Cleveland Indians @ Bare Baseball - Baseball MLB Blog: November 2005

Monday, November 21, 2005

Lovullo to manage Triple-A Buffalo

11/03/2005
CLEVELAND -- The Indians have named Torey Lovullo to replace Marty Brown as manager of their Triple-A Buffalo affiliate. Brown stepped down after last season to take a manager's job in Japan.
The Bisons will formally introduce the 40-year-old Lovullo, who managed Double-A Akron to the Eastern League championship last season, at a news conference Monday at Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo.
Lovullo, who played for the Bisons in 1995, 1997 and 1998 and won two championships as a player, is the team's 14th manager in the modern era. He will be the first person to play for the Bisons in Dunn Tire Park and then manage the club.
The 2006 season will be Lovullo's fifth year as a manager, all with the Indians organization. He has won championships and Manager of the Year awards at Akron and at Class A Kinston in 2004.
In addition to Lovullo, the Bisons have named Greg Hibbard their pitching coach. Hibbard worked with Lovullo last season in Akron. Earlier, the Bisons hired Bruce Fields as hitting coach. Fields spent last season as the Major League hitting coach of the Tigers.
In other moves, the Indians made several promotions in their scouting department. They named Chuck Ricci their national crosschecker, Scott Meaney their East Coast crosschecker and Matt Ruebel their Midwest crosschecker.
They also named three area scouts: Steve Abney (Midwest/Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa), Byron Ewing (Upper Midwest/Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota) and Brent Urcheck (Northeast/Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine).

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Ahead of the game: Outfield

11/02/2005
CLEVELAND -- Ask general manager Mark Shapiro what his thoughts on the Indians outfield are, and his reply is this: "I am comfortable with our starting outfield but would like to add some depth to our outfield bench through free agency this winter."
Does his answer come as a surprise?
Well, not really.
Shapiro had talked about putting a group of core players together and building around those players.
Coming into Opening Day in 2005, the core he was looking for in the outfield wasn't set. Not that Juan Gonzalez, Coco Crisp and Casey Blake didn't have talent, but each of them had uncertainty tied around their credentials.
In the wings, though, were Ryan Ludwick and Jody Gerut, The Sporting News Rookie of the Year in 2003. Ludwick and Gerut were rehabbing from injuries, so nobody knew how soon they would be ready to contribute. Their experience, however, made them more viable options than someone like Grady Sizemore, who was ticketed for duty in Triple-A Buffalo.
But as camp broke, Gerut's injury hadn't improved enough to make the team out of Spring Training, and even Ludwick was rebounding a little slower than thought. Then Gonzalez sprained a hamstring, which put him on the disabled list. That led to an outfield shuffle, which put Sizemore in center, Crisp in left field and Blake in right field. The season ended with the same lineup, and it would be hard to argue that the three weren't productive.
Sizemore and Crisp had very good years; they have emerged as core players, as Shapiro described them. Both handled their first full year as starters better than anybody could have imagined, and they provided an effective one-two punch at the top of the batting order.
Blake's production, some might say, could be called disappointing. But not to Shapiro.
"Casey had about the year we expected him to have -- a little less," he said. "Somewhere in between his first and second year."
Such expectations, if compared around the league, weren't very high then for a right fielder. Blake batted .241 with 23 homers and 58 RBIs, a run total that falls below Sizemore's 81 RBIs and Crisp's 69.
Blake's best position might be as a utility player, but who would take over his spot in right field -- Jason Dubois or Jeff Liefer?
Not likely. Prospects like Franklin Gutierrez might get a look. But the timetables for others like Jason Cooper, Ben Francisco, Mike Conroy and Brad Snyder might be down the road a piece. All represent a future that Tribe fans should find palatable.
So what can Shapiro do if he has no internal candidates? Stick with Blake as the starter and rely on youth for depth, maybe? Or jump into the troubled waters of free agency? Can Shapiro afford to play that pricy game?
"My assumption about payroll and my feeling for the juncture in time that our team is at is that we're probably going to examine both -- examine, it doesn't mean execute -- contracts and trades that are outside our comfort zone," he said.
No matter what direction he goes, Shapiro will be able to use Sizemore and Crisp as cornerstones, and better production from Blake might improve his value and make concerns about right field disappear, too.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Shelton remains as hitting coach

11/03/2005
CLEVELAND -- Manager Eric Wedge made a decision that seemed a foregone conclusion at season's end: Wedge retained Derek Shelton as Indians hitting coach.
Shelton, 35, took over the job in early June when Wedge dismissed Eddie Murray, and the Indians thrived at the plate under Shelton's guidance.
When he joined the team, the Indians ranked last in the American League in runs scored (214 or 4.0 runs per game). They were batting .243 and had an on-base percentage of .308.
From June 5 through the end of the season, the Indians hit .285 (1,073-for-3,762) with 149 homers and 576 runs scored (5.3 runs per game). Their .285 average from June 5 through the end of the season topped the Major Leagues, and their 576 runs ranked third behind the Red Sox and the Yankees.
But taking the "interim" off Shelton's job was the first of several moves Wedge made with his coaching staff. He hired Luis Rivera, who managed Class A Lake County for two seasons and at Class A Kinston last season, as first base and infield coach.
Rivera, 41, takes the place of bench coach Robby Thompson on Wedge's staff. Thompson will return to his role as special assistant to baseball operations.
Joel Skinner will move to bench coach, a job that Thompson had inherited in midseason from Buddy Bell. Jeff Datz, first base coach last season, will move to third base coach. Datz will also coach the outfielders.
Carl Willis, who worked with Wedge at Triple-A Buffalo, will return as pitching coach, and Luis Isaac will be back as bullpen coach.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Snyder becoming a legend of the fall

11/04/2005
Brad Snyder has been a standout player for the Arizona Fall League's Mesa Solar Sox this season. The 23-year-old Ohioan leads the team in runs scored (27), total bases (43) and triples (3). His .338 average is second on the team behind Reds prospect Kevin Howard.
This week, Snyder collected six hits in 19 at-bats and drove in six runs to raise his season total to 14.
Snyder and six other Indians prospects are continuing their 2005 campaign with the Solar Sox. Here's how the others fared in the week ending Nov. 3:
RHP Travis Foley -- Foley allowed two runs on four hits in one inning during Friday's 4-2 loss to the Surprise Scorpions. That subpar performance set the stage for a disastrous outing on Thursday against Phoenix, in which the 22-year-old righty allowed seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits over two innings to raise his ERA to 10.45.
1B Ryan Garko -- Garko had a modest week at the plate, collecting four singles over 16 at-bats to lower his average to .292. His three RBIs raised his team-leading total to 20.
C Javi Herrera -- The 24-year-old backstop started on Wednesday against Grand Canyon and was hitless in four at-bats to lower his average to .182.
RHP Adam Miller -- The 2003 first-round draft pick won his first game of the season on Wednesday, allowing four runs on seven hits over five innings as the Solar Sox rolled to an 8-4 win over Grand Canyon.
3B Pat Osborn -- Osborn went 0-for-3 with a walk on Saturday against Surprise. The infielder has reached base in every game he has played, and is batting .391 in 23 at-bats.
RHP Brian Slocum --Slocum pitched a scoreless inning on Saturday and followed that by tossing two on Wednesday, earning his first save, as Mesa defeated the Rafters, 8-4.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Tribe picks up '06 option on Belliard

11/04/2005
CLEVELAND -- In what seemed all but a formality, the Indians picked up the option on second baseman Ronnie Belliard's contract.
"I like to look at it that Ronnie picked up his own option, rather than us having a choice," general manager Mark Shapiro said Friday. "In the market that we're in, no decision is independent; they're all interrelated.
"That was the only delay. The decision to pick up Ronnie Belliard's option was made over the course of the season."
The 2005 season, Belliard's second with the Tribe, was even better overall than his first season. In 2005, he batted .284, hit a career-high 17 home runs and knocked in 78 runs, numbers that improved on his .282 average, 12 homers and 70 RBIs in '04.
In signing the 31-year-old Belliard, Shapiro now has one less player to negotiate with on the free agent market. He offered no hints, however, on where his contract talks with pitchers Kevin Millwood, Bob Howry and Bob Wickman, among the six Indians free agents, were going.
Shapiro's decision to keep Belliard, who signed with the Tribe as a free agent after the 2003 season, allows manager Eric Wedge to keep his defense up the middle intact. With Belliard, Wedge will be getting a proven commodity, a player who is a solid, sometimes flashy fielder who has been a big contributor with his bat and in the clubhouse.
From his arrival, Belliard has been better than expected on defense, which was viewed as a weakness in his game.
"I think sometimes a player gets labeled and it sticks with them for different, superficial reasons," Shapiro said. "From the time we've had him, this guy has kind of represented the style of play that's a lot of what we're trying to do.
"He plays hard -- every single day."

