In October, the Indians picked up a $7 million option for 2012 on Fausto Carmona. But as NBCSports.com points out, Carmona’s false identity charge could allow the Indians to void his contract. But should they? Let us know in the poll below and in the comments.

Carmona was 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA in 32 starts this season. He is signed through the 2012 season with club options for 2013 and 2014.

The Indians’ first pick in this year’s draft, Drew Pomeranz, made his first start in the Arizona instructional league and worked three hitless innings, giving up two walks and striking out seven.

His fastball reached the plate at between 93 and 95 miles per hour.

Baseball America has announced its top 20 prospects in the International League, Eastern League and Carolina League.

Catcher Carlos Santana, who spent half the year at Columbus before being promoted to Cleveland, was ranked No. 1 in the IL. Carlos Carrasco, rated 20th, pitched the entire season for the Clippers before being summoned to the Tribe in September.

Akron third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall was ranked the sixth best prospect in the Eastern League, right-hander Alex White was eighth and second baseman Jason Kipnis was ninth.

Kipnis, who began the season at Kinston, was named the 10th best prospect in the Carolina League. Kinston first baseman Jordan Henry was 20th.

Steve Smith, Cleveland’s third base coach, is being inducted into the Pepperdine University Hall of Fame, having earned his stripes as the Waves’ all-West Coast Athletic Conference second baseman in 1975. He graduated from Pepperdine in 1977 with a degree in physical education and kinesiology.

Today’s game: CLEVELAND INDIANS (17-28) at NEW YORK YANKEES (28-19) at 7:05 p.m. at Yankee Stadium.

Pitching matchup: Indians RHP Fausto Carmona (4-2, 3.45 ERA) vs. Yankees RHP Phil Hughes (5-1, 2.72 ERA).

Lineups:

CLEVELAND
CF Trevor Crowe (.260)
RF Shin-Soo Choo (.302)
DH Travis Hafner (.281)
LF Austin Kerans (.299)
1B Russell Branyan (.235)
3B Jhonny Peralta (.245)
2B Luis Valbuena (.144)
C Mike Redmond (.227)
SS Jason Donald (.267)

NEW YORK
SS Derek Jeter (.283)
CF Curtis Granderson (.225)
DH Mark Teixeira (..216)
2B Robinson Cano (.342)
RF Nick Swisher (.295)
1B Juan Miranda (.194)
LF Brett Gardner (.293)
3B Ramiro Pena (.211)
C Chad Moeller (.000)

Tonight’s game: CLEVELAND (2-5) hosts TEXAS (4-3) at 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Field

Pitching matchup: Indians RHP Justin Masterson (0-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. Rangers RHP Colby Lewis (1-0, 1.29 ERA)

Lineups: CLEVELAND
SS Asdrubal Cabrera (.258)
CF Grady Sizemore (.273)
RF Shin-Soo Choo (.250)
DH Travis Hafner (.269)
3B Jhonny Peralta (.174)
1B Matt LaPorta (.273)
2B Luis Valbuena (.200)
C Lou Marson (.077)
LF Michael Brantley (.174)

TEXAS:
CF Julio Borbon (.040)
3B Michael Young (.185)
LF Josh Hamilton (.227)
DH Vladimir Guerrero (.464)
RF Nelson Cruz (.458)
1B Chris Davis (.167)
C Matt Treanor (.500)
2B Joaquin Arias (.476)
SS Elvis Andrus (.273)

NOTES: * Tribe centerfielder Grady Sizemore returns to the lineup after missing two games with mid-back soreness. “He’s ready to go, he feels good,” Manager Manny Acta said.

* At Triple-A Columbus, rehabbing designated hitter Russell Branyan is batting third.

* Tonight’s game can be heard on WMMS 100.7 FM, due to a conflict with the Cavs game.

* Earlier today, the Rangers scratched scheduled starting pitcher CJ Wilson (non-baseball medical condition), replacing him with RH Colby Lewis. Moving Lewis up a day leaves Thursday’s starter to be determined.

GOODYEAR, Ariz.: The Indians expected to announce Russell Branyan’s signing some time this afternoon, but the process was being delayed while the front office figured out a way to make room for him on the 40-man roster.

