13 Games do not make a season

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.

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.

Hello Hi: Memories abound as Indians visit their old spring base in Tucson, Hi Corbett Field
by Paul Hoynes/Plain Dealer Reporter
Sunday March 22, 2009, 5:31 PM

Springtrainingonline.com photoNow the spring home of the Colorado Rockies, Tucson's Hi Corbett Field hosted the Indians for 45 years, from 1947 to 1992.TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Indians returned to Tucson on Sunday to play their first game at Hi Corbett Field since 1992. They trained in Tucson from 1947 through 1992. It seems like a million years ago, but the memories remain.

• Cy Buynak was the Indians equipment manager then. One day one of his relatives, who worked in the clubhouse, jumped a fence at the ballpark, fell and sprained his wrist.
When the Indians came in the next day to get their pre-game soup, outfielder Mel Hall yelled, "Hey, Cy, what kind of soup do we have today -- Cream of Fence?"

• Pitcher Bud Anderson was set to make the club one year. While walking onto the back fields, through a security gate, he waved to a fan, cut his right hand on the razor wire on top of the fence and didn't make the big-league roster.

• I remember the late Bobby Bonds, then Indians hitting coach, working with Otis Nixon for hours in the batting cage.

"When we got done, Otis had hit so many balls, his eyes were crossed," said Bonds.
All the work eventually paid off for Nixon, but not with the Indians, who made Nixon use a bat with a thick barrel. They wanted him to chop down on the ball and use his speed to reach base.
"Butcher boy," manager Pat Corrales would yell whenever Nixon came to the plate.
In other words, use the bat like a butcher's cleaver. Chop the ball in half. I have one of Nixon's broken bats in my basement. He gave it to one of my sons after a game one spring and its barrel is fat and thick.

It was at Tucson's Hi Corbett Field that the Indians got their first look at Kenny Lofton's ability to hit slow infield grounders and turn them into surprising singles.

In the spring of 1992, manager Mike Hargrove was watching Kenny Lofton take batting practice. Lofton, acquired during the off-season from Houston, had not looked impressive as he hit one infield grounder after another.

"They tell me, he's fast enough to turn those into singles," said Hargrove.

Lofton did just that to become the best leadoff hitter in Indians history.

• I remember my boys, Eddie and Jimmy, now fully grown, racing to the back fields to catch home run balls. They went back to Cleveland with a suitcase full of baseballs.

• There was a guy named Tucson Lenny Rubin, who walked around the ballpark like he owned it. In the movie Major League, when Rick Vaughn, the Wild Thing, throws a pitch that breaks the backstop in spring training at Hi Corbett Field, Lenny is the guy holding the radar gun.
If the Indians needed anything, they went to Lenny. I once saw him cash a check for Dan O'Brien. The banks were closed and O'Brien, the vice president of baseball operations, needed the cash. Lenny pulled out a thick roll of $100 bills and peeled them off like they were singles.
Lenny walked around with a huge cigar sticking out of his mouth. He never lit it and it was joined together with tape.

• When I first started covering the Indians in 1983, Gabe Paul was the president and Phil Seghi was the general manager. Seghi was the best-dressed man I've ever seen. No matter how hot it was in Tucson, he always wore a suit, dress shirt and tie as he sat behind home plate and watched the game. He smoked a pipe and it was always the same color as his tie.

• At the end of spring training in 1987, outfielder Dave Clark had the team made. So much so that he put his suitcases on the truck to Cleveland. One the last day of camp, the Indians signed Steve Carlton. The future Hall of Famer was washed up, but it cost Clark a spot on the club.
I remember them taking Clark's suitcases off the equipment truck.
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerCy Buynak was one of the few faces that never seemed to change each spring at Hi Corbett, as the Tribe's longtime equipment and clubhouse guru greeted each season's collection of Indians.

• One of the best parts of spring training was watching Bob Feller, then in his 70s, practicing his pickoff throw to second base in right field. Feller would go into his windup, whirl and throw the ball against the outfield wall.

• In the spring of 1989, the Indians traded shortstop Jay Bell to Pittsburgh for shortstop Felix Fermin. In announcing the trade GM Hank Peters, a sharp baseball man, said Bell would never play shortstop in the big leagues.

Peters didn't make many mistakes, but that was one.

• One night in the spring 1989, Mel Hall approached me at the team hotel. He asked to borrow my car so he could pick someone up at the airport. I should have figured something was up because what player would be caught dead driving a reporter's car?

