Cleveland Sports Forum

If the Cleveland Indians aren't going to complain, neither will Terry Pluto
Published: Thursday, September 01, 2011, 5:57 PM Updated: Thursday, September 01, 2011, 9:54 PM
By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer Jack Hannahan's two-homer performance in Wednesday's marathon victory and the Indians' reluctance to fold in the face of injuries and the Tigers' August surge makes them a great September story almost regardless of the eventual outcome, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- I walked into Progressive Field Thursday and asked, "Where did Hannahan's homers land?"

That's as in Jack Hannahan, the same Hannahan who batted .237 with only nine homers in Class AAA last season. That's home runs, as in more than one -- in the same game. One hit the top of the right-field foul pole. The other soared over the 410 foot sign in center ... over the first row of trees ... and came down in Toledo, where Hannahan has played 268 of his 846 minor-league games.

The actual measurement was 432 feet.

That's why I've loved following the Indians this season.

Start with the fact that it's September, and we can actually discuss the Indians without it being all about "Wait 'til next year." We may say, "There's no way they can keep this up, too many injuries to win the division." Or, "Can you believe where Hannahan hit those homers?" Or, "How about Jim Thome coming back?" Or, "I never even heard of half the guys in the lineup."

We may say, "I don't know how they've won this many games."

That question came to mind after watching the Tribe lose, 7-0, to Oakland on a sunny Thursday where it felt as if they could play another 16 innings and not score a run.

The Indians had their typical lineup of late -- four guys who spent some time in Class AAA, and four batting under .250. On the entire roster, there are only 10 players who have not been on the disabled list or in Columbus, who have spent all season in Cleveland.

Only two members of the opening day starting rotation are still pitching -- Fausto Carmona and Justin Masterson.

Not everyone from the minors has helped. Cord Phelps, Luis Valbuena and Jerad Head are a combined 14-of-105 (.133) with five RBI.

Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis were supposed to be starting in the infield, but Chisenhall lost his job to Hannahan, whose .420 batting average since the birth of his child made him Mr. August. Kipnis was their one impact hitter from Columbus, and he played only 18 games before injuring an oblique muscle, then pulling a hamstring during what the Indians called "ballistic stretching."

The entire starting outfield of Michael Brantley, Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore is on the disabled list, as is designated hitter Travis Hafner and starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco and Josh Tomlin.

In Thursday's lineup, only Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana and Hannahan played in the season opener.

Yet, the Indians are 68-66, still 5 1/2 games behind Detroit in the Central Division. Remember, this team won only 69 games all last season and 65 in 2009. They have won in dramatic style -- 22 in their last at-bat, 11 with walk-offs such as the 4-3 verdict in 16 innings that ended early Thursday morning.

If I'm Manny Acta, I'm not sure if I'd laugh or cry when writing out some of these lineups.
"I don't view it that way," he said. "I come to the park each day trying to figure out how my guys can beat their guys. And my guys have been hanging in there."

He admitted that right now, there are only four names he can write in ink every game -- Cabrera, Hannahan, Santana and Kosuke Fukudome, hitting .293 since August 1.

"Fukudome has been a life-saver," said Acta. "Jimmy [Thome] has been a big plus. We are 5-0 when he starts. He's had a direct impact on two games. He homered Saturday to give us the lead. He got the hit to lead off [the 16th on Wednesday]. He's so positive in the clubhouse. He gives us confidence, and he's still a threat."

The Tribe finished this homestand at 6-5 by winning 5-of-7. Their problem is the Tigers, who are 30-21 since July 1 while the Tribe is 26-29.

"We're not giving up," said Acta. "This is no time to complain, no time to rest. We keep coming back, and I really like that."

So do I.

J.R. wrote: "Jimmy [Thome] has been a big plus. We are 5-0 when he starts. He's had a direct impact on two games. He homered Saturday to give us the lead. He got the hit to lead off [the 16th on Wednesday]. He's so positive in the clubhouse. He gives us confidence, and he's still a threat."

