Gomes included on Indians' ALDS roster Catcher worked hard to return from injuries in time for postseason

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1 Gomes included on Indians' ALDS roster Catcher worked hard to return from injuries in time for postseason By Jordan Bastian / October 5th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- A week ago, the assumption remained that Indians catcher Yan Gomes was done for the season. On Wednesday, Cleveland announced that Gomes will be a part of its roster for the American League Division Series against the Red Sox. Gomes' incredible return from multiple injuries highlights the names included on the Tribe's 25-man roster for the ALDS, which is set to begin with Game 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at Progressive Field (TBS). With Gomes in the fold, Cleveland plans on carrying three catchers, meaning the pitching staff will consist of 11 arms (three starters and eight relievers). "It's been a roller coaster of emotions," said Gomes, who sustained a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist on Sept. 14. "I went from sitting in a hospital room with my hand broken, and not going to lie, crying my eyes out, because I'm not going to be part of the team. But then, once I got my stuff together, I was like, 'You know what? I can try to make a comeback.' "I got to play in a couple games, and to be put on the roster is pretty rewarding for me and I'm just going to try to do my best to help our team any way I can." Indians manager Terry Francona said Gomes' swift comeback was unexpected. "I'm surprised," Francona said. "I think we were being really honest about his chances and things like that. I didn't think it was fair to ever put it out there that there was a possibility, because by all rights he shouldn't have had a realistic possibility." Here is a glance at the Indians' ALDS roster:no surprises here. Bauer is scheduled to take the ball in Game 1, while Kluber, Cleveland's ace and a Cy Young contender, is slated to start Game 2 on Friday (4:30 p.m., TBS). Kluber could have started the ALDS opener, but the Indians opted to hold him back by one game due to the mild quadriceps strain he sustained on Sept. 26. This way, Kluber can stay on normal rest in the event the series extends to Game 5. Bauer would pitch on three days' rest if a Game 4 is necessary. Tomlin is Cleveland's probable starter for Game 3 on Sunday in Boston (4 p.m., TBS). Bullpen: Cody Allen, Cody Anderson, Mike Clevinger, Jeff Manship, Zach McAllister, Andrew Miller, Dan Otero and Bryan Shaw The only twist here would be the inclusion of Anderson, who can log multi-inning relief appearances. Once the Indians knew that Danny Salazar (right forearm) would not be ready to pitch in the ALDS, Anderson became a realistic option. Cleveland also opted to carry only one lefty, though Miller is far more than a specialist. The relief ace serves as a high-leverage weapon for manager Terry Francona, who does not have a designated closer. Allen gets the bulk of the saves, but the Indians do not have assigned innings for Miller, Allen or Shaw. Francona uses them when he feel it makes the most sense. Since Miller's arrival via trade on July 31, the main five relief arms (Miller, Allen, Shaw, Otero and McAllister) have combined for a 1.76 ERA. Infield: Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Michael Martinez, Mike Napoli, Jose Ramirez and Carlos Santana Napoli and Santana, who each belted 34 home runs this season, alternate between first base and designated hitter. If a lefty is pitching, Santana typically hits out of the No. 5 spot behind Napoli, with outfielder Rajai Davis leading off. On days with a righty on the mound, Santana has been leading off, with Ramirez moving into the fifth hole. Ramirez has been one of the AL's top hitters with runners in scoring position, while ranking near the top of the league in Win Probability Added. Lindor and Kipnis have both enjoyed career years up the middle. Martinez is a switch-hitting utility player whose calling card is defense. He can offer emergency depth in the outfield, too. Outfield: Lonnie Chisenhall, Coco Crisp, Brandon Guyer, Tyler Naquin and Davis Crisp assumes the roster spot previously held by Abraham Almonte, who is ineligible for the postseason. Francona featured multiple outfield platoons this season and that should continue in October. Chisenhall (right field) and Naquin (center) typically only start against right-handers, while Guyer (corner outfield) and Davis (left and center) get the bulk of their at-bats against lefties. Francona will not hesitate to pinch-hit in the middle innings with the outfielders on the bench if it makes sense in terms of platoon advantage. Catchers: Chris Gimenez, Roberto Perez and Gomes Gomes sustained a separated shoulder on July 17 and then a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist in a Double-A rehab game on Sept. 14. At the time of the broken wrist, the catcher was given a timetable of return of six to eight weeks. Knowing he could not really injure his wrist further, Gomes pushed hard behind the scenes to return and started Cleveland's final regular-season game on Sunday. The catcher logged five innings behind the plate and launched a home run in his first at-bat. Gomes and Perez are above-average defenders, and the staff has enjoyed working with Gimenez in Gomes' absence. All three have labored at the plate, so Francona does not hesitate to pinch-hit for his catchers in the middle or late innings. With that in mind, carrying three catchers can lend itself to some in-game strategy. Rajai, Alomar key to Indians' elite baserunning By Jordan Bastian / October 5th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- The Tribe kept running. Three stolen bases in the first inning. Another pair in the fourth. By the end of the night, the Indians had eight thefts, matching a franchise record that had stood since the days of Braggo Roth nearly a century ago. After that Aug. 12 display against the Angels, Rajai Davis was asked what the team found within Tyler Skaggs' delivery that made so many steals possible. Cleveland's fleet-footed outfielder cocked his head and flashed a grin. He was not about to reveal any secrets. "It was a little bit of just instincts," Davis said, "with a bit of preparation." Dating back to Day 1 of Spring Training, baserunning preparation was high on the priority list for the Indians. The American League Central champs ended the season with the second-highest run total in the league, but no one around the team expected that kind of production. Cleveland expected to manufacture runs, and running the bases well was going to be integral to acheive that goal. On the eve of Game 1 of the AL Division Series against Boston -- beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday on TBS -- the Indians are the best baserunning team in the league. The Tribe led the AL in stolen bases (134), stolen-base success rate (81 percent) and FanGraphs' allencompassing Baserunning metric (17.1).

