Let's Blow this thing up

12 runs in an inning before even registering an out with a Boston lineup consisting of Rocco Baldelli, Jeff Bailey, Nick Green and George Kottaras is pathetic. Jeremy Sowers is a jobber and better be on a short leash as I would rather see David Huff get a shot as we pretty all much know what we have in Sowers. The bullpen is a disaster. Masa Kobayashi is down right embarrassing and should be cut today. Why is it so hard to find pitcher to pitch one inning? The organization has done a terrible job home growing their own relievers, deciding rather to turn every good arm into a starter. Teams like Red Sox and Angels seem to always have internal options to go to in their minors for relief work. The Tribe would rather go with journeyman stiffs like Vinnie Chulk and Matt Herges. I have no idea what they should do to make the situation tolerable in the late innings. They are making the decision now to turn starters in AA and A ball into relievers (Herrmann in Columbus, Putnam in Akron), but it probably is too late for 2009. The bullpen of agony has done some good deeds for their team mates, masking the hitting struggles of Mark DeRosa, Jhonny Peralta, and Grady Sizemore. The trio has performed well below expectations and need to right their respective ships quickly or the season will be officially lost for good. Our Indian summer may be ruined. I guess it can't get any worse.

Down on the Farm Report: Zach Putnam

With all of the transactions concerning the bullpen being made at the Major League level yesterday, an interesting move was made in Akron. As reported at Indians Prospect Insider, 2008 5th round pick Zach Putnam was called up from Kinston to pitch in the Aeros bullpen. He was previously starting for the Little Indians, going 2-0 with a 4.13 ERA in 24 innings where he struck out 23 batters while only walking 5. The University of Michigan Wolverine is on the fast track to the bigs as he tops his fastball out at 96 MPH, along with a slider and a solid splitter that can be used as a changeup.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 215-pound Putnam became the first in conference history to earn two spots on the All-Big Ten team, earning recognition as a pitcher and designated hitter his last two seasons in college. He was also Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, going 9-0 in 12 starts with a 2.58 ERA in his junior year. Over three seasons, he was 23-7 in 36 starts with a 3.12 ERA. He was also a tremendous hitter in college as well. Putnam hit .307 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs in 55 games. He was a career .307 hitter with 19 home runs and 114 RBIs in 132 games.
He helped Michigan win the Big Ten title in each of his three seasons and play in the NCAA Tournament each year. Maybe they could use him to pinch hit for Peralta!

In 2008, Putnam threw 9 2/3 innings in Mahoning Valley, striking out 8 while posting a 3.72 ERA. It shows how much the right hander is progressing to totally skip Lake County and only spend a month in Kinston. It will be interesting to see where his maturation goes as Double A will definitely be a test. With really no hope in Columbus right now in the pen, Putnam may be on the fast track to Cleveland sometime in 2009 after only one year out of college.

Chulkamania no longer, Sowers to start Thursday

Another body has been jettisoned off the Cleveland Indians roster, as Reliever Vinnie Chulk has been designated for assignment. The Chulkster had a respectable 3.75 ERA, but walked 10 batters in 12 innings and let a whole bunch of inherited runners score. Ole' Red Beard will need to clear waivers to stay with the team, so who knows with the state of relief pitching in the league this year if he will be in Columbus. Back to Cleveland as earlier reported is Jeremy Sowers. This is probably his last shot at pitching in the big leagues with the Tribe, as his 12-19 career record and 5.14 ERA in 3 seasons as an Indians is less than stellar. It is important game Thursday for Sowers and his club as they look to get something good going. The 9-2 victory Wednesday was the first in awhile where all facets of the ballclub did well (Starters Relievers, Hitting). Unfortunately Tim Wakefield is the opposing pitcher, so it will be tough. The knuckleballer dominated the Tribe last Monday, but hopefully that tricky pitch will run flat.

