New Cleveland Indians manager Manny Acta brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm with him to a stop in Akron on the Cleveland Indians Press Tour Tuesday, Jan. 26. Acta joined outfielder Michael Brantley and relief pitcher Jensen Lewis at the Tangier Restaurant to talk Tribe baseball and the upcoming season of change.
Im a baseball lifer, Acta said. Once the holidays are over, I cant wait to get to the baseball field. I spent the past week over in Arizona at the beautiful facility we have over there. I cant wait to get out there and get our work in.
And he has a lot of work ahead of him in helping the Indians regain their luster as one of the elite teams in the American League.
Its all about attitude, Acta said. I think we have the talent here. We just have to change things around to a more positive attitude.
That positive attitude is something the 41-year-old Acta brings to the job.
Energy. I have positive energy and the fact that I take my job very serious, he said. When Im in, Im in. I care about what goes on in the minor leagues as well as up here.
Acta was manager of the Washington Nationals from 2007 until he was relieved of his duties in July of last season. He has a career record of 158-252 in the Major Leagues. He says his managing style will reflect the talent on the team.
The 30 of us that manage in the big leagues will manage according to the personnel we have, Acta said. What I like about our club is that we have a chance to get out of this so-called American League mold of just slugging away. We have three outfielders who can steal bases, we have key fielders who are fundamentally sound and can move runners over, but that doesnt mean were going to be running reckless out there. Its been proven that the team that steals the most bases is not always the team that wins.
Ill take a guy who can go first to third, or score from second on a single, or score on a double from first over a guy who can steal a bunch of bases but doesnt help you win, he continued.
He is anxious to get started with Cleveland.
One of the things that has me excited is I saw Grady (Sizemore) over in Arizona last week. Hes at 100 percent, Acta said. Also, (Travis) Haffner is as healthy as hes been the last few years. Those are two guys who are key to our lineup. To know they will be there to help us score runs, its exciting.
Our main thing is to win, he added. I could care less what anybody else says about our club. We have a real good corps of young players, and its a matter of our rotation giving us a chance.
Playing in the American League Central is a plus for the Indians.
We play in a very balanced division, Acta said. Its exciting to play in the Central. The Central race is wide open. Thats the way it has been the last few years. Yes, there are a few teams that on paper have a better starting rotation than we have, but spring training hasnt even started yet. I feel that every one of us in our division feels that we can win it.
In order for that to happen, Acta believes the starting pitching will have to be strong for the Indians.
We know we have a challenge in our starting rotation. We just have to be patient. Hopefully a few of those guys will step forward and take us for a magical ride, he said. Our starting rotation is a question mark, but so are the other 25 clubs that are out there looking for pitching. There are only about five clubs I can think of that can sit back and rely on their starting rotation.
I like the fact that Jake (Westbrook) is healthy. The fact that hes completed his rehab and pitched winter ball in Puerto Rico shows me that hes healthy, Acta continued. Fausto (Carmona) pitched well, too. Were counting on him to come back. Guys like (Justin) Masterson, (Aaron) Laffey, (David) Huff and Jeremy Sowers are going to go in there and compete with (Hector) Rondon, (Carlos) Carrasco and (Mitch) Talbot. These are young guys in their mid-20s, and this is the time for them to step up and give us a lift.
Acta is excited about the potential of the everyday lineup of the team.
I really like our position players, especially, he said. I feel we have a lot of young, energetic guys; guys who can get our club out of that American League mold of sitting around and waiting for a home run. Our whole outfield has the potential to steal bases, and some of our infielders can run. Its going to be exciting to see all these young guys get together for the season for us.
There will be some competition in spring training, as not all the positions are set in stone.
There are some guys who are not established yet, and since we have so many young guys, I think that competition brings the best out of people, Acta said. There are a few spots that have to be earned. Thats what spring training is for. We dont make those decisions now, they usually make them for us.
Ideally, you want to have the same lineup every day. You dont want to develop platoon players, the manager continued. There comes a point where if thats what works for your team, were going to do whats best for the Indians. We cant be thinking about whos feelings were going to hurt. We can spend time later dealing with the feelings that are hurt. We do whats best for the team.
Brantley is one of those players who will be fighting for a job this spring.
Michael (Brantley) definitely is part of our future, and hopefully he can be part of our present, right now, right away, Acta said. He played very well in September for the Indians, and hes a guy were counting on to be here for a long time. Hes going to have to come to spring training and show what he can do. Nothing is going to be handed out to a guy like him. He knows that, and he likes that challenge. Were looking forward to seeing him earn that spot.
Hes a guy who projects as a leadoff hitter, Acta added. Thats what hes done in the minor leagues. He has the ability to get on base and his speed calls for that. When the time comes, well make the move when we have to.
If I can stay healthy and stay focused, I think I have a legitimate shot at winning a starting spot, Brantley said.
