Results tagged ‘ Spring Training ’
Ohio… “The Heart of It All”
I’ll be arriving back in the Buckeye State today, but first I will present you with these “Clippings”…
* The Indians released 12 minor leaguers yesterday, most notably Stephen Head and Tom Mastny.
Head, a second round draft pick in 2005, played 74 games with the Clippers last year (.246 BA, 6 HRs, 31 RBIs). He missed significant time after slamming his knee into the outfield wall during a 2009 spring training game.
Mastny returned to the Indians after a season pitching in Japan. He is best known for earning a victory in Game 2 of the 2007 ALCS. He was brought in to face the heart of the Red Sox lineup in the 10th inning and retired David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell in order. The Indians, of course, won the game in the 11th and Mastny picked up the victory.
* The 2010 International League Preview has been released:
2010 International League Preview.pdf
* Also, here’s a pre-season edition of the league “News and Notes”:
IL News & Notes 3-25-2010.pdf I’ll post these each Thursday during the season.
* It’s been reported that Josh Judy has been shut down for a few days for precautionary reasons. Nothing official has been announced, but if Judy doesn’t start the season on the Clippers active roster, Steven Wright is a likely candidate to replace him.
* The official roster should be announced today.
* SportsTime Ohio will broadcast the following Clippers games live this season: Tuesday, April13 vs. Toledo; Thursday, April 29 vs. Charlotte; Thursday, May 27 vs. Lehigh Valley; Monday, June 14 vs. Norfolk; Monday, August 23 vs. Toledo. There will also be a package of games broadcast on “tape delay”.
* STO will debut the 2010 edition of “Indians Minor League Magazine” on April 27. The show airs each Thursday at 6:00pm throughout the season. Al Pawlowski and Jason Stanford will host and I’ll have weekly features from Columbus.
* Some important 40-man roster moves will occur tomorrow when the Indians make room for Jamey Wright, Austin Kearns and Mark Grudzielanek. There are currently 39 players on the roster meaning two will have to be removed. Stay tuned.
* Clippers Opening Day is Thursday night against Indianapolis. There will be a pre-game F-16 flyover plus the “Quencher Corner” with food and drink specials. Order tickets here.
2010 Columbus Clippers: Infielders
Another sunny day in Goodyear as camp winds down…
Wes Hodges (Bats Right, Throws Right), 25 years old, 6-2, 205 lbs, Chattanooga, TN
This is a make or break season for Hodges as he makes the switch from third base over to first. He struggled in 2009, playing only 86 games because of wrist and shoulder injuries.
His injury problems started when he suffered a stress fracture in his right leg during his final season at Georgia Tech (2006) and then a strained hamstring and broken toe hampered him in 2007. Wes’ only healthy pro season came in Double-A in 2008, when he batted .290 with 18 HRs and 97 RBIs in 133 games, earning the Eastern League Rookie of the Year award.
Hodges’ offense is his ticket to the majors, but he’ll need to show he can adapt to first base and stay healthy if he wants an opportunity this year. The road becomes tougher at first because Wes is blocked by Matt LaPorta.
Brian Bixler (Right, Right) 27, 6-1, 195, Sandusky, OH
An off-season trade acquisition from the Pirates, Bixler serves as infield insurance for the Indians. The former Eastern Michigan star is a two-time International League All-Star (2007 & 2008) that needs a fresh start with new surroundings. With Pittsburgh, Bixler played 68 major league games over the last two years, batting just .178.
Bixler was molded into a utility role last season, playing two games at third base and 15 in center, in addition to his regular stops at second and shortstop. He is a better second baseman because his range is slightly below average at short. Bixler possesses excellent footwork around second base and provides outstanding speed. In 2007, he was clocked at a remarkable 4.1 seconds from home to first.
He will primarily play second base for the Clippers.
Jason Donald (Right, Right) 25, 6-1, 190, Clovis, CA
Donald was scooped up last year from Philadelphia in the Cliff Lee trade, but only played ten games with the Clippers because of a strained lower back. Prior to the trade, he underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He entered the 2009 season as the #4 overall prospect in the Phillies organization, according to Baseball America.
The Indians see Donald as a possible major league utility player in the future, the same role that Mark Grudzielanek has to begin the season. Donald can play second, shortstop or third, but he isn’t dominate at any one position. Offensively, he holds a good approach with good gap power for an infielder.
