Read this and become a better Cubs fan
By David Schoenfield
If you're going to become a real, true-blue Chicago Cubs fan, you need to learn about the franchise, its history and its most famous players. Here is a quick guide with definitions to some of the most important things you must know.
Baker, Dusty 1. manager (2003-06) 2. slayer of young arms 3. kept trying to turn Corey Patterson into a leadoff hitter
BANDWAGON 411
Here's everything you need to know about bandwagon riding:
• The eight kinds of bandwagon fans and how to spot them
• Ten tips for bandwagoners
• History's biggest bandwagons
• 12 legendary victories a Cubs bandwagoner must know
• Cubs bandwagon dictionary
• Uni Watch: Cubs edition
Banks, Ernie 1. Mr. Cub 2. two-time National League MVP 3. played third-most games in major league history without appearing in a World Series (see also PALMEIRO, RAFAEL; and DAWSON, ANDRE)
Bleacher Bums [Slang] 1. affectionate nickname for die-hard Cubs fans who sit in the outfield bleachers 2. drunk, smelly, shirtless fans who drink beer
choke v. choked, choking 1. 1969 pennant race 2. Leon Durham, letting ground ball through legs of, 1984 3. Steve Bartman, Alex Gonzalez et al, 2003
College of Coaches 1. strategy in which Cubs rotated four coaches as "head coaches" instead of naming one permanent manager (1961-62) 2. 123-193 (Cubs record, 1961-62)
Dawson, Andre 1. 1987 NL MVP 2. even though the Cubs finished 76-85 and in last place
Elia, Lee 1. manager (1982-83) 2. used very bad words once to describe Cubs fans
Garvey, Steve 1. former Dodgers and Padres first baseman 2. forearms like Popeye 3. All-American boy image later tarnished with out-of-wedlock children 4. Cubs fans knew he was of questionable character after hitting game-winning home run in Game 4 of 1984 NLCS
gerbil n. 1. any of a subfamily (Gerbillinae) of burrowing rodents related to the mouse 2. Don Zimmer, manager (1988-91)
goat n. 1. any of a number of wild or domesticated, cud-chewing mammals (genus Capra) with hollow horns, related to the sheep 2. a lecherous man 3. [Colloq.] a person forced to take the blame or punishment for others; scapegoat 4. do not bring into Wrigley Field
Grace, Mark 1. popular first baseman (1988-2000) 2. signed as free agent with Arizona in 2001 3. won World Series first season with Arizona
Guillen, Ozzie no-good #!(@*#$&! manager of hated Chicago White Sox
Homer in the Gloamin' [Slang] 1. description given to Gabby Hartnett's home run that beat Pittsburgh in the early evening darkness of a crucial pennant race game in 1938 2. Cubs went on to win the pennant 3. Cubs swept in World Series by Yankees
light n. 1. a source of light, as the sun, a lamp, a light bulb, etc. 2. finally installed at Wrigley Field (1988) 3. too many day games, perhaps explanation behind lack of National League pennants since 1945
lose v. lost, losing 1. to bring to ruin or destruction 2. to fail to win or gain 3. to fail to have, get, take advantage of, etc.; miss [the Cubs lost their chance at the 2003 pennant due to an eighth-inning meltdown]
Lovable Losers [Slang] affectionate nickname given to franchise
Maddux, Greg 1. pitcher, drafted by Cubs in 1984 as scrawny teenager from Nevada 2. developed into four-time Cy Young winner and 300-game winner 3. led Cubs to many division titles and pennants in 1990s 4. ohh, that's right, no he didn't, Cubs let him leave as free agent following 1992 season
meat n. 1. the flesh of animals used as food 2. popular food item in Chicago 3. what Cubs outfielder Dave Kingman once referred to athletes as [athletes are pieces of meat]
Merkle's Boner n. [Slang] 1. infamous baserunning gaffe by New York Giants rookie Fred Merkle in 1908 that cost the Giants a victory and led to the Cubs winning the National League pennant by one game 2. get your mind out of the gutter
Prior, Mark 1. pitcher, 2002-06 2. thanks, Dusty
Santo, Ron 1. beloved Cubs third baseman and longtime announcer 2. widely regarded by sabermetric types as the best player not in the Hall of Fame 3. not including Pete Rose, Mark McGwire or Joe Jackson 4. in 1960s, Cubs had Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ferguson Jenkins (all Hall of Famers) plus Santo, yet won zero pennants 5. ouch
Sauer, Hank 1. 1952 NL MVP 2. even though the Cubs finished 77-77 and in fifth place
Sosa, Sammy 1. slugging right fielder, fan favorite, 1998 NL MVP, hit 60-plus home runs three times (1992-2003) 2. persona non grata (2004)
Tinker to Evers to Chance 1. famed double-play combination, immortalized by Franklin P. Adams poem 2. Tinker and Evers played alongside each other yet didn't speak for 33 years after a fistfight in 1905 3. Chance managed Cubs to pennants in 1906, 1907, 1908 and 1910 4. won World Series in 1908, last Cubs manager to do so 5. Chance nicknamed "The Peerless Leader," last Cubs manager to be considered as such
Tribune Company 1. cheap 2. stingy 3. tightfisted 4. good riddance
Wilson, Hack 1. squat, fireplug outfielder, stood just 5-foot-6 2. set all-time record with 191 RBIs and hit 56 home runs (1930) 3. spent offseason hanging out in Chicago bars, drinking plenty of free alcohol from adoring fans 4. hit 13 home runs, drove in 61 runs (1931)
Wrigley Field 1. heaven 2. place for drunk, smelly, shirtless fans to drink beer
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Marmol plopped down on the billowy leather recliner in the visitors' clubhouse, leaned back in one of those "ahhhhh" moments … and then fell head over heels backward.
Reliever Scott Eyre, talking on his cell, let Marmol struggle for a few seconds, leaned the phone to the side and said, "Hold on a second. Marmol just fell over." And then he helped drag Marmol from the recliner.
On the opposite side of the clubhouse a handful of Cubs, as well as general manager Jim Hendry and team chairman Crane Kenney, watched as LSU mounted a ninth-inning rally against Rice in the College World Series. Hendry is a close friend of LSU coach Paul Mainieri
Just before the game-winning, bases-clearing double that won the game for LSU, closer Kerry Wood sprinted back toward the players lounge. That's where shortstop Ryan Theriot, an LSU alum, was watching -- and dying -- with every pitch.
After the LSU rally, Wood walked back into the clubhouse with a smile as wide as the on-deck circle.
"When the guy hit the ball, I turned the TV off," he said, laughing.
Kids.
This is what happens when you have the best record in baseball. Or maybe this is part of the reason why the Cubs have the best record in baseball.
Anyway, if you're worried about the Cubs' doing an '07 New York Mets this season, don't. I know: Carlos Zambrano and his right shoulder have a Friday appointment with an MRI machine. And Alfonso Soriano is already on the DL. And Reed Johnson's back is barking. And Jim Edmonds left Wednesday night's game with a sore foot. And the Cubs were just swept out of Florida by the Rays.
But it's time for Cubs followers to take deep, calming breaths. It's going to be OK. Probably. I'm not saying team officials are already preparing the parade route through The Loop, but there are reasons -- 10 of them, to be exact -- to think the Cubs can still keep holding hands with their favorite letter: W.
. The NL Central
Pittsburgh, Houston and Cincinnati already trail the Cubs by double digits. Milwaukee can hit, but do you trust the Brewers' pitching staff and defense? I don't.
St. Louis pitching coach Dave Duncan is a genius, but unless he can heal Albert Pujols' injured left calf, the Cardinals eventually will be wheat toast.
2. Circle of Friendship
Yeah, they're 18 games over .500, which helps, but the Cubs sure act as if they like each other.
"The mark of a good team is when something goes wrong, someone else is there to pick you up," Theriot said.
This applies to everyone but Marmol. They just let Marmol lie there.
But you get Theriot's point. The Cubs' clubhouse hasn't always been the happiest place on earth.
"I think we all are genuinely pulling for each other and care for each other," Theriot said.
3. The Great Switch
Kerry Wood went from starter (when he could actually lift his right arm) to closer. Ryan Dempster went from closer to starter. No offseason move has had more of an impact on the Cubs' success.
Dempster is 8-2 with a 2.76 ERA. Wood has 18 saves.
"We felt [Wood] was made for this job," said Hendry, who compared him to a Goose Gossage-type of closer.
"Putting Demp in the rotation and putting Woody at the back end kind of made everything flow a little easier," first baseman Derrek Lee said. "Now you can go to [Bob] Howry in the seventh, Marmol in the eighth and Woody in the ninth. That's like lights out. So you're making the game like a six-inning game now. It's been kind of fun to watch. We get a lead going into those innings and we feel like we're going to win it."
4. The Fukudome Effect
You can make the argument that right fielder Kosuke Fukudome is the best free-agent signing by the Cubs in a long time -- at least, during Hendry's nearly seven-year tenure. Fukudome is like your first beer; he's an acquired taste. The more you watch him, the more you understand why he matters so much to this team.
