Cleveland Sports Forum

It wouldn't take much for the offense to be better this year early on! All kinds of room for optimism there.

so we started last season with Jason and Frankie both out; we hadn't advanced Mercado to the majors. Besides Carlos Gonzalez was there some other old guy taking up space in the lineup? Let me check on the opening day lineup; I know the Big Name on opening day was Eric Stamets.

OK, here it is; I guess CarGo was still getting into shape in Goonyear, but Hanley Ramirez filled the hasbeen role effectively to start the year. And Leonys Martin leading off; and Brad "If you really want to win you keep the best players" Miller.

Yes, I think we will have a lot more offense to start the year, especially if Mercado is ready to go and no one else gets hurt in the next 18 days.
Making a bunch of guesses on the order for this year. Is frankie staying at the top or moving to 3rd?


1.Leonys Martin, CF 1. Francisco Lindor SS
2.Jose Ramirez, 3B 2. Carlos Hernandez 2B
3.Tyler Naquin, RF 3. " " Santana iB
4.Carlos Santana, 1B 4. Franmil Reyes RF
5.Hanley Ramirez, DH 5. Jose Rarmirez 3B
6.Jake Bauers, LF 6. Jordan Luplow LF if we're facing a RH/ Domingo Santana DH if we're facing a LH
7.Roberto Perez, C 7. Domingo Santana DH if we're facing a RH/ Oscar Mercado if we're facing LH in LF
8.Brad Miller, 2B 8. Roberto Perez C
9.Eric Stamets, SS 9. Oscar Mercado CF if we're facing a RH; Delino Deshields Jr. CF if we're facing a LH


1, 3, 5, 9 all much more impressive in 2020. Probably 6 as well.

Way more impressive - great research civ.

Final Thoughts: Shane Bieber finally has his truck and now a new reward
By Jason Lloyd Mar 8, 2020 17
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Twenty-eight thoughts from the sunshine and desert of spring training …

1. Shane Bieber waited so long for his new truck that he eventually had to call Major League Baseball and ask what was taking so long. The Chevy Silverado, his prize for winning the All-Star MVP award last summer, finally arrived around New Year’s. General Motors’ strike last fall had halted production and delayed delivery.

2. It’s one of the only times Bieber has had to be patient and wait for good things to happen since joining the Indians.

3. Bieber’s meteoric rise continued this week when Terry Francona named him the Opening Day starter. Francona sort of let it slip to the media before he had a chance to talk to his pitcher, so he hustled off the field after Friday’s game to text him. Too late. Social media had gotten to Bieber before Francona could.

4. In less than a year, Bieber has soared from No. 5 starter to All-Star MVP to now Opening Day starter. Carlos Carrasco certainly would’ve been the sentimental choice after the year he has endured, but Bieber is the only starter who has been on a regular schedule since camp began and is already lined up for the assignment. Bieber has been brilliant in three spring starts. He has struck out nine and allowed just two hits over 7 2/3 innings.

5. “He looks really good. He looks like he’s getting better. It’s fun to watch,” Francona said. “He’s a smart kid. This is a game of adjustments, and the people that can make the adjustments the best … either you make an adjustment to the league or they make an adjustment to you. It looks like he’s good, but he’s still making adjustments. It’s kind of fun to watch.”

6. Mike Clevinger likely would’ve drawn the Opening Day start, but he remains injured. Nevertheless, Clevinger is thrilled to watch Bieber’s ascent. He compared it to his own rise behind Trevor Bauer, and now it’s Bieber following him.

7. One of the keys in this, one of the keys to any successful pitcher, is learning how to navigate a third time through the order. Clevinger believes a pitcher hasn’t really established himself as a legitimate starter until he can get through a lineup for a third time. Bieber finally figured out how last year, and it might have been the final piece for him.

8. During his rookie season in 2018, Bieber struggled the third time facing batters. Five of the 13 home runs he allowed came to guys who were seeing him for a third time. And the more times guys saw him, the more success they had. Batters hit .255 against Bieber in their first at-bat his rookie year, but by the third time they saw him, that average spiked to .319.

9. All of that changed last year. Bieber actually got stronger the longer he stayed in games — opponents’ batting average and slugging percentage against him dropped the second time and then again the third time through. Batters hit just .222 off Bieber the third time through the order last year.

10. “That’s what he honed in on,” Clevinger said. “We talked about it endlessly. That third time through the order was meaningful to him.”

