Cleveland Indians are playing catch-up behind the plate during spring training
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
February 26, 2010, 5:00AM
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians have started spring training without a regular catcher. It's a problem because someone has to get behind the plate or every pitch is going to bounce to the backstop.
It's a unique situation for the Indians because over the past 6-1/2 years three-time All-Star Victor Martinez took care of that unpleasant job. Last spring, the Indians had what many teams considered two starting catchers in Martinez and Kelly Shoppach.
Martinez was traded to Boston in July to save money. Shoppach was traded to Tampa Bay in December for the same reason, but on a smaller scale.
It's going to take a while to assemble the pieces left behind.
Lou Marson and Wyatt Toregas, who don't have a year's time in the big leagues between them, will hold a catch-off for the starting job. It starts today with the first full-squad workout and could last until early April.
Veteran Mike Redmond was signed to help the winner over the rough spots of the season.
If Marson or Toregas aren't the answer, Carlos Santana will be waiting at Class AAA Columbus to save the day.
Sounds logical, but when was the last time logic worked for the Indians?
Manny Acta, like all managers, requires a lot more than offense from his catchers.
"Nobody is just going to throw a pitch with conviction just because you can swing the stick," said Acta. "You need to earn their trust."
Acta is looking for a catcher who calls a good game, works well with the pitching staff, blocks balls in the dirt and throws well. But most of all, he's looking for a catcher who can get the best out of whatever pitcher is on the mound when he's behind the plate.
Toregas and Marson have been listening
"You want to take all the pressure off your pitcher when he's on the mound," said Toregas, a 24th-round draft choice by the Indians in 2004. "You don't want him to think about what pitch he wants to throw."
Toregas made his big-league debut Aug. 1, the day after Martinez was traded. Toregas appeared in 19 games and hit .176 (9-for-51) with six RBI.
Marson came to the Indians from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee trade July 29. He caught 21 games in the big leagues last year, seven with the Phillies and 14 with the Indians.
"It was a great experience last year," said Marson, a fourth-round pick in 2004. "It doesn't matter what fingers you put down, what matters is that they trust what you put down. That's what I'm going to try and get out of this spring."
Marson caught 14 games in September. That could give him an edge. He hit .250 (11-for-44) with four RBI last year with the Tribe. In 22 games in the big leagues, including one in 2008, he has hit one homer.
"Marson is a guy who gives you an approach to hitting that translates to the big leagues," said GM Mark Shapiro. "Obviously, he doesn't have a lot of power, but he puts the ball in play and gets on base."
The best part of Toregas' game is defense, but he hit .284 (59-for-208) with 10 doubles, seven homers and 29 RBI last year at Columbus.
"He calls a good game, blocks well, has a pretty good arm," said Shapiro. "Last year, his bat made some strides and that was good to see."
Hovering over Marson and Toregas is Santana, the Indians' top prospect. He seems recovered from a broken hamate bone in his right hand, but Acta and Shapiro have made it clear he will spend the year at Columbus, despite bringing the Class AA Eastern League to its knees last year by hitting .290 (124-for-428) with 30 doubles, two triples, 23 homers and 97 RBI.
"We're really excited about Carlos, but he's a guy who has never caught a Class AAA game," said Shapiro. "We love his tools, we love his production to date, it's just that we feel he's going to benefit from some finishing."
Shapiro would not say if Santana would make his big-league debut this year.
"That's a byproduct of his progression and whoever is the starting catcher," said Shapiro.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Don't cry over Robbie, save your tears for Bert Blyleven
Don't cry over Robbie Alomar, save your tears for Bert Blyleven
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
January 06, 2010, 5:16PM
UPDATED: 5:16 p.m.
Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerRoberto Alomar was the best all-around player Paul Hoynes has ever seen, and he finished a handful of votes short of the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robbie Alomar deserved election to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot today by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He didn't get it, but he's still the best all-around player I've ever seen.
Weep not for Alomar. He has 14 years left on the ballot and should make it next year after receiving 73.7 of the required 75 percent of the vote. It's the most votes a first-year player has ever received and not gotten elected.
Rusty Kennedy / Associated PressJust five votes short of Cooperstown, Bert Blyleven has had to wait an unbelievable 13 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, says Paul Hoynes.The guy I feel bad for is Bert Blyleven, who received 74.2 percent of the vote. The winner of 287 games missed enshrinement by five votes in his 13th year on the ballot. It is small and cruel margin for a pitcher who threw 60 shutouts and 242 complete games in a 22-year career.
Blyleven, who pitched for the Indians from 1981-85, has two years left on the ballot. The five-vote shortfall is the fifth fewest in history, trailing Nellie Fox (four), Pie Traynor (four), Billy Williams (two) and Jim Bunning (two). Those four eventually made it to Cooperstown, but Bunning and Fox ran out of time on the BBWAA's ballot and were elected by the Veterans Committee, which can be its own box of snakes.
I watched Blyleven win 19 games for the Indians in 1984. I still don't know how he did it. They lost 87 games that year and finished 29 1/2 games out of first place.
Blyleven's shortstop was Julio Franco, who made 36 errors. His closer was Ernie Camacho. Manager Pat Corrales had to come out in the ninth inning of almost every save situation and punch Camacho in the chest to remind him to forget his curve, slider and change-up and just throw his 98 mph fastball.
"No, tricks, Ernie," Corrales would scream.
Writers vote the way they do for many reasons. I believe the growth and interpretation of statistics has become more and more a factor in the process. It's one thing to watch a player throughout his career. It's another to put his statistics through a series of mathematical hoops to prove a point.