He didn't come cheap ($12 million per), and he doesn't hit for much power. But gone are the days of the Jacque Jones 16-hopper throw to second base. Fukudome plays Wrigley Field's confusing right-field winds and wall angles as if he grew up on ivy and brick.
Plus, he's a left-handed hitter in a predominantly right-handed lineup.
Plus, he gets on base, takes pitches, hits to all fields, and can bat almost anywhere in the order (he was moved to leadoff Wednesday, and will stay there until Soriano's return). And best of all, he hasn't told any boring Chunichi Dragons stories.
5. Depth
Jim Edmonds is hitting .300 with two homers and 14 RBIs since he signed with the Cubs in mid-May after San Diego released him. You've never heard of infielder/outfielder Micah Hoffpauir, but he can rake. Sean Gallagher is 3-3 since getting called up. Johnson is money with runners in scoring position (.392, leads the NL). Mark DeRosa plays anywhere. And Felix Pie, who was the Cubs' Opening Day center fielder, is available.
In other words, the Cubs can handle the temporary loss of Soriano, who says he and his broken left hand will be back before the All-Star break.
"We've had a lot of pleasant surprises," said manager Lou Piniella.
6. The Nontrades
Just so you know, the Cubs were never going to trade DeRosa during the offseason. But they would have listened to any offer (prospects … big leaguer … 10 bats -- OK, not 10 bats) for starter Jason Marquis, who was pitcher non grata during the '07 postseason.
Nobody called with a deal worth doing, so the Cubs kept him. Lucky them.
He's won his last four starts and has a 1.96 ERA in his last three starts. Marquis' streak comes in especially handy after the meltdown of former starter (and now Iowa Cub) Rich Hill
It worked out perfect for us," said Lee.
7. The True Rookie
DeRosa called Theriot before the season began. They started talking about catcher Geovany Soto.
"He's going to be the rookie of the year," DeRosa told Theriot.
DeRosa might be right. If nothing else, Soto (12 HRs, 43 RBIs) might be the NL's starting catcher in the All-Star Game. He's about 500,000 ahead in the voting. If it holds up, he'll become the league's first-ever rookie catcher to start the game.
Hendry said he felt so good about Soto "that we didn't do a thing about our catching during the offseason."
"He's changed our lineup," Lee said. "He showed flashes of it last year, but you never know how it's going to translate into playing every day. Dropping him in that sixth spot, he's an RBI guy. He's a force in that sixth hole. That makes a deep lineup. There's not an easy out in there."
8. Cha-ching
Even with the impending sale of the team, the Cubs have some wiggle room when it comes to taking on more salary this season.
"Playing good baseball is good business," Kenney said. "We've grown the business and we can grow the payroll."
That's corporate-ese for, "We've got some cash in our money clip come trade deadline."
9. Big Z
Carlos Zambrano is a knucklehead, but he's a talented knucklehead. He gives you absolutely what you need to go long and far: an anchor No. 1 starter.
But you could tell something wasn't right with him during Wednesday night's loss to the Rays. So now the Cubs, who said Thursday that Big Z will miss Tuesday's scheduled start against the Orioles, wait for the MRI results.
If it's serious, then deep, calming breaths probably won't do the trick. The Cubs have options, but they don't have another Zambrano.
If it isn't serious, then you'll actually be able to hear Hendry's sigh of relief from miles away.
10. They're Not Those Guys
Piniella likes to tap the brakes on all this postseason talk, but deep down he knows the Cubs could win a pennant. They have the rotation (depending on the severity of Zambrano's injury), the bullpen and the hitting to do it. And the negative vibes are at a minimum.
"We have a good team," Lee said. "We knew that coming into spring training, but now we're proving it to ourselves, that we're as good as we thought we were."
And this from Kenney: "This is different from '03 and '04 [when the Cubs couldn't close out the Florida Marlins in the '03 NLCS and couldn't even reach the playoffs in '04]. In '03 it was, 'Are we this good?' This year it's, 'We are this good.'"
If nothing else, so far, so good. MRI, willing.
Gene Wojciechowski is the senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Throwback Night
On a throwback night, former Indians have a comeback celebration
Posted by Joe Maxse jmaxse@plaind.com June 14, 2008 20:44PM
Mark Duncan/Associated Press
The weekend also is featuring an alumni reunion of former Indians, who watched the game from a stadium loge.The older "Boys of Summer" gathered in a right-field party suite at Progressive Field on Saturday night. While the Indians and San Diego Padres went through batting practice, one-time Tribe players from the days of Cleveland Stadium, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s, held their second-annual reunion.
There were plenty of memories to go around.
Steve Hargan, who pitched here from 1965 to 1972, recalled hitting his lone home run off Detroit's Pat Dobson in 1967.
"I swung as hard as I could and put the screws to it," said Hargan, 65, who owns a septic tank cleaning company in Palm Springs, Calif. "All five starters [Luis Tiant, Sam McDowell, Sonny Siebert, John O'Donoghue] had a home run that year."
Jack Harshman, 80, was picked up from the Red Sox in July 1959 for the pennant drive. While the Indians could not beat out the Chicago White Sox, Harshman went 5-1, all the wins complete games.
"Looking at that Stadium was like looking at the Grand Canyon," said Harshman, who broke in with the New York Giants in 1948 and lives in Austin, Texas. "I remember the only loss was in 11 innings.
"I hit a home run in eight American League parks ... hit one in Shibe Park [in Philadelphia] and Kansas City. The only one I didn't was Yankee Stadium."
Catcher Hal Naragon, 79, played in 46 games for the 1954 pennant winners. While the Indians lost the World Series to the New York Giants in four straight, Naragon was a coach with the Detroit Tigers when they won the title in 1968.
"I know the pitchers don't like the small ballparks," said Naragon, who lives in Barberton. "It seems like strikeouts don't matter to the hitters. All that matters are home runs. I know the strike zone now, you can't call a pitch above the belt."
Naragon said he was fortunate to work with two of the finest pitching coaches in Mel Harder and Johnny Sain.
As the side-by-side loges began to fill, the stories about the good old days, even when the Indians may have lost more than they won, started to flow.
Jack Kubiszyn, 71, was a utility infielder for two seasons. He brought his wife of 50 years, Lucy, with him from their home in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for their first trip to Cleveland since 1962.
"I'm not into baseball like I used to be, being in Alabama with football and everything," said Kubiszyn, who worked in insurance and real estate. "I hit something like .367 in spring training in 1962, so they kept me. Woodie Held was kind of sick, but he got better once the season started and I never played. Maybe I ran for somebody."
Kubiszyn loved telling the story of his claim to fame when Jimmy Piersall rushed the mound against Detroit's Jim Bunning in 1961.
"When the game was on TV or there was a big crowd, Jim liked to do stuff," said Kubiszyn, who was out of baseball after a beaning injury in the minor leagues. "I ran out and grabbed Jim and got him back to the dugout. As soon as he got there he was fine. The next day I got my picture in all the papers holding him."
Vern Fuller, who played with the Tribe from 1964 to 1970, helped organize the event that drew approximately 45 players
Friday, June 13, 2008
As an able-bodied male citizen of South Korea, Choo, who turns 26 in July, is obligated to serve between 24 and 28 months in the South Korean military before he turns 30. Such service, obviously, would put a damper on his big league dreams.
"I'm not thinking about it right now," Choo said. "But it would be tough. For two years to not play baseball, then come back, it's really tough. Pitchers? Maybe. But hitters? It's tough."
Some loopholes do exist. For one, Choo could become a U.S. citizen, though he hasn't seriously entertained that possibility yet.
Choo could also follow the path of South Korean-born ballplayers such as Chan Ho Park and Byung-Hyun Kim and receive a military exemption by helping Korea win the gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in China.
That's easier said than done, of course. Korea won the gold medal in baseball at the 1998 and 2002 Asian Games, but Taiwan won it in 2006.
"Five or seven years ago, it was easier to win a gold medal," Choo said. "But not anymore. Taiwan and Japan have a lot of good baseball players now."
The Indians were aware of Choo's potential military obligation when they acquired him from the Mariners in 2006, and they are hoping he can avoid service.
In the meantime, Choo's more pressing concern is the left elbow ligament replacement surgery that will have him playing catch-up this season. He'll be on the club's 25-man roster once he's fully recovered, but that won't be until May, at the earliest.
Perhaps, in retrospect, Tommy John surgery was unavoidable for Choo. Position players aren't exactly prone to the type of debilitating elbow injuries that lead to the procedure. But Choo hasn't always been solely a position player.
Before beginning his professional career with the Mariners in 2001, Choo was a pitcher and an outfielder in South Korea. And he was hardly treated with the type of tender love and care that is so common for hurlers here.
"A lot of good players and top prospects in Korea signed with a professional team or went to college and couldn't play anymore," he said. "A lot of them got injured and had to have surgery. It's better there now, but there used to be a lot of injuries."
