Re: Articles
1759Cleveland Indians could have Roberto Hernandez back by All-Star break
Published: Thursday, May 31, 2012, 11:58 PM Updated: Friday, June 01, 2012, 11:50 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A lobbyist working on behalf of Roberto Hernandez, the Indians pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, said he could be back in the United States by the All-Star break.
"I think there is a good chance Roberto could be in Cleveland by the All-Star break," said Stephen Payne, a visa expert and lobbyist hired by Hernandez's agents.
The All-Star break runs July 9-12. The All-Star Game is in Kansas City on July 10.
Hernandez was arrested on false identity charges in the Dominican Republic during the winter when he applied for a visa under the Carmona name. Dominican authorities said his real name was Roberto Hernandez and that he was 31, not 28, as the Indians listed him in their media guide.
Last week, Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly Leo Nunez of the Miami Marlins, was granted a visa after being arrested in September for the same offense. MLB suspended Oviedo for eight weeks. He will be eligible to play in the big leagues on July 23.
Hernandez is not expected to serve such a suspension. At the Indians' insistence, Hernandez renegotiated his contract in spring training, taking a big pay cut because the team felt it was duped when they signed him to a four-year, $15 million deal in 2008 because he was playing under a false name.
Set to earn $7 million this year, Hernandez's salary was cut to $2.5 million. The Indians held a $9 million club option on Hernandez for 2013, which was reduced to $6 million.
The Indians have petitioned the U.S. State Department that the salary cut should serve as punishment enough. It's believed MLB and the players association feels the same.
The last word from the Indians is that Hernandez was still throwing simulated games at their baseball academy in the Dominican.
Published: Thursday, May 31, 2012, 11:58 PM Updated: Friday, June 01, 2012, 11:50 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A lobbyist working on behalf of Roberto Hernandez, the Indians pitcher formerly known as Fausto Carmona, said he could be back in the United States by the All-Star break.
"I think there is a good chance Roberto could be in Cleveland by the All-Star break," said Stephen Payne, a visa expert and lobbyist hired by Hernandez's agents.
The All-Star break runs July 9-12. The All-Star Game is in Kansas City on July 10.
Hernandez was arrested on false identity charges in the Dominican Republic during the winter when he applied for a visa under the Carmona name. Dominican authorities said his real name was Roberto Hernandez and that he was 31, not 28, as the Indians listed him in their media guide.
Last week, Juan Carlos Oviedo, formerly Leo Nunez of the Miami Marlins, was granted a visa after being arrested in September for the same offense. MLB suspended Oviedo for eight weeks. He will be eligible to play in the big leagues on July 23.
Hernandez is not expected to serve such a suspension. At the Indians' insistence, Hernandez renegotiated his contract in spring training, taking a big pay cut because the team felt it was duped when they signed him to a four-year, $15 million deal in 2008 because he was playing under a false name.
Set to earn $7 million this year, Hernandez's salary was cut to $2.5 million. The Indians held a $9 million club option on Hernandez for 2013, which was reduced to $6 million.
The Indians have petitioned the U.S. State Department that the salary cut should serve as punishment enough. It's believed MLB and the players association feels the same.
The last word from the Indians is that Hernandez was still throwing simulated games at their baseball academy in the Dominican.
Re: Articles
1761Indians notebook: Scott Barnes added to bullpen; Ubaldo Jimenez skipped in rotation
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 1, 2012 - 12:28 AM | Updated: June 1, 2012 - 09:49 AM
Can Scott Barnes be the second novice Indians reliever this season to have a chance to leave his minor-league career behind?
Nick Hagadone already has shown enough promise and stability to make it difficult to send him back to Triple-A, even after Rafael Perez is activated from the disabled list, presumably near the end of this month.
Barnes was called up Wednesday to return the bullpen back to full strength, and manager Manny Acta immediately got him into the game against the Kansas City Royals.
Shaky as he was, Barnes managed to endure, pitching a scoreless sixth inning, despite walking two and hitting a batter. When he needed to make a pitch, with the bases loaded and two outs, Barnes induced Jeff Francoeur to lift a foul pop to the catcher.
“He was probably a little nervous,” Acta said. “But it was good that we got him in there, two runs down and at home. He got in trouble, but he worked himself out of it.”
Barnes was a starter until a month ago, when he was sent to the bullpen after making three starts for the Clippers and posting an earned-run average of over 5.00. After he was converted to a reliever, Barnes pitched eight times and compiled a 2.19 and a batting average against of .122.
It’s doubtful that Barnes would have chosen to leave a career as a starter behind, but Acta said the organization has decided that the bullpen is where Barnes belongs.
“I’m open to whatever they need me to do,” said Barnes with proper political correctness.
It’s far too early to tell whether Barnes is ready to stick in the big leagues. But he certainly has assets. Barnes is left-handed, but he is not a soft-throwing lefty. In his debut Wednesday, he was consistently throwing 92-mile-per-hour fastballs and was considered a prospect when he came over from the San Francisco Giants in the Ryan Garko trade in 2009.
Barnes didn’t have much time to notify his friends and family of his promotion, but he did call his parents, brother and grandmother with the good news.
“They couldn’t get here [from Springfield, Mass.] right away,” he said. “But they’ll be here for the weekend. Well, I don’t know for sure about my grandmother; she’s getting up there.”
In a different way, so is Barnes.
As expected
Travis Hafner underwent knee surgery (a right medial menisectomy) at the Cleveland Clinic to eliminate the irritation in his cartilage. The 30-minute operation was performed by Drs. Rick Parker and Mark Schickendantz.
The Tribe’s designated hitter is expected to be out of the lineup from four to six weeks.
Time off
Ubaldo Jimenez’s next outing should be Friday or Saturday, but the struggling starter’s next appearance will be delayed until Tuesday.
“We want to give him more time to work on the side,” Acta said. “He cramped up in Chicago; every day he feels better and this gives him more opportunity to do that.”
Running men
The Indians put together a string of 12 consecutive stolen bases before the streak ended in the fifth inning Wednesday.
The Tribe ranks third in the American League, and Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo are in the top 10 individually.
Marson still hurting
Lou Marson missed his third game Wednesday after being hit in the mouth with a pitch on Sunday. After taking three stitches to close a gash in the corner of his mouth, it was thought that Marson would return, but he still had problems.
Marson was scheduled to visit a doctor today and undergo a laser treatment to get rid of loose skin inside his mouth around the wound and to remove the stitches. Acta thought he could play tonight.
Tribe tidbits
Going into Wednesday’s start, right-handed batters were hitting .198 against Jeanmar Gomez. But the Royals’ righties were 5-for-10 against him. … Luke Carlin stole a base for the first time in the big leagues Wednesday. … Shin-Soo Choo is batting .306 since being shifted to the leadoff spot 16 games ago.
Farm facts
Matt LaPorta had two hits, including his 14th home run of the season, in Columbus’ 3-2 loss to Buffalo in Class AAA. David Huff gave up two runs and three hits in eight innings. … Jesus Aguilar doubled, singled and drove in a run in Carolina’s 5-3 win over Wilmington in Class A. Giovanny Urshela had two hits and two RBI. Francisco Jimenez (5-2, 3.65 ERA) gave up one run in six innings. … Joseph Colon (5-5, 2.66 ERA) gave up one run and seven hits in six innings, but Lake County lost 1-0 to West Michigan in Class A.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SheldonOckerABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 1, 2012 - 12:28 AM | Updated: June 1, 2012 - 09:49 AM
Can Scott Barnes be the second novice Indians reliever this season to have a chance to leave his minor-league career behind?
