Cleveland Sports Forum

Vinnie Pestano cares about Team USA baseball; too bad no one else does: Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin


By Bud Shaw, The Plain Dealer
on March 16, 2013 at 11:59 PM, updated March 17, 2013 at 12:00 AM Print


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Coca-Cola once had a Classic product, too.

Poor Vinnie Pestano took to Twitter to beat himself up.

"Choked on the biggest stage of my career, let a lot of people down tonight, this is something I cared deeply about," the Indians' reliever Tweeted.

If it's any consolation -- and it's almost assuredly not -- Pestano didn't let down his teammates or his country. His teammates had been in those situations before, and not often in March. His manager, Joe Torre, did him no favors. And his country? America isn't living and dying with baseball in March. Any baseball. No matter how global. No matter if it calls itself a "classic."

What exactly is classic about mandated pitch counts for pitchers nervously lent to play for their countries? What's exactly classic about an arrangement where some of the best players opt not to participate while others (David Wright) miss WBC games with minor injuries at the insistence of their major-league teams?

"This wasn't just another game in March for me, this was a win or go home for my country and I failed," Pestano Tweeted.

There's a lot to like about a guy whose Twitter picture is the late artist Bob Ross, though I fear all the "happy little trees in a forest landscape" couldn't cheer up Pestano today. There's a lot to like about a guy who describes himself as "Professional Geek" on his Twitter feed ahead of "Pitcher for the Cleveland Indians" and adds, "I don't know either ... close your eyes and throw it has hard as you can."

Pestano was called into Friday's elimination game against Puerto Rico with Team USA trailing 1-0. He allowed a single to Indians' teammate Mike Aviles, then walked a batter to load the bases. Torre let him stay in to face left-handed hitter Carlos Rivera instead of going to lefty Jeremy Affeldt. Pestano walked him, then stayed in to pitch to Andy Gonzalez, who hit a two-run double.

Down 4-0, Team USA lost 4-3.

"Being someone that prides himself on pitching in big moments, this was unacceptable, gotta learn from it and be better for it in the future," Pestano Tweeted.

To fully forgive him, America would have to know what happened. Fact is, the biggest ripple out of the WBC was a fight between Canada and Mexico.



Some people want America to care just as much as players such as Pestano care. It's not happening anytime soon. My WBC-related email (the barometer of all things trending in our country) spiked only when Chris Perez came up with a tweaked shoulder in Indians' spring training. Then the majority of it pleaded with the Indians to keep Pestano home so as not to jeopardize the season.

That doesn't mean the World Baseball Classic is a bad idea. Bud Selig likes it as an event that can grow the game, expand horizons, bring countries together (am I missing any other cliches?). Managers such as Terry Francona don't want to discourage players from competing, but worry that competitive spirit will override caution and the calendar.

You can bet Francona was relieved when Perez decided not to compete after tweaking his shoulder. Francona was glad he didn't have to dissuade him. Perez made the call voluntarily, knowing the season is what it's all about.

Baseball people might debate how to improve on Team USA's 10-10 record in three WBC tournaments -- while the rest of America admits it's surprised to learn there have been three WBC tournaments.

The other countries where baseball reigns supreme -- the Dominican Republic first and foremost -- love the WBC in part because they can measure themselves against the United States (and like what they measure, as it turns out.) Fox Sports quoted former Indians' infielder Brandon Phillips saying, "You just see how everybody's passion is totally different than our country's."

Doubtful anybody has more passion about it than Pestano. Hopefully he finds a bigger stage one of these seasons and performs to his own expectations.

Anything in September and October will do nicely.

Assessing the Cleveland Indians' spring work with two weeks before opener: Paul Hoynes analysis

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer
on March 16, 2013 at 10:08 PM Print



GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are 16 days left before the Indians open the 2013 season against Toronto on April 2 at Rogers Centre. Before the 25-man roster is named, and players start double checking to see if they can find their passports, questions still need to be answered.

So consider this a progress report, one of those slips of papers wayward students use to get from their teachers in the middle of the grading period to take home to Mom and Dad, on the big issues facing manager Terry Francona's ballclub.

• What does it mean when 1) Francona is spotted zooming around camp on a red scooter and 2) appears in a video version of the Harlem Shake dressed as a baby with a white floppy bonnet?

Well, the guy knows how to have a good time and if he does indeed drive the scooter between his apartment and Progressive Field during the regular season, he should get credit for going green.

Is Francona too player friendly? "We all know there's a line you can't cross with him," said Justin Masterson.

• What about Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez, the top two starters in the rotation who combined for 32 losses last year? Masterson is 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three Cactus League starts with six strikeouts and no walks in 8 2/3 innings. He threw five scoreless innings in a B game as well.

Jimenez is 2-0 with a 5.54 ERA in four games. He's struck out nine, walked two and allowed 19 hits in 13 innings. He seems to have taken to his new delivery, but the Indians are still trying convince him that he doesn't have to overthrow to get people out.

• Will closer Chris Perez be ready for April 2? He threw 15 pitches off the mound Saturday for the first time since straining his right shoulder on Feb. 26. He's making progress, but his return date is still unsettled.

In the bullpen, five relievers have jobs: Perez (if healthy), Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Rich Hill and Cody Allen. Francona, however, still isn't saying how many relievers he'll open the season with. The Tribe opens with 13 games without a day off and is considering carrying an extra arm.

Then again the last seven games of the streak are played in Cleveland, which usually guarantees at least one April postponement because of snow or rain.

Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes, Matt Langwell and Matt Capps give Francona plenty of relief options if he goes with a 13-man staff.

