COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Lee MacPhail, the longtime baseball executive who ruled in the celebrated Pine Tar case and later became part of the only father-son Hall of Fame pairing, has died. He was 95.
He was the oldest Hall of Famer, and he died Thursday night at his home in Delray Beach, Fla., the shrine said Friday.

"There's not much I haven't done off the field other than commissioner," he said during a 1985 interview with The Associated Press when he retired after 4 1-2 decades in the sport.
 
In the second generation of one of baseball's most prominent families -- his son, Andy, also was in the front office for several teams -- MacPhail's most well-known moment in baseball came in 1983. He upheld Kansas City's protest in the Pine Tar Game against the New York Yankees, restoring a ninth-inning home run to Royals slugger George Brett -- also a future Hall of Famer.

"Lee MacPhail was one of the great executives in baseball history and a Hall of Famer in every sense, both personally and professionally," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "His hallmarks were dignity, common sense and humility. He was not only a remarkable league executive, but was a true baseball man."
With MacPhail's death, Bobby Doerr at 94 becomes the oldest living Hall of Famer.

"Baseball history has lost a great figure in Lee MacPhail, whose significant impact on the game spanned five decades," Hall chairman Jane Forbes Clark said. "He will always be remembered in Cooperstown as a man of exemplary kindness and a man who always looked after the best interests of the game."

Lee MacPhail was the son of Larry MacPhail, a top executive with the Cincinnati Reds, Brooklyn Dodgers and Yankees.

"Over his lifetime in baseball, Lee made many significant contributions that helped to make the game what it is today," former players' union head Don Fehr said.
Born Leland Stanford MacPhail Jr. in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 25, 1917, he was general manager at minor league Reading, went on to work for the Yankees in 1949 and spent a decade as farm director and player personnel director, with players he developed winning seven World Series titles.
He moved to the Baltimore Orioles as general manager in 1959 and six years later returned to New York as chief administrative assistant for new baseball commissioner Spike Eckert. He returned to the Yankees as general manager from 1967-73, and left after George Steinbrenner bought the team to become AL president in 1974.
A member of management's labor negotiating team along with NL president Chub Feeney during the 1981 midseason strike, he also headed the AL when it added the designated hitter for the 1973 season and expanded to Seattle and Toronto for 1977.

After he stepped down as league president following the 1983 season, he served two years as president of the owners' Player Relations Committee, overseeing bargaining during a two-day strike in 1985. He was elected to the Hall as an executive in 1998, 20 years after his father.

In the famed Pine Tar case, MacPhail overruled plate umpire Tim McClelland and crew chief Joe Brinkman and restored a home run to Brett. After Yankees manager Billy Martin argued that Brett's bat had excessive pine tar when he hit a two-run, ninth-inning homer at Yankees Stadium on July 24, McClelland called Brett out, the final out in a 4-3 New York victory.

Brett stormed out of the dugout, eyes bulging, in one of baseball's most replayed arguments. Four days later, MacPhail upheld a protest for the first time as league president, said the home run counted and ordered the game to continue from that point. When the game was completed Aug. 18, the Royals held on to win 5-4.
While the pine tar extended more than 18 inches past the handle, the limit set by baseball's rules, MacPhail said taking away the home run was improper.

"The umpires' interpretation, while technically defensible, is not in accord with the intent or spirit of the rules and that the rules do not provide that a hitter be called out for excessive use of pine tar. The rules provide instead that the bat be removed from the game," he wrote. "Although manager Martin and his staff should be commended for their alertness, it is the strong conviction of the league that games should be won and lost on the playing field -- not through technicalities of the rules."
He retired at the end of that season.

Son Andy became GM of the Minnesot Twins, president of the Chicago Cubs and president of baseball operations of the Orioles. From the next generation, Andy MacPhail IV worked for the Cleveland Indians and is a scout for the Orioles.

The Hall said no services are planned and a memorial will be held later.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

Ortiz and Biting the Hand That Feeds You

Fresh off his new deal with the Red Sox, slugger David Ortiz fired back at former manager Bobby Valentine, who two weeks ago insinuated his designated hitter missed the latter part of the season not because of soreness from an Achilles injury but because his team was out of the playoff hunt.
"Stopping me (from playing) was the decision of the doctors, management, the manager and me," Ortiz told ESPNDeportes.com. "The team doctor recommended that I stop playing to not make the situation worse for the tendon.

