Cleveland Sports Forum

T.J. Quinn of ESPN's Outside the Lines reports that Major League Baseball is preparing to suspend Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez and about 20 others connected to the Biogenesis clinic in Miami.
The Biogenesis mess had seemed to calm down over the last couple months, but apparently there could be a major fallout yet to come. Quinn is reporting that founder Tony Bosch is prepared to testify against the players connected with his clinic. He also adds that A-Rod and Braun could face 100-game suspensions because of their connection to Bosch and because they lied about PED use. Bosch has previously denied any knowledge of suspected PED distribution at Biogenesis but has apparently reversed course. Gio Gonzalez, who was connected to Biogenesis, will reportedly not be suspended because he only acquired legal substances. Quinn says suspensions could come within two weeks, though most players are expected to appeal.

The players who might ultimately face discipline from MLB include: Rodriguez, Braun, Cabrera, Colon, Grandal, Nelson Cruz, Francisco Cervelli, Jesus Montero, Jhonny Peralta, Cesar Puello, Fernando Martinez, Everth Cabrera, Fautino de los Santos, Jordan Norberto and a number of players who are either identified by code names or whose names appear in other documents not obtained by "Outside the Lines." All are on major league rosters except for Puello, a top outfield prospect for the New York Mets who is playing in Class AA Binghamton.

One player listed who will be scrutinized but possibly exonerated is the Nationals' Gio Gonzalez, who was listed among Biogenesis clients, but two sources told ESPN the only substances he received from the clinic were legal.

Puig Second Day Better Than First ?!?!

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.js ... mode=video

Nice to see Puig off to a good start.

Iwakuma is shaping up to be everything I thought he might be. He had a good year in 2012 and he's off to a better start in 2013. 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA so far this season. He's shutting out the white sox today after 4 innings of work.

The LA Fans have already built a terrific relationship with Puig, the type of relationship, as I had posted a while back, that he might have with Indian fans. Same with Cespedes.

Puig's off to a great start. Of his three homers so far, two have been to right field. I can't remember any player that goes from home to home any quicker.

Cespedes, Puig, and Soler would have made nice additions for a team hurting for outfielders.

Cespedes is starting to heat up after a terrible start. The average is up to .245 and the two homers last night give him 13 on the season.

I know this won't continue, but Puig is off to a Hollywood type start.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.js ... me&c_id=la

Jorge Soler - Daytona Cubs:

Cleveland Interest In Jorge Soler

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1114 ... nd-indians

Cleveland Interest In Yoenis Cespedes

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/MLB-scoop ... 19716.html

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ss ... ns_ha.html

Cleveland Interest In Yasiel Puig – None

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1230 ... cuban-stud

Joe Mauer's no look catch:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-l ... 59332.html

The Week Ahead: Prospects await anticipated debuts

Cole to hit big league stage while fellow hurler Wheeler, outfielder Myers wait in wings

By Doug Miller / MLB.com | 6/10/2013 10:00 A.M. ET

The coming week in Major League Baseball could be all about arrival. Just like last week.

Nobody could have expected the kind of seven-day explosion we saw from Dodgers callup Yasiel Puig last week, of course. The 22-year-old hero of Dodgers fans, Los Angeles manager Don Mattingly and astute fantasy baseball owners throughout the land hit four home runs, drove in 10 runs, had 13 hits in seven games and uncorked two of the most absurd outfield assists we've seen all year.

"It's been storybook," Mattingly said. "I'm talking on the bench and saying, 'If a guy gets a hit, he's going to hit it to Puig and he's going to throw him out at the plate and hit an inside-the-parker or something.'

"It's just crazy stuff every night. Nothing really surprises us anymore."

So what'll it be this week?

Puig has three more games in Los Angeles to dazzle the home crowd with his bat or his throwing arm or his legs, and those are against the division-leading D-backs. The Cuban phenom won't be able to do much on Thursday, which is an off-day, and then he'll take his show on the road for the first time for a weekend set against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Puig and the Dodgers will touch down in the Steel City a few days too late to experience the Major League debut of another top prospect, but they'll be around for Gerrit Cole's career start No. 2. Cole, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, will be called up by the Bucs on Tuesday in time to face Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants. Cole, 22, was 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 12 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis.

"I caught him a couple of times in Spring Training, and I like his makeup and his attitude," catcher Russell Martin said. "In my opinion, he's going to be a good pitcher for a long time, so this will be start No. 1 of a hopefully long and prosperous career."

It remains to be seen what happens with Cole in the Pirates' rotation moving forward. James McDonald could be nearing a return from injury. Cole figures to get a second start Sunday against the Dodgers, but it could be a short stint in the Majors.

In New York, Mets fans are wondering if they're about to see their next young right-hander with electric stuff. The rumors have been flying about Zack Wheeler for weeks. This past week saw reports that Wheeler would make his first big league start this Friday. Another report indicated the Mets would have Wheeler make one more start for Triple-A Las Vegas this week. Wheeler has righted himself in the Minors this year and enters the week with a 4-1 record, a 4.14 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 63 innings for Las Vegas.

What is known is this: Wheeler is coming soon. Mets public relations guru Jay Horwitz flew to Las Vegas last week simply to talk to the 23-year-old and help him prepare for the hefty expectations that are soon to come with his promotion to the big stage in the toughest media market in the country.