Make that 6-0 when Jim Thome starts.

Arbitration Eligibles: Cleveland Indians
By Tim Dierkes [September 6, 2011 at 7:42am CST]
The Indians are next in our arbitration eligibles series.

First time: Justin Masterson, Jack Hannahan
Second time: Shin-Soo Choo, Chris Perez, Asdrubal Cabrera, Joe Smith
Third time: Fausto Carmona, Rafael Perez
Carmona would be arbitration eligible if the Indians decline his $7MM club option. He hasn't been great in terms of the categories that earn pitchers big bucks in arbitration, but he's done enough for the option to represent about $1MM in savings.

The Indians' group doesn't appear to have any non-tender candidates. Masterson projects to a healthy $4MM for his first time. Choo had been on the fast track to big arbitration earnings, but this year's dismal counting stats may keep him under $5MM for 2012. Perez's first 30+ save season should allow him to jump to $4.3MM. Cabrera's power surge should push him to $4.9MM or so. Hannahan, Smith, and Perez each project to fall in the $1.4-1.9MM salary range.

Assuming Carmona's option is exercised, these eight players should cost about $30MM in 2012. If the Indians pick up Grady Sizemore's option as well, they'll be around $56MM. That commitment is firmly in the middle of their last two Opening Day payrolls, though it doesn't account for minimum salary players.

Matt Swartz contributed to this post.

Indians notebook: First and third base will get possible makeovers during offseason

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: September 9, 2011 - 09:56 PM
RELATED STORIES
Lonnie Chisenhall homers twice in Indians’ 8-4 win over White Sox
Indians notebook: First and third base will get possible makeovers during offseason September 10,2011 01:56 AM GMT Sheldon Ocker Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Copyright � 2011 Beacon Journal Publishing Co. Inc and Black Press. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of the Akron Beacon Journal is expressly prohibited.
CHICAGO: Not only did Indians manager Manny Acta reveal that the organization will re-evaluate its situation at first base, but also that third base is under scrutiny.

“We’re looking at both as priorities,” Acta said Friday. “These are positions where you want production. But you can get away with good defense from one if you’re getting production from the other. We’ve struggled offensively for two years with both positions.”

Matt LaPorta has not progressed as expected at first. Jack Hannahan has played Gold Glove defense at third, but he is not the kind of hitter most teams seek as a corner infielder. Lonnie Chisenhall made his major-league debut this summer as the heir apparent at third, and he has experienced the usual rookie problems that accompany a player moving from Triple-A to the big leagues.

Although Hannahan is not a prototypical run-producer, he has delivered several timely hits and saved a number of runs with his glove.

“I don’t need to look at the stats to know that he has saved a ton of runs for us,” Acta said.

COMING HOME — Jason Kipnis is a Chicago-area native who visited both old Comiskey Park and the current U.S. Cellular Field when he was growing up. But even though he was raised on the north side of Chicago (Cubs territory), he did not prefer one team over the other.

“I was an overall fan of the city,” he said. “I liked every team, across the board.”

In his hometown debut Thursday night, about 15 of his friends and family members came to watch him.

Bob August, popular Northeast Ohio sports columnist, dies at 89
Published: Saturday, September 10, 2011, 3:49 PM Updated: Saturday, September 10, 2011, 3:58 PM
By Mark Gillispie, The Plain Dealer

WOOSTER, Ohio -- Bob August entertained Northeast Ohio newspaper readers for decades with his gentle wit and eloquent prose as a columnist for the Cleveland Press and the News-Herald in Lake County.
August died Friday in Wooster, where he had lived since the 1980s. He was 89.

"He was an incredibly talented writer," said Bob Sudyk, an award-winning sportswriter and columnist for the Press and Hartford Courant. "He was the Red Smith of the Midwest. He had such a skill with words. It was a great pleasure to read him."

August later wrote a nationally syndicated column titled, "The Wiser Side of 60," that was distributed by the United Press Syndicate from 1982 until 1986.
He was inducted into the Cleveland Journalism Hall of Fame in 1988.

