Kerry Wood pitched for the Tribe this year, before he was traded to the Yankees. By Paul Hoynes Plain Dealer Reporter Arlington, Texas -- Thanks to the Indians, Kerry Wood and Austin Kearns are in the postseason. It's the sixth time Wood has been in the playoffs and the first time for Kearns. The Indians traded Kearns and Wood...
Kerry Wood pitched for the Tribe this year, before he was traded to the Yankees.By Paul Hoynes
Plain Dealer Reporter
Arlington, Texas -- Thanks to the Indians, Kerry Wood and Austin Kearns are in the postseason. It's the sixth time Wood has been in the playoffs and the first time for Kearns.
The Indians traded Kearns and Wood to the Yankees just before the July 31 trading deadline.
Wood is the Yankees' eighth-inning set-up man for closer Mariano Rivera. Kearns helped out initially in the outfield because of injuries to Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner until hand and elbow injuries limited his playing time.
"Kerry has done a great job for us in the bullpen," Rivera said.
Austin Kearns is playing in the ALCS and wearing pinstripes now. Earlier this year, he played outfield for Cleveland.Wood went 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA (two runs in 26 innings) for the Yankees after the trade. He struck out 31, walked 18 and allowed 14 hits. The opposition batted .161 against him.
"He's given us a presence back there," manager Joe Girardi said.
In the Yankees' sweep of the Twins in the American League Division Series, Wood appeared in three games and gave up one run in two innings.
"This is probably the best stretch I've had out of the pen as far as zeroes are concerned," Wood said. "It's fun. It's gone too fast, but it's been fun."
The Indians signed Wood to a two-year, $20.5 million deal before the 2009 season to be their closer. It will not be remembered as one of departed GM Mark Shapiro's finest moments.
The Indians not only failed to produce an adequate number of save opportunities for Wood, but he struggled with his consistency and was on the disabled list twice this season.
"I've had more opportunities in the set-up role and that's made a difference," Wood said. "I pitched four and sometimes five days a week and I responded well."
As for his time with the Indians, Wood said: "From a player's standpoint, we didn't live up to expectations. I think the front office did a good job of making the key moves it had to make.
"But we didn't do it. We didn't get it done. Business is business and they had to start to rebuild. . . . I look at it like we let the ownership down."
Kearns hit .235 (24-for-102) with two homers and seven RBI for the Yankees. He did not bat in the ALDS.
"They have a lot of good guys on this team and they made it easy for me after the trade," Kearns said.
Kearns says he still talks to the Indians' Matt LaPorta, Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo and Shelley Duncan.
"I liked Cleveland," Kearns said. "They've got a lot of hard working young players. When I talked to LaPorta, I always make sure to ask how Jason Donald, Michael Brantley and those guys are doing."
Swing and a miss: Texas pitchers struck out 55 batters in the five-game division series victory over Tampa Bay. It's the most strikeouts ever in a division series in either league. Finally: Left-hander C.J. Wilson will face New York left-hander CC Sabathia tonight in Game 1 of the ALCS. Wilson, a converted closer, was asked how he'd been influenced by fellow Ranger lefty Cliff Lee.
"Well, actually before he was here, I was a right-handed second baseman," Wilson joked.
When asked what he throws, Wilson said: "I throw everything. The only pitch I have not thrown in a major-league game is a knuckleball."
Wilson says he even knows how to throw the gyroball, the mysterious pitch brought to the big leagues by Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka.
"It's a funny-spinning fastball," he said. "To be fair, I don't think it's good for your elbow."
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158