A Scout's Take On The Indians

I was at Akron last night covering them and had the chance to talk to manager Mike Sarbaugh for awhile and also the hitting coach Lee May Jr to see what guys are working on and trying to do to get things going. I'll have their comments in my Thursday farm recap as it is too long to post here right now and I have to go through the audio to recollect everything.

One player of note I talked to Sarbaugh about is Lofgren. Supposedly he is healthy and the velocity is there still, but confidence seems to have waned some. He did not directly say this, but that is what I got. Again, I will go through it again and have it all recapped in this week's Happenings on Thursday.

Also interviewed Lofgren, David Huff and Chris Gimenez. Lofgren had some interesting things to say. Arm didn't feel that great coming out of spring. Also, he was working on some new things like working on new grips with fastball and slowing down mechanics. Delivery has been tinkered some and he is still adjusting. He is still upbeat and positive about everything though....so hopefully he turns it around.

Gimenez and I talked for about 40 minutes. He went through everything he is working on in his transition to catcher. Great guy, and loves to talk. Roving minor league catching coordinator Tim Laker has been in Akron the last week working with Gimenez and he talked in great detail some of the things they are doing. I'll have something on Lofgren and Gimenez in the coming week on the site.

Travis Fryman was also there to work with Wes Hodges some. Did not get a chance to talk to Travis, but was nice to see him.

Anyway, the reason for the posting is because of some comments from some scouts I talked to last night. I actually talked to three scouts, and one in particular I spoke to for close to an hour about a ton of things in regard to the system and outside the system on scouting in general. He is heading to Lake County today for a five game set to see an entire turn through the rotation, and I'll probably be heading up there over the weekend to talk to him some more. Awesome guy and he had so much insight into the general stuff he does as well as what his org looks for in players.

Anyway, all three scouts were organizational scouts. What this means is they follow specific organizations. One of the scouts follows just the AL Central teams from the major league team down to Lake County, the other two followed five specific organizations but were not all AL Central teams. Obviously, all three have the Indians as one of their five teams and know about them a lot. All agreed that at the end of last year that the system was very deep with quality players, but nothing really of impact value at the time. Adam Miller is still viewed as an impact guy because of his two plus pitches and outstanding makeup, and the guys gushed about Nick Weglarz.

These were casual conversations and not formal interviews, so I did not take notes or record the conversations like I normally do....which sucks because they said so much and I am only recalling about 10% of it here, but will do my best below (I apologize for the randomness of the thoughts here, just jotting down notes on these guys as they come back to me):

Brandon Phillips: Saw him when he first came to the Indians in 2002 and loved the raw skills. Bluntly said he was pathetic when he came back to the minors in the second half of 2003....but showed a much better approach his next year. Still, the flash and ability they loved back when the Indians got him had waned even up until the Indians traded him. Said he was not thought of very highly by his team at that point. Lots of issues with the swing. Although was still surprised that the Indians would give up on him being he was such a young player who was still so raw. Never saw coming what Phillips has become in Cincinnati. What Phillips is doing now would not have been a surprise back in 2002 when many teams were very high on him....but it is a complete surprise given what teams saw of him in 2003-2005.

Andy Marte: According to one scout there were red flags with Marte when he hit Double-A. Too many holes with his swing. He crushes stuff out over the plate, but he can be pitched inside because his swing is too long and has that loft where he can't get around quick enough on pitches. Plus, he gets eaten up on pitches low and away....if he is struggling both away and inside, it is something that will be hard to overcome. Also, defense was an issue. While he was voted top defensive 3B in the league for a few years in a row, he just did not see it. Saw him a lot.

Beau Mills: #1 guy in system after last season. Did not really elaborate as I did not ask, and the only reason he was mentioned is because I asked who the #1 guy they had rated in the Indians system after last year.

Ben Francisco: The one scout just loves him. The team he scouts for is a perenniel playoff team, and they always say "is this guy better than what we have" and "can he help us win a championship" when they scout players from other teams. Francisco he said was a yes to both those questions. There is a ton of value with him and he agreed with me when I mentioned my frustration about the Michaels/Dellucci situation and Ben being in Buffalo. He said he is a major league talent and can flat out hit. Should be our starting LFer. He even went as far as to say when Ben and Franklin Gutierrez were in Buffalo that he always rated Ben much higher than Franklin. Feels Francisco CLEARLY has the much better bat while Gutierrez gets an edge on defense although not as much as many think. In every year the last three years Francisco has been rated higher than Gutierrez by their organization. Was ready to pounce on him in Dec 2006 Rule 5 Draft if he was not rostered.

Nick Weglarz: Flat out loves him. Couldn't say enough good things about him. The plate discipline is off the charts good. It is not just the walks, it is how smart he is as a hitter where he lays off so many borderline pitches when he is ahead in the count. Shows how mature of a hitter he is, and this shows him he is ready to be a star in the big leagues. Most players are too anxious and swing at anything close, but not Wegs. Stays within himself and to his plan. Big power. Said he would fit in perfectly with his team/organization. Someone they are very high on and considered as one of the top young hitters in the game. Just raved about his plate discipline and power combo where he projects as a well-above average OBP and SLG guy. He is going to Kinston in May and can't wait to see him this year as he is basing all this off of what he saw of him in several looks at Lake County last year. Says if he stays healthy and continues to hit well and pile up walks, he is a shoe in to be #1 this year on their Indians list.

Jordan Brown: Another guy loved by the scouts. Not nearly the impact guy the one scout feels Weglarz will be, but feel Brown will be a very good contributor. Raved about his offensive approach. Says he is major league ready right now. Said for a corner guy he does not possess the big bat you typically like, but believes his outstanding bat-to-ball ability more than makes up for it and a team will find room for him. A persistent hitter who is a tough out. Said someone will find a spot for him as he will be a .300 hitter in the bigs. Reminds him of Youkilis, but from the left-side.

Michael Aubrey: Suspect bat at the major league level. Just not the same player now as he was pre-injury and coming out of college. Injuries have eroded his skills. A good organization guy, but his days as a good major league prospect are behind him.

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Game Recaps 4/29

I was at the Akron game on Tuesday night and will have a lot of stuff to share over the next few days. Lots of stuff from manager Mike Sarbaugh and hitting coach Lee May Jr, plus interviews with players Chuck Lofgren, David Huff, and Chris Gimenez. On top of that, I also talked to three different scouts about a myriad of stuff, and one scout I talked to for close to an hour. Lots of things that I have to put pen to paper on to recall all he said as it was casual conversation and not an interview so I did not record or take notes. So, be on the lookout for all that in the coming days, and for some player feature pieces over the next week or so on the guys I talked to.

Aeros Can’t Get Over Hump in 7-4 Defeat

AKRON, OH – The Aeros erased almost all of an early four-run deficit but could never get the game back even as the Erie SeaWolves claimed a 7-4 win before 2,550 fans at Canal Park Tuesday night. The Wolves won their fourth straight game to improve to 14-10, while Akron slipped to 9-14.

Erie got out of the gate quickly, using three straight two-out doubles from Wilkin Ramirez, Max St. Pierre and Jeff Frazier to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Ramirez then doubled the advantage to 4-0 in the top of the third when he socked a two-run homer off Akron starter Ryan Edell down the left field line.

Edell did a nice job of getting out of a jam in the fourth as he left runners at second and third, and Akron climbed back into the contest in the bottom of the inning. Chris Gimenez reached on a two-out error by Danny Worth, and Ryan Goleski followed with a hard single to left. Nathan Panther then grounded an RBI single to right to score Gimenez and get Akron on the board, and Brandon Chaves beat out an infield single up the first base line to load the bases. Kody Kirkland couldn’t handle Jose Constanza’s chopper at third base as his error cut the margin to 4-2, and Josh Rodriguez then worked a walk to force in another run and make it 4-3 before Michael Aubrey grounded out to end the inning.

The SeaWolves got a two-run cushion back on Ramirez’s second home run of the night, a solo shot to left-center that chased Edell from the game. The Aeros answered back however, using two walks and a groundout to get runners to second and third with two away in the bottom of the sixth. Rodriguez got ahead in the count 3-1 and smoked a fastball back up the middle, but it ricocheted off the leg of reliever Marcelo Perez and stayed on the infield as only one run could score. Aubrey then flied out to end the inning with the tying run 90 feet away, and Akron would not get another runner into scoring position. Erie iced the game with two runs in the ninth off J.D. Martin.

Perez (1-0) got the win out of the Erie bullpen after starter Luke French reached his pitch count after just four innings. Perez allowed a run and hit in two innings. Edell (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing five runs and eight hits in 4.1 innings. He struck out five and did not allow a walk, and four of the hits he surrendered came with two strikes on the hitters. Freddy Dolsi earned his second save. Rodriguez went 1-4 and drove in two runs to lead the offense, and Panther reached base three times on a single and two walks while scoring twice.