• The rotation appears to be set with Masterson, Jimenez, Brett Myers, Zach McAllister and lefty Scott Kazmir. Daisuke Matsuzaka threw three innings in a minor-league game Saturday, but it sounds as if he's running out of time. Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer still have a shot, but are probably bound for Class AAA Columbus.

• The new outfield of Bourn, Michael Brantley and Drew Stubbs hasn't played a lot of innings together, but that should change in the coming days. Brantley missed time after getting spiked in his left forearm on Feb. 25.

Bourn, Brantley and Stubbs should be one of the fastest outfields in franchise history. They've shown flashes of what that can mean offensively and defensively. The outfielder who has been doing the most running has been Ezequiel Carrera, who has stolen eight bases in nine attempts and scored six runs despite hitting .207.

Carrera is out of options and probably won't make the team.

Terry Francona on feeling good about spring camp


• Catcher Carlos Santana is having a fine World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, which is a good thing, because it seems as if he's been gone from spring training forever. Santana's absence, and Lou Marson's bout with the flu, has given Yan Gomes lot of time behind the plate. Gomes has shown he can hit, but his catching skills still need work.

Gomes injured his right hamstring Friday against Milwaukee running out a double, which probably punched his ticket to Columbus. The Indians want to find out if he can be an everyday catcher.

• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera came to camp in great shape. He didn't lose much time to the WBC because of Venezuela's quick ouster and it appears he's going to hit second in Francona's lineup.

• It didn't make a difference in the final score, but when Mark Reynolds hit a monster ninth-inning homer Friday against Milwaukee, it demonstrated an element that has been missing from the offense -- late-inning thunder.

The Tribe lost the game, 4-3, but just the fact that Reynolds has that kind of game-changing power is refreshing. It's not only Reynolds, but Nick Swisher and Stubbs can do the same thing. It gives the Indians a chance to win a game in the late innings with one swing instead of stringing four singles together.

• Lonnie Chisenhall had a clear road to the third-base job this spring and he's not backing in. Chisenhall is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with four doubles, three homers and 10 RBI and has been decent defensively. Mike Aviles, Chisenhall's backup, like Santana has been lost to the WBC with Puerto Rico in the finals.

• The question of leadership and chemistry is always a dicey thing. How much it matters to a team's success or failure is matter of opinion. Just because Swisher signed the biggest free-agent contract in team history and has a personality that fills a clubhouse, doesn't mean he's the guy everybody goes to. The best thing about that is that Swisher knows it.

"The veteran leadership we've had so far has been better than I anticipated," said Francona. "Swisher, Reynolds and Jason Giambi are first in every drill. Our most enthusiastic games this spring have been when the veterans play and that's surprising."

• Speaking of Giambi, 42, can he make the 25-man roster?

The answer, to date, is yes. But as Francona explained, the roster depends on one move leading to another move and another move beyond that.

It seems that Stubbs thinks too much about his offense.

rew Stubbs thinks he can help Cleveland Indians steal 200 bases this season

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published: March 16, 2013 - 10:52 PM | Updated: March 17, 2013 - 07:23 AM
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Cleveland Indians' Jason Kipnis steals third base with Chicago Cubs' Junior Lake, right, covering during an exhibition spring training baseball game, Monday, March 4, 2013, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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GOODYEAR, Ariz.: Drew Stubbs threw out the number as if it were no more difficult to accomplish than finding an abandoned steel mill in Youngstown.

“I don’t see why we can’t steal 200 bases as a team this year,” he said. “I know what I’m capable of doing, Michael Bourn knows what he’s capable of doing. Michael Brantley, Jason Kipnis, all those guys know what they can do. Speed is one of the weapons this team has, and we’re going to use it.”

Stubbs’ expectation might turn out to be true, but last year, no major-league team stole 160 bases. The Milwaukee Brewers led everyone with 158 (with an 80 percent success rate); the San Diego Padres were second with 154 (77 percent); the Miami Marlins were third with 149 (78 percent), followed by the Minnesota Twins with 135 (78 percent), Los Angeles Angels with 134 (80 percent), Tampa Bay Rays 134 (75 percent) and Kansas City Royals, who stole 132 (78 percent) to rank seventh.

It might be interesting to note that three of these teams belong to the American League Central, making them lodge brothers of the Tribe.

The last time a team stole 200 or more bases was 2007, when the New York Mets totaled 200. The last time an American League team equaled or exceeded 200 steals was 1992, when the pre-National League Brewers swiped 256 bags, an extraordinary number. Pat Listach was their leader with 54, Darryl Hamilton had 41 and Paul Molitor 31.

Do the Indians have enough base-stealing threats — the four mentioned by Stubbs plus Asdrubal Cabrera — to break the 200 barrier? The odds are they don’t, unless they get contributions from players other than the Big Five.

Moreover, it might not be productive or desirable to steal 200 bases, because the club might run itself out of too many innings. The Tribe does not lack for players who can jack the ball over the fence: Mark Reynolds, Carlos Santana, Nick Swisher, Lonnie Chisenhall, Cabrera and Stubbs.

In fact, Stubbs admits to at times wondering if he should concentrate on being strictly a contact hitter because of his speed or being an RBI guy because of his size and strength.

“I definitely have struggled with that at times,” he said. “I led off a lot at Cincinnati. Obviously in that role you try to get on base and score runs. But when you get down in the lineup, you want to drive the ball and do a little more damage. I think the key for me is to have a line-drive approach, still drive the ball and use small ball when it’s necessary.”

Manager Terry Francona doesn’t think Stubbs should be conflicted about what kind of hitter he should be.

