Re: Articles
5462Civ,
I've been optimistic about this thing. Remember! I called this one back in July
The only down side I had was making the playoffs without solid backup.
I was hoping for one or two veteran presences on the team that had some decent power numbers that also had some playoff experience. Lucroy and Beltre would have been perfect in that perfect world. Soler and Puig would have also fit the bill. Naquin and Chisenhall have done a nice job but they are not playoff tested. Neither are Perez and Gimenez. Coco Crisp and Guyer were not the presences I had in mind.
On the other hand, I would have preferred Yandy Diaz over any of the above mentioned names even though he hasn't had that experience that I would be hoping for. The good thing about Diaz and all the Cuban players, they've played on that pressure stage under their various International competitions and their own programs in Cuba not to mention the WBC. As we have seen, these players didn't need much minor league experience to exploit the MLB.
Salazar's loss was a big hit but I think Francona has enough pieces to offset the loss and besides, he is very good at managing a pitching staff under game conditions. The pitching staff still remains the strength of the team and we'll only go as far as the staff permits us to go.
I've been optimistic about this thing. Remember! I called this one back in July
The only down side I had was making the playoffs without solid backup.
I was hoping for one or two veteran presences on the team that had some decent power numbers that also had some playoff experience. Lucroy and Beltre would have been perfect in that perfect world. Soler and Puig would have also fit the bill. Naquin and Chisenhall have done a nice job but they are not playoff tested. Neither are Perez and Gimenez. Coco Crisp and Guyer were not the presences I had in mind.
On the other hand, I would have preferred Yandy Diaz over any of the above mentioned names even though he hasn't had that experience that I would be hoping for. The good thing about Diaz and all the Cuban players, they've played on that pressure stage under their various International competitions and their own programs in Cuba not to mention the WBC. As we have seen, these players didn't need much minor league experience to exploit the MLB.
Salazar's loss was a big hit but I think Francona has enough pieces to offset the loss and besides, he is very good at managing a pitching staff under game conditions. The pitching staff still remains the strength of the team and we'll only go as far as the staff permits us to go.
“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: Articles
5463Ur butts a stranger.
Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
Re: Articles
5464Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer labels beat writer Paul Hoynes a "coward"
Bauer later made sure there was no confusion about whether he was serious or not...
By Jason Lukehart @JasonLukehart Sep 18, 2016
Saturday afternoon Carlos Carrasco suffered a fractured finger when his second pitch of the game was lined back up the middle. The injury almost certainly means his season over, a tough break for the pitcher and for the Cleveland Indians, whose starting rotation will also be without All-Star Danny Salazar the rest of the way. Paul Hoynes, Indians beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer (and its internet arm, Cleveland.com), tweeted "Sept. 17: Remember the date because that's when Indians' postseason dreams ended before they began." The purpose of the tweet was to send out a link to his recap of the day's game, which opened with the line, "The Indians won a ballgame Saturday afternoon, but their postseason dreams ended." If you notice how definitive Hoynes' choice of words was, you are not alone.
Sunday morning Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis quote-tweeted Hoynes, adding "The don't bother showing up the rest of the way... Can write from home if you already know how this one plays out!" As it turns out, Hoynes did stay home on Sunday. He explained later it was a scheduled day off, and I fully believe that, but not everyone in the Tribe clubhouse was interested in explanations. Trevor Bauer, probably the team's most-active tweeter, and rarely one to sugarcoat what he's thinking, tweeted, "I noticed @hoynsie wasn't at the game today doing his job like the rest of us were. To say what he did and then not show up for work? #coward"
It's almost possible to read that as a joke, if only because that level of public criticism of a reporter by a player is pretty rare, but a few minutes later, in response to someone else speculation that perhaps Hoynes had taken Kipnis up on his suggestion, Bauer followed up with, "hopefully he doesn't come back. No one here has any time for his BS and no one respects him. He's not welcome here"
Those are very serious words, not so much for expressing Bauer's personal opinion on Hoynes, but for their claim to speak for the entire team. Now, that doesn't mean those words do actually speak for the entire team, but it seems highly unlikely that Bauer pulled that sentiment out of thin air. It also doesn't feel like Bauer's reaction is just about Hoynes' words from Saturday and absence on Sunday; this seems much more like something that's built upon a series of events, encounters, and discussions.
The role of a beat writer for a newspaper or website is generally pretty different from the role of a columnist. Columnists generally don't spend all that much time in the locker room, or speak with players extensively, and their columns tend to be opinion-based. Beat writers interact with players on an almost daily basis for more than half the year, and their columns tend to involve passing along factual information and perhaps some analysis, without much editorializing. In this case, Hoynes seems to have put himself out of bounds, and while he said Sunday night, "I wrote what I wrote because that's what I believe," what he believes isn't of much interest to the people he's responsible for covering during the season, especially if his belief amounts to these guys have no chance, and his comments may interfere with his ability to do his job, and at the very least is likely to make for some awkward moments.
The Indians are off on Monday, but Tuesday they'll be back at Progressive Field, and Hoynes will be there as well. It will be very interesting to see what develops with this situation, as the team closes in on its first division title since 2007.
Bauer later made sure there was no confusion about whether he was serious or not...
By Jason Lukehart @JasonLukehart Sep 18, 2016
Saturday afternoon Carlos Carrasco suffered a fractured finger when his second pitch of the game was lined back up the middle. The injury almost certainly means his season over, a tough break for the pitcher and for the Cleveland Indians, whose starting rotation will also be without All-Star Danny Salazar the rest of the way. Paul Hoynes, Indians beat writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer (and its internet arm, Cleveland.com), tweeted "Sept. 17: Remember the date because that's when Indians' postseason dreams ended before they began." The purpose of the tweet was to send out a link to his recap of the day's game, which opened with the line, "The Indians won a ballgame Saturday afternoon, but their postseason dreams ended." If you notice how definitive Hoynes' choice of words was, you are not alone.
Sunday morning Tribe second baseman Jason Kipnis quote-tweeted Hoynes, adding "The don't bother showing up the rest of the way... Can write from home if you already know how this one plays out!" As it turns out, Hoynes did stay home on Sunday. He explained later it was a scheduled day off, and I fully believe that, but not everyone in the Tribe clubhouse was interested in explanations. Trevor Bauer, probably the team's most-active tweeter, and rarely one to sugarcoat what he's thinking, tweeted, "I noticed @hoynsie wasn't at the game today doing his job like the rest of us were. To say what he did and then not show up for work? #coward"
It's almost possible to read that as a joke, if only because that level of public criticism of a reporter by a player is pretty rare, but a few minutes later, in response to someone else speculation that perhaps Hoynes had taken Kipnis up on his suggestion, Bauer followed up with, "hopefully he doesn't come back. No one here has any time for his BS and no one respects him. He's not welcome here"
Those are very serious words, not so much for expressing Bauer's personal opinion on Hoynes, but for their claim to speak for the entire team. Now, that doesn't mean those words do actually speak for the entire team, but it seems highly unlikely that Bauer pulled that sentiment out of thin air. It also doesn't feel like Bauer's reaction is just about Hoynes' words from Saturday and absence on Sunday; this seems much more like something that's built upon a series of events, encounters, and discussions.
The role of a beat writer for a newspaper or website is generally pretty different from the role of a columnist. Columnists generally don't spend all that much time in the locker room, or speak with players extensively, and their columns tend to be opinion-based. Beat writers interact with players on an almost daily basis for more than half the year, and their columns tend to involve passing along factual information and perhaps some analysis, without much editorializing. In this case, Hoynes seems to have put himself out of bounds, and while he said Sunday night, "I wrote what I wrote because that's what I believe," what he believes isn't of much interest to the people he's responsible for covering during the season, especially if his belief amounts to these guys have no chance, and his comments may interfere with his ability to do his job, and at the very least is likely to make for some awkward moments.
The Indians are off on Monday, but Tuesday they'll be back at Progressive Field, and Hoynes will be there as well. It will be very interesting to see what develops with this situation, as the team closes in on its first division title since 2007.
Re: Articles
5465These self entitled bozos shouldnt worry about what some writer who has been covering the team since before they were born says and more about hitting and not beaning the other team!
Re: Articles
5466Abandoning the idea of starting pitchers and using "openers" could help the Indians in the postseason
Carlos Carrasco is out for the season and Danny Salazar is not likely to return until late in the playoffs. This puts the Cleveland Indians in a bizarre scenario: the strength that carried the team to its 7-game lead in the AL Central is suddenly a weakness.
Does this mean that the season is over for the Tribe? Not at all. Is the path to the World Series now an uphill climb in a blizzard, except that instead of snow it's snowing bees? I believe that's the most accurate terminology.
There are clues from the season that point to another path. The most prominent is the Indians' willingness to use its closers whenever and wherever they are most valuable. Last It represents an unprecedented change in the way that starting rotations are deployed. It may appear as dangerous as a bee storm and more bizarre than an unfortunate reversal of fortune the Tribe encountered with its pitchers. It is certain to be unpopular with most fans. However, I think gives the Indians its best chance to lift the Commissioner's Trophy in October, and what could make fans happier than that?
The Cleveland Indians should strongly consider deploying Andrew Miller, Mike Clevinger, and Cody Allen as "Openers" for games that Corey Kluber does not start. The team should build a rotation of relievers behind them to ensure that hitters will never face the same handedness or the same type of pitcher consecutively. By doing so, the Indians would usually avoid the Third Time Through the Order Penalty while also keeping hitters off-balance throughout the game. Kluber, being the ace of the staff, would resume normal duties.
It's important to note that I am not advocating an entire postseason of "Bullpen Games". The anchoring principle behind this proposal is that the hardest outs to complete in a game are not the last three, but the first three. This is because the pitcher is guaranteed to face the top of the order, whereas a closer in the ninth might face the bottom of the order. Furthermore, a game is usually either tied or close in the first inning, while a traditional closer might have a two or three run lead.
I recommend that each game still feature a "starter", who is expected to go at least five innings after the opener. Lastly, variants of this idea have existed for years (Tony LaRussa tried using 3-man pitching teams with the A's during the 1993 season, but abandoned it after seven games) but the situation the Indians find themselves in appears to be an honest-to-god real-world testing ground for the theory.
Recommended Rotation
Opener "Starter" Closer Available if needed
Traditional Start Corey Kluber Kluber still Klubin' Cody Allen (fireman if needed), 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship.
Rotation #2 Relievers. Potentially: Bauer, Garner, Crockett,
Rotation #1 Andrew Miller, 2 IP Trevor Bauer, 5-6 IP Dan Otero, 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship, Anderson.
