Cleveland Sports Forum

The only reason he can not make it to 6 innings is because of a pitch count. Getting 6 innings will not be a problem.

At the same time I would have rather had Masterson pitching last night if he was ready to go 7+ innings.

Masterson has proven he can win a 1-0 or a 2-1 game against a tough team.

I thought Francona's PC after the game was one of the greatest, most honest responses to an emotional end and defeat that I have ever heard in sports or business.

Pitching was not the problem.

As JR would say.....You can't win if you don't score.

Salazar displays poise far beyond his years

Despite taking loss, young righty shows promise for a bright future

By Mark Emery / MLB.com | 10/3/2013 2:40 A.M. ET

CLEVELAND --

Danny Salazar's night could not have begun any better.

Surrounded by bedlam on all sides, Salazar calmly strode to the mound at Progressive Field to deliver the first pitch of the American League Wild Card Game on Wednesday, carrying all the experience that a 23-year-old with 10 big league starts can possibly claim.

His opening offering, a 94-mph fastball, went for a called strike. The fans cheered. They expressed their approval again after David DeJesus lined out on the next pitch. The crowd roared even louder when Wil Myers went down swinging, and became more energized still when James Loney followed suit, bringing a perfect first frame to a close.

Salazar's 10th and final pitch of the first inning, the one that Loney helplessly flailed at, sizzled in at 100 mph.

"Anybody throwing 100 who has decent control, you're pretty excited about that," right-hander Justin Masterson said. "He did a tremendous job."

It didn't take long for Salazar to show why the Indians handed him the ball when they needed to beat the Rays to advance to a date with the Red Sox in the AL Division Series. From the very beginning, he handled this giant moment with the poise Cleveland expected. He was not overwhelmed.

"It didn't look like it to me," manager Terry Francona said. "He's going to be a special pitcher."

Ultimately, Salazar's effort was not enough, nor was it perfect, which it needed to be considering how Alex Cobb performed as he led the Rays to a 4-0 win and a trip to Boston.

After Salazar cruised through the second inning, his first pitch of the third was up in the zone, and Delmon Young belted it over the wall in left field. In the fourth, with two outs and men on the corners, Salazar served up a bases-clearing double to Desmond Jennings, putting the Indians down by three runs.

"Like anything that happens, you have to keep your head up," Salazar said. "It's a big game. There's going to be two good teams. That's why they got to the postseason. You have to do the best you can out there."

Salazar was pulled after walking Jose Molina to start the fifth. Over his four-plus innings, the young righty was charged with four hits and three runs. He had four strikeouts and one walk.

Though Salazar was not restricted by the pitch limits imposed on him earlier in the season, he wound up with just 67 offerings, 42 of which went for strikes.

He came away from his first postseason experience wanting more, and who could blame him?

"Right now I'm just going to keep battling and working in the offseason," he said. "I got a little bit of a taste, and I liked it."

Though Salazar was not at his most dominant, the bright future that lies ahead of him was easy to see.

"He was comfortable," outfielder Michael Bourn said. "He threw the ball real well. He kept us in the game. He did all he was supposed to do."

"He's got unbelievable stuff," designated hitter Jason Giambi said. "He's still learning. He wants to learn. He's just going to keep getting better and better."

Salazar did not foresee being in this position when the season began. At the time he was a member of the Double-A Akron Aeros.

Much has changed since then. He was called up in July, and he joined the rotation in August. In 10 regular-season starts, he went 2-3 with a 3.12 ERA, racking up 65 strikeouts over 52 innings.

The Indians have high hopes for Salazar, and though their optimism would not have waned in the slightest had he struggled on Wednesday, they're certainly glad he didn't.

"He's going to be a big part of this team next year," Masterson said. "He kind of proved that this year."

Indians feel sting of defeat, take pride in achievements

Surprising march to playoffs re-energizes team, fans and city of Cleveland

Anthony Castrovince By Anthony Castrovince | Archive10/3/2013 2:08 A.M. ET

CLEVELAND --
When it was over, and the sea of red had begun to disperse, revealing the undertow of green plastic seats, a few hundred fans remained near the home dugout, standing, applauding.

This American League Wild Card Game against the Tampa Bay Rays did not go to plan Wednesday night. The Indians didn't exactly love the matchup with Alex Cobb and his confounding curve and changeup to begin with, and Cobb did not exactly do anything to make them feel better about it as the game went along. The Indians stranded nine runners, got an 0-fer evening from the likes of Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher and Jason Kipnis and Asdrubal Cabrera and asked more than was reasonable out of young Danny Salazar and his fascinating fastball.

And so they lost, 4-0, at Progressive Field, ending their storybook season and tossing the "Terry Francona returns to Boston" script into the trash.

"This sting," Swisher said, "is going to be there for a while. But after the sting goes away, we've got to look at the big picture of what we gave this city."

That's why some small but meaningful percentage of the city stood there in the aftermath, expressing appreciation for the mere opportunity to watch something worthwhile, to congregate and call up memories of October days gone by.

This particular October entry was short but memorable, spurred as it was by a September spurt that nobody could have reasonably seen coming. And the Indians, by and large, were equal parts optimistic and realistic about their chances of extending that September stretch into another month and a more substantial setting. It's a whimsical game, after all, especially in October and especially in this one-and-done arrangement.

So your disappointment with the result could only rest in direct proportion to your understanding that the Indians had already clinched a wildly successful season.

"We're excited," catcher Yan Gomes said. "We're excited for what we're building. I'm sure a lot of people didn't expect us to do this good. We didn't come out with the win today, but that doesn't mean we should hang our head. We need to look at the future."

Now, the temptation is to say that this was only the beginning for the Indians. As long as general manager Chris Antonetti isn't going anywhere, neither is Francona. Core pieces Justin Masterson, Carlos Santana, Kipnis, Michael Brantley, Gomes and -- maybe most importantly -- Salazar will all be back next year, as will key bench cogs Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn. Swisher and Bourn are signed through 2016.

But we were saying similar things in the wake of the loss to Francona's Red Sox in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS. Back then, you couldn't have imagined the core of CC Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore, Jake Westbrook and Travis Hafner would be one-and-done when it came to postseason berths. The thought would have been especially difficult to comprehend had you known Cliff Lee was about to become a 22-game winner.

Baseball assails assumptions, so let's not make the mistake of making them.

Understand, though, that Francona has made Cleveland a much more attractive destination to outsiders, and you wonder what reverberations that might continue to cause. Even with Brett Myers, Mark Reynolds and, likely, Chris Perez off the books, the budget is made tricky by the rising salaries of Swisher and Bourn and Asdrubal Cabrera, not to mention the pending free agency of Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir. The Indians will have to be creative. They always will have to be creative. But the remarkable way they revamped a once-bumbling ballclub invites optimism about the state of their creative process.

