Just In From the Desert

Fuck me.  No, really.  Fuck me.  Just when I though it couldn't get any worse...

Jeanmar Gomez, by far the highlight of the spring, once again dazzled over 3 2/3 scoreless innings (2 H, 2 BB, 4 K) to lower his ERA to 1.37.  Then, he left with an injury.  Kevin Slowey instantly got a huge boner.  It does keep with theme of spring, that of on-field performance having no relation to the acquisition of a roster spot.

Later, Dan Wheeler, fresh off of officially "winning" a roster spot, went out and proved exactly why he was far and away the best choice.  After retiring the first man he faced, Wheeler surrendered back-to-back home runs (that made 5 in fewer than 9 innings this spring) to Todd Frazier and Juan Francisco.  Danny then settled down to allow a single to Willie Harris and an RBI doubled to former Indian Ryan Ludwick.  Next up was Ryan LaMarre.  I don't even know who that is.  Suffice to say that Dan Wheeler will never forget him, as LaMarre jacked a two run bomb (keep counting, that's #6) before Wheeler was mercifully able to retire the last two he faced.  Still, the line is fugly: 5 earned on 5 hits (including 3 long balls) in a just a single inning of work.  Did I mention that the five runs were the difference in a 6-5 Reds win?  The massacre left Dan's ERA at 11.70, his OBA at .422 and his WHIP at 2.20.  I reiterate: could the man have done anything more to convince the brass to send him somewhere, anywhere other than the North Coast for April 5th?  C'mon, man!

Somewhere Out There:  Fuck it, we have to work with what we have and this is the only race left.  Unfortunately, the only two guys in this competition are stiffer than a Vietnamese gigolo after a handful of Viagra.   Aaron Cunningham (.205) went 1-for-4 and Ryan Spilborghs (.167) 0-for-1.  I never though that I would be rooting for AC, but if the alternative should occur, I might have to renew my conceal and carry on the off chance that I see Manny Acta on the street.

Not that these games matter in any context whatsoever, but the last day of March features the Indians hosting the Rangers for a night game.  That 10:05 EST if you're not keeping up.

Cheers.

Just In From the Desert

I am officially disgusted.

This what the Indians announced today:

(1) Dan Wheeler has made the team, "earning" the first of two bullpen spots.  This spring, in 9 innings, Wheeler has allowed 8 earned runs on 14 hits and 3 walks.  He has struck out 9 and allowed 3 home runs.  While it is true that Danny allowed all of that damage in his first 4 appearance and has not surrendered a run in his past 5 IP, how does that elevate him over Jeremy Accardo, who has a better ERA (1.00 vs 8.00), OBA (.289 vs .378) and WHIP (1.33 vs 1.89)?  The "brain-trust" had made this decision coming into camp and was unprepared to change their collective mind, barring injury.  This move sucks.  It is, in a word, indefensible.  Given the contractual situation of the newly acquired Jairo Asencio, the bullpen race is over.  If anyone would trade for an out of options player and then DFA him 3 days later, it would be the Indians, but that would be a heretofore unheard level of idiocy, even for them.

(2)  Even so, the fact that the 4th outfielder race has boiled down to Aaron Cunningham and Ryan Spilborghs is ridiculous enough to approach the obscene.  In 40 spring ABs, Cunningham has 8 hits (.200).  Exactly two of those are for extra bases and his OPS is an infantile .488.  I have repeatedly repeated that he too is out of options and that he might make the club because the organization is committed to mediocrity.  In spite of myself, I held out hope, but when the other option is Spilborghs?  What the fuck?!  He's hitting .171!  The only reason his OPS is as high as .490 is that he's walked 6 times.  I have already explained that he is a catastrophically awful outfielder.  AT ALL 3 POSITIONS!

Will we get a meaningful explanation on this?  No!  Acta will do some song and dance about quality plate appearances and previous track record.  He'll make a quirky comment and offer a sly grin, all the while thinking "We'll do whatever we want, you ignorant sheep, and you'll still sell out opening day and pay my waste of a salary."

Fuck Manny Acta.  Fuck Chris Antonetti.  Fuck Larry Dolan.  I'm not asking for Prince Fielder.  I'm not even asking for Josh Willingham anymore.  Is it too much to expect the club to take on the field performance into the decision making process?

My first inclination was 86 wins.  Terry Pluto suggested 76.  If this is the "philosophy" that the organization is going to employ this season, it's going be more like 66.

Red Tags:  Russ Canzler and Nick Hagadone were optioned to AAA.  Chris Ray, Robinson Tejada, Chris Seddon, Luke Carlin, and Andy LaRoche were officially reassigned to the minor league camp.  Felix Pie, Matt Pagnozzi and Gregorio Petit were told that they will not make the club, but will stay with the team through the end of camp.

P.s.  I nearly forgot about this in my ire, but it seems that Jose Lopez has indeed made the team as the 13th position player.  The club paid Lopez a $100K option to keep him in the organization through June 1st, regardless of which level he plays at.  It is still possible that Cunningham and Spilborghs both make.  It's possible that a late move is made and some other scrub takes the spot, but, as of now, all signs point to Lopez.

By my count, all of the battles have been decided, save the no win decision on the 4th outfielder.

Just In From the Desert

I know that it's Spring Training and this kind of thing happens all the time, but if anyone could lose twice, to two different team, in two different cities during regular season play, it would be the Indians.  Though I've stopped checking, I do believe that they're 6-18 now.  To add insult to injury (and we've seen more than our share of that), former Tribe closer Jensen Lewis earned the save for the D-Bags.

#5:  Well, we know one thing: David Huff is out.  Huff, attempting to make a meaninglessly spectacular play, injured his leg one batter into his last start of the spring.  David's numbers (5.79, .310 OBA) were not impressive and the injury is simply the nail in the coffin.

Left Of Center:  It's still Shelley Duncan, although the lead horse is definitely limping into the finish.  Duncan (.182) took another O-fer today and is just 1 for his last 16.