“I think he gets caught being on time [swinging early or late],” he said. “For a while, he had a big leg kick, but he’s toned that down. I think sometimes he’s surprised at how much time he has [before he swings]. When he figures it out, it’s going to work for him.”

Last year, Stubbs batted only .213 with 13 doubles, 14 home runs, 40 RBI and 30 steals. The previous season, he batted .243 with 22 doubles, 15 homers, 44 RBI and 40 steals.

“Speed is one of the assets of my game,” he said. “You can’t teach it. You have it or you don’t. You can lose it, but it’s something that separates me from a lot of players, and I try to make the most of it.”

One thing that negates speed — whether it’s stealing bases or taking the extra base — is an inability to reach base in the first place.

In that regard, Stubbs has something of problem, because he strikes out a lot. He doesn’t want to, but he fears (probably rightly) that he can’t cut down on his whiffs significantly without becoming tentative at the plate.

In 2011, Stubbs struck out 205 times to lead the NL.

“Obviously, it’s something I can improve on,” he said. “It’s an ongoing process. But it will always be a part of my game. It always has been. I don’t want to take away from my strengths just to address it.

“All of a sudden you look up and you’ve cut down on your strikeouts, but you’ve given away X-number of RBI and home runs. So there has to be a balance.”

Balance is what the Indians are counting on: more positives than negatives but with reasonable expectations.

Hoynes:

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There are 16 days left before the Indians open the 2013 season against Toronto on April 2 at Rogers Centre. Before the 25-man roster is named, and players start double checking to see if they can find their passports, questions still need to be answered.

So consider this a progress report, one of those slips of papers wayward students use to get from their teachers in the middle of the grading period to take home to Mom and Dad, on the big issues facing manager Terry Francona's ballclub.

• What does it mean when 1) Francona is spotted zooming around camp on a red scooter and 2) appears in a video version of the Harlem Shake dressed as a baby with a white floppy bonnet?

Well, the guy knows how to have a good time and if he does indeed drive the scooter between his apartment and Progressive Field during the regular season, he should get credit for going green.

Is Francona too player friendly? "We all know there's a line you can't cross with him," said Justin Masterson.
masterson-trib-spring-2013-cc.jpg View full size Justin Masterson has shown signs of sharpened control during the spring camp in Arizona. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

• What about Masterson and Ubaldo Jimenez, the top two starters in the rotation who combined for 32 losses last year? Masterson is 2-0 with a 4.15 ERA in three Cactus League starts with six strikeouts and no walks in 8 2/3 innings. He threw five scoreless innings in a B game as well.

Jimenez is 2-0 with a 5.54 ERA in four games. He's struck out nine, walked two and allowed 19 hits in 13 innings. He seems to have taken to his new delivery, but the Indians are still trying convince him that he doesn't have to overthrow to get people out.

• Will closer Chris Perez be ready for April 2? He threw 15 pitches off the mound Saturday for the first time since straining his right shoulder on Feb. 26. He's making progress, but his return date is still unsettled.

In the bullpen, five relievers have jobs: Perez (if healthy), Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith, Rich Hill and Cody Allen. Francona, however, still isn't saying how many relievers he'll open the season with. The Tribe opens with 13 games without a day off and is considering carrying an extra arm.

Then again the last seven games of the streak are played in Cleveland, which usually guarantees at least one April postponement because of snow or rain.

Matt Albers, Bryan Shaw, Nick Hagadone, Scott Barnes, Matt Langwell and Matt Capps give Francona plenty of relief options if he goes with a 13-man staff.

• The rotation appears to be set with Masterson, Jimenez, Brett Myers, Zach McAllister and lefty Scott Kazmir. Daisuke Matsuzaka threw three innings in a minor-league game Saturday, but it sounds as if he's running out of time. Carlos Carrasco, Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer still have a shot, but are probably bound for Class AAA Columbus.

• The new outfield of Bourn, Michael Brantley and Drew Stubbs hasn't played a lot of innings together, but that should change in the coming days. Brantley missed time after getting spiked in his left forearm on Feb. 25.

Bourn, Brantley and Stubbs should be one of the fastest outfields in franchise history. They've shown flashes of what that can mean offensively and defensively. The outfielder who has been doing the most running has been Ezequiel Carrera, who has stolen eight bases in nine attempts and scored six runs despite hitting .207.

Carrera is out of options and probably won't make the team.

Terry Francona on feeling good about spring camp

• Catcher Carlos Santana is having a fine World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, which is a good thing, because it seems as if he's been gone from spring training forever. Santana's absence, and Lou Marson's bout with the flu, has given Yan Gomes lot of time behind the plate. Gomes has shown he can hit, but his catching skills still need work.

Gomes injured his right hamstring Friday against Milwaukee running out a double, which probably punched his ticket to Columbus. The Indians want to find out if he can be an everyday catcher.

• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera came to camp in great shape. He didn't lose much time to the WBC because of Venezuela's quick ouster and it appears he's going to hit second in Francona's lineup.

• It didn't make a difference in the final score, but when Mark Reynolds hit a monster ninth-inning homer Friday against Milwaukee, it demonstrated an element that has been missing from the offense -- late-inning thunder.

The Tribe lost the game, 4-3, but just the fact that Reynolds has that kind of game-changing power is refreshing. It's not only Reynolds, but Nick Swisher and Stubbs can do the same thing. It gives the Indians a chance to win a game in the late innings with one swing instead of stringing four singles together.

• Lonnie Chisenhall had a clear road to the third-base job this spring and he's not backing in. Chisenhall is hitting .419 (13-for-31) with four doubles, three homers and 10 RBI and has been decent defensively. Mike Aviles, Chisenhall's backup, like Santana has been lost to the WBC with Puerto Rico in the finals.