At the risk of reading too much into a single result, this game might have illustrated what was evident in various stretches this season: The Indians need another bat. It doesn't have to be a premier bat, but another professional one capable of working counts and coming through in the clutch couldn't hurt.

Better, though, to be entering the offseason in search of augmentation than to enter it in search of an identity. The Indians have an identity now, and that's made all the difference.

"I feel like we're a family," Santana said in the aftermath of this loss, and this was coming from a guy who basically lost his job this season, banished to DH duties at the age of 27.

Francona handled Santana's situation the way he handles every situation -- with grace and calm and charm and an honesty that earns loyalty. Up and down the roster, guys bought into those qualities this season, and the Indians, not too coincidentally, turned out to be one of those lovable overachievers.

Next year will be trickier. It's inherently more difficult when more is expected of you. But the culture and camaraderie that was created here will have a lingering effect.

"I want them to remember how much me and the staff care about them," Francona said. "It was an honor to go through the season with them. That's what I'll remember more than anything."

With any luck, the fans will remember, too. Hopefully, they'll remember what this felt and looked like long after they've come to terms with the final score.

The Cleveland community was everything you'd want and everything you'd expect in this setting: vociferous, vigorous, zealous, a tad nauseous in the tense moments.

More than anything, they were present.

"The game's over," Swisher said, "and I've still got goose bumps thinking about it."

This was the same fan base ripped all summer for not adequately supporting a winning team. There was skepticism built into that base, but this club kept chipping away at it until it crumbled. And the Wild Card Game revealed the beating heart that was waiting beneath.

"My first reaction is that it almost upsets me," Kipnis said, "because I wish I could play in front of a crowd like this every single night. But it's a long season. You knew if we made the playoffs, Cleveland would rally behind us and come out. You tip the cap to them. They came out, they were loud, they were amped up."

Indeed, in shirts of red and towels of white, they painted a beautiful backdrop to a ballgame that frayed their nerves and sharpened their baseball senses, which, frankly, had been dulled in recent seasons by the devastation of departed Cy Young winners and losing baseball.

That's the grand takeaway here. The whole "Tribe Town" thing morphed from a marketing slogan to something substantial. And even if it was just for a month or a week or a single night, it was real, and it mattered.

It mattered enough that, even in defeat, the Indians had finally given their fans something to applaud.


Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, CastroTurf, and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cleveland Indians looking to next year must find a way to become a consistent winner like Tampa Bay: Terry Pluto

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There is nothing close to a guarantee that the Indians will be in this place again.

As we look at the state of the Tribe the morning after Wednesday's 4-0 loss to Tampa Bay in the wild-card game, that's something the franchise must remember.

In 2007, the Tribe won 96 games and lost to Boston in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

And it took six more years before they again had a winning record -- the 92-70 mark this season.

And it's still hard to exactly figure out how they were 22 games over .500 this season.

This was a team where no one hit 25 homers. Or drove in 90 runs. Or hit .300. Or won 15 games. Or saved 30 games.

Jason Kipnis and Justin Masterson made the All-Star team, but no one in Wahoo red, white and blue would be considered a superstar.

Still, it was an amazing summer, one where Tribe baseball became relevant once again.

The 4-0 season-ending loss to Tampa Bay was a bit discouraging because the Indians never really made it close.

From the moment the Rays had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth, the Tribe was in trouble.

Big trouble.

The better team won

I know that the Tribe had won one more game than Tampa Bay during the regular season, but the Rays are clearly the better, more experienced team.

To earn a trip to Boston for the Division Series, Tampa Bay had to win Sunday at Toronto, Monday at Texas and Wednesday at Progressive Field.

They deserve it. They did it the hard way.

The one-game playoff in Cleveland with the Tribe having two days of rest (as opposed to one for the Rays) was a significant advantage for the Tribe.

But as Terry Francona said twice after the game: "They outplayed us."

While some fans may want to complain about the one-game format of the wild card, consider that Tampa Bay has two other starters equal to (or perhaps even better than) Alex Cobb -- the right-hander who threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Tribe.

The Rays also have Cy Young winner David Price and 17-game winner Matt Moore.

It's a big-time pitching staff for a team that has won at least 90 games in five of the last six years. And they've done it in the rugged American League East.

That's what should be the goal for the Tribe -- to become a consistent 90-game winner and playoff contender in a modest baseball market.

Minnesota won six Central Division titles from 2001-10. Now Tampa Bay has become the Little Franchise That Can Contend with the Big Markets. Both the Twins and Tampa Bay generally have payrolls in the bottom third of baseball.

The Indians have so many reasons to feel good about this season.

They have a prime-time manager in Francona.

Even if they lose Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez in free agency, they have a core of young starters in Justin Masterson, Danny Salazar, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister. Other possibilities are Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer.

That assumes the Tribe doesn't obtain a veteran starter, something that could happen because the team will have some money to spend.

Getting better

But just as important, this team needs another big bat.

Remember that the game has changed. Only 10 players hit 30 or more homers in the American League this season. Only eight drove in at least 100 runs. Only 10 hit .300 or better.

So it will be a challenge to upgrade the offense, but that's something the Tribe must do.

It's not enough to be content with the fact that the Indians were fourth in runs scored this season -- didn't feel like it, right? That's because drug testing has cleaned up the game, and pitching, defense and athleticism are making a comeback.

"We have some work to do in the off-season," Francona said after the game.

In addition to probably seeing Jimenez and Kazmir leave as free agents, deposed closer Chris Perez is very likely to be gone. Relievers Joe Smith and Matt Albers are free agents. Vinnie Pestano seems to have lost his magic.

Asdrubal Cabrera can be traded, perhaps for some pitching prospects.

The bullpen might need an overhaul.

That's why they can feel very good about what happened in 2013, but it's not time to be content.

The Tribe never capitalized on their strong 2007 season, and they can't let this opportunity slip away just as fans are starting to embrace the team once again.

Cleveland Indians must make some more bold moves to make the playoffs again next season, including trading Asdrubal Cabrera: Terry Pluto blog

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was the fourth inning. The Indians had the bases loaded, one out.

At bat, Asdrubal Cabrera. A sellout crowd of 43,579 at Progressive Field waited, wondered and yes … worried about Cabrera in this spot.

Tampa Bay had a 3-0 lead in the wild-card game, the biggest game of the season for both teams. Ryan Raburn had just drawn a walk off Alex Cobb. The first pitch to Cabrera was a ball.

The next pitch? Cabrera seemed a bit fooled, a bit off balance … and tapped a lame grounder to first base for an inning-ending 3-6-1 double play.

