Cleveland Sports Forum

Lloyd: The forgotten Indian and the pivotal role he could play this summer


By Jason Lloyd Apr 3, 2019 32
CLEVELAND​ — Twenty-four​ thoughts on​ the Indians as we​ wait for the​ warm weather to​ arrive.

1.​ Jeremy Sowers​ was the​​ winning pitcher the day Danny Salazar signed with the Indians. Todd Hollandsworth was in left field and Aaron Boone, the Yankees manager, played third base.

2. In the days since Salazar signed on July 3, 2006, LeBron James left the Cavaliers — twice — and Apple introduced the iPhone. At 29, Salazar is the longest tenured player in the organization.

3. He is also perhaps the most forgotten.

4. It has been 553 days, after all, since he last threw a pitch in a major league game. He has spent most of the past 365 of those living in the anonymity of Goodyear, Arizona. But if he can ever get his shoulder right, he could be an incredible weapon for a team already blessed with an abundance of pitching.

5. No one really knows what a successful season for Salazar would look like. When I asked Terry Francona during spring training, he flashed an incredulous look. “How do you answer that? I don’t know that I would ever even want to answer that. That’s not how we operate. What if I set the bar too low?”

6. Salazar was a bit more subdued: “If I get back to the game. That’s what I’m looking for right now.”

7. When he’s right, Salazar is electric, beginning with a 95 mph fastball. But he hasn’t been right in so long that it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever get back there, particularly after shoulder debridement surgery last year. If he gets back there, however, he could be an incredible weapon out of the bullpen, because let’s face it, there’s no longer any room for him in this rotation.

8. Salazar has been a starter throughout his career and hasn’t thought much about life as a reliever, but he has the arm to be a future closer and the reduced load might be enough to keep him healthy.

9. “I’ll take whatever. I’ve been a starter my whole career but if I have to go to the bullpen, I will,” Salazar said. “At this point, I just need to get back in the game.”

10. Part of the timing on that is when Salazar finally trusts that the arm is healthy and is comfortable enough to cut loose. Carlos Rodon, Chicago’s starter on Wednesday, had shoulder debridement surgery to remove inflammation around the rotator cuff late in September 2017. He was back pitching for the White Sox within nine months. Salazar had the surgery 10 months ago and isn’t even ready to pitch in minor league games.

11. But his arm is too dazzling to give up on, which is why the Indians invested $4.5 million in him this year despite a winter of budget cuts.

12. “The impact he could have on us could be so big,” Francona said. “You see what pitchers are signing for. You have homegrown talent, you kind of exhaust most of your options before you let him go. We don’t have all the answers. It’s not because we have all the answers, it’s because sometimes you’re not sure. Well, you better be sure before you let an arm like that go.”

13. No one will put a firm timeline on it, but a June or July return doesn’t seem unreasonable. He can help settle a bullpen that remains a bit unsettled in front of closer Brad Hand.

14. Salazar is thrilled to be the longest tenured player in the franchise and doesn’t want that to change anytime soon. He mentioned, without prompting, he wants to retire here.

15. “My dream is like to play with only one organization. That’s been my thought since the first day I signed,” he said. “I wish I can play with the Indians forever. That’s what I want. I know this is a business but …”

16. But he has to get healthy first.

17. Mike Clevinger hates sleeves. At least when he’s pitching. Despite temperatures hovering around the freezing mark during the home opener, Clevinger pitched Monday wearing only his jersey. He recently went away from even wearing any type of T-shirt under his jersey. And yes, he knows it’s mostly mental.

18. “I hate anything covering my elbow,” he told me. “Even if it isn’t restricting me, I just feel like it is.”

19. The only time Clevinger will concede and wear sleeves is when the temperature dips into the 20s, like it did last year at home against Kansas City.

20. Speaking of old school, Brad Miller won’t wear batting gloves no matter how cold it gets. Miller said he has never worn batting gloves and isn’t about to start because of the cool temperatures. In fact, he said the heat of the summer could be worse with sweaty hands, but that has never been a problem for him. A little rosin, some dirt and a pinch of occasional pine tar is all he needs.

21. “I’ve never liked the feel of (gloves) and luckily my hands don’t sweat,” he said. “(The cold) isn’t that bad. Once we’re moving around, we’re good and we’ve got heaters. Luckily my hands are dry. I feel like you have to wear them if you sweat a bunch.”

