For the Cleveland Indians, it is not always about wins, losses, payroll levels, and which player will play what position once the season begins. Baseball is both a business and a game, but away from both, they realize there are often more important things occurring in the world around them.

Late last week, GM Chris Antonetti, INF Jason Kipnis, MGR Manny Acta, and RHP Vinnie Pestano took time out of their very busy spring schedule to do something special—pay a visit to a young fan. It was a selfless act that made the day of a sick 13-year-old.

Clayton Turner is a huge baseball fan from Buckeye, Ariz., who was recently diagnosed with a disease called Ewing Sarcoma. After he was having a difficult time throwing a baseball, his parents (Chad and Amy), as well as his younger brother (Carson), took him to the doctor shortly after the pain did not go away. It was discovered the pain was caused by a cancerous tumor developing within his body.

Clayton Turner with Jason Kipnis and Vinnie Pestano. — Used with permission by Cleveland Indians/Doug Mendlik.
Doug Mendlik

His rare condition affects only about 100 adolescents each year. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatment a Phoenix Children’s hospital.

Antonetti, Kipnis, Acta, and Pestano spent some time with the Turner family and presented Clayton with a few special “Indians” gifts. It was a small gesture by the club to help the family to forget all they have been going through, at least for a short while.

In addition to their community involvement in their spring home of Goodyear, Ariz., the Cleveland Indians also serve the northeast Ohio community by providing a multitude of initiatives and programs throughout the year.

One such program is Cleveland Indians Kick-It.

Kick-It is a national grassroots fundraising organization that unites communities in the fight against Pediatric & Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer through a simple fun game that everyone can play: Kickball.”

And 100 percent of money raised through the Kick-It program goes to Pediatric & AYA Cancer Research. Groups that raise a total of at least $2,500 can send a team to play on Progressive Field. To date, over $700,000 has been raised through the Indians partnership.

As for Clayton, we can all hope for a speedy recovery.

Sources:

Email correspondence – Danielle Cherry, Cleveland Indians

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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As the Cleveland Indians continue to prepare for the 2012 baseball season out west in Goodyear, Ariz., the team carries on monitoring starter Roberto Hernandez’s situation in the Dominican Republic. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian provided an update on the pitcher formerly known to Clevelanders as Fausto Carmona on Monday, March 5.

Currently no timetable exists for when Roberto Hernandez will return to the Cleveland Indians.
Wikimedia Commons

Roberto Hernandez remains restricted to his native Dominican Republic, while legal issues revolving his fraudulent use of the Fausto Carmona name gets resolved. Bastian reported Monday, March 5 the Cleveland Indians sent Hernandez a detailed program to maintain so the starting pitcher doesn’t fall behind on his conditioning. Bastian notes Tribe manager Manny Acta, saying, “He’s (Hernandez) keeping himself in shape. That’s his job. He’s getting himself ready so that, if anything changes, he’s going to come over here and not miss a beat.”

Now I’m sure several Clevelanders will shrug off this news. After all, a look back at my article, “The 2011 Cleveland Indians: June Recap,” demonstrates Hernandez already dealt with much fan criticism thanks to his pitching inconsistencies. Hernandez entered the majors in 2006 under the name Fausto Carmona. Outside a 19-8 2007 season and an All-Star 2010 campaign, the pitcher has struggled. Entering 2012, Roberto Hernandez’s career numbers stand at 53-66 with a 4.59 ERA.

Given these statistics, fans possess justification for their criticisms. However, the Fausto Carmona false identity story hitting the media provides a reason to think optimistically. The Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Indians beat reporter Paul Hoynes received a question from Tribe fan John J. for Hoynes’ “Hey Hoynsie!” column posted online Saturday, March 3. The question asks how the false identity story breaking will affect Roberto Hernandez’s pitching performance.

Hoynes consulted former Indians bullpen coach Luis Issac on this question and writes, “The former bullpen coach said it should be liberating for Hernandez to pitch under his real name and not have to live a lie. Isaac thought he would be a better pitcher because of it.”

If better pitcher means pitching to his proven potential, the Cleveland Indians will benefit greatly.

Of course, first Roberto Hernandez needs to return to the U.S. and deal with any potential consequences from Major League Baseball before he can try and help the Cleveland Indians win. In the meantime, the Tribe will need to pick a substitute for Hernandez during spring training. Candidates include righties Kevin Slowey, Jeanmar Gomez, and Zach McAllister, plus southpaw David Huff.

Zachary Fenell fell in love with the Cleveland Indians during the 1995 season when the Tribe powered their way to the organization’s first World Series appearance since 1954. While the Indians lost some allure since the 1990s you will still find Zachary watching the games on TV, listening to them on the radio, or best yet taking in a game from the stands at Progressive Field.

SOURCES

Official Cleveland Indians Website

The Plain Dealer

More from This Contributor:

Fan’s Take: Solace for Cleveland Indians Pitcher Fausto Carmona

The 2012 Cleveland Indians Starting Rotation: A Fan’s Look

Cleveland Indians Name Justin Masterson Opening Day Starter: A Fan’s Reaction

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