• The question of leadership and chemistry is always a dicey thing. How much it matters to a team's success or failure is matter of opinion. Just because Swisher signed the biggest free-agent contract in team history and has a personality that fills a clubhouse, doesn't mean he's the guy everybody goes to. The best thing about that is that Swisher knows it.

"The veteran leadership we've had so far has been better than I anticipated," said Francona. "Swisher, Reynolds and Jason Giambi are first in every drill. Our most enthusiastic games this spring have been when the veterans play and that's surprising."

• Speaking of Giambi, 42, can he make the 25-man roster?

The answer, to date, is yes. But as Francona explained, the roster depends on one move leading to another move and another move beyond that.

• Gomes injured his right hamstring Friday against Milwaukee running out a double, which probably punched his ticket to Columbus. The Indians want to find out if he can be an everyday catcher.

[Should have played in the WBC. Maybe he doesn't get injured ]

• Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera came to camp in great shape. He didn't lose much time to the WBC because of Venezuela's quick ouster and it appears he's going to hit second in Francona's lineup.

[ One word "Winterball" ?!?!?! ]

• Speaking of Giambi (Team Leader ?!?!?), 42, can he make the 25-man roster? The answer, to date, is yes. But as Francona explained, the roster depends on one move leading to another move and another move beyond that.

[ Let's just hope and pray he doesn't start shooting up the club ]

• Catcher Carlos Santana is having a fine World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, which is a good thing, because it seems as if he's been gone from spring training forever. Santana's absence, and Lou Marson's bout with the flu, has given Yan Gomes lot of time behind the plate. Gomes has shown he can hit, but his catching skills still need work.

[ Gomes "in" Marson "out" ]

All right, for the first time in a long time, with my stay in Arizona coming to a close, let’s get into the nitty gritty about the Tribe.

EXCRUCIATING MINUTIAE OF SPRING TRAINING CAMP…

Let’s just begin with the one of the most surprising developments of this or any camp — Scott Kazmir is very likely going to come away with a rotation job. It’s one of those great Spring Training stories. “I’m hopeful,” Chris Antonetti said, “it’s a great 2013 story, not a great Spring Training story.”

The fifth spot is still being decided between Kazmir and Carlos Carrasco, who was effortlessly dominant against the Giants in his last start (five innings, two hits, one run, no walks, five strikeouts, 55 pitches). But Carrasco can be optioned out and stands to benefit from a little Triple-A seasoning after missing all of 2012 following Tommy John. Kazmir, whose Minor League start was watched by front-office staff and ownership alike Sunday, likely has the job.
The biggest question – among many – with Kazmir is how he’ll hold up over the grind of a season as he accumulates innings. He pitched just 70 innings last season, after all. “That was the idea watching him all spring,” Francona said. “When he came in, he was about midseason form. To his credit, he had worked really hard to do that. Then you’re like, ‘OK, can he hold this and build?’ I know it’s only Spring Training, but to this point, his stuff has held every time out, so that’s really encouraging.”


Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here, but if Kazmir is still in the rotation in the second half, don’t expect any restrictions on his innings. “In a lot of cases when we limit guys, we know they’re going to be here for multiple years,” Antonetti said. “With a guy like Scott, who’s a free agent, it’s a very different set of circumstances. I don’t expect that we’ll have significant restrictions on him.” In other words, they’ll eke out every last out from that arm, if they can.


Lord only knows what to make of this rotation, which I’ve compared to truck stop dining on the turnpike. The Indians feel Justin Masterson has done a fine job focusing on pounding the zone and keeping the ball down, and they feel he’s embraced the No. 1 starter mentality. But Masterson had trouble avoiding the big inning last year, and that was the case in his start against the Reds on Sunday, when he was hit hard in the first. Masterson feels his travails last year really came down to just a handful of bad innings. “I had seven games that were really bad, and it made everything look bad,” he said. “Within those games, it was just one inning.” All the innings count, of course. “It’s good that Justin has taken some time to reflect back on things and think about adjustments he needs to make,” Antonetti said. “But I don’t want to read too much into it.”
What should we read into Ubaldo Jimenez’s improved command in camp? Well, for one thing, we must acknowledge that it comes with a compromise, as his velocity is simply not what it was in his Rockies heyday. Jimenez seems more willing to accept that compromise. “We don’t want him just to throw BP fastballs over the plate, because that’s not the goal either,” Antonetti said. “But for him, it gets back to the goal of him having a consistent, repeatable delivery. If he can do that, the stuff and strike-throwing will still be there.”


Speaking of Ubaldo, I watched Drew Pomeranz pitch the other day, and suffice to say the Rockies are still waiting for all that potential to turn into reality, too. Pomeranz tweaked his mechanics this spring and is getting his fastball into the low 90s again. But he’s still not quite as consistent with his command as he’d like to be, and there’s still no telling if his stuff — reliant as it is on the curve — will play very well in Coors Field. The mechanical improvement was a big one, though, in building the kid’s confidence. “I’m not feeling lost like I did last year at times,” he said. “I think in years past I’ve been good at making pitches when I need to in tough spots. But if you’re not confident in the way you’re feeling or your mechanics, it’s hard to do that. This year, I feel like I can catch my breath and lock in and make a pitch.” Still no telling who “won” that trade.


The Tribe isn’t sweating Brett Myers’ unsightly spring stat line (12 runs on 19 hits in 12 2/3 innings). “He’s shown the arm strength we expected,” Antonetti said. “We’ve seen secondary stuff with his breaking ball. He’s just had trouble… one of his challenges has been strike-throwing. He’s walked a lot of guys, which is atypical for Brett. But we’re confident he’ll be ready to go.”