Game two in this three-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, with Akron’s Kevin Dixon (0-3, 7.11 ERA) taking on Erie’s Andrew Kown (2-2, 6.95 ERA). It’s a Family Four Pack Day at Canal Park, with four tickets, four hot dogs, four bags of chips and four sodas for just $48. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Slips By Salem In 12 Innings

Jared Goedert hit a two-out RBI single in the top of the 12th inning, scoring Jerad Head a sending Kinston to a 6-5 victory over Salem. It is the first time this season Kinston has won back to back games. With the victory, Kinston also secures their second series win of the season.

It didn’t start out so well as Kinston trailed 5-0 after Salem scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The K-Tribe battled back with an RBI double by Cirilo Cumberbatch in the second inning. Kinston would cut Salem’s lead to two in the fourth inning after Nick Weglarz scored on a wild pitch and Todd Martin drove Carlos Rivero home on an RBI double. Kinston tied the score in the seventh inning on a two-RBI double by Head. Head drew a lead off walk in the top of the twelfth inning, advancing to second on a wild pitch and going to third on a ground out. Goedert drove him home with a solid single to center.

Kinston’s bullpen did an outstanding job of keeping Salem’s bats at bay. Neil Wagner, Josh Tomlin, Luis Perdomo and Jim Deters combined for nine innings of shut-out work. The quartet of relievers held Salem to six total hits over the last nine innings. Starter Carlton Smith recovered nicely from the first inning, at one time retiring 13 straight Salem batters.

The K-Tribe will go for the sweep of Salem Wednesday night at 7:07 pm in Virginia. Jeanmar Gomez takes the mound for the K-Tribe.

CAPTAINS BEAT GRASSHOPPERS 7-4

(Eastlake, OH) – Ryan Morris went to 4-0 and Vinnie Pestano notched his seventh save in seven chances as the Lake County Captains defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 7-4 on Tuesday at Classic Park. The Captains offense was lead by Roman Pena who had three hits two RBI’s and scored two runs as well as hitting his first home run of the year.

The Captains jumped on the board in the first inning. With two outs, Pena singled and went to third on Jeff Hehr’s double. Pena scored on a passed ball with Hehr taking third. Matt Brown knocked in Hehr and the Captains led 2-0. The Grasshoppers got an unearned run in the second. With two outs Bryan Peterson reached on an error by Captains second baseman Karexon Sanchez. He would score when Torre Langley doubled to the wall in right center field.

The Captains added a run in the third inning on Roman Pena’s first home run of the season to make it 3-1. The Grasshoppers tied it up 3-3 in the fourth inning on a two run home run from
Mike Stanton. The Captains regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth when they scored four runs on four consecutive RBI’s. It was an RBI groundout by Mark Thompson, RBI single by Adam White, RBI triple by Karexon Sanchez and a RBI single by Pena. Sanchez extended his hit streak to ten games with the triple.

Game two of the series is Wednesday with Game time at 12:05 PM. The Captains send RHP Chris Archer to the mound (1-2, 2.60) against the Grasshoppers RHP Brett Durand (2-0, 5.14).

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Brown Remains Steadfast Even After Personal Loss

Lake County outfielder Matt Brown is as tough as they come. He is a hardworking player who plays with the pedal to the metal by coming to the ballpark every day and giving it his all. His inspiration comes from his own competitive spirit, but also from a personal tragedy he recently went through which has helped him channel and improve his focus.

Three years ago when Brown was a freshman in college at Wichita State, he lost his father Jim Brown to colon cancer. The loss was hard to take for the younger Brown. When he was a little boy his father was his T-ball coach, and as Brown grew up his father was always there for him in life and in baseball. It was a rough time for Brown, but he was lucky to be surrounded with a great support system and a lot of family and friends who helped him through it all.

"That is pretty much why I do this, for them," said Brown. "Me being a Christian, I also play the game for that reason to just to try and be a good steward and maybe touch people along the way as I go down my road to hopefully success or whatnot."

Colon cancer is preventable and curable if detected early enough. Brown was a senior in high school when his father's colon cancer was detected, but the diagnosis was too late and he was only given a year to live. Jim Brown always had a dream to see his son play college baseball, and his drive to see his son play his first game in college along with his faith helped him live three months longer than he was given in the original diagnosis. After Brown's father was able to see his son play, he passed away a short time later.

"He ended up making it to my first college game," recalled Brown. "I ended up getting a start as a freshman going to a big D-1 school at Wichita State. He ended up getting to watch me play one game in college and then he ended up passing about three weeks later. He got to see me play one game so that is definitely a blessing. I wake up every morning and make him proud and go out there and have fun."

Having fun is certainly something Brown loves to do on the baseball field. With his father with him everyday in spirit, Brown comes to the park with a good focus but also the ability to have fun. It is a balance to his game that was preached to him by his father as a kid and something Brown still abides by today.

These days things are a lot of fun as Brown is off to a sizzling start at Single-A Lake County. This is Brown's first full season in the Indians organization, and with just two games left in April, Brown is finishing off a very good month of April by hitting .345 with 2 HR, 20 RBI, and an .877 OPS in 22 games. The left-handed hitting Brown is pumped by his hot start, which he credits mostly to his hard work in developing a good routine and being better prepared.

"I'm stoked," said Brown about the start to his season. "I have just been trying to get a plan and preparation together and it has been going real well. That's the key in trying to be able to control your mind and be able to do those things every single day because you can have a bad couple games and all of a sudden you want to start switching things around. But that's not the way to do it. Stick to a plan, stay within your zone, and see ball-hit ball."

Brown was drafted in the 13^th round of the 2007 Draft out of Wichita State, and after signing quickly he was assigned to short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley last year where he began his professional career by hitting .250 with 0 HR, 31 RBI, 6 stolen bases and a .665 OPS in 63 games. His time in Mahoning Valley was a learning experience as he made the adjustment from college ball to the professional ranks.

"Last year was my first season in pro ball, and I had to make the adjustment from metal bats to wood bats," recalled Brown. "We did a lot of changes to my swing, my stance, my preparation, and my plan those three months [in Mahoning Valley]. Every couple of weeks we were trying to find something that would fit to my strengths. In the offseason and in spring training we worked on it a lot, and now I think we have a good plan. That's the key, to be able to find a routine that you can do every day so that you can go out to the ballpark and perform."

Brown's new plan has been the catalyst to his hot start. His revised plan is more just him simplifying his approach, looking for a good pitch to hit, and staying within the strike zone with his swing. The adjustments he has made have helped his approach and overall plate discipline as he is only striking out once every eight at bats so far this season, whereas last year he was striking out about once every five at bats. Also, his long, maximum-effort swing was shortened which has helped him create a more consistent bat path to square up the ball and make good contact more often.

"In college they usually stay away from you and usually don't come in on you, so I was pretty much stuck on the outside half of the plate" said Brown. "I was not really worried about covering the inside pitch and things like that, I was more worried about adjusting to curveballs and changeups. When you get to pro ball, people are throwing 94-95 and you can't adjust to those pitches. I think that is basically what they did to me. They have a good plan that I can go out and do everyday. They got me real short as I am not too big now and trying to do too much with the bat head. I basically have a plan where I am looking up the middle so I can cover a little bit of outside and a little bit of inside. I'm not trying to cover black on black, as I am trying to stay away from those pitches. I'm just trying to see the ball and put some good wood on it."

Going into a season, every player is working on improving their game. Brown has excellent makeup, and his focus is a rarity for a player at this stage of their development cycle. Because of this, he has a head start over most of the players his age or at his level because of the routine he has developed. He is mentally prepared for the ups and downs of the game as well as with what he needs to do to improve as a player.

In addition to applying his new plan at the plate, one of Brown's other big goals for this season is to focus on learning to handle the rigors of his first full season and playing 140 games. The daily grind of playing that many games can take a toll mentally on a player, especially those experiencing a full season for the first time.

"You have to come into spring training prepared mentally and physically to be able to handle 140 games," said Brown. "I harp on the mental side of the game because it is pretty much 90% mental. You can have all the talent in the world, but when it comes to that stretch of games where you are hitting .230 and you are failing seven or eight times at the plate, that's tough on your mind. You have to be able to be strong enough to go out there and have a good focus every single game and not get down on yourself and stay even keel."

Indians fans are well aware of the "even keel" approach, as this is something that the Indians organization preaches, specifically manager Eric Wedge. The idea is that a player can't get too high when things are going well, nor can they allow themselves to get too low when things are going bad. Players need to control their emotions and not let them be affected by them, good or bad. By doing this, it will help a player stay more relaxed and focused.

Brown is often ribbed by his teammates because he acts like a clown and is always happy everyday he comes to the field. But this is just Brown trying to keep his mind clear and prepared for another game.

"Absolutely," said Brown. "Going back to the mental side of the game if you are down and dragging that just puts a bad mood on your whole game. My dad just always taught me to just go out there and have fun and enjoy it and once that time comes where I don't enjoy it I need to find a new profession. Hopefully that doesn't come too soon and I spend a lot of years playing this game because I love it so much."

Brown's wide base of tools make him an intriguing prospect. He has good bat speed, raw power, good arm strength, is an average runner and his defense is a major strength for him. He is also versatile where he can play any of the three outfield positions, but right now the organization is focused on developing him as a right fielder. With his very good arm and raw ability with the bat, Brown could develop into a very good right fielder down the road.