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Mailbag: What's ahead for Tribe?

11/07/2005
Maybe the Indians have already done enough. Maybe they can just fine tune what they did last season. Maybe ... just maybe, Tribe fans can think about the World Series in 2006.
That's what ESPN is saying on its Web site. The media giant ranked the Indians as the No. 1 team in baseball as the sport heads into 2006. Like most fans, and me as well, ESPN did ask one big question:
"Can they sign Kevin Millwood?"
That's a question that general manager Mark Shapiro has said he'd like to answer, but the decision on Millwood will come down to hard, cold economics, and the economics might not make sense for a team that does have other needs.
But those needs notwithstanding, ESPN adds this note about the Tribe: "The Indians may be baseball's best team from top to bottom. They are young, loaded and hungry from their final-week collapse in '05. Cleveland could earn its first Series title since 1948."
That's heady stuff to hear, right? But before Tribe fans start booking their tickets to the postseason, the Indians have an offseason to deal with, an offseason that includes decisions that will dictate what 2006 might hold for a franchise that hasn't won a World Series in too many people's lifetimes.
Now, let's see if this heady talk from ESPN has caught the attention of Tribe fans, who dream of the Series as much as any sports fan in America.
Why look around for a first baseman? The Indians have one in Victor Martinez. They should be looking for a catcher who can help out defensively and move Martinez to first base.
Also, I believe that Jhonny Peralta will eventually be moved to third base and a good, steady, defensive shortstop will allow the Indians to have the best two young corner infielders in baseball.
Wouldn't Pudge Rodriguez or Mike Piazza look good in an Indians uniform next April? -- Fred, Baltimore
Pudge is not a free agent, and Piazza's value as a catcher isn't much. But let's stop this debate in its tracks: Martinez is the Indians catcher -- period. Anybody who disregards that fact hasn't been listening closely to Shapiro. Martinez's bat plays at the elite level for Major League catchers, but Shapiro doesn't see Martinez as having that same elite status if he were to move to first base.
So Martinez will be the Indians catcher for the next four, five or more years, if he stays healthy. Besides, what catcher out there can the Tribe get? The free agent market is thin in that area, Fred.
I just wanted to thank you for the very nice article regarding the passing of Hal Lebovitz. My brother and I also knew Hal, as he was a good friend and fellow sportswriter in Cleveland to our uncle Herman Goldstein of the Cleveland News.
My brother and I also grew up reading Hal's comments as well as our uncle's. They were both true sportswriters. In a recent conversation with Bob Feller, he had a great deal of respect for the old class of sportswriters in Cleveland. You really captured the real Hal in your article, and it brought back a lot of memories.
Just one correction to your article: Hal saw nine Cleveland championships. In addition to the two you listed, the Browns won four championships in 1946 through 1949 in the old AAFC league as well as three additional championships in the NFL in 1950, 1954 and 1955.
Those were the Otto Graham years. Again, thank you for the article. Hal truly deserved to be in the Hall of Fame. Many of today's writers could learn a few things from Hal's generation and report a little more about the athletes and the game and a lot less about controversies, off-the-field problems and other negative issues. -- Ed G.
Ed, thanks for the compliment. You should know, however, that I didn't forget those earlier titles. I had tried to focus on the last titles for the two dominant teams on the Cleveland sports scene, but the way my wording came out didn't do anything but muddle things. But I'll do better than that the next time I mention Hal and his prose.
I have family in Cleveland that has told me the name Carlos Delgado is one that could find itself playing first base for the Tribe. Don't you think it is a good fit both need-wise and money-wise? -- Jaxin S., Seattle
Carlos who? Jaxin, I think your family was playing a cruel joke on you, because if Delgado and his big salary end up in Cleveland, I'll shave my head bald. Oops! It's already shaved.
Keep in mind that the Indians need a right-handed bat, and Delgado doesn't help in that regard. Neither does Jim Thome, another name that keeps cropping up in offseason talk.
Let me repeat: The Tribe needs a right-handed bat. Don't listen to any trade talk or rumors to the contrary.
Are there any bona fide leadoff hitters within the Tribe organization that are relatively close to being called up to the bigs so we can move Grady Sizemore to the third spot? Also, I don't recall why Jeriome Robertson was considered a bust and released unconditionally. Could you fill me in on why he was dumped?
I'm not even going to comment on the whole Willy Taveras trade. -- Jim A., Boardman, Ohio
The less said about the Taveras trade the better, Jim. As for Robertson, he couldn't get anybody out, which is why he's not in the big leagues today. He had a lucky season with the Astros in which he won 14 or 15 games. But he wasn't nearly a 14-game winner in terms of his stuff. Why the Indians traded Taveras and Luke Scott for him is beyond me.
For now, the Indians have a No. 3 hitter; he's Jhonny Peralta, the next Miguel Tejada. I don't think the Tribe has a problem with Sizemore as its leadoff hitter. What the team needs is a middle of the lineup bat to complement Martinez and Travis Hafner. The top five hitters in the lineup are fine, in my opinion.
Surprised I have not yet heard any references in recent mailbags to "The Jake" no longer being "The Jake" -- at least officially, anyway. I think everyone will always call it that. But as I understand it, those naming rights are about expired now, right? Any hints you've been privy to? Hard to imagine that wonderful ballpark may soon become Sherwin Williams Field or Progressive Park or something uninspiring like that. -- Mark S., Cleveland
Hold on, Mark. I'm not sure when the exact date that the name will change, if it does. But I'll dig into this question and try to find an answer. "The Jake" does have a storied history, but the economics of the game might send it the way of "Gund Arena," "Enron Field" or "Comiskey Park," which is into sports archives.
I've followed the Indians from across The Pond since I became a baseball addict during their World Series loss to the Marlins in 1997. This year was a pleasure to witness, and the way the team kept the pressure on the White Sox was incredible. The Kansas City loss this year kind of reminded me of the Twins loss (Corey Koskie's homer) last year, but I'm sure it will just make the Indians stronger for next year. Who knows what could have been if we hadn't lost Arthur Rhodes and a chunk of Travis Hafner?
My question is this: I'm worried about our starting pitching next year. How do our prospects of obtaining/re-signing one to two quality starters compare to decisions faced by other teams with strong starters such as the White Sox and Angels? -- Richard B., Cheshunt, United Kingdom
One quality starter is what I see, but I don't see the Indians getting two, Richard. They'll need some of their money to shore up the offense, particularly to find a right-handed bat for either right field or first base.
I think the big problem with the Tribe this year was that they didn't have a big right-handed hitter. My view of this is: Why not try to sign a veteran hitter like Mike Sweeney from the Royals for a couple of young prospects?
This would be a perfect fit into the lineup because he can play first base, and I think he is the player to fill in that spot of the big right-handed hitter. What do you think? -- Tony S., Pawtucket, R.I.
Tony, I've addressed the Sweeney thing before. First of all, the Royals haven't expressed an interest in trading him, which means to woo him at all, the Indians will have to give the Royals an offer that's as big as the one the Expos gave the Indians for Bartolo Colon.
In addition, Sweeney's contract calls for a big jump in pay if he's traded. The guy already has a big contract, and why would the Indians take it on? One more point: Sweeney is always hurt.
I think until people realize that you don't need a roster of star players to be a good team, I'll keep getting questions about trading a boatload of talent for one aging, overpriced player (Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome fit into this category). Look at the White Sox. The priority should be on pitching, a strong bullpen, good defense and smarter production on offense. Sweeney isn't worth what the Indians would have to pay to get him.
I always thought it would be a good switch for the Columbus Clippers (Yankees) and the Buffalo Bisons (Indians) to switch cities. I think fan interest in both the parent club and Minor League club would benefit. Makes sense to me. I'm a Tribe fan and would love to see this happen. What would it take? -- Jim N., Lancaster, Ohio
Not sure what it would take, Jim. It's a good idea, and I know it would give the Indians significant inroads into the Columbus market. But do baseball fans in Columbus really want to give up their ties with the Yankees? I'm just not sure that's the case.
Where do you think Daniel Denham is going to start his season at next year? Do you think the Indians will have enough faith in him to start the season out with him on the 25-man roster, or are they going to start him in Buffalo and wait to see how he does, and then call him up after the All-Star break, considering if he does well or not? -- Zach H. Oakley, Calif.
I wouldn't count on seeing Denham in the bigs anytime soon. The Tribe has a lot of arms ahead of him, including left-hander Jeremy Sowers, the No. 1 pick in 2004. Denham, a former No. 1 himself, hasn't progressed nearly as well as the organization had thought he would, and I wouldn't rank him as one of the team's top 25 prospects.
With Billy Traber, Brian Tallet and Jason Stanford awaiting a return to the Majors, I'd say Denham's hopes for 2006 are slim to none.
If there is anybody that the Indians should focus on re-signing, it should be Bob Howry. Jason Davis is ready to step into the rotation, so I won't be too worried if Millwood leaves. Also, when we didn't have a legitimate closer at the back end of the bullpen, our bullpen was terrible. David Riske can't do it, neither can Rafael Betancourt. Howry can, and I think he should be our first priority. -- Mark A., Cleveland
For the most part, I think you're right. I do look at the bullpen as priority No. 1 for the Indians this offseason, so getting Howry, Bob Wickman or somebody else who can close needs to be the focus. It has to be, because no one wants to see the bullpen disaster that was 2004 repeated in 2006.
But is Davis the logical replacement for Millwood or Elarton in the starting rotation? I can't say that for a fact. I like Davis' stuff, but he hasn't been able to harness it and turn it into consistent performances.
You did a great job picking the Tribe to win 90 games this past year. Though it might be too early to pick an exact number, do you see the Indians eclipsing their total from the past season in 2006? -- Luke F., Tiffin, Ohio
Yep, it's too early, Luke. I need to see what the Tribe does about rebuilding its pitching staff -- specifically, the bullpen.
Quite a season! It seemed to me that manager Eric Wedge finally got his season going when he stabilized his lineup, i.e., the players had their place in the field and in the batting order. That's a team.
As for Al Lopez, he will be remembered for being the only manager to beat the Yankees (twice, 1948 and 1954) between 1947 and 1955. But I'll remember him more for not starting Bob Feller in the 1954 World Series after Feller had one of the best percentage records in baseball, 13-3. I have never heard or read Feller commenting negatively about that, however.
Sports Illustrated had a good article on "Rapid Robert" a few months ago about his career after baseball. -- Frank M.
As always, thanks for your comments, Frank. I think it's good to end my Mailbag with some memories of Senor Lopez, a man whose death last week left the world worse off for not having him in it.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Indians, Sauerbeck agree to new deal

