I could have seen advantage in bringing up Huff for Sunday's game, then demoting him and bringing up Gomez for Monday and beyond. We can't do the same up/down with Gomez after today's game if we want him to stay in the rotation. We'll have to demote Carrera today, and someone else tomorrow, neither of whom can come back for 15 days. Herrmann back on the I-71 shuffle could be a move but with 3 games in 2 days and none of the 3 reliable we'll want to have deep bullpens.

Bullpen, hitting let Tribe down

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

Published: July 17, 2011 - 08:27 AM

BALTIMORE: It was hardly a banner game for the Indians’ bullpen, which was stung for three runs in the eighth inning Saturday night.

But how were the relievers supposed to know that after eight innings of negligence, the offense would come alive, that is, contribute one hit, but a big one that drove in three runs.

In the end, it was only a tease, and the Orioles eked out a 6-5 win at Camden Yards.

It was a shock to see Rafael Perez and Frank Herrmann charged with as many runs in one inning as the entire relief corps has allowed in its past 17 innings (four games). But it was also stunning to see the attack finally show up, after a fashion, in the ninth inning. Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter summoned his closer, Kevin Gregg, to pitch the ninth, even though the Tribe trailed by four. One out into the inning, Gregg was in trouble.

That’s because he walked Asdrubal Cabrera, Travis Hafner and Carlos Santana in succession. He struck out Lonnie Chisenhall, but Orlando Cabrera smoked a fastball for a three-run double to right, trimming the deficit to one.

“He was throwing cutters, making tough pitches,’’ Cabrera said. “But he left a fastball up, and I put a good swing on it.’’

That was it for Gregg; Michael Gonzalez replaced him and ended the game by inducing Grady Sizemore to hit a bouncer to the first baseman.

Manager Manny Acta put the burden on Perez and Herrmann in the eighth, because the Indians were trailing.

“I was trying to stay away from my best arms,’’ said Acta, who added that Chris Perez, Vinnie Pestano and Tony Sipp can’t pitch every game.

The real problem was not the bullpen but an attack that amassed four hits for the game, two of them doing all the damage, thanks mostly to four walks from Orioles pitchers.

“It was a well-pitched ballgame by both guys,” Acta said of Carlos Carrasco and Alfredo Simon, who was Baltimore’s closer a year ago. “Carlos kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win. Simon was very good. We couldn’t even work the pitch count, because he was in the strike zone so much.’’

After two shaky starts, Carrasco (8-7, 4.25 ERA) turned it around, limiting the Orioles to three runs, five hits and two walks, striking out six, including the side in the seventh, his last inning on the mound.

“I still had trouble locating my fastball for strikes,’’ Carrasco said. “I didn’t have it to throw first-pitch strikes to control the game. But my breaking stuff was fine.’’

It has been a typical season for a pitcher with ability but little experience. Carrasco began the season with only a handful of big-league starts, but he has learned quickly, displaying longer periods of solid workmanship than problem outings.

In his two previous starts – fastball command also was a problem in those – Carrasco gave up 11 runs in seven innings, losing both decisions. But in five starts before that, he compiled a 4-1 record and 0.98 earned-run average, averaging slightly more than seven innings per outing.

Carrasco did not allow a sustained rally Saturday night, giving up single runs in the first, fourth and sixth innings. If there was anything to criticize in his performance, it was his inability to keep the Orioles off the board in the sixth, immediately after the Tribe had tied the score 2-2.

For five innings, Indians batsmen would have been better served trying to enrich their lives with a visit to the nearby National Aquarium rather than attempt to generate an offense against starter Simon (2-2, 4.36 ERA). Over that span, the only base runner he allowed was Michael Brantley, who singled in the fourth but was immediately erased on Asdrubal Cabrera’s double-play grounder.

“Simon had a good mix of pitches, and he threw them all for strikes,’’ Acta said. “He was throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes. We tried [to work the count], but he was throwing too many pitches in the zone. He had good stuff. We didn’t take many good swings against him the first three innings.’’

But in the sixth, Austin Kearns began a lightning-quick rally by accident, beating out a dribbler between the mound and the first-base line. Simon followed by issuing his only walk, to Lou Marson.

