Cleveland Sports Forum

What's Leo Mazzoni up to lately?

Will not be surprised to see the Indians try to make a play for Logan Morrison. The management has had a little problem with his constant social media stuff. Logan actually dates a girl from Youngstown.

Indians roster analysis: Outfield needs power boost at plate

Published: Thursday, October 06, 2011

By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com

Part two of a three-part series analyzing three major areas of the Indians' roster: the infield, outfield and pitching. Today: the outfield.

In the game on July 20, the Indians' starting outfield was Austin Kearns, Ezequiel Carrera and Luis Valbuena. Their batting averages were .219, .217, and .136 respectively and they had combined to hit one home run with nine RBI. All three of them. For the year. Total.

In the Indians' starting lineup Sept. 17, their center fielder hit eighth and their right fielder hit ninth.

In late July, the Indians had a stretch wherein their right fielder hit ninth in the lineup in three of four games.

In an 8-6 loss to Detroit on Sept. 7, the Indians' three starting outfielders combined to go 0-for-11, with three strikeouts, and one double play, meaning the three outfielders accounted for about half the outs the Indians made in the game.

In a 7-0 loss to Oakland on Sept. 1, the Indians' outfield was a combined 1-for-12, and only hit one ball out of the infield.

Travis Buck, Kearns, Carrera, Trevor Crowe and Jerad Head, who were in the starting lineup in the outfield a combined 144 times, only hit a combined four home runs for the season. Carrera, Crowe and Head combined to hit none.

Head's batting average was the same as Justin Masterson's (.167).

In a total of 2,017 at-bats, the nine players who appeared in games in the outfield for the Indians in 2011 combined to hit 45 home runs — three more than Jose Bautista.

The eight players who started games in left field for the Indians hit, while playing left field, seven home runs — one less than Trevor Plouffe.

That enough overkill for you?

Thanks to a combination of injuries and under performance, the Indians' outfield in 2011 was your basic sinkhole. If the Indians are going to be contenders in 2012, a good place to start would be the outfield, where the hired help needs to be far healthier and way more productive.

It also wouldn't be a bad idea for the front office to explore free agency and potential trades in order to upgrade what was arguably the worst outfield in the American League in 2011 (see chart at end).

Here's a look at the three outfield positions. (Please excuse the construction barrels).

Left field

Only one Indians outfielder appeared in more than 100 games in 2011.

That was Michal Brantley — barely.

He only played 108 games before his season ended due to minor hand surgery. At times last year Brantley looked like a potential everyday player, but his final stats — a .266 batting average, seven home runs, 46 RBI — look more like those of a fourth outfielder on a really good team.

Even though he missed the last month of the season, Brantley led the team in triples (four) and was second in stolen bases with 13. But left field is considered a run-producing position on most teams, and Brantley's .318 slugging percentage was 75 points below the American League average for a left fielder.

On the other hand, depending on what the Indians decide about a certain former star center fielder, maybe Brantley is actually the Indians' next center fielder, masquerading as a left fielder.

As we sit here today, other options in left field include hard-try-er Shelley Duncan (get the children out of the room when he grabs his glove), Trevor Crowe, who is best suited to be a backup, and, well, um, are you busy next year?

Let's put it this way: when, not if, the Indians add a bat during the offseason, if that player is not a first baseman he absolutely better be a left fielder.

Center field

Here's what we learned in 2011: Grady Sizemore can't stay healthy, and Ezequiel's last name should be "Careener" which best describes his unpredictable style of play. When you hear baseball people talk about a player being rushed to the big leagues, Carrera in 2011 is what it looks like.

Pushed onto the big-league roster before he was ready because of all the injuries, Carrera careened around the field at 100 mph, not unlike a balloon does when you blow it up and just let it go. He showed minimal baseball instincts in tracking balls in the outfield or running the bases. At this point he's mostly just fast, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he spends all of next year doing wheelies at Columbus.

Sizemore? Who knows? If the Indians bring him back you put him out there and hold your breath. Can he stay healthy? If so, can he be productive? If not, Brantley or Crowe would be a potential Plan B, as would — eee-gads! — The Careener.

"When Grady is healthy, he's a very productive major-league player. We saw some of that this year," said General Manager Chris Antonetti.

Or is center field ultimately the position the Indians intend to acquire the big bat to play? Carlos Beltran, anyone? (Altogether now: "Yeah, right").

"Adding a bat will help," said Manager Manny Acta, not speaking specifically about center field. "We don't care if he's a right-handed or left-handed hitter, as long as he can hit."

Right field

The best thing you can say about Shin-Soo Choo's 2011 is that it's over. The drunk driving arrest, the broken thumb, the thumb surgery, the strained oblique, finishing the season on the 60-day disabled list. It's seasons like this that give train wrecks a bad name.

He went from hitting .300 with 22 homers and 90 RBI in 144 games in 2010 to .259-8-36 in 85 games in 2011. If Choo is healthy in 2012, which he should be, the Indians no longer have a code red in right field.

"He struggled to get off to a good start (in 2011), and was just starting to play his best when he got hit by the pitch that broke his thumb," said Antonetti.

The Indians need a huge bounce-back year from Choo because it seems unlikely they will bring back Kosuke Fukudome, who played surprisingly well after being acquired in a trade from the Cubs. But Fukudome is a free agent, coming off making $13 million in 2011, and he'll turn 35 in April.

