Tribe Designates Aquino, recall Gosling

On June 5th the Cleveland Indians signed LHP Mike Gosling (pictured to the left sporting a huge boner) to a Minor League contract just a few days after the 28 year old was released from the Minnesota Twins. He had a 7-1 record with a 4.37 ERA in 21 appearances at Triple A Rochester this year. Since being in Columbus he has thrown 8 innings giving up one run and striking out eight. With this in mind, it did not take the Tribe long to recall the newly acquired lefty as the Wahoo's bullpen is, to put it nicely, struggling and in need of a makeover. This just goes to prove my point in the last post that we really have nobody that is ready to be called up. I guess we have resorted to picking up some has been's (Vizcaino) and now this guy named Gosling.

Greg Aquino was optioned back to Triple A Columbus in the move to bring up "The Goose". There is only one team I would even consider putting Aquino on right now and it is this. I hope he takes his crooked hat back down to Columbus and figures it out.

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?

Walking Disaster

The Bullpen walked 14 batters over the 3 game series. These guys (above) can't believe it.

The Indians were swept today by the Milwaukee Brewers in just agonizing fashion, losing 9-8 in 11 innings. The bullpen gave up six runs in six innings. The only guy to not give up a score was Kerry Wood. The Tribe rallied for four in the ninth to tie the game, but Ryan Garko was tagged out after delivering a bases loaded double by rounding second too widely, twisting his ankle, and finally collapsing to the ground in a big heap. Even when the Indians do something good, they manage to look bad doing it. It just adds the misery that has been the first half of the 2009 season, the Season of Bullpen Nightmares.

After Wood's scoreless 9th, the immortal Greg Aquino walked some guys like he usually does, and then a sac fly got home the go ahead run. The Wahoos did get runners on first and second with one out, but Shin Soo Choo struck out in an actual good at bat, and finally Ben Francisco (playing due to Garko's injury) stuck out on a ball slider that would have loaded the bases. The team could have pulled within 5.5 games, but slid back into what they are, a last place team. Now for some random thoughts...

Here is the understatement of the century.. The bullpen blows. Besides Wood, they all stink, every single one of them. 18 runs in the 16 innings they threw in the series. This is probably a good thing that the pen had to pitch so much as it exposes them to what they really are, a bunch of fringe major league jobbers. The Triple A train better be bring back Tony Sipp and possibly Vinnie Chulk (another stiff) because they really really are awful. Just terrible.

Ben Francisco is completely lost and needs to be either sent to Columbus or glued to the bench. Bring up Michael Brantley to play center if Grady is out for an extended time. He can't be any worse than what is currently on this team.

Why not let Kerry Wood throw another inning. I know the "plan" says Wood has had arm trouble and is only to throw one inning, but he only threw 13 pitches. The team only had Greg Aquino left, so you know he is bound to give up a run. Most managers extend the guy, the Indians are too afraid.

Why do the Indians keep babying Travis Hafner? I know they have been saying 2 games, 1 day of rest, but the club is going to play National League ball the next six games and Hafner will have plenty of days to rest his shoulder as he will be limited to pinch hitting duty. At least have him pinch hit for Shoppach, who is also lost.

Trevor Crowe (pictured left) was terrible today. Misplayed 2 balls in center, ran to third base when the ball was hit in front of him and was subsequently thrown out. He is a 4th outfielder at best and is way overmatched. He also seems to be scared to communicate with his fellow fielders (ask Grady Sizemore). Having the pleasure of watching Sizemore man center, (and even Franklin Gutierrez last year), Crowe is average at best.

Jhonny Peralta is a moron. He fielded a ball in the first and had an easy throw to home to get Craig Counsell, and for some reason he went for the out at first. Just a nightmare. How many to the Indians lose by?

Laptop Manager Eric Wedge played Ryan Garko in left and Mark DeRosa in right. Combined with Trevor Crowe-hop, that is a scary outfield alignment. I guess Wedge wanted to rest Choo and have him DH, but Jesus, Ryan Garko? Let him DH and give your pitchers a chance. Garko was nowhere to be seen when Crowe layed out for a ball he had no chance at in the first.Jeremy Sowers and David Huff's 5 inning and fly routines just aren't going to cut it with this Disaster of a bullpen. Coupled with Hot Carl looking how we expected (not good), the starting staff is also at fault for the bad bullpen because they are forced to pitch so much. With Tomo Ohka scheduled to throw Saturday because Pavano has apparently a shoulder injury, but he is fine? OK. Join the club.

