CLEVELAND -- Thirteen games do not a major-league season make. They do not even cover half of a month.
A 13-game sample is enough, though, to get at least a feel for a club and its tendencies. Here is a capsule look at what we think we know about the 4-9 Tribe, which opens a nine-game home stand tonight against Kansas City:
The Indians are not afraid of the big, bad Yankees in the Boogie Down. They split a four-game series in the Bronx that ended Sunday. An opponent usually will gladly accept a four-game road split, but the Indians departed with a sour taste because they had a lead in each game and finished with 11 homers and 40 runs. They posted nine- and 14-run innings.
Too bad the Tribe does not return to New York this season, when the temperature has had time to rise and balls fly that much farther in the pricey new bandbox.
Despite the .308 winning percentage and last-place status, the Indians are very much alive in the Central. Entering Monday, the Royals, White Sox and Tigers were tied for first at 7-5, meaning the Tribe was just 3.5 games back.
Kansas City being anywhere near the lead is no concern for the rest of the division, because it won't last. The White Sox, the team to watch, nonetheless are selectively implementing youngsters. The Tigers are good enough to hang around. The Twins (7-7) figure to have another gritty club under manager Ron Gardenhire. Which is to say none of the four will run away and hide, giving the Indians time to figure it out.
The rotation will not be evoking memories of Early Wynn and the boys. No surprise here: Tribe starters have been shaky even as Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Carl Pavano showed signs of life in New York. The rotation does not feature anyone who sits in the mid-90s, meaning less margin for error. One of these days, one will pitch into the seventh inning. Lee and Pavano own the only quality starts (six innings, three or fewer earned).
Lee will need to work (extra) hard for his money. Not that Lee pitched on cruise control en route to 22-3 last season. A starter winning one game in the majors, let alone 22, is not easy. It's just that otherworldly command of the fastball made it appear easy. Fastball location has not been as precise through three starts this season, leading to a 1-2 record and 6.75 ERA. He will be forced to rely more on curves and change-ups and on keeping batters guessing.
At its current rate of usage, the bullpen -- with the notable exception of one man -- will be gassed by July. It stands to reason that starters who cannot get deep into games wreck havoc on those who follow. The bullpen might not be as good as most thought it would be, anyway.
That one man, closer Kerry Wood, needs to find things to do to keep himself occupied late in meaningful games. Wood has made four appearances, one in a save situation. He is on pace for 13 save situations. Owner Larry Dolan is not paying Wood and his rocket arm $10 million annually to collect dust.
Rafael Perez needs to reset his body clock or begin his season in May. Perez has stunk out the joint for yet another April, his slider allergic to early-season cold. He entered with a 4.73 ERA in March-April -- worst of any month in his career. He is at 16.71 in seven appearances this season.
Wood and Mark DeRosa, who played for the Cubs last season, need not worry about adjusting to a new team. Wood intimidates simply by putting on the uniform. DeRosa is an old-school gamer who dared suggest, correctly, that the great Mariano Rivera might actually throw a pitch that should be called a ball when the batter does not swing at it. DeRosa was called out on strikes to end a 6-5 loss Friday, then went 4-for-7 with six RBI in a 22-4 victory Saturday.
Shin-Soo Choo has sun issues. Bat? Check. Arm? Check. Sunglasses? Need new lenses. Choo has two strikes against him already, having lost one in right and one in left, both resulting in inning-changing extra-base hits. No question the sun can be bright and unforgiving, but Gold Glovers might not lose two in a season.
If Victor Martinez stays healthy, he can challenge for a batting title. Martinez is hitting .358 (19-for-53). A handful of his outs have been loud. Martinez won multiple batting crowns in the minors and entered this season as a .298 hitter in 722 major-league games. Matchup lefties are negated because he's a switch-hitter. His primary position, catcher, puts him at a distinct disadvantage, but if Minnesota's Joe Mauer can winning batting crowns, why not Vic?
