Cleveland Sports Forum

Diaz mashed in Venezuela this winter. Diaz reached base safely in his first 27 games. Diaz has played a fair amount of time in center field. Reports are mixed as to the quality of his defense, but the majority of his games for Caracas were spent at that position. Otherwise, all of his playing time had been at second base in the Cuban league and third base when he joined Cleveland. As a 16 year old, Diaz played a few games at second base in their serie nationale. As a 17 year old, he played second base in 67 of Santa Clara's 90 games and hit .292 in 213 plate appearances. As an 18 year old, he played second base in 59 of Santa Clara's 90 games and hit .254 in 182 plate appearance. During this time, Diaz had 10 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 homers. He walked more times than he struck out (65 W / 54 K). This was also at a time when all of the big sluggers were still playing before they defected. There was never a doubt about Diaz's bat. Not even in a tough league playing as a 16 year old.

Maybe, when Yoelkis defects, he will be on Cleveland's radar.

MUST READ!

The American Dream
Mar 21 2017

Carlos Carrasco, Pitcher / Cleveland Indians - The Players' Tribune


The first time I set foot on a baseball field, I cried.

And cried.

And cried.

At least that how my parents tell the story.

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/carlo ... tizenship/

You do NOT have to enter your email to read this!

Here ya go, McDoc. From Pluto's latest ...

10. Francona talked about "mixing-and-matching" as he platoons all three outfield spots. That will probably be the case if Brantley can't play. Francona admitted that's difficult.

11. Against right-handed pitchers, it probably will be Lonnie Chisenhall (right), Tyler Naquin (center) and Abraham Almonte (left). Against lefties: Brandon Guyer (left), Austin Jackson (center) and Almonte or Chisenhall in right.

12. Jackson is not on the 40-man roster. He has to show his knee is fully healed from major surgery last June. Almonte is a switch hitter, but he's better against righties. None of these possible outfield setups is certain.

13. For Francona, no Brantley means so many moving parts. If Brantley can play most of the time in left, the manager can platoon Almonte or Jackson/Naquin in center. Then it's Guyer/Chisenhall in right field.

14. If the Tribe decides to keep Jackson, they can send Almonte to the minors. He has a minor league option left.

I could see keeping Jackson and sending Almonte to the minors.

Cleveland Indians have healthy Andrew Miller, Francisco Lindor back from WBC: Terry Pluto

on March 24, 2017 at 3:05 PM, updated March 24, 2017 at 3:09 PM

GOODYEAR, Arizona -- Francisco Lindor is ready for opening day. Andrew Miller is healthy, but needs some work.

That's the report from the Cleveland Indians clubhouse in Goodyear as two of the team's stars returned from the World Baseball Classic.

"It was a blast," said Lindor. "It was unreal, like Games 6 and 7 (of the World Series). It was a postseason atmosphere every day."

Playing for Puerto Rico, Lindor batted .370 (1.049 OPS) with 2 HR and 4 RBI. He was spectacular in the field, adding another chapter to his already sensational young career.

"It was playing for your country, not just a city," said Lindor. "I love my country. I grew up wanting to play for Team Puerto Rico."

The 23-year-old Lindor is a .306 hitter (.810 OPS) in his two seasons with the Tribe. He won the 2016 Gold Glove and made the All-Star team.

When he was a youngster, he watched the WBC in person and cheered for Puerto Rico.

"I want to be part of something special," he said. "I'll play in the WBC as many times as I can."

Is he prepared for the April 3 opener?

"What do you think?" he said. "Didn't you see us play?" I'm ready."

MILLER NEEDS TIME

The best news for the Tribe and their fans was Andrew Miller had no physical problems in the WBC.

"Physically, I feel great," he said. "I'd love to tell you that I'm exactly where I was in August of last year, but I'm not there."

Miller explained he requires all of spring training to prepare for the season.

"I have to fine tune some stuff," he said. "That's not unique to this year. I've had other springs were I didn't feel good until my last outing. The whole point is to be ready for the season."

Miller pitched in four games for Team USA, covering 2 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs in his first game.

In the next three -- covering two innings -- he didn't allow a run and struck out four.

Miller had a 4-0 record and 1.55 ERA in the regular season last year. In the postseason, he was 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA. He was the MVP of the American League Championship Series.