"... As a player, the game runs through my veins. In the 10 years I have played in Boston, I have been the heart and soul of the organization and not a second has gone by in which David Ortiz, able to go on the field to do what he knows best, he stayed seated instead."
Ortiz was on the disabled list from July 18 to late August with a strained right Achilles. He went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a one-game return Aug. 24. The next day, the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to the Los Angeles Dodgers was made official. Ortiz went back on the DL on Aug. 27. "He realized that this trade meant that we're not going to run this race and we're not even going to finish the race properly and he decided not to play anymore," Valentine said Oct. 23 in an interview on "Costas Tonight" on NBC Sports Network. "I think at that time it was all downhill from there."
The soon-to-be 37-year-old Ortiz emphatically denied that deal had anything to do with him missing the rest of the season and said he ignored a message from Valentine after the interview because he thought he was dealing with someone with "some mental issues."

"No. 1, never bite the hand that feeds you, because in the end that will come back to bite you," Ortiz said. "I was one of those players that always showed support for him. In fact, I held a couple of player meetings.
"No. 2, the day that I returned from the DL, I told him that I was not sure what percentage health-wise I was in, but that I could not be out there without trying to help. When I told him that, I put my career on the side to help him and the team. Being in an incredible amount of pain, I went out there to support them.

"No. 3, after he went on national TV to say what he said, he sent me a text message trying to tell me that it was the media trying to change things. I did not respond to the message and I said to myself, this guy must have some mental issues or needs medicine or something? I said, I am dealing with someone crazy and I am not going to drive myself crazy, so it is better if I leave it alone."

Ortiz said he is only speaking up about it now because he was focused on finalizing a two-year contract with the Red Sox.

"I am a player that has the game in his blood," he said. "In the 10 years that I have (been) in Boston, I have been the soul of the organization and there has never been a second where David Ortiz being able to go on the field and do what he does has decided to stay seated."

On Monday, the Red Sox officially announced Ortiz's return to the team. The veteran designated hitter will get a two-year deal worth at least $26 million, a source told ESPNBoston.com.

Ortiz, who made $14.575 million last season on a one-year deal, will make $14 million in 2013 and $11 million in 2014, and will get a $1 million signing bonus with performance incentives that could bring the total value to $30 million, according to a team source.

Regarding his new contract, Ortiz said that it is the best thing that could have happened to him at this stage in his career. It practically guarantees that he will not wear a uniform other than that of the Red Sox for the rest of his life.

"I feel happy and, on top of that, my mind is at ease because I won't have to move in the next two years. Over the coming two years, I will conclude a 17-year career; not many can accomplish that in this league," said Ortiz, who has had a .285 batting average with 401 home runs and 1,326 RBIs in 16 years with Minnesota and Boston.

Ownership, bad trades combined to sink Indians

Ownership, bad trades combined to sink Indians: Analysis

Published: Sunday, November 04, 2012, 7:00 AM     Updated: Sunday, November 04, 2012, 7:09 AM

 CLEVELAND, Ohio — If a baseball team is built the right way, the advance elements of its incoming talent should blend with the remnants of the old like waves crashing onto a beach. As the old seeps into the sand, the new washes over it.

When the Indians didn’t exercise future Hall of Famer Omar Vizquel’s option at the end of the 2004 season, he represented the last remnant of the franchise’s emergence from the muck and mire of 40 years of disappointment. As Vizquel disappeared into the sand, the next wave had already started to hit the beach to bid him farewell.

CC Sabathia, Jake Westbrook and Cliff Lee were in the rotation. Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Jhonny Peralta, Victor Martinez and Casey Blake were making inroads in the lineup. Bob Wickman and Rafael Betancourt were in the bullpen.

Last week, the wave that said bon voyage to Vizquel finally ran its course. Sizemore became a free agent for the second time in as many years on Monday. Hafner and Roberto Hernandez, who came ashore as Fausto Carmona in 2006, became free agents Wednesday when their 2013 options were declined. Unlike Vizquel, who still had quality baseball left in him, it’s questionable how much Sizemore, Hafner and Hernandez have left. It’s even more questionable if they’ll ever wear an Indians uniform again.

For the last several years, Sizemore and Hafner have been irrelevant from a production standpoint because of injuries. Sizemore didn’t play this year and Hafner was limited to 66 games. Lies and deception cost Hernandez almost the entire season following his January arrest in the Dominican Republic for identity fraud.

The right wave can lead to great things for a ballclub. The Indians appeared to have just that in the surge that dissipated last week at the steps of Progressive Field. It produced two Cy Young winners, a 20-game winner, 14 All-Star game appearances, a 30-30 season, the most productive DH in team history, the franchise leader in saves, two Gold Gloves, three Silver Slugger awards, one manager of the year award and two executive of the year awards.

