Barfield Adds Speed To Indians Lineup

Former Indians catcher Sandy Alomar extolled the virtues of the Tribe's new second baseman, Josh Barfield, on Monday.

"He'll steal 50 bases in the American League," said Alomar, now a spring invitee with the New York Mets. Alomar was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2006 when he watched Barfield play several games as a rookie with the San Diego Padres.

Now that Eric Wedge is Barfield's manager, some observers are of the opinion that Barfield's stolen-base total might shrink. Wedge is seen by many as a manager who prefers to avoid the steal and the bunt as weapons.

Probably closer to the truth is that Wedge will make use of the tools his players are capable of using. If Wedge has speed available, he isn't apt to waste it. If Wedge has a team of plodders -- which has been the case since he has been with the Tribe -- he isn't going to have the offense run itself into outs.

"It's all about your people," Wedge said Wednesday. "We have a little more speed than we've had before. We were more aggressive (on the bases) the second half of last year when we brought up the kids and were able to do more running."
Source: ohio.com