This isn't about putting the blame of the Tribe's 4-0 season-ending loss to Tampa Bay on Cabrera. But he is one of the team's highest-paid players at $6 million. He was an All-Star in 2011 and 2012. And Cabrera entered Wednesday's game batting .197 with runners in scoring position.

He was 0-of-2 with runners in scoring position Wednesday. After hitting into that double-play, he's 2-of-16 with the bases loaded.

It was such a poor at-bat at such an important part of the game. Even worse, it was like so many at-bats this season where he just seemed shaky, not sure of what type of pitch that he wanted to hit.

To be fair, high-priced free agent Michael Bourn was 0-of-4 and fanned with runners on first-and-third, no out. Nick Swisher was 0-of-4 and left four runners on bases. Swisher is a career .164 hitter in the playoffs. That's in 47 post-season games. He has only two hits in his last 53 at bats against Tampa Bay -- a stat is almost is impossible to believe.

I knew Swisher was a post-season mess when the Tribe signed him to that four-year, $56 million deal. But I also figured that if he falls apart in October, that's still good -- because it means the Indians are in the playoffs. And that means Swisher helped them reach the postseason.

Swisher only hit .234 with runners in scoring position this season. Bourn was at .311, in case you were wondering. Both guys are on long-term deals and they are coming back. They also are at positions of need for the Tribe, which lacks first basemen and outfielders in the farm system.

But there is something about Cabrera that has bothered me for the last two seasons. At the age of 27, he appears to be in decline. In the last three years, his batting average and OPS has dropped from .273 (.792 OPS) to .270 (.762 OPS) to .242 (.700 OPS). The big fall is in homers: 25-16-14.

This is a player who should be hitting his peak. But he has battled weight problems in the past, although he seemed to be in better shape this season. Cabrera made only one error in his last 30 games, and had the third-best fielding average (.982) in the American League this season.

His range is below average, and his best position probably is second base -- which he played from 2007-10. He did hit five of his 14 homers in September, when the Tribe was 21-6.

I'm writing about Cabrera because I'm excited about what the Tribe accomplished this season, and how it can carry over into 2014. The 92 victories seems all the more remarkable when you consider that the three highest paid non-pitchers -- Bourn, Swisher and Cabrera -- all had below-average seasons.

Most fans know phenom Francisco Lindor is not far from the majors. He probably will start next season at Class AA Akron, and the 19-year-old is the shortstop of the near future.

Cabrera enters the final year of his contract, for a hefty $10 million. St. Louis was interested in him a year ago, and the Cardinals still have shortstop issues. The Indians need to keep adding pitching, because starters Scott Kazmir and Ubaldo Jimenez may leave via free agency. The Cardinals are known for having intriguing minor league pitching prospects.

My point is the Tribe over-achieved to reach the wild-card game. General Manager Chris Antonetti has to be aggressive, just as he was a year ago. The Tribe has Mike Aviles under contract for next season, and he has been a starting shortstop. Young Jose Ramirez impressed in his September promotion, and he also is a shortstop.

The wild-card game gave Tribe fans a taste of October baseball. It took some bold moves for them to reach this level, and it will take more for it to repeat. Trading Cabrera is one option that must be pursued.

Yeah! Like maybe signing Jose Abreu and Masahiro Tanaka. In my opinion, I think those two would take us above and beyond the next level.

Orbiting Cleveland: Putting things into perspective

Indians' loss to Rays should be celebrated as the first step toward a bright future

By Steve Orbanek

October 4, 2013

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Sometimes perspective is everything.

Perspective is what many Cleveland Indians fans are now searching for after Wednesday.

Some seem to have the perspective that the Indians' run to the postseason could be considered a flop. Maybe there is some truth to that.

After all, the Tribe was shutout 4-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Wild Card Game, and some of the numbers are just staggering:

•The team left nine men on base.

•They went just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

•Their top three batters in the lineup (Michael Bourn, Nick Swisher and Jason Kipnis) combined to go 0-for-12.

•The Tribe actually outhit the Rays 9-8, but could not muster any runs.

Clearly, by all accounts, this was a bad game for the Indians.

Yet, here I am to offer a different perspective, and from my perspective, it appears as if the best is yet to come.

Of course, statements like that seem somewhat trivial, especially following a playoff loss, but this is also a statement filled with accuracy.

The accomplishments and steps made in the first season with Terry Francona at the helm should not and cannot be discounted. The team made incredible strides this year, including:

•The Indians finished 92-70 to claim home-field advantage in the American League Wild Card Playoffs.

•The 92 wins represent a 24-game improvement from the 2012 season where the Tribe finished 68-94.

•Five starting pitchers (Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, Corey Kluber, Scott Kazmir and Zach McAllister) all won at least nine games for the Indians.

•The Indians finished tied for fifth in the MLB in runs with 745.

•The team's ERA of 3.82 was 15th in the MLB, but it was at its best in the second half of the season as it was 3.13, which was the fourth best mark in the MLB and second best in the AL.

The pundits may look at the numbers above and say, "Okay, yes that a looks great, but where did it ultimately get you? All it led to was a loss in the American League Wild Card Game."

Anyone who makes such a claim would be partially correct. Yes, the immediate result of the season was a loss to the Rays on Wednesday.

However, this past season could also have a huge effect on what the future begins to look like for the Indians.

In many ways, the 2013 season was much like the 2005 season. In 2005, the Indians finished 93-69 and just two games out of the American League Wild Card.

That 2005 team was led by a strong contingent of young players who were beginning to come into their prime. For example, that was the first full season for Grady Sizemore and he flourished as he hit .289/.348/.484 with 22 home runs and 81 RBI. Travis Hafner was also an emerging slugger, and he was dominant at the plate as he hit .305/.408/.595 with 33 home runs and 108 RBI.

The team also had a trio of young controllable starting pitchers in C.C. Sabathia, Cliff Lee and Jake Westbrook, who all made strides during the year. Not one of the three starters was above 27 years of age, and it appeared as if they would play a huge role in leading the Indians to future division titles in the years to come.

Given the talent on that 2005 squad, it seemed reasonable to conclude that the core was in place for the Indians to enter into a 5-year window or so where they would be competing for the divisional crown year in and year out.

Yet, we unfortunately know that that core of players only made it to the postseason once, which came in 2007 when the Indians finished 96-66 and came within a game of winning the World Series.

Similarly, it now appears as if the Cleveland Indians are about to enter into another window of contention. The pieces are in place for the Tribe to remain competitive through at least the 2016 season.