Choo said it was not atypical, in his high school career, for him to start games on back-to-back days and pitch relief on the third. He remembers his performance for the Korean Junior National Team in 2000, in the Junior AAA Championships against the USA.
"I pitched the seventh inning," he said. "In the eighth, ninth and 10th, I was in center field. And I pitched the 11th, 12th and 13th."
Talk about multitasking.
All this arm abuse began to catch up with Choo during rookie ball in '01. He had been converted strictly to outfield duty and begun to show off his prowess at the plate, but his elbow bothered him from time to time.
That trend continued for the next six years.
"My elbow would feel sore two or three times every season," Choo said.
But Choo played on. He was traded to the Tribe in July 2006, and he quickly burst onto the scene in Cleveland, batting .295 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 45 games as the regular right fielder at the end of that season.
The signing of Trot Nixon last winter bumped Choo back to Triple-A Buffalo, where the Indians wanted him to refine his performance against left-handed pitching and learn to play left field. He was on the radar and in the mix. All he needed was an opening.
That opening came in June, when David Dellucci went down with a left hamstring tear. But by that point, Choo's elbow soreness had become unbearable.
He wavered on whether he should have Tommy John surgery or rehab the problem.
"For two months, I thought, 'Surgery or not? Surgery or not?'" he said. "At the end of the season, I was still thinking about it. A month later, I had the surgery. I started thinking that if I'm playing baseball for five or 10 years, I don't want to have to worry about the elbow. I need to fix it."
Choo appears to be progressing well. Five months post-surgery, he is throwing out to 90 feet and taking soft toss in the batting cages. He should be able to serve as the designated hitter in Grapefruit League games.
The Indians believe Choo can help them, once he's healthy.
"I like the way he plays," manager Eric Wedge said. "He puts up good at-bats, and he can play well in right field or left field. He's a nice all-around player. He's still young and still has a lot to learn, but he's going to be OK."
Despite the dual distractions of surgery and conscription, Choo maintains high hopes for his career.
"I'll work hard every day," he said. "Some days it will be good, and some it will be bad. But I don't want to worry about anything. You bust your butt, and someday good things will come."
Is this Indians team viable enough to … ummm … win?
Is this Indians team viable enough to … ummm … win?
June 12th, 2008 by Pat McManamon
Attended the Indians game last night, as anyone who saw today’s Beacon Journal and read about Indians and aardvarks and limbo now know. As I sat in the press box and looked at the field on a beautiful sunny day and saw a stadium barely half full and a team that just lacked some essential elements, I thought about the difference in atmosphere from the end of last season to this one. And it’s not just the won-lost record.
A year ago, there was excitement, energy and a belief that the Indians could win. This season there are slumped shoulders and a lack of excitement that is tangible. It’s bizarre. These are the same players and the same team as a year ago – minus some injured guys. But it is what it is.
GM Mark Shapiro addressed the state of the team prior to the game, and even he sounded baffled. Not by injuries. Those are part of the game, and a constant lament, it seems, of the local teams. But of the dropoff in performance by some of his players. More on what he said later.
The lack of energy and aura or whatever you want to call it is just there. And you’d hate to think it’s caused by the team not believing it can win. That would not be a good thing.
There does come a point, though, when attrition makes a team nonviable. Especially a team in a small market like this one. A team like the Yankees or Red Sox or one of those money mongers loses a guy … they can buy another part. Which they usually do. A team like Cleveland loses a guy, they have to suck it up and hope someone is in the minors. At this point, the team’s minor leagues have been pretty much depleted, so there’s little left to do but hope for a trade – and the worst thing to do is make a trade out of desperation.
When Victor Martinez left Wednesday’s game with an elbow injury in the first inning, the Indians lineup no longer looked viable. It’s good enough to win now and then, but not compete for a division title. Travis Hafner has been long gone. Martinez needs an MRI today. Nobody is hitting. The bullpen is sucking wind. And two starting pitchers are out.
It’s a fair question to ask: Does this team have enough left to win this season?
Here are some highlights from Shapiro in his interview prior to the game:
On the problems: “Probably the magnitude and depth of those things has been beyond anything we could have foreseen.”
Hopes: “We’ll fight hard and believe in what can happen this year and simultaneously prepare for next year and years beyond.”
Nature of problems: “Not just injuries and injuries to important guys, it’s been injuries combined with some disappointing performances combined with no real positive surprises.”
On Hafner: “Our hope is that the injury is something that’s contributing.”
On when he knows it’s time to think about 2009: “I can’t tell you what moment that is, I can’t tell you what number that is or what day that is. What I can tell you is when that happens we need to already know if the right value is out there to compel us to add players or to sell players.”
On possible trades: “Because of what’s happened to us, we’ve been consistently active probably since the second week of April.”
On looking back: “I don’t see anything in the offseason that could have counteracted (what’s happened).”
On the bullpen: “We can’t win with these guys performing as they have up to this point.”
On his frame of mind: “I still enter every night believing that we’re entering that point where this team is going to on a sustained run and reel off a bunch of victories and get right back in this thing. I go through other points in the day when I question how that’s going to happen when I look at some of the things that have happened to us.”
As for those who want to tar and feather Shapiro, count me out. A year ago Shapiro built a team that went to the playoffs, and almost the World Series. His philosophy worked when everyone was doing what they were supposed to do. Did some players overperform? Probably, but that’s what happens in a good year. Just like in a bad year some people underperform. Shapiro was smart last year, which means he’s not stupid this year. Things have not gone well. But in this market, this team, there’s probably not a better guy to rebuild things next year than Shapiro.
GM's job is a balancing act
GM's job is a balancing act
Shapiro must weigh instinct with reality and hope for the best
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Jun 12, 2008
CLEVELAND: Can the Indians make you crazy?
Just listen to Mark Shapiro, who, as the Tribe's general manager, lives with the team's problems 24/7.
''There is a moment before every game starts when I think we're going to take off and go on a roll,'' he said Wednesday. ''Other times I see all the things that would make it very difficult to do that.''
Balancing one's instincts with reality is one of the more difficult things a GM must do.
Theoretically, the Indians have time to turn their season around. Moreover, there is doubt that the Chicago White Sox can maintain their current pace as Central Division front-runners. But as Shapiro said: ''I think we have to play consistently better baseball. I don't think anyone is going to run away with it. But the first thing we have to do is get back in it.''
In other words, before the Tribe worries about catching Chicago, it has to win enough games to at least reach .500.
But with Travis Hafner on the disabled list for at least another two weeks and Victor Martinez playing with a strained hamstring, can the offense produce enough runs? And can an inconsistent group of relievers regain the reliability they had a year ago?
''It's not just injuries,'' Shapiro said. ''We've had injuries to important guys, but we've also had disappointing performances. And all these negatives have happened over 67 games.''
For those who automatically believe that Shapiro will attempt to trade C.C. Sabathia if the Tribe fails to get back in the race, he said there are other alternatives. Like signing the prospective free agent.
Asked if Sabathia could be on the club next year, even if the Indians are also-rans this year, he said, ''Absolutely.''
He also left the door open for discussions to occur before Sabathia becomes a free agent.
''Normally, we don't negotiate during the season,'' Shapiro said. ''But there are exceptions.''
Even if Shapiro concludes that Sabathia must go before the July 31 trading deadline, it is likely he would make one final attempt to negotiate to a contract extension.
Taking a backward glance to last winter, Shapiro defended his decision not to make a major deal that would bolster the offense.
''Looking back at the offseason, I would have to say there was nothing we could have done differently,'' he said. ''Maybe we could have made a very painful trade for a corner [hitter] that might have allowed us to win one or two more games.''
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: Can the Indians make you crazy?
Just listen to Mark Shapiro, who, as the Tribe's general manager, lives with the team's problems 24/7.
''There is a moment before every game starts when I think we're going to take off and go on a roll,'' he said Wednesday. ''Other times I see all the things that would make it very difficult to do that.''
Balancing one's instincts with reality is one of the more difficult things a GM must do.
Theoretically, the Indians have time to turn their season around. Moreover, there is doubt that the Chicago White Sox can maintain their current pace as Central Division front-runners. But as Shapiro said: ''I think we have to play consistently better baseball. I don't think anyone is going to run away with it. But the first thing we have to do is get back in it.''
In other words, before the Tribe worries about catching Chicago, it has to win enough games to at least reach .500.
But with Travis Hafner on the disabled list for at least another two weeks and Victor Martinez playing with a strained hamstring, can the offense produce enough runs? And can an inconsistent group of relievers regain the reliability they had a year ago?
''It's not just injuries,'' Shapiro said. ''We've had injuries to important guys, but we've also had disappointing performances. And all these negatives have happened over 67 games.''
For those who automatically believe that Shapiro will attempt to trade C.C. Sabathia if the Tribe fails to get back in the race, he said there are other alternatives. Like signing the prospective free agent.
Asked if Sabathia could be on the club next year, even if the Indians are also-rans this year, he said, ''Absolutely.''
