Wednesday Notes

[Beanpot]

Just a few things found while doing a little surfing:

 

Hoynes writes that Miller's chances of making the club are in doubt:

 

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Reliever Adam Miller's chances of filling the last spot in the Indians bullpen coming out of spring training are hanging by the health of the middle finger of his right hand.

 

The Indians announced Wednesday that Miller will be shut down for another "seven to 10 days' because of inflammation in his surgically repaired finger.

 

Miller hasn't pitched since working an inning in a Feb. 24 intrasquad game. When he tried to throw a bullpen on Feb. 27, he complained of soreness in the finger and hasn't pitched since.

 

Lonnie Soloff, Indians head athletic trainer, said Wednesday that Miller was examined by a hand specialist who confirmed the team's diagnosis.

 

"He has inflammation in the finger," said Soloff. "There is no re-injury of the surgery he had last May. . .Our thought is that the inflammation he developed was the result of the volume of throwing he did this spring."

 

Soloff said if everything stays on schedule, Miller might be able to pitch in four to six games before the Indians open the regular season April 6 at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. They break camp April 2.

 

It's unknown if that will give Miller enough time to make the club. Judging by the number of relievers in camp competing for the last spot in the bullpen, it might not.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2..._of_making.html

 

Castrovince reports that Shin-Soo's injury is troubling in more ways than one:

 

Choo's injury complicated for Indians

With sore left triceps, outfielder obligated to Korean Classic club

By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com

GOODYEAR, Ariz.

 

Shin-Soo Choo has now joined the Tribe's growing list of the walking wounded.

 

But Choo, nursing a sore left triceps while preparing with the South Korean team for the World Baseball Classic in Japan, is not under the supervision of the Tribe's athletic training staff. And that's caused an uncomfortable situation in the Indians' camp.

 

The Indians are investigating the extent of Choo's injury, trying to get a handle on whether or not they should object to his participation in the Classic. Head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff has been in communication with the Korean team's trainer, and general manager Mark Shapiro is working with the Players Association and Major League Baseball.

 

"Right now, we're in the process of getting the complete info as to the problem he's encountered," Shapiro said Wednesday morning. "From there, we'll determine whether or not we object."

 

Shapiro said he hopes to have more information in the next day or two.

 

The triceps muscle is just above the left elbow Choo had surgically repaired in 2007. Although South Korea manager In-suk Kim told the AP otherwise, Choo's status for South Korea's Classic opener against Taiwan on Friday at the Tokyo Dome is not in the Indians' hands.

 

Choo's injury is not considered serious at this stage, but, if the Indians had their preference, he'd be on a plane bound for Arizona right about now.

 

"We have an athlete with some issues," Shapiro said. "We'd rather have him diagnosed and treated here, regardless of how serious it is."

 

But when he left the Tribe's camp on Feb. 24 to join his Korean teammates for training in Hawaii, Choo officially became the property of his Classic club. The Korean team will decide whether or not he plays Friday and beyond.

 

The Indians were hesitant to allow the 26-year-old Choo, slated to be their starting right fielder this season, to participate in the Classic in the first place, given that he missed the first two months of the '08 season after Tommy John elbow ligament replacement surgery in '07. The club had the option of prohibiting him from joining the Korean team. But they knew how much the opportunity meant to Choo, who is the only Major Leaguer on the Korean squad.

 

"Out of respect for him and his desire to play and out of respect to their government to have him, we let him go," Shapiro said.

 

But Choo did leave with some strict stipulations. In the first round of the Classic, he is forbidden from playing in the outfield more than one of the potential three games. In the second round, he can only appear in the outfield in two games, and they must not be consecutive.

 

Choo, who batted .309 with 14 homers and 66 RBIs in 94 games last season, was not dealing with any soreness when he left the Indians' camp.

 

"If he was," Shapiro said, "we wouldn't have let him leave."

 

The Choo situation is one of many the Indians are dealing with, from a medical standpoint. Outfielder Grady Sizemore pulled out of his commitment to Team USA in the Classic because of a strained left groin. Additionally, closer Kerry Wood (sore lower back), reliever Adam Miller (right middle finger soreness), outfielder David Dellucci (injured left thumb) and reliever Joe Smith (viral infection) have all had their spring schedules altered, and that's in addition to Travis Hafner's recovery from offseason shoulder surgery.

 

As it stands, none of the above injuries -- Choo's included -- are expected to prevent players from being ready for the start of the regular season.

 

"We've got a bunch of nicks and bruises," Shapiro said. "We're a little banged up. It's something we've got to monitor as we go."

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...sp&c_id=mlb

 

In the good news department, Shaw mentions that Wood had a pain-free batting practice session:

 

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Kerry Wood didn't hold much back in his first live batting practice session of the spring.

