Women In Baseball Day - May 30th

In honour of this year's Women In Baseball Day, I am highlighting some of the women in my life and their passion for the game.

After many years of following baseball almost completely alone (offline at least), the last few years have seen my enthusiasm for America's national pastime spread to my family and friends. In fact, it has been the women closest to me that have really embraced the sport and become active followers of their chosen teams.

Today I talk to four of these ladies about their teams, their favourite players, and a lot more.

Amber

Amber, let's kick things off with the basics; who's your team and how did you choose them?

My team is the New York Yankees, and I chose them because they're the first team I saw in person (on our honeymoon). I'm a true fan because I stuck with them despite seeing them lose!

They only just lost that day, it was a close one. What was that experience like?

It was a beautiful sunny day and I got swept away in the whole experience, like all the food and singing the seventh-inning stretch. All the fans around us were so friendly as well.

We did have a great time with the Yankees. Who is your favourite player in the Bronx? 

That's a tough one. So, it's between Aaron Judge and Didi Gregorius. Didi was the first Yankee I saw hit a home run, but when we were in New York I loved the theatrics and hype surrounding Judge, like the fans wearing robes in the "Judge's Chambers." It has to be Judge for me.

Judge is a dude, it's such a shame he's been hurt this year. What has been your favourite baseball food so far?

Garlic fries! Hands down, they were the best. I had heard about them before I went to San Francisco, that they were a specialty at the Giants' stadium. So I had to get them and they didn't disappoint.

Between New York and San Francisco, which was your favourite stadium?

Despite being a Yankee fan, I loved San Francisco's Oracle Park.

At both games I've been to I was really lucky with the weather, but San Francisco had the amazing panoramic view of the bay, the splash hits counter, and the giant Coca Cola bottle slide. I really liked how people could watch innings for free through the right field fence as well. I just wish adults were allowed down the Coca Cola slide!

We did have an amazing time in San Francisco! Together we've watched quite a few baseball films - what has been your favorite? 

A League of Their Own is my favourite. There are so many famous one-liners from that movie. When we took the tour of Oracle Park, I even saw "There's no crying in baseball!" on one of their walls full of famous baseball quotes. I love how the film focused on the women in baseball and that whole era.

I also really enjoyed The Perfect Catch with Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon.

The Perfect Catch is a guilty pleasure, I'll admit. If you played baseball, what position would you play?

First base! I'd like to be the one catching the ball to put everybody out - if I'm in the game, I want to be involved as often as possible. I would also love to hit home runs!

Ellie

Hey Ellie! Who are your team and how did you come to choose them?  

My team is the Los Angeles Dodgers! I chose them mostly for their awesome fireball logo because who wouldn't support a team who can throw balls of fire?!

A great choice, a historic organization too. Do you have a favourite Dodger?

I'm not sure I have a specific favourite player as such but it would probably be Justin Turner. It's likely the orange beard (it really is orange, there is no getting around it) that has ensured he stuck in my mind. But having only followed the Dodgers for just over a year, I remember that he fractured his wrist just before last season began and I feel like that put a downer on their start (which was pretty horrendous...) From what I gather he is a pretty good all-rounder so they really missed him in the beginning there. I was super glad they made a comeback though, given how far behind they were late in the season.

Turner is one of their main guys and a huge part of their success these last few years. After falling short of winning it all the past two years, do you think the Dodgers can finally win the World Series this season?

Hmm, well they have gotten off to a better start this year than 2018, so I think they stand a better chance. Hopefully they have the extra drive this year!

When you finally attend your first game, what do you think will be your favorite food at the stadium?

As a vegetarian I think it is unlikely that veggie hot dogs are on offer in America (which would be my first choice) so I'd have to go with PIZZA SLICE!!!!!!!!!!!

I've subjected you to a number of baseball movies, which one has been your favorite? Are there any you haven't seen yet that you want to?

I think I've enjoyed them all but A League of Their Own is probably my favourite because it has the glorious Tom Hanks (although not in a very glorious role!) and it's an alternative view of baseball. Given baseball is such a male-centric game, it's nice to see women playing and playing really well (albeit in a fantasy plot line). Their uniforms could be a bit less revealing though. Trousers and classic baseball shirts would have been muuuuch cooler.

