31 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: chris perez, dawn, james 119, mlb
By Dawn Klemish / Special to MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG — the Indians didn’t get their first non-homer hit of Thursday night’s 5-2 loss until the sixth inning, but that wasn’t the biggest news out of Cleveland.
At the same time Indians shortstop Jason Donald was trying to beat out an infield single, NBA free agent superstar LeBron James was announcing his intention to leave the only team he has ever known, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and join the Miami Heat.
“It’s crazy; it’s going to change up a lot of stuff,” reliever Chris Perez said. “I’m sure Cleveland’s not very happy about it — it’s a hometown guy that’s leaving — but it’s a business. And he left money on the table, so obviously it’s not all about the money, it was about winning, and Miami gave him the best chance, I guess.”
The decision brought to a close seven magical seasons with the Cavaliers in which James averaged 27.8 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Moreover, it meant the King had ditched the Midwest for a taste of South Beach.
“I never wanted to leave Cleveland, and my heart will always be around that area, but I also feel that the greatest challenge for me is to move on,” James said during his ESPN news conference Thursday night.
His move will group him with Miami standouts Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, a trio James thinks will be ready to hoist a trophy as soon as the upcoming season.
Thursday’s starting pitcher Jake Westbrook may have been the first member of the Tribe to hear the news. the right-hander left the game after the sixth inning, so he was able to catch James’ decision live on the clubhouse televisions. Not that it was earth-shattering to the right-hander.
“Guys leave in free agency all the time; that’s just kind of the nature of sports,” Westbrook said. “He made that decision, and I guess he feels like it’s best for him and his family.”
Perez — and the rest of the Indians relief corps — also didn’t have to wait until after the game for the news. A group of fans sitting just behind the visitors’ bullpen was more than happy to share the knowledge learned via phone updates.
“It’s not very often to get three Hall of Famers together in the prime of their careers,” said Perez, in reference to James, Wade and Bosh. “It’s exciting, but I still have to give the Lakers an edge.”
A move many newscasters promised would “redefine the NBA” didn’t make much difference to most of the other Indians players.
“I don’t even know what happened,” center fielder Michael Brantley said. “[Miami's] a good choice for him, I guess. Good for him.” Tribe finds new intensity against Rays
ST. PETERSBURG — Landing in Florida after having lost four of their last six games, the Indians are naturally looking for a way to turn things around. if history is any indication, Cleveland’s four-game series with Tampa Bay may very well be the answer.
“For some reason, they get up when they play us,” said Rays pitcher Matt Garza, who’s slated to start Saturday. “These guys do things they don’t normally do. I see it as more of a compliment. … it helps raise us to that next level, because if we want to do what we want to do, we’ve got to play to that next level, too.”
It’s not just Garza’s lack of success against the Tribe (he’s 1-4 with a 5.59 ERA in seven games), but Tampa Bay as a whole: the 2008 American League champions are just 33-65 all-time against Cleveland, their worst record against any AL opponent. the Rays have won the last five consecutive meetings against the Indians, all at Tropicana Field.
on paper, it’s certainly possible the current series could mark the slump-buster. Cleveland’s four scheduled starters (Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Aaron Laffey, Justin Masterson) have a combined 10-6 record and 4.44 ERA against Tampa Bay. Of the group, only Masterson (1-3) has a losing record against the Rays.
“I’ve only played them twice; I don’t know how the intensity was [before this season],” Indians manager Manny Acta said. “We try to play everybody with the same intensity. I think when everybody plays the two big teams in their division, obviously there’s a lot of focus on that. … other than that, I think our kids try to play the same game every day.
“I wasn’t as familiar with it, because I wasn’t here before, but it seems over the last couple of years like the Indians have played well against the Rays, especially at home.”
should things not work out for them heading into the All-Star break, perhaps the Indians need only to hang on until Tampa Bay comes to Progressive Field. Things aren’t pretty for the Rays there: Cleveland has not lost to Tampa Bay at home since Sept. 28, 2005, a streak stretching 17 games.
the Tribe hosts the Rays on July 23-25.