Rotation #3 Relievers
Rotation #2 Cody Allen, 2 IP Josh Tomlin, 5-6 IP Bryan Shaw, 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship. Potentially: Miller, Otero, Garner, someone who pitched after Kluber
Rotation #3 Mike Clevinger, 3 IP Kyle Crockett / Cody Anderson, 3-4 IP Andrew Miller (fireman if needed), 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship. Rotation #1 Relievers
A few quick notes before diving deep:
The Indians will more than likely take only two left-handed relievers on its playoff roster, it's impossible to ensure that the handedness of the pitcher always changes. As such, Kluber's start and the second rotation will be more susceptible to lefty platoon matchups. We also don't know for sure who they'll take, but this is what I'm assuming/recommending for this scenario.
The number of innings are just suggestions. For example, if Andrew Miller retires the first six batters on twenty pitches, Tito might consider pitching him for part of the third.
This setup attempts to give every reliever a day off between appearances before considering off-days. However, Kluber's start and the second platoon could borrow a reliever from the rotation preceding it depending on the number of pitches thrown the day before.
Depending on the makeup of the series and when there are off-days the Indians might start Kluber on three or four days of rest.
If used in the World Series, the Indians might be able to pinch-hit for the opener in the second or third inning.
Why these pitchers in this order?
Kluber Start: As noted, the Indians should not goof around with a meeting of the Society. Kluber may win another AL Cy Young award, and as an elite pitcher, the Indians should attempt to get as many innings from him as possible. Cody Allen would be available to close this game, since he would be guaranteed at least one day of rest on either side of the game. Things get a little bit precarious if Kluber only goes six innings and more substantial relief is required, but between McAllister, Manship, and Shaw, I'm confident that the bullpen would be able to figure things out.
Rotation #1: Andrew Miller — with a glorious playoff beard billowing in the breeze — takes the mound to open the second game. Ideally, he pitches this game the same way that he approaches an appearance as a closer: close to maximum effort and curling sliders over the corners. Since Miller is a lefty who throws his slider and a four-seam fastball, Bauer is an excellent fit to follow him. Not only will the handedness flip thwart attempts to platoon the middle of the order, but Bauer's mix of pitches and approach on the mound contrasts nicely with Miller. For the closer, I recommend Dan Otero. According to fWAR, he's the best reliever on the Indians roster after Miller, and I'd prefer to frontload the games to give the Indians the best chance to win in the first games of a series.
Rotation #2: Cody Allen opens the third game of a series for the Tribe. Just like Miller, the Indians would ask him to pitch as if he's going for the save. With Allen, I have a little bit more concern about managing his pitch count, but he's shown that he is capable of going two innings when it is necessary. Since Allen sits at 95 on his fastball and mixes that with a curveball, Tomlin seems like the obvious choice to follow him. Hitters would need to adjust to a much wider repertoire of pitches, including a mid-to-high eighties cutter and a 90 MPH fastball. Shaw follows Tomlin, since the cutter that hitters got used to around 86 MPH would now be coming almost 10 MPH faster. There is some hesitancy to putting Shaw in the closer role given his proclivity to folding in high-leverage situations, but he appears to me to be the best option to keep hitters off-balance.
Rotation #3: This is where things get a little bit weird, but remember: if the Indians are in a must-win game, there is a very good chance that Kluber may start in this slot, rolling over the list a game early. I went back and forth about whether I wanted Clevinger or Anderson to open. After that, this game does threaten to become a dreaded bullpen game. Andrew Miller would be available if the game is close to close things out or step in and get the Indians out of a high-leverage jam. I would feel much better about this if the Indians had another quality lefty reliever, but this setup still ensures that only four or five pitchers would be needed.
Considering arguments against the opener
One of the strongest reasons that no one has ever tried using the opener is that it muddies the pitcher win waters. Since the opener would not pitch five or more innings from the start of the game, they would not be automatically eligible to win. It seems obvious enough to me that, in a winning game, the official scorer would designate the "starter" — the pitcher who comes in after the opener and throws up to six innings — the pitcher of record. This would hopefully circumvent the issue of pitchers feeling uneasy about leaving a traditional starting role due to the loss of potential bargaining power due to not accumulating wins.
Pitcher wins, by the way, are already a mostly-worthless statistic, but they still matter in contract negotiations because in some ways baseball is still played as if the Cold War is ongoing. The reason to Indians are in a unique position to test this out is because they would not be committing to it for an entire season. Rather, they'd simply deploy it during the playoffs while trying to win the World Series. I imagine that most players are more than happy to trade a few wins for a championship ring.
Another commonly-cited reason to stick with the five-man rotation: pitchers thrive in defined roles and wither when confronted with variable or uncertain roles. This might be true for some pitchers, but to me, it seems that the role pitchers are most accustomed to is being the guy who tries to throw the ball past the hitter. Andrew Miller is an excellent example of this, as Tito Francona has used him in four different innings. Miller did not have a mental breakdown or suffer a terrible loss of talent as a result. There is something to be said for certain pitchers being more suited for certain roles, but I'm not asking Miller and Allen to throw 100 pitches in a game.
Detractors also point out that the Indians lose the ability to deploy Miller or Allen in high-leverage situations late in the game as a result of using them in the first. This is true, but the Indians already lose out on that opportunity when saving one of the two to close, or if they've pitched too many days in a row and require rest. Why not guarantee that they'll be used at a valuable time against the other team's best hitters?
Finally, the setup I've proposed can become an issue if the Indians get into a very high-scoring game and need to use many relievers. This is true, but is also already true of the standard setup. By limiting the number of pitches that any given player throws, the Indians can use them more often during the week. If Trevor Bauer throws 70 pitches on Tuesday, he ought to be able to throw 20 on Thursday and not suffer a major decline in skills during his next "start".
What are the alternatives?
If the Indians elect to continue using a standard rotation in the postseason (and the rest of the season), they'll rely on Kluber, Bauer, Clevinger, and Tomlin. I worry that with this rotation, the Indians won't be able to use its excellent bullpen arms in situations that can affect the outcome of a game. If the home team trails by 4 in the bottom of the seventh, they are only expected to win about 12% of the time. I'm not suggesting that Clevinger and Tomlin are destined to be miserable in the postseason, but if the Indians can make them more effective by limiting innings and keeping hitters off-balance with a different type of pitcher before them, they should do it.
The Indians are in a position to contend for the World Series. Given the current circumstances, I believe that this gives the team the best opportunity to do win it all.
Carlos Carrasco is out for the season and Danny Salazar is not likely to return until late in the playoffs. This puts the Cleveland Indians in a bizarre scenario: the strength that carried the team to its 7-game lead in the AL Central is suddenly a weakness.
Does this mean that the season is over for the Tribe? Not at all. Is the path to the World Series now an uphill climb in a blizzard, except that instead of snow it's snowing bees? I believe that's the most accurate terminology.
There are clues from the season that point to another path. The most prominent is the Indians' willingness to use its closers whenever and wherever they are most valuable. Last It represents an unprecedented change in the way that starting rotations are deployed. It may appear as dangerous as a bee storm and more bizarre than an unfortunate reversal of fortune the Tribe encountered with its pitchers. It is certain to be unpopular with most fans. However, I think gives the Indians its best chance to lift the Commissioner's Trophy in October, and what could make fans happier than that?
The Cleveland Indians should strongly consider deploying Andrew Miller, Mike Clevinger, and Cody Allen as "Openers" for games that Corey Kluber does not start. The team should build a rotation of relievers behind them to ensure that hitters will never face the same handedness or the same type of pitcher consecutively. By doing so, the Indians would usually avoid the Third Time Through the Order Penalty while also keeping hitters off-balance throughout the game. Kluber, being the ace of the staff, would resume normal duties.
It's important to note that I am not advocating an entire postseason of "Bullpen Games". The anchoring principle behind this proposal is that the hardest outs to complete in a game are not the last three, but the first three. This is because the pitcher is guaranteed to face the top of the order, whereas a closer in the ninth might face the bottom of the order. Furthermore, a game is usually either tied or close in the first inning, while a traditional closer might have a two or three run lead.
I recommend that each game still feature a "starter", who is expected to go at least five innings after the opener. Lastly, variants of this idea have existed for years (Tony LaRussa tried using 3-man pitching teams with the A's during the 1993 season, but abandoned it after seven games) but the situation the Indians find themselves in appears to be an honest-to-god real-world testing ground for the theory.
Recommended Rotation
Opener "Starter" Closer Available if needed
Traditional Start Corey Kluber Kluber still Klubin' Cody Allen (fireman if needed), 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship.
Rotation #2 Relievers. Potentially: Bauer, Garner, Crockett,
Rotation #1 Andrew Miller, 2 IP Trevor Bauer, 5-6 IP Dan Otero, 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship, Anderson.
Rotation #3 Relievers
Rotation #2 Cody Allen, 2 IP Josh Tomlin, 5-6 IP Bryan Shaw, 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship. Potentially: Miller, Otero, Garner, someone who pitched after Kluber
Rotation #3 Mike Clevinger, 3 IP Kyle Crockett / Cody Anderson, 3-4 IP Andrew Miller (fireman if needed), 1-2 IP McAllister, Manship. Rotation #1 Relievers
A few quick notes before diving deep:
The Indians will more than likely take only two left-handed relievers on its playoff roster, it's impossible to ensure that the handedness of the pitcher always changes. As such, Kluber's start and the second rotation will be more susceptible to lefty platoon matchups. We also don't know for sure who they'll take, but this is what I'm assuming/recommending for this scenario.
The number of innings are just suggestions. For example, if Andrew Miller retires the first six batters on twenty pitches, Tito might consider pitching him for part of the third.
This setup attempts to give every reliever a day off between appearances before considering off-days. However, Kluber's start and the second platoon could borrow a reliever from the rotation preceding it depending on the number of pitches thrown the day before.
Depending on the makeup of the series and when there are off-days the Indians might start Kluber on three or four days of rest.
If used in the World Series, the Indians might be able to pinch-hit for the opener in the second or third inning.
Why these pitchers in this order?
Kluber Start: As noted, the Indians should not goof around with a meeting of the Society. Kluber may win another AL Cy Young award, and as an elite pitcher, the Indians should attempt to get as many innings from him as possible. Cody Allen would be available to close this game, since he would be guaranteed at least one day of rest on either side of the game. Things get a little bit precarious if Kluber only goes six innings and more substantial relief is required, but between McAllister, Manship, and Shaw, I'm confident that the bullpen would be able to figure things out.
Rotation #1: Andrew Miller — with a glorious playoff beard billowing in the breeze — takes the mound to open the second game. Ideally, he pitches this game the same way that he approaches an appearance as a closer: close to maximum effort and curling sliders over the corners. Since Miller is a lefty who throws his slider and a four-seam fastball, Bauer is an excellent fit to follow him. Not only will the handedness flip thwart attempts to platoon the middle of the order, but Bauer's mix of pitches and approach on the mound contrasts nicely with Miller. For the closer, I recommend Dan Otero. According to fWAR, he's the best reliever on the Indians roster after Miller, and I'd prefer to frontload the games to give the Indians the best chance to win in the first games of a series.