As for films I haven't seen, I came across one on Amazon Prime that I've yet to try. It's called Mr Baseball and it's got Tom Selleck in it and it's very early 90s, about a baseball player whose career is starting to come to an end and he gets traded to a Japanese team - UMM HELLO?! THIS SOUNDS AMAZING.

Sounds like your perfect movie! Finally, if you played baseball, what position do you think you'd play?

I would be a bench warmer because clearly, I cannot play baseball. In an ideal world though, I'd be a pitcher with a Popeye-strong arm that tears the bat to pieces!

Jasmine

Hi Jasmine, who are your team and why did you choose them?  

Hi Ash, my team are the Toronto Blue Jays. I support them because they are the outsiders. As the first and only team outside the US to appear in and win a World Series, they're the team I proudly follow. I like an unexpected winner and their underdog spirit makes for captivating viewing! While they've been out of the spotlight for a while they seem keen to return to form, and I enjoyed their postseason run in recent years.

Canada's only MLB team - they also have one of the greatest logos on their hats, a good choice! Do you have a favourite player?

Randal Grichuk. A fantastic end to 2018 hints at an even better 2019 (I hope), so it'll be interesting to see how his season goes. He's also really cute, which helps!

What about Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - how do the feel about the star rookie?

I was very excited for him to join the team and I think he will do his father proud. I know it's only his first season but he's definitely making his mark already.

When you attend your first game, what sort of food at the ballpark will be on your agenda?

In my mind you can't beat a good hot dog. Timeless, tasty, and fairly easy to eat. That being said I've seen pictures of the glazed donut burgers floating around and I wouldn't mind trying one of those.

Ketchup or mustard on the hot dog?

Both!

Of the baseball movies I've subjected you to so far, what has been your favorite? Are there any you haven't seen yet that you want to?

It's gotta be A League of Their Own. Geena Davies and Tom Hanks in a feminist movie about some of the greatest unsung women of sport? Yes please!

I feel like I should watch Moneyball. In fact, I'm a bit embarrassed I haven't seen such a classic but I promise I will get round to it... eventually.

It's okay, I'll make you watch Moneyball soon enough. Final question: if you played baseball, what position would you want to be?

I think I'd like to play catcher. Calling the shots and bringing the team together sounds like a lot of fun, and a good chance to use some strategy. Whether I'd be any good at it is another question entirely ;)

Libby

Hi Libs, who are your team and how did you come to choose them?

Hi Ash, my team are the Oakland A's. The reason why they're my team is simple: I love an underdog. Plus, I like their style. I really dig the green and yellow combo, and their badass elephant mascot.

Excellent choice, I also love that green and yellow combo. Who is your favourite player on the A's? 

Matt Chapman! Or as Matt (Libby's boyfriend and Brewers fan) and I call him, Chap Mattman, which was taken from a baseball podcast Matt listens to (Absolute Bunts). He's just so good and seems like a really nice guy, which is important, and humble.

Chapman is a great choice, the face of the franchise in Oakland. As a British fan, we don't get to regularly enjoy the ballpark experience like our American cousins. When you go to your first game this year, what food are you targeting? Are you going for the classics like hot dogs, peanuts and crackerjack, or something more modern and exotic?

I love the traditional favourites, but will branch out as we're going to Citi Field, which has more options than I can count. I will probably be up and down a lot to grab everything in sight! Fuku by David Chang is there serving fried chicken, so I definitely have my eye on that.

I'm very jealous of your upcoming trip and all the fried chicken. We've watched a few a baseball films together now, what has been your favorite? 

I'd have to say A League of Their Own, just for sheer quality. But the first one I ever watched was Moneyball which was pretty intriguing. I don't know what cracked me up about Field of Dreams, but I just remember shaking in fits of laughter at a key emotional scene with Jasmine. I blame the sugary popcorn!

Ash's note: For context, both Jasmine and Libby got the giggles during the scene when Ray meets his Father. Most people cry - they laughed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Final question: if you played baseball, what position would you play?

