April 18, 2021
Cesar Valdez’s name has graced this column a handful of times over the past year, most recently a month ago when I asked him about his powerful paralyzing perfect pachydermous percussion pitch. (No, the Baltimore Orioles reliever doesn’t actually call it that, but given that Bugs Bunny changeups make up the lion’s share of his deliveries, he arguably should). Since the start of last season, Valdez has thrown the mesmerizing offering an eye-popping 83.1% of the time.
The Red Sox have faced the 36-year-old slow-baller on three occasions so far in April, so I asked Boston hitting coach Tim Hyers what kind of advice he gives his charges when Valdez is on the bump.
Terry Francona facing some big questions as Cleveland Indians open 2021 season
Updated Apr 01, 2021;
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CLEVELAND, Ohio Terry Francona’s track record speaks for itself.
The Indians have enjoyed eight straight winning seasons, including five postseason appearances, an American League pennant and three division titles since he became manager in 2013. But as the 2021 season is set to begin, Francona and the Indians are faced with the reality that all good things including his run as Indians skipper eventually come to an end.
With one eye on the season ahead, Francona and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti have no doubt had discussions this offseason about what the future holds and where the 61 year old aligns with the franchise moving forward.
Prospectnvstr
Rangers29: The Indians rcvd Andres Gimenez for the next handful of yrs to play SS as part of the Lindor walk year deal. Not to mention Amed Rosario for the next 3-4 yrs as well. As for Carlos Carrasco going to the Mets, the Indians rcvd the Mets ’19 AND ’20 2nd Rd picks (RHP Josh Wolf) (OF Isaiah Greene). Both of them were drafted out of high school so they’re far away from the Majors but the upside is definitely there. The Indians also have more young pitching coming up as well. So they traded from a strength and getting pieces for now and (probably/hopefully) their future.
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CLEVELAND Almost every team has a player who goes by his nickname more often than his birth name. Some nicknames are as simple as changing “Roberto” to “Berto,” like the Indians’ current starting catcher. But others can get much more creative.
What are some of the best nicknames in Indians history? Let’s take a look.
1. Pronk
Maybe Travis Hafner didn’t have the typical athletic body type. He was larger than most, weighing 240 pounds as a 6-foot-3-inch designated hitter. He earned the nicknames “The Project” and “Donkey,” but it wasn’t until utility man Bill Selby morphed the names together to create the one and only, Pronk. The name later turned into a candy bar in 2006, as Malley’s Chocolates of Cleveland created a treat that Hafner told MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince tasted like a Nestle Crunch bar, but with “better chocolate.”