Cleveland Sports Forum

If a guy is really hurting and needs the time off, I understand.

I also understand these days a guy not going all out on a play in The All Star Game for his self or regular team's sake.


What I cannot forgive or will never forget is Brian Giles blocking a trade to the pennant contending Red Sox when he was floundering as a floundering San Diego Padre.

Of course I have no great love for the Red Sox, but getting a chance to go for The Gold in MLB is what playing baseball is all about.

Brian Giles is forever banished to "wussy," in my book.

Indians put Talbot on DL, recall Carrera
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com | 07/13/11 7:00 PM ET
Comments (17)
printe-mailCLEVELAND -- The revolving door that has been the Indians' starting rotation continues to turn in light of injuries. The latest pitcher to vacate his spot is struggling starter Mitch Talbot, who is now sidelined with a lower back strain.

On Wednesday, one day before Cleveland opens the season's second half with a four-game set in Baltimore, the Tribe placed Talbot on the 15-day disabled list with the back issue. For the time being, the Indians have recalled outfielder Ezequiel Carrera from Triple-A Columbus to provide some extra help off the bench.

"After his last outing, [Talbot] felt a little soreness in his back," manager Manny Acta said. "On Sunday, he was available out of the bullpen. Between innings, he tried to throw back there and felt it a little bit, so we shut him down."

Talbot's strong start00:01:444/11/11: Mitch Talbot pitches eight innings of shutout ball, giving up just five hits with four strikeouts en route to the winTags: Mitch Talbot, highlight reel, More From This Game, Cleveland Indians, pitchingShare:
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Talbot's ejection
Carrera's RBI single
Carrera's diving catchCarrera's stay in Cleveland might be short-lived. Acta said the club will recall Jeanmar Gomez to take Talbot's spot in the rotation, beginning Sunday.

The Indians will open the second half with Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin and Carlos Carrasco -- the team's most consistent starting arms during the first half -- working the first three games, respectively, against the Orioles.

Gomez has pitched in four games for Cleveland and has gone 9-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 14 starts for Columbus this season. Gomez was scratched from Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game and instead pitched for Class A Mahoning Valley.

On Monday, the Indians are scheduled to play a doubleheader in Minnesota against the Twins. The Tribe will activate righty Fausto Carmona (strained right quadriceps) from the 15-day DL for one of the starts.

Carmona suffered the injury during a fall while running to first base in the third inning of an Interleague game against the Reds on July 2. He is 4-10 with a 5.78 ERA in 18 starts this season.

Carmona is scheduled to throw a simulated game in Baltimore on Thursday. Acta said his recovery has come without any setbacks.

"He's fine," Acta said. "We're not anticipating any issues with Fausto."

Cleveland has candidates in lefty David Huff (8-2, 3.70 ERA at Triple-A) and Zach McAllister (8-3, 2.97 ERA at Triple-A) for the second game against the Twins on Monday. Huff pitched for the Tribe in each of the past two years, while McAllister made his Major League debut for the Indians on Thursday.

Talbot, who spent time on the 15-day DL earlier this year with a right elbow injury, is 2-6 with a 6.33 ERA in 11 starts for the Indians this season. Over his past five outings, the right-hander has gone 0-3 with a 9.49 ERA, allowing 26 earned runs on 41 hits over just 24 2/3 innings. Talbot was sidelined with a mid back strain in August of last season.

Carrera provides Cleveland with a versatile outfielder for the next few days. He hit .250 in five games with the Indians in May and has been a standout performer this season at Columbus. In 81 games for the Clippers, Carrera has hit .288 with a .373 on-base percentage, mixing in two homers, 25 RBIs, 35 stolen bases and 63 runs scored.

terry Pluto sure won't be impressed with OFs in the Tribe system now. There's no one in AA, no one in Kinston, no one in Lake County who's showing anything this summer. 2nd round pick Levon Washington is hitting a solid 209 with a ton of strkeouts. There's a kid in the Aizona League, Luigi Rodriguez, 18 years old and years from Cleveland who is swinging a good bat. Bryson Myles this year 6th round pick who can run and hit is having a good start at Mahoning Valley. Jordan Smith at same spot is hitting 350 but these guys have lots of time ahead of them to fail, too

Well you can never trade for guys like Choo, Sizemore, or Brantley.