Batting Chris Gimenez after Travis Hafner Tuesday was not a good idea Tuesday. The Brewers intentionally walked Pronk twice and Gimenez struck out with the bases loaded and looked overmmatched. I know Wedge is always trying to send messages (benched Peralta that game), but make those mental moves after you look at your lineup and noticed you have Gimenez/Francisco/Barfield as your 7-9, you may have already lost.

The Brewers lineup is really impressive, similar to an American League Club. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are the real deal, and Corey Hart, Matt Gamel, and Casey McGehee will be part of their core for a long time. If they can add a few more starters, Milwaukee will run away with the NL Central.

As for positives, I really like the way Luis Valbuena plays the game. He makes hard outs, works the count, and plays a great shortstop. This kid is definitely a player to watch.

Martinez/DeRosa/Choo are all saving the offense. Batting DeRo second is actually a very good move by Wedge because it at least gets the best hitters up to bat more often. Besides those three, the lineup is not good at all (Hafner does not count yet).

These past three games were some of the worst baseball I have seen the Indians play in a long time. Monday's debacle just led to more ugly things to come. It will be practically impossible, as bad as the AL Central is, for the Tribe to stay competitive if their pitching continues to be this bad.

Thank God Cliff Lee pitches Friday at Wrigley to hopefully save this team from slipping into the depths of sucktitude.

29-39, 10 games under .500. Instead of being 3 games back in the win column behind Detroit, they are in sole possession of last place in the worst division in baseball. I am now going to bang my head against my keyboard

PATHETIC!!

That is the only way I can describe last nights 14-12 lost to the Milwaukee Brewers, oh and if I could make the letters any bigger I would have. The five pictures you are looking at are 5 guys that had absolutely no clue there was a baseball game last night at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. OK, maybe Joe Smith should not be on here but I put him on anyway because he is part of this rat pack of a bullpen the Cleveland Indians have. I went to bed right after the game last night and I was hoping to god that CKTRIBE would have wrote an article last night because I knew I did not want to have anything to do with it. Well, I woke up and there was nothing posted. To be honest, I don't even blame him because there is no words to describe last night. Soooo, that being said, I am going to try and put my words to what I witnessed last night. I am merely going off my head as I don't remember everything exactly...I actually don't want to remember anything to tell the truth.

Carl Pavano started the night out with another so so.. not so great start. Yes they were winning when he came out, however he barely was able to finish the 5th inning without getting yanked and besides...he gave up 6 runs in 5 innings so he was crap last night. After the 5th inning the score was 8-6 Tribe and that is when it just falls apart. Greg Aquino came in and gave up one run in the 6th however the Tribe bats put up a 4 spot to make the score 12-7. Things were still looking pretty good for the Tribe...not really. Aquino came back out to pitch in the 7th and walked Ryan Braun who moved to second on a wild pitch then easily stole third. Braun finally scored on a Corey Hart sac fly and the Indians still got out of the 7th with only giving up one run making it 12-8 Tribe.

For this next paragraph I wish I could use the words (Parental Discretion Advised) however I can't so I will make it as nice a possible. The 8th inning was the worst inning of baseball I have ever watched....in my life and your life too for that matter. It took the Tribe 4 pitchers (FOUR) to get out of this inning. Oh yea, and when they finally got out of it, they were loosing 14-12. Vizcaino walked two batters then the Tribe brought in 57 year old Matt Herges and he walked one. With the bases loaded Ryan Braun hit a grounder in the hole that Luis Valbuena made a nice play on but could not make the throw to second base for the force out and the Brewers scored making it 12-9. Then Wedge brought in the worst pitcher in the major leagues. I was sitting there saying to myself please don't bring in Perez, he is terrible against left handers and he should still be down in Columbus, or even Mexico for that matter. So obviously Wedge could not here me yelling at my TV. With this in mind, I can't do anything but watch Rafael Perez give up a first pitch GRAND SLAM to Prince Fielder. How can these guys call themselves Major League Pitchers? All I could could do was laugh. What a great night to pay tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 1980's movie Major League and have Bob Ueker honored at the game. This was truly a "Major League" moment. On a side note the Tribe's bats were really hoping last night and it was fun to see them put some numbers on the score board. Our offense really came to play yesterday....our Bullpen...well, I don't even think they know the season has started!

Lee Masters Cardinals, Tribe wins Season-Best 3rd Series in a Row

Cliff Lee successfully no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals for 7 innings Sunday, bringing the Indians to within 6 games of the first place Detroit Tigers. Lee was utterly brilliant, using just 93 pitches (70 strikes) to dispose of the redbirds while cooling off the red-hot Albert Pujols (0-3, BB). Even more amazing, Lee threw first pitch strikes to 26 of the 32 batters he faced. He stuck out six, gave up three hits and 2 walks while shutting out St. Louis, lowering his ERA to 2.88. I didn't even realize that he was flirting with the no-no until the 6th when the crowd began to cheer louder after each out. Clifton really has solidified his place among baseball's elite, proving that his 2008 Cy Young campaign was no fluke. His starts have vaulted into the category of must-see events, hopefully getting him onto the All-Star team despite his 4-6 record that is definitely not his fault. Here are some of the highlights below...