The key for Donald is to stay healthy and produce like he did in 2008, when he batted .307 with 19 doubles, 14 HRs and 54 RBIs for the Phillies Double-A club in Reading. That year he was the starting shortstop in the Futures Game at Yankee Stadium and competed for Team USA in the Beijing Olympics.
Brian Buscher (Left, Right) 28, 6-0, 220, Jacksonville, FL
The Indians signed Buscher to a minor league contract in December, two weeks after he was
granted free agency by the Twins. Last year Buscher made Minnesota’s opening day roster for the first time and stayed on the roster until August 1st. He was recalled in September, batting .235 with 2 HRs and 12 RBIs in 61 total games.
Buscher is a strong left-handed hitter with a consistent approach at the plate. He doesn’t have much power, but can hit line drives to the gaps. Buscher was the 2007 Twins Minor League Player of the Year.
Others: Luis Rodriguez and Anderson Hernandez are not going to make the Indians 25-man roster as camp breaks, so they could land in Columbus. Hernandez is currently on the 40-man roster, but may be designated to make room from Austin Kearns, Jamey Wright and Mark Grudzielanek, the three non-roster invites that made the Indians opening day squad. If Hernandez is designated, he’ll need to clear waivers and accept an assignment to the Clippers.
Hot, Hot, Hot
Today the temperature in Goodyear was somewhere north of 90 degrees and that’s plenty reason for the Indians to break camp and send their minor league clubs north. The Clippers roster will hop on a Columbus-bound plane Sunday…
* Manny Acta says he’ll announce the Indians Opening Day roster after Wednesday game against the White Sox. David Huff will take the mound and it looks like he’ll be the #5 starter, sending Carlos Carrasco to Columbus.
* Russell Branyan will start the season with the Clippers. MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince has the details here. The power-hitting first baseman went 2-for-3 with a HR in today’s Triple-A game against Louisville. Clippers fans can expect to see Jeremy Sowers on a rehab stint at some point as well. It’s too early to know if Kerry Wood is ticketed for a journey through the minors on his way back.
* For the sake of speculating, it looks like Andy Marte and Mark Grudzielanek will be the Indians backup infielders joining LaPorta, Valbuena, Cabrera and Peralta. That means Anderson Hernandez and Luis Rodriguez could possibly be Columbus bound. Hernandez is on the 40-man roster and Rodriguez is not, but Hernandez would probably be removed to clear a spot for Grudzielanek and would need to clear waivers before a minor league assignment.
* Austin Kearns will make the big club and either be the fourth outfielder behind Michael Brantley or the left field starter ahead of Trevor Crowe. I think the former is most likely, sending Crowe to the Clippers. Whether it’s Brantley or Crowe landing at Huntington Park, they’ll play mostly left (only about two starts per week in center). Jose Constanza will be the regular in center for the Clippers.
* Current Indians GM Mark Shapiro and future GM Chris Antonetti were in attendance for the minor league games Monday. The big club had a night game so the front office brass took time to watch some action on the back fields of the Goodyear complex.
* MLB.com has released the Indians 10 prospects to watch in 2010.
* If you’re interested in David Huff’s final audition for the Indians #5 starter spot, I’ll be calling the action beside Jim Rosenhaus Wednesday. Listen on Indians.com starting at 4:05pm EST.
* The Clippers “Meet the Team Party” has been moved to the LC Pavillion (right next door to Huntington Park) on Wednesday, April 7th from 6-9pm. Tickets are $12 with food, soft drinks, inflatables, games, autograph tables, player introductions by Wags and Elliott of QFM 96 and much more. For info call 614-462-5250.
* The latest feature to the Clippers radio broadcast this season is the “Pure Energy Play of the Game” brought to you by the National Honey Board. “Honey… one ingredient… the way nature intended.” Trust me, you’re going to love it.
2010 Columbus Clippers: Starting Pitchers
Here it is, the first preview of the Clippers Opening Day roster. The OFFICIAL roster will be set by the end of the week, but until then…
1. Carlos Carrasco (RH), 23 years old, 6-3, 221 lbs, Baquisimeto, VZ
Carrasco was expected to start in Columbus during the entire off-season, but pitched well enough to be considered for the Indians final spot. However, he struggled Sunday (4.2 IP, 4 ER) and probably eliminated himself from further consideration. David Huff, barring a meltdown in his outing Wednesday, should be named the #5 guy in the bigs.
