The MLB trade deadline, it seems, is not any easier for the athletes than it is for the bleary-eyed sports writers trying to cover it.
As Indianapolis first baseman Jeff Clement told IndyIndians.com's Alex McCarthy, "I'm not sure there's any profession in life besides maybe athletics where you don't have control over where you're going to be the next day and you get a phone call and they say, 'Hey, you're moving across the country and we're no longer your employer.'"
In his story, McCarthy notes that Clement had been traded from the Seattle Mariners to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009, but the trade rumors including his name have died down over the past few years -- and after Tuesday's 3 p.m. trade deadline passed, Clement is still wearing his Indians-emblazoned No. 14 jersey.
A few of Clement's (now former) teammates did not make it through the carnage of the trade deadline, however. Here is a look at the Tribe's dearly departed.
Rudy Owens -- LHP
Stats with Indianapolis: 19 G, 8-5, 3.14 ERA (41 ER in 117.1 IP), 1 CG, 25 BB, 85 K
Traded to: Houston Astros, with Double-A outfielder Robbie Grossman and Class-A LHP Colton Cain.
Traded for: LHP Wandy Rodriguez [with Houston: 7-9, 3.79 ERA (55 ER in 130.2 IP), 21 G, 32 BB, 89 BB]
Notes: Owens made his first start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on July 26 against the Iowa Cubs, taking a no decision on 5.0 innings pitched with six hits (one home run), three earned runs, four walks and three strikeouts. Rodriguez made his first start for the Pirates on July 28 -- in Houston, against his former teammates -- also taking a no decision on 6.0 innings pitched, allowing six hits, three earned runs and five walks while striking out five Astros.
Brian Friday -- INF
Stats with Indianapolis: 66 G, .232 (45-for-194), 26 R, 10 2B, 2 3B, 25 RBI, 7 SB
Traded to: Atlanta Braves
Traded for: OF Christian Marrero [with Triple-A Gwinnett: 68 G, .247 (48-for-194), 14 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 6 SB]
Notes: In three games for Triple-A Gwinnett, Friday has gone 2-for-10 (.200) with a home run, an RBI, three runs scored, one walk and five strikeouts. He had spent nearly four years with Indianapolis. Marrero grounded out in a pinch hit appearance on Sunday, his only action with the Indians thus far.
Gorkys Hernandez -- OF
Stats with Indianapolis: 67 G, .257 (61-for-237), 43 R, 11 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 13 SB
Stats with Pittsburgh: 25 G, .083 (2-for-24), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
Traded to: Miami Marlins
Traded for: 1B Gaby Sanchez [with Miami: 56 G, .202 (37-for-183), 12 R, 10 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 1 SB]
Notes: Hernandez had been written into the Indianapolis lineup on Tuesday prior to being traded, just four days after being optioned by Pittsburgh. After making his major league debut earlier this season for the Pirates, he is expected to go directly to Miami's big league roster. Sanchez will join the Pirates.
In addition to these players, the Pirates traded RHP Brad Lincoln -- who started the season with the Indians -- to the Toronto Blue Jays for OF Travis Snider. Snider is making his Pittsburgh debut tonight in Chicago, batting second and playing right field against the Cubs. Additionally, the Pirates were able to hold onto uber-prospect and former Indians OF Starling Marte, who had often been rumored as a trade piece but started in left field for Pittsburgh on Tuesday, batting leadoff.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines and you can follow Alex McCarthy on Twitter and www.twitter.com/akmccarthy.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Conversation with Mark Prior
Early Thursday evening, I sat down with former Chicago Cubs wunderkind pitcher Mark Prior, who is attempting a comeback in professional baseball with the Boston Red Sox organization.
The oft-injured Prior was in Indianapolis with the Pawtucket Red Sox, Boston's Triple-A affiliate. He is working on making the transition from starting to relieving and has made 13 appearances out of the Pawtucket bullpen, posting a 1-0 record and 3.12 ERA.
On Tuesday afternoon, Prior pitched two scoreless innings against the Indians, allowing one hit while picking up a pair of strikeouts.
I spoke with Prior on behalf of Sports Illustrated baseball writer and injury expert Will Carroll, who was unable to make it to Victory Field. The questions are my own:
The Raines Delay: "First of all, how has the season gone for you so far in terms of making the comeback and pitching again?"
Mark Prior: "It's going good. You know, learning my way as a reliever. Just trying to learn my way and get used to the grind of a season with my body and my arm. But overall, I think it's been going pretty good."
TRD: "What has that switch from starter to reliever been like for you?"