It turned out Hall was going to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. He got her a room at the team hotel. The problem was that Hall's wife was staying at the same hotel.

A couple of days later, the two women met and got into a fight at the hotel swimming pool. Peters' wife just so happened to witness the poolside brawl.

Shortly after that, Hall was traded to the Yankees for Joel Skinner and Turner Ward. Skinner has been an Indian ever since, coaching third base for the Tribe today.

Asked how Hi Corbett had changed, Skinner said, "I think the dugouts are a little longer."

• Managers have to work extra hard to get thrown out of a spring training game. Corrales did just that one game when an Indian was tagged out on a close play at the plate. Corrales went out and recreated his player's slide. The umpire did not appreciate it and Corrales was gone.

• For the record, the last game the Indians played at Hi Corbett before today was March 31, 1992 against the Cubs.

Cleveland Spring 2009

CLEVELAND -- 1. I hear Anthony Reyes has been the most impressive pitcher in camp. Not in terms of stuff, but just savvy and looking ready to go. Not surprised -- those six starts, that 1.83 ERA and 12 walks in 34 1/3 innings with the Tribe late last season said a lot. Now, keep that elbow healthy.

2. I hear Jeremy Sowers is throwing harder than ever with the Tribe -- being clocked at 92 mph. But his control is iffy, there is not enough "separation" or space between his fastball and changeup. I think he's headed to Class AAA.

3. I hear part of the reason Fausto Carmona looks like his old self is his chemistry with Victor Martinez. The Indians want control from Carmona, and he has walked only two in eight spring innings. Even before his hip injury, he was leading the AL in walks after his first 10 starts of 2008. He walked 70 in 120 innings.

4. I think the idea of Martinez catching Carmona is smart. In 2007, Carmona had a 2.74 ERA throwing to Martinez, and he allowed five runs in nine innings with Kelly Shoppach. In 2008, it was a 4.57 ERA in 63 innings with Martinez, a 7.39 ERA in 39 innings with Shoppach. The key for Carmona is control, and he did average fewer than two walks per nine innings in most minor league seasons. In 2007 when he was 19-8, he walked only 61 in 215 innings.

5. I hear Manager Eric Wedge saying Dave Dellucci "is on the club for now." I think that is written in ink. I think there are real alternatives in both Josh Barfield and Trevor Crowe as backup outfielders, with Barfield also able to play the infield. As one Tribe operative told me, "Crowe can play all three outfield positions. He can pinch run. He can throw. He is a switch hitter." That sounds like an ideal fourth outfielder, especially compared to the 35-year-old Dellucci who can't run, can't throw and has stayed healthy enough to hit.

6. I hear David Huff was "dominating" in an intrasquad game Monday, and he soon will be throwing in preseason games. I think he can win the fifth starter spot unless Aaron Laffey (7 ER, 12 hits, 5 innings) turns around quick.

7. I hear good things about Wes Hodges (6-of-16) this spring, and I had a brain belch when I forgot to list him last Sunday as the position prospects who have impressed GM Mark Shapiro, the others being Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta and Crowe. LaPorta and Brantley look close to big-league ready today.

8. I hear Asdrubal Cabrera is 7-10 pounds lighter than a year ago and looks terrific in the field at second or shortstop. I also hear Jhonny Peralta is mashing the ball, and Ryan Garko (10-15 pounds lighter) is doing an OK job in left field.

9. I hear good things about Carl Pavano, but I don't think I trust him to stay healthy and/or effective. I'm hoping they get one reliable starter from Reyes/Pavano.

10. I hear the Indians are trying to get Masa Kobayashi (3 IP, 5H, 5 W, 4 ER) to use his splitter more. I hear the Indians say he's a veteran and they are not worried about him. I think if they aren't worried -- they are concerned. And they should be, because he's having the same problems that he did last year after the All-Star break (10.32 ERA).

Every Rookie has a shot to make it

Every rookie has a shot to make it -- just ask Super Joe Charboneau: Terry Pluto
by Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer Columnist
Thursday February 26, 2009, 8:42 PM

Want to feel old?

Joe Charboneau is 53. He has a 29-year-old son and a 27-year-old daughter. He and Cindy have been married for 33 years. It was 29 years ago that Charboneau went to spring training with the Tribe in Arizona and ended up being Rookie of the Year.

Want to feel young?

