Promising Indians Go From First to Last

Promising Indians go from first to worst
One win from the 2007 World Series, Cleveland is now last in the AL; what happened?

By Jerry CrasnickESPN.comArchive
"We got beat by a great team. We've got a lot of young guys on this team. This wasn't the end of something. It was the beginning of something."-- Cleveland first baseman Ryan Garko after the Indians, one win from the World Series, blew a 3-games-to-1 lead against Boston in the 2007 American League Championship Series.

The beginning of what, exactly?

Andrew Weber/US PresswireGrady Sizemore, just activated from the DL, has an OPS 100 points below his career average.

Garko, a thoughtful and soft-spoken Stanford graduate, never could have envisioned the Indians' going 37-53 to begin the 2008 season, rendering the second half irrelevant, or CC Sabathia wearing a Milwaukee Brewers uniform by the All-Star break.

He didn't foresee Travis Hafner hurting his shoulder, Jhonny Peralta's power declining so markedly, or pitchers Fausto Carmona and Rafael Perez, cornerstones of the 96-win team in 2007, going south so quickly. For the sake of accuracy, Perez actually traveled 142 miles southwest to Triple-A Columbus after a demotion in May, and Carmona was last seen undergoing a ground-floor remake in Arizona.

Garko couldn't have predicted the great bullpen disaster of 2008 or a similar meltdown in 2009 after general manager Mark Shapiro made relief pitching a priority during the hot stove season. With the Kerry Wood and Masa Kobayashi signings, injuries to Joe Smith and Rafael Betancourt, and Jensen Lewis' regression, Indians fans have learned to watch the seventh, eighth and ninth innings through splayed fingers.

So here's where things stand: The Indians, a fashionable AL Central pick in March, are 12 games behind first-place Detroit and last in the division. Shapiro can't make it through a day without answering another question about manager Eric Wedge's job security, and he began the process of selling off short-term assets for long-term value when he traded infielder Mark DeRosa to St. Louis for reliever Chris Perez on Saturday.

If this comes as any consolation to beleaguered Tribe fans, Shapiro is convinced the picture isn't as grim as April, May and June make it appear.

BROKEN RECORD

The Indians have fallen well short of expectations since the 2007 ALCS. Here are the win percentages and run differentials among AL teams since the start of the 2008 season:




"I truly believe in my heart that we're going to be back in the playoffs again in the next three years," Shapiro said. "As much as I feel [the fans'] pain, I can't get caught up in the emotion of the history here. I don't believe we're going to be a bad team. I don't believe this is the beginning of another 40 years of losing. I believe this is a bad season. That's what it is."

The pain is more acute because the Indians have such a knack for snatching despair from the jaws of exhilaration. After putting Boston on the mat in '07, the Indians sent their staff ace to the mound for the clincher. But Sabathia, too keyed up by the stakes, threw a clunker against Josh Beckett. The series returned to Fenway Park, where the Red Sox outscored the Indians 23-4 in games 6 and 7 to advance to the World Series.

"Any time you have the opportunity to advance in the postseason and get that close, there's some level of disappointment when you don't reach your ultimate goal of winning the World Series," said Chris Antonetti, Cleveland assistant GM. "We valued that at the time. We understood that for teams in our market size, with our resources, it's exceptionally challenging to repeat and sustain that level of success.'"

For all their problems this season, the Indians have no plans to rip it up and start anew right now. So unless somebody overwhelms Shapiro with a package for Cliff Lee or Victor Martinez, the Indians will try to fill their holes, put this season's disappointment behind them and compete for a playoff berth in 2010.

There's nothing like a 31-46 record to elicit a little introspection. Here are some of the long- and short-term realities Shapiro and Antonetti must confront over the next few months and the offseason.

The pitching problemHafner's $57 million contract looks exorbitant in hindsight, but he still has a .959 OPS in 31 games this season. Even with Hafner and Grady Sizemore's missing considerable time because of injuries, the Indians rank third in the AL in runs.

CLEVELAND ROCKED

The Indians' pitching numbers have gone down since 2007. In parentheses are where they ranked in MLB:

The problem is pitching. Cleveland has one starter, Lee, with an ERA of less than 5.00. The Indians' staff has issued 310 walks, most in the majors, and has given up 88 home runs, seventh most in the game.

How bad is the bullpen? The Indians have been outscored 66-32 in the eighth inning, and the relievers have allowed 58 of 140 inherited runners to score.