MP: "It's been good. You know, there's some different approaches that you take as far as the preparation that you take, trying to understand how much you need to throw between outings, before outings, stuff like that. It's different from starting, where you're pretty regimented; once you start throwing as a starter, you basically get it all done and then you have time to recover. But as a reliever, you've got to go out and get your long toss in, you have to figure out what's enough -- how much do I need? -- to maintain arm strength and stuff like that but have enough left in the tank to go out and pitch that night or the next night or whatever.
So, that's been one adjustment: preparation from a physical standpoint. And then I think it's just different, you know, starting you just work your way into the flow of the game versus relieving, you have to come in throwing strikes right away, and a lot of it depends on the situation that you're coming into."
TRD: "What about starting with the new organization, with the Red Sox, how has that been working out for you?"
MP: "It's been great. They've been great to me here. I really like the way they run their program from top to bottom. I saw what they did down in extended [spring training] and what they started teaching their young guys here and just kind of what they do at this level (Triple-A) with a mixture of young and old guys that have been around. I've been impressed with their whole program, they way they try to take care of their guys, to put them in positions to get on the field and to succeed."
TRD: "What are you plans for the future?"
MP: "I haven't got that far, you know? Honestly, I'm just worried about day-to-day, more or less. I want to finish the year out strong, wherever that is. And then, you know, just reevaluate at the end of the year like I've done every year, see where I'm at and see what I've done and where I can improve and what opportunities are out there."
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
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| No joke, his steely gaze looks directly into your soul. (google images) |
On Tuesday afternoon, Prior pitched two scoreless innings against the Indians, allowing one hit while picking up a pair of strikeouts.
I spoke with Prior on behalf of Sports Illustrated baseball writer and injury expert Will Carroll, who was unable to make it to Victory Field. The questions are my own:
The Raines Delay: "First of all, how has the season gone for you so far in terms of making the comeback and pitching again?"
Mark Prior: "It's going good. You know, learning my way as a reliever. Just trying to learn my way and get used to the grind of a season with my body and my arm. But overall, I think it's been going pretty good."
TRD: "What has that switch from starter to reliever been like for you?"
MP: "It's been good. You know, there's some different approaches that you take as far as the preparation that you take, trying to understand how much you need to throw between outings, before outings, stuff like that. It's different from starting, where you're pretty regimented; once you start throwing as a starter, you basically get it all done and then you have time to recover. But as a reliever, you've got to go out and get your long toss in, you have to figure out what's enough -- how much do I need? -- to maintain arm strength and stuff like that but have enough left in the tank to go out and pitch that night or the next night or whatever.
So, that's been one adjustment: preparation from a physical standpoint. And then I think it's just different, you know, starting you just work your way into the flow of the game versus relieving, you have to come in throwing strikes right away, and a lot of it depends on the situation that you're coming into."
TRD: "What about starting with the new organization, with the Red Sox, how has that been working out for you?"
MP: "It's been great. They've been great to me here. I really like the way they run their program from top to bottom. I saw what they did down in extended [spring training] and what they started teaching their young guys here and just kind of what they do at this level (Triple-A) with a mixture of young and old guys that have been around. I've been impressed with their whole program, they way they try to take care of their guys, to put them in positions to get on the field and to succeed."
TRD: "What are you plans for the future?"
MP: "I haven't got that far, you know? Honestly, I'm just worried about day-to-day, more or less. I want to finish the year out strong, wherever that is. And then, you know, just reevaluate at the end of the year like I've done every year, see where I'm at and see what I've done and where I can improve and what opportunities are out there."
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Major league Marte: A Star(ling) is born
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced on Wednesday evening that the team plans to promote wunderkind outfield prospect Starling Marte to the major leagues on Thursday, prior to the start of a four-game series against the Astros in Houston.
Marte will become the second key player to leave the Indianapolis Indians, who at 65-41 have the best record in the International League. Left-handed starter Rudy Owens was dealt to the Astros on Tuesday night in a trade for major league southpaw starter Wandy Rodriguez.
Owens had gone 8-5 in 19 starts for Indianapolis, posting a 3.14 ERA.
As MLB.com Pirates beat writer Tom Singer noted on Wednesday afternoon -- prior to the announcement of Marte's impending call-up -- Rodriguez becomes a Dominican presence in the Pittsburgh clubhouse, possibly making the transition easier for the outfielder, a fellow Dominican Republic native.
Marte went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in his last game with the Indians, a 4-2 loss to the Pawtucket Red Sox. The hit extended Marte's current hitting streak to five games, during which he batted .409 (9-for-22) with three doubles, one home run, five RBI and three runs scored.
The outfielder's longest hitting streak with the Indians spanned 15 games between June 25 and the first game of a double header on July 12. During that stretch, Marte went 26-for-65 (.400) and collected three doubles, four triples, three home runs, 16 RBI and scored 13 runs.