It is spring training, the Indians are back in Arizona and sometimes, a young player emerges like Super Joe Charboneau -- shooting straight up from Class AA to the majors.

Maybe it will be Matt LaPorta. Or Michael Brantley. Or David Huff, who spent only a few months in Class AAA.

"If any of those guys asked me, I'd tell them that this is your chance because you never know when you'll get another one," said Charboneau, who lives in North Ridgeville, where he works for the city's recreation department. He also gives private batting lessons and does card shows and fantasy camps.

"Don't worry when people say you can't make it," said Charboneau. "You never know what will happen. Guys get hurt, there are trades. I was not supposed to make the Indians in 1980."

Charboneau talked about the spring when he, his wife and young daughter drove in a beat-up Datsun from their home in Northern California to Tucson, Ariz. He was the defending Class AA Southern League batting champion, having hit .352. He was 24 years old, his $5,000 in bonus money long gone.

Mark Duncan/Associated PressSuper phenom Joe Charboneau of the Indians talks to the press in Cleveland on Dec. 3, 1980, after his selection as AL Rookie of the Year. The Indians had an outfield of Jorge Orta, Rick Manning and Mike Hargrove. That's correct, Hargrove was a left fielder. Andre Thornton at first base, Cliff Johnson the designated hitter. On the bench were supposed to be Dell Alston, Cito Gaston and Andres Mora. Charboneau seemed ticketed for the Class AAA Charleston (W.Va.) Charlies.

"I walked up to the dressing room at Hi Corbett Field and stood at the door," said Charboneau. "I was afraid to go in. I stood out there for a couple of minutes, just staring at it. My heart was jumping. I finally went through the door, and I was scared. [Trainer] Jimmy Warfield walked right over to me and made me feel welcome."

Charboneau said he stayed with his young family at a motel called the Spanish Trail, the spring home for all Tribe minor-leaguers.

"It was an old place with a train on the roof, don't ask me why," said

Charboneau. "We were jammed into one room with one bed. It was a place that made you really want to get to the big leagues."

Charboneau said he and his wife looked at the roster nearly every night, trying to figure out how he could make the Opening Day roster. Cliff Johnson showed up with a broken finger, supposedly unloading a barrel of oats from a truck. Suddenly, he was out as DH. But there still seemed to be two or three players ahead of him.

"I had never made any money and never had any money," he said. "Part of me always thought I could play in the big leagues, but I remember when I first saw my name and my number 34 on that uniform in the clubhouse. I couldn't believe it was really for me, that I really could make it."

The Indians had two intrasquad games, and Charboneau opened with seven consecutive hits, including a 400-foot homer. By the first exhibition game, he was officially being hyped as a phenom by the star-starved Cleveland media, picking up the Super Joe nickname.

Charboneau said he was making $34 a day in meal money. Two weeks into the spring, former Tribe minor-league director Bob Quinn found an apartment for the young family so they could cook some of their own meals.

Charboneau continue to slash line drives all spring, often in morning "B" games where statistics were not kept. He also had a strange incident when the team was playing in Mexico City. A fan asked him for his autograph, and as Charboneau reached for the pen, the man stabbed Charboneau in the side with a Bic.

It was just a flesh wound, and the man was fined $2.27 and released.
Things like that always happened to Charboneau, who recovered and then secured a spot on the roster when Andre Thornton suffered a major knee injury at the end of training camp.

In 1980, he batted .289 (.846 OPS) with 23 homers and 87 RBI while being voted American League Rookie of the Year. The next spring, he slid into second base and suffered a back injury. It was the first of many. Charboneau said he's had several surgeries, removing parts or all of "five of my disks, we have back problems in our family."

He played only 70 more games in the majors after 1980.
Charboneau made $21,000 as a rookie. The next season, he signed a $75,000 contract, but a strike wiped out part of the season -- and he pocketed about $40,000. That's the most he ever made in baseball.

His son, Tyson, has a college degree and manages the Tattoo and Body Anthology in North Olmsted. His daughter, Dannon, is a registered nurse. Cindy has battled multiple sclerosis for years and is often in a wheelchair. Charboneau has been a local celebrity; he coached in the independent Frontier League for 10 years and also worked in North Ridgeville for the recreation department.
"I love Cleveland," he said. "The city and the fans have been great to me and my family. I'm always thankful for the one good, healthy year. And I'd tell those guys in camp with the Indians to make the most of it right now -- you never know how long it will last."

