Dixon's Durability And Consistency A Strength

The Indians minor league season came to an official close on Sunday evening with Akron losing 5-1 in Game Four of the Eastern League Championship series, and with the loss Akron dropped the best-of-five series three games to one. With the season over, many players will return home for the winter for some long overdue rest and relaxation, while others will go to Arizona for Instructional League which starts up soon.

One of those players who looks like he will be spending the offseason at home resting is Akron right-hander Kevin Dixon. Dixon piled up 157 innings in the regular season and was a rock in the rotation all year. While he never really dominated, he was consistent seemingly every time out as he racked up a ton of quality starts on the season. In 27 starts Dixon went 9-11 with a 4.41 ERA and allowed 159 hits, 48 walks and struck out 113 in the 157 innings he pitched. His ability to pitch deep into games was a key for Akron all season.

"I just try to go out and get as deep into the game as I can and give the team an opportunity for a win," said Dixon in a recent interview at Canal Park. "I have tried to be steady all year and tried not to change much. I had a little bit of a rough stretch toward the end of the year with some bad outings, but I [was able] to go back to doing what I was doing early on with pitching steady."

While the numbers are not exactly eye-popping, his ability to be consistent start to start to where he can be relied on to give six to seven quality innings a start is invaluable. At 6'3" 225-pounds Dixon is big and strong, so having a guy in the rotation that is durable, can eat innings, and keep the bullpen from being overworked is a huge advantage for any team. The key to his consistency has been his ability to attack hitters with his fastball and not be afraid of the results.

"I think one of the best things I can do is go out and attack guys with my fastball," said Dixon. "I am able to throw in the strike zone and get guys out in there without striking them out. I throw a sinker and four-seam fastball, so I try to get ahead of guys with the four-seamer and when I get ahead of them I can throw the sinker. I'll throw the sinker down the middle and roll the dice where chances are I will get groundballs with it. I am not afraid to throw it in the strike zone and if I give up a couple hits in the inning I just make sure I try to get a double play and not let the inning explode."

Dixon throws a fastball, changeup, slider and split-finger. His fastball sits in the 91-93 MPH range, and he showcases a plus slider and a decent changeup with good command of all his pitches. One of the big things that has helped Dixon grow as a pitcher this year is the addition of the split-finger that was added to his arsenal last year during Instructional League in Winter Haven. After toying around with the pitch, he came to spring training and continued to work on it and it now has become a serviceable pitch for him and one he relies on to finish hitters off for strikeouts.

"Dixon has a splitter that he has started to develop since the end of last year," said Akron pitching coach Tony Arnold. "This year at times it has been really good and at times it has not been very good. If he can maintain feel for it, then that is the out pitch he has been missing."

Dixon agrees with that assessment.

"At the end of last year I went down to Florida and picked up the splitter," said Dixon. "It has helped me a lot as in the past I have not really had very many strikeouts and I relied on contact to get guys out. I still do that, but now when I get ahead of guys I have another pitch to go to. For awhile there it was lights out where I would get two strikes on a guy and get a strikeout every time."

In addition to refining his split-finger, Dixon has also been working on repeating his delivery and ironing out some flaws in his mechanics.

"I really have just been nailing down my mechanics to be consistent with my delivery every time," said Dixon. "I'll get in trouble where I will fall off to the side and the biggest thing has been falling off to the left and landing on the outside of my foot which causes everything to drag. I am really focused on landing good on my front foot and getting out in front of my pitches and trying to repeat that every time. One thing I have noticed is before the season [in spring training] my foot would be landing all over the place and the hole I would make would be big. Now I am consistently landing in the same spot, and have my delivery down and it has really helped my command with every pitch."

Dixon is a former 5th round pick in the 2005 Draft out of Minnesota State University in Mankato, MN. It was a small Division-II school and one where he found success both as a hitter and a pitcher. While he was drafted and signed as a pitcher, Dixon felt coming out of college he was actually a better hitter than a pitcher, so the scouts must have seen something in the limited chances they got to see him pitch since he was only a closer in college.

With his experience in the bullpen in college and now his starting experience as a professional, Dixon has the versatility to go either way this offseason when the Indians will likely need to make a decision on his future in the organization. Because of the logjam of starters expected to be at Triple-A Columbus next year, Dixon will either have to start the 2009 season as a starter in the Akron rotation or be a reliever on the Buffalo roster.

"I was a pitcher and hitter in college," said Dixon. "That is a big change for me not hitting anymore. It was a big talking subject when I was drafted as I put up better stats as a hitter than as a pitcher, but ended up being drafted as a pitcher. It was kind of convenient the way my pitching coach and head coach used me as I would hit and got to pitch whenever it was available. I would play first base and I would come straight in from first base and close out games. I don't think I ever got to develop as a pitcher as I could throw hard and I was getting guys out, but I played Division II so what I had was good enough. Being a full time pitcher and being able to refine it to the point where I can succeed at this level has been a big change for me. That has been the biggest transition for me in pro ball and now I am more of the pitcher like the hitter I was then."

Dixon has the potential to one day crack a major league roster because of his durability and penchant for being an innings-eater.

"He is continually developing himself to become a major league pitcher," said Arnold. "It is just a matter of him solidifying his delivery and trusting his delivery to allow him to throw the ball like he is capable of throwing it and commanding it."

Besides playing baseball, Dixon is an avid hockey fan and used to throw the skates on a lot as a kid and play. He often gets the itch to play now, but his contract prohibits him from playing as long as he is playing professional baseball because of the potential for injury. Nonetheless, growing up and playing hockey was something that was a huge part of his life growing up as a kid in Minnesota.

Dixon is a pretty down to Earth person, and is really your typical average guy trying to make a living while living his dream to play professional baseball. He lives in Burnsville, MN and recently got married this past offseason. While any talks of extending the family with kids are on hold at the moment, Dixon and his wife are just trying to get by on the little he makes in the minors.

"Dealing with being a married man and living this lifestyle has kind of been the biggest thing working out the relationship with my wife," said Dixon. "It has probably been the biggest thing in my life right now, and it has given me perspective that there is more to life besides baseball. Figuring out how to make her happy is a big thing I am going through right now. The money we make with me living the minor league lifestyle is enough, but we will try to make some more money in the offseason. It's tough. Right now my wife is doing a great job. She is a nurse and working a whole bunch and it is really helping us out."

With the offseason now here and another season in the books for Dixon, next season could be his biggest as a professional is on the cusp of getting a major league opportunity with the Indians or another team. When and if that happens, Dixon is ready.

"Hopefully I can get to the point where I can make some money and pay [my wife] back," laughed Dixon.

Photo courtesy of Ken Carr

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Playoff Recap: 9/14

Miscues Doom Aeros in 5-1 Loss
Trenton Claims Second Straight Eastern League Crown

TRENTON, NJ – The Thunder scored four runs in a sixth inning where nothing went right for Akron, and those scores propelled Trenton to the Eastern League title for the second consecutive year, defeating the Aeros 5-1 in game four before 3,117 fans at Waterfront Park. Trenton also bested Akron in four games last season.

Game three hero Austin Jackson put Trenton ahead in the third with an RBI single to right, capping a run of three straight hits off Aeros starter Frank Herrmann with two away in the inning. Matt Whitney answered for Akron in the top of the sixth however, emphatically snapping an 0-18 slump with a solo home run to left to tie the game at 1-1.

The game turned in the bottom of the inning however, as the Thunder would plate four runs on only two singles. With the bases empty and one out, Chris Malec hit a bouncer up the middle that glanced off the heel of shortstop Josh Rodriguez’s glove for an error. That knocked Herrmann from the game as the Aeros called on lefty Reid Santos to face the left-handed Colin Curtis, but Curtis spoiled the strategy as he willed an 18-hop dribbler through the right side to put men at first and second.

