Rule 5 In Review

Since it's been a relatively quiet off-season for the Indians, most of the talk has been about the 40-man roster and concern about the Rule 5 Draft. There has been a lot of confusion over who is eligible and who the Indians might lose in the draft. For those who don’t know how it works and want to get more info on it, take a look on this site and you can find that Tony has explained it many times. I wanted to quickly just touch on the monetary side of the draft. If you select a player, you must pay his team 50K for the selection; if that player doesn’t make the team’s 25-man roster then he can be returned to the original team if the original team is willing to pay a 25K return fee.

This article is a five year look back at the Rule 5 drafts to help give an idea of who typically gets taken in the draft. I tried my best to locate every trade, but I admit I might have missed one or two as many of these players have little or no information on them, thanks to the fact that few of them actually play any significant time in the majors. One thing to keep in mind is that when I talk of trades I mean trades where teams work out a deal to keep a player they selected and send him to the minors. I am not counting deals where Rule 5 selections are traded on draft day. In addition, I would list a player as an SP if that was what he primarily did the season before in the minors; most pitchers even when SP in the minors are going to be a MR if they get taken in the Rule 5 draft.

2003

In the 2003 Rule 5 there were a total of 20 selections, only 7 of which were kept (roughly 1/3). There was one trade which most Indians fans will remember: the Indians traded a selected player, Willy Taveras, along with Luke Scott for Jeriome Robertson. While a stinker of a deal now, I can’t fault the Indians for trading for a lefty coming off a 15 win season in a hitter’s park. The break down of players selected in the draft is as follows:

SP 1 (5%)
MR 12 (60%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 1 (5%)
2B 0 (0%)
SS 2 (10%)
3B 0 (0%)
UTIL 2 (10%)
OF 2 (10%)

Indians selected: 4 (20%)

The four Indians selected in the draft were Willy Taveras, Hector Luna, Lino Urdaneta, and Matt White. Of these players only Luna was not offered back to the Tribe. The biggest name selected in the draft was either Taveras or Chris Shelton to Detroit. In other words, it’s not like any all stars were taken this year. I have listed the category of a utility player here for the first time – this is a player who logs 50 or more games at multiple infield positions.

2004

In the 2004 Rule 5 Draft there were 12 players selected and of those only 3 were kept. There were no deals and the Indians did not have any selected this year. The break down this year was:

SP 3 (25%)
MR 5 (42%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 0 (0%)
2B 0 (0%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 1 (8%)
UTIL 0 (0%)
OF 3 (25%)

Of the players kept, the player who hasn’t gotten much publicity is Andy Sisco, someone people made a big deal of when he was first drafted but who has really failed to do much since then. The best player selected in this draft was Shane Victorino, but he was not actually kept. Victorino could not make the Philly squad, but the Dodgers didn’t want to pay the money for the return fee so Philly was able to keep him. It’s undoubtedly a mistake the Dodgers regret to this day as the return fee is virtually nothing.

2005

In the 2005 draft there were again 12 selections and only 3 players kept. I also found no trades and zero Indians selected. The break down this year was:

SP 2 (17%)
MR 8( 67%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 0 (0%)
2B 1 (8%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 0 (0%)
UTIL 0 (0%)
OF 1 (8%)

The big player that was selected during this year was Dan Uggla, who moved from Arizona to Florida. Another interesting aspect of this draft was pitcher Victor Santos, who was selected, stayed on roster all year, and then was cut after the season was over. Now three years into this review we see that the draft is dominated by MR arms, specifically players who were MR in the minors.

2006

This year there was a rise in both players selected and kept. There were 19 players taken and 4 kept, but the percentage of players kept dropped to 21%. There were also two trades that happened this season. The first player taken was an Indian, Ryan Goleski, but I am sure Oakland wishes they had taken Josh Hamilton instead. Here is the break down for the draft:

SP 1 (5%)
MR 10 (53%)
C 3 (15%)
1B 1 (5%)
2B 0 (0%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 0 (0%)
UTIL 2 (11%)
OF 2 (11%)

Indians selected: 2 (11%)

This is the most interesting draft in this five year cycle because not only were there two Indians taken, but one all-star and one soon to be all-star were selected. The two Indians were Ryan Goleski and Jim Ed Warden, both of who were returned to the Tribe. The all-star players that year were Josh Hamilton and Joakim Soria. Both players were surprise picks at the time but have looked like genius since then. Hamilton had been so long out of the game and Soria had never played above A ball. They were both well-thought of though and ended up being the 2^nd and 3^rd players selected in the draft.

2007

Last year’s draft saw a total of 18 players drafted, and of those 18 only 3 were kept. Once again the percentage of players kept this time was around 17%. In terms of trades there were a total of four, so a lot more players were able to stay with the team that selected them. There were two Indians selected and one of them, Brian Barton, was one of the players kept. Here is the break down:

SP 2 (11%)
MR 12 (67%)
C 0 (0%)
1B 0 (0%)
2B 1 (5%)
SS 0 (0%)
3B 1 (5%)
UTIL 0 (0%)
OF 2 (11%)

Indians selected: 2 (11%)

With this draft there was no marquee name. It can be argued that Barton did the most of any player that was kept as the other two were middle relievers that didn’t show much. Once again the draft was dominated by guys who teams take a flier on to see if they can help the pen. After all, 50K is cheaper than even the minimum FA contract.

5-Year Total

Now, if the data from the past five years is added together, it is possible to see what and who a team like the Indians could lose. In the five year cycle there were 81 players selected and a total of 21 kept, so roughly only 26% of all players selected stick. The average amount of players selected every year is 16, which basically means an average of four players leaving teams. In that same time there were 7 trades, so it also seems a lot of teams were unwilling to trade a prospect that was selected from their team. Here is the break down:

SP 9 (11%)
MR 47 (57%)
C 0 (4%)
1B 2 (2%)
2B 2 (2%)
SS 2 (2%)
3B 2 (2%)
UTIL 4 (5%)
OF 10 (12%)

Indians selected: 8 (10%)

What these data show (to me, at least) is that the main use of the Rule 5 Draft is to find bullpen help. There are also a decent amount of outfielders and starting pitching, but by and large the draft is dominated by bullpen help. It is a bit disturbing to see 10% of all players selected come from the Indians. One might think, well, on a positive note, in the cycle only two Indians were lost by being selected and kept on roster the whole year, except that if you take the two out of the total players it means that of all the players kept in the last five years, 10% were from the Indians. The two players the Indians lost were Brian Barton and Hector Luna, so it goes against the rest of the data since you would expect at least one of the lost players to be a bullpen arm.

I believe the Indians will have two to three players selected, but I also expect most of them to be returned. Looking at all the data, I feel the most likely to be selected and lost is Jordan Brown (advanced bat and plays multiple positions). I expect some team to take a chance on Neil Wagner because of his velocity and the fact that he’s a bullpen guy. On a team like SD or Bal, why not roster a guy who can get it up there at 98; the only issue is that he spent a good chunk of the year in A.

I would not be shocked to see anyone else taken, but every other player has some detracting issue. Stephen Head plays the best first base in the whole system and had a solid year, but the previous lackluster seasons and lack of patience at the plate might scare teams. Lofgren has a lot of talent, but this year was very rough and the jump from AA to the majors is huge. Randy Newsom had another great year, but some still view him as a gimmick pitcher. If a 2^nd or 3^rd player is selected I would expect it to come from that group.

I personally think every one of these guys can help the Indians at some point and hope none get selected, but at the same time I just see no way the Indians get through this year unscathed. The draft is quickly approaching and I know everyone here will be checking the results – let’s just hope there aren’t too many Indians on it.

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Weekend Update: Michigan Week

It is Ohio State vs. Michigan today (Go Bucks!), and time for another Saturday rundown to recap all the happenings in the Indians system from this past week:

• There has been a lot of talk the past few weeks about third baseman Wes Hodges defensive issues. The Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a story on him this week, and in Baseball America's Indians Top 10 rankings which came out this week they did not include Hodges in the listing because of his defense.
  
  In doing some of my final research for my upcoming Indians prospect rankings, I came cross a quote from a highly respected scout I spoke to about Hodges in June this year at Akron:
  
  "I think he is better this year than last year. His bat profiles at first or third base, but I think he will play enough to stay at third. His body is better this year and it appears he has firmed it up. In instructional League in 2006 he had just signed and I heard good things about him in college and had never seen him, and when I saw him I thought ‘oh gosh he is going to have to firm up the body a little bit and show a little more agility and mobility', and he has done that. He has done a lot better this year than last, and he is going to play third base. He has enough agility and he makes all the plays, and I think he stays there. If I had to make the decision, I would not move him."
  
  Now, this is not a glowing endorsement by any means about his defense, but it hardly tears him apart either like some of the recent reports have of late. There seems to be two sides in play here and it is split right down the middle. You have one side that thinks he is just an atrocious defender and will be a liability at third base and will have to move to first base where his bat won't play up enough there as it would at third base. Then you have the other side who think he will be adequate defensively and make the routine plays at third base, and that his bat is too important to move from the position (for the record, I am in this camp).
  
  Just trying to bring some balance to the discussion, and show things are not as bad as some people have made them out to be of late in regard to Hodges. Yes, Hodges has some things he needs to correct with his defense, but let's see where he goes with it next year at Triple-A Columbus after some offseason work and six weeks of instruction in spring training and what adjustments he makes before we count this guy out as the eventual heir to the third base throne in Cleveland.

• Left-hander Chuck Lofgren was on our radio program Smoke Signals this past Thursday. Big ups to Chuck for coming on in what is really a difficult time for him on and off the field. I have nothing but big respect for anyone who can be that open and upfront when things are not going as they may want them to.
  
  Next week first baseman Jordan Brown will be our guest. Due to Turkey Day on Thursday, the show will be moved up to a special time on Tuesday Nov 25th at 8:00-9:00pm. The timing of this interview couldn't be any better considering he was just left off the 40-man roster, so it will be interesting to get his thoughts on that, the Rule 5 Draft, his offseason, his 2008 season, and what he is doing to prepare for 2009.

• The Indians released their 2009 Player Development staff alignment for next season. There were no major changes as all the managers will return to the teams they were with in 2008. In fact just about everyone is returning in some role next year except for former Buffalo hitting coach Dave Meyer who left the organization a month ago.
  