Blyleven was a Hall of Famer the day his career ended in 1992. He's still one today even if five votes say he isn't. A look at the percentage of votes he's received over the last 13 years show how the writers have been slow to warm to him: 18 percent in 1998; 14 percent 1999, 17 percent 2000; 24 percent 2001; 26 percent 2002; 29 percent 2003, 35 percent 2004; 41 percent 2005; 53 percent 2006; 48 percent 2007; 62 percent 2008, 63 percent 2009 and 74.2 percent in 2010.
I watched Alomar for the three years he played in Cleveland from 1999 to 2001. There was nothing he couldn't do. He hit for average and power. He stole bases. He played defense as if he invented the concept.
Was he a diva? Certainly. He's still the only player I've seen who caused a clubhouse ruckus because he didn't feel his pitcher hit a Cincinnati batter as hard as he'd been hit by a Cincinnati pitcher. Still, to watch Alomar and Omar Vizquel play the middle of the diamond for three years negated a lot of pettiness.
Drama and Alomar were never far apart. There was the spitting incident with plate umpire John Hirschbeck. When the Indians traded him to the Mets after the 2001 season, his drop in production was startling. Then came a lawsuit by a former girlfriend that he had AIDS.
These things may have cost Alomar votes, but they won't keep him out of Cooperstown. He missed by only seven votes this year.
BBWAA writers with 10 years experience are eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame. They can vote for as many as 10 players on the ballot. Here's mine:
• Alomar: He could have won the AL MVP in any of the three years he played in Cleveland.
• Blyleven: I don't understand why he's had to wait so long.
• Harold Baines: Career .289 hitter with 2,866 hits. He would have been an automatic Hall of Famer with 134 more hits.
• Andre Dawson: The Hawk was the only player elected by the writers this year. The late Hall of Fame baseball writer Jerome Holtzman told me Dawson was one of the few players he'd ever covered who could inspire a bad team to be better than they were. Eight Gold Gloves, 438 homers, 1,591 RBI and 314 steals helped the cause.
• Barry Larkin: Shortstop with good power. He hit .353 in the 1990 World Series when the Reds upset Oakland.
• Edgar Martinez: Has there ever been a hitter who has scared more Indians fans than Martinez?
• Jack Morris: Like Blyleven, I can't understand why Morris wasn't elected a long time ago. Critics say his ERA is too high. All I know is he was the winningest pitcher in the 1980s. That means he dominated his craft for 10 years.
• Tim Raines: I missed his prime years with the Expos. The stats say he's the best leadoff hitter this side of Rickey Henderson.
• Alan Trammell: I was voting for Trammell before Larkin came on the ballot this year. Quality player for a long time.
• Lee Smith: Before Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, there was Lee Smith and his 478 saves.
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
January 06, 2010, 5:16PM
UPDATED: 5:16 p.m.
Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerRoberto Alomar was the best all-around player Paul Hoynes has ever seen, and he finished a handful of votes short of the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Robbie Alomar deserved election to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot today by the Baseball Writers Association of America. He didn't get it, but he's still the best all-around player I've ever seen.
Weep not for Alomar. He has 14 years left on the ballot and should make it next year after receiving 73.7 of the required 75 percent of the vote. It's the most votes a first-year player has ever received and not gotten elected.
Rusty Kennedy / Associated PressJust five votes short of Cooperstown, Bert Blyleven has had to wait an unbelievable 13 years on the Hall of Fame ballot, says Paul Hoynes.The guy I feel bad for is Bert Blyleven, who received 74.2 percent of the vote. The winner of 287 games missed enshrinement by five votes in his 13th year on the ballot. It is small and cruel margin for a pitcher who threw 60 shutouts and 242 complete games in a 22-year career.
Blyleven, who pitched for the Indians from 1981-85, has two years left on the ballot. The five-vote shortfall is the fifth fewest in history, trailing Nellie Fox (four), Pie Traynor (four), Billy Williams (two) and Jim Bunning (two). Those four eventually made it to Cooperstown, but Bunning and Fox ran out of time on the BBWAA's ballot and were elected by the Veterans Committee, which can be its own box of snakes.
I watched Blyleven win 19 games for the Indians in 1984. I still don't know how he did it. They lost 87 games that year and finished 29 1/2 games out of first place.
Blyleven's shortstop was Julio Franco, who made 36 errors. His closer was Ernie Camacho. Manager Pat Corrales had to come out in the ninth inning of almost every save situation and punch Camacho in the chest to remind him to forget his curve, slider and change-up and just throw his 98 mph fastball.
"No, tricks, Ernie," Corrales would scream.
Writers vote the way they do for many reasons. I believe the growth and interpretation of statistics has become more and more a factor in the process. It's one thing to watch a player throughout his career. It's another to put his statistics through a series of mathematical hoops to prove a point.
Blyleven was a Hall of Famer the day his career ended in 1992. He's still one today even if five votes say he isn't. A look at the percentage of votes he's received over the last 13 years show how the writers have been slow to warm to him: 18 percent in 1998; 14 percent 1999, 17 percent 2000; 24 percent 2001; 26 percent 2002; 29 percent 2003, 35 percent 2004; 41 percent 2005; 53 percent 2006; 48 percent 2007; 62 percent 2008, 63 percent 2009 and 74.2 percent in 2010.
I watched Alomar for the three years he played in Cleveland from 1999 to 2001. There was nothing he couldn't do. He hit for average and power. He stole bases. He played defense as if he invented the concept.
Was he a diva? Certainly. He's still the only player I've seen who caused a clubhouse ruckus because he didn't feel his pitcher hit a Cincinnati batter as hard as he'd been hit by a Cincinnati pitcher. Still, to watch Alomar and Omar Vizquel play the middle of the diamond for three years negated a lot of pettiness.
