Cleveland Sports Forum

how many forum posters did not have at least 81 wins as a prediction ?

57%

In all fairness I have since changed my prediction to 8 wins.

Shouldn't be any worse than ST when we won just about 25%

The Indians have spoken to the representatives for Justin Masterson about an extension, but the sides appear to remain far apart, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets. Talks seem to be on hold for the time being. Tim Dierkes suggested in January that a four-year deal in the $27MM range could work for the Indians and the Randy Rowley client.

Other than Choo and Masterson, I can't think of anyone I'd want to sign to a longterm deal.

Kipnis, this time next season.

Aces: Butler works to keep 'lost art' alive

Manager instructs Aces on finer points of bunting


11:27 PM, Apr. 10, 2012 |

Aces manager Brett Butler was baseball’s premier bunter during his playing days, and he is determined to not let the small-ball weapon disappear from the game.

Butler often works with a group of the Aces younger players, hours before first pitch, on the art he says made his career.

“It’s a lost art,” Butler said Tuesday. “I think guys either aren’t willing to put in the hard work or don’t understand it does take hard work to get it done. Guys ask me all the time how did you do it so well. I did it every day for 20 years. Guys don’t do it every day, don’t work on it.

“What’s the difference between .280 and .300? It’s a hit a week. One bunt hit a week. Would you rather hit .270 or .290? Would you rather hit .300 or .320? The answer is obvious. To me, I think you’re doing yourself a disservice if you have the ability to bunt and don’t do it. It just adds more value to your productivity if you can do that.

“When you’re done with this game, whether you make it or not, you don’t want any regret. Did you do everything you could? Maybe bunting is that last element.”

Butler had 245 bunt base hits during his 17-year major league career. No other player had more during the span from 1981 to 2010. Kenny Lofton was second with 202, also in 17 seasons.

“He was the best at it,” Aces center fielder and leadoff hitter A.J. Pollock said.

Pollock was one of five players working with Butler on Monday. The group had two cameras set up to document the clinic, one with slow-motion technology.

“This generation is visual learners,” said Butler, a career .290 hitter in his playing days who earned 10.3 percent of his 2,375 hits via the bunt. “When they see it is when those ‘aha moments’ come. I want them to have that tool in the toolbox that if they need to pull it out sometime it’s there.”

Evan Frey worked with Butler last season to be a better bunter and has continued to do so .

“It’s always been kind of something I did, but now it’s becoming more important,” Frey said. “It’s a big part of my game and I struggle with it at times. It’s one of those things where if I’m ever going to get the opportunity to play at the next level, it’s something I’m going to have to do.”

Frey has at least showed bunt in just about each of his 20 plate appearances this year.

“They know that I’m a bunter anyway,” Frey said. “But I like to show it, and if (the pitch is) perfect I’m going to bunt it, but I like to draw the infield in and then try to hit it past them.”

Frey tends to try to get a running start out of the left-handed batter’s box . It is something Butler preaches to avoid.

Slow things down and placement over quickness. That’s the No. 1 thing he’s been talking about,” Pollock said. “I worked with him quite a bit in spring training. It’s one of those things where if you have speed and feel for it, it can be a big weapon.”


http://www.rgj.com/article/20120411/SPO ... |FRONTPAGE

Cleveland Curse Continues as Indians Mistakenly Sign Wrong Carlos Santana To 5 Year Deal

LOL!

Good one J.R.!

According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Indians have agreed to a contract with free agent Johnny Damon.
Damon struggled all winter to attract interest despite posting a decent .261/.326/.418 batting line with 16 home runs, 73 RBI and 19 stolen bases in 150 games last year for the Rays. He's a really poor defensive outfielder, but the Indians are probably planning to use him primarily as part-time designated hitter and pinch-hitter. It's not a terrible fit.


Related: Indians
Source: Ken Rosenthal on Twitter Apr 11 - 11:55 PM

Indians To Sign Johnny Damon
By Mike Axisa [April 11 at 10:55pm CST]
The Indians will sign Johnny Damon, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are unknown. We heard that the Scott Boras client would sign by May earlier this month.

Damon, 38, figures to step into Cleveland's left field situation as soon as he's ready to join the team. Shelley Duncan has started all five of the Indians' games in left, but he's best deployed as the right-handed half of a platoon. A fit between the Tribe and Damon seemed natural for most of the offseason.

Just 277 hits away from 3,000 for his career, Damon hit .261/.326/.418 with 16 homers and 19 steals for the Rays last season. He has played fewer than 400 total innings in the outfield over the last two years, but he has appeared in at least 140 games in each of the past 16 years.

The Indians tried to acquire Bobby Abreu a few weeks ago, presumably for the same role Damon will fill.

I saw Johnny (not Jhonny) Damon play live and in person during a few days I blew off some frequent flier coupons that were about to expire and flew to Kansas City to see The Tribe.

The first night I watched Johnny Damon play was the same night that John Smiley shredded his arm in the Indians bullpen.

If Damon can start and hit over a buck fifty, I play him next game.

A grizzled good looking vet that chicks can dig. More money for the wampum, and hope for guidance for our youth movement.

This is the very definition of a panic move to head off an historically awful season. These guys took an awfully long cruise this winter. The fans of this team deserve better. Shame!

This is like when the tribe signed keith Hernandez or when the Cavs go Walt Frazier. Just another washed up old timer to steal some money on their way back to a broadcast job back in NYC.