Miller pitched 83 innings in 2016, counting the postseason. That was the most of his career since moving to the bullpen in 2012.

"The WBC was a great experience," he said. "The atmosphere for some of the games was awesome, incredible. I'd do it again, absolutely, if it made sense."

Miller knew the Tribe was nervous about him possibly being injured in the WBC.

"But you can get hurt in spring training, too," he said. "I hate it when something happens and they point to the WBC as it's their fault. People have been getting hurt all over Florida and Arizona this spring."

The Indians have a program set up to prepare for the regular season.

"You play 162 games and I'm going to pitch in 75 of them, I hope," he said.

Miller knew the Tribe was nervous about him possibly being injured in the WBC. "But you can get hurt in spring training, too," he said. "I hate it when something happens and they point to the WBC as it's their fault. People have been getting hurt all over Florida and Arizona this spring."

I could agree more! Nothing like getting your finger cut off for the playoffs.

Roberto Perez saw so little playing time, Pluto didn't know he was on the PR team.

One of the priorities for the returnees will be getting Perez caught up with the at-bats he missed. The Indians knew Perez -- the backup to Yadier Molina with Puerto Rico -- would not see much playing time in the Classic. Before Perez left for the tournament, he even joked about it, quipping that he was "getting prepared," while cleaning up some cups and towels. All kidding aside, Cleveland wants to help Perez make up for lost time. Perez, who appeared in two games for Puerto Rico, will start as the designated hitter on Friday against the Cubs, and start behind the plate for the Indians on Saturday against the White Sox. Francona noted the catcher can also head down to Minor League games to pick up some extra at-bats without the added stress of catching.

Cleveland Indians sign Jose Ramirez to good deal for both parties
Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
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on March 25, 2017 at 7:01 AM, updated March 25, 2017 at 7:16 AM

GOODYEAR, Arizona -- I get weary of hearing that a young player such as Jose Ramirez signed a "club friendly" contract extension.

Yes, it's great for the Cleveland Indians if Ramirez continues to hit .300, play with joy and stay healthy.

The Tribe signed Ramirez to a five-year, $26 million extension.

His original contract is in place for 2017. The Indians added four years. Ramirez gave up three years of arbitration and one year of free agency.

He will remain under contract through 2021. The Indians also have two option years: $11 million (2022) and $13 million (2023).

This deal makes sense for both parties.

Last year, I wrote how the Tribe was the only team interested in signing him out of the Dominican Republic. He was considered too old at 17. The preferred age is 16 for prospects on the island.

Ramirez also was ignored because he played second base. The best athletes in the Dominican usually play shortstop.

Senior scouting director John Mirabelli told me how he found Ramirez. The young man was playing on a field where a donkey occasionally grazed in the outfield. Mirabelli even sent me a photo of a field (with a donkey) on the Dominican diamond.

Mirabelli took no credit for signing Ramirez. He had to be talked into it by scout Ramon Pena.

The Indians gave Ramirez a $50,000 bonus, very modest, even by the standards of players from the Dominican Republic.


The Indians have a history of signing young, talented players to mulityear deals. They've done it again with versatile Jose Ramirez.

BREAK OUT SEASON

Ramirez had to battle to find a team to sign him.

He had to prove himself at every level of the minors. He's 5-foot-9 and listed at 180 pounds.

He doesn't "look" like an athlete. But he kept hitting in the minors, .a .304 career batting average.

Ramirez split 2013 between the Tribe and the minors...

The same in 2014... and 2015.

Until he stayed for a full season in 2016.

That's when Ramirez broke through, batting .325 (.825 OPS) with 11 HR, 76 RBI. He also stole 22 bases, ripped 46 doubles. He played left field and third base -- two new positions for him.

In the clutch, Ramirez was a .366 hitter with runners in scoring position.

The Indians never expected that type of power from Ramirez, but they believed in him as a hitter.

They didn't think those .300 batting averages in the minors should be ignored, especially because he's a switch-hitter who doesn't strike out often.



For most players, it makes sense (and dollars) to sign that first long-term contract.

THE SIZEMORE LESSON

The Indians have signed young players to long-term deals dating back to the John Hart/Dan O'Dowd days in the early 1990s. Sandy Alomar and Carlos Baerga were the first two to give up some years of possible free agency for more money and security early in their careers.