August was born Oct. 6, 1921, in Ashtabula. He grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Collinwood High School, where he was a star baseball player. He continued playing baseball at the College of Wooster, where he graduated in 1943.

He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and commanded a ship that participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. He ended the war in the Pacific Theater, preparing for the invasion of Japan.

August began his journalism career in 1946 as a makeup and copy editor for the Cleveland Press. He became a sportswriter and was promoted to sports editor in 1958. He wrote a sports column for the Press from 1964 until 1979, when he became a general columnist and associate editor.

After the Press folded in June 1982, August joined the News-Herald as sports editor and a columnist. He retired in 2003.

A collection of his columns, "Fun and Games -- Four Decades of the Best of Bob August," was published in 2001.

Sudyk said August had the ability to criticize sports figures without them knowing they had been eviscerated.

Said Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer's longtime Indians beat writer who worked for August at the Press and News-Herald: "Art Modell had a great line. He said, '[August] could you cut you up and you wouldn't even know you were bleeding.' "

Hoynes, like most of Cleveland's sportswriting community, admired August greatly.
"He was a writer's writer, a columnist's columnist," Hoynes said. "You just loved reading him. You weren't just getting hit over the head with the facts. You were getting a writing lesson."

Longtime friend Dick Feagler, who worked with him at the Press, said August liked but was never infatuated with sports. The act of writing was a different matter.

"He could be sitting there writing a funny line and be grimacing," Feagler said with a laugh. "He was the best I've ever read, and I've read many sports columnists from around the country."

It was only a few years ago, Feagler said, that August revealed that he had long had multiple sclerosis. Feagler said he remembered when August began to have trouble getting to and from the press box and locker room at the old Cleveland Stadium. Effects of the disease troubled August the rest of his life, although Feagler said his friend never complained.

August's daughter, Alison McCulloch, said her father was first diagnosed with the disease when he was in his early 40s. He refused to take the medicine prescribed to him, but was dutiful about continuing his regimen of swimming until just a few years ago.

McCulloch said her father's interests went far beyond the world of sports.

"He was an intellectual person," McCulloch said. "He had very strong feelings about the world and what was going wrong with it."

In addition to his daughter, August is survived by his wife of 66 years, Marilynn, and two granddaughters. A memorial service is being planned in Wooster sometime in the next few weeks.

Here's to Bob August.

Nice story.

I had never heard of him until I just read J.R's sharing.

Of course, most people in America do not realize that there were about 5.5 million people living in "Northeastern Ohio" when we were kids....of the 50's and 60's.

Long ago, and oh so far away.....


Seriously, respects to the August Family. Marriage of 66 years. Nicely done.

And shine on Harvest Moon.

We subscribed to the PD and only saw the Press when Dad brought it home on Saturday and rare other times. August was an excellent writer. I liked him better than Hal.

CHICAGO: On a day when Drew Pomeranz made his major-league debut with the Colorado Rockies, Ubaldo Jimenez was delivering a near-impressive start for the Indians, who beat the Chicago White Sox 7-3 to split the four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.

Pomeranz and the Tribe’s other top pitching prospect, Alex White, were traded for Jimenez in July, and since then the controversial transaction has been the No. 1 topic of conversation among Northeast Ohio baseball fans.

Pomeranz’s first big-league start, throwing five scoreless innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, will do nothing but increase the chatter among both the fans and the media.

Jimenez (3-2, 4.61 ERA), meanwhile, limited the White Sox to two runs and three hits in six innings. He even threw a 98-mph fastball to strike out Paul Konerko in the fifth inning. One of the concerns expressed about Jimenez was his loss of velocity since his dominating run of starts in the first half of 2010.

Except for his first start for the Tribe, against the Texas Rangers Aug. 5, those 97- and 98-mph heaters had been missing from his arsenal of weapons. He had been making do with fastballs that ranged from 93 to 95 mph.

Jimenez conceded that he peaked at the scoreboard to see how hard he had thrown the pitch to Konerko.