He also left the door open for discussions to occur before Sabathia becomes a free agent.
''Normally, we don't negotiate during the season,'' Shapiro said. ''But there are exceptions.''
Even if Shapiro concludes that Sabathia must go before the July 31 trading deadline, it is likely he would make one final attempt to negotiate to a contract extension.
Taking a backward glance to last winter, Shapiro defended his decision not to make a major deal that would bolster the offense.
''Looking back at the offseason, I would have to say there was nothing we could have done differently,'' he said. ''Maybe we could have made a very painful trade for a corner [hitter] that might have allowed us to win one or two more games.''
Shapiro must weigh instinct with reality and hope for the best
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Thursday, Jun 12, 2008
CLEVELAND: Can the Indians make you crazy?
Just listen to Mark Shapiro, who, as the Tribe's general manager, lives with the team's problems 24/7.
''There is a moment before every game starts when I think we're going to take off and go on a roll,'' he said Wednesday. ''Other times I see all the things that would make it very difficult to do that.''
Balancing one's instincts with reality is one of the more difficult things a GM must do.
Theoretically, the Indians have time to turn their season around. Moreover, there is doubt that the Chicago White Sox can maintain their current pace as Central Division front-runners. But as Shapiro said: ''I think we have to play consistently better baseball. I don't think anyone is going to run away with it. But the first thing we have to do is get back in it.''
In other words, before the Tribe worries about catching Chicago, it has to win enough games to at least reach .500.
But with Travis Hafner on the disabled list for at least another two weeks and Victor Martinez playing with a strained hamstring, can the offense produce enough runs? And can an inconsistent group of relievers regain the reliability they had a year ago?
''It's not just injuries,'' Shapiro said. ''We've had injuries to important guys, but we've also had disappointing performances. And all these negatives have happened over 67 games.''
For those who automatically believe that Shapiro will attempt to trade C.C. Sabathia if the Tribe fails to get back in the race, he said there are other alternatives. Like signing the prospective free agent.
Asked if Sabathia could be on the club next year, even if the Indians are also-rans this year, he said, ''Absolutely.''
He also left the door open for discussions to occur before Sabathia becomes a free agent.
''Normally, we don't negotiate during the season,'' Shapiro said. ''But there are exceptions.''
Even if Shapiro concludes that Sabathia must go before the July 31 trading deadline, it is likely he would make one final attempt to negotiate to a contract extension.
Taking a backward glance to last winter, Shapiro defended his decision not to make a major deal that would bolster the offense.
''Looking back at the offseason, I would have to say there was nothing we could have done differently,'' he said. ''Maybe we could have made a very painful trade for a corner [hitter] that might have allowed us to win one or two more games.''
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: Can the Indians make you crazy?
Just listen to Mark Shapiro, who, as the Tribe's general manager, lives with the team's problems 24/7.
''There is a moment before every game starts when I think we're going to take off and go on a roll,'' he said Wednesday. ''Other times I see all the things that would make it very difficult to do that.''
Balancing one's instincts with reality is one of the more difficult things a GM must do.
Theoretically, the Indians have time to turn their season around. Moreover, there is doubt that the Chicago White Sox can maintain their current pace as Central Division front-runners. But as Shapiro said: ''I think we have to play consistently better baseball. I don't think anyone is going to run away with it. But the first thing we have to do is get back in it.''
In other words, before the Tribe worries about catching Chicago, it has to win enough games to at least reach .500.
But with Travis Hafner on the disabled list for at least another two weeks and Victor Martinez playing with a strained hamstring, can the offense produce enough runs? And can an inconsistent group of relievers regain the reliability they had a year ago?
''It's not just injuries,'' Shapiro said. ''We've had injuries to important guys, but we've also had disappointing performances. And all these negatives have happened over 67 games.''
For those who automatically believe that Shapiro will attempt to trade C.C. Sabathia if the Tribe fails to get back in the race, he said there are other alternatives. Like signing the prospective free agent.
Asked if Sabathia could be on the club next year, even if the Indians are also-rans this year, he said, ''Absolutely.''
He also left the door open for discussions to occur before Sabathia becomes a free agent.
''Normally, we don't negotiate during the season,'' Shapiro said. ''But there are exceptions.''
Even if Shapiro concludes that Sabathia must go before the July 31 trading deadline, it is likely he would make one final attempt to negotiate to a contract extension.
Taking a backward glance to last winter, Shapiro defended his decision not to make a major deal that would bolster the offense.
''Looking back at the offseason, I would have to say there was nothing we could have done differently,'' he said. ''Maybe we could have made a very painful trade for a corner [hitter] that might have allowed us to win one or two more games.''
Patched-up lineup wraps up win
Patched-up lineup wraps up win
Carroll, Choo, Shoppach lead offense by those not on Indians' disabled list
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Jun 13, 2008
CLEVELAND: Now that seemingly half the team is on the disabled list, maybe the Indians can catch fire and go on a winning streak.
So who needs Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook and Josh Barfield, all of whom are on the disabled list? And so what if Asdrubal Cabrera and Jensen Lewis are back at Buffalo for further seasoning, and Jason Michaels was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates?
What's left of the team that began the year put a 12-2 hurt on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night at Progressive Field.
''It's no secret around here, and even nationally, that our guys come to play,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''They're tough and they're feisty, and they try to find a way to win ballgames. And that's what they're going to continue to do.''
The here and now is what counts. That means guys who have filled in for the infirm and for those who are still learning or departed must carry the load. In that respect, they got a lot of practice against Minnesota.
''You look around, and it's just us,'' Casey Blake said. ''Tonight was a good ballgame. We got a lot of key hits. That's what we need to keep it going.''
Wedge talked about players stepping up in the wake of the club's tattered roster. Ladies and gentlemen, here are your stepper-uppers:
Shin-Soo Choo, who did not make the team out of spring training because he was rehabbing a surgically repaired elbow, got the most telling blow of the night. In the five-run third, Choo whacked a three-run homer over the wall in right to give the Tribe a 6-1 lead.
Jamey Carroll contributed four singles, scored a run, drove in one and reached base five times, the last when he was hit by a pitch. Carroll made the team as a utility infielder, but now replaces Barfield as the everyday second baseman.
''He's a strong professional player,'' Wedge said.
Carroll isn't sure when he last had four hits in a game, but he does remember this:
''I had back-to-back four-hit games two years ago in Colorado,'' he said. ''But I don't remember if I've had any more recently.''
Carroll tries to be ready for all situations, from pinch hitting once a week to playing every day.
''When a situation like this happens — and you don't want it to — you have to be ready,'' he said. ''Hopefully I can take advantage of it and help the team win.''
Kelly Shoppach, the reliable backup to Martinez at catcher, moved up to become the regular Thursday night by driving in two runs with singles.
Ben Francisco is another of the latecomers to the roster, though he has been on the team for a little over a month. He also made his presence felt by amassing four hits (including a double), driving in three runs and scoring one.
''We have to be tough with our two biggest hitters out of the lineup,'' Francisco said. ''But we feel confident in the lineup we have.''
Aaron Laffey almost has lost his newcomer status, but he began the season at Buffalo, getting his chance for promotion when Westbrook strained his intercostal in late April. He made his ninth start of the season Thursday night, holding the Twins to one run and five hits in six innings.
Laffey's shakiest inning was the first, when he quickly retired the first two batters and just as quickly loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. But Laffey (4-3, 2.83 ERA) took back control of the game and induced Jason Kubel to bounce to the first baseman to end the threat.
The newcomers didn't have all the fun. Grady Sizemore hit his 14th home run of the season with nobody on in the fourth inning. He also singled and scored. Blake doubled, singled, walked and scored two runs, and Jhonny Peralta singled home two runs in the fourth inning, when the Tribe took a commanding lead before going on to accumulate 18 hits, a season best.
An exchange of hit batters — Carroll was hit first, then Alexi Casilla — escalated when Denys Reyes hit Andy Marte leading off the eighth, and umpire Ed Hickox warned both benches. That ignited a shouting match between Wedge and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire from their respective dugouts, but that's as far as it went.
''I could hear Gardenhire saying that it was Wedge who told him [Edward Mujica] to hit that guy,'' Marte said. ''I didn't know I got hit on purpose until they started yelling at each other.''
Asked about the incident, Wedge said, ''I'm not going to talk about that.''
In beating the Twins twice in three games, the Indians won a series for the first time since May 13-15, when they swept the Athletics in a three-game set.
And that wasn't the only good news for the Tribe. The Chicago White Sox lost for the third straight time to the Detroit Tigers, leaving Cleveland 61/2 games behind the first-place Sox.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: Now that seemingly half the team is on the disabled list, maybe the Indians can catch fire and go on a winning streak.
So who needs Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook and Josh Barfield, all of whom are on the disabled list? And so what if Asdrubal Cabrera and Jensen Lewis are back at Buffalo for further seasoning, and Jason Michaels was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates?