11/07/2005
CLEVELAND -- Reliever Scott Sauerbeck made it easy on the Indians.
He decided that staying with Cleveland and the certainty of what awaited him here in '06 sounded a lot more appealing than going somewhere else and not knowing what to expect. So Sauerbeck, who sat out the 2004 season with arm problems, and the Indians set out to get a contract done.
They succeeded.
The two sides agreed to a deal that will keep Sauerbeck here through the 2006 season with a vesting option for '07. He said he had no second thoughts about foregoing free agency.
"For one, the team's really going to be good," he said. "Two, the other night I was thinking about free agency and stuff, and I told you guys all along that I didn't want to be the guy who just faced left-handed batters. This year, that's what I did.
"I pitched myself into that, which I'm accountable for."
Still, Sauerbeck was a key member last season of the one of the best bullpens in Major League Baseball. He compiled a 1-0 record with a 4.04 ERA in 58 appearances and limited left-handed hitters to a .162 average.
Yet his performance wasn't as good as he wanted it to be. He said he knew that his recovery from shoulder surgery would take two years. So his velocity should settle back into the high 80s and not stay in the low 80s.
"Sometimes, you felt like you were out there in a gunfight and holding knives," he said. "I was healthy, but I wasn't 100 percent."
The expected increase in velocity should allow Sauerbeck to become more than a situational pitcher, which is good news for the Indians.
Having Sauerbeck back fills a hole that the Indians probably couldn't have filled on the free agent market anyway, a market that is thin on left-handed relievers. The other option for the Tribe would have been its farm system, but the organization has no proven left-handed relievers there to pick from.
That made trying to get Sauerbeck back into the fold somewhat of a priority, although not as high a priority as trying to re-sign Kevin Millwood, Bob Howry or Bob Wickman. Still, the Indians viewed Sauerbeck as a piece they didn't want to lose.
He didn't want to leave, either.
"My options were: I could sign a two-year deal with the Yankees and be a left-handed specialist for two years; or have a chance to set up and earn my way back," said Sauerbeck, who turns 34 on Wednesday. "I was like, 'I don't want to lose again, but I don't want to get locked up in being a specialist.'
"Cleveland was loyal to me. They're going to give me an opportunity, and, hopefully, I'll take advantage of it. It was an easy decision."

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

American League Cy Young voting results

11/08/2005
Lee's 4th-place finish was the highest by an Indians pitcher since Colon in 1999 (also 4th place).
Last time the Indians had two pitchers receive votes for AL Cy Young was 1995 (Mesa and Nagy).

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Tribe GM named Executive of the Year

11/08/2005
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. -- Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro was designated as the 2005 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year by The Sporting News on Monday during a reception for the GMs at this year's annual meetings.
Shapiro narrowly bested Chicago White Sox general manager Ken Williams, with the Atlanta Braves' John Schuerholz finishing third. Two executives from each big league club voted in mid-September for the award, which was won last year by St. Louis GM Walt Jocketty.
"I was definitely surprised," Shapiro said Tuesday about winning the award. "I'm not very big on individual honors, but it does give a chance to shine the spotlight on the organization, from top to bottom, on what we've accomplished in such a short period of time. The only way you achieve that level of accomplishment is if you get people in scouting and player development to the Major Leagues all aligned.
"That's what's happened with us. We've been able to overcome payroll discrepancy with a group of people that share values and have been driven to get to the point we're at."
The young Indians, replete with the 25th-lowest player payroll in Major League Baseball, had a tremendous second half of the season and made a run at the White Sox in the American League Central. They were eliminated from the Wild Card race on the final day of the regular season.
The White Sox, built by Williams and run on the field by Ozzie Guillen, won 16 of their last 17 games, beginning at the end of the regular season and through the postseason, and swept the Houston Astros out of the World Series, although each of the four games were decided by two runs or less.
The rebuilt Braves won their 14th consecutive division title (discounting the strike-shortened 1994 season), but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight postseason.
Shapiro, 38, joined the Indians as an assistant in baseball operations in time for the 1992 season and replaced John Hart as the general manager 10 years later.
The Indians averaged 88 losses during his first three seasons as home attendance at Jacobs Field dwindled.
But Shapiro kept altering the on-field product, adding quality young players such as Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Coco Crisp.
"It gives us some national recognition for a lot of hard work that was largely done in anonymity," Shapiro said. "I'd prefer to rename it from Executive of the Year to Organization of the Year because that's more fitting. No one individual accomplishes that much without a lot of strong people behind him."
This season, the Tribe was 15 games behind the White Sox as late as Aug. 1, and after playing 35-12 ball during the next seven weeks, pulled to within 1 1/2 games Sept. 22. But the Indians lost five of their last six games -- all at home -- to Tampa Bay and Chicago.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Nine Indians voices up for Frick Award

11/08/2005
CLEVELAND -- Jimmy Dudley's name went into the broadcast wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997, when baseball fans selected him for the Ford C. Frick Award.
For the third consecutive year, Tribe fans can play a role in sending a second Indians voice to Cooperstown as part of the Frick Award voting process. They can select up to three candidates from the list of names on their online ballot, and Indians fans will find nine broadcasters with deep roots with the Indians who are eligible.
In fact, the list might be longer than nine if men like Paul Olden (formerly with the Devil Rays) and Joe Castiglione (Red Sox), both of whom worked the mike in Cleveland, are seen as real voices of the Indians. But those who made their reputations in the Indians broadcast booth are:
• Jack Graney, a former Indians player. Many people consider Graney the most popular broadcaster in team history.
• Bob Neal, who teamed with Dudley for most of his 15 years with the Indians.
• Joe Tait, who broadcast the Indians during some of their sad-sack years in the 1970s and 80s. Tait has since become the radio voice of the Cavaliers.
• Herb Score, a former Indians pitcher who took Tribe fans through the dark days of the 1960s, '70s and '80s to the glory days of the 1990s.
• Jack Corrigan, whose 17-year tenure in the TV booth is the longest in club history. Corrigan now broadcasts for the Rockies.
• Mike Hegan, whose father played for the Indians. Hegan, too, is a former Major League player, and he has spent 17 years as a play-by-play or color man for the Indians.
• John Sanders, whose play-by-play career began with the Pirates. But his 25 years in the broadcast booth consists of 15 with the Indians.
• Tom Hamilton, the unchallenged radio voice of the Indians the past 16 seasons. Hamilton has broadcast 57 playoff games during his tenure with the Indians.
• Rick Manning, a former player. Manning has 16 years behind him as a color commentator on TV broadcasts.
Part of the criteria for the Frick Award, which has been presented annually since 1978 for excellence in baseball broadcasting, includes 10 years of continuous service in the Majors with a club, network or combination of those two.

