Cleveland Sports Forum

Decisions, decisions: 30 questions for a potential Indians 50-man roster


By Zack Meisel 2h ago 2
The wheels are already in motion in the Indians’ front office. Each morning, Chris Antonetti works out, eats breakfast with his daughters, tells them he’s going to work and then barricades himself in his office for another cycle of Zoom conferences and phone calls that sometimes persist until dusk.

Two months ago, the primary objective for Antonetti and Mike Chernoff was to ensure every player, coach and front office member returned home safely. Then, it became a matter of monitoring players’ at-home training regimens. Now, their chief assignment is to prepare for a potential season full of atypical regulations.

If there’s a season, how can the Indians build the most effective expanded roster? There is an abundance of questions and decisions they’ll face in the coming weeks, provided the league and the union can identify some common ground in their negotiations.

Once there’s clarity with the rules, we’ll unveil the optimal construction of an Indians 50-man roster. For now, here are 30 questions that highlight some of the dilemmas the Indians might confront as they plan for this unprecedented season.

Barring some unforeseen development, it appears as though there won’t be a traditional minor-league season. So …

1. What should teams do with their prospects?

Perhaps teams will find ways to arrange some socially distanced group training sessions and scrimmages for their minor leaguers.

2. But what about upper-tier prospects who were positioned to potentially crack the major-league roster this year?

Nolan Jones, widely considered the Indians’ top prospect, may have debuted in 2020 and could have served as the starting third baseman in 2021 (with José Ramírez shifting to second base and César Hernández presumably departing via free agency).

3. Will these circumstances disrupt that timeline?

4. Is it worth a year of service time to plug Jones into the 50-man roster?

5. Could a few extra months of hanging around big leaguers provide prospects with an unquantifiable boost?

6. Would all players on the 50-man roster, regardless of playing time, gain a full year of service time?

7. How will the usual 40-man roster rules factor into the equation?

8. Will teams be forced next year to designate for assignment 10 of the 50 players on their 2020 roster?

There’s a lot that goes into this, and Jones isn’t the only Cleveland prospect sure to spark discussion among Indians executives.

9. What’s best for Triston McKenzie, who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game since August 2018? McKenzie had been optioned to Class AA Akron a few days before spring training ceased.

10. What about Daniel Johnson, who seemed poised to debut in 2020?

Bradley Zimmer needs everyday at-bats, but that now seems implausible. This would be his third consecutive year without regular playing time, quite the setback for a 27-year-old still aiming to prove he belongs. Bobby Bradley and Jake Bauers appear destined for a year of observing from …

11. … the front row of ballpark seating? It was mentioned in the league’s proposal to the players that inactive players could sit in the stands, which raises additional questions.

12. Will they be in uniform?

13. Will they chase foul balls?

14. Will they stand up and cheer — remember, no high-fives — when their team scores?

15. Will they heckle the opposition?

16. Will they participate in the seventh-inning stretch?

Terry Francona could finally get his wish of a bullpen stocked like a sommelier’s wine cellar. Assuming the three-batter minimum remains in place, Francona won’t be able to mix and match like a mad scientist.

17. But an even-tempered lab analyst? Sure.

He can have a shorter leash with his starters. He’ll have a deep supply of lefties and righties ready to rush to the mound upon the call from the oft-sanitized bullpen phone. (By the way, this is where the Indians should benefit by having an infield full of switch-hitters. They’ll regularly have the platoon advantage.)

Emmanuel Clase won’t be involved as he serves his 80-game suspension, the sad tale of a 22-year-old with an otherworldly cutter who must cede a critical year of development.

18. What about young relievers who weren’t in big-league camp, but could have earned a promotion to the majors this year, such as Nick Sandlin, Kyle Nelson and Robert Broom?

19. Would they receive consideration for the 50-man roster?

20. Would the team trust them in a game?

Sandlin: 2.39 ERA, 13.0 K/9 last year at AA/AAA
Nelson: 2.28 ERA, 13.1 K/9 last year at A+/AA/AAA
Broom: 0.73 ERA, 10.2 K/9 last year at A+/AA

21. And what about Anthony Gose?

The converted outfielder turned heads during spring training with his upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider. Francona stressed that Gose simply needed more reps. Well, this isn’t the best year to be in need of more reps. (Really, this isn’t the best year for anything, unless you’re a fan of hornets that ruthlessly decapitate bees or you enjoyed Sarah Palin rapping to Sir Mix-A-Lot while dressed as a cotton candy-colored bear.) Anyway, Gose’s situation is tricky. He’s out of minor-league options, too, though there likely wouldn’t be demotions this year.

Indians pitchers have been throwing several bullpen sessions per week — some at Progressive Field, some at facilities near their residences, some in public parks or backyards. The starters have been gradually building their stamina so they could handle a few innings by the time Spring Training Part II commences.

The Indians have six starters — Mike Clevinger, Shane Bieber, Carlos Carrasco, Adam Plutko, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale — who were vying for five rotation spots during the first installment of spring camp. Clevinger and Carrasco would have been sidelined had the season started on time, so the competition would have stalled until sometime in April, and by then, the situation may have resolved itself anyway.

22. But what’s the most sufficient plan of action now?

23. Will the Indians shift one of those starters to the bullpen?

24. How will teams deploy their pitchers in a shortened season with an abbreviated ramp-up period?

25. Will five-man rotations remain in vogue?

26. With expanded rosters, will teams rely on openers, since additional relievers can cover more innings?

27. Is it still worthwhile to build up mid- or back-rotation starters to 100 pitches?

The Indians’ rotation remains their foundation. Their bullpen, on the other hand, is a blue whale-sized question mark.

Teams will have to accept a high degree of uncertainty and variance this year, though. It’s not just Gose or the Sandlin/Nelson/Broom triumvirate, for example. Logan Allen and Scott Moss could be in the mix. Jefry Rodriguez and Cam Hill, too. To fill out a 50-man roster, Henry Martinez, Jared Robinson, Argenis Angulo, Kyle Dowdy and Dalbert Siri could be considered.

On the position player side, Christian Arroyo and Mike Freeman, who were battling for a utility spot, should both make the cut. Yu Chang, too.

28. Not fully comfortable with Franmil Reyes or Domingo Santana roaming the outfield during the late innings?

Well, that’s what a bench full of outfield reserves is for. Tyler Naquin is healthy and just needs those elusive game reps. Oscar Mercado, Jordan Luplow, Delino DeShields, Greg Allen, Zimmer, Johnson, Bauers and even Ka’ai Tom could all be at Francona’s disposal.

The Indians will almost certainly add a catcher to the fold as insurance behind Roberto Pérez and Sandy León, though there is no other catcher on the 40-man roster at the moment.

29. Beau Taylor or Cameron Rupp?

The circumstances are far from ideal. There’s plenty to sort out, and plenty of future decisions — oh yeah, the star shortstop and his ticking clock — to re-evaluate. So, as the Indians brass size up their list of decisions, there’s one remaining question.

30. Where do they begin?

(Photo of Terry Francona and Brad Mills: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)

What did you think of this story?

What did you think of this story?

Well it was nice to read all those names I wonder if he mentioned 50 players in the article? The whole thing still seems rather uncertain to me as the league and the players negotiate all those money and service time and other issues.
I'm learning I can live very well without baseball which is not exactly what the teams are hoping for 2021 and beyond.

The Bowden Big Board: Ranking MLB’s top 10 shortstops


By Jim Bowden May 19, 2020 153
The Big Board is a look at players from across the league at key points in the season: in the spring, at the trade deadline and in the offseason. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting the top players at every position — for whenever baseball resumes. We’ve already taken a look at first basemen and second basemen, now let’s turn our eyes toward shortstop.

1. Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
Age: 26 B: B T: R Height: 5-11 Weight: 192

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .284/.335/.518 HR: 32 RBI: 74 SB: 22 WAR: 5.0 OPS+: 118

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 89.0 Hard Hit%: 37.4 wOBA: .354 xwOBA: .352 Barrel%: 6.6
Fld%: 979 DRS: 11 UZR: 6.4

Career accomplishments: Four-time All-Star; two Silver Sluggers; two Gold Gloves; three Top 10 MVP voting; Top 2 ROY voting.

Trending: Upward

Lindor is the best all-around shortstop in baseball. Defensively, he has quick feet, soft hands, tremendous first-step quickness, above-average range to both sides and a strong arm from the hole. He can turn a double play with the best of them and his instincts usually put him on the right spot on the field. His outs above average is in the 97th percentile. Offensively, he’s the full package. He can hit and hit with power. He’s slugged at least 32 home runs each of the last three years and stolen at least 22 bases in each of the past two. He has above-average plate coverage and will use the entire field to do damage. He’s not only the face of the Cleveland Indians but one of the faces of MLB. He’s a free agent after the 2021 season and then he’s expected to become the highest-paid shortstop in baseball history. He plays with energy, enthusiasm, passion and a smile on his face.

