Indians Tidbits (2009 season)

[NFBuck]

How was that not fan interference?? What the fuck were they looking at to call that a homerun?

The prospect of getting hit with batteries, trash, piss bombs, molatov cocktails, etc.?

 

[OHSportsFan]

This applies to the team as a whole but...

I have to call out Grady (I know, I know...)- he needs to stop striking out.

15 SO's in 11 games. Terrible. On pace for over 200 this year.

Grady needs to stop striking out so damn much. I mean, he's always been a big strikeout guy, but this is ridiculous.

Great post. I agree.

:p

 

[itownbuckeye]

Same demensions as the old Yankee Stadium.

Funny, Perez and Lewis seem to have switched positions with Betencourt this season. Second straight solid outing from Pavano which is shocking.

I thought they were too short down the lines in the old stadium too. 318 & 314 allows for too many cheap home runs. I guess they do that for the casual fan who gets a thrill out of seeing the ball leave the park. Personally I'd rather watch a game with no home runs than seeing routine fly balls leave the yard.

 

[buckeyemania11]

we are pretty good at finding relief pitchers who are good for one year or so and then suck after that (Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez)

 

[NFBuck]

I thought they were too short down the lines in the old stadium too. 318 & 314 allows for too many cheap home runs. I guess they do that for the casual fan who gets a thrill out of seeing the ball leave the park. Personally I'd rather watch a game with no home runs than seeing routine fly balls leave the yard.

In the past, that has played to the Tribe's advantage there...when we had decent pitching.

I love a good pitchers dual, but if I'm gonna be watching a 6-5 game, I'd rather see some long balls than a bunch of singles and doubles. Particularly live.

 

[NFBuck]

we are pretty good at finding pitchers who are good for one year and then suck after that (Jensen Lewis and Rafael Perez)

It's still early (I know, I know...I get sick of hearing it too), but it looks like the bullpen hasn't been improved like we all hoped. Well, Wood looks to be an upgrade, but it's a moot point if he isn't getting any save opportunities. We have some good young arms on the farm that hopefully they won't hesitate to go to if these middle relief guys continue to throw meatballs. Betencourt needs to go, he just plum sucks. I'm willing to give Perez the benefit of the doubt for a little while because he was great in '07 and decent last year. Lewis, not so much. I'm glad that Pavano has looked decent his past two times out and I'm genuinely surprised he pitched so well back in yankee stadium. I thought for sure he'd wilt under that pressure.

For a brief farm update, LaPorta's looking pretty damn good in C-bus as is Brantley. If Francisco doesn't get his ass in gear before too long, he may lose that job. And, of course, Sowers is pitching well...how long until he's called up for the umpteenth time? Where is Adam Miller? I can't find him on any of the rosters. Is he hurt again?

Also, it looks like Pronk has at least gotten some of his strength and confidence back. Really glad to see that.

 

[aurorabuckeye13]

It's still early (I know, I know...I get sick of hearing it too), but it looks like the bullpen hasn't been improved like we all hoped. Well, Wood looks to be an upgrade, but it's a moot point if he isn't getting any save opportunities. We have some good young arms on the farm that hopefully they won't hesitate to go to if these middle relief guys continue to throw meatballs. Betencourt needs to go, he just plum sucks. I'm willing to give Perez the benefit of the doubt for a little while because he was great in '07 and decent last year. Lewis, not so much. I'm glad that Pavano has looked decent his past two times out and I'm genuinely surprised he pitched so well back in yankee stadium. I thought for sure he'd wilt under that pressure.

For a brief farm update, LaPorta's looking pretty damn good in C-bus as is Brantley. If Francisco doesn't get his ass in gear before too long, he may lose that job. And, of course, Sowers is pitching well...how long until he's called up for the umpteenth time? Where is Adam Miller? I can't find him on any of the rosters. Is he hurt again?

Also, it looks like Pronk has at least gotten some of his strength and confidence back. Really glad to see that.

Miller is reworking his delivery in Arizona trying to avoid career threatening surgery on his finger. So far that transformation seems to be going well by all reports but you never know.

As far as Perez goes, he pitched bad at the beginning of last year as well before righting the ship for the second half. I'm not too worried about him, he seems to kick it into gear when the weather gets warmer. He just doesn't seem to like pitching in cold weather.