Somewhere Out There:  If any of these guys could get hot, he might still snare the starting job.  Yeah, it's just not happening.  Ryan Spilborghs (.171 and lord am I sick of writing about this scrub) is still dead last.  Against all odds, he did crack a hit today... but it took him five trips.  Also hitless:  Felix Pie (.250) and Aaron Cunningham (.200).  The great predictor of this season will be who breaks camp in this spot.  If it's Cunningham (or, god help me, Spilborghs), the boys will play sub-.500 ball for the season.

Bench Me:  Despite every fiber of my being screaming for Jose Lopez (.311), this is still a race.  The former all-star was 1-for-4 today and managed to play error free.  Even so, he is mired in a 2-for-21 slump and Andy LaRoche has seen mucho PT of late.  LaRoche (.385) singled and walked against the D-Bags and, while still in 2nd, is nipping right at Lopez's heels.

Mightier Than the Sword:  As mentioned in a previous post, Jairo Asencio is here and will (officially unofficial) be in the bullpen on April 5.  To make room for him, recently added Rick VandenHurk was DFAed.  Don't count him out just yet.  He's has just an awful spring and might clear waivers.  That leaves one more bullpen spot open.  It was always a long shot for Manny Acta to carry a 3rd left-hander and Nick Hagadone (2.53) likely lost the last of his grace today.  Nick's spring was generally strong, yet he picked the worst possible time to show his wild side.  The command/control issue has always been the knock on Hagadone and against the Rox he walked two, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch en route to allowing a run in an inning and two thirds.  Jeremy Accardo (1.00) tossed two more clean innings today, though the ERA might be deceiving.  Surely the only reason that Frank Herrmann and Dan Wheeler are still in the mix is that Accardo's OBA (.289) is kind of high.  Still, he's only walked one guy in 9 innings and thus his WHIP (1.33) is reasonable.  I don't know but I have to assume that Asencio's arrival pushes Wheeler out of the door.

Their last split squad behind them, the Indians battle the Redlegs @ 4:05p tomorrow.

Just In From the Desert

The Tribe has acquired Jairo Asencio from the Bravos for cash.  The 6'2" right-hander, who turns 28 in May, does not have much MLB experience (13 IP, 6.23 ERA), but led the International League in saves in both 2009 and 2011. Asencio, and this will sound familiar, spent the entire 2010 campaign on the restricted list because, up until that point, he had been going by the name Luis Valdez.  The ensuing visa issues forced Asencio/Valdez to remain in the Dominican Republic through the entirity of last season.  He features a 95 mph fastball, a "great" change-up and a "good" slider.  This spring Jairo has a 3.27 ERA in 11 innings, allowing 4 earned runs on 13 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 12.  Oh, and one more thing, he is out of options.  Help to welcome him to the Opening Day roster.  And, yes, lock this one down.

Cheers.

Just In From the Desert

Josh Tomlin stretched himself out through 5.2 innings allowing 2 earned on 9 hits while fanning 6.  He'll be fine.  Do not worry.

#5:  0/3 pitched today.  The word on the street is that each will have the opportunity to make one more start, after which the decision will be announced.

Left Of Center:  Status quo.

Somewhere Out There:  This one was whittled itself down to a 3 horse race with the entire triad taking licks against the Cubbies on Wednesday.  Felix Pie (1-1, .259, .670) is still my best choice, but I seem to be in the minority on that.  Russ Canzler (0-4, 2 K, .268, .626) has just one hit in his past 17 ABs along with 9 punch outs.  He has just about played himself into a demotion.  Regardless, I would be shocked if the Tribe exposes Aaron Cunningham (0-2, K, .205, .462) to the waiver wire in an attempt to send him down.

Bench Me:  Nothing today, but it is worth noting that, since March 15th, Jose Lopez has hit .167 (4-for-24) while Andy LaRoche is batting .313 (5-for-16).

Mightier Than the Sword:  Frank Herrmann (5.79) and Dan Wheeler (8.00) each tossed a clean frame with a strikeout.  These would have been the two that I would have picked, sight unseen, at the beginning of camp.  If performance counts for anything, the Indians have to take Jeremy Accardo (1.29) over Wheeler.  Unfortunately, as we all know, logic rarely enters the Indians' decision making process.

Red Tags:  Cristian Guzman has been released and Freddy Lewis has been reassigned to minor league camp.

Split squads tomorrow 4:05 vs the Rox and 4:10 @ the D-Bags.

Just In From the Desert

I know I told you to wait until Thursday, but the Tribe made cuts today.  Lonnie Chisenhall and Matt LaPorta, both former #1 prospects in the system, will begin the year together at AAA Columbus.  Despite the aforementioned similarity, their situations could not be more different.  Chisenhall, only 23 and with exactly 292 AAA plate appearances under his belt, was rushed to the bigs last season in an effort to arouse a flaccid offense.  The Chiz Kid's future is still bright, especially after a bit more seasoning.  LaPorta, on the other hand, has struggled to a career Major League OPS of .701 and did nothing to take advantage of a spring opportunity to win the left field job.  Already 27, he has repeatedly shown the ability to bash AAA pitching (career .953 OPS), making it unlikely that anything he might do in the minors could help to recapture his good standing with the organization.  Oh, the team also reassigned outfielder Chad Huffman to the minor league camp.

Hot Corner:  In the first race to go officially official, Cap'n Jack is your Opening Day third bagger.  To celebrate, Hannahan took the day off.

#5:  Alright folks, here's the wrinkle.  I have incontrovertibly established that Manny Acta is an idiot and today GM Chris Antonetti stated that the top priority is to leave camp with "the best 25 men" even if that means that one of the 5th starter candidates is shuffled to the bullpen.  Acta has already laid the groundwork for this colossal blunder by complimenting Jeanmar Gomez's work "out of the bullpen" early in camp.  Regardless of anyone else tells you, putting Jeanmar in the 'pen as a long man and allowing either Kevin Slowey or David Huff to take the 5 slot would be beyond asinine.  JG won the spot, give it to him.