"In college I played a little bit of center, but I have mostly played right because of my arm," said Brown. "I have been blessed with a pretty good arm, so I think that is mostly the reason why I am in right field. Definitely at this level you have to be able to play all the positions, which is why you come to the field everyday and just do the little things right and work on things."

Lake County manager Aaron Holbert agrees, and plans to continue Brown's development in right field.

"We are looking for him to primarily play right field this year," said Holbert. "He plays some left. I am not sure about center field as we have not tried him there. As an organization we'd like to see him play some right field so we are going to try and focus our attention just leaving him out there and seeing how he fares."

Aside from a minor setback in spring training where he missed some time with a groin issue, Brown has fared well so far this season. His early assault on pitchers in the South Atlantic League is a testament to his hard work, discipline, and drive to succeed.

And also him playing the game of baseball the way his father taught him to.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

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Game Recaps 4/28

Lake County and Akron were off on Monday, but Kinston and Buffalo were in action.

Buffalo won 5-2, and were led by Adam Miller's four shutout innings where he allowed four hits and two walks while striking out four. Miller was not sharp as he needed 88 pitches to get through four innings, and because he was up to his 85 pitch count he was not brought back out for the 5th inning. OF Ben Francisco paced the offense going 3-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and OF Jason Cooper chipped in going 3-for-4 with 2 doubles.

Kinston finally broke out offensively, winning 10-5. First baseman Beau Mills had a huge game, going 3-for-5 with 2 HR and 6 RBI, with the big blow being a 2nd inning grand slam home run. Utility man Jerad Head was 2-for-4 with a HR and 2 RBI, and OF Nick Weglarz was 2-for-5 with a 2B and RBI. Right-hander Hector Rondon struggled in his start, going only 3.2 innings and allowing four runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out two. Reliever Erik Stiller continues to be reliable and very effective out of the bullpen as he went two shutout innings and allowed only one hit and no walks while striking out two.

Two Kinston notes:

- Second baseman Adam Davis was replaced in the first inning after he came up lame running to second base. No word on his status, but a roster move could be forthcoming.

- Right-hander Joanniel Montero has joined the Kinston bullpen, and while the name of who he replaced his not been officially released, it most likely will be lefty Dan Cevette. Cevette is sidelined with yet another shoulder issue, although it is not known if it is his labrum again or his rotator cuff. Either way, it looks like Cevette's season may be done and that his career is at a crossroads.

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Game Recaps 4/27

An update on Chris Archer....he is not hurt and will make his next scheduled start which I think is on Wednesday. The move to put him on the disabled list was more a paper move and another move should be coming for Lake County soon once Archer's turn in the rotation comes up again. No word on why the move was made to get an extra pitcher (John Gaub) up to Lake County, but it should be cleared up soon.

Aeros Hold Off Senators 4-2, Split Series

AKRON, OH – Frank Herrmann tossed six strong innings and the Aeros got contributions from every hitter in the lineup in a 4-2 win over Harrisburg before 3,736 fans at Canal Park Sunday. Akron (9-13) rebounded to win the final two games and split the four-game series with the first-place Senators (14-9).

The Aeros never trailed in the game, opening the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. Josh Rodriguez laced a one-out single to right, and then raced all the way to third after the ball skipped past Justin Maxwell. Michael Aubrey then came through with a soft liner past the drawn-in infielders and back up the middle to make it 1-0. Rodriguez pushed the lead to 2-0 with a two-out RBI double in the third, and the Aeros tacked on two more runs in the fourth.

Matt Whitney led things off with a double and went to third on a single by Wes Hodges, and a hit-and-run base hit by Chris Gimenez scored Whitney and put runners back on the corners. Ryan Goleski followed with a pop-up to shallow center, and Senators shortstop Ian Desmond made an impressive over-the-shoulder catch for the first out. As Desmond turned back to the infield however, he noticed Gimenez was a long way from first base and tried to double him off. The throw was too high for a leaping Andrew LeFave though, and as it rolled down the first base line Hodges alertly ran home with an insurance run.

Harrisburg got on the board with a solo home run from Mike Daniel in the fifth, and a throwing error by Hodges allowed another run to score in the eighth for the final margin.

Herrmann (3-1) was impressive with his second straight quality start, holding the Senators to one run and scattering eight hits in six innings. He issued two walks and struck out four, and made big pitches at the right time in stranding seven runners (including four in scoring position in the first four innings). Josh Hall (1-3) suffered the loss for Harrisburg, allowing all four runs (two earned) on seven hits in five innings. Sung-Wei Tseng and Shawn Nottingham combined for six outs in relief, and Randy Newsom, pitching for the third straight day, notched his fourth save of the season with a perfect ninth. Rodriguez and Hodges both had two hits at the plate, and every hitter in the lineup reached base at least once.

The Aeros get their first schedule off-day Monday before getting back to work with the opener of a three-game series Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Erie SeaWolves. Lefty Ryan Edell (1-0, 2.22 ERA) will go for Akron against Erie southpaw Luke French (1-2, 5.79 ERA). It will also be a two-for-one Tuesday at Canal Park, with two-for-one deals on tickets and select concessions. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Comeback Comes Up Short

Kinston scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it wasn’t enough as Lynchburg slipped by the K-Tribe 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Grainger Stadium. Lynchburg jumped out to an early lead when Jim Negrych hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning. Lynchburg increased their lead with another solo home run, this time by Eddie Prasch, in the top of the seventh inning. Lynchburg scored the eventual winning run later in the seventh, when Angel Gonzalez walked with the bases loaded. Kinston got on the board in the bottom of the eighth scoring two runs on RBI’s by Jared Goedert and Cirilo Cumberbatch.

Kinston starter Steven Wright (0-2) took the tough luck loss for Kinston, giving up just three hits (two infield singles) and one earned run in six innings. Wright struck out seven while not walking a batter Heath Taylor gave up three hits and two earned runs in two innings of work from the bullpen. Josh Tomlin pitched a perfect ninth inning to finish the game for Kinston. Lynchburg starter Michael Crotta (3-2) picked up the win for the Hillcats. Matt McSwain notched his first save.

Kinston completes went 4-7 on the 11 game homestand. The K-Tribe takes off Monday on a nine game roadtrip, before returning to Grainger Stadium on May 8th. Kinston starts the trip with a 7:07pm first pitch Monday night in Salem, Virginia. Hector Rondon will take the mound for Kinston.

INTIMIDATORS SHUT OUT CAPTAINS 2-0

(Kannapolis, NC) – Kannapolis pitching held the Captains to just five hits in shutting out the Captains 2-0 on Sunday. This was the conclusion of the game suspended due to weather on Saturday night. The scheduled game was never played as the rain came again and made the field unplayable.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning. John Gaub replaced Captains starter Kelvin De la Cruz at the restart of the game. De La Cruz went 4.2 scoreless innings giving up only two hits and striking out four. Gaub would walk Jose Martinez and then Logan Johnson followed with a two run home run and the Intimidators led 2-0. This was Johnson’s second home run of the series. Gaub would suffer the loss in his first Captains appearance. Levi Maxwell got the win in relief of Anthony Carter. Carter went five scoreless innings prior to the game being suspended. Henry Mabee pitched the final two innings to get his fourth save.

The Captains return home on Tuesday for an eight game home stand with four games each against Greensboro and Kannapolis. Tuesday’s game begins at 7:05 pm with the Captains sending LHP Ryan Morris on the mound (3-0, 1.23).

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Game Recaps 4/26

One note.....Lake County put RHP Chris Archer on the disabled list (injury unknown at this time) and LHP John Gaub was activated from extended spring training.

Whitney’s Walk-off Boosts Aeros

AKRON, OH – Matt Whitney sliced a walk-off double down the right field line in the bottom of the 10th to give the Aeros a 2-1 comeback win over Harrisburg in front of 3,449 fans at Canal Park Saturday. Akron snapped a two-game losing skid and improved to 8-13, while Harrisburg dropped to 14-8.

The Senators got on the board first with a run in the fourth. With one out, Justin Maxwell worked a walk from Aeros starter David Huff, and Luis Jimenez followed with a tapper that maybe traveled 30 feet down the third base line. Huff fielded the ball cleanly, but his throw skipped past Michael Aubrey at first base and down the right field line as Maxwell scored to make it 1-0.

The Aeros offense had one hit in each of the first six innings of the game, but could not scratch out a run. That changed in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the seventh however, as Brandon Chaves clubbed a 2-2 pitch off Senators reliever Josh Perrault and into the first row of bleachers in right field to knot the score at 1-1. The home run was Chaves’ first since 2006 when he was with Altoona in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Akron’s winning rally started innocently in the bottom of the 10th, as with two away Aubrey hit a grounder back up the middle. Harrisburg reliever (and former Aero) Jim Ed Warden got his glove on it but couldn’t corral it as it died in the grass behind the mound and Aubrey reached on an infield single. Whitney then provided the winner, going the opposite way on a two-seamer from Warden. Jorge Padilla played the carom well in the right field corner and William Bergolla made a pinpoint relay throw home, but Aubrey slid in just ahead of the tag from Luke Montz to cap the rally.