2. Javier Báez, Chicago Cubs
Age: 27 B: R T: R Height: 6-0 Weight: 192

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .281/.316/.531 HR: 29 RBI: 85 SB: 11 WAR: 6.0 OPS+: 113

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 88.7 Hard Hit%: 38.7 wOBA: .340 xwOBA: .324 Barrel%: 10.2
Fld%: .973 DRS: 26 UZR: 10.0

Career accomplishments: Two-time All-Star; Silver Slugger; Top 2 MVP voting.

Trending: Upward

There is no player in baseball with more swag than Báez. The two-time All-Star had his best season in 2018, when he slashed .290/.326/.554 with 40 doubles, 9 triples, 34 home runs, 111 runs batted in and 21 stolen bases. He was rewarded for that season with a Silver Slugger award while finishing second in NL MVP voting. This past season Báez was limited to playing in just 138 games after fracturing his left thumb while diving headfirst into second base during a 4-0 loss to Milwaukee in September. Báez has tremendous raw power and special bat speed that reminds me and most evaluators of Gary Sheffield back in the day. Báez has excellent body control, athleticism, first-step quickness and acrobatic skill on defense. He scored a phenomenal 26 defensive runs saved last year that resulted in an elite UZR of 10.0. His outs above average are in the 100th percentile according to Statcast. The Cubs were trying to tie Báez up to a long-term contract extension this spring, but those negotiations were put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. If Báez can learn to take more pitches out of the strike zone and increase his walks percentage, he has unlimited potential and his prime years are just now beginning. Buckle your seat belt and watch out.

3. Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies
Age: 27 B: R T: R Height: 6-2 Weight: 215

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .294/.363/.554 HR: 35 RBI: 85 SB: 23 WAR: 6.1 OPS+: 118

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 90.9 Hard Hit%: 45.8 wOBA: .463 xwOBA: .380 Barrel%: 8.6
Fld%: .987 DRS: 14 UZR: 8.6

Career accomplishments: Two-time All-Star; two Silver Sluggers.

Trending: Upward

Story, like most Rockies players, has to deal with the home/road split questions that analysts and evaluators always seem to hold against them. Story slashed .260/.322/.455 with 11 home runs on the road in 2019. While taking advantage of the altitude at home, he slashed .328/.402/.552 with 24 home runs. I don’t hold those splits completely against him, but you do have to factor them in. I tend to compare him offensively to former Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday who had similar hit and power tools and had a lot of success after he left Colorado for Oakland and St. Louis, albeit with reduced numbers across the board. Story does have light-tower power to all fields and led all major-league shortstops with a hard-hit percentage at an impressive 45.8 percent rate. Story is an above-average runner with sprint speed in the 95th percentile according to Statcast. He is a well-above-average defender at shortstop with plus range, a gun for an arm and the ability to make spectacular plays, as shown by his 14 defensive runs saved last year and 8.6 UZR.

4. Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox
Age: 27 B: R T: R Height: 6-1 Weight: 210

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .309/.384/.555 HR: 33 RBI: 117 SB: 4 WAR: 5.9 OPS+: 140

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 88.9 Hard Hit%: 36.3 wOBA: .354 xwOBA: .333 Barrel%: 5.4
Fld%: .975 DRS: -14 UZR: 1.1

Career accomplishments: Two-time All-Star; three Silver Sluggers; Top 5 MVP voting.

Trending: Upward

Bogaerts is the poster child for a player’s prime years as we’ve watched his slash line increase each of the last three years from .273/.343/.403 to .288/.360/.522 to last year’s .309/.384/.555. His home runs have increased during the same time frame from 10 to 23 to 33 and he has driven in more than 100 runs each of the last two years. His WAR of 5.9 and 140 OPS+ highlights how much of an impact player he’s developed into. The reason he is not higher on this list is that defensively he doesn’t belong in the same conversation with Lindor, Báez and Story. He’s a below-average defender with limited range that he makes up for with smart angles and positioning. He’s averaged 13.5 errors a year over the last three seasons and although he doesn’t make the highlight-type play often, he does make all the routine ones and will make the play he has to make with the game on the line. He embraces the big moments and is a flat-out winner.

5. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Age: 21 B: R T: R Height: 6-3 Weight: 185

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .317/.379/.590 HR: 22 RBI: 53 SB: 16 WAR: 4.1 OPS+: 152

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 89.5 Hard Hit%: 44.1 wOBA: .398 xwOBA: .345 Barrel%: 13.2
Fld%: .944 DRS: -1 UZR: -5.8

Career accomplishments: Top 3 ROY voting.

Trending: Upward

It’s only a matter of a few years before Tatis ends up on the top of this shortstop ranking. Talk about special prospects with unlimited ceilings and Tatis is the first name that comes to mind. He has been a human highlight film in the field and on the bases since making his major-league debut in 2019. He was one of the most complete rookie players we have ever seen and has already accomplished things that no other shortstop his age has ever done, such as his 22 homers, which surpassed the 21 Alex Rodriguez notched in 1996. Tatis’ rookie season was filled with injuries, including a pulled hamstring that caused him to miss a month early in the season. Then his summer was cut short when a stress fracture in his lower back prematurely ended his season in mid-August. It’s amazing to think what Tatis accomplished in the 84 games he did play, which resulted in a 4.1 WAR and a staggering 152 OPS+. He has above-average range to both sides, a strong arm, quick feet and soft hands. How good is he at shortstop? Just think about the fact that Manny Machado agreed to move to third base after signing his 10-year, $300 million deal before Tatis had even played a single major-league game — that’s all you need to know. Tatis’ energy, enthusiasm, quick-twitch muscles and athleticism make him a must-watch every game he plays. A future MVP is the best way I can categorize him.

6. Gleyber Torres, New York Yankees
Age: 23 B: R T: R Height: 6-1 Weight: 204

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .278/.337/.535 HR: 38 RBI: 90 SB: 5 WAR: 3.1 OPS+: 128

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 88.9 Hard Hit%: 36.2 wOBA: .354 xwOBA: .341 Barrel%: 9.7
Fld%: .961 DRS: -1 UZR: -2.1

Career accomplishments: Two-time All-Star; Top 3 ROY voting.

Trending: Upward

Torres has become the most valuable position player on the Yankees, which speaks volumes when you consider a roster filled with stars like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu. Torres has had an amazing start to his career offensively getting on-base at a .338 clip while belting 62 home runs over his first two seasons while making the All-Star team both years. He came up a shortstop but was moved to second base by the Yankees in 2018 because of Didi Gregorius. This past year he split his time at both short (77 games) and second (65 games). This year he’s expected to be the Yankees’ full-time shortstop. He profiles as a solid average defensive shortstop with above-average instincts and intelligence. Like Bogaerts of the Red Sox, it will be his offense that will carry him on these types of rankings. Torres’ bat has the potential of winning a few Silver Sluggers and eventually maybe even an MVP Award.

7. Carlos Correa, Houston Astros
Age: 25 B: R T: R Height: 6-4 Weight: 215

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .279/.358/.568 HR: 21 RBI: 59 SB: 1 WAR: 3.5 OPS+: 137

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 88.9 Hard Hit%: 40.9 wOBA: .358 xwOBA: .366 Barrel%: 8.9
Fld%: .993 DRS: 7 UZR: 0.1

Career accomplishments: All-Star; Rookie of the Year Award.

Trending: Upward

Correa came up an elite shortstop and belonged in the conversation with Lindor and others amongst the best potential impact middle-of-the-order shortstops. Then came a back injury, which not only meant lost time but, more importantly, affected him adversely on the inside part of the plate and turned him into an opposite-field hitter. However, by the end of 2019, it looked like his back had returned to normal and his pull power started to return. There is no doubt his ceiling of becoming a .400 on-base percentage player with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs is reachable. Remember, he’s only 25 years old and he’s already put up a 155 OPS+ season. Defensively, he’ll make the highlight play, the routine play and the big moment play. He’s got a strong arm and definitely benefits from playing next to both Alex Bregman and José Altuve, both above-average defenders. Correa will be a free agent after the 2021 season, so the next two years will be extremely important for his next contract.

8. Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
Age: 26 B: L T: R Height: 6-4 Weight: 220

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .272/.335/.483 HR: 19 RBI: 87 SB: 1 WAR: 3.3 OPS+: 113

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 90.1 Hard Hit%: 41.9 wOBA: .361 xwOBA: .370 Barrel%: 8.2
Fld%: .967 DRS: 2 UZR: -1.5

Career accomplishments: Two-time All-Star; two Silver Sluggers; Rookie of the Year Award; Top 3 MVP voting.

Trending: Upward

Seager was named National League Rookie of the Year in his first full season in the big leagues in 2016, when he slashed an impressive .308/.365/.512 with 40 doubles, 26 home runs and 72 runs batted in. He also was named to the All-Star team, won the Silver Slugger Award and finished third in the NL MVP voting. The following year he put up similar numbers and again made the All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger. In 2018, he had Tommy John surgery after playing in just 26 games for the Dodgers. He returned last year to lead the NL in doubles with 44 while batting .272 with 19 home runs. Now, another year removed from surgery, I’m expecting him to have his breakout season, predicting a .300/380/.512 slash line with at least 30 home runs, 100 runs scored and 100 runs batted in. He’s certainly going to benefit from the Dodgers’ offseason addition of outfielder Mookie Betts, a former AL MVP award winner who’s joining forces with Seager’s teammate Cody Bellinger, the reigning NL MVP, to create one of the best lineups in baseball. There should be plenty of traffic on the bases for Seager to drive in and plenty of opportunities to score runs with the depth of that lineup. Seager has a short, quick, level swing with loud, consistent sweet-spot contact. He’s not a rangy shortstop but makes up for it with solid positioning, strong angles and a quick directional first step. He has a strong arm and consistently turns the double play.

