Cleveland Sports Forum

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com | 55 minutes ago

CLEVELAND -- Publicly, the Indians have not made third base a priority in their offseason pursuits, focusing instead on rotation and bullpen depth. Privately, though, the Indians appear at least slightly open to the possibility of tinkering with the position, especially if it can improve their defensive outlook.

The Indians are among several teams who have shown an interest in free-agent third baseman Chase Headley, according to a source. The source could not confirm whether or not an offer is on the table, but it said Headley is in the midst of "weeding out" the clubs that will not be a good fit for him.

As it stands, Lonnie Chisenhall remains penciled in as the Indians' third baseman after a 2014 season that was often encouraging, but at times perplexing. Chisenhall had a .915 OPS in the first half that included one of the greatest individual performances in club history (three homers, nine RBIs on June 9 vs. the Rangers), but just a .591 OPS in the second half. Like many members of the '14 Tribe, he had some defensive foibles (18 errors) that impacted the bottom line, but he also made some less-publicized development strides.

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"Even beyond maybe what you guys see on the surface, Lonnie's development as a teammate -- the way he improved as a baserunner, how important the little things were to him and how hard he worked at those things -- was one of the developmental highlights of our year," general manager Chris Antonetti said at season's end. "So we're really excited to see how that continues, because he's such a young player. If he continues the same path he's on, next year could be a really good year for him."

Acquiring Headley -- a player the Indians showed interest in on the trade front in 2012 -- would obviously alter Chisenhall's positional outlook (it has been speculated in the past that he might one day transition to a corner outfield spot) or potentially even make him winter trade bait. That said, fitting a Headley salary into the financial frame would be challenging, to say the least.

As it stands, between arbitration cases and built-in contractual raises, the Indians have less than $12 million to commit to the 2015 budget without raising payroll from its '14 level. So adding a top-flight free agent like Headley -- on whom interest is ramping up in the aftermath of the Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez signings with the Red Sox -- would require either a boost in budget or a shedding of some other salary or salaries.

So this might not be a realistic fit, ultimately, but the Indians' interest, however realistic, is understandable. At this point, Headley is probably not the run-producer he was in a terrific 2012 season (31 homers, 115 RBIs) in San Diego, but he is an elite defender. And after getting traded from the Padres to the Yankees in July, he re-established himself as a consistent threat to get on base (.371 OBP in 58 games), with some power to boot.

If the Indians don't make any changes at third, prospect Giovanny Urshela, who was added to the 40-man roster last week, looms as a potential midseason addition after a strong year at Triple-A Columbus and Double-A Akron. Urshela, a strong defender, sprained his left posterior cruciate ligament in the Venezuelan Winter League this month, but Cleveland announced last week that the injury will not require surgery and Urshela should be ready for the start of the 2015 season.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Broadcaster Hamilton talks all things Tribe
'Voice of the Indians' discusses new book, '90s memories and more in Q&A session

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com |

CLEVELAND -- Multiple books have been made this year in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the opening of Jacobs Field and the flood of division titles that followed, but none are as authoritative as the one published by Terry Pluto and Tom Hamilton this month.

"Glory Days in Tribe Town: The Cleveland Indians and Jacobs Field, 1994-1997" (Gray & Company) is a fun collection of anecdotes from Pluto, the prolific author and Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist, and Hamilton, the longtime voice of the Indians. It covers the construction of both a ballpark and a ballclub and shares the behind-the-scenes stories about the quirky characters that made those 1990s Indians teams interesting on and off the field.

MLB.com talked with Hamilton, who just wrapped up his 25th season in the broadcast booth for the Tribe, about the book, the '90s and what's ahead for the Indians.

MLB.com: So how did this project come about?

Hamilton: A couple of years ago, Terry got ahold of me and wanted to know if I had any interest in doing a book. I had to make it clear, first off -- and I probably didn't have to worry about it, but I just had to make it pretty clear up front -- I'm not here to tell stories out of the clubhouse. But that wasn't what Terry wanted. He basically just wanted to do a book celebrating what had been a great era in Indians baseball and the fact that it's been 20 years. He put it that way. I said, "That sounds fun." And it was fun. A lot of that stuff you hadn't thought about in so long. You're so focused on today that you don't sit back and enjoy what was a special time.

MLB.com: Did you have a favorite memory from that period that you sort of relived through this process?

Hamilton: It's funny, that whole period kind of morphs into one. Sometimes it's hard to even separate it. But I don't think anything will ever top walking into what was then Jacobs Field for the first time. It's one of the few times in your life where the actual event was even better than the anticipation. Usually it's the other way round. The ballpark lived up to everything you could ever envision, if not more. Driving by that parking lot for years, they'd tell you that's where they're going to build the ballpark and you'd be like, "What? How is that going to happen here?" So I don't think anything will top that. And then to almost have history with the near no-hitter [by Randy Johnson] and then the win in extra innings that was the precursor to everything that came later.