And there simply is no depth for when things go wrong. The Toronto Blue Jays have survived an incredible run of pitching injuries with help from a Scott Richmond here and a Ricky Romero and Brian Tallet there, but the Indians can't find anyone to carry the burden behind Lee.
Which leads to our second issue …

A break in the pipelineThe Brandon Phillips trade to Cincinnati notwithstanding, it's hard to argue with Shapiro's trade history. He acquired Hafner from Texas for Ryan Drese and Einar Diaz, stole Asdrubal Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo from Seattle for Eduardo Perez and Ben Broussard, and acquired elite catching prospect Carlos Santana from the Dodgers for Casey Blake last July. And what more can be said about the deal that brought Sizemore, Lee and Phillips from Montreal for Bartolo Colon? It was a classic heist.

The Indians have been successful in Latin America, and while you can criticize some of Shapiro's recent free-agent signings, Jason Michaels, David Dellucci and even Wood don't have the type of contracts that are going to strangle the team for years to come.

So what's the problem? In the spectrum of player acquisition options, Cleveland's lack of success early in the draft stands front and center.

Shapiro has been the Indians' general manager since 2001.

Since 2000, Cleveland has had 19 first-round or supplemental picks. The most successful, pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, has a 23-24 record in the majors, and all of that has come with Baltimore.

Beyond Guthrie, the landscape is essentially bare. First-rounders Corey Smith, Alan Horne, Daniel Denham and Brad Snyder did nothing. Matt Whitney, Michael Aubrey and Adam Miller got hurt. And it's too soon to tell what Trevor Crowe, Beau Mills, David Huff and Lonnie Chisenhall will contribute over the long haul.

Cleveland management contends the early misses are offset in part by some later "finds" that bring the team's overall performance closer to average. Garko, Lewis, Ben Francisco, Aaron Laffey and the departed Ryan Church and Luke Scott are among the players who fit the description. Still, there's not a Ryan Howard, Justin Morneau, Josh Johnson or Jonathan Papelbon in the bunch.

It doesn't help that the Indians rarely pick among the top handful of teams in the first round, where the sure things are found. Cleveland has picked in the top 10 only once this decade. In 2004, the Indians had Jered Weaver and Stephen Drew atop their board but passed on both players for financial reasons and selected Jeremy Sowers, a Vanderbilt product who is 33-14 with a 2.47 ERA in the minors and 14-24/5.18 in the majors.

Some draft watchers think the Indians are too stat-focused and select too many corner infielders, outfielders and DH types rather than athletes and middle-of-the-diamond players. But sometimes it's more about the money than the draft philosophy.

In 2005, the Indians drafted Washington high school pitcher Tim Lincecum in the 42nd round, but ownership wasn't willing to buck the commissioner's office and spend the $1 million or so required to sign him. Think Lincecum wouldn't look good in that rotation right now?
Managing expectationsThe Shapiro-Antonetti tandem gets more love from national media outlets than, say, White Sox GM Kenny Williams, who is perceived as arrogant and overly blunt. Is it because the Cleveland guys are media favorites? Perhaps. But their front office peers also regard Shapiro and Antonetti as extremely bright, people-oriented, innovative thinkers.
"If you gave Mark an organization with the resources of the Red Sox or the Yankees and the ability to paper over the occasional mistake we all make, he would absolutely run a club that would be a force year in and year out," an AL executive said. "It becomes far more difficult in a market like Cleveland, where your mistakes can linger or derail you for years to come. The margin of error is far thinner."

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

Here's how the Indians stacked up, payroll- and performance-wise, against their AL Central competition from 2002-08 (Payroll source: USA Today salary database):

The Indians' Opening Day payroll of $81.5 million this year was almost dead even with the payroll in 2002, Shapiro's first season as general manager. Surprisingly, the cost-conscious Minnesota Twins spent more money than Cleveland on player salaries each year from 2003 through 2007.

Indians fans might blanch when Shapiro says he expects the team back in the playoffs in the "next three years," but that's the way life works for teams in Cleveland's economic stratum. Beyond the big boys in New York, Boston and Los Angeles, most clubs live in a world in which sporadic postseason appearances are the reality.

During Shapiro's tenure as GM, the Indians have a .503 winning percentage, two 90-win seasons and one postseason appearance. The Twins and Florida Marlins have made better use of their resources, as a rule. But Cleveland's performance looks pretty good compared to those of Texas, Seattle, Detroit and several other teams that have outspent the Indians by a wide margin and have less to show for it.

The Pythagorean problemThe Indians have been outscored by only 27 runs this season, but they're 15 games below .500. That makes them underperformers, based on the Bill James Pythagorean theorem of win expectations.

That's nothing new for a franchise that's posted fewer wins than its run differential would suggest several times in recent years.

The Pythagorean disconnect generally is attributed to three things: the manager, the bullpen or luck. Since no team can be so unlucky that often, the conversation inevitably leads back to Wedge and the relievers.