22. Francona’s contract extension, announced Wednesday, will keep him with the Indians through 2022 and make him the longest-tenured manager in team history. When one reporter jokingly asked why he couldn’t get the lifetime deal that Kentucky’s John Calipari received, Francona, who turns 60 in a couple of weeks, said, “this might be a lifetime deal.”

23. “I have no ambition to ever work somewhere else,” he said. “There’s going to come a time when I can’t do this job the way I want to because of age. That may happen at some point. But I don’t have any ambition to go somewhere else. And that’s because of the people here.”

24. I’ll be in Columbus tonight for an event with all The Athletic subscribers. The event last summer in Cleveland was a hit and we’ll probably do another one here later in the summer. And for those in Columbus, hope to see you tonight at High Bank.

Top 25 moments in Progressive Field’s 25-year history


By Zack Meisel Apr 4, 2019 44
CLEVELAND​ — It’s​ a moment few​ could forget.

Ezequiel Carrera dropped down​ the bunt in​ the proper spot​ and​ dashed to​ first base​​ for a go-ahead RBI single, a squeeze play performed to perfection. The Indians hung on for a 5-4 victory against the Reds, another win in their improbable 30-15 start to the 2011 season.

OK, so there have been a few moments more memorable than that in the 25-year history of Progressive Field. For this exercise, we’ll highlight certain games, comebacks and performances since the ballpark opened on this date in 1994.

We’ll limit the options to those registered by the home team. Mark McGwire’s homer off the scoreboard was cool, the Cubs breaking their World Series curse was historic and Ervin Santana’s no-hitter — witnessed by about 47 fans on a sleepy summer afternoon — was notable, but those don’t fit the criteria. We’ll stick with the snapshots in time that sent the ballpark into a frenzy, those occasions that still have people, years later, saying, “Remember when … ?”

This is far from an exact science, so feel free to offer your own opinion or ranking below.

Also see — 25 years later: How Jacobs Field saved baseball in Cleveland

25. Snow-pening Day
April 6, 2007

No, we won’t mention Snow Days, the winter wonderland that once occupied the ballpark during the offseason. But we will mention the time Progressive Field morphed into a snow globe, halting Paul Byrd’s no-hit bid in the fifth inning. Bob Feller might as well have been doing snow angels, as he maintained his status as the only hurler to toss an Opening Day no-hitter. The game — and the entire series — was postponed, and the Indians had to escape the shores of Lake Erie and play their ensuing series in Milwaukee, as the home team hosting the Angels. John Adams, the drummer, made the trip to give Miller Park a bit of Cleveland flair.

24. Manny’s last hurrah
Oct. 1, 2000

In his final trip to the plate as a member of the Indians, Manny Ramirez launched a home run to dead center. The poor, helpless baseball clanged off the backdrop behind the picnic area for his 38th homer of the season to cap Game 162. Slider, standing atop the dugout, bowed down to Ramirez as he returned from his trot around the bases. One fan in the crowd flashed a sign that read “Manny please stay! Dolan please pay!” Ramirez, though, signed an eight-year, $160 million deal with the Red Sox that winter.

23. Flock of seagulls
June 11, 2009

Opponents have to brave all of the elements when playing in Cleveland: rain, snow, wind, bugs, birds. Shin-Soo Choo broke a 10th-inning tie with a single into a center-field cluster of gulls. The baseball squirted past Coco Crisp, permitting Mark DeRosa to score the winning run from second.



22. Thomecoming
Aug. 26, 2011

Jim Thome was nervous to return to Cleveland as a member of the home team. He wasn’t sure how he’d be received. In his second game with the Tribe in 2011 following a late-summer trade from the Twins, with his teammates sporting his patented high socks, Thome clubbed his 602nd home run. In his final home game in Cleveland, he played third base for a pitch, a nod to his early-career defensive positioning. It was his first action at the hot corner in 15 years. He used Jack Hannahan’s glove. “I thought it was important that he end where he started,” manager Manny Acta said.

21. Belle off Benitez
Oct. 4, 1996

The Indians were on the verge of being swept by Baltimore in the 1996 ALDS, but Albert Belle greeted Armando Benitez with a towering, tie-breaking grand slam to left-center in the seventh inning. The Indians forced a Game 4, but fell short against the Orioles. It was Belle’s final home run as a member of the Indians. The next time he homered at Jacobs Field, fans showered him with Monopoly money.

20. Thome’s 511-footer
July 3, 1999

The baseball bounced onto Eagle Avenue, the street that runs behind the outfield. It was the first of eight runs scored against Kansas City’s Don Wengert in the second inning of the nightcap of a Tribe double header sweep.