“Yeah, I saw that one,” he said, smiling. “He’s one of the best hitters in the game. I just took a deep breath and threw my fastball.”

Said Indians manager Manny Acta, “This is the first time he’s shown that kind of consistency with his fastball.”

One thing kept the outing Sunday from rising to the level of outstanding. Jimenez walked five, including three in the fourth inning. On the plus side, he extricated himself from that jam without allowing a run.

“Jimenez was a little erratic with his command, but he had pretty good stuff,” Acta said. “He went to his fastball when he needed it. He got up to 98.”

The control problems originated with Jimenez’s breaking pitch.

“I think I threw too may breaking balls,” he said. “I was not throwing it for a strike. That’s why I walked too many guys. When I got to the fifth inning, I was thinking I needed to go to my fastball, because it was my best pitch today.”

Both Chicago runs off Jimenez came in the third inning, which included two singles, a walk and two steals, which got Alejandro De Aza from first base to third. But the Sox didn’t exactly bludgeon Jimenez into submission, both runs scoring on force plays at second base.

“Ubaldo would get out of whack here and there,” Acta said. “Sometimes he’d fly open or whatever. But he had more trust in his fastball today.”

Except for Carlos Santana’s two-run double in the eighth that helped break the game open, most of the important hits were delivered by the bottom four batters in the lineup. These hitters were 9-for-17 with three RBI and scored all seven runs.

Luis Valbuena, who came into the game batting .147 (in 34 at-bats), hit his first home run of the season and singled twice, scoring two runs and driving in one.

“I’m happy I hit the home run,” he said. “I didn’t want to go the whole season without one.”

Valbuena was something of a sensation at Triple-A Columbus, batting .302 with 17 homers and 75 RBI in 113 games. But in brief stints in the big leagues, he couldn’t find the formula to duplicate his Triple-A success.

“I had a good year in Triple-A and played every day,” he said. “Up here I don’t play every day and I had to make an adjustment. I’m trying to hit ground balls to the right side and line drives instead of fly balls, and I try to use the whole field.”

Said Acta: “Valbuena is tough to read. He has never looked overmatched at the plate. He was very good at Triple-A, but sometimes that doesn’t translate up here.”

Trevor Crowe, activated from the disabled list last week, singled three times, scored a run, drove in one and stole a base.

“Even Wednesday [when he was called up], I felt better at the plate in big-league games than I did in minor-league rehab games,” Crowe said. “I thought it was just a matter of time, because I was seeing the ball well and making solid contact.”

Lonnie Chisenhall had two hits and scored twice, and Lou Marson contributed a two-run double in the Tribe’s three-run second inning that gave Jimenez a lead to work with.

civ ollilavad wrote:We subscribed to the PD and only saw the Press when Dad brought it home on Saturday and rare other times. August was an excellent writer. I liked him better than Hal.

I delivered the Cleveland Plain Dealer in the morning at age 12 and 13. As I've posted before, I normally had 64 customers and I could usually deliver the route on a fat Schwinn two speed with a basket I put on the front. The route covered many square residential blocks in an area that was back door Akron Beacon Journal territory. During baseball season, I read the sports page and Hal by flashlight as I picked up my papers pre dawn and prepped to work the route.


I also delivered the Akron Beacon Journal in the late afternoon in the same years, and a bit more. I normally had 128 Akron Beacon Journal customers, in a much more condensed area than my Plain Dealer morning route. I had to walk the ABJ route with the "newspaper bag" over the shoulder. Too many papers to bike and deliver.


I think all of my Plain Dealer customers who lapped into my ABJ route received both papers.

Truly, they were my best tippers. And of course were news junkies like I was destined to become, I guess.

It's still hard to fathom that as a "paper boy" in those years it was necessary to go "door to door" to collect for the newspaper enterprises of Akron and Cleveland.


Collecting was as much effort and time as delivering the actual papers.


