Scout.com > Cleveland Minor-Leaguers Make Major Impression Story URL: http://indians.scout.com/2/626296.html Chuck Murr IndiansInk.net Mar 12, 2007 WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- A veritable six-ring circus of baseball was on display at the Chain 'O Lakes complex on Monday. Minor-league players got to the batting cages at 7 a.m. and didn't stop various on-field workouts until 1:45 p.m. Then a few groups headed indoors for classroom training. And at 7 p.m., anyone in their first Indians spring camp had an orientation meeting at the team hotel. Whew! No matter where you turn, there's players pitching, hitting or fielding. It's a delight to watch -- and also quite frustrating. Frustrating because no matter how you try, you just can't see everybody. Frustrating because nobody (except coaches) has a name on the back of their uniform. Frustrating because there's multiple players wearing the same uniform numbers. Hey, No. 54 looks pretty good. Well, is that No. 54, William Delage or No. 54 Kelvin N. Diaz or No. 54 Scott Roehl or No. 54 Brian Slocum? All four are pitchers, though with a little work you can decipher the puzzle. Slocum was with the Indians for awhile last year and you've interviewed him in the minors since 2005. It's not him. Delage is a lefty and this guy is right-handed. You saw Roehl pitch at Lake County a couple of years ago, but this guy doesn't look like him. So it has to be Kelvin N. Diaz, a 20-year-old right-hander who has gone 8-3 with a 2.25 ERA combined over the past two years for the Indians' team in the Dominican Summer League. He's known as Kelvin N. Diaz to differentiate from Kelvin Diaz, also age 20, who is an infielder. He hit a whopping .382 with nine homers and 62 RBI in only 58 games for the DSL Indians last summer. RANDOM OBSERVATIONS Matt McBride, a rangy catcher drafted out of Lehigh University last June, has some serious stick. The 6-foot-2 right-hander just looks like he means business when he steps to the plate. His stroke is a bit reminiscent of former Indians Jason Dubois or Josh Phelps. Some fans will laugh at that and say that means McBride is doomed to fail at the big-league level. Not necessarily. Phelps had some good games for Toronto, Dubois has always hit well at Triple-A, and there's more to being a successful hitter than having a nice batting stroke. Perhaps McBride has the intangibles that will make him better -- or maybe he doesn't. NOBODY knows. Fans on both sides of sucn an argument can say for sure and then state "I told you so," then be equally wrong in their next evaluation. Sung-Wei Tseng, 22, the Taiwan Amateur Pitcher of the Year in 2006, looked very good. He has a good fastball and sharp slider. He also has a little hesitation at the top of his delivery ... nothing like the extended stretch of Japan's Hideo Nomo, however. He likely uses it as a timing mechanism. It will be interesting to see if opposing batters time his pitches off of it, too. Ryan Edell, a 2005 draft pick limited by injury to only six games in 2006, threw free and easy. The lefty said he's eager to pick up his career. Carlton Smith, younger brother of former Tribe No. 1 pick Corey Smith, threw very well. The right-hander doesn't look as heavy as the 200 pounds listed in the media guide. Randy Newsome, the "player to be named later" in last year's Coco Crisp-Andy Marte et al trade with Boston, has a throwing motion that makes Tribe sidearmer Matt Miller look like he's throwing overhand. Newsome is almost a submariner, and likes to utilize breaking pitches. Left-hander Chuck Lofgren, sent back to