19. Nifty No. 50
Sept. 30, 1995

Sandy Alomar Jr. wonders whether Belle could’ve hit 60 homers in 1995 if not for the 19-foot-high wall in left field. Belle settled for 50, the franchise record, to go along with 50 doubles, the only player in league history to notch a 50-50 season. (Don’t ask Belle why his 1995 AL MVP trophy is on Mo Vaughn’s shelf, though…)

18. An eight-run deficit? Child, please.
June 4, 1995

The Blue Jays scored seven runs in the first inning off Jason Grimsley, and they grabbed an 8-0 lead in the third. They carried an 8-6 advantage into the ninth, but Paul Sorrento socked a walk-off homer. The league took notice: No lead was safe against Cleveland’s potent lineup. Eight days later, the Indians’ record-setting sellout streak began, and the club rolled to a 54-18 record at its home park.

17. KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKluber
May 13, 2015

We considered Kenny Lofton’s stat sheet-stuffing afternoon against the Orioles from 2000 (four hits, four runs, five steals and a walk-off hit), but he’ll earn the spotlight in a bit. Instead, we turned to the only two-time Cy Young Award winner in team history.

A former longtime scout observed from the press box that night and said early on that the reigning Cy Young winner just didn’t look the same that year. (He did enter the outing with a 5.04 ERA in seven starts.) Well, so much for that notion.

Kluber tallied 18 strikeouts against the Cardinals, matching Feller’s franchise record — and Feller’s widow, Anne, was in attendance. He allowed only one harmless hit (to former Tribe shortstop Jhonny Peralta) in eight scoreless innings. He didn’t walk anyone. All but one Cardinals starter struck out at least twice. His next time out, Kluber tossed a complete game, striking out 12 while surrendering only one run.

16. Lofton’s Spider-Man impersonation
Aug. 4, 1996

It was a catch so impressive it earned its own bobblehead design years later. Alomar was warming up Eric Plunk in the bullpen. He spotted Lofton running toward the fence, chasing B.J. Surhoff’s fly ball. Then, he lost sight of the center fielder. A few seconds later, he peered up and saw Lofton’s armpit hanging on the top of the wall. The mesmerizing catch protected Cleveland’s 3-2 lead in the eighth inning, though the Indians would tack on 11 runs in the ensuing frame. Lofton captured his fourth and final Gold Glove Award that season.

“I always ran hard and went after balls at the wall,” Lofton said, “because you never know. You can’t catch it if you’re not up there.”



15. ‘Wow’
July 16, 1995

One word from Dennis Eckersley, as the Hall of Famer walked off the mound, said it all. Jason Giambi, a rookie on that Oakland team, once said opposing clubs prayed they could steal just one game anytime they traveled to Cleveland for a series in the ’90s. Well, Ramirez’s two-run blast to the left-field bleachers sent the Indians to a walk-off win and a four-game sweep of the Athletics, leaving Eckersley to utter, “Wow,” as he retreated to the dugout.

14. Naquin’s mad dash
Aug. 19, 2016

José Ramírez tied the game with a solo homer over the fence. Tyler Naquin thought that approach was too conventional. B.J. Upton slipped while attempting to corral the baseball after Naquin launched it off the right-field fence. Naquin plunged head-first into home plate, popped up and created a signature pose, which he described as “just rockin’ out.” In the weeks after, teammates posted photos of Naquin outrunning Usain Bolt and out-swimming the Olympic team. It had been 100 years since a Tribe player (Braggo Roth) hit an inside-the-park walk-off homer.

Said Francisco Lindor: “I couldn’t go to bed until, like, 3 a.m. because I had so much adrenaline going. I kept talking about the game the entire time.”

13. Selby’s slam
July 14, 2002

In a classic David vs. Goliath bout, utilityman Bill Selby smacked a walk-off grand slam off Mariano Rivera. It marked the first grand slam Rivera had allowed in seven years and would be the last for another eight years. The Sunday afternoon slam capped a crazy comeback in which the Indians erased a 7-0 deficit.


Bill Selby (Getty Images)
12. Grissom races home
Oct. 11, 1997

In perhaps the quirkiest playoff series in Indians history, Cleveland took command of the ALCS when Marquis Grissom dashed home from third base as Omar Vizquel attempted a squeeze bunt. Vizquel missed the baseball — though the Orioles would argue otherwise — and Grissom scored standing up, giving the Indians a 2-1 win in 12 innings. It’s not every day you see a steal of home end a playoff game.