The bats were not really around for the past 2 games, scoring just four runs total over Saturday and Sunday. I would say that the lineup is finally settling down, with Jhonny Peralta seemingly positioned to man the hot corner most of the time. Luis Valbuena has been outstanding in the field at short, but his bat has not progressed as quickly. He has been getting robbed of hits a bunch over the past week. Wedge said that he plans to stick with him.

Kelly Shoppach needs to be given some major credit in the starting staffs' revival. He is currently the personal catcher for Lee, Carl Pavano, and lately David Huff. All seem to be really comfortable with him behind the dish. Shoppach has struggled at the plate lately, but went 2-3 with a homer and a double Sunday. The offense may look a little weaker with Valbuena and Shoppach in the 8 and 9 hole, but the defense and game managing more than makes up for it. When Asdrubal and Grady comeback hopefully soon, look for Valbuena to platoon with Jamey Carroll and Shoppach to play at least 5-6 days a week. These moves will definitely cut into the regular playing time (with DeRosa your Left Fielder) of Ryan Garko and Ben Francisco, which really isn't a bad thing.

The Milwaukee Brewers come to town Monday for a 3 game series. Here are the pitching matchups...

David Bush vs. Carl Pavano Monday
Yvonni Gallardo vs. Jeremy Sowers Tuesday

Jeff Suppan vs. David Huff Wednesday

The Tribe has a real shot to get back in this the way the schedule is shaping up with 12 of their next 18 games at home with a short 6 game roadtrip covering just Chicago and Pittsburgh. If they can get to 4 or less games back by the All-Star break (when the team should be at full strength) this season just get a bit more interesting.

Pujols beats Tribe

Tomo Ohka pitched 7 strong innings (2 solo shots by Albert Pujols), Victor Martinez drove in the Tribe's lone run (got subsequently thrown out at second with 0 outs), Rafael Perez wild pitched the third run home, and Josh Barfield had another base running blunder that collectively led to a 3-1 for Cleveland to the Indians. The Tribe scattered 6 hits and really never had a rally going besides the third inning when Jamey Carrol reached on an error and DeRosa walked. The lineup is hurting right now with only a few guys real threats to make a game-changing impact on the game with their bat. Ohka did earn the opportunity to start at least one more game before Westbrook and Laffey return from the DL. Tomo may have even earned a spot in the bullpen.


Getting the opportunity to watch Pujols live is a site to see. He hit his second home run half way up the bleachers, the farthest home run I have seen since the days of Mark McGwire. Pujols pretty much single handidly beat the Indians, going 3-4 with 2 jacks and a double. The Cardinals first baseman is definitely, hands down the best hitter in baseball today.

Here were the highlights...

Blitzcorner Cardinals beat Indians 3-1

I was able to attend Saturday's game and was really excited about the retro 80's jerseys, even though it was hard to see them up in the mezzanine. More importantly, it was my 6 month old son's first game at Progressive Field. He did pretty good, no major meltdowns or anything. I also got him his first autograph at the game (David Huff). The Indians lost the game, but gained a little fan for life. More on the Cardinals series after tonight's prime time matchup of Chris Carpenter vs. Cliff Lee.

"This one's for the Birds"

So far the entire 2009 season has been for the birds. Last night the Indians defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th making this game definitely "For the Birds" If you follow the Tribe you have probably realized that Progressive Field seems to be the Noah's Ark of of Baseball Stadiums. Whether it's bugs, bees, or birds, it always seems like the players are competing for space out there with creatures of nature. Last night was a special case in which the Indians won with the assist of....non other than a Lake Erie Gull. With Mark DeRosa on second and Victor Martinez on first, Shin-Soo Choo came up to the plate after going 0 for a million in this series and lined a single into center field. Just as Coco Crisp was about to make a play on the ball one of the famous gulls that was getting an up front and personal seat to the game decided to make the play instead. You could see the ball just ricochet right off the little guy giving the ball just enough movement to make Crisp miss the ball. That being said DeRose scores easily from second and...THE INDIANS WIN, THE INDIANS WIN! (actually it really was not that dramatic as DeRosa would have scored even if Crisp would have fielded the ball cleanly)


Although the Tribe won last night which was good as they won their second series in a row there were a couple things that I kind of scratched my head on last night...I know you all care about my comments so I will share them with you. The first being that on Wednesday, when Cleveland Indians beat writer Anthony Castrovince wrote an article about the managers' lineup card. Castro reported that Eric Wedge was really coming around to liking Jhonny Peralta playing third and thought that Luis Valbuena was a good fit at shortstop, at least while Asdrubal Cabrera was out.