What's left of the team that began the year put a 12-2 hurt on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night at Progressive Field.
''It's no secret around here, and even nationally, that our guys come to play,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''They're tough and they're feisty, and they try to find a way to win ballgames. And that's what they're going to continue to do.''
The here and now is what counts. That means guys who have filled in for the infirm and for those who are still learning or departed must carry the load. In that respect, they got a lot of practice against Minnesota.
''You look around, and it's just us,'' Casey Blake said. ''Tonight was a good ballgame. We got a lot of key hits. That's what we need to keep it going.''
Wedge talked about players stepping up in the wake of the club's tattered roster. Ladies and gentlemen, here are your stepper-uppers:
Shin-Soo Choo, who did not make the team out of spring training because he was rehabbing a surgically repaired elbow, got the most telling blow of the night. In the five-run third, Choo whacked a three-run homer over the wall in right to give the Tribe a 6-1 lead.
Jamey Carroll contributed four singles, scored a run, drove in one and reached base five times, the last when he was hit by a pitch. Carroll made the team as a utility infielder, but now replaces Barfield as the everyday second baseman.
''He's a strong professional player,'' Wedge said.
Carroll isn't sure when he last had four hits in a game, but he does remember this:
''I had back-to-back four-hit games two years ago in Colorado,'' he said. ''But I don't remember if I've had any more recently.''
Carroll tries to be ready for all situations, from pinch hitting once a week to playing every day.
''When a situation like this happens — and you don't want it to — you have to be ready,'' he said. ''Hopefully I can take advantage of it and help the team win.''
Kelly Shoppach, the reliable backup to Martinez at catcher, moved up to become the regular Thursday night by driving in two runs with singles.
Ben Francisco is another of the latecomers to the roster, though he has been on the team for a little over a month. He also made his presence felt by amassing four hits (including a double), driving in three runs and scoring one.
''We have to be tough with our two biggest hitters out of the lineup,'' Francisco said. ''But we feel confident in the lineup we have.''
Aaron Laffey almost has lost his newcomer status, but he began the season at Buffalo, getting his chance for promotion when Westbrook strained his intercostal in late April. He made his ninth start of the season Thursday night, holding the Twins to one run and five hits in six innings.
Laffey's shakiest inning was the first, when he quickly retired the first two batters and just as quickly loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. But Laffey (4-3, 2.83 ERA) took back control of the game and induced Jason Kubel to bounce to the first baseman to end the threat.
The newcomers didn't have all the fun. Grady Sizemore hit his 14th home run of the season with nobody on in the fourth inning. He also singled and scored. Blake doubled, singled, walked and scored two runs, and Jhonny Peralta singled home two runs in the fourth inning, when the Tribe took a commanding lead before going on to accumulate 18 hits, a season best.
An exchange of hit batters — Carroll was hit first, then Alexi Casilla — escalated when Denys Reyes hit Andy Marte leading off the eighth, and umpire Ed Hickox warned both benches. That ignited a shouting match between Wedge and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire from their respective dugouts, but that's as far as it went.
''I could hear Gardenhire saying that it was Wedge who told him [Edward Mujica] to hit that guy,'' Marte said. ''I didn't know I got hit on purpose until they started yelling at each other.''
Asked about the incident, Wedge said, ''I'm not going to talk about that.''
In beating the Twins twice in three games, the Indians won a series for the first time since May 13-15, when they swept the Athletics in a three-game set.
And that wasn't the only good news for the Tribe. The Chicago White Sox lost for the third straight time to the Detroit Tigers, leaving Cleveland 61/2 games behind the first-place Sox.
Carroll, Choo, Shoppach lead offense by those not on Indians' disabled list
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Friday, Jun 13, 2008
CLEVELAND: Now that seemingly half the team is on the disabled list, maybe the Indians can catch fire and go on a winning streak.
So who needs Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook and Josh Barfield, all of whom are on the disabled list? And so what if Asdrubal Cabrera and Jensen Lewis are back at Buffalo for further seasoning, and Jason Michaels was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates?
What's left of the team that began the year put a 12-2 hurt on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night at Progressive Field.
''It's no secret around here, and even nationally, that our guys come to play,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''They're tough and they're feisty, and they try to find a way to win ballgames. And that's what they're going to continue to do.''
The here and now is what counts. That means guys who have filled in for the infirm and for those who are still learning or departed must carry the load. In that respect, they got a lot of practice against Minnesota.
''You look around, and it's just us,'' Casey Blake said. ''Tonight was a good ballgame. We got a lot of key hits. That's what we need to keep it going.''
Wedge talked about players stepping up in the wake of the club's tattered roster. Ladies and gentlemen, here are your stepper-uppers:
Shin-Soo Choo, who did not make the team out of spring training because he was rehabbing a surgically repaired elbow, got the most telling blow of the night. In the five-run third, Choo whacked a three-run homer over the wall in right to give the Tribe a 6-1 lead.
Jamey Carroll contributed four singles, scored a run, drove in one and reached base five times, the last when he was hit by a pitch. Carroll made the team as a utility infielder, but now replaces Barfield as the everyday second baseman.
''He's a strong professional player,'' Wedge said.
Carroll isn't sure when he last had four hits in a game, but he does remember this:
''I had back-to-back four-hit games two years ago in Colorado,'' he said. ''But I don't remember if I've had any more recently.''
Carroll tries to be ready for all situations, from pinch hitting once a week to playing every day.
''When a situation like this happens — and you don't want it to — you have to be ready,'' he said. ''Hopefully I can take advantage of it and help the team win.''
Kelly Shoppach, the reliable backup to Martinez at catcher, moved up to become the regular Thursday night by driving in two runs with singles.
Ben Francisco is another of the latecomers to the roster, though he has been on the team for a little over a month. He also made his presence felt by amassing four hits (including a double), driving in three runs and scoring one.
''We have to be tough with our two biggest hitters out of the lineup,'' Francisco said. ''But we feel confident in the lineup we have.''
Aaron Laffey almost has lost his newcomer status, but he began the season at Buffalo, getting his chance for promotion when Westbrook strained his intercostal in late April. He made his ninth start of the season Thursday night, holding the Twins to one run and five hits in six innings.
Laffey's shakiest inning was the first, when he quickly retired the first two batters and just as quickly loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. But Laffey (4-3, 2.83 ERA) took back control of the game and induced Jason Kubel to bounce to the first baseman to end the threat.
The newcomers didn't have all the fun. Grady Sizemore hit his 14th home run of the season with nobody on in the fourth inning. He also singled and scored. Blake doubled, singled, walked and scored two runs, and Jhonny Peralta singled home two runs in the fourth inning, when the Tribe took a commanding lead before going on to accumulate 18 hits, a season best.
An exchange of hit batters — Carroll was hit first, then Alexi Casilla — escalated when Denys Reyes hit Andy Marte leading off the eighth, and umpire Ed Hickox warned both benches. That ignited a shouting match between Wedge and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire from their respective dugouts, but that's as far as it went.
''I could hear Gardenhire saying that it was Wedge who told him [Edward Mujica] to hit that guy,'' Marte said. ''I didn't know I got hit on purpose until they started yelling at each other.''
Asked about the incident, Wedge said, ''I'm not going to talk about that.''
In beating the Twins twice in three games, the Indians won a series for the first time since May 13-15, when they swept the Athletics in a three-game set.
And that wasn't the only good news for the Tribe. The Chicago White Sox lost for the third straight time to the Detroit Tigers, leaving Cleveland 61/2 games behind the first-place Sox.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
CLEVELAND: Now that seemingly half the team is on the disabled list, maybe the Indians can catch fire and go on a winning streak.
So who needs Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, Jake Westbrook and Josh Barfield, all of whom are on the disabled list? And so what if Asdrubal Cabrera and Jensen Lewis are back at Buffalo for further seasoning, and Jason Michaels was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates?
What's left of the team that began the year put a 12-2 hurt on the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night at Progressive Field.
''It's no secret around here, and even nationally, that our guys come to play,'' manager Eric Wedge said. ''They're tough and they're feisty, and they try to find a way to win ballgames. And that's what they're going to continue to do.''
The here and now is what counts. That means guys who have filled in for the infirm and for those who are still learning or departed must carry the load. In that respect, they got a lot of practice against Minnesota.
''You look around, and it's just us,'' Casey Blake said. ''Tonight was a good ballgame. We got a lot of key hits. That's what we need to keep it going.''
Wedge talked about players stepping up in the wake of the club's tattered roster. Ladies and gentlemen, here are your stepper-uppers:
Shin-Soo Choo, who did not make the team out of spring training because he was rehabbing a surgically repaired elbow, got the most telling blow of the night. In the five-run third, Choo whacked a three-run homer over the wall in right to give the Tribe a 6-1 lead.
Jamey Carroll contributed four singles, scored a run, drove in one and reached base five times, the last when he was hit by a pitch. Carroll made the team as a utility infielder, but now replaces Barfield as the everyday second baseman.
''He's a strong professional player,'' Wedge said.