Drama and Alomar were never far apart. There was the spitting incident with plate umpire John Hirschbeck. When the Indians traded him to the Mets after the 2001 season, his drop in production was startling. Then came a lawsuit by a former girlfriend that he had AIDS.
These things may have cost Alomar votes, but they won't keep him out of Cooperstown. He missed by only seven votes this year.
BBWAA writers with 10 years experience are eligible to vote for the Hall of Fame. They can vote for as many as 10 players on the ballot. Here's mine:
• Alomar: He could have won the AL MVP in any of the three years he played in Cleveland.
• Blyleven: I don't understand why he's had to wait so long.
• Harold Baines: Career .289 hitter with 2,866 hits. He would have been an automatic Hall of Famer with 134 more hits.
• Andre Dawson: The Hawk was the only player elected by the writers this year. The late Hall of Fame baseball writer Jerome Holtzman told me Dawson was one of the few players he'd ever covered who could inspire a bad team to be better than they were. Eight Gold Gloves, 438 homers, 1,591 RBI and 314 steals helped the cause.
• Barry Larkin: Shortstop with good power. He hit .353 in the 1990 World Series when the Reds upset Oakland.
• Edgar Martinez: Has there ever been a hitter who has scared more Indians fans than Martinez?
• Jack Morris: Like Blyleven, I can't understand why Morris wasn't elected a long time ago. Critics say his ERA is too high. All I know is he was the winningest pitcher in the 1980s. That means he dominated his craft for 10 years.
• Tim Raines: I missed his prime years with the Expos. The stats say he's the best leadoff hitter this side of Rickey Henderson.
• Alan Trammell: I was voting for Trammell before Larkin came on the ballot this year. Quality player for a long time.
• Lee Smith: Before Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, there was Lee Smith and his 478 saves.
Friday, December 25, 2009
For parents, sons, daughters and all generations, baseball still matters: Bill Livingston
For parents, sons, daughters and all generations, baseball still matters: Bill Livingston
By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer
December 19, 2009, 8:29PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- My Aunt Wilma was the youngest of eight children who grew up in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, while my father was the oldest. They were still the closest of them all.
She and my dad were drawn together by a love of reading, usually from the Collier's, Life and Saturday Evening Post magazines that surrounded them, and by baseball, to which each gave a lifetime of devotion.
My dad was a St. Louis Cardinals fan, born and died one. They were the team of the entire Southwest because of the reach of KMOX on the AM radio dial in the years before baseball expansion.
My aunt had no interest in the first major-league Texas team, the Houston Colt .45s, who soon were re-named the Astros. But the Texas Rangers were different. They were her team from the moment the old Washington Senators plopped down within easy driving distance of her until she died last month at the age of 86.
This will be my first Christmas without her. The stock of wisdom and laughter in the world went down when she left it.
I was able to spend an afternoon with her this summer in Texas, when she was in an assisted-living facility. She could still get around in her small apartment, and she had a TV set there. I am sure she had the Rangers schedule close at hand. Long after she was widowed, she passed her nights in the company of Nolan Ryan's fastball, which could bring the heat like the sweat-popping, eye-glazing 100-degree Dallas nights outside.
She rooted for the Indians when they reached the World Series in 1995 and 1997. She said it was because she had family here, but I also think it was because she could relate to the exquisite frustration of excellence that went unrewarded. She had seen Ryan and the young, still-precocious Alex Rodriguez toil valiantly in lost causes night after night.
She and her daughter Sissy visited Canton to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame several years ago. I made sure to set up a trip to Jacobs Field, too. The Tribe was out of town, but Aunt Wilma remembered how my dad would schedule his vacation so he could watch the daytime World Series games on television. Seeing the place where a World Series was played, in person, seemed to be her own field of dreams.
We started at the Bob Feller statue, in which Feller is rearing back to throw the hard one. His leg is just beginning its high kick. He knew how far his fastball might take him, and he was anxious to get started on the journey. Every Depression kid could relate to that leggy, hungry drive for success.
An RBI League (the initials stand for Returning Baseball to the Inner City) game was going on at the park. That was ironic. In earlier generations, more people followed baseball than the other sports combined. Every sportswriter can tell you he gets more mail from female readers about baseball than anything else. It used to transcend age, place and gender.
We took photographs of each other in the press box and stared out at the beautiful ballpark. Then we "borrowed" some paper napkins with Chief Wahoo's face on them, which she kept as souvenirs.
Richard Jacobs, the man who gave the park its name, is gone now, and so is his name on the building, and so is my aunt. After she died, I contacted the Indians staff and thanked them for their kindness years ago. Tribe communications director Curtis Danburg replied, "Sometimes we take for granted the impact this place and the game of baseball has on people."
He got that right.
My aunt kept saying, "I can't believe I'm in Jacobs Field, where they played the World Series!" Then, her hands would flutter up, and she would clasp them over her heart.
By Bill Livingston, The Plain Dealer
December 19, 2009, 8:29PM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- My Aunt Wilma was the youngest of eight children who grew up in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl, while my father was the oldest. They were still the closest of them all.
She and my dad were drawn together by a love of reading, usually from the Collier's, Life and Saturday Evening Post magazines that surrounded them, and by baseball, to which each gave a lifetime of devotion.
My dad was a St. Louis Cardinals fan, born and died one. They were the team of the entire Southwest because of the reach of KMOX on the AM radio dial in the years before baseball expansion.
My aunt had no interest in the first major-league Texas team, the Houston Colt .45s, who soon were re-named the Astros. But the Texas Rangers were different. They were her team from the moment the old Washington Senators plopped down within easy driving distance of her until she died last month at the age of 86.
This will be my first Christmas without her. The stock of wisdom and laughter in the world went down when she left it.
