Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Retired firefighter who broke color barrier among those being honored
Angel Food Ministries helps stretch grocery dollars
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers – Here’s to LBJ and Free Throws
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Minor-league outings used to fix a faulty pitch
By Sheldon Ocker
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 10:06 p.m. EDT, Jul 07, 2009
CHICAGO: How many pitchers are rewarded with a promotion to the big leagues after giving up 10 runs in 71/3 innings during their final two minor-league starts?
At least one: Aaron Laffey.
Laffey will be the Indians' starter tonight against the Chicago White Sox in his first major-league appearance since May 22, the day before he was placed on the disabled list with a strained right oblique.
At the time, Laffey had been transformed from starter to reliever because of a bullpen that had fallen into a sea of quicksand and was sinking fast. The relief corps has stabilized — at least it has pulled one leg out of the muck — and manager Eric Wedge needs Laffey's skills to shore up a shaky rotation.
It is a measure of the starters' instability that Laffey is being allowed to come off the DL, despite the ineffectiveness he showed in his last two rehabilitation starts, one with the Aeros and the other with Triple-A Columbus.
In his July 2 outing with the Clippers, Laffey gave up seven runs in four innings. In his previous start, for the Aeros, he gave up three runs in 31/3 innings. Worse, he walked six. But all of these indiscretions are being overlooked.
''The walks were a concern,'' Wedge said today. ''The next start, he threw the ball over the plate better; he was working on his four-seamer. Afterward, we talked about it and felt that this was the time to get him up here.''
Working on his four-seam fastball led to some unwanted results at Columbus.
''The first inning was a nightmare,'' Laffey said. ''After that, I stayed on top of the ball and threw strikes. For the most part, I kept the ball on the ground. The outing was validated by [Clippers pitching coach] Scott Radinsky's report.''
Laffey's two-seam sinker was in good working order, but he was having trouble taming the four-seamer and wasn't going to quit throwing it until he conquered the pitch.
''It took me four innings to establish the pitch,'' he said. ''For me, it wasn't about the results. I have to have command of the four-seamer. I can't just rely on my sinker.''
Wedge seemed satisfied with that explanation. What didn't sit well with the Tribe brass were the six walks issued in the Aeros' game.
''When I walked all those guys, they told me it was more about results,'' Laffey said.
Had the results been better, Laffey would have been activated earlier.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters. Follow the Indians on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Indians.
CHICAGO: How many pitchers are rewarded with a promotion to the big leagues after giving up 10 runs in 71/3 innings during their final two minor-league starts?
At least one: Aaron Laffey.
Laffey will be the Indians' starter tonight against the Chicago White Sox in his first major-league appearance since May 22, the day before he was placed on the disabled list with a strained right oblique.
At the time, Laffey had been transformed from starter to reliever because of a bullpen that had fallen into a sea of quicksand and was sinking fast. The relief corps has stabilized — at least it has pulled one leg out of the muck — and manager Eric Wedge needs Laffey's skills to shore up a shaky rotation.
It is a measure of the starters' instability that Laffey is being allowed to come off the DL, despite the ineffectiveness he showed in his last two rehabilitation starts, one with the Aeros and the other with Triple-A Columbus.
In his July 2 outing with the Clippers, Laffey gave up seven runs in four innings. In his previous start, for the Aeros, he gave up three runs in 31/3 innings. Worse, he walked six. But all of these indiscretions are being overlooked.
''The walks were a concern,'' Wedge said today. ''The next start, he threw the ball over the plate better; he was working on his four-seamer. Afterward, we talked about it and felt that this was the time to get him up here.''
Working on his four-seam fastball led to some unwanted results at Columbus.
''The first inning was a nightmare,'' Laffey said. ''After that, I stayed on top of the ball and threw strikes. For the most part, I kept the ball on the ground. The outing was validated by [Clippers pitching coach] Scott Radinsky's report.''
Laffey's two-seam sinker was in good working order, but he was having trouble taming the four-seamer and wasn't going to quit throwing it until he conquered the pitch.
''It took me four innings to establish the pitch,'' he said. ''For me, it wasn't about the results. I have to have command of the four-seamer. I can't just rely on my sinker.''
Wedge seemed satisfied with that explanation. What didn't sit well with the Tribe brass were the six walks issued in the Aeros' game.
''When I walked all those guys, they told me it was more about results,'' Laffey said.
Had the results been better, Laffey would have been activated earlier.
Sheldon Ocker can be reached at socker@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at http://www.ohio.com/tribematters. Follow the Indians on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ABJ_Indians.
Shapiro to Wedge: "Don't worry, skipper. Help is on the way. We're bringing up a guy with an ERA over 12 in his last two outings. Now get out there and manage"
