Friday, Nov. 2, 2012

Major controversy: Fighters catcher Shinya Tsuruoka speaks to home plate umpire Koichi Yanada after Giants batter Ken Kato fell to the ground after a pitch in the fourth inning of Game 4 of the Japan Series on Thursday. Hokkaido Nippon Ham pitcher Kazahito Tadano was ejected after Tsuruoka ruled he had hit Kato, but replays showed otherwise. KYODO

Game 5 marred by mistaken HBP call, Tadano ejection

By JASON COSKREY

SAPPORO —

For a few tense seconds it looked like Ken Kato had been hit in the head by a pitch.

As Kazuhito Tadano's offering broke inside to the right-handed hitting Kato, squared up for a bunt attempt, the Yomiuri Giants catcher's body twisted violently toward the ground, and he immediately reached for his head and writhed around in the batter's box as Giants manager Tatsunori Hara jogged out of the dugout.

From there, the scene took on an aberrant air.

Home plate umpire Koichi Yanada initially held his hands up and seemed to be calling a foul ball. After being attended to by Hara and the training staff, however, Kato got up and began taking off his batting gear.

Replays clearly showed Kato had avoided being hit, and may not have even gotten his bat on the ball, but Yanada ruled Kato had been hit and awarded him first base, sending the Sapporo Dome crowd into an uproar.

It was the call Game 5 of this Japan Series will be remembered for. The Giants won the game 10-2, and in fact were ahead 5-2 at the time, but even without having a direct impact on the outcome, the events of the fourth inning may be talked about for some time.

Fighters manager Hideki Kuriyama shot out of the dugout and argued at length that Kato had not been hit, but Yanada would not be swayed.

"Well the ump saw what he saw, and we saw differently," Kuriyama said after the game. "The thing is, there was a verbal misunderstanding between us and them, and I told them there was no way I could be convinced like that."

To add insult to injury, Tadano was thrown out of the game under the NPB rule regarding dangerous pitches, even though his pitch failed to hit Kato.

"From where we were, it seemed he was going for a bunt and missed the ball, so it was a strike," Kuriyama said. "We said we didn't think it hit him, and the umpire said that it looked like it did. What can you say?

"But he didn't say that initially. I didn't mean to make him change the call or anything, because I knew it wouldn't be overturned. I respect the umpires, but when they do something we don't understand, we come out and talk to them."

Catcher Shinya Tsuruoka said he thought the ball may have caught some of Kato's bat, and hinted that Yanada had changed his ruling during the aftermath.

Kuriyama stopped well short of criticizing the umpires. He and Yanada are former teammates from their days with the Yakult Swallows in the late 1980s and he had kind words for the umpire despite the disputed call.

"He is so serious and works so hard," the Fighters manager said. "But it didn't matter whether I knew him or whether it was against the Giants or anything else."

The manager was equally nonplussed about the possibility of being tossed as he continued to argue the call.

"I told him that he could throw me out of the game if he wanted," Kuriyama said.

Kuriyama accepted that the call had gone against his team, saying it's part of the game.

"You can say anything after you see the replay," he said. "That's cheating. You can't play this game without the umpires.

"It's not like the umpires can't make mistakes. They are doing their best."

Fighters fans were not nearly as forgiving. They showered Kato with vociferous booing during his two next at-bats. As Kato stepped into the box, he was met with the full brunt of the fans' disgust in a show of vitriol that reached levels rarely seen in Japanese baseball.

Kato shook it off and hit a two run double, in the fifth and singled under similar conditions in the seventh.

"I had forgotten myself," Kato said.

Kato, playing because of an injury suffered by regular catcher Shinnosuke Abe during Game 3, said little more about the incident.

"I panicked a little because it came near my face and I've been hit before," he said, referring to being struck during a game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on Sept. 4, 2009.

Kuriyama was appreciative of the fans' outpouring of emotion, probably the only positive the Fighters can take out of Game 5 as they try to put everything behind them and prepare for Game 6 on Saturday at Tokyo Dome.

