Special_K19
04-27-2003, 01:28 PM
Wedge planning extended trial for Gerut
04/27/03
Oakland- Jody Gerut made his big-league debut yesterday. He took a quiet 0-for-4 in the Indians' 6-3 loss.
"I don't play well in an excited state," said Gerut. "So I'm going to let my family and friends be excited. I just want to play."
Manager Eric Wedge is going to give him that chance.
"I feel strongly about what Jody gives us as an all-around baseball player," said Wedge. "This is a great opportunity for him to break into the big leagues."
Wedge said Gerut will play mostly center field. He was promoted from Class AAA Buffalo on Friday when center fielder Milton Bradley was placed on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
Gerut was hitting .277 (18-for-65) with five homers and 19 RBI at Buffalo. The Bisons were in Pawtucket, playing Boston's Class AAA club, when he got the call. He spent the next eight hours in the air, including a stop in Pittsburgh, before walking into the hotel in San Francisco at about midnight PDT.
"[Farm director] John Farrell and [Bisons manager] Marty Brown called me into the office," said Gerut. "I told them, 'I didn't do it and I don't know who did.' Then they told me I was going to the big leagues."
Gerut started the season in Buffalo playing left and right field. "But things changed," said Gerut. "They started playing me more in center field."
He's expected to be the Tribe's center fielder until Bradley, eligible to be activated on May 8, returns.
Gerut played college ball at Stanford, which is about 40 miles from Network Associates Coliseum. His girlfriend and some college friends attended yesterday's game.
Double your pleasure:
The Indians turned three double plays behind Jake Westbrook yesterday. That means his sinker was working.
But Westbrook was upset he didn't take better advantage. After he hit Miguel Tejada to start the sixth inning, Westbrook induced Eric Chavez into a 4-6-3 twin killing. The score was tied, 1-1, but Westbrook had two outs.
"Then I hurt myself," he said.
He walked Erubiel Durazo. Terrence Long followed with a single that moved Durazo to third. Eric Byrnes singled to left to give Oakland a 2-1 lead.
"Two-out walks will kill you," said Westbrook. "I've got to make Durazo at least put the ball in play."
Westbrook is 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA in four starts since replacing Jason Bere in the rotation. He's 0-3 with a 8.22 ERA lifetime against the A's.
"Jake was good again," said Wedge. "He was in command of the game for as long as he was out there."
Keep your head up:
Wedge talked with first baseman Travis Hafner after his ill-fated sprint to third base in Friday's 4-2 loss. Hafner doubled to center in the fifth, and continued to third when the ball skipped past center fielder Chris Singleton.
"Travis was running with his head down," said Wedge. "If he had kept his head up, he would have seen the play developing in front of him."
Byrnes raced to the wall in left center and made a good relay throw to second baseman Mark Ellis, who threw to Chavez at third to get Hafner. Instead of a leadoff double, the Indians had one out.
"I want our guys to be aggressive, but not to the point where we're making bad outs. Unless you're 100 percent sure you're going to make it, you can't make the first or third out at third."
Finally:
Rookie second baseman Brandon Phillips said he can't swing the bat well or make good throws to first base because of his bruised right hand. "I'm throwing sinkers to first base," he said with a laugh.
04/27/03
Oakland- Jody Gerut made his big-league debut yesterday. He took a quiet 0-for-4 in the Indians' 6-3 loss.
"I don't play well in an excited state," said Gerut. "So I'm going to let my family and friends be excited. I just want to play."
Manager Eric Wedge is going to give him that chance.
"I feel strongly about what Jody gives us as an all-around baseball player," said Wedge. "This is a great opportunity for him to break into the big leagues."
Wedge said Gerut will play mostly center field. He was promoted from Class AAA Buffalo on Friday when center fielder Milton Bradley was placed on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring.
Gerut was hitting .277 (18-for-65) with five homers and 19 RBI at Buffalo. The Bisons were in Pawtucket, playing Boston's Class AAA club, when he got the call. He spent the next eight hours in the air, including a stop in Pittsburgh, before walking into the hotel in San Francisco at about midnight PDT.
"[Farm director] John Farrell and [Bisons manager] Marty Brown called me into the office," said Gerut. "I told them, 'I didn't do it and I don't know who did.' Then they told me I was going to the big leagues."
Gerut started the season in Buffalo playing left and right field. "But things changed," said Gerut. "They started playing me more in center field."
He's expected to be the Tribe's center fielder until Bradley, eligible to be activated on May 8, returns.
Gerut played college ball at Stanford, which is about 40 miles from Network Associates Coliseum. His girlfriend and some college friends attended yesterday's game.
Double your pleasure:
The Indians turned three double plays behind Jake Westbrook yesterday. That means his sinker was working.
But Westbrook was upset he didn't take better advantage. After he hit Miguel Tejada to start the sixth inning, Westbrook induced Eric Chavez into a 4-6-3 twin killing. The score was tied, 1-1, but Westbrook had two outs.
"Then I hurt myself," he said.
He walked Erubiel Durazo. Terrence Long followed with a single that moved Durazo to third. Eric Byrnes singled to left to give Oakland a 2-1 lead.
"Two-out walks will kill you," said Westbrook. "I've got to make Durazo at least put the ball in play."
Westbrook is 1-2 with a 2.28 ERA in four starts since replacing Jason Bere in the rotation. He's 0-3 with a 8.22 ERA lifetime against the A's.
"Jake was good again," said Wedge. "He was in command of the game for as long as he was out there."
Keep your head up:
Wedge talked with first baseman Travis Hafner after his ill-fated sprint to third base in Friday's 4-2 loss. Hafner doubled to center in the fifth, and continued to third when the ball skipped past center fielder Chris Singleton.
"Travis was running with his head down," said Wedge. "If he had kept his head up, he would have seen the play developing in front of him."
Byrnes raced to the wall in left center and made a good relay throw to second baseman Mark Ellis, who threw to Chavez at third to get Hafner. Instead of a leadoff double, the Indians had one out.
"I want our guys to be aggressive, but not to the point where we're making bad outs. Unless you're 100 percent sure you're going to make it, you can't make the first or third out at third."
Finally:
Rookie second baseman Brandon Phillips said he can't swing the bat well or make good throws to first base because of his bruised right hand. "I'm throwing sinkers to first base," he said with a laugh.