Ezequiel Carrera then hit a smash toward first, and Derek Lee made an excellent diving stop, turning it into an out, as both runners advanced. Brantley made certain the base runners weren’t wasted, hooking a double into right field to score both runners and even the score.

Simon remained in the game through the seventh and allowed nothing more. He gave up just three hits, struck out five and needed only 79 pitches to complete his mission.

Sheldon Ocker: Reasons to believe in the Indians, or not

By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer

BALTIMORE: It’s time to agree that the Indians are the real deal. That is, they have enough skilled players to remain in the Central Division race for the rest of the season.

That said, they do not have such an abundance of talent nor the experience as contenders to be touted as the odds-on favorites to win the division championship. It can go either way, not a bad thing for a team that has lost more games than it has won in the 21st century.

Here are five reasons why the Tribe won’t play in the postseason:

1. Injuries already have taken a toll. The loss of Shin-Soo Choo, probably until September, has ripped a gaping hole in the lineup.

General Manager Chris Antonetti has yet to acquire a player to fill in as the right fielder until Choo returns. And even if/when Choo does come back, it will take him at least a couple of weeks to get his timing and rhythm at the plate.

Keep in mind that until a week or so before an errant pitch broke his finger, Choo had been in a slump. With little time to polish his swing, Choo will be virtually useless the rest of the season.

2. The pattern is clear. The Tribe has fielded a rotation of three solid starters — Josh Tomlin, Justin Masterson, Carlos Carrasco — while the ostensible ace of the staff, Fausto Carmona, and Mitch Talbot have not held up their end of the bargain.

There is no reason to believe the pattern will change, and it would be difficult for Antonetti to obtain a quality starter in a trade without giving away at least two of his best prospects, something he neither should nor will do.

The Indians need four dependable starters to win the division. Alex White would have been the ideal fill-in, but he probably won’t be activated for at least another three weeks, maybe longer, and he will need a few starts to get his feet under him again.

3. Even if White (or Jeanmar Gomez or Zach McAllister) can step into the rotation in place of Talbot or Carmona or both, is it reasonable to expect four or five starters who began the season with less than a year of major-league experience to carry a team to the playoffs?

4. The experience factor could play a major role down the stretch. Not only have few Indians ever been to the playoffs — Orlando Cabrera being the most notable exception — but also the everyday lineup is filled with players who had been in the major leagues for one year or less when the season began: Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall, whose career consists of a dozen big-league games.

The bullpen isn’t filled with quite as many newbies, but Chris Perez has been a closer for only a year, and Vinnie Pestano has been in the big leagues for less than a season and the team’s setup man for three months.

Experience might not be important if the Tribe’s chief rivals in the division race also were fresh-faced kids, but many of the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox not only have been around the block a few times but also have been through the pressure of a pennant race.

5. The schedule in September is filled with road games against division rivals. The Tribe plays 11 games at Progressive Field and 16 on the road, including three against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, where success has been elusive. Moreover, the season ends with three games in Detroit.

Here are five reasons why the Indians will capture the division championship.

1. Antonetti probably will find a competent (not a marquee) right-handed hitting outfielder to fill in until Choo returns.

It is likely that he can do this without jeopardizing the future — trading Drew Pomeranz, Jason Kipnis, White, Chisenhall — or spending huge amounts of cash. The biggest problem will be finding a trading partner, a team ready to acknowledge that it is out of the race.

Thankfully for Antonetti, the schedule before the trading deadline includes nine out of 10 games at Progressive Field.

2. The Indians are one of the few teams with depth of starting pitching. Granted, the depth isn’t big-league tested, but live arms can get away with a few more mistakes.

White, the best option, won’t be able to help until mid-August, but Gomez, McAllister and even David Huff should be able to buy three or four weeks until White can be activated from the disabled list.

3. Santana and Grady Sizemore — especially Santana — have put up better at-bats the past week or three, indicating they might be snapping out of their slumps.