2 "We don't have to steal bases to be a good baserunning team," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I think that's one of our strengths, and I think it will continue." As Francona noted, steals are not Cleveland's only weapon. This season, the Indians took an AL-leading 186 bases via fly balls, passed balls, wild pitches, balks or defensive indifference. Cleveland also ranked first in the league in extra-base taken rate (45 percent), which includes advancing more than one base on a single or more than two on a double. Cleveland's 104 steals of second base led the AL, as did the team's 29 thefts of third. Anyone asked about the baserunning said it all begins with Davis. "Rajai has shown the way to steal bases," Indians first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. said. "He's not just a fast guy. He prepares himself. He knows what the guys are going to do. He has a great idea of what to do when he gets on base, and what guys are going to do to him." Francona explained it in more simplified terms. "When you put him in to pinch-run," Francona said, "and the whole world knows he's going to steal, he still can steal." At 35 years old, and in his 11th Major League season, Davis led the American League with 43 stolen bases. He became the first player since Rickey Henderson in 1998 to have at least that many thefts at age 35 or older. Davis was the first Indians player to lead the AL in steals since 1996 (Kenny Lofton) and his season total was more than the Mets, Cardinals and Orioles had as a team. Davis led the AL with a 10.0 Baserunning rating, though Cleveland's Jose Ramirez was not far behind in fourth (8.7). Davis, Ramirez (22 steals), Francisco Lindor (19) and Jason Kipnis (15) gave Cleveland four players with at least 15 steals and 70 runs, equaling a club record also set in 1993 and Carlos Santana led the AL in bases taken (29) and Lonnie Chisenhall ranked as Cleveland's third-best runner (2.7 Baserunning rating). Lindor said watching Davis makes the younger players want to keep up. "You see the veteran guy working hard, competing day in and day out," said the 22-year-old Lindor. "Me, as a younger guy, I'm not going to let him make me look bad, you know? I've got to do things right. If they're doing it right, and they're older than me, and they've been in the league for 10 years plus, then I've got to do it like they're doing." Davis was quick to credit Alomar -- a former catcher with 20 years of experience in the Majors -- for his role in Cleveland's running game. "Sandy's excellent," Davis said. "He's one of the best in the game at just kind of helping us out and reading pitchers. It's really been a blessing to be able to work with Sandy." The biggest example came on Aug. 12 against the Angels. After Cleveland identified something between Skaggs and catcher Geovany Soto, the club had an historic showing. Davis stole second and third in the first and Kipnis followed suit with a steal in the opening frame. Ramirez swiped second and third in the fourth. Davis nabbed second again in the fifth and Ramirez did the same. Lindor got in on the action in the sixth, stealing second and moving to third on an error. Not since Aug. 27, 1917, when Tris Speaker, Joe Harris, Bill Wambsganss and Roth achieved the feat, had a Cleveland club stolen eight bags. "Sometimes," Davis said, "you've just got to go out there and go." October Confidential: Red Sox How do you beat the Red Sox? MLB.com asked rival players from around Major League Baseball to offer an inside look at how best to face the American League East champions. David Price "Tremendous competitor. Has notoriously not done well in the playoffs. But he's a guy with power stuff, he can locate the ball, he's going to give them a chance to win that game, especially with that offense. He's a guy that, especially being in Boston, he knows about it now, that his postseason struggles are going to be in the spotlight, and he'll definitely be looking to give that little extra mile to kind of quiet those critics. He's going to be tough to beat." -- AL catcher "To me, he's their wild card. In Boston, he's been lights-out. Away from Boston, it could be a different story. He's a ground-ball pitcher, so your goal is to get him up and over the middle of the plate. Not that the strike zone should change in the playoffs, but it does a little bit, just because of the national attention it gets. And to me, he's a guy who has to live off the corners of the plate and get you to swing at balls." -- AL catcher Craig Kimbrel "Extreme power at the back end. He's also a guy. In certain counts and certain situations, he has a higher tendency of throwing certain pitches. So that's something we definitely key in on, is count-specific pitch types. And you've got to make him throw strikes, because he struggled doing that this year." -- AL catcher David Ortiz "Papi is so good at going the other way if he wants to. He can fillet a ball to left field off the wall. It's a single for him that's an out normally. Especially if there's somebody on base, that's where damage comes from. To me, you can pitch to him, but, if you make a mistake, it will not come back -- a majority of the time, it's going over the fence. But he's so smart, and you have to pitch him differently each at-bat. You can't get him out the same way because he's definitely paying attention and looking for that." -- AL catcher Mookie Betts "What a player. That guy is special. You've just got to try to bounce him back and forth. You cannot throw two pitches in the same location. You have to continually mix it up, and you have to keep him off his front foot. Because he's such a good bad-ball hitter. I think it's almost better to throw it in the zone and hope he hits it at somebody. That's the kind of year he's having." -- AL catcher ationals Dustin Pedroia