The Indians need to take a hard look at their underachieving bullpens. Is it a question of evaluation or usage? Did the Indians misjudge Lewis based on his 66 innings last season? Did Wedge burn out Perez with overuse in 2007 and 2008? Bullpen performances are the hardest things in baseball to predict, but when they're bad enough to wreck entire seasons, it's a problem.

The burden of historyWhen a city's fan base is "traumatized," as Shapiro calls it, disappointments are cumulative. Every Kerry Wood blown save is somehow linked to Earnest Byner's goal-line fumble, "The Drive" or Charles Nagy's failure against Edgar Renteria in 1997. The sense of desperation and fatalism can become an emotional anchor. Just ask Boston Red Sox players what the atmosphere was like pre-2004.

In Cleveland, the measuring stick for the Indians remains the great John Hart-Mike Hargrove-Charlie Manuel teams of the late '90s. The Indians averaged 93 wins a year from 1995 through 2001, made the playoffs six times, and featured the likes of Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez and Albert Belle.

During that span, the Tribe made history with 455 straight sellouts at Jacobs Field. But those days are long gone. The Indians finished 12th in the majors in attendance in 2002. They haven't ranked higher than 21st since, and this season, they're 27th with 22,557 a game. The reality is, Cleveland is an economically depressed town, and it's a grind for the Indians to sell tickets, win or lose.

"Everything we do now is compared to what we accomplished then," Shapiro said. "If you're around our team, that's what you feel. It's not 2007. It's '94 to '01.
"That was a very special and unique juncture in Indians history that should be cherished, but it's not a fair barometer. We had payrolls in the top five, and we had a unique set of circumstances. A new stadium. Not winning for 40 years. No football team, a poor basketball team and an economy on the uptick. All those things created a very special level of revenues and a very special juncture in Indians baseball."

This year is special only for the trade speculation it's engendered, the anguish it's created and the questions it's produced. It's not even July, and the Cleveland front office and fan base already are looking ahead to 2010. The real-life version of "Major League'' will have to wait.
Jerry Crasnick covers baseball for ESPN.com. His book "License To Deal" was published by Rodale.

"What makes players, coaches and managers successful is taking it one day at a time. Right now, I feel the answers are here with Eric, this coaching staff and these players. I don't think those are the kind of things I should be concentrating on right now."

Wedge took responsibility for the Tribe's poor start Monday. Said Shapiro, "Responsibility is shared. Accountability rests with me."

13 Games do not make a season

CLEVELAND -- Thirteen games do not a major-league season make. They do not even cover half of a month.

A 13-game sample is enough, though, to get at least a feel for a club and its tendencies. Here is a capsule look at what we think we know about the 4-9 Tribe, which opens a nine-game home stand tonight against Kansas City:
The Indians are not afraid of the big, bad Yankees in the Boogie Down. They split a four-game series in the Bronx that ended Sunday. An opponent usually will gladly accept a four-game road split, but the Indians departed with a sour taste because they had a lead in each game and finished with 11 homers and 40 runs. They posted nine- and 14-run innings.

Too bad the Tribe does not return to New York this season, when the temperature has had time to rise and balls fly that much farther in the pricey new bandbox.

Despite the .308 winning percentage and last-place status, the Indians are very much alive in the Central. Entering Monday, the Royals, White Sox and Tigers were tied for first at 7-5, meaning the Tribe was just 3.5 games back.

Kansas City being anywhere near the lead is no concern for the rest of the division, because it won't last. The White Sox, the team to watch, nonetheless are selectively implementing youngsters. The Tigers are good enough to hang around. The Twins (7-7) figure to have another gritty club under manager Ron Gardenhire. Which is to say none of the four will run away and hide, giving the Indians time to figure it out.

The rotation will not be evoking memories of Early Wynn and the boys. No surprise here: Tribe starters have been shaky even as Cliff Lee, Fausto Carmona and Carl Pavano showed signs of life in New York. The rotation does not feature anyone who sits in the mid-90s, meaning less margin for error. One of these days, one will pitch into the seventh inning. Lee and Pavano own the only quality starts (six innings, three or fewer earned).

Lee will need to work (extra) hard for his money. Not that Lee pitched on cruise control en route to 22-3 last season. A starter winning one game in the majors, let alone 22, is not easy. It's just that otherworldly command of the fastball made it appear easy. Fastball location has not been as precise through three starts this season, leading to a 1-2 record and 6.75 ERA. He will be forced to rely more on curves and change-ups and on keeping batters guessing.

At its current rate of usage, the bullpen -- with the notable exception of one man -- will be gassed by July. It stands to reason that starters who cannot get deep into games wreck havoc on those who follow. The bullpen might not be as good as most thought it would be, anyway.