A promotion had been much-anticipated for Marte, who started the season as the Tribe's everyday center fielder but had began to move around the outfield of late. He has also moved into the No. 3 hole in the Indianapolis batting order, where he batted .291 in 57 games.
Marte came into the season ranked as Pittsburgh's No. 4 prospect by Baseball America. The same publication also rated him as the system's Best Hitter for Average and Best Athlete, and as having the organization's Best Outfield Arm, which Marte confirmed with eight outfield assists for the Indians.
At the time his coming promotion was announced, Marte was batting .286 in 99 games for Indianapolis and had amassed 21 doubles, 13 triples, 12 home runs, 62 RBI, 64 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. He ranked in the top five in the IL in games played, at bats (388), hits (111), extra-base hits (46), total bases (194), RBI, runs scored and stolen bases. Additionally, Marte's 13 triples led all of Minor League Baseball.
Marte will obviously leave a gaping hole in the Indianapolis lineup, but he could prove to be a boon for the Pirates as Pittsburgh looks to secure its first playoff appearance in nearly two decades.
Fans and members of the media have been clamoring for Marte's promotion nearly the entire season, since the uber-prospect batted .520 (13-for-25) with three home runs in 12 Grapefruit League games during spring training.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him (www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines) and/or Tom Singer (www.twitter.com/Tom_Singer) on Twitter.
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| With Josh Bell injured, Starling Marte is Pittsburgh's top-ranked positional prospect. (Bill Gentry) |
Owens had gone 8-5 in 19 starts for Indianapolis, posting a 3.14 ERA.
As MLB.com Pirates beat writer Tom Singer noted on Wednesday afternoon -- prior to the announcement of Marte's impending call-up -- Rodriguez becomes a Dominican presence in the Pittsburgh clubhouse, possibly making the transition easier for the outfielder, a fellow Dominican Republic native.
Marte went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in his last game with the Indians, a 4-2 loss to the Pawtucket Red Sox. The hit extended Marte's current hitting streak to five games, during which he batted .409 (9-for-22) with three doubles, one home run, five RBI and three runs scored.
The outfielder's longest hitting streak with the Indians spanned 15 games between June 25 and the first game of a double header on July 12. During that stretch, Marte went 26-for-65 (.400) and collected three doubles, four triples, three home runs, 16 RBI and scored 13 runs.
A promotion had been much-anticipated for Marte, who started the season as the Tribe's everyday center fielder but had began to move around the outfield of late. He has also moved into the No. 3 hole in the Indianapolis batting order, where he batted .291 in 57 games.
Marte came into the season ranked as Pittsburgh's No. 4 prospect by Baseball America. The same publication also rated him as the system's Best Hitter for Average and Best Athlete, and as having the organization's Best Outfield Arm, which Marte confirmed with eight outfield assists for the Indians.
At the time his coming promotion was announced, Marte was batting .286 in 99 games for Indianapolis and had amassed 21 doubles, 13 triples, 12 home runs, 62 RBI, 64 runs scored and 21 stolen bases. He ranked in the top five in the IL in games played, at bats (388), hits (111), extra-base hits (46), total bases (194), RBI, runs scored and stolen bases. Additionally, Marte's 13 triples led all of Minor League Baseball.
Marte will obviously leave a gaping hole in the Indianapolis lineup, but he could prove to be a boon for the Pirates as Pittsburgh looks to secure its first playoff appearance in nearly two decades.
Fans and members of the media have been clamoring for Marte's promotion nearly the entire season, since the uber-prospect batted .520 (13-for-25) with three home runs in 12 Grapefruit League games during spring training.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him (www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines) and/or Tom Singer (www.twitter.com/Tom_Singer) on Twitter.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Pat McAfee visits Victory Field
There was a white out at Victory Field early Friday evening, and Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee was the only one participating.
McAfee -- bedecked in white Converse Chuck Taylors, white Jordan brand shorts and a white T-shirt emblazoned with the image of the American flag -- had come out to the ballpark to take a round of batting practice with the Indianapolis Indians and throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game.
"I figured, you know, it's baseball," McAfee said about his shoes.
His get-up included a trucker-style hat advertising the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, turned backward with the bill bent up at the end. McAfee only took his hat off for his round in the cage, when he wore an Indians batting helmet.
When McAfee stepped down out of the seating bowl and onto the Victory Field playing surface, the Indians had already began taking batting practice. "Oh man, he's throwing real fast," McAfee said about Wyatt Toregas, who was pitching. "He's throwing real fast."
