Cleveland Sports Forum

You know, in a way, this takes the pressure off Lonnie. Might be the best thing ever.

Cleveland Indians' Jason Kipnis: an All-Star made, not born - Bud Shaw



CLEVELAND, Ohio – The most natural middle infielders glide (think Robbie Alomar).

Some are missing only the soundtrack from Swan Lake (Omar Vizquel).

The “heavy runners” leave the infield looking like the stretch run at the Kentucky Derby.

When Indians’ minor league instructors asked Jason Kipnis to leave the comfort of the outfield and take a bucket of ground balls for the first time in Arizona, the operative term was “chewed the dirt up.”

Kipnis showed great lateral movement but was understandably raw. His hands? About as soft as the sun-baked desert around him.

“Hideous,” Kipnis remembered. “I wasn’t really catching grounders as much as blocking them.”

Four years is a long time for some things. It’s an eternity for a souring relationship, for instance. It’s a losing proposition for a receding hairline to stand its ground for that long.

But it’s the fast track for a kid outfielder to do everything Kipnis has done since the 2009 position change.

It’s remarkable that he’s managed to make the tough transition “to the dirt” (as Tribe Director of Amateur Scouting Brad Grant calls it), keep hitting at every level of the minors, establish himself as an everyday player let alone leave a different kind of mark as a second baseman in an All-Star game in New York last July.

“It’s a really good story,” said former Indians’ GM John Hart, whose job as an analyst for MLB Network recently required a ranking of top second basemen.

“You’ve got (Robinson) Cano and (Dustin) Pedroia. (Ian) Kinsler slipped a little last year. You’d have to put this guy anywhere from No. 3 to No. 5. He’s not a carry-the-team kind of impact player. But that’s pretty high praise.”

Kipnis is the first drafted and developed Indians player to make the All-Star team since C.C. Sabathia. That doesn’t include international players who aren’t draft eligible but even that is a quick roll call (Fausto Carmona, Victor Martinez).

Even better for Indians’ fans scarred by departures of star players, Kipnis figures to be here a while. The Indians control Kipnis for four more years.

It makes too much sense for both sides not to commit to a long-term arrangement that would keep Kipnis, who turns 27 the day before the home opener, in an Indians’ uniform through a season or two of free agency.

“We’ve been consistent in our desire to want to keep him here and he’s been consistent in wanting to be here,” said Indians’ President Mark Shapiro. “It’s just a matter of whether you can lock in that value where both sides are comfortable.”

What makes Kipnis a great bet isn’t only his track record of relatively quick success at every level and his habit of moving relentlessly forward once he “gets it,” but also that – as Shapiro says – “he plays with a chip on his shoulder.”

Do that long enough, it’s not something a player does. It becomes something a player is. Kipnis still thinks of himself as:

• The guy who played at Kentucky for a $400 book scholarship and nearly quit baseball after being dismissed for breaking team rules,

• Was told he projected as a fourth outfielder despite making All Pac-10 first team his first year at Arizona.

• Initially considered the move to second base a “slap in the face.”

Once he accepted that second base was his fast track to the majors, Kipnis didn’t look back or go back.

Asked how he managed to keep his offensive approach together while trying to learn a new position – that’s not as easy as it sounds – he says, “They told me I just had to knock in more runs than I let in.”

Travis Fryman, the former Indians’ third baseman who was Kipnis’ manager at Mahoning Valley, was among the group that hit him balls that first day.

Fryman admits he was “probably the least optimistic” that Kipnis could make the transition. He also is the first to tell you Kipnis showed an ability to outperform himself when the lights went on.

“Fiercely competitive,” Fryman says. “He embraces the big moments in games. He wants to be the guy who’s hitting with the game on the line.”

First time Fryman saw video of Kipnis hitting, he quickly grabbed a second video of a different hitter, put them side by side and marveled at the similarities.

“I called him Little Giambi,” Fryman said. “His swing, where he was at impact. Amazingly similar. He could hit the ball a long way for somebody who’s not a physically big guy.”

Giambi and Kipnis saw the same thing in the video comparisons. Giambi calls him “the son I didn’t know I had.” Giambi’s presence in the Indians’ clubhouse has afforded Kipnis the opportunity to talk hitting with his mirror image at the plate.

“We’re almost identical right down to the way we point our toe,” Kipnis said, laughing. “He cocks his bat a little more than I do. But I keep telling him I have more power.”

The Giambi comparison boosted Kipnis’ confidence as a young hitter. It’s much better than hearing you swing the bat like a lefthanded Mario Mendoza after all.

