Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
Placed RHP Rafael Betancourt on the 15-day Disabled List (back)
Recalled RHP Brian Slocum from AAA Buffalo (MLB debut)
This makes three relievers in one week to go on the shelf. Slocum was a 2nd Round pick in 2002, and has recently been converted to the bullpen. He had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League (20.0 IP, 3.15 ERA, 19 SO), and has started out well in Buffalo (9.1 IP, 1.93 ERA, 11 SO, 1 BB).
Here's what the bullpen looks like now:
CL Bob Wickman
RHP Guillermo Mota
LHP Scott Sauerbeck
RHP Jason Davis
RHP Brian Slocum
LHP Rafael Perez
RHP Danny "White Flag" Graves
Fernando Cabrera will probably return as soon as his 15 days are up. Steve Karsay is also a good bet to join the bullpen as soon as he's ready to go. And I would assume Perez is going back to Akron in favor of someone else (Guthrie? Stanford?). So, in other words, the relief corps one week from now might look totally different from today's configuration.
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by oxforddave on Apr 21, 2006 1:26 PM EDT 0 recs
Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by Joe. on Apr 21, 2006 2:01 PM EDT 0 recs
Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by Ryan on
Apr 21, 2006 2:20 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by ken from alexandria on
Apr 21, 2006 5:40 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by rick57 on Apr 21, 2006 2:16 PM EDT 0 recs
Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by Ryan on
Apr 21, 2006 2:34 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by Henson on
Apr 21, 2006 2:43 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by drerikbrady on Apr 21, 2006 3:27 PM EDT 0 recs
Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by kov on Apr 21, 2006 3:30 PM EDT 0 recs
Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by The Animal on
Apr 21, 2006 3:46 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by kov on
Apr 21, 2006 4:56 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
Now, you might argue that Mota SHOULD have been brought in then and I would probably agree with you, but modern managers have an obsession with bullpen "roles" and Mota's "role" is to pitch the 8th and maybe, in extreme cases, the 7th.
Yeah, it makes no sense to lose a game in the 5th or 6th because you're saving your best reliever for the 8th, but that's the way they're running teams these days. It's stupid and it can lose you a ballgame, but there it is.
by gogiggs on Apr 21, 2006 5:11 PM EDT 0 recs
Another reason why I don't think Wedge is...
Hello gogiggs,
You bring up another point about why I think Wedge is overrated - he goes too much by the book, so to say. His philosophy seems to be, the 8th inning pitcher has to come into the 8th 95% of the time, guys like Graves and Sauerbeck have to come in in the 5th-7th innings, etc.
To me, that seems ridiculous. Do you think Ozzie Guillen is going to stick to a guy who is struggling just because "it's his inning to be in"? Not if they continue to struggle, which Graves and Sauerbeck both are doing.
Short of injuring anybody, including overworking anybody, I think you should do what it takes to win that game. Obviously, everyone in the bullpen will be counted on, but if part of your relief corps is struggling, you don't go ahead and go back to them night after night if you've given them 3-4 chances to prove themselves and they fail each time. Give them a few nights off; combine Mota and Wickman with the starters we do have (a good outing by Byrd, several good outings by Johnson and Lee lately,) and you should be able to avoid using that part of the relief corps for a few days, at least. Hopefully by then, with some side work under the tutelage of Luis Isaac and Carl Willis, they will look much better the next time they are called upon.
If you have to call on Mota earlier than the 8th inning on occasion, you do it, especially if the rest of the bullpen is untrustworthy, and to me, Sauerbeck and Graves both are unreliable.
Besides, Mota supposedly can go more than one inning, so don't just limit him to one inning. Granted, you don't have him throw 2 IP 3 times a week, but once or twice a month should not hurt.
I don't know - Wedge seems clueless sometimes. Granted, not every move a manager makes is going to work out (take Guillen's choice of calling in Logan to face us rather than Cotts when the Indians came back to win that third game of the series,) but some of his moves this past week, such as Westbrook staying in so long to try to get him a W, and essentially, sacrificing the team's change of getting the W, and Carmona not being told to intentionally walk Lopez to set up a double play in a close ballgame, makes me scratch my head and wonder about him.
I sure hope he improves his managing; you can have a very talented team, but if the manager is not astute and not willing to adjust to game situations, that can short-circuit a team's success. I hope that doesn't happen with Wedge and the Indians as he's already cost us a few games this year to this point. And we all know, a game or two can be what separates a team from playing in October and from going home.
Just my 2 cents; no offense to anyone. :-)
Take care and have a great day!
by indiansfan on
Apr 21, 2006 7:36 PM EDT
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Re: Betancourt to DL, Slocum Recalled
by Mark on Apr 21, 2006 5:46 PM EDT 0 recs
Fausto
Just a thought.
by SuddenSam on Apr 21, 2006 7:10 PM EDT 0 recs











