Results tagged ‘ Asdrubal Cabrera ’
Tribe GM to Fan Correspondent @ClevelandChick: ‘I’m comfortable with high expectations’
Our Spring Training Fan Correspondent @ClevelandChick had the chance to sit down with Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti and throw a few questions from Twitter at the Tribe executive. There were so many great questions from you and responses from Chris that there will be two parts to the Q&A! Below is the first half of their transcribed interview from Goodyear.
ClevelandChick: What’s been the biggest surprise in Arizona so far? Who will make the final roster choices?
Chris Antonetti: In terms of surprises, I think Scott Kazmir has been one of our more pleasant surprises. Candidly, we weren’t quite sure what to expect from Scott just because he spent so much time away from the Major Leagues. To his credit, he’s worked exceptionally hard; went to independent ball last year to try to rework his delivery, went to winter ball this year, and has come to camp and has thrown the ball really well. He’s in a good spot.
In the end, it’s my responsibility to make those decisions, but it’s a very collaborative process. We’ll certainly take input of not only our scouts, but Terry and his staff. They’ll be a big part of it.
CC: What’s the whole process for choosing the final roster?
CA: It’s really a process that evolves throughout the spring. We spend a lot of time talking about the roster composition and different combinations of players to build out the team. As players play or pitch, we get additional information that helps us make those decisions. The last thing we want to have to do is react to injuries. So if guys aren’t available, that could impact how we put the roster together.
Indians abound as World Baseball Classic workouts begin
Workouts for the 2013 World Baseball Classic kicked off today. The Indians will be well represented at the tournament with six players expected to take the field for their countries.
Bullpen staple VINNIE PESTANO will join Joe Torre’s Team USA, which will compete in Pool D at Chase Field in Phoenix from March 7-10, along with squads from Italy, Mexico and Canada. SS ASDRUBAL CABRERA will report to Luis Sojo’s Team Venezuela, CA CARLOS SANTANA will join Tony Pena’s Team Dominican Republic, while INF MIKE AVILES and LHP GIOVANNI SOTO will answer the bell for Team Puerto Rico and Akron Aeros manager EDWIN RODRIGUEZ. Spain will join the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela in Pool C at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, PR, with games played from March 7-10. Additional WBC details are below:
Indians’ World Baseball Classic participants eager for competition
Indians catcher Carlos Santana, who will play for the Dominican Republic in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, interacts with young fans at Tribe Fest on Saturday. (Kyle Emery photo)
With six members of the Cleveland Indians on World Baseball Classic rosters, there stands to be some friendly trash talk when Spring Training opens next month in Goodyear, Ariz.
Indians relievers Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez will help the United States squad, which has finished no better than fourth, take on some of the sport’s very big boys in the third installment of the WBC: Indians teammates Carlos Santana (Dominican Republic) and Asdrubal Cabrera (Venezuela) are members of teams loaded with Major League stars, while new Indians infielder Mike Aviles – and Tribe farmhand Giovanni Soto — join Yadier Molina (Cardinals), Carlos Beltran (Cardinals) and Alex Rios (White Sox) on the Puerto Rico team.
“There will be some back and forth, and that’s all part of it,” said Pestano, who with Perez formed one of the most feared bullpen duos in the majors last season. “Hopefully we get a chance to go against (Cabrera) and Carlos. Their teams are loaded.
“Maybe it’ll come down to us being the 1980 (U.S.) Winter Olympic hockey team: (Coach Herb Brooks said) ‘We’re not looking for the best ones, we’re looking for the right ones,’” he said with a smile.
The U.S., though, is no slouch, and the team’s pitching depth, especially in the bullpen, made Pestano unsure whether he’d even be included. Pestano, who in 2012 set a single-season club record with 36 holds, and Perez, who had 39 saves, are joined by Craig Kimbrel (Braves), Jeremy Affeldt (Giants) and Mitch Boggs (Cardinals), among others, in the bullpen, while Mark Teixeira (Yankees), Brandon Phillips (Reds), Ryan Braun (Brewers) and Giancarlo Stanton (Marlins) highlight the lineup.
The rotation includes 2012 National League Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey, now of the Blue Jays, the Giants’ Ryan Vogelsong and Atlanta’s Kris Medlen, among others.
“I’m very confident in (U.S. manager Joe Torre) and the team,” Pestano said. “Chris and I both are pumped about it; we obviously have a great dynamic. I’m not sure how it’s going to play out with the opportunities to pitch, because we have a lot of great arms. But … it would be special if me and Chris in any given day were given the ball to shut it down like we do during the regular season.”
What always was certain was the Indians’ representatives’ desire to play.
