Cleveland Sports Forum

The important thing right now is getting Salazar over that 5th and 6th inning hump.

When you are limited to 75 pitches there is almost no chance of getting over that hump.

Salazar is not going to be used out of the bullpen this year unless it is a one time elimination game.

Chris Perez replaced by closer-by-committee: Cleveland Indians insider

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Indians have replaced Chris Perez with a closer-by-committee for their last three games of the regular season, which just so happen to be their most important three games of the season.

After Perez nearly turned an easy victory into defeat Thursday night against the Twins, he told manager Terry Francona that he didn't want to cost the Indians wins because he couldn't locate his pitches. Francona, trying to steer the Indians into the AL wild card game in a three-team race with Tampa and Texas, agreed.

The closer candidates include Justin Masterson, Joe Smith, Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw. Lefties Rich Hill and Marc Rzepczynski will get in some match-up work in the late innings.

"One thing we need to do is get CP back to being a force," said Francona. "In the meantime, we'll probably ease him off the closer's role for the next three days.
"It's kind of weird how things work. When we lost Masty (Justin Masterson) we got Corey Kluber back. Now with CP having his struggles we get Masty back."

Masterson is the Indians No.1 starter, but he has been relegated to the bullpen as he recovers from a strained left oblique muscle. When reporters talked to Masterson before Friday's game, he described his role as being a "bridge" between the starter and late-innings relievers.

He talked about pitching in the sixth inning. Francona said there was a good chance Masterson could pitch in the ninth, presumable in save situations.

To say the least, the closer situation is fluid.

"Some of it is going to depend on how we get there (the ninth inning)," said Francona. "Masty is in a unique situation. He's there because he's been out for a while. He hasn't been built up enough to start, but he can go more than one inning.

"We've leaned on Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw. We'll just see how the game goes. I've talked to Smitty and Masty and told them how I feel about things. I don't want the phone to ring and have someone be surprised down there."

Next to Perez's 25 saves, Vinnie Pestano is second on the club with six. Pestano would be the ideal replacement, but he has struggled all year and is not considered a factor. After Pestano, Smith has three saves and Allen two.

"You certainly could see Joe Smith in the ninth inning," said Francona. "You could also see him before. The one thing I told Smitty is I don't want to potentially lose a game while waiting to get to him when he would be our best option earlier in the game."

Said Smith, "I think I'll be in the mix. We talked and it's one of those things where we have three games left and it's all hands on deck. Tito said, 'Just get ready to pitch.'"

Perez has not talked to the media since May when drug enforcement agents followed a package to his home in Rocky River and discovered a small amount of marijuana inside. Reporters approached Perez again Friday to see if he would talk about being take out of the closer's role. "Nope," said Perez.

Francona and GM Chris Antonetti have said Perez is healthy, even though he was shut down in spring training with a sore right shoulder and went on the disabled list in May with the same problem.

"Whether he'll say it or not, he probably hasn't been healthy this entire year," said Masterson. "It's unfortunate. He's pushing through whatever he's got going. It's admirable.

"He wouldn't tell us (if he was hurt). That's the type of guy he is. He's going to do his thing and go after it. If he doesn't do it, he accepts it."

When asked if he would be in the closer-by-committee, Masterson said, "I will be in the sixth inning. We have plenty of guys back there. Joe Smith has been great. Bryan Shaw has been doing a great job. So has Cody Allen.

"Along with the lefties we have a real nice way to set-up however it is we go if CP is not our guy."

Red-hot Michael Brantley has been big for Cleveland Indians


By Mary Schmitt Boyer, The Plain Dealer

on September 27, 2013 at 7:16 PM, updated September 27, 2013 at 7:57 PM


MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- Michael Brantley was 5 years old when Kenny Lofton arrived in Cleveland in 1992. He was 8 when Lofton became the sixth player in Indians history to have three-plus hits in four straight games in 1995.

Now the Indians leadoff hitter in the absence of injured Michael Bourn, Brantley went 3 for 5 in the Indians' 6-5 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night in Target Field, becoming the first Indian since Lofton to have three or more hits in four straight games.

