Tribe's Shelley Duncan getting the hang of being in the pinch: Indians Insider

Pinch hitting is not an easy thing to do, but since joining the Indians last year, Shelley Duncan has become adept at it. Watch video

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shelley Duncan has one at-bat in the Indians' first three games this season. It was a pinch-hit two-run single off Chicago's Matt Thornton in the eighth inning Sunday in a 7-1 victory.

Pinch hitting was an acquired taste for Duncan. "I used to stink at it," he said. "I hated it. Now I kind of like it. It's a big-time adrenaline rush."

Before he came to Cleveland, Duncan was 0-for-12 as a pinch-hitter with the Yankees. In the past two seasons with the Indians, he's 7-for-22 with seven RBI. Last year, Duncan hit .286 (6-for-21) as a pinch hitter, tying him for fourth in the AL.

"Preparation is a huge thing," said manager Manny Acta, when asked what make a successful hitter in the pinch. "Shelley prepares himself very well. He's accepted the role and knows the situations he might hit in.

"He comes in early and prepares himself like he's going to be playing every day. That's a key. If you prepare yourself and the opportunity comes up, you won't be caught off guard."

To Duncan, pinch-hitting is about all the "what ifs" that can come his way during a game. Starting in the fifth inning, he's hitting in the cage or stretching in the locker room every half inning. He's already looked at video and knows what relievers pitched the day before and what matchups the opponents like in late-inning situations.

"You've got all these what ifs in your head and you're ready for every single what if," said Duncan.

There's on good thing about pinch hitting, especially in the chill of the early season. "When you get thrown in there, the adrenaline gets you so much that you warm up instantly," said Duncan. "The big spots are easier than the not-so big spots. It really gets the adrenaline going."

Indians chatter

Clubhouse confidential: As if getting swept in Texas over the weekend wasn’t bad enough, the Red Sox had a tough time landing in Cleveland on Sunday night.

They were scheduled to land at Burke Lakefront Airport, but the pilot pulled up about 25 feet from the landing strip because of high winds. The Red Sox charter detoured to Hopkins International Airport, where it landed without incident.

Testing, testing: After playing Tuesday night for Class AAA Columbus against Ohio State, Grady Sizemore and Joe Smith will return to Cleveland on Wednesday. On Thursday they’re expected to start their rehab assignments with Class AA Akron, which opens its season against Binghamton.

Smith (abdominal strain) is a lot closer to being activated than Sizemore (left knee). Sizemore was scheduled to play seven innings against the Buckeyes on Tuesday, while Smith was scheduled to pitch one inning. Sizemore’s return depends on him being able to build enough stamina where he’s able to play nine innings in consecutive games. Smith, a reliever, needs to show he can go one inning on consecutive days.

Stat of the day: The Indians opened this three-game series against the Red Sox with a 36-39 record against them at Progressive Field.

— Paul Hoynes

Nice weather: It was 42 degrees with a 14 mph wind blowing from left to right at game time Tuesday night. Snow and rain were in the forecast.

"You just don't think about it," said first baseman Matt LaPorta. "The more you think about it, the colder you get. You just have to play your game."

Michael Brantley, who lives in Florida, laughed when asked about the weather.

"We don't get this kind of weather in Florida," he said. "It's not snowing in April. We have wind, but it's usually with a lot of heat. So this is different for me."

Said Acta, "The cold has been there for over 100 years in baseball at this time of the year. It's never easy, but you figure it's equal [for both teams]. You just have to deal with until summertime shows up."

Good cause: Starting with Wednesday's game against the Red Sox, the Indians and other non-profit service agencies will begin their "fill the house for charity" promotion. Wednesday's charity is the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland. It receives $5 from every ticket sold by a charity and $1 from every ticket paid for Wednesday's game. For more information go to indians.com/fillthehouse.

Fire down below: Here are the Indians' minor-league rotations:

• Class AAA Columbus: LHP David Huff, RHP Jeanmar Gomez, RHP Alex White, RHP Zach McAllister and RHP Corey Kluber.

• Class AA Akron: LHP Kelvin De La Cruz, RHP Joe Gardner, LHP Scott Barnes, RHP Austin Adams and LHP Matt Packer.

• Class A Kinston: LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP T.J. McFarland, RHP Clayton Cook, LHP Giovanni Soto, LHP T.J. House.

• Class A Lake County: RHP Michael Goodnight, LHP Mike Rayl, RHP Kyle Blair, RHP Cole Cook/RHP Tony Dischler and RHP Trey Haley.

Good hands: The ball that Anne Feller, widow of Hall of Famer Bob Feller, placed on the pitching rubber before the season opener on Friday is in the Indians' possession.

It will be shown as part of a display honoring Feller later this year at Progressive Field. This message was written on the ball, "Bobby keep pitching, Anne."

Source: http://www.cleveland.com/tribe/index.ssf/2011/04/baby_its_cold_outside_clevelan.html

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