Left Of Center:  In the classic move of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Shelley Duncan took an 0-for-4 handle at the dish today to drop his spring average to .195.  Now I can't be as high on Duncan as I was just 5 days ago, but it truly seems as if he is winning this war of attrition.  Despite a 1-for-14 slump since mashing his 5th spring training bomb, Duncan has the confidence of Antonetti and, by means of cheap deduction, Acta.  Manny says that he has a candidate in mind and Shelley's production (5 HR, 15 RBI) has been the only noteworthy accomplishment by any of the candidates.

Somewhere Out There:  As we're speaking of the same players that were auditioning for the starting job in left, we're left with the same issue, that of being utterly and completely underwhelmed.  There are still five candidates on life support, so let's rank them 5 through 1.  (5) Ryan Spilborghs: 0-1 today, .167 AVG, .456 OPS on the spring.  'Nuff said.  (4) Fred Lewis: 0-1, .200, .635 in just 15 ABs.  The only reason he's not #5 is that Spilborghs is.  (3) Russ Canzler: BB, .297, .690.  I know that he's everybody's darling, but he has just one extra base hit all spring (a double) and he plays left like Luis Valbuena.  (2) Felix Pie: DNP, 231, .622.  This is the guy that I want.  He plays Gold Glove caliber defense and brings some speed and energy to the team.  But the Indians are committed to mediocrity.  (1) Aaron Cunningham: 0-1 today, .216, .486.  He's out of options.  They basically traded two top 50 prospects to get him.  He wins.

Bench Me:  Stop it, Andy LaRoche, you are not making this team.  I do not care that you have a better batting average than Jose Lopez (.391 vs .317) or that you have zero errors and he has 5.  It cannot, it will not, it must not happen!

Mightier Than the Sword:  I'm tired and I'm not going through all of the candidates right now.  I will tell you that Jeremy Accardo (1.29) threw another scoreless inning, fanning two.  How do you not give this guy a spot?  Also, Rick VandenHurk (12.38) got rocked... again.  In his inning, RVH walked Paul Konerko then served up a gopher ball to Brent Morel.  Let's see them rationalize it when they keep him...

At the Cubbies tomorrow @ the usual 4:05p.

P.s. The Indians are a Cactus League worst 6-15.

Just In From the Desert

Hot Corner:  The official word is still that the third base job will not be awarded until the last possible moment, but if anyone thinks that Lonnie Chisenhall (.205, .456 OPS, 0 HR, 16/39 K/AB) is going to win it, I have some real estate in Detroit that you would absolutely adore.  Jack Hannahan returned to the line-up today after missing 10 days with a stiff lower back and doubled in both of his ABs.  Cap'n Jack is now clipping at an even .300 with a .900 OPS.

#5:  Despite an inconsistent outing against the Cubs on Sunday (5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K), Jeanmar Gomez (1-1, 1.69 ERA, .196 OBA, 1.06 WHIP) still holds a sizable lead in the race for the last rotation spot.  One would have to assume that David Huff (1-1, 5.79, .298 OBA) is ahead of Kevin Slowey (0-3, 6.75, .352), but it's purely academic at this point.

Left Of Center:  I don't care what Manny Acta says or how distasteful a .216 batting average is, Shelley Duncan has won this job with 5 homers and 15 ribs.  Bear in mind though that Acta has directly contradicted himself on the matter this spring.  Back on March 7th, Acta told us that he wanted a player with "a nice blend of offense and defense."  A mere 16 days later, he had changed his tune, stating "You need to hit. We can't have a pecking order for defensive left fielders here. We need to see some stuff, some offense, some production."  16 days!  Did he actually change his mind?  Hell, no!  You know what you call that?  Unrepentant hypocrisy!  The man never tells us anything.  He just keeps talking in his puppy-cute broken English, making funny little jibes and pretending like he actually possesses the ability to evaluate talent or motivate players.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - Manny Acta is an idiot and the Indians organization confirms its dedication to mediocrity by retaining him.

Somewhere Out There:  So who's still competing?  Aaron Cunningham (.222) singled in three trips today, while Felix Pie (.231) had an RBI hit after replacing him.  Ryan Spilborghs (.171) once again went hitless and has simply run out of time to win a spot.  I count Matt LaPorta (.167) and Fred Lewis (.214) out as well.  Although Russ Canzler (.297) has had a solid spring, his .674 OPS is troubling.  Given Cunningham's contract situation and Pie's defense, Canzler has fallen to a distant third.  I don't know why I ever doubted this one.  Unless Cunningham in injured, he will be on the roster.  That's what you get for trading for an unproved kid who is out of options.

Bench Me:  Jose Lopez (.351) was 0-for-4 today, but will be the last man on the bench.  The next person who mentions Andy LaRoche gets busted in the mouth.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Here's where it gets goddamn tricky.  By mid-market logic, newly acquired Rick VandenHurk is a shoe-in because he's out of options, but he got lit up on Saturday (0.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 K) and has an 11.57 ERA and a 2.43 WHIP overall this spring.  Jeremy Accardo has the best numbers of the bunch (1.50 ERA, SV), which obviously means that he's out of the running.  The word on the street is that Dan Wheeler (9.00 ERA, .382 OBA) has nearly pitched himself into a spot.  Great.  I look forward to 5 weeks of Dan the Gas Man fueling the fire before he is unceremoniously released.  And what about Chris Ray?  9.00 is cool, but 11.25 is out of line.  Ray actually has the same WHIP (2.00) as Wheeler and a better OBA (.352).  Oh, but Wheeler was sooooo good with Tampa Bay 3 years ago.  That's an outstanding reason to put him in the bullpen.  Shit, it doesn't really matter.  Frank Herrmann (6.48) has won one spot and he's fine as the long man and the Indians went 30-15 to start last season with Chad Durbin torching shit.