From all that came exactly one postseason appearance — which explains what’s wrong about the current Indians.

The tease began in 2005. Propelled by a 46-28 record after the All-Star break, the Indians finished 93-69. On Sept. 25 at Kauffman Stadium, they trailed Chicago by 1.5 games in the AL Central. In the ninth inning of a 4-4 tie, Sizemore lost a fly ball by Kansas City’s Paul Phillips in the sun and it fell for a game-winning double. Whatever mojo the Indians possessed vanished.

They lost six of their last seven, getting swept by Chicago at home in the last three games of the season. After former Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen capped the sweep by giving Tribe fans the choke sign, the Indians finished six games out of first and two behind Boston in the wild card. Chicago went on to win the World Series.

Still, the wave was impressive. Hafner hit .305 with 33 homers and 108 RBI followed by Martinez (.305, 20, 80), Sizemore (.287, 22, 81, 111 runs) and Peralta (.292, 24, 78). Lee went 18-5 with a 3.79 ERA followed by Sabathia (15-10, 4.03), Westbrook (15-15, 4.49) and Wickman (45 saves).

The glare of expectations ruined the Tribe in 2006. So did a bullpen with the fewest saves in the league. Wickman was traded in July to Atlanta for a minor-league catcher. They finished fourth at 78-84, 18 games out of first place.

But the production continued: Martinez (.316, 16, 93), Hafner (.308, 42, 117), Sizemore (.290, 28, 76, 134 runs), Blake (.282, 19, 68), Lee (14-11, 4.40), Westbrook (15-10, 4.17), Sabathia (12-11, 3.22).

The crest came in 2007. The Indians won the division — their only Central title in the last 11 years — and tied Boston for the most victories in the league with 96. They beat the Yankees in the division series and took a 3-1 lead over Boston in the ALCS before losing three straight. In Game 7, third-base coach Joel Skinner mistakenly stopped Kenny Lofton, acquired from Texas for the stretch run, at third base for what should have been the tying run. The Red Sox went on to beat the Tribe, 11-2, and sweep the Rockies in the World Series.

It was the last hurrah for the core and it was a good one: Martinez (.301, 25, 114), Peralta (.270, 21, 72), Blake (.270, 18, 78), Sizemore (.277, 24, 78, 114 runs) and Hafner (.266, 24, 100). Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 EA to win the Indians first Cy Young award since Gaylord Perry in 1972. Hernandez was almost as good at 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA. Westbrook and Lee were held back by injuries and poor performances. Lee didn’t even make the postseason roster. 

The lead element of the current wave helped as well. Asdrubal Cabrera (.282, 3, 22, 30 runs) replaced Josh Barfield at second base to assist in the stretch run. Right fielder Shin-Soo Choo played six games, but underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in September after spending most of the season at Class AAA Buffalo.

After the season Eric Wedge was named AL Manager of the Year. Two years later, he was fired. Why couldn’t the wave regenerate itself? Four words: ownership and bad trades.

When the Indians came out of spring training in 2008, Hafner, Martinez, Westbrook and Joe Borowski, who recorded 45 of the bravest — but most unlikely — saves you’ll ever see in 2007, were all playing hurt. They quickly broke down and the season went with them.

Borowski was released on July 4. Sabathia, a free agent-to-be, was traded to Milwaukee on July 7 because the Indians couldn’t afford to keep him. Blake, who went from spring training invitee to core player, was traded to the Dodgers on July 26. Paul Byrd, who won 15 games for the Tribe in 2007, was traded to Boston on Aug. 12.

Sabathia turned into Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson. LaPorta has been a bust, Brantley finally put together a solid year in 2012. Bryson and Jackson were non-factors. 

The deal for Blake worked out better as the Indians acquired catcher Carlos Santana.

Amidst the bodies flying off the roster, members of the core were still producing. Lee went 22-3 to win the team’s second straight Cy Young award. Sizemore, meanwhile, became only the second Indian to go 30-30 in a season (38 steals, 33 homers). For Sizemore, 2008 would be his last healthy season. For Lee, it guaranteed that he wouldn’t be an Indian long.

The fire sale continued in 2009 when ownership told GM Mark Shapiro that deals had to be made to offset what at one time was thought to be $16 million in losses. The two biggest deals involved Lee and Martinez, each with a year left on their contracts.