"That ... you don't really see that happen here," Kuriyama said. "I really do appreciate them for that. They fight with us and had the same level of frustration as we did. That made us so happy. I'm not going to forget about today for the rest of my life. Not because of the frustration, but because of the appreciation of the fans.

"In order to pay them back, we need to win. After seeing something like that, it really makes me feel that becoming the manager is paying off. It's a shame we lost today, but at the same time, I feel baseball is really fun."

Cuba rolled through Mexico on their way to Asia in preparations for the World Baseball Classic

CUBA vs MEXICO (25-30 October)

Game # 1
10/25/2012
CUBA 13 MEXICO 1

Game # 2
10/26/2012
MEXICO 1 CUBA 7

Game # 3
10/27/2012
CUBA 11 MEXICO 0

Game # 4
10/28/2012
MEXICO 0 CUBA 14

Juego #5,
10/30/2012
CUBA 4 MEXICO 0

In all fairness to the Mexican team, they fielded most of their players from their Summer League with some of their top university players and some players from the Mexican Winter League.

I guess the stat that really stands out is the Cuban team's lack of power in this series. Only 1 homer, 1 triple, and 10 doubles for a team that's packed with punch. Not surprising is the amount of runs surrendered, only 2, from a team that has an exeptional pitching staff.


Ismel Jimenez worked flawlessly with 10 strikeouts in just five innings of work leading the staff in the series.

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Granma's Yordanis Samon had the only homer in the series. His Granma teammate who broke the Cuban all-time homer record for a season in 2012 had no homers.

Friday, Nov. 2, 2012

Ramirez has surgery on right elbow

Kyodo

YOKOHAMA —

Yokohama BayStars outfielder Alex Ramirez has undergone endoscopic surgery to clean out his ailing right elbow, the team said Thursday.

The 38-year-old Ramirez will have a rehab assignment with the farm team in Yokosuka once he is ready to return to work, the team added. He can begin throwing catch in about a month.

Ramirez, a two-time home run king in the Central League, is just seven shy of his 2,000th career hit in Japanese baseball.

Braves' Mejia goes deep twice for Aguilas

First baseman goes 3-for-4, drives in three in first-place Zulia's win

11/03/12 1:41 AM ET
Venezuelan Winter League

Zulia 8, La Guaira 1

Atlanta first baseman Ernesto Mejia went yard twice, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs to help the first-place Aguilas improve to 12-6. Miami right-hander Josh Schmidt scattered a run on two hits and two walks while fanning five over seven innings for his first win in Venezuela. Philadelphia's Darin Ruf belted his ninth home run in 18 games for the Tiburones in the loss.

Caracas 8, Aragua 2

Astros outfielder Brandon Barnes went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs and Cubs starter Yoanner Negrin worked six scoreless frames, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out eight. Ramon Castro led the Tigres with a pair of hits.

Margarita 3, Lara 2 (10 innings)

Cesar Hernandez (Phillies) and Javier Brito homered for the Bravos, with Brito slapping a walk-off single in the 10th to clinch the victory. Max Ramirez (Royals) also went 3-for-4 with a double in the win. Seattle's Gabriel Noriega paced the Cardenales, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Magallenes 10, Caribes 4

Darwin Perez (Angels) provided a home run and scored three times from the leadoff spot to lead the second-place Navegantes. Chris Nowak homered and plated four runs and Carlos Maldonado went yard, as well. Toronto's Balbino Fuenmayor supplied a two-run double in the ninth for the Caribes.

Dominican Winter League

Escogido 6, Gigantes 4

Top Yankees prospect Gary Sanchez hit a three-run shot and Mauro Gomez (Red Sox) added a two-run homer to help the Leones take down the Gigantes. Seattle outfielder Carlos Peguero led the Cibao effort, going 2-for-4 with a solo home run.