In fact, the following key players are under team control through at least 2016:

•Jason Kipnis
•Carlos Santana
•Yan Gomes
•Nick Swisher
•Michael Bourn
•Michael Brantley
•Ryan Raburn
•Bryan Shaw
•Cody Allen
•Carlos Carrasco
•Corey Kluber
•Zach McAllister
•Danny Salazar
•Jose Ramriez
•Lonnie Chisenhall

That window of contention could really be extended through 2017 as many players on the above list will also still be under team control through that season, including:

•Jason Kipnis
•Carlos Santana
•Yan Gomes
•Nick Swisher (Vesting option for '17)
•Michael Bourn (Vesting option for '17)
•Bryan Shaw
•Cody Allen
•Corey Kluber
•Zach McAllister
•Danny Salazar
•Jose Ramriez
•Lonnie Chisenhall

Knowing this, it's impossible not to be enthused about the future potential of this team. So many of the players that were to key to this year's 24-game improvement will continue to be in the fold in the years to come.

Also, there are other reasons for further optimism. Two-time All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera will be entering the last year of his contract heading into the 2014 season. While there are mixed opinions as to whether this is a good thing or bad thing, one thing that is for certain is that shortstop is a key position for the Indians.

Thankfully, Cabrera's status could eventually become a moot point due to the presence of Indians' top prospect Francisco Lindor. By all accounts, Lindor has the potential to be a game-changing Major League shortstop, and he could even find himself in Cleveland at some point next season.

Of course, prospects are just that — prospects — and there's always a chance that he does not quite pan out. Yet, even if that is the case, does anyone expect him to not at least post a WAR that's better than the 0.6 and 1.2 that Cabrera posted this year according to FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, respectively?

Yes, things are really starting to look up for this Indians club, which brings us back to Wednesday night. The loss was a tough one to swallow, but its value cannot be denied.

This is a team that has aspirations of consistently playing in the postseason, and Wednesday was the first taste of postseason baseball for many of these players. The stage certainly will not feel nearly as big the next time this team is able to advance that far.

Also, many of the key components of a consistent winning baseball team are already in place. For starters, the team has young, bright offensive baseball players in Santana, Kipnis, Gomes and Brantley. They also have seemingly found their ace to build around for years to come in Danny Salazar.

The key now is making a few moves to ensure that consistent winning does become a reality. One of the first steps that needs to be taken is working out some sort of extension with Brantley, and it does appear as if he should come at a fairly reasonable price.

Additionally, the Tribe will be in much better shape moving forward if they're somehow able to resign two out of three in Scott Kazmir, Ubaldo Jimenez and Justin Masterson. They're in good shape already because they have Salazar, Kluber and McAllister under team control for years to come, but teams can never have enough pitching. We saw firsthand this season how important it is to have a multitude of arms to turn to.

Indeed, it does appear as if this team and its situation mirrors the 2005 team more and more. The 2005 team had many of the right ingredients in place and seemed poised for years of contention.

Unfortunately, we know how that story ended, and it does prove that things don't always happen just because they should happen.

However, there is one glaring difference between the 2005 squad and this team — Terry Francona.

The teams that followed the 2005 season probably did underachieve quite a bit, but they also had Eric Wedge as their manager. Wedge certainly had his moments, but there's no way that anyone can make a case that he inspires and motivates like Francona.

The reality is that Wedge is probably not even half the manager that Francona is. Just think about what Francona was able to accomplish with this group of players in less than a year.

Knowing that, what do you think he can accomplish in two years? Three years? Four years?

There are always so many debates about what's most important for a team to have consistent winning. Some may claim it's a slugging hitter while others may point to an ace. The truth of it is that it's neither — it's the manager.

And that's the best thing about the Indians right now. This team already has the most important thing that it needs to be a consistent winner in Terry Francona.

He's been to the top of the mountain before, and he's determined and energized to have the Indians enjoy the same success he had while managing the Boston Red Sox.

So now think back to Wednesday's loss. Ignore the bad statistics. Ignore the shutout. Ignore the lack of production from the top of the lineup.

Instead, think of the red sea of screaming fans waving their white towels.

Think of a fanbase that may finally be starting to regain faith in an organization.

Think of 10-straight wins, and a team that needed every single one of them to get in the playoffs.

Think of a core of young players that will remain a part of the Indians for years to come.

But most importantly, think of how you felt exactly one year ago after the Indians had finished 68-94.

Yep, sometimes perspective is everything, and I dunno about you, but from my perspective, things are looking good.

Yet, we unfortunately know that that core of players only made it to the postseason once, which came in 2007 when the Indians finished 96-66 and came within a game of winning the World Series.

Ho, hum.

Despite disappointing end, Indians' leap formidable

Cleveland stung by Wild Card loss, but turnaround in 2013 nonetheless historic

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 10/4/2013 2:53 P.M. ET

CLEVELAND --

The sting is still there for the Indians. It might linger through October while the rest of baseball's postseason clubs battle it out for a World Series title. Cleveland did not think its run to the playoffs would be a one-and-done affair.

When that sting from Wednesday's loss to the Rays in the American League Wild Card Game does wear off, though, the Indians should be able to appreciate all they accomplished in 2013. The Tribe will not be satisfied -- simply reaching the postseason is never the ultimate goal -- but the club can head into next year with heightened expectations.

"Once you step back and look at it," second baseman Jason Kipnis said, "this was a great year for our team and our organization. I thought we did a tremendous job of turning this place around. It's only a step in the right direction. It's going to be another stepping stone that we take into next year."

General manager Chris Antonetti's offseason overhauling of the team began with the hiring of manager Terry Francona last October. Cleveland then reeled in top free agents Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, and used an array of trades -- big and small -- to drastically alter the offense and pitching staff. It was all done in an effort to swiftly move on from Cleveland's 94-loss showing last season.

There were plenty of ups and downs, and injuries mixed in, but the Indians held their ground all season, with the team's 21-6 outburst in September leading to the AL's top Wild Card spot. Cleveland won 10 games in a row to end the regular season, becoming the sixth team since 1900 to finish a campaign with a streak at least that long.

The final result was a 24-win improvement over the Indians' showing in 2012. Excluding strike-shortened seasons, that tied the 1986 Indians for the largest year-to-year win jump in the 113-year history of the Cleveland organization.

"It truly was an organizational effort to have the success we've had this year," Antonetti said. "That made it all the more gratifying, because everyone contributed."

There were plenty of veterans in the fold, but the Indians also featured young cornerstone players, such as pitching prospect Danny Salazar, left fielder Michael Brantley, catchers Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana, setup man Cody Allen and Kipnis, among others. Down on the farm, shortstop Francisco Lindor heads a talented class of prospects.

"Hopefully, everybody buys in to what we've got," Gomes said. "I feel like we've got a great future ahead of us."

The Indians earned the right to host the Wild Card Game, but hoped to extend their run deeper into October.

