Cleveland Sports Forum

JR, been busy, go figure. the pkgs for the 6 games started at $86.

eocmcdoc wrote:JR, been busy, go figure. the pkgs for the 6 games started at $86.

Not bad.
Didn't they used to sell coupon books that you could redeem for different games?

Yes they did. I bought several and used them to take my 13-14yr old summer baseball team. That year Detroit gt off to that great start. 1984 I think

6 games for $86...$14 a game.....can't get in a ST game for that.

SEAGULL:Maybe not in FL, but in AZ you can! Indians tix in Goodyear are 8 bucks for the berm, but you can walk in and find plenty of seats in the park. Outfield reserve seats are $14.
When I was there in 2010, they usually were half full at the most, and the ushers didn't bother you unless you tried to sit in the front rows, or too close to the player's families.

My days of sitting on the grass or buying a bleacher seat are over. A nice reserved seat between the baselines is the only way I'd go to a game.

You don't have to sit on the berm. Once you are in, you can choose any open seats in the park. I remember you moved to seats in the shade in Glendale the one time I saw you there. The Indians park in Goodyear seats 10,000, and at least half of them are empty most games. If someone with a ticket shows up where you are sitting, just move down a few seats. The ushers don't care.

Cleveland Indians double down with Edwin Encarnacion, fans start to respond -- Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I still find it hard to believe.

The Cleveland Indians go to Game 7 of the World Series...

Then sign Edwin Encarnacion...

And the payroll will jump from about $95 million to $135 million...

The Indians will introduce Encarnacion at a press a conference Thursday. He signed a three-year deal worth about $60 million with an option year for another $20 million. The contract is a bit complicated, but the bottom line is $60 million guaranteed.

That's the largest contract ever given out by the Tribe. The previous was $54 million over four years to Nick Swisher in 2013.

I've written before how the Indians wisely played the market, signing Encarnacion for a deal smaller than many projections.

Encarnacion turns 34 on Saturday. It's possible his production will decline.

But I remember something John Hart told me in 1994. The former Tribe general manager had just signed 38-year-old Eddie Murray and 40-year-old Dennis Martinez as the Indians were preparing to move into the new Jacobs Field.

"I know they are older," he said. "But 75 percent of those guys in their primes is better than most of what we have now."

Over the last three seasons, Encarnacion batted .269 (.905 OPS), averaging 38 HR and 112 RBI.

He missed only two games last season, splitting time between DH and first base.

Suppose Hart's 75 percent rule takes hold, and Encarnacion averages 29 homers and 95 RBI over the next three years.

The Indians will take that with a smile and a thank you.

KANSAS CITY MODEL

The Dolan ownership has made a major move with this signing.

Part of it is because they had a savory taste of the World Series. And part of it is they believe the fans will show up.

Let's look at the Tribe and another Central Division team that reached the World Series the previous two years -- Kansas City.
The Royals ranked only 25th in attendance in 2014, the year they surprised all of baseball by reaching the World Series.

It was the year after the World Series appearance -- 2015 -- that attendance soared. The Royals went from No. 25 to No. 10.

They reached the World Series again in 2015.

The enthusiasm from back-to-back appearances in the World Series helped the Royals rank No. 12 in attendance in 2016, despite a disappointing 81-81 record.

In some ways, the Tribe modeled their team after the Royals. They became younger and more athletic. Their defense improved. They were powered by a strong bullpen in the postseason, leading to the World Series.

They Royals were on a road like that in 2014 and 2015.

In 2014, the Royals had about 8,000 season ticket holders when they reached the World Series. That was when they averaged 24,154 fans.

In 2015, the Royals had more than 12,000 season ticket holders, according to the Kansas City Star.

In 2016, it was more than 13,000.

Here's what we know about the Indians:

In 2016, they had about 7,500 season ticket holders. That number has been stagnant for several years.

They are now above 10,000, based on what I've been told. Perhaps they will reach the same 12,000 level as the Royals did in their first season after reaching the World Series.

The Cleveland Indians have 10,000 in season ticket sales and the demand is the highest since the 1990s.

DOUBLING DOWN

If the Indians had failed to bring in someone such as Encarnacion, I doubt the ticket demand would be this high.

Ownership and the front office wisely seized the moment. In October, Cleveland became a Tribe Town again with the team's wonderful ride in the postseason.

The increased spending really began at the end of July. That was when president Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff engineered a trade for star reliever Andrew Miller.

The lefty added $3 million to the 2016 payroll. He is paid $9 million annually in the next two seasons.

