Re: Articles
6227Speaking of fractions of inches:
MLB panel says baseballs getting extra lift, cause unknown
May 24, 2018 , By RONALD BLUM
NEW YORK (AP) Baseballs really have been getting extra lift since 2015, and it's not from the exaggerated uppercuts batters are taking, according to a 10-person committee of researchers hired by the commissioner's office.
"The aerodynamic properties of the ball have changed, allowing it to carry farther," said committee chairman Alan Nathan, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
But the panel, which includes professors specializing in physics, mechanical engineering, statistics and mathematics, struck out trying to pinpoint the cause.
The committee's 84-page report was released Thursday by Major League Baseball. There was no evidence of meaningful change in the bounciness of the balls, formally called coefficient of restitution (COR), or alteration in batters' swings, such as uppercutting.
As for what caused of the change in aerodynamic properties, it remains baseball's great mystery, the sport's equivalent of the search for the Loch Ness Monster.
"We have to admit and we do admit that we do not understand it. We know the primary cause is the change in the drag but we just simply cannot pinpoint what feature of the ball would lead to it," Nathan said during a conference call Wednesday ahead of the report's release. "Therefore it was probably is something very, very subtle in the manufacturing process but again it has to be pretty subtle, because if it weren't, we would have found it."
Physicist Leonard Mlodinow, in an executive summary accompanying the report, speculated "manufacturing advances that result in a more spherically symmetric ball could have the unintended side effect of reducing the ball's drag."
The major league average of home runs per game for both teams combined climbed from 1.90 before the 2015 All-Star break to 2.17 in the second half, then rose to 2.31 in 2016 and a record 2.51 last season. The percentage of batted balls resulting in home runs rose from 3.2 percent in 2014 to 3.8 percent in 2015 to 4.4 percent in 2016 and 4.8 percent in 2017.
"We found a consistent picture that the drag coefficient is a little bit smaller as we progressed through 2015 into `16 into `17," Nathan said. "Finally, we used our physics expertise to conclude that the small change we found in the average drag coefficient going throughout the period 2015 to 2017 was completely consistent with the change in the number of home runs per batted ball.
"So you're using partly pure physics, partly a model, partly statistical data about home run distances and things like that, but it all hung together very, very well. So all four of those things point to the fact that it's the aerodynamic properties of the ball that have changed. So that much we know. What we do we not know? Well, what we do not know is what specific measurable property of the ball has led to this change," he said.
The committee inspected the Rawlings factory that manufactures the balls in Turrialba, Costa Rica, analyzed test data from 2010-17 compiled by Rawlings and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, which has analyzed balls for MLB. The group tested 15 dozen unused balls from 2013-17 and 22 dozen game-used balls from 2012-17. The committee devised new tests conducted at Washington State and examined MLB StatCast data from 2015-17 that included pitch type, exit velocity, launch angle, spray angle, spin rate, spin axis and distance.
MLB announced five steps in response to the report:
-Monitor temperature and humidity of ball storage areas at all 30 ballparks this year and will work with the committee to determine whether to mandate humidors throughout the major leagues in 2019;
-Update production specifications with Rawlings and add specs for aerodynamic properties;
-Develop aerodynamic tests;
-Create standards for mud rubbing, to be enforced by the umpires;
-Form a scientific advisory council.
Balls have been stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment at Denver's mile-high Coors Field since 2002 and in the desert at Phoenix's Chase Field starting this season.
The Official Baseball Rules state balls must be 5-5\\ ounces and 9-9\\ inches in circumference. Major league balls have rubber pills at the center, wound over by three layers of yarn that is 85 percent wool and 15 percent synthetic, and then a thin layer of cotton. The cover of hide from Tennessee dairy cows is hand-sewn with 108 stitches.
"Rawlings makes baseballs with a much, much, much tighter spec than they are required to do by the actual spec itself," Nathan said. "So we recommended altering that and tightening up the spec, and so that when you say the ball is within spec, it has some meaning to it, and they followed that recommendation."
Application of the Lena Blackburne Original Baseball Rubbing Mud, which comes from the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, was not examined. The mud is used by clubhouse attendants to make the balls less slippery.
"There could be some non-uniformity there," Nathan said. "One of the things that is known to affect the flight of the ball, the carry of the ball, is the roughness of the surface of the ball. That's why the seams matter, but also the leather part, the white part matters, too, and differences in how that mud is applied could possibly provide a clue to it."
Nathan would like additional tests on surface roughness and whether pills are off-center.
"There are some smart people who are looking into this drag business, and the hope is that it will be uncovered and we will understand things better," he said.
In addition to Nathan the committee included Bowling Green statistics professor Jim Albert, Southern California mathematics professors Jay Bartro and Larry Goldstein, Stanford school of Humanities professor Roger Blandford, MIT mechanical engineering and mathematics professor Anette (Peko) Hosoi, CalTech mathematics professor emeritus Gary Lorden, Washington State mechanical and materials engineering professor Lloyd Smith, Dan Brooks of the Brooks Baseball website and Southern Cal Ph.D. student Josh Derenski.