So it's easy to see the hand writing on the wall.

"Depending on how our offseason goes," said Antonetti, "we'd like to have him back."

Translation: the Indians aren't going to break the bank to do so.

By the numbers

The Indians in 2011 were well below the American League average for offensive production at the three outfield positions. Listed below are the batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage of Indians left fielders, center fielders, and right fielders, compared to the American League average for those positions.

BA OBP SLG

LEFT FIELD

AL average 251 311 393

Indians 233 303 336

CENTER FIELD

AL average 260 317 410

Indians 248 301 384

RIGHT FIELD

AL average 267 337 431

Indians 246 316 370

Indians roster analysis: Tribe needs more from Carmona, Jimenez
Published: Thursday, October 06, 2011


By Jim Ingraham
JIngraham@News-Herald.com




The most unfortunate aspect of the Indians' failure in their unexpected run at winning the Central Division title in 2011 was it wasted a playoff-caliber bullpen. The Indians had their best bullpen since the 100-win American League champs of 1995.

On the other hand, it's remarkable the Indians were able to stay in the race until late August despite a starting rotation in which their opening-day starter, the default No. 1, had a plus-5.00 ERA and led the team in losses for the second straight season, an opening-day rotation so riddled by injuries that 40 percent of it spent a huge chunk of the season on the disabled list, including one starter who eventually had Tommy John surgery and likely won't pitch again until 2013.

Ten pitchers started games for the Indians in 2011. In 36 games — 22 percent of their season — the Indians' starting pitcher was a rookie, Mitch Talbot, who spent much of this season at Class AAA Columbus, or David Huff, who spent most of the last two seasons at Columbus.

Meanwhile, alleged ace Ubaldo Jimenez, acquired at a hefty price in a blockbuster midseason trade, had virtually no impact at all.

Overall, the Indians' pitching staff finished 10th in the American League with a 4.23 ERA. That's a marginal improvement over 2010, when they were 11th with a 4.30 ERA.

Here's a look at the starting pitching and relief pitching as the Indians begin the offseason and look ahead to 2012.

Starters

There are no looming major roster or contract decisions involving the pitching staff. All of the key guys will be back next year, including Fausto Carmona, on whom the Indians hold a club option. But even if they choose not to exercise that option, Carmona is eligible for salary arbitration and, thus, remains under the Indians' control for one more year.

Now, about that option. It's $7 million for a pitcher who, if you throw out his aberrational 2007 season, has a record of 34-58 with a 5.05 ERA in the other five years of his career. That includes the last two years, when he's lost 29 games and had a winning percentage of .408.

Given, however, that Carlos Carrasco will likely miss all of next year while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and that the Indians traded their top two pitching prospects to get Jimenez, it seems likely the team will pick up Carmona's option. Even if they don't, Carmona, who made $6.1 million in 2011, will get something close to that through arbitration.

Not surprisingly, then, Tribe officials continue to talk the good talk about their confounding right-hander, who will pitch next season at 28, but still too often pitches like a rookie.

"It's no secret that it's taken him longer to transition from being a thrower to a pitcher. But he did have the third-lowest run support in the league last year," said Manager Manny Acta.

"He pitched at a high level in 2007 and has the potential to do that again if he can get more consistent with his delivery," said General Manager Chris Antonetti.

In other words, Carmona will be in the Indians' rotation for at least one more year. The difference, however, is he has gone from being the No. 1 starter to a No. 3 or 4 starter.

The new No. 1 is Justin Masterson, who had a sensational, and deceiving, breakout season in 2011. In a team-high 33 starts, he was 12-10, and he could have easily won 16 or 17 games with better run support. His ERA was 2.82 through August, before he appeared to tire in September, finishing with a 3.21 ERA.

Strike-throwing machine Josh Tomlin also had a breakout season, going 12-7 and leading all major-league pitchers with an average of just 1.1 walks per nine innings.

Jimenez was a bust, not a boost, to the rotation, going 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA in 11 starts. Team officials seem inclined to write it off as simply a bad year, which began with an injury and never got off the ground.

"He wasn't able to catch up after the injury, but the stuff is there, and now he knows the American League," said Acta.

The fifth spot in the rotation will be a spring training battle, with the candidates being Huff, Jeanmar Gomez (who led the International League with a 2.55 ERA at Columbus), Zach McAllister (12-3 at Columbus) and perhaps Talbot.

The Indians would like to add another starter during the offseason, but even if they don't, the rotation going into spring training next year looks far better than it did a year ago.

Bullpen

It ain't broke, so there's no need to fix it. Closer Chris Perez and setup men Joe Smith, Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp and Vinnie Pestano were, as a unit, about as good as it gets in the American League.

What should scare Tribe officials, however, is the inherent volatility that historically affects bullpens. It's not unusual for the same group of relievers to be lights out one year, then get lit up the next.

Perez is already fifth on the Indians' career saves list with 60. His 36 saves in 2011 was the ninth-highest single-season total in Tribe history.

Smith's 2.01 ERA ranked fourth among AL relievers, and Pestano had a 2.32 ERA and averaged 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Smith and Rafael Perez both appeared in 71 games. The only AL pitcher who appeared in more was Tigers closer Jose Valverde (75). Sipp is a rare lefty who can dominate right-handed hitters, who only batted .180 against him.