Trying to get a feel for the bat before getting into the change, McAfee realized he wasn't sure whether he was a right-handed or left-handed hitter. Eventually, McAfee stepped up to the plate with a right-handed stance. It took him a few swings to make consistent contact that resulted in fair balls.
"Shit," McAfee lamented after fouling off a few pitches in a row before immediately turning around to apologize to the grade-school-aged son of his Colts escort.
After smacking a few soft line drives into left field, McAfee flipped around to the left-handed batters box. The result was decidedly worse as McAfee only managed to lift shallow pop flys into right field. He quickly turned back around to the right side.
McAfee managed to make more solid contact with quite a few pitches near the end of his round. His first really hard-hit ball shot down the left-field line and nearly sniped Indianapolis infielder Yamaico Navarro, who was making his way back onto the field.
Finally, McAfee launched a long fly ball that ended up in foul territory but smashed into the top of the Captain Morgan Cove area in the left-field corner of the stadium. Deciding that was the best he was going to get, McAfee ended on that one and left the cage with a smile on his face.
After his round of batting practice, McAfee played catch in foul territory with Indians pitcher Kris Johnson, warming up for his first pitch -- and looking for advice. The punter was hoping to end up with a better result than Colts quarterback Drew Stanton, who had one-hopped a ceremonial first pitch at Victory Field earlier in the season.
Indians outfielder Brandon Boggs let McAfee borrow his glove to use while playing catch.
"This is a sick glove, by the way," McAfee told Boggs as the latter headed into the dugout for a backup. "I played in a celebrity softball game, bought one at Walmart; It looked nothing like this."
After a few throws, some of which were out of Johnson's reach, McAfee began to wonder about his pitching prowess.
"What do you think that was, 70 [m.p.h.]?" McAfee asked, to which Johnson replied simply with laughter.
A few throws later, Johnson gave McAfee a boost of confidence: "That might be 60 right there."
When McAfee finally made his way to the mound for the first pitch -- nearly two hours later -- his training had apparently worn off. His throw sailed well wide of catcher Tony Sanchez and skipped to the backstop.
But it registered 70 m.p.h. on the stadium radar gun.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines and, if you are so inclined, you can follow Pat McAfee at www.twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow.
McAfee -- bedecked in white Converse Chuck Taylors, white Jordan brand shorts and a white T-shirt emblazoned with the image of the American flag -- had come out to the ballpark to take a round of batting practice with the Indianapolis Indians and throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game.
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| Photo courtesy the Indianapolis Indians. |
His get-up included a trucker-style hat advertising the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, turned backward with the bill bent up at the end. McAfee only took his hat off for his round in the cage, when he wore an Indians batting helmet.
When McAfee stepped down out of the seating bowl and onto the Victory Field playing surface, the Indians had already began taking batting practice. "Oh man, he's throwing real fast," McAfee said about Wyatt Toregas, who was pitching. "He's throwing real fast."
Trying to get a feel for the bat before getting into the change, McAfee realized he wasn't sure whether he was a right-handed or left-handed hitter. Eventually, McAfee stepped up to the plate with a right-handed stance. It took him a few swings to make consistent contact that resulted in fair balls.
"Shit," McAfee lamented after fouling off a few pitches in a row before immediately turning around to apologize to the grade-school-aged son of his Colts escort.
After smacking a few soft line drives into left field, McAfee flipped around to the left-handed batters box. The result was decidedly worse as McAfee only managed to lift shallow pop flys into right field. He quickly turned back around to the right side.
McAfee managed to make more solid contact with quite a few pitches near the end of his round. His first really hard-hit ball shot down the left-field line and nearly sniped Indianapolis infielder Yamaico Navarro, who was making his way back onto the field.
Finally, McAfee launched a long fly ball that ended up in foul territory but smashed into the top of the Captain Morgan Cove area in the left-field corner of the stadium. Deciding that was the best he was going to get, McAfee ended on that one and left the cage with a smile on his face.
After his round of batting practice, McAfee played catch in foul territory with Indians pitcher Kris Johnson, warming up for his first pitch -- and looking for advice. The punter was hoping to end up with a better result than Colts quarterback Drew Stanton, who had one-hopped a ceremonial first pitch at Victory Field earlier in the season.
Indians outfielder Brandon Boggs let McAfee borrow his glove to use while playing catch.
"This is a sick glove, by the way," McAfee told Boggs as the latter headed into the dugout for a backup. "I played in a celebrity softball game, bought one at Walmart; It looked nothing like this."
After a few throws, some of which were out of Johnson's reach, McAfee began to wonder about his pitching prowess.
"What do you think that was, 70 [m.p.h.]?" McAfee asked, to which Johnson replied simply with laughter.
