John Meloan was the other player that the Indians got with Santana.civ ollilavad wrote:Yes you did, and I didn't scan back. I don't remember sending Shuey west. I hope Paul helped the Dodgers as much as Casey Blake did when he sent him to LA for Santana and (Andrew Brown, right?).
Re: Minor Matters
1203I'm trying to think of a player the Tribe has given 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances to that has rewarded them for their patience.
Can't think of anyone.
Guys like Weglarz continue to disappoint and the Tribe keeps making excuses why they are not stiffs.
Good teams cut the cord with stiffs sooner than later.
Can't think of anyone.
Guys like Weglarz continue to disappoint and the Tribe keeps making excuses why they are not stiffs.
Good teams cut the cord with stiffs sooner than later.
Re: Minor Matters
1204Really nothing to lose by giving players as many chances as possible in the minors or until their options run out in the majors.
Re: Minor Matters
1206Accomplished in the minor leagues, Cleveland Indians' Mike Sarbaugh waiting for a major chance to manage
Published: Saturday, October 01, 2011, 11:20 PM
By Bill Lubinger, The Plain Dealer
"Everybody has goals to get to the major leagues and get the opportunities," says the Indians' highly successful minor-league manager Mike Sarbaugh, "but it'll all take care of itself down the road."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The minors are all about buffing raw talent into a big-league shine. Winning is nice, but secondary.
So a minor-league team's record probably means more to fans, but Indians President Mark Shapiro, only half-joking the other day, said they should rub Mike Sarbaugh's head for luck.
If you believe in that kind of stuff, Sarbaugh's would be the head to rub, because his teams win. A lot. In eight seasons as a minor-league manager for the Indians, from the low rookie league in Mahoning Valley to AAA Columbus, Sarbaugh's teams have won nearly six of every 10 times they take the field.
And, when the season is over, they're usually posing with hardware in hand, showered in champagne dreams.
Take a look at his managing resume:
• 2004 Class A Mahoning Valley Scrappers, league champs.
• 2006 Class A Kinston Indians, league champs.
• 2007 Kinston, finished first in regular season, lost in first round of playoffs.
• 2008 Class AA Akron Aeros, lost league finals.
• 2009 Akron, league champs.
• 2010 Class AAA Columbus Clippers, league and national champs.
• 2011 Columbus, league and national champs.
For good measure, he's scored a Carolina League triple crown, winning the championship as a player (1991), coach (1995) and manager (2006).
In an era where players are brands and success is to be flaunted, the 44-year-old Sarbaugh is throwback "aw shucks" about it. The winning, he said, is a reflection of the organization's player development and scouting, not him.
"I've been blessed," he said. "I've had great players over the years."
As major-league seasons wind down, rosters fatten with late-year call-ups. That goes for the coaching staff, too. When the AAA season was over, Sarbaugh and his assistants packed up their Clippers' gear and joined the Indians to watch, learn and just be a part of all that is special about the big leagues.
The question is, given his incredible run on the farm, when will he become part of it for good?
"I know he'll be in the major leagues some day," Indians third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall says of Mike Sarbaugh (right, with Tribe skipper Manny Acta in September), "and he'll be there a long time."
"I don't know, I asked him that question the other day," said Josh Tomlin, who pitched for Sarbaugh at Kinston, Akron and Columbus. "He's kind of in the same boat as the players. You kind of wait your turn, pay your dues. I feel like he's paid his dues."
Sarbaugh has been with the organization for 22 years as a player, coach and manager. With fresh openings on the Indians' coaching staff, some in the media have raised his name as a possible candidate.
Tribe General Manager Chris Antonetti described Sarbaugh as "immensely valuable," but preferred not to discuss specific plans the organization may have or whether other teams have sought the required permission to talk to him.
"I am very confident that Mike possesses the abilities and attributes to be a successful major-league staff member and, eventually, a major-league manager," Antonetti said.
So, like the minor leaguers whose rough edges he's helped sand to make them big-league ready, Sarbaugh patiently waits his turn.