Lee and Ben Francisco were traded to the Phillies on July 29 for Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Jason Knapp and Lou Marson. Knapp, supposedly the key to the deal, was released by the Indians earlier this year after two shoulder operations.

Martinez was traded to Boston on July 31 for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. The trading continued in 2010 as Peralta was sent to Detroit for a minor-league pitcher and Westbrook to St. Louis for right-hander Corey Kluber, who made 12 starts for the Tribe this season.

A big part of the latest wave is already ashore. Cabrera, Santana, Jason Kipnis, Brantley, Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Zach McAllister, Kluber, Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Tony Sipp, Cody Allen all played a part in the Indians’ 94 losses this year.

Can they do a better than the previous wave? Will ownership and management give them more to work with than they did the previous core of players? It all depends what the next wave brings in.

 Going, Going, Gone | Timeline of the Tribe's core group


July 25, 2000: Jake Westbrook and Zach Day acquired from Yankees for David Justice and Ricky Ledee. 
July 28, 2000: Bob Wickman acquired from Milwaukee for Richie Sexson, Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon and Marco Scutaro. 
April 8, 2001: CC Sabathia goes 5 2/3 innings against Baltimore in his big-league debut. 
Feb. 23, 2002: CC Sabathia signed a four-year, $9.5 million deal. 
Dec. 18, 2002: Casey Blake signs minor-league contract with the Indians. 
June 27, 2002: Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Lee Stevens acquired from Montreal for Bartolo Colon, Tim Drew and cash. 
Sept. 10, 2002: Victor Martinez goes 1-for-4 against Toronto in his big-league debut. 
Dec. 6, 2002: Travis Hafner and RHP Aaron Myette acquired from Texas for RHP Ryan Drese and C Einar Diaz. 
June 13, 2003: Jhonny Peralta starts at shortstop against San Diego in his big-league debut.
July 13, 2003: Rafael Betancourt lost to the White Sox in his big-league debut. 
April 5, 2005: Victor Martinez signed a five-year, $15.5 million deal. 
Sept. 18-24, 2005: Travis Hafner homers in six straight games. 
March 6, 2006: Grady Sizemore signs five-year, $23.45 million deal; Jhonny Peralta signs
six-year, $13 million deal. 
April 15, 2006: Roberto Hernandez, known as Fausto Carmona, won his big-league debut with a victory over Detroit. 
May 7, 2006: Bob Wickman saved his 130th game as an Indian to make him the team’s all-time leader. 
July 20, 2006: Bob Wickman traded to Atlanta for Max Ramirez.
April 7, 2007: Jake Westbrook signs three-year, $33 million deal. 
May 20-June 17, 2007: Casey Blake hits in 26 straight games, longest AL streak that year. 
July 12, 2007: Travis Hafner signs four-year, $57 million extension, biggest in team history. 
Aug. 8, 2007: Asdrubal Cabrera starts against Chicago in his big-league debut. 
Sept. 28, 2007: CC Sabathia beat Kansas City for his 19th victory on his way to the Cy Young Award. 
Oct. 5, 2007: Hernandez/Carmona pitches nine innings in Game 2 of ALDS against the Yankees at bug infested Progressive Field. The Indians won, 2-1, in 11 innings. 
April 10, 2008: Hernandez/Carmona, signs four-year, $15 million contract. 
July 7, 2008: CC Sabathia traded to Milwaukee for Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley, Rob Bryson and Zach Jackson. 
July 26, 2008: Casey Blake traded to the Dodgers for Carlos Santana. 
Aug. 25, 2008: Grady Sizemore, facing Detroit, hit his 30th and 31st homer to become the second 30-30 man in team history. 
Sept. 1, 2008: Cliff Lee threw a five-hit shutout to beat the White Sox for his 20th victory on the way to Cy Young Award. 
May 1, 2009: Jhonny Peralta homered against Detroit to pass Woodie Held and become the Indians’ all-time home run leader among shortstops. 
July 3, 2009: Shin-Soo Choo went 4-for-5 with two homers, four runs and seven RBI against Oakland. 
July 29, 2009: Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco traded to the Phillies for Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp. 
July 31, 2009: Victor Martinez traded to Boston for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. 
July 29, 2010: Jhonny Peralta traded to Detroit for Giovanni Soto. 
July 31, 2010: Jake Westbrook traded to St. Louis as part of a three-team deal in which the Indians receive Corey Kluber. 
Oct. 29, 2012: Grady Sizemore granted free agency. 
Oct. 31, 2012: The Indians declined the 2013 options on Travis Hafner and Roberto Hernandez, making them free agents. 

