Cleveland Sports Forum

I would ask for a bag of balls, but wouldn't hold out too long. One used resin bag should be good enough.

Jeff Passan ‏@JeffPassan 4h4 hours ago

Indians sign former 1st-rounder Casey Weathers to a minor league deal. In November, I saw him throw a ball ~106 mph. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-a0CKlF8sQ …

106! Sounds a "fast gun"

If 106 was legit, there would be teams chasing this guy all over the place. All teams believe they have guys that can "fix" whatever is wrong with his control.

Yeah, he throws 106 with a running start.....how much from a mound and regular wind up? This aint cricket.

Happy New Year everyone!!!!

Happy New Year Frank et al

Happy New Frank, Joe, et al.

HOF Vote

No problem with Randy Johnson, John Smoltz or Pedro Martinez but Craig (juice) Biggio not deserving.

I like Alan Trammell but he came way back in the pack. Close call for Piazza [playing in LA and NY doesn't hurt his chances, but a tough field this year]. Tim Raines in the running.

Peter Gammons ‏@pgammo 51m51 minutes ago

Once asked Robby Alomar who was best SS he ever played with. "John McDonald," he said, without a blink

Exactly why Robbie Alomar is known as a complete jackass !

Under-the-Radar Offseason Addition Worth Watching

Cleveland Indians: LF Destin Hood (Minor League Free Agent)

A second-round pick in the 2008 draft, Destin Hood was selected as the prototypical toolsy outfielder who came out of high school with a wealth of raw talent but little polish.

The 24-year-old reached the Triple-A level for the first time last year, hitting a combined .298/.348/.460 with 26 doubles and 11 home runs over three minor league stops, and that could have him poised to make his major league debut in 2015.

Matt Eddy of Baseball America touched on why Hood could find his way onto the Indians' roster:

Whatever his flaws, Hood wielded a powerful bat versus minor league southpaws in 2014, hitting .315 and slugging .556 in 117 plate appearances. For an Indians club featuring many left-handed hitting regulars, including an outfield of Michael Brantley, Michael Bourn and David Murphy, Hood might be an option to offer right-handed balance.

His prospect star has undoubtedly faded seven years into his pro career, but he is still young enough to make an impact, and a change of scenery could do him good.

Didn't we have a Dennis Hood who was a LH pitcher years back?

And there was another D. Hood on our "replacement Indians" team in ST year of the last strike.

This one will probably make as much of an impact, but I can see him replacing a Raburn as a different kind of mediocre OF backup.

“When all the answers, they don’t amount to much”

By Anthony Castrovince/MLB.com
On Twitter: @Castrovince

Hey, you, out there braving the bone-chilling cold and the slow-moving traffic, out there bemoaning an injury to an age-30 LeBron or tossing drinks at Johnny Manziel or hoping to party with J.R. Smith. Have you forgotten about your Cleveland Indians? Have you been paying attention to their winter activity and the fact that they are very realistic contenders for the American League Central title in 2015?

homerWell, first, I advise you to listen to the latest podcast myself and Jordan Bastian recorded at the dawn of a new year. And then, let’s test your Tribe intelligence with this little quiz:

1. Terry Francona signed an extension through 2018, with club options for 2019 and ’20. He did this because:

A. He values his relationships with Chris Antonetti and Mark Shapiro.
B. He has been invigorated by the success and organizational strides made in his two years at the helm.
C. He values managing in a market that doesn’t have the drama and distractions he endured in Boston.
D. He has vowed to finish every piece of bubble gum in that gigantic tub in the dugout, and it’s going to take a few years.

2. The Indians’ big acquisition this winter was Brandon Moss. The average Cleveland sports fan’s response was:

A. “Sweet! Dude can mash!”
B. “Despite concerns about adding yet another left-handed bat to the lineup, his proclivity for pull-side power should play even better in Progressive Field than it did in Oakland Coliseum, and his positional flexibility should be an asset given Terry Francona’s day-to-day strategizing.”
C. “He had a bad second half, but he should be healthier in 2015. I’m cautiously optimistic.”
D. “Moss… isn’t he that dude who watches movies for Channel 8?”