A few throws later, Johnson gave McAfee a boost of confidence: "That might be 60 right there."
When McAfee finally made his way to the mound for the first pitch -- nearly two hours later -- his training had apparently worn off. His throw sailed well wide of catcher Tony Sanchez and skipped to the backstop.
But it registered 70 m.p.h. on the stadium radar gun.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and can be reached at therainesdelay@gmail.com. You can follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines and, if you are so inclined, you can follow Pat McAfee at www.twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Back from the bigs and extending the streak
When Indianapolis shortstop Jordy Mercer slapped a one-out single to center field in the bottom of Monday's sixth inning, it extended his Triple-A hitting streak to nine games -- a streak that started over five weeks earlier.
Monday was Mercer's first game with the Indians since May 28, when the infielder went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run against the Durham Bulls, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Following that game, Mercer was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first major league appearance of his career.
"It was a dream come true," Mercer said of getting the call. "It's something that you dream of, you know, when you're little, and to actually go up and do it ... it was something that I'll always remember. It was a pretty cool feeling.
"My wife was with me [when I got the call] so I got to tell her, and then immediately call my parents and they got a flight the next day and were there for my first start and my first hit," Mercer added.
That first start and first hit coincided. After going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in his major league debut, Mercer started the next game and picked up his first career major league hit, a single.
"I had a little bit of jitters," Mercer said of trying to record that first big league hit. "I wanted to get it out of the way early. I wanted to not have to worry about it. It doesn't always work that way, but [this time] it did. I just got something out over the plate and put the barrel on it and it found a hole."
That hit ended up being the only one of Mercer's big league stint as he appeared in just five games for the Pirates and batted .111 (1-for-9) with a run scored. When he returned to Indianapolis, however, Mercer got right back into the swing of things, going 1-for-3 in his first game back -- his ninth-straight Triple-A game with a hit.
Mercer said on Tuesday that he didn't realize his single had extended his enduring streak.
"I had no idea. When you're up for a month, I guess you just kind of forget about those things," Mercer said with a laugh. "I'm just trying to get back into the flow of things and help the team."
That team he's trying to help has made strides in recent weeks when Mercer was in the majors, but the Indians will no doubt be happy to have Mercer back in the lineup. During his hitting streak, which started back on May 20 with a 2-for-4 performance at Buffalo, Mercer is batting .417 (15-for-36) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and 10 runs scored.
"We were good when I was here, too, but I guess when I left they turned it on and played really well," Mercer said. "I'm hoping to keep things going here and we'll see where it takes us."
Mercer is looking forward to getting back into the rhythm of playing every day, but warns it may take some time to shake off the rust.
"It's going to be a little different, I guess, for just a few weeks. My timing's going to be a little off both at the plate and in the field," Mercer said.
Rusty or not, Mercer is looking forward to contributing on a team that holds a 9.5-game lead in the International League West and appears playoff-bound for the first time since 2005.
"It's good to be back out there," Mercer said. "It's good to have fun. It's one thing that's an enjoyment in my life, playing every day and being on the field and just having fun like a little kid. That's what I enjoy the most and what I'm looking forward to getting back into."
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and has recently brought his fauxhawk back from the dead. You can contact him a therainesdelay@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
Monday was Mercer's first game with the Indians since May 28, when the infielder went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run against the Durham Bulls, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Following that game, Mercer was called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the first major league appearance of his career.
"It was a dream come true," Mercer said of getting the call. "It's something that you dream of, you know, when you're little, and to actually go up and do it ... it was something that I'll always remember. It was a pretty cool feeling.
"My wife was with me [when I got the call] so I got to tell her, and then immediately call my parents and they got a flight the next day and were there for my first start and my first hit," Mercer added.
That first start and first hit coincided. After going 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter in his major league debut, Mercer started the next game and picked up his first career major league hit, a single.
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| There were no good photos of Mercer hitting on Google Images, so here he is fielding a groundball for the Pirates. |
That hit ended up being the only one of Mercer's big league stint as he appeared in just five games for the Pirates and batted .111 (1-for-9) with a run scored. When he returned to Indianapolis, however, Mercer got right back into the swing of things, going 1-for-3 in his first game back -- his ninth-straight Triple-A game with a hit.
Mercer said on Tuesday that he didn't realize his single had extended his enduring streak.
"I had no idea. When you're up for a month, I guess you just kind of forget about those things," Mercer said with a laugh. "I'm just trying to get back into the flow of things and help the team."
That team he's trying to help has made strides in recent weeks when Mercer was in the majors, but the Indians will no doubt be happy to have Mercer back in the lineup. During his hitting streak, which started back on May 20 with a 2-for-4 performance at Buffalo, Mercer is batting .417 (15-for-36) with two doubles, a home run, four RBI and 10 runs scored.