That one man, closer Kerry Wood, needs to find things to do to keep himself occupied late in meaningful games. Wood has made four appearances, one in a save situation. He is on pace for 13 save situations. Owner Larry Dolan is not paying Wood and his rocket arm $10 million annually to collect dust.

Rafael Perez needs to reset his body clock or begin his season in May. Perez has stunk out the joint for yet another April, his slider allergic to early-season cold. He entered with a 4.73 ERA in March-April -- worst of any month in his career. He is at 16.71 in seven appearances this season.

Wood and Mark DeRosa, who played for the Cubs last season, need not worry about adjusting to a new team. Wood intimidates simply by putting on the uniform. DeRosa is an old-school gamer who dared suggest, correctly, that the great Mariano Rivera might actually throw a pitch that should be called a ball when the batter does not swing at it. DeRosa was called out on strikes to end a 6-5 loss Friday, then went 4-for-7 with six RBI in a 22-4 victory Saturday.
Shin-Soo Choo has sun issues. Bat? Check. Arm? Check. Sunglasses? Need new lenses. Choo has two strikes against him already, having lost one in right and one in left, both resulting in inning-changing extra-base hits. No question the sun can be bright and unforgiving, but Gold Glovers might not lose two in a season.

If Victor Martinez stays healthy, he can challenge for a batting title. Martinez is hitting .358 (19-for-53). A handful of his outs have been loud. Martinez won multiple batting crowns in the minors and entered this season as a .298 hitter in 722 major-league games. Matchup lefties are negated because he's a switch-hitter. His primary position, catcher, puts him at a distinct disadvantage, but if Minnesota's Joe Mauer can winning batting crowns, why not Vic?

Grady Sizemore no longer can be expected to hit .300. He hit .289 in 2005 -- his first full season in the majors -- and .290 in 2006. But he has gone .277 and .268 since and is at .259 with 17 strikeouts this season. His swing is not easily adjusted to slap the ball the other way for average-saving singles.
Just because Sizemore won't hit .300 doesn't mean he's not a dynamic leadoff man. He entered this season with a .370 on-base percentage and .491 slugging percentage; those numbers are at .385 and .574, respectively, through 13 games.
Travis Hafner is showing glimpses of a return to Pronk, or at least PronkLite. The slimmer Hafner has four homers, four doubles and six walks. Yes, he has14 strikeouts. But the key to his being feared again, the surgically-repaired right shoulder, seems to be holding up well under game stress.

Derek Shelton's batters know how to work pitchers, good result or bad result. They are hitting .280 and have scored 83 runs, though a failure to come through with runners in scoring position has cost them games. Along the way, they have struck out a staggering 115 times but managed 67 walks.
Manny Ramirez will not be coming back to Cleveland -- not today, next week, next month or next year. Neither will Jim Thome.

Are the 2009 Cleveland Indians well-armed? Inside the Opening Day pitching staff

Are the 2009 Cleveland Indians well-armed? Inside the Opening Day pitching staff

by Paul Hoynes/Plain Dealer Reporter

Saturday April 04, 2009, 8:30 PM

HOUSTON -- Here's a breakdown of the Indians' 12-man pitching staff. Stats include batting average against (BAA) and what right-handed hitters (RH) and left-handed hitters (LH) hit against each pitcher last year.

STARTING ROTATION

LHP Cliff Lee

Key 2008 stats: 22-3, 2.54 ERA, 223.1 innings, .253 BAA, .245 RH, .272 LH.

Skinny: Lee, last year's AL Cy Young winner, throws a two- and four-seam fastball, cut fastball, slider, curve and change-up. He tops out at 93 mph, but usually throws between 89 and 91.

Comment: Lee had a tough spring, but came through it healthy. It will be interesting to see how responds to being a marked man because of the Cy Young Award. He doesn't have to win 20 again, 14 to 18 victories wouldn't be bad.

RHP Fausto Carmona

Key 2008 stats: 8-7, 5.44 ERA, 120.2 innings, .271 BAA, .230 RH, .303 LH.

Skinny: Carmona is a power pitcher with a sinking fastball, slider and change-up. He'll top out at 96 mph, but usually pitches at 92 to 93.

Comment: Last year, Carmona walked more than he struck out (70 to 58) as he battled a left hip injury. He pitched well this spring training, easing off on the velocity to keep his sinker on the plate at the urging of pitching coach Carl Willis and catcher Victor Martinez. If Carmona wins 19 games as he did in 2007, fine. It's probably more realistic if he wins 14 to 16.

RHP Carl Pavano

Key 2008 stats: 4-2, 5.77 ERA, 34.1 innings, .306 BAA, RH .283, LH .324.