Perez sent packing, Herges recalled, Laffey to the Pen

After the implosion of monumental proportions happened Tuesday, heads were bound to roll. Rafael Perez has been epically bad, posting a 15.19 ERA in 13 games. This is probably what is best for Raffy, because he sure wasn't able to figure out his issues at the big league level. Paul Cousineau over at the DiaTribe thinks Columbus pitching coach Scott Radinsky may just be the man to straighten out the lean lefty. Now added to the Bullpen of Propane is 39 year old Matt Herges (pictured left) and his 5.40 ERA and 4 saves accumulated down in Triple A. He has 537 career major league appearances, so maybe he can help calm down his new relief mates (don't hold your breath).

Also, Aaron Laffey is being transitioned into the bullpen making way for the return of Jeremy Sowers. Sowers pitched well like he always does in Triple A, stuckout 22 batters in 24 innings while posting a 2.25 ERA. It remains to be seen if he can figure it out at the major league level. He needs to demonstrate a wide enough gap between his fastball and change-up (including arm angle) to get guys out. It is very interesting that Wedge chose to move Laffey into the pen. Apparently young Aaron is best suited for his new role because he gets a lot of ground ball outs and can get warmed up very past. Apparently Laffey had no idea about the move until today but was willing to do what was best for the team. Wedge and company have screwed with him a bunch this season so it will be interesting to see how he reacts as he has pitched very well this season. The Tribe needs somebody to get outs after the 6th inning, so we shall see. I don't see it being a permanent move for the young lefty, but more of a move out of necessity.

Two ways to go

If there were ever a game to jump start some sort of sustained winning streak, today's game would be it. It was excruciating to watch, you never felt comfortable with any lead, and you figured the Indians would somehow blow it in the end. Well, the Tribe won Monday, but it is tough to feel good about it. How should we look at it?

Cons

One reliable bullpen member crapped the bed (Wood) another looks downright lost (Perez), and one final member came in with the winning run at the plate who has yielded 6 homeruns in 25 games. Also, your offense was no hit for 6 1/3 innings by a junkball lefty who normally pitches in middle relief. Your uninterested shortstop (Peralta) seems to be swinging a pool cue instead of a Louisville Slugger. Your key offseason infield acquisition (DeRosa) boots the ball more than Aaron Boone. Lastly, your superstar centerfielder seems to be unable to get a big hit with runners in scoring position to save his life (we all know who).

Pros

Starting pitching was solid (Carmona). Rookie reliever pitching great (Sipp). Rookie stud outfielder tied the game with a bomb (LaPorta) Were able to tie the game with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth with 2 strikes (Cabrera). Pinch hitters/late inning replacements came up clutch (Dellucci/Barfield). Struggling reliever saved the game with winning run up and one out (Lewis again). Never gave up.

Time will tell us if this game made any difference in the 2009 season. They could go out tomorrow and lose ugly. I will give it the Indians, when they win (and it has not been often) they do it in exciting fashion. Let's just hope it isn't a once every three day occurrence.

LaPorta, Valbuena, Barfield called up, Crowe, Graffanino sent down, Smith to DL. Holy Crap!

I am thoroughly shocked by this news. For an organization that usually waits too long to shake up a club and call up rookies, they did the complete opposite. Recent acquisitions Matt LaPorta (.333 avg, .414 obp, 1.054 OPS in Columbus), and Luis Valbuena (.321 avg, .436 obp, .975 ops) are two potential keys to the Tribe's future and will probably see a bit of playing time over the next 2 weeks. LaPorta, the key player acquired in the CC Sabathia trade, will platoon at DH and in left. Valbuena, the young infielder brought here from Seattle in the Franklin Gutierrez deal, will take the role as a super utility guy able to play second, shortstop and third. With all of the Super 2 talk with LaPorta, I am very surprised, but not shocked. This may just be a few week audition for him as if he struggles, he can go back down and still stay under the service time threshold. Barfield will fill in as a pinch runner, late inning defensive replacement who will be eventually be sent down again when Jamey Carroll gets healthy.

