Clippers Clips: The future of the Indians Bullpen?

After attending the Columbus Clippers game today against the Rochester Red Wings I could not keep from thinking about how HORRIBLE the Cleveland Indians pitching is...especially their bullpen. With this in mind, Aaron Laffey (his wife pictured front row center here) made his first rehab start today with the Clippers which is a good thing because it seems like he has been on the DL forever. I have to admit I was pretty excited to see him pitch today because god knows we need some help up in Cleveland. More on Laffey in a bit. The Clips ended up loosing today 4-2 in 10 innings. Although the Clippers seemed to have picked up the "Tribe Fever" in loosing 6 of their last 8 games there was one good thing that happened today. I can proudly report that your favorite Clipper Andy Cannizaro hit a two run homer giving the Clips their only runs of the game. I noticed Cannizaro warming up along side of Matt LaPorta today so I am guessing LPort is rubbing off on the little guy. On a side note A-Can is now hitting second in the lineup and they are still playing Notorius B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize" when he comes up to bat.

Over the past month or so I have noticed people posting on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, various other blogs, etc. that the Indians should ship their whole bullpen back to the minors and bring up some other guys. Having thought about that I decided to look up some International Leauge (Triple-A) stats to see where the Clippers players ranked in pitching. The International League has a ranking of the leagues 45 best pitchers. Guess how far down the list you have to go to find a Columbus Clipper? Three down on the list? Nope! Ten down on the list? Nope! You have to go all the way down to number 43 before you find a Columbus pitcher. That's right number 43 is Columbus Clippers right handed pitcher Kirk Saarloos (pictured right). The 30 year old Saarloos was drafted in the 2001 amateur draft by the Houston Astros in the 3rd round and he made his major league debut one year later. Over the past 7 years he has played for the Astros, the A's, and the Reds. Furthermore, his Major League ERA has never been below 4.17. In his 12 games played for the Clippers this year his ERA is 5.65. Saarloos has pitched a total of 71.2 innings giving up 86 hits, 31 walks, and has struck out 43. He was signed by the Indians in January of this year and according to Indians beat writer Anthony Castrovince, Saarloos spent most of '08 posting mediocre numbers in Triple A as a member of the A's organization. Sooo, that being said, seeing that Saarloos is already a washed up "has been" who never could cut it in the majors the Indians don't have many more guys they can bring up from Columbus (please note I am only refering to Columbus as I realize we have some studs still developing in Double and Single A) Next on the IL list of leaders is actually another Columbus player in Jack Cassel (his younger brother is Matt Cassel of the Kansas City Chiefs). Cassel has an ERA of 5.75 and has pitched in 13 games (76.2) innings. I could put down some of his stats over the years however I am not much of a stats person. I have watched Cassel several times this year and let's just say he is not a viable option up in Cleveland. The only two other guys that would be options that have not already been up to Cleveland this year are 2005 Indians Non drafted free agent Frank Herrmann and 2004 fourth round pick Chuck Lofgren. Neither of these two guys has enough experience yet and it would be worthless to bring them up for on the job training. With this in mind, to all you Wahoo Maniacs out there saying bring bring up some new blood, my question to you is, Who?

So seeing that we have nobody (pitching wise) that is quite ready to see "The Show" just yet we have to rely on what we currently have. As mentioned before, Aaron Laffey made his first rehab start today in Columbus. He pitched 3 innings giving up 5 hits 1 walk and a run. He topped out at around 88 which is all he really throws anyway. I was neither impressed nor unimpressed about his outing. I'd like to say he needs about three more starts/appearances before the Tribe consisders bringing him back up. They have waited this long to throw him, I just don't hope they rush him like they did with Rafael Perez. Ol' Raffey was down in Columbus for awhile but believe me he was not near ready to head back up to Cleveland. It seems like the Indians finally got it right by sending Fausto Carmona down to Rookie League Arizona. I sure hope they break him down and build him back up into the player that he should and can be. Now I just wonder if they have any room down their for a couple more guys?