3 "He's a guy that's a singles hitter now, more of a table-setter. But he's going to beat you in a lot of different ways with the bat. He's a good badball hitter, and you have to grind through that at-bat. He's tremendous at fouling pitches off until you make a mistake that he can flip into left field. That wall at Fenway plays perfect for him, too." -- AL catcher Xander Bogaerts "You think you can get in on him, but he covers a lot of the inside of the plate. He's gotten better at it. Bogaerts is a really tough out. He has power, but he'll also take his singles every chance he gets. Just has a knack for barrelling the ball." -- AL East starting pitcher Red Sox/Indians: A position-by-position ALDS look By Mike Petriello / October 5th, COMMENTS Can a team advance in the postseason without any of its three top elite starters at full strength? That's what the Indians are going to try to prove when they go up against the dangerous Red Sox lineup in the American League Division Series (starting tonight at 8 ET on TBS) without the services of Carlos Carrasco (finger) or Danny Salazar (forearm), and with ace Corey Kluber taking the hill in Game 2 for the first time since straining his quad last Monday. Still, we've been underestimating Cleveland all year, dating back to this past offseason, when its outfield was deemed unacceptably weak... before becoming one of the five most productive units in the game. The Red Sox seem to have finally sorted out their bullpen issues and won the most games in the AL in the second half (44), though Cleveland won the second-most (42) in the league. It's closer than it seems, is the point, and don't forget how much Andrew Miller has meant to that Cleveland bullpen, particularly with manager Terry Francona willing to use him in the biggest spots, regardless of the inning. Let's go position-by-position for strengths and weaknesses. Catcher Perhaps the biggest out-of-nowhere story in baseball this year was that of Sandy Leon, who was DFA'd last July, went unclaimed, then put up a.310/.369/.476 (123 wrc+, where 100 is league average) line so impressive that it was basically the same as Jonathan Lucroy. But it was clear that couldn't keep up, and it didn't, as the inevitable regression began with a.286 OBP and.253 slugging percentage after Sept. 1. That's a 44 wrc+ that's roughly even to the 46 wrc+ Cleveland's catchers combined for this year, thanks to a.242 OBP and.316 slugging mark. Advantage: Push First Base Mike Napoli was one of the best signings of the past offseason, as he hit a career-high 34 homers for Cleveland -- though his.335 OBP was well down from when he'd regularly touch ; the resulting 113 wrc+ placed him 13th in a deep group of first basemen. Still, even that good season can't quite match up to what Hanley Ramirez did, as mid-season mechanical changes helped him elevate the ball and start crushing. Only three players had more second-half homers than Ramirez' 22, to go with a great.284/.354/.593 (146 wrc+) line. Advantage: Red Sox Second Base Dustin Pedroia has been one of baseball's best second basemen for years, he started 151 games at second this year, and he hit.318/.376/.449 (120 wrc+). Jason Kipnis has been one of baseball's best second basemen for years, he started 151 games at second this year, and he hit.275/.343/.469 (117 wrc+). You might prefer Pedroia's superior on-base skills or Kipnis' better power, but these are two of the game's best playing at similarly high levels. Advantage: Push Shortstop How in the world do you choose between two of the game's brightest young shortstop stars? Francisco Lindor (.301/.358/.435, 112 wrc+) and Xander Bogaerts (.294/.356/.446, 113 wrc+) both had very strong seasons. The slight edge here goes to Lindor, because he's more highlyregarded on defense (No. 1 in FanGraphs' "Defense" ranking among shortstops), and because Bogaerts had a very rough second half (.253/.317/.412, 92 wrc+). Tiny advantage: Indians (but your mileage may vary) Third Base Jose Ramirez might be Cleveland's under-the-radar MVP, because he stepped up to cover for the injured Michael Brantley in left early in the year, took over the regular third-base job in July after Juan Uribe was let go, and hit the entire time:.312/.363/.462, 122 wrc+, 22 steals. The Red Sox have tried to mix and match with Travis Shaw and Brock Holt, but overall the Boston hot corner (.238/.304/.381, 78 wrc+) has been the weakest group in baseball. Big advantage: Indians Left Field The Red Sox have settled on a platoon of rookie lefty Andrew Benintendi (.295/.359/.476, 120 wrc+) and veteran righty Chris Young, and that's worked pretty well, though Young's lefty-crushing value (.267/.365/.481 career, and better this year) may be limited against a Cleveland staff that has no prominent lefty outside of Miller. With Ramirez at third and Abraham Almonte ineligible to play in the postseason after being suspened for a positive PED test before this season, Cleveland will counter with Rajai Davis and Coco Crisp, who were both slightly belowaverage with the bat -- though Davis did steal 43 bags. Advantage: Red Sox Center Field The rocket-armed Jackie Bradley Jr. is responsible for four of the 16 throws tracked by Statcast as being 100 mph or more from an outfielder this year, but that's less of an advantage here, because Cleveland's Tyler Naquin had two of them himself. After an AL MVP Award-quality start, Bradley fell off badly in the second half (.233/.315/.412, 90 wrc+), and he was outhit by Naquin (.296/.372/.514, 135 wrc+) on the season.

