Cleveland Sports Forum

That's a pretty incomplete list. The only ones I recognize from the Replacement Indians are Slusarski, Joe's man Alex Ramirez, and I think Pep Harris was one of ours, since I remember him as an Indians minor leaguer. I know I have found some in the past by checking our Minor League stats during that season since a handful of the players were optioned to AAA or AA but very few stuck around long.

So maybe Alex R didn't make the Indians because Paul Assenmacher wouldn't speak to him.

I can't find them after enought looking that I need to get back to work. At the Official Indians.com the only numbers for the real guys who played 3 games after the strike ended:

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/stats/ ... er+hitting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ksNxlvHlM

#Indians catching prospect Chun Chen was hit in the face by a pitch yesterday in 2011 World Baseball Cup action

Yesterday in Arizona, Tim Fedroff 5-1-1-1. Catcher Roberto Perez strangely batting cleanup responds like a cleanup hitter, with a 3 run homer, also walks. 4-2-1-3. None of our pitchers have yet appeared. TJ McFarland is scheduled for a start today.

Much maligned Tribe farm system (by me) dominates the Arizona Fall League. 3 excellent performances yesterday:

TJ McFarland 3 shutout innings, 2 hits, 3 k, no walks
Cory Burns closes with a perfect inning
Tim Fedroff 2 doubles, a single, a walk, 2 rbi, a steal
Jesus Aguillar his 2nd homer, 2 doubles, 2 walks, 4 rbi

Not so good: PReston Guilmet 3 runs on four hits and a walk in 1 inning.

21-year old Aguillar has a 2 game line of : 7-5-5-6 3 doubles 2 homers OPS 2.800

Hit 25 or so homers during the season. BA didn't rate him among the top 20 in the Midwest League; they say he is lousy defensive 1B; Indians have claimed to the contrary. I'll take a slugging RH DH, but no Ken he is not ready for awhile, he's never played AA

IL Top Twenty includes 2 tribesmem. no longer rookies:


10. LONNIE CHISENHALL 3B, COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (INDIANS)
Age: 22. B-T: L-R. HT.: 6-1. WT.: 200. DRAFTED: Pitt (N.C.) CC '08 (1).
Chisenhall scorched the ball in spring training, hitting .500 with five extra-base hits in 26 at-bats in big league camp. but the Indians were reluctant to rush him before he had any Triple-A experience. He earned a callup in June despite so-so numbers in the IL.

Chisenhall has a clean stroke built to produce a barrage of line drives and a .300 average, though he has yet to hit .300 in a pro season. He gets too pull-happy at times and must maintain a whole-field approach to be successful. Though he hit just 14 homers between Columbus and Cleveland, he has more power than that and projects as a 20-25 longball threat. A below-average runner, he won't steal bases but navigates them well.

Chisenhall continues to improve his play at third base, where he shows good hands, solid footwork and average arm strength. He still has work to do, but he shouldn't be a liability.

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
255 45 68 15 3 7 45 28 47 0 1 .267 .353 .431

7. JASON KIPNIS 2B, COLUMBUS CLIPPERS (INDIANS)
Age: 24. B-T: L-R. HT.: 5-11. WT.: 185. DRAFTED: Arizona State '09 (2).
Kipnis' hitting always has been his trademark, with his balanced swing and bat speed producing line drives from gap to gap. He homered in four consecutive games in his second week in the majors and slugged .507 with Cleveland, and most IL observers felt that power show was legitimate. He's a heady baserunner with average speed who could swipe 10-15 bases a year.

"He was a tough out," Gwinnett manager Dave Brundage said. "I liked his approach. He was one guy who stood out facing our tough pitching."

It's a tribute to his athleticism and hard-nosed approach that Kipnis has made significant strides at second base since moving from the outfield two years ago. He's still a below-average defender by big league standards and needs to improve his footwork, but he has nice range and enough arm.

AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBP SLG
343 65 96 16 9 12 55 44 72 12 1 .280 .362 .484

"The Clippers had a prospect-laden infield with Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall and Cord Phelps, all of whom missed the postseason because they were in the big leagues with the Indians. Phelps was a near-miss on the Top 20, as [was] lefthander Scott Barnes"

Barnes is still officially a "prospect". I guess that means he rates with Austin Adams as a depth starter for 2012. And they'll be among a handful of over 21 year old prospects in the Tribe Top 30.