9. Marcus Semien, Oakland Athletics
Age: 29 B: R T: R Height: 6-0 Weight: 195

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .285/.369/.522 HR: 33 RBI: 92 SB: 10 WAR: 8.9 OPS+: 138

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 87.5 Hard Hit%: 33.2 wOBA: .326 xwOBA: .321 Barrel%: 6.0
Fld%: .981 DRS: 12 UZR: 6.7

Career accomplishments: Top 3 MVP voting.

Trending: Upward

Semien is coming off a career year that saw him finish third in the league in MVP voting after slashing a career-best .285/.369/.522 with 43 doubles, 7 triples, 33 home runs and 92 runs batted in while making 12 defensive runs saved for a UZR of 6.7. When Semien first came up, he couldn’t catch a cold; in fact, he made 35 errors in 2015 and followed that up with 21 the following year. This past season he made just 12 errors in 634 chances. He’s the most improved defensive shortstop in the league over the last five years for sure. Based on his numbers and performance from last year, he should be much higher on this list. However, because of his inconsistency both offensively and defensively over the length of his career, I couldn’t put him any higher. He’s never had an OBP over .325 or better nor an OPS+ of even 100 until this past season. It’s hard for me not to expect some regression in 2020 but I’m rooting for him — he’s a hard worker and deserves credit for the type of season he had last year.

10. Trea Turner, Washington Nationals
Age: 26 B: R T: R Height: 6-2 Weight: 185

2019 Stats:
Slash line: .298/.353/.497 HR: 19 RBI: 57 SB: 35 WAR: 3.3 OPS+: 113

Statcast:
Avg. Exit Velo: 88.8 Hard Hit%: 38.9 wOBA: .348 xwOBA: .342 Barrel%: 6.1
Fld%: .971 DRS: -1 UZR: -7.0

Career accomplishments: Top 2 ROY voting.

Trending: Upward

Turner has the potential of developing into a premium leadoff hitter as his on-base percentage continues to trend in the right direction — he went from .338 in 2017 to .344 in 2018 to .353 last year. He’s stolen at least 33 bases in four consecutive years and his ceiling looks like 25 home runs and 50 steals. Based on several algorithms, this coming season could be when he puts it all together at his prime age of 27. Although he’s hit 19 home runs each of the last two years, watching his power in batting practice makes you believe there is a lot more in the tank. And if he can improve his walk rate this year and his OBP continues trending upward, his stolen bases will no doubt go up, too. The big question is where he’ll hit, as his manager Dave Martinez considers him a candidate for first, second and third in the Nationals’ lineup. However, with third baseman Anthony Rendon departing to the Angels in free agency, Washington will have to manufacture more runs this year and placing Turner at the top of the lineup seems like the logical permanent spot for him. Defensively, Turner is average at best, but his raw speed and range often make up for any deficiencies he might have at the position. He’s a tireless worker and a flat-out winner.

Gammons: Pitching coaches on preparing their players for a strange season


By Peter Gammons May 20, 2020 4
If baseball does, indeed, return for a summer solstice training and a midsummer’s Opening Day, it will be because the people who run the game recognized that COVID-19 was a grave national threat, not a hoax, and that to reopen ballparks — somewhere, anywhere, with or without anyone attending — required an unimaginable amount of time planning logistics and necessities (and all the litigation that could follow).

If the relaxing on masking and distancing requirements does not lead to massive upticks in positive tests, and training camps open before the first day of summer on June 20, José Ureña will be the major-league leader in innings pitched with 14, one of nine pitchers who had more than 12 innings before players fled the Arizona and Florida facilities.

We can debate the massive layoffs and future impact on scouting and development; we can decry the five-round draft, the cloudy future of college baseball, the pushback on international signing dates and the near-certain negative impact this will all have on the demographics and talent of the sport. But here today, as Major League Baseball tries to figure out how to survive the next three seasons with 30 teams, limited attendance, a limited minimum salary talent supply and what will likely be a reluctance for banks to finance four to six franchises (the club president of one says it is in “survival mode”), the road to the sport’s restoration has to involve a collaboration between players and management that is about the game, not individuals.

We don’t know what 2023 will look like. What will the baseball college scholarship landscape be? With the cutbacks in the minor leagues, where do young players develop? Can baseball sell itself as a career destination?

All of that remains to be determined, once food lines lessen. What baseball has to do between now and Thanksgiving is demonstrate that the game itself is fine. We had the 1918 flu pandemic, World War I and the Black Sox Scandal before Woodrow Wilson was out of the White House, and along came Babe Ruth. When Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, after four seasons of wartime baseball, soon the World Series was in New York 11 times in 12 years, starring Willie, Mickey and The Duke; you don’t have to be from New York to remember where you were when Yogi Berra jumped into Don Larsen’s arms, or Willie Mays made The Catch on Vic Wertz. Baseball came out of a strike that canceled the 1994 World Series, and before the ’95 season came to a close, Cal Ripken Jr. had brought the sport back. So it can happen again.

One calls around, one hears that teams most fear two things: 1. a recurrence of the pandemic and all its physical, psychological and economic ramifications; and 2. if the sport returns as hoped, that the re-ramping-up process, coming four-plus months after the initial ramping-up process, will result in a rash of injuries. Two prominent orthopedic surgeons with significant baseball experience have predicted waiting lines at the doors of Dr. James Andrews, Dr. Neal ElAttrache and the many other physicians who have preserved so many careers.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore remembers that Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone used to say a major part of his job was “regulating the pitchers’ effort,” interesting because he had three no-doubt Hall of Famers to regulate. In 2019, with a full spring training, there were 437 games in the first month (March/April), 874 games started by pitchers, including opener starts, who averaged 5.29 innings per start. In 2018, pre-opener, in the first month there were 838 starts averaging 5.44 innings. “That is not possible this time around,” said one club president, “unless some owners put heat on their general managers and managers that if they don’t make the expanded playoffs, and help build a need for regional television outlets to continue to spend on the product, that they will lose their jobs. I think everyone involved with pitching is concerned about guys trying to get ready too fast and hence getting hurt.”

Boston’s Dave Bush, who inherits a staff without Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello, talks of telling his pitchers about “floating with normal throwing programs” until they know when they are returning and can get to a training camp and begin a supervised program for the season.

Tampa’s Kyle Snyder is concerned about the natural tendency for young pitchers “to be impatient, both now in their throwing programs and as they get close to and into training camp. One of the most important concerns in this period of the unknown is to remain in constant communication. We don’t want anyone trying to ramp up too soon. We constantly remind all our pitchers that right now health is so important, for the team and for their careers.”

Larry Rothschild of the Padres, who has a long, distinguished career as a major-league pitching coach, just wants pitchers “to keep their arms in shape, throwing naturally, and not be worried about spin rates and velocity and things like that. Hopefully, if they are healthy, those things will take care of themselves. They have to come back and be able to repeat their deliveries, command pitches, be loose and pitch, not pitch to numbers.”

The Yankees’ rookie pitching coach Matt Blake monitors Zoom sessions, Zoom calls and discussions with the entire staff, spreads Google Docs, has constant individual discussions and webinars. I don’t think Art Fowler held webinars with Ron Guidry, Catfish Hunter, Mike Torrez, Don Gullett, Sparky Lyle and Dick Tidrow of the 1977 Yankee staff.

“We constantly have to appreciate that this is completely different from normal offseason preparation,” Snyder said. “Then they can go to gyms, indoor pitching facilities, have trainers and pitching experts and a lot of other players with whom they can work. Now we have guys throwing into screens or against walls or one-on-ones …”

Carson Fulmer’s maintenance of his delivery is best suited by repeating his delivery over and over and over with a weighted ball in front of a mirror. That’s not so crazy. Twice I watched Tom Seaver not throw a pitch in his first spring training on a mound as he worked on every aspect of his delivery, so that the next time he went to a mound, the timing, the landing, etc., was perfect, ensuring he would not strain his arm.

What will be very interesting is to see which young pitchers each team designates to come to camp and be part of taxi squads. “Go back to the first month’s innings per start you mentioned,” one GM said. “We can’t approximate that this time around, not early on. Do we take some of our best young pitchers and break them in by putting them in low-pressure situations as they get used to major-league hitters? Isn’t that what the Orioles did so well in the 1970s? If you have a team that is trying to build for 2021 or ’22, without Double-A and Triple-A teams, is this a way to get some experience heading forward? Then let them go to the Arizona Fall League or Instructional League or even winter ball. It makes some sense.”