After watching the starting lineup take the field, where does Jhonny go, but to shortstop. I understand that Carroll had the night off but come on, put Jhonny over at third, let Valbuena play short and put DeRosa at second. Wedge just got done saying that Peralta seemed to be coming around at third and needs more time there to get comfortable. Besides it is not like DeRosa doesn't know how to play second as he played there all last year. OK, enough venting....I am sure others out there will disagree with me. I guess I just got upset when DeRosa made his 132 error last night on a play that my grandma could have made.

I can't stand Ben Francisco. In the bottom of the 3rd the score was 0-0 with one out and Luis Valbuena was on third base. B-Franc had an 3-0 count and he swings at the next pitch fouling off to the catcher. WHY!! I listed to Manning on STO and he agreed with it but I thought it was stupid. First of all, it is 3-0 and second of all you got DeRosa, Martinez and Choo coming up....and just for craps and giggles, third of all you have Zack Greinke pitching and you are probably not going to get a hit anyway. I agree if you are a good hitter and it is 3-0 count then by all means you have the green light but Francisco is not a good hitter. He either hits a home run or does nothing. Case in point ol' Benny boy swung and popped up to the catcher...NICE. If he would have walked, then it would have been first and third, and then he would have moved to second when DeRosa walked. Now when Martinez singles we score two runs instead of one. I realize that anything can happen and if he did get a hit or sacrifice Valbuena in then it would have been a great call. Furthermore, I am not much of a stat guy, but my stats in my head were saying statistically, Ben is terrible and that was a dumb decision. They won the game, but he needs to show more patience, especially hitting in the leadoff position.


This game was for the birds, literally. More flying creatures are scheduled to invade Progressive Field this weekend, with the St. Louis Cardinals headed into town for a three game series. Let's try and make it 3 series wins in a row.

Down on the Farm Report: Jordan Brown

With the 2009 Major League draft going on this week, there is always a lot of potential great catches for Major League ball clubs. With this in mind, I'd like to think back in 2005 the Cleveland Indians made a great catch when they selected Jordan Brown in the First Year Player Draft out of the University of Arizona in the fourth round (no. 124 overall). Speaking of catches check out the picture above (clockwise from top left Chris Gimenez, Trevor Crowe, Jordan Brown, Jon Meloan) Since being in the Indians organization, Jordan Brown, the 6'0 foot 205 lb first baseman has put up some pretty good numbers. The 25 year old won back-to-back MVP awards in his first two full seasons in the minors, taking the Carolina League honors in 2006 and the Eastern League trophy in 2007. In 2006 he hit .290 with an OPS of .831 at Single A Kinston and in 2007 he really broke out hitting .333 with an OPS of .906 in Akron. Brown spent all of 2008 in Triple A Buffalo putting up average numbers hitting .281 in 109 games. Furthermore he spent spent a little time last year on the Disabled list with a left knee injury. With this in mind, the presumed "catch" went unpicked in the Rule 5 draft after a rough 2008, but he's back looking like a fair first-base prospect again so far this year.



After a little over two months into the season Jordan seems to be one of the key factors that is holding this Columbus team together. The Clips have been up and down all year as they are 30-29 and a 1/2 game back in the IL West Division. The one thing that has not been down is Brown's averages. As of Monday he is 8th in the entire International League in batting .311 (59 x 190). He was also named IL Player of the week for the week of 5/18 - 5/24 going 14 x 27 batting .519 w/ 3 HRs, 7 RBI's, and a Slugging Percentage of 1.000. Furthermore, his batting average has not dropped below .300 since April 14. As mentioned earlier Brown has been a key player on this years Clippers squad; he has played in 53 of the 58 games so far this year. The Clippers roster has Brown listed as a first baseman, however he can also play outfield. In the past 5 years he has appeared at first base 207 times and in the outfield 138. He can play both corners of the outfield as he has played 16 games in right and 13 games in left this year. His fielding percentage has been a perfect 1.000 at both first base and left field this year and is .967 in right field. His total fielding percentage average over his 5 year pro career is .989.