"We were good when I was here, too, but I guess when I left they turned it on and played really well," Mercer said. "I'm hoping to keep things going here and we'll see where it takes us."
Mercer is looking forward to getting back into the rhythm of playing every day, but warns it may take some time to shake off the rust.
"It's going to be a little different, I guess, for just a few weeks. My timing's going to be a little off both at the plate and in the field," Mercer said.
Rusty or not, Mercer is looking forward to contributing on a team that holds a 9.5-game lead in the International League West and appears playoff-bound for the first time since 2005.
"It's good to be back out there," Mercer said. "It's good to have fun. It's one thing that's an enjoyment in my life, playing every day and being on the field and just having fun like a little kid. That's what I enjoy the most and what I'm looking forward to getting back into."
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and has recently brought his fauxhawk back from the dead. You can contact him a therainesdelay@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Boggs on the bump
Brandon Boggs has done a lot of things during is professional baseball career.
The product of Georgia Tech made his major league debut on April 29, 2008, and has played 703 major league games between the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. In nine professional seasons, the switch-hitter has amassed 690 hits between the major and minor leagues -- including 29 triples and 88 home runs -- and has stolen 70 career bases.
An above-average defender with a good arm, Boggs has recorded 43 outfield assists in his career and turned six double plays from the outfield.
Last Tuesday night, Boggs showed off that arm in a way he never had in the pros: On the mound.
With Pawtucket beating the Indians 13-2 in the eighth inning at McCoy Stadium, Boggs took the mound to save some arms in the Indianapolis bullpen and ended up tossing a perfect inning, inducing a pair of groundouts and a flyout.
In fact, Boggs was the only Indianapolis pitcher to not allow a run in that game.
"The last time I pitched was probably my senior year of high school," Boggs said on Saturday when the team returned to Victory Field for a four-game series against the Rochester Red Wings. "It was a long time ago, over 10 years ago."
Putting a position player in to pitch isn't unprecedented, even this season. On May 12 at Victory Field, the Norfolk Tides sent Allan de San Miguel, usually a catcher, to the mound in the bottom of the 14th inning. de San Miguel did not fare as well as Boggs, allowing two hits, two walks and the game-winning run while not recording an out as Indianapolis won 5-4 on Matt Hague's walkoff single.
When de San Miguel entered that game, there was much musing in the Victory Field press box about which position player would be the one to pitch for Indianapolis in an emergency. Less than a month later, the answer was revealed, but the Indians had already put a plan in place.
"A while back, [Indians manager Dean Treanor] asked me if I could [pitch] and if I could throw strikes and I told him yeah," Boggs said. "And it just ended up that same situation came about and they were like, 'Alright, you got it this time' and I was like, 'Alright, perfect.'"
Boggs, who also went 2-for-4 in the game, said he just focused on throwing strikes in his appearance, throwing only two-seam and four-seam fastballs that ran between 79-82 miles per hour.
"You just don't want to get on the mound and be that position player that can't throw strikes and then walks the bases loaded and stuff like that and then give up even more runs and, ya know, makes it look even worse in the box score."
Boggs said he was pleased with his outing, happy to come out sans damage.
"I was like, well, I got through it -- and unscathed -- so I was just kind of happy," Boggs said. "And at the same time, it's a surreal feeling that you can come in and get these guys out.
"These are guys in Triple-A -- one step away from the big leagues -- and you can get them out, ya know, just using location. So I was just happy and relieved."
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and called it that Boggs would be the Tribe's go-to positional pitcher. You can contact him at therainesdelay@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
The product of Georgia Tech made his major league debut on April 29, 2008, and has played 703 major league games between the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. In nine professional seasons, the switch-hitter has amassed 690 hits between the major and minor leagues -- including 29 triples and 88 home runs -- and has stolen 70 career bases.
An above-average defender with a good arm, Boggs has recorded 43 outfield assists in his career and turned six double plays from the outfield.
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| In 55 games this season, Boggs has committed just one error in 95 total chances. |
With Pawtucket beating the Indians 13-2 in the eighth inning at McCoy Stadium, Boggs took the mound to save some arms in the Indianapolis bullpen and ended up tossing a perfect inning, inducing a pair of groundouts and a flyout.
In fact, Boggs was the only Indianapolis pitcher to not allow a run in that game.
"The last time I pitched was probably my senior year of high school," Boggs said on Saturday when the team returned to Victory Field for a four-game series against the Rochester Red Wings. "It was a long time ago, over 10 years ago."