  The notable moves are Jon Nunnally going from Kinston to Columbus to serve as the hitting coach, and Ruben Niebla from Lake County to Akron to serve as the pitching coach. These two are hot coaches in the system and well respected and deserving of the promotion. Niebla will once again get to work with the likes of Hector Rondon, Jeanmar Gomez, Carlton Smith, and others he had at Lake County in 2007, and at some point in the year could work with some guys who get promoted from Kinston to Akron that he worked with this past season.
  
  One note, former Buffalo right-handed pitcher Jeff Harris has retired and is now looking to carve out a career as a pitching coach where he will start next year as the pitching coach for the rookie level Arizona League team.

• Late Thursday night the Indians finalized what minor league players would be added to the 40-man roster. As expected, five players were rostered: Carlos Santana (C), Hector Rondon (RHP), Trevor Crowe (OF), Chris Gimenez (C/INF/OF), and Jeff Stevens (RHP). For my extended thoughts on who was and was not added, check out my update from yesterday.

• Best of luck to infielder Matt Whitney who signed a minor league contract with an invite to spring training with the Washington Nationals last weekend. Whitney had an up and down career in his six and a half seasons with the Indians, and if not for the injuries who knows how different his career with the Indians may have gone. In any case, with the Indians crowded first base situation in Cleveland, Columbus and Akron next year, he did what was best for him and signed where he has a good chance at a major league job or getting regular playing time at Triple-A. He is a class guy, and will be missed.

• Play in the Arizona Fall League (AFL) wrapped up on Thursday. Here are the final stats for the Indians players who played out there:
  
  Wes Hodges (3B): .349 (38-109), 8 2B, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 3 BB, 20 K, .956 OPS, 8 errors
  Stephen Head (OF): .250 (7-28), 1 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 10 BB, 13 K, .749 OPS, 0 errors
  Beau Mills (1B): .239 (16-67), 4 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 BB, 22 K, .726 OPS, 3 errors
  Josh Rodriguez (SS): .169 (13-77), 6 2B, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 13 BB, 26 K, .532 OPS, 5 errors
  Josh Tomlin (RHP): 2-3, 6.43 ERA, 8 games, 28.0 IP, 36 H, 3 BB, 28 K, 1.39 WHIP
  Neil Wagner (RHP): 0-1, 5.59 ERA, 13 games, 19.1 IP, 18 H, 12 BB, 9 K, 1.55 WHIP
  Erik Stiller (RHP): 0-1, 9.37 ERA, 13 games, 16.1 IP, 27 H, 4 BB, 16 K, 1.90 WHIP
  Chuck Lofgren (LHP): 0-3, 32.14 ERA, 10 games, 7.0 IP, 19 H, 18 BB, 6 K, 5.29 WHIP

• Play in the Hawaii Winter League also wrapped up last weekend for Indians prospects out there. Here are their final stats:
  
  Matt McBride (OF): .278 (35-126), 10 2B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 14 BB, 19 K, .785 OPS, 0 errors
  Ron Rivas (SS): .234 (11-47), 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, 13 K, .535 OPS, 1 error
  Dustin Realini (3B): .175 (7-40), 2 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 9 BB, 16 K, .565 OPS, 2 errors
  Adam Davis (C): .096 (5-52), 4 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 13 BB, 21 K, .461 OPS, 0 errors
  Shawn Nottingham (LHP): 1-1, 3.60 ERA, 12 games, 20.0 IP, 17 H, 9 BB, 26 K, 1.30 WHIP
  Matt Meyer (LHP): 3-2, 6.32 ERA, 14 games, 15.2 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 18 K, 1.91 WHIP
  Heath Taylor (LHP): 0-0, 2.19 ERA, 4 games, 12.1 IP, 14 H, 4 BB, 9 K, 1.46 WHIP

• I have been receiving some e-mails from excited Tribe fans in the Columbus area itching to buy Columbus Clipper single game tickets and wanted to know when they will go on sale. According to a representative I spoke to at Columbus this week no date has been set for single game tickets to go on sale, but they expect them to go on sale in early December. Once the date is set it will be posted on their website at http://www.clippersbaseball.com/.

• Short-season Single-A affiliate Mahoning Valley released their 2009 schedule this week. In addition to that, a big announcement is planned on Wednesday December 3rd in the Eastwood Mall complex which is adjacent to the stadium. No word on what this big announcement is, but this is likely the unveiling of their new logo and team colors as mentioned here a few months ago.

• I have received a few questions asking when the new prospect list will be released and when the book will come out. I plan to start a daily prospect countdown on Monday December 1st, and hope to have a book ready for publishing by the middle of December. However, I am probably being overly optimistic there, and it may not be finished and ready for shipping until the first or second week of January. Again, the book will be much bigger and deeper this year. Last year there were 75-some prospects covered and this year I plan to do at least 100 and maybe as many as 125-150.

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Minor Happenings: Martin Is Back On The Radar

"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.

Wow, what an opening night in the playoffs last night for both Lake County and Akron. Lake County cruised to a 10-4 win in Game 1 of their best-of-three series and can wrap things up at home on Friday night (7:05 pm) in Game 2 or if necessary on Saturday night (7:05 pm) at home in Game 3. Outfielder Juan Valdes was the key player offensively going 2-for-4 with a HR and 4 RBI, and right-hander Joey Mahalic was outstanding going five shutout innings for the win.

Akron won their game 6-5 in 12 innings, blowing leads of 4-3 in the 8^th and 5-4 in the 9^th to finally secure the win in extra innings. Matt LaPorta broke out and went 4-for-5 with 2 HR and 4 RBI and was the star of the game for Akron, and newcomer Neil Wagner was the unsung hero pitching three scoreless innings of relief in extra innings for the win. Game 2 of the best-of-five series is tonight in Bowie (7:05 pm).

Anyway, today is another special edition of Happenings. In past weeks I sort of wrapped up the season coverage with extended pieces on the GCL Indians, Kinston, and Lake County, and this time the focus is on Double-A Akron. Today's piece is a rundown of some players I had not had a chance to talk to yet this year or talk much about. Also, I'll have a separate piece featuring right-hander Kevin Dixon sometime before the end of the month.

Also, don't forget that every Thursday at 9:30 PM (EST) I have my weekly hour long radio show. My co-host Paul Cousineau is still on vacation, but this week Brian McPeek will be substituting as we talk about a myriad of Indians topics relating to the major league and minor league teams. Check it out! And if you miss the live broadcast you can download and listen to the show anytime.

For those wondering where I'll be this next week, I will be in Mahoning Valley tonight to wrap things up there for a season ending special piece on them next week. I'll be targetting a lot of the new big draft signings like Tim Fedroff, Trey Haley, Zach Putnam and others. Also, I will be in Lake County tomorrow to take in Game 2 and if Akron wins their opening round I will be in Akron next Tuesday or Wednesday next week for Game 1 or 2 of their championship series.

And last, there will be a regular edition of Happenings tomorrow. Things are quickly winding down on the season!

Martin Is Back On The Radar

Right-hander J.D. Martin is finally healthy and pitching late into the season for the first time in years. The 6'4" 195-pounder has enjoyed a little bit of a revival this year combining to go 12-3 with a 2.41 ERA in 35 games (9 starts) at Akron and Buffalo this year. His overall numbers this year were oustanding, especially recently where after being re-inserted back into the starting rotation he went 3-0 with a 0.48 ERA in four games the last three weeks of the regular season.

"It's going good," said Martin in an interview late last week at Canal Park. "I'm just happy to be playing through August now. It has just been kind of tough as I re-injured my arm last year, so that was frustrating. But this year it has been good, and I haven't had any problems with [my arm]. Right now I don't care [if I start or pitch out of the bullpen]. Whatever gives me the fastest track to the big leagues, that's all I am worried about. As long as I stay healthy I think I will be alright, and it will put me in a good position for next year."

The problems Martin is talking about center around Tommy John surgery he had in 2005 that wiped out most of his 2005 and 2006 seasons. He also strained a ligament in his arm in 2003 and last year which resulted in him missing a big chunk of those seasons as well. Coming into this season Martin had missed a lot of time over the past three years coming back from his various arm injuries, but finally appears to be 100%.

Before Martin underwent Tommy John surgery he was one of the Indians top pitching prospects and had what was considered the best 12-6 curveball in the system. Martin doesn't throw the curveball as much as he used to, but it is certainly still a big weapon for him. Also, his velocity had crept up to around 90-91 MPH after his initial return from the surgery but has settled more into the high 80s at 88-89 MPH.

"[My velocity] was up more consistently higher in 2006 when I came back," said Martin. "Now it is about where it was in the high 80s. I'll touch 90 here and there, but that's about it. [The curveball] is still there. I haven't been using it very much lately as I haven't really needed it. It is still probably my best pitch."

Martin is part of the vaunted 2001 Draft crop where the Indians had four first round picks and a second round pick because of compensation they were awarded from the loss of Manny Ramirez, Sandy Alomar Jr. and David Segui to free agency. The Indians used those first round picks on Martin, Dan Denham (RHP), Alan Horne (RHP), and Mike Conroy (OF), and the second round pick on Jake Dittler (RHP). They also later selected Travis Foley (RHP) in the 4th round, and the young pitching they had piled up in Martin, Horne, Denham, Dittler and Foley was to be the backbone of the farm system the next several years. Unfortunately, things did not work out so well as Horne never signed with the Indians, and Denham, Foley and Dittler never pitched an inning for the major league team and were all out of the organization by last season.

Martin is now the last man standing from that highly touted 2001 Draft class, and now 25-years old and in his eighth season of professional ball he is taking things in stride.

"It's alright," said Martin about being one of the last guys around from the 2001 Draft. "I think me and [T.J. Burton] are the last ones from '01 left. Those other guys are still playing, and I talk to Denham all the time who is with the Angels now. This is my eighth season now so I have been picking up a lot of stuff along the way, but I am really just trying to stay patient right now and stay within myself and not trying to do too much. That is pretty much how things have gone this year."

Martin had an interesting offseason last year where he was coming off an injury, but found himself removed from the 40-man roster when the Indians acquired Jamey Carroll from Colorado in a trade. Martin said he was not surprised by the move to remove him from the roster, which required the Indians to place him on waivers where he could be picked up by another team willing to put him on their 40-man roster. He had the option to sign elsewhere as a minor league free agent, but ended up back with the Indians on a minor league deal.