"You kind of feel like you let the city down a little bit," Swisher said. "It was nice to get a little taste. Now, it's go home, work hard, get your work in, get back ready for Spring Training. Hopefully, [we'll] get back here, and more."

The Indians are convinced they are on the cusp of something special.

"Definitely. I think you saw that from what they did this offseason," reliever Joe Smith said. "I said it all along -- when you bring in a guy like Terry Francona, things are only going in one direction. At least the thought process is in one direction. It's nice to see. We had a few down years. This was fun."

Record: 92-70, second in the AL Central

Defining moment:

In the bottom of the ninth inning on Sept. 24, veteran Jason Giambi crushed a pitch from White Sox closer Addison Reed, launching it into the seats in the right-field stands for a pinch-hit, walk-off, season-saving home run. The two-run shot overcame a blown save in the top of the ninth by closer Chris Perez, and gave the Tribe its fifth victory in the 10-game winning streak that clinched a Wild Card berth.

What went right:

In his first season at the helm, Francona completely changed the clubhouse culture and helped the Indians quickly turn the page on the nightmare that was the 2012 campaign. ... Under the guidance of new pitching coach Mickey Callaway, the Tribe's rotation enjoyed a great turnaround. Justin Masterson made the All-Star team, Ubaldo Jimenez reemerged as a frontline starter, Scott Kazmir turned in an incredible comeback season, Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister turned into reliable options, and Salazar dazzled in his debut. ... Kipnis enjoyed his first All-Star season, winning the AL Player of the Month Award in June, while stepping into the lineup's third spot and once again distinguishing himself as one of the league's most versatile offensive weapons. ... Gomes came up from Triple-A and captured the starting catching job by the second half with a blend of potent offense and stellar defense and game-calling. ... Santana continued to serve as a powerful and patient hitter, while adjusting to more time as a designated hitter down the stretch. ... The midseason trade for lefty Marc Rzepczynski brought stability to Cleveland's bullpen in the second half. ... The roster's depth was sound with the additions of utility men Ryan Raburn and Mike Aviles. ... Giambi was brought in to provide leadership and the occasional pinch-hit home run. The 42-year-old slugger excelled in both regards.

What went wrong:

Not all of Cleveland's offseason signings worked out as hoped. Mark Reynolds was brought in to provide right-handed power, and he did through early May. A prolonged slump led to his release by August, though. Right-hander Brett Myers, who was in the plans as the No. 3 starter, suffered an elbow injury in April and was also released in August. ... The late-inning due of setup man Vinnie Pestano and Perez faltered. Pestano was demoted to Triple-A in July and Perez lost his role as the closer in late September. ... Lonnie Chisenhall struggled early in the year and was sent to Triple-A. When he returned to the Majors, Cleveland essentially platooned him with Aviles at third base. ... Kluber and McAllister both missed time due to right middle finger injuries. ... Pitching prospect Trevor Bauer, who was acquired from Arizona in an offseason trade, struggled in his first year in Cleveland's system. ... Relievers Nick Hagadone, Rich Hill and Scott Barnes each struggled, hurting the Indians' left-handed relief situation. ... Bourn, Swisher and Asdrubal Cabrera fell short of their career standards overall, but performed better down the stretch to help the Tribe reach the playoffs. ... Cleveland went just 4-15 against Detroit, which won the division by just one game.

Biggest surprise:

Jimenez went from losing 17 games a year ago to having the best ERA in the AL in the second half. After Masterson was sidelined with an oblique injury in early September, Jimenez went undefeated and posted a 1.09 ERA in the final month. He tied a career high with 13 strikeouts in Cleveland's Wild Card-clinching victory in the final game of the regular season. Jimenez will be eligible for free agency, so the Indians need to decide whether to make a run at retaining the righty for 2014.

OPINION

Is the Game Over?


By JONATHAN MAHLER
Published: September 28, 2013


MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL is doing just fine. Unlike the N.F.L. and the N.B.A., it has been free of labor strife for nearly 20 years. It has more exciting young stars than I can ever remember. It has even achieved that elusive “competitive balance,” with seven different champions over the last decade. Teams across the country are playing in brand-new ballparks that they somehow persuaded local governments to help pay for. Over the last 20 years, baseball revenues have grown from roughly $1 billion to nearly $8 billion.

The game, in other words, has never been healthier. So why does it feel so irrelevant?

Maybe the best evidence of this admittedly unscientific observation is the national TV ratings. There’s no sense comparing baseball’s numbers to football’s, which exist in a whole other Nielsen’s stratosphere. But baseball is losing ground to pro basketball, too. In 2012, the N.B.A.’s regular season ratings on ABC were nearly double those of Major League Baseball on Fox. The last eight years have produced the seven least-watched World Series on record.

More to the point, baseball seems simply to have fallen out of the national conversation (unless the conversation happens to be about steroids, that is). The last time baseball felt front and center, culturally speaking, was the 1998 home-run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. And we all know how that turned out.

What happened — is happening — to our national pastime? For all the moral hysteria, the answer, I think, has little or nothing to do with performance-enhancing drugs. It does have a lot to do with the broader cultural trends that have helped shape modern America. (We are talking about baseball, after all.)

Think for a moment about the very phrase “national pastime” now, in 2013. What sorts of images does it conjure? “It sounds like a guy sitting on a rocking chair on his porch listening to a game on the radio and maybe he’s whittling,” says Bob Costas of NBC.

As crazy as it sounds, baseball was once celebrated for its speed. Into the 1910s — before all of the commercial breaks and visits to the mound — it was possible to play a game in under an hour, says the author Kevin Baker, who is writing a history of baseball in New York City.

To the game’s early poets, baseball’s fast pace was what made it distinctly American. Mark Twain called it a symbol of “the drive and push and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming 19th century!” The 21st century, not so much.

Paradoxically, baseball’s decline began at the very moment we think of as its golden age, the 1950s and ’60s. The game held the country’s almost undivided attention. Baseball’s heroes were America’s heroes. Yet the forces that would undermine the game’s cultural supremacy had already been set in motion.

FOR all the pastoral gloss we like to smear on baseball — hey, is that Shoeless Joe emerging from those cornfields? — it was historically an urban game. The national pastime first took hold not in small-town America but in the industrial Northeast, which had the density of population to fill stadiums. Before the 1950s, baseball had 16 franchises in 10 cities, not one of them west or south of St. Louis.

But the same highways that led Americans south and west also pushed professional baseball into new territory: between 1961 and 1998, the number of franchises almost doubled.

You might think that spreading baseball across the country would be good for the game, and in some ways it was: more franchises equaled more spectators. In the process, though, a lot of teams wound up in cities without deep roots in the game.

