Re: Articles
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 1:57 pm
We all know it was HB that jinxed Goody. Hanging Breaking ball has the same initials as Hillbilly 
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Re: Articles
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:39 pm
LOL Seagull!
Re: Articles
Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:55 pm
I'm just taking my medicine. Can't argue at all.
Re: Articles
Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 3:03 pm
Very talented guy!
https://tribevibe.mlblogs.com/cleveland ... 6104914520
More pics:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Indians/pho ... 0366054521
More pics:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Indians/pho ... 0366054521
Re: Articles
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 12:06 am
When is somebody going to put the Cleveland Indians in fourth gear and step on the gas?
Updated on June 7, 2017 at 10:08 PM Posted on June 7, 2017 at 9:18 PM
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
DENVER -- In spring training manager Terry Francona said more than once, "You don't want to be that team in June that is still talking about last year."
It's June and the Indians aren't talking about winning the AL Central, the AL pennant and going to Game 7 of the World Series last year. If they're talking about anything, it's trying to explain another blowout loss or why they just went 1-4 on a trip through Kansas City and Denver.
"The only thing we're really consistent in is being inconsistent," said manager Terry Francona following Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Rockies.
On this trip the Indians were shut out once and blown out three times. Name it and they've had trouble doing it - hitting, scoring, pitching, closing games and playing defense.
"In our game, if something comes up short (in one area), you usually pay for it," said Francona. "Either we make an error, or the starting pitching doesn't go deep, or we don't get any hits.
"What I really care about more than anything is just our ability to value how important every game is, and leave it out on the field. If it's not good enough, then we'll come back tomorrow. If we do that, we're going to be OK."
Francona voiced his disappointment about his players after Saturday's 12-5 loss to the Royals. He didn't hold a meeting because he said it would have been too easy. Instead he waited to see how the Indians played the next day. In their only win on the trip, they beat the Royals, 8-0.
From Kansas City the Indians made a rare interleague trip to Denver to play the Rockies. They had an off day on Monday and looked dreadful in losing two straight on Tuesday and Wednesday by a combined score of 19-4.
In Kansas City, Francona put his faith in his players to respond to an embarrassing defeat. What card does he play now? Managers have to be nimble when it comes to this.
"Potentially, this team is too good," said Francona, referring to the Tribe's current level of play. "We're not showing it right now. We're going to. One way or another, we're going to.
"We're not putting ourselves in a position [to succeed]. It's like we have to hope some nights. We need to go out and play the baseball we know how to play and dictate the pace of the game."
Could it be a World Series hangover? Wouldn't that be more appropriate for the Cubs, who actually won the series?
Something, however, doesn't feel right. The Indians have been stuck in the mud since opening day. The longest winning streak is five games. Their longest losing streak is three games. They've never been more than four games over .500 or two games under.
They are a .500 team with the biggest payroll in franchise history. When is somebody going to put this thing in drive and step on the gas?
"I hope we're not waiting to hit our stride because then it's not going to come," said left-hander Andrew Miller. "We're fortunate that it's a long season. I think there are 25 people in here, there's a staff that believes we have better baseball ahead of us.
"But, we've got to play it. We're not doing it right now. It is a long season, and we have that to fall back on, but that doesn't last that long. We've got to play better, and it's across the board."
After going 14-12 in April, the Indians slipped to 13-14 in May. They are 2-4 in June. They are fortunate to be playing in the AL Central, where no one has taken charge. They been dog paddling in second place behind the Twins for most of the first 57 games of the season.
Miller says the Indians believe they're a good team, a team capable of doing what they did last year. But belief goes only so far.
"We have to go out there and back it up," he said. "I think as a group, we believe that we're capable of that. But, it doesn't matter if we think that and don't go out there and do it.
"There are other teams. They don't care what we did last year. They don't care what we were picked to do in the preseason, or what people think of us now, or what the experts are still talking about. We have to go out there and win games and we're not doing it as often as we think we should right now."
Do it. What a concept.
Updated on June 7, 2017 at 10:08 PM Posted on June 7, 2017 at 9:18 PM
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
DENVER -- In spring training manager Terry Francona said more than once, "You don't want to be that team in June that is still talking about last year."
It's June and the Indians aren't talking about winning the AL Central, the AL pennant and going to Game 7 of the World Series last year. If they're talking about anything, it's trying to explain another blowout loss or why they just went 1-4 on a trip through Kansas City and Denver.
"The only thing we're really consistent in is being inconsistent," said manager Terry Francona following Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Rockies.
On this trip the Indians were shut out once and blown out three times. Name it and they've had trouble doing it - hitting, scoring, pitching, closing games and playing defense.
"In our game, if something comes up short (in one area), you usually pay for it," said Francona. "Either we make an error, or the starting pitching doesn't go deep, or we don't get any hits.
"What I really care about more than anything is just our ability to value how important every game is, and leave it out on the field. If it's not good enough, then we'll come back tomorrow. If we do that, we're going to be OK."
Francona voiced his disappointment about his players after Saturday's 12-5 loss to the Royals. He didn't hold a meeting because he said it would have been too easy. Instead he waited to see how the Indians played the next day. In their only win on the trip, they beat the Royals, 8-0.
From Kansas City the Indians made a rare interleague trip to Denver to play the Rockies. They had an off day on Monday and looked dreadful in losing two straight on Tuesday and Wednesday by a combined score of 19-4.
In Kansas City, Francona put his faith in his players to respond to an embarrassing defeat. What card does he play now? Managers have to be nimble when it comes to this.
"Potentially, this team is too good," said Francona, referring to the Tribe's current level of play. "We're not showing it right now. We're going to. One way or another, we're going to.
"We're not putting ourselves in a position [to succeed]. It's like we have to hope some nights. We need to go out and play the baseball we know how to play and dictate the pace of the game."
Could it be a World Series hangover? Wouldn't that be more appropriate for the Cubs, who actually won the series?
Something, however, doesn't feel right. The Indians have been stuck in the mud since opening day. The longest winning streak is five games. Their longest losing streak is three games. They've never been more than four games over .500 or two games under.
They are a .500 team with the biggest payroll in franchise history. When is somebody going to put this thing in drive and step on the gas?
"I hope we're not waiting to hit our stride because then it's not going to come," said left-hander Andrew Miller. "We're fortunate that it's a long season. I think there are 25 people in here, there's a staff that believes we have better baseball ahead of us.
"But, we've got to play it. We're not doing it right now. It is a long season, and we have that to fall back on, but that doesn't last that long. We've got to play better, and it's across the board."
After going 14-12 in April, the Indians slipped to 13-14 in May. They are 2-4 in June. They are fortunate to be playing in the AL Central, where no one has taken charge. They been dog paddling in second place behind the Twins for most of the first 57 games of the season.
Miller says the Indians believe they're a good team, a team capable of doing what they did last year. But belief goes only so far.
"We have to go out there and back it up," he said. "I think as a group, we believe that we're capable of that. But, it doesn't matter if we think that and don't go out there and do it.
"There are other teams. They don't care what we did last year. They don't care what we were picked to do in the preseason, or what people think of us now, or what the experts are still talking about. We have to go out there and win games and we're not doing it as often as we think we should right now."
Do it. What a concept.
Re: Articles
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:26 pm
Ooo, anniversary coming up...
Colavito Busts Slump in Major Way – With Four Home Runs
Vince Guerrieri | On 07, Jun 2017
On Tuesday, June 6, Cincinnati’s Scooter Gennett became the 17th player in Major League Baseball history to homer four times in one game as he went 5-for-5 with ten RBI in a 13-1 win by the Reds over the rival St. Louis Cardinals. In honor of his offensive gem, Did The Tribe Win looks back at the lone Indians player to accomplish the feat of four homers in one game, Rocky Colavito. – Bob T.