I was able to spend an afternoon with her this summer in Texas, when she was in an assisted-living facility. She could still get around in her small apartment, and she had a TV set there. I am sure she had the Rangers schedule close at hand. Long after she was widowed, she passed her nights in the company of Nolan Ryan's fastball, which could bring the heat like the sweat-popping, eye-glazing 100-degree Dallas nights outside.
She rooted for the Indians when they reached the World Series in 1995 and 1997. She said it was because she had family here, but I also think it was because she could relate to the exquisite frustration of excellence that went unrewarded. She had seen Ryan and the young, still-precocious Alex Rodriguez toil valiantly in lost causes night after night.
She and her daughter Sissy visited Canton to see the Pro Football Hall of Fame several years ago. I made sure to set up a trip to Jacobs Field, too. The Tribe was out of town, but Aunt Wilma remembered how my dad would schedule his vacation so he could watch the daytime World Series games on television. Seeing the place where a World Series was played, in person, seemed to be her own field of dreams.
We started at the Bob Feller statue, in which Feller is rearing back to throw the hard one. His leg is just beginning its high kick. He knew how far his fastball might take him, and he was anxious to get started on the journey. Every Depression kid could relate to that leggy, hungry drive for success.
An RBI League (the initials stand for Returning Baseball to the Inner City) game was going on at the park. That was ironic. In earlier generations, more people followed baseball than the other sports combined. Every sportswriter can tell you he gets more mail from female readers about baseball than anything else. It used to transcend age, place and gender.
We took photographs of each other in the press box and stared out at the beautiful ballpark. Then we "borrowed" some paper napkins with Chief Wahoo's face on them, which she kept as souvenirs.
Richard Jacobs, the man who gave the park its name, is gone now, and so is his name on the building, and so is my aunt. After she died, I contacted the Indians staff and thanked them for their kindness years ago. Tribe communications director Curtis Danburg replied, "Sometimes we take for granted the impact this place and the game of baseball has on people."
He got that right.
My aunt kept saying, "I can't believe I'm in Jacobs Field, where they played the World Series!" Then, her hands would flutter up, and she would clasp them over her heart.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
NDIANAPOLIS -- Manny does hats.
Looking as dapper as Frank Sinatra, or Humphrey Bogart in one of those old black-and-white detective movies, the Indians' new manager met the press Tuesday at the winter meetings wearing a black fedora to go along with his black jacket, shirt and pants.
"I like hats," said Acta.
Acta moved easily through the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott. He seemed to know everyone. He bumped fists with Jim Bowden, the general manager who hired him to manage the Nationals in 2007.
"I said when we hired him he was going to be the next Jim Leyland and I still feel the same way," said Bowden.
Acta couldn't take two steps in the crowded lobby without somebody hugging him, shaking his hand or interviewing him. He was a man in his element.
When Acta sat down at his designated table to talk to reporters, someone said Tony La Russa had been drinking out of a can of nearby Pepsi during an earlier interview. Acta grabbed the can and rolled it on his sleeve.
"I want to rub a little of him on me," he said.
Then he started talking about the Indians.
"The first thing we need to do is stop dwelling on the guys that left," said Acta, "because they're not coming back. We need to embrace the new kids that came aboard and are already ready to contribute at the big league level, and to face what it is.
"That's the type of team and market that we are. This is what we're going to do. We need to work hard, out-smart, out-work, out-scout, whatever we have to do to stop from falling into the excuse that we just don't have the right payroll."
The Indians' payroll is expected to be somewhere between $56 million and $65 million. Last year it was $85.1 million.
The list of players no longer here is long and familiar. Yet Acta does not think the Indians are starting over.
"I just don't agree when people are saying that we're rebuilding," he said, "because we have a lot of pieces in place."
He started naming names: Shin-Soo Choo in right field, Grady Sizemore in center, Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop, Jhonny Peralta at third, Travis Hafner at designated hitter.
Then he turned to the farm system with Carlos Santana, Hector Rondon, Nick Weglarz, Carlos Carrasco and others. The Indians' youth and farm system was as important as the third guaranteed year GM Mark Shapiro gave Acta in prying him away from Houston in November.
Some forms of perfection come with flaws.
Acta knows that Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona, his two most experienced starters, have to prove they can still pitch and win in the big leagues. He has to piece together the rest of the rotation from the suspect talents of Justin Masterson, David Huff, Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Rondon and Carrasco.
In the middle of the lineup, Travis Hafner must rediscover himself after two years of injury and poor performance. Left field has to be settled among Trevor Crowe, Michael Brantley and Jordan Brown. Matt LaPorta has to recover from two surgeries and prove he can play first base every day. No one knows if rookie Lou Marson is an everyday catcher.
In the bullpen, closer Kerry Wood needs consistent work and Rafael Perez needs to leave last year's demons behind. Jensen Lewis has to keep the ball in the park and Tony Sipp and Chris Perez must prove their hot streaks last season weren't mirages.
Then there is the biggest problem of all: how to deal with Sizemore's pirated Internet pictures to his girlfriend?
"I haven't seen them, because that's really not going to help me win one more game," said Acta. "I think it's sad, people using stuff like that to basically get into people's private lives. But you have to be aware of it."
Acta said he'll go to spring training with the idea of winning the AL Central. He expects the same from his players.
"We don't want to compete, we want to win," he said. "That's what we want to establish."
Looking as dapper as Frank Sinatra, or Humphrey Bogart in one of those old black-and-white detective movies, the Indians' new manager met the press Tuesday at the winter meetings wearing a black fedora to go along with his black jacket, shirt and pants.
"I like hats," said Acta.
Acta moved easily through the Indianapolis Downtown Marriott. He seemed to know everyone. He bumped fists with Jim Bowden, the general manager who hired him to manage the Nationals in 2007.
