Castro's Inbox
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Acta is a good teacher.....and that is what this team needs.
Over the course of 162 games, a manager might actually impact 2-3 wins by making some brilliant move.
So let's say Acta doesn't possess that ability. I doubt those 2-3 fewer wins are what are going to be what keeps us from the World Series.
99.9% of games are won or lost by players. Not by a manager.
If we lose 110 games, 108 of them will be lost by players.
Put another way, Bobby Cox isn't possibly the best manager of this generation because of the slick moves he makes. It's because of the way he handles the players.
At this point you don't what Acta has or doesn't have.
I actually though he did a good job with the Nationals.....a young team with a few good players and a whole bunch of crappy players.....sort of like what we now have in Cleveland.
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they should pay US to go to the games this year. manny acta is a freaking joke he's going to completely wreck this entire organization single-handedly with his incompetency. if we get less than 110 losses it will be a freaking MIRACLE.
they should pay US to go to the games this year. manny acta is a freaking joke he's going to completely wreck this entire organization single-handedly with his incompetency. if we get less than 110 losses it will be a freaking MIRACLE.
Are you seriously predicting that this team will win NO MORE than 52 games this year? I understand that this doesn't appear to be even a playoff team, but 52-110? Simply because you don't like the manager? You gotta be one of the most ignorant baseball fans I've ever known. Give Acta a chance before you jump off the deep end! And give the players on this team a little credit. They are actually a very talented group. Given another year or 2 together and they have potential!
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they should pay US to go to the games this year. manny acta is a freaking joke he's going to completely wreck this entire organization single-handedly with his incompetency. if we get less than 110 losses it will be a freaking MIRACLE.
Are you seriously predicting that this team will win NO MORE than 52 games this year? I understand that this doesn't appear to be even a playoff team, but 52-110? Simply because you don't like the manager? You gotta be one of the most ignorant baseball fans I've ever known. Give Acta a chance before you jump off the deep end! And give the players on this team a little credit. They are actually a very talented group. Given another year or 2 together and they have potential!
Are you seriously predicting that this team will win NO MORE than 52 games this year? I understand that this doesn't appear to be even a playoff team, but 52-110? Simply because you don't like the manager? You gotta be one of the most ignorant baseball fans I've ever known. Give Acta a chance before you jump off the deep end! And give the players on this team a little credit. They are actually a very talented group. Given another year or 2 together and they have potential!
97 losses with Cliff Lee and VMart.13 more without them isnt that hard to believe, and hard for me to say but I think the manager position actually got worse. But he can speak spanish so its ok.
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Are you seriously predicting that this team will win NO MORE than 52 games this year? I understand that this doesn't appear to be even a playoff team, but 52-110? Simply because you don't like the manager? You gotta be one of the most ignorant baseball fans I've ever known. Give Acta a chance before you jump off the deep end! And give the players on this team a little credit. They are actually a very talented group. Given another year or 2 together and they have potential!
97 losses with Cliff Lee and VMart.13 more without them isnt that hard to believe, and hard for me to say but I think the manager position actually got worse. But he can speak spanish so its ok.
97 losses with Cliff Lee and VMart.13 more without them isnt that hard to believe, and hard for me to say but I think the manager position actually got worse. But he can speak spanish so its ok.
I do understand your concern. But 97 losses with a manager in Wedge that wasn't exactly a great communicator. He clearly had issues motivating, as it took a third of the season before his teams (every season) started showing signs of life. Give Acta a shot. He clearly can communicate with his players. And he really didn't have a whole lot to work with in Washington. This team is more talented than those Nationals. And there's no way he can be less motivational than Wedge.
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Carlos Santana talked with one of ESPN's guys...couple of good answers. Love the bit about Victor.
Do you think the injury has set you back?
Actually having come to Arizona so early has helped me keep in . Right now I'm doing well and in almost perfect shape. Usually I come in a little heavy at the start of camp. I have a difficult time being in shape during the shapeoffseason. But since I have been here at the complex for awhile, I've been able to keep in shape by doing cardio and some bike work.
...
How did you get better (at catching)?
Luckily, I had a lot of practice because I always had the confidence that I could do it. I had a lot of help from [Dodgers catching coordinator] Travis Barbary. I also focused very much on watching games either on TV or in person and really paying attention to how catchers called a game. The next year, [after I was traded to Cleveland] I took a lot of advice from Victor Martinez. He's my favorite player now. While I was coming up in the minors I was always a fan of his. He had a lot of patience with me and he gave me so much good advice. He told me how he went through some of the same things I was going through. He told me he was happy to show someone who was so eager to learn.