On June 10, 1959, Rocky Colavito was in the middle of a slump, having gotten three hits in his previous 28 at-bats.
It was a long fall from the previous season, when the young slugger with the matinee-idol good looks had clubbed 41 home runs, good for second in the American League. And the Indians, who were fading from contention, were playing the Orioles at Memorial Stadium – not known for its hitter-friendly dimensions. And to top it off, a throwing error the night before by Colavito sparked a rally for the Orioles to win.
But the next day, Colavito had a game for the ages that day – which remains his proudest moment as a major leaguer.
Colavito, who despite his slump was still batting cleanup for the Indians, walked in his first plate appearance, scoring when teammate Minnie Minoso homered to stake the Tribe to a 3-0 lead. His second at bat came in the third, with one out and Vic Power on base. Colavito slammed a slider to left field to put the Indians up 6-3. His home run ended the day for Orioles starter Jerry Walker.
In the fifth inning, against Walker’s replacement Arnie Portocarrero, Colavito put another ball in the left field stands. And he did it again in the sixth as the last batter Portocarrero faced that day. Colavito got one more at bat in the top of the ninth. Prior to that, he was talking with his roommate, Herb Score, who told him to swing for the fences.
This time, the pitcher was Ernie Johnson, who was determined to work Colavito inside. He brushed him back with the first pitch, and then figured Colavito would look for a pitch low and away, so he threw another inside. “It was a strategy that backfired, to say the least,” Johnson said. And Colavito had become the third player ever to hit four home runs in consecutive at bats.
After the game, general manager Frank “Trader” Lane was asked if the Rock would get a bonus for his historic performance.
“He’ll get paid the first and 15th of the month, just like he and everybody else have in the past,” Lane said. “We don’t deduct from a guy’s pay when he goes 0-for-18, do we?”
Although Colavito was happy just to make contact the night he hit four home runs, the idea of a fifth one held some appeal. In his first at-bat the next game, he faced Milt Pappas – who’d remarked the day before that if Colavito was going to hit a home run off him, he’d have to earn it. Pappas, who would give up Roger Maris’ 59th home run in his historic 1961 season, fired a fastball about belt-high, “probably a better pitch to hit than any of the pitches I hit for home runs,” Colavito recalled decades later. He got under it and popped out to left field.
Three years later, Colavito was at Cleveland Stadium again – this time playing for the Tigers, who were the beneficiaries of Trader Lane’s compulsions. He hit three home runs, and came up for a fourth at-bat. He hammered a pitch from Bill Dailey down the left field line into the seats – and it hooked foul. Colavito then hit a hard liner to second base to end the inning, missing by about 15 feet the chance to be the only player to hit four home runs in a game twice.
Photo: Baltimore/Washington Examiner file photo
Colavito Busts Slump in Major Way – With Four Home Runs
Vince Guerrieri | On 07, Jun 2017
On Tuesday, June 6, Cincinnati’s Scooter Gennett became the 17th player in Major League Baseball history to homer four times in one game as he went 5-for-5 with ten RBI in a 13-1 win by the Reds over the rival St. Louis Cardinals. In honor of his offensive gem, Did The Tribe Win looks back at the lone Indians player to accomplish the feat of four homers in one game, Rocky Colavito. – Bob T.
On June 10, 1959, Rocky Colavito was in the middle of a slump, having gotten three hits in his previous 28 at-bats.
It was a long fall from the previous season, when the young slugger with the matinee-idol good looks had clubbed 41 home runs, good for second in the American League. And the Indians, who were fading from contention, were playing the Orioles at Memorial Stadium – not known for its hitter-friendly dimensions. And to top it off, a throwing error the night before by Colavito sparked a rally for the Orioles to win.
But the next day, Colavito had a game for the ages that day – which remains his proudest moment as a major leaguer.
Colavito, who despite his slump was still batting cleanup for the Indians, walked in his first plate appearance, scoring when teammate Minnie Minoso homered to stake the Tribe to a 3-0 lead. His second at bat came in the third, with one out and Vic Power on base. Colavito slammed a slider to left field to put the Indians up 6-3. His home run ended the day for Orioles starter Jerry Walker.
In the fifth inning, against Walker’s replacement Arnie Portocarrero, Colavito put another ball in the left field stands. And he did it again in the sixth as the last batter Portocarrero faced that day. Colavito got one more at bat in the top of the ninth. Prior to that, he was talking with his roommate, Herb Score, who told him to swing for the fences.
This time, the pitcher was Ernie Johnson, who was determined to work Colavito inside. He brushed him back with the first pitch, and then figured Colavito would look for a pitch low and away, so he threw another inside. “It was a strategy that backfired, to say the least,” Johnson said. And Colavito had become the third player ever to hit four home runs in consecutive at bats.
After the game, general manager Frank “Trader” Lane was asked if the Rock would get a bonus for his historic performance.
“He’ll get paid the first and 15th of the month, just like he and everybody else have in the past,” Lane said. “We don’t deduct from a guy’s pay when he goes 0-for-18, do we?”
Although Colavito was happy just to make contact the night he hit four home runs, the idea of a fifth one held some appeal. In his first at-bat the next game, he faced Milt Pappas – who’d remarked the day before that if Colavito was going to hit a home run off him, he’d have to earn it. Pappas, who would give up Roger Maris’ 59th home run in his historic 1961 season, fired a fastball about belt-high, “probably a better pitch to hit than any of the pitches I hit for home runs,” Colavito recalled decades later. He got under it and popped out to left field.
Three years later, Colavito was at Cleveland Stadium again – this time playing for the Tigers, who were the beneficiaries of Trader Lane’s compulsions. He hit three home runs, and came up for a fourth at-bat. He hammered a pitch from Bill Dailey down the left field line into the seats – and it hooked foul. Colavito then hit a hard liner to second base to end the inning, missing by about 15 feet the chance to be the only player to hit four home runs in a game twice.
Photo: Baltimore/Washington Examiner file photo
Re: Articles
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:05 pm
What do the Cleveland Indians need to fix? Edwin Encarnacion and the starting rotation
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Every season is different and no team exemplifies that more than the Indians.
After 57 games last year they were 32-25 with a 21/2-game lead in the AL Central. They moved into first place in Game No. 54 and did not relinquish it for the rest of the season. What's more, they were eight games away from going on their franchise record 14-game winning streak, the turning point of the season.
This year the Indians are 29-28 after 57 games. After losing to Colorado on Wednesday, they trailed first place Minnesota by one game.
The roster is basically the same - Edwin Encarnacion replacing Mike Napoli was the biggest change - but it's hard to imagine this year's team coming anywhere close to last year's winning streak. They just completed a 1-4 trip in which they lost two out of three to the Royals and were outclassed by the NL West-leading Rockies.
There is an old baseball saying that goes, "no team is as good as it looks when it's winning or as bad as it looks when it's losing." The Indians better hope there is some truth in that because if the gap between a contender and the kind of baseball they're playing is as wide as it appeared to be against the Rockies at Coors Field - DH or no DH - they're in trouble.
Terry Francona is about as protective a manager as the Indians have had when it comes to defending his players. But on this last trip, he was obviously trying to send them a message.
After a 12-5 loss to the Royals on Saturday, he said, "that wasn't close to good enough."
Following Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Rockies, Francona said, "What I really care about more than anything is just our ability to value how important every game is, and leave it out on the field. If it's not good enough, then we'll come back tomorrow. If we do that, we're going to be OK."
If you're into subliminal messages, does that sound like Francona was questioning the effort of this team?
Let's see what the numbers say. Here's a look at the performances of certain Indians at the 57-game mark this year compared to last year.
A big difference offensively has been the lack of production in the middle of the lineup from Encarnacion compared to what the Indians received from Napoli. Encarnacion is hitting .230 (45-for-196) with 24 runs, four doubles, 10 homers, 22 RBI. He has 30 walks, 61 strikeouts and a .745 OPS.