"I said when we hired him he was going to be the next Jim Leyland and I still feel the same way," said Bowden.
Acta couldn't take two steps in the crowded lobby without somebody hugging him, shaking his hand or interviewing him. He was a man in his element.
When Acta sat down at his designated table to talk to reporters, someone said Tony La Russa had been drinking out of a can of nearby Pepsi during an earlier interview. Acta grabbed the can and rolled it on his sleeve.
"I want to rub a little of him on me," he said.
Then he started talking about the Indians.
"The first thing we need to do is stop dwelling on the guys that left," said Acta, "because they're not coming back. We need to embrace the new kids that came aboard and are already ready to contribute at the big league level, and to face what it is.
"That's the type of team and market that we are. This is what we're going to do. We need to work hard, out-smart, out-work, out-scout, whatever we have to do to stop from falling into the excuse that we just don't have the right payroll."
The Indians' payroll is expected to be somewhere between $56 million and $65 million. Last year it was $85.1 million.
The list of players no longer here is long and familiar. Yet Acta does not think the Indians are starting over.
"I just don't agree when people are saying that we're rebuilding," he said, "because we have a lot of pieces in place."
He started naming names: Shin-Soo Choo in right field, Grady Sizemore in center, Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop, Jhonny Peralta at third, Travis Hafner at designated hitter.
Then he turned to the farm system with Carlos Santana, Hector Rondon, Nick Weglarz, Carlos Carrasco and others. The Indians' youth and farm system was as important as the third guaranteed year GM Mark Shapiro gave Acta in prying him away from Houston in November.
Some forms of perfection come with flaws.
Acta knows that Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona, his two most experienced starters, have to prove they can still pitch and win in the big leagues. He has to piece together the rest of the rotation from the suspect talents of Justin Masterson, David Huff, Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Rondon and Carrasco.
In the middle of the lineup, Travis Hafner must rediscover himself after two years of injury and poor performance. Left field has to be settled among Trevor Crowe, Michael Brantley and Jordan Brown. Matt LaPorta has to recover from two surgeries and prove he can play first base every day. No one knows if rookie Lou Marson is an everyday catcher.
In the bullpen, closer Kerry Wood needs consistent work and Rafael Perez needs to leave last year's demons behind. Jensen Lewis has to keep the ball in the park and Tony Sipp and Chris Perez must prove their hot streaks last season weren't mirages.
Then there is the biggest problem of all: how to deal with Sizemore's pirated Internet pictures to his girlfriend?
"I haven't seen them, because that's really not going to help me win one more game," said Acta. "I think it's sad, people using stuff like that to basically get into people's private lives. But you have to be aware of it."
Acta said he'll go to spring training with the idea of winning the AL Central. He expects the same from his players.
"We don't want to compete, we want to win," he said. "That's what we want to establish."
Friday, October 23, 2009
Lovullo's right! - Oct 23
Associated Press
CLEVELAND -- Torey Lovullo wants a chance to manage the Cleveland Indians after spending the last eight seasons working in the club's farm system.
"I'm familiar with the setting," Lovullo said Friday, after interviewing a second time with general manager Mark Shapiro. "This team is a lot further along than some might believe."
Lovullo emphasized his desire to take the job if it's offered to him.
"I have prepared for this and am ready," he said, adding that playing for seven different managers in eight seasons, including Terry Francona, helped mold his managerial philosophies.
Francona guided the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and '07.
"What you really learn is what not to do," Lovullo said. "You learn from them all, but Terry's ability to communicate and relate to players is special."
Francona was a special assistant to Shapiro between jobs in Philadelphia and Boston.
Lovullo managed 35 players at Triple-A Columbus who played this year for Eric Wedge, who was fired with six games left in his seventh season as Cleveland manager.
The constant shuttle was caused by injuries and poor play by the Indians, who finished 65-97, their worst record in 18 years.
Some players sent down told Lovullo they had lost confidence after being yanked in and out of the lineup or moved from position to position.
"I like to get a lineup and try not to change it," Lovullo said. "I'm big on team chemistry. I want players to know I have their back, that they can play relaxed and comfortable. ... But I expect an effort every day. This team can look different, act different and play different."
Better relief pitching would be a welcome change.
When Cleveland won the AL Central in 2007, Joe Borowski led the league with 45 saves and had a group of reliable relievers setting him up. Last winter, Shapiro signed Kerry Wood to a two-year, $20 million contract -- and the new closer got only 26 save chances all season.
"The biggest challenge to an AL manager is knowing how to run a bullpen," Lovullo said. "You try and put guys in a role in which they are comfortable."
Lovullo thinks he can get the team to start better than the 11-21 record it had by mid-May.
"The last few days of spring training, you have to change the mindset and prepare as if it is already opening day," Lovullo said. "I'd like to take the team on a three-day trip, like we were going on the road."
Lovullo made his major-league debut with Detroit in 1987. He also played for the New York Yankees, Angels, Seattle, Oakland, Cleveland and Philadelphia, before one final season in Japan. In 303 big-league games, mostly as a utility infielder, he hit .225 with 15 homers and 60 RBIs.
He became an Indians minor-league instructor in 2001 and a year later guided Columbus (Ga.) to the second-half championship in the Class A South Atlantic League.
He was manager of the year in 2004 at Class A Kinston (N.C.) and again in 2005 at Double-A Akron, where he guided the Aeros to an 84-58 record and the Eastern League championship.
CLEVELAND -- Torey Lovullo wants a chance to manage the Cleveland Indians after spending the last eight seasons working in the club's farm system.
"I'm familiar with the setting," Lovullo said Friday, after interviewing a second time with general manager Mark Shapiro. "This team is a lot further along than some might believe."
Lovullo emphasized his desire to take the job if it's offered to him.