How did it affect you when Martinez was traded to Boston?
I didn't really think anything at that moment when he was traded. But my friends told me to start getting ready because they were probably going to call me up soon. I told everyone to calm down. In a sense, I felt sad too because Victor was such a good friend.
Was it more difficult when the Dodgers traded you in 2008 in exchange for Casey Blake?
It was pretty difficult for me to go to a new team and meet new people and to have to get to know a new staff and new rules. I was able to get through it because Cleveland was so good to me. You always understand that baseball is a business. You never really know what the future holds. Sure the Dodgers gave me the first opportunity, but Cleveland had an interest in me.
How did you find out about the trade?
That day when they traded me I thought it was a dream -- literally. I was at home when my roommate told me that someone from the Dodgers was calling me. One of the Dodgers' team executives was on the phone and said, 'We have traded you to Cleveland in exchange for Casey Blake. We liked what you did but we needed to make this move.'
When I got off the phone I didn't believe it. I called a friend to see if he had heard that I had gotten traded. It was like 7 a.m. when the Dodgers called so I wasn't sure if it had been real or if it was a dream. My roommate and I turned on the TV and saw it was true. But I still didn't believe it. I went to the clubhouse that day and people were congratulating me and wishing me good luck. I called my agent and he hadn't heard about it. But he then called someone and then called me back and told me it was true. He told me that I shouldn't be upset by the news.
Back to the present. When do you think you'll be able to play in games again?
Right now I'm not sure what schedule they have for me. The team, like I am, is focused on rehabilitation. We're trying to do everything we can to be ready for the season. After that we'll see what happens.
And Castro with a good piece on Brantley
The dumbest thing Michael Brantley ever did?
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...rtnerId=rss_cleHe didn't have to think long and hard about the question.
Dumb and Brantley had one of their rare get-togethers the day he decided to show off his golf skills in the front yard.
Brantley is a promising prospect for the Cleveland Indians now, but, at the time of this story, he was a 14-year-old kid with nothing better to do than demonstrate to a friend his ability to loft a ball over a neighboring home.
He dropped the ball on his front lawn, drew the club back and then unwound rapidly.
Trouble was, Brantley overestimated his abilities.
"I didn't quite make it over the house," he said, a tad embarrassed even now. "I hit the roof. And in the process of hitting the roof, our next-door neighbor was a cop, and he was just going on duty. So he saw me swing a golf club, hit it and hit the roof. He came marching over, and I was so scared he was going to tell my mom and dad."
Did he?
"He sure did," Brantley said glumly. "I got in trouble for at least a month."
Of course, on the list of dumb things that 14-year-old boys do, Brantley's little tale ranks definitively low.
And that's pretty much the point.
There is an air about the 22-year-old Brantley, who projects as the Tribe's regular left fielder in 2010, that defies his youth. Always has been, in fact.
"I've always been told I'm mature for my age," he said. "That if you didn't know and had to guess, you'd think I was older. That's all due to how I was raised, growing up. I was always around older guys, and it taught me to grow up faster."
These were no ordinary "older guys." These were professional ballplayers and coaches. The young Brantley was surrounded by them because his father, Mickey, was himself a big league outfielder and, in Michael's youth, a coach at the Major and Minor League levels in the Giants, Mets and Blue Jays systems.
"I learned their maturity and ways, and I just kind of copied that," Michael said.
All those learning experiences culminated in what transpired last September, when Brantley received his first promotion to the Majors and played and acted as if he had been there his entire life. Though he did not have a dominant season at the Triple-A level, he was a natural with the Tribe, collecting a hit in his first eight games and reaching base safely in 25 of 28 games played.
This was, the Indians hope, the first step toward Brantley fulfilling the promise that made them target him in the July 2008 trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers. Brantley came to the organization as a much-heralded prospect who some think can one day step into the leadoff role full-time.
But if you're around Brantley, you get the sense that he didn't have to turn to baseball to be successful. His gumption and work ethic lead one to believe he would have been a success at any chosen career path.
His lack of pretension about his talents is also palpable.
"My mother and father really taught me the value of a dollar," he said.
And what wasn't taught, Brantley learned.
He'd say he learned it the hard way by busing tables in high school at a TGI Friday's near his Port St. Lucie, Fla., home. It was an inglorious occupation that Brantley still thinks about when he sees the money fans invest into their favorite sports teams.
"It was hard-earned sweat," he said of that job. "Nobody wants to work at a restaurant. But I was around people all the time and got great people skills from it. And it was hard work. I had to go in each day and bust my butt just to make a couple dollars so I could buy a pair of shoes or go to the school dance. What I learned is how hard it is to earn a dollar."