With Travis Hafner back in the lineup, and Asdrubal Cabrera and Brantley showing no signs of slowing down, the offense should be able to hold its own, even if Choo isn’t around until the first week of September. There’s no way to know how long it will take him to regain his edge at the plate, but he probably will go on a rehab assignment to speed up the process.

4. Even though the Indians play most of their games on the road in September, as long as they remain first or second in the division race, that won’t be a major handicap.

If an alleged contender is either third or fourth in the Central Division standings and four or more games behind, it will be very difficult for that team to pass two or three clubs, especially when division rivals are playing one another. One Central Division team might tank in September, but probably not two or three. So the goal is to stay on top or be a close second when the last month of the season begins.

Not that it will be easy, but the Indians only have to maintain their position and not expend their energy coming from behind.

5. It’s the bullpen, stupid.

The excellence of the Tribe relief corps has been unmatched within the division and maybe throughout the league. There is no guarantee the relievers will continue to flirt with perfection, but these guys probably won’t have many missteps, and that takes pressure off the starters and makes life easier for manager Manny Acta.

Indians optioned OF-DH Shelley Duncan to Triple-A Columbus.
Duncan has been up and down a couple times this season, batting .240/.274/.400 with three homers and 20 RBI over 100 at-bats. He'll be back in September, if not before then.

Terry Pluto

About the Tribe...

View full sizeAP photo
A .300 hitter with power as a part-time player with Washington, Michael Morse would fit a lot of needs for the Indians if he became available at the trade deadline.
1. A player for the Indians to consider is Michael Morse, who plays some first base and outfield for the Washington Nationals. I first read the suggestion from Paul Cousineau, author of the excellent blog DiaTribe. Morris, 29, played little for Seattle and was traded to Washington in 2009. It was only last season that he hit .289 (.871 OPS) with 15 homers and 41 RBI in 266 at-bats. This season, he's at .306 (.886 OPS) with 15 homers and 49 RBI.
2. Morse is attractive because he makes only $1 million and won't be a free agent until 2014. The price could be high for Morse in terms of prospects, but I'd be willing to talk about most guys in the system -- but not the prized group of Jason Kipnis, Drew Pomeranz, Lonnie Chisenhall and Alex White.
3. Morse is a right-handed hitter who makes more sense than 33-year-old Ryan Ludwick, who could leave at the end of the season. He's not a prime defender at any position, but he can play the corner outfield spots, first and third base.
4. Ludwick went into the weekend batting .243 (.689 OPS) with 11 homers and 55 RBI for San Diego. In July, he was 6-of-43 (.140) with one homer. In June, he batted .240. While San Diego is a tough place to hit, Ludwick has been so-so at home (.234, .695 OPS, 5 HR) and away (.251, .684 OPS, 6 HR). He will be a free agent after the season.
5. Jeff Francoeur is batting .264 (.747 OPS) with 12 homers and 56 RBI for Kansas City. He has 15 stolen bases, plays a superb right field and is only 27. He also would make sense for the Indians. Francoeur has a player option of $4 million for 2012. If the Indians are pushed to give up a starting pitcher such as Jeanmar Gomez or Zach McAllister in a prospect package for one of these players, I prefer Morse because he can't walk away at the end of the season.
6. Josh Willingham also has been mentioned, and he's hitting .249 (.763) with 12 homers and 46 RBI for Oakland. He's averaged 20 homers and 65 RBI over the previous five years with Washington and Florida. He also can be a free agent.
7. The Tribe says it doesn't have to deal for a right-handed hitter as most the teams they will face the rest of this season have only one lefty in rotation -- but let's face it, they need a right-handed bat for next year, too.
8. David Huff may be a starter in one of Monday's doubleheader games. He is 8-3 with a 3.86 ERA at Columbus. That is his lowest ERA in three years at Class AAA. The lefty could be used in a deal, especially that his average fastball has moved up from 89 to 92 mph.
9. Finally healthy and feeling confident after head and knee injuries this spring, Jason Donald is hitting .318 (.876 OPS) in Columbus. In his last 10 games, Donald is batting .375, and is at .350 vs. lefties this season. He could join the Indians in the near future, replacing Luis Valbuena as the utility infielder.
10. The Know the Score Summer Sports Luncheon hosted by Les Levine and featuring PD writers Paul Hoynes, Tony Grossi and myself will be held Thursday at 11:45 a.m. at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights. Call 440-449-0700 for more information.