The Tribe's DH is tied for sixth on the team in RBI. Lonnie Chisenhall, with 101 fewer at-bats, has one more RBI than Encarnacion.
Napoli hit .234 (48-for-205) with 38 runs, 10 doubles, 14 homers and 42 RBI through 57 games last year. He had 20 walks, 83 strikeouts and a .802 OPS.
Last year in Toronto, Encarnacion was hitting .248 (54-for-218) with 24 runs, 13 doubles, 11 homers and 44 RBI after 57 games. He had 52 strikeouts, 22 walks and a .781 OPS.
The other big difference has been in the starting rotation. The rotation ended 2016 with the second-lowest ERA in the American League. Today they rank last at 4.87.
Here are some of the reasons why.
Josh Tomlin was 8-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 10 starts at the 57-game mark last year. He had 41 strikeouts, seven walks with 24 earned runs allowed in 61 innings.
This year Tomlin is 3-7 with a 5.54 ERA in 11 starts. He's allowed 39 earned runs in 63 innings. Tomlin's strikeout and walk production have remained consistent - 44 punch outs and four walks.
Danny Salazar was 6-3 with a 2.24 ERA after 11 starts in 2016. He allowed 17 earned runs in 68 1/3 innings and was headed for the All-Star Game.
This year Salazar is 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 games, including 10 starts. He's allowed 33 earned runs in 55 innings. Salazar is on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
Trevor Bauer opened last year in the bullpen, but was back in the rotation by the time the Indians hit the 57-game mark. He was 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA in eight starts. He struck out 57, walked 22 and allowed 26 earned runs in 60 1/3 innings.
This year Bauer is 5-5 with a 6.10 ERA in 12 starts. He's allowed 42 earned runs in 62 innings. Bauer has 76 strikeouts and 25 walks.
The loss of Corey Kluber for most of May with a back injury didn't help. Mike Clevinger came up and did a nice job filling in, but Kluber's workload was missed. He was only 5-6 with a 3.84 ERA at this time last year, but he'd already thrown 79 2/3 innings in 12 starts. This year he's 4-2 with a 4.36 ERA in seven starts, but he's thrown only 43 1/3 innings.
When three-fifths of the rotation isn't pitching well, it doesn't matter how good the bullpen is and the Indians have a good one. If there are no leads to protect, having the top-rated bullpen in the league doesn't do anyone much good.
The Indians have received a boost at the top of the lineup with Michael Brantley's return, but it has been muted somewhat because Jason Kipnis opened the year on the disabled list. Last year Kipnis was hitting .263 (59-for-224) with 31 runs, 10 doubles, seven homers, 29 RBI and a .730 OPS. He's hitting .226 (36-for-159) with seven doubles, seven homers and 22 RBI in 41 games this year.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor's batting average has dropped from .308 (69-for-224) after 57 games last year to .267 (59-for-221) this year. He's doubled his home run production from six to 12, but he had 29 RBI last year compared to 26 this year. Lindor's stolen bases have dropped from 10 to three this year, but his OPS has jumped from .809 to .842.
Third baseman Jose Ramirez's average has dropped from .310 (52-for-168) to .290 (60-for-207), but that could be because he's playing every day instead of bouncing between left field and third as he did at this time last year. Ramirez, however, has gone from three homers to eight, while his OPS has stayed about the same -- .832 this year compared to .830 in 2016.
Chisenhall, despite two trips to the disabled list, has helped the offense. He's hitting .275 (26-for-95) with six doubles, seven homers, 23 RBI and a .922 OPS. Last year he was hitting .288 (32-for-111) with eight doubles, two homers, 11 RBI and a .808 OPS at this point of the season.
Carlos Santana has been his steady self. Last year he hit .229 (48-for-210) with nine doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI, while moving between the leadoff and No.5 spots. He struck out 29 times, drew 31 walks with a .756 OPS.
This year, after being moved out of the leadoff spot, Santana is hitting .224 (50-for-223) with 16 doubles, seven homers and a team-high 34 RBI. He's posted a .721 OPS.
"I think everybody can get better," said reliever Andrew Miller. "There's nobody that's safe. It's not that we should be pointing fingers. There's certainly no group that should be singled out.
"I think it's across the board. We can show up and be a better team than we've been. It's great that we believe that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't matter if we don't go out there and back it up."
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Every season is different and no team exemplifies that more than the Indians.
After 57 games last year they were 32-25 with a 21/2-game lead in the AL Central. They moved into first place in Game No. 54 and did not relinquish it for the rest of the season. What's more, they were eight games away from going on their franchise record 14-game winning streak, the turning point of the season.
This year the Indians are 29-28 after 57 games. After losing to Colorado on Wednesday, they trailed first place Minnesota by one game.
The roster is basically the same - Edwin Encarnacion replacing Mike Napoli was the biggest change - but it's hard to imagine this year's team coming anywhere close to last year's winning streak. They just completed a 1-4 trip in which they lost two out of three to the Royals and were outclassed by the NL West-leading Rockies.
There is an old baseball saying that goes, "no team is as good as it looks when it's winning or as bad as it looks when it's losing." The Indians better hope there is some truth in that because if the gap between a contender and the kind of baseball they're playing is as wide as it appeared to be against the Rockies at Coors Field - DH or no DH - they're in trouble.
Terry Francona is about as protective a manager as the Indians have had when it comes to defending his players. But on this last trip, he was obviously trying to send them a message.
After a 12-5 loss to the Royals on Saturday, he said, "that wasn't close to good enough."
Following Wednesday's 8-1 loss to the Rockies, Francona said, "What I really care about more than anything is just our ability to value how important every game is, and leave it out on the field. If it's not good enough, then we'll come back tomorrow. If we do that, we're going to be OK."
If you're into subliminal messages, does that sound like Francona was questioning the effort of this team?
Let's see what the numbers say. Here's a look at the performances of certain Indians at the 57-game mark this year compared to last year.
A big difference offensively has been the lack of production in the middle of the lineup from Encarnacion compared to what the Indians received from Napoli. Encarnacion is hitting .230 (45-for-196) with 24 runs, four doubles, 10 homers, 22 RBI. He has 30 walks, 61 strikeouts and a .745 OPS.
The Tribe's DH is tied for sixth on the team in RBI. Lonnie Chisenhall, with 101 fewer at-bats, has one more RBI than Encarnacion.
Napoli hit .234 (48-for-205) with 38 runs, 10 doubles, 14 homers and 42 RBI through 57 games last year. He had 20 walks, 83 strikeouts and a .802 OPS.
Last year in Toronto, Encarnacion was hitting .248 (54-for-218) with 24 runs, 13 doubles, 11 homers and 44 RBI after 57 games. He had 52 strikeouts, 22 walks and a .781 OPS.
The other big difference has been in the starting rotation. The rotation ended 2016 with the second-lowest ERA in the American League. Today they rank last at 4.87.
Here are some of the reasons why.
Josh Tomlin was 8-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 10 starts at the 57-game mark last year. He had 41 strikeouts, seven walks with 24 earned runs allowed in 61 innings.
This year Tomlin is 3-7 with a 5.54 ERA in 11 starts. He's allowed 39 earned runs in 63 innings. Tomlin's strikeout and walk production have remained consistent - 44 punch outs and four walks.
Danny Salazar was 6-3 with a 2.24 ERA after 11 starts in 2016. He allowed 17 earned runs in 68 1/3 innings and was headed for the All-Star Game.
This year Salazar is 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 games, including 10 starts. He's allowed 33 earned runs in 55 innings. Salazar is on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
Trevor Bauer opened last year in the bullpen, but was back in the rotation by the time the Indians hit the 57-game mark. He was 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA in eight starts. He struck out 57, walked 22 and allowed 26 earned runs in 60 1/3 innings.