In addition to Encarnacion ($18 million), the Indians highest-paid players for 2017 are Carlos Santana ($12 million), Jason Kipnis ($9 million), Miller ($9 million), Michael Brantley ($8.3 million), Corey Kluber ($7.7 million), Cody Allen ($7.7 million estimate) and Carlos Carrasco ($6.5 million).

It would have been nice for the Indians to keep Rajai Davis. The outfielder is expected to sign with Oakland for $6 million.

They probably could have brought back Davis and Mike Napoli for less than the $18 million they will pay Encarnacion this season.

But the idea wasn't simply to return with the same team, but work (and spend) to have a better one.

It was both a smart and bold move.

So far, fans seem intrigued by the Tribe, and that could lead to some fun and crowded nights at Progressive Field this season.

So who got the boot when EE signed?

Edwin Escobar.

We hardly knew thee.

Hillbilly wrote:Edwin Escobar.

We hardly knew thee.

So...EE replaces EE

Yeah, they were afraid that Edwin E would have been confused with Edwin E and making our lineups would have been confusing and fans wouldn't know which was which, so Edwin E got the boot when Edwin E was signed. But I suppose they could still try to invite Edwin E to ST with a chance to make the club. They need lefties in the pen besides the Great One.

Big Leagues On Horizon For Tribe Prospect Diaz

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | @MLBastian | January 9th, 2017

CLEVELAND -- There was a point last year when Yandy Diaz nearly got the call to Cleveland. With one vacancy on the roster and a month to play in the regular season, the Indians were discussing whether to add the prospect for the push to the playoffs.

When the Aug. 31 deadline to add players for postseason eligibility arrived, the Tribe opted instead to trade for veteran A's outfielder Coco Crisp. Diaz's time had not come, but the fact that he was being considered was a testament to the progress he made this past season. It was also an early indication that Cleveland will be taking a long, hard look at the versatile Diaz as it constructs its Opening Day roster.

"He was in the mix," Chris Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations, said last week.

"Yandy was one of the considerations when we were looking at ways to potentially add to our team. When you do that, you look at internal and external alternatives. Yandy, based upon the year that he had and the way he went about things, he was a strong consideration for us in the second half."

This coming spring, the 25-year-old Diaz -- rated as the Tribe's No. 10 prospect by MLBPipeline.com -- will have a chance to compete for a spot on Cleveland's bench. Diaz was a second baseman in Cuba before defecting and signing with the Indians for $300,000 in 2013, but he has since been developed as a third baseman and corner outfielder. This offseason, Diaz has even been tested in center field.

With an assortment of unknowns in the Indians' outfield, Diaz may have an opportunity to compete for a big league job.

Cleveland will be closely monitoring the progress of left fielder Michael Brantley, who is coming off August surgery on his right biceps. As of now, Tyler Naquin and Abraham Almonte figure to split time in center. In right, Cleveland has a solid platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer. If Brantley's return hits any snags, Diaz could provide an insurance plan. Third baseman Jose Ramirez can also handle left field, if needed.

Antonetti was non-committal when asked if Diaz was in the mix for a bench job.

"To be determined," Antonetti said. "We think he has a chance to be a good everyday player. We have to balance what opportunity and role he'll have on the team, what our other alternatives are there and what's best for Yandy."

Last season, Diaz posted a .318/.408/.446 slash line in 121 games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, and he was a member of the World roster for the All-Star Futures Game. He bounced between third base (52 games), left field (24) and right (28) with one appearance at second base.

Along the way, Diaz had nine homers, 22 doubles, four triples, 58 RBIs, 11 steals, 66 runs, 71 walks and 86 strikeouts.

In 95 games at Triple-A this past year, Diaz hit .325 with an .860 OPS, better than his career showing of .307 (.813 OPS) in the Minors. The right-handed hitter also turned in a .387 average (.1.080 OPS) against lefties, compared to a .292 (.772 OPS) against righties, in 2016. As a Minor Leaguer, Diaz's trademark has been strike-zone discipline, as evidenced by having more walks (198) than strikeouts (191) in his career.

While playing for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason, Diaz had a .371/.451/.510 slash line in 151 at-bats. His showing included two homers, nine doubles, three triples, 18 RBIs, 24 runs, 20 walks and 26 strikeouts. The Indians were encouraged by the consistency Diaz maintained after transitioning from Triple-A to winter ball.

"Really good reports," Antonetti said. "Yandy continues to do what he's done throughout his entire career, which is manage the strike zone really well and be a really productive offensive player. He played a lot of positions in winter ball, including center field. The reports were good about his work and how he went about things. He had a really good winter."