Jim Ingraham on A.L. Central: Take Tribe in an arms race

Published: Thursday, July 14, 2011

By Jim Ingraham

JIngraham@News-Herald.com

Finally! A year when the Indians and Tigers are both good at the same time!

As the Indians and Tigers begin the second half of the season with just a half-game separating them in the Central Division, the best thing the Indians have going for them is their advantage over the Tigers in the most important aspect of the game.

Pitching.



It's the main reason, probably the only reason, I like the Indians to win the division over the Tigers.

That's not to say the White Sox couldn't leap-frog both teams and win the division, but the discussion here is which team — Cleveland or Detroit — has a better chance to win the division.

I'll take Cleveland.

The Indians, quite simply, are the least-flawed team in a division filled with flawed teams. What the Indians have going for them most is what the Tigers have going for them least — pitching. The Tigers' biggest flaw is their pitching — which is the Indians' biggest strength.

The last time I checked, you win with pitching.

The Indians are a prime example of that, because their hitting is horrible. Awful. A rally for them is a 2-0 count on their leadoff hitter.

Consider this: In his last 12 starts, Tribe pitcher Justin Masterson has a 2.87 earned-run average — and a record of 2-6! In those six losses, the Indians scored a grand total of six runs. That's one per game. That's awful.

That's the Indians' offense.

But as bad as their offense is, the Indians still were in first place in the division for most of the first half of the season. How? Because their pitching was sensational, especially their bullpen, which is the best, and deepest, in the American League.

Consider this: Joe Smith hasn't allowed an earned run since May 8, his ERA for the season overall is 0.85 — and he's probably only the Indians' fifth-best reliever!

For most of the first half, the Indians had four relievers with ERAs under 2.00. All-Star closer Chris Perez has 21 saves, and going back to Aug. 12 of last year, his saves-to-blown-saves ratio is 31 to 1.

The Indians rank first in the division and third in the league with a bullpen ERA of 3.18. Their bullpen won-loss record of 15-9 is the best in the league.

The Tigers' bullpen? A 4.68 ERA — second worst in the league — and a record of 12-13.

Detroit does have the single-best pitcher in the division and probably in the league in Justin Verlander, but he can only pitch one out of every five games. Tigers starting pitchers have a 4.08 ERA, but if you take out Verlander, that ERA jumps to 4.80.

The three winningest starters for Detroit — Verlander, Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello — are a combined 30-14 with a 3.64 ERA.

The three winningest Indians starters — Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco and Masterson — are a combined 25-16 with a 3.53 ERA.

So that's a wash.

The Indians' team ERA — starters and relievers — is 3.96, which is ninth in the league. The Tigers — even with the best pitcher in the league and maybe in both leagues — are at 4.27, which ranks 11th in the league.

Where the Tigers have a huge advantage is offensively. It's no contest. Or is it? Detroit is fifth in the league in runs scored, Cleveland seventh. The Tigers are sixth in the league in home runs, the Indians ninth. The Tigers do have a major advantage in batting average — fourth in the AL to the Indians' 10th — but let's go to the stat many baseball people feel is the single most important way to judge team strength:

Run differential.

The Indians are at plus-4. They have scored four more runs than they have allowed.

The Tigers are at minus-7.

Not exactly a landslide — but to win a division you only have to win one more game than the second-place team.

I also like the Indians because they have won several games the way teams that win divisions frequently win games when it's their year. The Indians have 14 wins in their last at-bat, the most in the American League. Ten of those 14 have come at Progressive Field, four of those 10 on home runs, two of those four on walkoff grand slams.

Can you say karma?

Pat Caputo on A.L. Central: Motor City has more in tank (with video)
Published: Thursday, July 14, 2011

By Pat Caputo
Journal Register News Service

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for The Oakland Press in Michigan. Contact him at pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @patcaputo98

Early this season, live on radio and television, I made the not-so-profound statement:

"The Cleveland Indians stink."