The Indians also have an inventory of young major league-ready relievers, which could allow them to perhaps use one of the big five in a trade. But as they begin their offseason cycle, the least of the worries for Indians officials is the state of their bullpen.

By the numbers

A comparison between the Indians' top five relievers in their AL pennant-winning season of 1995 and the top five relievers in 2011. Listed are each pitcher's won-loss record, ERA and opponents' batting average. The pitchers' ages are in parentheses:

1995

Pitcher (age): W-L, ERA, OBA

Jose Mesa (29): 3-0, 1.13, .216

Julian Tavarez (22): 10-2, 2.44, .235

Eric Plunk (31): 6-2, 2.67, 211

Paul Assenmacher (34): 6-2, 2.82, .225

Jim Poole (29): 3-3, 3.75, .217

2011

Chris Perez (25): 4-7, 3.32, .215

Joe Smith (27): 3-3, 2.01, .217

Rafael Perez (29): 5-2, 3.00, .253

Tony Sipp (27): 6-3, 3.03, .201

Vinnie Pestano (26): 1-2, 2.32, .184

Note: Mesa had a club-record 46 saves in 1995. Chris Perez had 36 in 2011.

Just posted but rather dated already from Stephanie Storm picked up by BA.


CLEVELAND—Come September, fresh faces from the minor leagues begin to appear en masse in major league lineups.

For righthander Zach Putnam and lefthander Nick Hagadone, their major league debuts came not only as a pat on the back of sorts for a solid season, but as a way for the club's brass to further determine their roles come next season.

Putnam, 24, spent the entire season at Triple-A Columbus, where he had a 3.65 ERA with nine saves in 44 appearances. In 69 innings, he walked 23 and struck out 68.

"He's an option for us next year and we want to take a look at him," Indians manager Manny Acta said. "He's got a couple of (good) out pitches."

Putnam had just recorded two saves in as many opportunities for the Clippers in the International League playoffs before being called up Sept. 13 to join the Indians for a three-game series in Texas.

"This is awesome," said Putnam, who got his first taste of hanging out with his Tribe teammates during the spring in big league camp in Goodyear, Ariz. "Honestly, I'm still kind of numb."

But he woke up from his reverie a little later that evening, when Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre welcomed Putnam to the majors with a 418-foot home run.
Hagadone's debut was rocky as well, as the 25-year-old gave up three runs on two hits in 12⁄3 innings during a 7-0 loss to Oakland.

"There's a lot of upside in a lefthander that throws 95-98 mph," farm director Ross Atkins said. "When the consistency of his fastball and slider comes, there's no limit to what he can't do."

there's no limit to what he can't do."

That's not a very positive approach to take, Ross

No surprise to some Peralta has excelled

Published: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 7:58 AM Updated: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 8:01 AM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

Arlington, Texas — The emails and online comments keep coming.

The curious want to know who is playing shortstop for the Detroit Tigers. They recognize the unique spelling of the first name, but not the stats. Jhonny Peralta goes into Game 1 of the American League Championship Series tonight against Texas at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington apparently a changed man.
Peralta hit .299 (157-for-525) with 25 doubles, three triples, 21 homers and 86 RBI for the AL Central champs. He hit .222 as the Tigers went the distance in the five-game AL Division Series to defeat New York at Yankee Stadium and received praise for, gather yourself, his play at shortstop.

Indians fans say they have never seen Peralta play this well. They feel secure in that knowledge because he was the Tribe’s shortstop and third baseman from 2003 through July 2010 when he was traded to Detroit in a salary
dump.

Tigers DH Victor Martinez does not go along with the prevailing line of thought that an alien has taken over Peralta’s body.

“ Jhonny is the same good player he’s been his whole career,” said Martinez, who came up through the Indians’ minor-league system with Peralta. “I’m just being honest with you.”

Martinez, traded to Boston the year before Peralta was shipped to Detroit, still has a soft spot for Cleveland.

“My family, my son, even my mom will always have Cleveland in our hearts,” said Martinez. “That is a place that saw me grow up as a person and a player. I will always have a special thing for Cleveland.
“But this is something I don’t understand. When we come to Cleveland, why do they boo Jhonny? Just look around at the shortstops they’ve been running through the organization. Jhonny has been one of the greatest offensive shortstops in the organization.”

Peralta shows little, if any, emotion on the field. He’s a flat-liner who plays at one speed. Cleveland fans sometimes interpreted that as Peralta not caring.

“I’ve been playing with Jhonny since Single-A,” said Martinez. “Sometimes it looks like he doesn’t care. But that’s his personality and you can’t change that. But he really cares and he really works hard to get himself ready to play every day. As a teammate, that’s something you really appreciate.”

Peralta, the Indians’ all-time home run leader among shortstops, played 146 games this year, third most on the Tigers. In five full seasons with the Indians, he averaged 149 games a year.

“ Jhonny did a lot of great things in Cleveland,” said Martinez. People are surprised he hit 21 homers this year. He hit 24 one year [2005] in Cleveland. He almost had 90 RBI another year [2008]. He’s been a good player.”

Peralta says one of the reasons he’s had such a good year at the plate is because right after the trade, Tigers manager Jim Leyland moved him back to shortstop. He was moved to third in 2009 in Cleveland by then-manager Eric Wedge to make room for Asdrubal Cabrera.

“Shortstop is my natural position,” said Peralta. “When I played short, I relaxed. I feel comfortable.

