Sad news out of Arizona as Terry Belle, the former LSU Tigers baseball player and twin brother of former Cleveland Indians All Star Albert Belle was killed in an auto accident while driving with his children, who were not seriously injured, this past Saturday. The Belle brothers stared at LSU from 1985-1987 and went to consecutive College World Series in 1986 and 1987. Terry Belle was 45 years old.
Scottsdale driver in Paradise Valley accident identified — AZCentral.com
At age 17 Cleveland Indians 2011 first round pick Francisco Lindor is getting an early start on his pro career. The former AFLAC All American Game Home Run Derby champion made his professional debut on Sunday going 1-3 and helping turn a pair of double plays. He also became the youngest player ever to take the field for the Indians affiliate Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the Short-A New York Penn League. In the story Lindor talks about weighing the decision whether to turn pro or honor his commitment to Florida State, being happy to be back on the field after a summer off, and moving from Puerto Rico to Florida at age 13 to learn better English and improve his skills as a ballplayer.
Tribe’s top pick makes Scrappers debut — TribToday.com
Imagine if your arm fell asleep and never woke up. That maddening scenario became a reality last year for Kyle Landis who was diagnosed with a musculocutaneous nerve injury and missed the entire 2010 season. After a long rehab, Landis is back on the mound and having a career year going a combined 9-1 with a 2.34ERA in 57.2 innings for the High-A Kinston Indians and Double-A Akron Aeros. It’s a sharp difference from being unable to have the spacial presence to open a door knob when the rare injury first occurred. In the story Landis talks about dealing with the horrific injury, not knowing if he’d ever play baseball again, the difficulty of a year long rehab process, and the increase in success and velocity he’s experienced since returning from the injury. It’s a must read story.
K-Tribe’s Landis overcomes rare injury — JDNews.com
$1.85 Million is a lot of money for a teenager do handle. Rather then go on a spending spree with his signing bonus, Cleveland Indians 2011 second round pick Dillon Howard instead went to his computer and found a charity that helps those with autism. Howard’s younger brother Ben is autistic and Howard wanted to make an impact on those in the city that he hopes one day to pitch in. In the story the Searcy, Arkansas native talks about his decision to donate to the Milestones Autism Organization, the lessons he learned growing up with an autistic sibling, and his excitement for being part of the Indians organization.
Indians’ Howard donates to honor autistic brother Charlotte Observer
It was one of baseball’s most improbable stories, Chris Coste finally made it to the major leagues in 2006 as a 33 year old rookie, after a decade in the minor leagues. His first four years were spent in playing for his hometown Fargo Moorhead Red Hawks in the independent Northern League. The Cleveland Indians then signed Coste in 2000 where he made his affiliated debut with the Double-A Akron Aeros. From there Coste played parts of the next six seasons in Triple-A with stints playing for the Buffalo Bisons, Pawtucket Red Sox, Indianapolis Indians, and the Scranton Wilkes Barre Red Barons before making his big league debut with the Philadelphia Phillies. Coste’s big league career peaked when he was a key cog in the Phillies 2008 World Series championship. The accomplishment inspired the longtime catcher to write a book titled The 33-Year-Old Rookie: My 13-Year Journey from the Minor Leagues to the World Series. Coste’s final big league game would come in 2009 as a member of the Houston Astros. Following Tommy John surgery in 2010, he had hoped to return for one final run but came to find out that his 38 year old body just could not hold up. In the story, Coste talks about his new role as Associate Head Coach at Concordia College, his cult following in Philadelphia, and coming to terms that his playing career has reached its end.
ND’s Chris Coste retires from pro baseball — TheDickinsonPress.com
He’s a Hall of Famer, a 7x All Star, a World Series champion, and was the second African American player in baseball, and the first in the American League. Now Larry Doby will be honored with a postage stamp as part of a 2012 series featuring “Major League Baseball All Stars”. In the story you can see the stamp, and learn more about Doby through the words of Charleston RiverDogs president Mike Veeck, whose father Bill Veeck brough Doby to the Cleveland Indians in 1947.