Toros 12, Licey 3

Jose Constanza (Braves) went a perfect 5-for-5, driving in two runs and scoring three times and Diory Hernandez (Cubs) went 1-for-3 with four RBIs as the Toros leapfrogged the Tigres out of last place. Texas outfielder Engel Beltre went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a run in the loss.

Aguilas 13, Estrellas 6

The Angels' Efren Navarro went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer while Hector Luna (Pirates) and Tim Fedroff (Indians) both went deep, as well, as second-place Cibaenas toppled first-place Oriente. Michael Bowden (Cubs) was strong for Estrellas, yielding a run on four hits and a walk with four strikeouts over four innings without factoring into the decision.

Mexican Pacific League

Guasave 5, Navojoa 3

Zelous Wheeler (Orioles) went 2-for-4 with his second home run in 18 games for the Algodoneros, a two-run shot in the third. Chris Colabello (Twins) also provided a two-run homer, going 2-for-2 with two walks in the contest. Matt Padgett went 2-for-4 with a double for the Mayos.

Obregon 5, Hermosillo 3

Major League veteran Willy Taveras went 3-for-4 and fellow vet Alfredo Amezaga went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI to power the Yaquis' offense. Braves prospect Todd Cunningham went 1-for-5 with a run for the Naranjeros.

Mexicali 5, Los Mochis 3

Miami's Gil Velazquez went 1-for-3 with a run out of the two-hole and fellow Marlins farmhand Luke Montz went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run for the Aguilas. Catcher Saul Soto went 2-for-3 with a home run for the Caneros.

Culiacan 7, Mazatlan 2

The Angels' Cory Aldridge hit a two-run homer in the eighth, his 11th of the Pacific League season. Ronnier Mustelier (Yankees) went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs for the Tomateros, as well. Joey Butler (Rangers) reached base four times for the Venados, going 1-for-1 with a double, an RBI and three walks.

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Venezuelan Winter League

•Hector Rondon (RP, Leones del Caracas): 0.2 IP. Things are really starting to look up for Rondon. After a slow start, he seems to have settled in and has now not allowed a run in any of his past four outings. He was extremely efficient on Friday as he needed only three pitches to record two outs.

Dominican Winter League
•Jose Ramirez (2B, Toros del Este): 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K. From a statistical standpoint, it could be argued that no Indians prospect had a stronger season than Ramirez in 2012. Friday’s game was only Ramirez’s third in the DWL so far, and hopefully it was a sign of more good things to come.

•Tim Fedroff (LF, Aguilas Cibaenas): 1-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 K. It’s nice to see Fedroff launch his first home run of the winter season. Fedroff certainly became one of the more popular Indians prospects during the 2012 season, and it’s easy to see why when you consider the great season that he had. Fedroff has now recorded a hit in 10 out of the 12 games that he has played in the DWL.

•Juan Diaz (SS, Estrellas de Oriente): 0-for-2, 1 R. Diaz has really struggled so far in the DWL. In nine games, he has now gone 4-for-21.

Cuba Baseball Team Set for Asian Tour

by Ray Otero (Translation: C. Robinson)

November 2, 2012

The Cuban Baseball Federation has named the 29 players selected to travel to Chinese Taipei and Japan in November as a prelude to the upcoming World Baseball Classic III to be held in March 2013.
Holguin shortstop Yordan Manduley made Team Cuba for the Asian tour after being the top Cuban batter during five exhibition games in Mexico during October.

The latest addition to Team Cuba is Holguin shortstop Yordan Manduley, rewarded for his stellar performance in five exhibition games in Mexico during October where he hit a team leading .500.

The squad leaves in the coming hours for Taiwan where they will play three games against an all-star selection of the country’s professional league on November 10, 11 and 13.

The Cubans will then travel to Japan for games on November 16 and 18 to play against a team managed by Koji Yamamoto, who will also manage the Japanese in the coming WBC.

Japan won the first two Classic’s, defeating Cuba in the final game in 2006 and South Korea in 2009.