Akron went back to the bullpen with hard-throwing Neil Wagner, but P.J. Pilittere reached for a fastball and lined it into right field for an RBI single as Malec scored to make it 2-1. Francisco Cervelli then walked on five pitches to load the bases, and Wagner’s next offering skipped past catcher Wyatt Toregas all the way to a backstop for a run-scoring wild pitch. An intentional walk reloaded the bases as Akron looked for a double play, and Wagner did indeed induce a ground ball from Kevin Russo. Rodriguez had to move to his left to field it however, and in his haste to throw to second took his eye off the ball as it bounced off the heel of his glove again, allowing Pilittere to score on the error. Reegie Corona followed with a sacrifice fly to cap the inning and, for all intents and purposes, the game.

Jeff Marquez (1-0) earned the win with six quality innings, holding Akron to just a run on five hits. Herrmann (1-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) and four hits in 5.1 innings. Jason Jones recorded the final nine outs for his first save. Matt LaPorta finished 1-3 with a walk and a double offensively, while Toregas walked twice.

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Playoff Recap: 9/13

Jackson Leads Thunder to 4-1 Win
Trenton Leads Series 2-1; Game 4 Sunday at 6:05 p.m.

TRENTON, NJ – Austin Jackson gaveth for Trenton Saturday night, and he tooketh away from the Aeros as the Thunder claimed game three of the Eastern League Championship Series 4-1 before 4,575 fans at Waterfront Park. The Thunder now lead the best-of-five series two games to one, with game four set for Sunday at 6:05 p.m.

Jackson got Trenton on the board in the bottom of the first, hammering the first pitch he saw from Aeros starter Ryan Edell over the left field fence for a quick 1-0 advantage. The Aeros looked to have tied it up in the fourth as All-Star third baseman Wes Hodges sent a deep drive to right-center, but Jackson timed his leap perfectly and reached over the wall to bring it back and keep Trenton on top.

The Thunder tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, as a double and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one away. Kevin Russo then followed with a slow bouncer to third that Hodges went to first on, but Russo was called safe on a bang-bang play as P.J. Pilittere scored to make it 2-0. Reegie Corona followed with a sacrifice fly to deep right-center to bring home Francisco Cervelli with the second run.

Akron got on the board in the fifth with a run, but it could have been so much more. Trenton starter George Kontos walked Stephen Head and Wyatt Toregas to open the frame, and then grooved a full-count fastball to Matt Whitney. Whitney put a good swing on it and sent a booming drive out to left-center, but Jackson was there again and for the second time in two innings made a leaping catch to take away what would have been the game-tying, three-run homer. Head did move to third on the play and scored on Nathan Panther’s sac fly (which featured another great catch by Jackson, this time on the dead run on the warning track in left-center), but that was all the Aeros would get.

Bronson Sardinha singled to lead off the sixth and Brandon Pinckney walked to open the eighth, but Akron couldn’t take advantage either time. Trenton added a big insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Pilittere doubled with one out and pinch-runner James Cooper scored on a two-out single by Edwar Gonzalez.

Anthony Claggett (1-0) earned the win out of the bullpen with 2.1 shutout innings, while Edell (1-1) allowed three runs and seven hits in 4.2 innings. Jhonny Nunez set the Aeros down in order in the ninth for his third save of the post-season. Head went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored for the Aeros offensively, while Pinckney also singled and walked in three plate appearances.

The Aeros will try to extend their season by one more day in game four of the series Sunday, sending Frank Herrmann (1-0, 1.29 ERA) to the mound against Trenton’s Jeff Marquez (0-0, 5.40 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m., and the game broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

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Playoff Recap: 9/12

Aeros and Thunder Rained Out Friday
Series Tied 1-1; Game 3 Saturday at 6:05 p.m.

TRENTON, NJ – Game three of the Eastern League Championship Series was rained out Friday night in Trenton, pushing the remaining games in the series back a day.

The Aeros and Thunder will try again Saturday night at 6:05 p.m., with game four Sunday at 6:05 p.m. If necessary, game five will be Monday night, also at 6:05 p.m. All three games will be at Waterfront Park in Trenton.

Left-hander Ryan Edell (1-0, 1.23 ERA) will still start game three for Akron tomorrow, while Trenton sticks with scheduled starter George Kontos for his first start of the post-season. The game broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

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Minor Happenings: Santana Looks Like #1

"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.

And then there was one. With Mahoning Valley and Lake County finishing up their seasons this past weekend, the only Indians affiliate still playing is Akron who is still alive in the Eastern League playoffs (more on this below).

I was able to make my final visits this past week to Mahoning Valley, Lake County, and Akron. Next week Happenings will cover my visit to Mahoning Valley last Thursday where I had a chance to speak to Cord Phelps, Trey Haley, Tim Fedroff, Heath Taylor and hitting coach Anthony Medrano. On Friday I finally had a chance to talk to Josh Judy in Lake County and will have a feature on him later this month. And last night I was in Akron for Game 2 of the Eastern League Championship Series and was able to talk to Frank Herrmann and Neil Wagner, both of which will be featured before the end of the month as well.

In addition to all that, I still have pieces on Chris Jones, Jonathan Holt, Brian Juhl, and Kevin Dixon to get out. It is going to be a busy final three weeks! And in case you missed them this past week, I posted player features on Bo Greenwell and Stephen Head.

Also, as a reminder, tonight is episode #5 of my radio show. The hour long show can be heard live from 9:30-10:30 PM (EST), but can be downloaded at anytime after the show since it is archived. We'll still focus a lot on the major league side of things with the Indians, but we will also talk about Scott Lewis and his incredible debut last night in Baltimore as well as feature Jeff Stevens the final ten minutes of the show with an audio interview and discussion about him. We are still working on things and it is a work in progress, but would appreciate a few phone calls.

Indians Minor League Player Of The Month
(for August)

Carlos Santana (Catcher - Kinston)
.362 AVG (34-94), 33 R, 4 2B, 0 3B, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 20 BB, 21 K, 3 SB, 1.088 OPS

What else is there to really say about Santana? I've run out of superlatives to describe his play and his unlimited potential as a future major leaguer. Santana was a prospect on the rise coming into the season and took the California League by storm hitting .323 with 14 HR, 96 RBI, and a .993 OPS in just 99 games before being traded to the Indians on July 26th for Casey Blake. Santana did not skip a beat moving to a new organization and league as in 31 games at Kinston and Akron he hit .336 with 7 HR, 21 RBI, and a 1.063 OPS. His overall numbers on the season: .326 AVG, 125 runs, 39 2B, 5 3B, 21 HR, 117 RBI, 89 BB, 10 stolen bases, and a .999 OPS. Wow.

In addition to the high batting average and the eye-popping run producing numbers he put up this year, one of the things that really caught my eye is how many runs he has scored and also his stolen base total. Santana may be a catcher, but he is built a Greek god and is very athletic. Unlike most first basemen and catchers, he has a good motor and can steal a base from time to time and is not a liability on the basepaths. To score 33 runs in a month and 125 runs overall in a five month season is ridiculous.

I'll say it right now: Santana is the Indians #1 prospect. That statement is subject to change this offseason once I start ranking the players in the system and talk to various people around baseball, but right now, today, I believe there is not question about it. He is the #1 guy. He may not have the light tower power outfielder Matt LaPorta has (but has good power nonetheless), but he plays a premium position and is better at everything else than LaPorta from bat-to-ball ability, plate discipline, clutch hitting, speed, defense....you name it.

Santana will be rostered this offseason, and looks like he will make his major league debut sometime late next year most likely as a September callup. He is an impact bat that is about a year away, and is an acquisition that is going to rank right next to the Bartolo Colon trade as GM Mark Shapiro's signature move.