This year Bauer is 5-5 with a 6.10 ERA in 12 starts. He's allowed 42 earned runs in 62 innings. Bauer has 76 strikeouts and 25 walks.
The loss of Corey Kluber for most of May with a back injury didn't help. Mike Clevinger came up and did a nice job filling in, but Kluber's workload was missed. He was only 5-6 with a 3.84 ERA at this time last year, but he'd already thrown 79 2/3 innings in 12 starts. This year he's 4-2 with a 4.36 ERA in seven starts, but he's thrown only 43 1/3 innings.
When three-fifths of the rotation isn't pitching well, it doesn't matter how good the bullpen is and the Indians have a good one. If there are no leads to protect, having the top-rated bullpen in the league doesn't do anyone much good.
The Indians have received a boost at the top of the lineup with Michael Brantley's return, but it has been muted somewhat because Jason Kipnis opened the year on the disabled list. Last year Kipnis was hitting .263 (59-for-224) with 31 runs, 10 doubles, seven homers, 29 RBI and a .730 OPS. He's hitting .226 (36-for-159) with seven doubles, seven homers and 22 RBI in 41 games this year.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor's batting average has dropped from .308 (69-for-224) after 57 games last year to .267 (59-for-221) this year. He's doubled his home run production from six to 12, but he had 29 RBI last year compared to 26 this year. Lindor's stolen bases have dropped from 10 to three this year, but his OPS has jumped from .809 to .842.
Third baseman Jose Ramirez's average has dropped from .310 (52-for-168) to .290 (60-for-207), but that could be because he's playing every day instead of bouncing between left field and third as he did at this time last year. Ramirez, however, has gone from three homers to eight, while his OPS has stayed about the same -- .832 this year compared to .830 in 2016.
Chisenhall, despite two trips to the disabled list, has helped the offense. He's hitting .275 (26-for-95) with six doubles, seven homers, 23 RBI and a .922 OPS. Last year he was hitting .288 (32-for-111) with eight doubles, two homers, 11 RBI and a .808 OPS at this point of the season.
Carlos Santana has been his steady self. Last year he hit .229 (48-for-210) with nine doubles, 10 homers and 27 RBI, while moving between the leadoff and No.5 spots. He struck out 29 times, drew 31 walks with a .756 OPS.
This year, after being moved out of the leadoff spot, Santana is hitting .224 (50-for-223) with 16 doubles, seven homers and a team-high 34 RBI. He's posted a .721 OPS.
"I think everybody can get better," said reliever Andrew Miller. "There's nobody that's safe. It's not that we should be pointing fingers. There's certainly no group that should be singled out.
"I think it's across the board. We can show up and be a better team than we've been. It's great that we believe that, but at the end of the day, that doesn't matter if we don't go out there and back it up."
Re: Articles
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 11:15 pm
Terry Francona explains Tribe's pitching strategy vs. Twins
MINNEAPOLIS -- Manager Terry Francona called the Indians’ four-game series against the first-place Twins “huge’ on Friday afternoon. But there’s always a catch with Francona, who never strays far from his belief that the most important game a team plays is the game they’re playing tonight.
“I've never felt like downplaying a series,” said Francona, whose Indians trail the Twins by two games in the AL Central. “This is a huge series. Now, when we leave here, the Orioles series is a huge series. We just played the Dodgers. That was a huge series.
“That's how we look at it. This is the way we make our living, and we're competitive.“
Francona did tip his hand when he added, “This is the team that's right in front of us and that's the one time you can assured that, if you win, they're going to lose."
The Indians held several meetings to set their pitching for the four-game series, which includes a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. They put outfielder Michael Brantley on the paternity list Friday and recalled right-hander Adam Plutko from Class AAA Columbus.
Plutko hasn’t pitched well at Columbus, but Francona wanted a starter in case they needed a inning to save his relievers. The Indians also reportedly have right-hander Shawn Armstrong hiding out in Minneapolis in case they need a bullpen arm.
The Indians will have to make at least one more roster move when left-hander Ryan Merritt is activated to start Game 1 on Saturday. Mike Clevinger will start Game 2, but he’ll do so as the 26th player that teams are allowed to add for doubleheaders. Clevinger will have to be sent back to Class AAA Columbus after his start, but that’s a paper move that will not prevent him from starting next week against Baltimore at Camden Yards.
“We’ve got a lot of moving parts,” said Francona. “I imagine the Twins do as well.”
https://youtu.be/9K3Yz5wvp6I
MINNEAPOLIS -- Manager Terry Francona called the Indians’ four-game series against the first-place Twins “huge’ on Friday afternoon. But there’s always a catch with Francona, who never strays far from his belief that the most important game a team plays is the game they’re playing tonight.
“I've never felt like downplaying a series,” said Francona, whose Indians trail the Twins by two games in the AL Central. “This is a huge series. Now, when we leave here, the Orioles series is a huge series. We just played the Dodgers. That was a huge series.
“That's how we look at it. This is the way we make our living, and we're competitive.“
Francona did tip his hand when he added, “This is the team that's right in front of us and that's the one time you can assured that, if you win, they're going to lose."
The Indians held several meetings to set their pitching for the four-game series, which includes a day-night doubleheader on Saturday. They put outfielder Michael Brantley on the paternity list Friday and recalled right-hander Adam Plutko from Class AAA Columbus.
Plutko hasn’t pitched well at Columbus, but Francona wanted a starter in case they needed a inning to save his relievers. The Indians also reportedly have right-hander Shawn Armstrong hiding out in Minneapolis in case they need a bullpen arm.
The Indians will have to make at least one more roster move when left-hander Ryan Merritt is activated to start Game 1 on Saturday. Mike Clevinger will start Game 2, but he’ll do so as the 26th player that teams are allowed to add for doubleheaders. Clevinger will have to be sent back to Class AAA Columbus after his start, but that’s a paper move that will not prevent him from starting next week against Baltimore at Camden Yards.
“We’ve got a lot of moving parts,” said Francona. “I imagine the Twins do as well.”
https://youtu.be/9K3Yz5wvp6I
Re: Articles
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 7:56 pm
Couldn't copy the text for some reason, but it's a good story on Zimmer's super arm, nailed runner at the plate on Sunday with a throw measured at 101.5 mph. His fourth assist already.
http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/2 ... mph-throw/
"Prior to Zimmer's throw Bryce Harper's 99.7 mph was the fastest OF throw measured this season."
http://m.indians.mlb.com/news/article/2 ... mph-throw/
"Prior to Zimmer's throw Bryce Harper's 99.7 mph was the fastest OF throw measured this season."
Re: Articles
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 10:35 pm
Cleveland Indians beat Twins, 5-2, to complete 4-game sweep as Edwin Encarnacion drives in all five runs
Updated on June 18, 2017 at 9:38 PM Posted on June 18, 2017 at 5:20 PM
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
MINNEAPOLIS - This couldn't have worked out much better.
No Michael Brantley, so what? Promote two pitchers from Class AAA Columbus to start Saturday's day-night doubleheader against the first-place Twins, no problem.
No problem because the Indians unleashed Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Bradley Zimmer and, finally, Edwin Encarnacion on the way to a four-game sweep that vaulted them from two games off the pace to a two-game lead over the Twins in the AL Central.
Encarnacion drove in five runs Sunday with the help of two homers, and Trevor Bauer pitched seven good innings as the Indians completed the sweep with a 5-2 victory at Target Field. Their two-game lead in the AL Central is their biggest of the season.
If the Indians were waiting for something to jump start them, they need wait no longer. They've won five straight, matching their longest winning streak of the season.
Kyle Gibson (4-5, 6.56) struck out Encarnacion in the first inning on a slider. Encarnacion swung like he did for much of April -- which is a polite way of saying he looked bad.
