Kritik und Lob » livan said. I think they like to compete

BOSTON -- Relief pitchers love their routines, and Cleveland Indians lefty Andrew Miller is no different. On a typical night at the park, hell go out for the national anthem before returning to the clubhouse to tend to his preparation. After some light stretching, Miller might check the scouting reports or some video for a refresher course on the opposing teams lineup. Hell steal occasional glances at the clubhouse TV to monitor the game action, then fix himself a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a cup of coffee to tide himself over until the postgame.By the bottom of the third inning, its time for the daily commute to the office. Miller will rendezvous with fellow relievers Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw, and theyll head for the bullpen by alternate means of locomotion.Youll see us walking across the outfield during the middle of the game, Miller said. Most places, we can catch a ride around the back way through the bowels of the stadium.While Millers pregame regimen is nothing out of the ordinary, the versatility he displays upon arrival in the bullpen makes him a rarity among his peers. If Miller were in the entertainment business rather than the getting-hitters-out business, he would be in contention for an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony.The Boston Red Sox received definitive notice of Cleveland manager Terry Franconas aggressive approach with Miller in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. After Trevor Bauer walked a tightrope twice through the order, Francona called upon Miller to protect a one-run lead two outs into the fifth inning. It was the earliest Miller had appeared in a game since 2013, and he threw 40 pitches and recorded six outs before giving way to Shaw in the seventh.Miller enjoyed a night off on Friday as Cleveland took a 2-0 series lead, but theres no telling what task hell be assigned for Game 3 on Monday at Fenway Park. Francona might summon Miller to face Mookie Betts, David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez in the fifth inning, ask him to log multiple innings or hold him in reserve for a pivotal sequence at the end. Having a 6-foot-7, 205-pound dominator sure makes a manager feel secure in the late innings.Whatever role Miller assumes, hes no fun for hitters. In 74 1/3 innings with the New York Yankees and the Indians this season, Miller struck out 123 batters and walked nine. Righty hitters batted .153 against him, and lefties were just a tick better at .181.Ive never had to hit off him, but Ive watched him make some very good hitters look extremely bad, Allen said. He throws from a lower angle, so guys look very uncomfortable against him. And he throws a ton of strikes, so you cant just go up and wait to get in a good count. If youre patient, chances are youre gonna be down 0-1 or 0-2 really quick. If you go up there swinging and he throws you a couple of sliders, youll be in a hole that way, too.Everyones on boardWhen Los Angeles Angels closer Huston Street told reporters in 2015 he would rather retire than yield his ninth-inning role, it symbolized the industrys usage of ace relievers in the most high-leverage situations. Managers continue to use closers with 5-2 leads and the bases empty in the ninth inning, because anything different would be too radical from the established world order.Standard operating procedure doesnt apply in October because time is so short and the stakes are so high. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy used Madison Bumgarner for five innings of relief in Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, and the Giants celebrated with a title. Conversely, Baltimore manager Buck Showalters reputation as a paragon of prudent bullpen usage took a hit in the American League wild-card game last week. It was hard to fathom how Showalter could sit back and watch the Orioles lose to Toronto without summoning ace closer Zach Britton for a single pitch.Miller is able to keep an open mind because he has pitched in just about every spot imaginable. He broke into pro ball as a starter; Miller was the No. 6 pick in the 2006 draft out of North Carolina but suffered from an inability to throw strikes. He dominated lefties in his transition to the bullpen with Boston in 2012 before ascending to the role of closer and saving 36 games for the Yankees in 2015.In July, when the Indians were trying to upgrade their bullpen and Millers name was a staple on internet trade rumor sites, Allen pulled aside president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and told him he would welcome any additions the front office made. Some closers can be territorial about their save totals, but Allen subjugated his ego for the big picture. Antonetti took the plunge, sending prospects Clint Frazier and Justus Sheffield to New York in a five-player trade for Miller.Cody told me, Listen, I want you to know Im fine with whatever we can do to improve the team. If we get an established ninth-inning guy, Ill pitch before him, Antonetti said. That sent a great message.Francona quickly reinforced that message, meeting with Miller, Allen, Bryan Shaw and Dan Otero in early August and telling them they might have to be flexible if the Indians had any designs on going deep into the postseason. With starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar sidelined by injuries, Francona knew he might have to embrace some unorthodox usage patterns.That was the plan, and fortunately its worked out, Miller said. Theres a certain comfort level in saying, Hey, this is when Ive always pitched. I can be mentally prepared. Its harder when you dont know if you might pitch in the sixth inning or the 10th. But thats a luxury for very few guys. There are maybe two guys in each bullpen who really know when theyre pitching on a given night.Hes no