 

[buckeyemania11]

Miller is reworking his delivery in Arizona trying to avoid career threatening surgery on his finger. So far that transformation seems to be going well by all reports but you never know.

Miller has setback with finger | indians.com: News

NEW YORK -- Adam Miller's throwing program hit a snag this week, as the right-handed prospect experienced discomfort in his right middle finger.

Miller, trying to work his way back to game action despite the inability to bend the tip of that finger, was supposed to throw his first live batting practice session at the Goodyear complex on Monday, but he felt the discomfort after warming up in the bullpen. He was shut down for the rest of the week and was scheduled to play catch Saturday.

"We're playing it as cautiously as possible," head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff said. "This is certainly a bump in the road for him. We'll know more based on how he tolerates his throwing program over the next three to five days."

A career-threatening surgical procedure, in which doctors would use a tendon from Miller's wrist to replace malfunctioning pulley ligaments in the finger, is still very much a possibility. By the end of next week, the Indians will decide if he needs to visit with team hand specialist Dr. Tom Graham again.

I think if we ever get anything from miller it would be a surprise

the 2 younger relief options down in AAA we could go to this year

John Meloan (24 year old righty) is off to a good start in AAA (6.1 IP 7 K 1.42 ERA)

Tony Sipp (25 year old lefty) this year in AAA hes pitched 7 innings and struck out 10 with a 3.86 ERA, last year between A and AA he threw 33.2 innings striking out 46 with a 2.67 ERA

 

[itownbuckeye]

Speaking of prospects, Kelvin De La Cruz is off to a good start at Kinston and was #3 on Baseball America's 1st edition of the prospect hot sheet. Unfortunately he was held out of his last scheduled start for precautionary reasons (tweaked elbow).

BaseballAmerica.com: Prospects: Prospect Hot Sheet: Prospect Hot Sheet: April 17

Team: High Class A Kinston (Carolina)
Age: 20
Why He's Here: 2-0, 1.50, 12 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 19 SO
The Scoop: After a 1.69 ERA and a strikeout per inning last year with low Class A Lake County, De La Cruz is at it again. The 6-foot-5 lefty with a low-90s fastball and a big-breaking curveball has been a strikeout machine so far, but perhaps even more promising for the Indians' best starting pitching prospect is how he's limited the number of free passes he's allowed. As the long lefthander grows into his long frame, he's still learning to repeat his release point, but the two walks in only 12 innings are an encouraging sign.

A few other top pitching prospects off to good starts include Hector Rondon(Akron), Zach Putnam(Kinston) & Alexander Perez(Lake County).

 

[fanaticbuckeye]

19 k's in 12 IP. Thats pretty good.

 

[LitlBuck]

Kelvin De La Cruz is off to a good start at Kinston

Bring Him up!

Hector Rondon(Akron)

Bring Him up Also!

Zach Putnam(Kinston)

Bring Him up Also!

None of these guys can do any worse than what we currently have in the bullpen. I just don't understand what happened to Jensen Lewis and Perez. They both pitched pretty well out of the pen last year The guy from Lake County Probably needs a couple more months Of grooming Before he will be ready:(

 

[JCOSU86]

9 game home stand starts tonight. They have to right the ship now.

 

[LitlBuck]

However, they have always had problems with Kansas City over the past several years even when Kansas City could not beat anyone else they always seem to have the Tribe's number.

 

[LitlBuck]

Cleveland.com

Indians farm report: Columbus closer Herges falters
by From wire reports
Tuesday April 21, 2009, 7:19 AM

Clippers closer Matt Herges gave up two runs in the ninth inning, allowing Louisville to rally for a 7-6 Class AAA International League victory Monday in Columbus.

First baseman Jordan Brown (.351) doubled, singled and drove in a run for the Clippers. Left fielder Matt LaPorta (.325) singled twice and drove in a run.

More

Now the Clippers closer is starting to follow the guys from the major-league team

 

[AKAK]

The guy from Lake County Probably needs a couple more months Of grooming Before he will be ready:(

Months?

It's low-A ball... probably his first full season.

But, since we're on the Prospect pipe dream kick... Chuck Lofgren has a 1.80 ERA in 2 starts at Akron... [/runs away from the jeers for hyping another soft tossing overrated lefty]