MLB.com: What was the process of compiling the interviews for this book?

Hamilton: Some of them were done in person, or a lot of times Terry would just call me when I was on a road trip and had extra time at the hotel. The other night, he said he thought it was about 40 hours' worth of conversation. It was pretty easy on my part. Terry did all the work.

MLB.com: That's a pretty good gig for you.

Hamilton: I'm sure a lot of it didn't even make the book. But yeah, it was fun. I didn't have to do the writing. If they depended on me for the writing, they'd be waiting a long time!

MLB.com: This book gave you an opportunity to conjure up some great memories of your old broadcast partner, Herb Score.

Hamilton: I just think he was a guy that was an iconic figure in Cleveland sports, be it as a pitcher or a broadcaster. You say Herb Score, and the first thing that comes to mind is Cleveland. Herb was synonymous with this city. He never let losing impact him or the way he went about this job. He was one of the most special people in my life. Him and Mike Hegan. The fact that I got to learn from those guys, I'll be forever grateful.

MLB.com: I don't know, Hammy. Now that you've done 25 seasons and had your name on a book cover, you might be considered an iconic figure in Cleveland sports, too…

Hamilton: Not at all. I'm just glad I haven't accidentally cursed on the air. That might be the miracle in itself!

MLB.com: Speaking of miracles, the Indians reaching the playoffs used to be seen that way. It's amazing that a team that didn't even win the World Series still evokes all these special feelings. That just speaks to how important that era was to people.

Hamilton: And I think for a number of reasons. Not only had it been 41 years since they had been to the playoffs, but in most of those 41 years, they weren't very competitive. They weren't even in a chase for a playoff spot. I remember people talking about how they cried watching "Major League" and you were like, "It's a movie!" I think that showed you the frustration level.

But then, with the Indians in the mid-90s, real life actually copied the movie script, although with a lot better talent than in the movie. So now, for the first time in a lot of people's lives, they had a ballclub they could believe in and a ballpark that was second to none. Camden Yards and Jacobs Field were the two best parks in the game, hands down. And you had arguably as entertaining and prolific a lineup as you can see in a game. The entertainment value was off the charts, the personalities on that club made it special. People made it seem like Omar Vizquel was one of their own. Nobody could say anything bad about Albert Belle, because he was wearing an Indians uniform.

For a lot of people, for the first time in their lives, they could say they were proud of being from Cleveland. Maybe that's overdramatic but I really think the ballclub and that team -- and national television was in Cleveland so much to cover the Indians -- I think the ballclub and the ballpark changed the image of Cleveland nationally. Cleveland was no longer a punchline for every comedian in America. That ballclub and the ballpark were the reason why. It just took on a life of its own.

It was like going to an Ohio State football game, only you were doing it 81 times a year. It was that kind of a festive atmosphere each and every night.

MLB.com: You mention Omar and Belle and the great characters in that clubhouse, and this book goes in-depth on all those guys. Were there any tidbits in this book that particularly grabbed your attention?

Hamilton: Hopefully the book pointed out that somebody like [former team president] Hank Peters was really the guy that got it going. He brought in John Hart and Danny O'Dowd and eventually Mark Shapiro. And it was Hank that hired Grover [Mike Hargrove]. I wish guys like Hank Peters and Grover got a little more credit. Hank was brought in from Baltimore for a reason. He knew the right way to build a club. The Indians had tried for 40 years using how many different rebuilding plans? He had the fortitude to have a plan and stick to it. That was the biggest thing. And look at how many ballclubs basically got new ballparks just because of the Indians. They told their constituents, "If you build us a ballpark, we'll go to the playoffs every year just like that." Obviously, that wasn't the case.

And Grover let the players blossom. He knew it was all about the players. With all those egos, it took a special guy to keep that ship going the way he did.

MLB.com: You look back at that '95 lineup, especially in the offensive environment we're in today, and it's just hard to wrap your head around it.

Hamilton: You think of those lineups and what they would have done this year in baseball. I don't care how good the pitching is. Those guys killed good pitching, too!

MLB.com: In the book, you mention that Belle was the one guy you would never miss. Even if you had the inning off from the broadcast, you would stay in your seat to watch him.

Hamilton: There aren't many people like that in the game. You would buy a ticket just to watch him bat four times.

MLB.com: I think Albert Belle is a book all his own, if you could get inside his head.

Hamilton: Good luck writing that one! (laughs)

MLB.com: I actually was working on a profile of John Hart while reading this book, and it's interesting to draw some parallels from his experience building a winner for a new ballpark in Cleveland with what he's trying to do with the Braves right now.

Hamilton: It just seems like, whether it's a player or a manager or a GM, they don't ever get that adrenaline rush [in other endeavors] quite like they did when they were in those roles. There's just something about building something. Those guys will do television and whatnot for a year or so and then they get bored. And what drives John, too, is that he's never won it all. That really keeps him motivated.