Trevor Crowe struggled a bit in his first taste of the big leagues, hitting .182 in 33 at bats but displayed solid glove work and speed. He still looks outmatched at the plate, so playing everyday in Columbus will be a positive. Graffanino on the other hand was terrible, batting .130 in 23 at bats. Friday may have been the last day of major league ball for Tony, and he should be proud of his solid career. Joe Smith was a bit of a surprised, but his 7.11 era may have been a strong indicator. He didn't throw a whole lot in Spring Training so the Indians will ease him back to the pen. As for the relief corps, it now stands at Kobayashi, Perez, Chulk, Sipp, Lewis, Betancourt and Wood. Besides, Wood and Sipp (3 IP) the rest looks pretty scary. There is not much more down in Triple A to help so look for a possible trade or a guy from Double A shooting on up to the show (Pestano, maybe even Hector Rondon?). Hmmm.

Not to say I called the players who should be called up yesterday and they were, but someone has to pat themselves on the back. It might as well be me.

All of Ohio is a Winner

Quick game recaps from the Minor League affiliates of the Indians today as all 4 Ohio teams won. Many stars of the game for each team so let's get right into it...

Indians win 6-5 over the Tigers

A win is a win, even though my heart was pounding out of my chest, which is very unnecessary for a May 1st game. Maybe The Tribe just needed to get through that pesky month of April, put their crappy performances behind them, and move forward. Let's forget Jensen Lewis meltdown and slow bus trip to Columbus (along with Perez) and focus on the positive. Saturday may be a pretty exciting day for some Major League Debuts.

• Carl Pavano: 7 1/3 IP, 2 ER 5 Hits, 0 Walks, 3 K's. Hot Carl pitched a gem, making his longest start since 2005. Pavano commanded his pitches and was able to keep his stuff low in the zone. I believe he will be up and down all year, but I think he may be better than I think as his best buddy on the team (Cliff Lee) may be a good positive influence on him. He also could get bombed for 9 runs against Red Sox next week. What do I know (see below)
  
• David Dellucci: 4-5, 2 doubles. Double D came back with a bang. If as the DiaTribe refers to him as (the Looch) can be a positive bat off the bench and fill in for injuries, he may be able to salvage his Tribe career. One game does not make a season, so I will watch with cautious optimism. Give Davey some credit, but hold the applause until mid June.


• Jhonny Peralta: 2-5, HR, 2RBI. Jhonny woke up today and stopped over thinking at the plate. It's May so Peralta is happy April is over.


• Kerry Wood: Picked up his 5th save in 5 save opportunities. Went 1,2,3 and threw some wicked sliders and curves. They had a great gameplan against Laird and Inge to not show the fastball too much. He is worth every penny of his $10 million dollar salary (that's for you Jonny).

The Columbus Clippers rattled the Durham Bulls today 14-1, scoring 10 runs in the last two innings. Andy Marte hit a grand slam as the Clips wave goodbye to three of their starters (more on that later)

• David Huff: 6 IP, 4 hits, 2 walks, 4 k's, 0 earned runs. Is setting up to be the next starter called up to Cleveland


• Luis Valbuena: 2-4 BB, HR, 3 RBI. Continues to mash in Columbus and will be a welcomed addition to the big league club.


• Jordan Brown: 4-5 HR, 3 RBI. Guy hits everywhere he goes, just unfortunately for him be with the Indians.


• Chris Gimenez: 3-5 HR, 3 RBI. Has been raking as of late after his early season struggles. Will be an option for the Tribe sometime this summer.

The Akron Aeros won in extra innings today 8-6 to improve their record to an amazing 17-4.

• Chuck Lofgren: 5 IP, 4 hits, 4 walks, 1 earned run, 3 K's. Lofgren is slowly getting back on the organizations' radar with every quality start.


• Jerad Head: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI. Big late inning homerun to propel Akron to victory for the infielder.


• Nick Weglarz: 3-5. 2 doubles, HR, 2 RBI. Finally had a breakout game as he has been struggling mightily all season. The Canadian is a top 10 prospect and will bounce back to his usual form. Still only 21.