Branyan, himself, was not expected to make an appearance at training camp until at least tomorrow, the day before the first official workout.

On the field, the drill was pitchers fielding practice, the annual exercise in rehearsing the fundamentals of covering bases, throwing to the correct bases, fielding bunts and fine-tuning pickoff moves. Fans who don’t think teams practice those kinds of plays might do well to get themselves to Goodyear — and learn how boring the process can be to watch.

PFP will continue for at least a few more days. In almost no time at all, pitchers throwing batting practice will begin.

Among the pitchers engaged in throwing sessions today were Fausto Carmona, Jensen Lewis and Mike Gosling.

Fewer than 10 fans watched the proceedings. Apparently, most people in the West Valley — as these Phoenix suburbs are known — have jobs. Most visitors from Northeast Ohio probably will wait until the exhibition season begins to make the trip here. The first game is March 5.

ESPN baseball reporter Buster Olney is reporting that the Indians have reached a one-year deal with first baseman/designated hitter Russell Branyan. The deal is worth $2 million. Writes Olney:

Branyan’s deal also includes a possible $1 million in incentives for this year, and contains a $5 million mutual option for 2011.

This will be Branyan’s fourth stint with the Tribe. His career began with Cleveland, where he played from 1998 until 2002.

Cleveland traded Branyan at the beginning of the 2002 season for Ben Broussard. In 2004, the Richmond Braves, the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves traded Branyan to Cleveland where he was assigned to the minors.

The Indians traded Branyan to Milwaukee for cash considerations in July of 2004.

In 882 career games he has hit 162 home runs with a .234 batting average.

CLEVELAND: Managers are made not born, but who makes them?

In just 10 days, Eric Wedge will complete his seventh season as manager of the Indians. Even though he has a contract for 2010, Wedge might not be back. More than likely, we will learn Wedge’s fate one or two days after the schedule has been played out on Oct. 4.

Regardless of whether Wedge returns next year, he will have made an impact in Cleveland. Only four managers have guided the Tribe longer than Wedge, who is fifth in wins (557) and is one of only four Cleveland skippers to win a postseason series.

Two distinctive Wedge traits: He always is prepared, and he is consistent in the way he treats his players, whether things are going well on the field or not. Wedge’s standards seem so ingrained in his personality, one would think he grew up his goal was to be a manager.

“”I paid attention to being a catcher when I was a kid,” Wedge said Wednesday. “”I did like Sparky Anderson, because I was a fan of the Big Red Machine. Those were pretty good teams in Cincinnati.”

Wedge grew up in Indiana and longed to be in the big leagues as a player. He made it with the Red Sox, but injuries prevented him from having a lengthy career. But he stayed in the game, managing in the Indians’ farm system for five years before being elevated to the job in Cleveland.

Wedge can’t point to a particular mentor along the way.

“”I don’t think there there was one person,” he said. “”I’ve taken things from a lot of managers. I’ve done and learned things from seeing other people do them and from talking to people.

“”I will say that (Atlanta manager) Bobby Cox is a guy I have the utmost respect for. But I only know him from conversations when we’ve played each other.”

Wedge firmly believes that when a team is winning, the manager should do less. And he has always maintained — like most skippers — that the most effective leadership comes not from the manager but from the players.

“”When a team is going good, that’s when you have to try and stay out of the way,” he said. “”And more times than not, you need to have guys in the clubhouse to take care of things. Like in ’07, it was Trot Nixon or Casey Blake or C.C. (Sabathia). Guys like that.”

LAPORTA UPDATE — Matt LaPorta (inflamed left hip) took batting practice Wednesday but was held out of the lineup.

“”It’s still there,” manager Eric Wedge said of the soreness. “”He’s not going to do much besides take BP. He’s still day to day.”

The proximate cause of the injury was making a dash for the plate on Trevor Crowe’s second-inning single Tuesday night. But Wedge thinks something else might have played a part.

“”I guarantee you it’s moving from the outfield to the infield,” he said. “”You use different muscles in each position. But you can’t do anything different. There’s no transition for doing that.”