MLB.com: Terry Francona's a perfect example of that drive you talk about. He did TV for a year and was just never comfortable with it.

Francona: No. He just needs to be around the guys. If he wins one here, he'll be revered forever. But that isn't what drives Terry. If Terry was all about winning, he would have taken a job where he doesn't have any revenue constraints. He loves managing and being around the game and building something special.

MLB.com: Obviously, that 1990s era, with the division titles and the sellout streak -- a lot of things had to happen at the same time, both with the club and the city and the other professional sports teams in town. That was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. But in terms of the Indians just really resonating with people around here at a high level, what is it going to take?

Hamilton: What you have to do is win consistently. We've had it where you get to the playoffs in '07 and then in '08 you're decimated by injuries and guys start to get traded away. But right now, we're as close to being a winner consistently as we've been since [the '90s]. I think you can legitimately look at our ballclub now -- and you couldn't have said this two years ago -- they're going to go to Spring Training as a legitimate contender. Now, the way that plays out, you've got to play the games [to know for sure]. But with the young pitching we have, you've got a chance to be a factor every year. This will be a big offseason to see if you can add a couple pieces to get you over the hump. But already, this is the first time in how long that you're coming off back-to-back winning years. That's what you need is two or three years of contending.

MLB.com: You make this point in the book: It's hard to win a division title. I think that got taken for granted in the '90s. It became a "World Series or bust" kind of thing.

Hamilton: In those years, we'd be winning the division by 20 games, and Grover would always say, "People don't realize how difficult this is. The hardest thing to do in sports is win a division title in baseball, because of the amount of time that's involved." Now you have a greater appreciation for it. We used to say it at the time, and nobody listened to us. But Kansas City drove the point home that you just have to get to the playoffs and anything can happen. They were three outs away from being one and done, and lo and behold, they reach the World Series.

Hamilton: We've never had this much good young pitching at any time. First off, how many times are you looking for a bona fide ace? Well, you've got that. Some years, you tried to claim this guy or that guy was an ace, but Corey Kluber is an ace. And the way Carlos Carrasco finished up the year and with all those other good young arms, we've never had it at the same time. That's going to be the key. It's the key for any club that wins consistently. You've got to have good pitching, so you're not scrambling.

Hamilton and Pluto will hold a book signing at Barnes & Noble at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio, on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.

Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Chase Headley - 3B - Yankees

Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Indians are "out" on free agent Chase Headley.

The Indians made a few inquiries but have already determined that Headley, who's being courted by several teams, will cost too much.

Headley seems most likely to re-sign with the Yankees, though the Giants have suddenly emerged as an intriguing potential match with Pablo Sandoval walking as a free agent.

Discouraged to hear that - but encouraged that they are looking into DEFENSIVE options in the infield.

Headley very average ballplayer. Waste of time and money.

But he does at 3B what we don't have. Plays + defense.

That said, I agree he will likely be overpriced for what he offers.

Jack Hannahan is the same type of player for 1 million dollars.

I woulda taken Josh Donaldson!!!

TFIR wrote:I woulda taken Josh Donaldson!!!

Sure wish a package of Chisenhall, Ramirez, and a couple of minor league pitchers would have got it done. Sounds like Oakland wanted a defensively competent third baseman in the deal.

Toronto's going to have one helluva lineup next season. They already had one this year.

Many here will remember this girl, either from photos, or from meeting her in person several years ago.

JIM IN NEB's daughter Delani

J.R. wrote:

Many here will remember this girl, either from photos, or from meeting her in person several years ago.

JIM IN NEB's daughter Delani

She looks like Jim! How did she get so grown up?

I keep checking back to read about the surprisingly aggressive move the Indians have made. I keep waiting.

This is a little better.

Indians, Athletics Discussing Brandon Moss

By Jeff Todd [December 3, 2014 at 3:48pm CST]

The Athletics are “listening” to the Indians on left-handed slugger Brandon Moss, John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group reports on Twitter. Moss, 31, is capable of playing first base or the corner outfield, and is an obvious DH candidate as well.

For the Indians, a run at Moss makes sense, particularly if the team views him as a plausible candidate to spend regular time in the outfield. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained in his offseason outlook for Cleveland, the team could add a new outfield piece while utilizing Nick Swisher in a pure DH role. Alternatively, if Swisher himself were to be moved, then Moss might make sense as a hitting-only player.

Moss appeals due both to his recent success and his low salary. He took a step back at the plate last year, due in part to hip issues that were addressed by offseason surgery, but he was still well above-average. His three-year slash line stands at .254/.340/.504, good for a 135 OPS+, with Moss contributing 76 home runs over 1,381 plate appearances.

Beane looking for a chance to snooker the Indians once again.