Nick Hagadone already has shown enough promise and stability to make it difficult to send him back to Triple-A, even after Rafael Perez is activated from the disabled list, presumably near the end of this month.
Barnes was called up Wednesday to return the bullpen back to full strength, and manager Manny Acta immediately got him into the game against the Kansas City Royals.
Shaky as he was, Barnes managed to endure, pitching a scoreless sixth inning, despite walking two and hitting a batter. When he needed to make a pitch, with the bases loaded and two outs, Barnes induced Jeff Francoeur to lift a foul pop to the catcher.
“He was probably a little nervous,” Acta said. “But it was good that we got him in there, two runs down and at home. He got in trouble, but he worked himself out of it.”
Barnes was a starter until a month ago, when he was sent to the bullpen after making three starts for the Clippers and posting an earned-run average of over 5.00. After he was converted to a reliever, Barnes pitched eight times and compiled a 2.19 and a batting average against of .122.
It’s doubtful that Barnes would have chosen to leave a career as a starter behind, but Acta said the organization has decided that the bullpen is where Barnes belongs.
“I’m open to whatever they need me to do,” said Barnes with proper political correctness.
It’s far too early to tell whether Barnes is ready to stick in the big leagues. But he certainly has assets. Barnes is left-handed, but he is not a soft-throwing lefty. In his debut Wednesday, he was consistently throwing 92-mile-per-hour fastballs and was considered a prospect when he came over from the San Francisco Giants in the Ryan Garko trade in 2009.
Barnes didn’t have much time to notify his friends and family of his promotion, but he did call his parents, brother and grandmother with the good news.
“They couldn’t get here [from Springfield, Mass.] right away,” he said. “But they’ll be here for the weekend. Well, I don’t know for sure about my grandmother; she’s getting up there.”
In a different way, so is Barnes.
As expected
Travis Hafner underwent knee surgery (a right medial menisectomy) at the Cleveland Clinic to eliminate the irritation in his cartilage. The 30-minute operation was performed by Drs. Rick Parker and Mark Schickendantz.
The Tribe’s designated hitter is expected to be out of the lineup from four to six weeks.
Time off
Ubaldo Jimenez’s next outing should be Friday or Saturday, but the struggling starter’s next appearance will be delayed until Tuesday.
“We want to give him more time to work on the side,” Acta said. “He cramped up in Chicago; every day he feels better and this gives him more opportunity to do that.”
Running men
The Indians put together a string of 12 consecutive stolen bases before the streak ended in the fifth inning Wednesday.
The Tribe ranks third in the American League, and Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Shin-Soo Choo are in the top 10 individually.
Marson still hurting
Lou Marson missed his third game Wednesday after being hit in the mouth with a pitch on Sunday. After taking three stitches to close a gash in the corner of his mouth, it was thought that Marson would return, but he still had problems.
Marson was scheduled to visit a doctor today and undergo a laser treatment to get rid of loose skin inside his mouth around the wound and to remove the stitches. Acta thought he could play tonight.
Tribe tidbits
Going into Wednesday’s start, right-handed batters were hitting .198 against Jeanmar Gomez. But the Royals’ righties were 5-for-10 against him. … Luke Carlin stole a base for the first time in the big leagues Wednesday. … Shin-Soo Choo is batting .306 since being shifted to the leadoff spot 16 games ago.
Farm facts
Matt LaPorta had two hits, including his 14th home run of the season, in Columbus’ 3-2 loss to Buffalo in Class AAA. David Huff gave up two runs and three hits in eight innings. … Jesus Aguilar doubled, singled and drove in a run in Carolina’s 5-3 win over Wilmington in Class A. Giovanny Urshela had two hits and two RBI. Francisco Jimenez (5-2, 3.65 ERA) gave up one run in six innings. … Joseph Colon (5-5, 2.66 ERA) gave up one run and seven hits in six innings, but Lake County lost 1-0 to West Michigan in Class A.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/SheldonOckerABJ and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
Re: Articles
1762Cleveland Indians' right-handed hitting: Limited opportunities with little results
Published: Friday, June 01, 2012, 7:02 AM
By Mike Peticca, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians are getting little offensive production from the right side of the batter's box.
Often in sports, such a contention is exaggerated. In this case, it's not.
The Indians' right-handed batters, counting their switch-hitters when batting righty, have a .223 batting average, with 20 doubles, no triples, seven home runs and 49 RBI in 439 at-bats.
Their on-base percentage is .312; slugging percentage, .317; OPS (combination of on-base and slugging percentages, rounded out), .628.
Consider this: Texas Rangers' slugger Josh Hamilton (well, yes, a left-hander), in 257 fewer at bats than the Indians' team total of right-handed at bats, has 14 more homers and eight more RBI. Hamilton has 139 total bases. Indians batting right-handed have a combined 139 total bases.
Cleveland has a 4-11 record against left-handed starting pitching, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Lefty relievers dominate the Tribe, too, and the Indians see plenty of them, with their lineup usually stacked with left-handed hitters. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and catcher Carlos Santana being switch-hitters helps somewhat, but the few pure right-handed batters who have been with the Tribe at one time or another are essentially journeyman players.
All Indians batters are hitting a combined .214 against left-handed pitching. In 599 at-bats, they've totaled 29 doubles, four triples, 10 homers and 68 RBI. The on-base percentage (.312), slugging percentage (.326) and OPS (.637) are all quite sub-par.
Cleveland, in its 50 games this season, has a total of 506 plate appearances by hitters batting right-handed, compared to 1,444 by players from the left side.
The 13 other American League teams have had an average of 1,054.6 plate appearances by righty batters this season. Thus, the Indians are averaging almost 11 fewer right-handed plate appearances a game than the other AL teams.
Some might say that, despite the imbalance, the Indians are OK, scoring 4.38 runs per game to rank eighth among the 14 AL teams. That, however, has been trending downward for most of the season. After scoring 61 runs in their first nine games, the Indians have averaged 3.85 runs a game since. They have scored three or fewer runs 21 times during that 41-game span.
Some might say injuries have been a factor in the offensive downturn. A look at the individual players' games missed, however, indicates that the Indians' injury situation, though not ideal, has not been extraordinary, especially considering the health problems of numerous other teams around the major leagues.
Santana, expected to return soon, has missed the last five games with a concussion. Cabrera recently sat out three games with a sore hamstring. He also missed six games during April following the death of his grandfather in Venezuela.
Left-handed hitting right fielder Shin-Soo Choo missed six games, beginning in late April, with a hamstring injury. Third baseman Jack Hannahan, another lefty batter, has missed 15 of the last 16 games with back and calf muscle problems. Hannahan was off to a solid start with the bat, but is better known for his brilliant fielding.
Designated hitter Travis Hafner has missed the last seven games, and will be sidelined for a few weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery. The veteran left-handed hitter averaged just 81 games played (half the schedule) the last four seasons, though, and it would have been unrealistic to think this season would be any different.
Note that none of the injuries have been to the Indians' few righty-only hitters.
Should the Indians' roster makeup remain essentially the same, they are likely to face a heavier dose of lefty pitching as the pennant races enter the stretch drive, whether they're in contention or not. Teams may tweak rotations so an extra southpaw could face the Tribe, or call up an additional lefty reliever from the minors with an Indians' series looming.
More right-handed batting production would theoretically make things easier for lefty Indians hitters, too, as opposing managers wouldn't be as liable to call on every southpaw reliever in their bullpens.
One move the Indians could consider, of course, would be to recall Matt LaPorta from Class AAA Columbus. The 27-year-old right-hander is batting .307 for the Clippers, with 14 homers in 166 at bats.