"I wasn't surprised they took me off the roster because of my injury," said Martin. "I was kind of expecting it, and when it happened I was fine. They were pretty generous with my contract this year. I had I think a six day period where another team could pick me up, but it was right after the 40-man rosters came out. So fortunately the Indians signed me back with a nice little contract, so it was good."

With this season coming to a close, it remains to be seen if the Indians will give Martin a well deserved shot at a big league opportunity this September or if they will roster him again this offseason. Martin is a six year free agent, so if he is not rostered he almost certainly will sign elsewhere. In any case, he appears to finally be on the verge of a big league opportunity with the Indians or someone else.

"Hopefully," said Martin. "If they give me the opportunity we'll see [what happens]."

Coaches Corner: Tony Arnold

As with any of my visit to the affiliates this year, I always try to sit down with the manager or one of the coaches to talk about some of their players. This time around I was able to sit and talk to Akron pitching coach Tony Arnold about some of the pitchers on his staff. Arnold is now in his 16th year as a coach in the Indians player development system and has been the pitching coach in Burlington (1993, 2000-2002, 2006), Watertown (1994), Kinston (1995, 2007), Akron (1996-1999), Lake County (2003-2004), and Mahoning Valley (2005).

On Chuck Lofgren: "The bullpen role kind of fits him a little bit. It has been a way to let him settle down because he had a tough time evidently here last year at times and at the start of this year I think he was pressing really hard because he wanted to do good and repeat what he has done in the past. I think he has put a lot of pressure on himself. Going down to Florida let him get re-acquainted with his delivery a little bit better, and coming back here in the bullpen he knows he can pitch every day or every other day. He knows if he is pitching one inning he is not necessarily down for five days. He has had a couple tougher outings in the bullpen, but he is right back out there in two or three days. It is not five days where he has to relive it and wear himself down. Hopefully next year, later on or whenever he gets locked back in he will return to the starting rotation because he definitely has starting stuff. He has enough arm and enough pitches to attack hitters as a starter. I don't think him staying in the bullpen in any way means he will be a bullpen guy, but just for me I think it fits him. There really was no definite need to have to start him, so it just has let him get his confidence back. It also lets you see he is capable of doing other things if it comes to the point where he does have to go to the bullpen. Now he has done it and he knows how to do it, so it kind of helps him on both ends."

On Erik Stiller: "I had him last year, and I had him the year before in Burlington when he signed, so I am very familiar with him. He is one of those guys who did not come from a high profile "baseball power" at Princeton. He came out of Texas and was around the game, and with his size and the way he goes about his business he is quietly climbing the ladder and making people take notice of him. His fastball has played up from his first year when he was 86-87 MPH in Burlington and then all of a sudden last year jumped up to 93-94 MPH at times. This year, it is a pretty big jump to go from where he was to Double-A baseball in two years. It came on him quick early here this year so I think he was ahead of himself, but I think slowly over the course of this year he has caught up with knowing he belongs and can do things and he has gradually put together some good innings of late. He has come in and really pounded the zone with some quality stuff, using and mixing his stuff a little better, which has allowed him to have some success."

On Frank Herrmann: "He is a bright kid. He works hard, he is durable, and has been able to maintain his velocity. In fact lots of times his velocity increases as the year goes on. The biggest thing with Frank is he has never really had a third pitch as he has always been fastball-changeup. From last year to this year his breaking ball has gotten so much better and is getting more consistent, and with that third pitch it allows him to attack hitters better. I know he went to Buffalo and did a nice job and he trusted it a little bit more. I think that helped his confidence by seeing he could go up there and pitch the games he pitched up there. Coming back here is just a matter of him maintaining the things he has learned. He is able to take it out and attack and he has a good idea of the gameplan of attacking hitters where before I don't think he had that. He is just gradually increased everything about his knowledge of the game and how he goes about what makes him successful and not necessarily the way everybody else does it."

On Kevin Dixon: "He is continually developing himself to become a major league pitcher. At times, it seems like he takes two or three steps forward and one back a little bit. But 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. At times when he gets in trouble it is just that his command was not what it was. He has a splitter that he has started to develop since the end of last year. 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."

On J.D. Martin: "J.D. has been outstanding all year long whichever role we have used him in. It just worked out with Scott Lewis leaving to let him slide into the rotation. It has been a good spot to get him back in there, and he has six days between every start since we had three off days in a row. It has worked out, and he is pretty efficient with his pitches so it is not like he has to throw a whole bunch of pitches for five to six innings to give us a solid start. He's just been himself and I think it is a matter he is healthy. He has been healthy all year long and been regimented off the field to keep himself healthy and has done a good job with it."

On Tony Sipp: "He has progressively gotten more consistent with his command and stuff. The stuff was there as his first outing here he still had a fastball, threw a good slider and changeups, but it is just a matter of commanding it consistently. It seems like with each outing he has progressed consistently toward having better command and attacking the strike zone better. But stuff-wise it has been good from day one."

Enjoying A Sipp Of Success

The road to recovery has been long for left-hander Tony Sipp, but he is finally all the way back. After undergoing Tommy John surgery last July to repair a torn ligament in his pitching elbow, Sipp pretty much spent the last year rehabbing his elbow in Winter Haven, Florida. The rehab from Tommy John surgery is long and grueling, but Sipp made it through and is now pitching pain free. He also has very few restrictions on when he pitches other than he cannot come into a game in the middle of an inning. The Indians want to monitor the stress level of his pitches and feel that only using him to start an inning is a good way to ensure he gets a fresh start every time out and also helps control some injury variables.

Of course, being the competitor that Sipp is he is itching to get out there in those tight situations, but those days will likely come next year. While he appreciates the fact that the Indians are taking his health into consideration, from a competitive standpoint he wants to go out there and be the guy to get needed outs.

"It feels good right now and I am just getting some games under my belt," said Sipp last week in an interview at Canal Park. "I'm just getting back into the swing of things because right now things feel normal again. I think things are a little sweeter this time around because you tend to appreciate it more coming off an injury knowing that could of been the last time you step on the field. To finally get back to where you remember yourself before you got hurt, just to get close to that is a blessing for me."

Sipp started his baseball comeback late this June when he started pitching games in the Gulf Coast League (GCL) as part of his rehab. In three appearances in the GCL he threw four shutout-hitless innings and then moved on to Kinston in July. In five games at Kinston, Sipp went 0-0 with a 1.13 ERA and allowed just four hits and three walks while striking out ten in eight innings. From there, Sipp moved on to Akron where he stayed for the rest of the season. In 16 appearances he went 0-3 with a 3.74 ERA, but after a rough patch initially he really settled in where in his last ten appearances he was 0-0 with a 0.60 ERA.

"When I got here, I wasn't feeling bad," said Sipp about his early struggles in Akron. "When I got here every bad game that I had everyone wanted to make the excuse that 'oh it is just because you are coming off rehab' and I would tell them 'no, I don't think that is it'. I think I just made bad pitches because my body felt normal, and I felt like I had my stuff, it was just I would go out there and get behind a lot. Now I am going out there with a more mature approach and a comfort where 'hey, I've done this before' and it is more of just getting back into the swing of things more than anything."

Since Sipp has only thrown 33.2 innings this year in combined time at Winter Haven, Kinston, and Akron, so the Indians are sending him to the Arizona Fall League (AFL) this October to get some more innings in and make up for some of the lost innings from this season. Sipp, though, is trying to get out of his assignment to the AFL and instead is going to try and pitch in the Dominican Republic this winter.

"I don't even know if I am going now [to the AFL]," said Sipp. "I was trying to talk about going over to the Dominican Republic, so I don't know if I will go to the fall league for a little while and then go over to the Dominican Republic or what. I've been to the fall league already, and I know what that is like. I don't know what the Dominican is like and it is just something different. There is no reason at all for going there just that the competition is a little better, and I just want to experience something different."

Now that Sipp is back 100% from his injury, he immediately becomes a bullpen option for the Indians as soon as the start of next season. The Indians will likely not push Sipp and instead have him start the year in Triple-A Columbus, but his talent and competitive spirit could push him into a bullpen role in Cleveland by the end of spring training next year.

"I'm ready now," said Sipp. "It has been a long time coming and I definitely hope I am in the mix."

Whitney's Encouraging Season

It was an interesting season for first baseman Matt Whitney at Akron this year. After he had an unbelievable season last year at Lake County and Kinston where he combined to hit .299 with 32 HR, 113 RBI and a .909 OPS, Whitney moved up to the Double-A for the first time in his career this season and hit .268 with 10 HR, 58 RBI, and a .760 OPS.

One look at those numbers compared to last year, and it may seem like it was clearly a disappointing year for Whitney, but that is not the case as he adapted well to the Double-A level and more importantly showed that he may finally be over the injury bug that plagued him for much of his career prior to last season.

"Staying healthy is the biggest thing for me," said Whitney. "How the season goes is how it goes. It has been up and down and streaky, but I am not too unhappy about it. I have been able to get a bunch of at bats and help the team out here and there. Of course I would like to be doing as good as I was last year or better than I am doing now, but all in all I am pleased with the year."

Whitney's success last year and the Indians decision to leave him off the 40-man roster found him as one of the top hitting prospects available in the Rule 5 Draft this past offseason. Whitney ended up being selected by the Washington Nationals and went to camp vying for a big league job in what was a wide open competition at first base and on the bench, but his long shot opportunity to make the Nationals opening day roster ended late in spring training when he was eventually shipped back to the Indians.

Whitney's experience with the Rule 5 Draft was exciting and full of a whirlwind of emotions as he got the chance to play for a big league job sooner than he expected, and while he was disappointed he could not take advantage of the opportunity the fact that he got a taste of it has made him work that much harder to get back there and get another opportunity.

"It was crazy," said Whitney about his experience on draft day in the Rule 5 Draft. "I got a call out of the blue from my dad and he was like 'you got picked up by the Nationals' and my mom was going crazy. It was awesome as I got a chance to enjoy the big league spring training experience. There were a ton of guys in camp for [the Nationals], and it was fun to see how they go about their business and talk to them about different things. And coming back to the Indians, if I had to go anywhere else I wanted to come back here because I am comfortable with all the coordinators and coaches here."

As with any player who goes through the Rule 5 experience there is always a hangover when they are sent back from major league camp with their new team to minor league camp with their old team (ask Ryan Goleski). Some players have a hard time getting over the disappointment of not taking advantage of the opportunity presented to them, while others have trouble dealing with going back to an organization where they may be buried in the system. Whitney took it all in stride and kept a positive attitude through it all, although admits there was an adjustment period he had to go through and almost re-program himself.