The rest of his confidence came from results. He never didn’t hit.

“I’d get to a new level and after a couple weeks it was like, “Is this it?'”, Kipnis said. “I mean that in a good way. I’d wonder why I was building it up to be this impossible step. After a couple weeks you realize 94 miles an hour is 94 miles an hour no matter who’s throwing it. It’s still baseball.”

His first hit in the big leagues – four days after his callup -- was a walk-off single against the Angels. Two weeks into his rookie season, he hit home runs in four consecutive games. Three weeks later, he went 5-5 with three RBI against Detroit.

A slow start last year left Indians’ manager Terry Francona facing questions about how long he’d commit to Kipnis in the No. 3 slot, traditionally where a team’s most versatile and productive hitter bats. Francona never budged and in June Kipnis had a record-book month.

He hit .419 in June with four homers, 25 RBI and 12 doubles. He scored 17 runs. He stole nine bases. He had a .517 on-base percentage. It put him in the conversation with players named Cobb, Sisler, Speaker and Sewell for most productive calendar months.

A month later, representing the American League in the All-Star game in New York, Kipnis hit a run-scoring double off Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel to pad the lead in a 3-0 AL win.

Earlier in the weekend, a MLB volunteer welcomed him by saying, “It’s an honor to have you here, Mr. Swisher.”

A few fans mistakenly asked his brother, Todd, for an autograph. The Kipnis boys didn’t set them straight.

“They should’ve looked a little closer at the baseball card instead of the body,” Kipnis said, laughing.

Giambi noticed a difference when Kipnis returned. He noticed a player enjoying that sense of belonging that comes from making an All-Star game, and embracing the responsibility that comes with it.

“They always say there are stepping stones in this game,” Giambi said. “A guy like Mike Trout is an exception. Last year was huge for Kip. This guy is on the fast track.”

Kipnis has always enjoyed – how do we say it – a looser environment. Coaches appreciate structure. Some in the Indians’ organization laughed last year when The Plain Dealer ran a story on players’ game-day routines:

Kipnis listed sleeping, eating, stretching, eating, napping some more, listening to music and pre-game sushi. It sounded like a college kid on break, minus the stretching.

What nobody questions is the way Kipnis plays the game. That hasn’t changed since he accepted the challenge of moving from the outfield and putting in hours of work with Fryman, Anthony Medrano in Arizona and Mike Sarbaugh in Columbus.

Medrano remembers Kipnis coming to Arizona two weeks early to work on the transition to second (something Kipnis still does).

“When he got called up the first time I felt like it was my own kid making the big leagues,” said Medrano. “He’s a special person and a special player.”

Kipnis plays the game the right way, as baseball people like to say. Meaning he gets his uniform dirty, is a better base stealer than his speed should allow, and can beat you with a bunt as easily as a home run.

He’s an elite hitter who shows up to work with a lunch pail attitude. If not a rare combination, it’s not commonplace.

In fact, image shapers in this city looking for a celebrity spokesman could do worse than Kipnis.

The latest campaign to market Cleveland embraces its gritty sophistication. And, well, here we have an All-Star second baseman nicknamed “Dirtbag” (for all the best baseball reasons), entering his prime and promising to only get better.

Twice chosen to represent the Indians in Major League Baseball’s “Face of the Franchise” fan voting, Kipnis embodies most of the talking points of the city promoters: tough, resilient, plain-talking, self-deprecating, better than advertised.

To borrow a phrase, that is positively Kipnis.

“I wouldn’t pretend to tell Mark (Shapiro) and Chris (Antonetti) what to do, but obviously he’s a core guy you’d like to extend,” said Hart.

After another All-Star game – maybe one where nobody asks the wrong Kipnis for his autograph – the Indians’ second baseman will be as recognizable outside Cleveland.

He admits he had that “Is this it?” moment in New York last July standing on second base. In a good way. And that he carried that sense of belonging into the last half of 2014.

“You’re surrounded by players you’ve looked up to and you suddenly realize, 'I can do this,'” said Kipnis. “My confidence went up in the second half. Even if I’d gone 0-4, I could tell myself I’m still a threat. The other team knows who I am. It’s a confidence boost.”

That’s saying something for a guy who’s never exactly lacked belief in himself.

"I think he can actually get better," Francona told reporters in Arizona this spring. "As he knows the league, as he knows himself, and as long as he stays healthy, I think he's going to get better."

When you consider this is only his third full season, Kipnis has covered a lot of ground. And only a little of it chewed dirt.

PLUTO

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- By now, you'd think I'd learn.

