Category: Cleveland Indians (Page 64 of 96)

Is he still with the Indians?

Two-time AL MVP Juan Gonzalez says he told congressional investigators Tuesday that he thinks former teammate Rafael Palmeiro “has always been clean.”

Really? How about you, Juan? That torn hamstring on the first at bat wouldn’t have anything to do with steroids, would it? Wonder if he was under oath…he wasn’t under oath for this in February, about Canseco’s book which fingers him as a user.

Asked in February about the book and its allegations, Gonzalez said: “It’s not true. … I never saw needles. I never saw pills. I never saw anything. … The only guys who have put needles in my body are doctors.”

These guys are really something.

Sounds like John Hart is hanging it up for good.

“This is something that has been openly talked about on a very planned basis. John Hart did resign, period,” Hicks said. “I’m in a lot of businesses with lots of people and I know when they’re ready to change. I told John this All-Star break that I wasn’t going to fight him this time.”

When a guy is just spent, it’s hard to ever see him coming back into whatever game he’s been playing. But I wouldn’t count him out. His Texas days weren’t all that great, but those years in Cleveland were something special, and I bet there are a lot of teams now, and in the future, that would jump at him if they got the chance.

Here’s a question. The Indians have almost become the farm team for the rest of the majors. It’s probably because the Tribe’s own farm operation keeps producing stars. Was that all due to John Hart’s rebuilding? Those days before John Hart were pretty dismal.

Let the negotiations begin.

Millwood wants at least a three-year deal. He made $7 million on his one-year deal this year and is looking for a raise. If the Indians sign him for $10 million per year, he would be their second $10 million-per-year player in history. Juan Gonzalez made $10 million in 2001.

I’d say Millwood is worth quite a bit more than Gonzalez ever was.

From today’s PD.

The Tribe’s attendance of 2,013,763 should help. Team officials feared that they wouldn’t top their projected preseason total of 1.95 million despite the team’s play. Then there’s ESPN’s $2.3 billion contract extension through 2013 to draw from. The deal reportedly will pay MLB $296 million per year.

What about all that MLB.com money? Wall Street, which keeps pitching MLB to offer it in an IPO, estimates each team’s stake at $100 million per team. These guys simply cannot claim poverty. There’s cash coming out of their ears.