Clippers Clips: "Hypnotized"

There are two things that Columbus Clippers starting shortstop can claim that no other person on the team can....a batting average below .200 and the fact that he is the only white guy on the team, scratch that, in the world that comes up to the plate with rap music. That's right, Andy Cannizaro, the 5'10 170lb number 9 hitter who looks like a mix breed between the bitter beer guy and an umpa lumpa comes to the plate each time when he is up to none other than NOTORIOUS B.I.G's "Hypnotize" That being said, the Clippers took a little bit of what seems like will be A-Can's only clam to fame will ever be, and used it to whoop up on Norfolk on Monday night beating them 16-3. I was truly HYPNOTIZED after this one folks. After getting crushed the last three nights by the Tides, the Clippers took one out on starting pitcher Radhames Liz. Although the right hander threw some gas topping out in the high 90's. As they say.... "the faster it comes in the faster it goes out!" Just ask Matt Laporta who went 3 for 4 hitting a blast off Liz in the 2nd inning. Also looking good tonight were Andy Marte going 3 for 5 and Jordan Brown going 2 for 3. As a matter of fact the Clips did so well tonight that Cannizaro even went 2 for 5, but don't worry his average is still under .200, finishing the evening at .197. Maybe he will drink a few Keystone Lights tonight and erase that face

Notables in this game were Travis Hafner and pitcher Joe Smith. Hafner who went 1 for 4 had two things going for him. Number one he looked really good in his uniform tonight, and number two he swung the bat with some authority. I was really impressed with his warm up swings in the on deck circle. In one of his warm up swings he took it deep, it look to me like it would have been a Home Run (more importantly he seemed not to strain or pull anything). Anyhow, I am sure he will be back up to Cleveland any day now. Joe Smith also made his first appearance in his rehab assignment. Although he did not look as good as Hafner in his uniform (not as muscley), he looked pretty good having only faced 4 batters and giving up one hit. The MPH sign on the scoreboard said he maxed out at 93mph however from my vantage point it looked closer to 94.

Jack Cassel started for the Clippers throwing 5 shutout innings before giving up 2 runs in the 6th and 1 more in the 7th. As mentioned earlier, Joe Smith threw to four batters in the 8th and then Blaine Neal came in for the save in the ninth, shutting the door the only way he knows how. All in all, the Clips were running on all cylinders tonight. The win brings Columbus back to .500 with a 26-26 record which oddly enough keeps them in first place of the God awful International West Division. Let's tip our cap and chug another Stone for ole' Cannizaro, every AAA club needs a guy like him!

Clippers Clips: New Diggs for the Indians Triple A Affiliate

In the off season not only did the Cleveland Indians get a new home for spring training, they also got a brand spankin new home for their Minor League Triple A affiliate. The Wahoo Warriors teamed up with the International League Columbus Clippers who just opened up the brand New $55 Million Huntington Park (pictured above), which was rated by Ballpark Digest as one of the best new Baseball facilities.

With Cleveland knowing that their contract with Buffalo was ending after last season it work out perfectly for the Tribe as the Clippers only signed a two year agreement with the Washington Nationals (after previously being affiliated with the Yankees for over 30 years) and that contract was also up last year. It only made sense for the Tribe to make the easy trip down I-71 and team up with Columbus' finest...Columbus Clippers ring your bell! This new affiliation now leaves Cleveland with all but one of their Minor League affiliates in the Buckeye State. There were also two other factors that made sense for Cleveland.

#1 The Clippers were building a brand new beautiful state of the art facility
#2 This would be a fantastic oporrtunity to expand their fan base in the State Capital.

Because I live in Columbus, I have had the opportunity to watch 8 games at Huntington Park this year. Upon entering for the first time I can honestly say I was shell shocked....was this really a Minor League Facility....and did I just pay $3 to park and $6 for a ticket, someone pinch me. This facility is literaly a Major League Park on a smaller scale. It has all the ammenities, it is spacious, yet at the same time it is VERY intimate. You can pretty much sit anywhere and feel like you are on top of the field. For those of you who never experienced the old Cooper Stadium no need to worry. It was a piece of _ _ _ _! I hope they bury it in the cemetary that sat right next to it. At Cooper Stadium you had a 50% chance of either sitting next to someone who had about 4 teeth and another 50% chance of sitting next to NOBODY! The facility was so old and outdated and just did not draw a good crowd...not to mention it was in a terrible ghetto of a location. Ok, enough of my tangent on how crappy the old Clippers Stadium was.

Huntington Park brings an excitement to Downtown Columbus and a brand new clientele. People actually want to go to this place. It is always packed whether it is a Tuesday night game or Saturday day game. It is definitely an event. Sure there is an actual game going on, but you can make a night out of it. In left field they have a building that you would think has been standing forever...wrong. They built the AEP Power Pavilion building to make it look that way. It is truly a conversation piece in itself. The first floor houses the ticket office, Clippers Cargo team shop, restrooms, and concessions. The second floor is AWESOME. It is literally a huge bar...I said HUGE. The second floor basically gives you several options. You can sit out on one of 6 balcony's, you can belly up to the bar with friends and drink a cold one or do some shots if you wish, you can order food, or you can look at all the Clippers and Indians memorabilia that surrounds the entire floor. If you walk up to the third floor of this building you will notice two things that might be familiar. The first thing you will notice is the bleachers. Huntington Park took a little piece of Wrigley Field and put it in Columbus. That's right, there are bleachers high atop the building looking out onto the field. The second thing you will notice is the smell of Central Ohio's famous Roosters chicken wings. Roosters took over the third floor by offering their famous chicken wings and of course, you can always get a beer to quench your thirst.