Skinny: Pavano spent spring training throwing between 89 mph and 91 mph. He throws a fastball, slider and change. He's 6-5 and uses his height well to throw his fastball to both sides of the plate at the bottom of the strike zone.
Comment: The Indians took a chance on Pavano, who has been basically out of commission for four years because of injuries. He made it through camp healthy and got better the longer camp went. The Indians believe he can give them a chance to win every fifth start.

LHP Scott Lewis

Key 2008 stats: 4-0, 2.63 ERA, 24 innings, .222 BAA, .254 RH, .130 LH.

Skinny: Lewis throws a fastball, curve, slider and change. He throws 88-89 mph and locates the ball well. He's effective with his change-up, which is about 12 mph slower than his fastball.

Comment: Lewis has to hit his spots and keep the ball down or he'll give up a lot of homers. He's calm and cool on the mound and that serves him well. Let's hope he's able to grip the ball better in the home opener on Friday at Progressive Field than he did in Arizona during spring training.

RHP Anthony Reyes

Key 2008 stats: 4-2, 2.76 ERA, 49 innings, .242 BAA, .267 RH, .240 LH.
Skinny: Reyes throws a fastball, curve and change. He throws between 87-91 mph. It's a heavy fastball that he locates well. The fastball is offset by a good change-up.

Comment: The Indians weren't sure if Reyes would make it through camp healthy after being shut down in September with a sore right elbow. Not only did he stay healthy, he pitched well. Now he has to keep doing it.

Safety net: The Indians have lefties Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers and David Huff in the rotation at Class AAA Columbus if there's trouble with the rotation. Right-handers Kirk Saarloos and Jack Cassel are also in the pipeline. Right-hander Hector Rondon might get a call at Class AA Akron.

BULLPEN

RHP Kerry Wood

Key 2008 stats: 5-4, 3.26, 34 saves, 66.1 innings, .219 BAA, .227 RH, .209 LH
.
Skinny: Wood throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider and curve. He hit 97 mph in spring training, but usually throws between 91-95 mph.

Comment: Wood gives the Indians their first hard-throwing closer since Jose Mesa. He's in his second year as a stopper and last season converted 34 saves in 40 chances for the Cubs. If he stays healthy, the Indians should be one of the best pens in the American League.

LHP Rafael Perez

Key 2008 stats: 4-4, 3.54 ERA, 2 saves, 76.1 innings, .234 BAA, .243 RH, .222 LH.

Skinny: Perez is a fastball-slider pitcher. He throws a change, but sparingly. Perez throws between 90-92 mph. His pitches have late action in the strike zone, dropping out of reach before hitters can recognize the spin on the ball.
Comment: Perez jumped from 44 appearances in 2007 to 73 last year. He handled the extra workload well and gives manager Eric Wedge an effective reliever against left and right-handed hitters in the late innings.

RHP Rafael Betancourt

Key 2008 stats: 3-4, 5.07 ERA, 4 saves, 71 innings, .276 BAA, .295 RH, .252 LH.
Skinny: Betancourt, like Perez, is a set-up man. He throws a fastball, curve and change-up. He tops out around 94 mph, but usually throws between 91-92 mph.
Comment: Betancourt had a bad first half last season, but rebounded in the second half. His spring-training numbers weren't great, but he looked strong. He needs to keep rebounding to give Wedge the Raffie Left and Raffie Right option that worked so well in 2007.

RHP Jensen Lewis

Key 2008 stats: 0-4, 3.82, 13 saves, 66 innings, .266 BAA, .264 RH, .267 LH.

Skinny: Lewis throws a fastball, slider and change. His velocity reaches 90-91 mph, which is better than last year. Lewis concentrated on his slider in spring training.

Comment: Lewis proved last season that he can close, so that gives Wedge and alternative if Wood gets hurt or needs a day off. Lewis, like Betancourt, suffered last season because of a heavy workload in 2007, but pitched well in spring training.

RHP Joe Smith

Key 2008 stats: 6-3, 3.55 ERA, 63.1 innings, .220 BAA, .192 RH, .320 LH.
Skinny: Smith, a sidearmer, throws a fastball, slider and change. He's touched 92 mph this spring and usually sits at 90 mph, which is above average for a sidearmer. His slider works well against right-handers.

Comment: Smith impressed the Indians with his arm strength. Most sidearmers don't throw as hard as he does. It's one of the reasons the Indians think he will eventually be able to get lefties out. He didn't get a chance to work on that much in spring training because of a viral infection.

RHP Masa Kobayashi

Key 2008 stats: 4-5, 4.53 ERA, 6 saves, 55.2 innings, .286 BAA, .292 RH, .280 LH.