The Indians aren’t going to rush Chris Perez back for Opening Day just for the sake of having him there Opening Day — an “artificial deadline,” as Francona said. But any concern that he might not be ready early in April, if it existed at all, seems to have dissipated.


Both of the big-ticket acquisitions — Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn — have a daughter on the way midseason (Swisher in May, Bourn in July). Sixteen years from now, they’ll both be a wreck, but for now they should be fine.


I spoke with Jay Bruce a bit about his buddy Drew Stubbs, who had a decent .255/.329/.444 slash line with 22 homers and 77 RBI before bottoming out (.213/.277/.333) last year. “So much upside,” Bruce said. “He’s one of the fastest guys in the game. He had a poor year last year for himself and he still stole 30 bases. In my opinion, there’s not a better center fielder out there, as far as getting to balls, running balls down, the closing speed he has, great arm, has a very good sense of where he is on the field. He’s ridiculously athletic. If he can go out there and just learn the [right field] position, there are a few little glaring differences between right and center that aren’t going to be a problem for him. He’s not going to miss a beat. He’s got a chance to be a special player if he puts it together. He has the ability to hit for power, steal bases, play the outfield and really change the game in a lot of ways. I hope the best for him.”
Stubbs is intriguing, all right, simply because he’s such a Wild Card. But he’s still not putting up consistent at-bats just yet. “To his credit, he’s worked on his mechanics to the point where they’re so simple right now,” Francona said. “I’m not sure he realizes how good he should be. There’s no movement, just a nice little simple approach. He’s so strong and when you see him hit it, it comes off like a rocket. And he’s got the kind of speed where even when teams know he’s running, you can’t stop it.”


I love that Jason Donald and Armando Galarraga have been in the same clubhouse (Reds) this spring.

The great John Perrotto, of Baseball Prospectus, has taken a particular liking to the nickname the Plain Dealer’s Dennis Manoloff bestowed upon Michael Brantley — “Dr. Smooth.” And the nickname has legs. As Brantley told a giddy Perrotto, it was used by a surly Yankees fan at Yankee Stadium last year when he yelled, “You suck, Dr. Smooth!” An insult and a compliment, blended beautifully.


Despite being late to the party, the Indians’ take on the “Harlem Shake” worked out well enough. But why wasn’t Antonetti involved? “They tried to talk me into doing it,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure there was nothing that would reflect poorly on anyone and that nobody would get hurt. Obviously I wanted the guys to have a good time. But I wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be any negative repercussions.”

Tons of love for Jason Giambi in that Tribe clubhouse. The guy has blown people away with his insight and intelligence and approachability.

You’ve got to appreciate how much Vinnie Pestano generally and genuinely cared about playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. It’s amusing to see people use the Americans’ ho-hum history in this tournament as some sort of referendum on baseball in this country, completely ignoring A. the small sample, B. the number of guys who defensibly opt out and C. the fact that it’s played at a time of year when many of the Latin American players are in midseason form following winter ball. Pestano noted that the Classic takes on a U.S. vs. the World tone. “I don’t know if we had one crowd more for us than against us,” he said. “It’s almost a lose-lose because you’re expected to win, and yet there are so many other great baseball-playing countries out there. Just because you have U.S.A. on your chest doesn’t mean you have any advantage.”


A common critique of the Goodyear facility when it opened was that the fan experience had taken a nosedive from the decidedly fan-friendly conditions at Chain O’ Lakes in Winter Haven. But the Indians have improved the situation considerably this spring, with “fan liason” Rik Danburg now on-hand to handle concerns, answer questions, keep people apprised of the schedule, etc.


Jason Kipnis has been eating at this P.F. Changs-owned Asian restaurant chain called Pei Wei rather frequently down here, loading up because he knows we don’t have Pei Wei in Cleveland. I don’t blame him. It’s good, fresh food served quick. (I believe I first experienced Pei Wei several years back at the urging of Indians iTrac vision coordinator Jason Stein, better known here and everywhere as “The Master of Self-Promotion.”) Anyway, if anybody with even the slightest amount of franchisinal (not a word… don’t look it up) influence is reading this, let’s get a Pei Wei in Cleveland, all right?

By now, there’s really not much about Life Under Tito that hasn’t already been said. Francona is really bringing the best out of this group simply because he relates to players so well, and that point has been hammered home quite consistently. There was one anecdote, though, that I thought spoke to that point quite well. It came when the Indians sent Mike McDade down after a strong camp and had to tell him, as so many others have told him, to be sure to watch his weight moving forward. Francona approached that conversation in a positive light. As Antonetti recalled: “His message was, ‘You’re a really good player, you can do so many great things, you’re great hitter from both sides of the plate. We think you have a lot of potential. And you’ve heard it before, but you need to take care of your body to take advantage of your potential.’”When players get instruction from Francona, they know he’s coming from that positive place. “Inevitably, in any relationship, you’re going to have those moments where you have to have tough conversations,” Antonetti said. “It’s more constructive to have those conversations once you already have a relationship in place. Terry works really hard to establish those relationships. And it comes from a genuine place. He really is a caring person. He cares individually about every guy in that clubhouse, and I think the players feel that. So that gives him the ability and platform to, when something needs to be addressed with a guy, he can talk to them and say, ‘Hey, I love you, but these are things you need to do to get better’ or ‘You didn’t run that ball out’ or ‘Walk me through what you were thinking in that situation on the bases.’”


