Baseball (Archive)

Cleveland has seen exactly one Hall of Fame catcher play for them, Buck Ewing. And he played for the Cleveland Spiders in the 19th century. So this group of seven backstops doesn’t quite have the luster as other positions will. But there’s still some interesting players, including two players (Ray Fosse and Sandy Alomar) who had their careers curtailed because of injuries, a defensive specialist (Jim Hegan), and one catcher (Luke Sewell) who probably made the list because they needed a seventh man.

Now determining the worth of a catcher is probably the most difficult of any position on the diamond. What’s more valuable, a great defensive catcher, or a slugging backstop? While this ranking won’t answer that question, mainly because there aren’t a lot of power-hitting catchers on this list, it was interesting to see who actually came out ahead in this exercise.

In reverse order:

(7) Luke Sewell (1921-1932, 1939)
Cleveland BRAR: 5.0
Cleveland FRAR: 137
Cleveland WARP3: 15.6
How Acquired: CLE-WASH trade

Brother of Hall of Famer Joe Sewell, Luke took over for Steve O’Neill in 1926, and was the Indians’ starter for the next seven seasons. After the 1932 season, he was dealt to the Washington Senators for catcher Roy Spencer. After retiring as a player, he guided the St. Louis Browns to their one and only World Series appearance in 1944. As a player, Sewell’s resume doesn’t look that impressive; he was an All-Star once (1937), but that was as a member of the Chicago White Sox. If Victor Martinez has two more good seasons, he should pass Sewell.

(6) Ray Fosse (1967-1972, 1976-1977)
Cleveland BRAR: 71
Cleveland FRAR: 105
Cleveland WARP3: 20.5
How Acquired: Selected (1st Round) in 1965 Amateur Draft

Most fans associate Fosse with the 1970 All-Star Game and Pete Rose. Fosse had been enjoying a breakout season with the Indians, making the All-Star Team in his first full year with the club. But after Rose slammed into him, he never was the same player again; the 18 home runs he hit in 1970 was his high-water mark. He eventually had to retire in 1979 due a multitude of injuries, but I still wonder how good he’d have been if he’d have been relatively healthy in his mid-to-late 20s. But thanks to Charlie Hustle, we’ll never know.

(5) Joe Azcue (1963-1970)
Cleveland BRAR: 76
Cleveland FRAR: 105
Cleveland WARP3: 22.3
How Acquired: CLE-KCA trade

Azcue was acquired from the KC Athletics on May 25, 1963, in a deal which saw Doc Edwards (future Indians manager) and Dick Howser (future Royals manager) also included. Azcue got into the starting lineup after the Indians’ starting catcher, Johnny Romano broke his hand. Romano was dealt the following season to Chicago, and Azcue platooned with Duke Sims until he was dealt to Boston in 1969.

(4) Johnny Romano (1960-1964)
Cleveland BRAR: 151
Cleveland FRAR: 74
Cleveland WARP3: 26.2
How Acquired: CLE-CHA trade

The best hitting catcher in Indians’ history, Romano slugged .475, .483, and .493 in his first three seasons with the Indians. He fractured his hand in 1963, and after losing his job to Joe Azcue was dealt in a blockbuster that saw the return of Rocky Colavito, and the losses of Tommie Agee and Tommy John. Romano battled weight problems early in his career, but was a valuable player after getting his break with the Indians. His FRAR ranks as the lowest among the seven Indians catchers.

(3) Sandy Alomar, Jr. (1990-2000)
Cleveland BRAR: 59
Cleveland FRAR: 173
Cleveland WARP3: 36.6
How Acquired: CLE-SD trade

After winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 1990, Sandy suffered through one injury after another. Alomar came in the watershed Joe Carter trade in 1989, with Carlos Baerga coming to Cleveland with Sandy. In 1990, he delivered on his huge promise by winning the AL Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stay healthy throughout his career in Cleveland with rare exceptions. In 1997, he had his best season, and we saw a glimpse of what he was capable of. He hit in 30 straight games, one short of a franchise record. He was the MVP when the All-Star game was played in Cleveland. He also hit a memorable home run off Mariano Rivera in the ALDS. But that season was mostly the exception, not the rule. His height (6’5″) may have been a factor as to why he broke down so much, but regardless, he was an excellent defensive catcher, a very good game-caller, and a midle-of-the-order offensive player. It’s just too bad that his potential could never be truly realized.