This could be problematic for any sport, let alone one as obsessed with its history as baseball. Witness awkward spectacles like “Turn Back the Clock Night” at Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays’ annual attempt to whip up interest among its putative fan base. (How does a franchise that sprang to life during the Clinton administration go retro? By wearing the old uniforms of other teams, of course!)


Baseball’s never-ending nostalgia trip has made it an inherently conservative sport, one that’s forever straining to live up to its own mythology. This year, not a single contemporary player was voted into the Hall of Fame because so many eligible players were suspected of steroid use. Never mind that Cooperstown has its share of racists, wife beaters and even a drug dealer. (To say nothing of the spitballers.)

Expansion also helped ensure that baseball would become a largely regional sport. Economically, this has been great: local TV deals are where the money is. It’s been good for fans, too: They can now watch their hometown team play most of its games.

The downside is that only a handful of franchises can claim any sort of national profile. When the postseason rolls around and it’s time for baseball to take the national stage — well, it doesn’t, unless the Yankees or the Red Sox are involved. “If Tampa Bay plays Cincinnati in the World Series, I don’t care if the series goes seven games and every game goes into extra innings, baseball is screwed,” says Mr. Costas. “That’s not fair to the Rays or the Reds, but it’s true.”

It doesn’t help that the postseason starts in early October, which means it’s going up against a new season of TV shows and — yes — football.

You can’t talk about the decline of baseball without also talking about the parallel rise of the N.F.L. We’re a sports-crazed culture, gorging on the all-you-can-watch buffet of ESPN, fantasy leagues and video games. But even the 24-hour sports cycle lasts only 24 hours. Decisions must be made, and they invariably favor football. Not only is “Madden NFL 25” America’s hottest sports video game; fantasy football has far surpassed fantasy baseball in popularity.

The N.F.L. has certain structural advantages over Major League Baseball: teams play only once a week, and when the postseason arrives, every game is an elimination game. But its real advantage is that it’s louder, faster and more violent — which is to say, better in tune with our cultural moment. “We are a shouting culture now, shouting connotes excitement and engenders excitement,” says Daniel Okrent, who is considered the founding father of fantasy baseball. “Baseball is quiet and slow.”

It’s telling that professional football has been around for about 100 years, but that it didn’t find cultural traction until the age of television.

If baseball was a game you followed, football was one you watched. Beneath the surface, it was an enormously complicated sport. But the passing, the running, the tackling? This was great television. And under the lights, on Monday nights, with Howard Cosell making you feel like the country’s fate hung in the balance of even the most meaningless game? Forget about it.

It’s almost impossible to overstate the role that TV has played in determining our taste in sports. College football took off after a 1984 Supreme Court decision that allowed the networks to flood the market with college games. The N.C.A.A. basketball tournament has been around for 75 years, but it was CBS’s “March Madness” that made it a cultural phenomenon. Now even the president fills out a tournament bracket.

THE increasing interest in college football and basketball fed the increasing interest in the two pro sports. Both the N.F.L. and the N.B.A. drafts are now mega-TV events. And the baseball draft? You can follow along on the MLB Network. Chances are you won’t recognize a single name.

Why has college baseball failed to attract any meaningful interest? Mostly because there are already so many professional baseball games to watch. Or not watch. (Earlier this month, an Astros game had a .04 Nielsen rating in the Houston area, which translates to about 1,000 viewers.)

Baseball’s ubiquity was once its great advantage. With its 162-game season, it was the default sport; there was always a baseball game on. There still is, it’s just that now there are so many alternatives. And not just live games; you have SportsCenter and its countless highlight-aggregating imitators, too.

Sports are now as much a part of our popular culture as movies, TV shows or pop music. Athletes aren’t icons, they’re celebrities, and are marketed accordingly, which explains why there’s a course at Harvard Business School that studies LeBron James.

Yet for the most part, baseball stars haven’t really managed to transcend their local markets. To some extent, this is a byproduct of the steroid era; baseball’s zealous pursuit of juicers has torn down a lot of legends in the making. It’s also the nature of the game, which doesn’t lend itself as easily to superstardom as basketball. (Imagine LeBron going 3-for-4 and having that be considered a memorable performance.)

But baseball has also failed to sell its young stars to the broader public. There may be a wariness to do so, a sense that “branding” is undignified for our national pastime. It doesn’t help that the game has no pop-culture ambassadors to speak of — no Lil Wayne or Jay-Z. Look at the audience of an average N.B.A. postseason game and you’ll find a gallery of familiar faces; look at one of baseball’s, and you’ll find the strategically placed stars of the latest Fox sitcom.

Much has been made of the declining participation of African-Americans in baseball. Less has been said about the trickle-down effects of this in an era when hip-hop is such a powerful tastemaker in American culture. Baseball is not cool.

Can it be again? By all means. Sports rise and fall in cultural relevance. Football reigns supreme now, but given everything we are learning about its dangers, that could change. People are moving back into cities, which could work to baseball’s benefit, too. Also, the Chicago Cubs will presumably make it to the World Series again someday. People will want to see that.

For that matter, it’s fair to wonder how golden baseball’s golden age really was — and how much our perception of that era is just a function of baby-boomer nostalgia. After all, when Roger Maris hit his 61st home run on Oct. 1, 1961, Yankee Stadium wasn’t even half full. “I don’t think the game is fading,” says Will Leitch, a senior writer for Sports on Earth. “I think the notion of what the game is supposed to stand for is fading.”

That may prove to be a good thing for baseball. Maybe a new generation of fans won’t grow up thinking the game represents something more than it is. Maybe baseball will stop auditioning for another chapter in the Ken Burns saga. Maybe baseball can just be baseball. Yes, it’s quiet and slow, but if you hang in there, through all of the pitching changes and batting-glove adjustments, you might get caught up in the drama. If you don’t, there’s plenty else to watch.

Jonathan Mahler is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, a columnist for Bloomberg View and the author of “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning.”

10 things to watch for from Cleveland Indians in preparation for 2014
By Paul Hoynes, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on October 04, 2013 at 6:01 PM, updated October 04, 2013 at 10:08 PM


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One thing is for certain, Terry Francona will have a tough act to follow in 2014. Namely, himself.

In his first year on the job, Francona led the Indians to 92 victories and their first postseason appearance since 2007. What's he do for an encore, win the AL Central or the AL pennant? How about the World Series?

Francona hasn't given himself a whole lot of wiggle room. Be that as it may, here are 10 things the Indians should try to do before the Indians open the 2014 season on March 31 against the AL West champion A's in Oakland.

1. Tame the Tigers: Detroit just won its third straight AL Central championship. They finished one game ahead of the Tribe, but that's deceiving because manager Jim Leyland rested his veterans over the last several games of the season after clinching.