One thought is to keep some of the 50-man rosters in the Florida or Arizona facilities and work them in intrasquad games. “MLB wants most of the taxi squad players with the major-league teams,” one American League GM said. “We don’t have everything worked out yet, which is understandable.” The Royals, for instance, have discussed putting 2019 draftee Bobby Witt on their taxi squad, so at least he is getting some experience, rather than sitting around waiting for the fall instructional league. Several general managers have had similar discussions about their top prospects like Adley Rutschman of the Orioles, JJ Bleday of the Marlins, Joey Bart of the Giants, Nick Madrigal of the White Sox or Jarred Kelenic of the Mariners.

The Yankees are in a good position, especially with the optimism about James Paxton and Jordan Montgomery and a deep bullpen. Blake sees their camp as a time when Clarke Schmidt, Mike King and Deivi Garcia could get taxi squad roles.

Take the Padres. Chris Paddack, Garrett Richards and Joey Lucchesi are givens. Zach Davies was having a very good spring. They love Dinelson Lamet. But could they break in Adrián Morejón, Luis Patino and MacKenzie Gore as taxi squadders, as well as Taylor Trammell in the outfield?

Or the Diamondbacks. They have Madison Bumgarner, Mike Leake, Robbie Ray, Merrill Kelly, Luke Weaver and Zac Gallen, but this gives them the chance to bring Corbin Martin back from Tommy John surgery and look at Jon Duplantier and J.B. Bukauskas against big-league hitters. Does the economic climate allow them to run for the postseason and try to keep Ray for an extra year given what the free-agent market looks like?

Kansas City is almost certainly going to keep Brady Singer, Daniel Lynch, Kris Bubic and Jackson Kowar for some use; they were all scheduled to be in Kansas City at some point had the season been normal. Same goes for the Tigers. Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Matt Manning and Alex Faedo are going to be better for getting their feet wet on a team whose competitive ETA is 2022.

Miami and Tampa Bay might have enough young pitching to fill their taxi squad rosters. Might as well dabble in putting Sixto Sánchez and Edward Cabrera with Mel Stottlemyre Jr., and as successful as Dewey Robinson and the Rays pitching development people have been, Brendan McKay can keep developing with Snyder and they can monitor Brent Honeywell’s comeback off Tommy John surgery.

“We have no idea what to expect with the layoffs, with the possibilities of having players test positive, for what kind of parks we’ll be playing in,” Royals GM Moore said.

Honestly, they have no idea what 2021 looks like, where free agents go, which young players will be ready to fill 2022 rosters, how many teams will make it to 2023 financially viable — or whether the pandemic will come roaring back, be it in August, October or December.

So lay down your radar guns and Rapsodo machines for a while, ensure as many pitchers as you can stay healthy, and begin to realize your investments when baseball finds its new normal, whenever that may be.

How a misread lineup card caused lots of chaos
Now batting ... the designated hitter ... Charles Nagy


By Chris Landers
May 21, 2020

Everybody has one. A moment that's always stuck with you -- a weird play, a wild walk-off, a mascot ejection, anything in between -- but the details are hazy all these years later, and you can't seem to find video evidence anywhere. Did it actually happen? Were you hallucinating? What was the name of that guy at the plate, anyway?

In this new series, we're here to help: Simply send an email to VaultTips@MLB.com, subject line "Clip Request," with the bit of baseball weirdness you've always wished you could find, and we'll dive into the MLB archives to see if we can dig it up.

Last week, an emailer tipped us off to a deep cut on the Bo Jackson Casual Displays of Jaw-Dropping Athleticism highlight reel. This week, though, we're taking a turn for the weird -- courtesy of Redditor thedeejus, who sent in the following request:

On July 22, 1999, [Indians manager] Mike Hargrove got Alex Ramirez and Manny Ramirez mixed up, or something -- the wrong Ramirez went into RF instead of DHing, causing the Indians to lose the DH, so Charles Nagy had to bat and the Indians lost by one run. I was at this game and everyone had no idea what was going on when Nagy came out batting seventh until after the game when we could listen to the radio. Anyway I was always very curious what the TV feed was like as it was happening!

DH shenanigans, a once-in-a-generation sort of confusion, vintage Manny Being Manny -- this was impossible not to investigate. Things didn't look so good at first: thedeejus specifically asks for the TV feed as this all was unfolding, and our multimedia team only had access to the raw stadium sound. As scintillating as it was to watch Mike Hargrove grow increasingly confused amid a circle of umpires, the job didn't feel done.

So they unearthed the actual game tape from storage -- Blue Jays at Indians, July 22, 1999 -- complete with the broadcast audio. It didn't take long to find what we were looking for: Because the Baseball Gods are not without a sense of humor, the first batter of the game, Toronto's Shannon Stewart, flew out to right fielder Manny Ramirez ... at which point Blue Jays skipper Jim Fregosi noticed that something was off.


Sure, a Ramirez was penciled into right field for Cleveland that night, but it wasn't Manny -- it was Alex, a young outfielder who appeared in 48 games for the team in '99. The lineup card listed Alex as "A. Ramirez," slated to bat seventh. Manny, on the other hand, was simply "Ramirez", playing DH and batting fourth.

But for some reason, Manny thought he was supposed to play right, so out he ran for the top of the first. After Stewart's flyout, Fregosi ran out to home-plate umpire Rocky Roe, demanding to know what was up. And then all heck broke loose:

Mike Hargrove confuses Ramirezes
Jul 22, 1999 · 5:28
Mike Hargrove confuses Ramirezes
It took nearly 10 minutes for everything to get sorted out, but eventually the umpiring crew issued a ruling: The moment Indians starter Charles Nagy delivered his first pitch with Manny in right, Cleveland had burned its designated hitter. By rule, Manny was now the right fielder, while Alex had to head back to the bench -- replaced by Nagy, a lifetime .105 hitter over 20 plate appearances, now batting seventh. To make matters worse: Since Alex was listed in the official lineup card, he was technically considered to have started the game, meaning he wouldn't even be available as a substitute off the bench. (The Cleveland broadcast crew, to its credit, sussed out the situation pretty quickly -- the announcers had a lineup card of their own, after all, and they pretty soon realized what had happened and tried to explain all of the ins and outs to the audience.)

Which begs the question: How exactly did this happen? Had Manny simply misread the card? Or had Hargrove -- who'd managed over 1,000 Major League games by that point, including two World Series -- gotten his own lineup wrong? As it turns out, the answer was "neither."

"I ripped up the first lineup card and then told [third-base coach] Jeff Newman I had to switch the Ramirezes," Hargrove explained after the game. "Then I went in and made out a new card. Jeff went to [first-base coach] Brian Graham and said the card had to be changed. So when Brian saw the card on his desk, he didn't know it was a new card and [he] changed it -- back to the wrong one."

So Hargrove 1) mistakenly swapped his Ramirezes, putting Alex in the cleanup spot and Manny in right, 2) went to change it himself without properly communicating it and then 3) realized to his horror that the error he'd tried to correct had found its way onto the field. Here's what that looks like, condensed into a single image:


Of course, that was just the beginning of the mayhem. We still haven't gotten to the most important part: the bottom of the second inning, when Nagy stepped up for his first at-bat of the night -- with the Jacobs Field crowd squarely behind him.

Nagy's at-bat in the 2nd inning
May 18, 2020 · 3:05
Nagy's at-bat in the 2nd inning
OK, he didn't look "good," strictly speaking, but he battled! He spoiled several pitches! He seemed to cause David Wells some mild annoyance! And hey, at least he went down swinging. That's worth a standing ovation in my book:

Alas, things went downhill from there. Nagy allowed four runs over six innings, and the Indians lost, 4-3 -- while neither of the pinch-hitters Hargrove sent up in the pitcher's spot reached base. Sometimes it's just really, really not your night.

How 17 pages turned into 8 years: Inside the Terry Francona–Indians union

Zack Meisel 2h ago 2
Mike Chernoff scooped up Terry Francona from the manager’s downtown Cleveland residence and they trekked to the airport to catch their flight to Arizona.

When they pulled into the parking lot, Chernoff paused to switch out of his work shirt, a polo with the Indians’ patented Block C logo. Francona agreed to hold Chernoff’s bag and phone during his wardrobe change.

The instant Chernoff removed his shirt, Francona was ready, like a poised jungle cat pouncing on its hapless prey. A snapshot from Chernoff’s phone, a quick text to his own and, minutes later, “every person” Francona knows possessed a topless photo of the Indians’ general manager.

“That would sum up our relationship right there,” Chernoff said.

Francona played for a decade in the majors. He managed Michael Jordan in the minor leagues. He was jeered out of Philadelphia. He steered the Red Sox to a pair of titles and conquered the franchise’s 86-year hex. He has compiled Hall of Fame credentials and has directed his teams to 15 consecutive winning seasons.

And now, Francona has spent as much time in Cleveland as he has at any other location in his 40 years in the league as a player, manager and prankster. He sits two seasons and 90 wins shy of matching the Indians’ long-standing managerial records.

Every team’s brain trust dreams of its manager surviving that long and stockpiling victories, though it’s usually more wishful thinking than anything rooted in reality. But the day Francona submitted a 17-page manifesto that outlined his vision for the organization — typed in all caps, no less — the Indians knew they had stumbled upon a potentially prosperous marriage.