11. The key, Clevinger said, is being smart about mixing pitches and also in-game film study. Watching video of a hitter’s swings between innings can help a pitcher understand what a batter is thinking.

12. “When you watch that swing in that video, how he’s taking those pitches, you can almost read his approach based on how he’s taking those pitches,” Clevinger said.

13. All of it has turned Bieber into one of the best young pitchers in the game. And now he has his truck, too. He drives it to the spring training facility every day, a constant reminder of how far he’s come in such a short amount of time.

14. A bucket of balls was placed on a counter in the center of the clubhouse Sunday for players to sign and toss to fans. It was meant to replace the handling of pens and balls from fans, another preventative measure during the coronavirus pandemic. The Indians held a team meeting Thursday morning to discuss the facts of coronavirus, then took the extra step of supplying baseballs for fans after the Oakland Athletics implemented a similar procedure earlier in the week. Another confirmed case of Coronavirus was reported in Scottsdale, Ariz. in recent days as well.

15. “They’re probably way in more danger getting near me than I am getting near them,” said Francona, who has been feeling under the weather all week. “It’s not something to laugh at because it’s serious. But I don’t think that’s going to stop me from signing autographs.”

16. Anthony Gose is mildly terrifying. Look him in the eye and lose part of your soul. Gose doesn’t like talking to reporters, but he does like throwing baseballs really hard. He’s one of the more fascinating stories of this spring training and I’ll have more on him later in the week.

17. The Cavs look like a different team under J.B. Bickerstaff. They’re playing hard and playing the right way. There is still a long way to go, but Saturday’s win over Denver was awfully impressive.

18. Collin Sexton’s offensive surge has been a pleasant surprise for a Cavs team with little to cheer about this year. Sexton has been a scoring machine in recent weeks. He has scored at least 30 points in three of his past four games before Saturday, and his 41-point effort against the Celtics earlier in the week put him in a class with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James as the only Cavs players to score at least 40 before turning 22.

19. And yet, nothing has really changed. We knew Sexton could score. Somebody has to take the shots on bad teams, and he’s certainly up to the task. He is a tireless worker, and he gets full credit for that. But his future path remains the same. On a good team with legitimate expectations of winning, he’s too small to play the 2, and he doesn’t make anyone around him better, which is a key ingredient to being a point guard. And he remains a liability defensively. Sexton has a net rating of -6.7 since the start of February.

20. For some reason, people think calling Sexton a bench player is an insult. It’s not. It’s just where his future lies long term in the NBA — if and when winning becomes the priority again in Cleveland. Bench scorers are important. Guys who can enter a game and provide an instant spark hold a vital role on contenders. If the Cavs ever return to relevance, it will be his role, too.

21. I’m shocked — shocked — that Dion Waiters was signed by the Lakers. LeBron James had tired of Waiters by the time he was traded from the Cavs early in 2015, and yet the two are reunited now in Los Angeles. Such is the power of Rich Paul, Waiters’ current agent, and Rob Pelinka, his former agent. This very well could be Waiters’ last chance to stick in the NBA.

22. I’ve asked this question both on our “Civilized Barking” podcast and then again while I was filling in on 92.3 The Fan, but I’ll ask it once more: How much different would we be viewing the Browns, and how much different would their offseason priorities be, if John Dorsey were still in charge?

23. I tend to believe Dorsey might have made more of an attempt to re-sign Joe Schobert. Maybe a few more of the defensive holdovers, too. This isn’t to say one approach is better than the other. It’s just … different. Our Zac Jackson said the Browns aren’t necessarily rebuilding, but he doesn’t believe winning in 2020 is the top priority. There are certainly a lot of holes to fill, and I’m not sure most of them can be plugged in one offseason.

24. Maybe this approach will keep the Browns cap-healthy for when their own guys come up for extensions. All I know is I’ve been writing that and talking about that for years while some pretty good football players have walked out the door.

25. This certainly seems to be the year to draft a top left tackle. I tend to view tackles and quarterbacks the same way: The only way you’re assured of finding a franchise pillar is at the top of the first round. Nearly every other position, it’s a little easier to find guys later in the draft who can contribute right away or even turn into stars. But left tackles? The best are typically found at the top of the first round — and the right ones can play at a high level for 10 to 15 years. This is probably naive of me, but I’d hope this will be the last time the Browns have a top-10 pick for a while. That’s why I hope they use it to draft a franchise tackle who will be around to protect the quarterback for a long, long time.