Encarnacion made amends in his next two at-bats -- which is a polite way of saying, he swung it like he's been swinging it for the last month and a half. He hit a 443-foot homer in the fourth for a 1-0 lead. It landed somewhere in the second deck in left center field.
In the sixth, Encarnacion hit a two-run homer into the lower deck in left field for a 3-0 lead. It was his 16th homer of the season and third in the series.
The Twins walked Encarnacion five times in the four games. Whenever they didn't walk him, he was a threat to hit the ball out of the park.
OK, he might settle for an RBI single.
In the seventh, with Jason Kipnis on third after reaching on a strikeout-wild pitch and moving to third on Ramirez's single to right, Encarnacion drove one past Miguel Sano at third to make it 4-0. Encarnacion has six homers and 13 RBI in 14 games in June.
Or he might try a sacrifice fly.
In the ninth, after Ramirez doubled and stole third, Encarnacion brought him home with a fly ball to right. Ramirez, by the way, had six doubles and two homers in the series. He finished with 11 hits.
On May 15, Encarnacion was hitting .198. Manager Terry Francona kept telling people to keep the faith.
Encarnacion left Minneapolis hitting .261 with 16 homers, 36 RBI and a .496 slugging percentage.
"I know I'm not the smartest person, but I did know that," said Francona. "Today could have been really frustrating. We got the line moving, which we like, but we weren't doing much with runners in scoring position.
"Then Eddie just had one of those days. Thank goodness he showed up. We told him Saturday night that he could take today off. I'm glad he didn't."
Bauer threw six shutout innings before the Twins reached him for two runs in the seventh. After starting the inning with strikeouts of Sano and Max Kepler, Bauer hit Kennys Vargas with a pitch and allowed an RBI double to Eduardo Escobar. Eddie Rosario followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2, but Carlos Santana cut off center fielder Bradley Zimmer's throw home to catch Rosario in a rundown to end the inning.
In improving to 3-0 against the Twins this season, Bauer (6-5, 5.54) struck out eight, walked two and allowed four hits. He is 4-1 in his last eight starts.
"I thought today was far and away his best outing," said Francona. "His stuff was good. His intent to attack the strike zone was good. He worked ahead and he filled the strike zone with a bunch of quality pitches.
"We were thrilled with the way he was throwing the ball."
In the series, the Indians outscored the Twins, 28-8. They out-hit them, 46-18. And they out-homered them, 10-2.
Andrew Miller worked the ninth for his first save of the season after Cody Allen pitched the eighth.
What it means
The Indians are 8-2 against the Twins this season.
Coming in hot
Zimmer erased Kepler at the plate in the second inning on a throw from center field that was clocked at 101.5mph. It's the most velocity generated on an outfield assist this season according to MLB's Statcast.
The pitches
Bauer threw 105 pitches, 72 (69 percent) for strikes. Gibson threw 83 pitches, 53 (64 percent) for strikes.
Thanks for coming
The Indians and Twins drew 35,039 to Target Field on Father's Day. First pitch was at 2:13 with a temperature of 69 degrees.
Next
The Indians open a four-game series against the Orioles at Camden Yards on Monday night. It will be their first meeting with the Orioles this season.
The Tribe will start Corey Kluber (5-2, 4.15), Josh Tomlin (4-8, 5.83), Carlos Carrasco (7-3, 3.21) and Mike Clevinger (2-3, 3,89). Baltimore will counter with Dylan Bundy (7-5, 3.29), Chris Tillman (1-5. 8.07), Kevin Gausman (3-6, 6.60) and Wade Miley (3-4, 4.29).
Updated on June 18, 2017 at 9:38 PM Posted on June 18, 2017 at 5:20 PM
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
MINNEAPOLIS - This couldn't have worked out much better.
No Michael Brantley, so what? Promote two pitchers from Class AAA Columbus to start Saturday's day-night doubleheader against the first-place Twins, no problem.
No problem because the Indians unleashed Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Bradley Zimmer and, finally, Edwin Encarnacion on the way to a four-game sweep that vaulted them from two games off the pace to a two-game lead over the Twins in the AL Central.
Encarnacion drove in five runs Sunday with the help of two homers, and Trevor Bauer pitched seven good innings as the Indians completed the sweep with a 5-2 victory at Target Field. Their two-game lead in the AL Central is their biggest of the season.
If the Indians were waiting for something to jump start them, they need wait no longer. They've won five straight, matching their longest winning streak of the season.
Kyle Gibson (4-5, 6.56) struck out Encarnacion in the first inning on a slider. Encarnacion swung like he did for much of April -- which is a polite way of saying he looked bad.
Encarnacion made amends in his next two at-bats -- which is a polite way of saying, he swung it like he's been swinging it for the last month and a half. He hit a 443-foot homer in the fourth for a 1-0 lead. It landed somewhere in the second deck in left center field.
In the sixth, Encarnacion hit a two-run homer into the lower deck in left field for a 3-0 lead. It was his 16th homer of the season and third in the series.
The Twins walked Encarnacion five times in the four games. Whenever they didn't walk him, he was a threat to hit the ball out of the park.
OK, he might settle for an RBI single.
In the seventh, with Jason Kipnis on third after reaching on a strikeout-wild pitch and moving to third on Ramirez's single to right, Encarnacion drove one past Miguel Sano at third to make it 4-0. Encarnacion has six homers and 13 RBI in 14 games in June.
Or he might try a sacrifice fly.
In the ninth, after Ramirez doubled and stole third, Encarnacion brought him home with a fly ball to right. Ramirez, by the way, had six doubles and two homers in the series. He finished with 11 hits.
On May 15, Encarnacion was hitting .198. Manager Terry Francona kept telling people to keep the faith.
Encarnacion left Minneapolis hitting .261 with 16 homers, 36 RBI and a .496 slugging percentage.
"I know I'm not the smartest person, but I did know that," said Francona. "Today could have been really frustrating. We got the line moving, which we like, but we weren't doing much with runners in scoring position.
"Then Eddie just had one of those days. Thank goodness he showed up. We told him Saturday night that he could take today off. I'm glad he didn't."
Bauer threw six shutout innings before the Twins reached him for two runs in the seventh. After starting the inning with strikeouts of Sano and Max Kepler, Bauer hit Kennys Vargas with a pitch and allowed an RBI double to Eduardo Escobar. Eddie Rosario followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2, but Carlos Santana cut off center fielder Bradley Zimmer's throw home to catch Rosario in a rundown to end the inning.
In improving to 3-0 against the Twins this season, Bauer (6-5, 5.54) struck out eight, walked two and allowed four hits. He is 4-1 in his last eight starts.
"I thought today was far and away his best outing," said Francona. "His stuff was good. His intent to attack the strike zone was good. He worked ahead and he filled the strike zone with a bunch of quality pitches.
"We were thrilled with the way he was throwing the ball."
In the series, the Indians outscored the Twins, 28-8. They out-hit them, 46-18. And they out-homered them, 10-2.
Andrew Miller worked the ninth for his first save of the season after Cody Allen pitched the eighth.
What it means
The Indians are 8-2 against the Twins this season.
Coming in hot
Zimmer erased Kepler at the plate in the second inning on a throw from center field that was clocked at 101.5mph. It's the most velocity generated on an outfield assist this season according to MLB's Statcast.
The pitches
Bauer threw 105 pitches, 72 (69 percent) for strikes. Gibson threw 83 pitches, 53 (64 percent) for strikes.
Thanks for coming
The Indians and Twins drew 35,039 to Target Field on Father's Day. First pitch was at 2:13 with a temperature of 69 degrees.
Next
The Indians open a four-game series against the Orioles at Camden Yards on Monday night. It will be their first meeting with the Orioles this season.