Now, for the rest of the facility.... like I said it is truly amazing with a capital A. Everything from the site lines to the Concessions. 360 Architecture designed the facility and did a great job with the concourse...it is truly genius. Usually you have to walk down a tunnel and stand in line forever only to miss that unbelievable catch or long home run....not at Huntington Park. The concourses are set up on both the first and third base sides and are completely open to the view of play. So if you want to get up and grab your hotdog and Cracker Jacks you don't have to miss a single pitch. Throughout the concourse there is memorabilia from the Clippers past teams plus they offer food from several of Columbus' local restaurants so you are not stuck on the same old ballpark food. The one thing that I like the most about the park is that they have railing along the entire ballpark so if you feel like grabbing something to eat or drink or if you just feel like standing you have a perfect view anywhere in the park...plus you have something to lean against. I have found that buying the $6 bleacher seats and then standing right behind the first base dugout is the best value in town. That being said, Columbus Clippers General Manager, Ken Schnake did Columbus fans right with the ticket prices.....he kept them affordable! Box seats are $12, Reserved seats are $10, and General admission (bleacher seats and standing room) are $6. Plus they kept the parking at $3 (however if their is an event going on at Nationwide Areana then the parking goes to $10). With all this being said, a single person (like me) can go to a game, park, and watch the Clippers for under $10.

Here are some quick facts on the park:

-Year Opened: 2009
-Capacity: 10,000 (7,600 seats, 1,200 specialty seats, 1,200 lawn/SRO spots)
-Number of Suites: 32, with 42 loge boxes
-Owner: Franklin County
-Architect: 360 Architecture
-Naming Rights: Huntington Bank, $12 million
-Dimensions: 325L, 365LC, 400C, 365RC, 318R
-Website: clippersbaseball.com
-Phone: 614/462-2757
-Ticket Prices: Box Seats, $12 in advance, $15 day of game; Reserved Seats, $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and children twelve years old and under; Assigned Bleacher Seat General Admission, $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and children twelve years old and under.
-League: International League (Class AAA)
-Affiliation: Cleveland Indians
-Parking: Between $3 and $10 in adjoining lots and ramps.

In summary this is a fantastic place to watch the next stars of the Cleveland Indians. As a matter of fact, this year you have seen such players as Trevor Crowe, Matt LaPorta, David Huff, Luis Valbuena, Zach Jackson, Tony Sipp, and several more already don both Clippers and Indians uniforms. And the way the Tribe has been playing this year I am sure you will see several more players make the two hour drive back and forth on I-71. So if you are looking to see the next generation of the Indians play, or you just want to see the perfect Minor League Ballpark, then come to Columbus, OH and look me up...I'll show you around.

Clipper Clips

With the Indians off tonight, I decided to watch Cleveland's Triple A affiliate via the wonders of the internet. Columbus was unable to deal with the loss of veteran grinder David Dellucci, falling to the Durham Bulls 6-3. The Tribe's Triple A affiliate was only able to scrape together 6 hits and 3 walks. Right Fielder Stephen Head was the player of the game, going 3-4 with a double and a run batted in with two outs, something Indians fans have seen all to infrequently. The struggling Chris Gimenez went 1-2 with a double and two walks, while "The Golden Boy" Matt LaPorta (pictured above courtesy of indianspropectinsider.com), went 0-3 with a base on balls, probably ticked off that he has to wait until June to be called up to the major league club while the "gritty" Double D is back to finish off his disappointing run as an Indian. Wes Hodges went 0-3 with a sac fly RBI, but was robbed of hits twice by Bulls Third Baseman Chris Nowak.

As for the pitching, veteran Jack Cassell pitched a solid 6 innings, allowing 3 runs, scattering 8 hits and walking 5. To say he got himself out of a bit of trouble is an understatement. The bullpen ended up blowing the game as Zach Jackson loaded the bases in the 7th and allowed 3 earned runs. John Meloan came in to try and get the Clippers out of a jam with second and third with two outs, but gave up a double to right field to clear the bases. He pitched a scoreless 8th, but still needs time to polish up his pitch location. The Clippers continue their 4 game series against the Bulls tomorrow as David Huff is scheduled to throw Friday. Rays phenom David Price goes against Tomo Ohka Saturday, so it will be interesting to see how Columbus hits against Tampa Bay's top prospect.