The Venezuelan native has tremendous potential, which is why Cleveland sought after him in the Cliff Lee trade last July. He throws a good mixture of three pitches, a fastball that normally ranges 92-94 MPH and tops out at 96 MPH, a changeup that he throws well to both sides of the plate, and a curveball that still needs some fine tuning, but is already an above average pitch.
He led the International League in strikeouts last year (148) and limited batters to a .245 average against (4th best in the league). He was a September call-up last season, but struggled, going 0-4 with an 8.87 ERA in five starts. Look for Carrasco to get the first call from Cleveland as soon as they need a starter.
2. Hector Rondon (RH), 22, 6-3, 180, Guatire, VZ
Rondon was all the rage last season when Indians fans talked about the pitching prospects in the minors and there is no reason to think that excitement will be tempered when he takes that mound at Huntington Park in April.
The lanky, hard throwing righty features a spectacular four-seam fastball that he used to fire five no-hit innings in his Clippers debut last year. He usually goes 92-94 MPH and sometimes hits 96 MPH. Rondon also has a slider and changeup, but neither of his secondary pitches is considered above-average yet.
Rondon has the potential to be in the bigs at some point this season.
3. Jeanmar Gomez (RH), 22, 6-3, 170, Caracas, VZ
Gomez made a name for himself by winning the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year honor in 2009. He also threw the first perfect game in Akron Aeros history on May 21st against Trenton and needed only 87 pitches to do it.
The third member of this Clippers Venezuelan foursome throws a fastball, slider and changeup. His fastball lies in the 90-92 MPH range his slider and changeup are still works in progress. The slider is his second best pitch, but has been very inconsistent from start to start and even inning to inning.
It appears the Indians see Gomez as a potential back of the rotation starter down the road.
4. Yohan Pino (RH), 26, 6-2, 190, Turmero, VZ
Pino arrived in Columbus via the Carl Pavano trade with Minnesota. Pino was the player to be named later in that deal and made just two starts with the Clippers at the end of the year, going 2-0 and allowing only 2 ER in 14 IP.
He throws a fastball, curveball, and slider. He can throw both breaking pitches well enough to keep hitters guessing. The Indians have been impressed with his ability and demeanor in spring camp.
Pino is not considered a major prospect in the organization, especially at 26 years old. However, he could be called upon to spot start or even chew up some relief innings in Cleveland this year.
5. Scott Lewis (LH), 26, 6-0, 185, West Covina, CA (Ohio State)
Lewis was the Indians #5 starter with the team broke camp in 2009, but Lewis’ success at this time last year was very short lived. He suffered an elbow strain after his first regular season outing and never recovered. He made seven rehab starts at various levels, one with the Clippers, but stayed on the disabled list until mid-August. He was bounced from the 40-man roster this off-season.
A former Ohio State star, Lewis will be a fan favorite in Columbus. In 2003 as a sophomore, he went 9-1 with a 1.61 ERA for the Buckeyes and won Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors, but need Tommy John surgery after the season. He had 20.2 IP the next year and was a 3rd round pick by Cleveland that June.
Lewis’ best pitch is his curveball. His fastball sits 88-90 MPH and his changeup is considered to be an above average major league pitch. His problem has always been health and that will be tested again in 2010. Lewis is currently only stretched to throw four innings at a time so he could be piggy-backed by Josh Tomlin every fifth day in April.
I’ll be back with some “Clippings” later…
More fun in the sun…
The Clippers roster is starting to take shape. Today they tangle with the Dodgers Triple-A squad (Albuquerque) at the Goodyear player development complex.
Here is the Clippers lineup…
1. Jose Constanza CF
2. Jason Donald SS
3. Carlos Santana DH
4. Shelley Duncan 1B
5. Brian Horwitz LF
6. Stephen Head RF
7. Jared Goedert 3B
8. Josh Rodriguez 2B
9. Damaso Espino C
10. Nick Weglarz DH
* This is not a typo, there are ten batters (two designated hitters) in the lineup to allow more players to get some swings.
Bench:
Brian Bixler (INF/OF)
Dwight Childs (INF/OF)
Wes Hodges (INF)
Jerad Head (INF/OF)
Pitching:
LH Jeremy Sowers (3 innings)
LH Aaron Laffey (2 innings)
RH Hector Ambriz (1)
RH Josh Judy (1)
LH Mike Gosling (1)
Today’s Clippings…
* Jose Constanza seems to be the favorite for the Clippers centerfield job if Michael Brantley begins in Cleveland. Constanza is already 26 years old, but led the Eastern League in runs (98) last year and carried a .378 OBP during the Aeros championship campaign. He would give Columbus a true leadoff presence if Brantley is unavailable. Constanza’s 49 stolen bases set a franchise record.