In the last few years, the Indians have signed Corey Kluber, Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Carlos Carrasco and Yan Gomes.

I've heard the "club friendly" argument whispered by some agents each time a young player signed an extension, postponing free agency.

I heard the same in 2006 when Grady Sizemore signed a six-year, $24 million deal with the Tribe.

He'd played only one full season in Majors, batting .289 (.832 OPS) with 28 HR, 81 RBI and 22 steals. He was a Gold Glove caliber center fielder.

Sizemore was an All-Star in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Then came the injuries. Over the next three years, he batted .248/.211/.224.

He was still on his original, six-year, $24 million deal during those three frustrating, futile seasons.

THE BIG PICTURE

Brantley signed a four-year, $25 million extension in 2014.

He batted .324 and .310 in the first two years of the new deal.

Last season, he had shoulder surgery and played in only 11 games. He was paid $6.5 million.

His contract this season is for $7.5 million as he appears to be making a comeback from the shoulder problems.

The Indians also have a $12 million option for 2018.

The contract is protection for Brantley.

It also gives the Indians the option of keeping him in 2018 if he recovers.

Most young players should grab any reasonable contract extension for their first deal, even if it costs a year or two of free agency.

As they are in their late 20s, they can hit the free-agent market when their contracts expire. And they can really play financial hardball at that point because they have already made mega millions.

That's why Ramirez made a wise move. So did the Indians. Good for both of them.

Ramirez made such a jump from previous seasons in the power department, you have to wonder if he had a little help.

Assuming he's clean, he certainly earned a new contract. He went from utility player to hitting like Joe DiMaggio.

Good for Jose.

Lindor next, if Chernoff Jr. wasn't peddling alternative facts

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/jason ... ld-series/

Let's Do This, Cleveland by Jason Kipnis

Do yourself a favor, click the link and read that Players Tribune article. Really interesting thoughts from a player. Our player. Even though he's from Chicago.

Always liked him, like him more now.

We saw a ton of blue shirts, and hats, and jerseys — especially during Game 7. And I’m not going to lie … it hurt a little bit.
JASON KIPNIS

Yes it did! I hurt a lot in fact. It was like a Trojan horse invading our house in the forms of Ticketmaster and Stub Hub! Living in the Chicago land area, I saw first hand how this happened! I heard the countless stories of how this happened! To add insult to injury, my supervisor's brother worked for a car dealership. He told me how the owner purchased a dozen tickets, gave them to his employees, charted a plane to Cleveland with all expenses paid in town and at the game. It was depressing! So much so that I watched most of the game muted.

Do We Really Need To Speed Up Baseball?



March 31, 20173:44 AM ET
Commentary

Alva Noë



Major League Baseball has been wrestling with the question of how to shorten the length of baseball games.

They're eager to find ways to speed things up. The New York Times invited staff writers and their readers to offer suggestions (some of which they published earlier this month) — and they were inundated with ideas ranging from the reasonable (more strict enforcement of time outs during at bats) to the unrealistic (actually lop off innings of play, or make it two strikes and you're out).

The history of baseball is a history of rule changes. The mound was lowered after 1968 as a response to too dominant pitching; the foul strike rule — making some foul balls count as strikes — was introduced in the 20th century to counter the opposite problem, the failure of pitchers to contain hitting. These were changes introduced to improve the game and level the playing field in the face of shifting styles of play and shifting technologies (new balls, for example). They represent a real evolution of the game. They also introduce an element of incommensurability when it comes to comparing on-field accomplishments across different eras. The extraordinary pitching accomplishments of Gibson, Seaver and others were made possible, at least in part, by conditions of play that no longer remain. Or consider the fact that prior to 1920, the most homers hit in a season was 29 — by Babe Ruth. After 1920, offensive statistics boomed, in large part because of changes in the way balls were handled during play. (The so-called "live ball era.")

The rule changes now contemplated are of an entirely different kind. They aren't designed to improve the game but, rather, to improve the product. I won't second guess MLB's analysis of the marketing realities. I'll defer to their expertise when it comes to knowing how to maximize revenue. If the people want a faster game, well, then, give 'em what they want.