Indians primed for turnaround

Monday, January 19, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

The Cleveland Indians opened the 2008 season with a payroll of just under $80 million, so while they aren't the Florida Marlins, they aren't in anywhere near the class of the Yankees or the Tigers or the Mets or the Red Sox. They're stuck right in the middle, and have to have middle-class sensibilities. They don't necessarily need or want the priciest baubles in the room, but they do have a little money to spend.
And this winter, they seemingly have spent well, targeting their needs, making a couple of trades that have been deemed by rivals as nice deals. "As much as I don't believe in feeling good about winter accomplishments," said Indians general manager Mark Shapiro, "I do feel good about it."

They didn't get the most expensive closer on the market, Francisco Rodriguez, but they got a good closer, on a relatively short-term deal. Kerry Wood struck out 84 and walked just 18 in 66.1 innings and converted 34 of 40 save chances last season, good enough to make the NL All-Star team. Yes, there is risk with Wood -- but it's a short-term risk, of two years, and potentially a high reward. He could be the best of the second-tier closers in the league.

If he has some hiccups, or he gets hurt, the Indians have a lot of depth again in their bullpen, a lot of options for Eric Wedge -- Rafael Perez, who whiffed 86 in 76.1 innings last year; Rafael Betancourt, from whom the Indians need a bounce-back season; Jensen Lewis, who filled in nicely as closer in the second half last season, going 13-for-13 in save chances after the All-Star break; Joe Smith, acquired as part of the three-team deal that ended with J.J. Putz going to the Mets.

The wild card of the bullpen bunch is Adam Miller, who has had trouble staying injury-free but has the talent to develop into one of the league's best set-up men if he can stay healthy. If you think this is far-fetched, well, remember that three years ago today, you probably had never heard of Joel Zumaya, and two years ago today, you'd probably never heard of Joba Chamberlain, and a year ago, you didn't know the name of Jose Arredondo. That's just how bullpens can be sometimes: You throw talent at a wall, and sometimes, you get great results, and the Indians are hopeful that could be the case with Adam Miller.

The Indians' lineup has more depth than it did a year ago, more length. So far, Travis Hafner is feeling good in his rehabilitation from shoulder surgery, informing the front office that the feels much better, like the difference between day and night. He has also hired a personal chef and worked on his nutrition. "Kind of a dual approach," said Shapiro. "He's lost some weight."

It has been awhile since Hafner has been a dominant offensive force: In 2006, he hit 42 homers, drew 100 walks and drove in 117 runs in 129 games. Since then, he's played 209 games and totaled 29 homers, 129 walks and 124 RBIs. It's possible, of course, that he might not rebound.

But the Indians are much more equipped to handle a falloff from slugger than they were a year ago. Their lineup, in the mind of a rival GM, starts with "one of the three best players in the game," in Grady Sizemore, and Victor Martinez is fully healthy again, as he prepares for a major shift in his time behind home plate. It's possible that Kelly Shoppach, who hit 21 homers with a solid .348 OBP last season in 352 at-bats, will catch as many as 70 games, with Martinez playing a whole lot of games at first base. The Indians finished seventh among 30 teams in runs scored last season, despite all that they did not have -- a productive and healthy Hafner, a healthy Martinez, and Mark DeRosa, who was acquired in a recent trade with the Cubs to play third base. And they might also get a boost from the primary piece they received in the CC Sabathia trade with Milwaukee, outfielder Matt LaPorta.

There is concern at the back end of the rotation, behind Cliff Lee and Fausto Carmona; they need Aaron Laffey or Jeremy Sowers to take a step forward, and could greatly benefit from a solid recovery from Carl Pavano.

But there is a margin for error in the AL Central that there is not in the AL East, because the Tigers really haven't made many changes, and neither have the White Sox or the Royals or the Twins. The Indians went into 2008 with great expectations that were quickly taken down by a poor start, but they have reason to feel good about their chances, again.

Am I going to miss Greg Maddux - ESPN

Am I going to miss Greg Maddux? Are you kidding? I couldn't stand the guy.