Here’s the Cuban squad heading to Taiwan and Japan for the tune-up games. Right-hander Yadier Pedroso was a late scratch from the list due to discomfort in his pitching arm.

Pitchers (11):

Odrisamer Despaigne, Ismel Jiménez, Pablo Millán Fernández, Freddy Asiel Álvarez, Norberto González (LZ), Vladimir García, Leandro Martínez (LZ), Yoannis Year (LZ), Darién Núñez (LZ), Dalier Hinojosa, and Félix Fuentes.

Catchers (3):

Ariel Pestano, Frank Camilo Morejón, and Yulexis La Rosa.

Infielders (9):

José Dariel Abreu (1B), Alexánder Malleta (1B), Juan Carlos Torriente (2B), José Miguel Fernández (2B), Erisbel Arruebarruena (SS), Yordan Manduley (SS), Yulieski Gourriel (3B), Michel Enríquez (3B), and Yurisbel Gracial (3B)

Outfielders (6):

Alfredo Despaigne, Frederich Cepeda, Rusney Castillo, Guillermo Heredia, Yasmani Tomás, and Alexei Bell.

The manager of Team Cuba is Victor Mesa backed by a staff of coaches and trainers headed by Jorge Fuentes.

I wish that seven or eight of those Cuban ballplayers defect and we claim all of them

Where's Jesus Aguilar ?!?!?!?!

I haven't seen neither hide nor hair from Aguilar in any of the boxscores since last Friday (over a week now). I guess the 18 strikeouts in 34 at bats could explain a lot. The averages are nothing to write home about, down right sad. No artilcles have popped u[ concerning an injury or being "fired". He could have been sent down to the Leones parallel team which often happens when a team does no want to send a player packing in the hopes that a player will fully recover from an injury or just rotten play.

CARACAS. -

The starting pitching for Leones del Caracas, so far, is the major cause of concern for manager Rick Sweet and the coaching staff of the Lions. Next week though, new and fresh faces arrive, With the debut of Armando Galarraga (Saturday in Margarita), Jhoulys Chacin and the arrival of Livan Hernandez, the Caracas starting rotation will have a staff consisting of at least three major leaguers that saw action in 2012. "Livan is rostered on Monday. He is ready and he can probably be the opener on Tuesday, " said team president, Luis Avila. The three will join Guillermo Moscoso and Victor Garate in the starting rotation with Thad Weber, due to report on Friday.

YAN GOMES

2012 Offseason Leagues

Toros del Este

Well! Jesus Aguilar is alive and well......I guess.

After a week's worth of picking splinters from his butt, and with Caracas leading 6-5 after 7, Aguilar ripped a pinch hit double in the 8th and was removed from the game in favor of a pinch runner.

Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012
We are the champions: The Yomiuri Giants celebrate their Japan Series title on Saturday evening after beating the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters 4-3 in Game 6 at Tokyo Dome. KYODO

Giants capture Japan Series title

Veteran pitcher Utsumi earns Series MVP accolade

By JASON COSKREY

Shinnosuke Abe led the Yomiuri Giants to the Central League pennant, nearly won the Triple Crown, and will more than likely be named CL MVP in a few weeks.


The decisive play: Giants captain Shinnosuke Abe delivers the game-winning single off Fighters pitcher Yuya Ishii in the seventh inning on Saturday. KYODO

His final swing of the season? Just the hit that helped deliver another Japan Series title to the Kyojin's already crowded trophy case.

Abe drove in the tiebreaking run in the seventh and the Yomiuri bullpen took it from there, as the Giants won the Japan Series with a 4-3 victory over the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in Game 6 on Saturday night at Tokyo Dome.

"Today we played a hard fought and close game," Giants manager Tatsunori Hara said. "It was a fitting climax to the Japan Series, where the outcome was not decided until the end."

The Giants won the series 4-2 to claim their record 22nd title. Tetsuya Utsumi, the winning pitcher in Games 1 and 5, was named Japan Series MVP.