"Yeah, it is a little bit of an adjustment," said Whitney about being sent back to the minors. "But the guys here definitely did not let me forget I was in big league camp when I cam back here (laughing). But it was alright. I knew all the guys so it was an easy situation to come back into."

Now that he is back in the Indians organization, Whitney's focus this season was on his health and becoming more consistent with his approach at the plate.

"Basically, I'm just trying to stay consistent with my swing," said Whitney. "I kind of fell out of what I was doing last year, and I couldn't really feel my swing. [Earlier in the year] I was more or less trying to think the other way because I was getting a lot of stuff on the outside corner and a lot of offspeed stuff. So I was thinking right to right-center and I was producing hits over there. I have been able to handle the inside pitches, but I was getting beat up outside and was just trying to focus on that. Right now we are just trying to stay consistent and see the ball and go back to the basics."

With the season now coming to a close with Akron in the playoffs, Whitney looks forward to another interesting offseason where he will be Rule 5 eligible again - though likely not selected this time - and could be a minor league free agent (unconfirmed).

"[I just want to] finish strong and try to get ready to handle whatever happens this offseason and go from there," said Whitney.

J-Rod Learns From Rough Season

For middle infielder Josh Rodriguez, things did not exactly go as planned for him this season. After hitting .262 with 20 HR, 82 RBI, 21 stolen bases and an .811 OPS in Kinston last year, the top rated middle infield prospect in the Indians system had a rough first taste of Double-A this year hitting just .241 with 7 HR, 49 RBI, 12 stolen bases and a .694 OPS. While there was certainly a significant drop in his performance this year, the Indians are still very high on Rodriguez and he is fighting his way all the way to the finish and hopes to have something positive in the playoffs to help serve as a springboard for a successful season next year.

"It has been a roller-coaster this past month and a half," said Rodriguez in an interview last week at Canal Park. "I just have to keep working. You can't really change your routine when you struggle. You try not to change anything too big, especially at the end of the season. Hopefully things will come back around. I'm just grinding it out right now and making it through the end of the season."

After a solid first half showing where he hit .266 with 6 HR, 41 RBI and a .757 OPS in 94 games before the All Star break, Rodriguez slipped considerably in 43 games after the All Star break where he hit .183 with 1 HR, 8 RBI, and a .551 OPS. To be fair, just about everyone in the Akron lineup faded after the All Star break, but the struggles that Rodriguez went through late in the season were certainly alarming. Rodriguez plans to use his experience with his second have struggles to make sure they don't happen again.

"I just need to take this experience with this fall toward the end of the year into next year," said Rodriguez. "I know some of the things I need to work on to get better. I am kind of glad this happened because it shows me some flaws I need to work on to make sure they don't happen again. This is only my second full season and having to go through it like I did I now know what I have to do to get back to where I need to be. That's what you want to be is consistent and that is what I am trying to get to right now."

Rodriguez is listed as a shortstop, but he actually split time at second base this year playing 62 games there and 74 games at shortstop. The Indians view him as an option in the future at either shortstop or second base and feel he can handle both defensively.

"I played a lot of second my first two years of college and then moved over to short [my junior year]," said Rodriguez. "Most of my life I have played shortstop, but coming into this season I knew I was going to be somewhere in the middle of the infield. I have played an even amount of time at both spots this year as I played more short at the beginning of the year and I think toward the middle of the season that is when I started playing more second and splitting time. I was supposed to do this last year, but some injuries we had [in Kinston] forced me to play just shortstop. So coming into this year I had a feeling I would play more second this year as they are looking for me up the middle somewhere."

Middle infield is an organizational weakness for the Indians in the minors, especially in the upper levels of the system. With absolutely nothing above him in Triple-A this year standing in his way, Rodriguez is really the next middle infield prospect in line for a job in Cleveland down the road. Many feel he eventually will break in with the Indians in a utility role because of his versatility to play shortstop, second base and even third base. His speed and good bat could also be an asset coming off the bench.

The key to his usefulness as a utility player may come down to his ability to handle third base in spot duty, and it is a position he has had some experience playing.

"I actually played third base my last year in college a little bit because of my arm injury," said Rodriguez. "It is all about reaction time over there at third and I think I can play there. I played a half season there so I have a feel for it, and I know some of the basics and what it would take to play there. It is all based on reaction and a lot like second base where you have time to throw the ball when it is hit well. [You have to learn to] read bunts and read the ball off the bat, and you are not expected to go deep in the hole."

Hodges Strives For Consistency

After the season he had at Akron this year where he hit .290 with 18 HR, 93 RBI, and an .821 OPS in 133 games, third baseman Wes Hodges has firmly established himself as one of the top third base prospects in baseball. Hodges has piled up all kinds of awards because of his successful season, most recently being named the Eastern League's Rookie of the Year last week, but when asked about it the soft-spoken and modest Hodges played off the importance of the awards.

"It feels good to get that recognition because of all the hard work I did last offseason and this year it is paying off, but really that is about it," said Hodges in an interview last week at Canal Park. "It is just a title and doesn't mean much after that, but it is nice to get that recognition."

Hodges was about as consistent as you can get as he never had less than 17 RBI or more than 21 RBI in any month this season, and also never had an OPS under .746 or above .860 in any month. He did seem to wear down some in the second half as he hit .315 with an .862 OPS in 91 games before the All Star break, but in 41 games after the break hit just .238 with a .728 OPS. All that said, when asked about it Hodges just shrugged off the drop in production he had in the second half and feels he was able to finish stronger than he did last year.

"Some guys struggle at the beginning at the year, some at the end," said Hodges. "I am fine, I mean I am not tired or anything. I just kind of went in a little bit of a funk, but I feel better now as I have played better [recently]. I am feeling confident in finishing strong. I feel like I got stronger and have done a good job of maintaining this year. I feel like that is why I have had the success I have had because I have just stayed focused and stuck to my routine and it has paid off. Definitely everything I learned from last year I have improved upon so I feel good about things."

This is just Hodges' second season playing as a professional as after he was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2006 Draft out of Georgia Tech he did not play in order to allow him to heel from a foot injury. Hodges adjusted well to the move from advanced Single-A last year in Kinston to Double-A in Akron this year, and has just worked on being consistent this year.

"I am just trying to work on everything defensively and offensively and learn the game more and improve on all aspects as much as I can," said Hodges. "In baseball there is always plenty of room for improvement, and I am just trying to be more consistent at the plate and in the field."

With a very successful 2008 season behind him, Hodges is looking to use it as a springboard to a successful 2009 campaign which should be at Triple-A Columbus and possibly even in Cleveland by mid-season if a need arises.

"I just want to stick with the same plan and same routine," said Hodges. "As long as I can keep doing that and into the offseason continue to get stronger, I think it will help with a good start next year."

Photos courtesy of the Akron Aeros and Carl Kline

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Minor Happenings: Young Lefty Miller Impresses In April

"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.

I was in Akron on Tuesday to see the Indians Double-A affiliate in action. I was able to talk to the coaches and some players, so the Happenings this week will be heavy with Akron material. Also, I will be doing player features over the coming week on Chuck Lofgren and Chris Gimenez as I had a chance to talk to them at length while I was there.

Indians Minor League Player Of The Month
(for April)

Ryan Miller (Left-handed Pitcher - Lake County)
4-0, 0.82 ERA, 4 starts, 22 IP, 14 H, 8 BB, 23 K, .196 BAA, 2.44 G/F

Lake County left-hander Ryan Miller is in his first full season, and like many others on the Lake County staff is having a breakout season. Miller did not allow an earned run in his first three starts, and saw that streak come to an end in his fourth and final start of the month last Thursday where he allowed two runs in six innings. It was certainly a sensational month, and he was pushed by fellow lefty and Lake County teammate Ryan Morris for top billing this month.

The Indians selected Miller in the 36th round of the 2006 Draft out of Blinn College (TX), and was a draft-and-follow player who the Indians ended up signing in May of last year. He will not blow you away as his fastball only sits around 87-91 MPH, but he has a deep mix of pitches in that he also throws a curveball, slider, and changeup. His curveball is his best secondary pitch and shows good break and command.

Lake County manager Aaron Holbert likes what he has seen so far out of Miller, and feels as long as Miller can continue to throw strikes with his fastball it will help set up and make his curveball and changeup more effective. "We saw great things out of him in spring training and fortunately for us he has carried it over," said Holbert. "It is just a matter of him continuing to throw his fastball for strikes and then get to his secondary and third pitches his curveball and changeup. He is doing a tremendous job."

Honorable Mentions:

Ryan Morris (LHP - Lake County): 4-0, 5 starts, 1.67 ERA, 27 IP, 17 H, 5 BB, 14 K, .175 BAA
Mike Pontius (RHP - Lake County): 0-0, 8 games, 0.00 ERA, 19 IP, 7 H, 4 BB, 26 K, .111 BAA
Matt Brown (OF - Lake County): .326 AVG, 11 R, 7 2B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 1 SB, 6 BB, .835 OPS
Wes Hodges (3B - Akron): .280 AVG, 16 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 2 SB, 7 BB, .865 OPS
Aaron Laffey (LHP - Buffalo): 3-1, 5 starts, 2.77 ERA, 26 IP, 24 H, 6 BB, 20 K, .238 BAA
Karexon Sanchez (IF - Lake County): .322 AVG, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 8 BB, 5 SB, .856 OPS
Steven Wright (RHP - Kinston): 0-2, 4 starts, 2.45 ERA, 22 IP, 14 H, 4 BB, 21 K, .177 BAA

Indians Minor League Player Of The Week
(for games from April 24th through April 30th)

Jose Constanza (Outfielder - Akron)
.444 (12-for-27), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 3 SB

Akron outfielder Jose Constanza had a rough start to the season, but he has heated up in a big way the last week. The scrappy little outfielder from the Dominican Republic began the season in an 0-for-19 slump and was hitting just .089 (4-for-45) at one point. However, in his last ten games Constanza is hitting .439, and on the season has bumped the average to .258.

