It took sixteen innings for the A’s to lose which I suppose is better than losing in nine, but a loss is of course still a loss. The A’s used every pitcher in their bullpen in this bug-filled affair. The game was started by Rich Harden who went six innings allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits (including two home runs – he continues to struggle with giving up home runs – both to Jack Hannahan), while walking two and striking out six. Then the bullpen got going starting with Craig Breslow (two-thirds of an inning), Grant Balfour (one and a third innings), Fautino De Los Santos (one inning), Jerry Blevins (who again was recalled to Oakland this time as Brian Fuentes was placed on the bereavement list – two innings), Neil Wagner (one inning), Andrew Bailey (two innings) and Josh Outman (one and a third innings).

All of these relievers save for one were able to keep the Indians from crossing the plate. In the bottom of the sixteenth, Outman got Asdrubal Cabrera swinging to start the frame before giving up a single to Jim Thome. Thome was replaced by a pinch runner, Cord Phelps and then Carlos Santana followed with another single. With Phelps on second, A’s killer Hannahan singled to right field. David DeJesus‘ throw was just a bit up the line and when Kurt Suzuki swung to tag Phelps he slid in under it. Many A’s fans on Twitter lamented that the call was missed and it wasn’t entirely clear watching the replay but the lack of serious reaction from Suzuki to me indicates he knows he missed Phelps. If not, he’d have been going ballistic and his not doing so to me signified the resignation that he missed the play. That all said, he needs to at least put on a show perhaps and try and fight his cause and change the perception and add doubt to he equation, but given that he didn’t I can’t say that was a missed call.

Pitching in this game was very good. A’s pitchers struck out 19 Indians, while Tribe pitchers struck out 15 Athletics. The A’s hitting however was atrocious, somewhat as per usual (and of course anytime an opposing team pitches well, the hitting team is obviously not doing well) hitting a pathetic 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position, granted Hannahan’s game-winner was the Indians’ first hit with RISP making them a lowly 1-for-10. The A’s meanwhile only managed three extra base hits, Cliff Pennington and Josh Willingham got doubles, while Suzuki got a solo bomb in the fourth off Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez. Indians reliever Frank Herrmann was really the thorn in the A’s side in earning the win he went four innings, allowing no hits and no walks while K’ing two.

Another pathetic loss in a rather pathetic season. What a downer – both this game and this year.

Zack McAllister, called up with the hopes of helping the team not have to go to the bullpen early, did little to make a case to stay on the Indians roster for more than a few hours.

The righty got through the Seattle order in innings one and two as the Tribe built a 1-0 lead against Mariners rookie Anthony Vazquez, but then the wheels came off, and once they did, it was all she wrote for the Indians and the 22,590 in attendance.

Seattle put up five runs on four hits and an Indians error in the third inning, and exactly the same linescore in the fourth inning as the Indians looked up at the scoreboard trailing 10-4.

Mike Carp’s seventh homer capped Seattle’s five-run second off McAllister. Former Indian Franklin Gutierrez hit an RBI double and Dustin Ackley singled home a run before Carp crushed a fastball from McAllister 438 feet to right, giving the Mariners a 5-2 lead.

With McAllister gone, Frank Herrmann held Seattle in check allowing just a run in 2.2 innings, as the Indians tried to battle back. They got the bases loaded in the 6th, scoring two runs to make it 10-6 before Asdrubal Cabrera struck out on three pitches.

Then in the 8th inning with the score 12-6, they again juiced the bases with one out, only to push one run across when Shin-Soo Choo walked in a run. With a chance to make it interesting, Carlos Santana popped up to second, and Shelley Duncan lined out to third to end the Indians last threat.

The loss puts the team back to .500 at 63-63, and with the Detroit Tigers winning again in Tampa Bay against the Rays, the Indians are now in a deep hole at six games back in the AL Central.

The team made a roster move right away after the game, as expected the Tribe sent McAllister back to Triple-A Columbus and called up infielder Cord Phelps, who will likely start for Cabrera on Wednesday, giving the All-Star a day off.

Wednesday the teams wrap up their four games in three day series. Josh Tomlin goes for the Indians against Felix Hernandez at 12:05pm.

More than 120 games into the season, the team’s offense ranks twenty-third in WAR (wins above replacement), and the rotation’s ERA is twenty-first.  So, how, exactly, are the Indians even competing on a regular basis?  Well, that’s easy.  The Bullpen Mafia, of course.

Around downtown, and maybe even all of northeast Ohio, the bullpen’s self-appointed name is growing in popularity, and with just cause.  While Atlanta’s ‘pen has garnered much of the reliever spotlight, Cleveland’s has been the driving force behind the team’s playoff aspirations.  Unsung, unheralded, and armed with a killer nickname; Cleveland’s reliever-led militia is as deep as any in baseball, but has one potential flaw lurking right around the corner, closing out the team’s games: Chris Perez.

In one of the more overlooked and underappreciated moves by the Shapiro regime, the Indians flipped two months of Mark DeRosa for the Perez and Jess Todd.  While Todd’s development flamed out in Triple-A, Perez’s has flourished; in a little more than 140 innings with the team, he’s saved 51 games and posted a 2.76 ERA.  So, clearly, the Indians got the better end of the deal.

This season, Perez, perhaps the godfather of the Bullpen Mafia, has saved 27 games out of 30 total chances, and posted a 3.06 ERA.  Good numbers – at least on the outside.

See, something is wrong with Tribe’s fireman, or there’s reason to suspect it anyway.  Even during his time in St. Louis, Perez’s control was, frankly, well-below average.  But he succeeded in spite of it because of his extraordinary strikeout rate: 9.9 K/9 in 65.1 career innings as a Cardinal.  And his first two seasons in Cleveland were much the same.

In 2009, the year he was acquired, he threw 33.1 innings and struck out 38 and walked only 12.  And last season, the first season in which he became a close on either team for an extended amount of time, his strikeout rate dipped noticeably, 8.7 K/9, and his walk rate jumped up, to 4.0 BB/9.  Look, the walk rate is a touch too high, but as long as he compensates for it by striking out enough guys, it’s acceptable.

Well, 47 innings into the 2011 season, Perez’s walk rate has remained consistent at 4.2 BB/9, but his strikeout rate, if you can call it that anymore, is a lowly 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings.  Ouch.

Consider this: Prior to this season, there has 6 times in the history of baseball in which a pitcher has saved 25 games with a strikeout rate under 5.5 K/9 and a walk rate above 4.0 BB/9.  If the season ended today, Chris Perez would become the seventh.  Ouch.

And digging deeper, according to fangraphs.com, Perez’s velocity – his fastball has averaged 93.4 mph this season – is the worst of his major league career; it’s down almost 2 miles-per-hour since his rookie season in 2008.

So, despite having a solid ERA (3.06) and a good save percentage, his peripheral stats are painting a different picture, one not as pretty.  His FIP (Field Independent Pitching), xFIP (Expected Field Independent Pitching), and SIERA (Skill-Interactive ERA) are 4.39, 4.91, and 4.67, respectively.  Of the team’s seven main relievers – Tony Sipp, Frank Herrmann, Chad Durbin, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Vinnie Pestano, and Perez – Perez’s FIP ranks sixth, and both his xFIP and SIERA are the worst.  To put it into a different perspective, his SIERA is second worst in all of baseball among qualified relievers.  Yes, that’s second worst among 135 total relievers.

So what should the Indians do?

Well, they’re sitting on a save collecting machine with a pretty enough ERA with poor peripheral stats.  They should get as much as they can for him this offseason, and turn next year’s closing duties over to Pestano.  And something else to think about: now that most of the top position prospects have been promoted, the team’s greatest minor league strength is young, power relievers.  Nick Hagadone, Zach Putnam, Josh Judy, and Chen Lee are viable options in available in Triple-A.  And Cory Burns, Bryan Price, and Brice Stowell are among the next wave in Double-A.

Yes, Chris Perez is a fan favorite, but given his declining velocity and poor peripheral stats, the team’s monetary constraints and the amount of promising young relief arms in the minors; trading him while his value remains high would be prudent.

In a marathon contest that dragged from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, the Tribe pulled off a 3-2, 14-inning victory over the rival Tigers. The win shaved Detroit’s lead over Cleveland in the American League Central to three games with two left to play in this crucial series at Progressive Field.