Now that he gets paid to do what he loves -- with the possibility of some hefty payments coming down the road -- Brantley remembers those lessons. And when he talks about his offseason, in which he has supplemented his winter conditioning with regular fishing trips and rounds of golf, he knows how blessed he is.
"Baseball's a mentally tiring sport," he said. "When I'm out there fishing or golfing, it really relaxes me. Who can say they can do that two or three times a week? I can, and I'm very fortunate."
Brantley is young enough that this perspective hasn't been challenged considerably yet. It will be, in time, and he's aware of the trappings of success and how they can change a person.
But the kid who was once scolded by the officer next door likes to keep his mistakes to a minimum and his head on straight.
"I'm always going to go about my life just like I am now," he said. "I enjoy playing for the fans. I'll shake every hand I can. Seeing smiles on kids' faces and playing for the fans? That's what this game is all about."
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As for Acta....it seems he's passing the test so far. All the players seem to love him and he's looking good in interviews. Fans on Acta...
Before asking a question of Manny Acta at a Town Hall session Monday night, an Indians season-ticket holder took his moment at the microphone to start an ovation for the new Tribe skipper.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20...rtnerId=rss_cleActa, of course, has yet to win a game with the Indians, so the applause might have been a bit premature, as Acta himself acknowledge.
"We'll see about that ovation," Acta joked, "in September."
Still, it was clear right then that personality has already won Acta some points in these parts. And in this question-and-answer session at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, in front of about 500 fans and the SportsTime Ohio cameras, the Indians put that personality on display with the intent of reaching out to their fans. Acta was here to generate interest in the 2010 season and to field queries from fans about a variety of topics, both broad and direct. The results will be aired on STO next week.
What the fans saw was what the Indians saw last fall, when they considered dozens of candidates for their managerial vacancy and landed on Acta, the owner of a 158-252 career managerial record with the Nationals.
While the jury is still out as to whether Acta can be successful at this level and in this "reloading" setting in which the Indians are operating, his engaging style of communication and his knowledge about the game in its current state are already winning some folks over. The applause proved as much.
So, what exactly is Acta saying that has some fans feeling optimistic about a ballclub that finished in a tie for last place in the AL Central and traded away its two biggest stars last season?
Well, for one, Acta has demonstrated obvious enthusiasm for the players coming down the pipeline. He name-drops prospects as if he's moonlighting as an editor of Baseball America. Mere minutes into Monday's event, he was talking up the likes of Carlos Santana, Lonnie Chisenhall and Nick Hagadone, none of whom will be on the Tribe's Opening Day roster, but each of whom could become cornerstone players down the road.
"Fans don't know about these guys because they haven't been interviewed for the job here," Acta joked. "I did my homework. When I meet these guys, I tell them, 'I made my decision [to come to Cleveland] based on you guys.' We have a chance to put a good club together like we had in the '90s."
But once that club is assembled, what kind of manager is Acta? One season-ticket holder inquired about Acta's policy on bunting, noting that his predecessor, Eric Wedge, tended to avoid the tactic.
This would have been an opportunity for Acta to simply tell the fan what he wanted to hear, but instead he turned the tables on him, asking him if he would let one of his best hitters bunt with a man on first and none out in order to get the runner into scoring position. The fan answered in the affirmative, and Acta quickly told him he was wrong, before launching into his sabermetric-aided beliefs. He said unless the hitter in question is batting below .240, the stats suggest that you're better off letting the hitter swing away.
"People think it's the absolute right thing to bunt [in that situation]," Acta said, "but you need to check the stats. Back in the day, we didn't have computers, we didn't have Twitter, we didn't have Facebook. They've come up with some things that make you open your eyes and not play like Casey Stengel used to play."
When it comes to his philosophy on the basepaths, Acta said he's a "common-sense guy" who will base his tactics on his personnel. And he believes he has the personnel to be aggressive.
"We have a chance to be not a normal AL club," he said. "We have guys like [Grady] Sizemore, [Asdrubal] Cabrera, [Trevor] Crowe and [shin-Soo] Choo. We have a team that can run and run effectively."
Acta plans to be equally aggressive in getting the Indians to avoid one of the slow starts that often plagued the teams managed by Wedge.
"We have to make sure our guys are aware of what's going on," Acta said. "Even in Spring Training, we need to stress that winning is important. I feel better going to the showers after we win, even if it's an exhibition."
Once the cameras clicked off, Acta didn't want to leave. He continued to field questions and sign autographs for those who stuck around.