Complete coverage >
In their voting, fans are asked to weigh the following: longevity; continuity with a club; honors, which include awards and national assignments like the World Series and All-Star Games; and popularity with the fans.
Bios of each candidate appear at the site. Fans are allowed to vote once daily. Results will be announced when voting concludes, although updates will not be provided during the voting. The fan selections, along with the full ballot of 10 candidates, will be announced Dec. 5.
In 2005, the Frick Award went to Jerry Coleman, the voice of the Padres the past three decades.
A former Major League infielder with the New York Yankees (1949-1957), Coleman made a seamless transition from the field to the broadcast booth in 1960. He has been a fan-favorite on the radio airwaves the past 41 years, including 32 seasons, the last 23 consecutive, with the Padres.
Coleman joined a long list of announcing greats, a list that includes Dudley, Ernie Harwell, Jack Brickhouse, Mel Allen, Harry Caray, Bob Uecker, Red Barber, Milo Hamilton, Vin Scully, Bob Prince and 18 others in the broadcaster's wing at Cooperstown.
In addition to fans, the Frick electorate includes all living award-winners and six historians that the Hall of Fame appoints.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Lee finishes third in Cy Young voting

11/08/2005
CLEVELAND -- For the first time since 1995, the Indians had two pitchers who received votes in the Cy Young Award balloting that was announced Tuesday.
Cliff Lee finished fourth and Kevin Millwood tied for sixth in balloting that saw former Indian Bartolo Colon, the ace of the Angels staff, come away with the award. Lee's fourth-place finish was the highest by an Indians pitcher since Colon finished fourth in 1999.
"I think they both deserved to be considered high up," general manager Mark Shapiro said in a conference call from the GM meetings in Indian Wells, Calif. "They both got recognition. ... Those guys had remarkable seasons for us, and they're a big part of the reason we had success."
For most of the 2005 season, Lee and Millwood were the linchpins of the pitching staff, which finished among the top staffs in baseball. Lee led the Indians with 18 wins, the most of his career. Millwood, now a free agent, won nine games, but his 2.86 ERA led all starters in the American League.
Shapiro expressed his happiness for Lee and Millwood, but he was quick to point out the personal awards aren't what matter most.
"For us, it never has been and it will never be individual honors," said Shapiro, who picked up The Sporting News award Monday night for Baseball Executive of the Year. "It's about a collective effort. These two guys gave us exceptional effort."
With the awards behind him, Shapiro has decisions ahead of him. One of them is Millwood, one of six free agents the Indians have. But Shapiro has said he wouldn't be against bringing all of his free agents back.
What it will take to do so, Shapiro wasn't sure. He had no sense what the dollars for free agents might look like this offseason.
"It's a little too early to give you a sense with the meetings starting here just [Monday] morning," he said. "They only started in their entirety last night. It's early on, and the climate is what we thought it would be.
"It'll be a challenging environment."
Shapiro didn't expect much to happen on his end between now and the end of the GM meetings. He predicted that free agents like Millwood will wait to see how the dollars in free agency shake out.
"They've come this far," Shapiro said. "They'll wanna see what their value is."

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Home cooking will be big for Tribe

11/09/2005
CLEVELAND -- Some people complained loudly about general manager Mark Shapiro when Shapiro embarked on a plan in 2002 to rebuild the Indians. But those complaints have turned to whispers as Shapiro's rebuilding has taken shape.
After winning 93 games last season, what is there for fans to complain about? What is next for them are heightened expectations, and Shapiro is committed to seeing those expectations fulfilled. He's not satisfied with a 93-win season that didn't land the Indians in the playoffs.
But he has a plan to get the Tribe there next season, and it's a plan he first articulated at last season's end. He's got some holes he's trying to fill.
"The needs have not changed from my end-of-season meeting," Shapiro said. "We need to sign back or replace our free agents."
Oh, those free agents. Shapiro has a handful of them -- six in total -- that he needs to re-sign, and the most significant of those free agents are pitchers Kevin Millwood, Bob Wickman, Scott Elarton and Bob Howry, now that Scott Sauerbeck has re-signed.
Millwood and Wickman are the most coveted of the five unsigned players. Each pitcher on the free agent list played a significant role in the team's 93-win season, and Shapiro said he'd welcome all or any one of them back.
He'd also welcome back Jose Hernandez, a useful veteran who gave the team flexibility. Hernandez's return will depend on what lessened role he might want to play. Same goes for right-fielder Juan Gonzalez, whose '05 season amounted to one at-bat.
Shapiro had hoped Gonzalez would provide some right-handed punch, but one at-bat isn't a season. Still, Gonzalez might be intriguing to consider.
"Tough to sign Juan when he would have to play most of his games at DH and we already have one," Shapiro said. "But I would not close the door."
At least Gonzalez will be an inexpensive free agent to re-sign. Millwood will be less so, because he's coming off a season that raised his stock in a free agent market that's thin on talent.
"Do I think he wants to sign back here?" Shapiro said shortly after the season ended. "Yes. Does he like it here? Yes. Do we have immense appreciation for what he can do on and off the field? Absolutely."
So does that mean Shapiro will be able to coax Millwood into returning? Shapiro has a lot less assurance on that front, particularly at the price tag Millwood might fetch. He's an expensive gamble for the organization, but he's a gamble that Shapiro has said he's willing to take.
Besides the pitching, Shapiro has other needs, though not nearly as pressing as trying to keep the pitching staff intact. All the talk about bringing in a big bat isn't as loud as it was at season's end.
"We do not need a bat as we return the position-player club intact," Shapiro said. "But it could be one way we could improve the club further."
That's Shapiro's aim, of course, to improve the club. He's got most of the offseason left to do so, and the list of free agents that could help isn't as long as it might have been in other offseasons.
One name that's come up is free agent outfielder Brian Giles, a former Indian. His agent has talked with the Indians. Another name on the rumor mill is Manny Ramirez, who's said he'd consider Cleveland as a place to play if the Red Sox want to trade him.
Getting Ramirez, however, would be like hitting the Ohio Lottery. Shapiro has more modest sights than a $20-million-a-year player like Manny.
But Shapiro will do something. He's got too many holes to fill to rely on his farm system to handle the load.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Wedge finishes second in balloting

11/09/2005
CLEVELAND -- Trying to figure out Eric Wedge's managing style isn't the easiest thing to do. He's a cross between a Lou Boudreau throwback and the enlightened thinking of contemporary managers.
Whatever that style is, it works, which is why Wedge's ability to manage men earned the Indians manager a second-place finish to White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in the voting for AL Manager of the Year.
As similar as Wedge and Guillen are in their success, they are different, too. Wedge isn't the vibrant personality of Guillen. Nor is Wedge the high-strung personality of Lou Piniella, the fiery old pro of Phil Garner or good-ol'-boy image of Charlie Manuel, three of his managerial peers whose wit and charismatic personalities dazzle like Coco Crisp's smile.
In fact, people outside the Indians organization tend to see Wedge as colorless, almost bland like two cups of plain yogurt.
One sportswriter in Kansas City summed up Wedge's personality like this last summer: "Eric Wedge owns a great speaking voice, authoritative and firm and direct, and he still manages to talk in a monotone that could wilt plants. When it comes to waxing on about his Cleveland Indians, Wedge, the 37-year-old manager of baseball's best young team, is about as interesting as wax."
Unlike the salty language and war stories of Guillen, Piniella, Garner and Manuel, Wedge communicates his beliefs in a straight-forward, corporate tone. His approach and how he delivers it, different as it might be, has brought Wedge as much success as the other men.
The hallmark of Wedge's approach, general manager Mark Shapiro said, is its consistency.
"If I were to pick one thing as being pivotal to his success, I mean, it's his belief in his players, the consistency of that belief -- day-to-day," Shapiro said. "He believes in his guys, and they know it.
"He's the same guy as he was in April and May when they were struggling."
Wedge didn't develop that approach to managing in some offseason seminar or through reading a how-to book on leadership. It's a philosophy that Wedge, a journeyman catcher in the Major Leagues, picked up from his playing days and from the people he met along the way. He then honed that philosophy with successful stops in the Minor Leagues.
At bottom in that philosophy are some bedrock principles: respect for the game, respect for players and hard work.
"He really takes pride in that," said pitching coach Carl Willis, who worked with Wedge in Triple-A Buffalo. "I think as far as what he thinks of himself and the person he is hasn't changed just because he's a big league manager as opposed to a Minor League manager."
Wedge's success as a Minor League manager went a long way toward building the credentials that helped make him Shapiro's choice over more senior men to take over the Indians in 2003.
"Eric had the character and certain attributes that made him the right guy at that time and also made him the person that could grow with our team as our team grew," Shapiro said. "He's been all that and more."
His strengths, Shapiro said, are his communication skills, his organizational skills, his preparation and his consistency, a word often used when people talk about Wedge.
Others echo Shapiro's views here. The consensus is that Wedge, who's vacationing with his wife in Hawaii, knows the game well and loves it, which leads to his respect for it. Respect for it leads to respect for players, and their respect for their manager leads to the kind of play that turned the up-and-coming Indians into the darlings of baseball.
"Mark knew what he was doing when he hired him," said Royals manager Buddy Bell, Wedge's bench coach for 2 1/2 years. "I was kinda hired to help him through that initial period.
"We think so much alike that I really didn't have much to do."
Looking for who is Wedge's philosophical clone? Look no farther than the game-wise Bell himself. He and Wedge are good friends, and they have an admiration that might border on brotherhood.
"He's a stubborn (guy), that's for sure," said Bell, laughing. "I mean, he's got a definite idea of how he wants things to be done. He's a little more stubborn than he says I am.
"I don't necessarily agree with that."
What Bell does agree with is this: Wedge was the right man to run the Indians. He's a positive force in a young clubhouse, and he's been able to instill his principles in his players, as their success last season proves.
"He's got credibility in his message because he lives it and embodies it," said Shapiro, who views Wedge as a partner in the rebuilding of the Indians. "As a result, this team has, in many ways, taken on that personality."
If that means the team is colorless like its manager, so be it. The results last season showed that colorless and bland weren't too bad.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Miller closes out fall on strong note