Okay, I'll be honest here as I'm still learning all the positions, but I would love to be the center fielder, really far away in the field, who manages to throw themselves into the padded wall for an epic catch. That seems pretty fun to me! 

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A huge thank you to Amber, Ellie, Jasmine and Libby for taking the time to speak with me about their teams and love for the game.

Now go and watch A League of Their Own. We all love it.

Oscar Mercado Called Up

Despite the team delaying the announcement, news finally broke that the long awaited outfield prospect Oscar Mercado is joining the Indians to make his MLB debut. His call-up will hopefully make an impact on this struggling Cleveland club and bring some energy to their lackluster lineup.

The 24 year-old is due to meet his new teammates today in Chicago, likely replacing Tyler Naquin, who has battled a calf issue in recent days (what is it with this team and calf problems?)

Mercado was a revelation in Spring Training, so much so that the team considered having him break camp with the 25-man roster. Terry Francona chose to have the young outfielder enjoy everyday at-bats with the Triple-A Clippers instead and Mercado made the most of his opportunity in the minors, showing the higher-ups exactly what they've been missing.

In Columbus, Mercado featured in 30 games and 140 plate appearances, hitting an impressive .294/.396/.496 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI, plus 14 stolen bases. Predominantly a center fielder, he does have the ability to play all outfield positions and this versatility will be very valuable for the Indians in the coming months.

I've been high on Mercado since the Indians acquired him during last year's trade deadline, and have been eager to see him reach the big club ever since. His Spring Training performances only served to reinforce my optimism.

The atmosphere surrounding the 2019 Indians thus far has been overwhelmingly negative, but the addition of an exciting, dynamic young prospect like Mercado could be just the breath of fresh air this team needs.

Despite never featuring as a consensus top prospect, Mercado's promotion has generated a level of anticipation that hasn't been felt in some time, for me at least. With the current outfield production so low, expectations are substantial for Mercado to have an impact, even though he's a rookie facing major league pitching for the first time. The learning curve will be steep but all signs point to Mercado being prepared for it.

To please this hungry fanbase and be an effective contributor, the young Colombian-American needs to display earnest effort and a level of stability not yet seen among his outfield peers. If Mercado can manage that, he'll quickly earn the respect and admiration of the fans.

I'll certainly be rooting for him and will be tune in later today to catch his debut against the White Sox - so long as Francona is sensible and starts him

Indians Salvage Series, Split With Sox

The Indians got off to a rough start in this AL Central battle against the White Sox, dropping the first two games, before roaring back to split the series with an epic walk-off and a rain-shortened victory at Progressive Field. Cleveland now sit second in the division with a 20-16 record, trailing the 23-12 Twins by 3.5 games.

The Tribe lineup made Chicago pitchers Ivan Nova and Lucas Giolito look like Cy Young contenders in the first two games of the series - the Indians were limited to just a single run over both contests, despite Nova and Giolito beginning their days with ERAs over 5.00.

The offense came alive to rescue the series though, thanks to a resurgent Jose Ramirez, who is finally starting to show signs of life after an April hibernation (.181/.281/.276 and 2 home runs, a miserable month). Ramirez's ninth inning 2-run homer in game three sealed a 5-3 victory in walk-off fashion, and the diminutive Dominican was showered with love (and everything else) at home plate by his teammates.

Jordan Luplow, recently recalled to the big club, was the hero in Thursday's final game, clubbing 2 home runs to pace the Tribe in a 5-0 win, that was cut short by rain after 5 innings.

Let's delve into the details, and look at the good and the bad from this week:

The Good

Shane Bieber has been a pillar of consistency to begin the 2019 season and was excellent yet again in his outing against Chicago in game three. Bieber has impressed in six of his seven starts this year, the only blemish being an unfortunate outing against the Braves. Outside of that, the young Californian has been outstanding.

At just 23 years-old Bieber has taken to life in a major league rotation with remarkable ease, and he was effective yet again when facing the White Sox on Wednesday.

