Indians Tidbits (2006 season)..

[Sloopy45]

That contract for Millwood is outrageous. I think its a good sign for Texas: Hershiser will keep him productive, but this is a guy who couldn't get a TWO year deal just 365 days ago.

Texas will never learn their lesson after the Chan Ho Park debacle. Its like Scott Boras has that front office brainwashed or something ...

 

[Brutus1]

adding depth to the rotation was plan B

Well, if you had kept either Millwood or Elarton, then you would be adding depth by signing Byrd and Johnson, but since they both signed elsewhere, you're not adding depth at all, just replacing.

If the Indians are increasing payroll by 18Mil this season, where is the increase ? Byrd and Johnson account for , what, 10Mil ?

I agree that this certainly was not a very good year for fa's.

 

[Piney]

I wouldn't call it depth either. I would call it buying time until all these "young studs" pitching in the minors are ready for the big leagues which seem to be 1-2 years away.

But really this free agent crop sucked! I can see us extending Cliff Lee sometime during spring training or April/May that will give him a hefty raise.

I will say this though. If there is a player available in June/July come trading time and he is "too expensive" I will be pissed.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free)

12/28/05

Indians Sign Durable Starter Johnson

 

[vrbryant]

I've heard rumblings of Coco Crisp being shopped around. Not sure if it's just teams asking, or if the Indians are actually considering moving him. Frankly, I don't know why you'd give away a 25-year-old switch hitter who has 20/20 ability and a .300 average - but dumber things have happened. Anyone have any info on this?

 

[tsteele316]

I've heard rumblings of Coco Crisp being shopped around. Not sure if it's just teams asking, or if the Indians are actually considering moving him. Frankly, I don't know why you'd give away a 25-year-old switch hitter who has 20/20 ability and a .300 average - but dumber things have happened. Anyone have any info on this?

some boston reporters were speculating that the tribe would trade him to the bosox for arroyo or clement, along with a few tribe prospects. i'm sure if such a deal was actually proposed to shapiro, he would have to put them on speaker phone so the entire front office could laugh directly at them.

The Tribe seems to think that Carmona or Sowers could be ready to get into the rotation this year, but don't want to be in a position where that is necessary. It is hard to keep an entire 5 man rotation healthy all year, especially young kids that aren't used to tossing so many innings (cliff lee in 04). Johnson is equivalent to Elarton in my mind, comes at about the same costs per year, but isnt locked in to a multi-year deal.

 

[redskinbucksfan]

I've heard rumblings of Coco Crisp being shopped around. Not sure if it's just teams asking, or if the Indians are actually considering moving him. Frankly, I don't know why you'd give away a 25-year-old switch hitter who has 20/20 ability and a .300 average - but dumber things have happened. Anyone have any info on this?

I think it's more like teams are inquiring about his availability, and then local sports writers are playing fantasy GM w/ trade possibilities. There's no way he gets traded unless someone really blows Shapiro away, which isn't happening. He is the perfect embodiment of Shapiro/ Wedge's philosophy: Switch hitter who can play multiple positions, bat almost anywhere in the lineup, handles the stick well, hustles, provides some pop, and he's very inexpensive.

 

[Crashcup]

No way Crisp is going anywhere!

Losing Millwood hurt.

Speaking of hurt, Chisox lost the big hurt and that wil hurt them big.

Seriously, didn't Chicago pickup some big name free agent and kept Konerko?

 

[Nate]

I've heard rumblings of Coco Crisp being shopped around. Not sure if it's just teams asking, or if the Indians are actually considering moving him. Frankly, I don't know why you'd give away a 25-year-old switch hitter who has 20/20 ability and a .300 average - but dumber things have happened. Anyone have any info on this?

The initial rumor was Crisp and high level prospect for Arroyo and Marte. With the signing of Johnson we don't need a pitcher.

Boston desperately wants Crisp to replace Damon. We could still trade Crisp to Boston straight up for Marte, and if that's the deal we probably should take it. Marte's upside is huge. He's a power hitting 3rd base prospect. If we aquire him he could play RF or LF until Boone is gone which is next season.

Crisp's value is probably at it's highest right now, especially to a team like Boston who would use him as a CFer.

If you see the Tribe trade for Langerhans (from Atlanta) then I'd say the Crisp for Marte deal could very well happen.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

Tribe close to getting first baseman Eduardo Perez


Tuesday, January 03, 2006 Paul Hoynes

Plain Dealer Reporter
First baseman Eduardo Perez should officially be an Indians player in the next few days.

