The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Bieber looking to improve on 2019
Shane Bieber said he studied Corey Kluber’s work habits and will be putting them to use this season as he tries to improve on a 2019 campaign that included the All-Star Game MVP.
After leading the Indians in innings pitched, victories and strikeouts last season to go along with being named 2019 All-Star Game MVP, the Shane Bieber Express is chugging into the 2020 season at full speed. Manager Terry Francona on March 6 announced Bieber will be the starting pitcher for the season opener against the Tigers on March 26 at Progressive Field.
Mike Clevinger is recovering from knee surgery and Carlos Carrasco is trying to build his endurance (he pitched two innings March 3) after being sidelined about two weeks with a strained hip. Aside from that, Bieber won 15 games last year against eight losses. He pitched 214 1/3 innings and struck out 259 batters. His 33 starts were also a team high.
Bieber has made three Cactus League starts this spring. He has pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and has allowed two hits while striking out nine and walking one batter.
Bieber’s ascension to Indians’ ace – maybe coace when Clevinger is healthy – has been rapid. He started 2017 pitching for the Lower- A Lake County Captains, where he went 2-3. He moved on to Lynchburg and DoubleA Akron that season. He started 2018 in Akron and before the season ended he was 11-5 with the Indians.
It is easy to understand why Bieber keeps getting better. He keeps working to improve. He spent the offseason heading into spring training working on his changeup and he is trying to perfect it in Goodyear, Ariz. He has a mix of humility and confidence that makes him a leader on the pitching staff.
“I spent a lot of time watching Corey Kluber and studying his habits and work ethic,” Bieber said during Tribe Fest last month. “I learned a lot from him before I met him, and when I met him I learned even more.”
Kluber, a two-time Cy Young Award winner with the Tribe, was traded to the Rangers in December. His routine between starts in his time with the Indians (2012-19) was a model for all young pitchers to follow.
“Day one is a heavier lift, play catch, do some shoulder stuff, things like that,” Kluber said in a 2016 interview. “The second day is my big throwing day. It starts with a long toss and stuff beforehand. Then I throw my bullpen, about 25 or 35 pitches, then usually gassers or some kind of running afterward.
“The third day is more like an explosive powerlift — not necessarily heavy, but trying to get the explosive stuff related to pitching and things like that. I play catch about 20 feet or so.
“The fourth day I go out 90 to 100 feet to play catch and a quick throw on flat ground. It’s heavier work on day one and then it tapers off.”
Bieber said he had to discipline himself to limit his offseason goals so he could concentrate on specific ones “instead of six or seven things.”
“The three things for me are sharpening my changeup, limiting damage and being able to extend outings to six, seven or eight innings,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been focused on.”
Bieber gave up 31 home runs in 2019 – nine more than anyone else on the staff. Trevor Bauer allowed 22 homers in 156 2/3 innings before being traded to Cincinnati on July 31.
Cavs and the draft
Twenty games remain on the Cavaliers’ schedule heading into their game with Denver on March 7 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. At 1745 they are last in the NBA East. Only Golden State, last in the West at 14-49, has a worse record. The Atlanta Hawks have the third worst record at 19-45.
The NBA draft lottery is May 19. According to Tankathon.com, assuming the standings do not change before the end of the season, the Warriors, Cavaliers and Hawks each have a 14% chance of winning the draft lottery. Next is the Knicks (19-43) at 12.5%.
Tankathon.com has the Cavs with a 27.8% chance of getting the fifth pick and a 20% chance of getting the sixth. The Warriors, despite the worst record in the league, have a 47.9% chance of picking fifth.
Bleacherreport.com posted its latest mock draft using the current standings for the draft order and has the Warriors taking Anthony Edwards, a shooting guard from Georgia, with the first pick. Bleacher Report has the Cavaliers taking forward Deni Avdija over guard LaMelo Ball.