I still remember the stereo and "ten speed" I purchased with my newspaper earnings.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/ ... olence.php

Manny's wife - 911 call

As payroll grows, so does off-season pressure on Cleveland Indians front office: MLB Insider

Published: Saturday, September 17, 2011, 7:55 PM Updated: Saturday, September 17, 2011, 7:56 PM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- The Indians' payroll is going up in 2012. How much will depend on some difficult decisions by Larry and Paul Dolan, President Mark Shapiro and GM Chris Antonetti.
This year's team opened with a payroll of just over $49 million, the smallest in seven years. To start the 2012 season with basically the same roster is expected to push the payroll to close to $70 million. It's unlikely that would happen, but the Indians are facing some big decisions that will shape the 2012 payroll.

• Travis Hafner: The injury-prone DH enters the final year of his contract for $13 million. Do they keep him or walk away and eat the rest of the deal? Since the money is already spent, this might be the easiest decision to make. He stays, he gets paid. He goes, he gets paid. So somebody make a decision.

• Grady Sizemore: Do the Indians pick up his $9 million club option after three injury-filled seasons or try to re-negotiate? Another option would be letting him walk away through free agency.


• Fausto Carmona: The Indians hold a $7 million club option on Carmona, who has lost 15 games this year. If they don't exercise the option, Carmona is still under their control, but would be eligible for arbitration.

Carmona could probably earn just as much, if not more, through arbitration on a one-year deal. He would also be eligible for free agency after 2012. If the Indians exercise Carmona's option, and he performs well next year, they still have club options for 2013 and 2014. Given the state of their pitching depth, including Carlos Carrasco's Tommy John surgery and the trade of Drew Pomeranz and Alex White, this seems like a pretty easy call.

The only big money the Indians have on the books for next year, outside of Hafner's $13 million, is Ubaldo Jimenez's $4.25 million. He has a club option for 2013 worth $5.75 million.

The next big bump in the 2012 payroll will come from arbitration. Seven Indians are eligible, assuming Carmona's option is exercised. Tony Sipp could be an eighth if he qualifies as a super two player. Players need three years in the big leagues to qualify for arbitration, but players in the upper 17 percent in service time who have more than two years, but fewer than three also qualify. Sipp will have two years and 138 days at the end of the season, but it hasn't been determined yet if he qualifies.

Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Chris Perez, Rafael Perez and Joe Smith are arbitration veterans. Justin Masterson and Jack Hannahan will be eligible for the first time.

The Indians have not had a player go to arbitration since 1991, but the threat of it remains a profitable venture for players. Choo, after earning $461,100 in 2011, was eligible for arbitration last season for the first time. He signed a one-year deal worth $3.975 million. Chris Perez jumped from $423,800 to $2.225 million in his first year of eligibility. Cabrera went from $444,600 to $2.025 million.

This winter, Choo, Chris Perez and Cabrera could jump to between $4 million and $5 million each. Choo was in line for a bigger payday, but struggled early at the plate, got arrested for a DUI and then was beset by injuries that ended his season last week. It will be interesting to see if the Indians approach Choo and his agent, Scott Boras, with a multiyear contract this winter. They did last season, but the talks went nowhere.

Masterson, the workhorse of the rotation, is making $468,100. It's been speculated that he could jump to $4 million next year. Rafael Perez is making $1.33 million, Smith $850,000, Hannahan $500,000 and Sipp $436,800. They'll all be in for raises, with Rafael Perez probably pushing $2 million.

The Indians will have three free agents in Kosuke Fukudome, Chad Durbin and Jim Thome. If the Indians don't pick up Sizemore's contract, Fukudome has a chance to return. Hafner and Thome are too similar to keep both. Durbin has done a good job in his role, but the Indians might try to find a younger reliever.


Three up

1. Hunter Pence entered Saturday hitting .310 (53-for-171) with 11 doubles, one triple, nine homers and 26 RBI in 43 games since being from Houston to the Phillies on July 29.

2. The Rays, nine games out of the wild card on Sept. 2, cut Boston’s lead to four by winning nine of their last 13 games.

