Cleveland Sports Forum

I remember coaching a girls soft ball team and I threw the ball up pretty high to a girl that I should have known better. Came down and broke her nose. Stupid !

Chipping golf balls to a 5 year old at my friends house. (His daughter, five years old, 10 foot chip shots for about a half an hour.) Lots of fun. Skulled one. Hit her right in the head. Stupid !

Cleveland Indians endure beanball melee, Royals' comeback for 11-9 triumph in 10 innings

Updated: Sunday, April 15, 2012, 1:22 AM


Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

Charlie Riedel, Associated Press Kansas City center fielder Jarrod Dyson can't leap high enough to prevent Shin-Soo Choo's tiebreaking two-run double in the 10th inning of Saturday's game at Kauffman Stadium.




Kansas City, Mo. -- The boos didn't bother Shin-Soo Choo. He pretended like he was back home at Progressive Field.

Get it? Choo sounds a lot like boo.

In the 10th inning, Choo turned the boos to silence with a two-run double to give the Indians an 11-9 victory over Kansas City in a game that saw Indians manager Manny Acta, starting pitcher Jeanmar Gomez and third baseman Jack Hannahan ejected in a brawl-filled third inning.

The problem started in the third. Really, the problem started last year, but that's getting ahead of the story.

The Indians were just starting a five-run inning against lefty Jonathan Sanchez on Saturday when he hit Choo on the right knee. Sanchez, pitching for the Giants at the time, hit Choo on June 24 and shattered his left thumb. He was on the disabled list for six weeks.

"I was thinking about that when I came to the plate against him," said Choo, who has been hit three times this year.

Sanchez hit Choo with a fastball. Choo was not happy. He shouted at Sanchez and pointed his bat toward the plate.

"I told him to throw it over the plate," said Choo.

Both teams came onto the field, with Hannahan leading the charge.

"I don't know how many times Sanchez is going to hit Choo, but the last time he did he has three screws in his thumb," said Hannahan. "If we're going to contend, we need our big boys healthy."

It wasn't visible from the press box, but plate umpire and crew chief Gary Darling issued a warning to both benches. It did not prevent Gomez from hitting Mike Moustakas, Kansas City's first hitter in the bottom of the third, to empty the benches again. Gomez and Acta were immediately ejected.

Hannahan charged into a scrum of Royals players near first base before being restrained. When the field was cleared a second time, Acta led Hannahan off the field.

Gomez hasn't been around the big leagues that long, but he knew enough to say he didn't intentionally throw at Moustakas.

"I was just trying to open the inside corner so I could work the outside part of the plate again him," Gomez said.

Said Hannahan: "This is the way baseball has been played for a long time. You hit our studs. We hit your studs. That's the way it's always been played and that's the way it should be played."

Hannahan felt Sanchez intentionally hit Choo, but Choo did not think it was intentional.

Gomez and Hannahan will probably be suspended. Ubaldo Jimenez returns to the rotation today to face the Royals after serving a five-game suspension of his own.

Acta said the situation will be addressed with Gomez.

"I believe he was trying to protect his teammates, but I think he went overboard a little," Acta said. "First of all, there was a warning in place. Once you hit a guy, you're going to be thrown out. That early in a game, you tax the bullpen.

"We were blessed to have Josh Tomlin to suck up some of those innings."

After the third, Choo was booed by the crowd of 21,788 whenever he came to the plate.

"That doesn't bother me," he said. "In Cleveland, the fans say 'Choo.' It sounds the same here."

Jason Donald and Jason Kipnis set the table for Choo's big two-out hit with consecutive singles to start the 10th off Greg Holland (0-1).

Chris Perez retired the side in order in the 10th for his second save. Jairo Asencio (1-1) earned his first big-league win with a scoreless ninth and a big assist from catcher Carlos Santana, who threw out swift Jarrod Dyson on an attempted steal of second for the first out.

The Indians came out of their half of the third with a 5-0 lead. Jose Lopez's two-run double was the big hit of the inning. It also included a sacrifice fly by Donald, the first by the Indians this year.

The Royals made it 5-2 with two runs in the third. Alcides Escobar tripled home Moustakas and then scored on Dyson's sacrifice fly.

Cabrera doubled and Santana singled to give the Tribe a 6-2 lead in the fourth. The Indians made it 9-2 as Casey Kotchman and Kipnis homered in the fifth.

The Royals, however, kept coming.

They scored twice in the fifth on a Moustakas double and a double-play grounder by Escobar to make it 9-4. Tomlin came out for the sixth, but couldn't get through the inning as his defense gave the Royals five outs instead of three.