Red Tags:  Expect cuts on Thursday.

The Indians take on the White Sox tomorrow at 4:05p in Glendale.  Should you care to listen, it'll be on MMS @ 7p.

Cheers

Just In From the Desert

Honestly, I don't know how the soccer fans do it.  A sporting event ending in a tie is just unnatural.  Two in a row is almost more than I can handle.

Hot Corner:  The Chiz Kid (.235) continued a tough skid striking out in all three of his at-bats.  Chisenhall is now 1-for-his-last-9 with 5 Ks.  Jack Hannahan is clearly in the lead here.

#5:  Don't tell me that Scottie Barnes is not in the race for the fifth starter spot.  Barnes tossed three more scoreless innings today (7 for the spring with 5 H, BB, 6 K), allowing just one hit and fanning four.  He also picked a man off of first, a skill that should not go undervalued.  All things being equal, if he puts up equivalent numbers to another contender, he will go to AAA, but, if he outshines his peers, do not believe that the Tribe will just send him on his way.

Left Of Center:  Matt LaPorta (.176) continued inching back into contention with a solid double today.  He's going to need to build on his recent success and show more power if he expects to have a realistic chance.  Felix Pie (.188) was a quiet 0-for-3 and needs to start hitting as well. 

Somewhere Out There:  Aaron Cunningham (.238) was your left fielder for all nine innings.  Yeah, he went hitless in four trips, including a punch out.  Guy needs to show us something if he wants to play on the big stage. 

Bench Me:  Jose Lopez got the day off.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Not today.

Tribe/ChiSox @ 4:05p tomorrow.  Tune in on STO.

Just In From the Desert

Josh Tomlin got beaten (3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 4 ER) but the Indians did not, rallying from a 7-0 deficit to knot up the Rangers and an erratic Yu Darvish 8-8.  Yeah, Yu walked the first two batters of the game, but both Michael Brantley and Asdrubal Cabrera were caught stealing on separate plays.  Yeesh.

Hot Corner:  Jack Hannahan (.286) scorched a double and added a single in three trips.  He scored a pair of runs, but also made an awful throw to extend the nightmarish 3rd inning.  Captain Jack committed only one throwing error all of last year, so we can assume that it's out of the way for 2012.  Still, it's not what you want to do when you're fighting for a starting role.

#5:  Jeanmar Gomez (0.00) relieved Tomlin and continued to make a strong case that no others need apply for the fifth spot.  His fastball looked live with a good sinking action and the man hit his spots.  Needless to say, the numbers showed it.  In three innings he allowed just a single base-runner (a one base hit) and conjured five ground ball outs.  In case you're counting, that's 7 scoreless with just 4 hits allowed.  At this point, Jeanmar is going to have to give the job away because no one can take it unless he stumbles.  Zach McAllister (4.50) pitched two clean frames, benefiting from a bizarre double play in the 8th (sac bunt attempt, ZMac got lead runner at third, then the batter just sort of wandered off of first for no reason and got tagged out, again, bizare), but has simply not put up a body of work comparable to that of Gomez.

Left of Center:  Nope.

Somewhere Out There:  Fred Lewis (.182) started in left and did double on a ball that hit about 2 inches from the top of the wall.  The problem is that he also struck out twice and has looked consistently troubled in left field.  I would not bet on him.  Nor would I on Ryan Spilborghs (.125).  While the man is tremendously well-spoken (I saw an interview during today's game), he has simply shown nothing so far.  Today, he hit into a double play in one AB and left the game winning run in scoring position in the other.  Now, if Ezequiel Carrera (.200) can string some hits together, his speed is an X-factor that could earn him a spot.  In his first PA against Texas he beat out what was intended to be a sac bunt and then stole second.  He seems to be more comfortable in center field than he was last season, perhaps because the big stage doesn't seem so much anymore.

Bench Me:  Yesterday, I noted that Jose Lopez was the only man left in this category.  Well, the former all-star has no problem carrying it all by himself.  Lopez (.500) slapped two more hits today, as well as drawing a walk.  He also played a very solid first base for, not 9, but 10 innings.  I stand by my position that you will not see him at that position in the regular season unless something stupid happens, but it's still good to know that he can cut the mustard.  Oh, his spring OPS is 1.374.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Hector Ambriz (1.80) escaped danger in the top of the 10th thanks to his ability to get all 3 outs on ground balls.  Unfortunately, it was all Ambriz in getting into trouble.  He walked 2 (1 intentional) to open the door for the Rangers.

The wandering Wahoos visit the Gigantes tomorrow at 4:05p.

Just In From the Desert

Props to Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 6.00, 3 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, K) for taking a big step in righting the ship and to the whole team on a solid 3-2 victory.  These are the sorts of games that will make or break a team without big boppers and it's quite heartening to see the boys pull one out.

Hot Corner:  Lonnie Chisenhall (.286) played a full 9 innings and singled once in four trips.  The Chiz Kid has yet to do anything to pull ahead in the third base race.

#5:  Nada.

Left of Center:  Shelley Duncan (.250) was your DH today and brought home a pair of runs.  Duncan knocked an RBI single in the first, before coming in to score himself.  He also drew a bases loaded walk in the 4th pushing in what proved to be the contest's decisive run.  Often it's easy to forget what kind of hitter Shelley is.  Sure, he dipped to .231 before today, but his OPS has stayed consistent at about 1.000.  The organization is obviously looking for an upgrade, but it would be a shame if they did not give this guy a chance to play every day.

Somewhere Out There:  Aaron Cunningham (.294) doubled in three plate appearance, scored a run and struck out.  I just don't feel it from Cunningham.  I get a real Travis Buck vibe off of him and, god knows, we don't need anymore of that on the lake.  Still, the combination of his lack of options and a solid spring probably puts him on the roster.  Russ Canzler (.368) aims to make that decision as difficult as possible.  The fan favorite added two more hits today.  Ryan Spilborghs (.143) now has a 2-game hitting streak after an RBI rip.  Ezequiel Carrera continues to sputter, as he went 0-for-2 with a punch out.  Remember that the Tribe does not need to carry a second true center fielder if they feel comfortable with Jason Donald as the backup. 