Putting a position player in to pitch isn't unprecedented, even this season. On May 12 at Victory Field, the Norfolk Tides sent Allan de San Miguel, usually a catcher, to the mound in the bottom of the 14th inning. de San Miguel did not fare as well as Boggs, allowing two hits, two walks and the game-winning run while not recording an out as Indianapolis won 5-4 on Matt Hague's walkoff single.
When de San Miguel entered that game, there was much musing in the Victory Field press box about which position player would be the one to pitch for Indianapolis in an emergency. Less than a month later, the answer was revealed, but the Indians had already put a plan in place.
"A while back, [Indians manager Dean Treanor] asked me if I could [pitch] and if I could throw strikes and I told him yeah," Boggs said. "And it just ended up that same situation came about and they were like, 'Alright, you got it this time' and I was like, 'Alright, perfect.'"
Boggs, who also went 2-for-4 in the game, said he just focused on throwing strikes in his appearance, throwing only two-seam and four-seam fastballs that ran between 79-82 miles per hour.
"You just don't want to get on the mound and be that position player that can't throw strikes and then walks the bases loaded and stuff like that and then give up even more runs and, ya know, makes it look even worse in the box score."
Boggs said he was pleased with his outing, happy to come out sans damage.
"I was like, well, I got through it -- and unscathed -- so I was just kind of happy," Boggs said. "And at the same time, it's a surreal feeling that you can come in and get these guys out.
"These are guys in Triple-A -- one step away from the big leagues -- and you can get them out, ya know, just using location. So I was just happy and relieved."
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and called it that Boggs would be the Tribe's go-to positional pitcher. You can contact him at therainesdelay@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Matsui Media Mania
Victory Field was treated to a bit of celebrity on Monday night when former New York Yankees star Hideki Matsui came to town with the visiting Durham Bulls.
Matsui, who was an American League all-star in 2003 and 2004 and the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Series, has been on the down curve of his career for the past few seasons. In seven seasons with the Yankees, Matsui was a .292 career hitter with 140 home runs and 597 RBI, but after a season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (.274, 21, 84) and a season with the Oakland Athletics (.251, 12, 72), the man nicknamed "Godzilla" didn't have a team going into spring training this year.
The Tampa Bays Rays signed Matsui to a minor league deal on April 30 and he has been working his way through the minor leagues in a personal spring training. Care to venture a guess how well it has gone? Look at his face up there. Yeah, that about sums it up.
Following a lackluster 0-for-2 performance against the Indianapolis Indians, in which he looked very bad striking out twice, Matsui was batting .170 in 13 games with Durham, hitting no home runs while totaling just four RBI and a disconcerting 10 strikeouts.
Still, the native of Kanazawa, Japan, was once a household name amongst even casual American baseball fans. And he's a little bit more popular in his native Japan, where he spent ten professional seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, winning three Japanese Series championships.
With every celebrity encounter comes a dose of celebreality, and Matsui's manifested itself in the form of 35 members of the Japanese media following the former slugger around the minor leagues. Reporting to places like Japan, New York City and Tampa Bay, these videographers, photographers and writers filed into Victory Field on Monday afternoon to cover a guy hitting A BUCK SEVENTY IN TRIPLE-A!
In case the absurdity isn't clear, consider that the Indianapolis Indians are 29-21 and in first place in the International League's West Division but cannot convince the Indianapolis Star to come cover a game.
Apparently being a Japanese-born baseball player in America is a really big deal. And one reporter implied that Matsui is more popular in Japan than even Ichiro Suzuki, the face of Japanese baseball for most American fans. So 35 media members are following him around the minor leagues, covering his every move and capturing on video and in photographs every breath the man takes.
They even lined up along the warning track in front of the first base visitors dugout, waiting for several hours in the sun and intense heat to get a shot of him stepping onto Victory Field for the first time during pregame warmups. He never came out. After covering the game, they all filed into an auxiliary locker room deep in the bowels of Victory Field for a press conference, which didn't start for over an hour after the game had ended.
The irony of the situation, from an outsider's perspective, wasn't lost on all of the Japanese reporters. I spent several minutes before the game talking to Yoichiro Takahashi, a friendly guy who spoke English very well and was nice enough to give me his business card (or else he would be unnamed in this blog).
Yo, as he asked to be called, works for Cosmomedia America, Inc., in downtown New York. The company telecasts American baseball games to Japan and in America with Japanese commentary via a pay channel called Japan TV. Yo was hoping that soon Matsui (and his media entourage) would be headed to the Tampa Bay and the major leagues. "We already told the people in Durham, 'Goodbye and thank you,'" Yo said with a laugh, implying hope that they would not be returning.