Following a hard-fought battle of bullpens, the Indians scored the game’s winning run at 1:52 a.m. ET. With one out and the bases loaded in the final frame, Cleveland right fielder Kosuke Fukudome was struck on the left arm by a pitch from Detroit’s David Pauley. The fans who remained erupted, fireworks were set off and the Tribe left satisfied.

“We were just going back and forth and back and forth,” said Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano. “This is the longest game I’ve been a part of and it’s certainly one of the most important, given the circumstances of playing the Tigers.

“This was a big win. Be it August or September, whenever, this was a big win for us.”

It was a game that served as a redemption song for Cleveland’s bullpen.

During the team’s recent seven-game road trip through Boston and Texas, the Tribe (57-56) lost four games in the opponents’ last at-bat. Three came via walk-off hits and the other in the form of an eighth-inning meltdown. Back home in Cleveland, the Indians’ relief corps regained its footing and silenced the Tigers.

When rain interrupted play after two innings, the Indians had hoped to send Masterson — the rotation’s ace at the moment — back to the hill. That was until the delay reached the two-hour mark. Manager Manny Acta set an hour and a half as his cutoff point for sending the sinkerballer back out there to face the Tigers (61-54).

“That was our top that we were going to wait,” Acta said.

Acta turned to veteran Chad Durbin, who took the mound after the rain subsided following a delay of 2 hours, 3 minutes. The right-hander set down the meat of Detroit’s lineup in order and went on to piece together three shutout innings that did well in setting the tone for what followed.

“He’s one of, if not the player of the game,” Pestano said.

Durbin’s effort helped preserve a 2-2 deadlock that was the product of some early offense by both sides. Cleveland struck for a pair against Detroit righty Doug Fister in the first inning and Detroit countered with two runs off Materson in the second. It was another six hours before another run touched the plate.

Overall, the Indians’ bullpen combined for 12 scoreless innings in which the relief corps struck out 12 Tigers hitters. Rafael Perez followed Durbin. Tony Sipp and Pestano covered things from the seventh through the ninth. Closer Chris Perez and sidearmer Joe Smith held down the fort through the 12th.

“We just didn’t do anything with their bullpen,” said Tigers manager Jim Leyland. “The bullpen shut us down.”

Detroit’s bullpen nearly did the same.

Lefty Duane Below followed Fister and was perfect over four crisp innings. Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke, Al Alburquerque and Joaquin Benoit entered in succession and held the Tribe off the board — and with just two hits — through the 13th inning. Only in the eighth did Cleveland have an opportunity to force the issue.

Pinch-hitter Jason Donald led off against Schlereth and doubled off the top of the wall in center field. Donald advanced to third base on a groundout by Ezequiel Carrera, setting up a chance for a squeeze bunt by Michael Brantley. On a 1-1 count, Brantley squared at the last second on a pitch that tailed low and outside.

Brantley was unable to make contact and Donald — sprinting home on the play — was caught in no-man’s land. He was easily retired in a rundown and Brantley followed with a flyout to left field to bring a disappointing halt to the would-be rally.

“I take full responsibility for it — I called for it,” Acta said. “When it works, a lot of people like to call me smart. So when it doesn’t work, I take full responsibility for it.”

Cleveland’s last hope out of the bullpen was Frank Herrmann, the right-hander.

By the time his name was called, it was around 1 a.m.

“I probably had five Red Bulls,” Herrmann said with a laugh. “I finally got my opportunity to go in there. I’m happy I was able to help out.”

Told of Herrmann’s energy drink consumption, Pestano laughed.

“I had my usual coffee before the game,” Pestano said. “Then I had a Red Bull in the sixth. Frank, I can only imagine what he was throwing down back there to stay awake to come in at 1 in the morning.”

Herrmann (3-0) issued leadoff walks in each of the 13th and 14th innings but escaped both jams unscathed.

In the home half of the final frame, Asdrubal Cabrera drew a one-out walk against Pauley, Travis Hafner singled to right field and Carlos Santana was intentionally walked to loaded the bases. Pauley’s 18th pitch — the 439th offering of the ballgame — flew inside, struck Fukudome and brought a painful end to the grueling contest.

That marked the ninth walk-off win of the MLB season for the Indians — the third in the past four games against the Tigers in Cleveland. Overall, the Tribe has now won 12 games in a row over Detroit at Progressive Field.

The late-inning magic this season has come in all shapes and sizes.

Cleveland boasts five walk-off home runs, including two grand slams. The team has enjoyed two walk-off singles, including the first career hit for rookie Jason Kipnis. Brantley sent the Tribe to a dramatic win with a walk-off walk earlier this year.

Now, the Indians can add a walk-off hit batsmen to that list.

“It was kind of anti-climactic,” Herrmann said with a smile. “But I don’t think anybody wanted a re-do there. We were all happy with it.”

If you’re looking For Great Free Sports Picks Check out the MLB Forums at Bang the Book!

Shelley Duncan and Travis Buck Reserve outfielders

If someone told me to choose the MVP for Spring, I would choose Travis Buck. The man led the team in hits throughout the Spring and was second in runs batted in behind Shin-Soo Choo. Granted, the ball travels better in AZ than in Cleveland but I saw it more for his leadership. Need a hit, need a sacrifice, need a RBI, he would deliver. Travis Buck also provides some major league experience.

Shelley Duncan which some of the media like to nickname a rock star is also another leader on this team. My favorite memory for Shelley came against the Yankees last year. Shelley, a former Yankee, came up to launch a home run and make the score look better than it did. To hit a homer off the bench or get a key hit takes an ability to stay mentally sharp in each and every game. Also, Shelley provides some leadership off the bench.

What about the other guys? For players like Chad Huffman, who is my personal choice, the at bats needed to stay sharp require him to be in the lineup every day. This opportunity will be realized better down in the minors. I think everyone can agree the former Yankee would look nice as an everyday outfielder for the Tribe someday. I think it is great to have some depth in the organization again.

Also Ezequiel Carrera was another good pickup. He will also get more playing time in the minors and continue to develop making our minor leagues deeper. This has been the organization’s goal throughout the rebuilding process. Depth is the key to any great team especially when you do not have the deep pockets to keep free agents as frustrating as that is to us fans.

Adam Everett, reserve infielder

Adam Everett won this job based on experience, the fact that Donald was hurt and Jayson Nix was struggling at the plate. Adam is one that can help to give any of the infielders an off day and can fill in for some innings. Based on the alternatives in camp, I am glad and more confident in seeing Adam Everett’s name there ready to back up the starters. Cord Phelps and Luis Valbuena need more development in the minors. A personal note about Valbuena. I went down to AAA Columbus to see the Clippers. Luis Valbuena led off the game I went to against the Pawtucket Red Sox. He was really hitting the ball well. I said to my wife at the time, “I wonder why he can’t be this consistent up in Cleveland” Consistency is the key, something I think Everett is more ready to give as a reserve infielder.

Lou Marson, backup catcher

Many fans like myself look at the stats for Spring training and see last year’s performance by Lou Marson and wonder why Lou is again on the major league roster instead of my personal choice, Paul Phillips. After all, Marson only had 4 hits in 28 at bats while Phillips had 12 hits in 29 at bats. The word I have read from the reporters close to the organization is “defense.” Lou Marson is here for defense, not offense. He has experience also with our staff from last year. Also, I believe by releasing him or sending him down to the minors now would tell the fans that we gave away our former Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee for Carlos Carrasco, our #2 starter and a permanent minor leaguer in Marson, if he was sent down. The Indians are not ready to call Marson a bust yet.

The Bullpen Reserves
With the Indians, the opportunity to have a staff like the Phillies with 5 former #1 starters on other clubs is never going to happen if we want to compete under the current owners Larry and Paul Dolan. Whether we like it or not as fans, this is the current state of the Indians and the economy. I have learned to be grateful for the ability to still have a Major League Baseball team to cheer. The starting rotation is not going to be spot on every game so it is vital to have a strong bullpen. I really like the pitchers the organization has selected.

Justin Germano is a pitcher I followed when he was with the San Diego Padres. He pitched in 7 games this Spring and never gave up a run. He seems to fit the role we need to clean up the messes that starters may get the team into from time to time. Hopefully we wont see him too often this year. However I am confident he can be that long relief the team wants.

Frank Herrmann was also selected for the bullpen. I really liked what I saw out of this kid this Spring. He kept his ERA down and pitched more innings so far. He is one that can give you a couple innings to help hold and sustain a lead, keep a team in a ballgame to bridge the gap trying to get to Chris Perez for the save or give us a chance to make a comeback like we did in the 1990′s.