Bench Me:  Jose Lopez (.455) (who I think is the only guy left in this category unless they carry five outfielders...) saw time at first base and made an error.  Do not expect to see him play first during the regular season except in emergency.  Oh wait, am I assuming he's making it?  Hmm.  Lopez was 0-for-1 today.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Dan Wheeler (21.00) blew another opportunity for a good outing.  Wheeler put three guys on (2 H, BB) while allowing a run and fanning one.  I honestly believe that his spring is already too far gone.  Dan will have to string together a number of impressive innings to get back to zero.  Nick Hagadone (1.80), on the other hand, was, once again, impressive.  Nick pitched 2 clean innings with 2 hits and a punch out.  Although he threw a wild pitch, he has still yet to walk a batter this spring.  Jeremy Accardo (2.25) threw effectively as well.  Accardo would be in the bullpen if Spring Training ended today and was dominant against the D-Bags as he allowed a hit and struck out 2 in earning the save.

Watch the Indians play the Rangers tomorrow @ 4:05p.  STO will carry the game.

Just In From the Desert

Sheesh.  Good thing it's Spring Training because I realized that Asdrubal Cabrera is hitting .071 (and also seems kinda chubby) and the Tribe lost two games by an aggregate of 23-3.  

Hot Corner:  Bad day for Jack Hannahan (.182).  Despite an RBI, Jack went 0-for-3 with an sloppy E5 in the field.  The Indians expect consistency from Hannahan this season and, if it looks like they're not going to get it, they will go with Lonnie Chisenhall (.300, 0-1, K) as the Opening Day starter.

#5:  A pair of 5th starter possibles toed the rubber on a day of split squad action.  David Huff went against the Angels and took a dramatic step backwards.  Following 2 strong starts, Huff (6.75) was abysmal today in allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on seven hits (BB, 2 K) over three innings.  Huff now lingers behind both Jeanmar Gomez and the Kevin Slowey, the starter versus Texas.  Although he was not particularly sharp, Slowey (3.60) kept his team in the game (5 H, 2 ER, K) over his three innings of work.

Left of Center:  Hallelujah!  Matt LaPorta (.143) finally broke through today with 2 hits.  He still has a long way to go to get back into this.  Shelley Duncan has fizzled since a quick start, highlighted by an 0-for-3, 3 K performance this afternoon.  Felix Pie (.231) was 0-for-1.

Somewhere Out There:  Aaron Cunningham (.286) keeps hanging around.  He banged out his first extra base hit today, scored a run and added an outfield assist.  Since he is out of options, he could easily win a tie breaker with another player.  Russ Canzler (.313) is that kind of player.  Russ singled in three trips today, but his aura has faded over the past week, leaving him susceptible to a business move rather than a baseball move.  Ezequiel Carrera (.200) continues to fade as well.  Zeke posted an 0-for-5 with a pair of Ks against the Angels.  Fred Lewis (.125) did about half as poorly, fanning once during an 0-for-2 game.  Just like LaPorta, Ryan Spilborghs (.091) rapped his first base knock of the spring today.  He also committed an error and will have to get really hot, really quick to remain viable in this field.

Bench Me:  Fighting for another shot in the bigs, Cristian Guzman (.200) simply is not going to make it.  Not only was he 0-for-3 at the dish today, he committed his second error of the spring campaign.  I am officially dropping him from this tracker.  Jose Lopez (.500) was 0-for-1.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Speaking of losers, we can also forget about Chris Ray (18.00).  Ray's fourth spring outing was just as atrocious as his third.  As opposed to a guy like Frank Herrmann (7.20) who has gotten better and better (including 2 scoreless innings of 1 hit ball today) since a horrific first game, Chris has descended deeper into the crapper with each successive go-round.  Three runs on four hits and a walk today effectively relegates him to AAA.  Although it would take a minor miracle to get him onto the Opening Day roster, Chris Seddon fanned six in 2 1/3 clean innings (1 hit) today.  The journeyman was pressed into extended action after the first 4 Indians pitchers surrendered 17 runs against the Halos.

Red Tags: Austin Adams, Tyler Sturdevant & Chun Chen, all of whom have been injured thus far with Chen the only seeing any game action.

Tribe/D-Bags tomorrow at 4:05p.  Enjoy it on MLB Network.

Just In From the Desert

Another bummer of a game offensively, although Justin Masterson did lower his ERA to 14.54 and Shin-Soo Choo did launch this solo homer that had the vendors beyond the outfield lawn ducking for cover.

Hot Corner:  Lonnie Chisenhall (.333) took his turn in the spring platoon and proceeded to ring up a pair of Ks in his only two trips.  Chiz Kid will have to start mashing to win the starting spot.

#5:  Scottie Barnes (0.00), who the media don't want you to believe is competing for the 5th spot, pitched two scoreless frames, allowing two hits and fanning a pair.  No matter what anyone tells you, everyone is competing.  If Barnes finishes the spring with an ERA under one and all of the other possibles struggle, he will be in the rotation.

Left Of Center:  Matt LaPorta (.000) played the entire game, although I think just about everyone (including Matt) wishes that he had not.  Matty went 0-for-4 with 2 Ks and is now hitless in 10 spring at bats.  Felix Pie (.250) started in center (remember that CF is where he will be playing) and fared a bit better, singling in three trips.  Pie has flashed the leather that he is known for, so even a middling spring offensively will likely earn him a spot.

Somewhere Out There:  Russ Canzler (.308) doubled in a run in the 7th and continues to show a bat that might be big enough to stick.  Ezequiel Carrera (.300) & Fred Lewis (.167) were each 0-for-1.