Randy Newsom (1-0) worked a scoreless inning for the win, while Warden (2-1) was charged with the loss. Huff looked strong in five innings of work, allowing just two hits and an unearned run. He struck out five and walked three. Newsom combined with T.J. Burton and Jeff Stevens on five shutout innings, as the relief trio allowed only two hits and three walks while notching five strikeouts. Harrisburg starter Sharion Martis, working from the stretch for most of the day, tossed six scoreless innings, allowing six hits and striking out two in the no-decision.

The Aeros continue their homestand Sunday at 2:05 p.m. against the first-place Senators. Frank Herrmann (2-1, 4.37 ERA) will go for Akron against Harrisburg’s Josh Hall (1-2, 9.17 ERA). It is Family Fun Day at Canal Park with four tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks and four bags of chips for just $48, and kids can also run the bases following the game. The game broadcast begins at 1:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

K-Tribe Gets By Hillcats 6-5

The K-Tribe scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to come back and beat Lynchburg 6-5 Saturday night at Grainger Stadium. Kinston went into the eighth inning down 5-4 before Beau Mills led off the inning with a walk. After a Jared Goedert ground out and a Nick Weglarz pop out, Mills was at third base with two outs in the inning. After a Carlos Rivero walk, Todd Martin drove in Mills to tie the score at five. With runners on first and second, a Jason Denham grounder to Lynchburg’s shortstop Greg Picart was booted, loading the bases for Alex Castillo. Castillo struck out swinging, but the third strike got away from the catcher and Rivero scored from third, giving Kinston a 6-5 lead. Nick Weglarz had a big night for the K-Tribe, hitting a two-run home run for Kinston in the bottom of the sixth inning. Weglarz finished 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBI’s.

Kinston’s Jim Deters (1-0) got the win, Luis Perdomo picked up his third save of the year. The two pitchers combined for two plus scoreless innings from the bullpen. K-Tribe starter Paolo Espino had a solid start, giving up just five hits and one earned run in a season high six innings. Jeff Sues (1-1) was saddled with the loss for Lynchburg.

The K-Tribe returns to Grainger Stadium Sunday at 2pm for the final game of the series and last game of the 11 game home stand. Steven Wright (0-1, 2.81) takes the hill for Kinston. Sunday’s are family fun days at Grainger Stadium, with autographs before the game and kids running the bases after the game.

CAPTAINS GAME SUSPENDED ON SATURDAY

(Hagerstown, MD) – The Lake County Captains game Kannapolis against the Intimidators has been suspended due to inclement weather. Rain and lightning arrived in bottom of the fifth causing play to be halted. The game will be resumed prior to the regularly scheduled game on Sunday. The game will start at 4:00PM. In the scheduled game LHP Ryan Morris (3-0, 1.23) gets the start for the Captains against the Intimidators RHP Johnnie Lowe (1-3, 6.75). The game can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

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Archer Is Young And In Charge

The Lake County Captains pitching staff is loaded with many promising pitching prospects from the front of the rotation to the back of the bullpen. It has been the strength of the team and been the catalyst to their 15-7 fast start putting them in first place of the South Atlantic League's Northern Division.

One of the key components to that hot start has been right-handed starter Chris Archer. At age 19, Archer is the youngest player on the team, and is one of the youngest players in the league period. So far, his youthfulness and inexperience has yet to be a roadblock for him. In four starts this season for Single-A Lake County, Archer is 1-2 with a 2.60 ERA and in 17.1 innings has allowed only five hits but walked 18 while striking out 13.

Archer has a live arm with a fastball that consistently sits around 90-92, although according to Archer he has topped out as high as 95 MPH. He is still very young, so as Archer matures his velocity is expected to increase. He compliments his fastball with a sharp slider that has good bite, and it sits around 80 MPH and has the makings of being a plus pitch. Some scouts felt his power breaking ball was the best of any high school pitcher in the draft. He also throws a changeup that he is still working on refining. At 6'3" and 180 pounds and still growing, Archer has a projectable body to handle the rigors of being a starting pitcher.

Archer's best pitch is his slider, although these days he has more confidence in his fastball. He is getting a lot of groundballs with the slider, but he is getting a lot more strikeouts than he used to with his fastball. His fastball does not sink, but he does a good job of getting his fastball on a downward plane and his command and location of the pitch continues to improve.
Archer was a 5^th round pick in the 2006 Draft out of high school (NC). As a high school draft pick, Archer had the option of agreeing to terms with the Indians and getting a head start on his professional baseball career, or going on to college where he had already accepted to play baseball at the University of Miami, FL. Archer choose to get his baseball career started right away with the long bus rides, bad food, and cramped living conditions as a minor leaguer, rather than the fun of college life as a student athlete.

"When I got drafted, I said I would rather develop in the minor leagues than in college because you never know what will happen," said Archer in an interview last weekend.

Archer's assignment to Lake County to start the season was sort of a surprise. Not only is he very young, but he had not been overly impressive his first two seasons in the system coming into this year. In 2006, Archer signed quickly after the draft and went right to work at rookie-level Burlington and the Gulf Coast League (GCL). In eight combined appearances there, Archer went on to go 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA and in 21 innings allowed 17 hits, 17 walks, and struck out 21. He followed that up last year by going back to the GCL and making one spot start in Lake County, and in 12 combined appearances was 1-7 with a 6.35 ERA and in 56.2 innings allowed 61 hits, 24 walks, and struck out 53.

So, with a career record of 1-10 with a 6.37 ERA in two minor league seasons and just turning 19, it was one of the bigger surprises to see Archer as part of the Lake County opening day roster this year. However, it is not always about the statistics, and the fact that Archer was placed on a full-season roster at his age shows how highly the Indians organization thinks of him and the confidence they have in his abilities. Archer's exceptional athleticism, attitude and confidence also likely played into the decision, and it is sort of a reward for how hard he has worked over the last two years.

"Right now I am 19 and most 19 year olds are freshmen in college," said Archer. "I graduated young at 17. I was drafted in 2006, but really I am the same age as the 2007 Draft. Most of those guys from the 2007 Draft are still in extended, and unless you are a top notch first round guy you are not going to go to A-ball right out of the draft at 19. So, I am 19 now and in A-ball."

One of the things that has helped Archer in the early stages of his career is how quickly he has adapted to the professional game. In extended spring training last year, Archer took instruction well and while the changes the Indians made to his mechanics did not bear fruit immediately, it carried over to this spring where he had a great camp.

"Extended is tough mentally because you feel like you can play at the next level but really physically you are not ready," said Archer. "I have changed so much from when I was 17 and I thought I was ready when really I was not. Extended is a good time to work on your mechanics because it is real relaxed so there is no pressure and you just do what you need to work on and get out of there. If you go into it with a good attitude, you can get really good results out of it."

The results have shown so far with Archer's early season success. He has been effectively wild holding opposing hitters to a .091 batting average and has yet to allow a home run, but the 18 walks in 17.1 innings pitched (9.35 BB/9) is a concern.

"I really have been putting myself in some bad situations, but being able to pitch out of them is what has helped me a lot," said Archer. "I have always struggled a little bit with the walks. Just some mechanical flaws I have been working on. I have just been getting better and better. Sometimes I will be really good, but other times I will let the game speed up on me and get ahead of myself and forget what I am working on. It is a work in progress."

Anytime a pitcher is walking more than a batter an inning they are going to get themselves into trouble. It is a recipe for disaster, and eventually it will catch up with them. The wildness is nothing new with Archer as going into the draft his command was a concern for teams, and it is something that he will need to continue to work on. Improving his command is the main focus for him at the moment, and Archer knows what he has to do. At this point it is all about applying what he has been taught by the Indians the last few years.

"It is just little things like getting the ball out my glove quicker," said Archer about improving his command. "Mostly just focal point and not trying to overthrow the ball because when you overthrow it you are going to leave it way up. I also need to repeat the same delivery I use for my fastball. Whenever I want to throw my breaking ball I need to start at the hitter and not the mitt. Just little things like that."

Archer loves baseball, and whether or not he succeeds it will not be for a lack of effort or hard work. He is committed to doing what he needs to do to improve and take that next step as a prospect to possibly reach the majors someday.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

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Game Recaps 4/25

Boy, Kinston, Akron and Buffalo (L 2-1) continue to scuffle while Lake County continues to roll. These guys definitely can't wait for the calendar to flip to a new month.

Real quick, some news out of Kinston. It looks like lefty Dan Cevette may be injurred again. He complained of some pain his last time out, and tonight he had nothing as he was a good 6-8 MPH off his normal fastball range of 90-92 and throwing 83-85. Considering he has had arm problems the past few years, Cevette could now be at a crossroads in his career.

Also, lefty Matt Meyer is ready to start throwing again, and likely will be activated off the disabled list soon.