Brantley does not mind being linked to Lofton.

"I remember watching him,'' Brantley said before Friday night's game against the Twins here. "He was a great player for the Indians and throughout his entire career. Just to have your name mentioned with Kenny Lofton and the likes of great outfielders is a compliment. I take it, and I'm proud to see it.''
Because both players are talented and blessed with speed, there's a natural tendency to want to compare them. But longtime Indians general manager Mark Shapiro, now the team's president, said there's not much comparison between the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Brantley and the 6-0, 180-pound Lofton.

"They are very different players and, for that matter, builds,'' Shapiro said in an email. "Kenny was an explosive athlete and runner. His actions were fast twitch from his swing to his running style. Michael has the nickname 'Smooth' for a reason. He is a graceful baseball player. His actions are calm, relaxed and his approach is extremely focused. His running style is more a glide (and, frankly, he is not as fast as Kenny -- by the way almost no one is). Michael’s approach to hitting is outstanding. He sees the ball well, really uses the entire field, keeps his bat in the zone a long time giving him a good chance to hit the ball. He has a plan and he takes it into the game incredibly well. Both are very good players but very different.''

Brantley certainly has been good for the Indians lately. He has a 10-game hitting streak heading into Friday's game and is hitting .500 (20 for 40) with 9 RBI and 3 extra-base hits. Before Friday, the Indians were 25-17 when he has two or more hits in a game this season. He has driven in at least one run in each of his last five games before Friday, and on Thursday became the first Indian since Minnie Minoso in 1959 to have three hits and at least one RBI in four straight games, joining Ken Keltner (1939) and Joe Vosmik (1935). He is the second player in the majors this season to have three hits and at least one RBI in four straight games, joining Alfonso Soriano of the New York Yankees, who accomplished the feat from Aug. 13-16.

After Thursday's game, Indians manager Terry Francona praised Brantley's hitting.

"He's staying on the ball, he's staying through the ball,'' Francona said. "He's using the whole ball park, and it couldn't come at a better time.''

Especially since regular leadoff hitter Bourn left Tuesday's game with a sore right wrist that is not believed to be serious. In the meantime, Brantley slid seamlessly into the leadoff spot.

"Michael's hit everywhere in our order,'' Francona said before Friday's game. "I don't think he's hit ninth. He's hit everywhere -- probably one through eight. That's been the luxury of him is that we can hit him everywhere and it allows us to keep everybody else right where they are. He may not enjoy it, but he handles it. He's hit eighth against some lefties. He's hit first. He's hit fifth more often than not, just because he's such good protection for those guys in the middle. He's a professional. He can hit anywhere. He's just a good hitter.''

Brantley said he doesn't approach anything differently when batting leadoff.

"After the first AB, no,'' he said before Friday's game. "The first AB, the object of the game is to get on base. After that, the game dictates how everything else is going to play out -- whether you're going to drive somebody in, or whether you have to get back on base again for your teammates.''

Asked if he liked leading off, Brantley smiled and said, "It doesn't make a difference. I just want to do the best I can for my team in any situation. The game of baseball is so tricky. The game of baseball throws you so many curves that you've just got to be ready to handle anything.''

Scott Kazmir trapped in elevator for 1-1/2 hours

By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group

on September 27, 2013 at 8:47 PM, updated September 27, 2013 at 9:14 PM




MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Mike Seghi, Indians long-time director of team travel, has received a lot of strange late-night calls from players. Friday morning he received one of the strangest.

Lefty Scott Kazmir placed the call and when Seghi answered, a shaken Kazmir said, "Get the Jaws of Life or something and get me the hell out of here."

Kazmir was stuck in an elevator on the 27th floor of the team hotel.

"I was one floor away from my room on the 28th floor when I felt a bang," said Kazmir. "I said just get me out of here. We got to my floor, but the door wouldn't open and it went back down to the 27th floor. There was another bang and the elevator shook a little bit.

"It must have hit something, broke the hydraulics and knocked the door off the track."

It took the company that made the elevator and the Minneapolis Fire Department an hour and a half to free Kazmir.

He did not enjoy the quiet time.