The Indians needed a center fielder. Kenny Lofton was bound for free agency after the 2001 season, and Mark Shapiro, the heir apparent to general manager John Hart, aimed to add youth to an aging roster.

So, the club turned to … the guy the Phillies fired after four miserable seasons?

Shapiro and Francona had shared a few brief conversations while jogging on adjacent treadmills at the winter meetings. Shapiro knew Francona’s agent, Pat Rooney, and Shapiro’s closest ally in the game, Bud Black, offered high praise of Francona.

Shapiro asked Francona if he wanted to visit Cleveland, just to talk over his options. Francona preferred to coach, but Shapiro insisted “that would be the easy thing to do.” Instead, Shapiro invited Francona to join the organization for the year as a special assistant to the general manager, a role Black previously filled.

For Francona, it was a chance to broaden his expertise, to gain exposure to drafting, scouting, trading and developing. Shapiro figured that “global view” would aid him in his eventual pursuit of another managerial gig. For the Indians, it was a chance to assign an eager mind to various front office projects.

“We’ll be better off from you spending time here,” Shapiro told him.

Francona visited the Indians’ minor-league affiliates. He observed from the club’s war room during the draft. He and Shapiro traveled the country to study a handful of potential amateur selections.

His primary mission, however, was to identify their future center fielder. Chris Antonetti, then an assistant in the baseball operations department, coordinated Francona’s schedule. The two communicated about his findings on a daily basis. Antonetti equipped him with statistical and logistical information that helped Francona piece together his first scouting puzzle.

“Tito got stuck interacting with me probably more than anyone else,” Antonetti said.

Francona proudly reported to his new partner how he marched to the top of the upper deck at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia so he’d have a bird’s-eye view of outfielders’ alignments and routes. Francona scouted Alex Escobar, a well-rounded Mets rookie ranked by Baseball America as the No. 18 prospect in the league. He also monitored Milton Bradley and Peter Bergeron, a couple of well-regarded Expos youngsters who had exhausted their rookie status the previous year.

“It really gave me a challenge,” Francona said. “I enjoyed the heck out of it.”

The Indians dealt for Bradley that July. Escobar was the crown jewel of the Roberto Alomar trade that December, the first domino of Shapiro’s tenure as general manager.

“The things that help him to be a Hall of Fame manager,” Shapiro said, “immediately helped him contribute in areas outside of his experience.”


Terry Francona and Chris Antonetti (Frank Jansky / Getty Images)
Francona spent eight years in Boston, where he tallied the second-most victories in team history. The Red Sox severed ties with him following the club’s September 2011 collapse, and Francona joined ESPN as an analyst.

The pressure, the unrelenting expectations, the ego-taming and the ruthless schedule had all taken their toll.

“It’s hard to tell yourself you need to take a step back,” Francona said. “But I did. And I needed it. I was so burned out.”

He found the shift from the dugout to the studio and the broadcast booth to be refreshing. He relished the opportunity to watch baseball without being invested in the outcome, without feeling as though the fate of the universe hinged on his decision to yank the starting pitcher or on the arrangement of the bottom third of his batting order.

But as the summer wore on, that itch resurfaced. When he worked on the broadcast crew for a game, he would venture into the clubhouse a few hours before first pitch to chat with players and coaches. By August 2012, he missed it all: the camaraderie, the quest, the stakes.

The Indians dismissed Manny Acta in late September, with six games remaining on the docket. Antonetti called Francona to gauge his interest. He wasn’t sure if Francona even wanted to return to managing, but he figured he might as well check.

“When I was talking to Chris,” Francona said, “it got my juices going.”

To organize his thoughts ahead of his in-person interviews, Francona typed up a 17-page thesis that explained his managerial philosophies, his ambition for the organization, his desired rapport with the front office and coaching staff, and how he handles failure, young players and the media.

“That’s not natural for me to do,” he said.

He submitted the document to Antonetti with a note that said, “Here’s how I feel.” Antonetti was blown away — both by the fact Francona scripted it in all capital letters, as if it were the world’s longest ransom note, and also that he exerted such effort, given that his resume spoke loud enough. Antonetti still owns a hard copy of the essay, which carries a conversational tone that Chernoff describes as “Tito sitting in a room, relaxing and chatting with you.”

“Then you lift up the hood and realize just how much incredibly diligent preparation is happening,” Chernoff said. “The guy, at the time, already was a slam-dunk Hall of Fame manager. And he prepared as if it were the first interview he had ever gone through.”

Francona arrived at Progressive Field at 8:30 a.m. and met with 14 members of the front office throughout his daylong interview. Then, he and a handful of executives capped the occasion with a dinner on East Fourth Street. Antonetti thinks they dined at Lola. Shapiro can’t remember; he just knows “Tito had food all over his shirt, probably.” Chernoff can’t verify the identity of the restaurant, but can confirm the likelihood of a signature Francona spill.

“I am sure of that,” he said.

By the end of the night, everything seemed to be aligned, but the Indians’ brass pumped the brakes. Antonetti stressed how his contingent relies on disciplined, thorough processes and avoiding rushes to judgment. (Not to mention, Sandy Alomar Jr., Francona’s only competition, was a worthy candidate in his own right.)

They presented to Francona all of the challenges he would face in Cleveland: a relatively paltry payroll, an uninspiring farm system and a roster that produced a 68-94 record in 2012. Shapiro suggested Francona envision a late-April weeknight affair against the Royals in front of a sparse, shivering crowd. Could he accept that? Would he remain motivated?

Antonetti: “He felt energized by it.”

Shapiro: “It became Chris and me saying, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you sure? You really need to think about this, man. Do you understand what our situation is? It’s going to be tough.'”

Antonetti: “This isn’t a job he needed.”

Shapiro: “We almost de-recruited him after he was clear he was so interested.”

Francona wouldn’t be deterred. From Antonetti’s first call, Francona was adamant it was the right fit.

“And that was really energizing for all of us,” Antonetti said.

Winningest Indians managers
Lou Boudreau
728
649
0.529
1942-50
Mike Hargrove
721
591
0.550
1991-99
Terry Francona
638
494
0.564
2013-present
Tris Speaker
617
520
0.543
1919-26
Al Lopez
570
354
0.617
1951-56
Eric Wedge
561
573
0.495
2003-09
Roger Peckinpaugh
490
481
0.505
1928-33, 1941
Nap Lajoie
377
309
0.550
1905-09
On a road trip years ago, Chernoff was chatting with Francona in the manager’s office when Jim Leyland and Joe Torre entered the room. The three have combined for 5,762 wins, 13 pennants and seven championships as managers. That afternoon, they conversed for an hour. Chernoff sat silently on the couch, marveling at three legends talking shop.

“I was thinking to myself, like, ‘Is this real?’” he said. “I’m pinching myself. And, basically every road trip you go on, something like that happens.”

When the Indians hired Francona, Chernoff was 30, an assistant GM with a narrower idea of a manager’s role and influence. Francona proposed a more collaborative culture, which has paved the way for the organization’s improvements in various areas of player development. Departments work together more than they ever had. Francona maintains relationships with minor-league coaches, analytics gurus and everyone in between. Antonetti and Chernoff spend a half-hour in Francona’s office after every game. On the road, they’ll share a cab with Francona on the way to the ballpark.

“It made me recognize my own blind spots,” Chernoff said. “It was a huge learning experience for me, not just for interviewing a manager, but anything in life or baseball, where you think you might have an answer, but when you dig deeper and talk to somebody who’s really experienced, they uncover things for you that you didn’t even know you were missing.”

Francona still reads that 17-page composition from time to time. When the Indians trudge through a rough patch, he’ll scan his words to “give myself a kick in the pants.” He reviewed the manuscript a few weeks ago at his Arizona home, just for a reminder of everything he’s missing at the moment.

He still hops on daily Zoom calls with players, coaches or front-office members, but he craves the daily grind, the pregame top-of-the-dome smooches from Carlos Santana, the jolt of adrenaline from a walk-off win, the in-person trash talk about his Words With Friends games with Antonetti and others. He’s aching to toss grapes at assistant coach Mike Barnett on team flights and water balloons at slacks-wearing executives on a sweltering spring training afternoon. Though often the victims, his front-office companions miss the ground-rumbling belly laugh he produces after he executes an elaborate prank.

Francona is 61 and, though it takes a bit longer each winter to recover from the 162-game slog, his appetite for baseball hasn’t waned. In his office at Progressive Field, there’s a photo tacked to the back wall of Francona as a toddler, sitting in front of the Indians’ dugout near his father, Tito, then a Cleveland outfielder. Francona is a baseball lifer.

It sure seems as though the final chapter of his managerial career will cover his time in Cleveland, and it’ll span more pages than anyone would have envisioned eight years ago. Francona is under contract through the 2022 season. That would give him 10 years at the helm in Cleveland, two more than he spent in Boston and one more than any other Cleveland manager. He sits 90 wins shy of Lou Boudreau’s franchise record.

Even the mere mention that the 2020 season would be Francona’s eighth with the Indians prompts Shapiro to mutter, “That’s crazy.”