Rotation #2: Cody Allen opens the third game of a series for the Tribe. Just like Miller, the Indians would ask him to pitch as if he's going for the save. With Allen, I have a little bit more concern about managing his pitch count, but he's shown that he is capable of going two innings when it is necessary. Since Allen sits at 95 on his fastball and mixes that with a curveball, Tomlin seems like the obvious choice to follow him. Hitters would need to adjust to a much wider repertoire of pitches, including a mid-to-high eighties cutter and a 90 MPH fastball. Shaw follows Tomlin, since the cutter that hitters got used to around 86 MPH would now be coming almost 10 MPH faster. There is some hesitancy to putting Shaw in the closer role given his proclivity to folding in high-leverage situations, but he appears to me to be the best option to keep hitters off-balance.
Rotation #3: This is where things get a little bit weird, but remember: if the Indians are in a must-win game, there is a very good chance that Kluber may start in this slot, rolling over the list a game early. I went back and forth about whether I wanted Clevinger or Anderson to open. After that, this game does threaten to become a dreaded bullpen game. Andrew Miller would be available if the game is close to close things out or step in and get the Indians out of a high-leverage jam. I would feel much better about this if the Indians had another quality lefty reliever, but this setup still ensures that only four or five pitchers would be needed.
Considering arguments against the opener
One of the strongest reasons that no one has ever tried using the opener is that it muddies the pitcher win waters. Since the opener would not pitch five or more innings from the start of the game, they would not be automatically eligible to win. It seems obvious enough to me that, in a winning game, the official scorer would designate the "starter" — the pitcher who comes in after the opener and throws up to six innings — the pitcher of record. This would hopefully circumvent the issue of pitchers feeling uneasy about leaving a traditional starting role due to the loss of potential bargaining power due to not accumulating wins.
Pitcher wins, by the way, are already a mostly-worthless statistic, but they still matter in contract negotiations because in some ways baseball is still played as if the Cold War is ongoing. The reason to Indians are in a unique position to test this out is because they would not be committing to it for an entire season. Rather, they'd simply deploy it during the playoffs while trying to win the World Series. I imagine that most players are more than happy to trade a few wins for a championship ring.
Another commonly-cited reason to stick with the five-man rotation: pitchers thrive in defined roles and wither when confronted with variable or uncertain roles. This might be true for some pitchers, but to me, it seems that the role pitchers are most accustomed to is being the guy who tries to throw the ball past the hitter. Andrew Miller is an excellent example of this, as Tito Francona has used him in four different innings. Miller did not have a mental breakdown or suffer a terrible loss of talent as a result. There is something to be said for certain pitchers being more suited for certain roles, but I'm not asking Miller and Allen to throw 100 pitches in a game.
Detractors also point out that the Indians lose the ability to deploy Miller or Allen in high-leverage situations late in the game as a result of using them in the first. This is true, but the Indians already lose out on that opportunity when saving one of the two to close, or if they've pitched too many days in a row and require rest. Why not guarantee that they'll be used at a valuable time against the other team's best hitters?
Finally, the setup I've proposed can become an issue if the Indians get into a very high-scoring game and need to use many relievers. This is true, but is also already true of the standard setup. By limiting the number of pitches that any given player throws, the Indians can use them more often during the week. If Trevor Bauer throws 70 pitches on Tuesday, he ought to be able to throw 20 on Thursday and not suffer a major decline in skills during his next "start".
What are the alternatives?
If the Indians elect to continue using a standard rotation in the postseason (and the rest of the season), they'll rely on Kluber, Bauer, Clevinger, and Tomlin. I worry that with this rotation, the Indians won't be able to use its excellent bullpen arms in situations that can affect the outcome of a game. If the home team trails by 4 in the bottom of the seventh, they are only expected to win about 12% of the time. I'm not suggesting that Clevinger and Tomlin are destined to be miserable in the postseason, but if the Indians can make them more effective by limiting innings and keeping hitters off-balance with a different type of pitcher before them, they should do it.
The Indians are in a position to contend for the World Series. Given the current circumstances, I believe that this gives the team the best opportunity to do win it all.
Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
Re: Articles
5467Adam Plutko's call to big leagues by Cleveland Indians interrupts friend's wedding
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Adam Plutko was at his friend's wedding in California when Carter Hawkins, the Indians' director of player personnel, called him and told him to get to Cleveland.
"I had a pair of baseball pants with me, so I just threw them on right away," said Plutko on Monday at Progressive Field.
Plutko was kidding, but only about the baseball pants.
"They had literally just got done saying I do and taking pictures and everything," said Plutko, who joined the Indians on Sunday. "I was in the middle of the wedding.'"
Plutko's wife, parents and several high school friends were at the wedding to share the news of his first trip to the big leagues.
"It was pretty awesome to have that moment in person," said Plutko, drafted by the Indians in the 11th round on 2013. "There was crying and hugging. I'm pretty sure everyone was crying, including myself. It was a moment I'll remember for a long time."
Left-hander TJ House was designated for assignment to make room for Plutko on the 40-man roster.
Plutko, 24, split the season between Class AAA Columbus and Class AA Akron. He went a combined 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 28 starts. He was promoted to Columbus on June 18.
Manager Terry Francona said the earliest Plutko would pitch would be Saturday against the White Sox. Cody Anderson will start in what is expected to be another bullpen game.
"We had talked about bringing Adam up originally when Columbus was done with its season," said Francona. "But we didn't want to bring guys that we didn't think we're going to pitch.
"Now with (Carlos) Carrasco down, I think it's a lot more realistic that he will pitch. He won't be just sitting around. He'd been home a week, but hadn't done a lot of throwing. He'll throw a bullpen and get his legs back under him. It shouldn't take that long."
Carrasco is out for the year with a broken right hand after getting hit by a line drive Saturday against Detroit.
Plutko is sharing a locker with Perci Garner, a teammate from Columbus. Trevor Bauer is in the next locker. Plutko and Bauer pitched at UCLA together.
"We only saw him a couple of times in relief in spring training," said Francona. "One day he came in blowing about 96 mph. That's not him. He's a lot like Tomlin – he needs to command.
"He's not scared. He'll be a guy who gets every bit out of what he is because of his competitiveness. He's pitched at UCLA. He was a high-profile guy in college. There was a reason we called him up."
The Indians are carrying 37 players, including 14 relievers.
Testing, testing: Danny Salazar, who strained the flexor muscle in his right forearm on Sept. 9 against the Twins, played catch at 60 feet Tuesday. It's the first time he's played catch since being shut down for 10 days and receiving a PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection.
If the Indians make the postseason, pitching coach Mickey Callaway said, "There is a small chance he could be in our bullpen."
Tribe's Salazar long shot to pitch again this season
The diagnosis for Salazar's injury called for 10 days of rest and three or four weeks of throwing before he could pitch in games again.
"This was just to shake the cobwebs off," said Francona. "He'll do roughly the same thing on Wednesday. Then we'll see how he feels."
Asked about the possibility of Salazar being able to pitch "down the road," Francona said, "You're always hoping for the best. I know the No.1 priority is to get him healthy and feeling good. If it ends up being more than that, boy, that would be wonderful."
Finally: Ray 'Boom, Boom' Mancini, the pride of Youngstown and former WBA lightweight champion of the world, threw out the first pitch Tuesday night. Mancini threw a strike from the rubber. ... Ayanna "AJ' Andrews of the Akron Racers received a Rawlings Gold Glove award before Tuesday's game. Andrews is the first woman to receive a Gold Glove. This is the first year Rawlings has honored a female fastpitch softball player.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Adam Plutko was at his friend's wedding in California when Carter Hawkins, the Indians' director of player personnel, called him and told him to get to Cleveland.
"I had a pair of baseball pants with me, so I just threw them on right away," said Plutko on Monday at Progressive Field.
Plutko was kidding, but only about the baseball pants.
"They had literally just got done saying I do and taking pictures and everything," said Plutko, who joined the Indians on Sunday. "I was in the middle of the wedding.'"
Plutko's wife, parents and several high school friends were at the wedding to share the news of his first trip to the big leagues.
"It was pretty awesome to have that moment in person," said Plutko, drafted by the Indians in the 11th round on 2013. "There was crying and hugging. I'm pretty sure everyone was crying, including myself. It was a moment I'll remember for a long time."
Left-hander TJ House was designated for assignment to make room for Plutko on the 40-man roster.
Plutko, 24, split the season between Class AAA Columbus and Class AA Akron. He went a combined 9-8 with a 3.73 ERA in 28 starts. He was promoted to Columbus on June 18.
Manager Terry Francona said the earliest Plutko would pitch would be Saturday against the White Sox. Cody Anderson will start in what is expected to be another bullpen game.
"We had talked about bringing Adam up originally when Columbus was done with its season," said Francona. "But we didn't want to bring guys that we didn't think we're going to pitch.
"Now with (Carlos) Carrasco down, I think it's a lot more realistic that he will pitch. He won't be just sitting around. He'd been home a week, but hadn't done a lot of throwing. He'll throw a bullpen and get his legs back under him. It shouldn't take that long."
Carrasco is out for the year with a broken right hand after getting hit by a line drive Saturday against Detroit.
Plutko is sharing a locker with Perci Garner, a teammate from Columbus. Trevor Bauer is in the next locker. Plutko and Bauer pitched at UCLA together.
"We only saw him a couple of times in relief in spring training," said Francona. "One day he came in blowing about 96 mph. That's not him. He's a lot like Tomlin – he needs to command.
"He's not scared. He'll be a guy who gets every bit out of what he is because of his competitiveness. He's pitched at UCLA. He was a high-profile guy in college. There was a reason we called him up."
The Indians are carrying 37 players, including 14 relievers.
Testing, testing: Danny Salazar, who strained the flexor muscle in his right forearm on Sept. 9 against the Twins, played catch at 60 feet Tuesday. It's the first time he's played catch since being shut down for 10 days and receiving a PRP (platelet rich plasma) injection.
If the Indians make the postseason, pitching coach Mickey Callaway said, "There is a small chance he could be in our bullpen."
Tribe's Salazar long shot to pitch again this season
The diagnosis for Salazar's injury called for 10 days of rest and three or four weeks of throwing before he could pitch in games again.
"This was just to shake the cobwebs off," said Francona. "He'll do roughly the same thing on Wednesday. Then we'll see how he feels."
Asked about the possibility of Salazar being able to pitch "down the road," Francona said, "You're always hoping for the best. I know the No.1 priority is to get him healthy and feeling good. If it ends up being more than that, boy, that would be wonderful."