MLB panel says baseballs getting extra lift, cause unknown
May 24, 2018 , By RONALD BLUM
NEW YORK (AP) Baseballs really have been getting extra lift since 2015, and it's not from the exaggerated uppercuts batters are taking, according to a 10-person committee of researchers hired by the commissioner's office.
"The aerodynamic properties of the ball have changed, allowing it to carry farther," said committee chairman Alan Nathan, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
But the panel, which includes professors specializing in physics, mechanical engineering, statistics and mathematics, struck out trying to pinpoint the cause.
The committee's 84-page report was released Thursday by Major League Baseball. There was no evidence of meaningful change in the bounciness of the balls, formally called coefficient of restitution (COR), or alteration in batters' swings, such as uppercutting.
As for what caused of the change in aerodynamic properties, it remains baseball's great mystery, the sport's equivalent of the search for the Loch Ness Monster.
"We have to admit and we do admit that we do not understand it. We know the primary cause is the change in the drag but we just simply cannot pinpoint what feature of the ball would lead to it," Nathan said during a conference call Wednesday ahead of the report's release. "Therefore it was probably is something very, very subtle in the manufacturing process but again it has to be pretty subtle, because if it weren't, we would have found it."
Physicist Leonard Mlodinow, in an executive summary accompanying the report, speculated "manufacturing advances that result in a more spherically symmetric ball could have the unintended side effect of reducing the ball's drag."
The major league average of home runs per game for both teams combined climbed from 1.90 before the 2015 All-Star break to 2.17 in the second half, then rose to 2.31 in 2016 and a record 2.51 last season. The percentage of batted balls resulting in home runs rose from 3.2 percent in 2014 to 3.8 percent in 2015 to 4.4 percent in 2016 and 4.8 percent in 2017.
"We found a consistent picture that the drag coefficient is a little bit smaller as we progressed through 2015 into `16 into `17," Nathan said. "Finally, we used our physics expertise to conclude that the small change we found in the average drag coefficient going throughout the period 2015 to 2017 was completely consistent with the change in the number of home runs per batted ball.
"So you're using partly pure physics, partly a model, partly statistical data about home run distances and things like that, but it all hung together very, very well. So all four of those things point to the fact that it's the aerodynamic properties of the ball that have changed. So that much we know. What we do we not know? Well, what we do not know is what specific measurable property of the ball has led to this change," he said.
The committee inspected the Rawlings factory that manufactures the balls in Turrialba, Costa Rica, analyzed test data from 2010-17 compiled by Rawlings and the University of Massachusetts Lowell, which has analyzed balls for MLB. The group tested 15 dozen unused balls from 2013-17 and 22 dozen game-used balls from 2012-17. The committee devised new tests conducted at Washington State and examined MLB StatCast data from 2015-17 that included pitch type, exit velocity, launch angle, spray angle, spin rate, spin axis and distance.
MLB announced five steps in response to the report:
-Monitor temperature and humidity of ball storage areas at all 30 ballparks this year and will work with the committee to determine whether to mandate humidors throughout the major leagues in 2019;
-Update production specifications with Rawlings and add specs for aerodynamic properties;
-Develop aerodynamic tests;
-Create standards for mud rubbing, to be enforced by the umpires;
-Form a scientific advisory council.
Balls have been stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment at Denver's mile-high Coors Field since 2002 and in the desert at Phoenix's Chase Field starting this season.
The Official Baseball Rules state balls must be 5-5\\ ounces and 9-9\\ inches in circumference. Major league balls have rubber pills at the center, wound over by three layers of yarn that is 85 percent wool and 15 percent synthetic, and then a thin layer of cotton. The cover of hide from Tennessee dairy cows is hand-sewn with 108 stitches.
"Rawlings makes baseballs with a much, much, much tighter spec than they are required to do by the actual spec itself," Nathan said. "So we recommended altering that and tightening up the spec, and so that when you say the ball is within spec, it has some meaning to it, and they followed that recommendation."
Application of the Lena Blackburne Original Baseball Rubbing Mud, which comes from the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, was not examined. The mud is used by clubhouse attendants to make the balls less slippery.
"There could be some non-uniformity there," Nathan said. "One of the things that is known to affect the flight of the ball, the carry of the ball, is the roughness of the surface of the ball. That's why the seams matter, but also the leather part, the white part matters, too, and differences in how that mud is applied could possibly provide a clue to it."
Nathan would like additional tests on surface roughness and whether pills are off-center.
"There are some smart people who are looking into this drag business, and the hope is that it will be uncovered and we will understand things better," he said.