11. A bug’s life
Oct. 5, 2007

They didn’t seem to bother Roberto Hernandez (nee Fausto Carmona), but swarms of midges pestered Joba Chamberlain during Game 2 of the 2007 ALDS, and the Indians capitalized. In the eighth inning, Chamberlain issued two walks, plunked a batter and threw two wild pitches. The Indians tied the game without a hit and Travis Hafner’s 11th-inning single drove in Kenny Lofton and sent Cleveland to a 2-0 series lead.

During Derek Jeter’s final visit to Progressive Field in 2014, he reflected on that game.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Jeter said. “It was like that for both teams. It wasn’t like they just came out when we decided to go on defense. That was by far the oddest conditions I’ve played in. I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t fun. What made it difficult is — what do you call those things? Midges. They were all over the place. You really couldn’t shake them. That’s what made it difficult.”

10. Big G’s blast
Sept. 24, 2013

The Indians rattled off 10 consecutive wins to close the 2013 regular season and secure a spot in the AL Wild Card Game. Jason Giambi made it all possible, with his two-out, two-run, walk-off homer to vault the Indians to a 5-4 win against the White Sox, helping the Tribe keep pace with the Rangers and Rays in the standings.

9. World Series walk-off
Oct. 24, 1995

Indians fans waited 41 years to witness a World Series game in Cleveland, and 47 years to witness a World Series victory. Eddie Murray sent them home with a walk-off single, as the Indians trimmed the Braves’ series lead to 2-1.

8. Alomar off Mo
Oct. 5, 1997

With two outs in the eighth and the Indians’ season on the brink, Alomar poked a Mariano Rivera pitch into the right-field stands for a game-tying homer. Vizquel registered a walk-off single an inning later and the Indians continued their improbable postseason march.


Jay Bruce (Alex Trautwig / Getty Images)
7. Lucky No. 22
Sept. 14, 2017

Following their American League record (and major-league record, depending on whom you ask) 22-game winning streak in 2017, the Indians shipped three items to the Baseball Hall of Fame:

• A baseball thrown by Corey Kluber during his complete-game shutout for win No. 20
• Mike Clevinger’s jersey worn in win No. 21
• Second base from win No. 22

The team saved the last-out ball from wins 15 through 22, the lineup cards from wins 20 through 22, a Roberto Pérez bat and Jay Bruce’s torn navy uniform from the final victory. His teammates clawed at the jersey after he delivered a walk-off double in the 10th inning. The Indians had tied the game an inning earlier when Francisco Lindor, down to his last strike, socked a two-out RBI double.

An oral history of the 22-game winning streak

6. Comeback for the ages
Aug. 5, 2001

It was Nico Vizquel’s first day as Indians bat boy, and once the team fell behind by 12 runs, Omar Vizquel was worried his teammates would declare his son a bad-luck charm. Instead, the Indians charged back, despite replacing half their starters. They erased a 14-2 deficit with three runs in the seventh, four in the eighth and five in the ninth. With the Indians down to their last strike, Vizquel tied the score with a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line. The Indians emerged victorious in 11 innings, 15-14, the third team to ever win a game in which it trailed by 12 runs, and the first to do so in 76 years.

5. Something good happened after 2 a.m.
Oct. 3, 1995

By the time Tony Peña stepped to the plate in the 13th inning, after the rain delay, after the Belle biceps flex, after the clock ticked past 2 a.m. — the conversation between broadcasters Bob Costas and Bob Uecker had strayed from the on-field (in)action. But the veteran catcher smacked a 3-0 offering into the left-field bleachers to send the Indians to a walk-off win in their first postseason game in 41 years.



4. Hometown hero
July 8, 1997

The league was concerned with the weather forecast, especially as the late innings arrived with the AL and NL tied at 1-1. Jim Folk, the Indians’ vice president of ballpark operations, recalls Fox 8 weatherman Dick Goddard claiming it would require “divine intervention” to get the entire game in before the sky opened. But Alomar clubbed a two-run shot into the left-field bleachers off San Francisco southpaw Shawn Estes to propel the AL to victory, secure himself the MVP trophy and send the Cleveland fans home happy. A few minutes after Alomar hoisted the trophy during a postgame interview on the field, the rain began.

3. The first Opening Day
April 4, 1994

The day started with the president tossing out the ceremonial first pitch. Wayne Kirby slapped the final pitch of the afternoon to left field for a walk-off single, making Randy Johnson’s near-no-hitter a mere footnote and starting a new era of Indians baseball with a perfect opening chapter.


