Redmond a leader to young Indians

March 26, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

GOODYEAR, Ariz.

Mike Redmond enjoys teaching old tricks to the Cleveland Indians’ young catchers.

Redmond has worked with some of the best — all-stars Charles Johnson, Ivan Rodriguez and Joe Mauer — but says he’s more than just a tutor. A .289 hitter over 12 seasons, he’s eager to add offense to Cleveland’s lineup, too.

“At 38, people talk about you like it’s amazing you’re even walking,” Redmond said. “Playing part-time for so many years, I don’t have that much wear and tear.”

Cleveland’s regulars had their only day off of the spring on Wednesday, It was the rare instance where Redmond was not at the training complex at sunrise.

Rookie catchers Lou Marson, Wyatt Toregas and top prospect Carlos Santana watch Redmond’s routine and follow his lead — so the trio often arrives ahead of their teammates, too.

“He’s great,” said Marson, acquired in July as part of the trade that sent 2008 AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee to Philadelphia. “He doesn’t force ideas on you, but if you’ve got a question he’s got an answer.”

Relief pitcher Jensen Lewis said Redmond impacts the entire team.

“He’s got so much enthusiasm and so much knowledge, too,” Lewis said. “He’s a real leader.”

Cleveland’s lineup is loaded with left-handed hitters: Grady Sizemore, Shin-Soo Choo, Travis Hafner, Russell Branyan and Luis Valbuena. Redmond’s .327 career average against lefties provides needed balance.

Among lefties he has hit well are New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia (13 for 26, .500) recently retired Tom Glavine (21 for 48, .438) and Chicago White Sox all-star Mark Buehrle (16 for 37, .432).

“My dad was left-handed and threw to me all the time when I was a kid, so maybe that helped,” Redmond said. “Good numbers are not as important to me as what teammates say. Years from now, nobody will remember my career, but if there’s some players who remember something Red told them that helped them improve, I’ll be happy.”

Former all-star Sandy Alomar Jr., in his first year back with the Indians as first-base coach and catching instructor, loves having Redmond around.

“He’s perfect for this team,” Alomar said. “He’s been there, done that and can still do a little of it, too. He’s going to help this team in several ways.”

Assistant general manager Chris Antonetti said Redmond’s background made it worth signing the free agent to a $850,000 one-year contract.

“He has an exceptionally high baseball IQ,” Antonetti said. He’s universally respected and knows our division well. At the same time, he keeps things loose.”

Redmond believes having fun is the best way for players to perform well.

“This game is too hard and too negative-based as it is,” he said. “You want to stay focused, but remember you are playing a game. It’s a game I love and it’s too much fun to get uptight about it.”

Redmond doubts if he’ll revisit one of his more bizarre efforts to keep teammates loose, though. With the Florida Marlins in 2003, he took batting practice wearing only spikes and batting gloves.

“Ballplayers do strange things,” Redmond said. “We had a losing streak, so I did something different.”

It may have been a coincidence, but the Marlins went on a winning streak that carried them all the way past the heavily favored Yankees in the World Series.

Now, he’s trying to help the Indians’ young pitching staff.

“It’s fun to play with a lot of younger guys,” he said. “I’m not afraid to tell them what I think.”

That philosophy has gained the attention of Cleveland’s key reclamation project, right-hander Fausto Carmona. A 19-game winner in 2007, Carmona struggled to a combined 13-19 record the next two years and spent much of 2009 in the minors.

“I like throwing to him,” Carmona said. “When I get too fast out there, he tells me to slow down.”

Redmond relishes the challenge of keeping Carmona calm.

“I like catching him a whole lot more than facing him,” Redmond said. “We’re already comfortable together.

“Last time out, he was nasty. It was strike 1, strike 2, strike 3,” he said. “That’s pretty much how my at-bats went against him.”