Cleveland Sports Forum

BA on Monday games:

CLE AA Bradley, Bobby 1B 4 0 0 0 .111
CLE AA Castro, Willi SS 3 1 1 0 .167 BB (2)
CLE AA Mathias, Mark 2B 4 2 3 1 .250 2B (1)
CLE AAA Chang, Yu SS 5 2 1 1 .211 2B (1)
CLE AAA Haase, Eric C 4 1 2 1 .412 2B (2), BB (3)
CLE AAA Mejia, Francisco LF 6 0 2 1 .263
CLE HiA Capel, Conner CF 2 2 0 0 .231 3 BB (3), SB (3)
CLE HiA Collins, Gavin 3B 4 0 1 2 .154
CLE HiA Ice, Logan DH 4 1 1 0 .111 2B (1)
CLE LoA Benson, Will DH 3 1 1 0 .357 BB (5)
CLE LoA Gonzalez, Oscar RF 4 1 2 0 .333
CLE MAJ Gonzalez, Erik 2B 2 0 0 0 .000 BB (1)
no pitchers again. That's pretty startling. The top 30 includes the following pitchers:
2 McKenzie on the DL
5 Bieber pitching tonight
14 Civale
17 Merryweather out for the season
18 Hentges pitching tonight
22 Oviedo in extended spring training
26. Merritt on the DL
28. Aiken on the DL
29. Morgan pitching tonight

That means that only 4 of them are currently active. No wonder I keep wanting the team to concentrate on pitchers in the draft.

Yes, Jones was placed on 7 day DL with "knee soreness".

Been reading few other comments about him as well. That he does a great job working count and fouling off pitches. Often works pitchers real hard. One writer said he had a 9 pitch at bat the other day including fouling off 3 3-2 pitches before singling. And said to get used to seeing that.

Have a feeling he may end up one of my faves.

A fan tweeted the other day how big and buff he's getting, but he skips leg day cause his calves are crazy skinny.

Might be more information than you wanted.

Let me just copy Todd's timeline here. Lot's of tid bits ...


Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Lake County #Captains transaction
INF Dillon Persinger activated from extended spring training

#Indians top prospect (C) Francisco Mejia getting the start tonight in Left Field for (AAA) @CLBClippers. Organization trying to find different ways to get his bat up to MLB team. 3rd Base attempt in Arizona Fall League was an uncessfull attempt.
Clippers 7 Bats 1
Wilk 5.2(IP) 4H 1R 0ER 1BB 5SO
Shaffer 2-4 R HR RBI BB
Haase 2-4 R 2B RBI BB
Rodriguez 1-4 2R RBI BB
Barnes 2-3 R RBI 2BB

RubberDucks 6 Rumble Ponies 3
Chiang 5(IP) 3H 0R 0ER 2BB 4SO (W)
Loopstok 1-4 R HR 2RBI
Mathias 3-4 2R 2B RBI
Murphy 2-3 R 2B RBI
Brown 1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 0BB 1SO (SV)

Astros 12 Hillcats 5
Chu 1-4 2B 2RBI
Collins 1-4 2RBI
Ice 1-4 R 2B
Capel 0-2 2R 3BB SB
Lovegrove 2.1(IP) 2H 1R 1ER 2BB 4SO

Dragons 3 #Captains 2
Perez 5(IP) 6H 2R 2ER 2BB 5SO
Tati 3(IP) 3H 1R 1ER 1BB 5SO
Wade 1-4 2B 2RBI
Gonzalez 2-4 R
Benson 1-3 R BB

#Indians minor league starters for Tuesday:
Columbus - RHP Alexi Ogando
Akron - RHP Shane Bieber
Lynchburg - LHP Sam Hentges
Lake County - RHP Eli Morgan

#Indians (C) prospect Eric Haase off to a terrific start for (AAA) Columbus trying to prove that his 2017 season was not a fluke and his 40 man roster spot was well deserved: 7-17 2R 2(2B) 1(3B) 2RBI 3BB .412 AVG .500 OBP

#Indians 2017 minor league leader in Homeruns OF Richie Shaffer who hit 30 bombs last year with (AAA) Columbus hit his 1st of the 2018 season tonight vs Louisville for the Clippers.