(Elsa / Getty Images)
2. Rajai’s blast
Nov. 2, 2016

Had the Indians scratched out a Game 7 victory, Rajai Davis, a part-time outfielder in the twilight of his career, would have had a statue at Progressive Field. Hall of Famers Bob Feller, Frank Robinson, Jim Thome… and the journeyman speedster who provided an unforgettable moment in the highest-leverage situation imaginable, the sort of implausible, hero-making scenario that gets re-enacted in backyards across the country.

It caused a deafening roar. It vaulted the game into baseball lore and forced a rain delay into the night’s tale. But it still wasn’t quite enough to prevent the Cubs from snapping their championship drought an hour later, so it settled for the runner-up position on this list.

1. The first clinch
Sept. 8, 1995

It didn’t trigger some raucous reaction. It wasn’t some unexpected event. There were no heroics or legendary performances. But the moment Thome squeezed the foul pop-up in his glove, it signified the Indians had finally made it, finally turned a corner and buried a 40-year stretch of abysmal baseball. They clinched the AL Central with three weeks remaining in the regular season. They were headed for their first postseason since 1954. As they celebrated on the field, the ballpark blared Garth Brooks’ “The Dance,” in memory of Steve Olin and Tim Crews, who had died in a boating accident two years earlie

Clev, Trev and Biebs: Three Indians starters obsessed with off-the-field jawing and on-the-field awing
Zack Meisel Apr 7, 2019 35

CLEVELAND​ — On​ the wall​ adjacent to Mike Clevinger’s​ corner locker are​ a pair of Polaroids.

In​ one,​ Clevinger is​ wearing a crown.​​ In the other, Trevor Bauer is wearing a crown. Shane Bieber makes a cameo in both photos as well, albeit sans any sign of royalty.

The Indians’ starting pitchers recognize a new King of the Hill after each series, awarded to the hurler who authored the most proficient outing in that set of games. Bauer maintains a spreadsheet that details who won on which dates. Clevinger’s duties include capturing the photos and attempting to convince Bieber to kneel before the throne.

During Clevinger’s 12-strikeout effort against the White Sox last week, he returned to the dugout and barked at Bauer: “I’m taking the crown.”

“The healthy competition is really what drives good teams and good staffs forward,” Bauer said.

That’s especially the case for these three, who have forged a close bond rooted in their drive to thrive on the mound. On Saturday afternoon, Bieber tilted his phone toward Bauer.

“I just dusted Clev on Twitter,” Bieber said while showing Bauer a picture of a young, chubby-cheeked, short-haired Clevinger.

Bauer laughed and walked toward the clubhouse exit, where Clevinger halted him in his tracks.

“I just body-bagged Biebs on social media,” Clevinger said while showing Bauer a picture of Bieber flashing an awkward smile.

Bauer was left to declare a victor in the latest bout of tug of war. The tightknit trio constantly argue about fastball velocity, strikeout totals or who unlocked the other’s potential.

Bieber is often caught in the crossfire as Bauer and Clevinger trade barbs. He can dump some gasoline onto the fire, choose a side or walk away. The last option rarely pays dividends.

“A lot of times when he tries to back out,” Bauer said, “we rip on him for being soft and call him an herbivore.”

“He’s our punching bag,” Clevinger said. “So, ‘Aw, I’m tired of hearing TB talk shit to me. Biebs, you suck.’ Sometimes me and TB are like twins and he’s like our little brother. Fraternal twins.”

Beneath the ribbing and teasing, though, are three hurlers who are quick to offer an eye during a bullpen session or an ear during a venting session.

“I think that camaraderie all starts with, maybe not a directly communicated understanding,” Bauer said, “but a visceral understanding that we all have each other’s backs. We’re all wanting to see each other be good and that’s where it’s coming from.”


Shane Bieber (Ken Blaze / USA Today)
When Bieber made his major-league debut May 31, his average fastball clocked in at 93.9 mph. That velocity dipped in each of his next four big-league outings. Bauer and Clevinger suggested he not stress over steering the ball toward the strike zone and instead throw with maximum conviction.

They explained how a greater gap in velocity between his fastball and breaking balls could make the secondary pitches more effective. Sure enough, by the end of the season, Bieber was averaging 94-95 mph in each start.