Vinnie Pestano

Every time I heard this guy was coming into the game, I was confident. He kept his ERA down in all 8 games that he pitched in, shutting down the opposition. His ERA was 1.17, striking out 11 in 7.2 innings pitched. Talk about attacking the strike zone! Way to go, Vinnie!

In conclusion, granted it is early and some of these pitchers and reserve players were chosen due to injuries to other players. I would like to say to all those chosen, make it the goal to prove to the fans and organization that they made the right choice to choose you among the others. Manny Acta said he wanted the best 25 guys out there come Opening Day. I really believe that given the roster at the current time, these are the best 25 guys. Hopefully, this will translate to competing, winning more than losing and proving to the fans that 2007 was not just a lucky acorn found by a blind squirrel. Hopefully this can be a winning organization from top to bottom that begins anew on Friday April 1st, 2011.

While I’m away, you can keep checking Indians.com for the latest Tribe coverage. There will be a team of writers filling in for me while I’m back home enjoying some down time with Mrs. MLBastian and MLBastian Jr. Come Monday morning, yours truly will be back grinding away here on the beat, getting ready for Opening Day.

But, before I go, here are some notes from Tuesday…

• Center fielder Grady Sizemore (left knee) ran the bases again on Tuesday morning. He did three sets of home to first, home to second and second to home. He will do one more baserunning workout on Thursday, or Friday if he needs an extra day. The biggest obstacle left in his rehab progression is sliding.
• If Sizemore passes his next baserunning tests with flying colors, he could make his Spring Training game debut for the Indians on Sunday, according to manager Manny Acta. At the latest, Sizemore said he hoped to be in a game situation by Monday. CLICK HERE for the latest on Sizemore Watch.
• Righty Anthony Reyes made his Cactus League debut on Tuesday. He faced four batters, retiring two, walking one and allowing a double. Reyes was pulled after 22 pitches due to a pitch count, according to Acta. Earlier this spring, Reyes, who missed all of last season after elbow surgery, was shut down due to elbow soreness.
• Third baseman Jason Donald remains sidelined with a bone bruise in his left hand. He took part in Cleveland’s morning workout on Tuesday with the exception of swinging a bat. He is unlikely to swing a bat until Thursday at the earliest. On Thursday or Friday, Donald might get into a Minor League or Cactus League game for late-inning defense. When he’ll be back in the starting lineup remains up in the air.
• Right-hander Joe Smith is also still sidelined with upper abdominal soreness. Smith did note that he was able to throw a light round of catch on Monday. He hopes to be back on a mound for the Indians later this week. Smith said he will likely throw a bullpen session prior to being cleared for a return to Cactus League play.
• Right-hander Mitch Talbot, who had a 17.55 ERA through three starts this spring, bounced back in a big way on Tuesday. He allowed one first-inning run over five frames, striking out three with no walks and six scattered hits. Talbot said it was a “big weight off his shoulders” to finally find a comfortable and reliable release point. He had been struggling with command of all four pitches this spring.
• Even though it is only Spring Training, both Talbot and Acta said it was a bit of a relief to see an improved showing from the starter. Talbot said it helped having the knowledge that he already had a spot on the Opening Day roster. That allowed him to work through his mechanical issue without worrying about losing a Major League job.
• Reliever Jensen Lewis had a tough outing against the Brewers. He entered in relief of Reyes with two outs and two runners on base. Lewis then allowed a three-run homer, issued a walk and gave up a single, and then surrendered another three-run homers. Acta said Lewis struggled with his fastball command.
• Acta also noted that neither Lewis nor Smith have a guaranteed spot in the bullpen. Right now, the only locks are Chris Perez, Chad Durbin, Rafael Perez and Tony Sipp. That leaves four spots up for grabs. ”[Lewis] and Smitty have a leg up,” Acta said, “but a leg up doesn’t mean you’re in. I think just about everybody is fighting for a spot.” It is worth noting that Lewis is out of player options.
• Chatted some this morning with reliever Frank Herrmann about working with Mike Scott over the offseason on a revamped splitter. Herrmann said their meeting lasted a half hour at most, but Scott showed Herrmann how to simplify his splitter grip. The big challenge right now for Herrmann is to maintain the same arm action and arm speed as he does with his fastball, as to not give away when the split is coming.
• The Indians have a scheduled team off-day on Wednesday. Players will be sleeping in, going golfing and doing a whole heckuva lot of nothing, for the most part. Not right-hander Josh Tomlin. He’ll be at the Indians complex for a 10 am PT Minor League start. He is vying for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Catch you guys on Monday. Try to survive without me…

–JB

2010:  69 – 93  (Fourth in AL Central)
2009:  65 – 97
2008:  81 – 81
2007:  96 – 66
2006:  78 – 84

Remember 2007, anyone?  the Indians were a game away from getting to the World Series.

Runs Scored: 646 (12th in the AL)
Runs Allowed: 752 (12th in the AL)

With this combination of runs scored and allowed, the Indians would have been expected to win 69 games – which is what they did.

Season Recap:

Most experts had the Indians and Royals battling for the bottom of the AL Central, and the Indians did just that – edging the Royals by two games to claim fourth in the division.

The Indians got off to a moderately slow start, but fell way off the pace in May, going 9 – 18.  Other than that month and a rather poor August (10 – 18, but played better than that), the Indians roared down the stretch with a 15 – 12 September, catching the Royals to get out of the cellar.  Part of this was adding a few nuggets – like rookie catcher Carlos Santana and infielders Jason Donald and Jayson Nix – who were happy to get playing time and helped lead the charge.

Starters:

Fausto Carmona returned to form, tossing sinkers and sinking fastballs, and giving the Indians 210.1 innings of solid baseball.  Justin Masterson’s first season as a regular in the rotation wasn’t a complete loss.  Sure, he allowed a lot of runs, but he had decent strikeout numbers and hung in there for the whole year.  He needs to work on his control, but there’s something to build on here.  Mitch Talbot won 10 games, but I’m not sure how.  He doesn’t strike a lot of guys out and he tends to walk even more guys than Masterson.  Jake Westbrook returned to make 21 fair starts before being shipped off to St. Louis for the stretch run.  David Huff, Josh Tomlin, and Jeanmar Gomez served as fifth starters – only Huff looked way out of place and of the three, Tomlin looks to be ready to take a turn 30 times and be successful.

Looking forward, a rotation of Carmona, Masterson, Talbot, Tomlin, and another kid named Carlos Carrasco has some potential for growth.  I see Talbot falling off a little, but if Carmona can hold form, the other three guys could certainly shave 30 – 40 runs off the runs allowed side of the ledger.

Relievers:

Chris Perez did a great job as the closer and returns for another season.  Tony Sipp, Rafael Perez, Joe Smith, Jensen Lewis, and Frank Herrmann will tote some innings as well.  Justin Germano did an okay job last year and gets a non-roster invitation to training camp.  He has a shot at being the 11th man on the staff.  Of these, I am less inclined to believe that Perez and Smith will be as successful, so Lewis, Herrmann, and SOMEBODY will have to step up.  I think the bullpen may be off by 10 runs over the course of the season.

Catching:

Carlos Santana had a great first 40 games.  He’s a convert – came to the Dodgers in 2005 as a third baseman and played all over the infield and outfield – an Elmo Plaskett sort of career.  I 2007, he was switched to catcher and has shown himself to be a quick learner with a strong arm.  As a hitter, he has a .401 OBP in the minors with 25 homer potential.  His backup, Lou Marson, has solid defensive skills but struggled at the plate last year – even after being sent to AAA.  I don’t think this will happen again.

Infield:

Last year’s infield started out as Russell Branyan, Mark Grudzielanek or Luis Valbuena, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Jhonny Peralta.  By August, Grudzielanek was released and now is retired.  Branyan was returned to Seattle, and I have no reason why they would have done that – but what the hey.  Matt LaPorta came in to play first.  Jayson Nix outplayed Andy Marte to win the third base job, and Jason Donald earned a shot at second base.  Only Cabrera played most of the season – but even he, by the end of the season, was seeing less playing time because his bat had tanked from where it was in 2009.

Looking forward, Donald or Nix looks to be the third baseman, LaPorta will get one more shot at first base, and Asdrubal Cabrera will get a shot to return to form at short.  More importantly, the Indians have imported Reds infielder Orlando Cabrera to play second base.  Jayson Nix and Valbuena return as depth.  I like adding Orlando Cabrera, though he’s getting long in the tooth and hasn’t really played a whole lot of second base in his career.  Donald can hit as well as Peralta these days, and LaPorta has room for growth.  Defensively, it’s not awesome – but it’s not bad either (well, LaPorta didn’t impress me).  If nothing else, it’s an infield that gives a manager a lot of daily options if necessary.