The Tampa Tribune reported Monday that Perez has come to terms on a one-year deal with the Indians. A club option could be involved.

"There are still things left to do," General Manager Mark Shapiro said. "It's not a done deal."

It's believed Perez, 36, will come to Cleve land this week for a physical.
The right- handed hitting Perez batted .255 (41-for- 161) with six doubles, 11 homers and 28 RBI for Tampa Bay last season. He's expected to platoon at first base with Ben Broussard and give manager Eric Wedge a much needed right-handed bat off the bench.

"He would be a complementary player, not a full-time player," Shapiro said.
Perez, 6-4 and 240 pounds, could be this year's version of Jose Hernandez. Last year, Hernandez played first base against lefties. He hit .269 (39-for-145) with six homers and 23 RBI against left-handers.

Hernandez spent most of his career in the National League as a starter. He had trouble adjusting to platooning.

"Perez hits left-handed pitching, is used to being in this role and knows the American League," Shapiro said.

Last season, Perez hit .259 (35-for-135) with 10 homers and 24 RBI against lefties. He's a .263 (183-for-697) lifetime hitter against lefties with 47 homers and 168 RBI.

He and his father, Hall of Famer Tony Perez, have combined to hit 449 homers, fourth most by a father-and-son combination. Perez was born in Cincinnati while his father was playing for the Reds.

Perez appeared in 77 games last year and made 49 starts - 42 at first base, two in left field and five at DH. Last season, he hit .324 (11-for-34) with seven homers and 11 RBI against the Yankees and Red Sox.

This winter, the Indians courted Brian Giles, Nomar Garciaparra, Eric Byrnes and others in an effort to upgrade first base, right field and the bench. It appears they'll settle for a Broussard-Perez platoon at first.

Broussard hit .255 (119-for-466) with 30 doubles, five triples, 19 homers and 68 RBI last year. He hit .225 (18-for-80) with three homers and 11 RBI against lefties.

Celebrate:

Indians head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff and his bride Alyssa were married on New Year's Eve in Cincinnati.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5754

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Here is a little interesting blurb...

The Cleveland Indians have inquired about Shea Hillenbrand and were told he was not available.
-- Toronto Sun

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free)

1/5/06

Class A Captains Have New Skipper

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

1/7/06

Indians near 1-year deal with Perez

Saturday, January 7, 2006


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
Free agent Eduardo Perez is close to signing a one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians, who plan to use Tampa Bay’s former first baseman in a platoon with Ben Broussard.
Perez batted .255 with 11 homers and 28 RBIs last season for the Devil Rays. The son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez is expected to arrive in Cleveland on Monday, take a physical Tuesday, and if all goes well, finalize his deal.
“It’s not done yet, but I’m optimistic that we can get it done,” Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said.
Perez will give Indians Manager Eric Wedge a much need right-handed hitter off the bench.
Broussard had an inconsistent 2005, batting .255 with 19 homers and 68 RBIs. In 2004, he drove in 82 runs.
In his career against left-handers, the 36-year-old Perez is batting .263 with 47 homers and 168 RBIs.
Perez is a fallback plan for the Indians, who were unsuccessful in trying to sign Nomar Garciaparra, Brian Giles and Eric Byrnes this offseason to help upgrade their right-handed power.
Perez had his best season in 1997 for Cincinnati, when he batted .253 with 16 homers and 52 RBIs.

Leiter, Yankees have deal Al Leiter agreed Friday to a minor-league contract with the New York Yankees, a deal he hopes will be a springboard to a spot on the U.S. team in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. The 40-year-old pitcher is on the 60-man preliminary American roster and thinks there may be an opening for middle relievers because starting pitchers are likely to be forced out of games by pitch limits. Braves, Reitsma agree Relief pitcher Chris Reitsma and the Atlanta Braves avoided arbitration by agreeing Friday to a $2.75 million, one-year contract. Red Sox, Snow near agreement J.T. Snow and the Boston Red Sox reached a preliminary agreement on a $2 million, one-year contract.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