"I have prepared for this and am ready," he said, adding that playing for seven different managers in eight seasons, including Terry Francona, helped mold his managerial philosophies.
Francona guided the Boston Red Sox to World Series titles in 2004 and '07.
"What you really learn is what not to do," Lovullo said. "You learn from them all, but Terry's ability to communicate and relate to players is special."
Francona was a special assistant to Shapiro between jobs in Philadelphia and Boston.
Lovullo managed 35 players at Triple-A Columbus who played this year for Eric Wedge, who was fired with six games left in his seventh season as Cleveland manager.
The constant shuttle was caused by injuries and poor play by the Indians, who finished 65-97, their worst record in 18 years.
Some players sent down told Lovullo they had lost confidence after being yanked in and out of the lineup or moved from position to position.
"I like to get a lineup and try not to change it," Lovullo said. "I'm big on team chemistry. I want players to know I have their back, that they can play relaxed and comfortable. ... But I expect an effort every day. This team can look different, act different and play different."
Better relief pitching would be a welcome change.
When Cleveland won the AL Central in 2007, Joe Borowski led the league with 45 saves and had a group of reliable relievers setting him up. Last winter, Shapiro signed Kerry Wood to a two-year, $20 million contract -- and the new closer got only 26 save chances all season.
"The biggest challenge to an AL manager is knowing how to run a bullpen," Lovullo said. "You try and put guys in a role in which they are comfortable."
Lovullo thinks he can get the team to start better than the 11-21 record it had by mid-May.
"The last few days of spring training, you have to change the mindset and prepare as if it is already opening day," Lovullo said. "I'd like to take the team on a three-day trip, like we were going on the road."
Lovullo made his major-league debut with Detroit in 1987. He also played for the New York Yankees, Angels, Seattle, Oakland, Cleveland and Philadelphia, before one final season in Japan. In 303 big-league games, mostly as a utility infielder, he hit .225 with 15 homers and 60 RBIs.
He became an Indians minor-league instructor in 2001 and a year later guided Columbus (Ga.) to the second-half championship in the Class A South Atlantic League.
He was manager of the year in 2004 at Class A Kinston (N.C.) and again in 2005 at Double-A Akron, where he guided the Aeros to an 84-58 record and the Eastern League championship.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Finding positives proved to be a challenge after Cleveland Indians' wasted
Finding positives proved to be a challenge after Cleveland Indians' wasted
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's too easy to ask what went wrong with the 2009 Indians. Everyone knows by now.
People have been fired and traded because of it.
The harder question to ask and answer is what went right? Not much to be sure.
Asdrubal Cabrera had a nice year. The same with Shin-Soo Choo. Rookie David Huff won 11 games. Luis Valbuena hit 10 homers as a rookie. Tony Sipp and Chris Perez threw well at times out of the bullpen.
The Indians had a chance to look at a lot of rookies. There were 12 on the club when the season ended on Oct. 4 with a 12-7 loss to Boston. Said fired manager Eric Wedge, "Some have shown they belong in the big leagues. Some need more time in the minors."
Which sounds a lot like the scout, who in early June, when the Indians still had the team they thought would contend intact, said, "The Indians have a lot of big-league players. They just don't have any stars."
Since several of those big-league players were traded long ago, it makes one wonder where the Indians stand now.
At the All-Star break they were a collection of strangers. It's safe to say they ended the season the same way. When 52 players walk through the locker room door, it's hard to call anybody "buddy," much less remember his name.
The front office has always been a big believer in having leaders among its players. There weren't many to be found after the flurry of trades. Third baseman Jhonny Peralta has no inclination to lead. Travis Hafner started the year with one sore shoulder and ended it with two. Fausto Carmona was in the ozone the whole year and closer Kerry Wood never really got a chance to show what he could do on or off the field because he had so few save opportunities.
Grady Sizemore played for five months with a left elbow and left groin that needed surgery. When he finally shut it down in September to have two operations within a week of each other, the Indians turned into an expansion team.
Statistically speaking, the season was just as bad as it looked. Only six other teams in Indians history lost more games than this year's 65-97 club. The Indians have played baseball since 1901, so that covers a lot ground and a lot of bad baseball.
GM Mark Shapiro says this won't be a complete rebuild like he went through in 2003. He could start an argument in any bar in town with that statement. That is, if anybody is still talking about the Indians.
So whoever Shapiro hires as manager better come with the proper equipment. Only sledgehammers will do on this
FIVE REASONS WHYTHE INDIANS’ SEASON COLLAPSED
1. Desert delirium: When the Indians reported in February to their new $72 million spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., everything that ailed the franchise was going to be cured. No more would they have to contend with the antiquated facility in Winter Haven, Fla. While the complex offered everything a ballplayer needed, even if it did look like a detention center on the far side of the moon, the Indians, remarkably uninspired, lost 20 games in Cactus League play. The desert delirium persisted into the regular season as they lost seven of their first eight games to finish April with an 8-14 record. The pattern of the season was set.
2. Thou shall not save: The Indians’ bullpen, GM Mark Shapiro’s pride and joy in the off-season, blew 10 saves in the first two months of the season. In the next four months, they blew eight.They had 10 games decided in the eighth inning or later in April and May. The Indians went 2-8 in those games.
3. Take your pick: David Dellucci and Masa Kobayashi were a waste of roster space. Grady Sizemore played hurt all year. They waited too long to promote Andy Marte and Matt LaPorta from Class AAA Columbus.The pitchers walked too many batters. The hitters struck out too much. Travis Hafner was a shadow of himself. Manager Eric Wedge changed the lineup too much. Owner Larry Dolan is cheap. Shapiro can’t judge talent. Chris Gimenez played too much. Jordan Brown could have saved the season if they’d only called him up. Winston Abreu was really a spy planted by the four other AL Central teams to sabotage the Tribe’s season.