Here is a breakdown of some of his stats this year:

AVG .311
SLG .521
OPS .871
vs. lefty's .326
vs. righty's .306
Home games .288
Away games .327
Day games .333
Night games .298
Runners on .324
Runners in Scoring Position .311

Looking at last years (2008) Baseball America's Top 10 Cleveland Indians Prospects versus this years (2009) one will notice that while Brown was on last years list he was dropped from this years list. Although he has started the year off with a bang I guess we will find out if indeed Jordan Brown is the "catch" we thought he was.

More Tribe Picks: Jason Kipnis in 2nd, Joe Gardner in 3rd

The Indians finished Tuesday with a win and two more players, OF/2B Jason Kipnis from Arizona State and Right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner from UC Santa Barbara. Here is a little info on both.

Jason Kipnis The left handed hitting junior has had a great 2009, (.385 avg/.496 OBP/.729 SLG/1.250 OPS) with 16 Homers and 71 RBI in 59 games with 26 stolen bases. Here is what ESPN's Keith Law has to say about him...

In retrospect Jason Kipnis made a wise decision to go back to school and raise his draft value. He has great bat speed and is strong enough to hit for power, but there is a concern that he has a grooved swing with no load and a soft front side, which in turn leads to a lot of swings and misses. He has a great eye, works counts, and isn’t afraid of hitting with 2 strikes, though he doesn’t change his approach at all when he does have 2 strikes. The big question on Kipnis is position. He’s an average runner who is at best 50/50 to even stay in center, but may not have the power to play corner outfield. Some clubs have though of returning him to second base, where he played in high school, but his body is different and moves to high- skill positions rarely work. He was kicked off Kentucky and had to transfer after his freshman year, so there are lingering questions about make up. Though it should be noted he had zero problems since he moved to Tempe.

Nice to see them go with a position player so high, as I imagine most of the draft will be pitching heavy.

Joe Gardner is a 6'5, 220 lb right hander out of UC Santa Barbara. Seems to be a bit of a project,

as 2009 was his first season in Division 1 baseball. More from Keith Law about Gardner...

Joe Gardener transferred to UCSB and ended up being the Gaucho’s ace this year, leading his team in era by more than a run and a third. He’s very big, but lacks athleticism and looks awkward on the mound. He sits right around 90, with a very good tailing life on the pitch, possibly thanks to his ¾ slots. His slider has decent speed but he gets around it too much. His change up has decent fade but stays up too long. His delivery isn’t pretty with a lot of extra movements and lack coordination. He is very raw, but has size, arm strength, and a good ability to throw strikes. With a decent pitching coach there is is a chance there is even more velocity in that arm.

This draft pick points to be a guy they spend a bit of time with in the low minors since he is still just turned 21 years old. "The Gaucho" seems to be a fitting nickname for this this larger than life righty.

Indians Select Pitcher Alex White in 1st Round

Well, the Tribe didn't get the guy I had hoped for (Drew Storen went 10th to the Nationals), they did select one of the five pitchers written about earlier today, University of North Carolina's Alex White. The right hander was one of the top high school prospect in 2006, but elected to become a Tar Heel instead of going pro.

Originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 14th round, White has a 6 pitch repertoire headlined by a mid 90's fastball to go along with his split finger that will allow him to excel quickly. Many drafts sites had him as a possible top 5 pick, but teams have seemed concerned about his three-quarters delivery and that he is a Scott Boras client. He is a pretty big dude, going 6'3 2oo+ and looks pretty imposing out on the mound. Alex will turn 21 later this year and has a real chance to contribute at the big league level sometime in 2010. Here is what metal bat baseball (great scouting site) had to say about him...

White's electric arm throws a lively, moving low-to-mid 90s fastball from a 3/4 arm slot that can top out at 96 or 97 mph. His slider has been his go-to secondary pitch for awhile and it features good velocity and movement and he can often throw it for strikes. Recently he has begun to augment that with a strong, biting splitter. The splitter helps him deal with left-handed batters as it acts similar to a changeup. He doesn't seem to struggle pitching from the stretch. White is an excellent athlete who was good enough as a HS basketball player to draw mid-major recruiting interest. White has a strong, lean build and a good frame for pitching that could still fill out a small bit. He has really embraced his role this year as staff ace since Robert Woodard departed.

WEAKNESSES:He could stand to be more consistent with his command and overall quality of pitches from start to start, mixing in a dud or two with otherwise brilliant pitching. Even in some dominating starts he got in trouble with walks (example - 5.2 ip, 1 hit, 5 walks, 6 Ks, no runs at Clemson). His arm slot is three-quarters, but it dropped has he fatigued as a freshman but - with some muscle added to his projectable, athletic frame - he has avoided that so-far as a sophomore. The fatigue caused a poor second half and poor postseason to mar a great start to his freshman year. His arm slot will occasionally vary even when (seemingly) rested, so tightening up the muscle memory there could largely eliminate much of his inconsistencies.

