I'm Dreaming Of A White April

Carlos Carrasco will be placed on the 15-day DL.  Expect Alex White to be recalled and start Saturday in Carrasco's stead.

Should the dominoes fall logically, Joe Martinez would move into the Columbus rotation.  This would open up a spot in the Clippers' bullpen for one Nick Hagadone.  This is, of course, just idle talk.

Eric Berger, who made five starts for the Clips last summer, could be moved up from Akron.  Paolo Espino would be another bland option.  He too started for the Clippers in 2010 and began '11 in the AAA 'pen until six runs and a loss in his first two innings pitched led to a quick demotion.

We shall see.

Cheers.

The Day After the Clip Joint

It's amazing what a four hit game can do for your batting average in April.  Lonnie Chisenall entered last night's game having flirted with Mendoza all season long.  After a 4-for-5 effort (2 R, RBI) the Chiz Kid's average now sits at a reasonable .258 and all of us that were beginning to worry that he might not be all he's cracked up to can remain quiet.  Yet, even in Chisenhall's best AAA performance thus far, Lonnie was far from the only offensive hero.  Chad Huffman (.283) has been on fire since beginning 0-for-18 and contributed three hits and a pair of RBI, while Jason Kipnis (.246) tripled, homered and brought home two.  Still, the offensive MVP at this early stage has certainly been Cord Phelps.  Phelps (.328) has shown why he was in the running for the big club's utility infield spot until the final week of spring camp.  In yesterday's 7-5 win, he reached base three times (2 H, BB) and scored twice.  Cord's OPS sits at .976 and he is reaching base in nearly 50% of his plate appearances.

David Huff (3.00 ERA) took the pill for the Clips and provided a yeoman's effort.  Huff went seven to earn his second win, surrendering four earned runs on nine hits with neither a walk nor a strikeout.  David threw 94 pitches and I would officially classify him as unavailable for Saturday.

Zach Putnam threw perfect ball for the final two frames.  He struck out three to notch his third save.

I know I've said this before, but Scott Barnes IS supposed to pitch tonight for Columbus against the Gwinnet Braves.  If he doesn't make it out for tonight's 7:05p first pitch, we will know something is amiss.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Nick Hagadone tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and K'ing four, to secure the win for Akron in the second game of yesterday's double header.  Hagadone (0.00) has allowed just eight baserunners in 13.2 innings this season and has fanned 18.  The Columbus bullpen is already crowded, so, if Nick continues his outstanding work, some have speculated that he might jump straight from AA to the Jake this season.  I doubt it, but his performance in 2011 doubtlessly bodes well for the future.

Akron starter Austin Adams did fare so well in the first game.  Adams (1-2, 3.86) began the season hot, cooling off significantly in recent appearances.  Yesterday, he lasted just eight hitters, six of which he put on base (3 H, 3 BB) before getting yanked.  He was not pleased with his removal.  Austin remains a prospect with great upside, though a start of less than a full inning will give all the scouts some pause.

Before I go, I'll share yet another odd baseball occurrence that I saw for the first time in 2011.  On Monday, I was watching Phil Humber dazzle the Yankees.  Rafael Soriano came in to pitch the top of the ninth.  After he got two strikes on Alexei Ramirez the Yanks' infield move back to the cut of the grass.  Ramirez proceeded to pop the ball up on the infield.  Soriano followed through to first base side of the mound and stood there, rooted like a tree, while pointing to indicate the pop fly.  Derek Jeter sprinted in but the ball fell in front of him for a single.  The ball hit, I swear, two feet from the pitcher's mound.  I know that pitchers aren't generally supposed to chase these, but Soriano absolutely needs to go after it until someone calls him off.  A 65 foot fly ball hit.  Never seen it before.

Cheers.

A Quest Called Tribe

Aaaaah, it's Wednesday afternoon!  Stupid world.  By now, you have all savored the Indians' victory and the new cushy 2.5 game lead in the Central.  So, as opposed to picking apart the contest with a fine toothed comb, let us instead celebrate a few guys that no one expected much from.