For years, I have been predicting the Tribe's record -- and always been rather wrong.

This year, I'm at 85-77. In that story, you can read about my other swings and misses.

But last spring, I decided to make 20 individual predictions about the Tribe season.

Here are some highlights from those predictions:

• Mark Reynolds would "hit 30 homers … it may take 185 strikeouts, he'll do it."

• Cody Allen could be one of the first pitchers sent to the minors, and Carlos Carrasco would be the first starter promoted from Class AAA "and he'll be an asset to the Tribe."

• Michael Brantley will hit at least 15 homers and "prove he's valuable to the Tribe." I actually will make that same prediction again.

• If Ryan Raburn flops (a real possibility), Cord Phelps will take his spot as a utility man.




CHIZ-1.JPG

I was very wrong about Lonnie Chisenhall last season, predicting he''d hit 15 homers with 70 RBI. This year, I see him back in the minors.

• Lonnie Chisenhall will hit at least 15 homers with 70 RBI.

I'm stopping right there …

At least I did have a few things right about Justin Masterson, Bryan Shaw and Danny Salazar.

Enough of life in the rear view mirror.

Here we go for 2014:

1. A year ago, I wrote Nick Swisher would hit 24 homers and 88 RBI. I'll stick with the 24 homers, and give him 80 RBI. He has learned to take better care of his shoulder. I expect a Swisher-type season.

2. Josh Tomlin will win at least 10 games and be in the rotation by the middle of May. Still not happy about him opening in Class AAA.

3. Asdrubal Cabrera has a contract-driven season, hitting above .270 with about 20 homers.



4. Carlos Carrasco in the rotation doesn't work; he does help in the bullpen.



5. Carlos Santana is OK at third base a few times a week, but he has some rocky games early in the season.

6. I'm going back to my prediction of 15 homers for Michael Brantley, another solid season.

7. Jason Kipnis signs an extension -- probably just wishful thinking.



8. Corey Kluber leads the staff in victories. He has the stuff to do it.

9. Yan Gomes has another good year behind the plate, but his hitting drops off a bit. Gomes had a tremendous season, batting .294 (.826 OPS) with 11 homers and 38 RBI in only 322 plate appearances. But he walked only 18 times. Teams will pay more attention to him at the plate. But I'm thrilled the Tribe signed him.

10. If John Axford gets through April as the closer, he will have a big season. I'm worried about a bad start, as he had last year. His first few save chances are key for him this season.

11. I wish I felt better about David Murphy, but I don't. His bat looked slow in the spring. He batted .204 (.581 OPS) in hitter-friendly Arizona. Last season, he batted .176 in April. His career April batting average is .226. So if he struggles early, the Tribe will be wondering if it's his usual April agony, or if it's a continuation of the .220 that he hit last season.

12. Lonnie Chisenhall ends up back in the minors and Jason Giambi has trouble staying healthy.

13. C.C. Lee is up from Columbus and in the bullpen by June, and pitches well.



14. Danny Salazar wins fewer than 12 games because the Indians continue to be very careful with his arm, innings, etc.



15. Michael Bourn has trouble stealing bases because of his hamstring issues, and doesn't run as much as he'd like.



16. Jason Kipnis breaks through with a strong performance all season, makes another All-Star team, drives in at least 90 runs.


17. Trevor Bauer comes up from the minors, but he's still not ready to be a consistent big league starter.



18. Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw take over nicely for Joe Smith in the eighth inning.

19. One of the Tribe's two lefty relievers -- Josh Outman and Marc Rzepczynski -- has trouble and is replaced by the All-Star break.

20. Justin Masterson makes the All-Star team again, but does not sign an extension with the Tribe.

BONUS PREDICTION: At least 10 of these will be really, really wrong.

PLUTO

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- By now, you'd think I'd learn.

No, Terry, sorry, by now I know that you never will.

Mark Lowe failed to make the Opening Day roster for the Rays despite an excellent spring and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the right-hander has agreed to a minor league contract with the Indians.

Lowe posted an 0.87 ERA and 12/1 K/BB ratio as a non-roster invitee with Tampa Bay during Grapefruit League play. The 30-year-old opted for free agency this week after he was informed that he did not win a roster spot.

Lowe battled through injuries and ineffectiveness with the Angels and Nationals last season, but he was a useful reliever with the Rangers from 2011-2012. Even though he appears bound for Triple-A Columbus, he has a chance to contribute in Cleveland’s bullpen this season

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is reporting that the Indians have signed catcher George Kottaras to a minor league deal. He adds that there is a “seemingly good chance” for him to join the big league club soon. At the moment, third baseman Carlos Santana is the back-up to Yan Gomes behind the plate in Cleveland.