26. Tom Reed’s piece on Myles Garrett’s journey to Tanzania will run Monday, and you don’t want to miss it. Tom’s storytelling is terrific, and Myles is vulnerable on certain things. It was a once-in-a-lifetime journey for Tom, and I’m glad he was able to be there to document it.

27. Ohio State’s win over Illinois jumped the Buckeyes to a No. 5 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology for ESPN. Lunardi has the Buckeyes going out West to Spokane, Wash., to open the tournament, but there remains a chance the Buckeyes could open in Cleveland.

28. Being a five-seed isn’t necessarily a good thing. Three of the No. 5 seeds were upset in the first round last year, and at least one No. 5 seed has lost in the first round in 10 of the past 12 NCAA tournaments, according to the NCAA’s website. Go back even further and there has been a 12-5 upset in 30 of the past 35 tournaments. So… hold on tight. Talk to you next week.

WITH ATHLETIC FAMILY ALL AROUND, DESHIELDS FITS INTO INDIANS
Mar 8, 2020 , By THERESA SMITH

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) Dad, the elder Delino DeShields, is working less than 100 yards away, behind a fence dividing Cleveland's training complex from the Cincinnati Reds facility. Sister Diamond DeShields is just a phone call away.

Together, they help Delino DeShields strive to meet his latest challenge: making an impact in his first season with the Indians.

He talks baseball and life with Dad and mental outlook with his sister, a rising WNBA star.

"Baseball is a big part of our lives, so it is something we both bond over," DeShields said of his father, a 13-year MLB veteran who is in his second year as the first base coach of the Reds.

DeShields relishes discussions with his sister as well. The former Tennessee standout earned all-WNBA honors last season for the Chicago Sky and was an All-Rookie selection in 2018.

"She has a killer mindset," Delino proudly said. "I thought she could have been a professional in high school, just the way she carried herself and the way she led her team. She says no one is better than her -- from birth."

"We talk every now and then about mentality stuff, but for the most part she's got it down pat," he said.

Along with hard-throwing reliever Emmanuel Clase, who is sidelined by an upper back injury, DeShields came from Texas to Cleveland in a Dec. 15 trade for two-time AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

DeShields will provide depth at center field, particularly in light of the wrist injury currently sidelining Oscar Mercado.

DeShields relies on speed and quickness to run down balls in gaps, and extraordinary leaping ability to track drives at the wall and dive to snag line drives.

At the plate, DeShields is a career .246 hitter with a .326 on-base percentage. In spring training, he's hitting .211 with one extra-base hit in eight games after going 0 for 3 Sunday against the Colorado Rockies.

"I'm focused on hitting the ball hard, getting my strikeout percentage down and just using the big part of the field, just keeping the ball between the lines," DeShields said.

For his five-year MLB career, DeShields has struck 447 times and drawn 193 walks.

Hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo is among the Indians' personnel DeShields knew before he was traded.

"We have that relationship, to where we know each other," DeShields said. "We say what we have to say, we have that comfort level instead of having to form that relationship."

Detailed swing work is part of his DNA, along with dealing with injuries. The 27-year-old DeShields dealt with one of the most dreaded in baseball -- he was hit in the face with a fastball in 2014 as a minor leaguer with the Astros.

Indians outfielder Greg Allen grew up aware of the older DeShields, but he knew more about his new teammate.

"I definitely was familiar with him, the type of player that he is, and the type of outfielder that he is, what he brings to a ballclub," Allen said. "It has been great having the chance to be around him these past few weeks, getting to know him and be in the outfield with him."

Manager Terry Francona likes what he's seen from the newcomer, saying DeShields is "playing center field like we thought he would."

"He's fit in from Day One," he said.

NOTES: RHP Mike Clevinger, who underwent surgery on Feb. 14 to repair a partial meniscus tear in his left knee, is throwing weighted balls. "He's actually doing really well," Francona said. "They don't want to put the brakes on him, but they want to make sure that he doesn't overdo." Francona said he will have an update on the 29-year-old's recovery Monday, following Clevinger's doctor appointment.