In addition to Nathan the committee included Bowling Green statistics professor Jim Albert, Southern California mathematics professors Jay Bartro and Larry Goldstein, Stanford school of Humanities professor Roger Blandford, MIT mechanical engineering and mathematics professor Anette (Peko) Hosoi, CalTech mathematics professor emeritus Gary Lorden, Washington State mechanical and materials engineering professor Lloyd Smith, Dan Brooks of the Brooks Baseball website and Southern Cal Ph.D. student Josh Derenski.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
6228Global warming.
Measure the temperature ,humidity and barometric pressure when each HR is hit.
Measure the temperature ,humidity and barometric pressure when each HR is hit.
Re: Articles
6229We can make trades to fill a hole in the AAA rotation but not in the huge hole in our set up situation in big league pen.
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The Cleveland Indians have acquired right-hander Myles Jaye from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
Jaye, 26, is expected to report to Triple-A Columbus in the coming days, where he will help fill the void left when the Clippers placed right-handed starting pitcher Stephen Fife on the 7-day disabled list with right elbow soreness.
Jaye has spent the season at Triple-A Rochester, the top farm affiliate of the Twins. In eight starts this season, he had posted a 3-3 record with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in 42 1/3 inning of work, with 15 walks, but only 19 strikeouts, in that span.
He has looked much better in his last four starts for the Red Wings after a rocky start to his season. He has averaged six innings per start and has made three quality outings in that span. His best outing of the season came just two starts ago in a home start against Pawtucket, when he allowed just one hit (a solo home run) in seven innings of work with a walk and two strikeouts in earning his third straight win. He lost his last start against Buffalo, allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts in a tough loss.
In those last four starts for Rochester, Jaye is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 24 innings of work. Opposing hitters are batting .176 against him in that span.
The seventh-year pro has taken the tour of the American League Central Division throughout his career. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 17th round of the 2010 draft out of high school, but was traded prior to the 2012 season to the Chicago White Sox. He reached the Double-A level for the Sox, but was traded following the 2015 season to the Texas Rangers, who then flipped him to the Detroit Tigers at the end of spring training in 2016.
He spent the 2016 and 2017 campaigns in the Tigers farm system, working at both Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, and made his debut last season for the Tigers, going 1-2 with a 12.08 ERA and a 2.21 WHIP in five games (two starts). Jaye’s Major League debut came against the Indians last September 2nd, when he worked three and one-third innings of two-hit relief. He made his first big league start against the Tribe on September 11, and was rocked for seven runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three and two-third innings to suffer his first career loss.
He signed with the Minnesota Twins after electing free agency following an outright assignment by the Tigers in November.
He gives the Indians another depth option in Columbus for the starting rotation. Adam Plutko has been shuttled back and forth a couple of times now this season and Shane Bieber is set to make his Major League debut on Thursday against the Twins. Julian Merryweather and Shawn Morimando were joined on the DL by Fife. Adam Wilk and Alexi Ogando are the only remaining healthy and regular starters in the rotation and have been joined by a slew of other options during the month of May, including Dominic DeMasi, Matt Whitehouse, Sean Brady, and new returnee to the organization, Mitch Talbot.
It marks the end of a long period of trade silence between the Indians and Twins organizations. The two clubs last completed a deal on August 25, 2011, when Cleveland purchased Jim Thome from Minnesota. It is just the third trade between the two clubs since the waivers trade deadline in 1994.
.
The Cleveland Indians have acquired right-hander Myles Jaye from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.
Jaye, 26, is expected to report to Triple-A Columbus in the coming days, where he will help fill the void left when the Clippers placed right-handed starting pitcher Stephen Fife on the 7-day disabled list with right elbow soreness.
Jaye has spent the season at Triple-A Rochester, the top farm affiliate of the Twins. In eight starts this season, he had posted a 3-3 record with a 4.25 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP in 42 1/3 inning of work, with 15 walks, but only 19 strikeouts, in that span.
He has looked much better in his last four starts for the Red Wings after a rocky start to his season. He has averaged six innings per start and has made three quality outings in that span. His best outing of the season came just two starts ago in a home start against Pawtucket, when he allowed just one hit (a solo home run) in seven innings of work with a walk and two strikeouts in earning his third straight win. He lost his last start against Buffalo, allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts in a tough loss.
In those last four starts for Rochester, Jaye is 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in 24 innings of work. Opposing hitters are batting .176 against him in that span.
The seventh-year pro has taken the tour of the American League Central Division throughout his career. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 17th round of the 2010 draft out of high school, but was traded prior to the 2012 season to the Chicago White Sox. He reached the Double-A level for the Sox, but was traded following the 2015 season to the Texas Rangers, who then flipped him to the Detroit Tigers at the end of spring training in 2016.