Outfield:

In right field, Shin Soo Choo is awesome – 20/20 with a high batting average and on base percentage.  He’s one of the best in the game.  The problem is the other two positions.  In center, the Indians are hoping that Grady Sizemore can return from microfracture surgery on his left knee.  At peak, and Sizemore is just 29, Sizemore is a potent bat in the middle of the lineup.  He hasn’t had centerfield range in years, though, so I’d rather see him play left field.  That leaves Michael Brantley or Trevor Crowe in left (or center) and neither impressed at the plate, being low average, low power guys with speed.  Crowe might be the better defensive option in center, but neither has 1000 innings in the field yet, so it’s still open for debate.  Austin Kearns returns to be a fourth or fifth outfielder and DH option.

DH:

Travis Hafner, no longer the threat he once was, still helps put runs on the board.  Carlos Santana, Shelly Duncan, or Austin Kearns will be the other half of a platoon arrangement.

Down on the Farm:

The guys at AAA who looked like they could play a little, Brantley, Crowe, Donald, LaPorta (who caught in AAA), all got shots with the parent club.  Of those who did not, Jose Constanza hit .319 with less power and a lower OBP than Brantley, so that won’t work.  Cord Phelps moved up from AA, is just 24, and hit .317 with a little power.  Phelps is a 3rd round pick out of Stanford in 2008 who has been moved up quickly and played better at each level.  That being said, the entire Columbus AAA team hit .285, so I wouldn’t put stock in those averages holding up at the big league level.  None of the guys who hit .300 in AAA hit anywhere near .250 in the bigs in 2010.  A couple of pitchers were rushed to the bigs, including Gomez and Huff, while Carlos Carrasco pitched better than all of them (10 – 6, 133Ks in 150.1 innings, good control, 3.65 ERA in a hitter’s park).  So of the young arms in camp, I like his the best.

AA Akron features a couple of pitchers who might make you look for them in a year or two.  Alex White is just 22, had a 2.28 ERA in 17 starts, and had good control, decent K numbers, and kept the ball in the park.  The UNC grad was the #1 pick of the Indians in 2009 and appears to have a fast track to the majors.  Chen Lee pitched relief, fanned 82 and walked just 22 in 72.2 innings of work.

The second round pick of the 2009 draft, Jason Kipnis, hit well at A+ Kinston, batting .300 with a .387 OBP and power, earning a trip to Akron, where he continued to hit well (.311/.385/.502).  I like him because he’s from Northbrook, IL – a graduate of Glenbrook North, where a bunch of my cousins went to school.  He’s still figuring out second base, but he will be in the majors before you know it.  The 2008 #1 pick, Lonnie Chisenhall, has migrated to third base and shows power – but right now projects out as an Andy Marte clone – and that’s not MLB ready yet.

2011 Forecast:

Let’s call it guarded optimism.  The young pitchers should be able to build on 2010, but I think the defense will suffer if Sizemore is allowed to play center and with Orlando Cabrera learning a new position (and LaPorta likely getting 1000 innings at first).  It’s not a total wash, but it’s at least mitigating some of the potential improvement.  If Sizemore plays left and Crowe plays center, the team will remove 30 runs from the runs allowed side.  If Sizemore is still in center, I don’t see any change.

The offense will certainly be better at catcher, and if Sizemore can hit, that’s another huge plus – possibly 80 extra runs on the board between the two positions.  Cabrera or Donald or Nix will be better than a full season of Luis Valbuena, too.  When I feel optimistic, the system says that the team should score 725 runs and allow about 740 – but managerial decisions and Sizemore’s health aren’t guarantees, so I’ll hedge my bet and guess it will be more like 700 and 750 instead.  That puts the Indians at 75 wins – a nice step in the right direction.  On the other hand, the potential is there to get to 80 games if a lot of things work in their favor.  Besides, Cleveland could use some good news from a sporting standpoint.  As such, I’ll be rooting for the pleasant surprise…

Baltimore Orioles

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

57 Jake Arrieta R/R 6-4 225 03/06/86
75 Chris George L/L 6-2 185 09/16/79
73 Mike Hinckley R/L 6-3 205 10/05/82
– Will Ohman L/L 6-2 210 08/13/77
74 Frank Mata R/R 6-0 168 03/11/84
76 Josh Perrault R/R 6-3 205 06/11/82
45 Dennis Sarfate R/R 6-4 225 04/09/81
55 Alfredo Simon R/R 6-4 230 05/08/81
56 Ross Wolf R/R 6-0 180 10/18/82

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

83 Luis Bernardo R/R 6-0 170 01/16/88
79 Adam Donachie R/R 6-1 215 03/03/84
71 Michel Hernandez R/R 6-0 215 08/12/78
72 Caleb Joseph R/R 6-3 180 06/18/86
16 Chad Moeller R/R 6-3 210 02/18/75

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

80 Miguel Abreu R/R 5-11 190 11/14/84
78 Blake Davis L/R 5-11 165 12/22/83
6 Scott Moore L/R 6-2 195 11/17/83

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

81 Matt Angle L/R 5-10 175 09/10/85
77 Jeff Salazar L/L 6-0 195 11/24/80
82 Jonathan Tucker R/R 5-7 170 07/02/83

Boston Red Sox

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

61 Randor Bierd R/R 6-4 190 03/14/84
53 Fernando Cabrera R/R 6-4 225 11/16/81
83 Kris Johnson L/L 6-4 170 10/14/84
93 Casey Kelly R/R 6-3 195 10/04/89
82 Adam Mills R/R 5-11 190 11/19/84
84 Edwin Moreno R/R 6-1 220 07/30/80
46 Joe Nelson R/R 6-1 205 10/25/74
55 Brian Shouse L/L 5-10 190 09/26/68
36 Jorge Sosa R/R 6-2 220 04/28/77
97 Kyle Weiland L/R 6-4 195 09/12/86

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

91 Luis Exposito R/R 6-3 210 01/20/87
72 Gustavo Molina R/R 6-1 245 02/24/82

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

78 Lars Anderson L/L 6-4 215 09/25/87
96 Yamaico Navarro R/R 5-11 170 10/31/87
62 Angel Sanchez R/R 6-2 205 09/20/83
60 Gil Velazquez R/R 6-3 190 10/17/79

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

87 Zach Daeges L/R 6-4 225 11/16/83
92 Ryan Kalish L/L 6-1 205 03/28/88
85 Che-Hsuan Lin R/R 6-0 180 09/21/88
54 Darnell McDonald R/R 5-11 210 11/17/78

Chicago White Sox

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

65 Greg Aquino R/R 6-1 190 01/11/78
66 Ryan Z. Braun R/R 6-1 220 07/29/80
47 Daniel Cabrera R/R 6-9 260 05/28/81
78 Charles Leesman L/L 6-4 210 03/10/87
68 Erick Threets L/L 6-5 240 11/04/81

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

38 Cole Armstrong L/R 6-3 210 08/24/83
81 Miguel Gonzalez R/R 6-0 200 12/03/90
55 Donny Lucy R/R 6-2 205 08/08/82
79 Josh Phegley R/R 5-10 215 02/12/88

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

67 Freddie Bynum L/R 6-1 185 03/15/80
77 Brent Morel R/R 6-1 220 04/21/87
75 C.J. Retherford R/R 5-10 190 08/14/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

70 Jason Botts S/R 6-5 250 07/26/80
76 Jordan Danks L/R 6-4 210 08/07/86
74 Josh Kroeger L/L 6-3 230 08/31/82
80 Jared Mitchell L/L 6-0 195 10/13/88

Cleveland Indians

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

20 Mike Gosling L/L 6-2 210 09/23/80
35 Jason Grilli R/R 6-5 225 11/11/76
73 Frank Herrmann L/R 6-4 220 05/30/84
80 Josh Judy R/R 6-4 200 02/09/86
64 Yohan Pino R/R 6-0 190 12/26/83
81 Zach Putnam R/R 6-2 225 07/03/87
27 Anthony Reyes R/R 6-2 230 10/16/81
56 Saul Rivera S/R 5-10 175 12/07/77
79 Alex White R/R 6-3 185 08/29/88
– Jamey Wright R/R 6-5 225 12/24/74