What's not deceiving is the Indians 4-15 record this year against the Tigers. Since the Motown Kitties aren't going anywhere, the Indians better find a way to beat them

on a more frequent basis -- perhaps they should try kidnapping Miguel Cabrera -- because winning the Central is a much easier path to the postseason than plunging into the one-and-out wild card swamp.

2. Sign a pitcher: Pitching, especially starting pitching, was a big part of the Indians' success. Two of those starters, Ubaldo Jimenez and Scott Kazmir, could be vacating the premises through free agency. It would be nice to bring at least one of them back, but it will not be easy.

Jimenez's bounce-back year, highlighted by a strong second half, will make him a big ticket item. The Indians could make him a qualifying offer -- a one-year deal in the $14 million range -- just to ensure that they get a draft pick as compensation if they lose him.

Kazmir, who won 10 games after essentially being out of the big leagues for two years, won't cost as much, but there will be considerable competition for the left-hander.



3. Don't forget Nasty Masty: Regardless of what happens with Jimenez and Kazmir, it's essential that the Indians try to sign Justin Masterson to a multiyear deal. He'll be entering his sixth season in 2014 and will be a free agent when it ends.

It's not easy to sign a player so close to free agency, but the Indians need to exhaust themselves trying. Masterson won 14 games this year and pitched like the No.1 starter they've needed since the trades of CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. He also established himself as the leader of the pitching staff and a respected voice in the clubhouse.

4. Don't stop believing (or spending): It would be easy for ownership to pull in its horns after spending big money last winter to put a winning team on the field only to see it largely ignored by the ticket-buying public.

I think that would be a mistake because the Indians, depending on how many starting pitchers they can keep, aren't that faraway from another trip to the postseason.


5. Keep those young arms coming: Joe Maddon, manager of the Tampa Bay Rays who eliminated the Indians on Wednesday, said before the game that small to mid-market teams must develop their own starting pitching if they're going to win and make the postseason.

"It's the only way we can do it," said Maddon. "Offensively, you should be able to scratch out of a few runs, but you have to develop your own pitching if you're going to win."

Rookie Danny Salazar, who started and lost the wild card game, made a good first impression. The Indians acquired Corey Kluber and Zach McAllister in trades, but have done a nice job smoothing their rough edges.

If Trevor Bauer will remove his lab coat, finish reworking 10 years of neuromuscular programming and become a contributing member of the rotation, that would help.

Carlos Carrasco is a possibility, but he's out of options and has done nothing but tease the Indians since being acquired from the Phillies for Lee in 2009.

6. Find a closer: The Indians need a closer for 2014. Chris Perez, Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw are some of the internal choices. Joe Smith would be in that group as well, but he'll be a free agent.

Perez lost the closer's job at the end of the season. He's eligible to go to arbitration this winter after making $7.3 million this year. The Indians could non-tender him and try to sign him to a smaller contract or just cut the cord. Allen and Shaw showed they have the arms to close, but the ninth-inning is a different animal.

Some of the potential free agent closers include: Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Edward Mujica, Joe Nathan, Kevin Gregg, Ryan Madson and Fernando Rodney.


7. Find a hitter: The Indians need someone to hit in the middle of the lineup. Francona tried Nick Swisher and Asdrubal Cabrera in the No.4 spot and it didn't go well. Carlos Santana was at home in the middle of the lineup and perhaps he'll blossom there next year with Yan Gomes assuming much of the catching duties.

Still, the Indians need another middle-of-the-order threat. They have great balance in the lineup (lefties, switch-hitters, righties), but they need more thunder. Ryan Raburn could be an answer, but he might be one of those players where the fewer games he plays, the more productive he is.

8. Make a decision on Cabrera: Will the Indians trade him this winter or keep him for the final year of his contract ($10 million for 2014)? His hitting slipped dramatically this year, but I thought he was solid defensively.

If the Indians traded Cabrera for pitching this winter, Mike Aviles could step in, but that would weaken the bench, which was a big part of the Tribe's success. Prospect Francisco Lindor, recovering from a stress fracture in his back, probably isn't ready, but what about September call-up Jose Ramirez?

9. Get more bullpen help: Besides Smith, the Indians could lose Matt Albers and Rich Hill to free agency. GM Chris Antonetti did a nice job replenishing the pen last winter with the acquisitions of Shaw, Albers and Hill and the deadline deal for Marc Rzepczynski in July. He might have to do the same this winter. It's either that or hope that Vinnie Pestano, Frank Herrmann and Scott Barnes can make comebacks. Nick Hagadone could be an option as well if he can throw more strikes.



10. Get more production from Michael Bourn and Swisher: Bourn gives the Indians a proven leadoff hitter and basestealer except that this season his .316 on base percentage was his lowest in six years and he led the AL in caught stealings with 13. Bourn's 23 steals were a career low in any season where he's played more than 105 games.

After averaging 93 runs a year in his previous four seasons, Bourn scored 75 this year. He played in 130 games, his lowest total in since 2007, and spent almost three weeks on the disabled list because of a spike wound to his right index finger.

Swisher led the Indians with 22 homers, but played much of the year with a sore left shoulder. His 63 RBI were a career low and his .763 OPS (on base percentage+slugging percentage) was his lowest since he posted a .743 during his forgettable 2008 season with the White Sox.

Transcript: Chris Antonetti and Terry Francona Postseason media gathering

Indians General Manager Antonetti and manager Terry Francona met with the media on Monday afternoon to discuss the 2013 season and preparation for the offseason heading into 2014.

Francona announced that all coaches were invited to return, with Mike Sarbaugh (moving to third base coach), Brad Mills (moving to bench coach) and Sandy Alomar (moving to first base coach) switching spots on the diamond.

Here’s a sampling of Antonetti and Francona’s comments.

Question: What do you think was the biggest accomplishment this season?

Chris Antonetti: Two things: Getting back to the postseason and re-establishing a winning culture was important for us. It’s a long process, and ongoing. But getting back to the postseason was meaningful to us as an organization. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but that was a good first step. The job Tito and his staff did to create an unbelievable environment from day one in Spring Training, set a tone.

Question: How important is it for you to continue that going into the offseason?

CA: Obviously we want to play in the Postseason year in year out. We want to progress through the Postseason. There are lots of things that have to happen for that to happen.

Q: How is (Nick) Swisher’s shoulder?

CA: All indications are that it’s fine.

Q: Any anticipated surgeries?

CA: We’re in the process of that right now; in a lot of cases guys just completed their exit physicals. We have guys lined up to assess some things that lingered at the end of the year.

Q: Any coaching changes?