And Yo got his wish. Despite his poor numbers, Matsui was called up after Monday night's game and is expected to join the Rays before tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox. I guess the Tampa Bay brass figured they needed all the help they could get after Sox starter Chris Sale victimized the Rays for a Tropicana Field-record 15 strikeouts on Monday night.
Regardless, Victory Field will be a much quieter place on Tuesday night as the Indians host the Bulls in game two of their current four-game series. I wish I could have spent a little more time getting to know Yo, but I wish him all the best in Tampa Bay ... and will try to quell my jealousy.
Through all the controlled chaos, one thing became clear: if I want to go where there are baseball jobs, I need to start taking Japanese lessons.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and managed to fight the astounding temptation to use the phrase "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" on Monday. You can contact him at therainesdelay@gmail.com and follow him at twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
Matsui, who was an American League all-star in 2003 and 2004 and the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Series, has been on the down curve of his career for the past few seasons. In seven seasons with the Yankees, Matsui was a .292 career hitter with 140 home runs and 597 RBI, but after a season with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (.274, 21, 84) and a season with the Oakland Athletics (.251, 12, 72), the man nicknamed "Godzilla" didn't have a team going into spring training this year.
 | |
| Funny, I figured he'd bear a more striking resemblance to the giant lizard monster. |
The Tampa Bays Rays signed Matsui to a minor league deal on April 30 and he has been working his way through the minor leagues in a personal spring training. Care to venture a guess how well it has gone? Look at his face up there. Yeah, that about sums it up.
Following a lackluster 0-for-2 performance against the Indianapolis Indians, in which he looked very bad striking out twice, Matsui was batting .170 in 13 games with Durham, hitting no home runs while totaling just four RBI and a disconcerting 10 strikeouts.
Still, the native of Kanazawa, Japan, was once a household name amongst even casual American baseball fans. And he's a little bit more popular in his native Japan, where he spent ten professional seasons with the Yomiuri Giants, winning three Japanese Series championships.
With every celebrity encounter comes a dose of celebreality, and Matsui's manifested itself in the form of 35 members of the Japanese media following the former slugger around the minor leagues. Reporting to places like Japan, New York City and Tampa Bay, these videographers, photographers and writers filed into Victory Field on Monday afternoon to cover a guy hitting A BUCK SEVENTY IN TRIPLE-A!
In case the absurdity isn't clear, consider that the Indianapolis Indians are 29-21 and in first place in the International League's West Division but cannot convince the Indianapolis Star to come cover a game.
Apparently being a Japanese-born baseball player in America is a really big deal. And one reporter implied that Matsui is more popular in Japan than even Ichiro Suzuki, the face of Japanese baseball for most American fans. So 35 media members are following him around the minor leagues, covering his every move and capturing on video and in photographs every breath the man takes.
They even lined up along the warning track in front of the first base visitors dugout, waiting for several hours in the sun and intense heat to get a shot of him stepping onto Victory Field for the first time during pregame warmups. He never came out. After covering the game, they all filed into an auxiliary locker room deep in the bowels of Victory Field for a press conference, which didn't start for over an hour after the game had ended.
 |
| It looks harmless enough, until you realize you can only see 1/7 of the attendees. |
The irony of the situation, from an outsider's perspective, wasn't lost on all of the Japanese reporters. I spent several minutes before the game talking to Yoichiro Takahashi, a friendly guy who spoke English very well and was nice enough to give me his business card (or else he would be unnamed in this blog).
Yo, as he asked to be called, works for Cosmomedia America, Inc., in downtown New York. The company telecasts American baseball games to Japan and in America with Japanese commentary via a pay channel called Japan TV. Yo was hoping that soon Matsui (and his media entourage) would be headed to the Tampa Bay and the major leagues. "We already told the people in Durham, 'Goodbye and thank you,'" Yo said with a laugh, implying hope that they would not be returning.
And Yo got his wish. Despite his poor numbers, Matsui was called up after Monday night's game and is expected to join the Rays before tonight's game against the Chicago White Sox. I guess the Tampa Bay brass figured they needed all the help they could get after Sox starter Chris Sale victimized the Rays for a Tropicana Field-record 15 strikeouts on Monday night.
Regardless, Victory Field will be a much quieter place on Tuesday night as the Indians host the Bulls in game two of their current four-game series. I wish I could have spent a little more time getting to know Yo, but I wish him all the best in Tampa Bay ... and will try to quell my jealousy.
Through all the controlled chaos, one thing became clear: if I want to go where there are baseball jobs, I need to start taking Japanese lessons.
Michael Raines writes for indyindians.com and managed to fight the astounding temptation to use the phrase "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto" on Monday. You can contact him at therainesdelay@gmail.com and follow him at twitter.com/Michael__Raines.
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