Jeff Francoeur singled and scored on Billy Butler's double. Tomlin retired Alex Gordon for the second out, but Donald threw wide of first base on Yuniesky Betancourt's grounder to third to keep the inning going.

Lefty Rafael Perez relieved to face Moustakas. Perez, never throwing above 82 mph, gave up an RBI double to make it 9-6. Joe Smith relieved to get the final out of the inning.

Smith started the seventh, but left with one out and Dyson on second following a leadoff double. Tony Sipp relieved and gave up an RBI double to Eric Hosmer. Butler followed with a single to center to make it 9-8.

Yuniesky Betancourt's leadoff homer in the eighth off Vinnie Pestano pulled the Royals into a 9-9 tie.

There's no 'opt-out' clause in Johnny Damon contract: Indians Insider

Published: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 9:22 PM Updated: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 9:24 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer


KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- If Johnny Damon passes his physical -- he's probably being poked and prodded as you read this -- he should be a member of the Indians by Monday.

Damon is expected to sign a minor-league deal worth $1.25 million. He can make an additional $1.4 in performance incentives. Contrary to what has been reported, the deal doesn't include a no-trade clause or an opt out clause revolving around the return of Grady Sizemore from the disabled list.

Rather, the Indians and Scott Boras, Damon's agent, would discuss his status on the team if he's not a good fit or isn't playing much.

Damon then could be released.

If Damon, 38, passes his physical, he'll report to the Indians' base in Goodyear, Ariz., for extended spring training. Once the Indians get a read on his conditioning, he's expected to report to Class AAA Columbus with the hope that he could join the Indians in early May.

Damon played 150 games with the Rays last year, but has not gone through organized conditioning this year. He's expected to platoon with Shelley Duncan in left field.

Remember: While MLB players will be wearing No.42 on Sunday in memory of the 65th anniversary of Jackie Robinson becoming the first black man to play in the big leagues, the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown will have a dedication ceremony on July 20 to honor Larry Doby, Joe DiMaggio, Willie Stargell and Ted Williams.

The four Hall of Famers will be immortalized on 45-cent first class stamps as part of the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The stamps will be available nationwide that day.

Doby was the first black man to play in the American League. He made his debut with the Indians on July 5, 1947.

In the pen: Pressed into action Saturday night after Jeanmar Gomez's ejection, Josh Tomlin's next start is scheduled for Thursday at Safeco Field against Seattle. Right now he's in the bullpen because of rainout and off days.

Manager Manny Acta said he'd have no problem using Tomlin in the pen because of his experience as a reliever in the minors. Gomez pitched two scoreless innings in relief Wednesday against Chicago.

"Ideally, it would probably better for Josh to see a couple of hitters at some point [before his start]," said Acta. "He's done it enough in the minors. He knows what to do to get ready. He's not affected by any of that kind of stuff."

Tomlin's first and only start of the season came Monday against Chicago. He allowed four runs on nine hits in five innings in a 4-2 loss. He tied a career high with seven strikeouts.

Help from the right: The left-leaning Indians received a transfusion from the right for Friday's game.

Acta inserted right-handed hitters Jose Lopez at DH and Jason Donald at second base. Including switch-hitters Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana that gave the Tribe five right-handed hitters to face left-hander Jonathan Sanchez.

Asked how he intends to use Lopez, who made the club out of spring training, Acta said, "It depends on the matchups and who needs a day off the most. We saw him at first base. He could be at second base to rest Jason Kipnis or it could be a day at third."

In his only start, Lopez went 1-for-4 with a homer in a 4-2 loss to Chicago on Monday at Progressive Field. Donald made his only start that night, hitting leadoff and playing third. He went 0-for-4.

"We need to get Jose and Donald involved," said Acta. "We want to get a couple of right-handed hitters in there."

Finally: Derek Lowe owns both Indians victories through the first six games of the season. He's just one of five pitchers in the AL with two wins.

He has no illusions about his fast start.

"Every pitcher in the game wants to go 34-0," said Lowe. "We're not [going to be]. I promise you."

Indians Chatter

Clubhouse confidential: Through their first six games of the season, the Indians hit nine homers. The homers accounted for 15 of their 28 runs.

Would manager Manny Acta rather have an offense dependent on the homer or one that strings hits and big innings together?

“My preference is to have more runs than the opposition at the end of the game,” said Acta. “Whether they come by home runs, walks or wild pitches. It doesn’t do you much good if you lead the league in home runs and don’t win the games.”

