Hey, Hoynsie! Cleveland Plain Dealer beat writer Paul Hoynes answers your Cleveland Indians questions
Got an Indians question? Send it in. Submit your question to cleveland.com/heyhoynsie, and Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes will choose at least one to answer each Sunday here in the Sports section. All of Paul's answers are archived online.
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: I'd like to patronize the "Snow Days" operation that the Dolans are offering at the Prog this winter. Any chance that the extra revenue from it will be applied to keeping Shin-Soo Choo in Cleveland when his contract is up? -- Mike Yanczysin, Eastlake
A: Hey, Mike: It's going to take more than that to keep Choo, but he's under the Indians control for the next three years.
I just wonder if the Lake Erie Monsters are going to send any scouts over to Progressive Field for the early skate?
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: How many baseballs are used during an average nine inning game? -- Dan Kopp, Mansfield
A: Hey, Dan: The home team has to have 90 new baseball on hand for each game. About five to six dozen balls get used during a nine-inning game.
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: The owner who said "history would prove him right" about the wild card in 1993 was Texas Rangers owner George W. Bush. -- Michael Gottfried, Solon
A: Hey, Michael: Why was I sure you'd get back to me this week with the answer? Especially when I guessed George Steinbrenner.
Bush was definitely wrong on the wild card. It turned out to be one of Commissioner Bud Selig's best calls. Now he's talking about adding two more wild card teams to the postseason picture.
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Why don't the Indians sign Omar Vizquel to a one-year deal and let him play third base in 2011 until Lonnie Chisenhall or Jared Goedert are ready? Then before the last game of the season, induct Vizquel into the Indians Hall of Fame. Besides, I miss his salsa at the grocery. -- John Riter, North Royalton
A: Hey, John: I understand your loyalty to Vizquel. Besides, he'd give me somebody close to my age to talk to in the clubhouse, but I don't see it happening.
Vizquel wants to play next year and he's already said he'd like to return to the White Sox. I think he'd probably want to play with a contender, not a rebuilding team, at this stage of his career.
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Have the Indians and White Sox met 2000 times yet since they have been in the American League? -- Ben Beilstein, McKinney, Texas
A: Hey, Ben: They have played each other 2,007 times entering their three-game weekend series to end the season at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox lead the series, 1,022-895.
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: I see where Tribe honcho Mark Shapiro's first official act as club president is to introduce "Snow Days." But I don't think that's anything new. What with Mark's repeated promises to give fans a "championship caliber club," wouldn't you say Mark already has tons of experience giving everyone snow days? -- James Stelson, Medina
A: Hey, James: I used to love snow days when I was a kid. No school, sleep in, snow ball fights, sledding at Taylor Bowl.
But I'm pretty sure you're talking about something else.
Q: Hey, Hoynsie: Here's one to give you something to do during the last few games: Seems obvious that the Twins minor league system has produced far more major league talent than the Indians' system over the past decade. How many minor league championships have the Twins won since 2000 compared to the Indians' minor league teams? -- Dave Abbuhl, Orange Village
A: Hey, Dave: Asked Jeff Sibel, Indians manager of media relations, and here's what he dug up: Indians have won nine minor league championships, while the Twins have won seven since 2000. That number does not include division championships, only league championships.
-- Hoynsie