The Miami Herald

Posted on Sat, Jul. 16, 2011

Cleveland’s betrayal still stings

Fred Grimm

fgrimm@MiamiHerald.com

My compassion for the Cleveland sports fans, and the big sorry hole left in their collective psyche by the defection of Lebron James to South Florida last summer, ain’t much.

Their mass despair would need to fester another two decades to even the ledger, considering what Cleveland did to us.

A deal negotiated last week might finally allow local taxpayers to unload the detritus left years ago when a low-down sports franchise from Cleveland abandoned disaster-stricken South Florida, slouching away with all the nobility of a philandering husband running off with the household checkbook and his new lover.

On June 8, 1991, the Cleveland Indians signed an agreement with the town of Homestead to make the city’s new baseball stadium its spring training home. Such hopeful symbolism. The Herald wrote, “The Homestead Sports Complex stadium rises out of the bogs east of Florida’s Turnpike, a silver and pink vision of the future climbing out of Homestead’s past.”

The sports writers tended to gloss over the details, which amounted to grand theft. The city, to satisfy the Indians, had to guarantee the sale of 5,000 season tickets and build two dormitories for baseball players at the stadium complex. Cleveland wangled an agreement with the city to subtract $100,000 from the $225,000 annual rent to offset the team’s travel costs around Florida’s Grapefruit League.

Of course, most of the $21 million cost of the stadium was covered by the county’s hotel bed tax. Essentially, Miami Beach was paying for Homestead’s “silver and pink vision of the future.”

On August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew drastically altered that vision. The damaged stadium, instead, became a symbol of Homestead’s determination to recover. The city rushed the ballpark repairs, spending $6.4 million and finishing the job in just five months.

The team from Cleveland, however, weighed compassion for a devastated city against the unctuous clamor of other Florida towns willing to grovel like concubines at the feet of professional sports team owners. Cleveland owner Dick Jacobs absconded.

South Florida’s reaction was captured nicely by Herald sports columnist S.L. Price: “So this is how a community dies. A hurricane rips through... and when the place has struggled just to get back on its knees, a man named Jacobs creeps up from behind and swings hard. He’s got a bat in his hands, and there is blood on it.”

The big sad pink legacy of the Cleveland Indians, with 6,477 seats and 14 luxury skyboxes, has been moldering in Homestead since then, in want of a tenant, costing the city a half million dollars a year just for maintenance. Last week, a Miami sports media company signed a deal to repair and lease the stadium, with an option to buy it, eventually, for $16 million.

Of course, over the years, a number of would-be entrepreneurs have come sniffing around the stadium property. Deal were floated (and sunk) for a kind of sports medicine and adult baseball fantasy camp and another for an entertainment complex.

In 2004, an outfit called Sports World Universal took over the stadium, rent free, promising extensive repairs. The city repossessed the complex a year later, after noticing that no renovations had taken place. A developer once offered to buy the land and build a subdivision. A charter school moved into the old dorms. In 2006, the Marlins, in the process of extorting a better deal from the city of Miami, feigned interest in replacing the Homestead park with a new major league stadium.

At least, La Ley Sports, Homestead’s latest suitor, has painted the old pink elephant red and white. That’s progress.

Of course, in my moral outrage, I’m overlooking that Homestead, back in 1991, had stolen its would-be spring baseball team from Tucson, Arizona.

Two years later, after the Winter Haven city manager said, indignantly, “I can tell you officially and unequivocally, there have been no talks, formal or informal, about the Indians signing a long-term contract here,” Winter Haven agreed to whatever Cleveland wanted. S.L. Price wrote, “So there it is, the way you knew it would come down because there is no honor among thieves or baseball owners. Not when it comes to money.”