11/11/2005
CLEVELAND -- Although he did not factor in the decision, Adam Miller's last start of the Arizona Fall League season for the Mesa Solar Sox was his best. The 2003 first-round draft pick allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings while striking out three on Tuesday against Grand Canyon, lowering his ERA to 5.68.
Miller and six other Indians' prospects continued their 2005 campaigns with the Solar Sox. Here's how the others fared during the season's final week:
RHP Travis Foley -- The 22-year-old right-hander rebounded from a disastrous outing Nov. 3 with a scoreless inning Monday. Two days later, he allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings against Surprise to raise his ERA to 9.24. In 12 2/3 innings, Foley gave up 22 hits and seven walks with three strikeouts.
1B Ryan Garko -- Garko finished the season riding a five-game hitting streak. He went 5-for-14 with a homer and four RBIs on the week to raise his average to .317. His 27 RBIs led the team and tied for fourth in the league.
C Javi Herrera -- The 24-year-old backstop excelled in his lone start this week, going 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs on Monday against the Phoenix Desert Dogs. That raised his batting average 112 points to .286.
3B Pat Osborn -- Osborn did not appear in any games this week. He went 9-for-23 (.391) on the season, reaching base safely in all seven games in which he appeared.
RHP Brian Slocum -- Slocum allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings out of the bullpen this week, getting the win in Wednesday's 7-5 triumph over Surprise. He finished the season with a 3.15 ERA, yielding 14 hits and 18 walks over 20 innings while striking out 19.
OF Brad Snyder -- The 23-year-old Ohio native finished the season with a seven-game hitting streak, raising his average to .367. On the week, he went 9-for-19 with a home run and five RBIs.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Tribe announces Grapefruit slate

11/13/2005
CLEVELAND -- The Indians will kick off their 2006 Grapefruit League schedule with a road game March 2 against the defending National League champion Astros in Kissimmee, Fla.
The Tribe will meet the Astros three times at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla., in an exhibition schedule that will feature 16 home dates.
In all, the Indians will pay 33 exhibition games, and 17 of those games will be on the road. Their schedule will feature two games at home against the Reds and two games at home against the Braves.
The Yankees will also make an appearance at Chain of Lakes when they come to play on March 12.
Individual tickets for the Tribe's exhibition games will go on sale Jan. 7 at 10 a.m. ET. Orders for season and group tickets are now being accepted. For the second straight year, season ticket-holders will receive a $1 per seat discount off the single ticket price ($2 off for bleacher reserved) for all 16 home games.
Tribe fans can buy tickets to the Grapefruit League games through the Internet at indians.com, at the Jacobs Field box office, at the seven Cleveland Indians Team Shops in Northeast Ohio, through the Ticketmaster.com phone center (1-866-48-TRIBE) and at five Winter Haven area Ticketmaster Ticket Center locations (Spec's Music in Winter Haven and Lakeland, Fla., FYE in Lake Wales, Fla., and Lakeland, and Lakeland Center in Lakeland).
For information on tickets, schedules, and workout times, fans can log on to Indians.com or call the Cleveland Indians Winter Haven Box Office at (863) 293-3900.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Feller DVD to premiere

11/16/2005
CLEVELAND -- The Indians will once again hold their "12 Days of Indians" holiday event, which will feature the premiere of "The Bob Feller Story" DVD at Indians Team Shops.
The Feller DVD, which costs $19.95, will be the definitive story on the Hall of Fame pitcher, who has been an endearing fixture in Tribe history.
The DVD will go on sale Thursday, and Feller, 87, will make an appearance that day with "Santa Slider" the mascot to kick off the sale of the DVD at the team shop in Great Lakes Mall from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
He will also participate in the "12 Days of Indians," which officially begins Nov. 26 at the team shop in Great Northern Mall.
As part of the "12 Days of Indians" calendar, Indians manager Eric Wedge, Jhonny Peralta, Cliff Lee and Travis Hafner, along with radio personalities Mark Schwab and Kevin Keane of WTAM, will participate in the annual event.
The players and Wedge will sign autographs and talk to fans about Indians baseball in an annual event that's aimed at bringing Christmas cheer to needy kids in the area. Fans are asked to donate toys.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Ahead of the game: Starting pitchers

11/16/2005
CLEVELAND -- Mark Shapiro looks at his starting rotation about the same way he did last offseason. Oh, the order of things has changed, for that order resolved itself because of the performances of three holdovers in the rotation: C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook.
"We've got three solid guys -- Cliff, C.C. and Jake," Shapiro said. "We're fine with those three. But we need two more starters -- one of which could be internal, but they both can't be internal."
Broken down to their essence, Shapiro's words mean this: The Indians will be a player in the free agent pitcher market.
Now, he's hopeful that free agents Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton will return. Elarton's return, though, seems more a possibility than Millwood's.
They are two different kinds of talents. Millwood is a top-of-the-rotation guy; Elarton, an end-of-the rotation guy. Yet Elarton's more inclined to stick around, and his price tag won't be close to what Millwood will fetch on the market.
After earning $7 million last season, Millwood proved he's healthy, and healthy pitchers who can brag about a 2.86 ERA, durability and clubhouse presence earn three-year deals, if the 2004 market indicates anything, for more than $20 million.
Will that figure price the Tribe out of the Millwood sweepstakes? Shapiro doesn't know.
"Do I think he wants to sign back here? Yes. Does he like it here? Yes. Do we have the immense appreciation for what he can do on and off the field? Absolutely."
Can the Indians afford Millwood's price tag? Well ...
But if the 30-year-old Millwood bolts, the free agent market should have some capable talent that might bring the veteran presence he did. But that talent won't have to be an anchor for the top of the rotation, though having someone with Millwood's capability slide into the No. 3 slot or No. 4 would strengthen the Indians' starting staff.
Not that the rotation was bad last season.
Millwood, Elarton, Westbrook, Lee and Sabathia were a rock of consistency, and for the first time in 105 seasons, the Tribe had five pitchers each make at least 30 starts and used only six starters in a season (Jason Davis made four starts).
Those starters went at least five innings in 142 of the 162 games (87.7 percent) and overall posted the fifth-lowest starters ERA (3.96) in the American League. All of this is good stuff, which is why Shapiro wouldn't mind keeping the rotation as is.
He can if Millwood decides Cleveland isn't a bad place to work, because Elarton has gone on record as saying he wants to return.
"Most definitely," Elarton said. "It's a good situation from the management all the way down to the lowest guy on the food chain and just a very tough situation to leave. I'd love to be a part of it next year."
Elarton, who made $800,000 last season, should get some kind of feelers from Shapiro, although a No. 5 starter like Elarton, 29, might be somebody that Shapiro can replace from his long list of internal candidates.
The names on that list include pitchers with some Major League experience such as Davis, Jason Stanford, Billy Traber, Brian Tallet and Jeremy Guthrie, and Minor League prospects such as Fausto Carmona, Andrew Brown, Kyle Denney, Jake Dittler, Dan Denham, Adam Miller and Jeremy Sowers. The latter four are high-draft picks.
Yet Shapiro will look hard in the offseason for more arms. He knows an organization can never have too much depth, which is why his recent drafts have leaned so heavily toward pitching prospects.
At some point, those prospects should be ready for the bigs, and the Indians have a few openings that guys such as Carmona, Guthrie and Sowers might be able to fill.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Indians add five to 40-man roster