The Tribe will start Corey Kluber (5-2, 4.15), Josh Tomlin (4-8, 5.83), Carlos Carrasco (7-3, 3.21) and Mike Clevinger (2-3, 3,89). Baltimore will counter with Dylan Bundy (7-5, 3.29), Chris Tillman (1-5. 8.07), Kevin Gausman (3-6, 6.60) and Wade Miley (3-4, 4.29).
Re: Articles
Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 10:42 pm
"Prior to Zimmer's throw Bryce Harper's 99.7 mph was the fastest OF throw measured this season."
Baseball is losing its way. StatCast has got to be the most boring shit ever perpetrated on this glorious game.
Re: Articles
Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2017 9:22 am
I was always into stats, but they were much more simple in my day. OBA and SLG and OPS were about the ultimate of complexity for me. And Bill James had some sort of a "single number" to rate players. But I don't remember what that was or if it made much sense. is James still around?
Re: Articles
Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2017 5:52 pm
Legendary umpire Joe West dishes on players, managers and replay at 5,000th game
Bob Nightengale USA Today
You listen to his songs online, watch him eject your favorite managers and players, and scream every time he makes a call, whether it’s right or wrong.
Joe West, 64, the most polarizing umpire in baseball, is still at it, 40 years after it all began, and he’s behind the plate Tuesday night at Coors Field, working his 5,000th game in the major leagues.
He has umpired more games than all but two of his predecessors, 369 games behind Hall of Famer Bill Klem and 163 behind Bruce Froemming.
“It’s something I’m not making a big deal out of,’’ West says, “but it’s something I’m very proud of.”
The first time West was behind the plate was Sept. 16, 1976, a 5-3 game between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at Fulton County Stadium. The game, featuring Joaquin Andujar and Phil Niekro, had just seven strikeouts, four walks, three homers, and two relief pitchers. It lasted just 1 hour, 54 minutes.
“Nobody believes it when I tell them,’’ West says, “they look it up and come back shaking their head.’’
West is the only living umpire from that crew that day. Gone also are every ballpark he worked that year, except Wrigley Field in Chicago, Fenway Park in Boston and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Country Joe West, who has produced two country music albums, appeared in the Grand Ole Opry and The Naked Gun, and developed and patented his own chest protector, has out-lived them all.
His tenure has spanned six commissioners, 21 World Series champions, 151 umpires and 55 Hall of Fame players. The game Tuesday between the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks pits two franchises that didn’t exist when he began his career.
The impressions he left were often indelible.
“Joe was infamous, or famous for testing out a pitcher early in the game,’’ says Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz. “He would call a ball that was a strike to see if you were relaxed, or cool with it, to see how you’d react.
“Well, I learned something way too late. When I was with Boston, I decided I’m going to find out what song Joe wants to hear when I come to the mound. They gave me some obscure, sentimental song, and there’s Joe behind home plate, tapping his feet, and singing to the song.”
Now, a man who’s seen just about everything provides his thoughts to USA TODAY Sports about his tenure, and the sport’s evolution.
Pace of play
“It’s the TV commercials. We’ve got 19 minutes of commercial time. I remember when I came up, (NL umpire supervisor) Blake Cullen initiated a 1-minute, 40-second clock in between innings. Only three pitchers complained - Randy Jones, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton - and they were the best of their time. They thought it was too long to wait before pitching. Then, it went to 2:05. Then, 2:30 for network games. And now, over three minutes for the playoffs.
“We’re doing so many things to help speed up the game, but I can’t do anything about that commercial time. But as much as we want to complain, it sure pays a lot of bills.”
A pitch clock in 2018
“I don’t like it. I don’t think you can take away a pitcher’s ability to get himself ready at his own pace. Instead of a pitch clock, let’s get rid of all of the walk-up music. Players wait like it’s a Broadway play before they come out to the plate.”
“People talk about eliminating the visits to the mound, too. I still remember when (Bob) Gibson was pitching and (Tim) McCarver went to the mound. Gibson told him, “The only thing you know about pitching is that you can’t hit it, so get behind the plate.’’
Game-changers
“The base running has gotten worse, and outfielders hitting the cutoff man is even worse. And no one changes their swing anymore. They’re all trying to hit home runs. They think, ‘If I’m a 30-home run hitter, I’m a millionaire. If I hit .270 and make contact, I’ll never be paid.
“It’s like watching the US Open now. If you keep swinging from your heels all the time, it’s tough to keep the ball in play. Babe Ruth struck out a lot too, but he hit .342.
“You just don’t see anyone try to hit the ball the other way. And nobody chokes up. Barry Bonds used to choke up on the first pitch, not just when it’s 0-and-2. The only one I see choking up now is the kid from Chicago, (Anthony) Rizzo, and he only does it when he has two strikes.’’
Worst rule in 50 years
“The DH. It’s horrible. It was supposed to be an experiment to help increase attendance in the American League, and now it’s ruining the game. You watch the games in the NL, and how pitchers go right after the seventh and eighth hitters. In the AL, they pitch everybody like it’s a 3-4-5 hitter.
“The DH has really hurt the timing of the game.’’
Best anecdote
“It was Pudge Rodriguez. He was in spring training with the Marlins, and he parked his Porsche into the umpire’s parking lot. Well, the security guards let me know who was in our spot.
“When he got behind the plate, we exchanged hellos, and I said, ‘Crazy morning. When I got here today, someone parked in our spot, so I had to make sure the security guard towed that thing.’
“Pudge caught the first three outs, and he left the game. He really thought we towed it. Now, he’s in the Hall of Fame.’’
Replay
“I love the fact that baseball spent $40 million to prove that we’re right 99% of the time. It’s a good thing for umpires.
“I remember going to [(ormer umpire) Drew Coble’s wife’s funeral. When I got there, Don Denkinger (who blew the critical Game 6 call of the 1985 World Series), sat down next to me in the back pew of the church. We had just put in replay, and he says to me, ‘Where the hell were you when I needed you?’’
Hitting their spots
“Even today, Tom Seaver might be the best I ever saw. He would keep you on your toes from the first pitch to the last. Greg Maddux pitched to his spots. So did Randy Jones and Steve Carlton. The game moves so much faster when guys throw strikes, and guys like Randy Johnson, he was horrible to work when he first came up, but just great by the time he left.’’
The greatest
“Barry Bonds was the best left-handed hitter I ever saw, and Albert Pujols was probably the best right-handed hitter.
“Now, the best hitting team I ended up seeing was the Big Red Machine, just as they were dismantling.
“Those Yankee teams were great, too, but they never swung at anything until they got their pitch. The Reds would swing at everything.’’
Friendliest face
“That’s easy. Dale Murphy. Nobody was better than Murph. He would sign autographs for kids in the outfield right before every game. Just a peach of a guy.
“Even the other teams loved him. I remember once there was a beanball situation, and just before the pitcher threw at him, the catcher yelled at him, ‘Watch out, Dale.’’’
Biggest complainer
“It’s got to be Adrian Beltre. Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he says, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, “that ball is outside.’
“I told him, ‘You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.’’
Dugout nemesis
“I only had him in spring training, but I don’t think Earl Weaver finished a game that I was in. I remember once he was walking into the clubhouse to get something to eat before the game, and I said to him, “You know, Bobby Cox is about to pass you in career ejections.
“Earl went nuts and said, “He’ll never pass me.’ I almost had to throw him out before we even got on the field he got so mad.’’
Greatest call
“I was at second base in Game 4 of the (2004) ALCS with the Red Sox and Yankees when Dave Roberts stole second base. I called him safe. The Red Sox went onto win that game, and never lost again the rest of the postseason.
“Even today when I see Dave Roberts, he says, “You made me famous.’”
“The funniest line I remember from that series was from Kevin Millar. He kept saying, 'You better not let us win one.’ The way the Yankees were playing that series, I kept thinking, 'Right, good luck on that one.’"
Historic moment
“It had to be when Pete Rose broke the National League consecutive hit record, unless you want to count when A-Rod knock the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove, and we called him out.