Next, Diaz will try to impress Cleveland during the spring.

"We know that depth is really important to have," Antonetti said. "There are going to be a lot of guys, including some unexpected guys that are going to contribute to our team next year. I think we saw it this past year: You need to have contributions from those guys to have a successful season."

This has been said many times this winter:

In right, Cleveland has a solid platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer

But Lonnie has not convinced me yet. His splits against RH pitchers are good, I guess, but just barely:
295/332/451. .783 OPS is hardly impressive for a RF. And his monthly numbers do not indicate he has finally reached a stable level:

April OPS 591. May 851. June 879. July 742. August 749, Sept/Oct 622. Postseason 536.

Hopefully Zimmer will come on strong and arrive during 2017 to supplant at least the LH hitting platoon in RF. Or perhaps Zimmer will take over in Center and Naquin will shift to RF. Or perhaps Chisenhall will improve, but he sure doesn't have a guaranteed big league job, even as a platoon player, at least for a championship contender, yet.

Big leagues on horizon for Tribe prospect Diaz

CLEVELAND --

There was a point last year when Yandy Diaz nearly got the call to Cleveland. With one vacancy on the roster and a month to play in the regular season, the Indians were discussing whether to add the prospect for the push to the playoffs.

When the Aug. 31 deadline to add players for postseason eligibility arrived, the Tribe opted instead to trade for veteran A's outfielder Coco Crisp. Diaz's time had not come, but the fact that he was being considered was a testament to the progress he made this past season. It was also an early indication that Cleveland will be taking a long, hard look at the versatile Diaz as it constructs its Opening Day roster.

"He was in the mix," Chris Antonetti, the Indians' president of baseball operations, said last week. "Yandy was one of the considerations when we were looking at ways to potentially add to our team. When you do that, you look at internal and external alternatives. Yandy, based upon the year that he had and the way he went about things, he was a strong consideration for us in the second half."

This coming spring, the 25-year-old Diaz -- rated as the Tribe's No. 10 prospect by MLBPipeline.com -- will have a chance to compete for a spot on Cleveland's bench. Diaz was a second baseman in Cuba before defecting and signing with the Indians for $300,000 in 2013, but he has since been developed as a third baseman and corner outfielder. This offseason, Diaz has even been tested in center field.

With an assortment of unknowns in the Indians' outfield, Diaz may have an opportunity to compete for a big league job.

Cleveland will be closely monitoring the progress of left fielder Michael Brantley, who is coming off August surgery on his right biceps. As of now, Tyler Naquin and Abraham Almonte figure to split time in center. In right, Cleveland has a solid platoon with Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer. If Brantley's return hits any snags, Diaz could provide an insurance plan. Third baseman Jose Ramirez can also handle left field, if needed.

Antonetti was non-committal when asked if Diaz was in the mix for a bench job.

"To be determined," Antonetti said. "We think he has a chance to be a good everyday player. We have to balance what opportunity and role he'll have on the team, what our other alternatives are there and what's best for Yandy."

Last season, Diaz posted a .318/.408/.446 slash line in 121 games between Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus, and he was a member of the World roster for the All-Star Futures Game. He bounced between third base (52 games), left field (24) and right (28) with one appearance at second base. Along the way, Diaz had nine homers, 22 doubles, four triples, 58 RBIs, 11 steals, 66 runs, 71 walks and 86 strikeouts.

In 95 games at Triple-A this past year, Diaz hit .325 with an .860 OPS, better than his career showing of .307 (.813 OPS) in the Minors. The right-handed hitter also turned in a .387 average (.1.080 OPS) against lefties, compared to a .292 (.772 OPS) against righties, in 2016. As a Minor Leaguer, Diaz's trademark has been strike-zone discipline, as evidenced by having more walks (198) than strikeouts (191) in his career.

While playing for Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League this offseason, Diaz had a .371/.451/.510 slash line in 151 at-bats. His showing included two homers, nine doubles, three triples, 18 RBIs, 24 runs, 20 walks and 26 strikeouts. The Indians were encouraged by the consistency Diaz maintained after transitioning from Triple-A to winter ball.

"Really good reports," Antonetti said. "Yandy continues to do what he's done throughout his entire career, which is manage the strike zone really well and be a really productive offensive player. He played a lot of positions in winter ball, including center field. The reports were good about his work and how he went about things. He had a really good winter."

Next, Diaz will try to impress Cleveland during the spring.

"We know that depth is really important to have," Antonetti said. "There are going to be a lot of guys, including some unexpected guys that are going to contribute to our team next year. I think we saw it this past year: You need to have contributions from those guys to have a successful season."