11/18/2005
CLEVELAND -- The Indians added five Minor Leaguers to their 40-man roster Friday when they purchased the contracts of first baseman Michael Aubrey, outfielder Brad Snyder and pitchers Brian Slocum, Edward Mujica and Rafael Perez.
The five additions expanded the club's 40-man roster to 39 and protects these players from selection in the Rule 5 draft next month.
"All five would have been selected," said Indians farm director John Farrell. "That really becomes a factor, first and foremost."
Aubrey, who was the Tribe's No. 1 overall selection in the 2003 First-Year Player Draft, was among the players added despite missing most of the 2005 season. He was sidelined with a back injury that he suffered at Double-A Akron in June while sliding awkwardly into second base.
Aubrey, 23, also missed more than a month of action in 2004 with a strained right hamstring, but he batted .283 with four home runs and 20 RBIs in 28 games last season before the injury.
Snyder, another 23-year-old player who was selected in the 2003 draft, batted a combined .279 with 22 home runs and 82 RBIs in 133 games between Akron and Class A Kinston. His 22 homers doubled his career Minor League total, and his marks for doubles (21), RBIs and games were career bests.
He was also one of seven Indians prospects to participate in the Arizona Fall League this offseason. He batted .367 and finished his AFL season with a seven-game hitting streak for the Mesa Solar Sox.
"For a premium draft choice, this is a logical step in their progression," Farrell said. "[Aubrey and Snyder] are extremely excited. I think it validates the talent that they are."
Slocum, a talented 24-year-old right-hander, spent his first full season at Akron, where he posted a 7-5 record and a 4.40 ERA in 21 games. He was primarily a starter at Akron, but he did some relief work for the Solar Sox this offseason.
Mujica did all of his '05 work in relief between Akron and Kinston. He finished with a 3-1 mark, a 1.64 ERA and 24 saves in 52 appearances.
The right-hander's most remarkable stat, though, was his strikeout-to-walk ratio (more than 9 to 1), which led the Tribe's Minor League system. He struck out 65 and walked just seven batters in 60 1/3 innings.
Mujica is now the youngest player on the club's 40-man roster at 21, taking the distinction from right-hander Fausto Carmona, who's six months older.
Perez was the only left-handed pitcher of the bunch added to the 40-man roster. He split the 2005 season between Akron and Kinston, posting a combined 12-8 record with a 2.62 ERA.
"I think when you look at players like Perez and Mujica, it signifies a tremendous scouting job by those scouts who selected a player when he's 16 years old," Farrell said. "Each has progressed tremendously."

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Winter important for Gutierrez, Denney

11/18/2005
CLEVELAND -- Think the baseball season is over this year for players in the Indians organization?
Then think again. For outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, right-hander Kyle Denney and 14 other prospects in the Tribe's farm system, the '05 season has continued long past September and October.
Their season has continued on fields south of the United States. They all are playing winter ball somewhere this offseason. And why?
"Winter ball provides players the opportunity to continue their development through playing additional games or pitching additional innings," said Chris Antonetti, assistant general manager. "There are a multitude of factors that play a part in the decision of whether or not we encourage a player to participate in winter ball."
One example of a player whom the Indians organization did encourage to continue to play ball after September was Gutierrez, who got a late-season call up to the big leagues, but did not play much.
The Indians are hoping Gutierrez, one of their premium prospects, will be able to get enough repetitions at the plate to improve his hitting, a weakness that has kept him down on the farm.
In 15 games in the Venezuelan League, he's shown the kind of bat the Indians have been looking for in him. He's hitting .392 with two homers and nine RBIs. He's a teammate of second baseman Joe Inglett, another prospect who needed more swings. He's hitting .333 for Caracas.
Denney's situation isn't much different from theirs. He, too, needed the extra work. Denney lost innings last season after being injured in a freak accident, so winter ball is his chance to catch up and put himself in a better position to make the Tribe's 25-man roster on Opening Day.
Pitching for Aguilas in the Dominican Republic, Denney sports a 5.40 ERA in the three games he has worked. He's on the same team as infielder Ryan Mulhern and pitcher Justin Miller.
Other Indians prospects of note who are playing winter ball are second baseman Eider Torres and shortstop Ivan Ochoa in Venezuela; and outfielder Ben Francisco in Mexico.

Source: http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/

Monday, November 14, 2005

This Just In: Howry better than Millwood

Tue Nov 08, 2005
The Elias Sports Bureau has released the annual player rankings for 2004-2005. Bob Wickman and Bob Howry are listed as Type A players, and Kevin Millwood only rates as Type B. Scott Elarton is a Type C. These rankings will be used to determine draft pick compensation for teams losing free agents this offseason. The formula takes into account both quality of play and playing time but is almost comically inaccurate by modern standards. It was first introduced in 1981 and is stipulated by the players union's labor contract with MLB. These rankings are based on combined stats from the 2004 and 2005 seasons.
Type A players rank in the top 30 percent, and Type B players rank in the next 20 percent. Both Type A and Type B free agents net their former team either a low first-round pick or a high second-round pick, at best, which is surrendered by the player's new team. Type A free agents also net their former team a supplemental pick after the first round, somewhere around the 38th overall pick. Type C free agents represent the next 10 percent of players, or what my Grandpa would have called "the upper fifth of the lower half." Type C players net their former teams a supplemental pick after the second round, usually around 80th overall. There is no compensation for losing players outside the top 60 percent.
A complete list of Type A players is here, but a complete list of Type B and Type C players is not yet available online. Noteworthy: Victor Martinez is the top catcher, Ron Belliard ranks #10 among second and third basemen and shortstops, and Jake Westbrook is the #8 starting pitcher. Six members of our 2005 bullpen make the Type A list, although Sauerbeck, Rhodes and Cabrera do not. None of this matters one bit.
Yeah? So?
The big news here is that Kevin Millwood is merely a Type B, as his mediocre performance and relatively few innings in 2004 dragged down his stellar 2005. This changes nothing for other teams, who will still lose their top pick to sign him, but it does give the Indians less to gain by letting him go.
For the team doing the signing, there is no difference between Type A and Type B. But for the team letting a player go, there's a big difference, as the Type A supplemental pick will sometimes be almost as high, or even higher, than the pick surrendered by the signing team. That was the case with Omar Vizquel last offseason, as the Giants signed two more Type A free agents ranked higher than Vizquel (Armando Benitez and Mike Matheny), which dropped the Indians' "main" compensation pick from 22nd to 103rd. The supplemental pick, however, held steady at 33nd overall.
In order to receive draft pick compensation, the team has to have offered its departing player arbitration. (Of course, this becomes a no-brainer if another team has already signed the player.) I see no reason why the Indians would not offer arbitration to Millwood, Wickman, Howry or Elarton. None of them has much incentive to accept the offer, and the Indians wouldn't mind too terribly much if one of them did. Bob Wickman, with his constant retirement talk and occasional loyalty talk, seems the likeliest to go that route, although still not likely.
As Type A free agents, both Wickman and Bobby Howry become somewhat less likely to be re-signed by the Indians. Four high draft picks are hard to walk away from, just for the privilege of overpaying two aging relievers with low strikeout rates, coming off career-low ERAs. The compensation system actually encourages more movement among Type A free agents. Even if your team wants to spend money on a closer, and has a good one as a free agent, the team is still better off signing someone else's closer for the right price.
For example, if the Indians sign Bob Wickman and the Yankees re-sign Tom Gordon, then the draft order is untouched. But let's say the Indians sign Tom Gordon and the Yankees sign Bob Wickman. In that case, the Indians and Yankees would swap their top draft picks, and both teams would also get a high supplemental pick. You're better off signing someone else's top free agents rather than your own. Boston exploited this hole in the system (and others) quite brilliantly last offseason, signing three key free agents while letting another three walk, netting a big bag of extra draft picks in the bargain. With the farm system starting to look a little thinner lately, the Indians could do a lot worse than to follow that strategy.