Finally: Ray 'Boom, Boom' Mancini, the pride of Youngstown and former WBA lightweight champion of the world, threw out the first pitch Tuesday night. Mancini threw a strike from the rubber. ... Ayanna "AJ' Andrews of the Akron Racers received a Rawlings Gold Glove award before Tuesday's game. Andrews is the first woman to receive a Gold Glove. This is the first year Rawlings has honored a female fastpitch softball player.
Re: Articles
5468After visiting Max Hayes High School last month and discussing the school’s robotics program, Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer visited with students from Max Hayes High School participating in career day at Progressive Field on Wednesday.
Bauer, a noted drone builder and tech junkie, shared his drone experiences with the students. He visited Max Hayes last month to learn more about the school’s technology efforts, including hearing from the school’s Robotics team and more.
Bauer, a noted drone builder and tech junkie, shared his drone experiences with the students. He visited Max Hayes last month to learn more about the school’s technology efforts, including hearing from the school’s Robotics team and more.
Re: Articles
5469
Indians third baseman collects three two-base hits to run total to 42
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | 1:24 AM ET + 2 COMMENTS
CLEVELAND --
Indians closer Cody Allen cracked a smile when asked about Jose Ramirez. He could not help it. Whether it's Ramirez's sense of fashion, or the orange dreadlocks that sprout from his head, or the way he struts through the room, the stocky infielder has that effect on his teammates.
"He's awesome, man," Allen said after Cleveland's 4-3 win over the Royals on Wednesday night. "He's one of those guys you're excited to see every day. He walks in and we have fun with him."
As Ramirez has gained more confidence and comfort in the big leagues, the young third baseman's personality has come out more and more. And that confidence is at an all-time high, as evidenced by the stylish hats he wears, with his initials (J.E.R.) sewn into the front and a logo resembling his hair above the letters.
What Cleveland really likes is Ramirez's style of play.
In Wednesday's win, Ramirez churned out a trio of doubles to give him a team-high 42 this season. After his first two-base hit in the second inning, the third baseman scored on a single by Lonnie Chisenhall. Then Ramirez capped off a two-run push in the fifth with a go-ahead double to bring Jason Kipnis across the plate.
That showing was just another sample of what Ramirez has done all season long.
"He's been so consistent," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Right-handed, left-handed, he's shooting the ball all over the ballpark."
In the wake of the loss of star outfielder Michael Brantley, who was an American League Most Valuable Player Award finalist two seasons ago, Ramirez's rise has been a godsend for Cleveland's offense. Ramirez's slash line of .315/.367/.462 resembles the kind of production Brantley provided, and the third baseman's performance has played a key role in helping the Tribe close in on an AL Central title.
The Indians, who trimmed their magic number to five to clinch the division, have watched Ramirez collect 10 home runs, 22 stolen bases, 42 doubles, 71 RBIs and 79 runs scored in 143 games. He is the first player since Brantley in 2014, and only the fifth all time in franchise history, to have at least 10 homers, 20 steals and 40 doubles in a single season.
"I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to get there," Ramirez said of his statistics. "I put in work in the offseason, and that's how I've been able to get so many hits."
A legitimate case could be made that Ramirez has been the Tribe's MVP this season.
After his showing against Kansas City, Ramirez improved his batting average to .361 (48-for-133) with runners in scoring position and .369 (24-for-65) with RISP and two outs. Among qualified AL hitters, Ramirez also ranks fifth overall in Win Probability Added (3.83), trailing only Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson, David Ortiz and Carlos Beltran in that category.
"He's been one of the better hitters in the league," Indians ace Corey Kluber said. "He's getting clutch hits, playing great defense. There's not really an area where he's not contributing."
Allen shared that sentiment.
"He's an unbelievable player," said the closer. "There was a lot thrown on his plate the last couple years. He's an extremely talented player. He has a lot of ability. And, for him, I'm sure the game's slowed down quite a bit this year. He's done a remarkable job day in, day out. We're lucky to have him."
“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: Articles
5470Corey Kluber goes just 4 innings in Cleveland Indians' clincher because of sore groin
DETROIT – Danny Salazar was first. Then came Carlos Carrasco. Now, Corey Kluber has joined them.
It's nice that the Indians clinched the AL Central Division title Monday night by eliminating the Tigers with a 7-4 victory at Comerica Park, but exactly what is their starting rotation going to look like when the American League Division Series starts?
"I liked what Tito said a week or so ago," said left-hander Andrew Miller. "He said, 'We'll figure something out.'"
Well, the figuring better start pretty soon. There are six games left in the regular season and Game 1 of the ALDS starts Oct. 6.
Kluber left Monday's game after four innings with tightness in his right groin. Manager Terry Francona, with innings to fill, went with his top four relievers – Dan Otero, Bryan Shaw, Miller and Cody Allen to pitch the remaining five innings.
"Corey is OK," said Francona. "He had a groin that he was kind of fighting there. He felt it in the third inning then he got through the fourth."
But Kluber was laboring, taking a lot of time between pitches, as he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. When he came off the field after getting Jose Iglesias to ground out to end the inning, Francona was waiting.
"I grabbed him and we went downstairs," said Francona. "I thought it was getting a little bit worse. It didn't look like it when he was pitching, but I told him, 'We need to find a way to win a game. We're not going far without you.' So we need to let him get healthy so he can do what he does."
What Kluber does is win games. He's 3-0 against the Tigers this year and 18-9 overall, but if and when he pitches again before the start of the postseason remains to be seen.
"We'll know more tomorrow," said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations, when asked about Kluber. "He's a little sore right now, but we'll know more tomorrow."
Over the last 17 days, Antonetti has watched his top three starters leave big games early because of injuries. Carrasco isn't coming back this season. If Salazar makes it, he'll probably be in the bullpen. Kluber has the best chance to continue pitching at a high level.
Will Tribe add Salazar to postseason roster?
Asked for his thoughts when Kluber didn't come out for the fifth inning, Antonetti said, "I was just glad we have a good bullpen."
Kluber, in the champagne and beer extravaganza that followed in the visitor's locker room at Comerica, moved around just fine. He told reporters he wouldn't talk about his sore groin.
The Indians, like most teams, have dealt with injuries throughout the year. But the injuries to Salazar (right forearm), Carrasco (broken right hand) and Kluber couldn't have come at a worse time.
"I think it's a testament to the kind of guys we have here," said Kluber, concerning the Indians ability to cope. "Different people said different things about us throughout the course of the year, but I think the guys in here never stopped believing, and I think that's really important."
DETROIT – Danny Salazar was first. Then came Carlos Carrasco. Now, Corey Kluber has joined them.
It's nice that the Indians clinched the AL Central Division title Monday night by eliminating the Tigers with a 7-4 victory at Comerica Park, but exactly what is their starting rotation going to look like when the American League Division Series starts?
"I liked what Tito said a week or so ago," said left-hander Andrew Miller. "He said, 'We'll figure something out.'"
Well, the figuring better start pretty soon. There are six games left in the regular season and Game 1 of the ALDS starts Oct. 6.
Kluber left Monday's game after four innings with tightness in his right groin. Manager Terry Francona, with innings to fill, went with his top four relievers – Dan Otero, Bryan Shaw, Miller and Cody Allen to pitch the remaining five innings.
"Corey is OK," said Francona. "He had a groin that he was kind of fighting there. He felt it in the third inning then he got through the fourth."
But Kluber was laboring, taking a lot of time between pitches, as he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. When he came off the field after getting Jose Iglesias to ground out to end the inning, Francona was waiting.
"I grabbed him and we went downstairs," said Francona. "I thought it was getting a little bit worse. It didn't look like it when he was pitching, but I told him, 'We need to find a way to win a game. We're not going far without you.' So we need to let him get healthy so he can do what he does."
What Kluber does is win games. He's 3-0 against the Tigers this year and 18-9 overall, but if and when he pitches again before the start of the postseason remains to be seen.
"We'll know more tomorrow," said Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations, when asked about Kluber. "He's a little sore right now, but we'll know more tomorrow."
Over the last 17 days, Antonetti has watched his top three starters leave big games early because of injuries. Carrasco isn't coming back this season. If Salazar makes it, he'll probably be in the bullpen. Kluber has the best chance to continue pitching at a high level.
Will Tribe add Salazar to postseason roster?
Asked for his thoughts when Kluber didn't come out for the fifth inning, Antonetti said, "I was just glad we have a good bullpen."
Kluber, in the champagne and beer extravaganza that followed in the visitor's locker room at Comerica, moved around just fine. He told reporters he wouldn't talk about his sore groin.
The Indians, like most teams, have dealt with injuries throughout the year. But the injuries to Salazar (right forearm), Carrasco (broken right hand) and Kluber couldn't have come at a worse time.
"I think it's a testament to the kind of guys we have here," said Kluber, concerning the Indians ability to cope. "Different people said different things about us throughout the course of the year, but I think the guys in here never stopped believing, and I think that's really important."
Re: Articles
5471Cleveland Indians' day-after-clinching lineup is one for the ages, and there are some good ones
Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com
DETROIT -- As the story goes, Albert Belle didn't like the first version of Mike Hargrove's lineup.
It was Sept. 9, 1995, the day after the Indians clinched the American League Central and their first trip to the postseason in 41 years. Hargrove planned to rest several regulars, but Belle had other ideas.
The surly slugger, perhaps with his sights set on gaudier numbers, demanded that Hargrove insert him into the batting order. Hargrove relented, and Belle went 0-for-3 in a 2-1 victory against Baltimore. He would, however, club 17 home runs in September to finish with 50 for the season, to go along with 52 doubles.
Typically, the lineup the day after a clinching game includes plenty of youngsters and backups. Ruben Amaro and Herbert Perry both started that day in September 1995. The Indians' day-after-clinching lineup in 1996 included Casey Candaele, Geronimo Pena, Nigel Wilson and Ryan Thompson.
Terry Francona's Tuesday lineup is one for the ages. Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Mike Napoli, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Roberto Perez and Coco Crisp all received the evening off.
"It's much deserved," said Chris Gimenez. "A lot of the guys who have carried us to this point, they deserve to have a day off."
Francona penciled in Chris Gimenez at third base, Adam Moore at catcher, Erik Gonzalez at shortstop and Jesus Aguilar at first base.
Gimenez has logged five innings at the hot corner during his career.
"Not thrilled about that," Francona said. "We were running out of players. This is one of those nights where it might not be as pretty as we'd like it to be, but I think the guys like Kipnis and Lindor and, especially, Ramirez, they need to have a day to gather themselves. It'll be good for them."
During the Indians' clubhouse celebration after Monday's division-clinching victory, bench coach Brad Mills informed Gimenez he would be starting at third base. Gimenez responded by spraying Mills with champagne.