"Everybody has goals to get to the major leagues and get the opportunities," he said, "but it'll all take care of itself down the road."
Unless you were a major-league star with a name and cache that sells tickets and hope, the progression to manager usually means years proving yourself as an assistant. Maybe coach first or third, handle the pitchers, work the bullpen or sit shotgun to the manager as a bench coach.
But as a player, Sarbaugh was closer to career minor leaguer Crash Davis of "Bull Durham" than Mike Schmidt, the Philadelphia Phillies' Hall of Famer whose poster he stuck to the bedroom wall growing up a high school baseball and basketball standout in eastern Pennsylvania.
The Lamar University star played 455 games in the minors -- just four in AAA, the step below the big leagues. He was mainly a third baseman like Schmidt, but played every infield position and even pitched in five games. He batted .265, and by 1994 was through. Almost.
During the baseball strike of 1995, Sarbaugh suited up as a Indians replacement player in spring training.
In retrospect, he said, it was a desperation move to prolong his playing career and something he kind of regrets. Whether the decision will ultimately hurt his coaching career is yet to be seen.
"I don't know," he said. "It happened and you just move on."
Paul Assenmacher, a reliever from the '95 Indians, said seeing replacements cross the picket line didn't sit well with striking players, but it happened so long ago. "The players he would be managing," he said, "wouldn't be aware of the anxiety that went on."
A big chunk of the Indians' future -- players such as Tomlin and infielders Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall -- were in little league when all that labor stuff went down. Ask the younger guys about their experience with Sarbaugh and you get rave reviews: relates well to players, is a players' coach, approachable, good at giving constructive criticism, doesn't over-manage.
"He's helped me with loads of things," Kipnis said. "One thing he's probably helped with the most is the mental aspect of the game -- maybe not toning it down, but calming down and not putting so much emphasis on every single at-bat. He really kind of helped me see how long a journey a season really is."
"I know," said Chisenhall, "he'll be in the major leagues some day, and he'll be there a long time."
Indians outfielder Trevor Crowe, who has played for Sarbaugh at every minor-league level, said he thought this year was Sarbaugh's best because he managed a roster of players shuttled between Cleveland and Columbus all season. They kept right on winning, first the International League and then another AAA national championship.
"I can't tell you how hard it is to win at the Triple A level," said Dale Owens, general manager of the AAA Louisville Bats, explaining that managers must figure out how to motivate players who don't want to be there. At least not for long.
"[Sarbaugh's] great at that," Owens said. "His kids play hard, you can see that. He's able to reach them so they never lose that hope."
When Sarbaugh's team won its second straight national title, this one over Omaha in Albuquerque, N.M., last week, Columbus didn't throw a parade. The team plane landed about 3 a.m., and, by 4, probably half the players were packed and gone.
In the minors, winning is nice. But that's about all.
The Sarbaugh file
Minor-league managerial record: 622-442 (.585 winning percentage).
Age: 44
Personal: Married with two sons, 11 and 9, and a daughter, 7.
Indians career: 1990-94 as a minor league player; 1995-present as coach or manager.
Managerial influences: Former Indians manager Eric Wedge, former Indians player and coach Chris Bando, and career minor-league manager Gordon MacKenzie, the first manager he ever worked for.
Managerial approach: “I try to be a good communicator, that’s the first thing. It’s very important as a leader just to let them know where I stand to let them know what to expect.”
Handling players who get demoted: “Players need a few days to deal with it mentally and emotionally. I think each player’s different, but I always try to give them a few days to settle back in and [then] let’s get to work.”
Phillie fanatic: Was a huge Philadelphia fan growing up in eastern Pennsylvania. Finally got to meet former Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa, who came to a Columbus game at Lehigh Valley this summer to watch his nephew, Clippers first baseman Nick Johnson.
Quickie analysis
Mike Sarbaugh has managed many of the Indians’ young players at some level. He agreed to play a little word association about some of them:
Jason Kipnis — Athlete.
Lonnie Chisenhall — Natural.
Jeanmar Gomez — Competitor
Carlos Carasco — Stuff. He just has good stuff.