"I didn't expect to be chosen MVP of the Japan Series," Utsumi said.

"It's a great honor for me."

Abe and teammates Hisayoshi Chono and John Bowker were given Outstanding Player awards. Nippon Ham's Atsunori Inaba was the recipient of the Fighting Spirit award, given to the top player from the losing team.

The probable regular-season MVP, Abe, hit just .258 at the plate during the postseason, something which was probably all but forgotten after his clutch hit in the seventh.

"It was fitting Abe got the game-winning hit," Hara said. "He is our team leader and had a great season."

Chono began the inning with a walk and advanced to second on Tetsuya Matsumoto's sacrifice bunt. Hayato Sakamoto struck out, but Abe's run-scoring single up the middle off Yuya Ishii broke a 3-3 tie.

Abe was playing for the first time since being pulled out of the fourth inning of Game 3 after feeling discomfort in his right leg. He was retired in his first two at-bats and walked in his third, before his big hit.

The Giants won everything put in front of them this year. The Kyojin became the first Central League team to win the interleague crown and went on the claim the CL pennant by 10½ games.

Yomiuri fell behind 3-1 against the Chunichi Dragons in the CL Climax Series final stage, but won three straight to punch its ticket for the Japanese version of the Fall Classic.

The Kyojin won the first two games of the Japan Series, before losing Games 3 and 4 at Sapporo Dome. Yomiuri rallied behind Utsumi and a strong offensive showing to win Game 5, setting the stage for Saturday's celebration.

"The word 'team' should be stressed," Hara said. "We played as a team. I used many players and different lineups and it all came together."


Japan Series MVP Tetsuya Utsumi

In an interesting coincidence, the San Francisco Giants won this year's World Series, marking the first time the two clubs, which share the same colors and nickname — though little else as Yomiuri identifies more with the New York Yankees — won their respective championships in the same season.

Co-Central League hits leaders Chono and Sakamoto continued their strong performances at the plate.

Chono finished 2-for-3, and Sakamoto also recorded a pair of hits.

Chono, who finished the series hitting .375, hit a solo homer, his second of the series, in the second inning. Both of Chono's home runs came against Fighters starter Masaru Takeda.

Kenji Yano was 1-for-4 and opened the scoring with a two-run single in bottom of the first. Yano's hit turned out to be a good omen for the Kyojin, as the team that scored first won all six games of the series.

"Because Chono and Abe were playing through pain, we wanted to get on the board first," Yano said, referencing the leg injuries the pair suffered earlier in the series.

Kyosuke Takagi retired the only batter he faced and earned the series-clinching win in relief. Scott Mathieson threw a scoreless eighth, and Tetsuya Yamaguchi walked a batter and allowed a hit in the ninth, but kept Nippon Ham from scoring and picked up the save.

Hirokazu Sawamura got the start for Yomiuri and was cruising along before allowing a three-run homer to Sho Nakata in the sixth. That snapped a streak of 19 scoreless postseason innings for Sawamura.

"I was trying to pitch inside but wasn't able to locate the pitch where I wanted," Sawamura said. "It went a little high and he didn't miss it."

For Nippon Ham, the loss represented another recent autumn disappointment for the Fighters. Since moving to Hokkaido is 2004, the team has won at a near-prolific rate in the Pacific League, capturing four pennants and winning the PL Climax Series on four occasions.

That success hasn't carried over to the Japan Series. Nippon Ham beat the Chunichi Dragons for the title in 2006 but has now lost in their last three appearances.

Asked to give a message to the Giants' fans, Hara flipped the script and spoke to the opposing team's supporters.

"I have a message for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters fans," Hara said.

"Your team fought a hard fight and all the Fighters players and manager (Hideki) Kuriyama had a great season. We beat a great team."


After the conclusion: Giants manager Tatsunori Hara and Fighters skipper Hideki Kuriyama speak after Game 6. KYODO

Nakata finished 1-for-3 and drove in all the Fighters' runs with his homer. Yoshio Itoi was 2-for-5, and Eiichi Koyano finished 1-for-3 to end the series with a .348 batting average.