The journey isn't over; the Indians have guaranteed themselves at least a five-game series blessed with October pressure and spotlight. For one night, though, they could put on the postseason gear and goggles, pour the bubbly, soak each other and celebrate the franchise's first division title in nine years.
Francona on the day-after-clinch lineup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njOyVsbvMxo
Let's take a look at the "hangover lineups" of the past 25 years.
2016: Sept. 26 (Game 156)
1. DH Carlos Santana
2. 2B Jason Kipnis
3. SS Francisco Lindor
4. 1B Mike Napoli
5. 3B Jose Ramirez
6. RF Lonnie Chisenhall
7. LF Coco Crisp
8. CF Tyler Naquin
9. C Roberto Perez
Next game:
1. CF Tyler Naquin
2. 2B Michael Martinez
3. RF Abraham Almonte
4. DH Carlos Santana
5. LF Brandon Guyer
6. 1B Jesus Aguilar
7. 3B Chris Gimenez
8. C Adam Moore
9. SS Erik Gonzalez
2007: Sept. 23 (Game 155)
1. CF Grady Sizemore
2. 2B Asdrubal Cabrera
3. DH Travis Hafner
4. C Victor Martinez
5. 1B Ryan Garko
6. SS Jhonny Peralta
7. LF Jason Michaels
8. RF Franklin Gutierrez
9. 3B Casey Blake
P Jake Westbrook
Next game:
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. 3B Chris Gomez
3. DH Travis Hafner
4. C Victor Martinez
5. 1B Ryan Garko
6. SS Jhonny Peralta
7. RF Trot Nixon
8. LF Ben Francisco
9. 2B Josh Barfield
P Aaron Laffey
2001: Sept. 30 (Game 155)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. 1B Jim Thome
5. DH Ellis Burks
6. LF Russell Branyan
7. 3B Travis Fryman
8. C Einar Diaz
9. RF Jolbert Cabrera
P Bartolo Colon
Next game:
1. CF Milton Bradley
2. SS John McDonald
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. RF Juan Gonzalez
5. DH Jim Thome
6. LF Marty Cordova
7. 3B Russell Branyan
8. 1B Wil Cordero
9. C Ed Taubensee
P Ryan Drese
1999: Sept. 8 (Game 139)
1. CF Dave Roberts
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. 1B Jim Thome
5. DH Harold Baines
6. RF Richie Sexson
7. LF David Justice
8. 3B Travis Fryman
9. C Einar Diaz
P Chris Haney
Next game:
1. CF Dave Roberts
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. RF Manny Ramirez
5. DH Harold Baines
6. 1B Jim Thome
7. LF David Justice
8. 3B Travis Fryman
9. C Sandy Alomar
P Bartolo Colon
1998: Sept. 16 (Game 150)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. 2B Joey Cora
3. LF David Justice
4. RF Manny Ramirez
5. DH Jim Thome
6. 3B Travis Fryman
7. 1B Richie Sexson
8. C Sandy Alomar
9. SS Omar Vizquel
P Charles Nagy
Next game:
1. 2B Joey Cora
2. SS Enrique Wilson
3. 3B Travis Fryman
4. RF Manny Ramirez
5. DH Jim Thome
6. 1B Richie Sexson
7. CF Mark Whiten
8. LF Brian Giles
9. C Einar Diaz
P Dave Burba
1997: Sept. 23 (Game 155)
1. LF Bip Roberts
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. RF Manny Ramirez
4. 3B Matt Williams
5. DH David Justice
6. C Sandy Alomar
7. 1B Kevin Seitzer
8. 2B Tony Fernandez
9. CF Marquis Grissom
P Charles Nagy
Next game:
1. 2B Bip Roberts
2. 3B Jeff Branson
3. RF Manny Ramirez
4. 1B Jim Thome
5. DH David Justice
6. C Sandy Alomar
7. CF Brian Giles
8. LF Bruce Aven
9. SS Enrique Wilson
P Brian Anderson
1996: Sept. 17 (Game 150)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. 1B Kevin Seitzer
3. 3B Jim Thome
4. LF Albert Belle
5. DH Julio Franco
6. RF Manny Ramirez
7. 2B Jeff Kent
8. C Sandy Alomar
9. SS Omar Vizquel
P Brian Anderson
Next game:
1. 2B Casey Candaele
2. 3B Geronimo Pena
3. RF Brian Giles
4. DH Manny Ramirez
5. LF Nigel Wilson
6. 1B Jeff Kent
7. CF Ryan Thompson
8. C Tony Pena
9. SS Damian Jackson
P Albie Lopez
1995: Sept. 7 (Game 123)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Carlos Baerga
4. LF Albert Belle
5. DH Eddie Murray
6. 3B Jim Thome
7. RF Manny Ramirez
8. 1B Paul Sorrento
9. C Sandy Alomar
P Orel Hershiser
Next game:
1. CF Ruben Amaro
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. RF Manny Ramirez
4. LF Albert Belle
5. DH Dave Winfield
6. 3B Jim Thome
7. 1B Herbert Perry
8. 2B Alvaro Espinoza
9. C Tony Pena
P Chad Ogea
Zack Meisel, cleveland.com By Zack Meisel, cleveland.com
DETROIT -- As the story goes, Albert Belle didn't like the first version of Mike Hargrove's lineup.
It was Sept. 9, 1995, the day after the Indians clinched the American League Central and their first trip to the postseason in 41 years. Hargrove planned to rest several regulars, but Belle had other ideas.
The surly slugger, perhaps with his sights set on gaudier numbers, demanded that Hargrove insert him into the batting order. Hargrove relented, and Belle went 0-for-3 in a 2-1 victory against Baltimore. He would, however, club 17 home runs in September to finish with 50 for the season, to go along with 52 doubles.
Typically, the lineup the day after a clinching game includes plenty of youngsters and backups. Ruben Amaro and Herbert Perry both started that day in September 1995. The Indians' day-after-clinching lineup in 1996 included Casey Candaele, Geronimo Pena, Nigel Wilson and Ryan Thompson.
Terry Francona's Tuesday lineup is one for the ages. Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Mike Napoli, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Roberto Perez and Coco Crisp all received the evening off.
"It's much deserved," said Chris Gimenez. "A lot of the guys who have carried us to this point, they deserve to have a day off."
Francona penciled in Chris Gimenez at third base, Adam Moore at catcher, Erik Gonzalez at shortstop and Jesus Aguilar at first base.
Gimenez has logged five innings at the hot corner during his career.
"Not thrilled about that," Francona said. "We were running out of players. This is one of those nights where it might not be as pretty as we'd like it to be, but I think the guys like Kipnis and Lindor and, especially, Ramirez, they need to have a day to gather themselves. It'll be good for them."
During the Indians' clubhouse celebration after Monday's division-clinching victory, bench coach Brad Mills informed Gimenez he would be starting at third base. Gimenez responded by spraying Mills with champagne.
The journey isn't over; the Indians have guaranteed themselves at least a five-game series blessed with October pressure and spotlight. For one night, though, they could put on the postseason gear and goggles, pour the bubbly, soak each other and celebrate the franchise's first division title in nine years.
Francona on the day-after-clinch lineup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njOyVsbvMxo
Let's take a look at the "hangover lineups" of the past 25 years.
2016: Sept. 26 (Game 156)
1. DH Carlos Santana
2. 2B Jason Kipnis
3. SS Francisco Lindor
4. 1B Mike Napoli
5. 3B Jose Ramirez
6. RF Lonnie Chisenhall
7. LF Coco Crisp
8. CF Tyler Naquin
9. C Roberto Perez
Next game:
1. CF Tyler Naquin
2. 2B Michael Martinez
3. RF Abraham Almonte
4. DH Carlos Santana
5. LF Brandon Guyer
6. 1B Jesus Aguilar
7. 3B Chris Gimenez
8. C Adam Moore
9. SS Erik Gonzalez
2007: Sept. 23 (Game 155)
1. CF Grady Sizemore
2. 2B Asdrubal Cabrera
3. DH Travis Hafner
4. C Victor Martinez
5. 1B Ryan Garko
6. SS Jhonny Peralta
7. LF Jason Michaels
8. RF Franklin Gutierrez
9. 3B Casey Blake
P Jake Westbrook
Next game:
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. 3B Chris Gomez
3. DH Travis Hafner
4. C Victor Martinez
5. 1B Ryan Garko
6. SS Jhonny Peralta
7. RF Trot Nixon
8. LF Ben Francisco
9. 2B Josh Barfield
P Aaron Laffey
2001: Sept. 30 (Game 155)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. 1B Jim Thome
5. DH Ellis Burks
6. LF Russell Branyan
7. 3B Travis Fryman
8. C Einar Diaz
9. RF Jolbert Cabrera
P Bartolo Colon
Next game:
1. CF Milton Bradley
2. SS John McDonald
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. RF Juan Gonzalez
5. DH Jim Thome
6. LF Marty Cordova
7. 3B Russell Branyan
8. 1B Wil Cordero
9. C Ed Taubensee
P Ryan Drese
1999: Sept. 8 (Game 139)
1. CF Dave Roberts
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. 1B Jim Thome
5. DH Harold Baines
6. RF Richie Sexson
7. LF David Justice
8. 3B Travis Fryman
9. C Einar Diaz
P Chris Haney
Next game:
1. CF Dave Roberts
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Roberto Alomar
4. RF Manny Ramirez
5. DH Harold Baines
6. 1B Jim Thome
7. LF David Justice
8. 3B Travis Fryman
9. C Sandy Alomar
P Bartolo Colon
1998: Sept. 16 (Game 150)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. 2B Joey Cora
3. LF David Justice
4. RF Manny Ramirez
5. DH Jim Thome
6. 3B Travis Fryman
7. 1B Richie Sexson
8. C Sandy Alomar
9. SS Omar Vizquel
P Charles Nagy
Next game:
1. 2B Joey Cora
2. SS Enrique Wilson
3. 3B Travis Fryman
4. RF Manny Ramirez
5. DH Jim Thome
6. 1B Richie Sexson
7. CF Mark Whiten
8. LF Brian Giles
9. C Einar Diaz
P Dave Burba
1997: Sept. 23 (Game 155)
1. LF Bip Roberts
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. RF Manny Ramirez
4. 3B Matt Williams
5. DH David Justice
6. C Sandy Alomar
7. 1B Kevin Seitzer
8. 2B Tony Fernandez
9. CF Marquis Grissom
P Charles Nagy
Next game:
1. 2B Bip Roberts
2. 3B Jeff Branson
3. RF Manny Ramirez
4. 1B Jim Thome
5. DH David Justice
6. C Sandy Alomar
7. CF Brian Giles
8. LF Bruce Aven
9. SS Enrique Wilson
P Brian Anderson
1996: Sept. 17 (Game 150)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. 1B Kevin Seitzer
3. 3B Jim Thome
4. LF Albert Belle
5. DH Julio Franco
6. RF Manny Ramirez
7. 2B Jeff Kent
8. C Sandy Alomar
9. SS Omar Vizquel
P Brian Anderson
Next game:
1. 2B Casey Candaele
2. 3B Geronimo Pena
3. RF Brian Giles
4. DH Manny Ramirez
5. LF Nigel Wilson
6. 1B Jeff Kent
7. CF Ryan Thompson
8. C Tony Pena
9. SS Damian Jackson
P Albie Lopez
1995: Sept. 7 (Game 123)
1. CF Kenny Lofton
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. 2B Carlos Baerga
4. LF Albert Belle
5. DH Eddie Murray
6. 3B Jim Thome
7. RF Manny Ramirez
8. 1B Paul Sorrento
9. C Sandy Alomar
P Orel Hershiser
Next game:
1. CF Ruben Amaro
2. SS Omar Vizquel
3. RF Manny Ramirez
4. LF Albert Belle
5. DH Dave Winfield
6. 3B Jim Thome
7. 1B Herbert Perry
8. 2B Alvaro Espinoza
9. C Tony Pena
P Chad Ogea
Re: Articles
5472
Injured pitchers, Brantley's absence couldn't hold back Tribe
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | @castrovince | September 26th, 2016 + 1 COMMENT
The plan Monday called for a shutdown start from Cy Young candidate Corey Kluber to put an emphatic exclamation point on the Indians' first division title since 2007.