Then, throughout much of the first half of the season, I was forced to eat crow for underestimating the Tribe.



Manny Acta, if the season ended today, should be American League Manager of the Year. The Indians' bullpen has been among the best in baseball.

The amazing part about it, the Indians moved into the All-Star break a half-game behind the Tigers in the American League Central with Grady Sizemore and, particularly, Shin-Soo Choo performing far below expectations.

I give the Tribe credit.

They don't stink.

But that doesn't mean the Indians will win the A.L. Central.

I believe the Tigers will.

If the Tigers don't, it won't be the Indians, but the White Sox or the Twins.

The Tigers have a better team than the Indians, and they should considering the gap in payroll. Justin Verlander throws a 100 mph fastball and has above-average off-speed pitches. He has taken a very good career and elevated it to greatness this year.

Miguel Cabrera is one of the best hitters in baseball.

Asdrubal Cabrera had an excellent first half, but Jhonny Peralta, in truth, has been just as good. He isn't the only former member of the Indians who has been partying like it's 2007 in Detroit.

Victor Martinez has elevated his batting average and provided much-needed protection for Cabrera in the batting order.

They love Carlos Santana's upside in Cleveland — and they should. But Alex Avila has been about more than mere potential. He played well enough to be voted in as the All-Star catcher.

The Tigers' bullpen has often floundered, but Joaquin Benoit has pitched better lately and Jose Valverde has yet to blow a save opportunity.

The Tigers have many players who have been through the grind of a pennant race. It's not only Peralta and Martinez, but there is a lot of veteran leadership.

Manager Jim Leyland, who was raised a devout Indians fan in Ohio, is constantly under fire in Detroit, and justifiably so, for the Tigers' failures in the second half of recent seasons.

The Tigers were in first place as late as July 10 last season, the final day of the regular season in 2009, Aug. 15 in 2007 and the final day of the season in 2006 — and the franchise still has not won an A.L Central title.

However, Leyland's overall résumé is much more impressive than that of Acta. He has taken three different organizations (Pirates, Marlins, Tigers) to the postseason. He has won pennants in both leagues.

Leyland does have a World Series ring — with the Marlins in 1997 — which Indian fans undoubtedly would rather forget.

The Tigers have a payroll of more than $100 million.

The idea is to win now.

The Indians were in rebuilding mode to start this season — and got hot early. Santana is still raw. Lonnie Chisenhall has just arrived to the major leagues. Cord Phelps has a chance to be a pretty good player, but Jason Kipnis has more long-range potential. He is in the minor leagues.

While the Tigers have generally been trashed for their lack of developing top players, it's been a bit unfounded this season given the numbers Avila and outfielder Brennan Boesch have put up. The Tigers have acquired top prospects from other organizations such as Austin Jackson and Max Scherzer, their center fielder and No. 2 starting pitcher.

There is also the matter of which team is playing better.

Or should we say less bad?

On May 23, the Indians were 30-15, seven games ahead of the Tigers in the A.L Central. The Tigers have picked up 7 1/2 games on the Indians since, and have done so without really playing that well. Until winning three out of four against the hapless Royals heading into the All Star break, the Tigers had lost five of their previous six multiple-game series (they also beat Toronto in a makeup game).

It appears as if the Indians were a nice early-season story. Time to give credit where credit is due.

But the Tigers, when you weigh the evidence, have a much better chance of winning the A.L. Central.

Quite an optimistic column from Ingraham.

It's easy to say "pitching is everything" and declare the team with better pitching the better team. Cop out.

I don't buy it, you have to have some degree of balance.

So the question becomes, who is the better balanced team, and why?

Better bullpen is quite an important advantage. Not sufficient but necessary.

Heyman at SI lists players likely on the trading block:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/w ... ef=writers

Royals Seek Pitching For Francoeur; He Wants To Stay

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 15 at 1:50pm CST]

The Royals are looking for "near ready" starting pitching for Jeff Francoeur and Melky Cabrera, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick (on Twitter). Francoeur realizes the Royals may trade him, but he told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that he would prefer to stay in Kansas City long-term. The outfielder has had casual conversations with GM Dayton Moore to express his desire to stay, but the sides haven't discussed their $4MM mutual option for 2012 so far.