1/9/06

Indians taking swing at TV

They're latest professional team to try creating regional network

By Connie Mabin

Associated Press

<!-- begin body-content -->CLEVELAND - Some say working in television is a competitive sport, but that doesn't necessarily mean pro teams will find success in broadcasting.
The Indians have become the latest of about 30 professional teams to try running a regional network, announcing a deal last week with cable company Time Warner Inc. The New York Mets and Jets plan to launch SportsNet New York this year.
The Indians' goal is to earn more revenue and control programming, much like the New York Yankees' YES Network and the Boston Red Sox's New England Sports Network, which have done well.
But those markets are much larger and richer than Cleveland, and have teams whose appeal goes beyond city limits -- keys, experts say, to sports teams doing well in the TV business.
While teams in New York, Boston, Chicago and California have succeeded, others have failed for various reasons: the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, Charlotte Bobcats and Houston Rockets are a few. Planned networks for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins never panned out.
``Teams are realizing that it's not their business to be in broadcasting,'' said Paul Swangard, director of the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Management Center. He said teams often are unable to absorb millions in upfront costs of building production and other staff, starting studios and buying expensive equipment.
And there's a question of whether viewers will tune in for one team, all the time.
``With all due respect to the Indians, I'm not sure there's an insatiable appetite for Indians programming and nothing else,'' Swangard said.
Indians president Paul Dolan, whose uncle is Cablevision Systems Corp. chief executive Charles Dolan, believes the club will build Fastball Sports Productions into a revenue-producing 24-hour sports network. The Indians would not share any projections on revenue.
``There is risk we won't generate the revenue we think we will, but that risk should be in the first few years. We're always thinking long term,'' Dolan said last week.
The Indians had been shopping for a new television contract since a deal with Fox Sports Net Ohio expired after last season, when the club made $17 million by selling broadcast rights to FSN.
Sterling Entertainment Enterprises, owner of the Mets, will launch SportsNet New York in April with Comcast Corp. and Time Warner. Besides baseball, the network will air more than 230 hours of Jets-related content, including offseason programming.
The network says it will reach 8 million people in the New York area. It anticipates annual revenues of at least $72 million, according to Monterey, Calif.-based Kagan Research, which performs market analysis of media companies.
The Astros ultimately decided against launching a network.
``You have to consider where you are financially, where you are compared to other teams, where you are with your current TV package, what your initial investment is and when your payback comes -- those are all things to consider,'' said Pam Gardner, the Astros president of business operations.
But as teams scramble to boost revenue, more are taking a shot at television and other growing technologies such as the Internet, satellite radio and producing content for new telephone video services, said Lee Berke, president of LBH Sports, Entertainment & Media Inc. in Scarsdale, N.Y.
``It's not that every team will do their own network. There are reasons why some will and some won't, but every team is going to seriously explore it because of all the upside, all the return,'' Berke said.
Berke has helped teams build networks, including the YES Network created in 2002, which is now worth an estimated $1.1 billion. It generated $227 million in revenue in 2004, according to Kagan Research.
Both the Indians and the Mets will allocate some games to free television in local markets to attract viewers they would not otherwise reach.
Randy Freer, chief operating officer of Fox Sports, which operates FSN Ohio, said the company wanted to extend its relationship with the Indians but understands why it and other teams are trying to broadcast on their own.
``There's only so many tickets that you can sell and there's only so much that you can do'' to make money, he said. ``There's pressure on all sides of it and eventually they get to the television side of it.''

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

1/10/06

MLB notebook

Hollandsworth signs Tribe deal

Former NL Rookie of the Year outfielder receives minor-league contract

From staff and wire reports

<!-- begin body-content -->The Indians have signed 32-year-old free-agent outfielder Todd Hollandsworth to a minor-league contract that includes an invitation to spring training.
In 107 games with the Chicago Cubs last year, Hollandsworth batted .254 with 17 doubles, five homers and 35 RBI. He was dealt to Atlanta on Aug. 29 and batted .171 in 35 at-bats over 24 games with the Braves.
For his career, Hollandsworth has compiled a .275 average, with 91 home runs and 366 RBI in 1,028 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado, Texas and Florida in addition to Chicago and Atlanta.
He won the NL Rookie of the Year award in 1996, when he hit .291 with 12 homers, 59 RBI and 21 steals in 149 games for the Dodgers.
If veteran first baseman Eduardo Perez passed a physical exam on Monday, the Indians are expected to sign him to a one-year deal today, giving the Tribe a right-handed batter to platoon with Ben Broussard.

SHELDON OCKER​