Source: http://www.letsgotribe.com/

Free agents in '05 bring little to MLB table

Wednesday, November 9, 2005
If this winter's free agents were on the open market five years ago, George Steinbrenner would have soiled himself with glee. Sammy Sosa, Mike Piazza, Frank Thomas, Roger Clemens, Bernie Williams. Five years ago, all of these guys would have commanded a minimum of $15 million per year. But with the exception of Clemens, most of these fading stars will be lucky to find a starting job in 2006.Instead of eagerly lining up for the annual free agent buffet with wallets open, general managers across major league baseball will be scrounging for a bunch of leftovers. The two best free agents on the market are not even available -- if Roger Clemens returns, it will almost certainly be as an Astro, and there is no way the Yankees will let Hideki Matsui walk.So effectively, this year's upper tier of free agents consists of a bunch of second-tier players. The best hitter, Paul Konerko, may be a World Series hero, but he's not even one of the top five first basemen in the game. The second-best hitter, outfielder Brian Giles, hit just 15 home runs in 2005, which just tied for the most in his family -- his brother Marcus also hit 15 for the Braves. After those two, America's favorite "idiot," Johnny Damon, will hit the market with Scott Boras behind him. Nomar Garciaparra, another aging star who might have something left in the tank, could command close to $8 million per year. Jacque Jones, Reggie Sanders, Carl Everett, Juan Encarnacion, Bengie Molina and Carlos Hernandez round out the list of decent hitters on the market.In the starting pitching department, neither of the two best free agents had a winning record last year. Kevin Millwood (9-11) and A.J. Burnett (12-12) are both extremely talented, but equally inconsistent. Millwood's 2.86 ERA led the American League in 2005, but followed ERAs of 4.01 and 4.86 in 2003 and 2004. Burnett sported ERAs of 4.70 and 3.68 before this year's 3.44. Matt Morris, Jarrod Washburn, Jeff Weaver and Kenny "Mr. Congeniality" Rogers are the mid-rotation options.The lone solid spot for the Class of 2005 is relief pitching. Heading the impressive list of firemen are Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman and B.J. Ryan. Flamethrower Kyle Farnsworth could help somebody, and Tom Gordon is rumored to be looking for a closing gig, as is the resurgent Todd Jones.Even though this year's free agent pool is one of the shallower ones in recent history, there are enough useful players out there to have a major impact on next year's pennant races. Improving teams such as the Angels, Indians and Cardinals could be one player away from a championship and figure to be big spenders, as do perennial giants like the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers. The Mariners, Orioles and Blue Jays also appear ready to open up their pocketbooks.So where will everybody end up? I'd be surprised if the White Sox don't resign Konerko, but Arte Moreno and the Angels want him badly, so expect to see him in Chicago or Los Angeles next spring. The Red Sox can't afford to lose Johnny Damon, and although they can afford to keep him, it will probably cost them close to $10 million per year. But after being burned last year by the loss of another Boston icon, Pedro Martinez, Larry Lucchino and company will find a way to keep him around.Giles could be the missing piece for the Cardinals, but you can bet that Brian Cashman would love to see a starting outfield of Giles, Matsui and Sheffield in the Bronx next April. The darkhorse candidate in the Giles sweepstakes is Cleveland, who would be thrilled to replace Casey Blake and his .308 on-base percentage with Giles, whose OBP has been over .400 in six of the past seven seasons. A starting lineup of Crisp, Peralta, Giles, Hafner, Sizemore, Martinez, Belliard, Broussard and Boone would give Cleveland one of the best offenses in the game.The Indians will try to keep Millwood, but look for the Orioles to get into the bidding and offer the righty a chance to be reunited with his old pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Burnett has been heavily courted by just about every team in the bigs, with Toronto, Texas, Seattle and Detroit being some of the most eager clubs. Don't count out the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox, but Toronto seems to have the edge here.Look for the Padres to find a way to hold on to Trevor Hoffman. But I am guessing that Wagner and Ryan will part ways with their current clubs and end up with the Mets and the Red Sox, both of whom were devastated by inconsistency at the backs of their bullpens. Ugueth Urbina, who was recently charged with attempted murder in Venezuela, is still an excellent pitcher and could be a real bargain for some team if he is acquitted.The only two decent catchers on the market are Bengie Molina and Ramon Hernandez. Even though both are just that -- decent -- they will get All-Star money from some team in dire need of a catcher. Molina has drawn a great deal of interest from the Mets. Rumors have also started to swirl that the Yankees may want the catcher, and will either trade the declining Jorge Posada or move him to first base in order to avoid triggering his $12 million option for 2007, which would kick in if he catches 63 more games in 2006.As for our former All-Stars, expect to see Bernie Williams suit up in pinstripes one more time, as a backup. Likewise, the White Sox will probably bring Frank Thomas back in a reduced role. Piazza is no longer considered a starting catcher by most scouts, so he'll probably end up on an AL team like the Angels where he can DH and catch the occasional game. As for Sosa, the only teams that have expressed major interest are from Japan. Where he'll end up is anyone's guess.

Source: http://www.yaledailynews.com/

Mets' stove is hot for D-Rays

November 9, 2005
The Mets would love to see Billy Wagner save 45 games for them next year and for Manny Ramirez to knock in 140 runs.
They also know that landing the flame-throwing free-agent closer and dealing for the Boston slugger are far from sure things. So they are fashioning a contingency plan and it's a pretty tasty one, too.
The Daily News has learned that Mets general manager Omar Minaya is laying the foundation for a potential trade with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for closer Danys Baez and first baseman Aubrey Huff.
At the GM meetings in California yesterday, a Devil Rays executive told The News that Minaya initiated discussions about a deal for Baez or Huff, or both. The executive also said the Tampa contingent found the preliminary talks interesting and worth pursuing.
The most-likely scenario in which the Mets and Devil Rays would consummate such a deal - Tampa wants pitching in return - would be if the Mets fail in their bid to land Wagner. But even if they do get him, it could serve them in other ways.
The Red Sox need relief pitching and a first baseman, and Baez or Huff could be used as part of a package in a trade for Ramirez. The Mets tried to pull of a similar type of trade for Ramirez in July.
The power-hitting Huff has averaged 101 RBI the past three seasons and he plays a fair first base. Baez saved 41 games this year and could bolster a Mets bullpen that may lose both Braden Looper and Roberto Hernandez.
"It's the perfect fallback," one baseball official said.
The Mets and Rays are a good fit because each has something the other needs. The Mets must get a closer and cleanup hitter and the Rays have both. The Rays want young starting pitching and the Mets are one of the few teams with a surplus, including Aaron Heilman, Jae Seo and minor leaguer Yusmeiro Petit.
With new revenue from a fledgling TV network, the Mets have deep enough pockets to pay both Huff ($6.75 million) and Baez ($4 million) in the last years of their contracts.
"I think it's way too early in the game for any of these talks to be termed serious," the Tampa Bay exec said. "All these clubs have so many other avenues they are pursuing."
Tampa's plan is to contend for a pennant in 2007 and 2008 and neither Baez nor Huff is a part of it. The Rays are working on long-term deals with outfielder Rocco Baldelli and 100-RBI infielder Jorge Cantu.
The Mets consider their chances of landing Ramirez as somewhat remote since he made his most recent demand for the Red Sox to trade him. Ramirez, whose agent said the outfielder did not want to play for the Mets, would prefer going to the Angels or Indians, and as a 10-and-5 player, can veto any deal. Still, things could fall the Mets' way because Ramirez isn't necessarily a good fit in Anaheim or Cleveland.
The Angels' top priority appears to be free-agent first baseman Paul Konerko, who still could return to the White Sox. Failing that, they would turn their sights to Ramirez.
While Angels owner Arte Moreno can afford to pay Ramirez the final $57 million over three years of his pact, the team already has a left fielder in Garret Anderson, and there are concerns about how Ramirez's lapses in focus will play with manager Mike Scioscia.
The Indians had a team payroll of just over $40 million this season and probably couldn't afford Ramirez.
"At this point we would have to wait to see if they (the Red Sox) came back to us, and that doesn't look likely," a Mets operative said.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/

Colon claims Cy Young

Wednesday, November 9, 2005
Bartolo Colon had the most wins in the American League this season, but it was his timing as much as anything that defined him as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's true staff ace and, as of yesterday, the AL's Cy Young Award winner.
Colon's margin of victory was clear-cut. He received 17 of the 28 first-place votes and was second on the 11 remaining ballots cast by two Baseball Writers' Association of America members in each league city, giving him 118 points and making him the only pitcher named on every ballot.
Runner-up Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees had eight first-place votes and seven second-place and third-place votes for 68 points. Third-place finisher Johan Santana of the Minnesota Twins, the 2004 Cy Young winner, received three first-place votes and 51 points.
Colon, who received a $500,000 (U.S.) contract bonus for winning the award, became the second Angels pitcher to win the Cy Young (the other was Dean Chance in 1964).
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Colon's 21 wins led the major leagues and his 3.48 earned-run average was the eighth lowest in the AL. But it was the timing of Colon's wins that were so important to the Angels' run to the AL West Division title: 11 of them came after losses and he was 5-0 (1.72 earned-run average) in August.
It was Colon's second 20-win season. The other was split between the Cleveland Indians and Montreal Expos in 2002, after the Indians sent him to the Expos in a trade that brought Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips to the Indians. Lee finished fourth in this year's AL Cy Young balloting with eight points.
Colon's postseason was not as impressive, however. He suffered a shoulder injury in the final game of the Angels' AL Division Series win over the Yankees and was left off the roster for the AL Championship Series. But by then, the votes were already cast.
"This doesn't take away the pain that I felt and the sour taste in my mouth about the way the season ended," Colon said yesterday through an interpreter on a telephone conference call. "This is a great accomplishment, but we wanted to go a little further."
Santana was ahead of Colon in several significant statistical categories, but it was Rivera who turned into the trendy pick by the end of the season.
A sure-fire Hall of Fame selection, the Yankees' closer had his lowest career ERA (1.38), a 4.44 strikeout-walk ratio and gave up one extra-base hit in 120 at-bats with runners on base.