Perez rips Front Office in rare Tribe Victory

Cleveland Indians' Chris Perez fires back at Manny Acta; Tribe rallies for 4-3 victory over White Sox

Published: Tuesday, October 02, 2012, 10:42 PM     Updated: Wednesday, October 03, 2012, 7:52 AM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Closer Chris Perez had a lot better stuff before Tuesday's game than he did during it.

A couple of hours before game time, Perez went up and in on departed Manny Acta and his managerial style. He must have used all his heat, because he didn't have much left against Dayan Viciedo, who hammered a 426-foot homer to center in the ninth inning.

It looked like certain defeat for Perez and the Tribe until Travis Hafner tied it with a two-run pinch-hit homer in the ninth followed by Jason Donald's game-winning single with two out in the 12th for a 4-3 victory over Chicago.

Perez brings drama even when he doesn't pitch well. Perez hit catcher Tyler Flowers with one out and one on, drawing taunts from the White Sox dugout. Perez gestured back at the Chicago players, who have had a running feud with Perez this season.

Plate umpire Paul Schrieber warned both teams. When the inning ended, Perez met Flowers between second and third base and patted him on the back, saying he didn't intentionally hit him.

There was nothing apologetic about the criticism Perez directed toward Acta. In September, Perez criticized ownership for not spending enough money to have a competitive team. Then he criticized the front office for its poor trading record.

Perez said Tuesday that he did not make those comments to get traded.

"A lot of it was heat of the moment," he said. "I was upset. A lot of that walked out the door last week."

 Perez was referring to Acta's firing on Thursday. Bench coach Sandy Alomar Jr. is the acting manager. He's scheduled to interview for the full-time job Thursday followed by former Boston manager Terry Francona on Friday.

In a 15-minute meeting with reporters, Perez listed his complaints with Acta.

• "The Manny [reporters] saw and the Manny we saw were different guys," said Perez. "He's not a very confrontational person.

"In this game we're men. We can handle it. Sometimes we need a kick in the butt. He did it this year, but it was a couple of weeks too late.

"Last year we didn't get it at all. He only gave us two speeches, one at the start of the season and one at the end and we were playing for first place up until September."

Perez said the Indians took on Acta's personality.

"It sounds like a cliche, but a team does follow its manager, good or bad," he said. "If a manager has no activity on the field. If he doesn't argue calls or get upset, why would his team?"

• Perez said Acta seemed to push the panic button in certain series.

"We'd play the Yankees and have to change our whole lineup around," said Perez. "Why?"
He questioned how Acta used the bullpen at times. "OK, it's May and there are only 150 games left," said Perez. "Why use the whole bullpen against Detroit when we're going to play them 15 more times?"

• Perez said he'd go seven to eight days at a time without talking to Acta, unless he was coming into a game in the ninth inning.

"We're a family," he said. "We're together so much. It was just a weird dynamic. I have a great deal of respect for Manny. From what he's accomplished and the charity work he does. I just disagree with some of his baseball tactics and strategies and how he runs the ship."

• Perez said he felt Acta should have been fired on Aug. 8, when pitching coach Scott Radinsky was dismissed following an 11-game losing streak.

"The easiest way to get out of the kind of losing streak we were in is to get a new manager," said Perez. "It shakes things up and gets a new voice. They made the decision with six games left in the season.

"They had their reasons. ... I would have liked to seen what happened if they'd done it after that losing streak when they fired Rad. I would have liked to seen what happened with a month and a half to go. Who knows?
"It wasn't my decision. I stand by what they did. I respect them."

• On Monday, Perez had an hour-long exit meeting with GM Chris Antonetti. Perez did not feel he would get traded.

"I got the impression they were going to build around the bullpen," said Perez.

Justin Masterson made his last start of the season Tuesday. He allowed one run on four hits in six innings. He struck out five and walked one. Shin-Soo Choo gave him a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer off Jake Peavy. The White Sox tied it on Orlando Hudson's single in the sixth.

Hafner tied the score, 3-3, with his 200th homer in an Indians uniform off Jake Peavy. It was his third career pinch-hit homer, hitting the right-field foul pole.

Lonnie Chisenhall started the game-winning rally with a one-out double off Matt Thornton (4-10). Russ Canzler was intentionally walked and pinch-hitter Jack Hannahan struck out before Donald sent a 1-1 pitch into left field to win it.

Chris Seddon (1-1) was the winner.