4 Naquin doesn't start against lefties, though, so we may see Davis here against David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez, and the defensive metrics all preferred Bradley. We'll call this a tie. Advantage: Push Right Field Mookie Betts may very well win the AL MVP Award, and he'll get a considerable amount of first-place votes even if he doesn't win. Betts is an elite defensive outfielder, leading all of baseball in Defensive Runs Saved, and he did it with a.318/.363/.534 (135 wrc+) line that's one of the 10 best in the AL. He even stole 26 bases while being caught only four times. All due respect to Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer, but this one isn't close. Big, big advantage: Red Sox Designated Hitter It's worth noting here that Carlos Santana is really, really good, putting up a career-best 34 homers with an excellent.259/.366/.498 (132 wrc+) line, even hitting leadoff 85 times. It's just that David Ortiz (.315/.401/.620, 163 wrc+) was the second-best hitter in all of baseball behind only Mike Trout, and as we pointed out above, Cleveland doesn't have any lefty starters to make Papi's life slightly more difficult. Advantage: Red Sox Bench Along with Holt/Shaw, Young and a backup catcher, expect the Red Sox to carry infielder Aaron Hill as well. Cleveland's bench will be determined by how the outfield shakes out in any given game, though it's possible the only backup infielder will be the weak-hitting Michael Martinez. Guyer, at least, has long smashed lefties (career line of.288/.390/.469, 144 wrc+). Small advantage: Red Sox Starting Pitchers If the Indians were at full strength, they'd probably have the best rotation in the AL. They're not, so they don't. So, so much depends on how Kluber's quad reacts, but mostly they need Game 1 starter Trevor Bauer to be more like first-half Bauer (.227/.299/.340 against, 3.30 ERA) and less like second-half Bauer (.264/.342/.449, 5.36). The third and fourth starters would come from a group including Josh Tomlin, Cody Anderson and Mike Clevinger, which is less than ideal. The Red Sox may have the AL Cy Young winner in Rick Porcello starting Game 1, then get to throw Price, who has been better than you think, behind him. Advantage: Red Sox Closer It's difficult to believe considering that Boston has Craig Kimbrel, but... this one is a toss-up, and that's not because of Miller. It's partially because Kimbrel has shown a worrisome inability to throw strikes, with a 13.6 percent walk rate that's easily a career high -- an issue that became more pronounced late, walking six in his final three appearances. (His ERA/FIP of 3.40/2.92 are both career highs.) Meanwhile, Cody Allen remains one of the more underrated relievers in the game, striking out 87 in 68 innings and allowing just one run in the season's final six weeks. Advantage: Push Relief Pitchers Miller has a legitimate case to be considered as dominant as Zach Britton, though it doesn't seem like he's talked about that way, and Francona's usage of him has been stellar. You'll also see some quality arms like Dan Otero and Bryan Shaw for a team that will have to rely heavily on their relievers. That said, the Red Sox bullpen has peaked at absolutely the right time, as Boston finally has Kimbrel, Koji Uehara, and Brad Ziegler healthy simultaneously, plus the long-awaited bullpen transition of Joe Kelly has been a success -- he's allowed two runs in 17 2/3 innings, touching triple digits with his fastball. The Red Sox as a unit had a 1.80 ERA after Sept. 1, and they might not even be able to find room for all of their relievers, especially if Drew Pomeranz makes it here. Small advantage: Red Sox Indians' bullpen prepared for any scenario By Jordan Bastian / October 5th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- It is impossible to simulate an October environment. Over the final six weeks of the regular season, though, the Indians dealt with a series of rotation issues that pressed their bullpen into duty early and often. The group was tasked with more high-intensity innings that anyone could have anticipated. It is no secret that bullpens can play an integral part on the postseason stage. Look no further than the Royals of recent Octobers to see how far an overpowering relief corps can take a team. Given the way things went down the stretch for the Tribe, manager Terry Francona's bullpen army is more than prepped for what could be coming. "I doubt any other bullpen is more prepared," Indians relief ace Andrew Miller said, "for that mentality of going out there and expecting to have to cover seven or eight innings. Ideally, our starters pitch well and pitch deep. But, there might be some days where we have to use everybody out there." The Indians, who will host the Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Thursday (8 p.m. ET, TBS), ended the regular season with a league-leading seven games that included at least eight pitchers. Four of those games came in September, when the Indians lost starters Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco to injuries. In the wake of those injuries, and while trying to work through Josh Tomlin's search for consistency after a rough August, the Indians had three designated bullpen days in the final month. Then there was Sept. 17, when Carrasco left after only two pitches after being hit on the right hand by a line drive. In that game, the bullpen patched together 10 shutout innings en route to a 1-0 win over the Tigers. On the season, the Indians had 30 games in which their starter went no more than four innings. Ten of those games came in September, and Cleveland still managed an record over the season's final month.

5 "The way the bullpen has kind of come together," said Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti, "and been used in the course of the last six weeks really had a playoff-type environment to it, or feel to it. So, I think our guys are really prepared going into the postseason and positioned to be successful." A lot of the Indians' success as a bullpen came after Miller was acquired via trade from the Yankees on July 31. With Miller in the fold, Francona has been better able to mix and match his relief options in the most opportune situations. Miller can handle a lot of the tough left-handed hitters, allowing the manager to pinpoint better stretches of lineup to utiliize right-handers Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Dan Otero and Zach McAllister. Helping matters is the fact that each of those pitchers has shown a willingness to log mulit-inning efforts, if needed. Since Miller joined the fold, Cleveland top five relief arms -- including Allen, Shaw, Otero and McAllister -- have combined for a 1.76 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a.192/.235/.287 opponents' slash line over 127 2/3 innings. That includes 142 strikeouts against 26 walks. Behind that group, Cleveland will feature Mike Clevinger, Cody Anderson and Jeff Manship on the ALDS roster. If the Indians only get four or five innings from their starter -- a possibility in the high-pressure environment of the postseason -- the team is confident it has the arms to make up the difference. "We've