He spent the 2016 and 2017 campaigns in the Tigers farm system, working at both Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, and made his debut last season for the Tigers, going 1-2 with a 12.08 ERA and a 2.21 WHIP in five games (two starts). Jaye’s Major League debut came against the Indians last September 2nd, when he worked three and one-third innings of two-hit relief. He made his first big league start against the Tribe on September 11, and was rocked for seven runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts in three and two-third innings to suffer his first career loss.
He signed with the Minnesota Twins after electing free agency following an outright assignment by the Tigers in November.
He gives the Indians another depth option in Columbus for the starting rotation. Adam Plutko has been shuttled back and forth a couple of times now this season and Shane Bieber is set to make his Major League debut on Thursday against the Twins. Julian Merryweather and Shawn Morimando were joined on the DL by Fife. Adam Wilk and Alexi Ogando are the only remaining healthy and regular starters in the rotation and have been joined by a slew of other options during the month of May, including Dominic DeMasi, Matt Whitehouse, Sean Brady, and new returnee to the organization, Mitch Talbot.
It marks the end of a long period of trade silence between the Indians and Twins organizations. The two clubs last completed a deal on August 25, 2011, when Cleveland purchased Jim Thome from Minnesota. It is just the third trade between the two clubs since the waivers trade deadline in 1994.
Re: Articles
6230I will say this - this is an indication that Tomlin will not be leaving the bullpen. Either Plutko or Bieber will continue as #5 so they now need a Columbus fill in.
Be interesting to see how Tomlin develops there. And perhaps Salazar has a future there if the #5 slot gets nailed down effectively.
Be interesting to see how Tomlin develops there. And perhaps Salazar has a future there if the #5 slot gets nailed down effectively.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
6231Plutko was sent down today so Bieber has an opportunity.
Beliveau I think was called up in his place. He just gave up a homer and gave quick hook.
Beliveau I think was called up in his place. He just gave up a homer and gave quick hook.
Re: Articles
6232Plutko going down just to keep him on his regular turn since the Indians have a day or two off in the next week. Beliveau or someone like him will be removed when Bieber is added. He is a particularly bad pitcher, but so are most of the bullpen guys this year. I'd be perfectly happy to DFA McAllister, Otero, Marshall, Ramirez, Taylor.
Re: Articles
6233Then again if Bieber dominates - all bets are off.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
6234Oops - Guyer in 2nd year of a 3 year contract. So much for him going anywhere.
Terry Francona says OF Bradley Zimmer will return to Cleveland Indians on Friday, tougher decisions ahead
Updated May 31, 10:25 PM; Posted May 31, 9:47 PM
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com jnoga@cleveland.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- Pitcher Shane Bieber is heading back to Class AAA Columbus after making his major-league debut for the Cleveland Indians Thursday against Minnesota, and Bradley Zimmer will take his place on the 25-man roster Friday, Tribe manager Terry Francona said.
That's the easy decision. Cleveland won't need a No. 5 starter again until June 12, because of two scheduled off days. There are tougher roster calls a little further beyond that, but they're coming.
Outfielders Lonnie Chisenhall (strained calf) and Brandon Guyer (neck strain) are close to returning from their minor-league rehab assignments. Possibly on Tuesday. Tyler Naquin (hamstring) is a bit behind them.
Zimmer is coming off the 10-day disabled list after recovering from a bruised chest that he suffered when he crashed into the outfield wall at Yankee Stadium on May 5. When everybody is finally healthy, Cleveland will have eight bodies for five outfield spots.
"We know we have some decisions coming, we talk about it daily," Francona said. "A lot happens in four days, as we've seen. But we want to at least be organized with our thoughts. We'll figure it out."
Naquin, Zimmer and Greg Allen all have minor-league options. Rajai Davis ($1.75 million) and Melky Cabrera ($1 million) are signed to flexible veteran contracts. The Indians picked up Michael Brantley's $12 contract option in the offseason, and Brandon Guyer is making about $2.75 million in the second year of a three-year deal.
Chisenhall ($5.58 million) is a free agent at season's end. As are Brantley, Davis and Cabrera. If you follow the money, the picture starts to become a little clearer in favor of the veterans, but the youngsters like Allen are complicating things with their recent play.
Allen, who hit a walk-off home run to beat Houston in the 14th inning Sunday, entered Thursday's game hitting .333 in the last week with two doubles, two RBI and a walk. He appears to have made adjustments at the plate after a rough start following his call-up May 6.
"He's swinging at more strikes, he's keeping the ball out of the air, especially to left field," Francona said. "If it makes for a hard decision, I think we're all happy about that."
Zimmer is the best defensive center fielder in the organization, and Naquin had hit in eight of his previous 10 games, with a home run and six RBI before his injury.
Meanwhile, veterans Davis and Guyer have struggled to find consistency. Davis, hitting .217, has three hits in his last 14 at-bats, and has not stolen a base since May 15. Guyer is hitting .150, including a .229 average against left-handed pitching. That's nearly 50 points below his career average against lefties.