Senators Double-Up Aeros, 14-7

AKRON, OH – A night after scoring 13 runs on 13 hits, the Harrisburg Senators one-upped their production with 14 runs on 14 hits in a 14-7 win over the Aeros before 4,930 fans at Canal Park Friday night. The first-place Senators, who have scored at least eight runs in all five games against Akron this year, improved to 14-7 while the Aeros dropped to 7-13.

Unlike Thursday night, the Aeros were able to strike first Friday as Nathan Panther’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second made it 1-0. Harrisburg tied it on Ian Desmond’s solo home run in the top of the third, but Akron manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning as Jose Constanza walked, stole second, went to third on a grounder and scored on a broken-bat single by Michael Aubrey.

Things turned quickly in the top of the fourth however, as Akron starter Chuck Lofgren issued consecutive two-out walks after retiring the first two batters on just two pitches. Harrisburg catcher Luke Montz then made Lofgren pay for extending the inning, socking a three-run homer to left-center to make it 4-2. The Aeros pulled back within a run on a solo home run by Ryan Goleski in the bottom of the fourth, but the Senators added three more runs in the top of the fifth. William Bergolla and Justin Maxwell had RBI hits to make it 6-3, and then with men on the corners and two away Akron reliever J.D. Martin was called for a balk to force in a run. Aeros manager Mike Sarbaugh raced out of the dugout and argued the call, and was eventually asked to leave for the second straight game.

Chris Gimenez cut the margin to 7-4 with a run-scoring flare down the right field line in the fifth, but Desmond responded with his second home run of the night in the sixth, a two-run shot that pushed the Harrisburg lead to 9-4. After Jose Constanza bunted home a run in the bottom of the inning, Montz hit his second three-run homer as part of a four-run seventh to make it 13-5. The Senators added another run in the eighth before Akron capped the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Bobby Brownlie (3-0) held his former club to four runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings for the victory, while Lofgren (0-2) suffered the loss. Lofgren actually retired the first eight batters he faced and looked very strong, but his final line featured seven runs in just 4.2 innings. He allowed only three hits but was done in by four walks, and all four of those runners came home to score. The Aeros did enjoy another solid night at the plate as a team, with Goleski going 3-4 with two RBI and Constanza, Gimenez, Matt Whitney and Nathan Panther all picking up two hits each.

Game three in this four-game series is set fro 2:05 p.m. Saturday, as Akron left-hander David Huff (0-1, 3.54 ERA) will battle Harrisburg’s Shairon Martis (1-0, 3.54 ERA). The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at http://www.akronaeros.com/.

Lynchburg Shutout Kinston 5-0

Lynchburg busted open a close game with four runs in the top of the eighth inning, going on to beat Kinston 5-0 Friday night at Grainger Stadium. Lynchburg took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Kent Sakamoto. The score stayed 1-0 until Lynchburg broke it open in the eighth inning. Three singles, two walks and a passed ball were to blame for the big inning. The K-Tribe had their chances early in the game, stranding five runners through the first three innings. Kinston out hit the Hillcats eight to six.

Jeanmar Gomez (0-3) was saddled with the tough luck loss for the K-Tribe. Gomez pitched great, giving up just three hits and one earned run through five innings. Erik Stiller gave up two earned runs in two plus innings of relief. Dan Cevette gave up his first runs of the season in the four run eighth. Josh Tomlin finished the game for Kinston, not giving up a hit in the top of the ninth. Tony Watson (1-3) picked up the win for Lynchburg. Adam Simon got the save.

Kinston takes on Lynchburg for game three of the four game series Saturday night at Grainger Stadium. Free autograph books will be given out to the first one thousand fans at the Saturday night game, first pitch 7pm. Paolo Espino will take the mound for Kinston.

CAPTAINS WIN 7-5

(Kannapolis, NC) – Santo Frias picked up his first win of the season going a Captains season high seven innings as the Captains defeated the Kannapolis Intimidators 7-5 on Friday. Karexon Sanchez led the Captains offense with three RBI’s including his second homerun of the year. The Captains remain in first place with the win.

The Captains scored first in the third inning off Intimidators starter Jason Rice when Adam White walked and went to third on a single by Lucas Montero and scored on a sacrifice fly by Sanchez. The Intimidators took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning on RBI’s by Jose Martinez and Jim Gallagher. The Captains recaptured the lead in the fifth inning on Sanchez’s second home run of the year, a two run shot making it 3-2. The Intimidators tied it up in the sixth on an RBI double from Christian Marrero.

The Captains regained the lead in the seventh. After Mark Thompson walked, he would score when Adam White’s sacrifice bunt was fielded by Intimidators pitcher Steve Spurgeon and he over threw first base and Thompson came all the way around to score and the Captains lead 4-3. White would be sacrificed over to second and three batters later Matt Brown drove him home with a double to up the lead to 5-4. The Intimidators scored a run off Frias in the seventh on Logan Johnson’s second homerun of the year and the lead was cut to 5-4.

The Captain’s added two insurance runs in the ninth inning on RBI’s by Roman Pena and Chris Nash to push the lead out to 7-4. The Intimidators made it interesting in the ninth inning scoring one unearned run and leaving the bases loaded against closer Vinnie Pestano. Pestano racked up his sixth save.

The Captains play game three of the four game series on Saturday with game time at 7:05 PM. LHP Kelvin De La Cruz (1-1, 2.75) gets the start for the Captains against the Intimidators RHP Anthony Carter (3-0, 1.96). The game can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

The Captains return home on Tuesday April 29 for an eight game home stand with four games each against Greensboro and Kannapolis. The News-Herald High School Home Run Derby debuts after the game on the 29th. The contest goes on after every Tuesday home Captains game with the finals following the game on July 8th. Tickets for all Captains home games are on sale at the Classic Park box office, by phone at 440-954-WINS (9467) or at captainsbaseball.com.

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Game Recaps 4/24

Some quick notes before the recaps:

- Aaron Laffey pitched only 3 innings and threw 50 pitches for Buffalo on Thursday night, which all but means he is getting the spot start in Cleveland on Monday against the Yankees.

- Outfielder Trevor Crowe is off to extended spring training for his ailing back (disc issue). He is going to be out for awhile. Unfortunate.

- The Indians re-signed lefty Jason Stanford. He'll be the starter in Friday nights game for Buffalo.

- Right-hander Sean Smith was traded to the Colorado Rockies as the player to be named later in the Jamey Carroll trade.

Senators Score Early, Often in 13-6 Win

AKRON, OH – Harrisburg struck for eight runs in the first three innings and the Aeros offense couldn’t keep up in a 13-6 defeat before 1,660 fans at Canal Park Thursday night. The first-place Senators improved to 13-7 while Akron dropped to 7-12.

Harrisburg opened the game with four runs in the top of the first, but the Aeros were able to answer the opening salvo. Michael Aubrey slammed a two-out double off the wall in right-center in the bottom of the first, and Matt Whitney then roped an RBI single down the left field line to score Aubrey and make it 4-1. Akron then tied the game in the bottom of the second, as Chris de la Cruz drew a leadoff walk and scored on Jose Constanza’s RBI triple. Josh Rodriguez brought the Aeros to within a run with an RBI single, and Wes Hodges then evened the game at 4-4 with a two-out RBI single of his own.

The Senators wasted little time in reclaiming the lead however, striking for four more runs in the top of the third on a two-run double by Luke Montz and a two-run single from William Bergolla. Akron got a run back on Constanza’s two-out RBI single in the fifth, but Andrew LeFave put the game out of reach with a three-run homer of reliever Sung-Wei Tseng in the top of the sixth to make it 11-5. Chris Gimenez scored on a wild pitch in the seventh before Harrisburg plated two more runs in the top of the eighth to account for the final margin.

Mike Hinckley (2-0) got the win in relief for Harrisburg, allowing a run on four hits in three innings. Aeros starter Kevin Dixon (0-3) was roughed up for eight runs (seven earned) and seven hits in just 2.1 innings to suffer the loss, although lefty Shawn Nottingham impressed with three shutout innings as the first man out of the bullpen. Rodriguez and Constanza led the way offensively with three hits each, while Aubrey and Gimenez both had a pair of hits.

Game two in this four-game series is set for 7:05 p.m. Friday, with Akron’s Chuck Lofgren (0-1, 6.92 ERA) taking on former Aero Bobby Brownlie (2-0, 2.25 ERA). As with every Friday home game, fans will be treated to a spectacular fireworks show following the game. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at http://www.akronaeros.com/.

Lynchburg Beats Kinston 7-5

The Lynchburg Hillcats got a big home run late in the game, handing Kinston a 7-5 loss Thursday night at Grainger Stadium. Kinston trailed 4-0 before exploding with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Kinston started the scoring when an error by Lynchburg allowed Cirilo Cumberbatch and Brian Juhl to score. Back to back RBI hits by Beau Mills and Jared Goedert tied the score at four. Lynchburg broke the tie in the top of the seventh inning, when catcher Chris Jones hit a two run home run off of Kinston reliever Heath Taylor. Kinston scored a run on another RBI hit by Goedert in the seventh, but could not get any closer. Goedert went 3-for-5 with two RBI for Kinston.