---

hasn’t really established himself as a legitimate starter until he can get through a lineup for a third time. Bieber finally figured out how last year

Finally in Shane's case meant in about his 4th month in the majors. Finally usually takes guys a lot longer than that. Remember how Carrasco got suspended twice for hitting batters; he had been moved to the bullpen and was out of minor league options when he finally put it together. Kluber had two unimpressive half seasons before he finally put it together at age 27 Clevinger was 26 1/2 when he finally put it together. Bieber is now 24.

It's also been noted that Bieber was the Indians 5th starter at the start of 2019. Meanwhile Civale was number 3 starter in Akron. Plesac was probably No. 5 for the RubberDucks.

Hence I am quite optimistic they will work with Logan Allen to make him the next

Although I do believe Bauer and Clevinger had a lot to do with Bieber's rapid advancement. Dugout shots always, always showed Bauer and Clevinger together talking. And eventually Bieber joined that clique.



But Clev and Bieber can keep the line moving by helping the kids.

It would be a nice boost to have a big strong lefty in the rotation. I guess, although we have certainly done fine with all right handers.

Meisel: Indians players who have caught my attention this spring


By Zack Meisel Mar 10, 2020 18
GOODYEAR, Ariz. – In the next two weeks, the Indians will gradually reduce their roster to 26 players. They arrived at camp with 61 and trimmed that total to 58 on Monday, when they assigned Triston McKenzie, Sam Hentges and Jean Carlos Mejia to minor-league camp.

Not every top spring performer will earn a spot on the Opening Day roster — 2019 Oscar Mercado is a prime example — but here’s a sampling of those who have stood out through the first month of activity.

Franmil Reyes
Spring statistics mean as much as the points awarded on an episode of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, so when I say Reyes is 12-for-27 with nine extra-base hits, only three strikeouts and a sparkling 1.631 OPS, you have to promise not to faint. His daily display of raw power in both the games and in batting practice has been a treat to watch. Yes, every player slugs home runs during batting practice, but Reyes has dented the scoreboard in right-center field enough to give it the texture of a golf ball.

“I tell him all the time when he gets out of his round,” hitting coach Ty Van Burkleo said, “’They don’t hit them there.’ He hits them there. It’s amazing.”

I asked a handful of long-tenured coaches and front-office members in the organization if they could remember a Cleveland hitter with as much raw power as Reyes. A few mentioned Mike Napoli’s name. He was approaching the end of his career when he joined the Indians, though. It might be sacrilege to say, but might the closest comparison — in terms of raw power, not hitting nor thermometer-smashing prowess — be Albert Belle? Reyes ranked in the 99th percentile in exit velocity and the 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage in 2019. Only Aaron Judge, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sanó hit the ball harder. Reyes ranked just ahead of Christian Yelich and Josh Donaldson.

As for his outfield defense, that’s even more difficult to evaluate during spring training. The fact that there hasn’t been much discussion about it typically qualifies as a good thing. The Indians simply need him to be competent in the field — and to keep spoiling opposing pitchers’ afternoons.

Forecast: Travis Hafner was the most recent Indians slugger with 40-plus home runs in a season (2006). Reyes hit 37 last year, and that’s with a large chunk of his games taking place at the cavernous Petco Park and with a midseason adaptation to a new team and league. Reyes should provide plenty of thump in the middle of the Indians’ order and plenty of personality in the clubhouse and in the dugout.

Anthony Gose
He told Terry Francona he finally feels like a pitcher. He surely has looked like one. For the converted outfielder, it’s been a lengthy quest in search of command, the product of repeating his delivery and mechanics. And that’s the sort of thing that simply requires practice. Gose has only logged 65 professional innings as a pitcher.

He finally endured his first hiccup during the weekend after a blistering start to the spring. His 99 mph fastball and sidewinding slider tend to leave hitters looking helpless. He ended last season at Class AA Akron, but he has placed himself on the radar of the Indians’ chief decision-makers. One other advantage Gose provides: The new three-batter minimum shouldn’t bother him. Lefties, righties, switch-hitters, inebriated idiots who stumble onto the field — step into the batter’s box at your own peril.

Forecast: He’ll likely start the season in the minors, but if he can limit his walk rate, he can work his way up to the big-league bullpen.


Bobby Bradley. (Matt Kartozian / USA Today)
Bobby Bradley
When Bobby Bradley connects, he sends the tattered baseball into orbit. He’ll strike out in bunches, and he’ll hit home runs in bunches. Can he do those things at palatable rates? Can he hit (or resist) breaking balls when pitchers decide it isn’t worth it to ever toss him fastballs?