Grady Sizemore no longer can be expected to hit .300. He hit .289 in 2005 -- his first full season in the majors -- and .290 in 2006. But he has gone .277 and .268 since and is at .259 with 17 strikeouts this season. His swing is not easily adjusted to slap the ball the other way for average-saving singles.
Just because Sizemore won't hit .300 doesn't mean he's not a dynamic leadoff man. He entered this season with a .370 on-base percentage and .491 slugging percentage; those numbers are at .385 and .574, respectively, through 13 games.
Travis Hafner is showing glimpses of a return to Pronk, or at least PronkLite. The slimmer Hafner has four homers, four doubles and six walks. Yes, he has14 strikeouts. But the key to his being feared again, the surgically-repaired right shoulder, seems to be holding up well under game stress.
Derek Shelton's batters know how to work pitchers, good result or bad result. They are hitting .280 and have scored 83 runs, though a failure to come through with runners in scoring position has cost them games. Along the way, they have struck out a staggering 115 times but managed 67 walks.
Manny Ramirez will not be coming back to Cleveland -- not today, next week, next month or next year. Neither will Jim Thome.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Are the 2009 Cleveland Indians well-armed? Inside the Opening Day pitching staff
Are the 2009 Cleveland Indians well-armed? Inside the Opening Day pitching staff
by Paul Hoynes/Plain Dealer Reporter
Saturday April 04, 2009, 8:30 PM
HOUSTON -- Here's a breakdown of the Indians' 12-man pitching staff. Stats include batting average against (BAA) and what right-handed hitters (RH) and left-handed hitters (LH) hit against each pitcher last year.
STARTING ROTATION
LHP Cliff Lee
Key 2008 stats: 22-3, 2.54 ERA, 223.1 innings, .253 BAA, .245 RH, .272 LH.
Skinny: Lee, last year's AL Cy Young winner, throws a two- and four-seam fastball, cut fastball, slider, curve and change-up. He tops out at 93 mph, but usually throws between 89 and 91.
Comment: Lee had a tough spring, but came through it healthy. It will be interesting to see how responds to being a marked man because of the Cy Young Award. He doesn't have to win 20 again, 14 to 18 victories wouldn't be bad.
RHP Fausto Carmona
Key 2008 stats: 8-7, 5.44 ERA, 120.2 innings, .271 BAA, .230 RH, .303 LH.
Skinny: Carmona is a power pitcher with a sinking fastball, slider and change-up. He'll top out at 96 mph, but usually pitches at 92 to 93.
Comment: Last year, Carmona walked more than he struck out (70 to 58) as he battled a left hip injury. He pitched well this spring training, easing off on the velocity to keep his sinker on the plate at the urging of pitching coach Carl Willis and catcher Victor Martinez. If Carmona wins 19 games as he did in 2007, fine. It's probably more realistic if he wins 14 to 16.
RHP Carl Pavano
Key 2008 stats: 4-2, 5.77 ERA, 34.1 innings, .306 BAA, RH .283, LH .324.
Skinny: Pavano spent spring training throwing between 89 mph and 91 mph. He throws a fastball, slider and change. He's 6-5 and uses his height well to throw his fastball to both sides of the plate at the bottom of the strike zone.
Comment: The Indians took a chance on Pavano, who has been basically out of commission for four years because of injuries. He made it through camp healthy and got better the longer camp went. The Indians believe he can give them a chance to win every fifth start.
LHP Scott Lewis
Key 2008 stats: 4-0, 2.63 ERA, 24 innings, .222 BAA, .254 RH, .130 LH.
Skinny: Lewis throws a fastball, curve, slider and change. He throws 88-89 mph and locates the ball well. He's effective with his change-up, which is about 12 mph slower than his fastball.
Comment: Lewis has to hit his spots and keep the ball down or he'll give up a lot of homers. He's calm and cool on the mound and that serves him well. Let's hope he's able to grip the ball better in the home opener on Friday at Progressive Field than he did in Arizona during spring training.