Jason Donald — Gamer.
Shelley Duncan — Ultimate gamer. Shelley’s one of my all-time favorite players. He is intense, he thinks along with the game, he works hard, especially with his baseball family. He’s a breath of fresh air. He’s old school and he’s new school.
Luis Valbuena — He just loves to play the game.
Carlos Santana — Great hitter.
Ezequiel Carrera — Smooth.
Josh Tomlin — He can pitch.
— Bill Lubinger
Published: Saturday, October 01, 2011, 11:20 PM
By Bill Lubinger, The Plain Dealer
"Everybody has goals to get to the major leagues and get the opportunities," says the Indians' highly successful minor-league manager Mike Sarbaugh, "but it'll all take care of itself down the road."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The minors are all about buffing raw talent into a big-league shine. Winning is nice, but secondary.
So a minor-league team's record probably means more to fans, but Indians President Mark Shapiro, only half-joking the other day, said they should rub Mike Sarbaugh's head for luck.
If you believe in that kind of stuff, Sarbaugh's would be the head to rub, because his teams win. A lot. In eight seasons as a minor-league manager for the Indians, from the low rookie league in Mahoning Valley to AAA Columbus, Sarbaugh's teams have won nearly six of every 10 times they take the field.
And, when the season is over, they're usually posing with hardware in hand, showered in champagne dreams.
Take a look at his managing resume:
• 2004 Class A Mahoning Valley Scrappers, league champs.
• 2006 Class A Kinston Indians, league champs.
• 2007 Kinston, finished first in regular season, lost in first round of playoffs.
• 2008 Class AA Akron Aeros, lost league finals.
• 2009 Akron, league champs.
• 2010 Class AAA Columbus Clippers, league and national champs.
• 2011 Columbus, league and national champs.
For good measure, he's scored a Carolina League triple crown, winning the championship as a player (1991), coach (1995) and manager (2006).
In an era where players are brands and success is to be flaunted, the 44-year-old Sarbaugh is throwback "aw shucks" about it. The winning, he said, is a reflection of the organization's player development and scouting, not him.
"I've been blessed," he said. "I've had great players over the years."
As major-league seasons wind down, rosters fatten with late-year call-ups. That goes for the coaching staff, too. When the AAA season was over, Sarbaugh and his assistants packed up their Clippers' gear and joined the Indians to watch, learn and just be a part of all that is special about the big leagues.
The question is, given his incredible run on the farm, when will he become part of it for good?
"I know he'll be in the major leagues some day," Indians third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall says of Mike Sarbaugh (right, with Tribe skipper Manny Acta in September), "and he'll be there a long time."
"I don't know, I asked him that question the other day," said Josh Tomlin, who pitched for Sarbaugh at Kinston, Akron and Columbus. "He's kind of in the same boat as the players. You kind of wait your turn, pay your dues. I feel like he's paid his dues."
Sarbaugh has been with the organization for 22 years as a player, coach and manager. With fresh openings on the Indians' coaching staff, some in the media have raised his name as a possible candidate.
Tribe General Manager Chris Antonetti described Sarbaugh as "immensely valuable," but preferred not to discuss specific plans the organization may have or whether other teams have sought the required permission to talk to him.
"I am very confident that Mike possesses the abilities and attributes to be a successful major-league staff member and, eventually, a major-league manager," Antonetti said.
So, like the minor leaguers whose rough edges he's helped sand to make them big-league ready, Sarbaugh patiently waits his turn.
"Everybody has goals to get to the major leagues and get the opportunities," he said, "but it'll all take care of itself down the road."
Unless you were a major-league star with a name and cache that sells tickets and hope, the progression to manager usually means years proving yourself as an assistant. Maybe coach first or third, handle the pitchers, work the bullpen or sit shotgun to the manager as a bench coach.
But as a player, Sarbaugh was closer to career minor leaguer Crash Davis of "Bull Durham" than Mike Schmidt, the Philadelphia Phillies' Hall of Famer whose poster he stuck to the bedroom wall growing up a high school baseball and basketball standout in eastern Pennsylvania.