Humble Sandy

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Sandy Alomar has moved into the Tribe manager's office ... sort of.
"I'm sitting on the couch, not on the chair [behind the desk]," said the interim manager. "There might be a ghost in that chair."

It could be the ghost of former manager Manny Acta, who was fired last week. But next season, someone has to sit there -- and it's likely to be either Alomar or former Red Sox manager Terry Francona.
I asked Alomar what he thought of Francona, as I'd heard they had a relationship going back to 1988.
"We played winterball together," said Alomar, who then showed his class and did the Tribe a tremendous favor by sounding like a press agent for Francona. He talked about Francona like this: "I don't have the resume that Terry has, that's a slam dunk. ... I wish I had that."

He said how Francona is "a great guy ... a great communicator." About how "no one owes me anything. ... This is a big decision [for the Indians] ... not about who is the most popular guy."

While it almost sounded as an endorsement for Francona, understand that Alomar desperately wants the job. "I feel I'm prepared for it," he said. But he knows that he's never managed a game anywhere until last weekend, when he took over for Acta.

After taking a year off to work for ESPN, Francona brings a strong background with tons of experience that would make him attractive to any team needing a manager.

Hometown favorite
 
Alomar is one of the Cleveland's favorite baseball sons. Many fans want him, and want the staff to include Omar Vizquel, Charlie Nagy and others from the great teams of the 1990s. But those glory days are gone.
The Tribe has lost 90 games for the third time in four years -- something that never happened before in franchise history extending to 1901. So the next manager is not about to work miracles. Nor will he sell many tickets. But hiring the right one is at least something positive for a team needing any sentence that hints of good news.

With Francona and Alomar as the main candidates, the Tribe is in a far better position than their last managerial search. That was in 2009, when the final three were Bobby Valentine, Torey Lovullo and Acta.
Valentine has been an embarrassment in Boston, the Red Sox joining the 90-game loser club. Lovullo is Toronto's first-base coach, and could be a candidate to manage the Blue Jays if current skipper John Farrell replaces Valentine in Boston. Acta will probably join someone's coaching staff next season.
As Alomar said, "This is a business."

The best way to handle the insecurity that is part of the job is to refrain from taking it personally. That's how Alomar is dealing with the possibility of Francona being hired.

The Francona Factor
 
Furthermore, the assumption has long been Alomar would be the next Wahoo manager whenever Acta departed. But Francona's availability and interest has changed all that.

Alomar can put himself in the place of the front office and know that Francona's 12 years of experience, two World Series titles and respect all over baseball make him a very appealing candidate. That assumes Francona's comments to The Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes about really wanting the job are sincere. There is no reason to doubt Francona's words.

Just as there is no reason to question that Alomar was speaking from the heart when he praised Francona.
While many fans want massive front office changes, it's obvious Francona thinks the situation here can improve -- or he would not be interviewing Friday.

Alomar has a Tribe coaching contract for next season. Obviously, if Francona is hired here and Alomar is offered a chance to manage another team the Indians will permit him to do so. He has interviewed with three teams over the previous two seasons.

But Alomar has wisely put himself in good position, regardless of who is the new manager. Because of his respect for Francona, it sounds as if he'd be content to stay here as bench coach if no manager's job came his way.

That would make the Tribe even stronger -- at least in the dugout -- next season.

Miguel Cabrera and the Tripe Crown

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Miguel Cabrera received a standing ovation after flying out and striking out in his only two at-bats Wednesday night, and leaving the Tigers' game against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning with the Triple Crown in sight.

Cabrera high-fived his teammates as he entered the Detroit dugout, then walked back to the top step and waved his helmet as a crowd of mostly Royals fans gave him a standing ovation.

Cabrera finished the regular season with a .330 average, 44 homers and 139 RBIs, wrapping up baseball's first Triple Crown since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967.

"I would say without question he's enjoyed it. How could you not enjoy what he's done if you're a baseball player?" Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before the game.

 "I would say without question he's enjoyed it. How could you not enjoy what he's done if you're a baseball player?" Tigers manager Jim Leyland said before the game.

"I would also add to that I doubt very much, knowing him, that he necessarily enjoys all the extra attention, and all the extra conversations he has to have, it's kind of out of his realm in personality, to be honest with you."

Only the Angels' Mike Trout provided a threat to Cabrera's second consecutive batting title, and only the Yankees' Curtis Granderson had a chance of hitting more home runs after the Rangers' Josh Hamilton finished with 43 homers earlier in the day.