 

"It was nice to get a hitter in there," said Wood, whose bullpen session last Wednesday was canceled after he reported some soreness in his lower back.

 

Wood is scheduled to pitch in his first game of the spring next Tuesday against the Angels,.

 

Wednesday he faced Andy Marte and David Dellucci on one of the practice fields prior to the Indians game at Goodyear Ballpark against the Cubs, Wood's former team

 

Marte and Dellucci each hit a line drive off Wood but he later struck out Dellucci on a nasty slider and got Marte looking on a fastball on the inside corner.

 

"He threw hard," Dellucci said after leaving the batting cage.

 

Wood said he felt no discomfort in his back.

 

http://www.cleveland.com/budshaw/index.ssf...oser_kerry.html

 

Beanpot

[JohnG71097]

Wednesday he faced Andy Marte and David Dellucci on one of the practice fields prior to the Indians game at Goodyear Ballpark against the Cubs, Wood's former team

Beanpot

 

 

So does anybody else find this as funny as I do?

 

I can just see Wedge and Carl Willis talking about this,

 

"Okay Skip, KW is warmed up and ready to go. Who you gonna have him throw to?" Willis asks

 

"How bout Vic and the Kid Laporta they are here and ready to go?" Stated Wedge

 

"Jesus, Can we get him a little confidence his first time out" Willis asks

 

"Okay you are right Carl, Good Call, Lucci and Marte in the cage against 34.....Matt you go shag, Vic go sign some autographs or take a nap in the clubhouse" Wedge says

 

[Beanpot]

So does anybody else find this as funny as I do?

 

I can just see Wedge and Carl Willis talking about this,

 

"Okay Skip, KW is warmed up and ready to go. Who you gonna have him throw to?" Willis asks

 

"How bout Vic and the Kid Laporta they are here and ready to go?" Stated Wedge

 

"Jesus, Can we get him a little confidence his first time out" Willis asks

 

"Okay you are right Carl, Good Call, Lucci and Marte in the cage against 34.....Matt you go shag, Vic go sign some autographs or take a nap in the clubhouse" Wedge says

 

Hah! What better feed to give the wounded tiger - Dellucci and Marte.

 

Beanpot

 

[Beanpot]

Here's the Sporting News preview of the Tribe:

 

Cleveland Indians preview

March 4, 2009

Ryan Fagan

 

The 2008 season was memorable for a couple of Indians -- Cliff Lee went 22-3 and won the A.L. Cy Young Award, and Grady Sizemore had 33 homers and 38 stolen bases -- but thoroughly disappointing for the team. Cleveland fell 10 games out of first place by June 30 and never was a factor in the A.L. Central race. But optimism reigns in their new Arizona spring training home, and a run at the division title is possible.

 

THREE QUESTIONS

 

1. Cliff Lee is an ace, but can the Indians count on any other starting pitchers?

Fausto Carmona is a lock for the rotation, but the Indians need him to find his dominating 2007 form. He was second in the A.L. with a 3.06 ERA that year and won 19 games. Last year, he had eight wins and a 5.44 ERA because of injuries and a complete lack of control. Progress reports from winter ball and spring training have been good, though. The oft-injured Carl Pavano also has a spot in the rotation, but he is just 9-8 in the past four years. Anthony Reyes, penciled in as the fourth starter, has the talent, and getting out of St. Louis worked wonders for him last season. Lefthander Aaron Laffey is another talented arm with a taste of major league success, but he had elbow issues in 2008. Good news on the horizon: Cleveland hopes to have veteran Jake Westbrook (Tommy John surgery) back by the second half.

 

2. What about Pronk? And Victor?

Designated hitter Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez, the Indians' primary sluggers, combined for 58 homers in 2006 and 49 in 2007. Last year, it was seven. No wonder the team never got on track. Hafner had 198 at-bats, but never looked comfortable before the shoulder issues that zapped his strength were repaired with surgery. He says he is healthy; all of Cleveland wants to believe him. Martinez's return to being a productive player is considered more of a sure thing. He had bone chips removed from his elbow, and the former full-time catcher will get playing time at first base and maybe even DH to save his body from more wear and tear.

 

3. What about the corner outfielders?

The Tribe is set with Sizemore in center, but there isn't a ton of experience at the corner spots, with Ben Francisco (146 career games) in left and Shin-Soo Choo (159 career games) in right. In 2008, the lefthanded-hitting Choo hit .343 after the All-Star break with 11 homers and an eye-opening 1.038 OPS. For the season, he hit .317 against righthanded pitchers and .286 against lefties. He is a solid fielder, and though he doesn't have a ton of major league at-bats to his credit, he has spent parts of four seasons in the big leagues. Meanwhile, Francisco was hitting over .300 as late as June 24, but a late slump -- he hit just .188 in September -- dropped his season average to .266. Should either falter, the Indians could turn to prospects Matt LaPorta, Trevor Crowe and Michael Brantley.