(2) Steve O’Neill (1911-1923)
Cleveland BRAR: 130
Cleveland FRAR: 326
Cleveland WARP3: 43.9
How Acquired: Purchased from Philadelphia (AL)

Although O’Neill bested Hegan in both BRAR and FRAR, he lost out because of some bad offensive years early in his career. O’Neill, later in his tenure with the Indians, was one of the best offensive catchers in the game; he finished 6th in the 1922 MVP vote, and in 1920, hit .321/.408/.440 and was one of the key cogs of the World Series champs. As a manager, he led the Detroit Tigers to a championship in 1945, and as the Indians’ manager from 1935-37 was instrumental in the careers of Lou Boudreau and Bob Feller.

(1) Jim Hegan (1941-1957)
Cleveland BRAR: 37
Cleveland FRAR: 313
Cleveland WARP3: 48.5
How Acquired: Signed as a free agent

Hegan’s defense was so good it almost single-handedly made him the best catcher in Indians history. His defensive reputation earned him four All-Star appearances, and he was a large part of the team’s run of success in the 1940s and 1950s, including the 1948 and 1954 AL pennants. Bob Feller let Hegan call his pitches, which was a fairly new concept at the time, and Hegan also caught three no-hitters (Feller, Bob Lemon, and Don Black). He was also known for controlling basestealers and his remarkable durability; he caught well into his late 30s, which even today isn’t common. For all his offensive shortcomings, his durability and defense is good enough to make him the franchise’s best catcher.

About a year ago at this time, I decided to rank the 100 players listed on the The Top 100 Greatest Indians Roster. But after listing the bottom 10, I started to question my methodology. I had originally used OPS+ and ERA+ for the hitters and pitchers, respectively. Unfortunately, this left off defensive accomplishments, leaving defensive specialists like Jim Hegan and Omar Vizquel underrated. And so I stopped the list because I felt the ranking system was flawed.

Now I’m starting to rank the players again, and this time I’ve come across a ranking system that appears to be fair to all types of players. During my research, I’ve seen two measures that allows someone to compare both hitters and pitchers from different periods: Bill James’ Win Shares, and Baseball Prospectus’ WARP3. The former most of you have heard of, and it’s slowly becoming a mainstream statistic. The latter you probably don’t know about, so here’s a brief introduction. WARP is short for “Wins Above Replacement Player.” Essentially, it measures the marginal wins a player is responsible for over a replacement player (one that is easily obtainable). What sets WARP apart over other statistics is that it combines defense, hitting, and pitching, so that you can compare a hitter with a pitcher.

So why WARP3? Well, WARP1 only adjusts within a season, which is fine when comparing MVP or Cy Young candidates, but not too useful when comparing players from different eras. WARP2 adds league difficulty into the statistic, and WARP3 accounts for differences in season length. Because WARP is not a “rate” statistic, adjusting for the length of season is necessary to accurately compare players from the 154-game schedule and the 162-game schedule. As I said before, WARP takes into account both defense, pitching, and offense. That combined with its adjustments to league difficulty and season length makes it one of the better ranking systems for what I’m trying to do.

To further subdivide, I’m also going to rank position players by BRAR (Batting Runs Above Replacement) and FRAR (Fielding Runs Above Replacement), so you can see who was the better hitter or fielder at their position, as well as who was the better player overall.

Another question that popped up in my mind is whether there are players who belong on this list that weren’t selected. As much as we all remember Joe Charboneau, I can think of better players than him. And obviously since the list was released in 2001, there have been a couple players that may be eventually wind up replacing some players on the list. After I rank the players listed, I’ll start to look for players who deserve to be included. Obviously I can’t rank every player who’s played for the franchise, so your help would be appreciated in nominating overlooked players.

