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Take a look at your hand and focus on your middle fingers, bend your finger at the knuckle. Does your top joint bend as well? How does it feel if you try and keep the tip of your finger straight?

Some of you are probably wondering why I am talking about your hand and not talking about baseball. Today, the Indians made the announcement that prospect Adam Miller may have to have another surgery on his finger and this time it could end his career at the age of 24. Miller has been plagued with a hand injury and last season had surgery. Last years surgery was to seal a porus hole and to repair a pulley ligament. This surgery is what caused him to lose motion in the tip of his finger.

Miller has been sidelined already this spring training due to the middle finger. He threw at sprinng training but he had no control over his pitches. When pitching, the last finger to touch the baseball is the middle finger and without him being able to bend at the tip of the is causing him to lose control.

So what is next for Miller? Athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff says they are going to continue to monitor his control. If he is unable to gain control back, in the next 10 days,  he will have to have another surgery which will cause him to end this season and possibly his career. The surgery he will have is a high risk surgery that will take a tendon from his wrist and replace 2 pulley ligaments in his finger. The reason he is being monitored for only 10 days is due to the fact that the longer he waits, the less effective the surgery will be.

Miller was ranked as a #1 prospect for the Indians for the past few years. He was orginially a starter, but was moved to the bullpen in the 2008 season before the injury.

As announced today, Jason Bay and the Boston Red Sox were unable to come to terms on a deal.  At the end of the season Bay will become a free agent. So what does this mean?

Last season, there were rumors swirling around that the Indians were in talks with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a deal that would include sending Jason Bay to the Indians. That deal never took place and near the end of the trade deadline, Bay was dealt to the Bo Sox in a 3 team trade. Is there a possibility that the Indians could be in the talk with Boston during the 2009 season in setting up a trade with Jason Bay? Do the Indians have the talent they are willing to part with for Bay?

When trying to figure out if this would be a good move for the Indians, I personally would have to say YES! There is no doubt in my mind that Bay would make a great addition in our outfield. Not only is he a good left fielder and can hit for power, he is also best friends with Grady Sizemore and that type of chemistry will not come around every year. So who would the Indians give up for Bay? The Indians are actually in a good position to trade for Bay. Shin Shoo Choo will be gone after this season due to military duties in his home country, Korea. That will leave an opening in the outfield. The Indians do have options in the minors to fill that hole. However, these same guys could be some of the talent the Indians could trade to get the power hitter the Indians are looking for.

In other news…..

The Indians added another tick to the loss column today. Scott Lewis was impressive today by giving up 1 run in 4 innings. Kelly Shoppach hit a solo homerun and Wood was near perfect by only allowing 1 hit in the 5th.

Before I get into the nitty gritty, I want to apologize for not updating in about a week. Between battling the flu, working and preparing for a final in my management class, I just could not find the time to update. Hopefully we wont have anymore weeks like this past one so I can get back to talking about what I love, the Indians.

There have been many times this off season I have been asked how do I think the Indians will do in the 2009 season. I am going with a different approach to that question this year. Instead of saying “Oh the Indians are going to win the AL Central” or “they are going to end up in this place or that place”, I am going with “The Indians have the potential of being a good team this year”. My biggest concern is not the bullpen, which is surprising, its the starting rotation.

1. Cliff Lee – “the Ring Leader” - The 2008 Cy Young Award winner only deserves to win the title of the ring leader for the 2009 season. Some people are saying that Lee’s 2008 season was a fluke only because of the down season in 2007. When looking at his career stats, however, it proves that Lee is a consistant pitcher. Since becoming a starter for the Indians in 2004, Lee has had 4 seasons of 10+ wins, 2 of th0se season being 15+ wins. Is it possible for Lee to have another year like the 08 season, yes. Unfortunately, his Spring Training stats aren’t supporting the idea of Lee for the Cy in 2009.  In only 2 games, Lee is 0-1 with an 11.25 ERA. In 4 innings pitched, he’s given up 8 hits, allowed 6 runs and struck out 3. Lets just hope that Lee gets back to his regular season form before he makes the 1st start of the season.