3. Milwaukee’s Zack Greinke is 10-0 with a 2.98 in 13 starts at Miller Park this year.

Three down

1. Through Friday, Boston’s pitching staff was 4-11 with the highest ERA in the AL at 6.34 ERA (93 earned runs in 132 innings) in September.

2. Milwaukee set-up man Francisco Rodriguez broke baseball’s golden rule — never complain when you’re winning — because he hasn’t gotten any save situations since being acquired from the Mets.

3. Cincinnati outfielder Drew Stubbs leads Baltimore third baseman Mark Reynolds for the most strikeouts in the majors, 193-182.

Paul Hoynes’ rant

What the Indians want to do with Carlos Santana is put him behind the plate and leave him there. He’s not a great catcher, probably not even a good one at this point, but he should get better.

The thing Santana does best is hit and hit with power. Not many catchers do that. It makes Santana a valuable commodity, a hitter in a position where game-calling, catching, throwing and working with the pitching staff always comes first. He gives GM Chris Antonetti and manager Manny Acta a good place to start in remaking this season’s impotent offense.

If Santana is going to establish himself as a No.1 catcher, the Indians need to find a productive first baseman. Matt LaPorta does not appear to be the answer, although he hasn’t played a full season yet because of health and performance issues. If LaPorta isn’t traded this winter, he can still be optioned to Class AAA Columbus next year to open the door for another first baseman.

Letting Santana play the majority of time behind the plate and acquiring a run-producing first baseman — he doesn’t have to be Albert Pujols — gives Acta a much better chance to put an offense on the field that can compete with Detroit in the AL Central. The alternative of having Santana at first and the good glove, questionable bat of Lou Marson behind the plate has been on display plenty this season and just creates another hole in the lineup.

The Indians already have too many of those.

-- Paul Hoynes

Stat-o-matic

No. 9: Albert Pujols hit his 35th homer of the season Monday night to give him nine seasons in his first 11 in which he’s hit 35 or more homers.

Home sweet home: The Rangers are hitting .295 and averaging 6.1 runs per game at home compared to .266 and 4.4 on the road through Thursday.

September success: Detroit’s Victor Martinez has 17 RBI in 15 games in September through Friday.
The sentiment was strong to exercise Sizemore's option in midseason. Now he's back for the third time from the disabled list trying to re-assemble his game. This will be the front office's toughest call.

Colorado Rockies putting plenty of faith in their 'energetic lions': Ex-Indians Drew Pomeranz and Alex White

Published: Sunday, September 18, 2011, 1:20 AM Updated: Sunday, September 18, 2011, 1:28 AM

By Bill Lubinger, The Plain Dealer

Drew Pomeranz' big-league debut last weekend was a scoreless five innings and a win for Colorado. "It's been such a crazy time, but it felt good to get back out there and get a win, too," he said.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As important as the Ubaldo Jimenez trade was to the Indians and what they expect from him over the next two seasons, it was even bigger for Colorado.

The Rockies parted with their franchise pitcher for a calculated risk -- that pitchers Alex White and Drew Pomeranz will become everything the Indians predicted they'd be when they made them first-round draft choices in 2009 and 2010.

The Indians anticipated White and Pomeranz would form the front of their rotation for the next several years. Instead, they're a big part of Colorado's rebuilding plans.

"We expect both to be members of the rotation next year, if everything works out, and be Rockies for a long, long time," said pitching coach Bob Apodaca. "I couldn't be more pleased with the acquisition. We lost a quality person, we lost a quality pitcher, but then we acquired two young energetic lions."

Expanded rosters and a sub-.500 season have allowed the Rockies and their fans a sneak preview of what they got -- and what the Indians gave up.

Late-season call-ups on teams playing out the string -- against teams in the same position -- offer no conclusions on calculated risks. But White and Pomeranz have shown enough to get fans a little juiced in Denver, where the trade was as controversial as it's been in Cleveland.

Pomeranz, 22, who got a no-decision in a Rockies loss to the Giants, impressed in his debut last Sunday, blanking Cincinnati on five hits with two walks, a hit batter and two strikeouts in five innings for the win.