It didn't go to plan. And the Indians won anyway.
How's that for a single-game reflective of the bigger picture?
The Cleveland Indians are American League Central elite not because so many things went right this year but because of how they responded to so many things gone wrong. Kluber leaving this start at Comerica Park after four innings was an awfully unsettling sight for Indians fans (who were relieved to learn the Klubot was battling groin tightness and not an arm or shoulder malady), but the fact that the Indians finished off the 7-4 win without him was also an awfully apropos ending to this championship chase.
Obviously, every division title is something to be applauded and, if the spirit moves you, toasted with bubbly.
But despite some friendly preseason projections from the calculator crowd (which, as the 2015 Royals can attest, isn't always so effective on the forecasting front), none of 2016's division winners was or is more unlikely than the one Chris Antonetti and Mike Chernoff constructed and Terry Francona guided.
This Tribe team entered the year with the seventh-lowest payroll in the game -- a payroll lower than any other ballclub that's advancing to October. And the $86 million tally was actually even punier when you consider Michael Brantley -- the Tribe's second-highest-paid (and best) player -- was essentially a sunk cost.
Going into the year, you would assume -- or, at least, I did -- that the Indians' chances rested primarily on Brantley coming back healthy and productive after November shoulder surgery.
Nope. Brantley played just 11 ineffective games (the Indians' actually had a win streak that lasted longer than Brantley's games played total).
You would assume -- or, at least, I did -- that, with or without Brantley, the rotation would have to be an unrelenting, dominant force.
Nope, not really. On measure, the rotation was very good, sure, but it also has the sixth-highest ERA in the sport going back to July 2. And while the September shelf status of Carlos Carrasco (broken hand) and Danny Salazar (elbow flexor strain) is the current concern, there were others that preceded. Carrasco missed more than a month early in the year with hamstring trouble, when the Indians were still jockeying for position. Kluber took some time to settle into the season. Salazar had a miserable second half. Josh Tomlin had a messy two months that began just before the break. The fifth spot served as a consistent source of inconsistency.
Oh, and Yan Gomes, the guy throwing down the signs? He logged an OPS+ 71 percent worse than league average -- and that was before he got hurt.
Clearly, the strength of this team was that which could not have been reasonably assumed.
Could you have reasonably assumed, for instance, that two of the great free-agent finds of the Hot Stove season would be Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis?
When an effort to swing a swap for Todd Frazier fell short, the Napoli and Davis signings felt to some fans like a low-cost consolation prize. Yet Napoli has not only had a resurgent, 34-homer season but also been the leader around whom this clubhouse revolves. (Napoli, for the record, was the one who sprang for the good stuff for the champagne celebration, so it was the ultimate Party at Napoli's). Speed isn't supposed to age well, but the 35-year-old Davis more than doubled his 2015 stolen-base tally to lead the American League and help the Indians post one of the better baserunning scores in baseball.
Reliever Dan Otero, he of the 1.57 ERA, was a cheap and wily find, too, and Brandon Guyer was an underrated Trade Deadline get (we'll talk about the big one in just a sec). The Indians' front office had such a great year that assistant GM Derek Falvey had dual celebrations Monday -- a title-clincher and a new gig as the Twins' head of baseball operations.
Beyond the external upgrades, could you have reasonably assumed the Indians would have so many internal ones?
Jose Ramirez was roundly written off as an everyday player after an underwhelming stint preceding Francisco Lindor as the starting shortstop last season. But with a jump in OPS+ from 68 to 113, he's been one of the game's most improved players, saving the Indians both from the sting of losing Brantley to injury and two other outfielders (Abraham Almonte and Marlon Byrd) to PED suspensions and from the disappointment that was Juan Uribe's output.
Tyler Naquin wasn't even the most heralded outfield prospect in the Indians' system (Brad Zimmer and Clint Frazier shared that honor), yet he's launched a campaign worthy of Rookie of the Year consideration.
Speaking of the farm system, there was an assumption going into the year that it was strong enough to pull off an impact in-season deal. But it would have been impossible to assume the Indians would have both the opportunity and the stomach to sell off such a significant chunk of their future for a high-leverage reliever.
I believe Andrew Miller's numbers -- and the impact those numbers have had on Cody Allen and Co. elsewhere in the 'pen -- speak for themselves.
Obviously, some stuff went to plan. Recent slump aside, Lindor has had a strong sophomore effort. Jason Kipnis has had the most power-packed year of his career to date. Lonnie Chisenhall had a steadier bat, and Carlos Santana had a booming one. The defense that was reinvented when Lindor arrived last summer has again been very reliable.
But small-payroll clubs aren't supposed to survive the kinds of things this team did. The Indians not only survived but thrived, and now they are en route to an October in which, once again, they'll have to overcome reasonable assumptions about what they can or cannot accomplish without Carrasco and possibly without Salazar.
"I think," Francona said recently, "our guys feel like, as a team collectively, we can figure some things out that maybe people don't think we can."
That's the plan.
Anthony Castrovince has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2004. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
“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: Articles
5473One amazing fact about every playoff team
This year's 10 contenders took many different routes to October
Indians:
The best teams over the course of a 162-game schedule are usually the ones that can eliminate the prolonged slumps. No team did this better than the Indians, who were the only Major League team to not suffer at least four losses in a row this season. "That's harder than it looks," manager Terry Francona said of the streak Sunday. "It's a long season, and that's something I'm really proud of the guys about. They should be proud of themselves for that." The Indians are the first Major League team to go through an entire season without a losing streak of at least four games since the 2014 Dodgers accomplished the same feat. As a franchise, Cleveland had not achieved that rare feat of consistency since nearly a century ago, in the 1918 campaign.
Cubs:
The Cubs' combination of pitching and defense this season reached a level we've rarely seen before. In fact, opposing batters carried a microscopic .209 average against Chicago pitchers this season -- which is the second-lowest batting average against of any National League team in modern baseball history. The only NL team with a lower opponents' batting average against? That would be the 1906 Cubs, who allowed opponents to average just .206.
Rangers:
It was only fitting that the Rangers' final game of the regular season (a 6-4, 10-inning loss to the Rays) came down to extra innings -- though it was rare to see Texas actually lose a close ballgame. The American League West champions went a staggering 36-11 in one-run games this season, totaling a win percentage of .766 that ranks as the greatest mark of any team in one-run contests in modern baseball history. The previous record was held by the 2012 Orioles, who had a 29-9 record (.763) in one-run affairs.
Nationals:
They muscled their way to the NL East title by literally hitting the ball harder than any other team in baseball. Washington batters compiled an average exit velocity of 90.3 miles per hour on batted balls in 2016, according to Statcast™, just edging out the Orioles (90.2) and Mariners (90.0) as the Majors' hardest-hitting team. Somewhat surprisingly, given his .640 OPS, Washington's leader in terms of exit velocity was Ryan Zimmerman, the club's only remaining link to its 2005 debut season in the nation's capital. Zimmerman hit balls at an average velocity of 93.7 mph, ranking 12th among big leaguers who put at least 100 balls in play.
Red Sox:
Hanley Ramirez's seventh-inning home run Sunday tied up the Red Sox's game with the Blue Jays and broke up Aaron Sanchez's no-hitter at the same time. It was also Ramirez's 30th homer of the season, meaning franchise history was also made. With the blast, Ramirez joined teammates Mookie Betts and David Ortiz in the 30-home run/100-RBI club -- the first time the Red Sox have ever had three players reach those benchmarks in the same season.
Dodgers:
Injuries and inconsistency were hallmarks of the Dodgers' starting rotation all season, but manager Dave Roberts mixed and matched his relief pitchers with remarkable aplomb. Los Angeles captured a staggering 39 of its 91 total wins this season in games where its starting pitchers lasted just five innings or fewer. Those 39 victories set a new Major League record, surpassing the previous mark of 35 set by the 2012 Colorado Rockies.
Blue Jays:
In another sign of how professional baseball is continually changing, 2016 marked the first season in which Major League pitchers did not combine for at least 100 complete games. The perfect case study for this shift was the Blue Jays, whose starting pitchers did not record a single complete game and yet led the Majors with 995 1/3 innings pitched in 2016. Only 13 clubs in modern baseball history have not recorded a single complete game over the course of a season -- including the 2016 Blue Jays, Brewers, Marlins and Yankees. Of that group of 13, the Blue Jays are the first team to have its starters lead the Major Leagues in innings while not recording a single game in which they went the distance.
Orioles:
There was no secret to the Orioles' offensive approach, as they employed a reliance on the big home run that would have made Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver proud. With so many homer threats in the lineup, Baltimore stayed away from taking chances on the basepaths. In fact, the Orioles recorded just six triples all season -- which is the fewest number of triples by a team over any full season in the history of organized professional baseball dating to 1876. Baltimore's last triple of the season was recorded by Manny Machado on Sept. 11. The teams with the next fewest amount of triples over a 162-game season? That would be the 1981 and 1998 Baltimore Orioles, who each recorded only 11 three-baggers.(And it should be noted that 1981 was a strike-shortened year.) The 2016 Orioles were also one of the least greedy teams on the basepaths in history when it came to stealing bases. Baltimore attempted just 31 steals all year, the lowest total of attempts by any team over a 162-game season since attempts became an official statistic in both leagues 1951. The next closest team in terms of fewest stolen-base attempts this season were the Mets, who tried to steal 60 times in 2016 -- nearly twice as many times as Baltimore.