SMITH GETTING CLOSE? — Joe Smith (sprained knee) threw off a mound Tuesday and will do so again today.

“”I feel good, and I want to get back out there,” he said. “”I’d like to get in a couple of games to make sure everything is OK going into the off season.”

Wedge has expressed optimism that Smith would be back in the bullpen before the season ends. Smith is scheduled to throw either a bullpen or a simulated game Saturday. After that, it’s possible he could return to the active roster.

ICE COLD — Jhonny Peralta began Wednesday night’s game burdened with an 0-for-25 streak.

“”Even when he’s hit the ball hard, he hasn’t had a lot of luck,” Wedge said. “”Jhonny’s had an interesting year, making the transition from short to third.”

But Wedge doesn’t think switching positions in midstream has affected his hitting.

NATIONAL EXPOSURE — In addition to being aired by STO, tonight’s game between the Indians and Tigers will be televised to a national audience on the MLB Network. Victor Rojas and Mitch Williams will call the game.
]]> http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/2009/09/23/wedge-owes-it-all-to-many/feed/ 0 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/2009/09/22/growing-pains-making-winning-tougher/ http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/2009/09/22/growing-pains-making-winning-tougher/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:36:14 +0000 Sheldon Ocker http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/?p=2471

CLEVELAND: Lots of attention has been paid to the Indians’ novices lately,mostly because there are so many of them in the lineup or on the mound.

Manager Eric Wedge has cited the team’s inexpierience as a cause of several breakdowns during the Tribe’s recent skid — 17 losses in 20 games — heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Tigers.

Asked what he is hoping to see in the last 13 games of the season, Wedge said, “”I want us to play clean baseball and make better decisions on the field. We’ve made so many youthful mistakes.”

Wedge went on to address the pitching and defense.

“”I hope to see us get better on the mound with our pitchers being more aggressive. At the plate, I want us to make better outs and have better at-bats. I’ve saidc all this before, but this is where we’ve been lacking.

Unfortunately for the Indians, a winning environment has been more difficult to attain because so many young players are playing so many innings.

“”Most definitely,” Wedge said. “”If you just have a couple of newcomers and more veterans, the young guys will have more experience around them and won’t become so exposed. But with our situation, these guys are getting a crash course. But we still will be able to see where everybody is and have something work off of.”

Obviously, some of the rookies have thrived. Matt LaPorta, for example, has shown vast improvement in his second big-league stint that began Aug.19, compared to his first three weeks in the big leagues in May.

Michael Brantley has shown that he is still a rookie as a base stealer, but he has adapted quickly to major-league pitching. Both players surely will have to make adjustments next year, because rival scouts will have gotten a line on them, but so far they look like the real deal.

Asked who has made the most improvement, Wedge said, “”I’m not going to single anyone out, but I’ll tell you a pitcher who has moved up in a natural path.

“”Tony Sipp has had his ups and downs, but he has worked his way to the back of the bullpen for us. He still has a lot to learn, but he’s doing a good job.”

Sipp made his big-league debut April 22, having completed the long road back from elbow surgery in 2007. He was sent back to Columbus in mid-May and recalled June 1 but not for the last time. He was optioned to Triple-A again but returned to Cleveland for good on June 23. Since then he has posted a 3.29 earned-run average in 32 appearances (271/3 innings).

UNHAPPY SURPRISE — The American League Central Division is being panned as the worst in the majors, with the first-place Tigers only nine games over .500 going into Tuesday night’s game at Progressive Field.

Manager Eric Wedge was asked if he thought the division had underachieved?

“”I think everybody would feel that way,” he said. “”I think we all feel like we can be better, that we should have been better.

“”I don’t think anyone would have anticipated where the division is right now.”

LONG, LONG SEASON — Each member of the Tribe’s rotation will have no more than two starts before the season ends. That’s probably a good thing, because fatigue might be setting in.

“”I feel like we have two or three guys who are in uncharted territory,” said Wedge, but refused to name names.”"The physical part is one thing, but the mental gring is also real.”