Mathias 3 hits propel him to 250, which is better than he last year for Akron. Fellow drafted IF Tyler Krieger who missed most of last year is now an OF, mostly in left, one game in center, off last night. Loopstok is doing much of the catching ahead of Salters, Sicnarf homered last night.
5 shutout innings by Chiang. Mitch Brown unusually walked no one in his one perfect inning for the save.

Lynchburg is our weak link this season. Veteran fillin starter Paulson was bombed and the Hillcats lost 12-5. Connor Capel one of few prospects here drew 3 walks and stole his 3rd base in 4 tries. Last year he succeeded on only 15 of 25 attempts. Billy Strode was particularly bad [6 runs, 3 earned in 1 inning, in relief] Anderson Polanco fanned 1, hit one, walked 4 in his outing.

This is actually bad news:

INF Dillon Persinger activated from extended spring training

since he's replacing Nolan Jones on the roster.

Not following, why is bad news?

Did you miss my earlier post? Jones just has sore knee, 7 day DL. Shouldn't be too serious. Just sounded like tendinitis or something.

I did somehow miss that. I'll read more carefully!
Seen anything more about McKenzie? Maybe you posted and I missed that too!

Paul Hoynes @Hoynsie
3/31/18
Tribe's top pitching prospect Triston McKenzie opening season on DL with sore right forearm at Class A Lynchburg. Indians say it's precautionary move.

I have not heard any updates since, no. Unfortunately.

Updates from ...

Indians Prospective @indiansPro

Bats 7 Clippers 1
Ogando 3.2(IP) 4H 1R 1ER 3BB 0SO
Diaz 1-3 RBI BB
Allen 1-4 R 2B SB
Barnes 1-3 2B BB

RubberDucks 5 Rumble Ponies 1
Bieber 7(IP) 4H 0R 0ER 0BB 8SO
Mathias 2-3 3B 2RBI BB
Castro 1-4 R 2RBI
Calica 2-4 2R SB
Sever 1-4 2B RBI

Astros 4 Hillcats 0
Krauth 1.1(IP) 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 4SO
Siri 1.1(IP) 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 2SO
Brooks 2-4
Carter 2-4
Cerda 1-3

Dragons 4 #Captains 1
Morgan 6(IP) 5H 1R 1ER 0BB 9SO
Isaacs 1-3 2B RBI
Cantu 1-4 R 2B
Clement 3-4 3B
Rivera 1-3 2B

One of my favorite prospects to keep an eye on #Indians RHP Eli Morgan
1st 2 starts of 2018 w/ #Captains - 12(IP) 9H 2R 1ER 0BB 17SO 0.75 ERA
Career - 47(IP) 33H 11R 5ER 9BB 75SO 0.96 ERA 14.36 (SO/9)

#Indians RHP prospect Shane Bieber has continued to show 2017 was no fluke!
First 2 (AA) 2018 starts - 13(IP) 6H 0R 0ER 0BB 17SO 0.00 ERA
11 career (AA) starts - 67.1(IP) 62H 15R 14ER 5BB 66SO 1.87 ERA

Current youngest players on the Akron RubberDucks roster:
1. SS Willi Castro 20 years 351 days
2. 1B Bobby Bradley 21 years 316 days
3. RHP Aaron Civale 22 years 302 days
4. RHP Shane Bieber 22 years 314 days
5. OF Dorssys Paulino 23 years 140 days

Current youngest players on the Lynchburg Hillcats roster:
1. OF Conner Capel 20 years 326 days
2. SS Luke Wakamatsu 21 years 182 days
3. OF Jodd Carter 21 years 264 days
4. LHP Sam Hentges 21 years 266 days
5. RHP Micah Miniard 21 years 363 days

Current youngest players on the Lake County #Captains roster
1. OF Will Benson 19 years 298 days
2. 3B Nolan Jones 19 years 338 days
3. 1B Ulysses Cantu 19 years 344 days
4. OF Oscar Gonzalez 20 years 009 days
5. RHP Gregori Vasquez 20 years 214 days

Change was made in Lynchburg tonight as Micah Miniard was supposed to make a piggyback start with Jake Paulson Monday but because game was blow out saved him to start tonight. Hentges will start Hillcats next game with Miniard tonight.