From the “Remember, Spring Stats Lack A Ton Of Context” Department: Bradley owns a .333/.357/.704 slash line in 27 at-bats.

“He came into spring in a really good spot,” Chris Antonetti said. “A couple years ago, he had lost a ton of weight and may have been too light and last year was the opposite. He spent a lot of time this offseason figuring out, ‘How do I put my body in the best position to do what I want to do on the baseball field?’ He put in a lot of work and stayed in Goodyear for the majority of the offseason. I think that work is paying off and we’re seeing the benefits of that in camp on both sides of the ball. We do think he has a chance to be a really productive player. I know at times he can appear blocked, but opportunities have a way of finding themselves for guys who can contribute.”

Forecast: With Domingo Santana in the fold, Bradley’s only non-injury-related path to playing time is if the Indians deploy both Santana and Reyes in the outfield. If they do that, center fielders Oscar Mercado and Delino DeShields deserve raises. If Santana flops this season, Bradley seems like Plan B at the designated hitter spot.

Cam Hill
He has long been a favorite of Mike Clevinger, who has fawned over Hill’s fastball and his secondary stuff this spring. Francona has praised Hill’s potential, too. Hill returned from Tommy John surgery last season, and in 28 appearances, his strikeout rate soared, relative to his previous seasons. Now, the water wings have been removed, and he figures to factor into the Indians’ bullpen equation. A five-inning spring sample doesn’t reveal much, even if Hill has only allowed one run and one walk, but it still beats the alternative — say, Hunter Wood’s line of 3 2/3 innings and 10 runs (eight earned).

Forecast: He’s a wild card to break camp with the team, but even if he doesn’t, he’ll likely be one of the first relievers summoned from Triple-A.

Zach Plesac
Plesac is throwing harder this spring than he did last year when his fastball averaged 93.9 mph. The pitch regularly sits in the mid-90s. He’s pleased with adjustments he made with his curveball grip, too.

“I was spiking it last year,” Plesac said. “I think it was causing my wrist to get loose and I was getting underneath the ball, spinning it. So now I’m finally on top of it, breaking it off over the plate.”

In a rotation reliant on some young pitchers taking steps forward, Plesac could play a pivotal role this season.

Forecast: He’s almost certain to start the season in the rotation, but once Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco and Aaron Civale fully heal and boost their pitch counts, there will be an odd man out. That said, it requires more than five starters to survive a season, so no matter where he stands, Plesac will have plenty of opportunities to build on his rookie year.

James Karinchak
The Indians need Karinchak more than ever to strengthen a bullpen that could use a steady arm for the late innings. His fastball is fast. His curveball is lethal. His outings are appointment viewing. From his early-spring bullpen sessions to his Cactus League appearances, any time he has held a baseball has been a spectacle, both because of his repertoire and his tendency to berate himself on the mound.

Forecast: It’s all about command and consistency for Karinchak, and if he’s able to fling his fastball anywhere near the strike zone, he could prove to be the club’s most valuable reliever.

He’s almost certain to start the season in the rotation, but once Clevinger, Carlos Carrasco and Aaron Civale fully heal and boost their pitch counts, there will be an odd man out. That said, it requires more than five starters to survive a season, so no matter where he stands, Plesac will have plenty of opportunities to build on his rookie year.

Why does every assumption put Plutko in the rotation; one today left Civale out; this one leaves Plesac out. Plutko is the 2020 version of Josh Tomlin; too many homers, not bad but these other two are more solid. Stick Adam in the pen once Clev and Carrasco are both back; and peddle him when Logan Allen is ready for the big leagues

Not that anyone really thought Carrasco would be ready by opening day;

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The Indians have dodged yet another serious bullet with Carlos Carrasco this spring, but the club now may have to prepare for him to miss his first start of the year.

Carrasco had an MRI exam earlier this week, after the right-hander experienced some discomfort in his throwing elbow. The results revealed no structural damage, confirming just some mild inflammation. He received an anti-inflammatory injection and he will be shut down from throwing for the next few days.



“He feels good today,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “Obviously, they go day-to-day before he starts to throw again, but he’ll begin ramping up. The hope is that this really helps a ton, and gets him going in the right direction.”