Kottaras participated in spring training with the Cubs, who purchased him from the Royals back in November. However, the Cubs released him on Wednesday.

Kottaras, 30, has a career .730 OPS in 820 career plate appearances over seven seasons in the big leagues.

Terry Pluto's Cleveland Indians Scribbles: A big night for Axford, Murphy and Morgan
Cleveland Indians vs. Oakland A's -- March 31, 2014



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my notebook while yawning the morning after the Indians beat Oakland 2-0 in the opener:

1. This was a HUGE game for John Axford, who picked up the save. He has the stuff to be a big-time closer. But a year ago, Axford trashed his first four attempts to save games and lost the closer's job by the end of April. He obviously was nervous, walked two -- but also struck out a pair. He saved the game, showed a fastball in the 93-95 mph range and an excellent overhand curveball.

2. If Axford can close as he did in 2011 (46 saves, 1.95 ERA), the Tribe bullpen will be in excellent shape.

3. Justin Masterson made it look so easy -- seven innings, three hits, a walk. No runs. Looked like an ace on opening night. And it's also how he looked all spring training.

4. Carlos Santana played third and the ball didn't find him -- no tough chances. That also was the case much of the spring.

5. Thrilled to see the Tribe signed Yan Gomes to that six-year extension. He is such a gifted catcher -- not just with his throwing, but also how he blocks balls in the dirt and gives the umpire a good look at the pitches.

6. David Murphy really needed that hit in the ninth inning. He had fanned twice earlier in the game, swinging at pitches in the dirt. It was how he looked this spring. You could see his confidence sagging. That base hit was a key to the two-run rally in the top of the ninth.

7. Excellent game for Nyjer Morgan. He had a sacrifice bunt. He had a sacrifice fly to drive in the first run. He made a superb play handling a double hit off the center field wall. Terry Francona has a way of squeezing something extra out of the guys that the front office finds in baseball's rummage sales as Morgan played in Japan last season.

8. Nick Swisher's RBI single was another big hit, making the score 2-0. That gave Axford some room in the ninth.

9. Michael Brantley sizzled two doubles, and just missed a homer off the center field wall. His swing is very pretty right now.

10. Tonight, it's Corey Kluber on the mound -- my choice to lead the team in victories. We'll see how that goes.

Indians 2, A's 0: Marla Ridenour's final thoughts and more on Brantley play at the plate
By Marla Ridenour Published: April 1, 2014

Twenty final thoughts for the 20 runners both teams left on base.

& It was ironic that the new replay system and the new rules regarding home plate collisions were tested on the same play in the sixth inning.

2. In a scoreless game, home plate umpire/crew chief Mike Winters essentially challenged his own call. Winters used the new instant replay system to decide whether A’s catcher John Jaso blocked too much of the plate and failed to give Brantley a lane to score.

3. With Brantley on third base, Asdrubal Cabrera sent a grounder that hit off pitcher Sonny Gray’s leg. But Gray’s throw to Jaso was in time for Jaso to tag Brantley. But after Winters called Brantley out, Indians manager Terry Francona came out to talk to Winters and asked Winters to take a look at the play again. Francona said he wasn’t allowed to challenge the catcher’s defensive position, only the safe or out call.

4. “I wanted to check and see if Jaso had blocked the plate. We’ve all discussed the new rules and what you’re allowed to do and what you’re not,” Francona said. “I just asked him if he’d look because I thought maybe he’d gotten there a little too early. Once they check, I have no idea what they’re saying. I appreciated him checking. You can challenge the safe or out, but you have to ask them to look and he did.”

5. Winters contacted the MLB replay headquarters and it took only 59 seconds for the call to be upheld. Replay determined Jaso was allowed not to give Brantley little ground because he had the ball before the runner arrived.

6..“Basically with the new rule, I just wanted to confirm what I saw on the field that the catcher did not block the plate unnecessarily,” Winters told a pool reporter. “As a matter of fact, we (he and first base umpire Mark Wegner) have looked at it, too. He was in fair territory, he gave the runner plenty of plate to go to and so I just wanted to be sure. He's totally in fair territory before the ball is thrown to him as the ball is thrown to him he catches and then steps in front of the runner and that's all he can do.”

7. Although he had not seen the replay, Brantley did not agree. “I did not have a lane,” Brantley said. “As you can see, I slid into both of his legs with my shin. It’s a tough call, it’s a gray area. Hopefully next time we’ll get that call.”