Critics might point to how bad LaPorta can sometimes look, but he did drive in 53 runs in 352 at bats for the Indians last season, an average of one RBI per every 6.64 at bats. Indians batters, from the right side of the plate this season, are averaging one RBI per every 8.96 at bats.
Late last season, we detailed how LaPorta's major league career track resembles that of many current right-handed batters who have emerged as consistent run producers. That doesn't assure that LaPorta would do the same, but then again, can the Indians afford to not find out?
Let's look closer at how lacking the Indians' right-handed hitting is.
There are 15 individual right-handed batters in the American League who have more homers than the combined seven for Indians batting right-handed. The most at bats for any of those players is 208, compared to Cleveland's 439 total ABs from the right side.
Here's how the Indians' right-handed batting stands in several categories, among the 14 AL teams.
Plate appearances: 506, last (13th, Seattle, 721; first, Texas, 1,531)
Batting average: .223, 12th (14th, Oakland, .204; first, Texas, .281)
On-base percentage: .312, eighth (14th, Oakland, .274; first, New York, .341)
Slugging percentage: .317, 13th (14th Oakland, .314; first, Baltimore, .450)
*OPS: .628, 12th (14th, Oakland, .588; first, Texas, .777)
*OPS: Combination of on-base and slugging percentages.
Indians as right-handed batters
Asdrubal Cabrera .333 batting average, 19 hits in 57 at bats, 4 doubles, no triples, one home run, 6 RBI, 8 walks, 3 strikeouts
Jose Lopez .256, 21-82, 6 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 4 W, 14 SO
Carlos Santana .231, 12-52, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 13 W, 9 SO
Aaron Cunningham .211, 12-57, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2RBI, 7 W, 10 SO
Shelley Duncan .204, 21-103, 4 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 17 W, 33 SO
Jason Donald .178, 8-45, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1 W, 16 SO
Lou Marson .147, 5-34, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6 W, 10 SO
Juan Diaz .000, 0-4, 2 SO
Luke Carlin .000, 0-5, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Note: Cabrera, Santana, Diaz and Carlin are switch-hitters.
Published: Friday, June 01, 2012, 7:02 AM
By Mike Peticca, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians are getting little offensive production from the right side of the batter's box.
Often in sports, such a contention is exaggerated. In this case, it's not.
The Indians' right-handed batters, counting their switch-hitters when batting righty, have a .223 batting average, with 20 doubles, no triples, seven home runs and 49 RBI in 439 at-bats.
Their on-base percentage is .312; slugging percentage, .317; OPS (combination of on-base and slugging percentages, rounded out), .628.
Consider this: Texas Rangers' slugger Josh Hamilton (well, yes, a left-hander), in 257 fewer at bats than the Indians' team total of right-handed at bats, has 14 more homers and eight more RBI. Hamilton has 139 total bases. Indians batting right-handed have a combined 139 total bases.
Cleveland has a 4-11 record against left-handed starting pitching, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Lefty relievers dominate the Tribe, too, and the Indians see plenty of them, with their lineup usually stacked with left-handed hitters. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and catcher Carlos Santana being switch-hitters helps somewhat, but the few pure right-handed batters who have been with the Tribe at one time or another are essentially journeyman players.
All Indians batters are hitting a combined .214 against left-handed pitching. In 599 at-bats, they've totaled 29 doubles, four triples, 10 homers and 68 RBI. The on-base percentage (.312), slugging percentage (.326) and OPS (.637) are all quite sub-par.
Cleveland, in its 50 games this season, has a total of 506 plate appearances by hitters batting right-handed, compared to 1,444 by players from the left side.
The 13 other American League teams have had an average of 1,054.6 plate appearances by righty batters this season. Thus, the Indians are averaging almost 11 fewer right-handed plate appearances a game than the other AL teams.
Some might say that, despite the imbalance, the Indians are OK, scoring 4.38 runs per game to rank eighth among the 14 AL teams. That, however, has been trending downward for most of the season. After scoring 61 runs in their first nine games, the Indians have averaged 3.85 runs a game since. They have scored three or fewer runs 21 times during that 41-game span.
Some might say injuries have been a factor in the offensive downturn. A look at the individual players' games missed, however, indicates that the Indians' injury situation, though not ideal, has not been extraordinary, especially considering the health problems of numerous other teams around the major leagues.
Santana, expected to return soon, has missed the last five games with a concussion. Cabrera recently sat out three games with a sore hamstring. He also missed six games during April following the death of his grandfather in Venezuela.
Left-handed hitting right fielder Shin-Soo Choo missed six games, beginning in late April, with a hamstring injury. Third baseman Jack Hannahan, another lefty batter, has missed 15 of the last 16 games with back and calf muscle problems. Hannahan was off to a solid start with the bat, but is better known for his brilliant fielding.
Designated hitter Travis Hafner has missed the last seven games, and will be sidelined for a few weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery. The veteran left-handed hitter averaged just 81 games played (half the schedule) the last four seasons, though, and it would have been unrealistic to think this season would be any different.
Note that none of the injuries have been to the Indians' few righty-only hitters.
Should the Indians' roster makeup remain essentially the same, they are likely to face a heavier dose of lefty pitching as the pennant races enter the stretch drive, whether they're in contention or not. Teams may tweak rotations so an extra southpaw could face the Tribe, or call up an additional lefty reliever from the minors with an Indians' series looming.
More right-handed batting production would theoretically make things easier for lefty Indians hitters, too, as opposing managers wouldn't be as liable to call on every southpaw reliever in their bullpens.
One move the Indians could consider, of course, would be to recall Matt LaPorta from Class AAA Columbus. The 27-year-old right-hander is batting .307 for the Clippers, with 14 homers in 166 at bats.
Critics might point to how bad LaPorta can sometimes look, but he did drive in 53 runs in 352 at bats for the Indians last season, an average of one RBI per every 6.64 at bats. Indians batters, from the right side of the plate this season, are averaging one RBI per every 8.96 at bats.
Late last season, we detailed how LaPorta's major league career track resembles that of many current right-handed batters who have emerged as consistent run producers. That doesn't assure that LaPorta would do the same, but then again, can the Indians afford to not find out?
Let's look closer at how lacking the Indians' right-handed hitting is.
There are 15 individual right-handed batters in the American League who have more homers than the combined seven for Indians batting right-handed. The most at bats for any of those players is 208, compared to Cleveland's 439 total ABs from the right side.
Here's how the Indians' right-handed batting stands in several categories, among the 14 AL teams.
Plate appearances: 506, last (13th, Seattle, 721; first, Texas, 1,531)
Batting average: .223, 12th (14th, Oakland, .204; first, Texas, .281)
On-base percentage: .312, eighth (14th, Oakland, .274; first, New York, .341)
Slugging percentage: .317, 13th (14th Oakland, .314; first, Baltimore, .450)
*OPS: .628, 12th (14th, Oakland, .588; first, Texas, .777)
*OPS: Combination of on-base and slugging percentages.
Indians as right-handed batters
Asdrubal Cabrera .333 batting average, 19 hits in 57 at bats, 4 doubles, no triples, one home run, 6 RBI, 8 walks, 3 strikeouts
Jose Lopez .256, 21-82, 6 2B, 0 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 4 W, 14 SO
Carlos Santana .231, 12-52, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 13 W, 9 SO
Aaron Cunningham .211, 12-57, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2RBI, 7 W, 10 SO
Shelley Duncan .204, 21-103, 4 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 17 W, 33 SO
Jason Donald .178, 8-45, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1 W, 16 SO
Lou Marson .147, 5-34, 2 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 6 W, 10 SO
Juan Diaz .000, 0-4, 2 SO
Luke Carlin .000, 0-5, 1 RBI, 1 SO
Note: Cabrera, Santana, Diaz and Carlin are switch-hitters.