Doby’s No. 2 status earns stamp of approval — PostAndCourier.com
Over his big league career, Brett Butler played for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets. For a large portion of that time Butler used dip. He eventually quit but it would prove to be too late as Butler was diagnosed with throat cancer which sidelined him during the 1996 season with the Dodgers. Since then he’s been outspoken against the use of smokeless tobacco. Butler is currently the manager of the Triple-A Reno Aces of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. In the story Butler talks about Triple-A players dipping despite a ban in minor league baseball, players on his teams who have dipped despite knowing about his battle with cancer, the 10 year old boy who caused him to quit dipping cold turkey, and his desire to make it back to the big leagues as a coach. Solid read.
Brett Butler sides with Surgeon General, cuts out tobacco — NewsOK.com
Top pitching prospect Drew Pomeranz did not expect to be traded less than a year after signing with the Cleveland Indians who made him the fifth overall pick in 2010 out of Ole Miss. But in a trade deadline blockbuster, Pomeranz was was dealt to the Colorado Rockies, as the player to be named later, and the centerpiece of the Ubaldo Jimenez deal. The 6’5″ lefty is now in two weeks of limbo as he cannot officially be traded until August 15th, a calender year after he signed with Cleveland. So for now Pomeranz is back in his hometown of Memphis having cleared out his locker and said goodbye to his Akron Aeros teammates. He will report to the Indians camp in Goodyear, Arizona on Wednesday where he will remain until joining the Rockies organization on the 15th. In the story. which is a great read, Pomeranz talks about being shocked that he was traded, the awkwardness of being in limbo, and the prospects of pitching at Coors Field.
Drew Pomeranz deals with whirlwind last few days after trade to Rockies — DenverPost.com
The Cleveland Indians have traded Orlando Cabrera to the San Francisco Giants for prospect Thomas Neal. Neal is currently batting .295 with 13 Doubles, 3 Triples, 2 Home Runs, and 25RBI. The 23 year old has seen his power numbers fall significantly over the last three seasons. He had a career year for High-A San Jose in 2009 hitting .337 with 41 Doubles and 22 Home Runs. The average remained solid but the power numbers fell in 2010 as Neal hit .291 with 40 Doubles, 12 Home Runs, and 69 RBI’s for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels. If the power can redevelop, he has the potential to be a steal for the Indians. Neal was a 36th round pick of the Giants back in the 2005 draft.
The Colorado Rockies have traded Ubaldo Jimenez to the Cleveland Indians for a package that includes Drew Pomeranz (who will be a player to be named later as he cannot be traded until August 15th, a year after he signed), Alex White, Joe Gardner, and Matt McBride. The 22 year old Pomeranz was the 5th overall pick out of Ole Miss in the 2010 draft and has been lights out since turning pro. This season he is a combined 3-3 with a 1.98ERA and has struck out 112 batters in 91 innings between the High-A Kinston Indians and the Double-A Akron Aeros. He was a participant in the 2011 Futures Game. The 6’5″ lefty has as high a ceiling as any pitcher in the minor leagues. White went 1-0 with a 3.60 in 3 starts with the Indians earlier this year before going on the DL with a finger injury. The 22 year old pitched a simulated game on Monday and was scheduled to start tonight for Akron before being scratched upon news of the pending trade. White went 10-10 with 2.45ERA in 25 starts between Kinston and Akron in 2010. He was the 15th overall pick of the 2009 draft out of North Carolina. Gardner is another product of the 2009 draft. The Indians took the 23 year old in the third round out of UC Santa Barbara. He is currently 7-8 with a 4.99ERA in 19 starts for Akron. Gardner was 12-6 with a 2.68ERA in 28 starts for Kinston in 2010. McBride is a 26 year old with a solid bat who has yet to play above the Triple-A level. He was second round pick by the Indians out of LeHigh University way back in 2006 and has been in the Indians organization since. After not hitting more than eight home runs in any of his previous minor league seasons, McBride broke out with a 44 Double, 18 Home Run, 99 RBI year between Kinston and Akron in 2009. He followed that up with a 31 Double, 21 Home Run, 79 RBI year between Akron and the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 2010. This season McBride has once again split between Akron and Columbus and has posted a combined .279, 26 Double, 15 Home Run, 56 RBI year to this point.