“The move to third base didn’t bother me that much, but I worried too much about my defense. It was a new position and it bothered me a little when I went to hit.”

Before the Tigers signed Martinez to a four-year, $50 million contract last off-season, they called Peralta.
“They asked me, ‘What do you think of Victor?’ ” said Peralta. “I said we need this guy here. He’s a really good hitter and he’s going to bring a lot of energy to the team. What I said he’d do, he’s done.”

Martinez hit .330 (178-for-540) with 40 doubles, 12 homers and 103 RBI in the regular season. He drove in the winning run in Detroit’s 3-2 victory Thursday night in Game 5.

Peralta’s wife, Molly, is from the Cleveland area. They still own a house there. He has heard all that talk about “where was this guy when he played for the Tribe?”

“I know a lot of people are surprised at what I’ve done this year,” said Peralta. “But a lot of people aren’t surprised because they know what I’ve done in the past.”

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

2011 Indians In Review: Injuries, losses never dulled the Tribe's passion

Published: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 6:01 PM Updated: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 6:02 PM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians were beaten, make that crushed, in the first game of the season. By the end of that fourth inning, the White Sox were leading, 14-0. By the end of the game, it was 15-10 Chicago as a Progressive Field crowd of more than 41,000 left grumbling.

Fausto Carmona, the Indians' best starter, didn't get an out in the fourth inning. He allowed 10 runs on 11 hits in three innings. His performance set records for ineptitude.

Was manager Manny Acta, after a spring training of plotting and planning, beside himself? Not quite.

"I've never been beaten so badly, but felt so good," said Acta, recently.

That was because the Indians rallied. They scored four runs in the sixth against Mark Buehrle, Chicago's top starter. They scored three more in the seventh with Jack Hannahan and Carlos Santana hitting home runs. They added two more on Michael Brantley's single in the eighth and another run in the ninth.

Defeat spawned the best trait of the 2011 Indians: the ability to not only rally, but win games late.
Orlando Cabrera, the $1 million veteran the Indians signed in spring training, planted the seed with his incessant talk of two-out rallies. Long after he was traded to the Giants on July 30, players were still wearing his two-out rally T-shirts and still winning in the late innings.

Yes, the Indians blew a seven-game lead in late May. They were Cinderella four months too early. Still, it took them a long time to turn back into a pumpkin. They weren't eliminated until Sept. 16.


Late-inning rallies and good pitching, particularly in the bullpen, made the Indians' season. Injuries cut the heart out of this team, but they were not mortal wounds.

When the Indians lost Grady Sizemore (left knee) and Asdrubal Cabrera (broken left forearm) within two days of each other in May of 2010, the offense was done for the rest of the season. They lost 93 games and were lucky it wasn't more.

This year the Indians lost Sizemore three times, Shin-Soo Choo three times, and Travis Hafner twice. Matt LaPorta, Brantley, Hannahan and Jason Kipnis all made one trip each to the disabled list. The Indians still won 80 games, 18 in their last at-bat at home.

It gave an element of danger to the offense. Yes, they were shut out 13 times (no-hit once by the Angels Ervin Santana) and averaged just 4.35 runs, but the spray chart was a little wider this year. They had more guys capable of doing more damage.

Some last at-bat flashbacks:

• April 29 vs. Detroit: Carlos Santana beat the Tigers, 9-5, with a one-out slam in the ninth.
• April 30 vs. Detroit: Orlando Cabrera singled home Brantley in the 13th inning for a 3-2 win.
• May 10 vs. Tampa Bay: Brantley drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the ninth for a 5-4 victory.

Let's hear it for the walk-off walk.

• May 13 vs. Seattle: With the Tribe down, 4-3, and one out in the ninth, Hafner hit a two-run homer for a 5-4 victory.
• July 7 vs. Seattle: With the Tribe down, 4-1, and one out in the ninth, Hafner hit a slam to win it, 5-4. Drive by Progressive Field today and you can still hear the echoes of the cheers.
• July 25 vs. Los Angeles: With the Tribe down, 2-1, with two out, rookie Jason Kipnis collected his first big-league hit and RBI with a walk-off single for a 3-2 victory.

Besides their 18 last at-bat wins at home, the Indians did it three more times on the road. It wasn't a
fluke.

Acta, after watching player after player land on the disabled list, told reporters that he needed heroes to step up and win games. He kept getting applications from the most unlikely corners of the lineup.

When a team wins games as the Indians did, the starting pitchers often get overlooked. They pitch six or seven good innings, but they're sitting on the bench or waiting at the plate when the guy who hit the latest game-winning homer is mobbed.

Justin Masterson did that. He finished the year at 12-10, but the Indians went 20-13 in the 33 games he started. He made one relief appearance.

Josh Tomlin went 12-7, but the Indians were 14-12 in his 26 starts. Fausto Carmona went 7-15, but the Indians were 13-19 in his 32 starts.

In the bullpen, Acta went to a core of five pitchers when he was trying to give his offense time to get going. The set-up men were lefties Tony Sipp and Rafael Perez and righties Vinnie Pestano and Joe Smith.

Chris Perez was the closer. Smith and Rafael Perez finished tied for second in the AL with 71 appearances each. Sipp was tied for seventh with 69. Sipp registered 24 holds, Pestano 23, Smith 23 and Rafael Perez 12.