Honorable Mentions:

Carlos Rivero (SS - Kinston): .356 (37-104), 15 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, .981 OPS
Scott Lewis (LHP - Akron): 3-2, 1.69 ERA, 6 starts, 37.1 IP, 24 H, 7 ER, 6 BB, 36 K
Jeanmar Gomez (RHP - Kinston): 2-1, 1.74 ERA, 6 starts, 31 IP, 27 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 21 K
Lonnie Chisenhall (SS - Mahoning Valley): .341 (31-91), 13 R, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 20 RBI, .938 OPS
Beau Mills (1B - Kinston): .329 (27-82), 14 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .982 OPS
Matt Brown (OF - Lake County): .372 (35-94), 17 R, 6 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, .884 OPS
Ron Rivas (SS - Lake County): .370 (30-81), 10 R, 4 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 9 RBI, .914 OPS
Cord Phelps (2B - Mahoning Valley): .347 (35-101), 18 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 15 RBI, .888 OPS
Darling Read (OF - DSL Indians): .359 (23-64), 15 R, 8 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 7 SB, 1.268 OPS

Previous Winners:

July: Wyatt Toregas (C - Akron)
June: Trevor Crowe (OF - Akron)
May: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Lake County)
April: Ryan Miller (LHP - Lake County)

Director's Cuts

Indians Farm Director had some comments this week about a myriad of Indians minor leaguers:

On Josh Rodriguez: "Sometimes you see somewhat of a blip just from a bump in a level, but Josh in our eyes had a very promising year. We still saw him drive the ball out over the right field wall a long way out. The raw power is there, sometimes it doesn't always come out in the numbers. Josh had a very strong year and showed us he is probably an above average defender at second base and an average defender at shortstop with power and the ability to steal a base. He plays the game the right way."

On Niuman Romero: "He is an interesting player with versatility. He can play shortstop, can play third base and can probably play anywhere on the diamond because he is a great athlete. This year he came on offensively, and is the type of player who could become a solid everyday player at third base, second base or shortstop. But really he is a great story as last year he did not even close to what he did at a higher level this year. We have always projected him to be what he is today, and really what it comes down to is these players have to make adjustments and sometimes on their own and I think he has made them. He has put himself on the radar."

On Lonnie Chisenhall: "We are certainly not eliminating [shortstop]. You talk to a guy like Travis Fryman who was a shortstop who ended up at third base and his conviction on just the person and dedication Lonnie has on baseball. Also, his innate ability to hit and how quiet he is in the box, and Travis' confidence in him to be a shortstop definitely gives us confidence that he can play third base if needed."

On Beau Mills: "He was pretty much the best in the league. He had the highest hard hit percentage in our entire organization in the minor leagues, and the hard contact is what it is all about. With his strength that hard contact ends up going over the wall and off the walls. He made a nice transition to first base as well."

On Wes Hodges: "Wes is someone who just really enjoys playing the game. Offensively he is very gifted and is a guy who has always hit and always had high expectations and standards. He just continues to answer the call."

On Abner Abreu: "I mean you can double his numbers because it was just a half season. Just turning 18 and hitting 22 home runs and at a premium position, he is really promising and probably has some of the best raw power we have. We'll talk about where he ends up from a defensive standpoint."

On Carlos Santana: "It is really, really fun to watch him play. He has a lightning bolt for an arm. He swings hard and swings hard at strikes and hits the ball a long way, and he really loves to compete."

On Wyatt Toregas: "He had a great year offensively, and we knew he was capable of doing those things. I think what it does is solidify our conviction that he is a major league player."

On Matt Brown: "He loves to play. He makes consistent contact, swings hard, and is very aggressive in the outfield. He will have to learn to pull back as he is that type of fiery player where we need to help him reel things in a little bit."

On Hector Rondon: "Hector was incredible this year. He was 19 and just turned 20 and was up to 96 MPH near the end of the year. He pitched deep into games and when he took the ball we knew we were going to win."

On Adam Miller: "I think for him [the injuries] have been more frustrating to him than anybody else. At this point we are looking for him to be a healthy pitcher coming into 2009. He is excited about and he is going to pitch winter ball and we will know more in a month and a half."

On David Huff: "I'd say he certainly warrants [a chance to win a starting spot in Cleveland next year]. He had a really incredible year. He commands three pitches and has the best delivery in our system pretty much."

Chisenhall's First Season A Success

It was a very successful first year for 2008 first round pick Lonnie Chisenhall. Chisenhall struggled initially to adjust to the professional game as he hit only .158 (6-for-38) through Mahoning Valley's first nine games, but from that point until the end of the season he finally settled in to hit .311 (74-for-238) in 59 games. Chisenhall had a blazing August where he hit .341 with 2 HR, 20 RBI and a .938 OPS and finished the year hitting .290 with 5 HR, 45 RBI, and a .794 OPS in 68 games overall. Chisenhall finished 2nd in the NY-Penn League in doubles (20) and 6th in RBI.

During his time at Mahoning Valley, Chisenhall showed good command of the strike zone and for a 19-year old he put up some quality at bats against left-handed pitchers. As he continues to adjust to wood bats and grows into his body the Indians really believe the home runs will come especially once he learns to stay inside the ball a little more. He has unbelievable poise for his age, and is likely to be named the best hitting prospect in the NY-Penn League once announced by Baseball America later this fall.

A lot of the focus with Chisenhall going forward will be what to do with him from a position standpoint. When the Indians drafted him, they selected him with the idea that he would continue to play shortstop this year and then move to third base next year. But, when listening to comments from manager Travis Fryman and Farm Director Ross Atkins it now looks like there is a strong possibility that Chisenhall could stay at shortstop next year because of how impressed they were with his defense at the position this year. Whether or not Chisenhall stays at shortstop or slides to third base, he still has to work on his throwing as he tends to be erratic at times, mostly because of a bad habit of double pumping before he throws the ball.

Coaches Corner: Ruben Niebla

I had a chance to sit down with Lake County pitching coach Ruben Niebla on Friday to talk about some of his pitchers we had not had a discussion about over the course of the season:

On Josh Judy: "Judy has the makings of a plus slider that hitters just have a tough time picking up. He has been able to use it as a weapon this year. He came in and was not throwing a changeup and we started to introduce it to him and throwing it in games this year, and I think it is a pitch he can develop. He has two plus pitches for this league that he has gone to so the development of the changeup has taken a backseat. We want him to solidify that slider first before we move forward with those offspeed pitches."

On John Gaub: "He has good life to his fastball and just gets on hitters and they have not been able to catch up with it. Also one of his other strengths is his ability to pitch inside against righties so he uses both sides and keeps hitters honest. He has been as high as 94 MPH, but sat around 90 MPH most of the time. He has made a lot of adjustments with his delivery and arm slot which has paid big dividends with his ability to throw strikes. A lot of times we see college guys settle into a velocity where it becomes comfortable and I think that is what we are seeing now."

On Jonathan Holt: "I like the ability to be able to call upon him out of the bullpen and know he is going to compete in the strike zone. He does a great job disrupting timing, he throws all three pitches in any count, and he uses his fastball well. At times when he needs to he goes out of the zone with his fastball as well, which is another trait that some of these guys at this level might not have yet and he has the ability to do that. It is something that people don't often hear about with a player having the ability to command the fastball outside of the zone. He does that to keep guys off the plate."

Akron Moves On

Akron meanwhile took both games at home on Friday and Saturday and defeated the Bowie Baysox 3-games-to-1 in the first round. Indians designated hitter Travis Hafner was a huge reason for Akron moving forward as in a controversial move he played with Akron to get some at bats while he continued to work his way back from a shoulder issue that has plagued him all season. In Game 2 on Friday night he had the deciding hit in the game with a grand slam home run in a 6-2 Akron win, and then on Saturday he homered again in a 5-1 Akron win. Lost among the Hafner controversy were two excellent starts by Game 3 starter Ryan Edell (7.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 7 K) and Game 4 starter Frank Herrmann (7 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 0 BB, 1 K) who were the true heroes of both wins. Outfielder Matt LaPorta helped pace the Akron offense in the win over Bowie, hitting .462 (6-for-13) with 3 HR, 5 RBI, five runs scored and a .588 on-base percentage. Second baseman Josh Rodriguez also played a key role, as the former Rice University standout batted .353 (6-for-17) from the leadoff spot with a pair of triples and five runs scored.