LaPorta expected to return before break
ST. PETERSBURG — There’s still no word on Matt LaPorta’s return, but Indians manager Manny Acta hopes it could be as soon as Friday.
LaPorta, who suffered a head contusion Monday during a collision at first base, was cleared to increase his daily activities, and has done so each day since the injury. Acta said before Thursday’s game that the Indians first baseman will take batting practice Friday and be re-evaluated prior to game time to see whether he would be a late add to the lineup.
“He stepped up his cardio program a little bit today,” Acta said. “Tomorrow, he’s going to intensify that, take batting practice and we’ll see from there. [Today], he still wasn’t ready to get out there.”
LaPorta has exercised during the week and reported no incidents of discomfort or headaches. because of the nature and location of the injury, which occurred when Rangers runner Elvis Andrus inadvertently struck LaPorta in the back of the head with his elbow as he crossed first base, Cleveland is playing it safe.
it seems as though LaPorta has progressed enough so that the Indians are now simply monitoring any potential adverse reaction to increased physical activity: running, fielding, hitting.
Acta said regardless of whether LaPorta cracks Friday’s lineup, he expects the 25-year-old to see game action before Monday’s All-Star break.
“We’re hoping that he can pass all of those tests [Friday],” Acta said. “We’ll either get him out there [Friday] or the day after.”
in the nine games between his return from Triple-A Columbus on June 27 until his injury Monday, LaPorta hit .333 (10-for-30) with four homers, a double, nine RBIs and five runs scored.
Cabrera flies to Tampa Bay for evaluation
ST. PETERSBURG — if there is such a thing as returning to the scene of the crime, Asdrubal Cabrera is about to do it. the Indians shortstop, who fractured his left forearm while playing the Rays on may 18, is scheduled to arrive in St. Petersburg late Thursday and rejoin his teammates prior to Friday’s game.
Cleveland will hold an early batting practice for Cabrera’s benefit, and he’ll also hit again with the team at its regularly scheduled time.
Cabrera, who was hitting .287 from the leadoff spot at the time of his injury, will be evaluated afterward. if all is well, the 24-year-old will be assigned to one of Cleveland’s Minor League teams to begin his rehab.
There is no clear timetable for Cabrera’s return, however, and a definite rehab assignment could be fuzzy because of the All-Star break.
“If he’s ready to go out, he’s going to bounce back and forth to a few of those [Minor League] teams,” manager Manny Acta said.
Cabrera broke his arm in a collision with teammate Jhonny Peralta during the first inning may 18 at Tropicana Field. the shortstop made a diving stop to rob Rays hitter Hank Blalock of extra bases, but Peralta tumbled over him, causing an injury that required surgery to correct.
Dawn Klemish is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100708&content_id=12080874¬ebook_id=12093160&vkey=notebook_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cletag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100708″>LeBron's move doesn't surprise Indians
29 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: mlb, rockies, scott podsednik
i know he's not the best player. but does anyone know if Scott Podsednik is in MLB 09 the show and if he's on the Rockies? I'd prefer him on the Sox.
he is not on the Rockies in MLB the show 09
No hes not on the rockies. Hes on the sox.
he is on the rockies in mlb 09 the show
Scott Podsednik in MLB 09: The Show?
19 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: bench, game, mike lamb, mlb
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com
MIAMI — Bryan Petersen’s role won’t be that of a traditional left-handed bat off the bench. instead he will be more of a situational player who will pinch-hit, pinch-run or be used in double switches.
The Marlins recalled the 24-year-old outfielder from Triple-A new Orleans on Sunday to fill the roster spot vacated when Mike Lamb was designated for assignment after Saturday’s game.
This is Petersen’s third stint with the Marlins this season. he is 1-for-16 in the big leagues after batting .259 for the Zephyrs.
“He’s a very solid defender. he will help us in every phase of the game — as a hit-and-runner hitter, as a defender,” manager Edwin Rodriguez said. “He will help us. I don’t think he will be starting any time soon, but who knows, depending on the pitcher.”
Earlier this season, when Rodriguez was managing in new Orleans, he occasionally used Petersen off the bench to get him used to the fourth-outfield role in the big leagues.