4. They messed with the gulls: When Shin-Soo Choo’s game-winning single in the 10th inning deflected off a gull in center field on June 11, the Indians should have embraced the moment. They should have done everything possible to cater to the flocks of gulls that had descended into Progressive Field over the previous games. Instead, they set off fireworks between innings to keep the gulls away. The fireworks worked and kept the Indians from being embarrassed in a string of nationally televised games, but it ruined what would have been the best home-field advantage this side of the Metrodome.The Indians were 27-36 and seven games out of first place after Choo’s single. They went 38-61 the rest of the year and buzzards replaced the gulls above the ballpark.
5. It’s the trades, stupid: This is the old chicken or the egg argument. Were the Indians going to break the team up all along? Or were they waiting until midseason to see how they were going before conducting a fire sale?It didn’t matter because after the deals of Mark DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt, Ryan Garko, Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Victor Martinez and Carl Pavano, the Indians were as bad a team as there was in the big leagues. After Pavano was traded on Aug. 7, the Indians finished the year by going 19-35. Only Pittsburgh finished with a worse record (17-36).
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's too easy to ask what went wrong with the 2009 Indians. Everyone knows by now.
People have been fired and traded because of it.
The harder question to ask and answer is what went right? Not much to be sure.
Asdrubal Cabrera had a nice year. The same with Shin-Soo Choo. Rookie David Huff won 11 games. Luis Valbuena hit 10 homers as a rookie. Tony Sipp and Chris Perez threw well at times out of the bullpen.
The Indians had a chance to look at a lot of rookies. There were 12 on the club when the season ended on Oct. 4 with a 12-7 loss to Boston. Said fired manager Eric Wedge, "Some have shown they belong in the big leagues. Some need more time in the minors."
Which sounds a lot like the scout, who in early June, when the Indians still had the team they thought would contend intact, said, "The Indians have a lot of big-league players. They just don't have any stars."
Since several of those big-league players were traded long ago, it makes one wonder where the Indians stand now.
At the All-Star break they were a collection of strangers. It's safe to say they ended the season the same way. When 52 players walk through the locker room door, it's hard to call anybody "buddy," much less remember his name.
The front office has always been a big believer in having leaders among its players. There weren't many to be found after the flurry of trades. Third baseman Jhonny Peralta has no inclination to lead. Travis Hafner started the year with one sore shoulder and ended it with two. Fausto Carmona was in the ozone the whole year and closer Kerry Wood never really got a chance to show what he could do on or off the field because he had so few save opportunities.
Grady Sizemore played for five months with a left elbow and left groin that needed surgery. When he finally shut it down in September to have two operations within a week of each other, the Indians turned into an expansion team.
Statistically speaking, the season was just as bad as it looked. Only six other teams in Indians history lost more games than this year's 65-97 club. The Indians have played baseball since 1901, so that covers a lot ground and a lot of bad baseball.
GM Mark Shapiro says this won't be a complete rebuild like he went through in 2003. He could start an argument in any bar in town with that statement. That is, if anybody is still talking about the Indians.
So whoever Shapiro hires as manager better come with the proper equipment. Only sledgehammers will do on this
FIVE REASONS WHYTHE INDIANS’ SEASON COLLAPSED
1. Desert delirium: When the Indians reported in February to their new $72 million spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., everything that ailed the franchise was going to be cured. No more would they have to contend with the antiquated facility in Winter Haven, Fla. While the complex offered everything a ballplayer needed, even if it did look like a detention center on the far side of the moon, the Indians, remarkably uninspired, lost 20 games in Cactus League play. The desert delirium persisted into the regular season as they lost seven of their first eight games to finish April with an 8-14 record. The pattern of the season was set.
2. Thou shall not save: The Indians’ bullpen, GM Mark Shapiro’s pride and joy in the off-season, blew 10 saves in the first two months of the season. In the next four months, they blew eight.They had 10 games decided in the eighth inning or later in April and May. The Indians went 2-8 in those games.
3. Take your pick: David Dellucci and Masa Kobayashi were a waste of roster space. Grady Sizemore played hurt all year. They waited too long to promote Andy Marte and Matt LaPorta from Class AAA Columbus.The pitchers walked too many batters. The hitters struck out too much. Travis Hafner was a shadow of himself. Manager Eric Wedge changed the lineup too much. Owner Larry Dolan is cheap. Shapiro can’t judge talent. Chris Gimenez played too much. Jordan Brown could have saved the season if they’d only called him up. Winston Abreu was really a spy planted by the four other AL Central teams to sabotage the Tribe’s season.
4. They messed with the gulls: When Shin-Soo Choo’s game-winning single in the 10th inning deflected off a gull in center field on June 11, the Indians should have embraced the moment. They should have done everything possible to cater to the flocks of gulls that had descended into Progressive Field over the previous games. Instead, they set off fireworks between innings to keep the gulls away. The fireworks worked and kept the Indians from being embarrassed in a string of nationally televised games, but it ruined what would have been the best home-field advantage this side of the Metrodome.The Indians were 27-36 and seven games out of first place after Choo’s single. They went 38-61 the rest of the year and buzzards replaced the gulls above the ballpark.
5. It’s the trades, stupid: This is the old chicken or the egg argument. Were the Indians going to break the team up all along? Or were they waiting until midseason to see how they were going before conducting a fire sale?It didn’t matter because after the deals of Mark DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt, Ryan Garko, Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Victor Martinez and Carl Pavano, the Indians were as bad a team as there was in the big leagues. After Pavano was traded on Aug. 7, the Indians finished the year by going 19-35. Only Pittsburgh finished with a worse record (17-36).