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

Home cooking will be big for Tribe

Red Sox may find Ramirez tough to move

Fri, Nov. 11, 2005
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - Kenny Williams was asked whether Manny Ramirez would be a good fit for the Chicago White Sox.
"He's not that kind of guy," the general manager of the World Series champions said Thursday. "We have a certain kind of chemistry."
Point made. Boston will not be dealing Ramirez to Chicago.
While he had 45 homers and 144 RBIs for the Red Sox last season, there appears to be a limited market for Ramirez, who asked Boston to explore trade options because he's uncomfortable living there.
New Philadelphia GM Pat Gillick said there's no room for the 33-year-old Ramirez in the Phillies' outfield, which has Bobby Abreu in right and Pat Burrell in left.
"Our corners are pretty good," Gillick said. "In high school he played center, but I don't think he can play center anymore."
Last July, the Red Sox and New York Mets held trade talks about Ramirez, and both sides agreed they didn't get very far. The Los Angeles Angels, who want a power hitter, could be a match. Perhaps Ramirez would want to return to the Cleveland Indians, his former team.
Ramirez is owed $57 million during the next three years and has the right to block trades, so the Red Sox and his agent pledged to work together.
General managers completed the formal part of their meetings Thursday, delaying until their December meeting in Dallas a decision on whether to move back the amateur draft until late June.
Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner's office, said Commissioner Bud Selig was asked during Wednesday's sessions whether he expected any change in the designated hitter rule, which is used in the American League but not in the National.
"He said for the foreseeable future we'll be doing the same thing we have been doing," Solomon said.
During the week, GMs bandied about big names for possible deals, including Ramirez, Florida first baseman Carlos Delgado, Texas second baseman Alfonso Soriano and Tampa Bay closer Danys Baez. Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said teams always are interested in right-hander Chien-Ming Wang and second baseman Robinson Cano, rookies who performed well last season with low salaries.
"That's what November, December and January are for, exploration of the possibilities of big ideas, big trades, transformations of rosters," Red Sox President Larry Lucchino said.
Starting today, more than 175 free agents will be able to negotiate contracts with all teams. The market could go up significantly for relief pitchers, who appear to be coveted. While closers such as Billy Wagner and B.J. Ryan figure to get big money, there's likely to be a trickle-down to setup men such as left-hander Scott Eyre and right-hander Bobby Howry.
"Everybody needs pitching. There's not a lot of pitchers out there," Gillick said. "So supply and demand."
Because of the relative lack of depth in the free-agent market, many teams are exploring trades first.
"People are being very aggressive and getting right to the point as to what they are willing to do and what they're not willing to do," Williams said.
While the Yankees are seeking a center fielder and setup men, their immediate goal is to re-sign left fielder Hideki Matsui, whose contract says he must be put on unconditional release waivers if he doesn't agree to a new deal by Tuesday.
"We've got to the 15th to try to get something done," Cashman said. "In the meantime, I'm gathering all the information about what the available players on the trade market and the free-agent market are. We'll prioritize those. In the event on Nov. 16 we don't have Hideki Matsui, it will be another avenue to pursue."
Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said he planned to be aggressive and probably would start making offers to free agents today. He said it is likely New York won't trade Mike Cameron.
"If I had to guess right now, I see him as my right fielder," he said.

Source: http://www.belleville.com/

Arizona Fall League Recap

November 11, 2005
The 2005 Arizona Fall League regular season ends on Thursday, and for the record, the Phoenix Desert Dogs appear to be the favorite heading into the championship game. This offseason showcase isn't about wins and losses, though. For organizations, scouts and fans, it's a chance to get a look at some of the game's brightest prospects. For fantasy baseball owners, it's an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition for the 2006 season.In 2004, we witnessed the emergence of Chris Shelton, the Tigers' slugger who took home the AFL MVP award. He parlayed his strong offseason work into a hot minor league start and a late May promotion to the big club. Once there, Shelton hit .299 with 18 homers, 59 RBI, and 61 runs.We also received a look at youngsters like AL Rookie of the Year Huston Street, NL Rookie of the Year Ryan Howard, Rickie Weeks, Jeff Francoeur, Aaron Hill, Willy Taveras, Mark Teahen, and Jeremy Hermida during last year's AFL season. Going back, the AFL also helped us prepare for rookies like Hank Blalock, Ken Harvey, Eric Hinske, Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, and many, many others.Thus, fantasy baseball readers will understand why we pay attention to a bunch of minor league kids playing 30-some games in October and November. Here's a list of players who stood out in the 2005 AFL season and where we expect them to be in 2006.

Source: http://www.fanball.com/

Bombers make Giles center of attention

November 12, 2005
There was a pause of sorts in the Yankees' negotiations with left fielder Hideki Matsui yesterday as GM Brian Cashman spent most of the day flying back from the GM meetings in California. But before he left, Cashman made contact again with the agent for another outfielder, Brian Giles, who could be developing into a candidate to take over for Bernie Williams in center field.
Cashman and Joe Bick, Giles' agent, spoke for at least the third time and Bick said the two "moved things ahead, talked about some comparable players, things of that nature."
Bick would not be more specific, but he reiterated that Giles would like to play in New York, though Giles has a reputation as a West Coast kind of guy.
The Yankees aren't the only suitors for Giles. According to various media reports, the Indians and Mariners think highly of the 34-year-old, who hit .301 with 15 homers and 83 RBI for the Padres this year.
"There have been a lot of teams interested," said Bick, who again declined to be more specific. "It's been extensive and we're very happy with the number of teams who have shown interest."
Meanwhile, Matsui's agent, Arn Tellem, is slated to fly to New York today and meet with his client either tonight or tomorrow. The Yankees and Matsui have a self-imposed deadline of Tuesday to get a contract done, though the sides could extend the cutoff date. Matsui could make a decision Monday or Tuesday.
"Nothing new," Tellem wrote in an E-mail yesterday. "I'm flying to New York this weekend and hope to make a deal next week."
"Sunday or Monday, things should heat up," said a baseball official with knowledge of the talks.
Matsui could command a deal somewhere in the four-year, $48 million-$50 million range.
One contract that has been used as a yardstick by Tellem, a baseball source said, is the five-year, $55 million deal the Dodgers gave J.D. Drew last year. The source said Tellem at first asked for a five-year contract, and the Yankees were talking about three years, but they appear to be willing to explore middle ground.
If the Yankees don't sign Giles to play center, they could be running out of options. They were rebuffed by the White Sox about a trade for Aaron Rowand, who dazzled with his glove in Chicago's only visit to the Stadium this year.
Talented and troubled Milton Bradley could be a choice, but the Dodgers believe there will be an active trade market for him, a source said. It's believed that five other teams are interested - the A's, Cubs, Nationals, Pirates and Tigers. Jim Tracy, Bradley's former manager with the Dodgers, is now the Pirates' skipper and he thinks highly of the 27-year-old's talent.
The Cubs' Corey Patterson appears available in a trade, but his stock has plummeted despite hopes in Chicago that he would be the Cubs' next great player. He hit only .215 with 13 homers and 34 RBI in 126 games this year and has a lifetime on-base percentage of just .293 in six seasons. He also has struck out 286 times in 283 games over the past two seasons.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/

Cleveland Indians @ Bare Baseball - Baseball MLB Blog

Monday, November 21, 2005

Lovullo to manage Triple-A Buffalo

Ahead of the game: Outfield

Shelton remains as hitting coach

Snyder becoming a legend of the fall

Tribe picks up '06 option on Belliard

Mailbag: What's ahead for Tribe?

Indians, Sauerbeck agree to new deal

American League Cy Young voting results

Tribe GM named Executive of the Year

Nine Indians voices up for Frick Award

Lee finishes third in Cy Young voting

Home cooking will be big for Tribe

Wedge finishes second in balloting

Miller closes out fall on strong note

Tribe announces Grapefruit slate

Feller DVD to premiere

Ahead of the game: Starting pitchers

Indians add five to 40-man roster

Winter important for Gutierrez, Denney

Monday, November 14, 2005

This Just In: Howry better than Millwood

Free agents in '05 bring little to MLB table

Mets' stove is hot for D-Rays

Colon claims Cy Young

Home cooking will be big for Tribe

Red Sox may find Ramirez tough to move

Arizona Fall League Recap

Bombers make Giles center of attention

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