“I told him I would use him once in a while in the middle of the game, to get used to that role,” Rodriguez said. “He had plenty of at-bats in Triple-A. he should be all right.” Coghlan to rest sore back three or four days
MIAMI — for at least three or four days, the Marlins will be without the services of Chris Coghlan. If the 25-year-old left fielder’s back doesn’t respond by then, a stint on the disabled list is a possibility.
“We’re going the next two or three days with prescriptions, and we’ll see how he reacts to them,” manager Edwin Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez didn’t rule out sending Coghlan to the DL.
“It could be,” he said. “That’s always a possibility if after three days it’s the same and the inflammation doesn’t go away.”
Coghlan is in the middle of an 0-for-16 slump, and his swing wasn’t right when he struck out while facing Washington’s Livan Hernandez in the fifth inning on Saturday. Emilio Bonifacio replaced Coghlan in left field and will fill in at leadoff while Coghlan is out.
At least twice this season, Coghlan jarred his back while making diving plays in the outfield. On Friday night he made a leaping catch to rob Ryan Zimmerman of extra bases, and on April 13, against the Reds, he landed hard on the warning track while making a diving grab. he missed three games after that.
“He won’t pull himself out of the lineup, which is good,” Rodriguez said. “I think with experience he will learn that he will hurt the team more [by playing hurt].”
“I hope to be out there Tuesday, but I have to see how my body responds,” said Coghlan, who noted that his lower back was tight on Sunday. “I’m not going to go out there and not be able to contribute to the team or hurt the team. I’ve got to be smart.”
Coghlan asked Rodriguez after Saturday’s game why he had been lifted.
“He came into my office yesterday and asked me why I took him out. [I said], ‘It was obvious. you were hurt,’ ” Rodriguez said. “I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t because he was [0-for-16]. I was thinking about that, too.
“His last swing, when he came in, I asked him if he was all right. that last swing wasn’t him.”
Relief corps improving under Rodriguez
MIAMI — As Minor Leaguers, they had success, so manager Edwin Rodriguez figured it was only a matter of time before they saw results at the big league level.
A number of Florida relievers previously pitched for Rodriguez in the Minor Leagues. In fact, five of the seven in the bullpen, either this year or last, had Rodriguez as their manager. The only two who didn’t are Jhan Marinez and Leo Nunez.
“When I got here, a lot of the guys I knew,” Rodriguez said. “I know how much talent they have.”
To bring out the best in the ‘pen, Rodriguez is placing his relievers in positions to succeed. If that means going batter to batter, he does it. He’s shown that with how he’s used lefty Taylor Tankersley, who has allowed one hit in 21 at-bats against left-handed batters this year.
Thus far the bullpen is seeing positive results. In fact, since Rodriguez replaced Fredi Gonzalez on June 23, the relievers have a combined 3.10 ERA, having allowed 21 earned runs in 61 innings. they have struck out 53 and walked 19 over that span.
In Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Nationals, the bullpen picked up three scoreless innings to help Josh Johnson improve to 10-3.
For much of the first half, the bullpen was a trouble spot, and the overall numbers are still reflecting those early difficulties. The relief corps has a 4.30 ERA, 11th in the National League.
Before Saturday’s game, Rodriguez had a team meeting in which he and pitching coach Randy St. Claire praised the relievers for their improvement.
“We had a meeting before batting practice, and I pointed out that I was very pleased with the way the bullpen has responded lately,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve been more consistent with guys throwing strikes coming out of the bullpen.”
Fielding miscues noted by Rodriguez
MIAMI — a couple of misplayed fly balls in Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Nationals didn’t go unnoticed by manager Edwin Rodriguez.
The team didn’t take any extra fielding practice before Sunday’s game, but look for some more work on Monday.
“No communication,” Rodriguez said.
One play was an Ivan Rodriguez pop foul in the eighth inning that dropped between third baseman Jorge Cantu and catcher Ronny Paulino.
Cantu was playing deep at third and had a long run, and Paulino ran toward third, but both hesitated and the ball fell between them. Rodriguez noted that pitcher Clay Hensley could have done more by communicating to either player.
“That’s fundamentals,” Rodriguez said. “In the big leagues, everybody should be involved. Even the pitcher should have yelled.”