The Lamar University star played 455 games in the minors -- just four in AAA, the step below the big leagues. He was mainly a third baseman like Schmidt, but played every infield position and even pitched in five games. He batted .265, and by 1994 was through. Almost.
During the baseball strike of 1995, Sarbaugh suited up as a Indians replacement player in spring training.
In retrospect, he said, it was a desperation move to prolong his playing career and something he kind of regrets. Whether the decision will ultimately hurt his coaching career is yet to be seen.
"I don't know," he said. "It happened and you just move on."
Paul Assenmacher, a reliever from the '95 Indians, said seeing replacements cross the picket line didn't sit well with striking players, but it happened so long ago. "The players he would be managing," he said, "wouldn't be aware of the anxiety that went on."
A big chunk of the Indians' future -- players such as Tomlin and infielders Jason Kipnis and Lonnie Chisenhall -- were in little league when all that labor stuff went down. Ask the younger guys about their experience with Sarbaugh and you get rave reviews: relates well to players, is a players' coach, approachable, good at giving constructive criticism, doesn't over-manage.
"He's helped me with loads of things," Kipnis said. "One thing he's probably helped with the most is the mental aspect of the game -- maybe not toning it down, but calming down and not putting so much emphasis on every single at-bat. He really kind of helped me see how long a journey a season really is."
"I know," said Chisenhall, "he'll be in the major leagues some day, and he'll be there a long time."
Indians outfielder Trevor Crowe, who has played for Sarbaugh at every minor-league level, said he thought this year was Sarbaugh's best because he managed a roster of players shuttled between Cleveland and Columbus all season. They kept right on winning, first the International League and then another AAA national championship.
"I can't tell you how hard it is to win at the Triple A level," said Dale Owens, general manager of the AAA Louisville Bats, explaining that managers must figure out how to motivate players who don't want to be there. At least not for long.
"[Sarbaugh's] great at that," Owens said. "His kids play hard, you can see that. He's able to reach them so they never lose that hope."
When Sarbaugh's team won its second straight national title, this one over Omaha in Albuquerque, N.M., last week, Columbus didn't throw a parade. The team plane landed about 3 a.m., and, by 4, probably half the players were packed and gone.
In the minors, winning is nice. But that's about all.
The Sarbaugh file
Minor-league managerial record: 622-442 (.585 winning percentage).
Age: 44
Personal: Married with two sons, 11 and 9, and a daughter, 7.
Indians career: 1990-94 as a minor league player; 1995-present as coach or manager.
Managerial influences: Former Indians manager Eric Wedge, former Indians player and coach Chris Bando, and career minor-league manager Gordon MacKenzie, the first manager he ever worked for.
Managerial approach: “I try to be a good communicator, that’s the first thing. It’s very important as a leader just to let them know where I stand to let them know what to expect.”
Handling players who get demoted: “Players need a few days to deal with it mentally and emotionally. I think each player’s different, but I always try to give them a few days to settle back in and [then] let’s get to work.”
Phillie fanatic: Was a huge Philadelphia fan growing up in eastern Pennsylvania. Finally got to meet former Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa, who came to a Columbus game at Lehigh Valley this summer to watch his nephew, Clippers first baseman Nick Johnson.
Quickie analysis
Mike Sarbaugh has managed many of the Indians’ young players at some level. He agreed to play a little word association about some of them:
Jason Kipnis — Athlete.
Lonnie Chisenhall — Natural.
Jeanmar Gomez — Competitor
Carlos Carasco — Stuff. He just has good stuff.
Jason Donald — Gamer.
Shelley Duncan — Ultimate gamer. Shelley’s one of my all-time favorite players. He is intense, he thinks along with the game, he works hard, especially with his baseball family. He’s a breath of fresh air. He’s old school and he’s new school.
Luis Valbuena — He just loves to play the game.
Carlos Santana — Great hitter.
Ezequiel Carrera — Smooth.
Josh Tomlin — He can pitch.