Skinny: Kobayashi consistently hit 92 mph in spring training, but got pounded because he couldn't get his pitches down. He throws a fastball, split and slider.

Comment: He'll open the season pitching in middle and long relief. He's in the last year of a $6 million contract.

LHP Zach Jackson

Key 2008 stats: 2-3, 5.55 ERA, 58.1 innings, .294 BAA, .271 RH, .348 LH.

Skinny: Jackson throws a fastball, cut fastball, slider and split change-up. He throws between 87-90 mph, but is vulnerable to left-handers.

Comment: Jackson made the club because he spent much of spring training competing for the last spot in the rotation. He was already stretched out, which meant if one of the starters got knocked out early, he could step in and control the damage.

Safety net: If the Indians need help in the bullpen, right-hander Vinnie Chulk and left-hander Tony Sipp will get the first call at Columbus.

Hello Hi: Memories abound as Indians visit their old spring base in Tucson, Hi Corbett Field
by Paul Hoynes/Plain Dealer Reporter
Sunday March 22, 2009, 5:31 PM

Springtrainingonline.com photoNow the spring home of the Colorado Rockies, Tucson's Hi Corbett Field hosted the Indians for 45 years, from 1947 to 1992.TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Indians returned to Tucson on Sunday to play their first game at Hi Corbett Field since 1992. They trained in Tucson from 1947 through 1992. It seems like a million years ago, but the memories remain.

• Cy Buynak was the Indians equipment manager then. One day one of his relatives, who worked in the clubhouse, jumped a fence at the ballpark, fell and sprained his wrist.
When the Indians came in the next day to get their pre-game soup, outfielder Mel Hall yelled, "Hey, Cy, what kind of soup do we have today -- Cream of Fence?"

• Pitcher Bud Anderson was set to make the club one year. While walking onto the back fields, through a security gate, he waved to a fan, cut his right hand on the razor wire on top of the fence and didn't make the big-league roster.

• I remember the late Bobby Bonds, then Indians hitting coach, working with Otis Nixon for hours in the batting cage.

"When we got done, Otis had hit so many balls, his eyes were crossed," said Bonds.
All the work eventually paid off for Nixon, but not with the Indians, who made Nixon use a bat with a thick barrel. They wanted him to chop down on the ball and use his speed to reach base.
"Butcher boy," manager Pat Corrales would yell whenever Nixon came to the plate.
In other words, use the bat like a butcher's cleaver. Chop the ball in half. I have one of Nixon's broken bats in my basement. He gave it to one of my sons after a game one spring and its barrel is fat and thick.

It was at Tucson's Hi Corbett Field that the Indians got their first look at Kenny Lofton's ability to hit slow infield grounders and turn them into surprising singles.

In the spring of 1992, manager Mike Hargrove was watching Kenny Lofton take batting practice. Lofton, acquired during the off-season from Houston, had not looked impressive as he hit one infield grounder after another.

"They tell me, he's fast enough to turn those into singles," said Hargrove.

Lofton did just that to become the best leadoff hitter in Indians history.

• I remember my boys, Eddie and Jimmy, now fully grown, racing to the back fields to catch home run balls. They went back to Cleveland with a suitcase full of baseballs.

• There was a guy named Tucson Lenny Rubin, who walked around the ballpark like he owned it. In the movie Major League, when Rick Vaughn, the Wild Thing, throws a pitch that breaks the backstop in spring training at Hi Corbett Field, Lenny is the guy holding the radar gun.
If the Indians needed anything, they went to Lenny. I once saw him cash a check for Dan O'Brien. The banks were closed and O'Brien, the vice president of baseball operations, needed the cash. Lenny pulled out a thick roll of $100 bills and peeled them off like they were singles.
Lenny walked around with a huge cigar sticking out of his mouth. He never lit it and it was joined together with tape.

• When I first started covering the Indians in 1983, Gabe Paul was the president and Phil Seghi was the general manager. Seghi was the best-dressed man I've ever seen. No matter how hot it was in Tucson, he always wore a suit, dress shirt and tie as he sat behind home plate and watched the game. He smoked a pipe and it was always the same color as his tie.

• At the end of spring training in 1987, outfielder Dave Clark had the team made. So much so that he put his suitcases on the truck to Cleveland. One the last day of camp, the Indians signed Steve Carlton. The future Hall of Famer was washed up, but it cost Clark a spot on the club.
I remember them taking Clark's suitcases off the equipment truck.
Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerCy Buynak was one of the few faces that never seemed to change each spring at Hi Corbett, as the Tribe's longtime equipment and clubhouse guru greeted each season's collection of Indians.

• One of the best parts of spring training was watching Bob Feller, then in his 70s, practicing his pickoff throw to second base in right field. Feller would go into his windup, whirl and throw the ball against the outfield wall.