Mets:
The Mets' offense was not prolific, ranking in the bottom half of the NL in runs scored per game. But when they needed to score, the Mets could often find a timely home run to help them do so. New York scored 51.1 percent of its 671 total runs via home runs this season, which measures as the highest percentage of team runs scored on homers in NL history. The only teams in Major League history to score a higher percentage of their runs on long balls were the 2010 Blue Jays (53.1 percent) and, coincidentally, the 2016 Orioles (51.9 percent).
Giants:
It was a year for the home run across baseball, as Major League teams combined to hit the second-most homers in modern history. But in a year where many teams swung for the fences, the Giants were able to punch their postseason ticket while mostly avoiding the long ball. In fact, San Francisco was the only team to not feature at least one player with at least 20 home runs this year. First baseman Brandon Belt paced the club with just 17 round-trippers. The Giants' aversion to the long ball made them the first team to qualify for the postseason without featuring a 20-home run hitter since the 2014 Royals. Furthermore, to find the last Giants team that made the playoffs in such a fashion, one would have to go all the way back to 1923, when Irish Meusel paced the New York Giants' run to the NL pennant by hitting just 19 round-trippers.
This year's 10 contenders took many different routes to October
Indians:
The best teams over the course of a 162-game schedule are usually the ones that can eliminate the prolonged slumps. No team did this better than the Indians, who were the only Major League team to not suffer at least four losses in a row this season. "That's harder than it looks," manager Terry Francona said of the streak Sunday. "It's a long season, and that's something I'm really proud of the guys about. They should be proud of themselves for that." The Indians are the first Major League team to go through an entire season without a losing streak of at least four games since the 2014 Dodgers accomplished the same feat. As a franchise, Cleveland had not achieved that rare feat of consistency since nearly a century ago, in the 1918 campaign.
Cubs:
The Cubs' combination of pitching and defense this season reached a level we've rarely seen before. In fact, opposing batters carried a microscopic .209 average against Chicago pitchers this season -- which is the second-lowest batting average against of any National League team in modern baseball history. The only NL team with a lower opponents' batting average against? That would be the 1906 Cubs, who allowed opponents to average just .206.
Rangers:
It was only fitting that the Rangers' final game of the regular season (a 6-4, 10-inning loss to the Rays) came down to extra innings -- though it was rare to see Texas actually lose a close ballgame. The American League West champions went a staggering 36-11 in one-run games this season, totaling a win percentage of .766 that ranks as the greatest mark of any team in one-run contests in modern baseball history. The previous record was held by the 2012 Orioles, who had a 29-9 record (.763) in one-run affairs.
Nationals:
They muscled their way to the NL East title by literally hitting the ball harder than any other team in baseball. Washington batters compiled an average exit velocity of 90.3 miles per hour on batted balls in 2016, according to Statcast™, just edging out the Orioles (90.2) and Mariners (90.0) as the Majors' hardest-hitting team. Somewhat surprisingly, given his .640 OPS, Washington's leader in terms of exit velocity was Ryan Zimmerman, the club's only remaining link to its 2005 debut season in the nation's capital. Zimmerman hit balls at an average velocity of 93.7 mph, ranking 12th among big leaguers who put at least 100 balls in play.
Red Sox:
Hanley Ramirez's seventh-inning home run Sunday tied up the Red Sox's game with the Blue Jays and broke up Aaron Sanchez's no-hitter at the same time. It was also Ramirez's 30th homer of the season, meaning franchise history was also made. With the blast, Ramirez joined teammates Mookie Betts and David Ortiz in the 30-home run/100-RBI club -- the first time the Red Sox have ever had three players reach those benchmarks in the same season.
Dodgers:
Injuries and inconsistency were hallmarks of the Dodgers' starting rotation all season, but manager Dave Roberts mixed and matched his relief pitchers with remarkable aplomb. Los Angeles captured a staggering 39 of its 91 total wins this season in games where its starting pitchers lasted just five innings or fewer. Those 39 victories set a new Major League record, surpassing the previous mark of 35 set by the 2012 Colorado Rockies.
Blue Jays:
In another sign of how professional baseball is continually changing, 2016 marked the first season in which Major League pitchers did not combine for at least 100 complete games. The perfect case study for this shift was the Blue Jays, whose starting pitchers did not record a single complete game and yet led the Majors with 995 1/3 innings pitched in 2016. Only 13 clubs in modern baseball history have not recorded a single complete game over the course of a season -- including the 2016 Blue Jays, Brewers, Marlins and Yankees. Of that group of 13, the Blue Jays are the first team to have its starters lead the Major Leagues in innings while not recording a single game in which they went the distance.
Orioles:
There was no secret to the Orioles' offensive approach, as they employed a reliance on the big home run that would have made Hall of Fame manager Earl Weaver proud. With so many homer threats in the lineup, Baltimore stayed away from taking chances on the basepaths. In fact, the Orioles recorded just six triples all season -- which is the fewest number of triples by a team over any full season in the history of organized professional baseball dating to 1876. Baltimore's last triple of the season was recorded by Manny Machado on Sept. 11. The teams with the next fewest amount of triples over a 162-game season? That would be the 1981 and 1998 Baltimore Orioles, who each recorded only 11 three-baggers.(And it should be noted that 1981 was a strike-shortened year.) The 2016 Orioles were also one of the least greedy teams on the basepaths in history when it came to stealing bases. Baltimore attempted just 31 steals all year, the lowest total of attempts by any team over a 162-game season since attempts became an official statistic in both leagues 1951. The next closest team in terms of fewest stolen-base attempts this season were the Mets, who tried to steal 60 times in 2016 -- nearly twice as many times as Baltimore.
Mets:
The Mets' offense was not prolific, ranking in the bottom half of the NL in runs scored per game. But when they needed to score, the Mets could often find a timely home run to help them do so. New York scored 51.1 percent of its 671 total runs via home runs this season, which measures as the highest percentage of team runs scored on homers in NL history. The only teams in Major League history to score a higher percentage of their runs on long balls were the 2010 Blue Jays (53.1 percent) and, coincidentally, the 2016 Orioles (51.9 percent).
Giants:
It was a year for the home run across baseball, as Major League teams combined to hit the second-most homers in modern history. But in a year where many teams swung for the fences, the Giants were able to punch their postseason ticket while mostly avoiding the long ball. In fact, San Francisco was the only team to not feature at least one player with at least 20 home runs this year. First baseman Brandon Belt paced the club with just 17 round-trippers. The Giants' aversion to the long ball made them the first team to qualify for the postseason without featuring a 20-home run hitter since the 2014 Royals. Furthermore, to find the last Giants team that made the playoffs in such a fashion, one would have to go all the way back to 1923, when Irish Meusel paced the New York Giants' run to the NL pennant by hitting just 19 round-trippers.
“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: Articles
5474Francona's preparedness among keys to success
Tribe manager's communication skills, open mind also vital
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | October 8th, 2016
BOSTON -- Indians manager Terry Francona does not throw the pitches or swing the bat. He plays the percentages. Francona is the man behind the curtain, pulling the levers and looking like a managerial wizard as Cleveland sits on the cusp of taking down the mighty Red Sox.
Two games into this American League Division Series, Francona has had the Midas touch. His unconventional bullpen usage stole the show in Game 1 on Thursday. A lineup decision that strayed from his norm helped win Game 2 on Friday. One more victory, and the Indians will return to the AL Championship Series for the first time in nine years.
"If there's anybody better," said Chris Antonetti, the Indians president of baseball operations, "I'm not sure I've been around him."
Francona's skill in the dugout is no secret to the Red Sox, who will host the Indians on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, TBS) in Game 3 at Fenway Park. It was Francona, after all, who came to Boston in 2004 and helped end the city's 86-year-old World Series dry spell. He then guided Boston to a second title three years later, addressing the drought with a surplus of champagne.
In Boston, though, Francona had the benefit of deep pockets, elite pitching and power hitters. In Cleveland, the manager has really had to flex his managerial muscles under the kind of payroll restraints that can hold the best of clubs back. Francona won the AL Manager of the Year Award for his work with the Tribe in '13 and he may be on the verge of taking home another trophy, as this year may have been his biggest test yet.
With the exception of 11 ineffective games, Cleveland played without an injured Michael Brantley. The team endured suspensions to outfielders Marlon Byrd and Abraham Almonte, and injuries to Yan Gomes, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. Francona employed platoons at each outfield spot, and also at third base for a portion of the season.
And yet, here the Indians are, up 2-0 on the highest-scoring team in baseball.
"It's a total package," Indians relief ace Andrew Miller said of Francona. "It's his ability to communicate with anybody -- it doesn't matter if it's a pitcher, a position player, or where they're from, whatever it is. It's his ability to put guys in positions to succeed. They brought him in for a good reason."
After the Indians acquired the left-handed reliever from the Yankees at the July 31 Trade Deadline, Francona elected to use him as a high-leverage weapon, not as a closer. There would be no waiting for save situations. There would only be using Miller when it made the most sense. Francona would then be able to better use Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero and his other arms in more opportune situations.
Two days after the baseball world watched as Orioles manager Buck Showalter held out closer Zach Britton in the AL Wild Card Game and lost, Francona called upon Miller in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the ALDS. It was asking a lot of Cleveland's bullpen, and it was a radical move in many ways, but the Tribe's bullpen pieced together 13 outs to collect the win.
It was a win-today mentality from Francona, who worries about tomorrow when he gets there.
"I loved it. I loved it," Indians general manager Mike Chernoff said. "He had prepared for that exact situation. It didn't take anyone by surprise and it was great to see his willingness and creativity to do it."
In Game 2, Francona put the lefty-swinging Lonnie Chisenhall in the lineup against Red Sox ace David Price, even through the Indians' outfielder normally only plays against right-handed pitchers. It was a look into how Francona does not treat any player as a strict platoon option, even if the manager did exploit the platoon advantage -- both offensively and with this pitching staff -- more than any other Major League team this year.
Francona weighs all the information. In the case of Chisenhall, the manager liked the right fielder's career history against Price and considered that the left-handed pitcher had relatively even splits this season. Beyond that, Francona wanted to have Chisenhall in there to better align the Tribe's defense.
Chisenhall launched a three-run home run in the second inning, powering Cleveland's 6-0 win on Friday.
"Sometimes," Francona said, "good players make you look smarter than you probably are."
Maybe, but this was hardly the first instance where one of Francona's decisions paid dividends.
Another example can be found in switch-hitter Carlos Santana. For years, Francona had toyed with the concept of using Santana -- primarily a middle-of-the-order bat in his career -- as a leadoff hitter. The manager was intrigued by Santana's keen eye, on-base ability and knack for grinding out long at-bats. The heart of the order would be missing some power, but it might also benefit from having a runner on base more often.