It was his first appearance after an appendectomy had sidelined him for about a week -- which came after two starts for the Rockies' AA team, which came after league rules delayed him joining the team for two weeks after the trade.

"I haven't really thrown that much in the past month-and-a-half," he said in a phone interview last week.

"It's been such a crazy time, but it felt good to get back out there and get a win, too."

The 6-5, 230-pound lefty was limited to about 65 pitches. He expected to ratchet it up to about 80 in start number two. Other than trying to build up arm strength sapped by inactivity, Pomeranz was pleased with the outing.

"I was locating my fastball really well," he said. "When I do that, it makes things a lot easier for me. My changeup was real good early and, towards the end, I started throwing my breaking ball for strikes."

It's been a less-than-perfect transition to the National League for former Indians prospect Alex White, with an ERA over 6.00. "The numbers aren't obviously anything that I would want. They've been pretty bad," White said.

Following Friday's 9-1 loss to San Francisco, the right-handed White was 2-2 with an 8.46 ERA with the Rockies, (3-2, 6.75 ERA counting his appearances with the Indians). He's allowed 11 homers and walked 14 in 27.2 innings with the Rockies.

"The numbers aren't obviously anything that I would want. They've been pretty bad," said White, 23, who cracked the Indians rotation in late April before tearing a tendon in his right middle finger three weeks later. "But the bottom line is I'm healthy, I'm getting back to 100 percent, my finger feels good, I'm able to throw 80 to 100 pitches every five days and the stuff is coming back."

White, Pomeranz, pitcher Joe Gardner and utility player Matt McBride were dealt on July 31, as the clock on baseball's trade deadline was ticking down. All four were with the Indians' Class AA Akron Aeros farm team. Pomeranz, a recent call-up from Class A Kinston, was supposed to start that night. White was preparing for his first rehab assignment.

Pomeranz was warming in the bullpen when he was suddenly scratched from the lineup.

"I threw a couple of pitches and they told me to sit down and go to the clubhouse," he said. "I was kind of shocked at first because I kind of blocked it out in my mind that I was going to get traded. I didn't think me or Alex would get traded, but that's how it works, I guess."

White was also in the bullpen about to warm up when he got the word.

"They called down and were like, "You're not pitching either," he said.

Indians fans -- and some in the media who expected to see a rotation built around these two for years to come -- weren't the only ones stunned.

"You know, I was," said White, who was a huge fan of Atlanta and Braves pitcher John Smoltz as a boy in North Carolina. "I don't understand a lot of that stuff. That's for the guys that make those decisions. I know the Indians got a very good pitcher, but I also know the Rockies got three good pitchers and a pretty good hitter."

Some reports immediately after the trade suggested White was upset about it. He said he'd read that, too, but had no clue where the information came from.

Maybe it came from his own Twitter finger. On Aug. 2, White first Tweeted: "Denver or Cleveland, Denver or Cleveland? Let's be honest, I'll take Denver. With the exception of a few people."

He must have heard from Tribe fans, because he soon followed up with another: "Wow, y'all take me way too serious. Relax cleveland I loved my time there. I have no choice where I am. Just following the path god laid out."

White, who described the trade as "bittersweet" because he enjoyed Cleveland, is close to Indians third-baseman Lonnie Chisenhall. They faced each other in college and came up through Kinston together.

White did well in his first two starts with the Indians before the finger injury stunted his progress and possibly his future with the team. He was asked whether he thought he might still be with the Indians if not for that.

"You know, I don't know. My dad asked me that question as soon as [the trade] happened," White said. "I was so comfortable in Cleveland. I felt so good when I came up. My arm felt great, I felt I was pitching well. You just never know."

I'd prefer not to hear jack about Pomeranz and/or White until after pitchers and catchers report in 5 months.

No offense intended.

Our brain trust did what they thought was best for 2010, and I supported the moves.

There's always next year, and we'll see what happens next year.


For now, my little 2011 goal is to finish about .500 and to lock up 2nd place.