A hold is an unofficial stat measuring the effectiveness of relievers. A reliever is credited with a hold if he enters the game with his team in the lead in a save situation. If he hands that lead to another reliever, he's credited with a hold.

It was the perfect bullpen for the Indians' late-inning offense.

When the race was over, after the Indians had been eliminated by the Tigers, Acta gave the Indians a few days to gather themselves. Since spring training, their goal had been to win the division. The fast start might have faded, but they still had a chance to accomplish things.

He met with the team and asked them to refocus on finishing with a winning record and in second place in the AL Central. He gave the new goal a name: "Pride plus 10."

Pride had to do with finishing the season with the best record possible. Plus 10 had a different meaning. It was about the estimated $10,000 each player receives from the postseason players' playoff pool if their team finishes second.

On the last day of the regular season, before the Indians played Detroit, Chicago lost to Toronto. The loss clinched second place in the AL Central for the Tribe. It was the first time Indians players cashed a playoff share since 2007.

Highlights and lowlights

Positives

1. Justin Masterson emerged as 200-inning No.1 starter.
2. Asdrubal Cabrera set a club record for shortstops with 25 homers.
3. Carlos Santana set a club record for homers by a switch-hitter with 27.
4. GM Chris Antonetti brought back franchise home run leader Jim Thome in a deadline-deal with the Twins.
5. Rookie reliever Vinnie Pestano finished fifth in the AL with 84 strikeouts in 62 innings.

Negatives

1. After a 30-15 start, the Indians went 50-67 the rest of the way.
2. The Indians used the disabled 22 times, losing 826 player days. In 2010, they used it 14 times and lost 673 player days.
3. The Indians lost 10 straight games to first-place Detroit, starting on Aug. 11.
4. Opening Day starter Fausto Carmona lost a career-high 15 games.
5. For the fourth straight year the Indians did not have a player reach 100 RBI. Asdrubal Cabrera led the team with 92.

— Paul Hoynes

2011 Indians In Review: Breaking down the season, month by month

Published: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 5:59 PM Updated: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 5:59 PM

By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A monthly breakdown of the Indians' 2011 season:

APRIL

Won -- 18 Lost -- 8
Batting avg: .272 (Hafner .342; Brantley .297)
Home runs: 34 (Cabrera, Santana – 5)
RBI: 135 (Cabrera, Santana – 17)
Wins: 18 (Masterson – 5; Tomlin – 4)
ERA: .349 (R. Perez – 0.00; Pestano, Sipp – 0.80)
Saves: 6 (C. Perez – 6)
Disabled list: INF Jason Donald (right hand), OF Grady Sizemore (left knee), RHP Joe Smith (abdominal strain), OF Trevor Crowe (right shoulder) and INF Jared Goedert (abdominal) opened on the DL. RHP Mitch Talbot (April 17, right elbow), RHP Carlos Carrasco (April 28, right elbow).
Activated: Smith (April 15), Sizemore (April 17), Donald (April 29, optioned to Class AAA Columbus).
Comment: The Indians, criticized in recent years for slow starts, set a franchise record for victories in April with 18. The White Sox beat them in the first two games of the season, but they responded with eight straight wins for their longest winning streak of the season. It was clear something was afoot when Boston, a preseason pick to win the World Series, followed Chicago into town only to get swept in a three-game series. The Indians completed the sweep with a 1-0 victory on Asdrubal Cabrera's squeeze with one out in the eighth. They finished the month with five straight victories to lead the AL Central by 4 1/2 games.

MAY

Won -- 14 Lost --12
Batting avg: .248 (A. Cabrera .330; Brantley .278)
Home runs: 18 (A. Cabrera 5; Brantley 3)
RBI: 105 (A. Cabrera 19; Brantley 14)
Wins: 14 (Carrasco 3; Durbin, Tomlin 2)
ERA: 4.01 (Sipp, Smith – 0.88)
Saves: 8 (C. Perez – 8)

Disabled list: Sizemore (May 15, right knee), DH Travis Hafner (May 20, right oblique), RHP Alex White (May 21, right middle finger).
Activated: Carrasco (May 11), Talbot (May 26), Sizemore (May 27), Goedert (May 30, optioned to Columbus).
Comment: The pace slowed for Manny Acta's team, but they still ruled the AL Central. On May 1, they completed a three-game home sweep of Detroit with each win coming in their final at-bat. Shin-Soo Choo was arrested for DUI, an incident that affected him on and off the field for much of the year. Justin Masterson, who won five straight starts in April, went 0-3 in six starts. While Masterson struggled, Josh Talbot flourished. After going 4-0 in April, he improved to 6-1 on May 21 in beating Cincinnati in the middle game of a three-game sweep. Closer Chris Perez and the Bullpen Mafia were hot as well. Perez ended May with 14 saves in 15 chances. The Indians held a five-game lead in the AL Central at the end of May, but lost Sizemore and Hafner to injuries. The offense really never regained its momentum.