8. Brantley said he can’t change the way he slides into home plate.

9. “I feel like if you change the way you come into the plate you’re going to get hurt,” Brantley said. “He has gear on. You have to try to slide though him and do the best you can, kind of protecting yourself and at the same time making sure you get to the plate. I just wanted to get to the plate. I don’t know if I made it or not.”

10. Asked if it was a bad call, Brantley said, “I don’t know about that. We talked about this in spring training. We were talking about making sure we slide and let Tito handle the rest. This is something new. There’s going to be some interesting calls and some stuff that’s going to happen. I look forward to hopefully being on the other side and getting the right call. I don’t know.”

11. Winters did not sound upset to be questioned by the pool reporter after the game. “I want you guys (writers) to involved as much as we are because you know what we are just trying to get it right. I look at this as just another tool to help us get even more plays right,” Winters said.

12. Indians starter Justin Masterson had struggled in his career against the A’s, making his seven scoreless innings all the more impressive. Masterson gave up only three hits and struck out four while walking one.

13. Masterson entered 2-6 with an 8.10 ERA in eight career starts against the A’s, although he did record eight scoreless relief innings with the Boston Red Sox. As a starter, Masterson was 0-5 at the O.co Coliseum. Now his list of American League Stadiums where he’s never won is down to two – Rangers Ballpark (0-2) and Yankee Stadium (0-2).

14. Asked about those previous problems against the A’s, Masterson said, “In general, it’s mixing and matching, trying to figure out. These guys are very patient. So I usually get behind in the count. Last year I got ahead in the count, today I got ahead in the count, it allows them to swing early. That works in my favor when I’m able to throw strikes.”

15. Masterson became the first Indian to start three consecutive Opening Days since CC Sabathia in 2006-08 and the first right-hander since Bartolo Colon (2000-02).

16. Nick Swisher, who drove in one of the Indians’ two runs, praised Masterson. “To have a guy like that, no jitters, no nervousness, pound the strike zone, do what he does best, that’s getting guys out,” Swisher said. “That definitely took a lot of pressure off us as hitters. There were times early in the game when we had guys on third with less than two out and we weren’t able to get it done.”

17. The Indians left 11 men on base and batted 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

18. Right-hander Gray, 24, became only the second A’s starting pitcher not to give up a run in his Opening Day start, joining Tim Hudson in 2003.

19. “Sonny Gray did a great job of getting them out of some jams,” Swisher said. “We had guys in scoring position a lot tonight, just didn’t do a good job getting runs in. But, hey, better late than never.”

20. The Indians won their second consecutive Opening Day, but have still lost 4 of the last 6, 8 of 12 and 10 of the last 16. It may be no coincidence the streak seems to be turning with the arrival of Francona.

Had to include this one here. Grady is always going to be special to Tribe fans IMO..and what a story.

Grady Sizemore huge in return to MLB
By Julian Benbow

BALTIMORE — It had been 922 days since his last major league game, 990 days since his last home run, and 1,456 days since the last time he took the field for Opening Day, but the only numbers Grady Sizemore could think about were the ones on his clock.

It was 5:45 in the morning and he was wired.

He had been away from the game for more than two years — sidelined by seven surgeries — but it wasn’t nerves that had him up so early Monday.

He knew what that felt like. Nerves, he said, were what he felt when he made his major league debut 10 years ago.

“Your first game, your debut, you’re a little nervous, you’re just trying to maybe just get your feet wet,” Sizemore said.

This was more like the buzz you get from reuniting with an old flame after seeing so much time go by.

And Sizemore went 2 for 4 with a home run in the Red Sox’ 2-1 loss to the Orioles.

“I couldn’t wait to get up,” Sizemore said. “I was up first thing in the morning. I definitely had an appreciation for the game and all the little things that go into it.”

There were points at which he wondered if it would happen.

Elbow surgery, sports hernia surgeries, and microfracture knee surgeries have a way of clouding your head with doubts.

“When you go through that many injuries, it’s hard not to think about it,” Sizemore said. “For me, I wasn’t thinking. ‘My career’s over.’ I was thinking, ‘How am I going to get back?’ I just couldn’t find the right game plan.”

He didn’t come to the Camden Yards with any preconceived notions.

“I wasn’t saying, ‘I need to get a hit to have a good day,’ ” Sizemore said. “You want to come in here looking to get a win. That’s really the only goal moving forward.”

But when he stepped into the batter’s box for the first time in two years in the second inning, it all felt normal again.