3. The Indians clearly need to improve defensively in 2015. A big key will be:

A. Jose Ramirez starting the season at shortstop.
B. Francisco Lindor’s eventual promotion.
C. Jason Kipnis’ improved conditioning.
D. The trade for Iman Shumpert.

4. Veteran Gavin Floyd was signed as rotation depth. You’ll know this was a successful deal if:

A. Floyd delivers, say, 150 league-average-or-better innings.
B. Floyd serves as a helpful clubhouse presence to an otherwise youthful starting unit.
C. Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and/or T.J. House regress and Floyd picks up the slack.
D. Floyd’s arm does not physically detach from his body.

5. Corey Kluber won the AL Cy Young Award. Regular readers of MLB.com noted:

A. “I’m pleasantly surprised the voters gave him the slight edge over the equally deserving Felix Hernandez.”
B. “Kudos. Kluber is an impressive guy who has put in the time and work to mold himself into an elite pitcher.”
C. “The Indians have now developed three Cy Young winners in the last decade, and this one is under long-term contractual control.”
D. “I wonder if Castrovince will finally concede he’s better than Cory Snyder.”

6. Michael Brantley finished third in the AL MVP voting, behind Mike Trout and Victor Martinez. The consensus reaction among fans was:

A. “That is a tremendous accomplishment and proper recognition of a terrific season.”
B. “Actually, his rate stats were comparable – and in some cases better – than those of Trout, so you could argue he got snubbed.”
C. “Brantley sure has come a long, long way from being the player to be named later in the CC Sabathia trade.”
D. “We haven’t had a left fielder this good since the Dellichaels platoon!”

7. Moss is coming off hip surgery, and Nick Swisher is coming off dual knee surgeries. The outlook on this is:

A. Hopefully Moss doesn’t lose any of his power.
B. This obviously nullifies Swisher’s trade value.
C. This could mean more time for David Murphy and/or Ryan Raburn in right field.
D. Hey, better to have two DHs than zero quarterbacks.

8. Kipnis detailed his troubles with food poisoning on Twitter. A proper response was:

A. “Oh man… I hope he feels better soon.”
B. “Gross!”
C. “Funny!”
D. “I know he vowed to report to camp leaner, but this is a bit extreme.”

9. Plain Dealer and Northeast Ohio Media Group beat writer Paul Hoynes got some national attention when he admitted he didn’t vote for Pedro Martinez for the Hall of Fame. Hoynes’ reasoning was:

A. Pedro was a “punk.”
B. Pedro irritated him.
C. He lost his ballot.
D. He had him confused with Carlos Martinez.

10. Former Tribe third baseman Aaron Boone received two Hall of Fame votes. A rational explanation for this is:

A. It’s an homage to the great Boone family and all they accomplished in baseball.
B. It’s a tip of the cap to a great guy.
C. Everybody remembers his Game 7 walk-off in the 2003 ALCS.
D. It took future Hall of Famer Andy Marte to bump him out of the Tribe lineup in 2006, so you know he was good.

11. There has been a ton of activity in the AL Central, and it’s shaping up to be baseball’s best division race. The most shocking development so far was:

A. The Tigers adding Yoenis Cespedes.
B. The White Sox adding Jeff Samardzija.
C. The Twins signing Ervin Santana.
D. Kluber wearing this.

12. In 2015, the Indians will…

A. Make the playoffs.
B. Miss the playoffs.
C. Hopefully be more entertaining than this quiz.

ANSWERS: Blowing in the wind. And it’s freaking cold out there.

~AC

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reports that "things are heating up" in the pursuit of John Axford, with four teams in on the bidding.
Heyman lists the Blue Jays as one of the clubs interested in Axford. He's also been connected to the Reds. Toronto would be a good landing spot for the Ontario native, as he could possibly be in the mix for saves. Axford posted a 3.95 ERA and 63/36 K/BB ratio over 54 2/3 innings last season between

Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
Related: Blue Jays