Carrasco already had a minor setback this spring when he sustained a right hip flexor strain while squatting during the second week of camp. That injury pushed his Cactus League debut back to March 3, which meant he still had three weeks left to build up his arm by Opening Day. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said at the time that as long as Carrasco didn’t have any other hiccups along the way, he would likely be on track to make his first start of the year as scheduled. Now, this may be a big enough setback to push that first start back.

“With Carlos, we did get good news on the MRI,” Antonetti said. “But there is some inflammation in there, so we just need to try to slow that down a little bit, give him some time to be symptom-free and then ramp up his throwing from there. Given the amount of time [now] before Opening Day, it could be a stretch for him to be ready on time.”

If he’s not ready on time, the Indians will have to dip into their starting pitching depth. Shane Bieber has already been told that he’ll be the team’s Opening Day starter. Adam Plutko, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale will be the next three in line. From there, the Tribe will have to use the remaining two weeks in Arizona to evaluate Logan Allen (Cleveland’s No. 11 prospect, per MLB Pipeline), Jefry Rodriguez and Scott Moss (No. 18 prospect) to zero in on the best candidate to replace Carrasco, if necessary.

“I think the way we feel about it is -- and this is [the same] with every player -- we want to get him healthy and not [make] an artificial deadline [of] Opening Day,” Francona said. “It just doesn’t seem to make sense. If he ends up making 34 instead of 35 starts because he was a week late, we’re gonna do the right thing, regardless. I don’t think any of us know quite yet what that is. You’ve heard me say it before: [We’ve] got to do the right thing, [and] not just when it’s convenient.”

Tito's not into the "Opener" thing. But that would be another option for a start or two. I expect we'll see Clevinger before Carrasco who keeps hiccupping

Hometown hero: Indians prospect Mitch Longo is chasing his Cleveland dream

Zack Meisel 7h ago 7
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Goosebumps still surface, nearly four years later, whenever father, son or scout relive that summer afternoon, the day Junie Melendez deems Christmas.

Mitch Longo was certain: The Indians had their sights set elsewhere.

He met Melendez, an Indians scout, for his first team interview, an on-campus rendezvous at Ohio University in fall 2015. Longo had no gauge for how those sessions typically unfolded, so he felt a bit unsettled afterward.

“By the time I got to Team 28, I was cruising,” Longo said, “so I had forgotten about the Indians.”

He figured they had forgotten about him, too. The Astros, Padres and Royals appeared interested in the college outfielder. But really, the Indians just preferred not to tip their hand. They watched a handful of Longo’s games and maintained contact with his agent.

On the third day of the 2016 amateur draft, Longo and his father drove to Columbus for his younger brother’s baseball showcase. They sat in separate cars, speaking on the phone, when Longo said he had to answer another call.

Longo motioned through the sunroof for his dad to pull over. They settled in a gas station parking lot. Longo told Melendez, on the other end of that call, that he needed to share the news with his dad.

Mark Longo shouted from across the parking lot.

Who is it?!

His son shouted back.

Indians!!!

Melendez remembers a few seconds of silence, the peaceful moments of bliss that resulted from father and son embracing.

“I get goosebumps just thinking about it,” Melendez said.

Melendez had made those sorts of calls before, but this one was special. Longo hails from Mayfield. He sported Indians gear throughout his childhood. He regularly accompanied his father to Progressive Field. They attended the 1998 home opener, when a 3-year-old Longo watched Jim Thome sink the Angels with a walk-off home run.

“This is where I’m meant to be,” Longo said. “This is where I want to be.” Mitch, front, with his siblings, Chelsey and Lee. (Courtesy of Mark Longo)
When Mark turned 40, he attended Indians fantasy camp a couple of weeks before spring training. His coach was Charlie Manuel, who threw batting practice and offered hitting tips, the same pointers he presented to Thome. Mark would relay those same suggestions to his children in their backyard.

His daughter and three sons were always outside, swinging bats or dribbling basketballs. Tom Hamilton’s voice was always blaring from a radio speaker. The three boys all played college baseball, one at Eastern Michigan and two at Ohio.

Longo chased after his quarterback’s tosses as a standout receiver at Mayfield before he chased down fly balls in the outfield for OU.

Now, he’s the hometown hero chasing his major-league dream.

Many minor-leaguers reside with a host family or squeeze with teammates into a sardine can-sized apartment. When he played for Class A Lake County and Class AA Akron, Longo lived at home.

