Miller’s tale: What drives Cleveland’s 6-7 relief pitching ace? For one, a chance to win for his adopted home.
Setup man picks up where he left off in 2016, eyes return to Series
Andrew Miller sat on a couch in the middle of the Cleveland Indians clubhouse before a recent game working on a crossword puzzle while wearing a T-shirt and University of North Carolina basketball shorts.
The Tar Heels shorts are part of the left-handed reliever’s usual pregame attire. He attended North Carolina and remains a big fan, smiling when asked about the Tar Heels winning the NCAA men’s basketball national championship in April.
North Carolina beat Gonzaga in the title game after losing to Villanova in the 2016 final in heartbreaking fashion on Kris Jenkins’ three-pointer at the buzzer.
“We’re hoping their story is our story here with the Indians,” Miller said. “Coming close one year, then winning it all the next.”
The Indians last fall came as close as they could to ending their World Series title drought that stretches to 1948. They rallied from a 5-1 deficit in Game 7 to force extra innings before losing to the Chicago Cubs 8-7 in 10 innings.
Watching the Cubs celebrate their first championship since 1908 on the Progressive Field infield was painful for the Indians. However, it also fueled them to want to make another run at the World Series.
While the Indians have gotten off to a sluggish start and were 20-17 entering Tuesday, Miller has been pitching even better than he did last year after being acquired in a July 31 trade from the New York Yankees.
Miller did not allow a run until his 16th game of the season on Monday. He allowed just 10 hits and five walks while striking out 26 in his role as the setup man for closer Cody Allen, who had converted all 10 save opportunities.
Last season, Miller had a combined 1.49 ERA in 36 regularseason and postseason games for the Indians.
Much was made of Miller’s selflessness last year when he entered games as early as the fifth inning in the postseason to record key outs in high-leverage situations. However, it is not a false modesty.
“He truly doesn’t care about stats,” Allen said. “He takes the ball in any situation. He’s a teamfirst guy. You couldn’t ask for a better teammate.”
Miller can seem like an intimidating presence on the surface as he stands 6-7 and sports a bushy beard. However, the 31-year-old has a friendly, disarming nature, and his thoughtful answers are in tune with someone who plans to finish his business degree when his playing days are over.
Indians manager Terry Francona first got to know Miller in 2011 when they were with the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox had acquired Miller in a trade from the Florida Marlins after the 2010 season but designated him for assignment two weeks later when they needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Miller became a free agent and the Red Sox eventually brought him back on a minor league contract.
“I must have called him 10 times that winter,” Francona said. “We felt he was a special talent who hadn’t put everything together at that point of his career.”
During the conversations, Francona also was struck by Miller’s personality.
“I just kept thinking every time I talked to him how he seemed like such a great kid who really wanted to become a better pitcher,” Francona said.
At that point, Miller had a 15-26 career record with a 5.84 ERA in 79 games, including 54 starts, in four-plus seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Marlins.
Miller also struggled in his first season with the Red Sox in 2011, going 6-3 but posting a 5.54 ERA in 17 games, including 12 starts.
However, converted into a full-time reliever in 2012 during Bobby Valentine’s lone season as the Red Sox’s manager, Miller blossomed. His development was one of the positives in a disastrous 69-93 season.
Since then, Miller has compiled a sparkling 2.01 ERA in 308 appearances with the Red Sox, Balti- more Orioles, New York Yankees and Indians.
He also has lived up to the pedigree of being the sixth overall pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball draft by the Tigers.
“You knew the talent was there, but sometimes it takes longer for pitchers to develop,” Francona said. “He’s a tall guy with some really long levers, and he used to have a real sweeping motion, where he threw across his body. He figured things out and was able make his mechanics more compact.”
Miller’s fastball has averaged 94.4 mph this season, according to FanGraphs.com, and he has a wipeout slider.
“When you have a pitcher who can repeat his mechanics, has his kind of stuff and has a great competitive fire, this is what you get,” Francona said. “He’s a huge weapon in our bullpen.”
Miller never envisioned winding up with the small-market Indians when he signed a fouryear, $36 million contact with the Yankees as a free agent after the 2014 season.
However, when the Yankees decided to begin retooling — if not outright rebuilding — last season, they traded Miller to the Indians for a package of four minor leaguers, including a pair of top prospects in outfielder Clint Frazier and left-hander Justus Sheffield.
Miller has come to love playing for the Indians and the Cleveland fans. He smiled when talking about stopping for gas on his way to Progressive Field recently and the customer at the next pump asking if she could take a selfie with him.
“Both cities and fans are great in their own way,” Miller said. “In New York, you can be totally anonymous. I could have walked into the middle of Central Park and started yelling, ‘Hey, I pitch for the Yankees,’ and no one would have stopped and noticed.
“Here in Cleveland, people say hello and wish you luck. They’re very supportive. It’s nice. It gives you that feel of home.”
Kind of like Miller’s hometown of Gainesville, Fla., home of the University of Florida. Miller starred at F.W. Buchholz High School and was considered one of the top recruits in the country in 2003.
Miller, though, chose to attend North Carolina rather Florida, a decision he says still rankles people in Gainesville 14 years later. Miller’s parents are Florida graduates.
“I love my parents, but I really believe when you go to college, you should go away from home, and I just loved everything about UNC when I visited,” Miller said. “If was a great experience, and I’m a Tar Heel through and through.” Yet still a Florida fan, too. “I’ve been to a lot of Gators games in my life, and I’ll always root for them,” Miller said. “It’s in my blood.”
Miller left North Carolina after his junior year when he was drafted by the Tigers. He began his first step toward finishing his degree there last offseason when he took a weekend class in the MBA program that counted as a bachelor’s elective.
“I know how much it would mean to my parents if I finished my degree,” Miller said. He smiled. “Plus, once I’m done playing, my wife is going to want me out of the house,” Miller said. “You can only play so much golf, so I’m going to need something else to do. Having a degree would come in handy.”