TF: Mike Sarbaugh’s been coaching third the last few years. This isn’t a knock on Millsy; and Sandy’s passion is coaching first. We walked through it the other day and Sandy was fine with it. I was really proud of this coaching staff.

CA: I thought the coaching staff did a phenomenal job, with their commitment to putting each player in a position where they could be successful.

Q: When you took over, what was your biggest concern?

TF: I don’t think I ever thought about that. When we decided I was going to be the manager, we spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the team and moving forward. I don’t read a lot, but I did read that I was told we were going to sign free agents. The only thing I ever told Chris was that I would do my best with what I had.

Q: What’s your confidence level in the rotation?

TF: We have (Justin Masterson) coming back. We have Danny Salazar, and Corey Kluber, who’s gotten to a point where over his last 12 starts, he was one of the better pitchers in the league. Zach McAllister wants to be the best pitcher in the league, almost to a fault. Then we have (Carlos) Carrasco, and Trevor Bauer, who at some point is going to make an impact.

Q: Chris, can you speak about Ubaldo? He said he appreciated the organization’s confidence.

CA: With all of our free agents, they all made a favorable impression on us and we’d like to have them all back. How all the pieces come together, it’s hard to forecast at this point.

Q: Do you anticipate being as aggressive as you were last offseason?

CA: I think we’ll be aggressive in looking for ways to improve the team. How that plays out, I don’t know right now. I know we’ll be aggressive in trying to improve.

Q: What part of the team would you like to see strengthened?

TF: I think you want to get better every year. It’s hard to say. Year to year, you don’t know what (part of the team) will carry the same load or have the same effectiveness. In the second half of the year, our pitching was great. Our speed played a big role. When the time comes and we see the group we have, then we’ll get together in Goodyear and start over. It’ll be a little easier because when you have familiarity, it’s easier to get more work done.

Q: Do you think you’ll show up in Goodyear knowing that one guy is your closer?

TF: I think roles are important, but the way pitchers pitch defines roles.

Q: Do you think the attitude toward coming here in free agency has been changed?

TF: I think you’d like to have your players, when they’re talking to other players, tell them they like to play here.

CA: It was evident last offseason that players liked to play for Terry. I think that will continue.

Q: Is it essential for you to find that middle-of-the-order bat?

TF: It depends on how much pitching we have. You have to be one run better every night; however we do that, we have to figure that out. When Mark Reynolds was hot, that was a big plus. But after he left, we knew our margin of error was smaller – but that didn’t mean we couldn’t win.

CA: We’re going to look to improve every aspect of the team. On the position player side, we can bring back mostly the entire group that was fourth in MLB in runs scored.

Q: Do you think the attendance will hurt your ability to spend?

CA: There’s a lot that goes into that. Ultimately, those are decisions and information we’ll get a little bit later – what our payroll will be. That’s not defining to us. Our goal is to build a contending team and I’m confident we’ll have the resources we need to do that.

Q: The way everything came together late, did you feel that it could go further than one game?

TF: I tried to talk to the team when it was over. Nobody wanted it to be over. It stung. Whether it’s a week, two days, whatever – when the sting is gone, remember how much the staff cared about you guys. When you’re that fond of a group, you don’t want it to be over. You want to leave on your own terms.

Q: How much did Chris Perez’s performance at the end of the season complicate his situation with the team going into the offseason?

CA: Not that much. Chris has been a very effective closer for us and one of the most successful closers we’ve had here. We have a lot of decisions to make, not just with him.

Q: Carlos Santana said he didn’t necessarily like to (be the designated hitter). When a guy expresses that, how can you handle that?

TF: We talked to him today about similar things. Some of it will depend on the winter. We wanted to involve him in that. His bat and versatility are important.

Q: When you look at Swisher’s season, do you look at his shoulder injury as a part of it?

TF: I think he tried to do a little too much, whether it was being new or his contract. When he tried to dig himself out of it, I don’t think his shoulder helped him. Toward the end of the year, he turned it up; I think you’ll see more consistency out of him.

CA: In some of our most meaningful games of our season, he was our most productive hitter.

Q: How about Bourn?

CA: Michael cares so much and so deeply, that he may have tried to do a little too much. Plus, he switched leagues. What you’ll see next year from both is that they’ll be a little more comfortable with the league and organization.

TF: He’s so conscientious, that’s what you want. You don’t want players to kill themselves over things. Sometimes they try to do too much because of it, but I’d rather fight that than the flip side.

Q: Is Trevor Bauer ready?

CA: He’s still developing. He’s further along than at this time last year. I think we underestimated the magnitude of the changes he was undertaking in his delivery. We’ll have a much better sense of that come Spring Training. Trevor is committed to putting in the work this winter to continue his progress. He’s talked with (pitching coach) Mickey (Callaway).

Q: Were the changes he made working?

CA: It’s still a work in progress. Where he envisions his delivery being, we’re good with. But it’s still a work in progress.

Q: Do you view Carrasco as a starter?

TF: I think we need to exhaust every possibility with him as a starter; his arm is so big and his secondary stuff is there. We think he can help us most there.

Q: Did you get a sense from Jason Giambi what he wanted to do?

CA: I think he wants to play. He was proud of what he contributed and he wants to continue that.

Q: We may have forgotten what this ballpark is like when it’s out of control. What was that like?

TF: I don’t really pay a lot of attention usually, because when you’re in the dugout, you’re so closed off. … When they did the introductions, I was getting a kick out of it, like when they announced G. That was really cool. And when I got out there, it was LOUD. It was pretty cool. Those people are dying to do that. I never got caught up in (the attendance). The people who came were so into it, and that was great. Whoever comes to a game, we want to make them proud. And I think we’re making those strides.

Q: How did you sense the crowd?

CA: It was great to see the excitement in the ballpark and across the city. They embraced the team and it was a cool environment. The fans that were here throughout the season were unbelievable. They were passionate, vocal, intense and unbelievable.

Q: Do you think (Vinnie) Pestano will be able to get back to where he was?

CA: I think Vinnie has more determination than never to get back to the pitcher he was for so long for us. We have not lost sight of the contributions he’s made; we know it’s in there, and I have no doubt he’s going to work his tail off this offseason and come into Spring Training to assert himself as a dominant back-end reliever.

–TribeVibe contributor Joel Hammond

Q: When you took over, what was your biggest concern?

TF: I don’t think I ever thought about that. When we decided I was going to be the manager, we spent the rest of the afternoon talking about the team and moving forward. I don’t read a lot, but I did read that I was told we were going to sign free agents. The only thing I ever told Chris was that I would do my best with what I had.

Tito must have been reading Frank's (Bruins) posts. I guess maybe Frank will listen to Francona this time.