Two years ago, Cleveland jilted Winter Haven for a new lover and took off for Goodyear, a soulless collection of strip-malls and subdivisions in the Arizona desert. The city of Goodyear had spent $108 million in public money on a spring baseball complex, based on the same kind of mendacious pro sports economics — the promise of so many new tourists, so many new jobs — that convinced our own civic leaders to build the Marlins a $500 million (and counting) baseball stadium in Miami.

But when the Indians abandoned Homestead, it was somehow a more odious betrayal than the usual pro team running out on one city for a better deal from another. More vile than, say, when Los Angeles Dodgers slouched out of Dodgertown, their home for 60 springs in Vero Beach, for a fatter deal in Arizona.

Cleveland, without much protest from their hometown fans back in Ohio (the same crowd who lately have been characterizing our NBA franchise as treacherous) absconded from a place that was reeling from disaster, that was clinging (and investing precious recovery funds) in the mythical solace of baseball.

If last week’s deal on that old stadium works out, we’ll still need 19 more good years from Lebron just to make the hurt seem even.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/16/v ... z1SNch6bNP

That homestead deal was really just a selfish move on Jacobs' part. He dumped Tuscon for a place really in the middle of nowhere. Homestead is hours away from any other grapefruit league city. It is really in the Everglades. It really is not much of a town. I guess Dick cheap Jacobs made a few sheckels.

Pluto:

About the Tribe...

1. A player for the Indians to consider is Michael Morse, who plays some first base and outfield for the Washington Nationals. I first read the suggestion from Paul Cousineau, author of the excellent blog DiaTribe. Morris, 29, played little for Seattle and was traded to Washington in 2009. It was only last season that he hit .289 (.871 OPS) with 15 homers and 41 RBI in 266 at-bats. This season, he's at .306 (.886 OPS) with 15 homers and 49 RBI.

2. Morse is attractive because he makes only $1 million and won't be a free agent until 2014. The price could be high for Morse in terms of prospects, but I'd be willing to talk about most guys in the system -- but not the prized group of Jason Kipnis, Drew Pomeranz, Lonnie Chisenhall and Alex White.

3. Morse is a right-handed hitter who makes more sense than 33-year-old Ryan Ludwick, who could leave at the end of the season. He's not a prime defender at any position, but he can play the corner outfield spots, first and third base.

4. Ludwick went into the weekend batting .243 (.689 OPS) with 11 homers and 55 RBI for San Diego. In July, he was 6-of-43 (.140) with one homer. In June, he batted .240. While San Diego is a tough place to hit, Ludwick has been so-so at home (.234, .695 OPS, 5 HR) and away (.251, .684 OPS, 6 HR). He will be a free agent after the season.

5. Jeff Francoeur is batting .264 (.747 OPS) with 12 homers and 56 RBI for Kansas City. He has 15 stolen bases, plays a superb right field and is only 27. He also would make sense for the Indians. Francoeur has a player option of $4 million for 2012.

If the Indians are pushed to give up a starting pitcher such as Jeanmar Gomez or Zach McAllister in a prospect package for one of these players, I prefer Morse because he can't walk away at the end of the season.

6. Josh Willingham also has been mentioned, and he's hitting .249 (.763) with 12 homers and 46 RBI for Oakland. He's averaged 20 homers and 65 RBI over the previous five years with Washington and Florida. He also can be a free agent.

7. The Tribe says it doesn't have to deal for a right-handed hitter as most the teams they will face the rest of this season have only one lefty in rotation -- but let's face it, they need a right-handed bat for next year, too.

8. David Huff may be a starter in one of Monday's doubleheader games. He is 8-3 with a 3.86 ERA at Columbus. That is his lowest ERA in three years at Class AAA. The lefty could be used in a deal, especially that his average fastball has moved up from 89 to 92 mph.

9. Finally healthy and feeling confident after head and knee injuries this spring, Jason Donald is hitting .318 (.876 OPS) in Columbus. In his last 10 games, Donald is batting .375, and is at .350 vs. lefties this season. He could join the Indians in the near future, replacing Luis Valbuena as the utility infielder.

10. The Know the Score Summer Sports Luncheon hosted by Les Levine and featuring PD writers Paul Hoynes, Tony Grossi and myself will be held Thursday at 11:45 a.m. at Executive Caterers at Landerhaven in Mayfield Heights. Call 440-449-0700 for more information.