"I sat down, fetal position pretty much," said Kazmir. "I was just sitting in the corner rocking."

Kazmir said a worker from the elevator company had to jump on top of the elevator and "unlock it." Then the fire department pried the doors open.

The Indians have not had a good run at their team hotel in Minneapolis. During an earlier series against the Twins, a guest mistakenly received the Indians rooming list and put it on Twitter.

The hotel did give Kazmir a free breakfast on Friday.

"The girl that brought it up told me she'd been stuck twice on elevator No.2," said Kazmir, the same elevator that trapped him. "I'm never getting on that elevator again."

Salazar starts the first playoff/tie breaker game period....

Indians Open AL Wild-Card Lead Over Tampa, Texas
MINNEAPOLIS September 28, 2013 (AP)
By MIKE COOK Associated Press

The playoff scenario for the Cleveland Indians is simple: win Sunday and they are in.

The Indians moved into sole possession of the AL wild-card lead on the next-to-last scheduled day of the regular season, beating the Minnesota Twins 5-1 Saturday behind Scott Kazmir's strong start to extend their winning streak to nine.

Seeking their first postseason appearance since 2007, the Indians (91-70) took a one-game lead over Tampa Bay and Texas (both 90-71).

"We want to keep this roll going. This is so much fun," Nick Swisher said.

Cleveland is assured of at least a tie for the AL wild card. With three teams seeking the two wild cards, Sunday's results could decide the matter or lead to one or two tiebreaker games at the start of next week.


If the three teams are tied after Sunday, Cleveland would host Tampa Bay on Monday afternoon, with the winner advancing to the postseason. The loser would play at Texas on Tuesday afternoon for the second wild card.

In the event Sunday ends with a tie for the second wild-card berth, Texas would be home against Tampa Bay in a one-game tiebreaker Monday night.

The two wild cards would then meet in a postseason game Wednesday night to determine which advances to the division series.

"Every time you win, it makes the next day that much more important, so we get to show up tomorrow and see if we can win a game," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We need to be one run better tomorrow and then we go from there."

After a rain delay of 2 hours, 26 minutes at the start, Kazmir (10-9) allowed one run and six hits in six innings, and Marc Rzepczynski, Cody Allen and Joe Smith each followed with an inning of hitless relief. Kazmir won his second straight start after going 1-5 with a 5.82 ERA in his previous seven outings. He is 3-0 against Minnesota this year with a 1.45 ERA.

"I was able to attack the strike zone and expand," said Kazmir, who struck out 11 and has 43 strikeouts in 28 innings during September. "I'm going out there and getting them in swing mode, and once I get two strikes, I have quite a few pitches I'm able to set them down with."

Seven of Cleveland's first 11 hitters struck out before Jason Kipnis singled in the fourth and Santana hit a two-run homer.

"Carlos' swing was huge," Francona said. "It helped loosen up everything."

Eric Fryer singled in a run in the bottom half for Minnesota, but Michael Bourn had a two-run triple in the fifth and scored on Kipnis' single for a 5-1 lead.

"We're still very hungry, so we're going out there every day and grinding at-bats and making quality pitches," Kazmir said. "That's something we can carry into the postseason."

Hoping to make Minnesota's 2014 rotation, Cole De Vries (0-2) allowed five runs and six hits in five innings. All five runs off him came with two outs.

"You usually want to put teams away when you get two outs. That's tough, but its kind of the way it works sometimes. What are you going to do?" he said.

Minnesota has lost nine of 10, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire will not win his 1,000th game this season. Gardenhire, who is not under contract for next year, is two victories shy.

"We just have not played good and it's not been a lot of fun," he said. "I had more than one of them come up and apologize to me. I don't need that. I know what they're giving me. They're giving me a lot. I appreciate the efforts and they don't have to apologize for anything. They come and play. We just weren't good enough this year."

NOTES: Cleveland is 20-6 in September, its first month of at least 20 wins since August 1995. ... Indians DH Jason Giambi left the game with left forearm cramping. He is day to day. ... Bourn returned after missing three games with a sprained right wrist. ... Minnesota C Josmil Pinto did not play after being hit on the right hand by a pitch Friday. He is expected to play Sunday. ... Cleveland's Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9) is scheduled to pitch Sunday against Minnesota's Scott Diamond (6-12).