The methodolgy is pretty simple for this attempt; I’ll add up the WARP3 each player accumulated while playing for the Indians, along with their BRAR, FRAR, and PRAR (Pitching Runs Above Replacement) totals. I should post the results for the catchers tomorrow.

Oh yeah…all is quiet on the Millwood front, but I’ll be sure to cover it when anything happens.

For the past couple days, I’ve been getting e-mails wondering what I’ve heard about the Indians and Kevin Millwood. I know about as much as you guys; I don’t have any super-secret sources that send me rumors. Anyways, these rumors involving Millwood are gaining steam, as most of the local beat writers (via the AP) have been repeating them. It looks like Millwood, if he passes a physical, is going to get around $7M over a year. Given the market, that’s not too bad at all. I generally have no problem whatsoever in handing out one-year deals no matter how big the payout; in cases like this, the player is taking the most risk. Millwood, who could have signed a multi-year deal last offseason, took the Phillies to arbitration instead. This year, the Phillies weren’t going to get fooled again and didn’t even offer arbitration, so the Indians don’t cough up a draft pick.

Contrary to what some of the local media personalities think, adding payroll is not the gold standard for team improvement, for once the team gets on the field, their talent is all that matters. That being said, If the Indians do sign Millwood, the rotation gets better. A lot better, considering the internal alternatives. Millwood’s 3-year VORP average comes to 49.6+37.4+9.3/3 = 32.1. Jason Davis’ 2-year VORP average:11.0+(-1.8)/2= 4.6. That’s quite an upgrade. For some context, CC Sabathia’s 3-year VORP average is 39.9, and Jake Westbrook posted a VORP of 54.4 last season. Granted, the reason Millwood hasn’t got as much interest as, say, Matt Clement is because he was ineffective last season and because he suffered two seperate injuries, one of which involved his throwing elbow. But with a one-year deal, it’s a low-risk/high-reward type of acquisition.

So if this deal happens, and the monetary aspects are as speculated, it’s a nice signing for the Indians, given the free agent environment and the team needs.

The magi, as you know, were wise men–wonderfully wise men–who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi.

O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi

To the readers of my daily tripe, I wish you and your families a Merry Christmas.

Signed LHP Billy Traber and RHP Jason Bere to minor-league contracts; Invited them to Spring Training

Re-signed General Manager Mark Shapiro to a two-year extension through 2007

Hear that sound? That silence you hear is the various talking heads in the local media finding another hot-button issue to pursue. For the last, oh, two months, local TV and newspaper media has been hammering the fact that Shapiro’s contract ended after the 2005 season, and that he was headed to Washington. Thankfully now this issue can be put to rest. I guess Roger Brown can start running columns on how fat Ronnie Belliard is getting while playing winter ball.

Jason Bere is a running joke now. I mean, if you’ve been following this team for the past three years, how could you not burst out laughing after hearing that the Indians were bring Bere back for his latest comeback attempt? I commend Jason for his determination to stick it out, but enough is enough. I probably said exactly the same thing last year at this time, so maybe in 2006, I’ll just do a copy-paste when Bere inks another minor-league deal.

There has to be more to Traber’s injury than meets the eye. The Indians were very cryptic when talking about Traber even after they lost him on waivers. This leads me to believe that his elbow isn’t getting any better, something Boston probably determined after they claimed him last month. Given that Traber was nowhere near arbitration-eligible and the Red Sox had plenty of roster spots to burn, I’m guessing that Traber is nearing lost-cause status. Hopefully I’m wrong with this assumption, but that’s what it looks like from a distance.

Josh Phelps has apparently signed with Tampa Bay, pending a physical. Tampa is a good choice for Josh; he may be their full-time DH, even against right-handers, and may resurrect his career there.

Who’d have thunk it?

The Indians have signed GM Mark Shapiro to a two-year extension through 2007. Well-deserved.