Stay loose: The Royals gave the Indians a head’s-up that participants from the pre-game ceremony for Friday’s home opener would be using the visitor’s bullpen to come on and off the field. What they didn’t tell the Indians is that it would disrupt Derek Lowe’s warmup session before his start. Lowe managed to pitch around the traffic jam of people and came away with an 8-3 victory.

“I’m glad it was Lowe,” said pitching coach Scott Radinsky. “He can handle that kind of stuff. Some other guys can’t.”

Stat of the day: Shin-Soo Choo entered Friday’s game hitting .343 (80-for-233) with 10 homers and 53 RBI in his career against the Royals.

— Paul Hoynes

Apr 15, 6:28 PM EDT

Hafner hits long homer, Indians sweep Royals


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Travis Hafner hit one of the longest home runs in Kauffman Stadium history, Shelly Duncan homered and drove in three runs and the Cleveland Indians romped past the Kansas City Royals 13-7 Sunday for a three-game sweep.

Casey Kotchman and Jason Kipnis homered on consecutive pitches for Cleveland in the eighth inning.

For the first time in the Indians' 111-year history, they scored at least eight runs in their first three road games of a season.

It got so bad for the Royals that manager Ned Yost put outfielder Mitch Maier on the mound in the ninth. Maier was the only Kansas City pitcher to not give up a run, working a hitless inning.

Hafner's home run in the fifth inning off Luis Mendoza went an estimated 456 feet and was the first to land in a sports bar behind the right-field bleachers. It was the longest home run at Kauffman Stadium since David Ortiz, then with Minnesota, hit one 458 feet on April 8, 2001.

Hafner went 3 for 4 and drew an intentional walk. Duncan hit a three-run homer in the Indians' six-run third inning and walked in his next three plate-appearances.

Kotchman and Kipnis connected against Louis Coleman. The Indians collected seven home runs and 18 extra-base hits in the series.

Ubaldo Jimenez (0-1), who had not pitched since April 7 while serving a five-game suspension from a spring training incident against Colorado, gave up four runs on nine hits and three walks in five innings to pick up the victory.

Mendoza (0-2) was pulled after four-plus innings, permitting nine runs - five earned - on nine hits and four walks. The Royals' starting pitchers allowed 24 hits and 21 runs in 10 2-3 innings in the three losses.

Brayan Pena had his first career-four hit game. Chris Getz added three hits, including a triple, and drove in a pair of runs with a second-inning single as the Royals took a 3-0 lead.

NOTES: The Indians are expected to officially sign OF Johnny Damon to a minor league contract Monday after he passes a physical. He would report to their spring training complex in Goodyear, Ariz., for conditioning before going to Triple-A Columbus. If all goes well, Damon could join the Indians in early May. ... This was the 11th time in Royals' history they have used a position player to pitch and it was Maier's second time on the mound. He also threw a scoreless inning July 26, 2011, at Boston. ... The Royals recalled Coleman from Triple-A Omaha and optioned OF Jarrod Dyson to the same club. ... RHP Felipe Paulino, who is on the Royals disabled list with a forearm strain, is scheduled to throw 35 pitches Monday in an extended spring game in Surprise, Ariz. ... The Indians have homered in each of their first eight games. That is the fourth longest streak in franchise history to start a season. They homered in nine straight to open the 2006 and 1997 seasons. ... The Indians swept a series in Kansas City for the first time since April 2008.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... 5-18-28-08

Indians complete signing of Damon
Veteran outfielder will join Cleveland after getting game-ready
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 04/17/12 2:00 PM ET

SEATTLE -- It had been known for several days that veteran outfielder Johnny Damon was being fitted for his Indians uniform, but there was still the matter of making things official.

Cleveland took that step on Tuesday, announcing that it had signed Damon to a one-year Minor League contract. That served as the first step in getting Damon prepared to join the Indians' lineup and outfield within the next few weeks.

While the Tribe continues to play out its April schedule with the current group in place, Damon will be taking part in a kind of abbreviated Spring Training to get himself in game shape for the ballclub. The possibility exists that Damon could join the Indians later this month, but an early-May arrival might be more realistic.



Damon, whose contract will be worth a reported $1.25 million with another $1.4 million possible in performance bonuses once he is on the Major League roster, will work out and garner at-bats at extended spring in Goodyear, Ariz., for a period of time prior to being assigned to a Minor League affiliate. It is most likely that he will play for Triple-A Columbus before being deemed ready to join Cleveland.