“I like the event because I’m from the Dominican and it gives me a chance to play for my country,” said Santana, who hit 18 homers and drove in 76 runs in his second full season in the majors in 2012. “Talking with (fellow Dominicans) Robinson Cano (Yankees) and Melky Cabrera (Blue Jays), they were all going and told me that the WBC is a good event.”
Indians infielder Mike Aviles will play for Puerto Rico in the WBC. (Kyle Emery photo)
Aviles, meanwhile, played for Puerto Rico in 2009 and is honored to again be donning the country’s uniform.
“I heard about it during the summer of last year, that it was a possibility, and I was open to it because I was excited to play in the last one, and it’s always an honor to put on a jersey of that caliber,” Aviles said. “I was just waiting to hear anything this offseason. … It’s just a matter of, I got the call, and it was made official, so I was pumped about it and excited, and I’m excited to put that jersey on again.”
Aviles was acquired from the Blue Jays in November along with Yan Gomes, who is the first Brazilian player to play in the major leagues and is considering playing for his home country in the WBC. Gomes is weighing playing against remaining at Spring Training with the Indians, in an effort to familiarize himself with his new organization and increase his chances of making the Indians’ Opening Day roster.
Meanwhile, the trade that brought the duo to Cleveland, along with playing in the WBC, has made for an interesting offseason for Aviles.
“I’m just pumped for the whole tournament and everything. I’ve got a lot of new stuff going on this year, between (playing for) Puerto Rico and (coming over to) the Indians, and I’m excited for this season just because there’s so much new, that I’m just excited for the upcoming season.”
Pestano, in interviews and on Twitter, made no bones about his desire to participate.
“I had heard from the end of the year that I had a chance to be on the team, but the list of possible players had to become a lot shorter,” Pestano said. “I didn’t know how I was going to fit in and the process was going down.”
The tournament starts with pool play – the U.S. is grouped in Pool D with Canada, Mexico and Italy — in Japan, Taiwan, Puerto Rico and Arizona from March 2-12. The next round, from March 8-16, will be in Tokyo and Miami, with the final portion set for March 17-19 at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Japan has won both World Baseball Classics.
United States World Baseball Classic roster
Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees
Brandon Phillips, 2B, Reds
Jimmy Rollins, SS, Phillies
David Wright, 3B, Mets
Joe Mauer, C, Twins
Jonathan Lucroy, C, Brewers
J.P. Arencibia, C, Blue Jays
Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers
Adam Jones, OF, Orioles
Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Marlins
Shane Victorino, OF, Red Sox
Ben Zobrist, INF, Rays
Willie Bloomquist, INF, Diamondbacks
R.A. Dickey, SP, Blue Jays
Ryan Vogelsong, SP, Giants
Derek Holland, SP, Rangers
Kris Medlen, SP, Braves
Craig Kimbrel, RP, Braves
Heath Bell, RP, Diamondbacks
Chris Perez, RP, Indians
Vinnie Pestano, RP, Indians
Luke Gregerson, RP, Padres
Glen Perkins, RP, Twins
Steve Cishek, Marlins
Jeremy Affeldt, RP, Giants
Tim Collins, RP, Royals
Mitchell Boggs, RP, Cardinals
–TribeVibe contributors Joel Hammond and Max Lom
Indians prospects taking advantage of extended season in Arizona Fall League and elsewhere
Ronny Rodriguez has followed up a strong regular season by excelling in Arizona. – Photo by Ken Inness/MiLB.com
Update: Two Indians prospects, catcher Alex Monsalve and pitcher Trey Haley have been selected to play in the Arizona Fall League’s Futures Game. The game will take place on Saturday, November 3 at 8:00PM ET and will be broadcast live on MLB Network and MLB.com.
Although the Major League season ended Sunday night, many young players will continue to play through the winter as they aim to speed up their development by playing extended seasons. The Indians have a number of young players currently working on their game in the Arizona Fall League, while several others will be participating in Winter Leagues across Latin America.
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) began its 2012 season on October 9 and eight players from the Indians organization are taking part by representing the Scottsdale Scorpions in the extended season. Several players, such as shortstop Ronny Rodriguez and left-handed pitcher T.J. House, have excelled in the AFL as they look to improve on strong 2012 seasons in the minor leagues.
Rodriguez, 20, is rated the No. 5 prospect in the organization by MLB.com after showing impressive power (19 HR and 66 RBI) with the Carolina Mudcats (Hi-A) in the 2012 regular season. He is hitting .273 through 11 games in the AFL, with six RBI and three stolen bases.
House is coming off a promising season in which he was promoted from Carolina to Double-A Akron, compiling a 10-5 record and 3.56 ERA between the two teams. He has built on his 2012 regular season campaign with several strong performances in Arizona, striking out 18 batters over 17 innings of work, and posting a 1.59 ERA.