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

65 Damaso Espino R/R 6-1 210 05/08/83

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

9 Brian Buscher L/R 6-0 220 04/18/81
76 Lonnie Chisenhall L/R 6-1 200 10/04/88
12 Mark Grudzielanek R/R 6-1 200 06/30/70
78 Beau Mills L/R 6-3 220 08/15/86
6 Luis Rodriguez S/R 5-9 190 06/27/80
74 Niuman Romero S/R 6-0 160 01/24/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

47 Shelley Duncan R/R 6-5 225 09/29/79
26 Austin Kearns R/R 6-3 245 05/20/80

Detroit Tigers

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

67 Phil Dumatrait R/L 6-2 205 07/12/81
62 Enrique Gonzalez R/R 5-10 225 07/14/82
64 Josh Rainwater R/R 6-1 220 04/09/85
70 Cody Satterwhite R/R 6-4 205 01/27/87
72 Robbie Weinhardt R/R 6-2 205 12/08/85

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

66 Robinzon Diaz R/R 5-11 215 09/19/83
74 John Murrian R/R 6-1 210 06/15/88
71 Mike Rabelo S/R 6-0 210 01/17/80
75 Eric Roof L/R 6-5 185 11/15/86
63 Max St. Pierre R/R 6-0 175 04/17/80

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

65 Kory Casto L/R 6-0 215 12/08/81
19 Jeff Larish L/R 6-2 200 10/11/82
73 Gustavo Nunez S/R 5-10 150 02/08/88

Kansas City Royals

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
73 Adam Bostick L/L 6-1 225 03/17/83
62 Bryan Bullington R/R 6-4 210 09/30/80
69 Jorge Campillo R/R 6-1 225 08/10/78
52 Bruce Chen L/L 6-1 215 06/19/77
79 Danny Duffy L/L 6-2 185 12/21/88
77 Matt Herges L/R 6-0 210 04/01/70
59 Philip Humber R/R 6-4 220 12/21/82
67 John Parrish L/L 5-11 190 11/26/77
68 Nelson Payano L/L 6-1 190 11/13/82
66 Francisco Rosario R/R 6-0 195 09/28/80
65 Josh Rupe R/R 6-2 210 08/18/82
57 Brad Thompson R/R 6-1 190 01/31/82

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

63 Edwin Bellorin R/R 5-9 225 02/21/82
74 Cody Clark R/R 6-2 205 09/14/81
70 Steven Lerud L/R 6-1 210 10/13/84
26 Vance Wilson R/R 5-11 215 03/17/73

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

46 Wilson Betemit S/R 6-3 230 11/02/81
72 Irving Falu S/R 5-9 180 06/06/83
71 Ernesto Mejia R/R 6-6 190 12/02/85
76 Mike Moustakas L/R 6-0 195 09/11/88

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

41 Buck Coats L/R 6-3 200 06/09/82
78 David Lough L/L 6-0 180 01/20/86
75 Derrick Robinson S/L 5-11 170 09/28/87
64 Scott Thorman L/R 6-3 235 01/06/82

Los Angeles Angels

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Ryan Brasier R/R 6-0 200 08/26/87
– Ryan Chaffee R/R 6-2 190 05/18/88
– Tyler Chatwood R/R 5-11 175 12/16/89
– Travis Chick R/R 6-2 220 06/10/84
– Michael Kohn R/R 6-2 200 06/26/86
– Tommy Mendoza R/R 6-2 195 08/18/87
– Kevin Nabors R/R 6-3 210 08/12/85
– Trevor Reckling L/L 6-1 195 05/22/89
– Francisco Rodriguez R/R 6-3 215 02/26/83
– Will Smith R/L 6-5 235 07/10/89
– Andrew Taylor R/L 6-1 190 08/18/86

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Hank Conger S/R 6-1 220 01/29/88
– Anel De Los Santos R/R 6-3 210 06/19/88
– Alberto Rosario R/R 5-10 190 01/10/87
– Brian Walker L/R 6-0 215 07/16/85

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Alexi Amarista L/R 5-8 150 04/06/89
– Ryan Mount L/R 6-0 190 08/17/86
– Efren Navarro L/L 6-0 200 05/14/86
– Abel Nieves R/R 5-11 175 08/14/85
– Gary Patchett R/R 6-2 180 09/25/78
– Andrew Romine S/R 6-1 190 12/24/85
– Hainley Statia S/R 5-10 160 01/19/86
– Nate Sutton L/R 6-0 195 09/01/82

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Cory Aldridge L/R 6-1 225 06/13/79
– Bradley Coon L/L 6-0 175 12/11/82
– Jeremy Moore L/R 6-1 190 06/29/87
– Michael Ryan L/R 5-11 220 07/06/77

Minnesota Twins

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Jose Lugo L/L 6-1 180 04/10/84
– Mike Maroth L/L 6-0 195 08/17/77
– Anthony Slama R/R 6-3 205 01/06/84
– Kyle Waldrop R/R 6-5 215 10/27/85

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Jair Fernandez R/R 6-1 170 12/10/86
– Danny Lehmann R/R 5-11 185 09/05/85
– Daniel Rams R/R 6-2 205 12/19/88

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Brian Dinkelman L/R 5-11 195 11/10/83
– Chris Parmelee L/L 6-1 223 02/24/88
– Brock Peterson R/R 6-3 230 11/20/83
– Steve Singleton L/R 5-11 180 09/12/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Jacque Jones R/R 5-10 200 04/25/75
– Juan Portes R/R 5-11 170 11/26/85
– Ben Revere L/R 5-9 166 05/03/88
– Rene Tosoni L/R 6-0 195 07/02/86

New York Yankees

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

90 Wilkins Arias L/L 6-1 150 11/04/80
86 Jeremy Bleich L/L 6-2 195 06/18/87
82 Grant Duff R/R 6-6 210 12/19/82
60 Jason Hirsh R/R 6-8 250 02/20/82
27 Kei Igawa L/L 6-1 210 07/13/79
80 Zach McAllister R/R 6-6 230 12/08/87
72 D.J. Mitchell R/R 6-0 170 05/13/87
40 Dustin Moseley R/R 6-4 215 12/26/81
96 Ryan Pope R/R 6-3 200 05/21/86
47 Royce Ring L/L 6-0 220 12/21/80
93 Amaury Sanit R/R 5-11 190 07/04/79
70 Zack Segovia R/R 6-2 245 04/11/83
81 Kevin Whelan R/R 6-0 200 01/08/84

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

92 Kyle Higashioka R/R 6-1 190 04/20/90
83 Jesus Montero R/R 6-4 225 11/28/89
85 P.J. Pilittere R/R 6-0 215 11/23/81
12 Mike Rivera R/R 6-1 235 09/08/76
84 Austin Romine R/R 6-2 210 11/22/88

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

97 Brandon Laird R/R 6-1 215 09/11/87
95 Jorge Vazquez R/R 6-2 230 03/15/82

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

98 Colin Curtis L/L 6-1 200 02/01/85
66 Reid Gorecki R/R 6-1 200 12/22/80
38 Marcus Thames R/R 6-2 220 03/06/77
79 Jon Weber L/L 5-10 190 01/20/78
78 David Winfree R/R 6-3 230 08/05/85

Oakland Athletics

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

57 Cedrick Bowers R/L 6-2 220 02/10/78
70 Sam Demel R/R 6-0 200 10/23/85
52 Lenny DiNardo L/L 6-2 220 09/19/79
36 Fernando Hernandez R/R 5-11 190 07/31/84
45 Marcus McBeth R/R 6-2 185 08/23/80
66 Tyson Ross R/R 6-5 215 04/22/87
59 Matt Wright R/R 6-4 270 03/13/82

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

71 Josh Donaldson R/R 6-1 215 12/08/85
72 Joel Galarraga R/R 6-0 155 03/20/82
19 Anthony Recker R/R 6-2 240 08/29/83
68 Max Stassi R/R 5-10 205 03/15/91

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

61 Adrian Cardenas L/R 6-0 185 10/10/87
76 Grant Green R/R 6-3 180 09/27/87
18 Dallas McPherson L/R 6-4 225 07/23/80
2 Gregorio Petit R/R 5-10 200 12/10/84
28 Eric Sogard L/R 5-10 180 05/22/86
73 Jemile Weeks S/R 5-10 175 01/26/87
75 Matthew Whitney R/R 6-3 215 02/13/84