Taylor (1-2) picked up the loss for Kinston. Carlton Smith gave up four earned runs in five plus innings for Kinston. Smith did not give up a hit through his first four innings of work. Jim Deters finished the game for Kinston, giving up two hits and no earned runs. Jacob Cuffman (1-0) got the win for Lynchburg. Kyle Pearson picked up the save.

Kinston returns to Grainger Stadium Friday night for game two of the four game series. Jeanmar Gomez will take the mound for the K-Tribe at 7pm.

CAPTAINS TAKE GAME ONE IN KANNAPOLIS 4-2

(Kannapolis, NC) – Ryan Miller picked up his fourth win of the season, Chris Nash bombed his first home run, and Matt Brown had two RBI’s as the Captains defeated the Kannapolis Intimidators 4-2 on Thursday. The Captains remain in first place with the win.

The Intimidators took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off Captains starter Ryan Miller when Jose Martinez singled in Sergio Morales. That was the first earned run against Miller this year in 16 innings of work. The Captains took a 2-1 the lead in the second when Chris Nash crushed a two run home run to dead center field, his first homer of the year. Kannapolis tied it in the third on another RBI single by Martinez.

The Captains took a 4-2 lead in the fourth inning. Karexon Sanchez singled and went to third on Jeff Hehr’s single. Matt Brown knocked them both in when he doubled to the right field corner.
Captain’s starter Ryan Miller was solid again going six innings giving up only the two runs on five hits while striking put five. Mike Pontius relieved Miller and tossed two shutout innings striking out three. Pontius has struck out at least three batters in all but one appearance in 2008.

The Captains play game two of the four game series on Friday with game time at 7:05 PM. RHP Santo Frias (0-0, 5.68) gets the start for the Captains against the Intimidators RHP Jason Rice (0-2, 3.29). The game can be heard on AM 1330 WELW, WELW.COM or CAPTAINSBASEBALL.COM.

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Minor Happenings: Miller Returns To Buffalo

"Minor Happenings" covers the important developments and news in the Indians farm system. While most of the information in this report is from my own research and through interviews I have conducted with organizational personnel, some information in this report is collected and summarized from the various news outlets that cover each team.

Last weekend, I was in Eastlake, Ohio to see Single-A Lake County in action. I did a piece on closer Vinnie Pestano yesterday, and will have pieces on outfielder Matt Brown and right-handed starter Chris Archer over the coming weekend. Also, last weekend, I wrapped up my Kinston visit from the previous week with a piece on Jerad Head, Paolo Espino, and Carlton Smith.

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from April 17th through April 23rd)

Hector Rondon (Right-handed Pitcher - Kinston)
0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 games, 10 IP, 6 H, 2 BB, 12 K

Advanced Single-A Kinston is off to a slow start in virtually every category from pitching, to hitting, to defense. One of the strengths going into the season was supposed to be a starting rotation filled with several promising pitchers, most notably Hector Rondon. Like most of the pitchers in the rotation, the 6'3 180 pound right-hander from Venezuela is off to a very slow start. In four starts Rondon is 0-2 with a 4.67 ERA and in 17.1 innings pitched has allowed 18 hits and seven walks while striking out 21.

While the overall numbers look bad, in his last two starts over the past week Rondon was very good. Last Friday, Rondon took a step in the right direction with a nice outing by throwing six shutout innings and allowing three hits and no walks while striking out seven on just 77 pitches. He followed that up with another good outing last night, going only four innings but not allowing an earned run on three hits, two walks and striking out five. It is a 180 degree turnaround for Rondon, as in his first two starts he had problems with allowing way too many baserunners (2.32 WHIP). The overnight change for Rondon is a result of Indians coaches working with his delivery and challenging him to be more aggressive with his breaking ball. He has started throwing his secondary pitches for strikes, and the rest of his pitches are feeding off of that and making him much tougher to hit.

Honorable Mentions:

Ryan Edell (LHP - Akron): 1-0, 1.98 ERA, 2 games, 13.2 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 8 K
Ryan Miller (LHP - Lake County): 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 game, 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
David Huff (LHP - Akron): 0-0, 1.35 ERA, 1 game, 6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6K
Aaron Herr (3B - Buffalo): .391 AVG (9-23), 6 R, 2B, 3B, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2BB, 6 K

Previous Winners:

4/10 to 4/16: Wes Hodges (3B - Akron)
4/3 to 4/9: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Lake County)

Director's Cuts

This week, Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins talks about some of the players on the Triple-A Buffalo roster:

On Laffey and Sowers: "It really has been a good start for both guys. Aaron and Jeremy have been extremely professional having not made the team coming out of spring training and went right down to Buffalo and got to work. Both of them have put up such remarkably similar numbers that we are in a great situation having both of them available for the spot start. Obviously, Eric Wedge would like to have Jake Westbrook healthy, but with him not having our choice between Laffey and Sowers is a great situation to be in. Both guys put the ball over the plate, both guys have a feel for three pitches, and both guys can get a groundball. So, those are the things we are looking for and the fact that we have the option to bring up one of the two and the fact that we have two to pick from is really a good situation."

On Brian Slocum: "He has been great. He has actually from a performance standpoint been as good as Laffey and Sowers. It is really just a matter of him repeating that and sustaining some health before we consider him as a viable major league starter. But I gotta believe at some point we see him help the major league team."

On Andy Gonzalez: "He would be much heavier on the radar screen if he was on the 40-man roster. But I will tell you what, he is really off to a great start. He has three home runs already, he has great at bats every night, and he can play everywhere but catch and pitch. He is a great asset for us to have down there in Triple-A. He just lost his father and had a baby girl, so he has really been through a whirlwind of emotions. Coming into major league spring training and performing and going back to Triple-A and doing a great job there is a testament to his professionalism. We are really glad to have him as a member of this organization."

On Jordan Brown: "You know what, we were anxious about [his transition to Triple-A]. Mostly because he has been so good, we continued to ask ourselves if he could keep doing it and he just keeps doing it. He reminds us a lot of the Sean Casey's of the world, guys who just have an innate ability to square up the baseball. He's gone into Triple-A and really shown that it is just a game and he is still standing 60 feet six inches away and has not made the game more difficult. He is really off to a good start there."

Miller Back In The Rotation, Closing Soon?

Buffalo right-hander and Indians top prospect Adam Miller finally made his long anticipated season debut last night. The 23-year-old fireballing right-hander went five innings and allowed no earned runs on four hits, two walks and struck out two. Miller was sharp, as he threw 84 pitches and 55 of them for strikes. He left after the fifth inning with Buffalo in the lead; however, did not record a win as the bullpen could not hold the lead. Miller's season debut was delayed because of an annoying blister he suffered early in spring training that sidelined him for over two weeks. As a result, he fell behind almost three weeks in camp in his pitching program to ramp him up to 85 pitches to handle the start of the season.

With Miller back in action, there is still no word or idea how Miller may be used this year at the major league level by the Indians, if at all. For now, he will continue to pitch out of the rotation in Buffalo, but at some point this year it is very likely that Miller will get a shot in the Indians bullpen as a 6th or 7th inning option. He is also a remote possibility to get a spot start this coming Monday when the Indians will need to callup another starter to make a start because of today's doubleheader.

Because of the depth in the starting rotation, Miller may work well as a closer down the road. This is something that would likely not happen anytime soon as with C.C. Sabathia and Paul Byrd heading into free agency next year, Miller is one of the top options to replace them if one or both of them do not return next year. Also, after what happened to Fausto Carmona when the Indians threw him into the closer's role in 2006 there is no way they will do the same thing with Miller this year.

Still, Miller has closer stuff with great makeup and two plus pitches in his fastball and slider. He has never pitched in such a role, so it is possible at some point this season or next that the Indians could convert him to the role in Buffalo, or if the Indians fall out of the race this year they could give Miller some exposure in such a role late in the year to build for 2009.

Ever since Miller injured his elbow in the spring of 2005 the Indians have been cautious with Miller. He is still only 23 years old, and this is only his first option year, so they will continue to handle him with care, especially after he was sidelined with several injuries last year with a torn tendon in his middle finger and right elbow inflammation. There is no rush to get him to Cleveland because is option clock just started, and the Indians still see more value in him as a front-of-the-rotation starter, but a backend bullpen role certainly seems like an option down the road.

Sowers Coming To Cleveland

Left-handed starter Jeremy Sowers is off to a very good start this year as he had a good spring training and has been extremely sharp in his four starts at Buffalo compiling a record of 0-2 and 3.18 ERA. Sowers worked at least six innings in his first three starts and allowed a total of only seven earned runs, but he was 0-2 because his offense only scored a combined four runs in those three starts. The key to Sowers renewed success has been the re-emergence of his command and aggressiveness as well as increased velocity where he is regularly throwing in the low 90s. One report out of Buffalo on Monday had him hitting 94 MPH on the radar gun in his last start.