Cabrera's pursuit of history has occurred largely in the dark, though, overshadowed by thrilling pennant races, the sheer enormity of the NFL -- even the presidential election.

An event that in other years might dominate headlines has been mostly cast aside.

 "The entire baseball world should be here right now," said Tigers ace Justin Verlander, the reigning AL MVP, who may soon watch that award get handed off to his teammate.

Perhaps part of the void has to do with Cabrera's very nature. He's not the boisterous sort, never one to crave attention. He would rather hang out with a couple of buddies than stand in front a pack of television cameras, answering countless questions about what makes him one of the game's most complete hitters.

"He's not a talkative guy," said Tigers catcher Alex Avila. "One, he doesn't speak English that well, but two, he lets his ability carry through."

It takes a special breed to hit for average, power and in clutch situations, which is why there have only been 14 players to achieve baseball's version of the Triple Crown, an honor roll that includes iconic players such as Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig.

Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez never accomplished it, failing to win the batting title, and countless other Hall of Fame players have fallen short of one of sport's rarest feats.

To put it in perspective, consider horse racing's Triple Crown. The last thoroughbred to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in the same year was Affirmed in 1978, more than a full decade after Yastrzemski's magical summer in Boston.

Whether it's on par with Johnny Vander Meer's consecutive no-hitters, Jack Nicklaus' 18 major championships in golf, Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak or Brett Favre's consecutive games streak for quarterback is open to interpretation, and perhaps some bar-room debate.

Those who have witnessed it first-hand certainly have their opinions.

"It's pretty amazing," said the Royals' Alex Gordon, who's watched the drama unfold from his spot in left field. "Honestly, his numbers are like that every year. He has a great average, great home runs, great RBIs. He's a guy who can pull this off, and it's great for the game."

Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval said he was particularly proud that the Triple Crown would be accomplished by a fellow Venezuelan. Cabrera is from Maracay, along the Caribbean coast.

"I'm excited for the country and for the fans that support us every single day. It's a big deal in Venezuela right now," Sandoval said. "It's exciting, especially because of all the things that have happened in his career."
Yes, it seems that every fairytale these days carries a troublesome footnote.

In Cabrera's case, it stems from spring training last year, when he was involved in an ugly drunken driving incident. According to authorities in St. Lucie County, Fla., Cabrera refused to cooperate, directed an obscene gesture at police and even dared them to shoot him.

The Tigers have been careful to keep him from having to discuss his personal issues, but by all accounts, Cabrera has been a model player ever since. This year, he's the Tigers' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player "who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement."

"This clubhouse wouldn't be quite as good without him," Leyland said.

While the Triple Crown appears all but assured, the MVP award is not. On one hand, Cabrera is on the footstep of history, having dominated the major statistical categories favored by traditionalists, the ones that count toward the Triple Crown.

On the other hand, Trout is being championed by new-school baseball thought, number crunchers who rely on more obscure measures such as WAR (Wins Above Replacement), derived from several other statistics designed to judge a player's overall contribution to a team.

Tigers Hall of Famer Al Kaline said it would be "a shame" if Cabrera didn't win the league's most coveted award, while Royals manager Ned Yost offered a similar sentiment.

"I think they're both fantastic players, tremendous players, both of them," Yost said, "but if Cabrera wins the Triple Crown, he has to be the MVP, absolutely."

Dirtbag Kipnis

Something burns inside of Jason Kipnis.

You can feel it when he stares at you, when he tells you how he "just [hates] to waste an at-bat, I just hate it."

It's there when he says how it's his job "to play as hard as I can, to never go back to the bench and think, 'If I dove for that ball, I would have got it.' "

Kipnis said once -- he can't remember if it was high school or before that -- he jogged to first base on a ground ball.

"I was out," he said. "But I knew down deep that if I had run hard, I'd have been safe."
He never wants that feeling again.

Kipnis plays every game, every inning, every pitch as if he were being paid by the day. He tends to remember the coaches and scouts who didn't like him, the awards he didn't win.

It still eats at him that he was not a first-round pick in the 2009 draft after being the Pac-10 Player of the Year at Arizona State. The Indians grabbed him in the second round at No. 63.

"I played against the some of guys taken ahead of me," he said, shaking his head.

He didn't finish the sentence, but the thought was clear: He knows he was better than some of those guys.

Make it, he's done more than most of the 62 picked before him. But he was passed over because he's 5-10 and a chunky 185 pounds. He was passed over because his nickname is "Dirtbag." It doesn't take more than a few innings for his uniform to be filthy from sliding and diving.