• In the spring of 1989, the Indians traded shortstop Jay Bell to Pittsburgh for shortstop Felix Fermin. In announcing the trade GM Hank Peters, a sharp baseball man, said Bell would never play shortstop in the big leagues.

Peters didn't make many mistakes, but that was one.

• One night in the spring 1989, Mel Hall approached me at the team hotel. He asked to borrow my car so he could pick someone up at the airport. I should have figured something was up because what player would be caught dead driving a reporter's car?

It turned out Hall was going to the airport to pick up his girlfriend. He got her a room at the team hotel. The problem was that Hall's wife was staying at the same hotel.

A couple of days later, the two women met and got into a fight at the hotel swimming pool. Peters' wife just so happened to witness the poolside brawl.

Shortly after that, Hall was traded to the Yankees for Joel Skinner and Turner Ward. Skinner has been an Indian ever since, coaching third base for the Tribe today.

Asked how Hi Corbett had changed, Skinner said, "I think the dugouts are a little longer."

• Managers have to work extra hard to get thrown out of a spring training game. Corrales did just that one game when an Indian was tagged out on a close play at the plate. Corrales went out and recreated his player's slide. The umpire did not appreciate it and Corrales was gone.

• For the record, the last game the Indians played at Hi Corbett before today was March 31, 1992 against the Cubs.

Cleveland Spring 2009

CLEVELAND -- 1. I hear Anthony Reyes has been the most impressive pitcher in camp. Not in terms of stuff, but just savvy and looking ready to go. Not surprised -- those six starts, that 1.83 ERA and 12 walks in 34 1/3 innings with the Tribe late last season said a lot. Now, keep that elbow healthy.

2. I hear Jeremy Sowers is throwing harder than ever with the Tribe -- being clocked at 92 mph. But his control is iffy, there is not enough "separation" or space between his fastball and changeup. I think he's headed to Class AAA.

3. I hear part of the reason Fausto Carmona looks like his old self is his chemistry with Victor Martinez. The Indians want control from Carmona, and he has walked only two in eight spring innings. Even before his hip injury, he was leading the AL in walks after his first 10 starts of 2008. He walked 70 in 120 innings.

4. I think the idea of Martinez catching Carmona is smart. In 2007, Carmona had a 2.74 ERA throwing to Martinez, and he allowed five runs in nine innings with Kelly Shoppach. In 2008, it was a 4.57 ERA in 63 innings with Martinez, a 7.39 ERA in 39 innings with Shoppach. The key for Carmona is control, and he did average fewer than two walks per nine innings in most minor league seasons. In 2007 when he was 19-8, he walked only 61 in 215 innings.

5. I hear Manager Eric Wedge saying Dave Dellucci "is on the club for now." I think that is written in ink. I think there are real alternatives in both Josh Barfield and Trevor Crowe as backup outfielders, with Barfield also able to play the infield. As one Tribe operative told me, "Crowe can play all three outfield positions. He can pinch run. He can throw. He is a switch hitter." That sounds like an ideal fourth outfielder, especially compared to the 35-year-old Dellucci who can't run, can't throw and has stayed healthy enough to hit.

6. I hear David Huff was "dominating" in an intrasquad game Monday, and he soon will be throwing in preseason games. I think he can win the fifth starter spot unless Aaron Laffey (7 ER, 12 hits, 5 innings) turns around quick.

7. I hear good things about Wes Hodges (6-of-16) this spring, and I had a brain belch when I forgot to list him last Sunday as the position prospects who have impressed GM Mark Shapiro, the others being Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana, Matt LaPorta and Crowe. LaPorta and Brantley look close to big-league ready today.

8. I hear Asdrubal Cabrera is 7-10 pounds lighter than a year ago and looks terrific in the field at second or shortstop. I also hear Jhonny Peralta is mashing the ball, and Ryan Garko (10-15 pounds lighter) is doing an OK job in left field.

9. I hear good things about Carl Pavano, but I don't think I trust him to stay healthy and/or effective. I'm hoping they get one reliable starter from Reyes/Pavano.

10. I hear the Indians are trying to get Masa Kobayashi (3 IP, 5H, 5 W, 4 ER) to use his splitter more. I hear the Indians say he's a veteran and they are not worried about him. I think if they aren't worried -- they are concerned. And they should be, because he's having the same problems that he did last year after the All-Star break (10.32 ERA).

Every Rookie has a shot to make it

Every rookie has a shot to make it -- just ask Super Joe Charboneau: Terry Pluto
by Terry Pluto/Plain Dealer Columnist
Thursday February 26, 2009, 8:42 PM

Want to feel old?