* Brian Horwitz is in the running to be the Clippers fourth outfielder. He was selected in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft in December. A 26th round pick by Oakland in the 2003 draft, he batted .290 with 4 HR and 26 RBI in 76 games with Triple-A Fresno last year.
* Shelley Duncan spent extra time making throws from right field after the Clippers morning batting practice session today. Duncan will play first some (like today), but with a crowded outfield and Wes Hodges moving to first full-time, he will DH most days in Columbus. Duncan hit .277 with 30 HR and 99 RBI with Scranton Wilkes-Barre last year. He led the league in HRs and RBIs on his way to the International League MVP trophy.
* I received my copy of Tony Lastoria’s “Indians Top 100 Prospects and More” today. Tony does a remarkable job of tracking all the minor leaguers in the Indians organization. Be sure to check out his site and order a copy of the book.
* I’m taking my son to see WrestleMania XXVI (or 26 for some of us) tonight here in Phoenix. I’m told Travis Hafner is attending as well. I haven’t watched “wrasslin” in about 15 years, but I know Jerry “The King” Lawler will be there. He’s appeared at a couple of Clippers games over the last few years and the autograph lines have been surreal. I’m told at least one former WWE Superstar is booked for Huntington Park this season.
* I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview of the Clippers this week:
Monday – Starting Pitchers
Tuesday – Catchers
Wednesday – Infielders
Thursday – Outfielders
Friday – Relief Pitchers
Oh by the way, the Indians open the seson a week from Monday and the Clippers start one week from Thursday! It’s almost here!
Clippings from the Valley of the Sun…
While the great state of Ohio is bombarded by rain, sleet and snow, I’m enjoying another sunny day in Goodyear. Sorry, I had to rub it in a little.
Without any further teasing and taunting, here is my first edition of “Clippings” for 2010….
* Manny Acta named Mitch Talbot to the Indians rotation yesterday joining Westbrook, Carmona and Masterson as four of the five starters. The final spot is between David Huff and Carlos Carrasco, the loser of that battle will be the Clippers ace.
* Huff was the Clippers Opening Day starter last year and eventually became the Indians leader in victories (11) in his rookie season. Carrasco was acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee trade and went 5-1 with a 3.19 ERA in six starts with Columbus.
* Acta has also placed Aaron Laffey in the Indians bullpen, joining Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Chris Perez and Joe Smith.
* That leaves Jamey Wright, Saul Rivera, Jensen Lewis and Hector Ambriz competing for the final two relief roles. Ambriz is a Rule 5 acquisition and has been hurt most of the spring. Wright and Rivera are not on the 40-man roster and both have out-clauses in their contracts. Wright must be on the Indians rster on Opening Day and Rivera by May 15. Lewis has one minor league option year left.
* Kerry Wood (strained right shoulder) and Jeremy Sowers (left shoulder soreness) are headed to the disabled list to start the year.
* The Clippers bullpen will consist of Frank Herrmann, Mike Gosling, Jess Todd… after that, things are still pretty cloudy. I’ll know more in a few days.
* The Clippers starting rotation will consist of Carrasco or Huff, Hector Rondon, Jeanmar Gomez, Yohan Pino, and possibly Scott Lewis.
* Lewis, the former Ohio State standout, made the Indians Opening Day roster last year but pitched in only one game before suffering an elbow injury. He is 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in four career Major League appearances. He appeared in only eight games last season, one with the Clippers.
* Carlos Santana, the Indians top prospect, will be the Clippers starting catcher. He has requested to wear jersey #41. That is also Charlie Nagy’s number, but the Clippers pitching coach says he’ll allow Santana to have it.
* Jordan Brown continues to rehab from a torn meniscus in his right knee. He expects to join the Clippers in late April. Brown left Goodyear yesterday to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.
* Russell Branyan’s bad back continues to prevent him from participating in the Cactus League action. He’s hoping to play in a minor league game Monday. The Indians signed Branyan to a one-year, $2 million contract in the off-season.
* If Branyan starts on the disabled list, Michael Brantley will make the club and play left while Matt LaPorta will play first base. If Branyan is healthy he’ll play first and LaPorta will patrol left. Brantley would then start the season in Columbus.