“(Avdija) continues to make a case as the draft’s most well-rounded prospect based on his 6-foot-8 size, shot-making skill, passing and defensive versatility,” the Bleacher Report scouting summary reads. “The debate with Avdija concerns his upside and whether he possesses star potential. But between his body, age (19), skill level, intangibles, production overseas and fit, both for the NBA and the Cavaliers specifically, he’s a pick (Cavaliers’ general manager Koby) Altman can make and sleep well after.”
CBSSports.com, in a mock draft posted March 5, apparently believes there is no such thing as too many guards for the Cavaliers.
Despite the continuing progression of 2018 first-round pick Collin Sexton and the promise 2019 first-round pick Darius Garland, CBSSports. com has the Cavaliers taking Edwards with the second pick after the Warriors take Memphis center James Wiseman first.
“Anthony Edwards has a special combination of athleticism and shot-creation,” according to the CBSSports.com scouting report. “And with it, he’ll be hugely productive at the NBA level much like he’s been at the college level. Even with the Cavs taking guards in the lottery the last two years, Edwards could slide in the mix off the ball and be productive as a scorer and defender with his meaty 6-5 frame.”
It will be interesting to see what Altman does if the Warriors pick Edwards and he can choose between Wiseman and Ball with the second pick if the draft falls that way.
As it is now, Cavs’ veteran Tristan Thompson will be a free agent center after the next 20 games. Center Andre Drummond, acquired from the Pistons at the trade deadline, can opt in for $28.7 million to stay with the Cavaliers for the 2020-21 season and become a free agent in 2021. He could choose not to opt in and become a free agent this summer , or the Cavs could try to sign Drummond to a long-term contract before the June 25 NBA draft.
Free agency countdown
Seven Browns will become unrestricted free agents at 4 p.m. March 18 without new contracts – defensive back Juston Burris, wide receiver Rashard Higgins, free safety Eric Murray, free safety Damarious Randall, left tackle Greg Robinson, linebacker Joe Schobert and quarterback Drew Stanton.
NFL.com ranks Higgins 12th among free agent wide receivers. Ironically, three former Browns are ranked ahead of him — Travis Benjamin (fourth), Taylor Gabriel (ninth) and Josh Gordon (11th). The Browns selected Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft. Because of all his suspensions for violating substance abuse policies, he is an unrestricted free agent for the first time.
Higgins, who spent most of the season in former coach Freddie Higgins’ doghouse, caught four passes in 2019 after catching 39 in 2018.
Schobert is ranked sixth among free agent linebackers. Robinson is not ranked among the free agent tackles, nor did Burris make the cut among 14 ranked cornerback free agents.
Randall is ranked seventh among nine safeties that are unrestricted free agents.
The rankings reflect there is no urgency for the Browns to overpay to keep any of their own players.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry talked at the NFL Scouting Combine last month about his definition of being “aggressive.” He said there is a priority to keep “core” players on the roster, but none of the not-so-magnificent seven fit the bill.
“Being aggressive with pre-market extensions for our home-grown core,” Berry said. “And then in the draft, being flexible to move up and down the board and positioning ourselves to acquire players that we’ve targeted throughout that process.
“In the free agency market it means being opportunistic. It may not mean that on the first day we’re going to be really, really heavy spenders every year. But if we do identify players that fill a need, fit the offensive or defensive profile on the field and fit the off-field profile, we’re not going to be afraid to strike.”
It would be no surprise if none of the Browns UFAs are back with the possible exception of Higgins. Schobert is worth retaining, but not at $10 million-plus a year.
I didn’t know that
… Until I read my Snapple bottle cap.
Human eyes have more than 2 million working parts. … A rhinoceros horn is made of compacted hair. … Abraham Lincoln was defeated only once in about 300 wrestling matches. He is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame with honors as “an outstanding American.” … Clicking your computer mouse 1,400 times burns one calorie. … One ounce of gold can be stretched into a thin wire 50 miles long. … The first vacuum cleaner was so large it had to be drawn to houses by horses.