The Lake County Captains had a big win tonight against Kannapolis 8-3.

• Nate Rechnagel: 4-5, double, triple. The Wolverine has been crushing the ball at a .370 clip.


• Abner Abreu: 3-5, triple, 2 RBI. 19 year old right hand hitting Dominican is one to watch for the Captains and is ranked 15th best Indians propect by Indians Prospect Insider.

Tomorrow is another day, but let's enjoys these performances for what they are, a day in the life of a long baseball season.

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.

Dellucci back with the Tribe, Fans Rejoice

Our savior is back! Although it has not been made official, the Indians have recalled David Dellucci from his rehab assignment in Columbus. The Columbus Clippers/Durham Bulls game is telecasted over the Internet and the announcer said that the Clippers were playing short handed due to Dellucci returning to the Tribe as he is on his way to Detroit. I imagine Rich Rundles will be sent back to Triple A, so the pitching staff has been trimmed to a mere 13. With Hafner out, Double D will be filling in at DH and unfortunately out in left field. He is under contract for $4 million this season so that is the reason why he is back and playing with the big league club. Hopefully he will bring his bat to the plate, unlike this photo. This season just keeps getting better, doesn't it?

Heartaches, Headaches, and Head Scratchers

At least the Indians finally hit a triple! The Tribe's record now stands at a disappointing 8-14 after dropping 2 of three to the Boston Red Sox when they had a legitimate shot at winning all three. The team collectively went 2-32 with runners in scoring position, which is down right embarrassing. Every aspect of this team needs to be dissected and critiqued heavily. Here are some rants without any raves.

• Peralta is lost, needs to be sat down for a few games to figure some things out.
• Why a team carrying 14 pitchers trots out a reliever who is prone to the gopher ball (Lewis) for his third consecutive inning is a mystery. Why not throw the guy (Rundles) who gets lefties out against the lefty (Van Every)?
• The Indians blew a golden opportunity for a win when the Red Sox decided to sit Youklis, Drew and Lugo on the bench in favor of Bailey, Van Every, and Green. I don't care that Van Every hit the winning homerun, they are all jobbers.
• Shapiro better find 7 pitchers to throw out of the bullpen that he believes in because a major league team can not have a bench of 2 or 3 guys when the starting 9 is incredibly slow and not versatile.
• Lee and Carmona pitched great and have nothing to show for it.
• Reyes' fastball topping out at 85 MPH was not a good sign.
• Putting a closer in a tie ball game when he had pitched the night before makes no sense to me. I can understand if Wood hadn't thrown in awhile but it works like 50% of the time. I understood Wood throwing Tuesday as there really wasn't anyone left.
• Moves I would make tomorrow. Cut Kobayashi, Demote Graffanino, and Rundles, and call up LaPorta, Valbuena, and Barfield. Make Shoppach your backup catcher again, sit Peralta down a few days, and stick LaPorta at DH with an occasional spot start in left. What is worth more, LaPorta losing a year of arbitration or your team losing an entire season? Barfield, Crowe, Shoppach, and Peralta make up your bench for the time being. Send Barfield down when Carroll comes back. I don't even want to get started on Dellucci.
• If and when Pavano and Reyes keep sucking, ship the worse one out and call up Rondon from Akron. Would bring excitement and a guy who throws heat.
• I need not watch Friday's game or my blood pressure will become a health problem.
• I have a horrible feeling that the same old moves will happen tomorrow (Dellucci up).
• When is the point in the season when the team decides the core of this team just is not working together as a cohesive unit?
• What will be the club's excuse for their bad start this year? Hafner on the DL? The WBC? The Swine Flu?
• Should I feel optimistic that they are still only 3.5 games back?
  

The Tribe is thankfully off Thursday, but moves the train wreck on up to Detroit where Carl Pavano (0-3 9.50 ERA) takes on Armando Gallaraga (3-0 1.85 ERA). Who you got? Are you still in the Tribe?