Re: Articles
1763It is all about the pitching. RH bat would help but if the team pitches like the 6 games before last night this team can not compete.
Re: Articles
1764Catcher Carlos Santana (mild concussion) making progress: Indians Insider
Published: Friday, June 01, 2012, 9:24 PM
By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carlos Santana's recovery from a mild concussion continued Friday afternoon with light cardio work and swings in the indoor cage.
The Indians' catcher is eligible to come off the seven-day concussion disabled list on Saturday, but that will not happen. Santana's to-do list is expected to include catching a bullpen, running the bases and taking batting practice.
"Then he's going to be re-tested," manager Manny Acta said. "After that, we'll wait for approval from Major League Baseball to allow him to play."
There is no timetable for Santana's return.
"We're optimistic that, by next week, he should be back in the lineup," Acta said.
On May 25 against the White Sox in Chicago, Santana absorbed a foul to the mask. He complained of dizziness and exited late in the game.
Two days later, backup Lou Marson was hit in the mouth by an off-speed pitch from White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd. The contusion required stitches, which were removed Thursday.
Marson missed three games before returning to the lineup Friday night against Minnesota. He batted ninth against Twins right-hander Carl Pavano.
Willing hammer: One of the right-handed bats the Indians pursued in the off-season was outfielder Josh Willingham, who ultimately signed with Minnesota. Willingham entered Friday batting .276 with 10 homers, 35 RBI, a .401 on-base percentage and .564 slugging percentage in 47 games.
Even factoring in Willingham's subpar performance against lefties (.244 average) and on the road (.202 in 84 at-bats), the Indians could have used him.
Willingham made 44 of his first 47 starts in left field; Twins left fielders entered Friday hitting .282 (50-for-177) with nine homers, 34 RBI, a .392 OBP and .537 SLG.
In their 50 games, Tribe left fielders were hitting .185 (34-for-184) with three homers, 12 RBI, a .283 OBP and .266 SLG.
Pure rage: At the outset of May, Tribe closer Chris Perez screamed loudly enough in the direction of Alex Rios that the White Sox outfielder had no choice but to notice. As the month concluded, Perez used a hand-across-the-face gesture after striking out Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson, who learned about it later and was upset.
Perez could not care less.
If Perez happens to offend more opponents, or if he simply works his way onto some sort of "enemies list," well, tough and too bad.
"If it takes me doing stuff like that to get me pumped up, so be it," he said. "I play for my team, my teammates. If they're the only 25 guys in the league who like me, that's fine. But I know that's not the case. I've got former teammates on other teams, and they know how I am.
"I've been doing this kind of stuff since college. Honestly. You can interview some North Carolina guys who aren't too happy with me, still, over stuff I did in college."
Perez, who played at Miami (Fla.), is not concerned about hitters potentially being extra-motivated to face him.
"What -- they're not trying to get me now?" he said. "Every ninth inning, they're trying to get me. I'm the closer. They're trying to win the game. They're not going, 'Oh, it's a two-run lead, we're just going to swing through the ball.' It could work to my advantage, because they might try to do too much. The way
I look at it is, every time I pitch, they're trying to get me. And if they're not, it's on them."
Perez entered Friday having converted 17 straight saves since a blown opportunity Opening Day.
Thunder stick: Just because few witnessed Indians reliever Nick Hagadone's batting-practice display Tuesday afternoon does not mean it failed to make noise.
Left-handed Hagadone, listed at 6-5, 230, cranked an estimated six pitches from bullpen coach Dave Miller over the right-field wall. One reached the second deck, the area formerly known as Pronkville.
Three days later, the shock waves still were being felt in the bullpen cocoon.
"Don't hit his bat," reliever Joe Smith said. "That's all I'm saying: Don't hit his bat. He was hitting screamers."
Hagadone said the previous time he took a full round of batting practice was 2007, with the Lowell Spinners in the Class A New York-Penn League.
"The other day, I swung as hard as I could," he said. "I definitely was swinging for the fences. As an American League pitcher, you only get so many chances to take BP, so you might as well take advantage. I think the guys were surprised by how many went over the wall. I know I was."
The Indians begin the road portion of interleague play June 8 in St. Louis.
Clubhouse confidential: Players receive free T-shirts all the time, mostly from fans or sponsors. On Friday afternoon, Tribe clubbies went locker to locker handing out a royal-blue shirt that read: “I Play For The American League We Will Win All-Star Game 2012”
The shirt had a Nike swoosh in the upper-left-hand corner. The All-Star Game will be in Kansas City, Mo.
Presumably, other teams in the American League are getting the shirt. And, presumably, National League shirts will state its confidence. If the reception from Indians is any indication, most — if not all — will remain on hangers or disappear.
“Seriously?” one player said. “That’s the most creative thing they could come up with?”
“We’re supposed to wear Royals colors around here?” said another. “I’ve already given mine away.”
Draft nuggets: This year’s MLB draft, which unfolds early next week, does not have a clear-cut No. 1 pick.
“Normally at this point in time, you hear who’s No. 1 and No. 2,” Indians scouting director Brad Grant said. “There’s less certainty. I think it’s still up in the air. I think teams are still going through the process and trying to figure out in what order they want to put the players in.“
The Indians own the 15th selection.
Big names in the house: Former Indians Albert Belle and Carlos Baerga were guests of the Indians on Friday night. It was Belle’s first visit since his playing days.
Stat of the day: The Indians went 16-14 in May — their second straight winning month.
— Dennis Manoloff
Published: Friday, June 01, 2012, 9:24 PM
By Dennis Manoloff, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Carlos Santana's recovery from a mild concussion continued Friday afternoon with light cardio work and swings in the indoor cage.
The Indians' catcher is eligible to come off the seven-day concussion disabled list on Saturday, but that will not happen. Santana's to-do list is expected to include catching a bullpen, running the bases and taking batting practice.
"Then he's going to be re-tested," manager Manny Acta said. "After that, we'll wait for approval from Major League Baseball to allow him to play."
There is no timetable for Santana's return.
"We're optimistic that, by next week, he should be back in the lineup," Acta said.
On May 25 against the White Sox in Chicago, Santana absorbed a foul to the mask. He complained of dizziness and exited late in the game.
Two days later, backup Lou Marson was hit in the mouth by an off-speed pitch from White Sox right-hander Gavin Floyd. The contusion required stitches, which were removed Thursday.
Marson missed three games before returning to the lineup Friday night against Minnesota. He batted ninth against Twins right-hander Carl Pavano.
Willing hammer: One of the right-handed bats the Indians pursued in the off-season was outfielder Josh Willingham, who ultimately signed with Minnesota. Willingham entered Friday batting .276 with 10 homers, 35 RBI, a .401 on-base percentage and .564 slugging percentage in 47 games.
Even factoring in Willingham's subpar performance against lefties (.244 average) and on the road (.202 in 84 at-bats), the Indians could have used him.
Willingham made 44 of his first 47 starts in left field; Twins left fielders entered Friday hitting .282 (50-for-177) with nine homers, 34 RBI, a .392 OBP and .537 SLG.
In their 50 games, Tribe left fielders were hitting .185 (34-for-184) with three homers, 12 RBI, a .283 OBP and .266 SLG.
Pure rage: At the outset of May, Tribe closer Chris Perez screamed loudly enough in the direction of Alex Rios that the White Sox outfielder had no choice but to notice. As the month concluded, Perez used a hand-across-the-face gesture after striking out Royals outfielder Jarrod Dyson, who learned about it later and was upset.
Perez could not care less.
If Perez happens to offend more opponents, or if he simply works his way onto some sort of "enemies list," well, tough and too bad.