“With any person we bring in,” Chernoff said, “we’re hopeful that it’s not just plugging a gap. But I don’t think anybody says, ‘I hope he can be here 10 years from now.’ You don’t know what that’s going to look like. Especially in baseball — you don’t know what the next day’s going to look like.”

And sometimes, when you’re simply trying to switch shirts before boarding a plane, you don’t know what the next minute’s going to look like.

“He always makes it fun,” Chernoff said, laughing.

Thanks TFIR. Nice read. Love those behind-the-scenes articles.

He sits 90 wins shy of Lou Boudreau’s franchise record

Probably would have reached that this year, if there were a real season.

Here's a recent Baseball America podcast on the challenges facing MLB to reopen this year. Didn't seem to require subscription to open it, but maybe their site just knows me by now

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories ... n-to-play/

Indians built that fancy Baseball Academy in the Dominican so it is no surprise we might attract young lads from that area. But I don't get why the heavy Venezuela connection.

There is that huge political crisis and power struggle going on in Venezuela. I would like to think we may have someone with an in there, cause it is definitely not an easy place to move around and work now.

or enough food to eat; could be hard to find healthy teenagers.

Trade tree: How Richie Sexson paved the way for Kenny Lofton’s final act
By Zack Meisel 4h ago 1
Once upon a time, the mighty Cleveland Indians, backed with an imposing lineup and a familiarity with October nonsense, relied on Jim Brower and Jamie Brewington to lead their charge toward a postseason berth.

The Indians called upon 32 pitchers in 2000, or precisely twice as many as the Mariners used (and one of theirs was a position player). You know about Bartolo Colon, Dave Burba and Chuck Finley, the anchors of the staff. Names such as Cameron Cairncross, Andrew Lorraine and Willie Martinez might leave your mind in a murky haze.

If John Hart could spot you from his office window at Jacobs Field, you received a pitching tryout. Or so it seemed. The roster resembled one of the ballpark turnstiles, constantly in rotation to admit nearly 3.5 million visitors to the venue that year.

Colon, Burba and Finley were fine. And the bullpen actually performed well, with a collection of steady arms such as Steve Karsay, Paul Shuey, Steve Reed, Justin Speier and Ricardo Rincon.

But everyone else? Well, those with easily upset stomachs should skip this statistical table. The Indians cycled through 10 pitchers for the final two spots in their rotation in 2000.

The Indians' 2000 search for pitching (Innings, ERA, Opp. Average, Opp. OPS)
Jim Brower
62.0
6.24
0.309
0.873
Charles Nagy
57.0
8.21
0.300
0.933
Jason Bere
54.1
6.63
0.297
0.820
Steve Woodard
54.0
5.67
0.269
0.800
Jaret Wright
51.2
4.70
0.235
0.754
Paul Rigdon
17.2
7.64
0.300
0.937
Bobby Witt
15.1
7.63
0.394
1.089
Jaime Navarro
14.2
7.98
0.328
0.967
Kane Davis
11.0
14.73
0.385
1.091
Tim Drew
9.0
10.00
0.425
1.085
In all, those 10 pitchers surrendered 423 hits and 265 earned runs in 346 2/3 innings, good for a 6.88 ERA. Offensive statistics soared that season, the height of the steroid era and the year the phrase “pitchers’ duel” applied to games with a 6-5 outcome. But for a team with postseason aspirations, the Indians’ efforts on the mound were especially detrimental (and unsightly).

As the summer unfolded and the Indians slipped to 10 games behind the White Sox in the AL Central race — their bid for a sixth consecutive division title in peril — the Indians completed a trade intended to infuse their shaky pitching staff with some stability.

July 28, 2000: Indians trade Richie Sexson, Kane Davis, Paul Rigdon and Marco Scutaro to the Brewers for Bob Wickman, Jason Bere and Steve Woodard
On the same day, the Indians swung deals to acquire Wil Cordero from the Pirates and David Segui from the Rangers to bolster the lineup. That helped to fill a 6-foot 8-inch hole left in Charlie Manuel’s batting order.

Sexson was the tall kid with the frosted tips, the affinity for playing guitar and the powerful swing. The Indians had selected him in the 24th round of the 1993 amateur draft out of high school in Brush Prairie, Wash.

They had already shipped out a few young hitters in favor of established players, usually pitchers. They dealt Sean Casey for Burba, Brian Giles for Ricardo Rincon (yikes) and Jeromy Burnitz for Kevin Seitzer. Casey, Giles and Burnitz combined for six All-Star Game nods and nearly 5,000 hits.

Sexson made a pair of All-Star teams with the Brewers, too. He totaled 306 home runs in his career, socking all but 58 after he left Cleveland.

But it can’t be underscored how sorely the Indians needed pitching in 2000. They allowed 10 or more runs in a game 22 times, and seven or more runs in a game on 47 occasions.

In Rigdon’s major-league debut that May, he blanked the Yankees for seven innings. After that, he surrendered 15 runs in 10 2/3 innings, packed his suitcase and moved to Milwaukee. Like Rigdon, Davis broke into the big leagues that summer for the Indians and then promptly jetted off to his new residence. Scutaro, a player to be named later in the deal, officially joined the Brewers in August. He proceeded to spend 13 years in the majors with six different teams and made an All-Star team in 2012.

In the trade, the Indians acquired three major-league pitchers who were tasked with plugging all of the leaks on the sinking ship. Woodard and Bere replaced Nagy and Wright — both injured — in the rotation. It didn’t go too well. Woodard logged a 5.36 ERA in 42 appearances with the Indians in 2000-01.

Bere posted a 6.63 ERA in 11 starts in 2000, pitched for the Cubs the following two years and then returned to the Indians’ organization until his 2005 retirement. He served as a special assistant in the organization for nearly a decade before landing the club’s bullpen coach job in 2015, a position he held for three seasons.

Wickman was the centerpiece. A Wisconsin native, he initially said he was hurt by the trade, and Brewers fans were reportedly in line to receive Wickman posters at County Stadium that evening. He assumed the closer role and helped guide the Indians to a 38-22 finish. At 90-72, they fell one game short of a playoff berth.


Bob Wickman (David Maxwell / Getty Images)
July 20, 2006: Indians trade Bob Wickman to the Braves for Max Ramirez
A prototypical Wickman save followed this script:

(Enters the game with a three-run lead)
Single
Home run
Single
Walk
Balk
Walk
Popout
Lineout
Fly out to the warning track

Hey, a save is a save.

While Wickman stuffed his cheek with a landfill of bubble gum or chewing tobacco, fans puffed every Marlboro in their possession. Far more often than not, however, Wickman proved reliable.

In six seasons with the Indians — he missed the 2003 campaign because of Tommy John surgery — he recorded a 3.23 ERA and racked up 139 saves, which stood as the franchise record until Cody Allen eclipsed the total in 2018.

By late July 2006, the Indians were closer to the AL Central basement than they were to third place in the division, so they dealt the 37-year-old right-hander to Atlanta for Ramirez, a 21-year-old catching prospect. Ramirez had some impressive seasons at the plate in the minors and was once rated a top-100 prospect by Baseball America, but the Indians were set at catcher with Victor Martinez and, eventually, Carlos Santana.

July 27, 2007: Indians trade Max Ramirez to the Rangers for Kenny Lofton
A crowd of more than 37,000 greeted Lofton with a standing ovation as he approached the batter’s box in the first inning of his first game in an Indians uniform in six years. That night, he slapped a pair of singles to left field and he bunted for a hit, a 40-year-old dashing down the first-base line as if he were still that kid in his 20s who perennially led the league in stolen bases.

As the Indians geared up for their postseason push — their first visit to October since Lofton’s previous tour of Cleveland — the storybook script took shape. Before that first game back, Lofton said he missed being in Cleveland and described it as “the city that got me going.”

The Indians needed another outfielder, and though Lofton had only manned left field during a couple of All-Star Games (to accommodate Ken Griffey Jr.), he had no issue shifting to left to play alongside Grady Sizemore. He couldn’t scale the 19-foot-high left-field wall like he routinely did the center-field fence at Jacobs Field, but Lofton batted .283 with a .344 on-base percentage, with similar numbers in the playoffs.

Lofton spent 10 seasons in Cleveland. He played for 10 other teams during his career but never lasted more than one season with those clubs. From 2002-07, he played for the White Sox, Giants, Pirates, Cubs, Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers, Rangers and Indians. He was always a coveted commodity at the trade deadline, and his nomadic journey included postseason trips in all but one of those seasons.

Cleveland was home, though. And thanks to the trades of Sexson and Wickman, Lofton was able to cap his career in the proper place.

Indians' Top 5 left-handed starters: Bell's take By Mandy Bell @MandyBell02
June 1, 2020
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CLEVELAND – No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only … if you don’t agree with the order, participate in the Twitter poll to vote for your favorite at this position.


Mandy Bell
✔
@MandyBell02
Last week, we looked at the best right-handed starters in Indians’ history. This week, we turn to the lefties.

Sam McDowell is an easy favorite, so who would get your vote for the second best left hander in club history?

