one, but for the Tribe’s slugger, it was a loss in production compared to years past. Hafner in 2007 hit just 24 home runs but did drive in 100 runs along with a slash line of .266/.385/.451. Hafner also compiled a WAR of 2.9 after coming off three straight seasons where he was good for at least five wins or higher.

Edge: 2005 Indians.

The 2005 season was truly one of the prime years of Hafner’s career before injuries eventually plagued him. On the other hand, 2007 was probably the beginning of Hafner’s decline, despite playing in 152 games, as production started to dip in all offensive categories.