2. Fausto Carmona – “The Wild Child”  – After a disappointing 2008, mainly caused by injuries, fans are expecting Carmona to bounce back. However, you never know which Fausto you are going to get at the beginning of the season. Remember the 2006 season when Carmona was a starter and in the bullpen. In 2006 Carmona had a 1-10 record. Then a new light was shined down on Tribe fans in 2007 when Carmona had a 19-8 record and a 3.06 ERA. Carmona threw some of his best stuff in 07 and with the Indians 1,2 starters Sabathia and Carmona, the Indians could easily have been unbeatable. After facing a hip injury in 2008 and nursing the hip for most of the year,  Carmona had an 8-7 recordn with a 5.44 ERA. As the trend shows, Carmona should be unstoppable. With his most recent Spring Traning start, Carmona only gave up 1 run in 4 innings pitched.

3.  Carl Pavano – “The New Guy”  – Pavano is set to prove himself with the Indians in the 09 season. Before joining the Indians in the offseason, Pavano had 3 disappointing seasons with the Yankees with his ERA each season being over .400. Pavano has not had a great season since 2004 when he was with the Marlins, when he had an 18-8 record and a 3.00 ERA. Luckily for the Indians, Pavano was not an expensive addition and if, for some reason Pavano were to continue to repeat his below average season, it wont be financially costly for the Indians. In 3 games pitched so far this spring training, Pavano has a 0-0 record with a 7.71 ERA with 8 hits, 6 runs and 2 strikeouts in a total of 7 innings pitched.

4. Anthony Reyes – “The Starting Rookie” – Even though his stats do not consider him to be a rookie, he will be with an Indians, if he chosen to be the 4th starter. In 6 games in the 08 season, Reyes put up some impressive numbers before going down in September with soreness in his throwing arm. He had a 2-1 record with a very low 1.83. In 31 innings pitched, he allowed 7 runs and struck out 15. The Indians are hoping that Reyes comes out of spring training showing now soreness so he can be the 4th starter in this rotation. So far this spring traning, Reyes is proving the point that he should be in the starting rotation. He has not given up an earned run in 5 innings pitched in 2 games. He has given up 3 hits and has struck out 5.

The 5th position is still up in the air, but it appears that Aaron Laffey is in the front running for the final position. Even though this spring training Laffey has a 1-2 record and a 7.00 ERA. Another canidate for the 5th position is Zach Jackson. Jackson had a short stint with the Indians at the end of the 2008 season and so far this spring training, Jackson 1-0 with a 4.35 ERA.

In other pitching news, Westbrook threw off of a mound for the first time since having tommy john surgery in the 2008 season. Westbrook has been plagued with injury in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Westbrook has stated that he is happy to be back to pitching and the fact that his pitches were not conisistant. He was just happy to be back out there.

On my way home from a long day of work and class, I called a close friend of mine to talk some baseball. He is one of the few guys that I know who listens to what I have to say and challenges me about baseball.

Tonight’s topic was on Jhonny Peralta and what the best option for him would be. We both agreed that Peralta is not a short stop and that Wedge needs to work on moving him to 3rd base this spring training. What really got the conversation heated was the topic on why they didn’t do this in the second half of last season when the Indians really did not have anything to play for.

My friend gave me a lot of good points, but I see why Wedge did not make the transition last year. With Asdrubal Cabrera batting well under .250, there only option for 2nd base was Josh Barfield. Barfield was called up when Cabrera was sent down to Triple-A Buffalo with a mere .190 batting average. You have to remember, Barfieldwas batting around .250 in Triple-A, so it was not really an upgrade. It was more of a move in desperation. Within the first few weeks of Barfield’s return to the bigs, he was injured and had season ending surgery. With Cabrera still in the minors, Jamey Carroll came in and started to become the Indians every day 2nd baseball proving to the team and the fans that it was the right move. Some of you  might ask, what does 2nd base have to do with Peralta and that is a good question. When the Indians traded Casey Blake in to the Dodgers, that left open 3rd base, which could have been the prime time to start Peralta a few games at 3rd. However, Wedge wanted to see what Andy Marte was made of and Marte became our every day 3rd basemen.  Some of you are still wondering what this has to do with Peralta and here is your answer. What the Indians should have done int he 2nd half of the season is play Peralta at 3rd base, but they were out of options. In an injury free world, the Indians infield should have been Peralta at 3rd, Cabrera at SS, Jamey Carroll at 2nd and Garko at 1st in the last half of the season, but with the injury to Barfield, the poor batting by Cabrera and nobody else in the minors, Peralta was still the every day SS.