Bieber and Morgan shouldn't stay long with their current clubs.

BA's highlighted players for Tuesday include, of course:

• Indians RHP Shane Bieber had a very normal day for the pitcher with the best control in the minors (rivaled only by fellow Indians prospect Aaron Civale). Bieber threw seven scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out eight. As normal, he walked no one. Bieber has now struck out 17 and walked no one in two starts this season.

Civale followed nicely in Bieber's wake, throwing 6 shutout innings, 3 hits, 7 K, and of course no walks.
Sam Hentges with a decent evening's work, 6 innings 5 hits no walks 5 K, 3 runs but only 1 earned.

More on Wednesday games:

CLE AA Castro, Willi SS 4 1 1 0 .192
CLE AA Krieger, Tyler 2B 4 0 0 0 .115
CLE AA Mathias, Mark DH 4 0 0 0 .263
CLE AAA Allen, Greg CF 3 0 0 0 .176
CLE AAA Haase, Eric C 4 0 1 0 .381
CLE HiA Capel, Conner CF 4 1 1 0 .190 2B (2)
CLE HiA Collins, Gavin 3B 4 0 1 0 .143
CLE HiA Ice, Logan C 3 2 1 1 .167 BB (1)
CLE LoA Benson, Will RF 4 0 0 0 .278
CLE LoA Clement, Ernie SS 4 0 0 0 .346
CLE MAJ Gonzalez, Erik 2B 0 0 0 0 .000

CLE AA Civale, Aaron 6.0 3 0 0 0 7 0.93 W (1-0) [in his first game, he allowed 6 runs, only 1 earned]
CLE HiA Hentges, Sam 6.0 5 3 1 0 5 0.90 W (1-0)

Todd's dad died so no updates from @indiansPro last night. A few of my thoughts ...

Yeah, on the face of it Civale's first outing looked ugly, but only 1 of the 6 runs were earned due to 5 errors by fielders, including 3 by Haggerty alone. Bieber & Civale are certainly a duo to get excited about.

Last night Hentges was the victim of 8, yes 8, errors!!

FIELDING
E: Brooks (1, fielding); Collins (3, fielding); Tapia (2, fielding); Capel (2, fielding).

We don't have a ton of pitching prospects, especially with TMac on DL, but what few we have are not disappointing early on. I guess Plesac's first start was the only one. He starts tonight so hopefully bounces back. Pretty well given up on Hillman. He didn't even make it out of 1st inning last night.

BA doesn't like my man Longo I guess. He was 0-1 with 3 walks last night. He's batting .125 but on base of .364. What out when he snaps out of funk.

Bradley is batting .091 now. I guess we shouldn't be too upset that he started the season back at AA afterall.

Couple of the last updates Todd posted ...


Indians Prospective @indiansPro 21 hours ago
Lynchburg Hillcats roster move:
RHP Micah Miniard placed on inactive list
RHP Justin Garcia activated and takes Miniard's roster spot

#Indians LHP Relief prospect Ben Krauth is off to a tremendous start to 2018
2018 - 3(G) 1SV 5.1(IP) 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 11SO 0.00 ERA
Last - 12(G) 5SV 20(IP) 8H 1R 1ER 9BB 27SO 0.45 ERA

Nope that was not 8 errors in Lake County. I'll interprert:

E: Brooks (1, fielding); Collins (3, fielding); Tapia (2, fielding); Capel (2, fielding).

That means 1st of the season for Brookes, 2nd of the season for Tapia and Capel, 3rd of the season for Collins,

Tapia 2 (3) would mean two for the day, 3 for year.