Then, in the ninth inning, Nationals pinch-hitter Cristian Guzman lifted a fly ball to short left field. Hanley Ramirez raced out as Emilio Bonifacio sprinted in. both shied away and the ball fell for a single.
What is encouraging is that in both cases, the pitchers overcame the mistakes and got out of the innings without any damage.
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100718&content_id=12361022¬ebook_id=12361044&vkey=notebook_fla&fext=.jsp&c_id=flatag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100718″>Petersen called up, will be situational player
14 Jul 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: blunder, mlb, troy glaus, victory
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
ATLANTA — Josh Johnson’s presence didn’t prove to be nearly as detrimental as what would have been an ugly 11th inning if the Braves wouldn’t have had the opportunity to come back in the bottom half of the frame and create yet another last-bat victory.
Billy Wagner suffered a rare blown save and Brian McCann committed a mental blunder that allowed the Marlins to turn a potentially disastrous moment into a fortuitous one. But after Omar Infante delivered a two-run walk-off single to cap Friday night’s 4-3 win, Wagner, McCann and the rest of their Braves teammates gladly talked about the club’s never-say-die attitude.
“Any team that comes in here knows it,” Wagner said. “They’ve watched ESPN. They’ve seen how we’ve come back. We’ve done it in a lot of different ways. We’re a tough team to face when it’s close at the end.”
While notching their 15th last at-bat victory of the season, the Braves relied on a couple of guys who had helped the Marlins gain an extra-inning lead. after fueling the follies that were created in the top of the 11th inning with a throwing error, Troy Glaus broke out of a 3-for-33 skid with a double that put runners at second and third with nobody out.
McCann, who botched a rundown in the top of the 11th and then drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half of the inning, jogged home ahead of pinch-runner Brandon Hicks, who scored the winning run in uncontested fashion after Infante concluded a seven-pitch at-bat by hitting a 2-2 fastball to left-center field.
“We never feel like we’re out of it,” McCann said. “Any guy in our lineup can hurt you. Omar gave us a great at-bat.”
With his third hit in four career at-bats against Marlins closer Leo Nunez, Infante allowed the Braves to celebrate their 19th win in their past 22 home games and forget about the fact that this had the makings to be one of the most frustrating losses they would have suffered over the course of the past two months.
“You’ve got to be resilient,” Wagner said. “We’ve got veterans on this team and guys that have played in big situations. You’re gonna have those mistakes. You’re going to have your mental letdowns. to be able to come back in and regroup that quick is always going to be a plus.”
With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 11th, the Braves gained what seemed to be a gift when Wes Helms was left in no-man’s land after Brian Barden didn’t make contact on a squeeze bunt attempt. instead of recognizing that Chris Coghlan, who had reached on Glaus’ throwing error, had conceded an out by sprinting to third base, McCann initiated a rundown by throwing the ball to Chipper Jones.
when right-handed reliever Jonny Venters dropped Jones’ throw to the plate, Helms scored easily and McCann was left to wonder if his decision not to run Helms all the way back to third base was going to negate what Kris Medlen had done while matching Johnson’s success through the first six innings.
“I totally messed that play up,” McCann said. “I’ve got to run him all the way back. I didn’t see the runner from second break. It’s just one of those plays where I made the wrong play.”
when Martin Prado gave the Braves a 2-1 lead with a two-out, seventh-inning single off Brian Sanches, and Takashi Saito worked a scoreless eighth, there was little reason to think the game would ever include extra innings.
But Wagner’s attempt to successfully convert his 13th consecutive save opportunity was negated when Gaby Sanchez drilled his second pitch of the night over the center-field wall for a game-tying, ninth-inning leadoff homer.
Since previously blowing a save opportunity on may 19, Wagner had surrendered just seven hits in 16 1/3 scoreless innings. Each of the three saves he’s blown in 19 opportunities have come courtesy of the three home runs he has allowed this year.
“He was looking to do damage, and I put right in his wheelhouse,” Wagner said.