Both Rodriguez and House hope to follow in the footsteps of a number of current Indians players who have spent time developing their game in the AFL in recent years.
Jason Kipnis excelled in the AFL in the fall of 2010, and Vinnie Pestano appeared in the league in 2009. Both players went on to make their Major League debuts the following season.
The Arizona Fall League schedule ends on November 15, but similar leagues in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and Mexico will take place throughout the fall and winter.
Notable current Indians have played in these leagues as well in recent years. Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera played in the Venezuelan Winter League from 2007-2011, while catcher Carlos Santana and pitcher Rafael Perez each made appearances in the 2009 Dominican Winter League. Pitcher Esmil Rogers is expected to play in the Dominican this winter.
For more on the Indians prospects currently plying their trade in off-season leagues, read Tyler Emerick’s feature for MLB.com.
– TribeVibe Contributor Max Lom
MLB Authenticators work to ensure the validity of rare autographed items
Photo by Ian A.C. Johnson
Ever wonder how an autographed or game-used item is deemed “authentic” by Major League Baseball and its clubs?
Well, for those in the market for such an item, there is a small sticker to look for on each item which guarantees its authenticity. Each club in MLB has a group of official Authenticators, whose job is to keep track of autographed and game-used items to confirm that they are genuine.
Linda Kaspar is one of four authenticators assigned to the Indians. One authenticator is required to be on hand at each game, and Kaspar rotates with her colleagues to split up the 81 home games.
“We have to be present,” she explained. “We have to witness everything that is either signed or comes off the field as it comes off the field to make sure that it’s valid, and the person signing it is the real person.”
Kaspar, like many of her co-workers, is a retired Cleveland Police Officer, and she has worked in this role with the Indians for the past five seasons.
“I happened to know somebody that was going for an interview for an authenticator [position], and they needed more people so I was asked to come to the interview and I got hired,” said Kaspar.
These authenticated items are often an important fundraising source for charity organizations that wish to raise money by selling similar items. Having the official sticker to mark an item’s legitimacy is an important way to protect both fans and the charity organizations.
Cleveland Indians Charities uses the money raised through a series of auctions to fund programs such as the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s baseball and softball programs, as well as making a significant annual donation to the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland.
Currently, there are several authenticated items available through the Indians official online auction, with proceeds from each benefiting CIC and its partner programs.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the current auction items.
Kyler Fedko: 2012 Aquafina Major League Pitch, Hit & Run Champion
While Asdrubal Cabrera and Chris Perez enjoyed last week’s All-Star festivities, Indians fan Kyler Fedko spent time shagging balls at the 2012 Home Run Derby. Fedko, a native of Gibsonia, PA, won the 2012 Aquafina Major League Pitch, Hit, & Run in the 11-12-Year-Old Boys’ Age Divison. The national champions from each age division were crowned during All-Star Workout Day on Monday, July 9, in Kansas City, MO. Fedko, who is a big fan of Cabrera, will have the opportunity to take in Cleveland Indians batting practice as well as a game at Progressive Field. Check out TribeVibe’s interview with Fedko below.
TribeVibe: How did you win this competition?
Kyler Fedko: First, you had to win the local [competition], and then you had to win First Regional, then Progressive.
TV: How many kids are you competing against?
KF: 160, 000.
TV: What was your competition like?
KF: Competition was really tough. I barely won the regional, but I won this thing.
TV: What was it like going to Cleveland?
KF: It was a long drive, but it was worth it. [Progressive Field] was really nice.
TV: What players have you gotten to meet at the All-Star Game?
KF: [Pirates oufielder] Andrew McCutchen, [Dodgers pitcher] Clayton Kershaw, and [Pirates pitcher] Joel Hanrahan.
TV: What position do you play?
KF: I play third, left [field], and pitcher.
TV: Your dad is a broadcaster?
KF: His name is John Fedko, and he is a broadcaster for Channel 11 in Pittsburgh.
TV: How has your All-Star experience been?
KF: It was really fun. The best part was shagging the Home Run Derby.