In his fourth start on Monday Sowers only went 4.1 innings allowing just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out six, but had to leave because the Indians wanted to limit his pitch count after they learned earlier in the day that Jake Westbrook would go on the disabled list. Sowers will be called up to Cleveland to make a spot start on Saturday against the New York Yankees. With the rainout last night in Kansas City forcing the Indians and Royals to play a doubleheader tonight, it also means that even with Sowers here on Saturday that the Indians will need to pull from the minors again and call someone up for a spot start. As a result, Sowers is likely to be sent back down to allow Aaron Laffey or Brian Slocum to make a spot start on Monday, or Adam Miller could even enter the mix as he would be pitching on regular rest.

Clairvoyant Catcher

For any prospect, the future is uncertain as they face the unknown. Apparently, however, Akron catcher Chris Gimenez has some psychic abilities that were unknown until this past weekend. Before Akron's game this past Sunday in Bowie, first baseman Matt Whitney was shuffling a deck of cards in the clubhouse. Gimenez looked at Whitney and said "Toss me a card, I guarantee it'll be the nine of spades." Whitney looked at him with arched eyebrows, but shuffled twice more, grabbed a card, and flipped it across the table to Gimenez. Sure enough, it was the nine of spades.

Gimenez was so excited he kept the card and taped it inside his batting helmet, and proclaimed "This is good for two walks and two knocks." Gimenez then went out and collected a single and a walk before the game was suspended Sunday, and on Monday, you guessed it, he had two hits including his second homer of the year and two walks while driving in two runs. Gimenez had reached base six straight times after the nine of spades came up before he went 0-for-3 with a walk on Tuesday night.

Overall, Gimenez has had a solid start to his season. He is second in the Eastern League with a .490 on-base percentage, thanks in large to part to his 16 walks which is also second best in the league. Gimenez only has 33 official at bats in 12 games, and is hitting .242 with 2 HR, 3 RBI and a .944 OPS so far this season.

Stevens Revels In Team USA Experience

Akron right-handed reliever Jeff Stevens is coming off a sensational 2007 campaign that saw him breakout as a relief prospect going 6-3 with a 2.81 ERA, holding opposing hitters to a .194 batting average and racking up 11 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. He topped off his memorable 2007 season by participating in the Arizona Fall League and then with Team USA in the Olympic qualifiers, and in 12 combined appearances between the two places racked up three saves and did not allow a run in 12 innings pitched while allowing five hits, one walk and striking out 11. So far this season, in six appearances at Akron Stevens is 2-1 with one save and a 4.22 ERA and hitters are hitting .262 off him while he has 13 strikeouts in 10.2 innings pitched.

The experience in Taiwan pitching for Team USA was not only an opportunity for Stevens to showcase his talents on an International stage, but also relish the opportunity to pitch for his country and gain more confidence going into this season.

"Yeah, it gave me a little confidence," said Stevens. "In the fall league there were some great hitters out there. Team USA was a great experience. I threw three innings in the fall league, and then when we got Team USA started up we all met in Arizona and we played all the fall league teams once and I threw three innings in that. And then I think I threw five and a third in Taiwan. So combining the two I threw well."

One of the most memorable moments of the Team USA experience was getting to close Team USA's big win over perennial International power Cuba.

"I was fortunate to get in there and was very excited," said Stevens. "It is hard to explain because I did not even know what to expect. All the USA guys were telling us that when you get over there and hear the national anthem played in a different country you get this feeling you can't explain, and it is true. You can't explain the feeling that comes over you. Especially us beating Cuba who is a perennial powerhouse in International play. They were really good."

Nash Not A Smash Early On

First baseman Chris Nash is making his South Atlantic League (SAL) debut this year, and this is his first year playing on a full-season team. His inexperience has shown and he has had a rough go of it early this season at Lake County hitting only .221 with 0 HR, 9 RBI and a .579 OPS in his first 18 games. The most alarming stat early in the season has been the strikeout totals he has been piling up, as he has 28 strikeouts in 68 at bats.

Nash has quickly been introduced to more advanced pitching at the full-season Single-A level, and the biggest difference he says has been that pitchers throw a lot more curveballs whereas in short-season leagues last year they mainly threw him fastballs. There is no doubt Nash is a very good excellent fastball hitter, but until he can show the ability to either hit the curveball or lay off pitches low and away he will continue to rack up the strikeouts. The good thing is Nash has a great attitude and understands what he has to do. It is starting to show as in the first nine games he struck out 18 times in 35 at bats, whereas in his last nine games he has struck out 10 times in 33 at bats.

Nash continues to make mental notes with the stumbling blocks he has encountered, and does his best to improve. He is keeping a positive attitude and working hard every day to get on track. It also should be noted he missed most of spring training with a lat injury, so he is still in spring training mode.

"Unfortunately for Chris he was hurt in spring training," said Lake County Manager Aaron Holbert. "I believe he played the first game or two and hurt his lat, so he did not play until the last three games before spring training ended. So that was a lot of time he missed. Not only in seeing live pitching, but also taking batting practice. Unfortunately for him it is going to take awhile. It is not fun to watch or fun to go through what he is going through right now, but we understand as an organization that is is going to take him awhile to get his timing back, to get used to seeing offspeed pitches, and to start thinking along with the pitchers and guessing with them a little bit. We understand strikeouts or slumps like these are going to happen. It is going to take awhile, and we have the patience it is just a matter of him staying focused and having patience with himself."

The Other Miller

Buffalo right-hander Adam Miller gets all the hype as the Indians top rated prospect, but another Miller is emerging on the prospect scene and by season's end could be one of the top pitching prospects in the Indians system. After three starts, Lake County left-hander Ryan Miller is still perfect at 3-0 and has an unblemished 0.00 ERA. His numbers early on have been impressive, as he has also held opposing hitters to a .161 batting average and has struck out 17 batters in 16 innings.

The Indians drafted Miller in the 36th round of the 2006 Draft after his freshman season at Blinn Junior College. Miller went back to Blinn for his sophomore year as a draft and follow player and eventually signed with the Indians in May 2007. Because of new rules and regulations in regard to the draft, the draft and follow process has been dropped as the signing deadline for players has been moved up to August of the draft year. As a result, Miller was part of the final class of draft and follow players to sign with teams last year.

Throughout spring training and early in the season Miller has been working on becoming more comfortable on the mound and not overthrowing. In his last start on Friday night, Miller displayed some nasty stuff and had opposing hitters reeling. His fastball was crisp and locating to both sides of the plate, and he was throwing his curveball for strikes. The topper was a changeup which he fooled many hitters on all night with two strikes for many of his punchouts.

The Running Man

Lake County outfielder Adam White is a former All-State running back in high school at Philipsburg-Osceola High School in Pennsylvania. When he did not get a Division I football scholarship, White focused his efforts on his other love, baseball. White ended up attending the University of West Virginia to play baseball, and was eventually drafted by the Indians last year in the 9th round of the 2007 Draft. He debuted at short-season Single-A Mahoning valley, and in 57 games hit .260 with 1 HR, 10 RBI, and a .723 OPS. He also showed his speed potential by swiping 22 bases.

Now at Lake County, the 5'10" 190-pound switch-hitting White is quickly starting to turn some heads in the South Atlantic League (SAL). Literally, because if you don't look fast enough you might miss him. White is a burner on the bases, and arguably the fastest player in the Indians entire system from the majors down to the Dominican Summer League team. White possess unbelievable speed that is rated an 80 on the scouting scale where 80 is the highest value attainable.

The Indians are continuing to work on White's base-running in order to improve his fundamentals in areas such as getting quality secondary leads, reading pitchers better, and first step quickness to second base. Minor league base-running coordinator Gary Thurman has worked with him a lot on the mechanics of base-running rather than just relying on raw speed, and also in being a more aggressive runner. White has the green light from Lake County manager Aaron Holbert to run anytime he wants this year, and by season's end if he stays healthy it is expected he will pile up around 50 stolen bases. On the season, White is hitting .328 with 0 HR, 6 RBI, 5 stolen bases and an .825 OPS.

Herrmann Shaky, But Remains Steady

Akron right-hander Frank Herrmann has been working out of jam after jam this year. Then again, such is life as a sinker-ball pitcher. Herrmann has mostly struggled in the first inning so far this year, and in his last two starts he worked out of jams to limit the damage before putting up a good start.

Last Thursday, Herrmann survived by getting out of a bases loaded, one out jam in the bottom of the first when he induced a double play groundout to end the inning. Herrmann ended up working into the sixth inning, but after retiring the first two hitters he surrendered consecutive singles and was lifted for a reliever. His final line was 5.2 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 0 BB, 0 K. In his next start this past Tuesday, he once again got into trouble early by allowing two first inning runs before settling in and putting up a quality start. His final line was: 6 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 1 BB, 3 K. On the season, in four starts Herrmann is now 2-1 with a 4.37 ERA.

While Herrmann is big and strong at 6'4" and 220 pounds and throws the ball in the low 90s, he is not a power pitcher by any means and uses a pitch to contact approach to get batters to pound his sinker into the ground for outs. In his start last Thursday, Hermann faced a total of 23 hitters and did not record a strikeout despite getting two strikes on 12 of those batters. Herrmann also did not allow a walk, which is par for the course for him as he has only surrendered six walks this year and last year at Kinston only walked 28 batters in 146 innings.