* Brantley currently has 34 days of Major League service time after his September call up last year. In MLB, 172 days constitutes as a full year of service time and a player is arbitration eligible after three full years, so the Indians would like Brantley to accumulate less than 138 days on the 25-man roster this season. This would make Brantley arbitration eligible in 2013 as opposed to 2012.
* I’m recording some video interviews that will be available next week on ClippersBaseball.com and Facebook page.
* I’ll be calling Wednesday’s Indians/White Sox game from Goodyear Ballpark on Indians.com. I’ll be working with Jim Rosenhaus of the Indians Radio Network. Jim, the former voice of the Buffalo Bisons, hosts the pre-game show and will be calling an inning of play-by-play this season with Tom Hamilton and Mike Hegan.
I’ll have more tomorrow from the desert!
Indians trim spring roster
The Indians today optioned LHP Kelvin De La Cruz to Double-A Akron.
The club also re-assigned RHP Jason Grilli, RHP Zach Putnam and RHP Alex White to minor league camp.
There are currently 55 players in major league spring training. Sixteen are non-roster invites (non 40-man players).
There are 18 pitchers, four catchers, ten infielders and seven outfielders currently on the 40-man roster.
Updated spring roster:
Roster2010ST_roster.pdf
Brown likely to miss Opening Day
Jordan Brown, the reigning International League batting champ, tore a meniscus in his right knee during outfield drills Friday and will have arthroscopic surgery this week in Cleveland.
Brown, likely to headline the 2010 Clippers roster, will almost assuredly miss Opening Day on April 8th.
Veteran pitcher Jason Grilli is headed for season-ending surgery on his torn right quadriceps.
MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince has more here.
Jordan Brown shines, Sarbaugh’s team wins
Paul Hoynes, Cleveland Plain Dealer
Goodyear, Ariz. – Left-hander Tony Sipp allowed two runs in the third inning as coach Mike Sarbaugh’s team beat third base coach Steve Smith’s team, 3-2, as the Indians played a four-inning intrasquad game today at Goodyear Ballpark.
Indians invite two more to big league camp
The Cleveland Indians today invited two (2) more players to Major League camp from their player development system, bringing the total number of internal invites to nine (9) and non-roster spring invitees to 18 for the 2010 Spring Training camp in Goodyear, Arizona.
JUDY, Josh, RHP
Began the season at A Kinston, picking up three saves in five contests (0.00ERA, 4.2IP, 4H, 7K) before getting promoted to AA Akron for the rest of the year…Was 4-3 with 11 saves in 36 games/1 start for the Aeros, yielding a 3.10ERA (49.1IP, 35H, 17ER, 18BB, 63K)…Limited Eastern League hitters to a .198 avg (35-177)…Allowed only 3ER over the final 19 games going 1-0 with 9 saves to close out the season (1.07ERA, 25.1IP, 13H, 6BB, 43K)…Pitched for Peoria Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League going 2-2 with a 1.59ERA in 11 games (17.0IP, 13H, 3ER, 8BB, 20K).
PUTNAM, Zach, RHP
Spent majority of the year with AA Akron after starting five games for Kinston, going 2-0 with a 4.13ERA (24.0IP, 22H, 11ER, 5BB, 23K)…After the call up to Akron, was converted to a reliever where he went 4-2 with 2 saves and a 4.13ERA (56.2IP, 59H, 26ER, 18BB, 57K)…Carried a 2.40ERA while going 2-1 over 18 games at home (30.0IP, 29H, 8ER, 6BB, 26K)…At the end of the year, Baseball Prospectus ranked him as the 11th best prospect in the organization…Also pitched for Peoria Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League going 0-1 with a 8.76ERA in five starts (12.1IP, 18H, 12ER, 18K).
Full list NON-ROSTER INVITEES (18)
PITCHERS
20 GOSLING, Mike, LHP
35 GRILLI, Jason, RHP
73 HERRMANN, Frank, RHP
80 JUDY, Josh, RHP
64 PINO, Yohan, RHP
81 PUTNAM, Zach, RHP
27 REYES, Anthony, RHP
56 RIVERA, Saul, RHP
79 WHITE, Alex, RHP
CATCHERS
65 ESPINO, Damaso
INFIELDERS
9 BUSCHER, Brian
76 CHISENHALL, Lonnie
12 GRUDZIELANEK, Mark
78 MILLS, Beau
6 RODRIGUEZ, Luis
74 ROMERO, Niuman
OUTFIELDERS
47 DUNCAN, Shelley
26 KEARNS, Austin
Ryan Mitchell & Scott Leo
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