"If it takes me doing stuff like that to get me pumped up, so be it," he said. "I play for my team, my teammates. If they're the only 25 guys in the league who like me, that's fine. But I know that's not the case. I've got former teammates on other teams, and they know how I am.
"I've been doing this kind of stuff since college. Honestly. You can interview some North Carolina guys who aren't too happy with me, still, over stuff I did in college."
Perez, who played at Miami (Fla.), is not concerned about hitters potentially being extra-motivated to face him.
"What -- they're not trying to get me now?" he said. "Every ninth inning, they're trying to get me. I'm the closer. They're trying to win the game. They're not going, 'Oh, it's a two-run lead, we're just going to swing through the ball.' It could work to my advantage, because they might try to do too much. The way
I look at it is, every time I pitch, they're trying to get me. And if they're not, it's on them."
Perez entered Friday having converted 17 straight saves since a blown opportunity Opening Day.
Thunder stick: Just because few witnessed Indians reliever Nick Hagadone's batting-practice display Tuesday afternoon does not mean it failed to make noise.
Left-handed Hagadone, listed at 6-5, 230, cranked an estimated six pitches from bullpen coach Dave Miller over the right-field wall. One reached the second deck, the area formerly known as Pronkville.
Three days later, the shock waves still were being felt in the bullpen cocoon.
"Don't hit his bat," reliever Joe Smith said. "That's all I'm saying: Don't hit his bat. He was hitting screamers."
Hagadone said the previous time he took a full round of batting practice was 2007, with the Lowell Spinners in the Class A New York-Penn League.
"The other day, I swung as hard as I could," he said. "I definitely was swinging for the fences. As an American League pitcher, you only get so many chances to take BP, so you might as well take advantage. I think the guys were surprised by how many went over the wall. I know I was."
The Indians begin the road portion of interleague play June 8 in St. Louis.
Clubhouse confidential: Players receive free T-shirts all the time, mostly from fans or sponsors. On Friday afternoon, Tribe clubbies went locker to locker handing out a royal-blue shirt that read: “I Play For The American League We Will Win All-Star Game 2012”
The shirt had a Nike swoosh in the upper-left-hand corner. The All-Star Game will be in Kansas City, Mo.
Presumably, other teams in the American League are getting the shirt. And, presumably, National League shirts will state its confidence. If the reception from Indians is any indication, most — if not all — will remain on hangers or disappear.
“Seriously?” one player said. “That’s the most creative thing they could come up with?”
“We’re supposed to wear Royals colors around here?” said another. “I’ve already given mine away.”
Draft nuggets: This year’s MLB draft, which unfolds early next week, does not have a clear-cut No. 1 pick.
“Normally at this point in time, you hear who’s No. 1 and No. 2,” Indians scouting director Brad Grant said. “There’s less certainty. I think it’s still up in the air. I think teams are still going through the process and trying to figure out in what order they want to put the players in.“
The Indians own the 15th selection.
Big names in the house: Former Indians Albert Belle and Carlos Baerga were guests of the Indians on Friday night. It was Belle’s first visit since his playing days.
Stat of the day: The Indians went 16-14 in May — their second straight winning month.
— Dennis Manoloff
Re: Articles
1765Tribe plans for LaPorta unknown
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 3, 2012 - 08:30 PM | Updated: June 3, 2012 - 10:40 PM
CLEVELAND: Matt LaPorta might be back in the big leagues for only three days, but who really knows what the Indians have planned for him?
He was summoned from Columbus to take the roster spot of Johnny Damon, who has gone home to Orlando, Fla., to be with his wife, Michelle, and their newborn twin daughters. Damon is on the three-day paternity list and is expected to return to the club on Wednesday.
Does that mean LaPorta is on what amounts to a weekend pass from Triple-A?
“We have different options,” manager Manny Acta said Sunday. “There probably are enough for you guys to have stories for five days.”
There is no way LaPorta can prove himself in three days, so Acta and General Manager Chris Antonetti either are anticipating that he will return to Triple-A this week or have decided to give him a longer trial. That would mean someone else’s roster spot is in jeopardy.
LaPorta isn’t making any plans to buy a house in the Cleveland area just yet.
Asked whether he has kept up with the fortunes of the Tribe, he said, “ I haven’t paid too much attention. I’ve been focused on the Clippers and helping them win games. Now I will be focused on helping these guys.”
His detached attitude probably started in spring training, when he arrived in camp knowing that Casey Kotchman had been signed to take his job as the everyday first baseman. Knowing the way the winter and spring played out, he obviously isn’t counting on the club to bend over backward to give him another extended opportunity.
“I didn’t expect this,” LaPorta said. “I kind of saw the writing on the wall in spring training. But I still feel that I’m a blessed person. I have my family and my child. If I’m here two or three days, whatever it is, hopefully I can contribute to the ballclub.”
LaPorta conceded that the expectations of the fans and the media have negatively affected him over the years, starting with the trade of him and Michael Brantley from Milwaukee to Cleveland for CC Sabathia in 2008. At the time, LaPorta was touted as the Brewers’ No. 1 prospect.
“I think that’s been a problem that I had to overcome,” he said. “In the past, I paid attention to what other people thought. But I’m not responsible for other people’s happiness.”
LaPorta said he no longer concerns himself with how others think he should be performing.
Do LaPorta’s Triple-A numbers this year (.307, 14 home runs, 32 RBI) indicate that he has refined his skills as a hitter?
“I’ve just been focusing on seeing the ball and hitting the ball,” he said. “We’ll see what happens up here.”
Acta clearly needs to be convinced. “He was doing the right thing down there, and hitting pitchers’ mistakes,” Acta said. “We’ll see how that translates up here.”
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 3, 2012 - 08:30 PM | Updated: June 3, 2012 - 10:40 PM
CLEVELAND: Matt LaPorta might be back in the big leagues for only three days, but who really knows what the Indians have planned for him?
He was summoned from Columbus to take the roster spot of Johnny Damon, who has gone home to Orlando, Fla., to be with his wife, Michelle, and their newborn twin daughters. Damon is on the three-day paternity list and is expected to return to the club on Wednesday.
Does that mean LaPorta is on what amounts to a weekend pass from Triple-A?
“We have different options,” manager Manny Acta said Sunday. “There probably are enough for you guys to have stories for five days.”
There is no way LaPorta can prove himself in three days, so Acta and General Manager Chris Antonetti either are anticipating that he will return to Triple-A this week or have decided to give him a longer trial. That would mean someone else’s roster spot is in jeopardy.
LaPorta isn’t making any plans to buy a house in the Cleveland area just yet.
Asked whether he has kept up with the fortunes of the Tribe, he said, “ I haven’t paid too much attention. I’ve been focused on the Clippers and helping them win games. Now I will be focused on helping these guys.”
His detached attitude probably started in spring training, when he arrived in camp knowing that Casey Kotchman had been signed to take his job as the everyday first baseman. Knowing the way the winter and spring played out, he obviously isn’t counting on the club to bend over backward to give him another extended opportunity.
“I didn’t expect this,” LaPorta said. “I kind of saw the writing on the wall in spring training. But I still feel that I’m a blessed person. I have my family and my child. If I’m here two or three days, whatever it is, hopefully I can contribute to the ballclub.”
LaPorta conceded that the expectations of the fans and the media have negatively affected him over the years, starting with the trade of him and Michael Brantley from Milwaukee to Cleveland for CC Sabathia in 2008. At the time, LaPorta was touted as the Brewers’ No. 1 prospect.
“I think that’s been a problem that I had to overcome,” he said. “In the past, I paid attention to what other people thought. But I’m not responsible for other people’s happiness.”