Takeda lasted two innings and allowed three runs on four hits. The left-hander has lost four straight Japan Series starts and was in line to add a fifth defeat to that list before Nakata's home run.

"I feel sorry that I caused problems for the team because I wasn't good enough," Takeda said.

In the end, the Giants were just too much for the Fighters.

"We took it all the way to the end and brought home the championship," Hara said. "To our players staff and fans, congratulations."

Samurai Japan will take on Cuba

The Samurai Japan will take on the Cuban national team on November 16 at Yahoo Dome in Fukuoka and again on November 18 at Sapporo Dome. The team members for the Samurai Blue will be announced on November 6.

Dodgers' Gordon comes up big in Licey rout

Shortstop triples, drives in three as part of Tigres' 16-hit assault in Dominican League

11/04/12 1:45 AM ET
Dee Gordon came into Saturday batting .326 through 11 Dominican League games. (Travis K. Mendoza/MiLB.com)

Dominican Winter League

Licey 10, Estrellas 1

Dodgers shortstop Dee Gordon tripled and drove in a game-high three runs to lead the Tigres in a romp over Oriente. Rangers' No. 2 prospect Mike Olt, Frisco teammate Engel Beltre and Dodgers prospect Tim Federowicz each scored twice as Licey tallied 16 hits in the contest. The lone Estrellas run came on a solo homer by Felix Pie (Dodgers) in the first.

Toros 3, Gigantes 0

Aneury Rodriguez (Astros) tossed five three-hit innings, striking out five without a walk, and three relievers worked four hitless frames as Este shut out Cibao to extend its winning streak to four. Eugenio Velez (Cardinals) doubled and scored in the second and added two insurance runs with a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth.

Aguilas 4, Leones 3 (13 innings)

Tampa Bay's Omar Luna came home on a base hit by Hector Luna (Pirates) in the bottom of the 13th inning to give Aquilas the victory in Saturday's marathon contest. The Rays' Luna also tied the game in the seventh with a two-run single. The two teams combined to use 16 different pitchers in the game.

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 8, Anzoategui 7

Leadoff hitter Joe Thurston (Twins) went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored and fellow Minnesota farmhand Jairo Perez added a two-run homer to lead the Cardenales to victory. The Caribes cut the deficit to one in the eighth, but closer Cesar Jimenez (Mariners) retired the final five batters to preserve the win.

La Guaira 5, Aragua 4

Dodgers' No. 10 prospect Alex Castellanos drove in the winning run with a base hit in the bottom of the ninth. Fellow LA prospect C.J. Retherford paced the Tiburones, going 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs. Twins' No. 5 prospect Oswaldo Arcia went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs in the losing effort. Box score

Caracas 6, Margarita 5

A two-run double by Luis Rodriguez (Mariners) in the top of the eighth proved to be the difference as the Leones came from behind to defeat Margarita. Daniel Mayora (Giants) scored twice for Caracas while Major League veteran Sean Burroughs paced the Bravos, scoring once and driving in a pair.

Zulia 6, Magallanes 5

The first-place Aguilas put up five runs in the top of the first inning and held on to stretch their lead over the Navegantes to two games. Freddy Galvis (Phillies) went 3-for-5 with a run-scoring double and Felix Perez (Reds) drove in two for Zulia.

Mexican Pacific League

Culiacan 6, Mazatlan 1

Alejandro Armenta went seven strong innings for the Tomateros, allowing one run on five hits and a walk. Venados left fielder Maxwell Leon went 2-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Mexicali 4, Los Mochis 1

Red Sox right-hander Marco Duarte struck out a season-high 10 batters over seven scoreless innings for Mexicali. Luke Montz (Marlins), playing in his second game in the league, homered for the Aguilas and added the night's final two runs with a double in the eighth.