Head Disabled, Again

On Thursday, Akron first baseman Stephen Head was put on the disabled list with a broken bone in his right (non-throwing) wrist. Head only appeared in five games, hitting .357 with three RBI. Infielder Brandon Pinckney was activated from extended spring training and took Head's spot on the Akron roster.

It is an unfortunate setback for Head, who had just been activated from extended spring training a week earlier after he had successfully recovered from offseason labrum surgery to his right shoulder. Head injured the wrist sliding into second base on a stolen base attempt, and after the injury joked "I guess that's why they say speed kills." Head will not need surgery and is expected to miss a minimum of two weeks. The Indians and Head are actually very relieved at the diagnosis as he will not miss much time since surgery will not be required.

Cooper Climbs Buffalo Record Books

Outfielder Jason Cooper is now playing his fifth season at Triple-A Buffalo, and his tenure at the Indians highest minor league stop has him nearing the top of many franchise milestones. Cooper is the seventh player in Buffalo's modern era to play parts of five different seasons in Buffalo. His three-run home run last Thursday was his 41st at Buffalo which ties him for 10th all time with Dave Clark. He has 186 RBI in his Bisons' career, which is now 5th most in the team's modern era. Only three players have collected 200 RBI in a Bisons' uniform in the modern era (Bill Selby 245, Jeff Manto 207, Russell Branyan 202) and Cooper likely will join that list sometime this season. Cooper also ranks 5th with 322 games played and 4th in doubles with 64 (Selby is 1st with 90). If he can stay healthy, Cooper should pass former catcher Tom Prince's record of 400 games played near the end of the season.

Cooper is probably in his final season with the Indians organization as he should be a minor league free agent at season's end. Given the depth in the organization in the outfield, the Indians most likely will want to use his roster spot for another player, and he likewise would probably like to be with an organization where he has a better shot to make his major league debut. That said, he has been a good organizational player for the Indians and has never displayed any displeasure he may have in regard to his situation. On the season he is hitting .224 with 1 HR, 10 RBI, and a .712 OPS in 15 games.

Realini's Big Day

Lake County infielder Dustin Realini picked the perfect time to have his best game as a professional this past weekend. Realini was drafted in the 28th round in the 2006 Draft out of Santa Clara University (CA), and is from California. As a result, since he is two thirds of the way across the country in Cleveland, Ohio his family does not get a chance to see him often.

That all changed this past weekend when his family was in town in Eastlake, OH and got to see Realini's big day on Saturday when he went 4-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI. Realini helped jumpstart a Lake County offense which, while it has been opportunistic, has been a weakness for the team early on in the season. Playing time has been hard to come by for Realini as he has only played in a handful of games early on but has kept a positive attitude and worked hard to keep sharp. Coming into the season, Realini owned a .243 career batting average with 6 HR and 53 RBI in 110 minor league games mostly at short-season Single-A Mahoning Valley. This year, in nine games he is hitting .320 with 2 HR, 7 RBI and a 1.045 OPS.

Affiliate Notebook

Buffalo Notes (7-14, 5^th place): First baseman Ryan Mulhern has shown some improved patience at the plate this year as he is currently tied for the team-high with 12 walks (59 at bats). Last year Mulhern has only 40 walks in 476 at bats. On the flip side, Mulhern is only hitting .203 and his on-base percentage is .338, so the early focus on a more disciplined approach at the plate has hurt him in other areas. ... Infielder/outfielder Andy Gonzalez was activated off the temporary inactive list Friday. Gonzalez had left the team to travel to Puerto Rico for the birth of his child. To make room on the roster, catcher David Wallace was sent back to extended spring training. ... Second baseman Josh Barfield had a power outburst over the weekend, hitting two home runs on Saturday night and following it up with another home run on Monday. Barfield is now hitting .247 with 3 HR, 7 RBI, 2 stolen bases and a .708 OPS. ... Outfielder Jason Tyner hit a solo home run Saturday night, which was only his fourth career homer in 1,226 professional games and 4,460 at-bats in the minors and major leagues. Last year, Tyner hit his first major league home run while playing for the Minnesota Twins on July 28th against Indians' starter Jake Westbrook. ... Outfielder Brad Snyder is hitting .246 with 4 HR, 9 RBI and a .829 OPS. ... First baseman Jordan Brown is hitting .304 with 0 HR, 9 RBI and a .778 OPS.

Akron Notes (7-11, 6^th place): Outfielder Trevor Crowe is going to be out for awhile longer. He was put on the disabled list almost two weeks ago for back tightness, but will now miss at least another three or four more weeks because of a bulging disc in his back. ... On Monday night, left-hander David Huff was outstanding. After making a mistake early in the game by giving up a solo home run to the first batter he faced, Huff settled in and dominated the rest of the way by only allowing three base runners, one on an error and two on walks, and retired the last nine batters he faced. In total he pitched 6.2 innings and allowed one run on one hit and two walks while striking out six. On the season he is 0-1 with a 3.54 ERA in four starts. ... On Friday, third baseman Wes Hodges and outfielder Nathan Panther both went 0-4 and saw their modest nine game hitting streaks come to an end. ... Infielder Brandon Pinckney had a nice debut on Saturday night. After failing to land with a full-season club out of spring training, Pinckney was called up from extended spring training on Thursday when outfielder Stephen Head went down with a broken bone in his right wrist. In his first game on Saturday, Pinckney went 2-for-4 with a home run and RBI. ... On Saturday night, shortstop Josh Rodriguez had a big night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI while finishing just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. On the season, Rodriguez is hitting .200 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, and a .636 OPS.

Kinston Notes (5-11, 4^th place): Last Thursday, right-handed starter Steven Wright had another very good start going six innings and allowing one run on one hit while walking one and striking out five. In his next start on Tuesday, Wright struggled in giving up three runs on six hits and three walks in four innings. In three starts, Wright is 0-1 with a 2.81 ERA. ... Left-handed reliever Dan Cevette is off to a hot start in Kinston. Cevette got the callup from extended spring training late last Wednesday when left-hander Matt Meyer went on the disabled list. Like a lot of the players left behind in extended spring training, Cevette was frustrated to be left behind but has channeled his aggression on Carolina League hitters. In two appearances which cover five innings of work, he has not allowed a run and only one hit while walking three and striking out six. ... Outfielder Nick Weglarz is off to a slow start offensively hitting .233 with 0 HR, 2 RBI and a .787 OPS. The one bright spot is his outstanding walk-rate, as he has 21 walks which is easily tops in the Carolina League. ... Right-hander Erik Stiller could be on the move to Double-A Akron very soon. Because of the logjam at Buffalo and Akron in the pitching department, Stiller returned to Kinston when he probably should have been in Akron. However, Stiller has displayed an excellent attitude and come out firing in Kinston as in five appearances he is 0-0 with a 1.86 ERA. Most notably he has 17 strikeouts in 9.2 innings, good for a Nintendo-like 15.83 strikeout per nine innings rate. ... Outfielder John Drennen currently has a 15-game consecutive on base streak. The streak is highlighted by a five walk performance last Monday. On the year, Drennen is hitting .288 with 0 HR, 3 RBI and a .746 OPS. ... Kinston's current streak of seven straight playoff appearances is the longest streak in the 63 year history of the Carolina League. Kinston has made the Carolina League Playoffs in eight of the last nine and 11 of the last 13 years. Kinston has never missed the playoffs in back to back years as a Cleveland Indians affiliate (21 complete seasons). ... While the Kinston lineup showcases some of the Indians best hitting prospects in the system, there has been a power shortage early in the season. As a team Kinston has hit just four home runs in 16 games this season and have not hit a home run since April 12th.

Lake County Notes (13-7, 1st place): In three games from Wednesday through Friday last week, Captains starters Ryan Morris, Chris Archer and Ryan Miller combined to shut out opponents for 16 innings on seven hits with 15 strikeouts. Also, the bullpen gave up only one run on two hits in 11 innings. Through 20 games, the Captains' team ERA of 2.75 is second among 16 South Atlantic League (SAL) teams. Lake County pitchers have given up only 117 hits, good for first in the league (by 30 hits!). ... Lake County had a temporary power surge on Saturday hitting three home runs. The three home runs they hit on the day are one more than they have hit in their other 19 games combined. In 20 games they have hit five home runs as a team. ... On Tuesday night, Lake County dominated in a double header holding opposing Delmarva to two total runs in the two games. Left-hander Ryan Morris won game one going six scoreless innings giving up only two hits while striking out four. He is 3-0 in has last three starts and has not allowed a run in his last 17.1 innings pitched and on the year is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA. ... In the second game of the doubleheader on Tuesday night, right-hander Josh Judy picked up his third relief win of the season. He went three scoreless, hitless innings striking out five. On the year, in six appearances out of the bullpen Judy is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA. In 13.2 innings pitched he has only allowed three hits and five walks while striking out 19. ... Outfielder Matt Brown is hitting .347 with 2 HR, 17 RBI, and an .876 OPS. ... Infielder Karexon Sanchez is hitting .333 with 1 HR, 12 RBI and an .856 OPS.

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