JUNE

Won --10 Lost -- 17
Batting avg: .228 (A. Cabrera .297; Hafner .286)
Home runs: 18 (Santana 5; A. Cabrera 3)
RBI: 82 (Santana 12; A. Cabrera 11)
Wins: 10 (Carrasco 4; Tomlin 3)
ERA: .398 (Smith 0.00; Herrmann 0.93)
Saves: 5 (C. Perez – 5)
Disabled list: 1B Matt LaPorta (June 18, right ankle), Shin-Soo Choo (June 25, left thumb).
Activated: Hafner (June 17).
Comment: If there was ever a doubt that shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was going to the All-Star Game, he put an end to it by hitting .297 (33-for-111) with three homers and 11 RBI. It came on the heels of a sizzling May (.330, five homers, 19 RBI). The Indians started June with two wins, but Texas came to town and swept a four-game series. The Rangers would go 9-1 against the Tribe. The offense hit just .228. Hafner was back after a strained oblique, but Matt LaPorta and Choo hit the disabled list. Carlos Carrasco returned from a sore right elbow in April to have his best month as an Indian. He went 4-2 in six starts. With the Indians getting no production out of third base, Lonnie Chisenhall was recalled from Class AAA Columbus on June 27. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI against Arizona in his big-league debut. The Indians ended the month a half-game out of first.

JULY

Won --11 Lost -- 15
Batting avg: .235 (Brantley .294; Sizemore .283)
Home runs: 23 (A. Cabrera, Santana – 4)
RBI: 95 (A. Cabrera 14; Hafner 13)
Wins: 11 ( Masterson, Sipp – 3)
ERA: .449 (Huff 0.71; Smith 1.23)
Saves: 5 (C. Perez 3; Pestano 2)
Disabled list: RHP Fausto Carmona (July 3, right quadriceps), Talbot (July 13, lower back strain), Sizemore (July 18, right knee).
Activated: Carmona (June 18).
Comment: The Indians had their second straight losing month, but first year GM Chris Antonetti was busy trying to stay in the race. He acquired outfielder Kosuke Fukudome from the Cubs on July 28 after Sizemore went on the DL with a bruised right knee on July 18. Antonetti followed with the biggest deal of his still-young career, shipping top pitching prospects Alex White and Drew Pomeranz to Colorado, along with two other minor leaguers, for Ubaldo Jimenez. Before those deals took place, second baseman Jason Kipnis was recalled from Class AAA Columbus on July 22. Acta needed a spark for his struggling offense and Kipnis provided it, but not until August. Cabrera was the starting shortstop for the AL at the All-Star Game in Phoenix after Derek Jeter bowed out with an injury. Acta served as one of AL manager Ron Washington's coaches. Overall, they were 53-52, and 2 1/2 games out of first.

AUGUST

Won -- 15 Lost -- 13
Batting avg: .263 (Donald .295; Fukudome .293)
Home runs: 24 (Santana 6; Kipnis 5)
RBI: 118 (Santana 19; A. Cabrera 17)
Wins: 15 (Herrmann 3; Huff, Masterson, C. Perez - 2)
ERA: 3.67 (Pestano 0.66; Sipp 0.71)
Saves: 8 (C. Perez – 8)
Disabled list: Carrasco (Aug. 8, right elbow), 2B Kipnis (Aug. 19, right hamstring), Hafner (Aug. 22, right foot), OF Michael Brantley (Aug. 26, right hand), RHP Tomlin (Aug. 26, right elbow).
Activated: Choo (Aug. 12).
Comment: Kipnis did just what Acta wanted him to do. Starting on Aug. 1, he homered in four of his first six games. On Aug. 10, he had five hits and scored four runs in a 10-3 victory over Detroit. Then, like so many others before him, Kipnis went on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring muscle. He would not return until Sept. 6. Jimenez made his first start as an Indian on Aug. 5. He hit 98 mph and threw too many pitches in too short a time. The Indians rarely saw 98 mph again from Jimenez, but did see plenty of 3-2 counts. By Aug. 18, the Indians were within 1 1/2 games of the first-place Tigers. They arrived in Detroit for a three-game series and were swept out of the Motor City. The race was settled right there. On Aug. 26, Antonetti swung a deal with the Twins to bring Jim Thome back to Cleveland. It was a feel-good trade that helped attendance, but had little affect on the race. Vinnie Pestano, part of the Bullpen Mafia, allowed one run in 14 appearances for a 0.66 ERA. The Indians were 68-65 overall, 5 1/2 games out of first.

SEPTEMBER

Won -- 12 Lost -- 17
Batting avg: .254 (Donald .348; Thome .333)
Home runs: 32 (Duncan 7; Santana 6)
RBI: 136 (Duncan 23; A. Cabrera, Chisenhall 14)
Wins: 12 (Gomez 4; Jimenez, Masterson 2)
ERA: .578 (McAlister 1.74; Pestano 1.93)
Saves: 6 (C. Perez – 6)
Disabled list: Choo (Sept. 1, left oblique), Choo (Sept. 24, left oblique).
Activated: Sizemore (Sept. 5), Kipnis (Sept. 6), Crowe (Sept. 7), Hafner (Sept. 11), Choo (Sept. 15).
Comment: The relentless Tigers, just to make sure no one missed their memo in August, swept the Indians at Progressive Field in a three-game series Sept. 5-7 to drop them to 9 1/2 games out. In the third game against Detroit, Shelley Duncan hit two homers off Justin Verlander. It started a great month for Duncan (.265, seven HRs, 23 RBI), which should reserve a job for him next year. Jeanmar Gomez took September by storm as well. He won four straight before losing his final start in place of Tomlin, shut down in August because of a sore right elbow. The Indians were eliminated on Sept. 16. They went 7-7 over their last 14 games to finish second in the AL Central. They had a chance to finish with a winning record, but lost three straight to the Tigers to end 80-82.