After losing the first two games, Bieber was exactly what Cleveland needed to right the ship, pitching 6.1 innings with 6 strikeouts, scattering 8 hits for 3 runs. With his teammates still struggling to break out of their offensive slump, Bieber kept his team in the game and was rewarded late on thanks to Ramirez's walk-off homer. Bieber's excellent off-speed arsenal saw White Sox hitters regularly swing and miss and his contribution went a long way towards stopping the rot.

As we enter mid-May, Bieber has logged 43.1 innings with 48 strikeouts and currently holds a 3.32 ERA. He continues to impress with every outing but must be wary of the longball; Bieber has given up a home run in each of his last four starts (including a pair in that ill-fated Braves game). However, that doesn't detract from the progress he has shown in his sophomore season and with the Indians rotation missing Corey Kluber and Mike Clevinger, it has been a blessing that they can rely upon Bieber every fifth day.

Another member of the rotation deserves praise as well: Jefry Rodriguez, who joined Cleveland as part of the Yan Gomes trade to the Nationals, has been a revelation when called upon this year and enjoyed another confident start in game two.

The 25 year-old Rodriguez logged 6 strong innings with 6 strikeouts, giving up just 2 runs spread over 7 hits and 3 walks. The Dominican righty showed great resolve to work his way out of trouble, including a bases-loaded escape in the fourth inning. Sadly his offense couldn't back him and Rodriguez ended up taking the loss in the 2-0 defeat. Despite the disappointing final result, he has consistently shown himself to be a solid starter when called upon in each of his three appearances this season.

Terry Francona has utilized Rodriguez primarily as a spot-starter so far but I would expect to see him feature more often whilst Kluber and Clevinger remain on the injured list. Rodriguez currently sits with an 0-2 record and a 2.41 ERA, with 12 strikeouts in 18.2 innings.

To round out the good news portion of this recap, let's give Jordan Luplow a round of applause for his 2 home runs in Thursday's 5-0 win. His first blast came in the second inning, a deep shot into the left-center field bleachers, and his second homer was an opposite field effort that cleared the wall with ease in the fifth. These were Luplow's first home runs of the year, and his first with Cleveland. Luplow was sent to the minors on April 10th batting .200, but since his return on April 28th the 25 year-old has been in fine form, slashing .333/.429/.778. If he can keep this up it could go a long way towards the Indians figuring out one of the holes in their outfield.

The Bad

It's no secret that the Indians' offense has been struggling since the beginning of the season and, now into mid-May, they are still trying to find their rhythm at the plate. Cleveland are close to the bottom of the league in every major offensive category and despite splitting this series, the lineup found it awfully hard to manufacture runs.

The Tribe went 6-for-39 with runners in scoring position whilst Chicago were in town, with a total of 36 runners left on base over the four games. The inability to convert scoring opportunities was no more evident than game one, when the Tribe recorded 10 hits but only produced 1 run, a lonely Jason Kipnis RBI.

It's still too early in the season to panic about this disturbing lack of run production but we are right to be concerned. It hasn't helped that Jose Ramirez has been a shadow of his former self, and Francisco Lindor is clearly still feeling his way back to 100%. I can't help but think that this team is missing Edwin Encarnacion, Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes more than they would like to admit.

Another unfortunate outcome from the series was Trevor Bauer's uncharacteristic performance in game one's 9-1 hammering.

Bauer was hit hard over 5 innings, surrendering 10 hits for 8 runs (7 earned), including 2 homers. He did punch out 7 White Sox but it was clear that Bauer didn't have his best stuff, and was soundly beaten. It was his shortest outing of 2019 so far, and the Chicago lineup capitalized on being aggressive at the plate, routinely putting Bauer into uncomfortable situations and making the most of any pitch left over the plate.

After the game Bauer revealed to the press some examples of the social media abuse he receives on a regular basis, including death threats. It was refreshing to see one of baseball's premier pitchers speak so candidly about a topic that is at the forefront of today's society, yet doesn't appear to have a clear and obvious solution. Bauer has earned many plaudits for speaking out about this and showcasing just how vile the dark side of social media can be.