What I haven't seen is the location of a Cleveland-TX wild card game. I know that Cleveland v. Tampa would be in Tampa, but what if it's TX v. Cleveland?

To answer my own question, I found this:

In the event the Rangers tie with Cleveland for the top spot: The two teams would then be the wild card teams and the wild card game would be played on Wednesday in Cleveland with the winner going on to either Boston or Oakland.

The good news is that we don't have to play Detroit in the first round. Maybe the other team will eliminate them. (Wishful thinking, I know.)

http://video-embed.cleveland.com/servic ... 3W_DNtPBTa

Nick Swisher, are you stoked ???????

Swisher says, " this is such a bad ass season!"

Francona interview !

http://video-embed.cleveland.com/servic ... 3W_DNtPBTa

J.R. wrote:The good news is that we don't have to play Detroit in the first round. Maybe the other team will eliminate them. (Wishful thinking, I know.)

Detroit went 3-4 against Oakland.

Cleveland went 4-2 against Oakland, although one of those games had a blown call that cost Oakland a HR (and maybe the game).

New York Times predicts mvp, cy young, etc. These two are relevant to the Tribe, and anyway we can' figure out the team mvp yet alone have a candidate for league mvp

A.L. ROOKIE OF THE YEAR Not a single A.L. rookie had enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, or enough innings to qualify for the E.R.A. title. So why not recognize Cleveland’s Cody Allen, who pitched all year in the majors, piling up strikeouts and appearing in almost half his team’s games while working in the heat of a pennant race?

Best of the rest: 2) Wil Myers, Rays; 3) Jose Iglesias, Tigers.

A.L. MANAGER OF THE YEAR It is almost unfathomable that Terry Francona has never received a first-place vote in the Manager of the Year balloting. He should this year, as a perfect fit for Cleveland. But his former pitching coach, John Farrell, gets the prize this time. Farrell guided the Red Sox from last place to first in the A.L. East while creating an environment in which some of his old pupils, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester, could thrive.

Best of the rest: 2) Francona, Indians; 3) Joe Girardi, Yankees.

Very easy answers to very complicated Wild Card scenario questions


Editor’s note: This post was updated at 3:30PM Friday and 9AM Sunday with new information from Major League Baseball.

You may have noticed that the Indians are one of three teams remaining in contention for the two American League Wild Card spots, along with Tampa and Texas, each one game behind Cleveland.

Here are the remaining scenarios for settling the two AL Wild Card spots:

IF Cleveland wins the top Wild Card spot and Texas and Tampa Bay are tied for the second spot: Texas would play host to Tampa in an American League Tiebreaker game on Monday, September 30 at Ballpark at Arlington. The Indians would play host to the winner on Wednesday at Progressive Field in the AL Wild Card Game. Game time would be 8:07PM.

IF Cleveland wins the top AL Wild Card spot outright and either Texas or Tampa Bay finishes alone in second: Cleveland plays host to that team in the AL Wild Card game on Wednesday at Progressive Field. Game time would be 8:07PM.

IF Cleveland and Texas tie for the two AL Wild Card spots and Tampa Bay finishes a game behind: Cleveland plays host to Texas on Wednesday in the AL Wild Card game. Game time would be 8:07PM.

IF Cleveland and Tampa Bay tie for the two AL Wild Card spots and Texas finishes a game behind: Tampa Bay plays host to Cleveland on Wednesday in the AL Wild Card game. Game time would be 8:07PM.

IF THERE’S A 3-WAY TIE FOR 2 WILD CARD SPOTS: Cleveland would play host to Tampa Bay on Monday in one AL Tiebreaker Game. Game time would be 4:07PM. The loser would play at Texas on Tuesday. Game time would be 4:07PM.

Each game’s winner would advance to the AL Wild Card game. Home-field advantage for Wednesday’s Wild Card game then would be determined by the head-to-head record of the two Tiebreaker game winners. Game time would be 8:07PM.