Constanza had a string of four consecutive multi-hit games that ended on Sunday, and he is currently riding a modest eight game hitting streak. Constanza may be one of the most exciting players in the Indians system to watch as he makes things happen on the bases, and he can do a variety of things with the bat where he can drop a bunt down or lash a base hit to any part of the field with some authority. While he does not really project as anything more than a fourth outfielder, he may be a perfect player in that role for the Indians down the road.

Honorable Mentions: Steven Wright (RHP - Kinston), Roman Pena (OF - Lake County), Mike Pontius (RHP - Lake County)

Previous Winners:

4/17 to 4/23: Hector Rondon (RHP - Kinston)
4/10 to 4/16: Wes Hodges (3B - Akron)
4/3 to 4/9: Kelvin De La Cruz (LHP - Lake County)

Director's Cuts

Indians Farm Director Ross Atkins chimed in on some of the players down at advanced Single-A Kinston this week:

On Beau Mills: "Beau is off to an okay start. He had a great spring training, and coming into the Carolina League was off to a hot start and settled down a little bit but just recently hit two home runs and a double a few nights ago. We are asking a lot of him and asking him to play two positions in the event he can play two in the future. He is playing third and first, and he will probably start to play a little more at third base and work that more into an everyday position. Beau is an incredible talent with a ton of power. He plays the game at a great speed with a great intensity level. he reminds us a lot of Grady Sizemore, not his profile per se, but just how he plays the game, how tough he is mentally and physically, and how strong he is."

On Nick Weglarz: "Just to tell you how important I think batting average is, I basically don't even look at it. If a guy is getting on base it means he is putting himself in position to score. Especially when they compliment that on-base ability with power numbers. So a guy who gets on base and then has what they call isolated power - which is just doubles, triples and home runs and is the millennium's version of slugging percentage - when a guy does both of those things there is not a better compliment for a professional baseball player. A guy with discipline and power, and Weglarz shows both of those things. Yeah, that is a ridiculous on-base percentage when you are hitting .260 with a .454 on-base percentage. Basically what that means to us is they are not pitching to him, and he is staying patient and not leaving the zone and waiting for his pitch. He has already driven the ball and is showing the power is still there, and that is a very good sign for a young professional hitter.

On Steven Wright and Hector Rondon: "Steven Wright has been great. He was there in Kinston last year for the second half and had some hiccups and an initiation to the Carolina League. It is a good league as you see only eight teams and that's all, so guys start to pick up on tendencies and have a couple of years under their belt. The approaches are a little bit more professional. And Wright is off to a great start there. If you look at [both Rondon and Wright], if you look at just the stats they control like groundballs, home runs, strikes and walks they are tops in the organization and very high in baseball. If you look at just their ERA and win-loss record it is not impressive. But if you look at the things they control, they both are off to a great start."

Tough Huff

After a rough first few starts, Akron left-hander David Huff has found his grove. On the season he is 0-1 with a 2.84 ERA, and in 25.1 innings has allowed 17 hits and nine walks while striking out 25. "I feel great," said Huff in Akron this past week. "My elbow, shoulder and body feels good. My mechanics have been good."

Huff only made 11 starts at Single-A Kinston last year before being sidelined the rest of the season with a strained ligament in his throwing elbow. He went out to the Arizona Fall League to get work in and impressed, and now is learning to make the adjustment to Double-A.

"There are a lot better guys here, and a lot of these guys are a phone call away," said Huff. "I think the biggest adjustment is being more consistent around the strike zone. Throwing all my pitches for strikes, and not getting away with pitches over the middle as these guys crush it if you make a mistake. That was a big adjustment, so I just have to really focus on every pitch."

While he does not overpower hitters, he has unbelievable confidence in his fastball, and commands it well working it to both sides of the plate and to the corners on all four quadrants. He has the best fastball command in the entire system, and is a very polished pitcher. He is aggressive and attacks hitters, and he has a great, athletic delivery which deceives hitters and he repeats it well. He is a pitcher you like to watch pitch because he is smart and knows how to pitch by moving the ball around in and out, and he constantly makes adjustments to hitters in game.

"I just read swings," said Huff. "You see a guy take a swing and foul it off and I am like 'okay, he fouled it off this way so I am going to attack him this way.' It has really been helping me out reading swings. It is also nice being the second starter because Chuck throws before me and he is very similar to what I do and seeing how guys react to his ball and what he throws. I am always in constant contact with the catchers and asking them 'hey, what was that last pitch that Chuck threw' and I just go off of that. I make a little scouting report note and attack them the next day."

Manager's Minute

On Tuesday, I had the chance to attend the game at Akron and sit down and talk to Akron manager Mike Sarbaugh. He touched on being back at Akron for the first time in a few years since he was a coach there for four years and was a player back in the Canton-Akron days. He also talked about some of the players on the roster.

On his return to Akron: "It feels good. Walking in here the things seem the same, so knowing where everything is here was good. It was great to have the experience here as a coach and for me to be able to come here and have that background. Things have been good."

On Chuck Lofgren: "Early here in the season he is struggling a little bit with the fastball command. Against Bowie he threw two really good innings, we got rained out, and then the other night he threw three good innings and then left some balls up, walked some guys and just got into a little bit of trouble. He is throwing the ball well, and the velocity is about the same. He just has to get that confidence knowing he can go out there and attack hitters and know he can get them out."

On David Huff: "He has looked very good. He just has good command of all four of his pitches and can throw them any time. He has an ability to throw his pitches to both sides of the plate and displays a lot of confidence on the mound."

On Ryan Edell: "His fastball command has been outstanding, and he has showed good control and the ability to spot it to get ahead of hitters. He is working on his secondary stuff to get more consistent with it and throw it for strikes, and he has really been making some good adjustments with it and improvements in repeating his delivery. He just has a good ability to attack hitters and make them put balls in play early in counts. Tonight (Tuesday) he was a little bit up in the zone and left a couple balls out over the plate. Overall he was a little bit more up than in the past couple outings."

On the early season hitting woes: "You can't really put your finger on it. I just know between Whitney, Rodriguez, Hodges, and Constanza all being first year Double-A guys, now they are at a level where guys can throw a pitch in any count and when you get into a hitter's count it is not always going to be a fastball. Wes got off to a great start, and Josh got off to a little bit of a slow start but he has really been picking it up and swinging the bat well. So there is that early adjustment period and I think they are doing a great job."

On Scott Roehl: "I've had him for three or four years, and with what I have seen in the past I know he can do it. He threw the ball well [on Tuesday] and mixed up his pitches. He has good life on his fastball and mixes up his secondary stuff and that makes his fastball that much better."

May Jr. On Hitting

Akron hitting coach Lee May Jr. sat down and talked to me for awhile after batting practice on Tuesday. He talked at great length about the approach his hitters take to the plate as well as many other things. Some real good insight here into how he coaches his hitters and the game plan he has them take to the plate.

On the difference between advanced Single-A and Double-A: "In the Carolina League you make the adjustments at the half, where here you make them within the series. The pitchers are a little bit better at executing, the catchers are better, and the fielders too. The adjustments that you have to make are sometimes in game adjustments as far as how the pitchers are attacking you."

On Wes Hodges: "Pretty much the focus is on him not leaving his game plan. Sometimes he has been attacked a certain way, but you do not go out of what you do best to adjust to how they are attacking you until you are forced to. He has kind of gone away from what makes him good which is looking at certain areas of the plate and leaving the other parts alone. It is just an adjustment that is going to have to come with time and getting into the feel of the league and trusting those adjustments and how he goes about them."

On Chris Gimenez's walk rate: "That's the product of staying in your game plan and if they are pitching outside of your game plan and you don't expand the zone and don't chase certain pitches then you are going to lead to more walks. That's the difference between a guy who has been here at this level and a guy who is just getting here to this level. Sometimes some of the younger guys are leaving their strike zone to cover a certain part of the plate that they are being attacked from. And, it is not necessarily better pitches to drive, as they are putting balls in play that are not good balls to put in play especially early in the count and in advantage counts. Where Gimenez is, is he is taking those pitches and making them play back into his game plan. And that is ideally what you want to do as a hitter, which is for you to control your at bat and for you to dictate what pitch you get versus having to swing at the pitcher's pitch by having to chase a ball out of the zone or getting behind in the count where you are now behind the eight ball. If you stay off a pitch that might be a pitch on the black that you can't really put in play anyway, you might get one more pitch that is a mistake and left out over the plate a little better. That's just how it is with young hitters, especially when you come into a league where you see a different caliber of pitcher. They can be too concerned about putting something in play because they don't want to get behind in the count and really end up giving the pitcher too much credit, where instead they need to say to themselves that the pitch may be a strike but it is not a pitch they can drive so theu should wait for another pitch."

On Michael Aubrey: "He is bouncing around and moving better than I have ever seen him. He looks good, and it is just a matter of him getting comfortable. I think he is going to be on his way. It has just been a matter that his body has not held up the last couple years, but last year he was outstanding and this year he is even better so I think he has really turned the corner."

On Josh Rodriguez: "He has great elements of a really good hitter. He is doing a really good job with his routine work and preparing himself, and it is all going to start paying off. We are seeing bits and pieces of it and I think it is going to get a little more consistent just as he gets more proficient. He does a great job taking his preparation and early work into the game and being able to execute it. I think he is going to be okay, and he has some really good elements. He can use the whole field and he has some pop. He is doing a good job in the two-hole and doing some situational things and hitting the hole at first base. This is where you kind of polish it up and finite your skills and be able to move the ball around. It is not just about hitting the ball as hard as you can or squaring up balls. It is about getting the ball to the right side to move the runner or taking a pitch to let a Constanza steal. So I think he is going to be good."

On Matt Whitney: "Whit has a very high ceiling as far as what he is capable of doing. But he is still really developmentally not as far along as his years in the game have been because he had such a big part of it cut off with the injuries. He is healthy and moving around well, and he is able to get out here and put up consistent at bats and be in the lineup every day and not be on the injury list. I think this is a real good level for him to be at for him to get kind of get things back in gear. It was seen and the potential is there, as that is what the Nationals saw in him when they drafted him [in the Rule 5 Draft this year]. But now it is just a matter of him getting some at bats, as I think if he had the at bats and had not missed that time due to injuries he would be further along. He is doing a good job as far as how he goes about preparing. He just needs to be patient and have trust in his swing, which will come with at bats at this level."