The 28 year-old has long been a figure of controversy but I have to admit, he's beginning to win me over this season, on and off the mound. His persistent antagonizing of Houston's Alex Bregman has been a tad distasteful but his YouTube content has been very enjoyable, particularly his sit-down dinner conversations with Nolan Arenado, Whit Merrifield and teammate Kipnis. If you haven't checked them out yet, I highly recommend you do.

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Tonight the Indians head west to Oakland to begin a three game set with the A's, before taking on the White Sox again in Chicago, on Monday.

Cody Anderson will get game one underway and is hoping to avoid a repeat performance like his last outing again against Seattle - the big righty couldn't get out of the first inning, allowing 4 runs on 2 hits. His opponent is Oakland's Frankie Montas, who has a 2.75 ERA through seven starts and has been the A's top pitcher thus far.

Kluber Crocked In Miami Split Series

The Indians traveled to Miami this week for a short interleague series and departed Florida with a split and a 16-13 record.

They also flew home with another broken pitcher (but we'll get to that.)

Here's a few talking points from the series, some of the good, and some of the bad:

The Good

Trevor Bauer continued his stellar start to 2019 with another strong outing, picking up his fourth win in a 7-4 Tribe victory.

Bauer struck out 10 over 7 innings of work but did give up 4 earned runs and 4 walks, so it wasn't perhaps the dominant display he might have envisioned. Thankfully the offense backed him and Bauer did his part not to relinquish the lead.

His overpowering fastball regularly challenged the Marlins hitters who were plagued by his 95-mph heat all evening. When combined with that trademark Bauer slider, the Miami lineup watched in vain as the ball just disappeared from them.

Another positive came in the form of Carlos Gonzalez, who is beginning to settle in with his new club after a decade in Colorado.

Called up in mid-April having had little-to-no spring training, Gonzalez instantly slotted into the Indians outfield and has been a model of consistency, his veteran presence helping bring stability to an uncertain outfield situation.

In the third inning of game one, CarGo connected on a Sandy Alcantara changeup that flew off his bat with an exit velocity of 108-mph. The pitch was left up in the zone and Gonzalez pounced on the mistake, and the ball shot over the wall for a 3-run homer, giving his starter a comfortable lead.

Gonzalez's impact with Cleveland is beginning to show and fans will hope he can sustain this sort of form over the entire year. He has certainly made a good first impression on me.

Carlos Santana also enjoyed a successful time in Florida, collecting two homers in the series, doubling his tally for the season. Santana started the season hot at the plate but has cooled off a bit in recent weeks, so hopefully this Miami trip is a sign that he's found his groove again.

The Bad

Corey Kluber - where do we begin?

As if he wasn't already having a rough start to his season, things got much worse for the Indians ace in game two.

Already struggling with his fading velocity and erratic location, Kluber had to battle a 102-mph line drive to the forearm as well.

He lost.

Kluber absorbed the full force of that Brian Anderson hit in the fifth inning and somehow it didn't leave an exit wound the size of a bowling ball. He was instantly in pain and couldn't use his arm to throw the ball to first base. Kluber's famously stoic face showed clear signs of discomfort as he walked around the mound, and his grimace was uncomfortable to see.

The injury has been diagnosed as a non-displaced fracture of the right ulna (the long bone in your forearm), with a return timetable as yet unknown. He is set to be re-evaluated in Cleveland today to determine just how long the Tribe will be without one of their key men.

It's a huge blow to both Kluber and the Indians, as our previously dominant rotation is now missing two of it's primary pieces (with Mike Clevinger still recuperating from his back injury too). With the assumption that the starting pitching staff would remain elite in 2019, Cleveland's path to another AL Central crown was predicted to be relatively stress-free. Now that Kluber and Clevinger are expected to miss an extended period of time, it puts a huge emphasis on the lineup to pick up the slack.

I'm hopeful that Kluber could return by September and play a significant role in the postseason, but it's too early to tell just how far this is going to set him back.

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The Indians return home for an off-day before welcoming the Mariners to town for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Japanese phenom Yusei Kikuchi is expected to represent Seattle in game one and will face our own Shane Bieber, who already has one win over the Mariners this season, on April 16th.