the minor-league camp Sunday, said his two weeks in the major-league camp were "awesome." "I got to know C.C. Sabathia and could talk to him about what it is like for a lefty pitcher in the big leagues. I watched all the pitchers. You can learn from all of them. Paul Byrd and Roberto Hernandez are right-handers, but there's a lot for me to learn from them. You watch the way they field, the way the start their bullpen sessions, the way they work after they pitch. "I felt the experience was very rewarding." Not only are there 52 players remaining in the Indians' big-league camp and more than 150 down on the minor-league fields ... but there are plenty of ex-Indians in other training camps. Here's a current list: ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS None. ATLANTA BRAVES Coach Eddie Perez; RHPs Chad Paronto & Bob Wickman. BALTIMORE ORIOLES RHPs Danys Baez, Rob Bell, Steve Green, Jeremy Guthrie, Paul Shuey & Jaret Wright; INF Eider Torres; OF Jason Dubois. BOSTON RED SOX MGR Terry Francona; Coach John Farrell; RHP Julian Tavarez; INF Alex Cora; OF Coco Crisp & Manny Ramirez. CHICAGO CUBS MGR Lou Piniella; RHPs Bob Howry & Ben Howard; INF Mike Kinkade. CHICAGO WHITE SOX Coaches Harold Baines & Joey Cora; 1B-DH Jim Thome. CINCINNATI REDS Coaches Brook Jacoby & Dick Pole; RHP David Weathers; LHP Rheal Cormier; INF Brandon Phillips. COLORADO ROCKIES Coaches Alan Cockrell, Glenallen Hill & Jamie Quirk; RHP Danny Graves; LHP Tom Martin; OF Willy Taveras. DETROIT TIGERS RHPs Chad Durbin & Jose Mesa; LHPs Tim Byrdak & Felix Heredia; 1B Sean Casey. FLORIDA MARLINS INFs Aaron Boone & Zach Sorensen. HOUSTON ASTROS None. KANSAS CITY ROYALS MGR Buddy Bell; Coach Fred Kendall; RHPs Zach Day, Scott Elarton & David Riske. LOS ANGELES ANGELS Coach Alfredo Griffin; RHPs Bartolo Colon & Justin Speier. LOS ANGELES DODGERS MGR Grady Little; Coach Eddie Murray; RHP Rudy Seanez; LHP Matt White; C Sandy Martinez; INFs Jeff Kent & Damian Jackson. MILWAUKEE BREWERS None. MINNESOTA TWINS None. NEW YORK METS RHP Guillermo Mota; C Sandy Alomar Jr.; INF Julio Franco. NEW YORK YANKEES Coach Tony Pena; C Todd Pratt; 1B Josh Phelps. OAKLAND ATHLETICS RHP Kazuhito Tadano; LHPs Alan Embree & Derek Thompson; OFs Milton Bradley & Ryan Goleski. PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES MGR Charlie Manuel; RHPs Jim Crowell & Kane Davis; C Chris Coste & Dusty Wathan; INF Brent Abernathy; OF Karim Garcia. PITTSBURGH PIRATES Coach Jeff Manto; RHP Jim Brower; C Einar Diaz; INF Mike Edwards & Jose Hernandez; OF Jody Gerut (he started camp with Pittsburgh, but was released March 8). ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Coach Dave Duncan; LHP Ricardo Rincon; INF Jolbert Cabrera; OF Ryan Ludwick. SAN DIEGO PADRES Coach Darrel Akerfelds; RHPs Andrew Brown & Steve Watkins; C Josh Bard; 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff; INF-OF Russell Branyan; OF Brian Giles. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Coach Willie Upshaw; LHP Steve Kline; RHP David Cortes; INFs Omar Vizquel & Ivan Ochoa; OF Dave Roberts. SEATTLE MARINERS MGR Mike Hargrove; LHP Arthur Rhodes; 1B Ben Broussard & Richie Sexson. TEXAS RANGERS MGR Ron Washington; Coach Dom Chiti; RHPs Francisco Cruceta & Kevin Millwood; INF Ramon Vazquez; OF Kenny Lofton. TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS Coach George Hendrick; RHP Dan Miceli. TORONTO BLUE JAYS Coach Brad Arnsberg; LHP Brian Tallet; INF John McDonald. WASHINGTON NATIONALS Coach Pat Corrales; LHPs Mike Bacsik & Billy Traber; OF Alex Escobar. Copyright © Scout.com and IndiansInk.net