In the meantime, the Indians will stick with Shelley Duncan in left field, which is the position most likely to be occupied or shared by the 38-year-old Damon. Over the past two years, Damon has spent the bulk of his time as a designated hitter in stints with the Tigers and Rays, but he said in a recent radio interview that he wants to show he can still handle the outfield.

"I need to go out there and show people I can still play there," Damon said in an interview Thursday on the MLB Network Radio channel on SiriusXM. "Right now, Shelley Duncan is the starting left fielder. I know they are going to rotate me in and give him a breather but, you know, I also understand this game, too.

"If Shelley Duncan is on fire at the plate, he's going to play. And if I am, they are going to find a place for me."

Initial reports of Damon joining the Indians came early Thursday morning in the wake of a subpar season-opening homestand. Cleveland went 1-4 in series against the Blue Jays and White Sox and limped out of town with a .176 team batting average. Since then, however, the Tribe's offense has swung soundly in the opposite direction.

The Indians hit .333 in a convincing sweep of Kansas City over the weekend, piling up 32 runs at Kauffman Stadium. That marked the most runs amassed in a three-game set of any kind since the Tribe scored 37 runs in a sweep of Tampa Bay from April 7-9, 2000. It also represented the first time in club history that it scored at least eight runs in its first three road games of a season.

Damon, a veteran of 17 seasons in the big leagues, hit .261 with 16 home runs and 73 RBIs for the Rays in 2011. The year before, he batted .271 with eight homers in a one-season tour with Detroit. That followed up a four-year stint with the Yankees in which the lefty averaged slightly more than 19 long balls per season.

He has 2,723 career hits -- 277 shy of joining the exclusive 3,000-hits club.

Damon started 230 of his 295 games at DH over the past two seasons, but will be given a chance to handle left field when he joins the Indians. Cleveland already has a full-time, left-handed DH in veteran slugger Travis Hafner. Duncan won the left field job in Spring Training, but has served as a right-handed option off the bench for the past two years.

The Indians are also hoping to eventually have center fielder Grady Sizemore back in the fold once he recovers from surgery on his lower back. Sizemore, who has undergone six surgeries in the past four years for various injuries, is on the 60-day disabled list and is not eligible to be activated until June 3.

A few of the early reports of Damon's signing indicated that his contract would include an out clause that could be exercised upon Sizemore's return, which would push Michael Brantley from center field back to left. It is now believed that there is no such clause in the deal, but the Indians have informed Damon that they will reassess the situation later in the season.

Duncan plans on doing all he can to make the decisions even more complicated.

Entering Tuesday, Duncan led all Tribe regulars with a .320 average, .485 on-base percentage and .600 slugging percentage. He hit a towering three-run homer with two outs in the third inning on Sunday to help the Indians' push to a 13-7 win over the Royals. Duncan knows Damon from their days as teammates with the Yankees.

Damon also has former teammates in Indians pitcher Derek Lowe and first baseman Casey Kotchman. No matter how or where Damon fits in, Kotchman said the Tribe is getting a solid player.

"Johnny has a lot to offer any team," said Kotchman, who played with Damon last year with the Rays. "He's a winner, as history shows. He brings energy and is always upbeat. He never has a bad day. To have him on the team last year was critical.

"Over the course of six months, you're going to have ups and downs. It's nice to have somebody there who has been there and done that. Johnny always brings a positive attitude."

since the Tribe scored 37 runs in a sweep of Tampa Bay from April 7-9, 2000

I think I remember one of those games. It was back when somebody was posting, in real time, a play-by-play of all the games on some site on the internet. If I missed a game I could go to that site and read it and it was the next best thing to listening to or watching the game.

I seem to recall reading through one in which the Tribe fell behind by about 10 runs but then came back and scored about 20 or so. Wow! Must have been part of that set.

VT'er wrote:

since the Tribe scored 37 runs in a sweep of Tampa Bay from April 7-9, 2000

I think I remember one of those games. It was back when somebody was posting, in real time, a play-by-play of all the games on some site on the internet. If I missed a game I could go to that site and read it and it was the next best thing to listening to or watching the game.

I seem to recall reading through one in which the Tribe fell behind by about 10 runs but then came back and scored about 20 or so. Wow! Must have been part of that set.

I think you remember the 2001 game against Seattle, perhaps?

J.R. just posted the box score link over in Gametime.

We were down 12-0 early, but came back to win 15-14 in extra innings.

Actually TFiC it was this one:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes ... 5070.shtml

So it wasn't the weekend referred to earlier (April 7-9, 2000), but it was an amazing win over Tampa Bay.