Carroll isn't sure when he last had four hits in a game, but he does remember this:
''I had back-to-back four-hit games two years ago in Colorado,'' he said. ''But I don't remember if I've had any more recently.''
Carroll tries to be ready for all situations, from pinch hitting once a week to playing every day.
''When a situation like this happens — and you don't want it to — you have to be ready,'' he said. ''Hopefully I can take advantage of it and help the team win.''
Kelly Shoppach, the reliable backup to Martinez at catcher, moved up to become the regular Thursday night by driving in two runs with singles.
Ben Francisco is another of the latecomers to the roster, though he has been on the team for a little over a month. He also made his presence felt by amassing four hits (including a double), driving in three runs and scoring one.
''We have to be tough with our two biggest hitters out of the lineup,'' Francisco said. ''But we feel confident in the lineup we have.''
Aaron Laffey almost has lost his newcomer status, but he began the season at Buffalo, getting his chance for promotion when Westbrook strained his intercostal in late April. He made his ninth start of the season Thursday night, holding the Twins to one run and five hits in six innings.
Laffey's shakiest inning was the first, when he quickly retired the first two batters and just as quickly loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. But Laffey (4-3, 2.83 ERA) took back control of the game and induced Jason Kubel to bounce to the first baseman to end the threat.
The newcomers didn't have all the fun. Grady Sizemore hit his 14th home run of the season with nobody on in the fourth inning. He also singled and scored. Blake doubled, singled, walked and scored two runs, and Jhonny Peralta singled home two runs in the fourth inning, when the Tribe took a commanding lead before going on to accumulate 18 hits, a season best.
An exchange of hit batters — Carroll was hit first, then Alexi Casilla — escalated when Denys Reyes hit Andy Marte leading off the eighth, and umpire Ed Hickox warned both benches. That ignited a shouting match between Wedge and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire from their respective dugouts, but that's as far as it went.
''I could hear Gardenhire saying that it was Wedge who told him [Edward Mujica] to hit that guy,'' Marte said. ''I didn't know I got hit on purpose until they started yelling at each other.''
Asked about the incident, Wedge said, ''I'm not going to talk about that.''
In beating the Twins twice in three games, the Indians won a series for the first time since May 13-15, when they swept the Athletics in a three-game set.
And that wasn't the only good news for the Tribe. The Chicago White Sox lost for the third straight time to the Detroit Tigers, leaving Cleveland 61/2 games behind the first-place Sox.
Wiser and finally healthy, Padres' Gerut cherishes return visit to Cleveland
Posted by dmanoloff@plaind.com June 13, 2008 20:41PM
Jody Gerut is a study in perseverance.
Lenny Ignelzi/Associated Press
Padres outfielder Jody Gerut entered Friday night batting .274 with two homers and 10RBI in 35 games. At various times between an outstanding rookie year with the Indians in 2003 and last winter, he easily could have packed it in.
Instead, Gerut kept grinding, mostly through a lot of pain.
"As long as you have the willpower to still compete, and as long as you believe the body will come around, you're going to hold out as long as possible," he said. "I'm glad I did."
The payoff has come with the Padres. A non-roster invitee to spring training, Gerut was in the starting lineup Friday night for the opener of a three-game series against the Indians in Progressive Field. He played center field and batted ninth.
In 2003, Gerut batted .279 with 22 homers and 75 RBI in 127 games for the Tribe. The Sporting News named him its American League rookie of the year. Late in the 2004 season, he tore the ACL in his right knee while fielding a ball in Progressive Field. He had reconstructive surgery 10 days later.
Gerut, eager to show his dedication, returned to pro ball the following May with Class AAA Buffalo.
"I came back way too fast from an ACL tear," he said. "I should have taken 2005 off, but I was pig-headed and stupid about it."
Hindered by a brace, Gerut made his season's debut with the Indians in mid-May. He clearly was not the same player, though, and the brass wanted him to spend more time in the minors to regain mobility.
Gerut, by his own admission, essentially pouted.
"I had a bad attitude," he said.
After playing just 44 games with Cleveland in 2005, Gerut was traded to the Cubs for Jason DuBois.
"The trade basically was my fault," he said. "I thought I was good enough to be back, and the Indians didn't think so. They made an accurate assessment of my playing ability, they tried to tell me I wasn't moving right yet, but I didn't want to see it for what it was.
"I had a childish response to a fall from grace. I didn't do things in a mature way."
Gerut played 11 games for the Cubs before being shipped to Pittsburgh in a trade deadline deal. He was a Pirate briefly, his last major-league action for quite a while.
In the spring of 2006, Pittsburgh optioned Gerut to Class AAA but he refused to report. The Pirates placed him on the restricted list.
The feud stemmed from a disagreement he had with the Pirates over the health of his right knee, which had flared up the previous August and forced him to the disabled list.
"The Pirates thought it was tendinitis, but I knew it was a lot worse than tendinitis," he said. "They thought I refused to report because I was milking the injury and was upset about not being in the big leagues. I didn't report because if I went to Triple-A, I would have had to play every day, and if I had to play every day, my career would have been over."
Gerut, who had threatened through the players' union to file a grievance, underwent surgery May 31. As it turned out, he was correct. He had a torn patella tendon.
"It tore and reattached itself to another part of the knee in order to deal with the stress I was putting it through," Gerut said. "It was related to the ACL tear. The doctor had never seen anything like it."
The Pirates released Gerut in March 2007. At that point, he became a baseball nowhere man. He spent the year rehabbing in Florida.
A huge break came when Caribes de Anzoategui of the Venezuelan Winter League decided to squeeze him onto its roster. No other teams in any of the winter leagues was interested.
Gerut batted .390 in 40 games. MLB scouts took notice. With multiple teams from which to choose, Gerut opted for San Diego, partly on the recommendation of former Indian Josh Bard.
Gerut entered Friday night batting .274 with two homers and 10 RBI in 35 games.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
What's the Rush
Patience, please: Tribe isn't out of race
Fans who want to blow up team should wait and see
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Jun 08, 2008
DETROIT: What's the rush?
Why are so many fans and some members of the media pushing for the Indians to dismantle the team now and focus on 2009?
Trade C.C. Sabathia tomorrow is the loudest demand by folks who have decided that this season is a lost cause. But this move goes hand in hand with dumping David Dellucci and what's left of his $11.4 million contract, which runs through next year; checking out pitching prospects because Paul Byrd probably won't be asked to return and Jake Westbrook will be lost to injury, plus bringing up Josh Barfield, the entire lineup of Akron's Aeros and the Ohio State Marching Band, if one of the trombone players has the potential to be a closer.
Again, what's the rush?
Obviously, the Tribe hasn't come close to meeting the high expectations of General Manager Mark Shapiro, manager Eric Wedge and the Northeast Ohio sporting public. So what? No other team in the American League Central Division has either.
The Chicago White Sox have taken a tenuous lead, but their volatile manager, Ozzie Guillen, has accused his players, his hitting coach and even his general manager, Kenny Williams, of all sorts of dastardly deeds. Until two weeks ago, the Indians were barely hitting Jeremy Sowers' weight, but almost in lock step with them were the Sox.
That has been the emphasis of Guillen's rants to his players and anyone else who will listen. The saving grace in Chicago has been a small ballpark and the home run ball, plus an overachieving pitching staff that might not be able to keep up the pace for an entire season.
The Minnesota Twins are second in the standings, but they could as easily finish fourth as first. If the Tribe can turn it around, can't the Detroit Tigers, as well? Potentially, they still have the most fearsome lineup in the division, and before long, setup man Joel Zumaya will return from the disabled list throwing 100 mph.
This is not to suggest that the Indians are a lock to win the division championship. But this team is not out of the race, not even close. They have been the same few games out of first for weeks, owing to the inconsistency of the White Sox, and it might not even take a hot streak to pull even closer, unless you regard winning 10-of-16, say, as being a sizzling pace.
One cautionary note: The explosive series against the Texas Rangers is about as atypical as it gets. Yes, I believe the Tribe's extreme offensive problems are over. But who knows when Travis Hafner will return, and even if he does, whether he will emerge from his slump? Who knows when — make it if — Victor Martinez's strained hamstring will allow him to execute his normal swing from both sides of the plate and maybe even hit a home run?
Even with these uncertainties, the additions of Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo give the offense a chance to generate enough runs to allow the pitching to make the difference. I think it's obvious by now that the rotation is among the best around, and effective starting pitching gives a team a chance to win almost all the time.
The key will be an attack that can consistently score four or five runs. Scoring 12 in one game and three in each of the next five won't cut it, but the offense seems to be settling into a pattern of reasonable stability.
That leaves the bullpen as the great unknown, just as team officials feared it would from the beginning.
Wedge needs Jensen Lewis to return from Triple-A Buffalo and pitch the way he did last year. It is unfair to think that Rafael Betancourt will duplicate his 2007 season, but he and Rafael Perez should pitch well enough. Masa Kobayashi has demonstrated that he will get big-league hitters out most of the time. Joe Borowski will blow a few saves, but most of the time, he'll get the job done, one way or another.