Bench Me:  Jose Lopez (.556), the (cough) former all-star, laced a sharp single in three trips and is looking more and more like a guy that Manny Acta will want as his utility man.  Andy LaRoche (.500) went 0-for-1 with a walk and a run scored, but is not getting a lot of PT.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Jeremy Accardo (3.00) overcame three straight singles to begin the 9th, limiting the damage to one run and ending the inning with a strikeout.  Hector Ambriz (2.25) surrendered a leadoff jack in the 8th, but sent the next three down 1-2-3, including a punch out of his own.

Remember, kids, to spring ahead tonight, which means that the games will generally be @ 4:05p from now on. Tomorrow's slate features split squad action with Kevin Slowey facing the Rangers and David Huff taking on the Angels.  The latter will be carried on the MLB Network.

Cheers.

Just In From the Desert

No-no.  No, no, no!  Not much good news on a day that the Tribe gave up ten runs before they picked up their first hit and lost 12-2, but we are a week in, so I will offer my opinions on who is winning the roster battles.

Hot Corner:  Captain Jack (.250) started and was as anemic as his fellows, going 0-for-3.
Projection: Jack Hannahan

#5:  Zach McAllister (6.75) failed to hold serve as he struggled through two innings.  ZMac allowed three extra base hits, including a home run, en route to surrendering 3 earned on four hits total.  He did fan a pair, but this is not the sort of performance that will help a darkhorse candidate.
Projection: Jeanmar Gomez

Left Of Center:  Felix Pie (.222) entered in the 7th and picked up the Indians' first extra base hit, a double, in his lone plate appearance.  Matt LaPorta (.000) reached on a walk in his only trip.
Projection: Shelley Duncan

Somewhere Out There:  Aaron Cunningham (.273) helped Brewers no-hitter extend through the first 23 hitters of the game with an 0-for-3 effort.
Projection: Felix Pie

Bench Me:  Cristian Guzman (.286) broke up the no hitter with a 7th inning single.  There is still no room for him in a the Opening Day clubhouse.
Projection: Jose Lopez

Mightier Than the Sword: Dan Wheeler's nightmare spring continued as he coughed up the long ball to the first man he faced.  Wheeler also allowed a double and a second run in his inning of work, although his ERA did drop from 36.00 to 27.00.  Chris Ray (15.00) fared no better, getting tagged for a pair of dingers during a 3-run 5th.  Nick Hagadone (3.00) came on for the 9th and, go figure, gave up a run on three hits and a K.  On the positive side, he has yet to walk a batter.
Projection (Assuming Chris Perez is healthy): Frank Herrmann & Jeremy Accardo

The boys are right back at it tomorrow against the Padres.  Take heed of the start time (4:05p) and the TV coverage on STO.

Cheers.   

Just In From the Desert

The Indians lost a hard fought contest to Angels as Ubaldo Jimenez (2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0-2, 9.00) and Josh Tomlin (3 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 7.20) both got knocked around.

Hot Corner:  Lonnie Chisenhall (.429) started, batted twice, struck out, walked, and scored a run.

#5:  Jeanmar Gomez took the baton down the stretch and continued his scoreless streak with clean innings (2 H, 2 BB, K) in the 7th and 8th.  I'm allowed to root for whomever I want and I'm pulling for Jeanmar.

Left Of Center:  Shelley Duncan (.300) was your left fielder today.  He did nothing, going 0-for-3.   Felix Pie (.125) came off the bench in center and went 0-for-2.  It's important to remember that if Pie earns the starting spot or a bench role, it will be because of his defense and he will play primarily center.  His career rTot/yr (runs saved per season) in center is +18.  That's better than Kenny Lofton, Paul Blair, Willie Mays or anyone else you can name.  To put it in plain English, he's a Gold Glove caliber center fielder.  In left field, the number is a sub-par -3.  That means he costs the team runs when he plays left.  You know who doesn't cost the team runs in left?  Shelley Duncan, who sports a career rTot/yr of +2 in left.  I keep reading that the Indians want an offense/defense mix from the left fielder and other options like Aaron Cunningham (career 0 rTot/yr) & Ryan Spilborghs (-10!) offer more production in the field.  Bullshit.  I'll give you Fred Lewis (+8) for defense, but there's no way that his D offsets the discrepancy with the bat between him and Duncan.  The next time you read something that an "Indians insider" tells you, check out the numbers before you believe it.  And if you're one of those people who thinks the eye test is a better gauge of fielding, remember how well Matt LaPorta hits the ball in batting practice.

Somewhere Out There:  Cunningham (.375) got the start in right.  He singled and scored a run, but is still without an extra base hit.  Both Spilborghs (.000, twice) and Chad Huffman (.000, once) struck out in their only plate appearances.  Ezequiel Carrera (.333) led off in center and, after fanning his first two times, brought home a pair with a 5th inning single.  Russ Canzler (.300) went 1-for-4 with a run scored, but struck out to end the game with the tying run on second base.

Bench Me:  I'll say it again, I've got a feeling about former all-star Jose Lopez (.667).  JoLo came in half way through to relieve Chisnehall at third.  He proceeded to launch a 2-run dong in the 6th.  He has certainly vaulted himself into consideration should Jack Hannahan win the third base job (otherwise, it's said that Jack will be a "utility infielder."  Don't ask me).

Mightier Than the Sword:  Uhh, like none of these dudes pitched today.  Although I was told that Hector Ambriz is not in competition for a bullpen role, I do not believe it (see left field defense).

Check in with Tribe again tomorrow @ 3:05p when they travel to Maryvale to battle the Brew Crew.

Royals Blues (Or "Are You Sayin' Superman Can't Hit A Curveball?"

Well, KC may have 5 top 100 prospects, plus Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Alex Gordon, etc, but they do not have Kal-El at AA.  So.... it's gonna be worse than this.

Cheers.

Just In From the Desert

Yeah, the bats finally woke up.  The Tribe pounded 7 extra base hits, including 3 home runs in the first three innings, as they throttled the D-Bags 10-2.