He waited patiently while Orioles starter Chris Tillman nibbled around the strike zone. When the count ran to 3-and-0, Sizemore let fastball up and away pass by. The next pitch was in almost the exact same spot and he sent it sizzling into right field for a single, his first hit since September 2011.

“You’ve been gone for so long,” said Sizemore. “You step in there, your first one, just have a good at-bat. Not necessarily get a hit, but just hit the ball hard, and it felt good.”

Two innings later, he led off the inning, something he was more than familiar with having 705 games as a leadoff hitter on his résumé from his days with the Indians.

The wind, whipping around Camden Yards at 19 miles per hour, already had snuffed out loud fly balls from Xander Bogaerts and A.J. Pierzynski earlier in the afternoon.

But somehow, Sizemore got on its good side. He shot a 3-and-1 cutter from Tillman into the air in right field, and from the time it left his bat, Sizemore had plenty of reason to believe it wouldn’t do any damage.

For starters, the pitch left his bat broken.

“I wasn’t really thinking it was going to carry out,” Sizemore said. “It got up in that wind.”

He was in a rush to get around the basepaths until he saw the umpire spinning his finger around.

“I didn’t really know,” Sizemore said. “I just saw the ball drop and I thought maybe it hit off the wall. I saw the umpire. I was shocked more than anything.”

In the dugout, his new teammates were as shocked as they were happy to see some instant gratification for a player who went through prolonged agony.

“How many guys hit a broken-bat first homer?” said third baseman Will Middlebrooks. “That’s impressive.”

It was Sizemore’s third Opening Day home run. It was his first homer since July 15, 2011, which also came at Camden Yards. But what impressed teammates more was Sizemore’s approach at the plate.

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia said he could see it coming all spring.

“Just seeing his at-bats in spring training, he looked comfortable the whole time, like he didn’t miss any time,” Pedroia said.

In his four at-bats Monday, Sizemore saw 21 pitches. He didn’t have a plate appearance shorter than five pitches. He put the ball in play three times. He saw 13 pitches out of the zone and only reached for one of them, grounding to short in the sixth. Of the eight pitches he saw in the zone, he swung four times and got wood on every one of them.

“He looks great out there,” Pedroia said. “We’re pretty proud of him, what he’s been through to get back to this point and he’s going to be a huge force for us.”

OAKLAND -- The Indians are not expecting center fielder Michael Bourn to need much more time to recover from his left hamstring injury. [I hope so; he could be key to the season; of course after day 1 of Nyjer Morgan, who needs Bourn!?]

On Monday, manager Terry Francona indicated that Bourn could make a swift return to the lineup once he is eligible for activation from the 15-day disabled list. According to Francona, Bourn was scheduled to fly from Arizona to Cleveland on Monday to prepare for a Minor League rehab assignment.

Francona said Bourn might suit up for Triple-A Columbus, which is scheduled to open its season Thursday.

"We're going to talk to Bourny when we get back," Francona said. "I just know, when look at the reports and I see him doing well, I feel good, because that means he'll be back. Whether he's back on the day or a day late, that's not the end of the world."

Bourn is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday.

He injured his left hamstring while running the bases in a Cactus League game against the Giants on March 16. Francona said the center fielder went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles in a Minor League game Sunday and he was able to chase down a fly ball in the outfield.

"From all the reports," Francona said, "he did really well."

Bourn, 31, signed a four-year contract worth $48 million with the Indians prior to last season, when he hit .263 with six home runs, 21 doubles, six triples, 50 RBIs, 23 stolen bases and 75 runs in 130 games. Bourn underwent surgery on his left hamstring on Oct. 15, but the team has indicated that the current injury is unrelated to that issue.

Hey Bourn. Mix in a yoga class or two!

Pretty pathetic when we cant even compete with KC or the Twins. I remember the good old days when I used to complain about cheap Dolan and the Dolanites would retort, "How do you expect us to compete with Yankees we are a small market team." Well with their franchise value now over half a billion according to Forbes Dolan cant even give us a representative team. The team got to the fake playoffs last year but instead of going for it-Dolan opted for more retrenchment. Their payroll is less than 13 years ago when there was no such thing as an app. Shame!


OAKLAND, Calif. – The Indians opened the 2014 season Monday night with their biggest payroll in 13 years, but they still ranked last in the division they represented in the postseason last year.

The Tribe’s 2014 payroll is an estimated $82,593,466 million. It’s a slight increase from last year and overall is the largest since 2001, the year after Larry Dolan purchased the team from Dick Jacobs. The 2001 club had a payroll of $93.4 million.