#3) Grady Sizemore - Sure, he's Grady Sizemore, but the perception of Grady coming into the season was, at best, cautiously optimistic.  I myself only hoped for about 80% of the Sizemore that we had come to know and love.  Instead, we have been treated to a hitting show that is everything that it ever was and might be more.  After two doubles and his 3rd dinger against KC last night, Grady is hitting .406 with a 1.332 OPS.  He is raking in a way that no one, no one could have predicted.  Sadly, it seems that, coming back from microfracture surgery, Sizemore has lost a step off of his once blazing speed.  I'm not drawing this conclusion from one failed steal attempt, but, rather, from his general unwillingness or inability to take the extra base.  It remains to be seen if he can return to former glory on the basepaths, but, wherever he  lands in the lineup, his hitting is the sort of rare treat that it is simply a joy to behold.

#2) Justin Masterson - Masterson is now 5-0.  In 2010, Justin started 0-5, didn't win his 5th game until the end of August and finished 6-13.  In fact, six is the highest win total that he has accumulated in any of his three previous MLB seasons.  While his last two starts have not been as stellar as the first three, Masterson's ERA still sits at 2.18 and his WHIP at 1.12.  All five of his starts have been quality.  In the off-season, I suggested that Justin's future success would be found at the back end of the bullpen, that he simply did not have the type of consistency to become a front line starter.  So, what changed?  I have previously discussed how he has shown excellent command of all of his pitches, especially within the strike zone.  How has he made the leap?  As is the case with every pitcher, repetition of delivery is paramount to Masterson.  At a lanky 6'6" with a funky arm slot, it had always been difficult for him to utilize the same mechanics pitch after pitch.  Justin seems to have solved that problem in 2011.  Although he has more work ahead of him (on, say, avoiding clusters of hits) the production he has provided this April has been the cornerstone of a pitching staff that has led the Tribe to the top of the division.

#1) Jack "Mother E'ffing" Hannahan - Again, I was not a fan during spring training.  I could, perhaps, be described as the furthest thing therefrom.  Then on opening day his home run sliced through my haze and turned by bold prediction prophetic.  Since then, Jack has done nothing but play the best third base I have seen from an Indian in my lifetime and hit at a level that he has never even approached in the bigs.  Following a game that featured two solo blasts off of Luke Hochevar, Hannahan is hitting .286 with an .872 OPS.  His four homers are tied for the team lead.  His 13 runs scored are tied for the team lead.  His 11 RBI are tied for third.  The guy bats 9th and plays about five times a week.  Of all of the things that had to go exactly right to push the Indians into first, none was an unexpected or unlikely as this boon from a dude who hit .237 at AAA last year.  During March, I wrote that he could never be the next Casey Blake.  I stand by that.  Instead, Jack is carving out a niche all his own that will make taking his starting job away nearly impossible.  Put succinctly, the Jack attack is back, baby.

Oh, and Vinnie Pestano?  N to the asty!  Unreal.

Cheers.

Thank Goodness That Ke$ha Is A Who-Er

Because that's all she's got on this chick.  More on Allison Williams to come.

Pretty Girl 04.27.11 - Teri Hatcher

They're real and they're spectacular.

HuffIn', White Out?

The Columbus Clippers web site has been updated to indicate David Huff as tonight's starting pitcher against the Gwinett Braves.  It is highly unlikely that the Indians would allow Huff to make this start if they intended to use him on Saturday against the Tigers.  As explained yesterday, Alex White would slot into that start on normal rest.  While it is still possible that Carlos Carrasco will not miss a start or that a wild card (Zach McAllister?) could fill in, the White option now seems at least plausible.  More to come as it unfurls.