Hot Corner: Jack Hannahan (.400) took advantage of the start, smashing a third inning grand slam off of Arizona phenom Tyler Skaggs to break the game wide open.  It was no cheapie, either.  Lonnie Chisenhall (.500) followed with a 1-for-2 effort.  This is just me, but I have to believe that if Captain Jack hits, he's going to be the man on Opening Day.

#5:  David Huff (3.60) blinked first, allowing two earned as he stretched himself out over 3 innings.  Huff surrendered two hits and a walk while striking out 3.  Still, it was a solid outing, as the fifth starter quintet continues to do nothing but impress.

Left Of Center:  Although Felix Pie (.167) entered late, he took full advantage.  Pie showed off his speed in legging out an 8th inning triple and coming home on a wild pitch.  New day, same crappy Matt LaPorta (.000), who whiffed in his only AB and is still hunting for his first spring hit.

Somewhere Out There:  Freddy Lewis (.200) got the start in left field and played well as the Indians piled up early runs.  Lewis was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.  Trevor Crowe (.000) patrolled left after Lewis called it a day, going 0-for-1.  Is he really a consideration for this spot?  Certainly not unless he hits.

Bench Me:  Not much.  Cord Phelps (.000) is the Crowe of this category, hundred to one odds.  Phelps walked in his only trip.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Frank Herrmann (12.00) rebounded from an atrocious debut with two excellent innings (H, BB, 3 K) to close the game.  Hector Ambriz (0.00) did him one better with two perfect innings and three punchouts.  Ambriz might be a darkhorse for the last bullpen spot, but do not count him out.

The Tribe return to Goodyear on Thursday with a 3:05p tilt against the Halos.

Just In From the Desert

A win, a very palpable win!  The Tribe notched their first victory of the spring, 3-2 over the Royals.

Hot Corner:  Neither contender saw action today.

#5:  Kevin Slowey started and scattered 4 hits over 2 innings.  Scottie Barnes pitched clean ball over the 6th and 7th innings (2 H, BB, K).  So, to sum up, all five of the candidates have thrown a pair of scoreless frames in his first spring appearance.  Love it.

Left Of Center:  Two words: Shelley Duncan.  Kid is just mashing.  Duncan (.429) crushed his second mammoth homerun of the spring and leads all of baseball with 6 ribs.  He is way out in front on this one.  Matt LaPorta (.000, 0-1) has looked flat out awful, including an 0-4, 2 K performance in yesterday's "B" game.  Felix Pie played, but did not bat.

Out There:  Aaron Cunningham (.333) singled in three trips, as did Ezequiel Carrera (.333), but Zeke added a stolen base and a run scored.  Russ Canzler's flirtation with perfection ended as he came back to earth with an 0-for-3 effort.  He's still hitting .400.  Ryan Spilborghs (.000, 0-3, K) has fallen to the back of the pack.

Bench Me:  Cristian Guzman (.250) was 0-for-2 with walk, but did shown some versatility by sliding to second base during the middle innings.  Jose Lopez (.750) continued to impress with a hit and a run scored, plus a bit of time at the hot corner.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Chris Ray (9.00) allowed KC's only two runs on a moonshot from the kid batting 9th.  Who the F is Irving Falu?  Jeremy Accardo, on the other hand, notched his second scoreless inning (H, K) and is looking like the cream of the crop thus far.  Nick Hagadone (0.00) also recorded a clean inning and, most importantly, has yet to issue a walk this spring.

The Wahoos get right back at it tomorrow at 3:05p, taking on the Angels in a game that will be carried on the MLB Network.

Just In From the Desert

The hits just keep on comin'... for the Reds.  Tough outings for Justin Masterson (1.1 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 3 BB) and Tony Sipp (IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB) and Cincy was 3-for-3 stealing bases off of Carlos Santana.  Oh yeah, they lost, again,12-7.

Hot Corner:  Lonnie Chisenhall (.500) started and singled in two trips.  Neither Chiz nor Cap'n Jack has showed any sign of giving away the position.

Left Of Center:  Felix Pie (.000) got the start in left.  He went 0-for-2, but scored following a 6th inning walk.  Pie is in the middle of my three contenders. 

#5:  Zach McAllister continued a string of impressive 2 inning performances by the 5th starter candidates.  ZMac held the Redlegs scoreless over innings 7 & 8, while allowing just a single and fanning three.  This has the making of the kind of tough choice that organizations drool over.

Out There:  Ryan Spilborghs (.000, 0-1) scored as a pinch runner in the 6th then brought home a run with a sac fly in the 7th.  Russ Canzler (1.000) maintained perfection with a 9th inning walk.  Ezequiel Carrera (.333) singled and scored as part of that same 2 run 9th.  

Bench Me:  No news is good news.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Dan Wheeler imploded, surrendering 4 earned on 4 hits in the 6th, inclduing a 2-run bomb to Corky Miller of all people.  This kind of resets the bullpen battle after just 3 days.  With the two most likely pen men (Wheeler and Frank Herrmann) both enduring disastrous outings, the brain trsust likely scraps both as the work of early kinks.  I find it incredibly likely that the Opening Day would include neither, so each can take a breath of relief thanks to the other.

Kevin Slowey, pushed back from a planned start today, takes the hill versus half of the Royals tomorrow @ the same bat time (3:05p).

Just In From the Desert

You already know that Ubaldo Jimenez gave up 5 runs on 5 hits in a sloppy first inning.  Moving on...

Hot Corner: Captain Jack Hannahan (Bon Anniversaire, bro) singled in two trips (.500) and played his normal stellar defense.

Left Of Center: Today we were treated to all 3 contenders, including a pair in the starting lineup.  Shelley Duncan (.250) was the left field starter and launched a three run, first inning bomb to left that likely hasn't landed yet.  Matt LaPorta (.000) did not fare so well as the DH.  Matty Ked his first two times up and his RBI came on a fielder's choice that should have been an inning ending double play in the 5th.  Felix Pie (.000) entered later and did exactly nothing of consequence.