Possibly the biggest news of spring camp: Nick Camino, of WTAM, became the first sober person in America to order a steak at Chili’s. And he lived to tell the tale.

Later this week on Indians.com, I’ll have a special story about the 20th anniversary of the Little Lake Nellie boat tragedy that claimed the lives of Steve Olin and Tim Crews. I really hope you’ll take the time to read it.

~AC

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-l ... --mlb.html

The 2013 Cleveland Indians imagine themselves as the Indians from ‘Major League’
By Mike Oz | Big League Stew

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Indians believe Trevor Bauer is an integral piece to their long-term blueprint. The young pitching prospect just has some development remaining before beginning his career in Cleveland.

On Thursday, the Indians optioned Bauer, along with right-hander Corey Kluber, to Triple-A Columbus, whittling the race for the fifth spot in the rotation down to lefty Scott Kazmir and righty Carlos Carrasco. After spending his first spring with the Tribe, Bauer was looking forward to rejoining the big league club in the future.

"The team is great. It's a great group of guys assembled," Bauer said. "They're a lot of fun. It'll be a fun team, so hopefully at some point I can get up here and enjoy it."

Cleveland also optioned left-hander Scott Barnes to Columbus and reassigned lefty Giovanni Soto to Minor League camp on Thursday.

Over the offseason, Cleveland landed the 22-year-old Bauer from the D-backs as part of a complicated nine-player, three-trade trade in December. Acquiring Bauer was key for completing the blockbuster swap, which was also highlighted by Shin-Soo Choo going to the Reds and Drew Stubbs coming to the Indians.

Cracking Cleveland's Opening Day rotation was going to be an uphill battle for Bauer, as it was, but the right-hander may have complicated matters by attempting to overhaul his mechanics this spring. The pitcher understood the risk involved with that approach, but he tried to focus on the bigger picture, rather than the rotation race in front of him.

"I don't think about making a big league club or not," Bauer said. "I think about my improvement and getting better. If I can improve every day, then that's all I can handle. I made a decision to make some changes that are going to help me long term. That's what I'm doing."

After pitching through a nagging groin issue for most of last season, Bauer implemented changes to his lower-half mechanics in an effort to reduce some strain on his legs. The pitcher said he also adjusted his upper-half mechanics with the goal of becoming more consistent with his strike-throwing ability.

In five Cactus League appearances this spring, Bauer posted a 4.50 ERA with nine strikeouts and four walks in 14 innings of work for the Indians. Against the Angels on Wednesday, he allowed four runs (three earned) in three innings, and was forced from the game after laboring through a 33-pitch third.

After the outing, Bauer said he had been trying to "overwrite 10 years of neuromuscular programming in four or five weeks," which is tough to do while also attempting to make a big league roster.

"I think last year he felt like he didn't pitch completely healthy, and even into the winter," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "So I think he's trying to find a way, I think the word he used is replicate, his mechanics. ... That's the whole idea, because he didn't command his fastball at all [Wednesday]. We tried to press upon him the importance of working ahead and locating his fastball. He completely understands that."

Last season, Bauer went 12-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 22 starts between Double-A and Triple-A in Arizona's farm system. He also endured a rocky four-start (6.06 ERA) stay in the big leagues, where his unique personality rubbed some members of the D-backs the wrong way.

Asked if he feels like fans and media pay more attention to him than other pitchers, Bauer shrugged.

"I don't know what everyone else gets," Bauer said. "That's the fish bowl I swim in. That's all I know. I don't know any different. It's what I'm used to."

Bauer said the Indians organization has been completely on board with the changes he is trying to make.

In the meantime, Cleveland will pick either Kazmir or Carrasco for its lone rotation vacancy.

Kazmir -- in camp as a non-roster invitee -- has not logged a full season in the Majors since 2010, but is attempting a comeback with Cleveland. Through 16 spring innings, which includes three Cactus League appearances and a pair of Minor League starts, Kazmir has allowed four runs (all in a Minor League game on Sunday) on 16 hits with 18 strikeouts and three walks.

Carrasco, who missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, allowed four runs on eight hits in five innings against the D-backs on Thursday at Salt River Fields. The right-hander -- a member of Cleveland's Opening Day rotation in 2011 -- finished with no walks and three strikeouts in his fifth Cactus League outing of the spring.

Some poor defense in the third inning contributed to a three-run frame for Arizona.

For the spring, Carrasco has given up 13 runs (12 earned) on 22 hits with 13 strikeouts and four walks in 19 innings of Cactus League play. In his most recent outings, the 26-year-old right-hander has appeared to be more aggressive, compared to his first few appearances of the spring.

"It's been good to see," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said earlier this week. "It's been very encouraging."

Francona downplayed the importance of any singular performance by Carrasco or Kazmir over the remainder of camp.

"I don't know that it's like a pitch off," Francona said. "I think we'll make our best decision on what's best for our ballclub, when it's time."

"I don't know that it's like a pitch off," Francona said. "I think we'll make our best decision on what's best for our ballclub, when it's time."

Something Joe will never understand.

Roster moves clear up bullpen, rotation picture


March 21, 2013, 8:50pm



By TONY LASTORIA
FOXSPORTSOHIO.COM

On Thursday the Indians made some more roster decisions that clear up things with regard to the opening day roster.

The Indians optioned right-handed pitcher Trevor Bauer, left-handed pitcher Scott Barnes, and right-handed pitcher Corey Kluber to Triple-A Columbus. Left-handed pitcher Giovanni Soto was in camp as a non-roster player and was reassigned to minor league camp.