Hafner to DL, Rich Rundles Returns!

Travis Hafner's comeback attempt has been on hold for now, as he was placed on the 15 day DL with shoulder soreness. Pronk has been out of the lineup off and on for the past 4 days. He is off to visit Dr. Death (James Andrews) soon so he can evaluate Hafner's now chronic shoulder condition. Hafner has been pretty solid so far, so hopefully he will be ok and rest is only needed. I am happy the Indians made their decision to DL him early so we weren't forced to watch a 60% healthy player again. Rich Rundles is back, if only for a night as the bullpen was heavily taxed yesterday (7IP 1 ER). He is on the 40 man roster so it was an easy decision. I would imagine everyone's favorite Italian Double-D David Dellucci will be called up to take Hafner's roster spot tomorrow, which is unfortunate. Josh Barfield is an option, but Wedge really doesn't seem to like him very much. Chris Gimenez has an outside shot as well due to his position flexibility, but he is hitting a woefull .137 with 18 K's, not exactly numbers that show promise. Other options that most fans would like to see are Matt Laporta and Luis Valbuena, but the club usually waits until the team is in a really big hole to call up promising rookies. The move opens up more playing time for Ryan Garko, who has been swinging the bat well as of late and getting on base.

Down on the Farm Report: Alexander Perez

The Latin contingent of pitchers in the Cleveland Indians Minor League system is becoming a strength with the emergence of Kelvin De La Cruz, Hector Rondon, and at the big league level Fausto Carmona. You can now add another Dominican to the list, right hander Alexander Perez. Perez is currently dominating the South Atlantic League as a member of the Lake County Captains. He has struck out 23 batters in 22 2/3 innings while walking 7. Perez has yet to record a decision, but has posted a 1.99 ERA in four starts. While only being in the organization for 2 years, Perez has made great progress already pitching in Low A ball at the young age of 19. At 6'2 and only 160 lbs, Alexander has some room to fill out his physique and improve on his 92 MPH fastball, but posts an impressive curveball and changeup, a plus at such a young age. His ground ball to fly ball ratio thusfar is an impressive 2-1, similar to that of Carmona. Look for Perez later this summer to move on up to Kinston with a shot at Akron sometime in 2010.

Striving for Mediocrity

The Tribe took two out of three from K.C., and salvaged one win over the weekend against the Twins. What does this mean? The Indians are a team in a state of flux. It seems that they can't put any sort of solid baseball together over the stretch of a few games. The starting pitching has been much better over the 6 games, but the hitting has been basically non existent. It will be interesting to see what will happen against Boston and see if the team can turn their game up a notch as the Red Sox are riding a ten game win streak. The weather can't be an excuse this April as it has been gorgeous the past 4 days. More Random Thoughts:

• Tony Sipp was definitely the player of the game yesterday and hit 94 MPH on the gun. I liked his energy coming off the mound after striking out both Morneau and Kubel with the bases loaded. Could be a big add to the pen.


• Another Tony (Graffanino) needs to be sent packing. He is old, slow, and can't hit. If Wedge starts him again I may vomit.


• The last Tony (Anthony Reyes) reminds me of Paul Byrd in that he is an soft tossing escape artist on the mound. If he limits his walks and pitches 6 innings a start, I will be satisfied.


• Masa? More like "No Mas!"


• Asdrubal is just raking right now and it is a good sign that Wedge put him in the number 2 hole. Guys with and OBP above .400 should not be hitting last on a team that struggles to score runs.


• I would play Garko more in Right Field if Choo wasn't so terrible in left.


• Peralta looks more awful than he usually does in April. His vision is still quite good , though.


• Jensen Lewis' season is best described by this picture.


