Results tagged ‘ Mike Aviles ’
Batting practice photos: May 17 vs. Seattle
The guys are glad to be back in Cleveland — and in first place! Enjoy this photo slideshow from Friday batting practice.
–Kyle Emery photos
Indians Batting Practice: May 6, with a special visitor
Today’s BP session featured a visit from Nick Leyto, who for the last three months has been getting cancer treatments at Cleveland Clinic. He’s home now for two weeks before returning to the Clinic for more chemo.
–Photos by Kyle Emery
Indians Batting Practice: May 1
The Indians are back at it after a seven-homer night in Tuesday’s 14-2 win over the Phillies. And by the looks of these photos, it looks like they’re enjoying themselves!
–Kyle Emery photos
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
Francona discusses recent trade, off-season forecast on PD Sports Insider
Indians Manager Terry Francona was the special guest on this afternoon’s episode of the PD Sports Insider on Cleveland.com. Francona joined hosts Bud Shaw and Dennis Manoloff from the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Glenn Moore of Cleveland.com to discuss a range of questions surrounding the club.
With off-season activity gearing up, Francona spoke at length about the outlook for the club’s winter, and what the club hopes to accomplish heading into next season. He also offered his take on the recent trade with the Blue Jays which sent reliever Esmil Rogers to Toronto for infielder Mike Aviles and catcher Yan Gomes.
“You hate to give up any pitching arms, but to get good players [sometimes] you have to do that,” Francona said on the show. “Toronto really regarded Esmil Rogers highly, and we get back a guy in Mike Aviles that can play Second, Third and Short, and probably left and right. He’s a guy who can play everyday, or he can move all over the diamond. He gives you a guy with great baseball acumen. He loves to compete – whether he’s in the lineup or on the bench – he’ll always bring something positive to a team. He’s got a little edge to him, which is good.”
Francona also offered his take on Gomes, 25, who hit .328 with 13HR and 59 RBI in 79 games at AAA last year.
“Yan Gomes is a guy that can play the corners and can catch,” said Francona. “He probably got caught up in an organization that had a lot of catching, which not too many teams can say. So again, we had a chance to bring in two good players for one, and where we are situation right now, I thought it made sense.”
The full interview is available on Cleveland.com: Watch Here
– TribeVibe contributor Max Lom