— Bill Lubinger
Re: Minor Matters
1207Yet another 0-fer for the Indians farm sytem. No one from Akron on the Eastern League Top 20. Very likely we rank No. 30 in the majors for farmsystem talent; we have not plumbed the depths for decades.
Re: Minor Matters
1208ONe question on Aeros with a predictable answer:
JC (VT): Did Indians catcher Chun Chen get any support from the people you talked to?
John Manuel: I'll say modest support from the scouts and not much from the managers. He is a catcher; he has that going for him. But it's a thick body that didn't measure up in comparison to more athletic backstops in this league like Romine, d'Arnaud, Norris, etc. Pretty interesting league for catchers. Not a lot going on prospect-wise in Akron this year.
JC (VT): Did Indians catcher Chun Chen get any support from the people you talked to?
John Manuel: I'll say modest support from the scouts and not much from the managers. He is a catcher; he has that going for him. But it's a thick body that didn't measure up in comparison to more athletic backstops in this league like Romine, d'Arnaud, Norris, etc. Pretty interesting league for catchers. Not a lot going on prospect-wise in Akron this year.
Re: Minor Matters
1209Jack Torry (Washington, D.C.): Did Austin Adams of Akron rate consideration?
John Manuel: He may have been Akron's top prospect, though he's probably a reliever. I loved that guy out of Faulkner (Ala.), athletic little quick-armed RHP, durable body, low-90s velo as a starter with an inconsistent breaking ball. I could see him being a 95-98 mph guy as a setup guy or closer with a better slider, but he has a thick, durable lower half and might be able to stay a starter. He's pretty interesting.
John Manuel: He may have been Akron's top prospect, though he's probably a reliever. I loved that guy out of Faulkner (Ala.), athletic little quick-armed RHP, durable body, low-90s velo as a starter with an inconsistent breaking ball. I could see him being a 95-98 mph guy as a setup guy or closer with a better slider, but he has a thick, durable lower half and might be able to stay a starter. He's pretty interesting.
Re: Minor Matters
1210Mike's been a favorite of mine since the 2008 season.
“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is.”
-- Bob Feller
-- Bob Feller
Re: Minor Matters
1211During the baseball strike of 1995, Sarbaugh suited up as a Indians replacement player in spring training.
In retrospect, he said, it was a desperation move to prolong his playing career and something he kind of regrets. Whether the decision will ultimately hurt his coaching career is yet to be seen.
"I don't know," he said. "It happened and you just move on."
Paul Assenmacher, a reliever from the '95 Indians, said seeing replacements cross the picket line didn't sit well with striking players, but it happened so long ago. "The players he would be managing," he said, "wouldn't be aware of the anxiety that went on."
In retrospect, he said, it was a desperation move to prolong his playing career and something he kind of regrets. Whether the decision will ultimately hurt his coaching career is yet to be seen.
"I don't know," he said. "It happened and you just move on."
Paul Assenmacher, a reliever from the '95 Indians, said seeing replacements cross the picket line didn't sit well with striking players, but it happened so long ago. "The players he would be managing," he said, "wouldn't be aware of the anxiety that went on."
Re: Minor Matters
1212I remember Mike from that "team" and wondered if the story would mention it. That's a hard roster to recall since nearly everyone came from nowhere and disappeared back to the same place. Fellow farm system guy turned manager Rouglas Odor was on the replacement team, I believe. Other names I can recall are few: Joe Slusarski at the top of the rotation; Donnie Hood in CF; a guy named Waring (?) at 1st base; someone at 2nd or 3rd whose name recalles Jim Baxes who was on the Indians in 58-59 but I don't recall this guy anymore. I guess this totally useless information has mostly been displaced by more toally useless information in my personal database of useless information. I suppose I can look it up somewhere.
Re: Minor Matters
1213Jesus Aguillar who's too young for these league, debuted in fine form with two hits inlcuding a 2 run homer.
CLE AFL Aguilar, Jesus 1B 4 2 2 2 .500 HR (1)
CLE AFL Aguilar, Jesus 1B 4 2 2 2 .500 HR (1)