Akron moved on to the Eastern League Championship Series and play kicked off against the Trenton Thunder on Tuesday night with Akron losing at home 3-1. Right-hander Kevin Dixon, who was pitching for the first time since September 1st, suffered the loss allowing three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings while walking four and striking out four. Stephen Head led the offense with a 3-for-4 effort, while infielder Josh Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI double.

Akron tied things up last night in a nine inning game that lasted well over four hours by winning the marathon 13-10. Outfielder Bronson Sardinha was the star of the game going 4-for-5 with a double, inside the park home run, and four RBI. Today is a travel day, and the final three games of the best-of-five series are in Trenton on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (all games at 6:05 PM). Here are the pitching probables for the remainder of the series:

Game 3 (Friday, September 12): AKR LHP Ryan Edell at TRE RHP George Kontos
Game 4 (Saturday, September 13): AKR RHP Frank Herrmann at TRE RHP Jeff Marquez
Game 5 (Sunday, September 14): AKR TBA at TRE RHP Jason Jones

Also, Akron made a pair of roster moves on Tuesday activating right-handed reliever Scott Roehl from the inactive list and receiving right-hander Josh Tomlin from Class-A Kinston. Left-hander Chuck Lofgren and infielder Jared Head were removed from the roster.

A Quick Exit For Lake County

Lake County's season came to an unexpected halt on Saturday when they lost the deciding Game 3 of the South Atlantic League Northern Division Series. After putting up ten runs in a Game 1 road win last Wednesday, Lake County came home on Friday and Saturday and managed to put up just one run in the two games combined and played horrific defense in Game 2. The hitting woes and inconsistent defensive play was something that plagued the Captains all year, and unfortunately was on full display at the most inopportune time.

Even with the quick exit and end of their season, Lake County finished off their second most successful season since becoming the Single-A affiliate for the Indians in 2003. Next season looks very promising with young pitchers like T.J. McFarland, Chris Jones, Danny Salazar and Alexander Perez likely headlining the rotation, and some exciting young hitting prospects like Abner Abreu, Delvi Cid, Tim Fedroff, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Jeremie Tice in the lineup. (No, I did not forget Cord Phelps....he likely starts the year in Kinston)

English 101

I had a unique opportunity this past week to speak with a former English instructor at the Indians spring training complex in Winter Haven. The Indians are one of the few teams in baseball that have an organized English program. Almost all of the Latin players come to spring training with a basic or beginner level of English, some are even better, and the average player who attends classes is very good at communicating in English. Many of the Latin players attend one of the Indians baseball academies in Venezuela or the Dominican Republic where they also have to attend English classes before coming stateside to spring training.

English classes start in spring training for any player that needs to learn the language and the classes continue throughout the year for those that remain in extended spring training. Classes are held three to four times a week and for two hours in the evening. Players take the classes seriously and the instructors keep them interesting by making them fun since players are attending these classes after playing baseball all day. Instructors know that the players would get bored easily if they were just presented with grammar rules or they made them listen and repeat. The main goal is for the players to be able to communicate and understand the other players and coaches on the team who speak English. In addition, the players also have seminars in cultural issues and how the United States government works, etc since the Indians want to develop the players as more well rounded people than just baseball players.

Scrappers 10th Anniversary Team

Late last week Mahoning Valley released their all-time Scrapper team based on voting from fans at Eastwood Field and online at www.mvscrappers.com. Fans voted all season, and the following players were voted as the top former Scrapper players since their affiliation with the Indians began in 1999:

P- Fausto Carmona- ‘02
P- Jensen Lewis- ‘05
P- Tony Sipp- ‘04
P- Aaron Laffey- ‘04
P- CC Sabathia- ‘99
Relief Pitcher- Neil Wagner- ‘06
C- Victor Martinez-‘99
1B- Todd Martin- ‘07
2B- Joe Inglett- ‘00
3B- Kevin Kouzamanoff- ‘03
SS- Josh Rodriguez- ‘06
OF- Ryan Church- ‘00
OF- Ben Francisco- ‘02
OF- Brad Snyder- ‘03
Manager- Travis Fryman- ‘08

Mahoning Valley Notebook

Outfielder Donnie Webb was the most improved player by season's end. After hitting just .112 with a .317 OPS in June (13 games) and hitting .218/.564 in July (25 games), Webb finished strong by hitting .319/.868 in August (13 games). Webb probably benefiting most from some hands on instruction he finally got near the end of July. During the first 30 days of the season he was on his own because of the Indians mandated 30 day policy where coaches and instructors are not allowed to change or correct any issues they are seeing. Always the hard worker, once Webb was able to sit down with coaches and work on his issues he settled in and finished strong before missing the last two weeks of the season with a knee injury. ... Second baseman Cord Phelps had a nice sendoff in the final game of the season on Saturday night when he hit his first two home runs of the season. The switch-hitter homered from each side of the plate, which had never been achieved before. Phelps finished the year hitting .306 with 2 HR, 22 RBI, and an .811 OPS in 36 games, and will spend his offseason going back to school at Stanford University working toward a degree in human biology. ... Manager Travis Fryman will return as a coach next season. He was asked by the Indians if he was interested in returning next year as a coach, to which he responded with a resounding "absolutely". While nothing has been made official, it is by Fryman's request that he return to Mahoning Valley. ... Sometime this winter Mahoning Valley will introduce a new look as they are changing their logo and colors for next year. They will still be called the Scrappers, but plan to revise the logo and update their color scheme sometime before the holidays. ... Mahoning Valley's record of 31-44 is the second-worst record in franchise history (26-49 in 2001). The Scrappers fifth place finish in the Pinckney Division is their worst ever. ... In 36 home games, Mahoning Valley's total attendance was 123,346 fans and they averaged 3,426 fans-per-game, both of which were all time lows for the franchise.

Photos courtesy of Inland Empire, Kinston Indians, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, and Lake County Captains.

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Playoff Recap: 9/10

Seven-Run 8th Lifts Aeros in Wild 13-10 Win
Series Tied 1-1; Game 3 Friday at Trenton

AKRON, OH – The Aeros blew a five-run lead, scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth, then watched as Trenton rallied and got the tying run to the plate in the ninth before Erik Stiller finally recorded the elusive 27th out as Akron outlasted the Thunder 13-10 in game two of the Eastern League Championship Series Wednesday night at Canal Park. The best-of-five series is now even at a game apiece, with game three set for 6:05 p.m. Friday night in Trenton.

Stephen Head’s sacrifice fly put Akron ahead 1-0 in the first, and the Aeros tallied three times in the third on a two-run single by Wes Hodges and a run-scoring wild pitch. The Thunder got on the board in the fourth with an RBI single by James Cooper, but Bronson Sardinha lined a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-1. Sardinha would have settled for a triple on the play, but alertly saw Trenton infielder Reegie Corona with his back to the plate after receiving the throw from Edwar Gonzalez, and raced the final 90 feet for his first post-season home run.

The Thunder erased every bit of the margin in the next three innings however, scoring three times in the fifth while knocking starter J.D. Martin from the game, and then getting a pair of run-scoring groundouts in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 6-6 and deflate the crowd of 3,374 who braved the brisk temperatures.

Akron was undeterred however, rebounding from the disappointment with a season high-tying seven runs in the bottom of the eighth. Wyatt Toregas opened the inning with a single to left, which third baseman Kevin Russo couldn’t get to since he was guarding the line. Matt Whitney the followed with the first sacrifice bunt of his career to advance Toregas to second, and after a walk to Nathan Panther, Brandon Pinckney somehow squeezed an RBI double between Russo and the chalk to score pinch-runner Brandon Chaves with the go-ahead run. The Aeros were far from finished though, as another walk to Josh Rodriguez loaded the bases and Sardinha hammered a fastball into the right field corner for a two-run double and a 9-6 lead. Matt LaPorta followed with an RBI single, two runs scored on a throwing error by shortstop Ramiro Pena, and Whitney capped the inning with a sac fly. It almost wasn’t enough.