Yep, I lived in far southwest Miami into the 1980's. Homestead was right down the road from me. Other than the Air Force Base it was a pretty depressing and decrepit town not really at al a part of metro-Miami. About the only times I went through there was on my way to The Florida Keys.

I was really surprised 20 years ago when The Indians announced the prospective move.

I never heard of Michael Morse, but then I lose track of almost all NL players except the biggest stars. I saw his movie about GM which I kind of liked, although he has never the word objectivity. Didn't bother seeing his I Love George Bush effort.

With five games separating the Indians and Twins in the American League Central, the two teams will play a day-night doubleheader on Monday at Target Field.

For Cleveland, its options were limited in terms of promoting a starter.

Right-hander Zach McAllister, who was optioned back to Triple-A Columbus on July 8 following a start, needs to remain with the club for one more day to complete the required minimum stay of 10 days.

David Huff will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus and get the nod in the first game for the Tribe. The 26-year-old southpaw was 8-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 17 outings for the Clippers. Huff went 2-11 with a 6.21 ERA in 15 starts for Cleveland last season after going 11-8 with a 5.61 ERA in 23 starts for the Indians in 2009.

"He's been pitching very well," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He deserves to come up. He's made some adjustments down there, and they're happy with the progress that he has made. We still believe in this guy."

Meanwhile, Scott Baker, who was set to start the first game of the doubleheader for the Twins, was placed on the disabled list following Sunday's 4-3 win over the Royals.

Anthony Swarzak, originally slated for Game 2, will start the opener. The right-hander made his fourth start of the season the Sunday before the All-Star break with Baker sidelined by an elbow injury.

Swarzak is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in four spot starts this season, which includes a July 10 win over the White Sox.

Indians: Carmona to be activated
Right-hander Fausto Carmona will be activated from the disabled list on Monday to start the second game of the doubleheader.

Carmona injured his right quadriceps during a fall while running to first base in Cincinnati on July 2. Despite this, he only missed one start.

He struggled in June, going 1-4 in five starts and finishing with a 7.62 ERA. In 26 innings, opponents have collected 38 hits and scored 24 runs -- 22 earned -- off Carmona.

• Despite finishing 0-for-5 on Sunday, Michael Brantley is batting .302 with 10 runs scored, three doubles, one homer and nine RBIs in 14 games in July.

• Right-hander Joe Smith has given up just two runs -- both on Sunday -- over his last 28 appearances.

Twins: Diamond to pitch nightcap
With Baker on the DL, Scott Diamond's contract was selected from Triple-A Rochester and he will make his Major League debut on the mound in Game 2.

In 17 starts for the Red Wings this season, the lefty was 4-8 with a 4.70 ERA in 92 innings, allowing 107 hits with 30 walks and 68 strikeouts. The Twins selected Diamond in the 2010 Rule 5 Draft.

We need room 1) to add Carmona and 2) to add Huff. But we can't remove Carrera if we need him to help fill in for Grady. If Grady's injury is already diagnosed as serious one spot opens with him going on the DL. We can demote Herrmann, which he deserves, but then the bullpen is thin. We can demote Gomez but then can't bring him back for 10 days but that could work out if we bring up McAllister to pitch 4 days from now and make room for him by demoting Huff after he pitches today. We can demote Valbuena, but then the bench is thin.

I guess the most likely is: Gomez demoted today for Huff; Huff demoted tomorrow for McAllister. Either Grady on the DL for Carmona; or Valbuena leaves town and we have a very thin bench,


Read an article last week about some sentiment to allow temporarily expanded rosters to 26 for days with a doubleheader. I can see why.

Civ we'll probably send down Valbuenna or DL Sizemore to activate Huff. Then we will send down Huff and activate Carmona....

Yes! That makes sense. And that's why Huff will pitch the opener. And it's why I'm not a general manager (although you could qualify Frank)

I generally like Pluto, but that Michael Morse piece seemed clueless to me.

Why would Washington ever be interested in trading him? IMO, not a freaking chance.