Holbert's Maiden Voyage

Single-A Lake County manager Aaron Holbert is in his first season in the Indians organization, and first as a manager. Holbert played professionally for 17 seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Boston Red Sox, Florida Marlins, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Cincinnati Reds organizations. He holds nearly every hitting record for Reds Triple-A affiliate Louisville, and while he only played in 23 games at the big league level, in 1542 career minor league games he hit .271 with 77 HR with 559 RBI. He retired as a player with the Reds early in the 2006 season and stayed in the organization as a hitting instructor for the rookie-level GCL Reds team that same year, and then in 2007 he served as the hitting coach for the Reds other rookie level team in Billings.

Holbert came to the Indians this offseason after he was out in the Arizona Fall League watching some Reds hitters, and in doing so bumped into Kinston hitting coach Jon Nunnally who was coaching one of the teams. In conversations with Nunnally, he mentioned he wanted to get into managing, and Nunnally talked to the Indians brass and the rest is history.

"I was out in the Arizona Fall League, and my brother lives out in Surprise, AZ so I was out visiting my brother," recalled Holbert about how he hooked up with the Indians. "At the same time there were some young Red guys out there, so I told the Reds organization if you want me to I will go by and help out and they said that would be great. So I was going up to the stadium and helping out, and the hitting coach that was there was Jon Nunnally who coaches at Kinston. Although I was a hitting coach at the time, he knew I had aspirations of doing more than being a hitting coach and wanted to manage. He put a good word in with Ross [Atkins], and this is how it turned out. I am very thankful to Ross for the job, and even for the Reds for allowing me that opportunity to go there. If not for that who knows."

So far, it has been a learning experience for Holbert in his professional debut as a manager. But, you would never know it based on Lake County's current first place standing in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division at 16-10.

"Things are going well, although I am running into some snags and doing some things wrong, but hopefully I am doing some things right," joked Holbert. "But that is why my staff is here, to help me out and teach me as I go. It is good to have a staff that knows what it going on and that is out there to help better me and more importantly help better the team and better these young players. It is a blast. I am having a great time. I am just happy for the players, the staff and the organization for allowing me this opportunity. The way we are starting off is no testament on me, it is definitely on my hitting coach, pitching coach, and my players going out and performing."

Miller Not Sharp, But Effective

Right-hander Adam Miller has done well in his first two starts since being activated last week. He had to work hard to get through his last start on Monday, where he threw 88 pitches and only went four innings but did not allow a run on four hits, two walks and four strikeouts. In the first inning he gave up a single and walked two batters to load the bases but ended the threat with a strikeout. In the second inning he allowed another two hits before striking out another batter to end the inning. In the third inning, after a single he allowed the runner to get to third base with one out after throwing two wild pitches, but he set down the next two batters on a short pop out to center field and a groundout to short.

In two starts, Miller has yet to allow a run in nine innings. He is still feeling his way though things with his pitches as they have lacked some of the sharpness they normally have, but it is to be expected in his first few outings. Once he finds his rhythm he should be ready to roll, and the fact he has escaped jams without his best stuff so far is a testament to his makeup and tenacity on the mound.

Miller is up to a pitch count of 85 to 95 pitches, and reports are that his fastball looks good and has a lot of life. Even with the positive reports, the Indians want him to stay in Buffalo and pitch for awhile, although they fully acknowledge he could be an option for them down the road.

The Wright Stuff

Most of the pitchers in the Kinston rotation have been very inconsistent so far this season, but so far right-hander Steven Wright has been rock solid. On Sunday, Wright allowed one run on three hits (two infield singles) in six innings, but was a tough luck loser. He did not walk a batter and struck out seven, and on the season is now 0-2 with a 2.45 ERA in four starts.

Wright is a former 2nd round pick in the 2006 Draft out of the University of Hawaii. His good start to the season is light years better than the season he endured last year when he split time at Single-A Lake County and Kinston, going 7-9 with a 5.67 ERA in 27 combined starts between the two stops. Wright throws a low 90s fastball and compliments it with a curveball, slider and changeup. In the offseason and in spring training the Indians worked with Wright's delivery and made some minor adjustments that seem to be paying off. The biggest adjustment was his mental approach where they got him to focus less on his mechanics and more on just attacking hitters and getting his fastball located in the zone. Wright also looks a lot more confident on the mound, which is good to see.

Kinston Power Duo Recharged

It has been a strange season for Kinston so far, as they arguably have the Indians two best power hitters in the system in first baseman Beau Mills and outfielder Nick Weglarz as well as a few others who have good power potential. Yet ever since the season opener was blacked out in the third inning because of a power outage, it seems the outage has sapped the electricity out of the bats. In a span of two weeks from April 12th to April 26th (13 games), Kinston did not hit a home run in any game and the offense struggled the first month.

That all changed this past Saturday when Weglarz halted the team homerless streak with a majestic bomb that nearly cleared the scoreboard in right-center. Weglarz has been a walk machine this year, so his opportunities offensively have been limited and the blast was his first home run in the young season. In his first 12 games Weglarz had 20 walks and had multi-walk games in eight of them. Weglarz is starting to swing the bat a little more now, as he only has four walks in his last ten games and is hitting .351 during that timeframe.

Wegalrz's bomb seemed to jumpstart the Kinston attack, as on Monday first baseman Beau Mills connected for two home runs - one a grand slam - and had six RBI. Mills had busted out of the gates quickly by starting the season with a six game hitting streak and a batting average over .300 through the middle of the month. However, a 2-for-35 stretch dropped his average to .193 on April 24^th. Currently, Mills is hitting .225 with 3 HR, 15 RBI and a .728 OPS.

Bye Bye Smitty

On Thursday, the Indians completed an offseason trade with the Colorado Rockies by sending Buffalo right-hander Sean Smith to them as the player to be named later in the Jamey Carroll trade originally made on December 8th. In four starts this year Smith had a 4.00 ERA and last season was 9-7 with a 4.25 ERA in 21 starts. Last year he led Buffalo with 90 strikeouts, was tied with Aaron Laffey for the team lead in wins, and his 133.1 innings of work were second behind only Jeff Harris (138.1).

Smith was a highly touted draft-and-follow player from the 2001 Draft. He does not have electric stuff, but over the years he has learned to attack hitters by getting ahead of them in the count and pitching to contact. His fastball consistently checks in at 88-91 MPH, and he also throws a 12-6 curveball, slider and changeup. He was starting pitching depth for the Indians, but his loss does not hurt much because he was so low on the depth chart with others ahead of him like Aaron Laffey, Jeremy Sowers, Adam Miller, and Brian Slocum. Plus, there are players in Double-A and below the Indians need to eventually move up. Smith had no shot to make the Indians roster this year, and would have been a six-year minor league free agent after the season to sign with any team he chooses.

Stanford Returns

Last Thursday, the Indians re-signed left-hander Jason Stanford to a minor league contract and assigned him to Buffalo. Stanford takes the spot in the rotation vacated by the departure of Sean Smith who was traded to Colorado. Stanford was signed to a minor league contract by the Washington Nationals in the offseason, and after being assigned to Triple-A Columbus to start the season, after going 2-2 with a 10.05 ERA in five games there he was released on April 21st.

Stanford, 31, is now with Buffalo for a modern era record eighth consecutive season. In 73 career games with Buffalo, he is 25-12 with a 3.54ERA. Stanford ranks 1st in the modern era in strikeouts (293), 3rd in innings pitched (381.0), 4th in starts (63) and 5th in wins (25). Last year, Stanford was 5-1 with a 4.11 ERA in 18 games. In his first appearance with Buffalo on Friday, Stanford went six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out two.

Affiliate Notebook

Buffalo Notes (11-17, 5^th place): Outfielder Brad Snyder got a treat this past week when he was called up for the first time to Cleveland on Sunday after Grady Sizemore was injured late in Saturday's game. Snyder was sent back to Buffalo the next day, but still the one day callup was an enjoyable one for Snyder and hopefully it sparks him. On the season, he is hitting .231 with 4 HR, 12 RBI, and a .786 OPS. ... Outfielder Jason Cooper continues to move up in several categories of the Buffalo record book. Cooper racked up a couple more doubles in the past week, and now he is one of only four Buffalo players to collect 70 doubles for their career in the modern era. Bill Selby leads the list with 90 doubles, then Brandon Phillips (79) and Greg LaRocca (73). Cooper is also 5th in games played (329), 5^th in RBI (187), 6th in walks (133), and 7th in runs scored (174). ... First baseman Jordan Brown continues to rack up the doubles. He now has 11 doubles on the year, which ranks 1st in the International League. On the season, Brown is hitting .271 with 0 HR, 10 RBI and a .719 OPS. ... Since being optioned back to Buffalo over the weekend, outfielder Ben Francisco has been on a mini tear. In three games, he is 5-for-11 with a home run and two RBI and on the year is hitting .244 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 stolen bases and a .667 OPS in 22 games. ... Buffalo's 17 losses in April set a team record for April, breaking the old mark of 13 set in 1999. The 17 losses in April also were the most in any month since they lost 19 in May 2004. ... Buffalo has stolen 14 bases in 14 attempts in the last eight games. Eight different Buffalo players have at least one stolen base, and outfielder Jason Tyner leads the team with five steals. ... Former Indians farmhand outfielder Jonathan Van Every is in the Boston Red Sox organization playing at Triple-A Pawtucket. On the season Van Every is hitting .287 with 5 HR, 16 RBI, and an .896 OPS.

Akron Notes (11-14, 5^th place): Outfielder Trevor Crowe is in extended spring training for his ailing back (disc issue). He is going to be out for at least another few weeks. ... Right-hander Frank Herrmann put up his second consecutive quality start on Sunday by going six innings and allowing only one run on eight hits and two walks while striking out four. True to form, he battled out of many tough situations as he stranded seven runners, including four in scoring position in the first four innings. Herrmann may not have great stuff, but he battles and gets the job done. On the year he is 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA in five starts. ... First baseman Michael Aubrey has had a solid but not spectacular start to the season and is hitting .277 with 2 HR, 16 RBI, and a .773 OPS. He has three different hitting streaks of five or more games already this year and is currently in the midst of an eight game streak, but the average is so low because he is usually only getting one hit in each contest. ... Catcher Chris Gimenez has been an on-base machine this year, reaching base in all 15 games he played before seeing the streak come to a close on Tuesday night. He is 4^th in the Eastern League in on-base percentage (.437), and on the season is hitting .259 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, and an .863 OPS in 17 games. ... In shortstop Josh Rodriguez's first 13 games he only hit .154, but in his last ten games he is hitting .333 with 0 HR and 6 RBI. On the season he is now hitting .242 with 2 HR, 11 RBI, 3 stolen bases, and a .671 OPS. ... On Sunday, right-hander Randy Newsom pitched for the third straight day and threw a perfect ninth inning for yet another save. He is not 6-for-6 in save situations, and on the season is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 11 appearances.