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

74 Corey Brown L/L 6-2 210 11/26/85
25 Matt Carson R/R 6-2 200 07/01/81
23 Michael Taylor R/R 6-6 250 12/19/85
67 Corey Wimberly S/R 5-8 180 10/26/83

Seattle Mariners

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Chad Cordero R/R 6-0 225 03/18/82
– Mike Koplove R/R 6-0 160 08/30/76
– Chris Seddon L/L 6-3 220 10/13/83
– Steven Shell R/R 6-4 225 03/10/83
– Levale Speigner R/R 5-11 170 09/24/80

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Eliezer Alfonzo R/R 5-11 220 02/07/79
– Josh Bard S/R 6-3 225 03/30/78
–Guillermo Quiroz R/R 6-1 215 11/29/81

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

59 Tommy Everidge R/R 6-0 240 04/20/83
– Brad Nelson L/R 6-2 265 12/23/82
16 Josh Wilson R/R 6-0 175 03/26/81
6 Chris Woodward R/R 6-0 190 06/27/76

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Corey Patterson L/R 5-10 175 08/13/79

Tampa Bay Rays

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

49 Winston Abreu R/R 6-2 170 04/05/77
73 Joe Bateman R/R 6-1 185 05/06/80
47 Jeff Bennett R/R 6-3 200 06/10/80
74 Jason Cromer R/L 6-4 225 12/11/80
72 Richard De Los Santos R/R 6-1 175 06/01/84
52 Carlos Hernandez S/L 5-11 205 04/22/80
76 Heath Phillips L/L 6-3 280 03/24/82
75 Heath Rollins R/R 6-1 185 05/25/85
68 R.J. Swindle L/L 6-3 190 07/07/83

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

65 Craig Albernaz R/R 5-8 195 10/30/82
61 Nevin Ashley R/R 6-1 215 08/14/84
67 Alvin Colina R/R 6-3 210 12/26/81

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

64 Tim Beckham R/R 6-0 190 01/27/90
69 Angel Chavez R/R 6-0 185 07/22/81
26 Joe Dillon R/R 6-2 215 08/02/75
63 J.J. Furmaniak R/R 6-0 190 07/31/79
32 Chris Richard L/L 6-2 210 06/07/74
43 Ryan Shealy R/R 6-5 240 08/29/79

Texas Rangers

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

55 Willie Eyre R/R 6-2 205 07/21/78
44 Geoff Geary R/R 6-0 180 08/26/76
47 Kasey Kiker L/L 5-10 170 11/19/87
59 Clay Rapada R/L 6-5 200 03/09/81
22 Tanner Scheppers R/R 6-4 170 01/17/87

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

72 Emerson Frostad L/R 6-1 210 01/13/83
11 Toby Hall R/R 6-3 240 10/21/75
61 Kevin Richardson R/R 6-3 230 09/12/80

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

71 Matthew Brown R/R 6-0 200 08/08/82
6 Esteban German R/R 5-9 195 01/26/78
15 Ray Olmedo S/R 5-11 175 05/31/81
12 Justin Smoak S/L 6-4 220 12/05/86

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

18 Mitch Moreland L/L 6-2 230 09/06/85
74 Chad Tracy R/R 6-3 205 07/04/85

Toronto Blue Jays

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

36 Lance Broadway R/R 6-3 195 08/20/83
67 Willie Collazo L/L 5-8 180 11/07/79
4 Kyle Drabek R/R 6-0 185 12/08/87
72 Daniel Farquhar R/R 5-10 170 02/17/87
71 Shawn Hill R/R 6-2 225 04/28/81
33 Zach Jackson L/L 6-5 220 05/13/83
64 Chad Jenkins R/R 6-4 225 12/22/87
66 Rommie Lewis L/L 6-5 230 09/02/82
69 Steven Register R/R 6-1 180 05/16/83
73 Zachary Stewart R/R 6-2 205 09/28/86

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

9 J.P. Arencibia R/R 6-0 215 01/05/86
13 Raul Chavez R/R 5-11 240 03/17/73
62 Travis D’Arnaud R/R 6-2 195 02/10/89
12 Brian Jeroloman L/R 5-11 200 05/10/85
75 Matt Liuzza R/R 5-11 225 02/03/84
31 Kyle Phillips L/R 6-1 225 04/03/84

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

76 David Cooper L/L 6-0 200 02/12/87
77 Brad Emaus R/R 5-11 210 03/28/86
68 Jesus Merchan R/R 6-0 185 03/26/81
46 Brett Wallace L/R 6-2 205 08/26/86

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

1 Joey Gathright L/R 5-10 185 04/27/81
20 Adam Loewen L/L 6-6 235 04/09/84
70 Chris Lubanski L/L 6-3 210 03/24/85
63 Jorge Padilla R/R 6-1 215 08/11/79
7 Jeremy Reed L/L 6-0 210 06/15/81

Arizona Diamondbacks

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

41 T.J. Beam R/R 6-6 200 08/28/80
75 Josh Ellis R/R 6-1 215 08/07/84
70 Barry Enright R/R 6-3 220 03/30/86
74 Tom Layne L/L 6-3 185 11/02/84
13 Rodrigo Lopez R/R 6-1 185 12/14/75
61 Kyler Newby R/R 6-4 225 02/22/85
72 Wes Roemer R/R 6-0 205 10/07/86
76 Bryan Shaw S/R 5-10 205 11/08/87
73 Matt Torra R/R 6-3 225 06/29/84

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

37 Carlos Corporan S/R 6-2 220 01/07/84
77 Sean Coughlin L/R 6-1 205 05/14/85
79 Konrad Schmidt R/R 6-0 225 08/02/84

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

21 Jeff Bailey R/R 6-2 200 11/19/78
60 Mark Hallberg R/R 5-11 170 12/09/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

78 Collin Cowgill R/L 5-9 195 05/22/86
71 Evan Frey L/L 6-0 170 06/07/86
12 Drew Macias L/L 6-3 200 03/07/83

Atlanta Braves

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

74 Erik Cordier R/R 6-3 195 02/25/86
33 Mariano Gomez L/L 6-6 240 09/12/82
72 Craig Kimbrel R/R 5-11 205 05/28/88
73 Mike Minor R/L 6-3 200 12/26/87
– Scott Proctor R/R 6-0 190 01/02/77
39 Chris Resop R/R 6-3 215 11/04/82

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

22 J.C. Boscan R/R 6-2 215 12/26/79
57 Orlando Mercado R/R 5-9 210 03/13/85
76 Braeden Schlehuber R/R 6-3 190 01/07/88
75 Jesus Sucre R/R 6-0 200 04/30/88

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

70 Freddie Freeman L/R 6-5 220 09/12/89
69 Brandon Hicks R/R 6-2 200 09/14/85
7 Joe Thurston L/R 5-11 210 09/29/79

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

18 Brent Clevlen R/R 6-2 190 10/27/83
71 Jason Heyward L/L 6-4 220 08/09/89
77 Cody Johnson L/R 6-4 195 08/18/88
30 Mitch Jones R/R 6-0 215 10/15/77
78 Matt Young L/R 5-8 180 10/03/82

Chicago Cubs

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

70 Andrew Cashner R/R 6-6 210 09/11/86
– Casey Coleman L/R 6-1 180 07/03/87
20 Thomas Diamond R/R 6-3 230 04/06/83
78 Jeff Kennard R/R 6-2 220 07/26/81
68 J.R. Mathes L/L 6-3 210 11/09/81
53 Vince Perkins L/R 6-5 240 09/27/81
76 James Russell L/L 6-4 205 01/08/86

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

71 Robinson Chirinos R/R 6-1 185 06/05/84
– Steve Clevenger L/R 6-0 195 04/05/86
75 Chris Robinson R/R 6-0 200 05/12/84

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Darwin Barney R/R 5-10 180 11/08/85
67 Starlin Castro R/R 6-1 160 03/24/90
73 Blake Lalli L/R 6-1 210 05/12/83
– Kevin Millar R/R 6-0 215 09/24/71
9 Chad Tracy L/R 6-2 215 05/22/80
61 Josh Vitters R/R 6-3 200 08/27/89

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

57 Matt Camp L/R 6-0 175 05/29/84
59 Brett Jackson L/R 6-2 210 08/02/88
4 Bryan LaHair L/R 6-5 220 11/05/82
15 Bobby Scales S/R 6-0 185 10/04/77
– Brad Snyder L/L 6-3 200 05/25/82