One fan asked him if his bilingual abilities will help him deal with the Latin players. Acta revealed that sometimes Latin players are misunderstood. They are groomed in their culture to put their head down when being spoken to by an elder, and this courtesy is often misinterpreted as disrespect.
"It's a totally different culture," he said. "I know that. I'm not going to take it personally, because that's the way we were taught. But we have to keep encouraging these guys to adjust to our culture. That's the role we play."
And in a long season -- the kind of season the Indians could indeed have in 2010 -- Acta said it's important that he not get overly emotional.
"We are trained to not let too many things stop us from sleeping," he said. "It's a 162-game season. You can drop a ball through your legs and take a beating. But in baseball, the very next day you can get a game-winning hit. If you do have things that keep you up at night every night, you'll die. There are worries, obviously. Like our starting rotation. But it's not like you're not going to sleep. You're hoping these guys are going to get better, and I always hope for the best."
The fans here hope for the best, too, of course. And they seemed quick to take the optimistic Acta at his word. One fan remarked, "I'm glad we beat the Astros to the punch and hired you," and Acta was once again quick with a quip.
"September," he said with a smile.
Players on Acta (+ staff)...
CLEVELAND: They've known for months who their new manager is, but it wasn't until this week that many of the Indians' younger players finally met Manny Acta in person.
http://www.ohio.com/sports/indians/82872767.htmlActa arrived at a snow-covered Progressive Field this week to participate in the Indians' press tour and took advantage of a little downtime by meeting one-on-one with some of the Indians' up-and-coming young players.
Outfielder Michael Brantley, who made his major-league debut last year in the final month of the season and batted .313 in 28 games, hopes to win the left-field job out of spring training.
He met with Acta for the first time Tuesday to talk about what he needs to do to start the season with the big club.
''He is such an awesome person, hopefully I get to play for him,'' said Brantley, who came to the Indians as the final piece of the CC Sabathia trade to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008.
''We sat down to talk for a half hour and it only felt like it was five minutes,'' Brantley said. ''It was a normal conversation you usually don't have with a manager at that time. It didn't even feel like I was talking to a manager. It was more like a friend, and that's what you want, to be able to walk up to your coaches and have a normal conversation.''
Left-handed pitcher David Huff, who won 11 games in his rookie season last year, also left his first meeting with Acta on Tuesday impressed.
''The passion he had in everything he said to me, it just motivated me,'' Huff said. ''Honestly, I wish spring training started tomorrow.''
Huff also has the bonus of being reunited with two familiar faces from his time in the minor leagues, Tim Belcher (the new pitching coach) and Scott Radinsky (the new bullpen coach).
''[belcher] is the ultimate competitor when it comes to pitching,'' Huff said. ''I worked with him a little bit in the minors when he'd come to town. And I've been working with Scott Radinsky pretty much for two years. I'm excited to get started because we have a really good staff.''
Left-handed reliever Tony Sipp also is thrilled to have a familiar supporting staff.
''Belcher is a guy I've always respected,'' said Sipp, who was 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 46 appearances last year with the Tribe. ''He's been in the game awhile and has been where I'm trying to get to. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do for me.''
But it's Radinsky, who spent the past three seasons as the Indians' Triple-A pitching coach, who really knows Sipp best.
''We came up through [low Class-A] Lake County together,'' Sipp said. ''It seems like when I move up, he moves up. So he's the guy I'm really looking forward to sitting down with and spending most of my time with in the bullpen. He's a great guy. I can't say enough about him.''
Sipp isn't the only young player to come to Cleveland to rave about Radinsky's help in the minors.
''Sometimes a good coach is the one that knows when not to bother you,'' Sipp said. ''[Radinsky] knows how to sit back and let you be a kid out there. But also when he sees something getting out of hand or something that needs fine-tuned a little more, he'll come out and talk to you.''
What makes Radinsky unique is his different approach to helping players who are struggling.
''It's not always in a traditional way,'' Sipp said, recounting the time early last season when he was sent back to Triple-A Columbus for work on his change-up. ''[Radinsky] told me to stub my big toe in the ground. I was like, 'What?' It didn't make sense at first. But I tried it and it worked.''
When Sipp rejoined the Indians in May after help from Radinsky, he stayed with the club for the remainder of the season.
Wednesday, however, it was time for Sipp to finally meet the other guy who will play a big role in his success at the major-league level.
''As soon as [Acta] came toward me, he started joking around right off,'' Sipp said. ''And that's what I'd kind of heard of him. But before Wednesday, all I had to really to go on was what Wikipedia had on him.
''Having a guy who likes to laugh, it takes pressure off the younger guys. We're already nervous going into [the season with a new coaching staff], so having a guy like him who can ease that transition makes it all the easier. With such a young team, it's a perfect opportunity for a new manager to come in and mold us the way he sees fit.''