"Set a personal record this week with five flights since Sunday," Horwitz tweeted. "Have got enough frequent flier miles now for a two-week trip to Mexico."

So this week, the Mets and their fans will wait on Wheeler as every move of his is monitored.

And apparently, the same thing is going on in the Tampa Bay area with Wil Myers. The 22-year-old slugging outfielder, who was the key piece for the Rays in a monster offseason trade that sent James Shields to the Royals, is heating up at Triple-A Durham, where he hit two homers on Saturday. That prompted ESPN's Jim Bowden, a former Major League general manager, to tweet that Myers will be called up to Tampa Bay "within [the] next 10 days."

That might not happen, but the coming week is sure to bring plenty of talk about Myers, just like in New York with Wheeler.

And there will be division races to talk about, too.

In the American League West, the past week saw the Oakland A's shoot right back into contention on the heels of the Texas Rangers in what seems like a replay of 2012. In fact, on Friday night, Oakland took sole possession of first place, although it gave it back on Sunday and is a half-game behind Texas.

"We just go out there and play," A's outfielder Josh Reddick said. "It's only June. As long as you're in first the last day of the year, that's all that matters."

This week, the A's get a Monday to relax before playing three-game sets at home against the Yankees and Mariners. The Rangers will play all seven days, also at home. Texas will host Cleveland for three games before meeting Toronto for a weekend four-game set.

That's the closest division race at the moment, but the AL East has bunched up a bit, too, with the Red Sox in front by 1 1/2 games over the Yankees, and the Orioles (3 1/2 back) and Rays (four back) right in the thick of things.

Similarly tight situations are developing in the National League Central, where the Reds and Pirates are within four games of the first-place Cardinals, and in the NL West, where the Giants and Rockies are 1 1/2 games behind the leading D-backs.

For the defending World Series champions, taking two of three from Arizona over the weekend was a good way to get back in gear as June rolls on.

"We need to pick it up in our overall play," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "This is what it's going to take."

Hisashi Iwakuma

•The Rays, Indians, Astros and Angels scouted Hisashi Iwakuma's recent rehab start, according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 2.72 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 from 2007-10 in Japan.

Too bad we couldn't have showed a bit more interest. Iwakuma is 7-1 with a 1.79 ERA to date.

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Looks like Ryu is turning out to be a decent pitcher also. He's 6-2 with a 2.85 ERA. I don't think we had any interest in Ryu although Choo was a fellow countryman. Nice righty/lefty combo.

joez wrote:

Hisashi Iwakuma

•The Rays, Indians, Astros and Angels scouted Hisashi Iwakuma's recent rehab start, according to a Sponichi report passed along by Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker. The 30-year-old right-hander posted a 2.72 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 from 2007-10 in Japan.

Too bad we couldn't have showed a bit more interest. Iwakuma is 7-1 with a 1.79 ERA to date.

Yep, those players from the Pacific hate to play in Seattle. Probably was dissapointed that Cleveland did not make him an offer.

Maybe in the future he can get old "second guess" Joe Z as his agent.

First major league wins Thursday night for both pitchers Indians lost in Rule 5 last winter: Hector Rondon for the Cubs and T.J. McFarland for the Orioles

Yep, those players from the Pacific hate to play in Seattle. Probably was dissapointed that Cleveland did not make him an offer.

Maybe in the future he can get old "second guess" Joe Z as his agent.

I don't second guess. I'm all about awareness. If Dolan wasn't sitting on his cache, it's possible that we could have been playing in a world series by now

I've been posting about Iwakuma dating back to 2011 before you knew that Iwakuma ever existed. That goes for Darvish and Harper as well as dozens of others. I continue to do so. Just posting about players available in free agency and just how successful we've been when it comes to signing players from the Pacific Rim, Latin America, and Cuba in particularly.

I continue to post about players I think can be stars in the United States. Most will never see Cleveland and that's too bad.

by joez

Mon Sep 12, 2011 8:04 pm Forum:

Tribe ForumTopic: Winter/Fall/Latin/Asian/World BallReplies: 3018Views: 46362

Iwakuma qualifies for overseas free agency

TOKYO, Sept. 12 (21:48) Kyodo

Rakuten Eagles right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma on Monday fulfilled
the requirements to become a free agent to ply his trade overseas
after spending nine years on the active roster in Japanese baseball.

According to baseball sources, Iwakuma, 30, will test the waters
of free agency in an attempt to move to the major leagues after the
2011 season.

''Right now, we are at a crucial point in the season, so I want
to focus and do my best for my team,'' said Iwakuma, whose Pacific
League club is currently in third place and battling for a place in
the playoff series.

''I want to think seriously about free agency after the season
is over and give my response then,'' he added.

In 2008, Iwakuma won the Sawamura Award with records of 21-4, a
1.87 ERA and an .840 winning percentage. Last year, Iwakuma's talks
to move to the Oakland Athletics via the posting system broke down.

So you can copy and paste an article. Amazing.

Why don't you copy and paste an article on every player in the world ?

Why don't you copy and paste an article on every player in the world ?

No need! I'm pretty selective about the players I'd like to see playing in Cleveland.