The Indians are essentially one (or two) steps away from finishing their offseason business after Monday’s moves.

Re-signed 2B Ronnie Belliard to a one year, $3M contract (club option for 2006), avoiding arbitration

Declined to Offer 1B Josh Phelps and LHP Mariano Gomez 2005 contracts

Offered Arbitration to 3B/OF Casey Blake, RHRP David Riske, and RHSP Jake Westbrook

Re-signed LHP Mariano Gomez to a minor-league contract; Invited him to Spring Training

The Indians went with the status quo, keeping four of the five players who were still arbitration-eligible. Phelps is going to get a job with an American League club, and I think he’ll be a valuable part-time player for somebody. The Indians, however, didn’t want to keep two full-time DHs in Hafner and Phelps, and with the addition of Jose Hernandez and the possible re-signing of Lou Merloni, another lefty-masher wasn’t needed. I get this line of thinking, but getting nothing for Phelps doesn’t really sit right with me.

Mariano Gomez was taken off the roster without having to pass through waivers because of the non-tender rules. The Indians seem to do this with at least one player a year. Mariano will probably return to Akron in 2005 if healthy.

$3M for Belliard is pretty good from the Indians’ standpoint, and the club option in 2006 is a nice touch. After Polanco went off the market (and the Indians were reportedly interested in him), Belliard was the next best option. Now this leaves Casey Blake as a right fielder, which I can live with. What is a bit disturbing are the rumors of Blake signing a multiple-year deal to avoid arbitration. This I think is an overreach for the Indians. Blake was an excellent pickup who paid off very nicely in the past two seasons. That being said, I wouldn’t feel that comfortable paying Blake based on his career year, especially considering he really doesn’t have a position on the team. Yes, Boone is only signed through 2005, but what if he has a good season and the club picks up his option? Franklin Gutierrez may be ready by then, and even if Blake has another 22-24 HR year as an outfielder, he’d be redundant. I’d rather the Indians take him to arbitration, and wait until next season to see if Blake is worth a two-year deal; there’s no rush to lock him up.

So now Mark Shapiro is back to looking for pitching. Kevin Millwood would be a nice fit, as would Orlando Hernandez, and also the newly non-tendered Wade Miller. Also he’s probably going to add one more infielder to the roster, probably Lou Merloni or a reasonable facsimile. I’d like to see a left-handed bat off the bench instead of Lou, maybe a guy like Ben Grieve would be a better fit, especially as an insurance policy in case Blake has to take over for an injured Aaron Boone. You could have Ludwick and Hernandez off the bench against left-handers, and Grieve off the bench against a right-hander. Just a thought.

Today is the day where a lot of new free agents will flood the market; today is non-tender day. Granted, most of these players won’t be the caliber of the top-tier free agents, but teams with modest payrolls like the Indians can find some nice bargains. Guys like Jacque Jones, Jay Gibbons, and Josh Fogg might become available if clubs decline to offer their arbitration-eligible players salary arbitration for next season.

The Indians have four players who are eligible for arbitration still unsigned as of this moment: David Riske, Ronnie Belliard, Casey Blake, and Jake Westbrook. Westbrook and Blake are locks to stay, but Belliard and Riske may be cut loose. I really haven’t seen or heard anything regarding Riske’s status, but ever since the Hernandez signing the Indians have been adament that they’d either retain Belliard or sign a free agent. My top choice among the 2B options, Placido Polanco, has apparently accepted (free agent) arbitration with the Phillies, so he isn’t going anywhere for the moment, although the Phillies may try to trade him. So given the other options, retaining Belliard looks to be the best choice. $3M or so should get Belliard signed, which leaves about $5M to get a pitcher. Thankfully, that would take them out of the Eric Milton “sweepstakes,” which is one bidding war I didn’t want the Indians participating in.

The Indians have been active in the minor-league free agent market, though.

