Indians infielder: You can trust me
John McDonald has the confidence to step in and play at any time.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- John McDonald has attitude. The right attitude.
The Cleveland Indians' utility infielder feels comfortable in his role with the big-league club, even if he plays minimally.
"It's a big role," McDonald said before the Tribe's home opener Monday against the Minnesota Twins.
"I'm a utility player on a championship ball club," McDonald said. "If a guy needed a day off, I want to be the guy that they ask to go in there and play."
Not only that, McDonald wants to be relied upon.
Staying competitive: "I don't want the rest of the team to look at it as if we've downgraded just because we've given somebody a day off," he said. "I think I've put in my work, and I feel like I can be a contributor at this level."
McDonald, who spent most of the 2001 season at Triple-A Buffalo while starting and finishing in Cleveland, has played in the shadow of Omar Vizquel and Roberto Alomar.
With Alomar having been traded to the New York Mets in the off-season, the door may have been opened slightly for McDonald.
"I would love the opportunity to try," McDonald said of getting more regular duty. "I have enough confidence to say I can go out there and feel comfortable taking ground balls with anybody."
McDonald, who batted .381 (8-of-21) in spring training, has appeared in two of the Tribe's seven games. He started at second base Sunday in Detroit for Ricky Gutierrez.
"We're already in a nice little rhythm," said McDonald of the Tribe's 5-1 record after its season-opening road trip.
"Coming out of spring training, everyone seemed ready to play," he said. "We talked about playing the game the right way and manufacturing more runs, pitching and defense. When you play baseball that way, good things are going to happen."
Setting the tone: Pitching, especially from Bartolo Colon and C.C. Sabathia, highlighted the Tribe's road trip through Anaheim and Detroit. McDonald can see that success rubbing off on teammates.
"It builds confidence in everybody. When you see someone go out there and play well, you want to go out there and play well," said McDonald, who rehabilitated an injury with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers during the 2000 season.
"Everyone just wants to step up, and everyone wants to be a part of that," he said. "I want to be a part of that."