“The fans threw everything at us. We had to call the riot squad to calm everyone. The next day, when they realized we had the call right, they gave us a standing ovation.’’
Prized possession
“I got an autographed baseball from Merle Haggard. Come on, you can’t do better than that?
“Now, I’ll keep my mask and chest protector from my 5,000th too.’’
For young umpires
“I tell them your first responsibility is to the game of baseball, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Commissioner’s office. The second is to your profession, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the union. And the third is to do in your heart what you know is honest, moral and correct. You do them in that order, and nothing that you’ll do is wrong, no matter how much they argue on the field.’’
Bob Nightengale USA Today
You listen to his songs online, watch him eject your favorite managers and players, and scream every time he makes a call, whether it’s right or wrong.
Joe West, 64, the most polarizing umpire in baseball, is still at it, 40 years after it all began, and he’s behind the plate Tuesday night at Coors Field, working his 5,000th game in the major leagues.
He has umpired more games than all but two of his predecessors, 369 games behind Hall of Famer Bill Klem and 163 behind Bruce Froemming.
“It’s something I’m not making a big deal out of,’’ West says, “but it’s something I’m very proud of.”
The first time West was behind the plate was Sept. 16, 1976, a 5-3 game between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves at Fulton County Stadium. The game, featuring Joaquin Andujar and Phil Niekro, had just seven strikeouts, four walks, three homers, and two relief pitchers. It lasted just 1 hour, 54 minutes.
“Nobody believes it when I tell them,’’ West says, “they look it up and come back shaking their head.’’
West is the only living umpire from that crew that day. Gone also are every ballpark he worked that year, except Wrigley Field in Chicago, Fenway Park in Boston and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Country Joe West, who has produced two country music albums, appeared in the Grand Ole Opry and The Naked Gun, and developed and patented his own chest protector, has out-lived them all.
His tenure has spanned six commissioners, 21 World Series champions, 151 umpires and 55 Hall of Fame players. The game Tuesday between the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks pits two franchises that didn’t exist when he began his career.
The impressions he left were often indelible.
“Joe was infamous, or famous for testing out a pitcher early in the game,’’ says Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz. “He would call a ball that was a strike to see if you were relaxed, or cool with it, to see how you’d react.
“Well, I learned something way too late. When I was with Boston, I decided I’m going to find out what song Joe wants to hear when I come to the mound. They gave me some obscure, sentimental song, and there’s Joe behind home plate, tapping his feet, and singing to the song.”
Now, a man who’s seen just about everything provides his thoughts to USA TODAY Sports about his tenure, and the sport’s evolution.
Pace of play
“It’s the TV commercials. We’ve got 19 minutes of commercial time. I remember when I came up, (NL umpire supervisor) Blake Cullen initiated a 1-minute, 40-second clock in between innings. Only three pitchers complained - Randy Jones, Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton - and they were the best of their time. They thought it was too long to wait before pitching. Then, it went to 2:05. Then, 2:30 for network games. And now, over three minutes for the playoffs.
“We’re doing so many things to help speed up the game, but I can’t do anything about that commercial time. But as much as we want to complain, it sure pays a lot of bills.”
A pitch clock in 2018
“I don’t like it. I don’t think you can take away a pitcher’s ability to get himself ready at his own pace. Instead of a pitch clock, let’s get rid of all of the walk-up music. Players wait like it’s a Broadway play before they come out to the plate.”
“People talk about eliminating the visits to the mound, too. I still remember when (Bob) Gibson was pitching and (Tim) McCarver went to the mound. Gibson told him, “The only thing you know about pitching is that you can’t hit it, so get behind the plate.’’
Game-changers
“The base running has gotten worse, and outfielders hitting the cutoff man is even worse. And no one changes their swing anymore. They’re all trying to hit home runs. They think, ‘If I’m a 30-home run hitter, I’m a millionaire. If I hit .270 and make contact, I’ll never be paid.
“It’s like watching the US Open now. If you keep swinging from your heels all the time, it’s tough to keep the ball in play. Babe Ruth struck out a lot too, but he hit .342.
“You just don’t see anyone try to hit the ball the other way. And nobody chokes up. Barry Bonds used to choke up on the first pitch, not just when it’s 0-and-2. The only one I see choking up now is the kid from Chicago, (Anthony) Rizzo, and he only does it when he has two strikes.’’
Worst rule in 50 years
“The DH. It’s horrible. It was supposed to be an experiment to help increase attendance in the American League, and now it’s ruining the game. You watch the games in the NL, and how pitchers go right after the seventh and eighth hitters. In the AL, they pitch everybody like it’s a 3-4-5 hitter.
“The DH has really hurt the timing of the game.’’
Best anecdote
“It was Pudge Rodriguez. He was in spring training with the Marlins, and he parked his Porsche into the umpire’s parking lot. Well, the security guards let me know who was in our spot.
“When he got behind the plate, we exchanged hellos, and I said, ‘Crazy morning. When I got here today, someone parked in our spot, so I had to make sure the security guard towed that thing.’
“Pudge caught the first three outs, and he left the game. He really thought we towed it. Now, he’s in the Hall of Fame.’’
Replay
“I love the fact that baseball spent $40 million to prove that we’re right 99% of the time. It’s a good thing for umpires.
“I remember going to [(ormer umpire) Drew Coble’s wife’s funeral. When I got there, Don Denkinger (who blew the critical Game 6 call of the 1985 World Series), sat down next to me in the back pew of the church. We had just put in replay, and he says to me, ‘Where the hell were you when I needed you?’’
Hitting their spots
“Even today, Tom Seaver might be the best I ever saw. He would keep you on your toes from the first pitch to the last. Greg Maddux pitched to his spots. So did Randy Jones and Steve Carlton. The game moves so much faster when guys throw strikes, and guys like Randy Johnson, he was horrible to work when he first came up, but just great by the time he left.’’
The greatest
“Barry Bonds was the best left-handed hitter I ever saw, and Albert Pujols was probably the best right-handed hitter.
“Now, the best hitting team I ended up seeing was the Big Red Machine, just as they were dismantling.
“Those Yankee teams were great, too, but they never swung at anything until they got their pitch. The Reds would swing at everything.’’
Friendliest face
“That’s easy. Dale Murphy. Nobody was better than Murph. He would sign autographs for kids in the outfield right before every game. Just a peach of a guy.
“Even the other teams loved him. I remember once there was a beanball situation, and just before the pitcher threw at him, the catcher yelled at him, ‘Watch out, Dale.’’’
Biggest complainer
“It’s got to be Adrian Beltre. Every pitch you call that’s a strike, he says, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ I had a game with him recently and the pitch was right down the middle. He tells me, “that ball is outside.’
“I told him, ‘You may be a great ballplayer, but you’re the worst umpire in the league. You stink.’’
Dugout nemesis
“I only had him in spring training, but I don’t think Earl Weaver finished a game that I was in. I remember once he was walking into the clubhouse to get something to eat before the game, and I said to him, “You know, Bobby Cox is about to pass you in career ejections.
“Earl went nuts and said, “He’ll never pass me.’ I almost had to throw him out before we even got on the field he got so mad.’’
Greatest call
“I was at second base in Game 4 of the (2004) ALCS with the Red Sox and Yankees when Dave Roberts stole second base. I called him safe. The Red Sox went onto win that game, and never lost again the rest of the postseason.
“Even today when I see Dave Roberts, he says, “You made me famous.’”
“The funniest line I remember from that series was from Kevin Millar. He kept saying, 'You better not let us win one.’ The way the Yankees were playing that series, I kept thinking, 'Right, good luck on that one.’"
Historic moment
“It had to be when Pete Rose broke the National League consecutive hit record, unless you want to count when A-Rod knock the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove, and we called him out.