The moves of Bauer and Kluber bring more clarity to the fifth starter battle as it is now down to left-hander Scott Kazmir and right-hander Carlos Carrasco. The last two spots in the bullpen are now down to left-hander Nick Hagadone, left-hander David Huff, right-hander Matt Albers, and right-hander Bryan Shaw.

Kazmir has had a fantastic camp and has looked like a done deal for the fifth starter spot for a few weeks now. He looks healthy, his stuff has mostly returned, and the power to his fastball is close to what it once was as he has been up to 94 MPH.

Most importantly, Kazmir has performed. In three appearances in big league game action he has thrown eight shutout innings and allowed five hits, one walk, and has eight strikeouts. He has also pitched eight innings in minor league games, and in total between big league and minor league appearances he has thrown 16.0 innings and allowed 16 hits, four runs, three walks, and has 18 strikeouts.

The Indians have yet to officially name Kazmir the winner of the fifth starter derby, but that is only because they do not have to nor should they at this point. He still has two more outings to go which means the possibility of injury exists, so once he makes his final appearance the Indians will probably name him to the opening day roster at that point.

When the Indians name Kazmir to the rotation it does not necessarily mean that Carrasco will be shuttled off to Columbus. The Indians are still trying to work around his six game suspension for throwing at Billy Butler in July of 2011, and they may opt to have him open the season with them for the first week so he can serve his suspension and not have that hanging over their heads any time they want to call him up.

They have talked about having 13 pitchers on the opening day roster, which could be foreshadowing to carrying an extra pitcher not for the fact they play 13 straight games to open the season, but to stash Carrasco on the roster. Assuming the Indians do this to circumvent the suspension issue, once his six games are up they could then option him out to Columbus and bring up an extra player for the bench. All of this is in flux because the Indians are still awaiting word from Major League Baseball how the suspension will be handled.

With a 13 man pitching staff the bench would be short for a week with Lou Marson, Mike Aviles, and Jason Giambi expected to be on the roster. But the first week of the season the bench is rarely used since teams want to get their regulars a lot of playing time early on, and besides, the Indians are super versatile where almost every player on the roster can play more than one position.

Once they move out the extra pitcher and add a position player the feeling is that Ryan Raburn or even Cord Phelps would be brought up from Columbus. Raburn can easily be assigned to Columbus since he is signed to a minor league contract and does not have an opt out, and Phelps has an option remaining. The Indians could even tell one of them their plan to bring them up a week or two into the season when they have their sit down with them next week to tell them they did not make the opening day roster.

The decision to send Barnes down to Columbus also helps clear up the bullpen situation. With Barnes out of the picture, lefty Nick Hagadone looks like he has won a spot as the second lefty in the bullpen. The only thing that would prevent that at this point would be an injury.

Right-handers Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano, Joe Smith and Cody Allen have already made the bullpen. Left-hander Rich Hill has not formally been announced to the bullpen, but his addition to the 40-man roster a few days ago solidified it. Also, with Hagadone expected to now be in the pen, it leaves but one spot for the Indians to make a decision on.

At the moment, right-hander Mitch Albers is the clear favorite for that last spot because he can’t be sent to the minors and he makes a guarantee $1.75 million in 2013. Unless he is traded it means that right-hander Bryan Shaw would be optioned to Columbus and that lefty David Huff would have to be put on waivers since he is out of options.

However, it really looks like the Indians want to open the season with
13 pitchers, so if they don’t carry Carrasco to work around the suspension issue then they could truly go with an eighth bullpen arm.

That would mean Shaw and Huff would be options to make the roster, and at this point Huff’s roster situation and his ability to start and log several innings in long relief should make him the favorite to win it.

All of these roster decisions in regard to the makeup of the bullpen, bench and the fifth starter should become official by this time next week. Unlike past seasons, there will be some good players that do not make the opening day roster. This is bad for the players, but a good sign for the Indians as to the depth they have created.

Not sure if Tony is being his normal overenthusiastic self about Kazmir: Has he been measured as high as 94 mph?

Of the 6 starters left on the roster, I think Carrasco has the highest ceiling and has been ranked higher than Masterson or McAllister while working his way through the minors. He has options so I suppose he gets sent out, but I don't want to have him waste too much time in the minors. He has more of a chance to be a No. 2 or maybe a No. 1 starter than anyone else left in camp.

"I don't know that it's like a pitch off," Francona said. "I think we'll make our best decision on what's best for our ballclub, when it's time."

Something Joe will never understand.

Oh! I understand all right. I just haven't seen it in the past 10 or so years. In my opinion, you always bring the best team north.

Still full of crap !

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Jason Kipnis is not worried about his sore right elbow and he is definitely not concerned about the statistical showing he has turned in this spring. When Opening Day arrives, the Indians second baseman believes he will be ready to go.

Cleveland's second baseman has missed the past three Cactus League contests with a tender throwing elbow and will likely be sidelined for at least one more day, according to manager Terry Francona. If the same injury flared up during the regular season, Kipnis said he would play through it without much issue.

"I don't think it's anything that's going to linger on for too much longer," Kipnis said on Friday afternoon. "I don't think it's that serious at all. We just have the luxury to rest right now, so we'll take advantage of it. During the season, I'd be in there still all the time, and I wouldn't have a problem with it."

When Kipnis has been on the field this spring, he has performed below expectations in the batter's box.

Through 15 Cactus League games, Kipnis has hit just .154 (6-for-39) with one home run, three RBIs and nine strikeouts. The 25-year-old second baseman said he has been working on improving his approach at the plate and -- despite the results found in the box scores -- he feels he has made progress in that regard.