Fast forward to winter ball. Peralta was starting the majority of the games at 3rd. Every year I attend the Indians Press Tour and this year I was fortunate enough to attend the Press Tour that Eric Wedge was at. He was asked about Peralta playing 3rd this coming season and Wedge did say that Peralta was playing 3rd in Winter ball, but as of right now he is our every day SS. The fans should expect to see Peralta play a few games at 3rd and in Spring Training, you’ll see Peralta play 3rd. Do you think the signing of Mark Derosa was a foreshadow of things to come? Derosa played 2nd for the Cubs, even though he is really a utility infielder. Is it possible that we can see Derosa playing 2nd, Cabrera at SS and Peralta at 3rd half way through the season?

Another point that really got me heated in my conversation with my friend is how hard he was on Peralta.  At one point he even called him terrible. Yeah, he isn’t a Jeter or a Vizquel. But the kid has done some pretty nice things in his career to not call him terrible.  In a 146 games last season at short, Jhonny had 14 errors. He range might not be as big as Jeter’s, but Jeter played in 148 games and had 12 errors. Jhonny Peralta is not a terrible short stop. Everyone says how horrible Peralta is, but the minute that Peralta starts hitting homeruns and driving in runs, everybody jumps on the bandwagon.

So what really is the best option for Peralta? That is your own opinion. In my opinion, I do have to agree with my friend and say that Jhonny is a 3rd baseman. You don’t need a whole lot of range when playing 3rd and the guy can hit for power. I guess we’ll just have to see if Peralta at 3rd will happen this season.

I know spring training is a time to try  new things, to find the best player for the right position, to form the best line up, etc. But can somebody explain to me what the Indians are trying to do by putting their infielders in the outfield? Before going into spring training, rumors were circling around Cleveland that Ryan Garko could see time in the outfield to make room for both Victor Martinez and Kelly Shoppach in the infield. Garko has seen some playing time in the outfield so far this spring training. Is Garko an outfielder? No! He is a 1st baseman and a catcher. What is the rationale behind this?

In today’s loss to the Rangers, the Indians chose to have Josh Barfield play in the outfield. Is there a good explanation for this? No. It’s just Wedge’s way of trying to keep average players around. Does he really think Barfield will ever have a chance in the outfield come April? I sure hope not. Between Sizemore, Francisco, Choo, Dellucci and even Crowe, I think the Indians outfield is pretty well stocked. Do the Indians really need to keep a below average hitter on the team? Besides, that position in the outfield is filled by Dellucci.

So what’s next for the Indians this spring training? Cliff Lee playing catcher? There doesn’t seem to be any rationa decisions down in Goodyear. Instead of looking like a team who is getting ready for a 162 game season, it looks like the local little league team.

Welcome to My World
“There are more important things in life other than baseball, I just haven’t figured out what they are yet”. When I saw the oppurtunity to write about the Cleveland Indians, I knew that I could not pass this up. It’s not every day I find the oppurtunity to do 2 things that I love, talking about the Indians and blogging. My name is Jen and welcome to my world. I was born and raised in Northeast Ohio and grew up on Indians baseball. Hopefully you’ll enjoy reading about the Indians as much as I love talking about them. And I do promise you this, I will not comment on how “hot” Grady Sizemore is or how good Victor Martinez looks in his baseball pants. I might be a girl, but trust me, I can talk baseball.

Indians at .500 in Cactus Leauge
With the first week of Spring Traning games almost over, the Indians have hit .500 by beating the Colorado Rockies today 6-4. Trevor Crowe and Jhonny Peralta both went 2-3 with 2 hits and 2 runs scored. The win goes to Zach Jackson who threw 2 innings giving up 4 hits and 1 run with one strike out.  Jack Cassel picked up the save.

Sizemore out of line-up again on Sunday
CF Grady Sizemore was out of the line-up again on Sunday due to a groin injury. Sizemore has not played since Thursday. On Friday, it was announced that Sizemore would not be playing in the World Baseball Classic due to this groin injury and Shane Victorino will be taking his spot on the roster. In an interview with Eric Wedge, Sportstime Ohio announcers Matt Underwood and Rick Manning asked Wedge about Sizemore’s injury. Wedge stated they are not concered with Sizemore not being ready for Opening Day. By not playing in the WBC, it will allow him to get the proper rest he will need to be back to full strengh come opening day.

Closer Wood Throws 2nd Bullpen Session
New Indians closer Kerry Wood, threw for the second day in a bullpen session. Wood threw 40 pitches and says he feels no soreness in his back, which sidelined him for the first few games of Spring Training.