Kinston Notes (8-16, 4^th place): When outfielder Nick Weglarz hit a two-run bomb of a home run in the sixth inning this past Saturday, it was the first home run hit by a Kinston player in two weeks as the last one was hit by Jerad Head on April 12th. On the season, Weglarz is hitting .288 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, and a .902 OPS. Weglarz also has 24 walks, which is 1st in the Carolina League by four walks, and he is also 2^nd in the league in on-base percentage (.464). ... On Sunday, right-hander Joanniel Montero was activated from extended spring training and joined the Kinston bullpen while lefty Dan Cevette was put on the disabled list with another shoulder issue. Cevette is sidelined with yet another shoulder ailment and getting treatment, and it looks like Cevette's season and career is in jeopardy. ... Outfielder John Drennen was put on the disabled list on Monday with a groin issue, and infielder Cristo Arnal was activated from extended spring training. ... Lefty Matt Meyer is ready to start throwing again, and likely will be activated off the disabled list soon. ... Shortstop Carlos Rivero started the year hot by banging our five multi-hit games in the first seven games and was hitting .429 as of April 15th. Since that date he has gone 3-for-45, and is now hitting .247 with 0 HR, 9 RBI, and a .614 OPS. ... Outfielder John Drennen is on an 18-game consecutive on-base streak, which is the second longest in the Carolina League this season. On the season, Drennen is hitting .291 with 0 HR, 3 RBI and a .752 OPS in 20 games. ... Kinston's April record of 8-15 was their first losing month since July of 2005. ... The Latin trio of right-handers in the starting rotation of Paolo Espino, Hector Rondon, and Jeanmar Gomez are happy to see the page flip to May. Espino (0-1, 7.30 ERA), Gomez (0-4, 5.40 ERA), and Rondon (0-2, 5.57 ERA) are all off to slow starts. ... Infielder Jared Goedert is hitting .290 with 0 HR, 13 RBI, and a .667 OPS.

Lake County Notes (16-10, 1^st place): Left-handed John Gaub was added to the roster last Thursday and right-hander Chris Archer was placed on the disabled list. The move was a paper move to give Lake County another arm for a few days, as Archer was fine and he was re-activated to make his regular turn in the rotation yesterday on Wednesday. ... On Wednesday, right-hander Chris Archer continued to struggle with his command and took the loss even after going four innings and not allowing a hit because he walked five batters. On the year, Archer is now 1-3 with a 2.11 ERA in five starts, but while he has only surrendered five hits in 21.1 innings he also has 23 walks. ... On Friday, right-hander Santo Frias notched his first win of the year going a team high seven innings and giving up two earned runs on five hits while striking out three. On the season Frias is 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA. ... In his eight relief appearances so far this year, right-hander Mike Pontius has yet to be scored upon in 19 innings. In those 19 innings, Pontius has allowed only seven hits and four walks while striking out 26. ... The Lake County pitching staff currently ranks 1^st out of 16 teams in the South Atlantic League in ERA (2.57), 1^st in fewest hits allowed (155), and 1^st in fewest runs against (83), but lead the league in walks (102). ... Right-handed closer Vinnie Pestano is 7-for-7 in closing opportunities, and on the year in 0-0 with a 0.77 ERA in 11 appearances. ... Infielder Karexon Sanchez is hitting .308 with 2 HR, 16 RBI, 5 stolen bases, and an .827 OPS in 26 games. ... In five starts, left-hander Kelvin De La Cruz is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA.

Photos courtesy of Ken Carr, Carl Kline, Akron Aeros, Buffalo Bisons and Kinston Indians

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So Close I Could Almost Touch It

Unless you have been in the shoes of a professional baseball player it is hard to understand what being a Rule 5 draft pick is like. From the time these guys become professionals, making it to the major leagues is defined for them as a process. That process, including the patience that comes with it, is as much a rationalization for the excruciatingly long time it takes to just GET to the majors as it is the definition of “paying your dues” which, for the most part, means learning to play the game the right way and the way that maximizes the chance of being a successful major leaguer. The sometimes difficult ascent to the majors is dotted with landmines that range from physical injuries to mental roadblocks and, for the vast majority of prospects, the unspannable chasm that is the ultimate realization that they lack the skills necessary to be major league players.

But imagine this. In the midst of this seemingly endless climb, a hand reaches down offering to pull a player up…all the way up to the top, to the major leagues, to the level that he has probably been dreaming about since shortly after he picked up his first bat or put on his first glove.

He has been given a chance, maybe a once-in-a-lifetime chance, to be a major leaguer…..NOW! That chance comes in the form of the Rule 5 draft.

For some players, this hand is extended to them when they are close enough (AA or AAA) to the summit they can actually see their goal. For some, the hand pulls them up from deep in the low minors when they think they are still years away from even sniffing their dream. But for each Rule 5 draftee the reality is the same: if they can only find a way to excel in one, glorious spring training, they are in ‘The Show’.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Rule 5 draft process it goes like this. Teams draft players from other teams over the winter but, in order to keep those players for good, the drafting team has to keep the players they draft on the 25-man major league roster for the ENTIRE next season. If the team chooses not to keep a Rule 5 player in the majors they have to put him through waivers during which time any team can pick him up along with the above requirement or, if he passes through waivers, he has to be offered back to the team he was drafted from and, most likely, return to the minors for yet another season of making very little money, riding buses and living on a shoestring…all so he can continue to chase his dream of being a big league player.

Usually teams only draft players they think have significant upside with some present, usable skills, as well. So, the team that drafts that player has a vested interest in finding a way to keep that player in the majors during the season and, in turn, keeping that upside long-term. That team WANTS to find a way to make it work. The player is trying to do his best to show that team that it CAN work. Therefore Rule 5 players get many more chances (in terms of at bats or innings pitched) to prove their worth than the average minor leaguer does in major league spring training. However, even with all parties wanting to make it work, it seldom does work out. Over 65% of major league Rule 5 draftees are offered back to the team they were drafted from by the end of spring training and greater than 90% fail to have significant major league careers. Even with those odds, the mantra of all minor leaguers that seems to be ‘I can only control what is in my control’ translates for the Rule 5 draftee into ‘just relax and play baseball and if it works out great and, if doesn’t, just go back to the minors and continue to plug away’. However, how can you not get caught up in the dream and the thought that all the years of proving and then reproving yourself can be leapfrogged if you can only find it within you to put together a month and a half of great baseball to convince the team that drafted you that you are good enough for the majors now?

Two players drafted in the 2007 Rule 5 draft were Brian Barton and Matt Whitney. Both were drafted from Cleveland, Barton by St. Louis and Whitney by Washington. What makes Barton and Whitney unusual is that they were among Cleveland’s best prospects, something that isn’t usually true for Rule 5 draft picks, as most teams protect their best prospects on their 40-man roster to avoid losing them in this draft. The thought by the Indians, who felt that they had a roster crunch, was that Barton might not be drafted because of the uncertainty caused by knee surgery he had after the 2007 season and that Whitney was too far from the majors and didn’t play a typical position (utility infielder, speedy outfielder or relief pitcher) that is coveted in the Rule 5 draft. Nevertheless, both players were drafted.

This is the story of their attempts to become major leaguers in the spring of 2008.

The Dream Is Possible

Brian Barton, an outfielder who can play all three outfield positions and has good speed, power and defense, is the prototypical outfielder that teams look for in the Rule 5 draft. He also has a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Miami (FL) and is very driven to succeed as evidenced by his rapid rise through Cleveland’s minor league system after not even being drafted out of college. He did his work to understand the Rule 5 process (no small feat) and knew the opportunity that might be presented to him when Cleveland didn’t protect him on their roster after the 2007 season. “I wasn’t disappointed but I was a little surprised when the Indians didn’t put me on the 40-man roster but I realized that (the Rule 5 draft) could turn into a great opportunity for me.” Barton said. “I am confident in my abilities and I expected even before the Rule 5 draft to be a major leaguer sometime in 2008.” As an outfielder, Brian’s opportunity to make the St. Louis Cardinals was a good one as one of his major competitors to make the team, So Taguchi, was released to clear a spot on the 40-man roster that became Barton’s and the Cardinals then traded their starting center fielder, Jim Edmonds, opening up another outfield spot. In addition it was doubtful if their starting right fielder in 2007, Juan Encarnacion, would play again after being hit in the face with a batted ball last year, creating yet another opening in St. Louis’ outfield.

Matt Whitney, a first baseman now, was drafted out of high school as a third baseman. He was the top Indians’ position prospect early in his career and would have conceivably been in the majors already except that his career was derailed by a seriously broken leg he suffered in spring training in 2003. His prospect status improved dramatically in 2007 when he hit a combined 32 HRs and drove in 113 runs while splitting the year between low class A Lake County and high class A Kinston. However, even with that performance, 2007 was the second year in a row that Whitney was left off the 40-man roster. In 2006 Whitney didn’t have a very strong season and so didn’t pay much attention to the Rule 5 draft. However, his agent filled him in on what might happen before the 2007 Rule 5 draft so he was prepared this time around. “I didn’t know much about the Rule 5 draft before this off-season but once my agent talked me through it, it began to sink in what a great opportunity this could be for me.” Matt’s opportunity was a little more limited than Brian’s as the team that drafted him, Washington, had two first basemen on their roster: Dimitri Young, a 2007 all-star and Nick Johnson, who had been the starter for the Nationals at first base previously but who missed the entire 2007 season with a broken leg. Even if Matt returned to his original position, third base, his competition would by Ryan Zimmerman, one of the top, young third baseman in the major leagues.

The Opportunity Begins

Leading up to the draft there was a lot of buzz about Barton being drafted but very little, if any, about Whitney. As it turns out they were both drafted in the first round of the 2007 Rule 5 draft and Whitney was actually drafted before Barton. “It was bittersweet when I was drafted. On one hand I was excited to get the chance with Washington and to make a major league team but I was also disappointed to leave the Cleveland organization” said Whitney. “I didn’t even follow the Rule 5 draft on the internet the day I was drafted but my dad did and he called me right after I was selected.” Whitney got a welcome call from the Nationals about an hour after the draft. “Aside from that we only talked a couple of times over the winter.”