“The fans threw everything at us. We had to call the riot squad to calm everyone. The next day, when they realized we had the call right, they gave us a standing ovation.’’
Prized possession
“I got an autographed baseball from Merle Haggard. Come on, you can’t do better than that?
“Now, I’ll keep my mask and chest protector from my 5,000th too.’’
For young umpires
“I tell them your first responsibility is to the game of baseball, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the Commissioner’s office. The second is to your profession, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the union. And the third is to do in your heart what you know is honest, moral and correct. You do them in that order, and nothing that you’ll do is wrong, no matter how much they argue on the field.’’
Re: Articles
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:20 pm
GM Mike Chernoff says Cleveland Indians 'wide open' to trade if it can improve team
Updated on June 22, 2017 at 11:37 PM Posted on June 22, 2017 at 7:24 PM
How effective right-hander Danny Salazar is when he rejoins the Indians' rotation, could play a part in what they do at the July 31 trading deadline. Salazar is on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
BALTIMORE - In January, the Indians stated their intentions for the 2017 season when they signed free agent Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million deal. Unless the bottom falls out of their season between now and the July 31 trading deadline, it would be hard for them not to do everything in their power to improve this team.
"We'll take the month and determine if we have needs and what those are," said GM Mike Chernoff, who has accompanied the team on this eight-game trip. "You saw last year where we felt we had a need and went out and did something. I think we're wide open to that again and hopefully we'll be in a position to be able to do that."
Until this trip, the Indians were a .500 team with the biggest payroll in club history. Then they arrived at Target Field on Friday and swept a four-game series from the first-place Twins. They went from two games off the pace to a two-game lead over the Twins in the AL Central.
"It was a huge weekend in Minnesota," said Chernoff. "We had four games in three days against the team that was ahead of us. Coming out of Minnesota and at least so far in this series against Baltimore, you've seen the team play a little better."
The Indians entered Thursday's night game against the Orioles with a 6-1 record on the trip. They have won seven of their last eight overall.
"It's all about what our needs are at the deadline," said Chernoff. "We try to put together the best team we can at the beginning of the year. If there are injuries or certain needs we have, I think you saw last year, we're wide open to try and fill those needs."
The Indians acquired left-hander Andrew Miler from the Yankees on July 31. It cost them four prospects. They also tried to acquire catcher Jonathan Lucroy from Milwaukee, but he vetoed the deal.
The starting rotation has not been what the organization anticipated at the beginning of the year. When people talk about the Indians getting better, they focus is usually on the rotation. Still, the rotation's ERA has improved from 15th to eighth in the American League.
"You hope you don't have to go out and get anybody," said Chernoff. "You hope it all comes internally.
"We feel we have the potential to have one of the best rotations in the league. You're seeing Corey Kluber coming off the DL and pitching well. Carlos Carrasco just had a great outing Wednesday night and Trevor Bauer is on a great trajectory. We hoping any help we need comes from internal guys, but if it has to come externally we're open to that too."
Chernoff mentioned right-hander Danny Salazar, who is currently on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder and trying to rediscover his mojo at Class AA Akron.
"Once we get Danny back, that's about as good an addition as you can make to a team," said Chernoff. "You can't go out and get a guy like that.
"We hope once Danny is back he adds a huge boost to our rotation. We also have some of the guys from Triple A who have been up. Mike Clevinger is here. So is Adam Plutko and Ryan Merritt pitched against the Twins over the weekend."
Salazar went on the disabled list on June 4. He was struggling before he was shut down, going 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 starts. Salazar had 77 strikeouts, but a 1.582 WHIP.
In acquiring Miller and pursuing Lucroy, the Indians showed they were than willing to trade top prospects. Chernoff said the Indians would do the same this year depending on what kind of need they have.
"We feel good about our system, but it's not how we feel about it, it's how other teams feel about it," he said. "We feel we're in a strong position to both add some guys from Triple-A as depth if we needed to tap internal players. Or potentially if there was the right external fit."
Chernoff added that despite the additions of Encarnacion and Miller, he doesn't think the team feels obligated to make a move at the July 31 or Aug. 31 deadlines.
"It's really dependent on what the needs of the team are," he said. "I don't think there's any other motive besides filling a team need. It's not like there's some urgency to make a move just for the sake of making a move."
Updated on June 22, 2017 at 11:37 PM Posted on June 22, 2017 at 7:24 PM
How effective right-hander Danny Salazar is when he rejoins the Indians' rotation, could play a part in what they do at the July 31 trading deadline. Salazar is on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder.
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
BALTIMORE - In January, the Indians stated their intentions for the 2017 season when they signed free agent Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million deal. Unless the bottom falls out of their season between now and the July 31 trading deadline, it would be hard for them not to do everything in their power to improve this team.
"We'll take the month and determine if we have needs and what those are," said GM Mike Chernoff, who has accompanied the team on this eight-game trip. "You saw last year where we felt we had a need and went out and did something. I think we're wide open to that again and hopefully we'll be in a position to be able to do that."
Until this trip, the Indians were a .500 team with the biggest payroll in club history. Then they arrived at Target Field on Friday and swept a four-game series from the first-place Twins. They went from two games off the pace to a two-game lead over the Twins in the AL Central.
"It was a huge weekend in Minnesota," said Chernoff. "We had four games in three days against the team that was ahead of us. Coming out of Minnesota and at least so far in this series against Baltimore, you've seen the team play a little better."
The Indians entered Thursday's night game against the Orioles with a 6-1 record on the trip. They have won seven of their last eight overall.
"It's all about what our needs are at the deadline," said Chernoff. "We try to put together the best team we can at the beginning of the year. If there are injuries or certain needs we have, I think you saw last year, we're wide open to try and fill those needs."
The Indians acquired left-hander Andrew Miler from the Yankees on July 31. It cost them four prospects. They also tried to acquire catcher Jonathan Lucroy from Milwaukee, but he vetoed the deal.
The starting rotation has not been what the organization anticipated at the beginning of the year. When people talk about the Indians getting better, they focus is usually on the rotation. Still, the rotation's ERA has improved from 15th to eighth in the American League.
"You hope you don't have to go out and get anybody," said Chernoff. "You hope it all comes internally.
"We feel we have the potential to have one of the best rotations in the league. You're seeing Corey Kluber coming off the DL and pitching well. Carlos Carrasco just had a great outing Wednesday night and Trevor Bauer is on a great trajectory. We hoping any help we need comes from internal guys, but if it has to come externally we're open to that too."
Chernoff mentioned right-hander Danny Salazar, who is currently on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder and trying to rediscover his mojo at Class AA Akron.
"Once we get Danny back, that's about as good an addition as you can make to a team," said Chernoff. "You can't go out and get a guy like that.
"We hope once Danny is back he adds a huge boost to our rotation. We also have some of the guys from Triple A who have been up. Mike Clevinger is here. So is Adam Plutko and Ryan Merritt pitched against the Twins over the weekend."
Salazar went on the disabled list on June 4. He was struggling before he was shut down, going 3-5 with a 5.40 ERA in 12 starts. Salazar had 77 strikeouts, but a 1.582 WHIP.
In acquiring Miller and pursuing Lucroy, the Indians showed they were than willing to trade top prospects. Chernoff said the Indians would do the same this year depending on what kind of need they have.
"We feel good about our system, but it's not how we feel about it, it's how other teams feel about it," he said. "We feel we're in a strong position to both add some guys from Triple-A as depth if we needed to tap internal players. Or potentially if there was the right external fit."
Chernoff added that despite the additions of Encarnacion and Miller, he doesn't think the team feels obligated to make a move at the July 31 or Aug. 31 deadlines.
"It's really dependent on what the needs of the team are," he said. "I don't think there's any other motive besides filling a team need. It's not like there's some urgency to make a move just for the sake of making a move."
Re: Articles
Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2017 2:41 pm
A dependable inning eating starting pitcher please.