Update:  A Tuesday MRI revealed that Carrasco sustained no structural damage to his pitching elbow.  He will throw a bullpen session prior to Wednesday's game, the results of which will determine if he starts on Saturday.  Given his history with the elbow (it held him out of a number of starts last year at Columbus) the Indians are prepared to exercise extreme caution with the young righty.  If Carrasco feels any pain at all, he will be DLed and a replacement for his spot in the rotation will be needed.

Cheers.

Flick to Click: Another Earth

Opens 07.20.11.

Rickey Henderson Says "Rickey Henderson Drinks Pepsi MAX!"

Why only one dead guy?

Clip Joint's Got Young Talent

Today is Monday.  Five days from now it will be Saturday.  If the Tribe does indeed place Carlos Carrasco on the DL, as they are expected to, the team will need a starter for their Saturday tilt.  Tonight, Alex White started the first game of a double header against Indianapolis.  He started and he was, again, masterful.  White (1.90 ERA) threw five and two thirds, giving up a 1st inning solo dinger, but nothing else of consequence.  In gaining his first AAA victory, he allowed five hits and two walks, while striking out eight.  Alex has thrown 23.2 innings in four starts with a WHIP a whisper over one and 28 Ks.  While the presumption is that we will see David Huff get the call, the table could not be set any better to give the kid a shot.

The Clippers offense continued to roll, giving White more support than he needed.  Chad Huffman (.250)  launched his 5th bomb, Travis Buck (.545) drove in two more, Jordan Brown (.275) doubled twice and brought in a run and Luis Valbuena (.309) doubled in a pair.  If only we could get Lonnie Chisenhall (.213, 0-3, BB, R today) going.

Carlton Smith got the final four outs of the seven inning affair to maintain his perfect ERA.

Brown struck again in the night cap, bashing a 5th inning grand slam to get the Clips back into the game.  Run scoring singles in the 6th by Valbuena and Ezequiel Carrera (.298) gave Columbus the 6-5 lead that held to be the final.

Joe Martinez (6.75) started, but was gone in the 4th after allowing three earned.  Get used to him.  If the Indians do bring another starter up, Martinez will likely slide into the Columbus rotation.

Jess Todd (12.38, no really) is a train wreck.  In a mere inning and a third Todd surrendered 3 hits and 3 walks en route to two more runs.  He's pitched 8 innings this season and put 24 men on base.  The opposition is hitting .486 off of him.  These are the kinds of numbers that can lead to release and end a career.  I foresee a DL stint in his future.

Jensen Lewis (0.00) threw a clean sixth and earned his second win in as many days.  Josh Judy was effective in the 7th for his 2nd save.

It was a great home stand, in spite of the rain.  My seal of approval (I'll come up with a more clever name soon) goes out to Indianapolis Indian Garrett Olson.  One of the most talkative players that I have encountered, he oozes a zen perspective that is shocking in a pro player.

The Clippers take to the road tomorrow, headed to the rolling hills of Gwinnett to visit the Bravos.  As we continue to speculate on who might start for the Tribe on Saturday, we can rest assured that it will not be Scott Barnes, who toes the rubber Tuesday for Columbus.

Other Minor Points of Interest --

Another successful, albeit brief, start for Drew Pomeranz (2.00) with Kinston on Monday.  Drew tossed just three innings, allowing a solo homer and two additional hits, while mowing down five.  No worries on his health, Pomeranz is fit as a fiddle, high A-ball is just wacky with starters sometimes.

Update: Word on the street is that Pomeranz felt some "hamstring tightness" and his removal was precautionary.  All indications are that Pomeranz is simply "day-to-day," as are we all. 

Kyle Blair continued to throw well for the Captains, notching his second win.  Blair allowed five hits, among them a bases empty dong, and struck out four in his five innings of work.  True, Kyle has only made four pro starts, but he is a 22-year old with NCAA experience under his belt.  If he continues to perform, the 2010 fourth round pick, could rise quickly through the organization.

Cheers.

Pretty Girl 04.26.11 - Constance Zimmer

Really, I watch too much Entourage.  Who knew Dana Gordon had this kind of body?