SWITCHEROO — Michael Brantley moved from center to left, and Trevor Crowe, who usually is in left, moved to center Tuesday night.

“”I want those guys to get experience playing both positions,” Wedge said. “”We might keep it this way for a couple of games then switch it back.”

When Grady Sizemore returns next year, after recuperating from two operations, he will go back to his regular slot in center, and both Brantley and Crowe (if both make the team) primarily will be left fielders.

SOCIAL NOTE — Columbus manager Torey Lovullo, who was summoned to Cleveland after the Triple-A season, has left the Tribe to get married in California, his home state. Taking his place will be Akron skipper Mike Sarbaugh.
]]> http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/2009/09/22/growing-pains-making-winning-tougher/feed/ 0 http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/2009/09/16/laporta-tries-first-things-first/ http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/2009/09/16/laporta-tries-first-things-first/#comments Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:33:27 +0000 Sheldon Ocker http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/tribe_matters/?p=2447

Matt LaPorta doesn’t have an official description yet, as in Indians starting right or left fielder or regular first baseman.

Nothing wrong with that. LaPorta is a rookie with fewer than 40 big-league games on his resume. In most of those, he has played the outfield. But in two of three games against the Minnesota Twins this week, he has moved to first base.

‘‘He made a good pick (Monday night) at a big time in the game,’’ Indians manager Eric Wedge said. ‘‘I’d like to get him out there more. He’s done a lot of work at first with (coach) Luis Rivera.’’

Until two weeks ago, Wedge was saying that La Porta would tackle first base at a later date, maybe next spring. That playing two outfield positions was enough for now.

But for some reason, the timetable changed. Maybe because there is no obvious successor to Ryan Garko, who was traded to the San Francisco Giants in July.

‘‘Potentially that could be Matt’s position,’’ Wedge said. ‘‘It depends on the supporting cast. We have a lot of outfielders. First base is a place we still have to decide who’s going to be there.’’

Fans probably think of LaPorta as someone who has been an outfielder first. Not so.

‘‘At college (U of Florida) in ’07, I was the everyday first baseman,’’ LaPorta said. ‘‘I never played the outfield before I was drafted.’’

Yet in the minor leagues he has mostly played left and right, though he was aware that might change.

‘‘When I was in Milwaukee, they said I might play first, so I got a first baseman’s glove,’’ LaPorta said. ‘‘But I never played there. They said the same thing when I came here. But I didn’t play first until a couple of months ago.’’

LaPorta will gladly play either the outfield or first, whatever allows him to stay in the big leagues. But first base has its advantages.

‘‘I’m enjoying it now,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s about being comfortable there. First is more of a skill position, being in the infield. So it’s a little hard to get back to where I was a couple of years ago (in college). Plus up here, the game is as lot faster.’’

LaPorta enjoys first base for another reason: He has someone to talk to, even if they’re opposing runners.

‘‘I like that part of the game,’’ he said. ‘‘I just chat with guys, ask, ‘How you doing?’ You don’t have to know someone to ask how things are going.’’

LaPorta said he has no ulterior motive in talking to baserunners, like distracting them.

‘‘I don’t play the game like that,’’ he said.

THE FAUSTO DILEMMA

Fausto Carmona will finish out the season in the Indians’ rotation, but then what? Should he go to winter ball and pitch more innings or take a break from baseball entirely.

‘‘It’s (winter ball) is something we’re talking about,’’ Wedge said. ‘‘I don’t think we’re going to do anything in-between. It’s going to be one way or the other. It’s just been an odd year for Fausto.’’

And a miserable one in which he is burdened with a 3-11 record and 6.58 ERA.

‘‘We’re going to keep running him out there,’’ Wedge said. ‘‘We just hope he finds it, finds that zone where he can be consistent. He knows what he needs to do. It’s just about command ` pounding the bottom of the zone.’’

It’s also about Carmona’s fragile psyche and staying focused when things go wrong on the field.

‘‘I think he’s better than before,’’ Wedge said. ‘‘But that’s an issue for him.’’

ASDRUBAL ACHING

Asdrubal Cabrera fouled a ball of his knee in the ninth inning, tried to fight off the pain then went down on the turf and left the game.