20%Cliff Lee
20%Herb Score
60%CC Sabathia
0%Vean Gregg

Here is Mandy Bell’s ranking of the top 5 left-handed starters in Indians history. Next week: relievers.

1) Sam McDowell, 1961-71
Key fact: Led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings in six of 11 seasons in Cleveland (five of which led the Majors)

McDowell spent the first 11 seasons of his 15-year career in Cleveland, making his big league debut on Sept. 15, 1961, against the Twins at 18 years old. Once he became a permanent fixture in the rotation in ‘64, the left-hander went 11-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 31 games (24 starts), striking out 177 batters in 173 1/3 frames. The next season, he became a first-time All-Star, posting a 2.18 ERA in 42 games (35 starts) with an American-League leading 325 strikeouts in 273 innings.

The man known as “Sudden Sam” would go on to lead the AL in strikeouts again in ’66 (225) before recording the most in the Majors for three straight seasons in ’68 (283), ’69 (279) and ’70 (304). Of all Tribe lefty starters, McDowell owns the highest bWAR (42.5) and has the most complete games (97), shutouts (22), wins (122), innings pitched (2,109 2/3) and strikeouts (2,159).

McDowell was a six-time All-Star for the Tribe and finished third in the AL Cy Young Award voting in ’70, a year in which he led the AL with 305 innings pitched and was named Sporting News’ AL Pitcher of the Year. The lefty is one of just two pitchers in Indians history to have eclipsed 2,000 strikeouts, joining Bob Feller, who struck out 422 more batters than McDowell in 234 more appearances.


2) CC Sabathia, 2001-08
Key fact: One of four pitchers in club history to win an AL Cy Young Award (2007)

If Sabathia gets voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, he’ll most assuredly be choosing the interlocking “NY” to put on his cap, however that doesn’t take away from what he did with the Tribe.

Sabathia, from Vallejo, Calif., was 20 years old when he first took the mound on April 8, 2001. That season, he posted a 4.39 ERA in 180 1/3 innings with 171 strikeouts and a 4.22 FIP, making him the runner-up for the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Over his seven and a half seasons with the club, he accumulated the second-highest bWAR (27.5) of all lefty starters in franchise history and trailed just McDowell in games started (237), wins (106), innings pitched (1,528) and strikeouts (1,265).

In '07, he earned the AL Cy Young Award by going 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA over a Major League-leading 241 innings with 209 strikeouts and a 1.141 WHIP.

“What I don’t think he ever got enough credit for was, you know, the athlete he was,” Indians manager Terry Francona said when Sabathia made his final stop in Cleveland with the Yankees last season. “And what I would marvel at, and still do, is how he can manipulate the ball. ... You watch him just throw, it’s so natural. … He’s been doing it for a long time. He’s not the power pitcher he used to be, but he’s got such a good touch and feel that, I think, that gets overlooked.”

Sabathia's Major League debut
Apr 8, 2001 · 4:32
Sabathia's Major League debut

3) Cliff Lee, 2002-09
Key fact: One of four pitchers in club history to win AL Cy Young Award (2008)

Meet the third Indians pitcher to win a Cy Young Award. Gaylord Perry was the first to win the honor in 1972, Sabathia followed in 2007 and Lee took home the hardware in ’08. Corey Kluber was the fourth player to win the award in '14 and became the only Indians pitcher to win two in '17.

Lee’s Cy Young-winning efforts also earned him the Comeback Player of the Year Award after a rough '07 season that resulted in his demotion to Triple-A following a groin injury and a 6.29 ERA in 20 games (16 starts). In ’08, he pitched to an AL-best 2.54 ERA and earned a Major League-best 22 wins. He gave up just 12 home runs over 223 1/3 innings, had the best FIP (2.83) in the AL and posted the best walks per nine innings ratio (1.4) in the Majors.

Like Sabathia, Lee won the Cy Young in his final full season with the Tribe. He ended his eight-year stint in Cleveland with a 4.01 ERA and 826 strikeouts in 1,117 innings. His 16.1 bWAR ranks sixth among lefty starters, while his 83 wins rank third. His .634 win-loss percentage (83-48) trails just the No. 4 lefty starter on this list, and Lee made the fourth-most starts among left-handers in club history (178).

Lee wins the 2008 Cy Young
Jan 22, 2019 · 2:02
Lee wins the 2008 Cy Young

4) Vean Gregg, 1911-14
Key fact: Leads all Indians lefty starters in ERA (2.31)

His time in Cleveland may be shorter than anyone else on this list, but Gregg capitalized on his three-plus seasons, accumulating a 22.4 bWAR, which is third-highest among all Tribe lefties. In his rookie season for the then-Cleveland Naps, the 26-year-old posted a career-best and Major League-leading 1.80 ERA (189 ERA+) with an AL-best 1.054 WHIP, finishing 10th in the MVP voting.

In just under four full seasons, he tossed 77 complete games and 10 shutouts, which both rank fourth among lefties in club history. His 72 wins are the sixth-most among Tribe lefties, while his .667 win-loss percentage (72-36) is the best.

5) Herb Score, 1955-59
Key fact: Owns highest strikeout percentage of all lefty starters in club history

Score is another hurler who didn’t spend much time in Cleveland, but he made sure his name would be remembered. He owns the highest strikeout percentage of all left-handed starters for the Tribe (24.4 percent), beating out McDowell’s 24.3 percent. In five seasons with the Indians, he was named to two All-Star Games and won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1955. In both ’55 and ’56, he led the Majors in strikeouts (245 and 263, respectively) and his 2.78 FIP was the best in the game in his second season in the big leagues.


Honorable mentions

• Greg Swindell posted the fourth-best bWAR (16.5) among Tribe lefties and recorded the fourth-most strikeouts (777). In seven seasons with Cleveland, Swindell owned a 3.86 ERA and a 3.46 FIP, while averaging two walks per nine innings.

• Rick Waits played in eight and a half seasons with the Indians, pitching to a 4.18 ERA and the fifth-most wins (74) among Tribe lefties. He made the third-most starts (187), tossed the fourth-most shutouts (10), pitched the fifth-most innings (1,276) and struck out the seventh-most batters (566).

• Jake Miller earned the fifth-best bWAR of all Tribe lefties (16.4) from 1924-31. He finished his eight years in Cleveland with a 3.92 ERA and a 3.95 FIP, while averaging 2.7 walks per nine innings.

Mandy Bell covers the Indians for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MandyBell02.

Indians' Top 5 catchers: Bell's take
By Mandy Bell @MandyBell02
March 23, 2020

No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only … if you don’t agree with the order, participate in the Twitter poll to vote for your favorite at this position.

Here is Mandy Bell’s ranking of the top 5 catchers in Indians history. Next week: First basemen.


Mandy Bell
✔
@MandyBell02
We will be putting together each club’s All-Time team over the next few weeks on MLB dot com and we’d love your input. Later today, we will take a look at the best catchers in Indians history. Who gets your vote?

21%Victor Martinez
76%Sandy Alomar Jr.
1%Steve O’Neill
2%Jim Hegan
1,870 votes•Final results

1. Victor Martinez, 2002-09

Key fact: First and only Indians catcher to reach 100 homers and holds team’s highest batting average for catchers with at least 500 at-bats.

Choosing between Martinez and Sandy Alomar Jr. was not easy, but Martinez trumped Alomar in home runs (103), RBIs (518) and offensive Wins Above Replacement (22.8), according to Baseball-Reference. His .832 OPS and 120 OPS+ during his eight-year tenure with Cleveland made him one of the most valuable backstops in the game and earned him three All-Star selections and a Silver Slugger Award. He was traded to the Red Sox in 2009, where he played for the Indians’ current manager, Terry Francona.

"He's one of the nicest guys in the game and one of the most professional hitters, great teammate," Francona said when Martinez made his final stop at Progressive Field while playing with the Tigers in 2018. "You can pretty much write anything good and put my name next to it. That's how I feel."

Martinez was hitting .284 with an .832 OPS for the Indians when he was moved at the 2009 Trade Deadline in exchange for starter Justin Masterson and relievers Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price. The right-hander remained with Cleveland until 2014 and was the Tribe’s Opening Day starter from '12-14.

V-Mart's 1st big league homer
Sep 29, 2002 · 0:57
V-Mart's 1st big league homer
2. Sandy Alomar Jr., 1990-2000
Key fact: Alomar ranks second all-time among Indians catchers in home runs and doubles, and he became the first player to ever win the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award in his home ballpark.

Prior to the 1990 season, Alomar and Carlos Baerga were part of a franchise-defining trade. The duo and outfielder Chris James were sent to the Indians' by the Padres in exchange for Joe Carter. In Cleveland, Alomar and Baerga helped establish a foundation for some of the Indians' incredible teams in the 1990s.

“What a difference that one move could change my life forever,” Alomar said last year after winning a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. “That one transaction that gave me an opportunity of a lifetime and was able to open a door for us to bring younger people and also to get a new stadium.”

Alomar spent 11 seasons catching for the Tribe and was a six-time All-Star. He was the hometown hero in ’97 when he became the All-Star Game MVP for his go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning at Jacobs Field. Alomar hit .277 with 92 homers and 453 RBIs in 985 games for the Indians, and his 950 games behind the plate are the third most in club history.