 

PROJECTED LINEUP

1. CF Grady Sizemore. Perhaps the best five-tool player in the game.

2. 3B Mark DeRosa. Excellent player, better clubhouse guy.

3. DH Travis Hafner. Playoff chances could hinge on Pronk's comeback from shoulder surgery.

4. 1B Victor Martinez. Club hopes less time behind the plate means more time off D.L.

5. SS Jhonny Peralta. Much better with the bat than with the glove.

6. RF Shin-Soo Choo. Hit 14 homers with .397 on-base percentage in 2008.

7. LF Ben Francisco. Slumped after a strong first half.

8. C Kelly Shoppach. His development allows Cleveland to play Martinez at 1B.

9. 2B Asdrubal Cabrera. Hit .320 in second half after horrible first half (.184).

 

PROJECTED ROTATION

1. LHP Cliff Lee. The A.L.'s best pitcher last season.

2. RHP Fausto Carmona. Has to throw strikes consistently after a year of wildness.

3. RHP Carl Pavano. It has been a long time since his 18-win campaign of 2004.

4. RHP Anthony Reyes. Change of scenery worked wonders last year (1.83 ERA in six starts with Indians).

5. LHP Aaron Laffey. Had a 2.83 ERA through 11 starts before elbow trouble.

 

PROJECTED CLOSER

RHP Kerry Wood. Changing leagues shouldn't hurt him.

 

GRADES

 

Offense: B. Sizemore is an elite talent at the top of the lineup, and DeRosa was an excellent acquisition. But are Hafner and Martinez healthy and ready to produce at their former levels? Can Shoppach repeat his 21-homer performance? Are Choo and Francisco ready for full-time jobs?

 

Pitching: B. There's a ton of talent in the rotation, but also many questions. If Carmona finds his 2007 form, the Indians will be the favorites in the A.L. Central. It was a huge offseason for the bullpen, which added Wood and setup man Joe Smith to refresh an overworked unit.

 

Bench: B. The Indians have options in the field, especially with the versatile DeRosa. Jamey Carroll can play all over the field, and Josh Barfield is learning the outfield and third base. Ryan Garko appears to be the odd man out in the C/1B/DH trifecta, but he can be a valuable power source off the bench if he adjusts to his new role.

 

Manager: B. Eric Wedge went from the A.L. manager of the year in 2007 to a man without enough answers last season. He'll have more options this season, which is what every manager wants when making decisions. Expect a season much more like 2007 and less like 2008.

 

Sporting News prediction: There is an opportunity for the Indians, as there is for every team in the A.L. Central. If things go right for the Tribe, Cleveland fans could be celebrating a division title in October. Realistically, however, the Indians have as many or more questions as any team in the division; Minnesota is the favorite.

 

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=524044

 

Beanpot

[Beanpot]

A little rooting interest in the WBC:

 

China (2006 Finish 0-3, 4th Place in Pool A, 15th Overall) – The Chinese national baseball program was in its infancy in 2006. It was a notable accomplishment just to be in the tournament, considering the political climate in the country and its relationship with the United States, which organized the event. China was demolished in their first game, falling 18-2 in eight innings by mercy rule at the Tokyo Dome to host and eventual champion Japan. They then fell to South Korea 10-1 the following day and finished their WBC experience by getting annihilated 12-3 by Chinese Taipei. After three years of development with some assistance from baseball men here in America, the Chinese hope to have a better showing than being outscored 40-6 in three games.

 

Players to watch: Catcher Zhenwang Zhang and LHP Kai Liu are both highly touted prospects of the New York Yankees. This is a far cry from the 2006 team, which had zero Chinese pro prospects for either the MLB or the Japanese Baseball League.

 

Chinese Taipei (2006 Finish 1-2 3rd Place in Pool A, 12th Overall) – Chinese Taipei scored a mini “Miracle on Ice” for themselves and the people of the island of Taiwan by crushing the baseball team of their political oppressor, China in a 12-3 victory. They played the Koreans close, losing a 2-0 decision that could have easily advanced them to the second round. However, they were also victims of the Japanese buzz saw, getting mercy-ruled 14-3 in seven innings.

 

Players to watch: The Red Sox and Indians each have two prospects. Boston has INF Chih-Hsien Chiang and OF Che-Hsuan Lin. Chiang is one of the bigger men on the team at 6’2” 170lbs. Lin was featured at the 2008 All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium this past July. Cleveland has two hurlers, RHP Chen Lee (not likely related to Cliff), and RHP Sung-Wei Tseng.

 

http://www.faniq.com/blog/FanIQs-2009-Worl...view-Blog-20099

 

Beanpot

[ballpeen]

Sung-Wei Tseng.

 

Looks like a menu item.