done it multiple times, especially in September," Shaw said. "We had some guys with quick hooks. I think there were a couple times with bullpen days. We're always ready, whether it's the first inning or the ninth inning." From bullpen to Game 1: Bauer earns Tribe's trust By Jason Beck / October 5th, COMMENT CLEVELAND -- The question was fairly typical for a young pitcher at a postseason pre-start press conference: If someone had told Trevor Bauer before the season began that he'd go from the Opening Day bullpen to Game 1 starter in the AL Division Series, what would he have said? The answer was fairly typical Bauer, which isn't typical at all. "I'm not sure. I probably wouldn't have said anything," he said on the eve of Game 1 (8 p.m. ET on TBS). "I just would have walked away probably, knowing me and my personality." He's unique, and he acknowledges it. He also realizes that doesn't always make him easy to work with. His throwing routine, including extralong tossing, has been a topic of discussion with coaches in the past, and a touchy topic with him. "It's been evolving, that's for sure," Indians manager Terry Francona said of their relationship. This year, both Bauer and the Indians have been flexible about his between-outings work, a middle ground that evolved after Bauer spent most of April in the bullpen. "They have a routine that they're confident in and helps get them prepared to pitch," Bauer said. "I may do different stuff in my routine, but it's for the same purpose, so you can try to control how your body feels, have it be as repeatable as possible from start to start. I'm very confident in it. I think it works for me. I feel great. I feel strong. "The Indians as an organization have done a great job kind of allowing me to do that, trying to learn what it is I do. I can be difficult to deal with sometimes, but I think they've done a good job kind of navigating that and finding a working relationship with me." The fact that Bauer is starting Game 1 against the Red Sox furthers that relationship. Agree or disagree with his routine, with so many starters out and Corey Kluber bouncing back, the Indians need Bauer. In turn, Bauer needs to rise to the opportunity, including pitching on three days of rest in a potential Game 4 in the best-of-five series. "Kluber is the undisputed ace of our staff," Francona said. "Everybody knows what he's been through, and it's easier for him to pitch in Game 2. I don't think anybody has any trepidation about letting Trevor pitch in Game 1. I think he's been waiting for this his whole life. And we also think he can bounce back and pitch on short rest and do just fine." A Game 4 challenge would come with the added difficulty of Fenway Park, where Bauer has pitched and lost in each of the last two seasons. After giving up five runs on six hits while recording just five outs last year, he rebounded for four runs on eight hits over five innings on May 21. Bauer acknowledges his challenges on that, too. "I think I threw the ball well [in May]," Bauer said. "Pitching in Fenway is a different animal. So hopefully I get another crack at that." Indians create, donate to Larry Doby Youth Fund By Ben Weinrib / MLB.com October 5th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Just before the start of their American League Division Series matchup, the Indians announced the creation of The Larry Doby Youth Fund, which includes a donation of $1 million. The fund provides assistance to the underserved youth of Cleveland. Doby was a Hall of Fame center fielder who spent 10 seasons with the Indians, including seven All-Star campaigns. He broke the color barrier in the AL in 1947 and was a part of the last Indians team to win a World Series, in "As many are aware, Hall of Fame Cleveland Indian Larry Doby was the first African-American to play in the American League," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He endured many unfair hardships and challenges, and handled everything with the professionalism and grace that defined him. It is in Mr. Doby's spirit that we have created The Larry Doby Youth Fund." In addition to the team's donation, each of the current players, coaches and members of the support staff also chose to donate to the fund. "We are very fortunate to be a part of Major League Baseball," Francona said, "and we accept the social responsibility that comes with that -- to use our resources to directly make an impact on the underserved youth of our community, to make our community better." The Cleveland Foundation will administer the Larry Doby Youth Fund and will work with youth-focused community organizations to provide educational assistance and resources to help curb youth violence.

6 "Larry Doby is an icon in our community, and the Cleveland Indians are true champions for continuing his civic legacy at all levels of the organization," Cleveland Foundation president and CEO Ronn Richard said. "By giving back to Cleveland and serving their youngest fans, the Cleveland Indians and their uniformed personnel in this instance demonstrate once again why we are proud to root for the home team." Fans wishing to rally together with the Indians clubhouse to support the kids in our community can make a donation by Nov. 2 to The Larry Doby Youth Fund by visiting: Clevelandfoundation.org/larrydobyyouthfund. Fans can also text CLEVE to to donate $5 to The Larry Doby Youth Fund of the Cleveland Foundation by Nov. 2. Bauer, Porcello set to open ALDS in Cleveland By Manny Randhawa / MLB.com October 5th, COMMENTS Twelve years ago, Terry Francona led the Red Sox to their first World Series title in 86 years. Now at the helm of the Indians, Francona will open his seventh postseason as a manager tonight at Progressive Field against Boston, looking to end another long championship drought -- Cleveland's 68 years without a World Series crown. "The one thing I think I need to be cognizant of is the players have worked so hard -- both sides -- to get to this," Francona said. "So, whatever my feelings are need to remain my feelings, and let the players [have the spotlight]." The American League Division Series, which will air on TBS beginning at 8 ET tonight, will mark the fifth time the Red Sox and Indians have met in the playoffs. The most recent was the 2007 AL Championship Series, in which Boston overcame a 3-1 deficit to hand Cleveland a heartbreaking defeat in seven games. Led by Francona, the Red Sox would go on to win the World Series for their second championship in four years. The two clubs also met in the 1999 ALDS (won by Boston), the 1998 ALDS (won by Cleveland) and the 1995 ALDS (won by Cleveland). Beyond the organizational October histories are the personal histories intertwined in this clash, from Francona and Red Sox skipper John Farrell (a former Indians pitcher and farm director) to Red Sox GM Mike Hazen (who began his front-office career as a Cleveland intern) to Tribe slugger Mike Napoli (a member of the '13 Boston club that won it all) and on and on and on. How much does all of that matter between the lines? Not a whit. What matters more is the Indians' ability to overcome the rash of injuries to their once-loaded rotation and Boston's