He has a contusion but probably will have an X-ray before today’s game in Oakland. He is listed as day-to-day, but it would be an upset if he played tonight.

SURGERIES R’ US

Grady Sizemore underwent successful surgery Wednesday in Philadelphia to reinforce the lower left side of his abdominal wall in a 20-minute procedure that included making a small incision.

Sizemore will be begin the rehabilitation process in Cleveland and resume his normal offseason workout regimen at his Arizona home in November.

Right-hander Jason Knapp also underwent a successful procedure to remove loose bodies from his right shoulder in New York on Wednesday. He is expected to be fully recovered by spring training.

PLAYOFF UPDATE

Mahoning Valley kept its hopes for a New York-Penn League title alive with a 3-2 win over Staten Island to even the best-of-three final series at one game apiece. Marty Popham gave up two runs and four hits in five innings, and Chun-Hsiu Chen homered and singled, driving in a run. Argenis Martinez had two hits and one RBI.

CHICAGO: With all the pitching and injury problems that have plagued the Indians, Luis Valbuena has been allowed to begin his development as a major-leaguer under the radar, without the public or media paying much attention.

Even during the weekend series against the Cubs, when Valbuena hit three home runs in two games, his achievements were overshadowed by myriad disasters that cost the Tribe wins on Friday and Saturday.

Nevertheless, it has become evident that Valbuena is learning to be a big-league hitter, and never mind his .234 batting average. In the past five games, Valbuena is batting .435 (10-for-23) with seven RBI.

Even as he struggled at the plate after being called up from Columbus May 2, Valbuena displayed patience at the plate, working the count, willing to take a walk.

“When he first came up his numbers didn’t indicate that anything really good was happening,” hitting coach Derek Shelton said Sunday. “”But we as a staff were seeing that he was having good at-bats. With young kids, what we want to look at is good at-bats. You can’t always control the results.”

Valbuena is not expected to become someone who routinely hits home runs, even though manager Eric Wedge said, “”When he squares the ball up, it really jumps off his bat.”

It’s a promising sign that of Valbuena’s 25 hits, 14 have gone for extra bases, including 10 doubles.

“I think he’ll hit balls in the gaps,” Shelton said. “”He’s not necessarily going to be a home run hitter.”

What sustained Valbuena during his first few weeks of non-productivity?

“His work ethic is very good,” Shelton said. “”He and Asdrubal (Cabrera) are really close and they talk. I think it helped that Asdrubal went through some of the same things Valbuena went through.”

Valbuena tried not to think about the possibility of being sent back to Triple-A as he tried to turn himself into a major-league hitter.

“I was a little worried, not knowing exactly what to expect,” he said, through his translator, first base coach Luis Rivera. “”I told myself I had to go out and play and not worry about the results I was getting. I tried not to put any extra pressure on myself.”

After seven weeks, Valbuena has begun to adjust to life in the big leagues.

“I feel a lot better now,” he said. “”I have more confidence, and I’m getting a feel for what I’m trying to do.”

DELAYED REACTION — Ryan Garko sprained his left wrist Wednesday against the Brewers, but the injury didn’t catch up to him until Saturday against the Cubs.

“I really felt it when I swung at a high fastball in the sixth inning,” he said Sunday.

Garko was removed from the game in the eighth and did not start on Sunday. However, he said he was available to play.

“They took X-rays after Saturday’s game, just to make sure there wasn’t something cracked in there,” he said. “”The X-rays were negative.”

DEROSA RETURNS — Mark DeRosa was back in the lineup after sitting out Saturday’s game with a bruise on his upper leg.

“He came out early and was moving around OK,” manager Eric Wedge said. “”I wouldn’t say he’s 100 percent, but he can play.”

FARM FACTS — Lonnie Chisenhall doubled, singled and drove in one run, as Kinston beat Lynchburg 5-0. Ryan Blair also had two hits and an RBI, and Eric Berger (5-5, 2.11 ERA) threw seven shutout innings, giving up two hits. *elip Lurvin Basabe and Bo Greenwell each had three hits, as Mahoning Valley defeated Jamestown 12-2.