#5:  Jeanmar Gomez pitched the 6th and 7th perfectly and fanned 3 in what Tom Hamilton called a dominant performance.  We won't see the favorite for the 5th slot (Kevin Slowey) until tomorrow's finale against Cincy, but Jeanmar certainly put his best foot forward today.

Bench Me:  Russ Canzler (1.000) singled twice and walked in 3 PAs, driving in a run and scoring a pair.  Although he contributed an error (playing first base) to the Redlegs first inning outburst, Russ is currently the darling of media and fandom alike.  That can go a long way in helping a young man's quest for a spot on the opening day roster, especially if he continues to hit.  I have never seen an intrasquad grand slam do so much for a player's image.  Aaron Cunningham (.333) made his Indians debut and looked pretty damn rusty his first two trips to the dish (and in making an awful first inning throwing error), but did slice a single in the 5th.  Many consider this kid a contender for the starting spot, but he'll have to earn my respect before I get on the bandwagon.  I do have a feeling about Jose Lopez (1.000).  After two hits yesterday, the former all-star (I'll keep saying it) walked in his only plate appearance today and seems like the kind of guy that will stick if he can keep it going.  Finally, Crisitian Guzman (.500) singled, walked and scored twice.  Seems like a good day, eh?  Yeah, not so much.  Guzman looked every bit of a 34 year old who hadn't played in a year while making an ugly error at short and displaying very little energy in the field.  I'll agree with Hamilton on this one; I don't see a ML position for Acta's buddy.

Mightier Than the Sword:  Chris Ray and Hector Ambriz each tossed a scoreless inning in their respective first spring appearances.  The 12th (and maybe 11th? 10th if CP is still hurt?) pitching slots will likely be the last of the battles to be decided.

Just In From the Desert

Good news: Chris Perez feels much better, stating that his left side hurts more like bruise than a pulled muscle.  He hopes to be pitching in spring games by the middle of the month.  That's quite a departure from the 4-to-6 week timetable that we were originally presented with, so let's hope CP doesn't rush back and injure himself further.

Bad news: Don't expect to see Rafael Perez anytime soon.  He's on the shelf with a sore pitching shoulder.  Listed as day-to-day, the truth is that no one knows when he will make his spring debut.  Also, Aaron Cunningham, you know that dude that no one has ever heard of but we (essentially) traded two prospects for and has no options left so if we don't keep him for opening day we might get squat, has a sore left hand that he has described as throbbing with pain from his fingertips to his elbow and is out indefinitely as well.

Cross your eyes, Ubaldo takes the hill in 3 hours.

Cheers.

Just In From the Desert

Happy Game 1!

Right off the bat (nyuk, nyuk), let's agree on what, barring further injury, we know -

Catcher: Carlos Santana
First Base: Casey Kotchman
Second Base: Jason Kipnis
Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera
Centerfield (or, possibly but unlikely, leftfield): Michael Brantley
Rightfield: Shin-Soo Choo
Designated Hitter: Travis Hafner

Backup Catcher: Lou Marson

#1 Starter: Justin Masterson
#2 Starter: Ubaldo Jimenez

Starter: Josh Tomlin
Starter: Derek Lowe

Closer (until Chris Perez is healthy): Vinnie Pestano

Bullpen: Joe Smith
Bullpen: Tony Sipp
Bullpen: Rafael Perez

Additionally, there are a few more spots that are penciled in, though aberrant circumstances might alter them.

Utility Infield: Jason Donald
OF/1B: Shelley Duncan

Bullpen: Frank Herrmann

That leaves a great many question marks to be settled on the field during the next month of exhibition games.  Here's the setup -

Starting 3B: Jack Hannahan vs Lonnie Chisenhall
Starting LF/CF: Shelley Duncan vs Matt LaPorta vs Felix Pie vs The World
Backup OF: Loser of above vs Fred Lewis vs Ryan Spilborghs vs Russ Canzler vs Aaron Cunningham
Last Spot On the Bench: Ervrybody (Add Jose Lopez, Andy LaRoche, Cristian Guzman)

5th Starter: Kevin Slowey vs Jeanmar Gomez vs David Huff vs Zach McAllister vs Scott Barnes

2 bullpen spots (1 if CP is ready for Opening Day): Dan Wheeler vs Nick Hagadone vs Jeremy Accardo vs Chris Ray vs Robinson Tejada vs Hector Ambriz

On to today's contest (they tied the Reds 6-6)-

Hot Corner: Lonnie Chisenhall (.500) got off to a quick start with an RBI single in the second.

Left of Center: Yeah, exactly none of these guys scratched out even a single measly hit, going a combined 0-for-4.

#5: David Huff got the start and tossed two scoreless innings (3 H, K), benefitting from a line drive twin killing that erased Brandon Phillips 1st inning double.

The 'Pen:  Yeah, those abberant circumstances.  Frank Herrmann allowed four runs on five hits in the fourth, struggling against left handers in particular.  He surrendered a pair of doubles and one of his three outs came when Devin Mesoraco tried to take second after bringing in the fourth run.  He did fan Dioner Navarro to close the frame, but the damage was done.  This was exactly the kind of disastrous outing that could cancel out the tenuous hold Frank has on a bullpen spot.  Robinson Tejada (9.00) took the loss after allowing a long home run by Reds prospect Neftali Soto in the 5th, Jeremy Accardo pitched a perfect 6th and, despite a two out single, Nick Hagadone kept the ball over the plate on his way to a clean 7th.

The Bench: Former all-star and utility candidate Jose Lopez (1.000) banged out a doubled and singled as part of a 9th inning rally.  Fred Lewis drew a walk to ignite said rally and, though hitless, Ryan Spilborghs did get the assist on Mesoraco.

The Tribe takes on the Reds again tomorrow @ 3:05p.