ability to keep its league-leading offense churning out the runs on the road. Game 1 does not present the pitching matchup one would have expected back on Opening Day at Progressive Field, when former Cy Young winners David Price and Corey Kluber opposed each other. Instead, because of Kluber's late-season issue with mild quadriceps strain and because of the emergence of a new Cy Young candidate in Boston, those two are pushed back to Game 2. In the spotlight for Game 1 on Thursday will be right-handers Rick Porcello of the Red Sox and Trevor Bauer of the Indians. The 27-year-old Porcello, a leading Cy Young candidate, boasts a 3.15 ERA this season, and gave up two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings for a win over Cleveland on May 22 at Fenway Park. The right-hander had a stellar second half, posting a 2.62 ERA and 92 strikeouts to just 11 walks. Porcello will make his third career start and ninth career appearance in the postseason -- he's 0-2 with a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings, all for the Tigers from "They have some different guys and some different looks, but the core guys are still the same." Porcello said of the Indians. "They do a bunch of different things to come at you. We have to prepare for that and be ready to counter." Bauer will start Game 1 instead of ace Kluber. Francona said he felt more comfortable starting Kluber in Game 2 following extended rest. Josh Tomlin is expected to start Game 3. Bauer, who will make his first career postseason start, began the season in the bullpen but was moved into the starting rotation after fourth starter Cody Anderson struggled in the early going. As a starter, Bauer went 10-8 with a 4.35 ERA in 28 appearances. The 25-year-old posted a 3.30 ERA prior to the All-Star break, but has struggled in his last six starts with a 6.39 ERA. In his lone start against Boston this season, Bauer surrendered four runs on eight hits over five innings in a loss at Fenway Park on May 21. The Indians own the third-best home record in the Majors this season, at But Cleveland lost two out of three against the Red Sox at Progressive Field. Several Indians hitters have had success against Porcello in their careers: Carlos Santana is 12-for-41 (.293), with two doubles, three home runs and four RBIs; Jason Kipnis is 10-for-31 (.323), with a double, homer and eight RBIs; Napoli is 7-for-22 (.318) with two doubles and a triple; and Yan Gomes is 5-for-13 (.385) with two doubles. "We're pretty similar, actually. I think we're No. 1 and 2 [in the AL] in offense," Kipnis said. "With the bullpens and quality starters that are going to be out there, it's going to be a fun matchup. I know a lot of guys are going to be the underdogs in our own ballpark now.... All we can do is use that as an advantage for us. We just want to say, 'Be careful what you wish for.'" The Red Sox have the highest-scoring offense in the Majors, and averaged 5.2 runs per game in their season series against Cleveland, winning four of six contests. Mookie Betts, David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez have each hit well in a small sample size against Bauer: Betts is 3- for-5 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs, Ortiz is 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and three RBIs, while Ramirez is 2-for-5 with two RBIs. "I feel like this team is very comfortable on the road," said Price, who is expected to start Game 2 for Boston on Friday. "We've played really good baseball on the road, especially the past month and a half or two months and that's something we kind of relish." One club is vying for its fourth championship in a dozen years. The other seeks its first in nearly seven decades. But the road to the World Series for the Red Sox and Indians begins Thursday on the shores of Lake Erie. Friendly rivalry: Farrell, Francona share bond By Ian Browne / October 5th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Of course it has to be Cleveland where Indians manager Terry Francona and Red Sox skipper John Farrell will oppose each other in the postseason for the first time.

7 The seeds for one of the most genuine friendships in baseball were planted in the summer of 1988 when Farrell (a career-high 14 wins that season) and Francona (.311 batting average in 212 at-bats) spent their only season as teammates with the Indians. Twenty-eight years later, their bond is only deeper even as they face off in a Division Series between the Red Sox and the Indians. Prior to tonight's Game 1 (8 p.m. ET, TBS), when Francona is announced during pregame intros, he will reach over to the third-base side of home plate and greet his good friend. Whichever manager wins this series isn't going to feel good about the pain the other one will endure. "And it's tough when you're going to compete against one of your best friends. That's actually kind of hard, but I am so proud of him and happy for him, what he's accomplished," said Francona, who managed the Red Sox from "I kind of consider it an honor to actually compete against him." They made it to the postseason for three of the four years ( ) they were together in Boston -- Francona as manager and Farrell as the pitching coach. As a tandem, they basked in World Series championship glory -- eliminating the Indians along the way -- in When Francona won the AL Manager of the Year Award in '13, Farrell finished second. That same year, Farrell's Red Sox won the World Series. But their relationship has long transcended the game they love. When Farrell underwent his first chemotherapy treatment last August for Burkitt lymphoma, the Indians happened to be in Boston. Francona accompanied him for the daunting experience, keeping him loose with humor and making sure Farrell knew he was there for him. "We've shared a lot of personal things," said Farrell. "Whether it's health, off-the-field situations, in addition to the professional side of things. He's been a great friend. He has been very open and helpful when talking through certain situations. He's always been someone to lean on." Farrell has made his share of friends during his time in baseball, but it's safe to say where Francona ranks among them. "He's at the top of it because of so many things that we've shared as teammates and on the same staff," said Farrell. "He's a great manager, and it would be crazy not to reach out to him when certain situations arise. I think, more than anything, if you're ever in need, it's always a phone call that will be taken and he'll help you in any way possible." Francona and Farrell are the only Boston managers who have won World Series championships since Boston is a market that can carve a manager up with scrutiny, and Farrell had the advantage of watching how Francona handled every situation for four years. What were Farrell's biggest takeaways from Francona? "The way he dealt with the different personalities here. The way that he would pre-empt any situation that might become a big story in the media," said Farrell. "His ability to contain that from maybe growing into a bigger issue than it was. So his ability to manage a clubhouse, manage individual personalities and so many different types that