• Matt LaPorta is hitting over .400 in Columbus while Ben Francisco and Trevor Crowe make up a below average platoon out in left. The Indians need to forget all of the Super 2 shenanigans and not worry about his 6th year of arbitration. The guy has 5 dingers and is ripping up AAA. Call him up now, it immediately makes your lineup that much stronger, especially with the Manager resting Hafner so often.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield takes on Cliff Lee tonight as the Indians, 19 games in, have still yet to string 2 consecutive wins together.

Tony Sipp called up, Zach Jackson sent down.

With the Cleveland bullpen in complete shambles, the Indians have called upon rookie left hander Tony Sipp to try and help straighten out the relief corps. The 25 year old Sipp has stuckout out 10 batters in 7 innings for the Clippers, while posting a 3.86 ERA. Tony has been a guy the Indians have been high on for years while he has went through various injuries. His 40 Man Roster status is a main reason he was called upon as the only other real options without designating someone for assignment would be Jon Meloan and Rich Rundles. Meloan got knocked around pretty hard in his last outing, and Rundles is primarily a left handed matchup guy. The Tribe's late inning guys have been atrocious this year, so it really can't get much worse. Jackson was only used twice out of the pen this season, and is more of a long relief guy rather than a setup pitcher. Zach may even see some starts down in Triple A. Cliff Lee takes on Brian Bannister tonight as the Indians look to string together two consecutive wins for the first time this season.

No Signs of Relief

The big opening extravaganza that was this weekend in the Bronx has now come and gone and not made me feel any more confident in our Tribe. They did some unbelievable this offensively (one 9 run inning, another 14 run inning), and some unbelievably awful things in relief (3 earned runs allowed Friday, 6 Sunday). The Indians now stand at 4-9, which just looks as bad as it is. They are only 3 1/2 games out of first, with the rest of the division hovering in mediocrity with seven wins apiece. As all Tribe followers are unfortunately aware of, a bad bullpen makes a team excruciatingly tough to watch. The thought of one of the 8 guys trotting out today is going to blow the lead is constantly in your head. Monday brings a much needed day off for the Sons of Geronimo to get out of the circus that is New York and head back to more comfortable 40 degree weather back in Cleveland. Random thoughts from the weekend.

• I think Shin Soo Choo's bat is for real, but his fielding and throwing accuracy is not consistent at all. Wedge needs to leave Choo in Right or at DH as his horrible reaction time and angle to that ball hit by Cody Ransom in the 8th was not good at all.


• Rafael Perez is struggling way too much to be brought in with the Tribe holding only a 2 run lead. I understand it's early and Wedge is trying to get him some confidence, but he has been all over the plate. He needs to be in mop up duty for now.


• His bullpen mate Jensen Lewis has been giving up way too many gopher balls (3). He should figure things out eventually, hopefully soon.


• As it stands now, the manager has exactly two bullpen arms he can rely on. Jackson is a long guy, Chulk and Kobayashi are mop up guys. Perez is lost. Lewis and Betancourt have been up and down. Smith has been good but they are afraid to use him against lefties. Wood has been lights out but has only one save and needs someone to step up and bridge the gap to the ninth. If they don't trust Chulk and Kobayashi, get rid of them and get somebody from Columbus (Meloan, Sipp) that may catch fire.


• Hot Carl pitched a great game. Got to give him credit. I think his pitching will remain a rollercoaster, but we shall see.


• Lee and Carmona pitched better, but need to have one of those 7 inning 1-2 run gems to help save the pen.


• Hafner stills seems awkward at the plate, but is producing.


• Graffanino should never recieve more than one start a week.


• That second inning Saturday was one of the most enjoyable innings of baseball I have ever seen.


• That BS Trevor Crowe fan interference call stunk, but DeRosa and Martinez not getting a run home the previous half inning with the bases loaded hurt more.


• The Yankees are overrated and will not make the playoffs in 2009.

The Royals come to town Tuesday to start a 9 game homestand for the Indians. Sidney Ponson vs Aaron Laffey in a 40 degree drizzle will make buying a seat at the Jake pretty easy. How about a 6-3 clip to get the team to a respectable 10-12. I think it can happen. Can it?