There are various ways to calculate MLB payrolls. Most teams, including the Indians, look at their total 40-man roster in regards to payroll. This is a look specifically at the Tribe's 25-man roster that opened the big league season.
Nick Swisher is the Indians' highest-paid player this year, making $15 million. Swisher is in the second year of a four-year $56 million deal, the largest in club history.

Michael Bourn is the second-highest-paid player on the club, making $13.5 million this year. Bourn, who signed a four-year $48 million contract last season, is on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring. He was scheduled to report to Class AAA Columbus today to test it.

The Indians won 92 games last year, earning the AL’s first wild-card spot, and finishing second in the AL Central. It was their first trip to the postseason since 2007. Monetarily it is going to be an uphill battle for them to return.
Indians 2014 big-league payroll

Players on the big league disabled list included. Signing bonuses prorated over the life of the contract:

Nick Swisher $15 million.
Michael Bourn $13.5 million.*
Asdrubal Cabrera $10 million.
Justin Masterson $9,726,500.
David Murphy $5.5 million.
John Axford $4.5 million.
Carlos Santana $3.7 million.
Mike Aviles $3.5 million.
Michael Brantley $2.375 million.
Ryan Raburn $2.25 million.
Marc Rzpeczynski $1.375 million
Josh Outman $1.25 million.
Jason Giambi $1 million.*
Vinnie Pestano $975,000.
Elliot Johnson $930,000.
Nyjer Morgan $875,000.
Scott Atchison $800,000.
Yan Gomes $641,666.
Blake Wood $560,000.
Jason Kipnis $554,900.
Bryan Shaw $529,500.
Cody Allen $515,400.
Corey Kluber $514,000.
Lonnie Chisenhall $510,800.
Carlos Carrasco $504,700.
Zach McAllister $504,500.
Danny Salazar $501,500.

Total: $82,593,466.

* Bourn and Giambi are on the disabled, but still count against the Indians 25-man roster.

* Josh Tomlin is making $800,000 this year, but he’s not counted on the big league roster because he’s in Class AAA Columbus.

Detroit, according to the Associated Press, opened the year with MLB’s fifth-highest payroll at $162,817,411. The Tigers have won the three straight AL Central titles. The Indians finished one game behind them last year, but went 4-15 in the season series.

Kansas City ranks second in the AL Central at $92,034,345 followed by Chicago at $91,159,254 and Minnesota at $85,776,500.

Playing in a league without a salary cap offers some eye-popping comparisons.

This year the Tigers starting rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, Rick Porcello and Drew Smyly will make a combined $60,345,000. The Indians rotation of Justin Masterson, Corey Kluber, Zach McAllister, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco will make a combined $11,751,200. Masterson will make almost $10 million of that, which means Kluber, McAllister, Salazar and Carrasco are making just over the major-league minimum of $500,000.

Verlander at $20 million, Sanchez’s $15.8 million and Scherzer at $15.525 million will individually make more this year than the Indians' entire rotation.

It’s not just on the mound where the comparisons are staggering.

-While Swisher is the Tribe’s big gun at $15 million this year, Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera will make $21,943,026.

-Tiger second baseman Ian Kinsler will make $16 million compared to Jason Kipnis, who will make $554,900.

-Tiger DH Victor Martinez will make $12 million, while Ryan Raburn, who DH’d Monday for the Tribe, will make $2.25 million this year.

-In right field, Torii Hunter will make $14 million compared to David Murphy’s $5.5 million.

There are some matchups where the Tribe has an advantage in cold hard cash.

Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera is making $10 million, while the Tigers have been scrambling to find a replacement injured Jose Iglesias. In center field, Bourn makes more than Austin Jackson ($6 million).

The Indians rank 26th out of 30 teams in payroll. Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Miami and Houston are the four teams behind them. Houston has the smallest payroll in the big leagues at $44,544,174, while the Dodgers have the largest at over $235 million.

Brantley rallies Tribe to doubleheader split

Two-run single in ninth inning erases deficit; Aviles hits two-run homer

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 4/3/2014 2:14 AM ET

OAKLAND -- Baseball has a funny way of giving players a second chance. Michael Brantley got his in the ninth inning on Wednesday night, when the Indians were staring down a discouraging sweep at the hands of the A's in a split doubleheader.

It was Brantley who was charged with an error in the outfield two innings earlier, paving the way for an Oakland run and putting Cleveland in line for a loss at the end of a long day at the Coliseum. Then, it was Brantley who ripped a pitch from A's closer Jim Johnson into right field in the ninth, delivering a two-run single to help send the Tribe to a 6-4 victory.