Signed RHP Denny Stark, LHP Chad Zerbe and IF Mike Kinkade to minor-league contracts; Invited them to Spring Training

Stark and Zerbe are local guys (Stark graduated from my alma mater, Toledo, and Zerbe was born in Findlay). Both are Buffalo-bound unless something drastic happens. Kinkade is returning to the States after an unsuccessful stint in Japan. He has the uncanny knack of getting hit by the pitch: he accumulated 16 of them (in 162 ABs!) while with the Dodgers in 2003. He’s a corner infielder who can also play the outfield, something the Indians don’t exactly need right now, so he should be a nice addition to the defending IL champions.

This will finish up my reviews of the players who were on the 40-man roster to end the season.

RHP Kyle Denney – Age 27
2004 Salary: ~$300,000
2004 VORP: -5.9
Contract Status: Renewable (AE in 2007)

Sometimes, guys like Denney will make a major-league career for themselves. Denney has never been graced with prospect accolades, or even a mere mention in the litanies of prospects. But Denney has quietly made his way through the minors, stepping over high-ceiling arms, can’t-miss prospects, and pitchers with better stuff. And, if he sticks on the roster, he’ll go to Spring Training with a chance to win a major-league job. Why? Because he can pitch. ‘Stuff’ is something we all like to fixate on with a pitcher; does he have a 95 mph fastball, does he have a sick slider, or a 12-6 curve? But the unmentioned question remains, can he pitch? Because unless you know what you’re doing on the mound, your stuff doesn’t matter; ask Jason Davis. Denney started the year strong with Bisons (2.41 ERA as of June 26), and never really recovered after suffering a knee injury while pitching in Columbus. I think if the Indians give him another chance next season, be it as the longman or as an emergency starter, they won’t be sorry.

OF Grady Sizemore – Age 22
2004 Salary: ~$300,000
2004 EQA: .258
Contract Status: Renewable (AE in 2006 or 2007)

Ready or not, Sizemore has arrived. The departure of Matt Lawton pretty much assures Sizemore will be playing everyday, be it in center or left field. Like most young players, Grady’s going to have a learning curve, but he’s as good a position prospect as the Indians have, and should be a fixture in the outfield for years to come. The biggest question regarding Sizemore is whether he’s more of a leadoff, base-stealing threat or a run producer. That question should answer itself over the next couple years, but for now Sizemore should gain his sea-legs at the bottom of the Indian order.

3B/OF Corey Smith – Age 22
2004 Salary: ~$300,000
Contract Status: Renewable (AE in 2007)

And then we have Corey Smith. Unlike Sizemore, Smith hasn’t shown one iota of promise in the five seasons since the Indians drafted him in the first round. Now, after the Indians showed him more patience than he really deserved, Smith is going to the outfield in order to save some semblance of his career. He still has the tools he had in 2000, so there’s a chance he’ll have that breakout season. But I would have to think if it doesn’t happen in 2005, he’s gone.

LHP Jason Stanford – Age 27
2004 Salary: ~$300,000
Contract Status: Renewable (AE in 2006 or 2007)

Before there was Denney, there was Jason Stanford, an undrafted free agent who made it to the majors by being able to pitch. Stanford is currently on the shelf with an elbow injury, and it’s doubtful that Jason will even pitch before the All-Star Break, and that’s being generous.

RHP Kazuhito Tadano – Age 24
2004 Salary: ~$300,000
2004 VORP: 5.0
Contract Status: Renewable (AE in 2006 or 2007)

Although he started some games in 2004, the prevailing wisdom among the Indians coaching staff seems to be that Tadano may be better out of the bullpen. With that in mind, he’ll compete for the longman role in the spring, along with guys like Kyle Denney, Jeremy Guthrie, and others.

LHP Brian Tallet – Age 27
2004 Salary: ~$300,000
Contract Status: Renewable (AE in 2007)

With the additions of Arthur Rhodes, Scott Sauerbeck, and even Cliff Bartosh, Tallet may have a tough time making the Indians. He’ll be about 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery in April, so we should see him at almost full strength. I believe he has an option left, so worst case he’ll be pitching with Buffalo to begin the season.