Cincinnati Reds

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

81 Jon Adkins L/R 6-0 210 08/30/77
79 Jose Arredondo R/R 6-0 175 03/30/84
76 Mike Leake R/R 6-1 190 11/12/87
62 Justin Lehr R/R 6-2 215 08/03/77
69 Alexander Smit L/L 6-3 215 10/02/85

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

26 Wilkin Castillo S/R 6-0 200 06/01/84
75 Chris Denove R/R 6-1 215 12/09/82
78 Devin Mesoraco R/R 6-1 220 06/19/88
37 Corky Miller R/R 6-1 245 03/18/76
74 Brandon Yarbrough L/R 6-2 180 11/09/84

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

16 Chris Burke R/R 5-11 195 03/11/80
43 Miguel Cairo R/R 6-1 210 05/04/74
73 Zack Cozart R/R 6-1 185 08/12/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

58 Josh Anderson L/R 6-2 195 08/10/82
80 Daniel Dorn L/L 6-2 190 07/20/84
70 Todd Frazier R/R 6-3 220 02/12/86
17 Laynce Nix L/L 6-1 220 10/30/80

Colorado Rockies

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB
70 Craig Baker R/R 6-2 210 01/31/85
68 Christian Friedrich R/L 6-4 215 07/08/87
41 Jimmy Gobble L/L 6-3 210 07/19/81
76 Andy Graham R/R 6-4 210 06/29/84
71 Andrew Johnston R/R 6-5 205 04/20/84
44 Tim Redding R/R 5-11 230 02/12/78
51 Matt Reynolds L/L 6-5 240 10/02/84
58 Juan Rincon R/R 5-11 210 01/23/79
32 Justin Speier R/R 6-3 205 11/06/73

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

14 Paul Lo Duca R/R 5-9 215 04/12/72
66 Jordan Pacheco R/R 6-1 190 01/30/86
39 Paul Phillips R/R 5-11 205 04/15/77
65 Wilin Rosario R/R 5-11 190 02/23/89

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

18 Jonathan Herrera S/R 5-9 150 11/03/84
74 Darin Holcomb R/R 5-11 205 12/07/85
73 Jeff Kindel L/L 6-3 205 01/09/83
72 Mike Paulk L/L 6-2 195 04/23/84
1 Omar Quintanilla L/R 5-9 190 10/24/81

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

75 Chris Frey L/L 6-1 180 08/11/83
64 Cole Garner R/R 6-2 210 12/15/84
13 Matt Miller R/R 6-2 210 12/26/82
15 Jay Payton R/R 5-10 205 11/22/72

Florida Marlins

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Clay Hensley R/R 5-11 190 08/31/79
– Daniel Jennings L/L 6-3 190 04/17/87
– Seth McClung L/R 6-6 260 02/07/81
– Kasey Olenberger R/R 6-4 235 03/18/78
– Matt Peterson R/R 6-5 220 02/11/82
– Chris Schroder R/R 6-1 210 08/20/78
– Scott Strickland R/R 5-10 220 04/26/76
– Derrick Turnbow R/R 6-3 210 01/25/78
– Jose Veras R/R 6-5 235 10/20/80
– Jay Voss L/L 6-4 195 04/22/87

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Brad Davis R/R 6-1 190 12/29/82
– Chris Hatcher R/R 6-2 190 01/12/85
– Vinny Rottino R/R 6-1 220 04/07/80

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Brian Barden R/R 5-11 200 04/02/81
– Matt Dominguez R/R 6-1 210 08/28/89
– Hector Luna R/R 6-0 225 02/01/80
– Osvaldo Martinez R/R 5-10 170 05/07/88
– Logan Morrison L/L 6-3 245 08/25/87
– Donnie Murphy R/R 5-10 185 03/10/83
– Danny Richar L/R 6-1 195 06/09/83

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Bryan Petersen L/R 6-0 200 04/09/86
– Mike Stanton R/R 6-5 240 11/08/89

Houston Astros

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Josh Banks R/R 6-3 210 07/18/82
– Gustavo Chacin L/L 5-11 205 11/04/80
– Roy Corcoran R/R 5-10 185 05/11/80
– Casey Daigle R/R 6-5 240 04/04/81
– Chia-Jen Lo R/R 5-11 180 04/07/86
– Shane Loux R/R 6-2 235 08/31/79
– Gary Majewski R/R 6-2 215 02/26/80

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Kevin Cash R/R 6-0 200 12/06/77
– Jason Castro L/R 6-3 210 06/18/87
– Brian Esposito R/R 6-1 190 02/24/79
– Lou Santangelo R/R 6-1 205 03/16/83

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Drew Meyer L/R 5-10 200 08/29/81
– Oswaldo Navarro R/R 6-0 155 10/02/84
– Chris Shelton R/R 6-0 215 06/26/80

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Jason Bourgeois R/R 5-9 190 01/04/82
– Alex Romero L/R 6-0 200 09/09/83
– Cory Sullivan L/L 6-0 200 08/20/79

Los Angeles Dodgers

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

26 Luis Ayala R/R 6-2 190 01/12/78
88 Scott Dohmann R/R 6-1 200 02/13/78
79 Francisco Felix R/R 5-11 205 07/28/83
70 Josh Lindblom R/R 6-5 240 06/15/87
45 Justin Miller R/R 6-2 200 08/27/77
35 Ramon Ortiz R/R 6-0 175 05/23/73
48 Russ Ortiz R/R 6-1 215 06/05/74
78 Juan Perez R/L 6-0 180 09/03/78
28 Josh Towers R/R 6-1 185 02/26/77
36 Jeff Weaver R/R 6-5 200 08/22/76

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

77 JD Closser S/R 5-10 200 01/15/80
81 Gabriel Gutierrez R/R 5-11 190 11/24/83
82 Justin Knoedler R/R 6-2 215 07/17/80

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

30 Angel Berroa R/R 6-0 195 01/27/78
21 Nick Green R/R 6-0 180 09/10/78
76 John Lindsey R/R 6-1 245 01/30/77
13 Doug Mientkiewicz L/R 6-0 210 06/19/74
72 Russ Mitchell R/R 6-1 182 02/15/85
63 Argenis Reyes S/R 5-10 165 09/25/82

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Alfredo Amezaga S/R 5-10 180 01/16/78
66 Brian Barton R/R 6-3 190 04/25/82
– Brian Giles L/L 5-10 205 01/20/71
61 Prentice Redman R/R 6-3 185 08/23/79
2 Michael Restovich R/R 6-6 240 01/03/79

Milwaukee Brewers

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

67 Eric Arnett R/R 6-5 230 01/25/88
70 Zach Braddock L/L 6-4 230 08/23/87
39 Chris Capuano L/L 6-2 225 08/19/78
48 Tim Dillard R/R 6-4 225 07/19/83
50 John Halama L/L 6-5 215 02/22/72
68 Kyle Heckathorn R/R 6-6 240 06/17/88
73 Kameron Loe R/R 6-7 240 09/10/81
76 A.J. Murray S/L 6-3 220 03/17/82
77 Scott Schoeneweis L/L 6-0 190 10/02/73
52 Chris Smith R/R 6-2 200 04/09/81

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

87 Jonathan Lucroy R/R 6-0 185 06/13/86
79 Martin Maldonado R/R 6-1 210 08/16/86
20 Matt Treanor R/R 6-0 210 03/03/76

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

15 Jim Edmonds L/L 6-1 210 06/27/70
65 Trent Oeltjen L/L 6-1 190 02/28/83
66 Logan Schafer L/L 6-1 180 09/08/86
63 Adam Stern L/R 5-11 185 02/12/80

New York Mets

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

90 Travis Blackley L/L 6-3 200 11/04/82
64 Elmer Dessens R/R 5-11 200 01/13/71
– R.A. Dickey R/R 6-2 215 10/29/74
93 Jack Egbert L/R 6-3 220 05/12/83
43 Josh Fogg R/R 6-0 205 12/13/76
68 Bobby Livingston L/L 6-3 205 09/03/82
70 Carlos Muniz R/R 6-1 190 03/12/81
77 Eric Niesen L/L 6-1 180 09/04/85
47 Hisanori Takahashi L/L 5-10 170 04/02/75

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

72 Kai Gronauer R/R 6-1 205 11/28/86
71 Mike Nickeas R/R 6-0 210 02/13/83
74 Francisco Pena R/R 6-2 230 10/12/89
73 Shawn Riggans R/R 6-2 200 07/25/80