In 2009, White has compiled 8-4 record with a 4.13 ERA in 15 starts. H has struck out 109 batters in 98 innings while walking 41. College stats are hard to dissect, due to the metal bats and the various ability levels. The Tribe must have liked his total package because his numbers sure don't jump off the page.

Seems to need to work on his command, but I have a funny feeling that he won't be starting too many games next season down in the minors. With his funky arm angle and multiple pitches, White is definitely headed to the pen in 2010(Farm Director Brad Grant confirmed this to Tom Hamilton tonight on the radio). The Tribe will probably keep him in a limited starting role for the remainder of 2009 and put a cap on his innings due to his school currently competing in the College World Series. They definitely drafted for an area of need, and with the cost of free agent pitchers nowadays, they really didn't have any other choice. Seems like a good pick, but remember this, the Indians have not selected an All-Star in the draft since 1999 (CC Sabathia), so I guess they are due.

Smith returns to the "Pen"

Today, Tribe Pitcher Joe Smith was activated from the 15 day DL after rehabing down in Columbus. Making room for him the Indians optioned lefty Tony Sipp back down to Triple A. The poor guy has already had two short stints up in the Majors only to be sent back down several weeks later. In 10 games Sipp has gone 0-0 with a 3.12 ERA.

Smith went on the DL back on April 29th with a strained right rotator cuff. Hopeing to be a key role in the Indians bullpen this year he has yet to get on track. The first year Indian suffered a viral infection in early spring training which did not help, then once the season began it was as if he never showed up. The righty pitched in 8 games throwing 6 1/3 innings giving up 7 hits and 6 runs (7.11 ERA). I've seen him pitch a couple times down in Columbus and he looked good both times. In his most resent outing he pitched in 5 scoreless innings giving up 4 hits with 6 strikeouts. Hopefully time is all he needed and will be a much needed boost to the "Pen"

2009 MLB Draft: Who should the Tribe Take? (Drew Storen)

With the anticipation growing for Tuesday's MLB 2009 Draft (not really), it will be interesting to see which way the Cleveland Indians go. The consensus can't miss, once in a lifetime stud $50 million dollar Scott Boras client, San Diego State pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be going #1 to the Washington Nationals. After that (as always) the draft is a crapshoot, basically revolving on projections, signability concerns, and internal organizational strengths. I have narrowed the Indians choices down to 5 possible picks at their slot at 15, and am almost positive I will be wrong. 4 college pitchers and one high school hurler round out the list, mainly because the Indians are in desperate need for polished young arms that can move through the system quickly (hence the college choices.) Most of them have mid 90's fastballs which is also important because the bulk of their current farm talent are location guys. Finally, some of these guys project to be relievers, a position that is definitely a gaping hole of a problem in the Cleveland system.


After pouring over hours of college and high school film, ripping up 7 mock drafts, and downing a case of Red Bull, I have slimmed the Tribe's choices down to this collection of arms. Here goes, the fab 5 for 2009 of guys most people have never heard of.

Drew Storen: (pictured top left) High character citizen, current Stanford Cardinal closer. Indians have a tendency to draft guys from his school (Ryan Garko, Jeremy Guthrie, and Cord Phelps last year). Could move through the system quickly. Scouts and Coaches alike have raved about him..

"That kid is everything that is right about college baseball," Georgia coach David Perno said shortly after his Bulldogs faced Storen in last year's College World Series. "He handles himself the right way, he's a great student and he throws bullets. Those are the guys you build programs around."

Because of Storen's advanced age (he turned 21 in September), the Indiana native is a rare draft-eligible sophomore. So when scouts got a gander of his early-season numbers, he rocketed to the top of most midseason draft-projection lists as the best reliever available, outdistancing Arizona's much-hyped Jason Stoffel.

"Storen could be in the big leagues by the end of the season," one MLB scout said. "His fastball was always good, but now it's popping. His curve may even be better than his fastball, but more importantly, he's learned how to use the two together. He's a pitcher now."
An informal poll of big league talent personnel produces as much praise for how well Storen carries himself off the mound as how he hurls pitches from it, a longtime trademark of Marquess-coached players. But with Storen, the mixture of brain and brawn is particularly attractive. There are plenty of smart players and there are plenty of guys with a closer's death-to-the-hitter mentality. Rarely do the two come in the same package.

Storen has the stuff to be a starter and it's not unheard of for a team to take a college closer and let him start as a pro. That being said, there's a reason Stanford has him in the bullpen ... his command hasn't always been sharp. Even as a short reliever, though, his fastball-curve mix is more than enough to get hitters out, especially from the right side. Good college closers usually get drafted well and Storen should be no exception.