"I'm not really concerned about the average in Spring Training," Kipnis said. "I still have my confidence. Right now, we're just still working on things and we're trying to get our timing down and still have good at-bats. I think I'm starting to have better at-bats and swing at the right pitches."

A couple of years ago, Kipnis might have been a little more worked up over the poor on-field results.

"Yeah, I think that's fair to say," Kipnis said. "If you're trying to win a spot or you're trying to make a good impression, you're obviously wanting to put up results. But having a year now and being confident in myself, I know that I've done that in the past where I didn't hit in spring, but I'll come out of the gates on fire, or something like that."

Kipnis, who has a .220 batting average in 47 career Cactus League games, hit .257 last season for the Indians with 14 home runs, 22 doubles and 76 RBIs in 152 games. The second baseman added 31 stolen bases and 86 runs scored.

"Maybe I'm just saving all the hits," Kipnis joked. "Everyone else is using all their's up."

Francona taking aggressive tack on 3-0 counts


GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- It is common practice in baseball for hitters to take a pitch when in a count consisting of three balls and no strikes. Indians manager Terry Francona does not understand why more players do not swing under such circumstances.

Cleveland's hitters will be given the go-ahead to attack 3-0 pitches in certain situations this year.

"I never quite understood why so many people just automatically take 3-0," Francona said. "If you're a smart enough hitter, and you're able to just say to yourself, 'OK, I'm going to get a certain pitch in a certain spot,' it's like a free swing.

"A lot of times, even if a guy swings 3-0 and fouls a pitch back, because they took a healthy swing, they feel better about the next pitch. I think it's great, and I think it breeds confidence."

In the first inning of Thursday's 5-4 Cactus League victory over the D-backs, Indians left fielder Michael Brantley was given the green light to swing on a 3-0 count. Brantley responded by launching the next pitch over the right-field wall for a three-run home run.

"That's the way you swing at a 3-0 pitch," Francona said.

During his tenure as the manager of the Red Sox from 2004-11, Boston led the American League with a .526 batting average on 3-0 counts, ranking second in the league in hits (40). By comparison, the Indians had the fewest at-bats (11) and hits (one) on 3-0 counts in the AL under manager Manny Acta from 2010-12. Last year, the Indians had 116 plate appearances end on a 3-0 count, but with only five at-bats with zero hits.

"I just think that too often you take the best hitter's count that can possibly be," Francona said, "and you take the bat out of the hitter's hands. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Francona noted that there are certainly situations in which a batter should take a 3-0 pitch.

"When it's more important to get a baserunner, then you give the take sign," Francona said. "Or if you can't tie the game up with one swing, you don't swing. And our guys know that. Other than that, that's a great time to hit."

Perez to pitch in Minor League game Saturday

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Indians closer Chris Perez is moving one step closer to backing up his claim that he will be ready in time for Opening Day.

Perez, who suffered a right shoulder strain on Feb. 26, is scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game on Saturday afternoon. It will mark Perez's first game action since injuring his throwing arm in his last Cactus League appearance against the Royals.

The Indians are not ready to say if Perez will be cleared for the Opening Day roster.

"I'm still trying to kind of keep the party line," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We don't want to put that artificial deadline. When he's ready to pitch, he'll pitch. If he's healthy, obviously we'd love to have him, but only when he's ready."

Perez said earlier this week that there was "no question" he would be ready for Cleveland's April 2 season opener against the Blue Jays.

"I'll be there," Perez said on Monday. "The initial injury is gone. I'm 100 percent. Now it's just trying to get my arm strength back to where I can make 60 or 70 appearances."

Last season, Perez saved 39 games and had a 3.59 ERA in 61 appearances and earned a spot on the American League All-Star team for the second straight year. Over the past three years, Perez ranks fifth in the Majors in saves (98) and save percentage (89.1). He signed a one-year, $7.3 million contract this past winter to avoid arbitration.

During Spring Training a year ago, Perez suffered an oblique injury in his first bullpen session and was sidelined from Cactus League action until March 29. The closer logged only three official innings in three appearances and was cleared to join the Opening Day roster.[and blew the save on opening day]

Smoke signals

• Indians catcher Yan Gomes, who has been sidelined with a right hamstring injury since March 15, ran the bases during Friday's workout. Francona said Gomes might be cleared to play in a game by Saturday, but noted that Sunday might be more likely.

• Indians non-roster invitee Matt Capps -- informed earlier this week that he will not be on the Opening Day roster -- is continuing his search for another big league opportunity. Cleveland has expressed an interest to keep Capps in the Minor League system.

• Indians pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, who has agreed to begin the season in Triple-A, logged four innings in a Double-A game on Thursday. The right-hander allowed one run on two hits with three walks and no strikeouts in a 62-pitch effort.

• Cleveland right-hander Zach McAllister, the team's fourth starter, pitched in a Triple-A game on Thursday. Over six innings of work, McAllister surrendered six runs on six hits, finishing with three walks and two strikeouts in a 79-pitch outing.

• Saturday's 4:10 p.m. ET Cactus League game between the Indians and Mariners in Peoria, Ariz., will be aired live on MLB Network in the Cleveland television market. Lefty Scott Kazmir, a finalist for the fifth rotation spot, is scheduled to pitch for the Tribe.

Quote to note
"We hear there's a buizz going around the city, that the fans are just as excited as we are to get this season going, and that's great. That's exactly the chemistry you want between the organization and the fans in the city. I think you want both of them excited going into the season."
--Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis

Not one mention of Giambi.

MIA in last night's game. Must have been past his bedtime.

Somebody should be asking Tito some tough questions like why isn't he playing with the Major Leaguers?