The Indians are not offering their fans a steady diet of Oreos and chocolate ice cream, but why not let the season play out? There's plenty of time to give up.
What's the rush?
It could be worse
Until recently, the Tribe's biggest problem was scoring, but that goes hand in hand with keeping the opposition from scoring. Every run the defense saves is a run the offense doesn't have to produce.
Granted, the attack has made strides the past two weeks. In the four-game set against the Rangers that ended Thursday, the Tribe scored 39 runs and amassed 57 hits. Of course, that is not the norm, and going into the weekend series at Detroit, the Indians had scored only 265 runs for the year.
Help has come from an unexpected source, one that really can't be game-planned: getting hit by pitches, an American League statistical category the Tribe leads by a wide margin.
The inability of batters to get out of the way has had a positive effect on the offense. Of the 36 players struck by errant pitches, 15 have scored and four others have moved runners into scoring position. Consequently, hitters putting their bodies on the line have accounted for 7 percent of the club's runs.
In one of the team's oddest rallies of the season, during an April 15 game against the Boston Red Sox, Hafner took his base after being plunked by a fastball. Eventually, the Tribe loaded the bases, and Ryan Garko was hit by a pitch to drive in Hafner.
This is not a team reputed to have an airtight defense. But the Indians rank among the top one-third of AL teams in fielding percentage, double-plays turned and (fewest) errors.
Maybe more important, individual defenders have saved lots of runs by making superlative plays. Whenever someone makes an extraordinary play, I mark it in my scorebook. Going back and determining whether the play saved a run or two can be subjective but not that subjective.
According to my calculations, defenders making very tough plays have taken away 24 runs from opposing teams, 9 percent of their total.
Of course, there are times when players go above and beyond the call of duty but don't actually save a run. So who has made the most exceptional plays? Not surprisingly, Asdrubal Cabrera leads with eight, Casey Blake has six, Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko five each and Jhonny Peralta, Franklin Gutierrez and Jason Michaels — traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates — four apiece.
Cabrera took three hits away from the Toronto Blue Jays in the same game, saving three runs, which is one reason why the Indians scored a 12-0 shutout May 10.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
DETROIT: What's the rush?
Why are so many fans and some members of the media pushing for the Indians to dismantle the team now and focus on 2009?
Trade C.C. Sabathia tomorrow is the loudest demand by folks who have decided that this season is a lost cause. But this move goes hand in hand with dumping David Dellucci and what's left of his $11.4 million contract, which runs through next year; checking out pitching prospects because Paul Byrd probably won't be asked to return and Jake Westbrook will be lost to injury, plus bringing up Josh Barfield, the entire lineup of Akron's Aeros and the Ohio State Marching Band, if one of the trombone players has the potential to be a closer.
Again, what's the rush?
Obviously, the Tribe hasn't come close to meeting the high expectations of General Manager Mark Shapiro, manager Eric Wedge and the Northeast Ohio sporting public. So what? No other team in the American League Central Division has either.
The Chicago White Sox have taken a tenuous lead, but their volatile manager, Ozzie Guillen, has accused his players, his hitting coach and even his general manager, Kenny Williams, of all sorts of dastardly deeds. Until two weeks ago, the Indians were barely hitting Jeremy Sowers' weight, but almost in lock step with them were the Sox.
That has been the emphasis of Guillen's rants to his players and anyone else who will listen. The saving grace in Chicago has been a small ballpark and the home run ball, plus an overachieving pitching staff that might not be able to keep up the pace for an entire season.
The Minnesota Twins are second in the standings, but they could as easily finish fourth as first. If the Tribe can turn it around, can't the Detroit Tigers, as well? Potentially, they still have the most fearsome lineup in the division, and before long, setup man Joel Zumaya will return from the disabled list throwing 100 mph.
This is not to suggest that the Indians are a lock to win the division championship. But this team is not out of the race, not even close. They have been the same few games out of first for weeks, owing to the inconsistency of the White Sox, and it might not even take a hot streak to pull even closer, unless you regard winning 10-of-16, say, as being a sizzling pace.
One cautionary note: The explosive series against the Texas Rangers is about as atypical as it gets. Yes, I believe the Tribe's extreme offensive problems are over. But who knows when Travis Hafner will return, and even if he does, whether he will emerge from his slump? Who knows when — make it if — Victor Martinez's strained hamstring will allow him to execute his normal swing from both sides of the plate and maybe even hit a home run?
Even with these uncertainties, the additions of Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo give the offense a chance to generate enough runs to allow the pitching to make the difference. I think it's obvious by now that the rotation is among the best around, and effective starting pitching gives a team a chance to win almost all the time.
The key will be an attack that can consistently score four or five runs. Scoring 12 in one game and three in each of the next five won't cut it, but the offense seems to be settling into a pattern of reasonable stability.
That leaves the bullpen as the great unknown, just as team officials feared it would from the beginning.
Wedge needs Jensen Lewis to return from Triple-A Buffalo and pitch the way he did last year. It is unfair to think that Rafael Betancourt will duplicate his 2007 season, but he and Rafael Perez should pitch well enough. Masa Kobayashi has demonstrated that he will get big-league hitters out most of the time. Joe Borowski will blow a few saves, but most of the time, he'll get the job done, one way or another.
The Indians are not offering their fans a steady diet of Oreos and chocolate ice cream, but why not let the season play out? There's plenty of time to give up.
What's the rush?
It could be worse
Until recently, the Tribe's biggest problem was scoring, but that goes hand in hand with keeping the opposition from scoring. Every run the defense saves is a run the offense doesn't have to produce.
Granted, the attack has made strides the past two weeks. In the four-game set against the Rangers that ended Thursday, the Tribe scored 39 runs and amassed 57 hits. Of course, that is not the norm, and going into the weekend series at Detroit, the Indians had scored only 265 runs for the year.
Help has come from an unexpected source, one that really can't be game-planned: getting hit by pitches, an American League statistical category the Tribe leads by a wide margin.
The inability of batters to get out of the way has had a positive effect on the offense. Of the 36 players struck by errant pitches, 15 have scored and four others have moved runners into scoring position. Consequently, hitters putting their bodies on the line have accounted for 7 percent of the club's runs.
In one of the team's oddest rallies of the season, during an April 15 game against the Boston Red Sox, Hafner took his base after being plunked by a fastball. Eventually, the Tribe loaded the bases, and Ryan Garko was hit by a pitch to drive in Hafner.
This is not a team reputed to have an airtight defense. But the Indians rank among the top one-third of AL teams in fielding percentage, double-plays turned and (fewest) errors.
Maybe more important, individual defenders have saved lots of runs by making superlative plays. Whenever someone makes an extraordinary play, I mark it in my scorebook. Going back and determining whether the play saved a run or two can be subjective but not that subjective.
According to my calculations, defenders making very tough plays have taken away 24 runs from opposing teams, 9 percent of their total.
Of course, there are times when players go above and beyond the call of duty but don't actually save a run. So who has made the most exceptional plays? Not surprisingly, Asdrubal Cabrera leads with eight, Casey Blake has six, Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko five each and Jhonny Peralta, Franklin Gutierrez and Jason Michaels — traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates — four apiece.
Cabrera took three hits away from the Toronto Blue Jays in the same game, saving three runs, which is one reason why the Indians scored a 12-0 shutout May 10.
Fans who want to blow up team should wait and see
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Jun 08, 2008
DETROIT: What's the rush?
Why are so many fans and some members of the media pushing for the Indians to dismantle the team now and focus on 2009?
Trade C.C. Sabathia tomorrow is the loudest demand by folks who have decided that this season is a lost cause. But this move goes hand in hand with dumping David Dellucci and what's left of his $11.4 million contract, which runs through next year; checking out pitching prospects because Paul Byrd probably won't be asked to return and Jake Westbrook will be lost to injury, plus bringing up Josh Barfield, the entire lineup of Akron's Aeros and the Ohio State Marching Band, if one of the trombone players has the potential to be a closer.
Again, what's the rush?
Obviously, the Tribe hasn't come close to meeting the high expectations of General Manager Mark Shapiro, manager Eric Wedge and the Northeast Ohio sporting public. So what? No other team in the American League Central Division has either.
The Chicago White Sox have taken a tenuous lead, but their volatile manager, Ozzie Guillen, has accused his players, his hitting coach and even his general manager, Kenny Williams, of all sorts of dastardly deeds. Until two weeks ago, the Indians were barely hitting Jeremy Sowers' weight, but almost in lock step with them were the Sox.
That has been the emphasis of Guillen's rants to his players and anyone else who will listen. The saving grace in Chicago has been a small ballpark and the home run ball, plus an overachieving pitching staff that might not be able to keep up the pace for an entire season.
The Minnesota Twins are second in the standings, but they could as easily finish fourth as first. If the Tribe can turn it around, can't the Detroit Tigers, as well? Potentially, they still have the most fearsome lineup in the division, and before long, setup man Joel Zumaya will return from the disabled list throwing 100 mph.