During Spring Training, Francona's curiosity finally convinced him to have the Indians' analytics department -- led by Sky Andrecheck, the team's senior director of baseball research and development -- to run a study on Santana as a leadoff man. When the report landed on the manager's desk, he read it with some disappointment. Statistically, it did not project as the kind of beneficial move that Francona thought it could be for the Tribe's lineup.
Even with that feedback, Francona went with his gut. On April 22, Santana made his career debut as a leadoff man and he has stayed there on a part-time basis. Santana leads off against righties and hits fifth against lefties. The result was a career year for Santana, who belted 34 homers, collected 87 RBIs, scored 89 runs and drew 99 walks.
"If the information he gets doesn't support an idea," said Brad Mills, Francona's longtime bench coach and close friend, "he'll look at it a little bit and not give in totally to that side yet. It might take him a little bit longer, and that's OK. He uses all his experiences, along with some of the experiences that some of the analytical people have, and kind of puts it all together."
Francona jokes that he did not know the word "sabermetrics" when he began managing the Phillies back in 1997, but the manager believes he was always leaning in that direction.
To this day, Francona tapes up sheets of paper in the dugout with a variety of numbers to assist him with in-game decisions. He had a similar method back in his days in Philly, but he would write the matchup statistics on the back of his lineup card. Even then, he made lineup decisions that he knew "people in the upper deck might be second-guessing," but Francona trusted his instincts and the information.
Francona did not have a computer in those days, but finally got one when he worked for the A's as a bench coach in 2003 under GM Billy Beane. Francona's access to analytics increased further when he moved to Boston and it has continued to expand in Cleveland. In four years with the Indians, Francona has torn down the wall between the front office and the clubhouse.
"You hear about the divide between a Major League staff and front-office people," Chernoff said. "Here, he breaks down those barriers and makes it safe to have all kinds of creative ideas."
It is not unusual to see a front-office member in the locker room talking to coaches or players. Assistant GM Derek Falvey, who will take the reins as the Twins' new president of baseball operations when the Indians' season is complete, is constantly dividing his time among the players, coaches, Francona and the front office. Andrecheck has been more visible this season, including being in the middle of the clubhouse during Cleveland's AL Central-clinching celebration, along with other staffers.
Chernoff said that cohesiveness has been a critical element to the Indians' setup. The GM added that the front office is never sending directives to Francona, either. Most of what the manager tries stems from his own ideas and brainstorming sessions.
"Our information is there to support him. It's driven from him," Chernoff said. "We work hard, but we're not trying to push him in any direction or shove information down his throat. I think it's the other way. He's exceptionally open-minded to listening to the information to validate his ideas."
Asked about the discussions behind the scenes, Francona laughed.
"I've probably made Sky want to jump out of the window," he said. "But I really like it, because it makes me think. If somebody has the ability to make me think through something, I say, 'OK, that's good to do,' but they also give me the information the way I want it and the way it's applicable to me."
All of the numbers, all of the decisions, have culminated in Cleveland being in position for a deep October run.
"I feel like I owe it to the team and to the organization not to guess," Francona said. "I just don't feel like it's fair to throw something against the wall and hope it sticks. Things don't always work, but I feel like if I'm prepared, I can relax and enjoy the game."
Tribe manager's communication skills, open mind also vital
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | October 8th, 2016
BOSTON -- Indians manager Terry Francona does not throw the pitches or swing the bat. He plays the percentages. Francona is the man behind the curtain, pulling the levers and looking like a managerial wizard as Cleveland sits on the cusp of taking down the mighty Red Sox.
Two games into this American League Division Series, Francona has had the Midas touch. His unconventional bullpen usage stole the show in Game 1 on Thursday. A lineup decision that strayed from his norm helped win Game 2 on Friday. One more victory, and the Indians will return to the AL Championship Series for the first time in nine years.
"If there's anybody better," said Chris Antonetti, the Indians president of baseball operations, "I'm not sure I've been around him."
Francona's skill in the dugout is no secret to the Red Sox, who will host the Indians on Sunday (4 p.m. ET, TBS) in Game 3 at Fenway Park. It was Francona, after all, who came to Boston in 2004 and helped end the city's 86-year-old World Series dry spell. He then guided Boston to a second title three years later, addressing the drought with a surplus of champagne.
In Boston, though, Francona had the benefit of deep pockets, elite pitching and power hitters. In Cleveland, the manager has really had to flex his managerial muscles under the kind of payroll restraints that can hold the best of clubs back. Francona won the AL Manager of the Year Award for his work with the Tribe in '13 and he may be on the verge of taking home another trophy, as this year may have been his biggest test yet.
With the exception of 11 ineffective games, Cleveland played without an injured Michael Brantley. The team endured suspensions to outfielders Marlon Byrd and Abraham Almonte, and injuries to Yan Gomes, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. Francona employed platoons at each outfield spot, and also at third base for a portion of the season.
And yet, here the Indians are, up 2-0 on the highest-scoring team in baseball.
"It's a total package," Indians relief ace Andrew Miller said of Francona. "It's his ability to communicate with anybody -- it doesn't matter if it's a pitcher, a position player, or where they're from, whatever it is. It's his ability to put guys in positions to succeed. They brought him in for a good reason."
After the Indians acquired the left-handed reliever from the Yankees at the July 31 Trade Deadline, Francona elected to use him as a high-leverage weapon, not as a closer. There would be no waiting for save situations. There would only be using Miller when it made the most sense. Francona would then be able to better use Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero and his other arms in more opportune situations.
Two days after the baseball world watched as Orioles manager Buck Showalter held out closer Zach Britton in the AL Wild Card Game and lost, Francona called upon Miller in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the ALDS. It was asking a lot of Cleveland's bullpen, and it was a radical move in many ways, but the Tribe's bullpen pieced together 13 outs to collect the win.
It was a win-today mentality from Francona, who worries about tomorrow when he gets there.
"I loved it. I loved it," Indians general manager Mike Chernoff said. "He had prepared for that exact situation. It didn't take anyone by surprise and it was great to see his willingness and creativity to do it."
In Game 2, Francona put the lefty-swinging Lonnie Chisenhall in the lineup against Red Sox ace David Price, even through the Indians' outfielder normally only plays against right-handed pitchers. It was a look into how Francona does not treat any player as a strict platoon option, even if the manager did exploit the platoon advantage -- both offensively and with this pitching staff -- more than any other Major League team this year.
Francona weighs all the information. In the case of Chisenhall, the manager liked the right fielder's career history against Price and considered that the left-handed pitcher had relatively even splits this season. Beyond that, Francona wanted to have Chisenhall in there to better align the Tribe's defense.
Chisenhall launched a three-run home run in the second inning, powering Cleveland's 6-0 win on Friday.
"Sometimes," Francona said, "good players make you look smarter than you probably are."
Maybe, but this was hardly the first instance where one of Francona's decisions paid dividends.
Another example can be found in switch-hitter Carlos Santana. For years, Francona had toyed with the concept of using Santana -- primarily a middle-of-the-order bat in his career -- as a leadoff hitter. The manager was intrigued by Santana's keen eye, on-base ability and knack for grinding out long at-bats. The heart of the order would be missing some power, but it might also benefit from having a runner on base more often.
During Spring Training, Francona's curiosity finally convinced him to have the Indians' analytics department -- led by Sky Andrecheck, the team's senior director of baseball research and development -- to run a study on Santana as a leadoff man. When the report landed on the manager's desk, he read it with some disappointment. Statistically, it did not project as the kind of beneficial move that Francona thought it could be for the Tribe's lineup.
Even with that feedback, Francona went with his gut. On April 22, Santana made his career debut as a leadoff man and he has stayed there on a part-time basis. Santana leads off against righties and hits fifth against lefties. The result was a career year for Santana, who belted 34 homers, collected 87 RBIs, scored 89 runs and drew 99 walks.
"If the information he gets doesn't support an idea," said Brad Mills, Francona's longtime bench coach and close friend, "he'll look at it a little bit and not give in totally to that side yet. It might take him a little bit longer, and that's OK. He uses all his experiences, along with some of the experiences that some of the analytical people have, and kind of puts it all together."
Francona jokes that he did not know the word "sabermetrics" when he began managing the Phillies back in 1997, but the manager believes he was always leaning in that direction.
To this day, Francona tapes up sheets of paper in the dugout with a variety of numbers to assist him with in-game decisions. He had a similar method back in his days in Philly, but he would write the matchup statistics on the back of his lineup card. Even then, he made lineup decisions that he knew "people in the upper deck might be second-guessing," but Francona trusted his instincts and the information.
Francona did not have a computer in those days, but finally got one when he worked for the A's as a bench coach in 2003 under GM Billy Beane. Francona's access to analytics increased further when he moved to Boston and it has continued to expand in Cleveland. In four years with the Indians, Francona has torn down the wall between the front office and the clubhouse.
"You hear about the divide between a Major League staff and front-office people," Chernoff said. "Here, he breaks down those barriers and makes it safe to have all kinds of creative ideas."
It is not unusual to see a front-office member in the locker room talking to coaches or players. Assistant GM Derek Falvey, who will take the reins as the Twins' new president of baseball operations when the Indians' season is complete, is constantly dividing his time among the players, coaches, Francona and the front office. Andrecheck has been more visible this season, including being in the middle of the clubhouse during Cleveland's AL Central-clinching celebration, along with other staffers.
Chernoff said that cohesiveness has been a critical element to the Indians' setup. The GM added that the front office is never sending directives to Francona, either. Most of what the manager tries stems from his own ideas and brainstorming sessions.
"Our information is there to support him. It's driven from him," Chernoff said. "We work hard, but we're not trying to push him in any direction or shove information down his throat. I think it's the other way. He's exceptionally open-minded to listening to the information to validate his ideas."
Asked about the discussions behind the scenes, Francona laughed.
"I've probably made Sky want to jump out of the window," he said. "But I really like it, because it makes me think. If somebody has the ability to make me think through something, I say, 'OK, that's good to do,' but they also give me the information the way I want it and the way it's applicable to me."
All of the numbers, all of the decisions, have culminated in Cleveland being in position for a deep October run.
"I feel like I owe it to the team and to the organization not to guess," Francona said. "I just don't feel like it's fair to throw something against the wall and hope it sticks. Things don't always work, but I feel like if I'm prepared, I can relax and enjoy the game."
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5475I liked the story I saw somewhere this morning about how Bucholz and Tomlin were jr college teammates. Tomlin was regular SS and pitched a little. Bucholtz was on his way to a 1st round draft choice, Tomlin transferred to Texas Tech [?] and was drafted in the 18th round.