RHP Anthony Reyes
Key 2008 stats: 4-2, 2.76 ERA, 49 innings, .242 BAA, .267 RH, .240 LH.
Skinny: Reyes throws a fastball, curve and change. He throws between 87-91 mph. It's a heavy fastball that he locates well. The fastball is offset by a good change-up.
Comment: The Indians weren't sure if Reyes would make it through camp healthy after being shut down in September with a sore right elbow. Not only did he stay healthy, he pitched well. Now he has to keep doing it.
Safety net: The Indians have lefties Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers and David Huff in the rotation at Class AAA Columbus if there's trouble with the rotation. Right-handers Kirk Saarloos and Jack Cassel are also in the pipeline. Right-hander Hector Rondon might get a call at Class AA Akron.
BULLPEN
RHP Kerry Wood
Key 2008 stats: 5-4, 3.26, 34 saves, 66.1 innings, .219 BAA, .227 RH, .209 LH
.
Skinny: Wood throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider and curve. He hit 97 mph in spring training, but usually throws between 91-95 mph.
Comment: Wood gives the Indians their first hard-throwing closer since Jose Mesa. He's in his second year as a stopper and last season converted 34 saves in 40 chances for the Cubs. If he stays healthy, the Indians should be one of the best pens in the American League.
LHP Rafael Perez
Key 2008 stats: 4-4, 3.54 ERA, 2 saves, 76.1 innings, .234 BAA, .243 RH, .222 LH.
Skinny: Perez is a fastball-slider pitcher. He throws a change, but sparingly. Perez throws between 90-92 mph. His pitches have late action in the strike zone, dropping out of reach before hitters can recognize the spin on the ball.
Comment: Perez jumped from 44 appearances in 2007 to 73 last year. He handled the extra workload well and gives manager Eric Wedge an effective reliever against left and right-handed hitters in the late innings.
RHP Rafael Betancourt
Key 2008 stats: 3-4, 5.07 ERA, 4 saves, 71 innings, .276 BAA, .295 RH, .252 LH.
Skinny: Betancourt, like Perez, is a set-up man. He throws a fastball, curve and change-up. He tops out around 94 mph, but usually throws between 91-92 mph.
Comment: Betancourt had a bad first half last season, but rebounded in the second half. His spring-training numbers weren't great, but he looked strong. He needs to keep rebounding to give Wedge the Raffie Left and Raffie Right option that worked so well in 2007.
RHP Jensen Lewis
Key 2008 stats: 0-4, 3.82, 13 saves, 66 innings, .266 BAA, .264 RH, .267 LH.
Skinny: Lewis throws a fastball, slider and change. His velocity reaches 90-91 mph, which is better than last year. Lewis concentrated on his slider in spring training.
Comment: Lewis proved last season that he can close, so that gives Wedge and alternative if Wood gets hurt or needs a day off. Lewis, like Betancourt, suffered last season because of a heavy workload in 2007, but pitched well in spring training.
RHP Joe Smith
Key 2008 stats: 6-3, 3.55 ERA, 63.1 innings, .220 BAA, .192 RH, .320 LH.
Skinny: Smith, a sidearmer, throws a fastball, slider and change. He's touched 92 mph this spring and usually sits at 90 mph, which is above average for a sidearmer. His slider works well against right-handers.
Comment: Smith impressed the Indians with his arm strength. Most sidearmers don't throw as hard as he does. It's one of the reasons the Indians think he will eventually be able to get lefties out. He didn't get a chance to work on that much in spring training because of a viral infection.
RHP Masa Kobayashi
Key 2008 stats: 4-5, 4.53 ERA, 6 saves, 55.2 innings, .286 BAA, .292 RH, .280 LH.
Skinny: Kobayashi consistently hit 92 mph in spring training, but got pounded because he couldn't get his pitches down. He throws a fastball, split and slider.