This is not to suggest that the Indians are a lock to win the division championship. But this team is not out of the race, not even close. They have been the same few games out of first for weeks, owing to the inconsistency of the White Sox, and it might not even take a hot streak to pull even closer, unless you regard winning 10-of-16, say, as being a sizzling pace.
One cautionary note: The explosive series against the Texas Rangers is about as atypical as it gets. Yes, I believe the Tribe's extreme offensive problems are over. But who knows when Travis Hafner will return, and even if he does, whether he will emerge from his slump? Who knows when — make it if — Victor Martinez's strained hamstring will allow him to execute his normal swing from both sides of the plate and maybe even hit a home run?
Even with these uncertainties, the additions of Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo give the offense a chance to generate enough runs to allow the pitching to make the difference. I think it's obvious by now that the rotation is among the best around, and effective starting pitching gives a team a chance to win almost all the time.
The key will be an attack that can consistently score four or five runs. Scoring 12 in one game and three in each of the next five won't cut it, but the offense seems to be settling into a pattern of reasonable stability.
That leaves the bullpen as the great unknown, just as team officials feared it would from the beginning.
Wedge needs Jensen Lewis to return from Triple-A Buffalo and pitch the way he did last year. It is unfair to think that Rafael Betancourt will duplicate his 2007 season, but he and Rafael Perez should pitch well enough. Masa Kobayashi has demonstrated that he will get big-league hitters out most of the time. Joe Borowski will blow a few saves, but most of the time, he'll get the job done, one way or another.
The Indians are not offering their fans a steady diet of Oreos and chocolate ice cream, but why not let the season play out? There's plenty of time to give up.
What's the rush?
It could be worse
Until recently, the Tribe's biggest problem was scoring, but that goes hand in hand with keeping the opposition from scoring. Every run the defense saves is a run the offense doesn't have to produce.
Granted, the attack has made strides the past two weeks. In the four-game set against the Rangers that ended Thursday, the Tribe scored 39 runs and amassed 57 hits. Of course, that is not the norm, and going into the weekend series at Detroit, the Indians had scored only 265 runs for the year.
Help has come from an unexpected source, one that really can't be game-planned: getting hit by pitches, an American League statistical category the Tribe leads by a wide margin.
The inability of batters to get out of the way has had a positive effect on the offense. Of the 36 players struck by errant pitches, 15 have scored and four others have moved runners into scoring position. Consequently, hitters putting their bodies on the line have accounted for 7 percent of the club's runs.
In one of the team's oddest rallies of the season, during an April 15 game against the Boston Red Sox, Hafner took his base after being plunked by a fastball. Eventually, the Tribe loaded the bases, and Ryan Garko was hit by a pitch to drive in Hafner.
This is not a team reputed to have an airtight defense. But the Indians rank among the top one-third of AL teams in fielding percentage, double-plays turned and (fewest) errors.
Maybe more important, individual defenders have saved lots of runs by making superlative plays. Whenever someone makes an extraordinary play, I mark it in my scorebook. Going back and determining whether the play saved a run or two can be subjective but not that subjective.
According to my calculations, defenders making very tough plays have taken away 24 runs from opposing teams, 9 percent of their total.
Of course, there are times when players go above and beyond the call of duty but don't actually save a run. So who has made the most exceptional plays? Not surprisingly, Asdrubal Cabrera leads with eight, Casey Blake has six, Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko five each and Jhonny Peralta, Franklin Gutierrez and Jason Michaels — traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates — four apiece.
Cabrera took three hits away from the Toronto Blue Jays in the same game, saving three runs, which is one reason why the Indians scored a 12-0 shutout May 10.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com.
DETROIT: What's the rush?
Why are so many fans and some members of the media pushing for the Indians to dismantle the team now and focus on 2009?
Trade C.C. Sabathia tomorrow is the loudest demand by folks who have decided that this season is a lost cause. But this move goes hand in hand with dumping David Dellucci and what's left of his $11.4 million contract, which runs through next year; checking out pitching prospects because Paul Byrd probably won't be asked to return and Jake Westbrook will be lost to injury, plus bringing up Josh Barfield, the entire lineup of Akron's Aeros and the Ohio State Marching Band, if one of the trombone players has the potential to be a closer.
Again, what's the rush?
Obviously, the Tribe hasn't come close to meeting the high expectations of General Manager Mark Shapiro, manager Eric Wedge and the Northeast Ohio sporting public. So what? No other team in the American League Central Division has either.
The Chicago White Sox have taken a tenuous lead, but their volatile manager, Ozzie Guillen, has accused his players, his hitting coach and even his general manager, Kenny Williams, of all sorts of dastardly deeds. Until two weeks ago, the Indians were barely hitting Jeremy Sowers' weight, but almost in lock step with them were the Sox.
That has been the emphasis of Guillen's rants to his players and anyone else who will listen. The saving grace in Chicago has been a small ballpark and the home run ball, plus an overachieving pitching staff that might not be able to keep up the pace for an entire season.
The Minnesota Twins are second in the standings, but they could as easily finish fourth as first. If the Tribe can turn it around, can't the Detroit Tigers, as well? Potentially, they still have the most fearsome lineup in the division, and before long, setup man Joel Zumaya will return from the disabled list throwing 100 mph.
This is not to suggest that the Indians are a lock to win the division championship. But this team is not out of the race, not even close. They have been the same few games out of first for weeks, owing to the inconsistency of the White Sox, and it might not even take a hot streak to pull even closer, unless you regard winning 10-of-16, say, as being a sizzling pace.
One cautionary note: The explosive series against the Texas Rangers is about as atypical as it gets. Yes, I believe the Tribe's extreme offensive problems are over. But who knows when Travis Hafner will return, and even if he does, whether he will emerge from his slump? Who knows when — make it if — Victor Martinez's strained hamstring will allow him to execute his normal swing from both sides of the plate and maybe even hit a home run?
Even with these uncertainties, the additions of Ben Francisco and Shin-Soo Choo give the offense a chance to generate enough runs to allow the pitching to make the difference. I think it's obvious by now that the rotation is among the best around, and effective starting pitching gives a team a chance to win almost all the time.
The key will be an attack that can consistently score four or five runs. Scoring 12 in one game and three in each of the next five won't cut it, but the offense seems to be settling into a pattern of reasonable stability.
That leaves the bullpen as the great unknown, just as team officials feared it would from the beginning.
Wedge needs Jensen Lewis to return from Triple-A Buffalo and pitch the way he did last year. It is unfair to think that Rafael Betancourt will duplicate his 2007 season, but he and Rafael Perez should pitch well enough. Masa Kobayashi has demonstrated that he will get big-league hitters out most of the time. Joe Borowski will blow a few saves, but most of the time, he'll get the job done, one way or another.
The Indians are not offering their fans a steady diet of Oreos and chocolate ice cream, but why not let the season play out? There's plenty of time to give up.
What's the rush?
It could be worse
Until recently, the Tribe's biggest problem was scoring, but that goes hand in hand with keeping the opposition from scoring. Every run the defense saves is a run the offense doesn't have to produce.
Granted, the attack has made strides the past two weeks. In the four-game set against the Rangers that ended Thursday, the Tribe scored 39 runs and amassed 57 hits. Of course, that is not the norm, and going into the weekend series at Detroit, the Indians had scored only 265 runs for the year.
Help has come from an unexpected source, one that really can't be game-planned: getting hit by pitches, an American League statistical category the Tribe leads by a wide margin.
The inability of batters to get out of the way has had a positive effect on the offense. Of the 36 players struck by errant pitches, 15 have scored and four others have moved runners into scoring position. Consequently, hitters putting their bodies on the line have accounted for 7 percent of the club's runs.
In one of the team's oddest rallies of the season, during an April 15 game against the Boston Red Sox, Hafner took his base after being plunked by a fastball. Eventually, the Tribe loaded the bases, and Ryan Garko was hit by a pitch to drive in Hafner.
This is not a team reputed to have an airtight defense. But the Indians rank among the top one-third of AL teams in fielding percentage, double-plays turned and (fewest) errors.
Maybe more important, individual defenders have saved lots of runs by making superlative plays. Whenever someone makes an extraordinary play, I mark it in my scorebook. Going back and determining whether the play saved a run or two can be subjective but not that subjective.
According to my calculations, defenders making very tough plays have taken away 24 runs from opposing teams, 9 percent of their total.
Of course, there are times when players go above and beyond the call of duty but don't actually save a run. So who has made the most exceptional plays? Not surprisingly, Asdrubal Cabrera leads with eight, Casey Blake has six, Grady Sizemore and Ryan Garko five each and Jhonny Peralta, Franklin Gutierrez and Jason Michaels — traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates — four apiece.
Cabrera took three hits away from the Toronto Blue Jays in the same game, saving three runs, which is one reason why the Indians scored a 12-0 shutout May 10.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)