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Home , Cody Allen, Corey Kluber, Jason Kipnis, Joey Butler, Josh Tomlin, Michael Brantley

CONTENTS Preview...... pg.2 Cleveland Indians Schedule ...... pg.5 Cleveland Indians Promotional Schedule ...... pg.6 Lake Erie Crushers Schedule ...... pg.10 Schedule ...... pg.11 Toledo Mud Hens Schedule...... pg.12 Schedule...... pg.13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Schedule ...... pg.15 NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers ...... pg.16

Spring 2016 Voice of the Firelands Magazine 1 Cleveland Indians 2016 season preview

By: Joel Hammond Award in 2014 as the American tral and with the fifth-best play with anyone. When we The Cleveland Indians fell League’s best-hitting – chance among all MLB teams don’t, we get beat,” said man- short of the club’s own and and , who to win the . ager , now in fans’ expectations in 2015. took the league by storm last “We’ve shown that when we his fourth season at the helm. Then-General Chris year in finishing as the runner- play good , we can “It’s our responsibility to go Antonetti told reporters the up in the AL Rookie of the Year out and see how often and how day after the season ended that balloting. consistently we can play good the fact he was sitting there, Add to that core supporting baseball.” speaking with media, means cast members such as Mike The Indians are in position the organization was disap- Napoli, Rajai Davis and Juan to contend for postseason pointed. Uribe, and the Indians again spots and more for years to But despite falling short, figure to be in the postseason come. Much of the core that’s there are plenty of reasons for race. After finishing 92-70 in pushed the club to three con- optimism: The team boasts 2013 and playing in the AL secutive seasons is in place for one of the best – if not the best Wild Card game, the Tribe has many more seasons: Rotation – rotations in baseball, at a been in the Wild Card hunt members , Carlos time when starters are com- into the final weekend of each Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Cody manding massive contracts on of the last two seasons before Anderson and are the free agent market. falling just short. under club control through and Michael This offseason, respected 2020, while signed Brantley are perennial All-Star advanced statistics site Fan- a two-year contract extension candidates. They are joined by Graphs has projected the Indi- this offseason. an again-healthy Yan Gomes – ans with the best chance to On the position player side, who won the Silver Slugger win the Cen- Rajai Davis See INDIANS, 3

2 Spring 2016 Voice of the Firelands Magazine metrics looked INDIANS favorably upon From 2 his season, as he finished with Kipnis, Gomes and Lindor are the eight-high- under club control through at est Wins Above least 2019, with Brantley here Replacement through 2018. among MLB The team’s strength again . He will be pitching, as the Indians even finished followed up a league-record ninth in AL Cy 1,450 in 2014 with Young voting, 1,407 more last year. Four despite that 9- pitchers struck out 170 or 16 record. more batters, only the third Carrasco fol- time that’s happened in the lowed his strong modern era. end to 2014 “I have the privilege of with a breakout catching a staff that everyone 2015 season, talks about,” Gomes said in winning a team- . “For me it’s, high 14 games let’s not mess this up. It’s a and striking out young group. We all came up 216 – ninth together, they’ve developed most in the tremendously. It’s a lot of fun Majors. Carrasco to tie with Carrasco for the too hard. We never felt that seeing the recognition every- on two occasions nearly no- team lead. He also struck out someone would give us what one is getting. Everyone’s a his opponent: On July 1, he 195 batters, 19th in the Majors, we asked – they would have year older, and I believe we came within a strike of no-hit- and was 12th in the bigs in had to bowl us over.” have the best staff in the major ting the Rays, but Joey Butler strikeouts per nine . The Indians must generate leagues.” broke it up with two out in the Bauer, at age 24, won 11 more offense, though, espe- Though traditional statistics ninth. In September, Carrasco games and struck out 170 bat- cially with Brantley recovering don’t reflect it, Kluber followed struck out a career-high 15 ters in 176 innings, while Tom- from right shoulder surgery. up his 2014 Award batters and one-hit the Kansas lin and Anderson solidified the While the timetable for his with an equally impressive City Royals. back end of the rotation: return still is uncertain, reports 2015. He went 9-16, but suf- Salazar – at age 25 – also Anderson won the AL from Arizona have been posi- fered from poor support in broke out, winning 14 games of the Month Award in Sep- tive, with Terry Francona peg- many of his starts. Advanced tember, going 5-0 with a 1.38 ging Brantley ahead of the ERA, while Tomlin went 7-2 original return estimate of late with a 3.05 ERA in 10 starts April or early May. after returning from shoulder That will be key, as Brantley surgery. – despite various nagging In the bullpen, Cody Allen injuries throughout the season saved 34 games, struck out 99 – led the team with a .310 aver- in 69 innings and had the age, which was fourth in the highest WAR among relievers American League. He also had in baseball (per FanGraphs). 45 doubles – leading the AL – “You saw what some pitch- and became only the fourth ers were getting in free agency player in Indians history to and the cost in trades,” Fran- have consecutive seasons of 45 cona said. “If we trade one, Corey Kluber how do you get one back? It’s See INDIANS, 4