“At some point,” Francoeur said, “we’ll talk to Dayton about the option. Maybe get a two or three-year deal or something. I’ve told Dayton that I like it here. I’d love to stay here."

Last offseason, Francoeur signed a one-year, $2.5MM deal and Cabrera signed a one-year $1.25MM deal. The Royals can bring Cabrera back in 2012 by tendering him a contract after the season.

Indians improve to 5-0 against Orioles this season

BALTIMORE -- Asdrubal Cabrera and Grady Sizemore homered, Lonnie Chisenhall singled in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning, and the Cleveland Indians defeated Baltimore 6-5 Friday night to extend the Orioles' losing streak to nine games -- matching Buck Showalter's longest skid as a big league manager.

Michael Brantley had three hits for the Indians, who improved to 5-0 against Baltimore this season and solidified their grip on first place in the AL Central.

Despite getting a milestone hit from Nick Markakis and home runs from Matt Wieters, Nolan Reimold and Adam Jones, the Orioles reached their season high for consecutive losses. Baltimore is 1-14 in its last 15 games.

The only other time Showalter lost nine straight during his 13-year career as a manager was in 2003, with Texas.

Cleveland blew leads of 1-0, 3-2 and 5-3 before going ahead for good in the sixth against Jim Johnson (5-3). Matt LaPorta ended up on second base with a double after Felix Pie failed to catch his sinking liner to left, and Chisenhall lined an RBI single to right.

Josh Tomlin (11-4) gave up a career-high three homers in only five innings but improved to 4-0 in his last six starts.

Chris Perez, the fifth Cleveland reliever, worked the ninth for his 22nd save in 23 chances.

Markakis got his 1,000th career hit, a third-inning single that enabled the 27-year-old to become the 14th player to reach the milestone in an Orioles uniform.

Baltimore was without designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, who missed a second straight game with a fractured bone in his right hand. The injury occurred when he was hit by a pitch Sunday in Boston.

The Orioles managed offensively without him -- Wieters replaced Guerrero in the cleanup slot, and Reimold served as the DH.

But Baltimore didn't get a hit after Jones homered to tie the game at 5 in the fifth inning.

Orioles starter Jake Arrieta allowed five runs, eight hits and three walks in five innings before leaving with score tied. It was the fourth straight start in which he failed to go more than five innings.

Cleveland went up 1-0 in the second inning when Sizemore doubled and came home on a single by LaPorta. In the bottom half, Wieters led off with his ninth homer and Reimold connected with two outs.

The lead quickly vanished. Brantley led off the third with a single and Cabrera drove a 2-0 pitch into the front row of the left-field seats. It was his 16th homer of the season, the second in two games.

Jones doubled in a run in the Orioles' half to tie it.

Sizemore put Cleveland ahead in the fifth with a two-run shot to center, but Jones matched that in the bottom half with a no-doubt drive that traveled an estimated 424 feet.

Game notes
The Indians have scheduled RHP Jeanmar Gomez to pitch on Sunday, but he's not on the roster. Thus, a player will have to be dropped when he's added. ... Arrieta remained 5-0 against the AL Central this season. ... Cleveland's Travis Buck went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts. ... Baltimore has gone hitless in seven innings against the Cleveland bullpen in this series. ... Cleveland reliever Joe Smith pitched a scoreless seventh inning, the 27th consecutive appearance in which he has not allowed an earned run.

Relievers take charge of game as Tribe secures first place

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: July 15, 2011 - 11:47 PM

BALTIMORE: As usual, the Indians’ bullpen was money.

Certain facets of major-league baseball are said to be consistently erratic. Like the performances of relief pitchers.

The Tribe has defied the odds in several ways this season, but no moreso in the manner its bullpen has constantly vanquished opposing lineups. It happened again Friday night in a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Josh Tomlin limped through five innings, forcing the relievers to take the other four. Hey, no big deal. Chad Durbin, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez took care of business, the way they almost always do.