BA Q/A:

Clippers question - you mentioned Cord Phelps and Scotty Barnes just missing the list. Thoughts on other Clippers like SPs Jeanmar Gomez and Zach MacAllister, 1B Beau Mills, OF Ezequiel Carrerra and RPs Josh Judy, Zach Putnam, and Nick Hagadone? Any that I failed to mention that scouts liked?

James Bailey: Jeanmar Gomez actually didn't qualify, because he had 57.2 IP in the majors in 2010, so he used his rookie status up already. Carrera looks like he could stick as an extra outfielder. Great defense, he can run, not much pop. Maybe a #9 hitter or a 4th/5th OF. Judy, Putnam, Hagadone are all nice bullpen arms with a chance to contribute. I'll throw Chen Lee at you as another reliever to watch. Funky, underneath delivery, lower than 3/4. 94 mph FB, with heavy movement. Slider. He's going to be real tough on righties. Could be a situational guy or setup man. McAllister made some strides this year, but I like Barnes better.

Friday, October 14, 2011
Instructs Spotlight: Dillon Howard
9:01 AM Tony No comments

The “Instructs Spotlight” is a weekly feature piece on a player from the Cleveland Indians farm system that is participating in the Fall Instructional League out in Goodyear, Arizona from September 14th to October 14th.

Another year of Fall Instructional League ended yesterday and it will officially come to a close today when the advanced Instructional League team (AZPL) plays their final game at 12:30p.m. in Glendale, Arizona.

All of the players involved in the fall instructional program are heading home with the 2011 season in their rearview mirror, but with thoughts of 2012 already starting to take hold.

One player especially anxious about 2012 and what it brings is right-handed pitcher Dillon Howard. He will make his professional debut at some point next season, possibly at Low-A Lake County, so there is certainly a lot for him, the Indians, and fans to be excited about next season.

The Indians selected Howard in the 2nd round of the draft this year out of Searcy High School in Arkansas. Contract negotiations carried on throughout the summer until he was finally signed minutes before the draft signing deadline on August 15th. It was the first and last time he went through the signing process, and he has no regrets with how it all played out.

“It was quite eventful, but I am glad to be here and glad to get it done,” Howard said on Wednesday. “There is a lot of talk and a lot of stuff that goes on before you do hear your name called. I just tried to handle that stuff and put it in the back of my mind by just staying busy and not letting it consume me. It was an exciting time and I did enjoy going through it.”

There were a lot of people who thought that Howard would be a tough sign because he had a very strong commitment to the University of Arkansas, which is why he fell to the second round even though he had first round talent. But the Indians did their homework prior to selecting him and always felt that there was a very good chance they could sign him. It also helped that Howard was very open to signing and was not completely locked into going to school.

“It was a tough decision,” Howard said. “I have been around that campus [at Arkansas] for a long time and got to know all the coaches pretty well. They did not pull me either way as they wanted what was best for me, and I really appreciated that throughout the whole process. I just felt like this is where I wanted to get started and where I needed to be and I think I ended up in the right spot.”

Howard pitched over the summer for the Midland Redskins, a juggernaut high school travel team which won the Connie Mack World Series in early August. Even though he signed late he pitched over the summer, so it was felt that he would be ready to come in and pitch a few games at the end of the season for one of the Indians’ affiliates. But his health had other plans, so he did not end up pitching until Instructional League.

“Right after I signed I had my wisdom teeth taken out so I was down for about a week with that,” Howard said. “Then I got sick, so I did not have much time to prepare. But I got in here and settled in and I just worked into it nice and easy.”

Instructional League has been Howard’s introduction to pro ball. While it is still a far cry to what he can expect with the craziness that is spring training and what real games will be like in front of real fans and when the stats count, it still helped orientate him to the game.

“Instructs is going well,” Howard said. “It is a good way to get your feet wet and get a taste of what pro ball is like and how you go about your business. I feel good and comfortable, and I am getting to know the guys who are catching me.”

It is still early on in the process and the Indians are getting to know Howard so they have yet to make any adjustments with his pitches or mechanics. Right now it is mostly about him just picking up all the nuances of pitching and becoming a pitcher rather than a thrower. He needs to learn the cerebral part of pitching and also all the other parts that go into it like fielding your position, controlling the running game, reading swings, and so on.

“Pro hitters are different from high school hitters as they have a different approach and you have to attack them differently,” Howard said. “I am just kind of learning and picking the pitching coaches brain to learn how to pitch. I am trying to make everything that I do a little bit better. There is just so much more to pitching than you really know before you get here. Holding runners on and all of that, it is a lot more in depth than people realize.”