Terry Francona says OF Bradley Zimmer will return to Cleveland Indians on Friday, tougher decisions ahead
Updated May 31, 10:25 PM; Posted May 31, 9:47 PM
By Joe Noga, cleveland.com jnoga@cleveland.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- Pitcher Shane Bieber is heading back to Class AAA Columbus after making his major-league debut for the Cleveland Indians Thursday against Minnesota, and Bradley Zimmer will take his place on the 25-man roster Friday, Tribe manager Terry Francona said.
That's the easy decision. Cleveland won't need a No. 5 starter again until June 12, because of two scheduled off days. There are tougher roster calls a little further beyond that, but they're coming.
Outfielders Lonnie Chisenhall (strained calf) and Brandon Guyer (neck strain) are close to returning from their minor-league rehab assignments. Possibly on Tuesday. Tyler Naquin (hamstring) is a bit behind them.
Zimmer is coming off the 10-day disabled list after recovering from a bruised chest that he suffered when he crashed into the outfield wall at Yankee Stadium on May 5. When everybody is finally healthy, Cleveland will have eight bodies for five outfield spots.
"We know we have some decisions coming, we talk about it daily," Francona said. "A lot happens in four days, as we've seen. But we want to at least be organized with our thoughts. We'll figure it out."
Naquin, Zimmer and Greg Allen all have minor-league options. Rajai Davis ($1.75 million) and Melky Cabrera ($1 million) are signed to flexible veteran contracts. The Indians picked up Michael Brantley's $12 contract option in the offseason, and Brandon Guyer is making about $2.75 million in the second year of a three-year deal.
Chisenhall ($5.58 million) is a free agent at season's end. As are Brantley, Davis and Cabrera. If you follow the money, the picture starts to become a little clearer in favor of the veterans, but the youngsters like Allen are complicating things with their recent play.
Allen, who hit a walk-off home run to beat Houston in the 14th inning Sunday, entered Thursday's game hitting .333 in the last week with two doubles, two RBI and a walk. He appears to have made adjustments at the plate after a rough start following his call-up May 6.
"He's swinging at more strikes, he's keeping the ball out of the air, especially to left field," Francona said. "If it makes for a hard decision, I think we're all happy about that."
Zimmer is the best defensive center fielder in the organization, and Naquin had hit in eight of his previous 10 games, with a home run and six RBI before his injury.
Meanwhile, veterans Davis and Guyer have struggled to find consistency. Davis, hitting .217, has three hits in his last 14 at-bats, and has not stolen a base since May 15. Guyer is hitting .150, including a .229 average against left-handed pitching. That's nearly 50 points below his career average against lefties.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
6235MINNEAPOLIS -- The Indians' search for stability in their bullpen continued on Saturday, when the team signed veteran lefty Oliver Perez to a Major League contract.
In order to add Perez to the active and 40-man roster, Cleveland designated lefty Jeff Beliveau for assignment. Perez will become the 15th reliever used this season by the Indians, who headed into Saturday with an MLB-high 6.01 bullpen ERA. The Tribe relief corps posted an 8.01 ERA in May, marking the highest bullpen ERA in any month in franchise history (min. 40 innings).
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Perez, 36, signed a Minor League contract with the Yankees on March 30, but opted out of the deal and was granted his release on Friday. In 15 appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, the left-hander has a 2.92 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks in 12 1/3 innings.
For his career, which includes stints with seven Major League teams across parts of 15 seasons, Perez has turned in a 4.46 ERA in 552 games with 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The reliever has limited lefty batters to a .231 average (.683 OPS) in his career, and held them to a .227 average (.665 OPS) last season with the Nationals.
Overall in the 2017 campaign, Perez appeared in 50 games for Washington, finishing with a 4.64 ERA, 39 strikeouts and 12 walks in 33 innings.
Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, follow him on Twitter @MLBastian and Facebook.
In order to add Perez to the active and 40-man roster, Cleveland designated lefty Jeff Beliveau for assignment. Perez will become the 15th reliever used this season by the Indians, who headed into Saturday with an MLB-high 6.01 bullpen ERA. The Tribe relief corps posted an 8.01 ERA in May, marking the highest bullpen ERA in any month in franchise history (min. 40 innings).
View Full Game Coverage
Perez, 36, signed a Minor League contract with the Yankees on March 30, but opted out of the deal and was granted his release on Friday. In 15 appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, the left-hander has a 2.92 ERA with 13 strikeouts and three walks in 12 1/3 innings.
For his career, which includes stints with seven Major League teams across parts of 15 seasons, Perez has turned in a 4.46 ERA in 552 games with 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. The reliever has limited lefty batters to a .231 average (.683 OPS) in his career, and held them to a .227 average (.665 OPS) last season with the Nationals.
Overall in the 2017 campaign, Perez appeared in 50 games for Washington, finishing with a 4.64 ERA, 39 strikeouts and 12 walks in 33 innings.