Hanley Ramirez did some damage with a first-inning, two-out solo homer that accounted for one of the three hits he tallied against Medlen. But the 24-year-old right-hander, who has seen the Braves win nine of the 10 games he has started, overcame some early struggles and allowed just the one run in 6 1/3 innings.
when Peter Moylan cleaned Medlen’s seventh-inning mess by getting Cody Ross to ground into an inning-ending double play with runners at the corners, Johnson was denied a chance to notch his ninth win. The 6-foot-7 right-hander, who has posted an 0.89 ERA in his past 10 starts, was charged with one earned run and six hits in a six-inning effort that included 108 pitches.
“It’s a good feeling to know that you have a team, that if you have a bad night, is going to be able to pick you up,” Wagner said.
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
<a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20100702&content_id=11855018&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlbtag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20100702″>Braves overcome miscue, drop Fish in 11
27 Jun 2010
by in Uncategorized Tags: celebration, hasn, hinch, mlb, shaving cream pie, tropicana field
By Adam Berry / MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG — Fresh off his no-hitter Friday, even with some shaving-cream pie still on his face, Edwin Jackson entered the visiting clubhouse in Tropicana Field, only to be met by a beer shower and his screaming, celebrating teammates.
Third baseman mark Reynolds said the D-backs planned the celebration almost immediately after the last out of the game, which gave Arizona a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay, excited to have a reason to celebrate after a 29-45 start that hasn’t exactly been filled with memorable moments.
“We’ve got to throw beer or champagne at some point this year. Might as well do it today,” Reynolds said.
“I felt like I was 20 again in my first start against Arizona. That’s kind of how it was,” Jackson added. “I’ll always remember Wilson Alvarez telling me, ‘Since you can’t drink the beer, we’re going to pour it on you.’”
Arizona manager a.J. Hinch was happy to see his players come together and rally around a likable teammate like Jackson, and just as importantly, he was glad they finally had something to be excited about.
“It’s something to celebrate, and rightfully so. We won a close game, which we haven’t done a ton of. We beat a good team. We had a no-hitter. There’s a lot to go home happy about tonight,” Hinch said. “We’ll enjoy every minute of it. We’re so proud of Edwin and how he overcame the first part of the game. So it’s good for everybody. I love the fact that our team was into it and celebrated the way we did.”
The celebration may have been aided by the fact that, given the bizarre nature of the game, most of the D-backs didn’t even see the no-hitter coming. Reynolds said it didn’t even hit him until the eighth inning, because so many Rays had gotten on base early and often. plus, Reynolds said, it was a one-run game, and it would have taken just one swing or one big play for Tampa Bay to turn Jackson’s no-hitter into a loss.
Kelly Johnson also admitted that most of the players didn’t understand the importance of the situation until after the fifth inning, but said he did everything he could from the dugout to make sure he wouldn’t ruin Jackson’s big night, although the strange start to the game kept the team from getting too worked up.
“I sat in the same spot on the bench that I sat in previous innings and did kind of everything the same. it was my first one, but that was the attitude I took. it wasn’t too tense,” Johnson said. “I think we were pulling for some pitches that, even if they weren’t that close, we were still hoping for him to just keep that pitch count down. He pitched so good, and he’s been pitching like a legit no. 1 for the last month. His stuff’s been lights-out. I’m happy, and I’m also not surprised, to be honest.”
Jackson and Hinch praised catcher Miguel Montero for calling a good mix of off-speed pitches that helped keep Jackson in the game. Like the rest of the Arizona clubhouse, Montero was just excited to have been a part of Jackson’s career game.
“He battled, man. He competed all night. Today, he didn’t have the greatest stuff that he’s used to, but he competed and he got it done,” Montero said. “I feel real excited about his no-hitter, and you know, what else can you say, man?”
Adam LaRoche, who made his mark on the game by scoring the only run — a second-inning solo homer to right field — has now been a part of both no-hitters in D-backs history. He was with the Braves when Randy Johnson threw the 17th perfect game in Major League history against Atlanta on May 18, 2004.
“I’ve been on both sides,” LaRoche said.
Needless to say, LaRoche enjoyed being on the unhittable pitcher’s side this time.
Adam Berry is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Jackson gives D-backs reason to celebrate
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