Spring 2016 Voice of the Firelands Magazine 3 run has lessened. To wit: The INDIANS World Series champion Kansas From 3 City Royals hit fewer home runs than the Indians did in or more doubles. (He also had 2015. 45 in 2014.) More importantly, the Indi- “I’m doing great – I’m mak- ans also have a solid core of ing progress each and every position players that the club day. I’m excited where I am,” has supplemented this offsea- said Brantley, who spent a large chunk of time in Cleve- son. In addition to Brantley, land this offseason while he Kipnis is now a two-time All- rehabbed, not his native Star after a career year in 2015. Florida as he usually does. That included an historic May, “This offseason has been a a month when Kipnis hit a little different, because I love staggering .429 with 51 hits. to hit in the offseason. But, it’s For the season, he led all AL a game of adjustments. I need second basemen in average, Yan Gomes to take my time, ease into my on-base percentage, slugging son’s second half. His .345 sec- Add in Gomes – who won swing and get it ready to go. It’s percentage and OPS; he led AL ond-half average was second that 2014 Silver Slugger but been different in Cleveland in leadoff hitters with a .385 OBP the winter – I had to drive in the majors behind Joey was behind schedule after his and ranked behind only carefully in the snow.” Votto, while his 99 hits were first-weekend injury last year – Michael Brantley in doubles, The Indians lack a true bop- third behind Jose Altuve and and Napoli, Davis and Uribe, with 43. per in the truest sense of the Xander Bogaerts – and were and the Tribe should be better Meanwhile, Lindor not only word, but the game has fourth-highest in Indians his- against left-handed pitching, a was one of the best AL rookies changed and those players tory. He was just the ninth AL weakness the last few years. In last year, but one of the best have become more scarce – rookie 21 or younger since addition to their veteran lead- players in the bigs in the sea- and the reliance on the home 1994 with 100 hits, 10 homers ership, Napoli, Davis and Uribe and 110 steals in a season, have been productive hitters joining the likes of , against lefties. Bryce Harper and more. “These are guys who are “It has impressed me the good pieces, good teammates,” way my teammates have been Brantley said. working,” Lindor said in That trio also will help the Goodyear, of watching his Indians defense, which actu- teammates’ habits. “I always ally ranked second in the thought I worked hard. Seeing league after Lindor and Gio- the guys work as hard as they vanny Urshela were inserted do, day in and day out, it on the left side of the . showed me – if they’re doing it, Napoli, Davis and Uribe each I’d better do it. They’re doing it rank as plus defenders at their at a great level and they’re suc- positions, with Uribe ranking cessful – if I want to get to that first among MLB third base- level, I need to incorporate men since 2011 in fielding per- those things.” centage. Jason Kipnis

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