In addition to learning what it takes to be a pitcher, another thing that Howard has quickly picked up on is what it takes to be a professional.

“It is definitely eye-opening just the way all of these guys go about their business,” Howard said. “That is what I am here learning is how to be a professional.”

Now that the offseason is officially here Howard will go home and visit family and attend some Razorback football games. But soon he will get right back after it as he gets set to begin his first full season as a professional baseball player and finally make that minor league debut.

“I will do a lot of strength and conditioning stuff [this offseason],” Howard said. “I will pick up a ball in late December and just do the same thing I have been doing out here and work my way back into it to get ready for spring training.”

Notebook

The Indians recently signed Taiwan right-handed pitcher Shao-Ching Chiang to a minor league contract. He turns 18-years old next month and is a young player out of Taiwan that the Indians think has some good upside, particularly as a starter. He throws a fastball that ranges from 88-92 MPH and complements it with a slider and splitter, but he is also working on a changeup. He is athletic as he also played outfield as an amateur in Taiwan, but he is raw and the Indians will likely be patient with him. He probably will initially be developed as a starter.

Another pitcher who is interesting in Instructs is right-handed pitcher Estevenson Encarnacion. He had a very good season in the Dominican Summer League where he made 27 appearances out of the bullpen and went 7-2 with 9 saves and a 2.70 ERA (43.1 IP, 26 H, 0 HR, 28 BB, 47 K). He is tough to hit and throws hard (up to 96 MPH), but he is also very raw and still lacks much command of his fastball so he walks and hits a lot of hitters. Even still, he is an interesting power arm to monitor going forward.

Third baseman Jordan Smith connected on his first homer of Instructional League yesterday and in fact his first home run as a professional. He showed his power potential by taking a letter high fastball out deep to right center. He hit a lot of doubles this past season at short season Single-A Mahoning Valley but did not hit a home run, and with more maturity and time there is a general belief the home runs will come. He is a guy that is tough to get a true read on right now but is very intriguing and will be a lot of fun to monitor his progress next season.

Left-handed pitcher Shawn Morimando and right-handed pitcher Manuel Carmona had a two inning stretch to forget yesterday. It will go into the books as two innings, but what actually happened is Carmona started the 6th inning and just could not throw a strike. After a few hits and some walks he was pulled because of pitch count and only recorded one out. Morimando came in and finished the inning by recording the final two outs but also struggled with his command. Morimando came back out in the 7th inning but he did not record an out and his pitch count was ultimately reached so the inning was “flipped”. This is often done in Instructional League and spring training minor league games so as to not overexpose pitchers. In the end Morimando and Carmona combined to throw just 1.0 inning (even though it was two innings) and gave up 9 runs on several hits and walks (including at least two homers). It was definitely a learning experience for both.

Right-handed pitcher Cody Anderson was impressive yesterday. It was my first time seeing him, but he has nice size and the first impression that I got was that he really overpowers hitters with his size and 94-96 MPH fastball. He is very raw as a pitcher as he just transferred to the mound two years ago, but there is something to work with there. While he may or may not be a starter I think he is another power arm to keep an eye on next year and should open the season at Low-A Lake County.

Last week in the AFL,

Roberto Perez 0-10 with 2 walks.
Jesus Aguillar 7-17 with a homer, a walk and about 5 or 6 K. His OPS is 1261, 4th in this hitter-dominated league.

Preston Guilmet 3-3-1-1-3-4
Cory N. Burns 3-3-1-1-1-1
T.J. McFarland 3-5-1-1-1-3
Tyler Sturdevnt 1-1-1-1-0-1

McFarland with 3 1-run 2-walk innings; Guilmet 2 runs in 1 inning; Burns 1 scoreless. Aguillar and Perez each with a single.

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp ... n_scowin_1

Last couple days in the Arizona Fall League:

Aguillar 5-2-2-1 a pair of doubles, a walk and a K
Sturdevant 1 inning 2 runs 1 hit 2 walks
Cory Burns 1 inning 3 runs 4 hits 1 walk and 1 k

We were allowed to send an OF to the league but we didn't find anyone worth the trip, apparently. Aguillar and Perez are the only position players from our organization in the AFL. Most players there tend to be AA experienced but we sent younger kids since no one from Akron was worth the trouble.

Aguillar 2-4 again, both singles, a walk, 2 strikeouts.
Peres 0-4 again, a walk, 3 strikeouts.

Guilmet 2 2 1 1 1 3
Burns 1 0 0 0 1 1