The foursome allowed no hits, three walks and struck out four. In two games against the Orioles, the bullpen has delivered seven hitless innings, striking out eight.

“The bullpen picked me up huge tonight,” Tomlin (11-4, 4.03) said. “I don’t like to go five innings and have the bullpen go four.”

Chris Perez earned his 22nd save of the year, walking the leadoff batter in the ninth, then refusing to let a ball be hit out of the infield.

“The bullpen, one more time — those guys were untouchable,” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “They’re pretty good. In the second half of last year, they finished second to the Yankees and they went from there.

“They have been the strength of the club for a year. I can’t say enough about the bullpen.”

Tomlin has pitched badly before this season, though the impression [Sheldon's impression; I had noticed] is that he never gives up bunches of runs. However, in three consecutive starts from early to mid June, he allowed six runs in six innings twice and six runs in five innings once.

Since then, in four starts preceding Friday night’s game, he gave up 11 earned runs in 33 innings.

If Tomlin’s pattern is to make three problematic starts in a row, the Tribe might be in trouble. But since he has only had one inept streak, to assume that would be jumping to conclusions in a big way.

For the first time this season, Tomlin gave up three home runs, which were responsible for four of the five runs and half of the hits he allowed. He walked only one and that was intentional, but he had several three-ball counts, which isn’t his usual MO.

“It was one of those games when I knew it was going to be tough,” Tomlin said. “A lot of pitches I didn’t know where they were going when they left my hand. It was a scary feeling.”

Tomlin kept his string of five-inning-plus outings alive, the streak reaching 30 since his debut, a major-league record that goes back to 1919, the first time the appropriate numbers were tracked.

Acta said it was the hardest Tomlin has had to work since he arrived in the big leagues last year.

“I would say yes to that,” Tomlin said. “Every mistake I made, they put a good swing on it. I wasn’t able to keep the ball down and balls that were up, they hit.”

Matt Wieters (on a 3-and-1 count) and Nolan Riemold homered with nobody on in the second inning, possibly prompting thoughts of the baseball axiom, “Solo homers don’t beat you.”

That’s all well and good as far as it goes, but Adam Jones ripped a 3-and-2 pitch over the wall in center with a runner on first in the fifth, placing Tomlin at a different level of home run philanthropy.

He also gave up a run in the third on Nick Markakis’ single and a double by Jones.

Through all of this, Tomlin was the winning pitcher of record, because the Indians scored a sixth run, the lead run, in the sixth inning before Tomlin had been replaced.

“Josh had a little issue commanding his cutter,” Acta said. “His breaking ball was not sharp early. They also fouled off a lot of pitches and worked the count.

“Ninety-six pitches is a lot for him. That’s what he would usually throw in 12 innings. And they didn’t miss his mistakes, either.”

The Tribe was not without home run power of its own. Asdrubal Cabrera went deep for the 15th time this year following a single by Michael Brantley in the third inning, and with two outs in the fifth, Grady Sizemore reached out and hit a pitch over the right-field fence with Travis Hafner (who walked) on first.

In the second, Sizemore doubled and scored the Tribe’s first run on Matt LaPorta’s two-out single, and LaPorta blooped a broken-bat double to left in the sixth and scored on Lonnie Chisenhall’s single.

“I was just trying to hit a ball and get him over,” Chisenhall said. “But I hit it in the gap.

“The close games are the most fun. It can get a little edgy, but after the win, those are the best ones to be a part of.”

Games that put your team one game ahead in the Central Division standings are fun, too, as the Tribe snapped a tie with the Detroit Tigers.

Tribe is not looking at Arizona's Wily Mo Pena: Cleveland Indians Insider

Published: Friday, July 15, 2011, 9:33 PM Updated: Friday, July 15, 2011, 10:42 PM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

BALTIMORE, Md. — It doesn't sound as if the Indians are interested in Wily Mo Pena, the powerful right-handed hitting outfielder/DH who was just designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Not that Pena didn't make an impression on the Indians during their recent interleague tour of NL ballparks. Pena beat the Indians with a walkoff two-run homer against Tony Sipp on June 26 at Chase Field.
The Indians feel they have the equivalent of Pena in Shelley Duncan as a right-hander power bat off the bench.