Comment: He'll open the season pitching in middle and long relief. He's in the last year of a $6 million contract.
LHP Zach Jackson
Key 2008 stats: 2-3, 5.55 ERA, 58.1 innings, .294 BAA, .271 RH, .348 LH.
Skinny: Jackson throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider and split change-up. He throws between 87-90 mph, but is vulnerable to left-handers.
Comment: Jackson made the club because he spent much of spring training competing for the last spot in the rotation. He was already stretched out, which meant if one of the starters got knocked out early, he could step in and control the damage.
Safety net: If the Indians need help in the bullpen, right-hander Vinnie Chulk and left-hander Tony Sipp will get the first call at Columbus.
by Paul Hoynes/Plain Dealer Reporter
Saturday April 04, 2009, 8:30 PM
HOUSTON -- Here's a breakdown of the Indians' 12-man pitching staff. Stats include batting average against (BAA) and what right-handed hitters (RH) and left-handed hitters (LH) hit against each pitcher last year.
STARTING ROTATION
LHP Cliff Lee
Key 2008 stats: 22-3, 2.54 ERA, 223.1 innings, .253 BAA, .245 RH, .272 LH.
Skinny: Lee, last year's AL Cy Young winner, throws a two- and four-seam fastball, cut fastball, slider, curve and change-up. He tops out at 93 mph, but usually throws between 89 and 91.
Comment: Lee had a tough spring, but came through it healthy. It will be interesting to see how responds to being a marked man because of the Cy Young Award. He doesn't have to win 20 again, 14 to 18 victories wouldn't be bad.
RHP Fausto Carmona
Key 2008 stats: 8-7, 5.44 ERA, 120.2 innings, .271 BAA, .230 RH, .303 LH.
Skinny: Carmona is a power pitcher with a sinking fastball, slider and change-up. He'll top out at 96 mph, but usually pitches at 92 to 93.
Comment: Last year, Carmona walked more than he struck out (70 to 58) as he battled a left hip injury. He pitched well this spring training, easing off on the velocity to keep his sinker on the plate at the urging of pitching coach Carl Willis and catcher Victor Martinez. If Carmona wins 19 games as he did in 2007, fine. It's probably more realistic if he wins 14 to 16.
RHP Carl Pavano
Key 2008 stats: 4-2, 5.77 ERA, 34.1 innings, .306 BAA, RH .283, LH .324.
Skinny: Pavano spent spring training throwing between 89 mph and 91 mph. He throws a fastball, slider and change. He's 6-5 and uses his height well to throw his fastball to both sides of the plate at the bottom of the strike zone.
Comment: The Indians took a chance on Pavano, who has been basically out of commission for four years because of injuries. He made it through camp healthy and got better the longer camp went. The Indians believe he can give them a chance to win every fifth start.
LHP Scott Lewis
Key 2008 stats: 4-0, 2.63 ERA, 24 innings, .222 BAA, .254 RH, .130 LH.
Skinny: Lewis throws a fastball, curve, slider and change. He throws 88-89 mph and locates the ball well. He's effective with his change-up, which is about 12 mph slower than his fastball.
Comment: Lewis has to hit his spots and keep the ball down or he'll give up a lot of homers. He's calm and cool on the mound and that serves him well. Let's hope he's able to grip the ball better in the home opener on Friday at Progressive Field than he did in Arizona during spring training.
RHP Anthony Reyes
Key 2008 stats: 4-2, 2.76 ERA, 49 innings, .242 BAA, .267 RH, .240 LH.
Skinny: Reyes throws a fastball, curve and change. He throws between 87-91 mph. It's a heavy fastball that he locates well. The fastball is offset by a good change-up.
Comment: The Indians weren't sure if Reyes would make it through camp healthy after being shut down in September with a sore right elbow. Not only did he stay healthy, he pitched well. Now he has to keep doing it.