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97 losses with Cliff Lee and VMart.13 more without them isnt that hard to believe, and hard for me to say but I think the manager position actually got worse. But he can speak spanish so its ok.
I do understand your concern. But 97 losses with a manager in Wedge that wasn't exactly a great communicator. He clearly had issues motivating, as it took a third of the season before his teams (every season) started showing signs of life. Give Acta a shot. He clearly can communicate with his players. And he really didn't have a whole lot to work with in Washington. This team is more talented than those Nationals. And there's no way he can be less motivational than Wedge.
I do understand your concern. But 97 losses with a manager in Wedge that wasn't exactly a great communicator. He clearly had issues motivating, as it took a third of the season before his teams (every season) started showing signs of life. Give Acta a shot. He clearly can communicate with his players. And he really didn't have a whole lot to work with in Washington. This team is more talented than those Nationals. And there's no way he can be less motivational than Wedge.
I hope Acta takes us to the 'ship..just don't see it happening. I just cant see getting excited about a guy who had a below .400 winning percentage in the NL.. Plus the way you hear fans talk about the guy he has no idea how to "manage" a game, he's all about the numbers..
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I do understand your concern. But 97 losses with a manager in Wedge that wasn't exactly a great communicator. He clearly had issues motivating, as it took a third of the season before his teams (every season) started showing signs of life. Give Acta a shot. He clearly can communicate with his players. And he really didn't have a whole lot to work with in Washington. This team is more talented than those Nationals. And there's no way he can be less motivational than Wedge.
I hope Acta takes us to the 'ship..just don't see it happening. I just cant see getting excited about a guy who had a below .400 winning percentage in the NL.. Plus the way you hear fans talk about the guy he has no idea how to "manage" a game, he's all about the numbers..
I hope Acta takes us to the 'ship..just don't see it happening. I just cant see getting excited about a guy who had a below .400 winning percentage in the NL.. Plus the way you hear fans talk about the guy he has no idea how to "manage" a game, he's all about the numbers..
This is about bunting, isn't it?
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I hope Acta takes us to the 'ship..just don't see it happening. I just cant see getting excited about a guy who had a below .400 winning percentage in the NL.. Plus the way you hear fans talk about the guy he has no idea how to "manage" a game, he's all about the numbers..
This is about bunting, isn't it?
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I do understand your concern. But 97 losses with a manager in Wedge that wasn't exactly a great communicator. He clearly had issues motivating, as it took a third of the season before his teams (every season) started showing signs of life. Give Acta a shot. He clearly can communicate with his players. And he really didn't have a whole lot to work with in Washington. This team is more talented than those Nationals. And there's no way he can be less motivational than Wedge.
I hope Acta takes us to the 'ship..just don't see it happening. I just cant see getting excited about a guy who had a below .400 winning percentage in the NL.. Plus the way you hear fans talk about the guy he has no idea how to "manage" a game, he's all about the numbers..
I hope Acta takes us to the 'ship..just don't see it happening. I just cant see getting excited about a guy who had a below .400 winning percentage in the NL.. Plus the way you hear fans talk about the guy he has no idea how to "manage" a game, he's all about the numbers..
See, I've "listened" to several fans on the net and most all agree with you when it comes to Acta's ability to manage a game. By most all accounts, it's lacking to be sure. However, there are a bunch of guys on one side who swear that he's nothing more than a walking/talking calculator when it comes to in-game decisions. Then there's an equal-sized bunch on the other side who yell at the man for ignoring statistics in favor of "believing" in his player.
A guy over at BBTF - Chris Needham - also has a gig over at nbcwashington.com - has been a frequent critic of Acta. Needham is well-versed when it comes to advanced stats and he's written more than a few times that he was disappointed that Acta talked a good game when it came to game theory. However, he would inevitably ignore the numbers and instead rely on his gut.
Or as he wrote on 10/26/09:
The problem with Acta is that he's such a positive person (think of a happy Buck O'Neil) that he manages as if everything is going to come up with the best-case scenario in a game that's built on failure.
You see this especially with the relievers. "Hey, I know we're only up by 1, but I'm sure that my 6th, 7th and 8th-inning guys can bridge the gap!"
He assumes that players are going to succeed in their roles, no matter what, even if all evidence to that point has shown that they're not capable.
Here's a link to an article of his just prior to the dismissal of Acta:
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/S...atch-Again.html
Obviously, I'm hoping like mad Acta does well. I'm also questioning comments that say he's "all about" numbers or instinct.
Beanpot
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