LaPorta said he no longer concerns himself with how others think he should be performing.
Do LaPorta’s Triple-A numbers this year (.307, 14 home runs, 32 RBI) indicate that he has refined his skills as a hitter?
“I’ve just been focusing on seeing the ball and hitting the ball,” he said. “We’ll see what happens up here.”
Acta clearly needs to be convinced. “He was doing the right thing down there, and hitting pitchers’ mistakes,” Acta said. “We’ll see how that translates up here.”
Re: Articles
1766Sheldon Ocker: Upon further review, replay needs cleanup role in baseball lineup
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 2, 2012 - 11:14 PM
If nothing else, Jim Leyland’s rant targeting the umpires and the media last Monday was entertaining.
The manager of the Detroit Tigers went into a rage after first-base umpire Bill Welke blew a call that contributed heavily to a loss against the Boston Red Sox. In the second inning, Welke ruled that catcher Gerald Laird failed to catch a foul tip for strike three, an out that would have ended the inning. The Red Sox went on to score three runs before the third out was recorded.
Replays showed conclusively that Laird had the ball in his glove before it touched the ground. The umpiring crew conceded as much after the game, too late to do anything about it.
The Tigers are having enough problems without being undermined by the officials. The club was victimized by the umpires’ failure to call an obvious balk on Justin Masterson in a game at Progressive Field several days before the Welke incident, so it’s not surprising that Leyland lost it after the loss to the Red Sox.
“You guys need to write something and hold people accountable,” he told reporters after the game. “Have the nerve to write what you saw and say it — because I’m not going to sit here and rip the umpires.”
Of course, Leyland and his third-base coach, Gene Lamont, did plenty of ripping on the field, before and after they were ejected. But that’s acceptable baseball behavior.
Managers who criticize umpires off the field are subject to discipline by Major League Baseball. But so what, Jim, have the nerve to say what you saw, to paraphrase a prominent major-league manager.
Why is he blaming the media? They point out umpiring mistakes all the time. I’d like to think that I’m one of those brave reporters who call umpires to account, except doing so requires no courage at all. It’s part of the job.
Leyland’s frustration is rooted in the fact that when a bad call affects the course of a game, there is no recourse. Umpires are disciplined by the commissioner’s office all the time, but fines or suspensions are seldom made public. And even if umpires are brought to task, it doesn’t change the score of a game that was tainted by a bad call.
The solution is not more competent umpires. They are never going to get all the calls right. But at a time when every fan watching — sometimes numbering in the millions — has the advantage of seeing endless replays in his living room, it makes no sense not to correct a mistake on the field using that same technology.
Fading memory
We all remember his phony name, Fausto Carmona, but how many of us actually think of him anymore. Out of sight, out of mind.
Carmona, or Roberto Hernandez, his real name, is still stuck in the Dominican Republic, presumably trying to stay in condition and practice pitching against the 17-year-olds at the Tribe’s Dominican academy. The U.S. government still has not relented and given him a work permit.
Miami Marlins reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo, who was known fraudulently as Leo Nunez, finally was granted a visa a week ago. He was nabbed for using a false name and altering his age in September and had to wait nine months to procure the proper papers and be let back into the country.
Moreover, as soon as Oviedo was cleared to play, Major League Baseball suspended him for eight weeks, so he cannot rejoin his team until late July. In the meantime, he is permitted to participate in the Marlins’ extended spring training program and eventually will be allowed to go on a 16-game rehabilitation assignment.
If the government follows the same time line with Hernandez, he can say goodbye to the 2012 season. If he has to wait nine months for a visa and serves an eight-week suspension, there won’t be a season left in which to pitch.
That is not to say the government views both cases in identical fashion. But at this point, it doesn’t seem reasonable to count on help from Hernandez.
Not bad after all
When I watched Double-A shortstop Juan Diaz make his major-league debut against the Chicago White Sox last weekend, my reaction was, “What a disaster.”
After walking in his first at-bat, Diaz struck out three times, made an error and contributed to Casey Kotchman being charged with an error, because Diaz’s throw was wide of first base.
I wondered why Diaz was called up. He appeared to be totally unprepared for the majors, and Jason Donald was the obvious choice to be summoned from Triple-A.
The explanation: It was more important for Donald to continue to get everyday at-bats than have him sit on a major-league bench. Diaz was supposed to be with the Indians for only a few days until Josh Tomlin was activated from the disabled list.
It wasn’t anticipated that Diaz would actually have to play. Of course, the baseball gods intervened, and Asdrubal Cabrera tweaked his hamstring, forcing Diaz into the lineup.
I didn’t buy, the “Donald can’t spend four days away from Triple-A pitching” argument. But there might be another reason Donald was left in the minors.
When he was with the Tribe early in the season, he suddenly contracted a case of Steve Blass/Rick Ankiel Disease. That is, he seemed to have a mental block about throwing from third or short. If he still is trying to overcome this malady, it’s no wonder he wasn’t promoted.
Moreover, to my surprise, after Diaz’s nightmarish debut, he settled down. The next two days, he made a tough play look easy, and though he didn’t hit the ball hard, he produced a couple of singles. Maybe the kid can play.
Bad timing?
Anybody have suspicions about where the weenies are coming from when Dollar Dog Night follows Puppypalooza (the night that fans bring their dogs to the ballgame) by only a week?
Just kidding.
‘Homeland’ security lite
One of my favorite sights is the view from the press box an hour after a day game has ended.
The workers with their blowers have finished getting rid of the rubbish in the aisles. But two lonely ushers remain, one on top of each dugout, clasped hands locked behind them in a kind of military at-ease position, checking each of the 43,000 empty seats for misbehaving fans, who by then are washing the dinner dishes or downing a third beer at a downtown pub.
All I can think of is why?
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: June 2, 2012 - 11:14 PM
If nothing else, Jim Leyland’s rant targeting the umpires and the media last Monday was entertaining.
The manager of the Detroit Tigers went into a rage after first-base umpire Bill Welke blew a call that contributed heavily to a loss against the Boston Red Sox. In the second inning, Welke ruled that catcher Gerald Laird failed to catch a foul tip for strike three, an out that would have ended the inning. The Red Sox went on to score three runs before the third out was recorded.
Replays showed conclusively that Laird had the ball in his glove before it touched the ground. The umpiring crew conceded as much after the game, too late to do anything about it.
The Tigers are having enough problems without being undermined by the officials. The club was victimized by the umpires’ failure to call an obvious balk on Justin Masterson in a game at Progressive Field several days before the Welke incident, so it’s not surprising that Leyland lost it after the loss to the Red Sox.
“You guys need to write something and hold people accountable,” he told reporters after the game. “Have the nerve to write what you saw and say it — because I’m not going to sit here and rip the umpires.”
Of course, Leyland and his third-base coach, Gene Lamont, did plenty of ripping on the field, before and after they were ejected. But that’s acceptable baseball behavior.
Managers who criticize umpires off the field are subject to discipline by Major League Baseball. But so what, Jim, have the nerve to say what you saw, to paraphrase a prominent major-league manager.
Why is he blaming the media? They point out umpiring mistakes all the time. I’d like to think that I’m one of those brave reporters who call umpires to account, except doing so requires no courage at all. It’s part of the job.
Leyland’s frustration is rooted in the fact that when a bad call affects the course of a game, there is no recourse. Umpires are disciplined by the commissioner’s office all the time, but fines or suspensions are seldom made public. And even if umpires are brought to task, it doesn’t change the score of a game that was tainted by a bad call.
The solution is not more competent umpires. They are never going to get all the calls right. But at a time when every fan watching — sometimes numbering in the millions — has the advantage of seeing endless replays in his living room, it makes no sense not to correct a mistake on the field using that same technology.