Bauer and Clevinger pat themselves on the back for the fruitful tip. And Bieber appreciated the assist. He also noted that each time the two tell the story, they fudge the numbers to make it seem as though they split the atom. Eventually, they’ll contend Bieber bloomed from a delicate, eephus pitch-tossing teen into a dart-throwing maven whose fastball releases steam as it sails toward the plate.

“They have this narrative that I came up still throwing 89-90,” Bieber said, shaking his head. “Every time they tell the story or start talking crap, the number gets lower and lower. They embellish a little bit, like I’m a completely different pitcher now.”

That riles up Clevinger, of course.

“OK, he’s trying to live off his debut,” Clevinger said, “when, of course, his adrenaline is pumping, so he was hitting 94 a couple times. But we saw Biebs after that and he was 90-92, could run it up to 94 in the first inning. And we were like, ‘Dude, you literally look like you’re massaging the ball to the plate. There’s so much more in there. We see you get mad and throw one, like, “Shit, that was 95.” What are you doing? Do that the whole game.’

“In his head, he legitimately thought he was trying. And then I think he hit that switch with us up in his ass all the time about it. Like, ‘Duuuuude. Throw it.’ And eventually, you saw him getting to that back leg and giving a fastball where he wasn’t so worried about where it was going. He was trusting it. The dude doesn’t walk anybody. Like, ‘You’re not going to throw balls. Let it eat.’ ”

Clevinger’s intensity and competitiveness appealed to Bauer when the two first shared a big-league clubhouse in 2016. That explains their bids to one-up each other on the mound and their constant bickering.

“It’s an everyday thing,” Bieber said.

Bauer approaches their daily debates from what he terms a “logical, intellectual standpoint.” Clevinger runs on emotion and energy. Bauer studied engineering at UCLA and was the No. 3 selection in the amateur draft. Clevinger preferred skateboarding to baseball as a kid and considered a career in wildlife control. Really, they have little in common, other than their thirst for strikeouts.

“A lot of stuff that Clev’s into,” Bauer said, “I literally have no idea what he’s talking about. He’ll bring up a movie quote and I’m like, ‘What the heck are you talking about?’ He’s like, ‘Dude, it’s from this movie. How do you not know that?’ ‘I’ve never seen it. It doesn’t exist in my world.’ And then I’ll crack some nerdy spin rate joke and he’ll (say), ‘What?’ ”

They’re an odd couple, an old married couple, a couple of guys fixated on pushing the other to new heights. Or, just pushing each other’s buttons.

“There are a lot of really productive conversations,” Bieber said. “I’d say the majority of them are. But I’d say there are also some pretty dumb ones where you’re just shooting the shit with each other, messing with each other.”

Clevinger contends Bieber isn’t blameless, though.

“Just because he has that little baby smile,” Clevinger said, “he plays this coy, innocent (role). But he throws in little digs, like, ‘Hey, Bauer, didn’t you say your fastball’s a little bit higher than Clev’s?’ And trying to pretend like that’s an honest question. So then we just jump on in after that.”


Bauer and Clevinger. (Rick Osentoski / Getty Images)
When Bauer retreated to the dugout during his start Thursday night, Clevinger occasionally ambushed him with questions.

Why did you sequence your pitches that way in that at-bat? Why did you throw 80 curveballs in a row?

Clevinger avoided jinxing his teammate’s no-hit bid, though he knows Bauer isn’t superstitious.

The dugout often serves as the laboratory for pitching dialogue. When they aren’t pelting the sideline reporter with sunflower seeds, they’re talking shop. The conversations must take place at the proper time, however. Clevinger considered offering Bieber some advice Friday night before Bauer halted him in his tracks. Too much information can flood one’s mind.

“I’m like, ‘Hey man, you have to remember what it was like for you when you were that young,’ ” Bauer said, “ ‘how fast things go and how it speeds up and all that.’ ”

Bauer recalled an hourlong chat he had with Bieber during a game late last season. Bauer asked Bieber to assess his rookie campaign — what he found effective, what he found challenging. Bieber emphasized his struggle with conquering a lineup for a third time in an outing.

Bieber, 1st time through the order: .255/.269/.412, 32.2% K rate
Bieber, 2nd time through the order: .276/.333/.414, 20.6% K rate
Bieber, 3rd time through the order: .319/.346/.563, 22.0% K rate

The two discussed the best practices for battling hitters a third time. What changes? Why do hitters fare better? What pitches and sequencing would work well at that point in the game?

Bieber ultimately decided he could benefit from wielding a reliable changeup, breaking away to lefties and playing off his fastball. He and Bauer connected a few times over the winter to devise an approach to developing the pitch.