were here during the four years together. He was a master at that. "And then the trust that he puts in players. He never forgot how difficult the game is. And whether that was with players who might be going through a period of at-bats where there might be scuffling a little bit to understanding usage of a bullpen and how the confidence of a given reliever can be built and brought along." The similarity between the managers is clear from the way they've answered questions about matching up with each other in this series. "This game is still always about the players, and will always be," said Farrell. "The one thing I think I need to be cognizant of is the players have worked so hard on both sides to get to this," said Francona. "I can't let my personal feelings ever get in the way or take away from what they've done. So, whatever my feelings are need to remain my feelings, and let the players have the spotlight. They've worked so hard for this. It needs to be about them." While Francona and Farrell have similar values when it comes to leading a team, their difference in temperament is apparent to those who have played for them both. "Tito jokes around a lot," said Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. "When the game starts, John doesn't joke around. There's not one way to be successful. Obviously John learned a lot from Tito when he was under him. There's a communication level that he learned from Tito that he carried forward." For the next week or so, the friendship will take a backseat to the competition. But no matter how the series goes, it will be business as usual for the two men after that. "I cherish my friendship with him, to the point where you confide in one another, even in the darkest moments during stretches of the season where things aren't going well," Farrell said. "I can't say enough about the guy. I've spent a lot of time with him in many different settings. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and the teams he puts together. But we'll have time for friendship later." Castro: From BOS to CLE, fun follows Napoli By Anthony Castrovince / October 5th, COMMENTS CLEVELAND -- Perhaps he's bound for another bar crawl, another brilliantly bearded, shirt-deprived lark with the locals in the aftermath of a World Series clinch. That's how they remember Mike Napoli in Boston, his legacy forever secure among the beer-swillers on Boylston Street because of a postparade party that got a lot of love in the social-media stratosphere. And that's how they hope to remember him here in Northeast Ohio, a region still reveling in its first professional sports parade of any sort in more than 50 years and one very much in love with Napoli's power production. So there's a certain fluidity to the fact that if Napoli is going to slug the Indians to the Promised Land, he's going to have to do so at the expense of the Sox. And for that matter, there's a not-small chance he'd have to get through his old team in Texas in the American League Championship Series round, too. But first things first: Napoli vs. Boston is one of many satisfying subplots to the Division Series that begins here Thursday (8 p.m. ET, TBS). "I had a great three years there," Napoli said of the Back Bay. "I still own a place in Boston. It was something special to be able to win a World Series in that town. They're fanatics. It was fun playing in front of them for three years." Fun, though, has a way of following Napoli around.

8 Earlier this year, a Tribe season-ticket holder named Nate Crowe unwittingly created a theme/meme/whatever when he held aloft a sign bearing the phrase "Party at Napoli's." It took off. T-shirts were produced by a company called 108 Stitches, and they've been sold with a portion of the proceeds going to Cleveland Clinic Children's. You'll see plenty of them in the stands these next two nights. Of course, a T-shirt alone is not enough to make a man a fan favorite. Napoli's career-high 34 homers helped, too. Napoli stoked that total by making Progressive Field his personal party place on a team that had a glaring need for right-handed power. He had a.281/.392/.566 slash with 22 homers at home, versus a.198/.275/.367 slash with 12 homers elsewhere -- one of many reasons why the Indians felt the final-weekend fight for home-field advantage in this series was so important. The numbers only tell part of the tale: Napoli has done truly bizarre things in this ballpark. On July 8, he hit a Statcast-measured 460-foot shot that crashed into the top row of the bleachers, ricocheting off the scoreboard and darn near decapitating famous Tribe fan/drummer boy John Adams. On Sept. 8, he hit a foul ball that cleared the left-field home run porch and landed in neighboring Gateway Plaza. The ball was retrieved by a woman out for a walk on her lunch break. Fan snags foul outside of park Fan snags foul outside of park Mike Napoli belts a foul ball out of the park, much to the delight of his teammates, and it's caught by a fan near the parking lot And on Sept. 17, Napoli, with the help of Justin Upton, hit what is believed to be the only ground-rule double to clear the 19-foot wall in left field. Napoli's odd double plates two Napoli's odd double plates two Mike Napoli hits a fly ball that Justin Upton loses in the lights and it bounces over a 19-foot wall in left field for a ground-rule double "I really can't explain it," Napoli said of his Progressive panache. "I have a really good routine at home. It's different than the road. But I wish I could explain it, because if I knew it, I'd try to do it on the road. I'll take it. Hopefully we're playing at home a lot [in the postseason]." Napoli's home has become a subject of great interest in the game. He came to the Tribe on a low-key, one-year contract with a $7 million base and $3 million worth of playing time bonuses. Napoli wound up maxing out those bonuses, but that was no given coming into the year given past issues with his hips. His old mates, though, weren't terribly surprised. "He is a smart baseball player," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He was probably one of our best baserunners, despite the foot speed, when he was with us in Boston. He's become a damn good first baseman defensively. I think he sees the most pitches of anybody in baseball. That's going to have an effect on the guys around him in the lineup. So to see the power numbers he's put up, not surprised one bit." Napoli posted up for a career-high 150 games at first base and DH, and, more than a year removed from an invasive procedure to address sleep apnea issues, didn't battle the fatigue of years past. "I wasn't able to do things before that I am able to do now, as in working out all the time, hitting more, doing all kinds of different things," he said. "And being able to work with this training staff, too -- all the recovery things that they do and have for you. The whole hydration thing here. I've got water coming out of my ears. Pedialyte, hydration tablets. It's a combination of a lot of things. It's been a fun year." Napoli, who turns 35 on Halloween, raves about what goes on behind the scenes on this club. Yes, he's developed a special relationship with