An error by Hodges opened the top of the ninth, but after a walk closer Randy Newsom got a fielder’s choice and an RBI groundout as Trenton had a man at second with two outs, trailing 13-7. Then Pena walked. And Austin Jackson followed with a two-run double to left-center to make it 13-9. And Chris Malec plated Jackson with an RBI base hit to center to make it 13-10. And Colin Curtis walked, bringing the potential tying run to the plate. Finally, with manager Mike Sarbaugh down to his last available bullpen arm, Stiller got P.J. Pilittere on a sharp grounder to second to end the game.

Neil Wagner (2-0) earned the win after retiring the only man he faced in the eighth, while Kevin Whelan (1-1) suffered the loss. Stiller’s save was his first of the post-season. Sardinha was the star at the plate, going 4-5 with a double, a homer, three runs scored and four RBI, while Hodges went just 1-5 but drove in his first three runs of the playoffs. The Thunder left nine men in scoring position over the last seven innings.

Game three in this best-of-five series is set for 6:05 p.m. Friday in Trenton, with Ryan Edell (1-0, 1.23 ERA) going for Akron and George Kontos making his first start of the playoffs for Trenton. The game broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

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Playoff Recap: 9/9

Thunder Claim Game 1 3-1, Lead Series 1-0
Game 2 Wednesday at Canal Park

AKRON, OH – Trenton scored the two deciding runs in the top of the sixth and the Aeros were unable to answer late, falling to the Thunder 3-1 in game one of the Eastern League Championship Series before 3,327 fans at Canal Park Tuesday. Akron will look to even the best-of-five series Wednesday evening at 7:05 p.m.

Trenton struck first with a run in the first off Aeros starter Kevin Dixon, who was pitching for the first time since September 1st after not being needed in the first round triumph over Bowie. An understandably rusty Dixon walked two of the first three hitters, and Chris Malec then capitalized with a smash to center that ricocheted off the glove of a diving Josh Rodriguez at second base, scoring Reegie Corona and making it 1-0.

Akron answered in the third, as Wyatt Toregas worked a leadoff walk from Trenton starter Eric Hacker and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Chaves. Rodriguez then knotted the score at 1-1, driving an RBI double to right-center.

The tide would turn in the sixth however, as a double from Ramiro Pena and a single from Austin Jackson put runners at second and third to start the inning. Malec delivered a sacrifice fly to put Trenton back in front by a run, and after a groundout and a walk, Francisco Cervelli lined an RBI single to center on the first pitch from reliever Erik Stiller to make it 3-1. The Aeros managed to get the tying run to the plate in each of the final three innings, but couldn’t come through with the big hit to chip away at the deficit.

Hacker (2-0) earned the win with a quality start, limiting Akron to just a run on three hits in six innings (the Aeros had only four hits in the game). Dixon (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing three runs on five hits in 5.2 innings while walking four and striking out four. Left-hander Michael Dunn worked 1.1 innings of hitless relief for Trenton, and Jhonny Nunez followed by recording the last five outs for his second save. Stephen Head led the offense with a 3-4 effort, while Rodriguez was 1-3 with a walk and the RBI double.

Game two in this best-of-five series is set for 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Canal Park, with J.D. Martin (0-1, 5.40 ERA) going for Akron and Christian Garcia making his first start of the playoffs for Trenton. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

2008 K-Tribe Wrapup

A rough start and an even rougher finish doesn’t tell the whole story of the roller coaster ride of a season that was 2008. In between the first and final months of the season, the K-Tribe was one of the best teams in the Carolina League riding high behind Carolina League MVP Beau Mills, All-Star infielder Niuman Romero and some improved young pitching. The K-Tribe finished the season with a 72-66 overall record, the third best in the Carolina League, but an end of August stretch where the K-Tribe lost 11 of 13 games ended Kinston’s playoff hopes and kept Kinston out of the post season for the first time since 2000.

Maybe it was foreshadowing a crazy year as the K-Tribe’s 2008 campaign did not start off well, or for a time at all. Kinston’s season opening series against Winston-Salem at Historic Grainger Stadium was delayed, postponed and cancelled. Game one was suspended in the third inning, when a city wide power outage turned the lights out. The last two games of the series did not happen due to rain. When the season finally got underway, Kinston’s youth showed, especially on the mound. The K-Tribe started the season with the youngest team in recent memory, including a starting pitching staff with an average age of 21. Kinston won just eight games in the month of April, wrapping up the month with the Carolina League’s worst record. The K-Tribe was never mired in a long losing streak (they did not lose more than three games in a row in April), but they couldn’t string together any wins. Kinston did not win consecutive games until the 28th and 29th of April. It wasn’t how you wanted to find certain facts out, but Kinston’s awful April gave time to look back at how dominant Kinston clubs had been in the first half of the season over the last half decade. Kinston’s 8-15 April record was the first losing month for the K-Tribe since July of 2005. Potomac’s sweep of Kinston in the second weekend of April was the first time Kinston had been swept in the first half of a Carolina League season in more than five years. Kinston had not even lost three games in a row in April in the last five years.

The K-Tribe’s 8-15 start and league high 4.49 ERA in April was quickly forgotten with some great play in May and June. Kinston won 17 games in each of the two months, winning the second most games of any team in the Carolina League over that same span. The K-Tribe moved into second place in the Carolina League Southern Division on May 26th, but had dug too deep of a hole to catch Myrtle Beach. The Pelicans ran away with the Southern Division first half title, as Kinston was denied a first half championship for the first time since 2003.

The first half had plenty of great highlights, including the Mid-Season All-Star selections of Steven Wright, Josh Tomlin, Niuman Romero and Luis Perdomo. Perdomo, Kinston’s closer, dominated the Carolina League in the first half racking up a 3-1 record with a 0.92 ERA and a League high 18 saves. Perdomo also picked up the save at the All-Star game as the Carolina League beat the California League 3-1 at Myrtle Beach. It was the beginning of a crazy year for Perdomo who was called up to Akron after the All-Star Break then traded to St. Louis a month later. Steven Wright, the only experienced starter in the K-Tribe’s rotation, looked great going 2-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 14 starts before getting a call up to Akron before the All-Star Game. Niuman Romero took advantage of a chance to play every day and turned it into a career season. Romero played just eight times and hit .185 in April, but an injury on the Kinston infield put him into a starting role and he responded. Romero hit .303 in May on his way to a .296 batting average on the season (the 5th best batting average in the CL) with a career high six home runs and 53 RBI. Romero put together a 21 game hit streak from June 22nd to July 21st, hitting an astounding .440 during the run. It ended up as the longest hit streak in the Carolina League for 2008. K-Tribe pitcher Josh Tomlin went from the bullpen to the starting rotation to the bullpen, but always dominated on the mound for Kinston. Tomlin ended the season 9-5 with a 2.98 ERA in 40 appearances (nine starts). Tomlin had an unbelievable 109 strikeouts to 16 walks in 102.2 innings.

Kinston starting pitcher Hector Rondon was a great example of the K-Tribe’s young pitching staff developing and turning the Indian’s season around. Rondon recovered from a 0-2 record and a 5.57 ERA in April to turn in an 11-6 mark with a 3.60 ERA by the end of the season. Rondon ended the season fourth in the Carolina League in wins, second in strikeouts (145) and eighth in ERA. Rondon was also chosen for the MLB Futures Game during the big league All-Star Break in New York. Rondon pitched a perfect inning at Yankee Stadium during the World’s victory over the USA futures. The K-Tribe’s Carlton Smith rebounded from an up and down first half to end up winning 12 games, tied for the most in the Carolina League. Kinston’s Jeanmar Gomez saved his best month for last going 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in six starts in August.

With improved play, Kinston started the second half of the season poised to capture a playoff spot and bolted out into first place. Kinston first baseman Beau Mills led the charge and would end the season as the Carolina League MVP, just the 7th time a Kinston player had captured the honor. It was well deserved as Mills ended the season with 21 home runs, tied for the most in the Carolina League. Mills also finished 2nd in the Carolina League in RBI (90), 3rd in extra base hits (58) and slugging percentage (.506), 4th in hits (141) and 8th in batting average (.293). Mills also knocked down some K-Tribe records on his way through the MVP season. Mills tied the overall franchise record with 34 doubles and got into the K-Tribe record books with the 3rd most RBI ever and 4th best total base mark (244). Mills numbers would have been even more impressive, but he did not play in the last eight games of the season because of a quad injury.