Eric Arnett (pictured below): Indiana University right hander has been scouted heavily by the Tribe and tops his fastball in the mid 90's. At 6'5, 230, he is an imposing prospect.

One of the biggest late risers in the Draft class, Arnett is a big right-hander who put himself into first-round consideration with a breakout junior season. He's got an above-average fastball and a slider that, while inconsistent, could be an out pitch as well. He struggles at times with his release point and arm angle, which hurts the effectiveness of the slider. He's come a long way in a short time, and the lack of track record may make some pause, as will the high pitch counts he had late in the year. But if he can develop an effective offspeed pitch, he's the kind of workhorse who could be a future No. 2 or 3 starter in the big leagues.

Rex Brothers: Lefty with a plus fastball from a small college (Lipscomb U) but tops out at 97 MPH. Here is what the MLB.com scouts say...

Brothers' fastball has been as high as 96, maybe even touching 97 mph. He gets swings-and-misses with it.

Brothers (happily pictured above) was gaining as much "helium" as any pitcher in the draft class as the spring wore on. He'd always been intriguing because of his arm strength that delivers a fastball that can touch 96-97 mph and a pretty good slider. He took a leap up this season, thanks to a better understanding of how to pitch and the ability to find the strike zone more consistently. If that continues throughout the remainder of his season, he'll go off the board in a hurry.

Alex White (pictured below): Solid right-handed college starter with multiple pitches and good size (6'3, 220). Strange throwing motion may give him arm issues. MLB.com analysis below...

White has an above-average fastball and he threw it 89-95 mph. It sat comfortably at around 91 mph. He's got good life, with some tail and hard sink.

White was a top high school prospect in 2006, but went to UNC instead. He's still one of the better arms now, though his performance in the spring has been a little uneven. He does have plus stuff with a fastball-slider combination along with the makings of two other pitches. He doesn't always command his fastball that well, but that could be correctable with some mechanical tweaks. With his stuff and his track record, he's likely to go pretty early on Draft Day.

Matt Purke (pictured below): One of the top high school lefties who has 3 solid pitches. 6'3, 180 and has room to grow. May be a tough sign and a project, but has huge potential upside. Seems to be rising across draft boards.


Purke showed velocity a tick above average, sitting at 92-93 mph. He topped out at 95 mph. It has tailing life to the arm side.

When conversations arise about the top prep lefties in the class, Purke is on the short list. With three excellent offerings and command of them, to go along with a projectable frame, Purke's name comes up early and often. There might be a small concern about his durabilty because he's a little too slender, but that won't be enough to keep him from being taken high up on Draft day.

Who knows if any of these guys will be good or not, but my pick is Drew Storen due to the Stanford connection and his attitude and demeanor. MLB Network's coverage starts at six, so be sure to tune in. Ellis Burks and Jason Bere will be there for the Tribe to apparently walk the picks up to some sort of designated podium or write the choices down on little pieces of paper. They also will probably be shown on a telephone shaped like an Indians batting helmet as well. I personally can't wait for all of the excitement

Chi-Town, My Kind of Town

If I ask my friend Jon his weekend plans and I receive the reply "Chi Town" via either text or email, I know he is visiting his fiancee in Chicago. That is just his personality, simple one word answers or short phrases to explain his feelings, emotions, or even destinations. That 2 word coupling worked out great for the Tribe this past weekend. When your favorite club is in desperate need of a positive series (a team littered with aging veterans and suspect pitching), just hope "Chi-Town" is on the schedule.

The Tribe looked a lot better over the weekend, taking 2 of three from the south-siders. Maybe it took the truly "Hot" Carl Pavano to set the tone for the series (9 inning shutout). Or possibly the return of Pronk, who homered in first game back into the lineup, helped charge up the Wigwammers. The most probable answer is that the White Sox are just about as good as the Indians right now, but that is why you play the games. The Columbus contingent has been playing pretty well lately, and the bullpen sans a shaky outing by Luis Vizcaino Sunday threw effectively. Let's look back at the good and the not so good against the White Sox.

3 Not so Good

Mark DeRosa has been an decent addition to the club, but his .329 OBP ranks 12th on the team (below even our boy David Dellucci). He does have ok power numbers (9 HR's, 38 RBI) but is a man without a position. The team has more than enough position flexibility, so strike while the trade iron is hot and start a bidding war for DeRo. Valbuena looked pretty good at short yesterday, so Jhonny won't have to mind the 6 spot hopefully too often. His wife is hot, though.