Barton did not follow the Rule 5 draft on the day he was drafted. He got a call from his agent right after he was drafted and got a welcome call from the Cardinals a few minutes later. However, after that he and the Cardinals “didn’t talk that much over the winter”, he said. The Cardinals also did not talk to him at any time about what he would have to do to make the team in spring training. “I am pretty confident, though” Barton said, “I knew that this chance could shorten my development time to get to the majors.”

Chasing the Dream

Brian Barton had a good insight into what is like to be a Rule 5 draftee because his roommate for most of 2007 in the minors at AA Akron was Ryan Goleski. Goleski was drafted from the Indians by the Athletics in the 2006 Rule 5 draft but was returned to the Indians after that next spring training when he couldn’t make the Athletics roster. For Matt Whitney, the whole process was new to him. He didn’t really know any guys who had gone through a spring training as a Rule 5 draftee and the Nationals didn’t talk him through what would be expected of him as a Rule 5 guy. “I knew what their roster situation was and I so knew the roster spot I was being considered for,” Whitney said, “but Rule 5 guys have stuck with the Nationals before so I am encouraged by that.”

So, it’s just the middle of February but as a Rule 5 guy you couldn’t be blamed if you thought a lot of eyes were on you when you reported to spring training. Interestingly, both Whitney and Barton said that they did not have any conversations with their teams either over the winter or at the beginning of camp about what was expected of them or what they had to do to make the team in spring training. Also, it didn’t appear to them that were getting extra instruction, although they did get a lot of playing time. “You don’t want to get ahead of yourself” said Barton “but I knew if I just played the way I knew I could, everything would work out.” Whitney, whose opportunity was not as good as Barton’s, said rather pragmatically, “I came to spring training trying to soak in as much as I can and to see how major leaguers go about getting their work in.”

The first couple of weeks of spring training are full of hard work, repetitive drills and little, if any, actual baseball. Barton’s spring started off pretty badly. He had some soreness in his surgically-repaired knee and his early camp play was described as “brutal” by one Cardinals’ official. Still, he was confident in his abilities. Matt Whitney operated mostly in quiet as most of the talk in the early part of the Nationals camp was about Nick Johnson’s recovery from a broken leg and how the Nationals were going to carry both Young and Johnson on the same roster. Whitney, seeing his competition and keeping good perspective, remarked: “Not only am I competing for a spot on this team but I am also auditioning for 28 other teams (besides the Indians and the Nationals) if I don’t make the roster here.”

When it was time to get playing, both Whitney and Barton started off with a bang in intrasquad games and against college teams in tuneup games for the exhibition season. But then it was time for the major league exhibition season to begin.

Let the Games Begin

There are really four questions that need to be answered in the spring training evaluation process for Rule 5 guys:

• How do the guys look against top level competition and can they handle their position(s) defensively?
• What level of consistency do they show over the course of the exhibition season and are they getting better or worse in production as spring training progresses when they start facing better pitching (or hitting, if they are a pitcher) as opponents’ rosters shrink toward the final 25?
• How do the guys look that they are competing with?
• With injuries, minor league options available for certain players and final roster configuration considered as spring training goes along, does it make sense to carry the Rule 5 guy on the roster to start the season?

This last question is the most difficult. For instance, Washington lost outfielders Elijah Dukes and Willy Mo Pena early in camp maybe for the start of the season. Unfortunately Matt Whitney was competing for playing time at first base against 2007 all-star first baseman Dimitri Young and former starting first baseman Nick Johnson, who missed all of 2007 with a broken leg. Thus the Nationals losing outfielders did not help Matt out that much. Neither did his performance in the first few weeks of the exhibition season as he went 3-23 (.130) with a double, a triple and a HR in his first 12 games. At that point in training camp, Matt had to consider the thought that he probably was going back to the minors. Based on comments from the Cleveland organization that they wanted him and Barton back, Matt had to consider the possibility that he be returned to Cleveland and be back in their minor league system again.

The story for Brian Barton, on the other hand, was completely different. After two weeks of spring training games Barton was 15-42 (.357) with a double, 3 triples and 2 HRs. Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa and GM John Mozoliek both heaped praise on his play. Barton, though, kept the proper perspective and even a sense of humor about it when he said: “I try not to think too far ahead but I have thought a little about making the opening day roster because I would have to go out and buy some suits for road trips.” Still, Tony LaRussa the Cardinals manager indicated that Barton had to keep up his level of play but that didn’t worry Barton. “Right now I feel like I am ‘there’ mentally and the mental side of the game is very important,” he said. “Confidence-wise I am the same but I am feeling a lot more comfortable in camp now than I felt early in camp.”

Decision Time

Along with the Cleveland Indians front office, prospect aficionados in Cleveland, Washington and St. Louis wait to see what is going to happen. Opening day is approaching and Washington and St. Louis have to decide if they are going to keep Whitney and Barton, respectively, offer them back to the Indians or see if they can make a trade with the Indians that would allow them to send Whitney and/or Barton to the minors. The Indians have already gone on record as saying they want Barton and Whitney back if they can get them. Still, although no one sees it, there is a lot of negotiation between the Indians, Nationals and Cardinals. The teams that drafted Barton and Whitney would like to keep them but they would have to give the Indians decent value to keep them IF they wanted to send these guys to the minors. Mark Shapiro has, recently, become a tough negotiator in those kinds of situations and so, if not kept by the team that drafted them, there is a good chance that both Barton and Whitney will come back to Cleveland, an organization that already has an excess of outfield and first base prospects at upper levels of the minors.

The first news comes on March 22nd and the Indians get an early Easter present when Matt Whitney is returned to them. Matt had a rough spring, hitting just .107 (3-28). His struggles were compounded by the Nationals having multiple veteran options at first base and also with other veterans who can sub at 1B if needed.

Matt was understandably disappointed but he reported right back to the Indians spring training facility and got right to work.

The Indians were happy to have Matt back and he will even get a promotion up to AA where he will play a little third base but mostly share 1B/DH responsibilities with Michael Aubrey, another first round pick whose career has been stalled by injuries. Ross Atkins, the Indians’ director of player development said that getting a Rule 5 selection back is sometimes creates an awkward situation but predicts that this won’t be the case with Whitney. Sometimes Rule 5 picks take it hard when they are returned to their former organization. First, there is the sense of returning to an organization that didn’t think enough of them to even put them on the 40-man roster. Second, if they are blocked at the major league level by established players they may feel that they are returning to an organization where they have no chance of making the majors. In some cases it can make them even think about giving up the dream. Recently, Cecil Cooper, currently the manager of the Houston Astros, said that he quit baseball for a couple of days after he found out that he was being returned to the Boston Red Sox after he failed to make the St. Louis Cardinals as a Rule 5 pick in the spring of 1971. His 17 year major league career started that same year with the Red Sox, a career in which he hit 241 homeruns. This initial disappointment, how the player handles it and what the player does in his first season after being picked in and returned from the Rule 5 draft can be what determines, to a large extent, if the returned Rule 5 draftee just becomes a career minor leaguer or goes on, like Cooper, to a successful major league career.

Meanwhile things are still going very well for Barton. “I am not even thinking about going back to Cleveland as there is no room for doubt in my mind at this point. My goal is to make the Cardinals big league team.” At this point Barton is hitting .327 (16-49) and has an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .994. The only person standing in Barton’s way for a roster spot now is Juan Gonzalez, the veteran outfielder who hasn’t played in 2 years and, at this point, is a long shot as he hasn’t played in over a week with an abdominal strain. If it means anything, the media in St. Louis have already given Barton a roster spot and indicated that if the Cardinals are really looking to develop young players it would contradictory to give a roster spot to a broken-down veteran like Gonzalez with the prospect of having to return Barton to Cleveland.

Decision Time, Part Deux

It is now Wednesday, March 26th and Brian Barton is told that he has made the opening day roster for the St. Louis Cardinals when he reports to camp that morning. He is so excited he wakes his mother up at 4 in the morning West Coast time. “I was really excited and happy when I found out,” said Barton. “I thought I had a good chance but there is always that anticipation when you are waiting for good news even though you are trying just to carry on with what you are doing.” Then, with his 7 am talk with Tony LaRussa still ringing in his ears, Brian is hit in the face with a pitch in Wednesday’s exhibition game. His face is bloody as he leaves the field with the help of the trainers. Barton recalled “It’s funny. The very first thing I thought was ‘Is my face cut?’ My first thought was about the cosmetics and not so much baseball. It wasn’t until later when it all sank in that I thought ‘Hey, I could have just had my dream of playing in the majors ended or really set back by this.’” It turns out, however, that the hit in the face was just a glancing blow, there isn’t even a welt and Brian was fine once they got his nose to quit bleeding. So a day that started out so great fortunately ended up just as good after his close facial encounter with a curveball. Brian Barton is a major leaguer and no one can take that away from him. He has his first game, his first hit, his first homerun and his first game-winning hit, among other firsts, to look forward to and the added benefit is that he gets to experience those things while playing in one of the best if not THE best baseball city in major leagues, St. Louis. Life, at this moment, is about as good as it could be for Brian Barton. The reality of it, however, is starting to sink in. “Today (Sunday) all the rookies had to get up and give a rookie speech. My heart was pounding and that was the first time I think it really hit me that this is real and I am really in the big leagues. I am going to try to stay calm tomorrow but I know I am going to be really excited to be in my first big league game.” Who wouldn’t be? Brian Barton is a big leaguer!

What’s Next?

For one player, the Rule 5 draft led to the fulfillment of his dreams of playing in the majors. The thought that Rule 5 draftees seldom have successful major league careers would never enter the mind of a player as confident as Brian Barton. He is just going to enjoy the moment and play as hard as he can and make his major league career last as long as it can. For the other player, Matt Whitney, it is back to the drawing board. Matt is a great guy who has been through a lot after his injury. “At this point, I am only looking forward” he says. They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This, unfortunately, isn’t always the case for a Rule 5 draftee. However, like Cecil Cooper, Matt Whitney may go on to have a great career despite not being able to leverage the Rule 5 draft into a major league job. He is still young. His dream still has plenty of life left.

Article originally written by Dennis Nosco and reprinted with permission

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