As the last month of the season came, the K-Tribe was in a tight fight with Winston-Salem for the Wild Card spot as Myrtle Beach was running away with a second half title. Kinston seemed to cement their playoff hopes, by rattling off eight wins in a row from August 7th – August 15th. It was the longest win streak for Kinston since the 2004 season and put them 3 ½ games ahead of third place Winston-Salem with 15 games to play. The K-Tribe, however, followed their eight game win streak with an eight game losing streak from August 16th – August 23rd. The skid was the longest by a K-Tribe team in more than five years and coincided with a Winston-Salem hot streak, knocking Kinston out of the final playoff spot. Kinston ended up losing 11 of 13 games at the end of August as Winston-Salem ended up winning 11 of 15. With four games left in the regular season Winston-Salem wrapped up a playoff spot, keeping Kinston out of the post season for the first time since 2000. The seven year run was the longest playoff streak in Carolina League history.

Back on the field, Beau Mills, Niuman Romero and Luis Perdomo (even though Perdomo did not play a game for Kinston in the second half) all earned end of season All Star Selections from the Carolina League. Late season pick up Carlos Santana, a catcher traded from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for big leaguer Casey Blake, immediately impressed hitting .352 with six home runs and 34 runs scored in just 29 games with the K-Tribe. Santana made such an impression in the California League, his home before the trade, that he was voted the California’s League MVP even though he did not play their the last month of the season. Santana’s combined stats were unbelievable as he led all of Minor League Baseball with 125 runs scored and was second with 117 RBI. Kinston speedster Lucas Montero ended up with 60 stolen bases between Low A Lake County and Kinston, the sixth most in all of Minor League Baseball.

Although the K-Tribe’s record setting playoff streak ended at seven consecutive years, the youngest Indian’s team in recent memory gave the K-Tribe fans a lot to cheer about. The K-Tribe ended the season with a 72-66 overall record, the third best in the Carolina League and the most wins by an Indians team not to make the playoffs since 1989.

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Head's Athleticism On Display At Akron

After a controversial first round playoff series win, Akron is ready to play in the Eastern League Championship Series which kicks off tonight at 7:05 PM at Canal Park in Akron. The best-of-five series will see Game One and Game Two played at Akron tonight and tomorrow (Wednesday), with the series shifting to Trenton, NJ for Game Three on Friday, and if necessary Games Four and Five on Saturday and Sunday.

This is Akron's fourth straight appearance in the Eastern League Championship Series and their second consecutive matchup with Trenton in the Finals. After winning the league championship in 2003 and 2005, Akron has lost the last two years in the Finals.

One of the key cogs in the Akron lineup all year has been first baseman Stephen Head, a 2^nd round draft pick out of the University of Mississippi in 2005. After making an immediate impact in his draft year when he hit .308 with 10 HR and 50 RBI in just 57 combined games in Mahoning Valley and Kinston, Head fell off some with a sub-par year at Kinston in 2006 when he hit .235 with 14 HR, 73 RBI and a .694 OPS. Head showed signs of rebounding last year when he hit .256 with 16 HR, 79 RBI, and a .768 OPS in 128 combined games in Kinston and Akron, and continued to have success this year hitting .290 with 13 HR, 49 RBI and a .780 OPS at Akron in 106 games.

"This year has been great," said Head in a recent interview at Canal Park in Akron. "Other than some injuries that I have had this year that have limited my at bats, it has been a year I was hoping for."

Things did not start out so well for Head this year. When players broke camp in spring training Head remained in Winter Haven to continue to rehab his shoulder from offseason surgery. Head had surgery on the labrum in his right shoulder to correct an issue that resulted from being hit with a pitch in the middle of the 2007 season.

"I don't remember the exact day, but it was late June where I got hit by a pitch and my shoulder was hurting and I did not play for a day or two," responded Head. "I didn't think it was completely torn as I remember hitting a couple days after that and taking a swing and just being like 'wow, something is hurt'. But I didn't want to come out of the lineup, so I kept playing and I was able to play through it. But I definitely knew something was wrong."

Head played through the pain in the second half of last season and then had surgery on the shoulder a week after Akron's season concluded. Even though he was hurt, Head was sensational the final two weeks of the season and in the playoffs last year. In the last ten games of the regular season he hit .361 with 2 HR and 9 RBI, and then carried that into the Eastern League playoffs where he hit .367 with 3 HR, 8 RBI, and had a 1.133 OPS in eight games.

"I had to make an adjustment, because when I came up to Akron [halfway through the year] it was getting worse and worse and I just was not hitting that well," said Head. "So I had to make an adjustment to where it didn't hurt, and I just remember it was a specific at bat where I was hitting and I kind of moved my hands a little bit, got a base hit, and it wasn't the base hit that had me so excited I was like 'man, that didn't hurt'. So I did that and things just took off from there [the final few weeks of the season]."

After the surgery Head took it easy and did not participate in any baseball activities in the offseason as he rested and took part in loads of rehab to get the strength back in his shoulder. When spring training rolled around he was still limited in how much he could do and played sparingly in minor league games, and when camp broke he stayed behind in extended spring training. His stay in extended spring training was short as he only hung around for a week before he was cleared to play and sent to Akron on April 10th.

But, Head experienced some tough luck as after just five games Head was back on the disabled list, this time for a broken bone in his hand that was suffered while sliding into second base.

"I broke my hand stealing a base of all things," said Head. "The one thing I can't do really, and I break my hand doing it. I missed two and a half weeks. It was basically I go to Florida for two months until it heals, or suck it up and play after a couple weeks. I was like 'I don't want to go back to Winter Haven'. We are already out of there and I am done with it (laughs)."

Head went on the disabled list on April 16^th and returned on May 3^rd. Since his return he has remained healthy, although played through the rest of the season less than a 100% as he is still recovering from the shoulder surgery and is playing through the wrist injury.

"It is getting there," said Head. "The shoulder surgery requires basically a years worth of healing before it is even done. You add swinging on top of that and it probably prolongs the healing process. I am still probably a few months away from what would be considered healed under normal circumstances. I am still feeling the effects of it, but it is not bad when I am playing. It is things like when I am sleeping I wake up in the middle of the night and my arm is on fire. But baseball-wise it has been good so far."

Ever since that great start to his professional career in 2005 where Head hit .432 with 6 HR, 15 RBI and a 1.560 OPS in just ten games at Mahoning Valley, Head's career had sort of stalled until his late season resurgence last year. After taking that step back, Head appears to have made some good progress toward re-establishing himself as a top prospect in the system.

"You know, the one thing I think that was the key for me this year is I had a lot of extra base hits last year," said Head. "That's kind of my thing and what I am going to do. I am not going to beat out infield singles. I am not a real speed guy. I am a guy that puts balls into the gaps and hopes some go over the fence, and I did that pretty well last year but I think I only hit around .260. So it is give or take. This year I really wanted to focus on maybe getting more singles and putting balls in play better and trying to get those extra hits. It really paid off this year. Not that I didn't hit as well last year, just my average is better this year. It is one of those things where I think I just have a little better approach which led to me getting those hits which help out."

Going into this season, the Indians system was loaded with a lot of first baseman in the upper levels of the system with Ryan Mulhern (since traded) and Jordan Brown at Buffalo, Michael Aubrey and Matt Whitney at Akron, and top prospect Beau Mills down in Kinston. Due to the roster crunch, the Indians moved Head into the outfield halfway through the season last year because of his athleticism. Head is clearly the organization's best defensive first base prospect, but a move to the outfield gave the Indians the flexibility they needed to move Head up and not affect the playing time of the other first baseman.