With Matt Clement officially off the table, Mark Shapiro now has a decision to make. Right now there’s probably two pitchers (Perez and Lowe) left who’s worthy of a 3-year deal, two (Millwood and Milton) who are worthy of two-year deals, and the rest (Loaiza, Hernandez, Estes, Lima, etc) probably isn’t worth anything more than $3M. Going into the offseason, the #1 priority was getting a starting pitcher, but events have taken place that may force the Indians to forego a starter in favor of upgrading the team in other aspects. Is paying Eric Milton $21M really going to fix a hole in the rotation? What about paying Odalis Perez $18M? There comes a time where the cure is worse than the disease, and that time is rapidly approaching.

So now Shapiro has around $8M to spend, and no good starter to spend it on. Here’s his realistic options, given that Ronnie Belliard’s contract would be part of that $8M:

(1) Offer Belliard arbitration ($3M), sign Kevin Millwood ($5M)

Wouldn’t be a horrible turn of events, but this is nothing I’m going to get excited about. Belliard probably won’t be nearly as valuable as he was in 2004, but it’s reasonable for him to put a 260/330/400 while playing unspectacular defense. Kevin Millwood, back on the market a year after not getting a contract offer to his (or his agent’s) liking, is probably looking for a multi-year deal. Given the pitching market, 2 years/$10M looks like a fair offer. I think Millwood is a better pitcher than Milton, and should cost less. He’s not nearly the caliber of pitcher Matt Clement was, but there’s no one left on the market that good.

(2) Non-tender Belliard, sign Placido Polanco ($5M), sign Orlando Hernandez ($3M)

I like this option a little more than the previous one. When healthy, El Duque’s a pretty decent pitcher, and I think he’ll only be getting a one-year deal. I talked about Polanco previously; he’d be a perfect fit for this team, solidifing the infield defense and providing a bit of an upgrade on offense. I’d even consider offering him a three-year contract; I think he’s that good. Granted, these aren’t signings that would invigorate the fanbase, but they’re smart signings.

(3) Non-tender Belliard, sign Eric Milton ($7M), sign Stopgap 2B ($1M)

I mentioned smart signings in option #2, and this option isn’t one. Milton is a below-average pitcher who is extremely overrated. Look at his career statistics and tell me if he’s worth $7M a season. What would be even worse about signing Milton is that you downgrade second base. Yes, Belliard only cost $1M last year, but that doesn’t guarentee this stopgap would exceed expectations to the extent Belliard did. This would be a horrible turn of events.

(4) Non-tender Belliard, sign Odalis Perez ($6M), sign Miguel Cairo ($2M)

Slightly more palatable than Milton/Stopgap, but still not a good move. Cairo has been pretty much a part-timer the last couple seasons, so who knows what the Indians will be getting if they give him 450 at-bats. He’s an OK fielder, and his bat is worse than Belliard’s.

(5) Non-tender Belliard, sign Magglio Ordonez ($5-8M)

The only bad thing about this is that it would force Casey Blake to second base, something I don’t like. If Magglio’s knee is healthy (and yes, that’s a huge if), he’s a tremendous player, as most of you know all too well. He’s a good defender in right field, has a good arm, and is one of the best hitters in baseball. Problem is, he’s represented by Scott Boras, and hasn’t gotten a physical from anyone so far. If he’s healthy, I would even forego getting a pitcher and give him the entire $8M.

(6) Non-tender Belliard, sign Moises Alou ($5M), sign Placido Polanco ($5M), trade Blake

This is getting real creative, and there’s no way this is happening. But as long as I’m dreaming up options, I’ll add this one. Alou, while definitely in his decline phase, would be a nice bat to add to the lineup. Blake is probably tradable even if the Indians offer him arbitration. The issue is getting a starter in return for him. Again, this is pipe-dreaming, but who knows?

There’s a lot of other options, but most of them are variations on previous themes. If I had to pick one of them, #2 would probably be the best, mainly because I really like Polanco.