At Last, Indians Have a Game Plan : Cleveland Builds a Contender With Youth, Same Manager

The Cleveland Indians have been rock steady for more than a quarter of a century. And like rocks, you have usually been able to find them at the bottom of the creek.

That may be where Cleveland winds up in the tough American League East Division again this year but for a brief 10-day period in late April-early May their long suffering fans caught a tiny glimpse through the window to the future.

A 10-game winning streak from April 26 through May 7 took the perennially rebuilding Indians to the top of the division and brought more fans out to see the club in one day (several times) than it generally draws in a homestand.

“You win, you draw people,” Cleveland manager Pat Corrales said. “It’s as simple as that.”

That some of those same fans were throwing bottles and things when the club reverted to its losing ways bothers Corrales not a bit.

“That was the game we lost 19-2,” he said. “We came right back the next night and beat the same team (Texas), 3-2. Our team has learned to take a beating and come back and compete with the same team the next day.”

That Cleveland promptly went into a tailspin after apparently getting dizzy whiffing that thin air in first place is not important. What is important is the winning streak called attention to the Indians and showed their organization finally has a game plan to combat more than 25 years of ineptness.

Cleveland has not finished as high as second since 1959. It has been over .500 only six times since then and as high as third in the standings just once (1968, 16 1/2 games out).

“The new management has decided this is the way they’re going to go,” said Corrales, who has managed Cleveland since late in 1983. “They were going to start all over, get the best gang of kids they possibly can get and build an organization.

“Of course you’re going to get a veteran player like Phil Niekro if one becomes available. But mainly we’re going with kids.”

They’ve also decided musical managers isn’t a good game to play. Some time in early 1987 Corrales will become the Indians’ manager with the most tenure since Al Lopez’s six seasons, 1951-56.

Cleveland already has one of the most potent attacks in the league. Its weakness is pitching--but it’s noteworthy that at the height of its success the Indians’ starters had the lowest earned-run average in the AL.

And its farm system (“A disaster my first two years here,” Corrales said.) was cited during the winter by Baseball American as being vastly improved.

“Our general manager, Joe Klein, is very, very tired right now,” Corrales said. “He lives on the road. He likes to look at the kids himself. It’s in his blood. He started out as a scout.”

Cleveland’s top prospect is Cory Snyder, playing third base in the minors but projected as right fielder as long as the underrated Brook Jacoby is with the Indians.

“He’s a lot like Kirk Gibson when he first came up,” Corrales said. “When we bring him up, he’ll be in the lineup every day, against left-handers and right-handers.”

One of the top pitching prospects, Reggie Ritter, was just brought up, while others are Bryan Oelkers and Jose Roman.

Outfielders Randy Washington and Dave Clark plus second baseman Junior Noboa and catcher Kevin Buckley are also being watched closely by Cleveland.

Tom Candiotti has proven a good addition to the Cleveland staff and having Niekro to tutor his knuckleball won’t hurt. Ken Schrom has pitched well, too, but the other starting spots have been so-so.

One of the big contributors to Cleveland’s early success was left-hander Scott Bailes, who made the jump from Double-A to long relief.

The Indians’ biggest weakness last year was the bullpen, especially short relief, but Ernie Camacho filled the role of short man until going on the disabled list. When he got hurt it forced Corrales to put Bailes in short relief, a move less than optimum for the club in both aspects.

It isn’t a championship staff but it’s a foundation for the future. And some of them figure to be there for a while.

“This group has been together since 1984,” Corrales said of his core group, mainly everyday players. “They took a beating last year, but we had some injuries to key players. And we didn’t have the pitching to stop anybody. We’ve got kids who’ve been together who can hit and we’ve got a few veterans who blend in. I think we’ve got a good mix.”

Time will tell how far Cleveland can go, but at least the Indians are headed in the right direction. Up.