Indians rally in ninth, rob Felix Hernandez of win



Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Jack Hannahan hit a two-run single in the ninth inning off closer Brandon League, and the Cleveland Indians rallied for a 2-1 victory over Seattle that cost Mariners ace Felix Hernandez a win after his dominant outing on Thursday night.

Hernandez struck out 12 and walked one. He allowed five hits, three in the eighth inning, but ended up with a no-decision.

Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin just about matched the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner pitch for pitch. Tomlin tossed eight innings, yielding one run and five hits. He struck out seven, walked none and threw just 96 pitches.

Chris Perez got three outs for his fourth save in five chances.

Carlos Santana walked and Travis Hafner singled to open the ninth against League. Casey Kotchman's sacrifice bunt advanced both runners.

League (0-1) walked Shelley Duncan, loading the bases, before Hannahan's single scored Santana and pinch runner Aaron Cunningham to give the Indians a 2-1 lead.

It was League's first blown save since Aug. 23, also against Cleveland.

Lucas Luetge replaced League with two outs and intentionally walked Michael Brantley to load the bases again before getting Jason Kipnis on a groundout.

The Indians tried to mount a rally in the eighth, too, but couldn't break through. They loaded the bases on three consecutive singles by Hannahan, Jason Donald and Brantley. Donald's hit was a possible double-play ball that glanced off Hernandez's leg. Brantley's grounder went off the tip of Dustin Ackley's glove at second and was kept in the infield.

Hernandez was in trouble for the first time. Seattle manager Eric Wedge went to the mound and chatted with the right-hander, choosing to leave him in despite having Luetge ready in the bullpen.

Hernandez responded by striking out Kipnis and Shin-Soo Choo. Hernandez hopped off the mound, yelled, and slapped his glove after his 126th pitch.

Seattle gave Hernandez a slim lead in the fifth. Michael Saunders doubled and went to third on Miguel Olivo's sacrifice. John Jaso hit a hard grounder at second baseman Kipnis, who was pulled in with the rest of the Cleveland infield, and he threw high to home plate. Saunders was safe and Jaso moved to second on the throwing error.

Santana picked up the first hit for the Indians with two outs in the fourth when he hit a 2-1 pitch to left-center for a double. Hernandez already had six strikeouts at that point, and only one prior batter hit the ball out of the infield.

Olivo grounded into a double play with one out and runners on first and third in the second. Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager doubled and Saunders singled, but Olivo's problems at the plate continued. He's hitting just .143.

Hernandez also allowed Hafner's double in the seventh. He went to a 2-1 count on Kotchman before coming back to get an inning-ending strikeout.

Game notes
Mariners OF Mike Carp was set to play the outfield for Triple-A Tacoma as he works his way back from a sprained shoulder. … Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera will fly back to Cleveland on Sunday. Cabrera was placed on the bereavement list, retroactive to Monday, after the death of his grandfather. Relief pitcher Nick Hagadone is likely to be sent down when Cabrera returns, according to manager Manny Acta. ... Six players who spent time in the Mariners organization -- Derek Lowe, Cabrera, Choo, Hannahan, Kotchman and Jose Lopez -- are on Cleveland's roster.

Keep Hagadone!

I second that motion

Sipp has been terrible and they are sending down Hagadone! Come on!

Indians closer Chris Perez has been fined $750 by Major League Baseball for a ''reckless'' message on his Twitter account after a benches-clearing incident in Kansas City.

After pitchers for the Indians and Royals hit batters, touching off two benches-clearing incidents last Saturday, Perez posted a message on his account that said: ''Huge team win tonight; time for a sweep to tell the Royals it's not 'Our Time', it's (hash)TribeTime. P.S. You hit us, we hit you. Period.''

On Wednesday, Perez received a fine from major league baseball's Joe Garagiola Jr., who told Perez he ''demonstrated a reckless disregard for the safety of the players on both clubs.''

Perez told the team's website that he's ''not going to change the way I tweet.'' Perez said doesn't think he broke any rules.

Perez earned his fourth save Thursday for the Indians, who open a three-game series in Oakland on Friday.

Screw MLB.

They've neglected to protect Indians players for many years. The Indians have suffered a disproportionate number of key players injured by HBP and the league has never done a thing, if anything they've severely penalized Indians pitchers when they try to police the situation themselves. The players have no choice but to do it themselves, following the code that is as old as baseball itself.

Bob Gibson's sentiments exactly MtFan.