First of all, he wasn't greedy enough. He signed for only $75,000 after the Chicago Cubs selected him with the 31st pick of the 1984 amateur draft. No messy holdouts. No nothing. And get this: He actually reported to Pikeville of the Appalachian League that season. For $175 a week. Loser.
He wasn't brash enough. The guy made his major league starting debut near the end of the 1986 season. The Cubs stunk, but the 20-year-old Maddux threw a complete-game victory. Hadn't been done by a Cub that young since 1966. He also got two hits and ended a seven-game Cubs losing streak. Instead of popping off about his big day, Maddux told reporters, "I'm kind of awestruck now."

He wasn't intimidating enough. When the dinky Maddux first reported from Triple-A Iowa, the Cubs didn't know whether he was a player or there for Father-Son Day. "He's a good competitor and he's fun to watch," minor league coach Jim Colborn told the Chicago Tribune, "especially knowing he's just finished his paper route a couple of years ago."

He wasn't quotable enough. You can list the number of great Maddux on-the-record quotes on the back of a Sweet'N Low packet. He was polite. He was pleasant. But mostly he shrugged his shoulders a lot.

He wasn't controversial enough. Would it have killed him to get caught carrying, say, a semi-automatic weapon, just once? Some sort of drug charge would have been nice. And is it asking too much to maybe oversee a money-laundering ring? But, no, not Maddux.

He wasn't narcissistic enough. Even when he was winning four Cy Young Awards in a row or walking into the clubhouse the day after his 300th career victory, you never saw Maddux with a posse, entourage or security detail. Wait! There were those times when he brought his two kids to the ballpark.

He wasn't ill-prepared enough. In 1996, just before Maddux and the Atlanta Braves faced the New York Yankees in the World Series, pitching coach Leo Mazzone met with his starters and relievers and read them the detailed scouting reports. Maddux raised his hand after Mazzone read the report on Yankees slugger Bernie Williams.

"That report is not correct," Maddux said. "I've been watching film of Williams for two weeks, and that report is not correct."

"Did everybody hear that?" Mazzone said.
The Braves pitchers nodded.

"Well, then the hell with this report," Mazzone said. "We go with what Mad Dog says."
Williams hit .167 in the Series.

He wasn't serious enough. Jimmy Farrell, who was the longtime umpires room attendant at Wrigley Field, told me about the time he asked a young Maddux to wiggle his ear if he reached base on a hit. The Cubs went on the road, so Farrell and his wife, Eleanor, watched the game at home that night. Sure enough, Maddux got a hit.
"He's not gonna do it, Jimmy," Eleanor said.

"You watch," Farrell said.

Maddux stood at first base. And then wiggled his ear.

"We just about fell off the couch laughing," Farrell told me.

He wasn't aloof enough. You'd think a guy with more wins than any living player (355) would keep to himself. But when I saw him this past March at spring training with the San Diego Padres, Maddux was doing his usual thing: working the clubhouse, cracking wise with vets and rookies, recruiting players for one of his golf pools. Same sort of thing happened when I saw him near the end of the season. He was a Los Angeles Dodger by then, but he was sitting in the dugout trading jokes with teammate Derek Lowe.

He wasn't one-dimensional enough. After a while you really got tired of watching him earn Gold Gloves (18 of them -- nobody has more), lay down perfect sacrifice bunts, or even steal bases. The nerve.

He didn't listen well enough. Colborn said back in 1986: "He's not a strikeout pitcher, and he probably won't ever win 25 or 30 games in the big leagues. But he should have a good big-league career." Maddux, who just had to make Colborn look bad, finished his career ranked 10th all-time in strikeouts.

He wasn't buff enough. Didn't he get the memo about steroids? Sammy Sosa had nose hairs with more muscle tone than Maddux. Maddux had a bit of a paunch. I'm not sure he could bench press a fungo bat.

He wasn't flashy enough. After Maddux won No. 300, reporters asked how he'd celebrate. "I don't know," he said. "I'll do something." What, take the family to Pizza Hut?
He wasn't into legacies enough. He once said he actually valued pitching 200-plus innings per season more than the wins. And if you asked him about the Hall of Fame, you usually wouldn't get much on the subject. But his former teammate Glendon Rusch once told me, "In my opinion, he's a first-ballot, 100-percent-of-the-votes Hall of Famer."
He wasn't unprofessional enough. Maddux probably could have squeezed another season and paycheck out of that 42-year-old right arm of his. Others would have taken the money. But not Mr. Integrity.

Nope. Won't miss him at all.
Until spring training 2009.
Gene Wojciechowski is a senior national columnist for ESPN.com. You can contact him at gene.wojciechowski@espn3.com.