But I think they're making a mistake nonetheless. What makes baseball boring — and I agree that lots of people think baseball is boring — is the same thing that makes classical music or physics boring (to some people). It's difficult. It takes knowledge and focus to understand what's happening on the baseball field. Every juncture is the intersection of multiple decisions. What to pitch? How to position the fielders? Where to make the play? And the answers to these questions depend on the situation specifics — and are sensitive to endless complication. Are there men on base? Who's batting, and who's on base? Who's on the mound? How fresh is he? What's the situation on the bench? Who's on deck? And on and on.

It takes not only experience, but also curiosity and patience to realize what's at play in a baseball game. For one who can perceive all this, the game is anything but slow. In fact, it's way too fast. You've got to be quick to keep track of what's going on so that you don't get stuck making decisions too late.

It takes time to follow and understand the game, and it takes time to play the game — and play the game well. Batters and base-runners and fielders have a lot to think about, a lot to understand. The game has evolved techniques of distributed decision making. Managers signal catchers who guide pitchers; they relay messages to coaches who communicate with hitters and runners and fielders. It looks like they're all just standing around scratching themselves. In fact, they are hard at work, deliberating, communicating, deciding. And delivering action in real time.

Of course it's a slow sport. It's gotta be slow. But that's not slow boring. Not for the players. And not for the fans that both understand and empathize with players.

Consider the showdown between pitcher and batter known as the "At Bat." For each of them, this is it: It's their chance, an epic opportunity for self-actualization. The pitcher has to risk everything and dare the batter to swing at pitches he can't hit, with the eyes of the world, and those of every player or person in the ballpark, upon him. The batter, for his part, faces the puzzle of figuring out what the pitcher is going to do; unless he knows in advance, he doesn't have much of a chance of hitting anything. The ball moves too fast. His problem is physical, but it's also intellectual and highly stressful. He, too, is in the spotlight. Why shouldn't he step out of the batters' box to refasten his batting gloves? He's doing everything he can to focus, to find a way of being present and in control in a difficult situation.

A comparison with Little Leaguers will help. A little leaguer at bat doesn't call time out between every pitch. He has to be taught to use stepping out of the box as a way of settling himself down and taking control of the battle, the bout, the dance that he's caught up in with with the pitcher. The pitcher, too, needs to find a way to let go of what has, maybe, just gone wrong and maintain focus on his current task: Using his body to hurl a ball more than 90 mph to a narrow little target some 60 ft. away. The pitcher needs to breathe, to organize, to keep control of the pace of play if he isn't going to get blown away.

Now, if you don't know what you're seeing, if you don't understand the tactical minutiae constraining every little thing these guys are doing — and if you don't appreciate the difficulty and stress that they are under — well, then, yeah, it doesn't look like much is going on. Or maybe you just aren't even really paying attention, multi-tasking as you may be with your smartphone. Boredom is the fruit of your disconnect, your disengagement.

But speeding up the play is no remedy for this kind of boredom that is born of disengagement and indifference.

The managers and curators at our art museums face exactly these challenges. The art may be as good as it gets. The curious thing, though, is that it can't speak for itself. It's as if every work, no matter how great, no matter what, is in the "standby" mode until you, the viewer, figure out how to turn it on — that is, figure out what to look at, think about, and pay attention to. So how can the museum assist you in figuring out how to turn the work on? How can they make the work accessible to you? Wall text may help, but it can also distract. Audio guides can be an instrument for helping you figure out what to care about. But they can just as easily prevent you from actually seeing anything at all. A lot of museums produce shows these days as if the show is really just the backdrop for the real experience, which is the chance to buy branded products. Gift shops are situated in museums like duty free shops in airports. They are a place for people to relax, stop working, and do what comes easy: spend money. They are a relief from the art.

Baseball is business, so I don't doubt for a minute that revenue will guide decisions about the future of the game. But I would invite the decision-makers to pause long enough to realize what is at stake. Baseball is a game of ideas; it's more like chess than like soccer.

The problem baseball faces isn't that it's going too slow. The problem isn't that it isn't going slow enough. Players and spectators alike need to slow down and let the baseball happen.

Alva Noë is a philosopher at the University of California, Berkeley, where he writes and teaches about perception, consciousness and art. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Strange Tools: Art and Human Nature (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2015). You can keep up with more of what Alva is thinking on Facebook and on Twitter: @alvanoe

2:20 between innings and pitching changes, THE OBR says 1 minute from time of the the last out.
God forbid that someone might miss out on adv revenue.