The man with the silent H is still in a bit of a funk. He went 0-7 in his two starts during the series, with a big error on Saturday. Jhonny needs to be put back at 3rd for good to allow him some stability. Peralta tends to heat up in the summer months, so jerk him around the infield will probably not be good for his weak psyche. Also, I would love to know the Indians' ERA with Peralta at short. I bet you it is higher than when anyone else plays there. Have Valbuena play short, and let Barfield get an audition for a week at second until Asdrubal comes back. Bounce Jhonny between 3rd and DH with only one start a week for him at short against a team with a bunch of lefty hitters.

We all know what Ben Francisco is. A 4th outfielder that shows glimmers of greatness but more than likely is average at best. He went 2-12 with two walks against Chicago with 2 walks. He is not a leadoff hitter (.329 career OBP) so move him down where he belongs at the bottom of the order. That way he won't put too much pressure on himself because I have a feeling he does. When he batted 3rd of 4th last season, he stats went down dramatically. If you look at his stats from 2009, I almost guarantee he hits better at the bottom of the order.

3 Real Good

The Columbus Trio all played major roles in the victory Sunday. Chris Gimenez (pictured above) went 1-4 with a homerun and moved a runner to third by hitting to the ball to the right side of the infield. Luis Valbuena went 1-2 with a sac fly, a walk, 2 RBI and looked pretty good playing shortstop for the first time in the majors. Trevor Crowe went 1-4 and made two amazing catches out in center, one of which with the bases loaded robbed White Sox rookie Gordon Beckham of his first major league hit and was destined to clear the bases with two outs in the 8th. If the rookies play this well, (along with David Huff's first ML win), the Indians can make a run to .500.

I have developed a new found respect for Jamey Carroll. The guy goes out and does his job, whether at 2nd or 3rd, never gives up on an at bat, is playing with a sprained finger, and leads by example. Carroll went 5-9 with 2 doubles and 3 RBI's over 2 games and looks to be a very solid 2 hitter for the time being. He always works the counts and usually puts the bat on the ball. He is a guy the club should consider resigning for 2010 because of his position flexibility and toughness. Jamey is the perfect utility infielder.

Carl Pavano continues to amaze, throwing 9 shutout innings Friday to help start the series off on the right step. Pavano struck out 6 while only allowing 2 walks and 3 hits. Trade rumors will start to circulate about him, but the Indians will keep him on the club up until the July 31st deadline because the rotation is just too decimated by injuries(Laffey,Reyes,Lewis) and ineffectiveness (Carmona). If the Tribe are completely out of it, then Pavano can be shipped on out.

The Royals come to town Tuesday for a 3 game series. The pitching matchups are as follows:

Tuesday Brian Bannister vs Cliff Lee

Wednesday Gil Meche vs Carl Pavano

Thursday Zack Grienke vs Jeremy Sowers

Should be interesting to see if the Indians can string together another series win before interleague play starts up again over the weekend. Hopefully I can text Jon "KC" and that will mean a 3 game sweep of the Royals.

Pronk Returns, Carmona sent WAY Down!

As speculated yesterday, Fausto Carmona has been sent down to the minors, but to Rookie ball down in Arizona. This is pretty telling, demonstrating how far Fausto has fallen. I imagine they will be able to keep better track of him down there with all of the new technology and the club will probably send special instructors (Tim Belcher, Jason Bere) to monitor his progress. Look for Carmona to be "working on things" for a minimum month time period. It looks like Tomo Ohka will be the new addition to the rotation, just hopefully on a 1-2 start basis until Aaron Laffey and Jake Westbrook return. Travis Hafner returns, which will help out the beleaguered lineup even if he only able to play 4-5 times a week. It will also take some pressure off of Shin Soo Choo, as he is more of an 5-7 hitter anyways. The DiaTribe has some good lineup solutions today for our Wahoos, so make sure to check it out.The Indians take on the White Sox this weekend in Chi-Town for a 3-game series.

Former Tribe owner, Dick Jacobs passes away

The former owner of the Cleveland Indians, Richard E. "Dick" Jacobs passed away after suffering from a longtime illness. He was 84 years old. Jacobs was the man responsible for turning the organization around during the 1990's as the Tribe won 6 American League Central Division Championships and 2 American League Pennants. The team also went to two World Series (1995 & 1997). Dick Jacobs was actively involved in Cleveland's Gateway Project which helped to build the Indians a new stadium and to bring the Cavaliers back downtown. Progressive field, formerly know as Jacobs Field or "The Jake" was also named after Jacobs. During his tenure Jacobs Field held a record of 455 consecutive sellout games. In 2001 Jacobs sold the team to Larry Dolan and family for $320 million.

Thanks for the memories Mr. Jacobs...you will be missed!