Quick hits from the Indians 2011 season

Final record: 80-82
Home: 44-37
Road: 36-45
April: 18-8
May: 14-12
June: 10-17
July: 11-15
August: 15-13
September: 12-17
Monday: 12-7
Tuesday: 11-16
Wednesday: 11-14
Thursday: 8-9
Friday: 14-11
Saturday: 15-10
Sunday: 9-15
High-water mark: 30-15 (May 23)
Low-water mark: 72-75 (Sept. 15)
Largest lead: Seven games (latest: May 23)
Largest deficit: 15 games (latest: final day of season)
Longest winning streak: 8 (April 3-11)
Longest losing streak: 5 (June 2-6)
vs. AL East: 19-18
vs. AL West: 14-21
vs. AL Central: 36-36
vs. National League: 11-7
Days in first place: 95 (last: July 20)
Comeback victories: 36
Last-at-bat victories: 23
Walk-off homers: 7
Run differential: Minus-56
Team leaders
Batting average: Asdrubal Cabrera, .273
Home runs: Carlos Santana, 27
Victories: Justin Masterson, Josh Tomlin, 12
Saves: Chris Perez, 36
vs. lefties: Asdrubal Cabrera (.291/6/27), Jack Hannahan (.296/2/19), Carlos Santana (.318/5/25).
vs. righties: Asdrubal Cabrera (.265/19/65), Shelley Duncan (.273/10/29),Matt LaPorta (.260/10/44), Carlos Santana (.201/22/54).
At home: Chris Perez (4-4/18/1.35), Travis Hafner (.288/9/30)
On road: Justin Masterson (8-5/3.15), Vinnie Pestano (0-2/2/1.35)
RISP: Travis Hafner (.383), Jack Hannahan (.377), Shelley Duncan (.357), Asdrubal Cabrera (.314).
Indians went a combined 14-30 against 2011 playoff teams, including 7-21 against Detroit and Texas.
Indians outscored by a combined 174-101 against Detroit and Texas.
— Compiled by Dennis Manoloff, with the assistance of Indians media relations, baseball-reference.com

Sunday: 9-15

That's interesting...I'd like to see what the Sunday record for other seasons has been. I seem to recall Cali or someone else pointing out that we have historically sucked on Sundays.

"Josh Talbot" oooops

2011 Indians In Review: Ranking the 40-man roster
Published: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 5:59 PM Updated: Saturday, October 08, 2011, 6:00 PM
By Paul Hoynes, The Plain Dealer



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here's a look at the Indians' 40-man roster as rated by Plain Dealer baseball writer Paul Hoynes. Rankings are based on a player's value to the franchise headed into the off-season. Players on the disabled list are also listed.
1. Carlos Santana C-1B: Should be able to build a winner around him.
2. Justin Masterson RHP: Has the potential to win 17-18 games.
3. Asdrubal Cabrera SS: Needs to stay strong for a full season.
4. Shin-Soo Choo* OF: Still think he can hit .300 with 20-20.
5. Ubaldo Jimenez RHP: Mechanics need to be smoothed out in spring.
6. Chris Perez RHP: Solid closer, must pitch better in non-save situations.
7. Josh Tomlin* RHP: Strike thrower who needs to pitch 180-200 innings.
8. Joe Smith RHP: What will he do following a career season?
9. Rafael Perez LHP: 70 or more appearances in three of last four years.
10. Vinnie Pestano RHP: Future closer, workload could be an issue.
11. Grady Sizemore OF: Does he stay or does he go?
12. Tony Sipp LHP: Great numbers vs. lefties and righties. Wears down.
13. Travis Hafner DH: When healthy, stabilizes the lineup.
14. Jim Thome DH: Free agent power threat who could retire.
15. Michael Brantley* OF: Neutralized by lefties in 2011.
16. Fausto Carmona RHP: Inconsistent, but durable. Stock has dropped.
17. Shelley Duncan OF: Has power, mentally tough, always prepared.
18. Jason Kipnis 2B: Offensive promise, defense needs work.
19. Matt LaPorta 1B: Indians need offensive consistency.
20. Jack Hannahan 3B: Great glove starting or off the bench.
21. Carlos Carrasco* RHP: Gone until 2013 because of Tommy John.
22. Lonnie Chisenhall 3B: Run producer who needs work at third.
23. Lou Marson C: Good backup catcher who doesn't hit much.
24. Kosuke Fukudome OF: Free agent who won't be back if Sizemore returns.
25. Jeanmar Gomez RHP: Fourth or fifth starter.
26. David Huff LHP: Inconsistent left-handed option for rotation.
27. Frank Herrmann RHP: Long man who needs to improve against lefties.
28. Chad Durbin RHP: Free agent who struggled as a set-up man.
29. Ezequiel Carrera OF: Runs like the wind, but game needs polish.
30. Trevor Crowe OF: If healthy can help as an extra outfielder.
31. Mitch Talbot RHP: Inconsistent starter. Health is a concern.
32. Nick Hagadone LHP: Bullpen option if he throws strikes.
33. Jason Donald INF: Utility infielder who makes good contact.
34. Zach Putnam RHP: Bullpen option if vets get too expensive.
35. Josh Judy RHP: Triple-A closer, hit around in bigs.
36. Zach McAllister RHP: Depth starter.
37. Luis Valbuena INF: Triple-A All-Star who struggles in bigs.
38. Cord Phelps INF: Defense needs work.
39. Jered Head OF: Good year at Triple-A, depth outfielder.
40. Corey Kluber RHP: Spent most year at Triple-A, depth starter.
41. Kelvin De La Cruz LHP: Has a chance to help in the pen.
42. Hector Rondon* RHP: Missed most of last season because of Tommy John.
43. Nick Weglarz OF: Can't stay healthy.
44. Thomas Neal* OF: Acquired from Giants for Orlando Cabrera.
* On the disabled list.