"[The move to the outfield] has gone well," said Head. "I mean, I love playing defense. There are probably not a lot of guys who say they like to go out and make a great play, but I love going out there being able to run and dive or do something that people are just like 'wow, that's a great play'. As I like to always say, 'making web gems'. I really take pride in my defense because I have fun with it, which translates into being better defensively whether it is right field or first base since I am looking for that play."

Even still, moving from first base to the outfield does present its challenges.

"You know what, the hardest [thing to learn in the outfield] is learning to field the balls off the end of the bat," said Head. "Everyone is yelling 'In! In! In!' and you are thinking they are going over your head. So those are the hardest ones. As long as it is not hit right at me I am alright. If I can see it from side to side I usually do pretty well."

After some initial struggles, Head has taken to the new position well and now can play both first base and the outfield. Head now splits times at both positions, as he played 56 games at first base and 42 games in the outfield this year. The Indians love versatility, and with Head already being an accomplished defensive player at first base and growing as an outfielder, it has helped his standing in the organization.

"I certainly like playing in the outfield," said Head. "You never want to move positions, but it is only going to help. First base is one of those positions where defense is kind of on the backburner because if you can get a guy that can just catch it but will hit you 50 home runs, then you are going to let him stand in there. So being able to go out there in the outfield and be pretty good defensively helps me out as well as being good defensively at first base. It does matter, because having that second option to where they are not worried about you being out there and ruining the game for them is good. So I am definitely excited about being able to play two positions."

Considering Head's background in athletics growing up, it is no wonder he handled his transition to the outfield with such ease. Head was an accomplished athlete in almost any sport growing up. Not only did he play baseball in high school, but he also played basketball, football and soccer.

"The high school I went to you could actually play four sports," recalled Head. "They were timed just right so I played basketball, baseball, football and soccer. Soccer was the same time as basketball, but the way our league was with a bunch of private schools everything was coordinated where if you had a basketball game that night you would have a soccer game that afternoon. But it was very rare that you would have two on the same day. You may have a basketball game the one day and a soccer game the next. All the schools are close, so it wasn't too bad. But I just did soccer to get my legs in shape for baseball season."

While Head was a multi-sport star in high school, baseball was always his primary focus.

"Baseball has always been my one thing," said Head. "It is the first sport I ever played, and will be the last one I continue to play."

Photos courtesy of Ken Carr

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A Big Thank You

Considering there is some time here before Akron's next playoff series and the season winds down as we wrap up another season of minor league baseball, I wanted to give a quick thanks to those who visit this site as well as TheClevelandFan.com to read the player stories as well as Minor Happenings or anything else minor league related. Grazi.

Things will continue to be business as usual here for the remainder of the month as I have three-four Minor Happenings pieces still planned and have six player articles coming (Stephen Head, Kevin Dixon, Chris Jones, Josh Judy, Jonathan Holt, and Brian Juhl). One of those Happenings pieces will be a special Mahoning Valley piece with interviews from my visit last week where I spoke to Cord Phelps, Trey Haley, Tim Fedroff, Heath Taylor and pitching coach Anthony Medrano. And, as always, the final Happenings piece will be my year end awards at the end of this month.

That said, while the season is coming to a close, things will be as hectic as ever this offseason. As most of you may know, I put together my first Indians Top Prospect book last year and will be doing so this year again. This time there should be even more info and nuggets included as the book that had about 75 scouting reports last year could have 100 or more this year. More on this soon, but my target completion date is late November/early December so I have books in hand to ship out by the first week of December.

Also, I am thinking of upgrading the blog and taking it to an actual "site"....but I need to research how easy that may be to do and also the cost involved. If anyone out there knows more about this and would be willing to offer some advice or lend a hand in building a new site, please email me at tlastoria@gmail.com. One of the big reasons I want to move the site is because I want the freedom to be able to add more things, but mostly because I want to add some sort of discussion forum devoted completely to just the Indians prospects. I don't believe phpBB can be added to the Google blog sites, so would have to have my own to do it. If anyone has any experience setting up phpBB message boards, I would love your input on that too.

Also, if anyone is interested in contributing in some way to the site with any kind of opinion or analysis piece, by all means email me. I'd be looking for someone with some knowledge of the Indians farm system to provide some short opinion/analysis pieces from time to time to supplement the site. This would provide a good opportunity to anyone maybe looking to get into the writing field, or offer an outlet for those estalished in their careers but love to talk prospects.

If anyone has any suggestions of things they would like to see added, changed or removed in regard to the site, please let me know. I value honest feedback that is positive or negative.

And as a reminder, just because the season is over does not mean there will be no more coverage of the Indians minor league system. With minor league free agency, the Rule 5 Draft, roster decisions, rankings, trades, and so on to occur between October through February, there will be a lot to talk about before I kick coverage off on the 2009 season in late March from spring training in Arizona.

Thanks again for the support.

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Scott Lewis Called Up To Cleveland

(Congrats to Mr. Lewis)

CLEVELAND, OH-- The Cleveland Indians today announced the club has recalled LHP SCOTT LEWIS from the AA Akron Aeros.

Lewis, 24, began the 2008 season in extended spring training recovering from a strained left lat muscle suffered during spring training. He was then transferred to AA Akron on June 6 where he went 6-2 with a 2.33 ERA (73.1IP, 62H, 22R/19ER, 9BB, 61K) in 13 starts for the Aeros. He was promoted to AAA Buffalo on August 14 and went 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA (24.0IP, 19H, 8R/7ER, 4BB, 21K) in 4 starts at Buffalo. Combined during the regular season at AA Akron and AAA Buffalo he was 8-4 with a 2.40 ERA (97.1IP, 81H, 30R/26ER, 13BB, 82K) in 17 starts.

The Indians 3rd round selection (77th overall) in 2004 from Ohio State University, Lewis was transferred back to AA Akron following the conclusion of the Bisons season and added to Akron’s playoff roster. He started game 1 of the AA Eastern League playoffs on September 3 vs. Bowie and did not receive a decision in Akron’s 6-5 victory (5.2IP, 7H, 3R/ER, BB, 3K). He will be making his Major League debut and will wear #46.

The Indians Major League roster now consists of 32 players—seventeen (17) pitchers, three (3) catchers, seven (7) infielders and five (5) outfielders. The 40-man roster now stands at 39.

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Playoff Recap: 9/6

Aeros Take Southern Division Title with Win
EL Championship Series Begins Tuesday Night

AKRON, OH – Indians rehabber Travis Hafner and Matt LaPorta each powered home runs and Frank Herrmann worked seven excellent innings as the Aeros took Game 4 of the Southern Division Championship Series at Canal Park Saturday night, 5-1 over the Bowie Baysox. The Aeros claimed their fourth straight Southern Division pennant, and will face the Trenton Thunder in the Eastern League Championship Series for the second straight year.

For the second consecutive night, Hafner’s bat jolted the Akron offense early. Matt LaPorta worked a full count, fouling off several pitches before drawing a walk with two away in the bottom of the first. Hafner then blasted a Chris Tillman offering into the bleachers in right to give Akron a 2-0 lead.

In the third inning, Brandon Chaves drew a walk to lead off and Josh Rodriguez singled to put runners on first and second. LaPorta then loaded the bases with a single off the forearm of Bowie starter Chris Tillman, who was immediately pulled from the game. Ryan Keefer came on and hit Hafner with his first pitch to bring in a run, and a wild pitch allowed another run to score to make it 4-0. Akron’s final run came on a one-out, solo blast by LaPorta in the fifth for his third home run of the series.

Herrmann did not need that much support as he dominated the Baysox over seven innings. The right-hander did not allow a run until the seventh inning when Carlos Rojas led off with a double, moved to third on a fly out, and scored on a Matt Weiters grounder, but by that point the Aeros were happy to trade runs for outs.

Herrmann (1-0) was the winner, allowing just three hits with no walks and one strikeout. Tillman (0-1) took the loss, surrendering four runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Reid Santos and Randy Newsom each tossed scoreless innings of relief to close the game and the Southern Division pennant. LaPorta was 2-3 with a homer, a walk and two runs, and Hafner drove in three with a homer.