Safety net: The Indians have lefties Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers and David Huff in the rotation at Class AAA Columbus if there's trouble with the rotation. Right-handers Kirk Saarloos and Jack Cassel are also in the pipeline. Right-hander Hector Rondon might get a call at Class AA Akron.
BULLPEN
RHP Kerry Wood
Key 2008 stats: 5-4, 3.26, 34 saves, 66.1 innings, .219 BAA, .227 RH, .209 LH
.
Skinny: Wood throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider and curve. He hit 97 mph in spring training, but usually throws between 91-95 mph.
Comment: Wood gives the Indians their first hard-throwing closer since Jose Mesa. He's in his second year as a stopper and last season converted 34 saves in 40 chances for the Cubs. If he stays healthy, the Indians should be one of the best pens in the American League.
LHP Rafael Perez
Key 2008 stats: 4-4, 3.54 ERA, 2 saves, 76.1 innings, .234 BAA, .243 RH, .222 LH.
Skinny: Perez is a fastball-slider pitcher. He throws a change, but sparingly. Perez throws between 90-92 mph. His pitches have late action in the strike zone, dropping out of reach before hitters can recognize the spin on the ball.
Comment: Perez jumped from 44 appearances in 2007 to 73 last year. He handled the extra workload well and gives manager Eric Wedge an effective reliever against left and right-handed hitters in the late innings.
RHP Rafael Betancourt
Key 2008 stats: 3-4, 5.07 ERA, 4 saves, 71 innings, .276 BAA, .295 RH, .252 LH.
Skinny: Betancourt, like Perez, is a set-up man. He throws a fastball, curve and change-up. He tops out around 94 mph, but usually throws between 91-92 mph.
Comment: Betancourt had a bad first half last season, but rebounded in the second half. His spring-training numbers weren't great, but he looked strong. He needs to keep rebounding to give Wedge the Raffie Left and Raffie Right option that worked so well in 2007.
RHP Jensen Lewis
Key 2008 stats: 0-4, 3.82, 13 saves, 66 innings, .266 BAA, .264 RH, .267 LH.
Skinny: Lewis throws a fastball, slider and change. His velocity reaches 90-91 mph, which is better than last year. Lewis concentrated on his slider in spring training.
Comment: Lewis proved last season that he can close, so that gives Wedge and alternative if Wood gets hurt or needs a day off. Lewis, like Betancourt, suffered last season because of a heavy workload in 2007, but pitched well in spring training.
RHP Joe Smith
Key 2008 stats: 6-3, 3.55 ERA, 63.1 innings, .220 BAA, .192 RH, .320 LH.
Skinny: Smith, a sidearmer, throws a fastball, slider and change. He's touched 92 mph this spring and usually sits at 90 mph, which is above average for a sidearmer. His slider works well against right-handers.
Comment: Smith impressed the Indians with his arm strength. Most sidearmers don't throw as hard as he does. It's one of the reasons the Indians think he will eventually be able to get lefties out. He didn't get a chance to work on that much in spring training because of a viral infection.
RHP Masa Kobayashi
Key 2008 stats: 4-5, 4.53 ERA, 6 saves, 55.2 innings, .286 BAA, .292 RH, .280 LH.
Skinny: Kobayashi consistently hit 92 mph in spring training, but got pounded because he couldn't get his pitches down. He throws a fastball, split and slider.
Comment: He'll open the season pitching in middle and long relief. He's in the last year of a $6 million contract.
LHP Zach Jackson
Key 2008 stats: 2-3, 5.55 ERA, 58.1 innings, .294 BAA, .271 RH, .348 LH.
Skinny: Jackson throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider and split change-up. He throws between 87-90 mph, but is vulnerable to left-handers.
Comment: Jackson made the club because he spent much of spring training competing for the last spot in the rotation. He was already stretched out, which meant if one of the starters got knocked out early, he could step in and control the damage.
Safety net: If the Indians need help in the bullpen, right-hander Vinnie Chulk and left-hander Tony Sipp will get the first call at Columbus.
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