Indians Game Information, July 4
CLEVELAND INDIANS (41-39, 2nd, -2.0 G) vs. LOS ANGELES ANGELS (45-36)
RHP Derek Lowe (7-6, 4.42) vs. RHP Ervin Santana (4-8, 5.12)
First Pitch: 4:05 p.m. (ET) at Progressive Field
TV: STO Radio: WTAM, Indians Radio Network
Series Notes:
WINS AND LOSSES: Cleveland plated runs in 6 of 8 turns at-bat last night and pounded out 14 hits to beat the Angels 9-5…Cleveland is 1-1 to begin a 7-day, 7-game homestand against Los Angeles-AL (1-1) and Tampa Bay (4 games) that will wrap up the club’s first “half” of the 2012 campaign heading into the All-Star break…the Indians have lost 21 of their last 36 games, buthave still won 3 of 4, 4 of 6, and 40 of their last 75…Cleveland’s overall 2012 record sits 2 games above the .500 mark (41-39), 6 games shy of the club’s season high-water mark (8G, 26-18, May 24)…the Indians have been at or above the .500 mark for 79 consecutive days…club has not been below the .500 mark since April 14 (3-4)…Cleveland is 2 games above the .500 mark at home (21-19), winning 4 of 5, 10 of 17 and 19 of the last 32 games at Progressive Field after starting the year 2-6 in Cleveland…club’s road record sits at an even .500 (20-20) away from Progressive Field.
KANSAS CITY HERE I COME: The Indians will have a pair of representatives at the 2012 All-Star Game in Kansas City, as SS ASDRUBAL CABRERA and closer CHRIS PEREZ were both named to the American League team Sunday as the result of player balloting…this marks the 2nd career selections for both Cabrera and Perez, as the same duo was also added to the 2011 Mid-Summer Classic in Phoenix…the last Indians SS to make consecutive All-Star teams was OMAR VIZQUEL in 1998-99, while the last Indians reliever to do so was JOSE MESA in 1995-96.
NOT MAKE BELIEVE: ESMIL ROGERS has posted a 1.59 ERA (2 ER/11.1 IP) across 9 appearances since being acquired by the Indians on June 12, which is the 4th-best figure among A.L. relievers with at least 10.0 IP in that span behind Seattle’s duo of Wilhelmsen (0.00, 11.0 IP) and Furbush (0.73, 12.1 IP), and Detroit’s Villarreal (1.54, 11.2 IP)…Rogers’ .150 (6-40) opponents’ avg. is also 4th-best among that same population of A.L. relievers, as he has recorded 15 strikeouts against just one walk.
Indians Game Information for Saturday, June 30
CLEVELAND INDIANS (38-38, 2nd, -3.5 G) vs. BALTIMORE ORIOLES (42-34)
RHP Josh Tomlin (3-5, 5.70) vs. LHP Dana Eveland (0-0, 3.00)
First Pitch: 4:05 p.m. (ET) at Camden Yards
TV: STO
Radio: WTAM, Indians Radio Network
Series Notes:
RARE DEFEAT: Last night’s contest marked the first time for the Indians to lose a game in which they scored at least 8 runs while out-hitting an opponent with 16+ hits since Sept. 8, 2009 vs. Texas (11-9 loss, out-hit Rangers 16-13), although it was the first time to shoulder such a defeat on the road since July 21, 2002 at Kansas City (13-12 loss, out-hit Royals 20-13).
JOBU NEEDS A REFILL: Despite a 1-3 record, the last 4 games of the Indians current road trip have featured an increase in offensive production for the Tribe…the club has hit nearly .300 while plating almost 6 runs-per-game over the last 4 contests, this after posting a .165 average and just 5 combined runs over the first 4 tilts of the trip.
LIKE TO HAVE THAT “ONE” BACK: Each of the Indians’ last 2 losses have ended with the club trailing by a single run signaling somewhat of a rarity for the Clevelanders in 2012, as the club entered this road trip with just 2 one-run defeats all season…at 12-4 (.750), Cleveland still owns the best record in the majors in one-run contests.
CABRERA IN CHARM CITY: ASDRUBAL CABRERA has hit 6 of his 11 home runs this season over his last 13 games beginning June 16, driving in 13 runs in that span…Cabrera has also homered in 4 of his last 6 games against the Orioles, all coming here at Camden Yards, and carries a .339 (41-121) career avg. vs. Baltimore, his highest career figure against any A.L. club…also has 28 career RBI vs. Baltimore (12 RBI in last 9 G), T4th-most for Cabrera vs. any opponent behind A.L. Central opponents Kansas City (45), Chicago (39) and Detroit (29).
AROUND THE BLOCK: The Indians have hit 4 HR last 2 games after just 2 HR over first 6 games of current road trip…Cleveland was charged with 2 errors last night to snap a streak of 6 straight games without a miscue; club’s .985 team fielding pct. is still 5th-best in the A.L…last night also marked just the 2nd time over the Indians last 11 games for the Indians pitching staff to be charged with at least one unearned run.
IT’S RAINING IN BALTIMORE: The Indians hold a 48-44 all-time advantage over the Orioles at Camden Yards (1992-present), winning 11 of the last 19 meetings…the 2 clubs split a 4-game series here last season.