“Once he had that understanding of, ‘This is the spin I’m looking for,’ ” Bauer said, “then he can figure it out for himself by just watching the ball spin, feel, stuff like that. But if you don’t know what you’re chasing, you can’t get there, you can’t catch it.”

Bauer, of course, crafted his own new changeup during the offseason, with satisfying early returns. He struck out three Twins hitters on the pitch in his season debut. Bauer designed, tested and revised the pitch himself, but he said he keeps an open door if Clevinger, Bieber or others want to toss some feedback his way.

“Clev does it all the time in the middle of a game,” Bauer said, “like, ‘Hey, you have to calm down and do this, that, whatever. You’re doing this.’ Half the time, I’m in that competitive mindset, where I’m like, ‘Hey, Clev, shut up. I get it. I know.’ But it’s good, because the other half of the time, I’m like, ‘You’re right.’ And then that locks you back in. No one’s ever going to listen to 100 percent of what you have to say. But you’d rather have them disregard 90 percent of it and get something out of the 10 percent than not say anything at all and have the person be wandering.”

Bieber remembers his first bullpen session with the Indians, a daunting setting with a two-time Cy Young Award winner among the onlookers. In a routine hatched under Mickey Callaway’s watch a few years ago, the five starting pitchers all trek to the bullpen each afternoon to watch that day’s participant. The starters can offer input and monitor each other’s mechanics.

“You have all these eyes on you and everybody’s critiquing you,” Bieber said, “whether they’re saying it out loud or it’s in their head.”

It forces each pitcher to remain focused on the days between their starts, and it provides a variety of perspectives from which each starter can derive some assistance.

“Sometimes it’s about who you hear it from, not exactly what you’re hearing,” Clevinger said. “I think that goes a long way. Getting different viewpoints, different angles, different wording from different brains — even slower brains, like Biebs’ — you need to hear that.”

The Indians’ recipe for 2019 is no secret, and the starting rotation is the most critical ingredient. Bauer and Clevinger took significant leaps last season, and many in the organization believe Bieber is poised to follow suit this year. Given the tireless competition among the three, there’s no telling what the ceiling might be for the group.

On Sunday morning, Bauer and Bieber debated what sort of performance Clevinger would need to produce in the series finale to retain the King of the Hill crown. Bauer’s seven hitless innings made him the favorite.

“I’m taking back my crown,” Bauer shouted, laughing. “He’s had it for four days.”

Clevinger tallied 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings, but he exited early because of upper back tightness.

After the game, the two met in the middle of the clubhouse. Bauer leaned forward and Clevinger placed the crown atop his head and then slapped his face.

DETROIT -- When Mike Clevinger was pulled early from his start on Sunday, there was hope it was merely a move of precaution. It’s now clear that wasn’t the case.

The Indians right-hander was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday with a right upper back/Teres major muscle strain. Clevinger dominated in his first two starts this year, allowing no runs on just two hits and four walks while striking out 22 over 12 innings.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona described the injury as “fairly significant,” adding that it’ll likely be six to eight weeks “before we’re even looking at [Clevinger] picking up a ball.”

The news is devastating for a team that is still without fellow starter Danny Salazar. The Indians will need someone to fill Clevinger’s rotation spot on Saturday, but Francona said that is still to be determined. Adam Plutko would typically be a spot-start candidate, but he landed on the injured list last Wednesday with a right forearm strain.

Other options at Triple-A Columbus include Asher Wojciechowski, Jefry Rodriguez, Cody Anderson and Chih-Wei Hu. Of that group, Wojciechowski and Rodriguez might match up the best. They both pitched into the sixth inning of their first starts of the season.

“We’ll figure it out,” Francona said. “I always feel like we will. … My heart kind of goes out to Clev, because everyone that’s been around here has seen how hard he’s worked to get where he’s gotten.”

Right-handed reliever Nick Wittgren was recalled from Columbus in a corresponding move. He was acquired in a trade from the Marlins in early February, having pitched with the Marlins each of the previous three seasons. Wittgren had a 2.94 ERA in 32 relief appearances in 2018.

I'd forgotten all about the forgettable Danny Salazar. If he were ever in shape to pitch this would be his perfect opportunity to show he was ready to contribute. We'll probably see Clev again before Salazar

We'll need a fill in on April 13; then not again until April 27; and then again May 7. Why not try the Tampa "opener" or a "bullpen game" for these couple games in April and then see who's ready to join the major league rotation in May 7

Geez, with 5 starters like these guys, opponents might be praying they'll be facing Kluber.