trailblazerAre the Indians about to start a trend of managers using their best reliever whenever they want? Not likely.Finances obviously enter into the equation. Miller has two years and $18 million left on a four-year, $36 million contract, so he doesnt have to worry about compiling saves that he can use to sell himself in arbitration or free agency. Some pitchers -- and their agents -- might not be so receptive.Beyond the standard issues of preparation and routine, its a challenge for any pitcher to do what Miller is being asked to do. Lots of middle relievers pitch multiple innings on a regular basis. But they dont enter the game when one mistake could have such major ramifications.Its not just the uncertainty, Antonetti said. Its very difficult to be expected to be at the top of your game against the best hitters in the most meaningful spots, as opposed to when your team is down 7-0 in the fourth inning.Miller continues to thrive, in part, because hes so willing to adapt to changing circumstances. His arsenal includes a four-seam fastball in the mid-90s and a slider he can throw away to lefty hitters or bury down and in on righties. In his first year as a reliever in 2012, Miller threw roughly 60 percent fastballs and 40 percent sliders. This year, he threw 60 percent sliders and 40 percent fastballs.Weve always been told you have to throw your fastball when youre behind in the count, Miller said. Well, hitters are looking for that. If I can command my slider and flip the script on them a little bit, I think that goes a long ways. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter how you get an out.Depending on his managers needs, Millers versatility this postseason will prove valuable in the fourth inning or the ninth, against three batters or eight. Hes ready to attack the Boston lineup as the division series shifts to Fenway. Precisely when or for how long is anybodys guess. Custom Giants Jerseys . The showiest items on Calgarys lot were forwards Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak. Both will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Custom Giants T-shirts .500 on the season. 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CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Phil Kessel returned to work on Friday hoping to talk about his blessedly short summer after helping the Pittsburgh Penguins to their fourth Stanley Cup in June.Instead, the forward ended up walking back a critical tweet about Team USA following its disappointing performance in the World Cup of Hockey. Kessel, the leading scorer for the Americans during the 2014 Winter Olympics, was not invited to join this time. While he said all the right things last spring after getting passed over, his frustration bubbled up while watching the U.S. lose to Canada on Tuesday.Just sitting around the house tonight w/my dog, Kessel posted on his account. Felt like I should be doing something important, but couldnt put my finger on it.Kessel didnt delete the tweet even after some members of the U.S. team took exception. But he made clear on Friday, as the Penguins reported for training camp, that it wasnt a personal attack on the group that went winless in three games and failed to advance to the medal round.Obviously I meant no disrespect to any of the players, Kessel said. I have a ton of respect for all those guys there. I played with a lot of those guys. Theyre great players and great guys. I know this game is hard. I know its not an easy one to play.Kessel would rather focus on the 2016-17 season as the Penguins try to become the first team in nearly 20 years to repeat as champs. Hell spend the early days of camp seeing how his surgically repaired hand is responding after undergoing a minor procedure in July.Just going to take some time here, he said. Just kind of get back into it.Pittsburghs summer lasted all of 103 days, barely enough time to make sure everyone involved with the teams six-game victory over San Jose in the Stanley Cup Final got to enjoy some one-on-one time with their sports most valuable hardware.Its like we never left each other, defenseman Trevor Daleyy said.dddddddddddd. Looking around, didnt we just see each other the other day?Not that Daley is complaining. Theres a sweet reason for the short break, after all.Were the champs, obviously, Daley said with a laugh.Ones who insist theyre just as hungry as they were last spring, when they raced through the playoffs behind a mixture of speed, grit and the precocious goaltending of rookie Matt Murray. Pittsburgh did little to mess with its formula in free agency, keeping the core intact for what it hopes is another season that bleeds from spring until the edge of summer.Coach Mike Sullivan, however, is taking great pains during camp to keep his squad from getting complacent. He divvied the players into three groups hoping to keep things fresh.I think we have competitive guys by nature, Sullivan said. I think they like to compete. Its our job as coaches to put them in an environment where theyre allowed to compete. It took a lot of players for us to go through the playoff run that we did.Captain Sidney Crosby and center Evgeni Malkin are still in Toronto competing for their native countries in the World Cup. The two will meet in the semifinals on Saturday and are unlikely to return to their regular gig until the middle of next week. Their absence, however, will give others an opportunity to impress Sullivan and the rest of the coaching staff.Whats exciting from our standpoint is that we have the type of depth that we have and we have players that are competing for jobs, literally, Sullivan said. Thats going to keep everyone at their best. That internal competition is a critical component to drive our team to the level that it was at last year.Pittsburgh opens the preseason on Tuesday in Detroit. The Penguins exhibition home opener is next Friday against Chicago. ' ' '