This offseason is a heck of a lot more intriguing than the previous few offseasons for Giants fans.  The starting pitching is easily in the top 5 in the MLB (more on that in the near future).  Vizquel’s weak bat is finally out of the lineup, even if it’s being replaced by a Renteria whose career is clearly on the downslope.  The outfield may be lacking power, but the speed and batting average combination is compelling.

I’m concerned about the bullpen, but right now I’m even more concerned about the infield.  You’ve got Pablo Sandoval at first, and it’s hard to know how to interpret his .345 avg in just 145 ABs last year (who knows what that guy’s going to do this season).    You’ve got weak-hitting Burriss and Frandsen platooning at 2B.  You’ve got an old Renteria at SS with Bocock (who batted .143 in 77 ABs  in ‘08) backing him up.  And finishing off that who’s who list of ‘infielders you’ve never heard of’ are Ryan Rohlinger (32 ABs in ‘08) and Conor Gillaspie (5 ABs in ‘08) on the depth chart at 3B.  And the re-signing of utility infielder Rich Aurilia isn’t reassuring.

The Giants apparently are not likely to land Crede.  So when you look at the free agent board, about the only quality infielder still up for grabs is Orlando Hudson.

You know exactly what you’re going to get with Hudson:  somewhere in the .280-.290 range in BA, 10 HRs, 65 RBIs and a decent number of extra base hits.  It’s hard for me to believe that those numbers wouldn’t fill some gaps for the Giants batting in the #6 position.  IMO, Sabean should grab  Hudson, then shop around Burriss for a middle reliever.

Still, the Alex Rodriguez storm that has captured the baseball world had only confused the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

In Cliff Lee’s perspective, past is past, and the game should move on. Everybody should move on.

“It’s 2009, and they’re talking about things that happened in ‘01 through ‘03,” Lee said. “MLB has taken care of the steroid issue. We’re being tested.”
To put all things together, it was still Rodriguez’s failed test in 2003 that gained attention and national headlines throughout the globe; gaining infamous attention from normal baseball fans to the President of the United States.

Astros pitcher Roy Oswalt on the other hand, was so disappointed to learn the steroid use of A-Rob and has said that the slugger’s number should be erased.

Lee, in his own terms, said he doesn’t feel cheated. All he could afford was to shrug when asked about the issue.
“I personally don’t see it as bad as it’s made out to be,” said Lee, who has served up two of Rodriguez’s 553 home runs. “I like the fact that [Rodriguez] came out and apologized and was open about what he really did. I can respect that.

“I just have a problem with how they’re going so far in the past and bringing up old things. If you’re doing it now, you’re going to get caught. There’s no way around it. I have a problem with how people think it’s still an issue when it’s not anymore. It’s time to move on and just let the past be the past. It’s over with, as far as I’m concerned.”

The Indians, having eight big league players on temporary rosters for the World Baseball Classic, are dropping like cold ice on a mug.

Right-hander Fausto Carmona, who is also on the roster for the Dominican Republic, and Venezuelan roster member Rafael Betancourt will not be in the tournament, which will begin next month.

Carmona, missing more than two months due to a left hip strain last season, left the Indians with no choice but to remove him from the Classic scenario, although they still want his presence at camp, working on his delivery and getting him ready to tackle the number 2 spot on their rotation.

Betancourt was another story. After pitching for Venezuela in 2006, he felt the tension affected his performance for that season. He made only three appearances in the Classic, after that, felt shoulder pains when he returned to camp and ending up suffering upper back strains two weeks before the regular season.

“I was taking time to make my decision to play or not play,” Betancourt said. “I did it the first time, and I think, for me, I don’t play winter ball, so it takes a little bit of time to get ready to compete. I got the experience in 2006, and it was a very good experience representing my country. But to prepare myself for the season, it wasn’t good for me.”

Dominican mainstay Jhonny Peralta will be on the possibility of not participating. Peralta said that he is interested in playing for the Dominican team, but with Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes and Miguel Tejada all on the provisional roster, is uncertain if he can blend in with the star studded crowd.

“I don’t know if I’d have a chance to play,” Peralta said. “I don’t know what’s going on with that.”

Grady Sizemore and Mark DeRosa of the USA, Rafael Perez of the Dominican Republic, and Shin-Soo Choo of Korea, are expected to leave the camp to raise the banners of their respective countries. Masa Kobayashi of Japan however was still undecided.