About Chris Perez ...

Don't be surprised if Chris Perez is quietly released at some point after the season.

Perez was paid $7.3 million this season. He has one more year before becoming a free agent -- after the 2014 season.

The Tribe considered trading him last season, after he was 0-4 with a 3.59 ERA and 39 saves. He made the All-Star team in 2012, yet trade interest in him was very mild. So the Indians brought him back.

Now, he may have almost zero trade value. It's doubtful the Indians will keep him, because he's eligible for arbitration. Hard to believe, but his 5-3 record with a 4.33 ERA and 25 saves may entitle him to a raise in the crazy world of baseball arbitration.

Would you want him back at $8 million, because he'd be eligible for at least that much. Any team that trades for him would also have to deal with that same type of arbitration driven salary.

That's why I expect the Indians to be forced to cut him.

Perez fell apart when the games meant the most. His September ERA is 9.61. Since August 1, he had served up seven homers in 20 innings.

Maybe his arm is hurting again. We don't know, because Perez has been boycotting the media ever since his arrest on marijuana charges.

Most of the time, players don't care if their teammates talk to the media. But they do expect the closer to do so, at least after he blows a save. That's because they don't want to have to speak for him.

And it was an issue in the clubhouse. Perez seemed to love media attention for a few years. But he was MIA when he failed to convert saves in the last few months.

It's a sad ending for Perez, who made life hard on himself with his lack of maturity.

About the Shin-Soo Choo deal ....

When the Indians traded Choo to the Reds as part of a three-way deal, it appeared to be part salary dump as Choo was headed to free agency after the 2013 season. It appeared that Trevor Bauer was the most important part of the deal for the Tribe, as Bauer was considered a top pitching prospect.

The Indians gave up Jason Donald, Tony Sipp, Choo and $3.5 million (to the Reds). In return, they received Drew Stubbs (from the Reds), Matt Albers (from Arizona), Bryan Shaw (from Arizona) and Bauer (from Arizona).

But it ended up being so much more. Here's at how that trade has worked out:

1. Choo is having a big season for Cincinnati, batting .286 (.890 OPS) with 21 HR, 54 RBI and 20 steals as a leadoff batter. He also has 34 doubles and 106 runs scored. His agent is Scott Boras, who supposedly is looking for a long-term, $100 million contract for the 30-year-old Choo.

2. Donald is batting only .219 at Class AAA Louisville.

3. Arizona also was part of the trade, and the Diamondbacks received Sipp from the Tribe. The lefty reliever has been mediocre, 3-2 with a 4.78 ERA.

4. Stubbs took over in right field for Choo. A former first-round pick (2006) by the Reds, Stubbs entered the weekend hitting .230 (.654 OPS) with 9 HR and 43 RBI. He has stolen 16 bases, thrown out twice. Stubbs is a strong defender in right or center. He may have the best pure speed on the team. But the right-handed batter hit only .212 vs. righties, compared to .266 vs. lefties. The Indians see him as a good fourth outfielder and can be used against left-handed pitching.

5. Albers has been a real blessing for the Tribe. He has worked in long and middle relief. He has a 3-1 record and 3.19 ERA. The right-hander is a free agent at the end of the season.

6. Shaw has been terrific since the All-Star break (1.86 ERA). Overall, he's 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA. He won't be a free agent until 2018. Albers and Shaw have combined to allow only one earned run in 25 September innings.

7. With the collapse of Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez, Albers and Shaw have brought needed depth to the bullpen. Their acquisitions by General Manager Chris Antonetti has seldom been mentioned, but it's been important.

8. Bauer is a mystery. He was 6-7 with a 4.15 ERA at Class AAA Columbus. He averaged 7.9 strikeouts and an alarming 5.4 walks per nine innings. He continually is experimenting with his windup, and seems to have lost the confidence that enable him to vault through the Diamondbacks farm system to the majors after 156 minor league innings. Of course, Arizona had concerns about Bauer, which is why he was included in the deal. Maybe pitching coaching Mickey Callaway can help Bauer this winter, as he did Ubaldo Jimenez a year ago.