There were MANY years I hung pride of the 1968 3rd place finish of the best of my Indians lifetime aside from 1959.

If this was a horse race, we'd get far more money for 2nd than we would for 3rd.

About the Tribe...


1. No final decisions have been made on the contract options for Grady Sizemore and Fausto Carmona. Here's what I believe the Indians will do: They will pick up Sizemore's $9 million option. Carmona's $7 million is not as certain, but the odds favor him returning.

2. The Indians know Sizemore has missed more games in three years than he has played. They also believe he has a decent chance of being healthy for most of next season. Their problem is lack of depth in the outfield. They believe Michael Brantley is -- at best -- average in center field. They'd rather play him in left, where he grades high defensively.

3. Nor are there any other center field prospects at the top level of the farm system ready for 2012. Alternatives on the roster are Zeke Carrera and Trevor Crowe. Kosuke Fukadome is a free agent at the end of the season, but considered best in right field.

4. At least eight teams are supposed to be looking for center fielders in 2012. That means the price for one will be high. If the Indians pass on Sizemore's option, they believe another team will probably pick him up at that price range. This is the era where the average payroll is close to $100 million, even if the Tribe's payroll moves from about $50 million to $70 million in 2012.

5. I'd offer Sizemore a contract with a $3 million base and lots of incentives. It can even be hooked into a lucrative long-term deal if he plays 120 games, or some other indication of durability. But my guess is the Tribe will simply pick up the option because they believe there will be a healthy market for Sizemore, despite all his injuries.

6. While injuries make it hard to decide on Sizemore's option for 2012, Carmona is healthy. Make that healthy with a 5.26 earned run average. So in the last four years, his ERAs are 5.26, 3.77, 6.32 and 5.44. The Indians didn't expect Carmona to have another season like 2007 (19-8, 3.06), but they thought a repeat of 2009 (13-14, 3.77) was realistic.

7. But Carmona just can't keep his composure and confidence together. At best, he is a fifth starter who chews up a lot of innings and teases with a few good games in a row, but can't sustain it.

8. So do they pick up the $7 million option? That actually is the usual rate for a mediocre veteran starting pitcher. If the Indians pass on it, Carmona is not a free agent. He can take the team to arbitration, or they can try to negotiate a new contract for 2012. Perhaps that is the course they will take.

9. The issue with Carmona is the same with Sizemore -- finding a replacement. With Carlos Carrasco out for 2012 with elbow reconstruction surgery, the Indians have Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez and Josh Tomlin as certain starters. David Huff, Jeanmar Gomez and Zach McAllister are serious contenders.

10. Without Carmona, that makes six starters for five spots. You can make it seven with Scott Barnes, but that assumes all goes well from his knee surgery. It's hard to picture him as a major contender for a spot early in 2012.

11. In the end, the Indians will probably try to keep Carmona (option or new deal), and also shop for a veteran starter. They are concerned about the lack of depth in the rotation.

12. They are excited about the infield for 2012. They believe it is stable with Lonnie Chisenhall (3B), Asdrubal Cabrera (SS), Jason Kipnis (2B) and Carlos Santana at least part of the time at first. They have Jack Hannahan and Jason Donald as backups.

13. They'll shop for a right-handed hitter who can play some first base and outfield. They also would like to keep Shelley Duncan around in that role.

14. The Indians ranked 24th in attendance (22,598 average) and expect to draw more than 1.8 million -- well over the projections of 1.3 million. That's why the payroll could rise to more than $70 million next season. But don't expect any major spending sprees. If they pick up the options on Sizemore and Carmona, that's $22 million. They also are committed to paying Travis Hafner $13 million. So that makes $29 million for those three players.

15. A final possibility is trading Carmona. A contract with three years of club options, his age of 27, and his raw talent may intrigue some teams who believe they can fix him.

I'd prefer not to hear jack about Pomeranz and/or White until after pitchers and catchers report in 5 months.

ok, I won't say anything about how consistently ineffective White has been in his Rockie starts