He could recognize at least one family member or friend in the crowd at each game at Classic Park or Canal Park. And early in his career, that added some pressure. An 0-for-4 evening would carry an extra sting.

“There are so many other mental speed bumps along the way,” Longo said, “that you have to have all your focus on the game and not any of the other stuff that you can’t control.”

Mark reminded his son that if his performance dictates his disposition each day, “at best, you’re going to be happy 30 percent of the time.”
Longo has produced a .290/.356/.423 slash line in parts of four minor-league seasons with the Indians. In 2017, he batted .376 with a .990 OPS at Lake County and High-A Lynchburg. He encountered his first professional setback last season, when his slash line at Akron tumbled to .248/.320/.370, and he routinely leaned on his parents for guidance.

“He’s learning not to let baseball define who he is as a person,” Mark said, “which is a big thing. It’s easy to get trapped in the numbers game. It’s easy to look over your shoulder or try to see where you stand. He’s learning if he just plays the game like he knows he can, everything else will take care of itself.”

Perhaps, one day, that will lead to a home game at Progressive Field.

Longo was on vacation with his fiancee in Naples, Fla., in December when James Harris, the Indians’ vice president of player development, called him to invite him to big-league camp. Mark usually visits Goodyear for spring training anyway, but this year, he flew out a few weeks earlier than usual. One morning early in camp, Mark excused himself from a conversation so he could sit on a bench behind a chain-link fence and watch intently as his son stepped into the batter’s box for a round of live batting practice. This spring, Longo has racked up seven hits in 19 Cactus League at-bats.

As the Longo children grew older and their own baseball schedules interfered, those visits to Cleveland’s baseball cathedral decreased in frequency. Every family member has danced with the daydream, though, that vision of Longo’s name displayed big and bright on the scoreboard perched atop the left-field bleachers.

Mark attempts to stave off those fantasies and simply appreciate the journey. But with Longo appearing on more televised games this spring, that practice has become more challenging. Mark said his son’s debut would be as surreal as that enduring moment in the Columbus parking lot.

And he knows his son has that day in his sights.

“There’s really only one place I want to be and that would be Progressive Field,” Longo said. “That’s the next stop.”

Lloyd: Anthony Gose’s tantalizing potential and the Indians’ hope for a rare gem
By Jason Lloyd 5h ago 1
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Anthony Gose sat in the same chair every morning, playing the same card game at the same table in the Indians’ clubhouse. It’s called “Kings,” even though it has nothing to do with the kings in the deck. There are three cards face down and each player gets dealt six cards. There are three wild cards — twos, sevens and 10s. The goal is to get rid of all the cards in one’s hand.

The real wild card this spring, however, was the man holding the deck every morning.

The list of left-handers who touched 100 mph in a major-league game last year is brief: James Paxton, José Alvarado, Felipe Vázquez and Aroldis Chapman. That’s it. That’s the list. When spring training and eventually the season resume, Gose could join them this year. Maybe. The outfielder-turned-pitcher was in camp on a minor-league deal trying to earn a spot in the Indians’ bullpen until the coronavirus stopped everything. Even if Gose doesn’t make it by Opening Day, and he probably won’t, he is tantalizing enough that he very well could get a look at some point this summer.

“I have been so pleasantly surprised,” pitching coach Carl Willis said. “I knew about the arm strength. I’d heard he can create depth with his breaking ball. … I had no idea coming into this spring training that I was going to see him perform as he had, see him attack the strike zone as he has and then with the stuff and seeing that breaking ball and seeing that it’s not just one out of five, it’s more like four out of five. I think he’s done a tremendous amount of work and has pitched really good.”

Gose has good command of his breaking ball, but his strength is his fastball. He was consistently around 98 mph during an appearance last week, but Terry Francona said he has hit 100 this spring. If he can do that in a game, it will put him in select company. In fact, just making it back to the big leagues as a pitcher would put him in rare air. Plenty of guys changed from hitters to pitchers in the minors and went on to successful careers, but very few have made it as a position player, converted to being a pitcher and made it all the way back.

Rick Ankiel went from pitching to hitting. Chris Hatcher was a catcher with the Marlins briefly in 2010 before converting to pitching. He made it back to the majors the following year. Jason Lane was an outfielder for the Astros who hit 26 home runs in 2005 and then got stuck in Triple A for a few years. He converted to pitching at age 35. After a stint in independent ball, he made it back as a pitcher with the Padres.