"It's just a never-die attitude. Never quit," Brantley said. "We're always picking each other up and always fighting until the end. What we did tonight was fun."

What Cleveland did was finish with a split of the first day-night doubleheader in Coliseum history, even though starters Corey Kluber (Game 1) and Zach McAllister (Game 2) combined for 163 pitches and eight runs allowed in only 7 1/3 innings. The bullpen picked up much of the slack and the offense found a way to salvage a win of the three-game series with the ninth-inning rally.

Including Monday's Opening Day victory over Oakland, the Indians scored six of their nine runs in the ninth inning, tallying at least one run in the final frame in each game. In Wednesday's twin bill -- made necessary when Tuesday's night game was rained out -- Indians manager Terry Francona used all 13 of his position players and eight relievers.

Cleveland needed them all.

"That's really gratifying," Francona said. "That's really a team win."

Next up for the Indians is Friday's home opener against the Twins.

"Things seem bigger at the beginning of the year, but it's a great way to go home," Francona said. "It's going to be a late night, or an early morning -- however you want to put it -- and that would've been a long day today to leave with nothing to show for it."

Featuring spotty fastball command, McAllister labored through 36 pitches in the first inning and was chased from the contest in the fourth after surrendering three runs on six hits. The A's struck for a pair of runs in the first inning (Jed Lowrie and Yoenis Cespedes each had an RBI) and came through with one more on a Sam Fuld single in the fourth.

It was a back-and-forth battle from there.

Tribe second baseman Mike Aviles launched a two-run home run off Oakland right-hander Josh Lindblom (two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings) in the fourth inning to pull the game into a 2-2 deadlock, but the A's quickly regained the lead. In the seventh inning, Brantley used a run-scoring groundout to knot things up, 3-3, but some miscommunication in the outfield in the home half put Oakland on top again.

"It just goes to show you, man, how gritty and scrappy this squad is," Indians first baseman Nick Swisher said. "Down early, come back, get the lead, lose the lead, get the lead again, lose the lead. We just kept fighting, man."

With one out in the seventh inning, Josh Donaldson lifted a pitch from Indians reliever Bryan Shaw to deep left-center field. Brantley glided over from center and Ryan Raburn tracked down the ball from left, closing in on one another as the ball descended. Brantley appeared to call Raburn off, but the pair of outfielders collided and the baseball dropped to the grass.

Two batters later, Brandon Moss pulled a pitch from Shaw into shallow right field, where Aviles gloved the ball and tried to relay the ball to the pitcher at first base. Shaw misplayed the catch, Moss was credited with a base hit and Donaldson scored easily from third to put the Indians behind, 4-3.

"They both called it at the same time," Francona said. "Probably the most conscientious guy on the field is kicking himself."

For Brantley, the mishap in the outfield snapped his errorless streak at 247 games, which is a franchise record for an outfielder. The former record of 212 games, which was held by Indians great Rocky Colavito, was broken by Brantley last season.

"That's an indidual goal," Brantley said of the streak. "We don't teach individual goals around here. It's all about the team effort."

The Indians certainly had that in the ninth inning.

Clinging to a 4-3 advantage, Oakland turned the game over to Johnson, who allowed two runs and took the loss against Cleveland on Monday. The Tribe has tormented the right-hander over his career, during which he has posted a 7.94 ERA with 15 runs yielded on 27 hits in 17 appearances (17 innings) against the club.

"I don't know. I mean, trust me, I left everything I had out there," Johnson said, "and sometimes you don't have answers. The only thing I can do is just keep trying to improve every time I go out and correct this as quickly as possible."

Raburn ignited the rally with a leadoff single and Swisher followed with a base hit of his own. Jason Kipnis was unable to get a sacrifice bunt down, but he fought through his at-bat and reached on a fielder's choice groundout. After Kipnis stole second base, Carlos Santana drew a walk to load the bases for Brantley.

"My team did a great job of just getting on base," Brantley said. "I'm up in that situation, it's a big situation, but it doesn't happen without the guys in front of us getting on."

Brantley pulled a pitch from Johnson, two runs scored and the Indians had their lead. For good measure, David Murphy contributed a sacrifice fly to pad Cleveland's cushion, and make things a little easier for closer John Axford to nail down his second save in as many chances.

Swisher was ecstatic to see Brantley deliver the decisive blow.

"You always get the redemption," Swisher beamed. "Dr. Smooth, man, he's got one of the best swings in the game."

Corey Kluber (Game 1) and Zach McAllister (Game 2) combined for 163 pitches and eight runs allowed in only 7 1/3 innings.

They'll do better.