Jordan Bastian has covered the Indians for MLB.com since 2011, and previously covered the Blue Jays from 2006-10. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, follow him on Twitter @MLBastian and Facebook.
Re: Articles
6236Pretty much a lefty only guy but...
I think he's a good gamble. Yankees bullpen is crazy loaded so of course they couldn't call him up - so bye bye Beliveau too.
I think he's a good gamble. Yankees bullpen is crazy loaded so of course they couldn't call him up - so bye bye Beliveau too.
"I've suffered a great many tragedies in my life....most of them never happened". Mark Twain
Re: Articles
6237If he is not an improvement on Believeau he's really bad. Jeff did finally retire a lefty yesterday, so he leaves on a high note.
Re: Articles
6238A game of musical chairs is approaching for the Indians’ outfield
By Zack Meisel Jun 2, 2018 10
MINNEAPOLIS — The Indians’ outfield is a forest full of question mark-shaped trees. Some of those trees will fall early next week, and they will make a sound.
Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer are expected to return from the disabled list Tuesday, and Tyler Naquin isn’t too far behind. That gives the Indians eight outfielders for likely five spots. If a Terry Francona-managed roster is going to overflow with something, it’s relievers, not outfielders.
There’s some irony involved in the fact that outfielders keep suffering injuries, yet Michael Brantley has stood tall in left field. (Really, that Brantley is standing at all is encouraging, given his frequent visits to the operating table.) Brantley earned an All-Star nod last season for his strong first half, and he’s been leaps and bounds better this year, with a .332/.376/.551 slash line and a 149 wRC+.
Francona recently noted that he can pencil in Brantley in left field each game and leave him alone.
As for the rest of the outfield, well, the Indians have been searching for the proper (and healthy) combinations.
So, what will go into the team’s decision-making process when narrowing the field next week? That’s precisely the question The Athletic posed to Francona on Friday afternoon. He listed a few factors.
“One, and I think it’s fair, contractually, what guys — I think that’s part of it. Guys that have options. I think that’s important, because you can try to have the perfect team, say, on Tuesday, but as we’ve seen, all kinds of stuff happens. So, if you try to get the perfect team and you let this guy go, you designate this guy, you do this, and then you look up a week from now and you go, ‘Where are our outfielders?’ So, you have to keep that in mind. Certainly, the goal is to win every game here, but I think you have to be mindful of the organization, the health of the organization.
“We know we have some decisions coming. We talk about it daily.”
Francona and members of the coaching staff and front office will sort it all out Monday, in between draft prep meetings.
But why wait until then? Grab your detective kit and let’s solve this puzzle.
Yeah, he’s not going anywhere: Michael Brantley
The Indians’ lineup is humming lately, especially the quartet at the top in Francisco Lindor, Brantley, José Ramírez and Edwin Encarnacion. Even though he missed the final two months of last season, Brantley, sporting a career-best .927 OPS, has played more games than any other Tribe outfielder since the start of the 2016 season. He hasn’t missed a game in a month, either.
They already seemed to make up their minds on this one: Bradley Zimmer
The Indians could have activated Zimmer from the disabled list Friday and promptly optioned him to Class AAA Columbus. Instead, he took the roster spot that Shane Bieber occupied for the previous 24 hours. Still, Greg Allen started in center field Friday night, not Zimmer, and Allen notched a double and a triple. It’s possible that the Indians could option Zimmer to Columbus, but, again, they also could have just done that Friday.
He’s a safe bet to stick: Lonnie Chisenhall
This isn’t much of a question. Chisenhall, out since the first week of April, is a lock to return to the big-league roster. How often he’ll play is another question, especially if Melky Cabrera remains in the mix.
Switch-hitting helps his case: Melky Cabrera
Francona referred to him as “a nice connector between Yonder (Alonso) and (Jason) Kipnis because he’s a switch-hitter and he can hit. He knows how to hit.” Ah, but the Indians should not be abiding by the old “Do as I say, not as I do” mantra. Cabrera actually needs to, you know, hit. As his .186/.213/.279 clip in 47 plate appearances illustrates, he has not yet accomplished that aim.
But the Indians could point to that small sample size and request a longer evaluation period.
“Hopefully as he gets through this first period,” Francona said, “I’m sure his body is kind of sore and everything, (so) hopefully we’ll see even more.”
He’s going to need more time: Tyler Naquin
Naquin isn’t really part of the current conversation, since he hasn’t started a rehab assignment yet. He worked out with Class AA Akron on Friday, and he could see some game action this weekend. But since he’s behind the other recovering outfielders, the team’s decision on him will be a separate one.
Still, when that time comes, it’s tough to see how he fits into the picture. If Chisenhall and Brantley are healthy, the Indians don’t really need another left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, though Naquin performed well at the plate earlier this season.
The teacher and the pupil: Rajai Davis and Greg Allen
Allen has started nine consecutive games, and he has 12 hits in 33 at-bats in that stretch (.364 average). He knows a decision is looming, too.