While Shohei Ohtani and Brendan McKay are trying to do both at the same time now, the perseverance needed to start all over again can make the process exhausting.

“The hardest part for me was just building up the arm strength and catching up on all the different in-game situations that you can’t really experience in the bullpen,” said Lane, who is now the first base coach for the Milwaukee Brewers. “For instance, when you need a ground ball and you need to keep the ball in the infield, there’s a runner at third and less than two outs. What in your repertoire gives you the best chance at getting that? When you need a strikeout, how do you go about getting that? When you first convert, you’re just throwing strikes and you’re trying to pitch. But really when you get into pitching, it’s understanding yourself and how your stuff plays best to get a ground ball when you need one.”

It took Lane about two years from the time he put down the bat until he made it back to the majors as a pitcher. His process was expedited when he was released after 21 innings in Triple A and signed with an independent team in the Atlantic League. He was angry to be released so quickly, but he pitched 110 2/3 innings in 2012 for Sugar Land. Otherwise, he probably wouldn’t have made it back so quickly.

“I wouldn’t have gotten that many innings in Triple A out of the bullpen,” Lane said. “So, looking back, it had to go that way and it was more about just getting innings under my belt.”

Lane never threw hard and didn’t last long. He pitched just one season with the Padres and retired. That’s the thing with conversion stories. Even the ones who make it successfully usually don’t stick around long or have an abundance of success.

Gose went all the way down to High A to become a pitcher. A few months before he turned 27, he joined the Tigers’ Florida State League affiliate and hit 99 mph in his first appearance.

That two organizations, the Tigers and Rangers, have already given up on him as a pitcher is curious given how hard he throws. He turns 30 in August, so he isn’t particularly young, but he isn’t too old (Lane, remember, was 35 when he started his transition). Lane made it back to the majors in two years and Hatcher made it back in less than a year. Gose is entering his fourth season as a pitcher and still hasn’t made it back to the majors.
Jason Lane hit 61 home runs before transitioning to being a pitcher. He reappeared in the majors briefly with the Padres in 2014. (Scott Cunningham / Getty Images)
There is a belief Gose developed the reputation around baseball of being difficult. He was demoted once for a shouting match in the dugout with his Triple-A manager while he was still an outfielder, and the general thought is he just didn’t like hitting very much — possibly because he wasn’t very good at it despite once being a top prospect.

Gose doesn’t like talking to reporters and hasn’t met with the media since he arrived in Goodyear. But his teammates have said all the right things about him. More important is how he can pitch and if he is ready to help the Indians. Adam Plutko said his mechanics, once a work in progress, are now terrific.

“His lower half, I think everybody in this room wishes they could produce for themselves. I’m being very serious,” Plutko said. “His lower half is as ideal as it can possibly be. I’m sure a ton of it is hard work and some of it is just naturally how he moves, but it’s very impressive.”

Francona said Gose didn’t really start feeling comfortable with his delivery until he was in Akron last year. Before that, he was just a guy who threw hard. Now he’s starting to feel more like a pitcher.

“He looks pitcher-ish. He doesn’t look like an outfielder. He doesn’t look like a thrower,” said Plutko, who watched Gose throw breaking balls in 2-1 and 3-2 counts in a spring game a couple of weeks ago. “If you aren’t comfortable being a pitcher, you’d throw a fastball there.”


Anthony Gose hit .240 across five major-league seasons before becoming a pitcher. (Aaron Doster / USA Today)
Gose survived the first cuts. He is out of options, meaning the Indians can’t add him to the 40-man roster and call him up until they know he’s ready. Otherwise, they risk losing him on waivers after investing more than a year on him. And Gose isn’t quite yet a finished product. He had a 6.35 ERA in 5 2/3 innings this spring, although most of the damage was in one poor outing. He walked 29 batters in 29 innings across two levels last year, so control has been an issue. He has only pitched 18 innings in Double A and has yet to appear in Triple A.

Before the games were suspended, Gose missed on eight consecutive pitches to start an outing against the Cubs. But his arm is electric enough that when he has command, he has a chance to help.

“There’s going to be a lot of good days. For us to not expect this to happen sometimes is not fair to him, and he understands that,” Francona said after the game against the Cubs. “I mean, that’s a special arm. And he still is, not fairly new, really new. We have to be patient if we’re going to get rewarded and we know that.”