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

65 Russ Adams L/R 6-0 200 08/30/80
22 Jolbert Cabrera R/R 6-1 215 12/08/72
67 Mike Cervenak R/R 5-11 200 08/17/76
78 Ike Davis L/L 6-5 195 03/22/87
10 Andy Green R/R 5-10 180 07/07/77
88 Luis Hernandez S/R 5-10 180 06/26/84
66 Mike Hessman R/R 6-5 215 03/05/78
35 Mike Jacobs L/R 6-3 215 10/30/80
79 Ruben Tejada R/R 5-11 165 09/01/89

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

2 Frank Catalanotto L/R 6-0 205 04/27/74
62 Jesus Feliciano L/L 6-0 174 06/06/79
91 Kirk Nieuwenhuis L/R 6-3 210 08/07/87

Philadelphia Phillies

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Phillippe Aumont L/R 6-7 220 01/07/89
– B.J. Rosenberg R/R 6-2 215 09/17/85
– Joe Savery L/L 6-3 215 11/04/85
– Ryan Vogelsong R/R 6-3 215 07/22/77
– Ehren Wassermann S/R 6-0 190 12/06/80
– Bill White L/L 6-3 225 11/20/78

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Tuffy Gosewisch R/R 5-11 190 08/17/83
24 Paul Hoover R/R 6-1 210 04/14/76
– Kevin Nelson R/R 6-3 215 04/08/81
– Dane Sardinha R/R 6-0 215 04/08/79
– John Suomi L/R 5-11 200 10/05/80

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Ozzie Chavez S/R 6-1 160 07/13/83
– Freddy Galvis S/R 5-10 170 11/14/89
– Cody Ransom R/R 6-2 190 02/17/76
33 Andy Tracy L/R 6-3 240 12/11/73
– Wilson Valdez R/R 5-11 170 05/20/78

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Domonic Brown L/L 6-5 204 09/03/87
– Chris Duffy L/L 5-9 185 04/20/80
– Tyson Gillies L/R 6-2 190 10/31/88
– Dewayne Wise L/L 6-1 190 02/24/78

Pittsburgh Pirates

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

66 Jimmy Barthmaier R/R 6-5 215 01/06/84
74 Brian Bass R/R 6-2 215 01/06/82
71 Brian Burres L/L 6-2 175 04/08/81
77 D.J. Carrasco R/R 6-3 220 04/12/77
23 Vinnie Chulk R/R 6-2 195 12/19/78
78 Anthony Claggett S/R 6-3 195 07/15/84
72 Neal Cotts L/L 6-1 200 03/25/80
38 Craig Hansen R/R 6-6 225 11/15/83
79 Steven Jackson R/R 6-5 230 03/15/82
27 Jeff Karstens R/R 6-3 185 09/24/82
36 Wilfredo Ledezma L/L 6-4 225 01/21/81
68 Jean Machi R/R 5-11 245 02/01/82
69 Jeremy Powell R/R 6-5 230 06/18/76
70 Jack Taschner L/L 6-3 205 04/21/78
65 Justin Thomas L/L 6-3 220 01/18/84
50 Virgil Vasquez R/R 6-3 205 06/07/82
30 Tyler Yates R/R 6-4 250 08/07/77

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

75 Luke Carlin S/R 5-11 185 12/20/80
81 Hector Gimenez S/R 5-10 210 09/28/82
67 Erik Kratz R/R 6-4 250 06/15/80
55 Tony Sanchez R/R 6-0 220 05/20/88

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

82 Doug Bernier R/R 5-11 175 06/24/80
80 Brian Friday R/R 5-11 180 12/16/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

76 Brian Myrow L/R 5-11 210 09/04/76
61 Jonathan Van Every L/L 6-1 190 11/27/79

San Diego Padres

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

66 Simon Castro R/R 6-5 210 04/09/88
73 Cory Luebke R/L 6-4 215 03/04/85
76 Wynn Pelzer R/R 6-1 200 06/23/86
41 Mark Worrell R/R 6-1 215 03/08/83

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

68 Mitch Canham L/R 6-2 215 09/25/84
70 Michael Collins R/R 6-3 213 07/18/84
72 Chris Stewart R/R 6-4 210 02/19/82

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

74 James Darnell R/R 6-2 195 01/19/87
67 Logan Forsythe R/R 6-1 195 01/14/87
75 Lance Zawadzki S/R 5-11 15 05/26/85

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

77 Chris Denorfia R/R 6-0 205 07/15/80
16 Matt Stairs L/R 5-9 215 02/27/68

San Francisco Giants

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Denny Bautista R/R 6-5 195 08/23/80
– Santiago Casilla R/R 6-0 200 07/25/80
– Craig Clark L/L 6-2 200 07/09/84
– Rafael Cova R/R 6-2 175 03/05/82
– Steve Edlefsen S/R 6-2 180 06/27/85
– Eric Hacker S/R 6-1 210 03/26/83
– Osiris Matos R/R 6-1 200 08/06/84
– Tony Pena R/R 6-2 180 03/23/81
– Felix Romero R/R 6-2 200 06/18/80
– Clayton Tanner R/L 6-1 202 12/05/87
– Daniel Turpen R/R 6-4 230 08/17/86
– Craig Whitaker R/R 6-4 210 11/19/84

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Steve Holm R/R 6-0 210 10/21/79
– Johnny Monell L/R 5-11 205 03/27/86
– Hector Sanchez S/R 6-0 185 11/17/89
– Jackson Williams R/R 5-11 200 05/14/86

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Ehire Adrianza S/R 6-1 155 08/21/89
– Brandon Crawford L/R 6-2 200 01/21/87
– Nick Noonan L/R 6-0 180 05/04/89

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Wendell Fairley L/R 6-2 195 03/17/88
– Roger Kieschnick L/R 6-3 200 01/21/87
– Thomas Neal R/R 6-1 205 08/17/87

St. Louis Cardinals

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

48 Rich Hill L/L 6-5 205 03/11/80
70 Lance Lynn R/R 6-5 250 05/12/87
76 Evan MacLane L/L 6-2 185 11/04/82
77 Pete Parise R/R 6-1 185 12/05/84
78 Oneli Perez R/R 6-2 200 05/26/83
72 Fernando Salas R/R 6-2 200 05/30/85
79 Eduardo Sanchez R/R 5-11 155 02/16/89
99 Charlie Zink R/R 6-1 190 08/26/79

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

80 Tony Cruz R/R 5-11 205 08/18/86
81 Charles Cutler L/R 6-0 200 07/29/86
82 Steven Hill R/R 5-11 200 03/14/85
86 Robert Stock L/R 6-0 175 11/21/89

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

87 Daniel Descalso L/R 5-10 190 10/19/86
3 Ruben Gotay S/R 5-11 190 12/25/82
88 Peter Kozma R/R 6-0 170 04/11/88
89 Donovan Solano R/R 5-10 165 12/17/87

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

74 Tyler Henley L/L 5-10 200 06/10/85

Washington Nationals

Pitchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

– Miguel Batista R/R 6-1 210 02/19/71
68 Victor Garate L/L 6-2 210 09/25/84
18 Eddie Guardado R/L 6-0 225 10/02/70
41 Logan Kensing R/R 6-1 190 07/03/82
52 Joel Peralta R/R 5-11 195 03/23/76
46 Ryan Speier R/R 6-7 210 07/24/79
58 Drew Storen S/R 6-2 180 08/11/87

Catchers B/T Ht Wt DOB

56 Jamie Burke R/R 6-0 225 09/24/71
62 Derek Norris R/R 6-0 210 02/14/89

Infielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

10 Eric Bruntlett R/R 6-0 200 03/29/78
24 Pete Orr L/R 6-1 195 06/08/79
59 Josh Whitesell L/L 6-1 225 04/14/82

Outfielders B/T Ht Wt DOB

38 Chris Duncan L/R 6-5 230 05/05/81
– Kevin Mench R/R 6-0 215 01/07/78
3 Jerry Owens L/L 6-3 195 02/16/81

DGB Fuldaer Erklärung

Im Oktober 2009 starb ein junger Mann aus der Region Fulda an den schweren Verletzungen, die er mehr als ein Jahr zuvor als Soldat in Afghanistan erlitten hatte. Wir sind bestürzt über die steigende Zahl der Opfer, die der Krieg in Afghanistan fordert. Junge Menschen werden in diesen Krieg geschickt, Töten und Sterben wird von den verantwortlichen Politikern billigend in Kauf genommen.

die ganze Erklärung