But guys named Dirtbag are not first-round picks. They are guys who have to struggle for every hit, guys who make it with grit and sweat and sheer determination. Dirtbags are respected in the clubhouse for their work ethic, but they don't become All-Stars.

Only Kipnis plays like one, even if many people outside of Northeast Ohio fail to notice. That's part of the reason Kipnis declines to discuss being left off the American League All-Star team.
The second baseman doesn't want to sound like a phony, and say all the right things about Robinson Cano and Ian Kinsler being picked in front of him. Kipnis doesn't say a word about it, but you can be sure he's convinced he belongs among the game's best
.
He went into Tuesday's game hitting .272 with 11 homers, 47 RBI and 20 stolen bases. He was hitting .372 with runners in scoring position, and has committed only three errors at second base.
Cano was voted the starter, Kinsler was picked as a reserve. Kinsler's stats heading into Tuesday were .276, nine homers, 40 RBI, 15 stolen bases and 11 errors.

Tribe manager Manny Acta says Kipnis' glovework is almost ignored because of his offense -- and because he's a converted outfielder who was supposed to struggle at second base.
"He's been fantastic," Acta said. "He has been our best infielder in terms of range, [on pop ups] and on the ground. I don't remember his last error."

It was May 28, 31 games ago.

Or how about this? He's 20-of-21 in stolen bases.

"He just plays the game the right way," Acta said.

The comfort zone
After his first pro season, the Indians asked Kipnis to move from the outfield to second base, which had been a dead zone for the Tribe for years.

"Someone told me that I could be comfortable as an outfielder in Class AA, or I could be uncomfortable and get to the big leagues as a second baseman," Kipnis said. "My ticket up was second base."

The Indians tried to make the same move with Trevor Crowe, but the outfielder (and No. 1 draft pick in 2005) never could make the adjustment. Not everyone can do this.

"For Jason, it came down to hard work," said Brad Grant, the Tribe's scouting director. "When we approached him with the idea, he embraced it. He went to spring training a month early, took extra ground balls every day. He was determined to do it."

Then Grant told this story about scouting Kipnis. The scouting director had been receiving positive reports about Kipnis at Arizona State. Word was Kipnis did everything a little above average, nothing especially well.

Other than hustle.

The dirtbag part of his game always drew the most attention.

As Acta says: "He plays every game like it could be the last game of his career. He knows you can only play until your 40. He just goes all out, it really is 100 percent each day with him."
Or as Grant says, "Any day you see Kipnis play, you see him diving all over the place."
But Grant wanted to see him do something else -- hit with power.

"[Arizona State] was playing at Southern Cal," Grant said. "I watched him take batting practice and there's this four-level parking garage beyond the right-field wall. He had about four to five balls up there.

"Then came the game, and he parked a fastball up there. You look at his forearms, his back, his wide shoulders -- this guy was strong. He wasn't just a singles and doubles hitter. I knew we had to get this guy."

Kipnis wanted to tell everyone that, because he did hit 16 homers for Arizona State.

The complete game

Kipnis can deliver a 400-foot space shot to right field, or drop a 40-foot bunt down the third-base line.

Four times this season, he has bunted for a hit.

"I love to do it after I hit a homer or double," Kipnis said . "The third baseman is playing deep, and never guesses it's coming."

Kipnis is on pace to hit 22 homers, more than he did in any minor-league season. And he's on a clip for 40 stolen bases, far more than any season in the minors.
"I want to beat you any way I can," Kipnis said.

Bat. Glove. Speed. Power. Bunts.

He's been doing it all this season.

Kipnis played for his father in Little League. And he played for Pat Murphy at Arizona State. Both coaches told him that there's only one way for him to play -- the fierce, dirtbag style fans here so love.

"They told me to lock in on every pitch," he said. "Don't waste opportunities."
At age 25, Kipnis knows that there is plenty of time to make an All-Star team. After all, he didn't arrive in the majors until last July 22.
But he hates to wait.

"He's got that Midwestern toughness from Chicago," Grant said. "He wants to prove you wrong. He's a very driven guy."

So Kipnis takes the field with a little anger, a lot of passion and a personality that demands he seize the moment.

"I expect to be a good player," he said. "It comes down to trying to win for your teammates, the city and the fans."

Then he paused, considering what to say next.
"It's a personal pride thing," he said. "In every at-bat, I want to get a hit. On every ball hit, I want to run as hard as I can. In every game, I want to win. To me, that's the only way to play