“You’re aware of these things,” he said Friday night, “but you’re really just trying to take it one day at a time. Control what you can control. Be where your feet are.”
Does Davis offer anything that Allen can’t at this point? Davis remains one of the game’s speediest players, but Allen is no slouch on the basepaths or in the field. If the Indians choose to keep Davis, it’s only because Allen has minor-league options and they want to preserve some depth. But, really, Allen deserves a big-league spot.
“It’s nice to see a kid, he started out slow, but now he’s starting to make adjustments,” Francona said. “He’s swinging at more strikes. He’s keeping the ball out of the air, especially to left field. And his at-bats have been a lot better. He’s swinging at more strikes. He’s a good defender in center. You can put him in right and he’s good there, too. If it makes for a hard decision, I think we’re all happy about that.”
The guy who better hit lefties: Brandon Guyer
In a perfect world, Guyer would serve as the lefty-mashing platoon partner to Chisenhall or whoever mans right field. But this is a world in which Marlins Man is popular and “The Office” continued after Michael Scott departed. Oh, and Guyer owns a .208/.300/.327 slash line since the start of the 2017 season. He’s out of minor-league options and the Indians hold a $3 million option on him for next year.
Prediction: Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, Cabrera, Davis (Allen optioned, Naquin eventually optioned, Guyer designated for assignment)
What I’d do: Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, Allen, Guyer (Naquin eventually optioned, Davis and Cabrera designated for assignment)
By Zack Meisel Jun 2, 2018 10
MINNEAPOLIS — The Indians’ outfield is a forest full of question mark-shaped trees. Some of those trees will fall early next week, and they will make a sound.
Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer are expected to return from the disabled list Tuesday, and Tyler Naquin isn’t too far behind. That gives the Indians eight outfielders for likely five spots. If a Terry Francona-managed roster is going to overflow with something, it’s relievers, not outfielders.
There’s some irony involved in the fact that outfielders keep suffering injuries, yet Michael Brantley has stood tall in left field. (Really, that Brantley is standing at all is encouraging, given his frequent visits to the operating table.) Brantley earned an All-Star nod last season for his strong first half, and he’s been leaps and bounds better this year, with a .332/.376/.551 slash line and a 149 wRC+.
Francona recently noted that he can pencil in Brantley in left field each game and leave him alone.
As for the rest of the outfield, well, the Indians have been searching for the proper (and healthy) combinations.
So, what will go into the team’s decision-making process when narrowing the field next week? That’s precisely the question The Athletic posed to Francona on Friday afternoon. He listed a few factors.
“One, and I think it’s fair, contractually, what guys — I think that’s part of it. Guys that have options. I think that’s important, because you can try to have the perfect team, say, on Tuesday, but as we’ve seen, all kinds of stuff happens. So, if you try to get the perfect team and you let this guy go, you designate this guy, you do this, and then you look up a week from now and you go, ‘Where are our outfielders?’ So, you have to keep that in mind. Certainly, the goal is to win every game here, but I think you have to be mindful of the organization, the health of the organization.
“We know we have some decisions coming. We talk about it daily.”
Francona and members of the coaching staff and front office will sort it all out Monday, in between draft prep meetings.
But why wait until then? Grab your detective kit and let’s solve this puzzle.
Yeah, he’s not going anywhere: Michael Brantley
The Indians’ lineup is humming lately, especially the quartet at the top in Francisco Lindor, Brantley, José Ramírez and Edwin Encarnacion. Even though he missed the final two months of last season, Brantley, sporting a career-best .927 OPS, has played more games than any other Tribe outfielder since the start of the 2016 season. He hasn’t missed a game in a month, either.
They already seemed to make up their minds on this one: Bradley Zimmer
The Indians could have activated Zimmer from the disabled list Friday and promptly optioned him to Class AAA Columbus. Instead, he took the roster spot that Shane Bieber occupied for the previous 24 hours. Still, Greg Allen started in center field Friday night, not Zimmer, and Allen notched a double and a triple. It’s possible that the Indians could option Zimmer to Columbus, but, again, they also could have just done that Friday.
He’s a safe bet to stick: Lonnie Chisenhall
This isn’t much of a question. Chisenhall, out since the first week of April, is a lock to return to the big-league roster. How often he’ll play is another question, especially if Melky Cabrera remains in the mix.
Switch-hitting helps his case: Melky Cabrera
Francona referred to him as “a nice connector between Yonder (Alonso) and (Jason) Kipnis because he’s a switch-hitter and he can hit. He knows how to hit.” Ah, but the Indians should not be abiding by the old “Do as I say, not as I do” mantra. Cabrera actually needs to, you know, hit. As his .186/.213/.279 clip in 47 plate appearances illustrates, he has not yet accomplished that aim.
But the Indians could point to that small sample size and request a longer evaluation period.