Here's a look at the Indians' 40-man roster as rated by Plain Dealer baseball writer Paul Hoynes. Rankings are based on a player's value to the franchise headed into the off-season. Players on the disabled list are also listed.

#17 - Shelley Duncan

#18 - Jason Kipnis

Really ?

#8 Joe Smith ?

#12 Tony Sipp ?

Someone slipped Hoynes some money to list those guys where he did. If that is their value around MLB then trade them fast.

R.I.P.: 2011 Cleveland Indians

Posted on: October 10, 2011 1:20 pm

By Matt Snyder

Another season gone, another disappointment for 29 teams as one is immortalized forever. Let’s take a look back at 2011 and forward in Eye on Baseball’s R.I.P. series...

Team name: Cleveland Indians
Record: 80-82, second place in AL Central, 15 games back
Manager: Manny Acta
Best hitter: Asdrubal Cabrera -- .273/.332/.460, 25 HR, 92 RBI, 87 R, 17 SB
Best pitcher: Justin Masterson -- 12-10, 3.21 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 158 K, 216 IP

2011 SEASON RECAP

Winning 80 games, finishing second in the AL Central and seeing the growth of several promising young players would have almost certainly sounded like a great goal to begin the season, after the Indians lost 93 games in 2010. But the way it all went down meant that the season ended up feeling like a punch to the gut. On May 23, the Indians won to give them a 30-15 record and a seven-game lead in the Central. They were even tied for first as late as July 20 and climbed to within 1.5 games in mid-August, but then the Tigers got hot and the Indians just couldn't keep up.


Still, the Indians saw great things from many young players, which provides hope for the future. Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, Lonnie Chisenhall, Asdrubal Cabrera, Justin Masterson, Chris Perez, Joe Smith and Vinnie Pestano are absolutely a part of the solution in Cleveland.

2012 AUDIT

The Indians look to bring back a very similar ballclub to the one that finished the 2011 season. Full, healthy seasons from both Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo along with progress from many of the young players in house would help the Indians compete in the AL Central. According to most evaluation resources, the upper levels of the minors doesn't have much more help coming for the Indians -- because we saw all of the top prospects this season. Oh, and traded away the top two pitching prospects for Ubaldo Jimenez.

FREE AGENTS

Jim Thome, DH
Kosuke Fukudome, OF
Grady Sizemore, OF (club option for $8.5 million)
Fausto Carmona, SP (club option for $7 million)
Chad Durbin, RP

OFFSEASON FOCUS
This may be unpopular, but I'd pick up Sizemore's option. He's still 29 and if his surgery last week fixed all the issues with his knee, it's entirely possible he returns to previous form -- which is an All-Star center fielder. Plus, having Sizemore around opens up a lot of options. If the Indians decide midseason to trade him, he could net a good return, assuming he's healthy. Michael Brantley could then slide over to center. But if Sizemore does return to All-Star form, they'll have a shot at locking him up as the veteran centerpiece of their young nucleus -- many of whom won't be free agents for four or five years.

A decision has to be made at first base. Do they give Matt LaPorta one more season to see if he finally sticks? He's only 26. He also hasn't even come close to reaching the potential that made him the main piece of the CC Sabathia trade. Another option would be to move slugging catcher Carlos Santana to first for good, making Lou Marson the everyday catcher. A final option is to pursue a cheap first baseman on the free agency market (Casey Kotchman would work) or trade for one. If the Dodgers decide to trade James Loney, he'd be a nice fit. Kotchman seems like a pretty good direction, as he'd be affordable and maybe even could be had on a one-year deal. LaPorta can serve as a backup and if he all of a sudden turns the corner, there's a spot waiting for him.

Invent a time machine, go back to late July and don't make the Ubaldo Jimenez trade. I kid, but man, Alex White and Drew Pomeranz would fit so perfectly with the direction of this team. Jimenez has been absolutely mediocre for the past season and a half. But what's done is done and the Indians have to hope he reverts back to the form he had when he started 2010 11-1 with a 0.93 ERA.

Mostly, these Indians need to stay the course. The youthful foundation is growing up together. Kipnis and Chisenhall have joined Santana, Cabrera, Masterson and the "Bullpen Mafia" as a strong core of players all still in their 20s and only scratching the surface of how good they can be. The 2012 season will provide answers to some questions (Sizemore, Carmona, how good some of the young players can be, LaPorta, etc.) to provide a better road map as to how the 2013 season will look. All the top prospects have either been promoted or traded, so what you see at the big-league level is what you get for the next few years.

If everything falls into place, the Indians contend for the next three seasons. If injuries continue to derail Choo and Sizemore while several of the young players don't pan out, it's going to be a long next three seasons. Time will tell, but they need to see what they have.

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we have some relief depth....need to find a taker so we can upgrade our outfield.