The right-handed hitting outfielders they are interested in include Carlos Beltran of the Mets, Ryan Ludwick of the Padres and Josh Willingham of the Athletics. It doesn't mean they're going to get them, but they do have interest.

What the Indians are looking for is a right-handed hitting outfielder who can play right field on a regular basis and balance the Indians' predominantly left-handed hitting lineup.

Beltran, a free agent after this season, is making $18.5 million this year and has a full no-trade clause in his contract. He's hitting .285 (93-for-326) with 28 doubles, 13 homers and 58 RBI.

He's played only right field this season.

Ludwick, the Padres' left fielder, is hitting .242 (80-for-330) with 14 doubles, 11 homers and 55 RBI. He's on a one-year, $6.75 million contract and is a free agent after the season.

Willingham is hitting .241 (59-for-245) with 12 doubles, 11 homers and 44 RBI for Oakland. He's playing left field and is on a one-year, $6 million contract. Like Ludwick and Beltran, he's eligible for free agency after the season.

The Mets entered Friday's action 11 games out of first place in the NL East, while the Padres were 13 games out in the NL West and Oakland was 121/2 out in the AL West.

Other players are available as well. Some with more experience in the AL Central than Beltran, Ludwick and Willingham. It just depends on what kind of talent the Indians are willing to part with and how much salary they'll absorb.

Bring on the funk: Sidearmer Joe Smith hasn't allowed an earned run in his past 26 appearances. The streak covers 24 innings.

It's the third-longest single-season stretch by an Indians reliever since 1919. Paul Assenmacher went 31 straight games in 1997 and Jose Mesa went 29 games in 1995.

Right-handers are hitting .265 (22-for-83) and lefties are hitting .118 (4-for-34) against Smith this year.
"He's been very aggressive with his fastball and he's been throwing it over the plate," said bullpen coach Scott Radinsky. "Sometimes you get on these runs. I don't know if there's an explanation other than he's healthy and he's throwing the ball over the plate."

Not only is Smith's sidearm delivery difficult to pick up for hitters, but he throws between 90 mph and 93 mph. Sidearmers usually rely on deception rather than velocity. Smith has both.

"He's got some funk to him," Radinsky. "He's always going to benefit from that deception and delivery. It's unconventional. Hitters aren't used to it. I can't imagine hitters want to face him . . . especially right-handers. And when he's coming at you throwing strikes, that makes him tougher."

Testing, testing: Fausto Carmona did some agility drills before Friday's game to test his strained right quadriceps muscle. Today he'll do some fielding drills while coming off the mound.
"That will be the last hurdle," said Acta.

Carmona is scheduled to be activated and pitch one end of Monday's day-night doubleheader against the Twins at Target Field.

Patience: Acta said it's too early to tell just what effect new hitting coach Bruce Fields has had on the Indians. Fields replaced Jon Nunnally on June 19 with the Indians offense in a long slump.

"What we were looking for here is for our younger guys to take to Bruce and make some progress," said Acta. "I think the majority of the veteran hitters here were not affected that much. . . . We just have to give it time."

Huff likely starter Monday, but Acta not saying
by Sheldon Ocker on July 16, 2011 - 7:49 pm


BALTIMORE: Manager Manny Acta revealed today that Fausto Carmona would start the second game of Monday’s day-night doubleheader against the Twins in Minnesota. But who will start the opener?

“”I’ll tell you guys tomorrow,” Acta said.

But the most likely candidate is Columbus left-hander David Huff, who is 8-3 with a 3.86 earned-run average for the Clippers. His most recent start was Thursday night, so if he pitches on Monday, he will be working with only three days rest.

However, Huff was removed after pitching only three innings and making 63 pitches, probably in anticipation of his big-league start.

He has had several trial with the Tribe but none this year. In parts of two major-league seasons, Huff has compiled a 13-19 record and 5.84 ERA. If he is summoned from Triple-A on Monday, he will be the first lefty to start a game for Cleveland this season.