Alomar homers, wins MVP
Jul 8, 1997 · 2:23
Alomar homers, wins MVP
He later became the 33rd player to be inducted into the Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame in 2009 and has been a part of the Tribe’s coaching staff since 2010.

"People are very genuine here. Humble, genuine. They embrace you,” Alomar said. “Like I said before, I thought with that big trade when Carlos Baerga and myself came here for Joe Carter, I thought that was going to create some discomfort coming here, but people embraced me with open arms, gave me an opportunity and I just want to make a difference and was able to stay in Cleveland. I’m very humble about it.”

Alomar's game-tying homer
Oct 5, 1997 · 1:23
Alomar's game-tying homer
3. Steve O’Neill, 1911-23
Key fact: He is the all-time franchise leader in hits and doubles among catchers.

More than 100 years has gone by since O’Neill first took the field for the Indians, but no other backstop in club history has recorded more hits (1,109) or doubles (220) than O'Neill. He was a member of the club’s first World Series-winning team in 1920, hitting .321 with a career-high .848 OPS and 39 doubles that season. For someone who was not known to hit for average, logging a career .265 batting average in his 13 seasons with Cleveland, he ranks second in offensive WAR among Indians backstops and 33rd overall in club history (21.9).

4. Jim Hegan, 1941-57
Key fact: He is the longest-tenured position player in Indians history.

Edging O’Neill out by one season, Hegan's 14 seasons with the Tribe is the longest stint by a position player in franchise history. Though he was listed to be with the club for 17 years, Hegan, like many others, did not play from 1943-45 while serving in the military during World War II. After returning to the Tribe for the '46 season, Hegan was selected to five All-Star Games in his final 12 seasons with the club. He trails just Martinez among Indians catchers with 499 RBIs as a catcher, and he launched 90 homers and holds the club record for triples by a backstop with 45.

5. John Romano, 1960-64
Key fact: He is tied for second-most homers by an Indians catcher in a single season.

Until Carlos Santana hit 27 home runs in 2011 while playing more than half of his games behind the plate, Martinez and Romano were tied for the most long balls hit in a single season (25) by someone who played more than 50 percent of his games as a catcher. Romano's time in Cleveland may have been shorter than most on this list, but he was able to make his way toward the top of the Tribe’s power charts. In just five seasons, he hit 91 homers, which is the third most by an Indians backstop (33rd among all Indians players), and logged an .816 OPS.

Honorable mentions: Ray Fosse, Yan Gomes
Fosse put up impressive numbers in his first full season as the Tribe's backstop in 1970. He hit .307 with an .830 OPS and 18 home runs while winning a Gold Glove Award and earning his first of back-to-back All-Star Game selections. During the Midsummer Classic in '70, he infamously separated his shoulder in a collision at the plate with Pete Rose. His offensive numbers in the coming years never matched that year's production. He ranks fifth all-time among Indians catchers with a 12.3 offensive WAR.

Gomes' production at the plate was strong at the beginning and end of his Indians career, as he registered an .801 OPS between his first two seasons in 2013-14, and then in his final season, he had 16 home runs and a .762 OPS. Gomes' most noteworthy contributions came through his work with the Indians' pitching staff, highlighted by a pair of American League Cy Young Awards for Corey Kluber. He earned a Silver Slugger Award for his production in '14 and was an All-Star in '18.

Indians’ Top 5 first basemen: Bell's take
By Mandy Bell @MandyBell02

No one loves a good debate quite like baseball fans, and with that in mind, we asked each of our beat reporters to rank the top five players by position in the history of their franchise, based on their career while playing for that club. These rankings are for fun and debate purposes only … if you don’t agree with the order, participate in the Twitter poll to vote for your favorite at this position.




Mandy Bell
✔
@MandyBell02
http://MLB.com is constructing All-Time teams for each club. On Monday, we'll be focusing on first basemen and we'd love your participation.

So, who do you think is the Indians' best 1B in franchise history?

(I think I have a hunch who's going to win this one...)

10%Carlos Santana
86%Jim Thome
1%George Burns
3%Hal Trosky

1) Jim Thome, 1991-2002, '11

Key fact: Indians all-time home runs leader

Fans walking down Eagle Avenue outside of Progressive Field can see a bronze marker permanently secured in concrete right through the center-field gates that reads, “Jim Thome, longest home run, 511 ft, July 3, 1999.” That marker specifies exactly where Thome’s ball landed that Saturday night against the Royals, and it sits just feet away from a statue of him that was erected in 2014. Thome's legacy in Cleveland is evident, and in '18 he was honored for his legacy across the game. Thome became the first player voted into the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA to have the Indians as his primary team since Bob Lemon in 1976.

"You know how there's a saying about good guys finish last?" his former roommate and teammate Sandy Alomar Jr. said when Thome was inducted. "I'm so glad that a great, genuine person like Jim Thome is in the Hall of Fame. He was such a hard worker and a great teammate. He's the most genuine guy I've ever seen.”

Thome's HR sets Cleveland history
Jul 3, 1999 · 0:50
Thome's HR sets Cleveland history
Thome was the power bat during the Tribe’s magical teams of the 1990s, and he holds the club record for most homers with 337. He ranks second in the organization with 937 RBIs and first in walks (1,008). His .414 on-base percentage and .566 slugging percentage rank first among Indians first basemen. He began his career as a 20-year-old with the Indians in 1991 and was selected to three All-Star Games before he left in 2003. But he made a return to Cleveland for part of the '11 season, hitting .296 with three homers and 10 RBIs in 22 games.

"Jimmy was so nervous about coming back," Alomar said. "When people came out and stood up and gave him an ovation, that was an incredible feeling for everybody, especially for people who were around for those times and knew what we went through in development, going from losing 100 games to winning 100. All of that, it was just a lot of hard work for growth as a unit, and he was one of the main pieces."

Thome elected to Hall of Fame
Jan 24, 2018 · 1:07
Thome elected to Hall of Fame
2) Hal Trosky, 1933-41

Key fact: The first Indians player to hit 40 or more home runs in a season

The number “162” is typically associated with the number of games played during a regular season, but in 1936, Trosky gave the figure a whole new meaning. The left-handed hitter was 23 years old and in his third full season in the Major Leagues when he hit .343 with a 1.026 OPS, 42 homers and 162 RBIs in 151 games. It was the first time an Indians player hit 40 or more home runs in a season, and it remained most in a single season until 1953, when it was broken by Al Rosen.


Trosky played more than 100 games in seven of his nine seasons with the Tribe, and he had more than 100 RBIs in six of those. His 1,365 hits, 287 doubles and 53 triples are the most of any first baseman in Indians history, and his 216 homers, 758 runs, 911 RBIs and 30.3 WAR rank second.

3) Carlos Santana, 2010-17, '19-present

Key fact: Owns career club record by a switch-hitter for home runs, RBIs and walks

The first thing Santana said when he returned to Cleveland in 2019 after a year with the Phillies was that he was happy to be home. He hit just .229 with a .766 OPS with Philadelphia but returned to the club he had played with for his first eight years in the Majors and was easily the club’s MVP in 2019.

When asked why he found so much success, he’d always respond, "Because I’m home.” After nine seasons with the Indians, he owns the club’s third-highest fWAR among first basemen (28.9). He also ranks second in doubles (266) and walks (834), and is third in runs scored (683), hits (1,156), home runs (208) and RBIs (680).

Top 10 1B Right Now: Santana
Jan 18, 2020 · 1:17
Top 10 1B Right Now: Santana
"Everything we say here about him is true,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “We genuinely have a ton of affection for this kid. He shows up every day and all he wants to do is play. He’s got a smile on his face and he’s worked hard to become a better defender. A guy that you want playing first base. A guy that pays attention to the game and picks his teammates up.”

4) George Burns, 1920-21, '24-28

Key fact: The first Indians player to win a league MVP Award

In 1926, Burns became the first member of the Tribe to bring home the Most Valuable Player hardware following a season in which he led the Majors with 216 hits and 64 doubles. His .327 career batting average is first among all Indians first basemen, and he was a member of the '20 World Series championship team.

5) Ed Morgan, 1928-33

Key fact: First Indians player to hit more than 20 home runs in a single season

He may not be the most memorable player in Indians history, but Morgan is tied for the club's fifth-highest all-time OBP (.405) and sixth-highest batting average (.323). In 1930, he transitioned from getting sporadic playing time in the outfield to becoming the Tribe’s everyday first baseman. He took advantage of the opportunity and hit .349 with a 1.014 OPS, 26 home runs and 136 RBIs.

Honorable mentions

George Stovall is the franchise leader in defensive WAR among first basemen (0.9) and ranks third in triples (40).

Mike Hargrove has the sixth-highest fWAR among Indians first basemen (14.0) and slashed .292/.396/.382 with the Tribe.

A handful of nagging injuries limited Luke Easter to 491 games in his six-year Indians career, but he still finished ranked fourth all-time among Tribe first basemen with 93 home runs.

Mandy Bell covers the Indians for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MandyBell02.