Jim Joyce, at the moment the most famous umpire in the big leagues, has deep Ohio roots.
UPDATED: 10:22 p.m.
CHICAGO, Ill. -- This is a daily review of the Indians 2010 season. They play the White Sox tonight in the first game of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
The dimensions at U.S. Cellular are 330 feet down the left field line, 400 to center field, 372 in right center and 335 down the right field line.
In-game notes:
Score: Indians 4, White Sox 1 after six innings.
Big inning: The Indians, trailing 1-0, scored four runs in the sixth inning. Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run double off the fence in left field off John Danks for the Tribe's first two runs. Shelley Duncan's double made it 3-1. Luis Valbuena, yes the same Valbuena that entered the game hitting .149, made it 4-1 with a single. It was Valbuena's third hit of the game.
Sergio Santos relieved and the Indians loaded the bases, but Jason Donald struck out and Shin-Soo Choo, who hit a leadoff double to start the rally, grounded out.
Big blast: Alexei Ramirez gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead with a homer in the fourth. Justin Masterson worked out of trouble in the first two innings, stranding five runners.
The line: Masterson allowed one run on five hits in 5 2/3 innings despite walking six batters. The Indians worked Danks for 113 pitches in 5 1/3 innings.
Pre-game notes:
Game 53: Jim Joyce's 15 minutes of fame keep going. Bill Lubinger, Plain Dealer sportswriter, uncovered the Ohio roots of the umpire who cost Tiger right-hander Armando Galarraga a perfect game Wednesday against the Indians at Comerica Park.
Check it out. It's a good read:
Long before Jim Joyce became a Major League umpire with a stellar reputation, he was a promising college pitcher.
"Pro-caliber curveball,'' said Don Purvis, his former coach at Bowling Green,
where Joyce earned an education degree in 1977. "A little short of that velocity-wise."
"Actually," said Larry Owen, Joyce's college roommate who went on to catch for
Atlanta, "Jimmy was probably the star recruit of that class."
Joyce, of course, made headlines this week for the blown call that cost Galarraga a perfect game. Once he saw the replay, he felt awful and apologized repeatedly to the Tigers pitcher and everyone else concerned. As a sidenote, former Bowling Green pitcher and teammate Jeff Jones is Detroit's bullpen coach.
Joyce was once such a talent on the mound himself that he was inducted into the
Toledo Central Catholic Sports Hall of Fame. The right-hander's curveball was
big-league nasty, but any future as a pitcher was snuffed by a ganglion cyst on the bottom of his left foot.
Between his junior and senior years of college, the operation to remove it was
more extensive than expected and left Joyce with nerve damage to his lead
pitching foot that made him less effective, Owen said.
That's when Joyce turned to umpiring. In fact, said Owen, who lived in Garfield
Heights through elementary school and now lives in suburban Columbus, he and
Joyce used to umpire youth games during the summers in Toledo. Joyce always
insisted on going behind the plate.
"I'll tell you what,'' Owen said, "his personality was built for umpiring. Jimmy
would have called it the way he saw it no matter what."
His former college coach and teammates weren't surprised to see Joyce field the
firestorm of his missed call with humility and class.
"You know," said Purvis, a former Berea High School star, "that tells you who
he is."
After reading Joyce's comments in the newspaper about how he thought the blown
call would probably be his legacy, Owen sent him an email.
"I told him that the call's the call,'' Owen said, "but the way he's handled it
will be his legacy."
Tribe news: Grady Sizemore's season-ending knee operation today means Trevor Crowe and Michael Brantley will play center field for the rest of the season. Crowe is already here. Manager Manny Acta said Brantley could be hear in the "near future."
He made it sound like Brantley would get the call sometime after the All-Star.
Right-hander Herman's contract was purchased from Class AAA Columbus. He joined the team before tonight's series against the White Sox. Jamey Wright was designated for assignment to make room.
The Indians have 10 days to trade, waive or release Wright. Acta is hopeful another big league club picks him up.
"He's a class act," said Acta.
Herrmann, a Harvard grad, will not arm-wrestle Princeton grad Mark Shapiro, the Indians general manager. What he will do is pitch out of the bullpen. Herrmann was 2-0 with a 0.31 ERA at Columbus.
"Those are good numbers for a pickup game in my backyard," said Acta.
Omar moment: I'd just gotten off the loop (Chicago Transit Authority) on the way U.S. Cellular Field on Friday afternoon and was crossing the street. Almost made it to the other side when a black Mercedes lurched forward when I walked in front of it.
Looked to see who the driver was and it was a laughing Omar Vizquel. By the way, Vizquel is going to be the White Sox every day third baseman with Mark Teahen on the disabled list following surgery on his right middle finger.
Lineups: Indians (19-33): SS Jason Donald, RF Shin-Soo Choo (L), CF Austin Kearns (R), 1B Russell Branyan, 3B Jhonny Peralta (R), DH Travis Hafner (L), LF Shelley Duncan, 2B Luis Valbuena (L), C Lou Marson (R) and RHP Justin Masterson (0-5, 5.87).
White Sox (23-30): LF Juan Pierre (L), 3B Omar Vizquel (S), CF Alex Rios (R), DH Andruw Jones (R), 1B Mark Kotsay (L), RF Carlos Quentin (R), C A.J. Pierzynski (L), SS Alexei Ramirez (R), 2B Gordon Beckham (R) and LHP John Danks (4-4, 3.34).
Lineup notes: Trevor Crowe is getting a day off. Jason Donald will bat leadoff and Austin Kearns will play center field.
Quote of the day: "I feel bad for the pitcher and bad for the umpire. At least we can say we were here for the 21st perfect game in history," Indians closer Kerry Wood on Galarraga's botched perfect game.
Umpires: H Ron Kulpa, 1B Lance Barksdale, 2B Ed Rapuano, 3B Tom Hallion.
Next: RHP Mitch Talbot (6-4, 3.78) vs. RHP Jake Peavy (4-4, 6.23) Saturday at 7:05 p.m