The Aeros now advance to the Eastern League Championship Series for a rematch of the 2007 series against the Trenton Thunder, a series the Thunder won in four games. Game one in the best-of-five series is set for 7:05 p.m. Tuesday night at Canal Park, and starting pitchers have yet to be announced for the contest. The game broadcast begins at 6:50 p.m. on SportsRadio 1350 AM and online at www.akronaeros.com.

CAPTAINS FALL IN GAME THREE, SEASON OVER

(Eastlake, OH) – The West Virginia Power has eliminated the Lake County Captains from the South Atlantic League playoffs with 4-1 win on Saturday. The Captains had won game one of the best of three but the Power swept both games in Eastlake and the Captains second most successful season has come to a close.

The Power scored the first run of the game in the first inning when with runners at first and third, Captains starter Erik Berger balked home Eric Farris from third and it was 1-0. The Captains tied it up in the fourth when Matt Brown doubled off of Power starter Lucas Luetge to drive Dustin Realini home from first and it was 1-1.

The Power scored three unearned runs in the eighth inning off of reliever Jonathan Holt when with two outs Steffan Wilson reached on an error by Captains third baseman Karexon Sanchez. After an Intentional walk to Caleb Gindl, Zelous Wheeler singled home Wilson and then Curt Rindal doubled home Gindl and Wheeler to make it 4-1.

Holt took the loss going 2.1 innings and allowing the three unearned runs on three hits. Mike Ramlow got the win hurling 3.1 scoreless innings in relief. Rob Wooten recorded the save pitching the final 1.1 innings.

The Captains 2009 home opener will be Thursday April 9th against the Hagerstown Suns, the Class “A” affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Season ticket and mini game plans are on sale at the Classic Park box office, by phone at 440-954-WINS(9467) or at captainsbaseball.com.

SCRAPPERS SHUTOUT DOUBLEDAYS 3-0 TO END THE SEASON

In the final game of the season the Scrappers started things off with a bang as Cord Phelps hit a two out solo home run in the bottom of the first giving the Scrappers a 1-0 lead after the first.

The Scrappers tacked on their second run in the fifth when Brock Simpson doubled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from Ryan Blair making it 2-0 after five innings.

In the seventh the Scrappers tacked on a third when Phelps hit a solo home run, his second of the night and the first Scrapper to hit two home runs in a game this season.

The Scrappers used four relievers along with the starting work of Russell Young to finish off the Doubledays on just three base hits and the Scrappers won the final game of the season 3-0.

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Playoff Recap: 9/5

DH Travis Hafner will be in the lineup again for Akron in Game Four on Saturday evening.

Hafner’s Slam Powers Akron to 6-2 Win
Edell Shines as Well, Aeros Claim 2-1 Series Edge

AKRON, OH – A rehabbing Travis Hafner drilled a grand slam to cap a five-run rally in the bottom of the second, and the Aeros sat back and allowed starter Ryan Edell to do the rest in a crucial 6-2 win over Bowie in game three of the Southern Division Championship Series before 4,768 fans at Canal Park Friday night. The Aeros took a two games to one lead in the best-of-five series, with game four set for 6:05 p.m. Saturday night in Akron.

The Aeros struck first for the second straight night, as the duo of Josh Rodriguez and Bronson Sardinha combined for a run once again. Rodriguez sliced a leadoff triple into right-center field on the second pitch of the night from Bowie starter David Hernandez, and Sardinha singled him home with a soft liner the opposite way to left for a 1-0 lead. Akron would go on to lead the bases with no one out in the bottom of the first, but Hernandez escaped the jam with no further damage. He would not be as fortunate in the second, however.

After Matt Whitney bounced to first to start the second, Wyatt Toregas followed with a nice at-bat in which he fouled off a pair of two-strike offerings before lacing a double inside the third base bag. Hernandez came back and got Brandon Chaves on a fly to left, but then couldn’t put away any of the next three hitters. He had two strikes on Rodriguez but lost him on a full-count walk, and Sardinha followed on another full count with a grounder to third that ate up Jeff Nettles for an infield single as Toregas scored to make it 2-0. Matt LaPorta then worked Hernandez for another walk on the third straight full count, loading the bases and setting the stage for Hafner. After taking a pitch low for ball one, the slugger crushed a fastball right down the middle, sending it off the scoreboard in right-center field while pushing the lead to 6-0.

The Aeros managed just a walk and two infield singles the rest of the way, but Edell ensured they wouldn’t need any insurance. He allowed a hit in each of the first three innings, but after walking Matt Weiters to open the fourth proceeded to record 13 straight outs before Blake Davis chased him from the game with a one-out double in the eighth. Bowie would get on the board in that eighth inning on a two-run double from Nolan Reimold, and then got the tying run to the on-deck circle in the ninth before Tony Sipp induced a game-ending double play from pinch-hitter Brian Peterson to finish it off.

Edell (1-0) earned the win with a masterful outing, surrendering just a run on four hits in 7.1 innings. He walked one and struck out seven. Hernandez (0-1), who had gone 5-0 with a 2.84 ERA in six starts in August, was ejected after the second inning but probably wouldn’t have seen the third anyway. He was roughed up for six runs and five hits in two frames, with three walks and only one strikeout (he led the league in Ks in the regular season). Hafner finished 1-3 with the grand slam, while Rodriguez had two hits and two runs scored for the second straight night and Sardinha drove in two runs for the second straight night as well.

Game four in the series is set for 6:05 p.m. Saturday, with Akron’s Frank Herrmann (11-6, 4.10 ERA) squaring off against Bowie’s Chris Tillman (11-4, 3.18 ERA). Herrmann was 1-1 with a 3.68 ERA in four starts against the Baysox in the regular season, while Tillman was 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA in seven starts against Akron. Hafner will be in the lineup again for the Aeros. The game broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. on WHLO-AM 640 and online at www.akronaeros.com.

CAPTAINS FALL TO POWER, SERIES TIED AT 1-1

(Eastlake, OH) – The West Virginia Power forced a decisive game three of the series defeating the Lake County Captains 10-0 on Friday. Like the Captains did on Wednesday, the Power scored early and often scoring nine runs in the first two innings and never looked back.

The Power put up five runs in the first inning off of Captains starter Chris Archer on a two RBI double from Steffan Wilson and a three run home run from Zelous Wheeler to take a quick 5-0 lead. The Power scored four more runs in the second inning. Two runs scored on a throwing error by Archer, a third on a wild pitch and the fourth on a RBI single by Curt Rindal and the lead was upped to 9-0. It went to 10-0 when Lee Haydel homered off of Joanniel Montero in the sixth inning.

Archer took the loss lasting only 1.1 innings and allowing nine runs, seven earned, on seven hits and he walked three. Montero was outstanding out of the Captains bullpen pitching 6.1 innings and allowing a run on six hits. Evan Anundsen got the win going seven scoreless innings and allowing only two hits, walking one and striking out six.

The Captains and Power will play game three of the series on Saturday at Classic Park in Eastlake, with game time at 7:05 PM. The Captains will send LHP Erik Berger (0-0, 2.08) to the mound to face the Power’s LHP Lucas Luetge (2-1, 3.72).

In Regular Season Action...

DOUBLEDAYS WIN RAIN SHORTENED GAME 3-2

On a rainy night at Eastwood Field the Auburn Doubledays scored first in the first off of Scrappers starter Kaimi Mead. Brian Van Kirk doubled in the first run of the game. Only to see the Scrappers respond in the in the first to tie the game up at 1-1 on a RBI single from Jeremie Tice.

The Doubledays added two runs in the fifth on a sacrifice flay and a RBI single from Brian Van Kirk and the Doubledays took the lead for the first time 3-1 after five innings.

The Scrappers added a run in the fifth on a throwing error and the Doubledays lead was cut to one at 3-2 after six innings.

Then in the top of the seventh the heavy rains started and the game was called in the top of the seventh as an official game 3-2 Doubledays.

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