manager Terry Francona (the two are traditionally the first two seated in the Tribe dugout prior to first pitch) and he's become a valuable veteran voice in the clubhouse, but it goes deeper than that. The training staff, the team chef, the communicative front office. Napoli has found a comfort in Cleveland, and he said he hopes to find a way to stay here in his pending free agency. "Man," he said, "the opportunity they gave me here to be able to revamp myself? I just love it here." But look, we know how the dollars and cents can impact a decision. And it's hard not to speculate about that pending void in the Red Sox lineup when David Ortiz departs and where Dave Dombrowski and Co. might look to fill it. It's not a stretch to suggest Napoli and Boston could one day be linked again. For now, though, they are foes, and it's an interesting arrangement given how much Napoli once meant to Boston. Three years ago, the party was on Boylston. This month, will the party be at Napoli's? Indians C Yan Gomes returns from broken hand for postseason TOM WITHERS (AP Sports Writer) Oct 5, 2016, 7:53 PM CLEVELAND (AP) -- Yan Gomes completed a comeback even he doubted was possible. Given little chance to play in the postseason after breaking his right hand last month, Cleveland's catcher made the club's postseason roster and will play in the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox. It's an amazing recovery for Gomes, who was days away from returning to the lineup after missing two months with a separated right shoulder when he was hit was a pitch and broke his hand. ''It's been a roller coaster of emotions, man,'' Gomes said Wednesday. ''I went from sitting in a hospital room with my hand broken, not going to lie, crying my eyes out because I'm not going to be part of the team. But then once I got my stuff together, I was like, 'Ya know what, I can try to make a comeback,' got to play a couple games and to be put on the roster is pretty rewarding for me and I'm just going to try to do my best to help our team any way I can.'' Gomes' hand isn't completely healed, but that's not going to stop him now, not with a chance to play in the postseason for the second time in his career. ''I'm just going to tape it as tight as we can and hopefully it stays together,'' he said. ''But I can tell you, I'm going to give 100 percent every time.''

9 When Gomes broke his hand on Sept. 14 while playing for Double-A Akron, it appeared his season was over. Doctors told him it could take up to two months to heal, but after picking up a ball and throwing it, Gomes dedicated himself to doing everything he could to get back on the field. ''Once I first started throwing the ball around, I'm like, if I can flick it without noticing, it doesn't hurt as bad,'' he said. ''The only thing was starting to hit. The first time I hit, it didn't feel very good. The second time, I saw some progress. This was three days after. The hand is still broken, there's still going to be some pain, but they told me, 'Look, if you can tolerate it, it's not going to get any worse.''' He returned to the lineup in the season's final week, but only played a few innings in the field. But then, with an at-bat that seemed pulled from the script of a feel-good movie, Gomes connected for a home run on the first pitch he faced Sunday in Kansas City. The shot electrified his teammates, who have been pulling hard for him to get back. ''I'm really happy for him as an individual,'' Game 1 starter Trevor Bauer said. ''Obviously he's going to help our team. There's no question about that. But just on a personal side, to have him be able to come back and be a part of something that he was a big part of all year and over the past couple of years that he's been here, it's really great to see for him.'' Indians manager Terry Francona, who is carrying three catchers on his ALDS roster, isn't sure how much Gomes will play. ''I don't think it's probably fair to ask him to be a starting catcher and catch nine innings,'' he said. ''I think what we'd usually try to do during the season, and try to do now, is take what the players do well, try to maximize that, which is certainly catching and throwing, knowledge of the staff, so we can use that. He's not limited there. And we can use that. ''If it grows into more, that would be good.'' Indians Trevor Bauer completes cycle from bullpen to ALDS Game 1 starter CLEVELAND: Trevor Bauer didn t begin this season in the Indians starting rotation. He was left out in favor of Cody Anderson. But Thursday, Bauer will be the one taking the mound for the Indians against the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. In doing so, Bauer will complete his transition from the outside looking in this March to throwing some of the most important pitches for the Indians franchise in roughly a decade. What if you had told him this would be the arc of his 2016 season? I probably wouldn t have said anything. I just would have walked away probably, knowing me and my personality, Bauer said. I don t know, that s such a hard thing to answer, because it s all in hindsight. My mindset at that point is not anywhere close to where my mindset is at this point. It s been a long road for Bauer, who came to Cleveland as the talented but heady youngster who had his own way of doing things. That road had continued to be rocky until smoothing out a bit this season, when Bauer began working with catcher Chris Gimenez on simplifying things. The Indians have long said there s nothing necessarily wrong with being different, although it s no secret Bauer hasn t been the easiest pitcher to work with and he admitted as much on Wednesday. The Indians as an organization has done a great job kind of allowing me to do that, trying to learn what it is I do, Bauer said. I can be difficult to deal with sometimes, but I think they ve done a good job kind of navigating that and finding a working relationship with me. In a perfect world, the Indians would be starting ace Corey Kluber in Game 1, but his mild quadriceps strain has pushed him back to Game 2. Carlos Carrasco would be next in line, but a fractured hand ended his season. Danny Salazar would be next, but a forearm strain has sent him to Arizona for at least the ALDS. That leaves Bauer for a critical Game 1 and possibly a Game 4 start on short rest. The culmination of the club s work with Bauer as a young pitcher will be on display Thursday night at Progressive Field. It s been evolving, that s for sure, Indians manager Terry Francona said. Kluber is our undisputed ace of our staff. Everybody knows what he s been through, and it s easier to pitch him in Game 2. It s probably more realistic for him. I don t think anybody has any trepidation about letting Trevor pitch Game 1. I think he s been waiting for this his whole life. Bauer will be facing Cy Young contender Rick Porcello in the Indians first postseason game since 2013 and their first ALDS game since Bauer relishes the competition aspect of baseball, often saying that s why he loves pitching. Thursday night will be the biggest stage he s reached thus far. The stakes haven t been higher, and the injuries to Carrasco and Salazar raised them exponentially.