Monday, October 5, 2009
Indians Close Out 2009
1. The Indians know they may have to sell themselves to some managerial candidates because there are times when more than one team wants to hire the same person. The Tribe's pitch will center on the fact they went through a seriously rebuilding stage in 2003-04. It produced a contender in 2005, along with the 2007 team that won 96 games.
2 The Indians will explain the strength of the team is in the young position players. It begins with the outfield of Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore and Michael Brantley. They also can use Matt LaPorta in left field, otherwise he starts at first base.
3. Brantley entered the weekend batting .302. The Indians want to see him draw more walks (8 in 106 at-bats). He also had only four extra-base hits, all doubles. They think he will quickly improve in both areas.
4. Notice the Indians gave Trevor Crowe a decent shot, but he batted only .230 (.603 OPS) in 178 at-bats. They think he can help as a backup outfielder because of his speed and ability to play all three outfield spots, but he has to give them more offense. I'm not nearly as sold on Crowe.
5. As the Indians plan their infield, it's Jhonny Peralta at third, Asdrubal Cabrera at short, Luis Valbuena at second with LaPorta at first. But Andy Marte and Jordan Brown also are in the first-base mix, with Marte very capable at third. LaPorta hit .289 (.840 OPS) with six homers and 16 RBI in 133 at-bats after being recalled from the minors.
6. Catching is wide open with Lou Marson and Wyatt Toregas the main candidates, at least until Carlos Santana is ready. Kelly Shoppach will probably be headed to another team. The Indians also would be interested in keeping utility man Jamey Carroll, but not at the $2.2 million salary he made this season. They do want a veteran backup infielder.
7. To make this lineup work, it seems the Indians need another veteran hitter to replace Victor Martinez -- unless Travis Hafner comes all the way back to his 2006 form.
8. The big questions are with pitching. Assuming Jake Westbrook is healthy (not a guarantee), he is the only starter older than 26. It seems Aaron Laffey, Justin Masterson and David Huff have locked up rotation spots -- although Laffey is the only one to show any semblance of consistency. But give Huff credit for winning 11 games with this team. As for Fausto Carmona, they certainly will give him every chance to start.
9. What the Indians need is someone such as Carlos Carrasco or Hector Rondon to make a great leap forward as a starter. Both have the raw talent, but who knows when it will click. Jeremy Sowers had a good two months in July and August, but ended the season with three poor starts and a final record of 6-11 with a 5.25 ERA. He may end up in long relief.
10. The Indians hope they have a decent bullpen in place with Kerry Wood closing. He had a 3.09 ERA and 8-of-10 in save opportunities after the All-Star break. Others who have been promising are Chris Perez and Tony Sipp. They think Raffy Perez is making some progress, but we'll see if that holds up next season. All of this begs for the Indians to find a manager and build a coaching staff that can develop young pitching -- and that points to Boston's John Farrell. While there are contract considerations giving the Red Sox control over Farrell next season, it seems a deal can be worked between the two teams -- especially since they are not in the same division.
2 The Indians will explain the strength of the team is in the young position players. It begins with the outfield of Shin-Soo Choo, Grady Sizemore and Michael Brantley. They also can use Matt LaPorta in left field, otherwise he starts at first base.
3. Brantley entered the weekend batting .302. The Indians want to see him draw more walks (8 in 106 at-bats). He also had only four extra-base hits, all doubles. They think he will quickly improve in both areas.
4. Notice the Indians gave Trevor Crowe a decent shot, but he batted only .230 (.603 OPS) in 178 at-bats. They think he can help as a backup outfielder because of his speed and ability to play all three outfield spots, but he has to give them more offense. I'm not nearly as sold on Crowe.
5. As the Indians plan their infield, it's Jhonny Peralta at third, Asdrubal Cabrera at short, Luis Valbuena at second with LaPorta at first. But Andy Marte and Jordan Brown also are in the first-base mix, with Marte very capable at third. LaPorta hit .289 (.840 OPS) with six homers and 16 RBI in 133 at-bats after being recalled from the minors.
6. Catching is wide open with Lou Marson and Wyatt Toregas the main candidates, at least until Carlos Santana is ready. Kelly Shoppach will probably be headed to another team. The Indians also would be interested in keeping utility man Jamey Carroll, but not at the $2.2 million salary he made this season. They do want a veteran backup infielder.
7. To make this lineup work, it seems the Indians need another veteran hitter to replace Victor Martinez -- unless Travis Hafner comes all the way back to his 2006 form.
8. The big questions are with pitching. Assuming Jake Westbrook is healthy (not a guarantee), he is the only starter older than 26. It seems Aaron Laffey, Justin Masterson and David Huff have locked up rotation spots -- although Laffey is the only one to show any semblance of consistency. But give Huff credit for winning 11 games with this team. As for Fausto Carmona, they certainly will give him every chance to start.
9. What the Indians need is someone such as Carlos Carrasco or Hector Rondon to make a great leap forward as a starter. Both have the raw talent, but who knows when it will click. Jeremy Sowers had a good two months in July and August, but ended the season with three poor starts and a final record of 6-11 with a 5.25 ERA. He may end up in long relief.
10. The Indians hope they have a decent bullpen in place with Kerry Wood closing. He had a 3.09 ERA and 8-of-10 in save opportunities after the All-Star break. Others who have been promising are Chris Perez and Tony Sipp. They think Raffy Perez is making some progress, but we'll see if that holds up next season. All of this begs for the Indians to find a manager and build a coaching staff that can develop young pitching -- and that points to Boston's John Farrell. While there are contract considerations giving the Red Sox control over Farrell next season, it seems a deal can be worked between the two teams -- especially since they are not in the same division.
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