Joe Charboneau is 53. He has a 29-year-old son and a 27-year-old daughter. He and Cindy have been married for 33 years. It was 29 years ago that Charboneau went to spring training with the Tribe in Arizona and ended up being Rookie of the Year.

Want to feel young?

It is spring training, the Indians are back in Arizona and sometimes, a young player emerges like Super Joe Charboneau -- shooting straight up from Class AA to the majors.

Maybe it will be Matt LaPorta. Or Michael Brantley. Or David Huff, who spent only a few months in Class AAA.

"If any of those guys asked me, I'd tell them that this is your chance because you never know when you'll get another one," said Charboneau, who lives in North Ridgeville, where he works for the city's recreation department. He also gives private batting lessons and does card shows and fantasy camps.

"Don't worry when people say you can't make it," said Charboneau. "You never know what will happen. Guys get hurt, there are trades. I was not supposed to make the Indians in 1980."

Charboneau talked about the spring when he, his wife and young daughter drove in a beat-up Datsun from their home in Northern California to Tucson, Ariz. He was the defending Class AA Southern League batting champion, having hit .352. He was 24 years old, his $5,000 in bonus money long gone.

Mark Duncan/Associated PressSuper phenom Joe Charboneau of the Indians talks to the press in Cleveland on Dec. 3, 1980, after his selection as AL Rookie of the Year. The Indians had an outfield of Jorge Orta, Rick Manning and Mike Hargrove. That's correct, Hargrove was a left fielder. Andre Thornton at first base, Cliff Johnson the designated hitter. On the bench were supposed to be Dell Alston, Cito Gaston and Andres Mora. Charboneau seemed ticketed for the Class AAA Charleston (W.Va.) Charlies.

"I walked up to the dressing room at Hi Corbett Field and stood at the door," said Charboneau. "I was afraid to go in. I stood out there for a couple of minutes, just staring at it. My heart was jumping. I finally went through the door, and I was scared. [Trainer] Jimmy Warfield walked right over to me and made me feel welcome."

Charboneau said he stayed with his young family at a motel called the Spanish Trail, the spring home for all Tribe minor-leaguers.

"It was an old place with a train on the roof, don't ask me why," said

Charboneau. "We were jammed into one room with one bed. It was a place that made you really want to get to the big leagues."

Charboneau said he and his wife looked at the roster nearly every night, trying to figure out how he could make the Opening Day roster. Cliff Johnson showed up with a broken finger, supposedly unloading a barrel of oats from a truck. Suddenly, he was out as DH. But there still seemed to be two or three players ahead of him.

"I had never made any money and never had any money," he said. "Part of me always thought I could play in the big leagues, but I remember when I first saw my name and my number 34 on that uniform in the clubhouse. I couldn't believe it was really for me, that I really could make it."

The Indians had two intrasquad games, and Charboneau opened with seven consecutive hits, including a 400-foot homer. By the first exhibition game, he was officially being hyped as a phenom by the star-starved Cleveland media, picking up the Super Joe nickname.

Charboneau said he was making $34 a day in meal money. Two weeks into the spring, former Tribe minor-league director Bob Quinn found an apartment for the young family so they could cook some of their own meals.

Charboneau continue to slash line drives all spring, often in morning "B" games where statistics were not kept. He also had a strange incident when the team was playing in Mexico City. A fan asked him for his autograph, and as Charboneau reached for the pen, the man stabbed Charboneau in the side with a Bic.

It was just a flesh wound, and the man was fined $2.27 and released.
Things like that always happened to Charboneau, who recovered and then secured a spot on the roster when Andre Thornton suffered a major knee injury at the end of training camp.

In 1980, he batted .289 (.846 OPS) with 23 homers and 87 RBI while being voted American League Rookie of the Year. The next spring, he slid into second base and suffered a back injury. It was the first of many. Charboneau said he's had several surgeries, removing parts or all of "five of my disks, we have back problems in our family."

He played only 70 more games in the majors after 1980.
Charboneau made $21,000 as a rookie. The next season, he signed a $75,000 contract, but a strike wiped out part of the season -- and he pocketed about $40,000. That's the most he ever made in baseball.

His son, Tyson, has a college degree and manages the Tattoo and Body Anthology in North Olmsted. His daughter, Dannon, is a registered nurse. Cindy has battled multiple sclerosis for years and is often in a wheelchair. Charboneau has been a local celebrity; he coached in the independent Frontier League for 10 years and also worked in North Ridgeville for the recreation department.
"I love Cleveland," he said. "The city and the fans have been great to me and my family. I'm always thankful for the one good, healthy year. And I'd tell those guys in camp with the Indians to make the most of it right now -- you never know how long it will last."