“Hopefully as he gets through this first period,” Francona said, “I’m sure his body is kind of sore and everything, (so) hopefully we’ll see even more.”
He’s going to need more time: Tyler Naquin
Naquin isn’t really part of the current conversation, since he hasn’t started a rehab assignment yet. He worked out with Class AA Akron on Friday, and he could see some game action this weekend. But since he’s behind the other recovering outfielders, the team’s decision on him will be a separate one.
Still, when that time comes, it’s tough to see how he fits into the picture. If Chisenhall and Brantley are healthy, the Indians don’t really need another left-handed-hitting corner outfielder, though Naquin performed well at the plate earlier this season.
The teacher and the pupil: Rajai Davis and Greg Allen
Allen has started nine consecutive games, and he has 12 hits in 33 at-bats in that stretch (.364 average). He knows a decision is looming, too.
“You’re aware of these things,” he said Friday night, “but you’re really just trying to take it one day at a time. Control what you can control. Be where your feet are.”
Does Davis offer anything that Allen can’t at this point? Davis remains one of the game’s speediest players, but Allen is no slouch on the basepaths or in the field. If the Indians choose to keep Davis, it’s only because Allen has minor-league options and they want to preserve some depth. But, really, Allen deserves a big-league spot.
“It’s nice to see a kid, he started out slow, but now he’s starting to make adjustments,” Francona said. “He’s swinging at more strikes. He’s keeping the ball out of the air, especially to left field. And his at-bats have been a lot better. He’s swinging at more strikes. He’s a good defender in center. You can put him in right and he’s good there, too. If it makes for a hard decision, I think we’re all happy about that.”
The guy who better hit lefties: Brandon Guyer
In a perfect world, Guyer would serve as the lefty-mashing platoon partner to Chisenhall or whoever mans right field. But this is a world in which Marlins Man is popular and “The Office” continued after Michael Scott departed. Oh, and Guyer owns a .208/.300/.327 slash line since the start of the 2017 season. He’s out of minor-league options and the Indians hold a $3 million option on him for next year.
Prediction: Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, Cabrera, Davis (Allen optioned, Naquin eventually optioned, Guyer designated for assignment)
What I’d do: Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, Allen, Guyer (Naquin eventually optioned, Davis and Cabrera designated for assignment)
Re: Articles
6239I know we have some votes for Naquin here but he certainly does not appear to be a Francona favorite. He offers much more than Guyer but Tyler tips the scale too much to the lefties. Of course he may be the second best lefty hitter among these guys after Brantley.Prediction: Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, Cabrera, Davis (Allen optioned, Naquin eventually optioned, Guyer designated for assignment)
What I’d do: Brantley, Chisenhall, Zimmer, Allen, Guyer (Naquin eventually optioned, Davis and Cabrera designated for assignment)
Not sure what I'd do, but Zimmer is no sure thing. Chisenhall doesn't offer much more than the rest but seems to have a lock; Naquin if optioned out can count on a return the next time Lonnie pulls his calf.
Re: Articles
6240But [after referring to Scherzer and Verlander[ But let’s not ignore the sustained brilliance of Corey Kluber.
Kluber, the ace of the Cleveland Indians, fired six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, capping a month in which he had 41 strikeouts and one walk. It also marked a full year of absurd regular-season dominance.
From June 1 of last season (when he returned from a back injury) through the end of this May, Kluber went 23-4 with a 1.76 E.R.A. in 35 starts. In 251 innings, he fanned 312 with 33 walks.
Those numbers closely align with one of the best seasons of the Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. In 1999, when Martinez won his second Cy Young Award and nearly captured the Most Valuable Player Award, he went 23-4 with a 2.07 E.R.A. in 31 games (29 starts) for Boston. In 213⅓ innings, Martinez struck out 313 and allowed 37 walks.
Interestingly, both pitchers in this comparison allowed the same number of earned runs, 49. But for Martinez to match Kluber’s E.R.A., he would have needed to add 37⅔ scoreless innings.
Kluber, the ace of the Cleveland Indians, fired six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts in a victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, capping a month in which he had 41 strikeouts and one walk. It also marked a full year of absurd regular-season dominance.
From June 1 of last season (when he returned from a back injury) through the end of this May, Kluber went 23-4 with a 1.76 E.R.A. in 35 starts. In 251 innings, he fanned 312 with 33 walks.
Those numbers closely align with one of the best seasons of the Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez. In 1999, when Martinez won his second Cy Young Award and nearly captured the Most Valuable Player Award, he went 23-4 with a 2.07 E.R.A. in 31 games (29 starts) for Boston. In 213⅓ innings, Martinez struck out 313 and allowed 37 walks.
Interestingly, both pitchers in this comparison allowed the same number of earned runs, 49. But for Martinez to match Kluber’s E.R.A., he would have needed to add 37⅔ scoreless innings.