Castro Bullets

[CIMO.]

Great stuff as usual from Castrovince

 

http://castrovince.mlblogs.com/

 

There is a chance -- albeit a slim one -- that Matt LaPorta, Michael Brantley or Trevor Crowe could win a big-league job out of camp. Again, though, it's slim, given that the Indians prefer to have those guys getting everyday at-bats in Triple-A. But it's become quite clear that David Dellucci is on a short leash this season. It also doesn't appear likely the Indians will carry five outfielders at the outset of the season.

 

 

And that brings me to my next point: Josh Barfield appears to be the odds-on favorite for that 25th roster spot. Luis Valbuena looks to be on track to be the starting second baseman at Triple-A, and Barfield keeps getting mentioned as a potential bench option in the big leagues. That's one reason Wedge wants to try Barfield in the outfield this spring, because added versatility would give the Indians added value in keeping him. I find it a tad suspicious that the Indians are suddenly so high on Barfield after Wedge seemed to do everything in his power not to play him last September.

 

 

Rafael Betancourt has, from my vantage point, never been in better shape. He's put on a ton of muscle.

 

 

Jensen Lewis, on the other hand, has never looked worse. But that's only because he shaved his head. Physically, he's fine.

 

 

Wedge hired former Tribe farmhand Dave Wallace to be the Tribe's new bullpen catcher, replacing Dennis Malave, who will be a coach with the Arizona League this summer. The Indians view this spot as a stepping-stone, of sorts. Wedge said Wallace has definite manager material.

 

 

As reported yesterday, I wouldn't expect Fausto Carmona to actually make it to the World Baseball Classic. Just doesn't make sense, given the time he missed last year.

 

 

Shapiro has tried to temper his excitement about Adam Miller and how well he threw in the Dominican, but it's pretty clear Miller is at or near the top of the totem pole, when it comes to winning that last spot in the bullpen. If he's healthy and throwing well in camp, it's hard to imagine the Indians using an option on him to send him to Triple-A. But we'll see.

 

 

The Indians will try to protect Shin-Soo Choo against some lefties, so they really want another right-handed bat in the outfield mix. That's part of the reason Mark DeRosa, Jamey Carroll, Ryan Garko and Barfield will all see time there in camp.

 

Brantley is as mature a 21-year-old as you'll ever meet.

[ballpeen]

Nice grab bag of stuff.

 

I don't know why we are talking about taking a look at DeRosa in the OF?? A quick search shows he has played around 300 ML games in the of...mostly RF. I doubt he would be in RF if he totally sucked.

[Beanpot]

Great stuff. Good news on Betancourt (better news that Lewis only *looks* ugly) and Miller.

 

Man, I was actually a fan of that Dellucci/Michaels platoon in '07. Now, to see that kind of contract attached to the likes of Dellucci in this economic climate is pretty obscene. At least he'll always have this:

 

Diamondbacks reserve outfielder David Dellucci may not have gotten a lot of exposure during the World Series, but his girlfriend more than made up for it. Dellucci is dating Gena Lee Nolin, star of TV's Sheena and Playboy's December cover girl. The two met in July when Nolin (below), who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., went to BankOne Ballpark for a Giants game. Recalls Dellucci, "I can't remember much of the game because she sat right behind the dugout." As for having his date on display in Playboy for all to see, "I tried to buy every copy in Arizona," says Dellucci. "I was feeling good until we went to New York. There are too many newsstands in New York."

 

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vau...24232/index.htm

 

I'm going to forever consider Brantley to be CIMO's "pick to click" and it's nice to know the guy has a good head on his shoulders.

 

Beanpot

[Beanpot]

First I've heard of Scott Petrak. Really good column.

 

LORAIN — The recipe for success for a big league team is complex: a powerful offense, a deep rotation, a solid defense and a dependable bullpen.

 

The formula for disaster is much simpler: an unreliable relief corps.

 

Nothing can sink a team faster than a bad bullpen. And it starts at the finish.

 

A lights-out closer shortens the game by at least three outs, 11 percent of the game. He emboldens his teammates while demoralizing the opposition. The other team knows the seventh and eighth innings are their last chances to rally, so they feel the pressure earlier.

 

Enter Kerry Wood, the Indians’ top free-agent signing.

 

He saved 34 games for the Cubs in 2008, posting a 3.26 ERA and striking out 84 in 661/3 innings.

 

“He’s going to make our team so much better,” right-handed reliever Jensen Lewis said Thursday at the Tribe’s annual press tour stop at DeLuca’s Place in the Park. “He’s an intimidating force in the back end we obviously haven’t had the last few years.”

 

If Wood can stay healthy — there’s always an “if” for the budget-conscious Indians — he should not only calm the waters in the ninth inning, but lower the collective blood pressure of Indians fans.

 

After years watching Bob Wickman and Joe Borowski, a 1-2-3 ninth inning without drama will be a welcome sight at Progressive Field. So will a 94 mph fastball.

 

“I love it,” first baseman Ryan Garko said this week. “Knowing that Kerry Wood’s in the back end of our bullpen, it’s going to change the way everyone comes to the ballpark, knowing we have someone like that to finish games.”

 

As the Indians learned last year, the opposite is also true. A shaky closer — or worse, a revolving door in the ninth inning — begins the dominos spilling across the dugout.

 

The 27 outs required for a win feel like 30. The opponent never loses hope, no matter how large the deficit. Meanwhile, the balky closer’s team never feels comfortable.

 

Borowski’s right arm gave out last year, starting a chain of events that led to a miserable bullpen performance that sabotaged the team’s playoff hopes. Rafael Betancourt and Masahide Kobayashi couldn’t fill the void, and it wasn’t until Lewis stepped into the closer’s role late in the year that the bullpen stabilized and the Indians began to string wins.

 

The Indians finished 27th in the league with 31 saves, and they blew 20 chances.

 

The brutal numbers weren’t lost on general manager Mark Shapiro, who made finding a closer priority No. 1. Shapiro has repeatedly said that a bullpen is the most difficult part of the team to build, and its success the toughest to predict.

 

Yet it can’t be ignored.

 

“With the bullpen, every year is a new year,” Shapiro said after signing Wood to a two-year, $20.5 million deal. “Kerry Wood was our first choice. He’s a prototypical closer who throws in the mid-90s with a power breaking ball. He has dominant stuff.

“We believe you start with a closer and build back from there. We think we have the pieces to put together what could be a very good bullpen.”

 

Shapiro isn’t just whistling the happy tune that accompanies the approach of spring training.

 

The Indians are deep in the bullpen, which gives them options. Betancourt — who figures to return to form after a mind-boggling flop last year — Lewis and newly acquired Joe Smith have had success in the eighth inning and could be interchangeable depending on who’s got the hot hand. Left-hander Rafael Perez was among the best at his craft last year (86 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings, 3.54 ERA in 2008), and Kobayashi is an exciting option in the sixth inning, as he should be better in his second season in America.

 

“It’s almost like you pick names out of a hat now, because guys have had experience in all the situations,” Lewis said. “It allows us to shorten games, which is what a bullpen wants to do.

 

“It also allows the starters to let everything hang out. They don’t have to worry about saving energy. They’ll know we’re ready.”

 

If Lewis and Shapiro are right about the bullpen — and there’s reason to think they are — the Indians will be one giant step closer to contending again in the AL Central.

 

Then they’d only have to worry about depth in the rotation, Jhonny Peralta’s range at shortstop and the health of Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez in the middle of the lineup.

 

Welcome to another Indians season.

 

http://www.chroniclet.com/2009/01/23/scott...er-bullpen_122/

 

Beanpot