Fading memory
We all remember his phony name, Fausto Carmona, but how many of us actually think of him anymore. Out of sight, out of mind.
Carmona, or Roberto Hernandez, his real name, is still stuck in the Dominican Republic, presumably trying to stay in condition and practice pitching against the 17-year-olds at the Tribe’s Dominican academy. The U.S. government still has not relented and given him a work permit.
Miami Marlins reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo, who was known fraudulently as Leo Nunez, finally was granted a visa a week ago. He was nabbed for using a false name and altering his age in September and had to wait nine months to procure the proper papers and be let back into the country.
Moreover, as soon as Oviedo was cleared to play, Major League Baseball suspended him for eight weeks, so he cannot rejoin his team until late July. In the meantime, he is permitted to participate in the Marlins’ extended spring training program and eventually will be allowed to go on a 16-game rehabilitation assignment.
If the government follows the same time line with Hernandez, he can say goodbye to the 2012 season. If he has to wait nine months for a visa and serves an eight-week suspension, there won’t be a season left in which to pitch.
That is not to say the government views both cases in identical fashion. But at this point, it doesn’t seem reasonable to count on help from Hernandez.
Not bad after all
When I watched Double-A shortstop Juan Diaz make his major-league debut against the Chicago White Sox last weekend, my reaction was, “What a disaster.”
After walking in his first at-bat, Diaz struck out three times, made an error and contributed to Casey Kotchman being charged with an error, because Diaz’s throw was wide of first base.
I wondered why Diaz was called up. He appeared to be totally unprepared for the majors, and Jason Donald was the obvious choice to be summoned from Triple-A.
The explanation: It was more important for Donald to continue to get everyday at-bats than have him sit on a major-league bench. Diaz was supposed to be with the Indians for only a few days until Josh Tomlin was activated from the disabled list.
It wasn’t anticipated that Diaz would actually have to play. Of course, the baseball gods intervened, and Asdrubal Cabrera tweaked his hamstring, forcing Diaz into the lineup.
I didn’t buy, the “Donald can’t spend four days away from Triple-A pitching” argument. But there might be another reason Donald was left in the minors.
When he was with the Tribe early in the season, he suddenly contracted a case of Steve Blass/Rick Ankiel Disease. That is, he seemed to have a mental block about throwing from third or short. If he still is trying to overcome this malady, it’s no wonder he wasn’t promoted.
Moreover, to my surprise, after Diaz’s nightmarish debut, he settled down. The next two days, he made a tough play look easy, and though he didn’t hit the ball hard, he produced a couple of singles. Maybe the kid can play.
Bad timing?
Anybody have suspicions about where the weenies are coming from when Dollar Dog Night follows Puppypalooza (the night that fans bring their dogs to the ballgame) by only a week?
Just kidding.
‘Homeland’ security lite
One of my favorite sights is the view from the press box an hour after a day game has ended.
The workers with their blowers have finished getting rid of the rubbish in the aisles. But two lonely ushers remain, one on top of each dugout, clasped hands locked behind them in a kind of military at-ease position, checking each of the 43,000 empty seats for misbehaving fans, who by then are washing the dinner dishes or downing a third beer at a downtown pub.
All I can think of is why?
Re: Articles
1767Indians notebook: Santana on track, nearly ready to play
Published: June 3, 2012 - 08:09 PM | Updated: June 3, 2012 - 10:40 PM
Cleveland: Carlos Santana continues to participate in pregame workouts and says that symptoms of his concussion have disappeared.
“Carlos is doing well,” manager Manny Acta said. “I’m very optimistic that he’ll play in the Detroit series,” which starts Tuesday.
Asked whether Santana has satisfied Major League Baseball requirements for neurological testing, Acta said, “That’s pretty much been taken care of.”
Acta said that Santana might play for Lake County tonight to get a few swings in against live pitching before facing major leaguers.
RUNNING MAN — Jason Kipnis has 13 steals, which projects to 41 for the season. The last time a Tribe player had that many or more was 1999, when Omar Vizquel stole 42 bases.
“This isn’t something that was planned,” Acta said. “These guys have green lights. And as long as he has success, he can steal 200.”
FARM FACTS — Chris Seddon (6-3, 3.88 ERA) threw six hitless innings as Columbus defeated Rochester 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. The Clippers lost the second game 3-0, but Jared Goedert had three hits in the two games. … Jordan Smith had three hits and Jerrud Sabourin had two, but Lake County lost 3-1 to Fort Wayne.
Published: June 3, 2012 - 08:09 PM | Updated: June 3, 2012 - 10:40 PM
Cleveland: Carlos Santana continues to participate in pregame workouts and says that symptoms of his concussion have disappeared.
“Carlos is doing well,” manager Manny Acta said. “I’m very optimistic that he’ll play in the Detroit series,” which starts Tuesday.
Asked whether Santana has satisfied Major League Baseball requirements for neurological testing, Acta said, “That’s pretty much been taken care of.”
Acta said that Santana might play for Lake County tonight to get a few swings in against live pitching before facing major leaguers.
RUNNING MAN — Jason Kipnis has 13 steals, which projects to 41 for the season. The last time a Tribe player had that many or more was 1999, when Omar Vizquel stole 42 bases.
“This isn’t something that was planned,” Acta said. “These guys have green lights. And as long as he has success, he can steal 200.”
FARM FACTS — Chris Seddon (6-3, 3.88 ERA) threw six hitless innings as Columbus defeated Rochester 1-0 in the first game of a doubleheader. The Clippers lost the second game 3-0, but Jared Goedert had three hits in the two games. … Jordan Smith had three hits and Jerrud Sabourin had two, but Lake County lost 3-1 to Fort Wayne.
Re: Articles
1768It was a hot and thirsty night: Looking back at 10-Cent Beer Night
Published: Sunday, June 03, 2012, 5:00 PM Updated: Monday, June 04, 2012, 9:44 AM
By Michael Heaton, The Plain Dealer
Paul Tepley, Cleveland Press
Texas Rangers' Jeff Burroughs, center, runs off the field with his teammates during the Beer Night melee at Cleveland Stadium June 4, 1974. The Indians forfeited the game to the Rangers after fans, fueled by 10-cent beers, stormed the field in the ninth inning.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Coughlin blames Pete Franklin.
Jackie York mentioned the full moon.
Art Broze put it on Billy Martin, and others cited the unseasonably hot weather.
But what about the beer?
You have to mention the beer. Some 60,000 cups of it at 10 cents each.
Yes, we're talking about the infamous 10-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on Tuesday, June 4, 1974. The short story: Thirty-eight years ago Monday, fans got too boozed-up and interrupted the game repeatedly by streaking on the field and throwing fireworks. They eventually rioted, causing an ugly confrontation between fans and players of both teams.
Jackie York was head of promotions for the Indians from 1971 to 1978.
"There are a few things to consider about that night," she said. "First, it was a repeat performance. The Indians had played in Texas the week before on their beer night. Beer nights were common throughout the league. Texas manager Billy Martin was, let's say, aggressive in addressing our players that night, and a bench-clearing brawl took place. Second, it was a full moon that night and it only added to the crazy atmosphere. And then of course the 10-cent beer can't be ignored."
Plain Dealer file
Do you remember 10-Cent Beer Night? The event in 1974 was so popular, T-shirts have commemorated the night.
Former Plain Dealer sportswriter Dan Coughlin covered the game and was punched in the jaw by a random young fan while he stood on the Rangers dugout trying to do an interview.