Even Carl Willis can't screw these guys up.

civ ollilavad wrote:I'd forgotten all about the forgettable Danny Salazar. If he were ever in shape to pitch this would be his perfect opportunity to show he was ready to contribute. We'll probably see Clev again before Salazar

If Clev won't even touch a ball for 6-8 weeks, there's now a good chance Salazar would be ready before then. Because that's 6-8 weeks just to START his rehab.

Has anyone seen a timeline for Salazar?

Well as of April 4 he was throwing 2 bullpens per week. Shoot, it's been my experience if a guy is throwing off a mound at all it's a good step. Throwing bullpens is usually a very good step.

No concrete timetable but that seems positive to me and MOST guys would have simulated games or at the least batting practice pitching as the next step. Salazar is not most guys though.

He is on the 60 day DL, though. Which means we won’t see him till end of May at the earliest.

Thanks for that - but he can do rehab starts and the whole thing and be ready as soon as that is up.

Cleveland Indians designate Brad Miller for assignment: “Obviously, they don’t want the best players up here”
Updated 7:28 PM; Today 6:36 PM
Infielder Brad Miller has been designated for assignment by the Indians to make room for Jason Kipnis.

By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Right now what’s up is down and what’s down is up for the Indians.

Confused? Imagine how Brad Miller feels?

Miller, one of the few Indians’ players who looks like he knows what to do with a bat, was designated for assignment after Sunday’s 9-8 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Miller was DFA’d to make room for second baseman Jason Kipnis, who will join the team in Seattle for their three-game series which open Monday night at Safeco Field.


Kipnis opened the year on the injured list with a strained right calf. He’s been on a rehab assignment at Class AAA Columbus. Miller went 1-for-4 Sunday. In Saturday’s 2-0 loss, he had the Indians only two hits.

The Indians signed Miller to a one-year $1 million deal near the end of spring training after Kipnis strained his calf, but it was not guaranteed. Miller leaves the Indians with a .250 (9-for-36) batting average. On a team hitting .194 for the season, he looks like Ted Williams.

“It’s a tough trend,” said Miller. "They acknowledge that it wasn’t fair. But I’m just a player. I go out there and play my hardest and play for the guys next to me.

“Obviously, they don’t want the best guys up here. So I’m just trying to take it somewhere else and see what we’ve got.”

Miller said he could see the handwriting on the wall with middle infielders Kipnis and Francisco Lindor getting close to joining the big-league club. Lindor left the Indians after Sunday’s game to begin a rehab assignment with Class AAA Columbus. The Clippers open a three-game series against Louisville on Monday.

“I’m a player,” said Miller, when told he was one of the few consistent hitters on the roster. "I really enjoyed playing for Tito (Terry Francona). That’s why I’m frustrated. I want to be here. I like this group. It’s a good team and I was hoping I’d be a part of it, but they have other plans.


“I think the writing was on the wall from the get-go. I just hope I can go somewhere else and get after it.”

Miller went to spring training with the Dodgers, but was released after a good showing. The Indians signed him after the Dodgers released him in response to Kipnis’ calf injury.

In his 18 days with the Indians, Miller made an estimated $105,000 based on a big-league season consisting of 172 days. If he gets claimed by another team, they will continue to pay him at the salary he agreed to with the Indians. If he goes unclaimed and agrees to a minor league assignment with the Indians, he’d receive $120,000, the minor league portion of his deal.

Miller can refuse the assignment and become a free agent because he has more than five years in the big leagues. If he does that, he would forfeit the minor league portion of his contract with the Indians.

If the Indians had kept Miller in the big leagues for 45 days or more, his $1 million salary would have been guaranteed. Hanley Ramirez has a 45-day clause in his contract. When the Indians signed Oliver Perez last year, he also had the same clause in his deal.

Miller was caught in a tough spot. With Kipnis’ return, the Indians didn’t need two left-handed hitting second baseman. His bat would have worked at shortstop, but that is not his best position.

His quote "Obviously they don't want the best guys up here" has some truth, but unfortunately:
1. Miller cannot play SS and although stamets cannot hit he can field
2. Kipnis hardly hit a bit in Columbus but they've invested tons of money at him so they cannot DFA him
So Miller and his 250 average is gone and we can be excited to have Jason the Overpaid back in the lineup.

I have not been impressed with Stamets defense. His fielding % is .944 compared to Lindors career average of .980