Obregon 9, Hermosillo 7

The Yaquis rallied to improve to 12-7 on the season. Barbaro Canizares went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs and Carlos Valencia added his fifth homer -- a three-run shot in the seventh. Former Major Leaguer Karim Garcia doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Naranjeros. Gameday box score

Guasave 9, Navajoa 6

Jesus Cota and Mario Valenzuela both homered and Jose Felix drove in a game-high three runs as Guasave rode a six-run seventh inning to victory. Rolando Acosta and Jonny Kaplan each homered for the Mayos, who dropped their second straight game to fall to 6-13.

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Dominican Winter League

•Juan Diaz: SS, Estrellas de Oriente: 0-for-3: Diaz continues to struggle in the DWL, hitting only .167 in nine games. He’s always a player that seems to be walking the line of either being a solid prospect, or just another fill player. With the players behind him, I fear he’s the latter, and not the former.

•Tim Fedroff: LF, Aguilas Cibaenas: 1-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K: Fedroff has a four-game hit streak, even though he’s only hitting .250 on the season. So far, he only has one extra-base hit in the DWL.

Aguilas Bottom of the 13th

Julio Lugo remains in the game as the second baseman.
Defensive switch from second base to third base for Buck Britton.
Pitching Change: Lendy Castillo replaces Carlos Pimentel.
Omar Luna hit by pitch.
Tim Fedroff out on a sacrifice bunt, pitcher Lendy Castillo to first baseman Pedro Feliz. Omar Luna to 2nd.
Hector Luna singles on a soft line drive to center fielder Gregory Polanco. Omar Luna scores.

•Jose Ramirez: SS, Toros del Este: 1-for-4, 1 R, 2 K: So, Ramirez is hitting .400…go figure. Ramirez has a hit in every game that he’s had an at bat, continues to showcase the type of hitting that will eventually land him in the big leagues. Ramirez is another guy that has a lot to prove, as he really is coming out of obscurity into the top of the Indians prospect list.
•Yan Gomes: 3B, Toros del Este: 0-for-1, 1 K: Gomes celebrated his first day with the Indians by striking out. With that said, he’s struggled with Toros, to the tune of a .171/.237/.314 slash line.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Jesus Aguilar: PH, Leones del Caracas: 1-for-1, 1 2B: Aguilar roped his fourth double in 12 games in the VWL, but he’s yet to have a multi-hit game. Of his eight hits, five are extra base hits, including a home run.

•Gregorio Petit: PR/SS, Leones del Caracas: Petit’s only hitting .138, and it’s doubtful that he’ll be back with the Indians in 2013, even as a fill player.

Seen nearly all of the Aguilas games so far. Gotta say that I'm impressed with Tim Fedroff. He may only have one extra base hit and no multihit games but he's doing all the little things like sacrificing (as he did on Saturday), moving baserunners, showing a lot of patience, going deep into the count (4 of his hits, including his homer have come on two strike pitches), and showing good range in leftfield. I can't help but think that there will be a spot open for Fedroff this spring. Nothing he's done this winter should hinder his bid for a major league job.

Fedroff was hitting in the leadoff spot to begin the season. During the stretch where he had his only two non-hit games, Felix Fermin moved Fedroff to the ninth spot in the lineup responding with a single and a walk. The next game, Fermin moved Fedroff to the second spot in the lineup. He's been in that spot for a week now showing the ability to sacrifice, moving baserunners, giving the offense a spark. Considering that all of Fedroff's appearances, with the exception of two games, have come from the leadoff or number 2 spot in the lineup, I don't think Fermin expects a lot of power from Fedroff, just continue to do the job for which number 2's are known for.

The Dominican is a very tough league to hit in. Always has been. There are a few pitchers this year that topped the 100 mph mark. I would guess that pretty much all of them serve the ball up at 92-95 and they all have secondary pitches and in many cases a third pitch. All are working on pitches to give them a better chance of making their associated major league ballclubs.

So! I think Fedroff is holding his own quite well.