"All week before that game, [radio host] Pete Franklin kept up a steady drumbeat with listeners about how we needed to get even with the Rangers for the brawl the previous week," Coughlin said. "He was priming the pump for an incident like the one that took place."
The high jinks began in the third inning with the then-current craze of streaking.
"It was all kind of funny at first," said York, who now is development marketing manager for PlayhouseSquare.
"A guy wearing only tennis shoes ran through the outfield along the fence. The fence was tall and he couldn't see that police with radios were running right along with him on the other side. When he jumped the fence, the police were there with a big black plastic bag and hauled him away."
A woman ran onto the field and, at home plate, bared her breasts to the delighted crowd. But things got crazier. A fair number of fans arrived having been drinking already.
"We had a pretty good head start," said Rob Waldheger, now a retiree. "We were all at Kevin McDonough's bar up on Madison in Lakewood. We even had a designated driver. Beer started getting thrown around early. There's nothing worse than having sticky beer thrown on you when it's a hot night. I remember feeling increasingly anxious to get out of there as the night went on."
Things became more serious when fans started throwing firecrackers and cherry bombs into the Rangers bullpen. Martin called his pitchers into the dugout for their safety.
A West Side sports gambling enthusiast who goes by the name of Will Cover went to the game after work on the spur of the moment.
"I was working downtown at Xerox when a co-worker and I decided to walk over from Superior. They were selling my special brand of beer, which is cold and cheap," he said. "It wasn't a big crowd. It was 25,000 in a stadium that holds 84,000. But I was surprised at how many underage kids were there drinking 10 beers for a dollar. The game started out funny as could be and then got scary."
The scary part came in the ninth inning with the game tied 5-5. Some kids jumped onto the field to shake the hand of Rangers right fielder Jeff Burroughs. One of them stole his cap and took off running. He chased the kid, slipped and fell. Players in the Rangers dugout thought he had been knocked down. Billy Martin led the charge on the Field, with his team carrying bats.
Then all hell broke loose. The Indians charged the field, too, to protect their opponents from their fans. Cleveland Indians organist Art Broze later wrote a letter to The Plain Dealer blaming the Rangers:
"The game should have been forfeited to the Cleveland Indians because of the Texas team taking the law into their own hands. They promoted the riot."
As it turned out, umpire Nestor Chylak called the game a forfeit, with Texas winning 9-0.
Though the night was condemned by pundits as a black spot in Cleveland sports history, the next beer night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium the following July 18 had more security and went off without a hitch.
Coughlin wrote in his book "Crazy, With the Papers to Prove It" that promotions director York was called into Indians President Ted Bonda's office after the game, expecting to be fired. Instead, he ordered her to go to the next beer night in Milwaukee to see how they did it.
And how did they do it?
"They drank the beer by the bucket," York recalled. "It must have been something in their DNA."
Published: Sunday, June 03, 2012, 5:00 PM Updated: Monday, June 04, 2012, 9:44 AM
By Michael Heaton, The Plain Dealer
Texas Rangers' Jeff Burroughs, center, runs off the field with his teammates during the Beer Night melee at Cleveland Stadium June 4, 1974. The Indians forfeited the game to the Rangers after fans, fueled by 10-cent beers, stormed the field in the ninth inning.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Dan Coughlin blames Pete Franklin.
Jackie York mentioned the full moon.
Art Broze put it on Billy Martin, and others cited the unseasonably hot weather.
But what about the beer?
You have to mention the beer. Some 60,000 cups of it at 10 cents each.
Yes, we're talking about the infamous 10-Cent Beer Night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium on Tuesday, June 4, 1974. The short story: Thirty-eight years ago Monday, fans got too boozed-up and interrupted the game repeatedly by streaking on the field and throwing fireworks. They eventually rioted, causing an ugly confrontation between fans and players of both teams.
Jackie York was head of promotions for the Indians from 1971 to 1978.
"There are a few things to consider about that night," she said. "First, it was a repeat performance. The Indians had played in Texas the week before on their beer night. Beer nights were common throughout the league. Texas manager Billy Martin was, let's say, aggressive in addressing our players that night, and a bench-clearing brawl took place. Second, it was a full moon that night and it only added to the crazy atmosphere. And then of course the 10-cent beer can't be ignored."
Do you remember 10-Cent Beer Night? The event in 1974 was so popular, T-shirts have commemorated the night.
Former Plain Dealer sportswriter Dan Coughlin covered the game and was punched in the jaw by a random young fan while he stood on the Rangers dugout trying to do an interview.
"All week before that game, [radio host] Pete Franklin kept up a steady drumbeat with listeners about how we needed to get even with the Rangers for the brawl the previous week," Coughlin said. "He was priming the pump for an incident like the one that took place."
The high jinks began in the third inning with the then-current craze of streaking.
"It was all kind of funny at first," said York, who now is development marketing manager for PlayhouseSquare.
"A guy wearing only tennis shoes ran through the outfield along the fence. The fence was tall and he couldn't see that police with radios were running right along with him on the other side. When he jumped the fence, the police were there with a big black plastic bag and hauled him away."
A woman ran onto the field and, at home plate, bared her breasts to the delighted crowd. But things got crazier. A fair number of fans arrived having been drinking already.
"We had a pretty good head start," said Rob Waldheger, now a retiree. "We were all at Kevin McDonough's bar up on Madison in Lakewood. We even had a designated driver. Beer started getting thrown around early. There's nothing worse than having sticky beer thrown on you when it's a hot night. I remember feeling increasingly anxious to get out of there as the night went on."
Things became more serious when fans started throwing firecrackers and cherry bombs into the Rangers bullpen. Martin called his pitchers into the dugout for their safety.
A West Side sports gambling enthusiast who goes by the name of Will Cover went to the game after work on the spur of the moment.
"I was working downtown at Xerox when a co-worker and I decided to walk over from Superior. They were selling my special brand of beer, which is cold and cheap," he said. "It wasn't a big crowd. It was 25,000 in a stadium that holds 84,000. But I was surprised at how many underage kids were there drinking 10 beers for a dollar. The game started out funny as could be and then got scary."
The scary part came in the ninth inning with the game tied 5-5. Some kids jumped onto the field to shake the hand of Rangers right fielder Jeff Burroughs. One of them stole his cap and took off running. He chased the kid, slipped and fell. Players in the Rangers dugout thought he had been knocked down. Billy Martin led the charge on the Field, with his team carrying bats.
Then all hell broke loose. The Indians charged the field, too, to protect their opponents from their fans. Cleveland Indians organist Art Broze later wrote a letter to The Plain Dealer blaming the Rangers:
"The game should have been forfeited to the Cleveland Indians because of the Texas team taking the law into their own hands. They promoted the riot."
As it turned out, umpire Nestor Chylak called the game a forfeit, with Texas winning 9-0.
Though the night was condemned by pundits as a black spot in Cleveland sports history, the next beer night at Cleveland Municipal Stadium the following July 18 had more security and went off without a hitch.
Coughlin wrote in his book "Crazy, With the Papers to Prove It" that promotions director York was called into Indians President Ted Bonda's office after the game, expecting to be fired. Instead, he ordered her to go to the next beer night in Milwaukee to see how they did it.
And how did they do it?
"They drank the beer by the bucket," York recalled. "It must have been something in their DNA."
Re: Articles
1769One of the six valedictorians of my high school graduation class of 904 streaked the field on that Beer Night.
Last I knew, he was Director of Radiology at a hospital near the Mississippi River.
Last I knew, he was Director of Radiology at a hospital near the Mississippi River.
Re: Articles
1770Good grief, six valedictorians in the mid-70's? I thought that was a recent, self-esteem, PC sort of disease. Or had they in fact all finished with exactly the same grade average?