jensen lewis, an ace in the hole (take 2)

The Cleveland Indians Press Tour brought a bit of sunshine and blue skies to Strasburg on Tuesday, Jan. 20, brightening up an otherwise dreary winter day in east central Ohio.
Tribe pitching coach Carl Willis, relief pitcher Jensen Lewis and utility infielder Jamey Carroll delighted the Tribe faithful at the Manor Restaurant in Strasburg.
Lewis finished the 2008 season as Cleveland’s closer, going 13-for-13 in save opportunities.
Instead of coming to camp this year as the closer, Cleveland signed free agent Kerry Wood, bumping Lewis back to a late-inning setup role.
“When you look at the great closers over the years, guys like Mariano Rivera, Jonathon Papelbon and Francisco Rodriguez, they all had to pay their dues a little bit,” said Lewis. “It’s kind of like the final grooming process.
“I take this as a unique opportunity to learn from a guy like Kerry Wood,” Lewis continued. “I see nothing but positives that can come out of this. It’s not every day that a team has two closers. If he needs a night off, I can jump in there and help him out.
“I’m thankful for the experience I got last year, so the transition time, whenever they do need me to close full time, I’ll be ready to go,” he added. “You never hope anything bad will happen, but you have to be prepared for the worst. I’m just going to continue to learn from being in those late-inning situations.”
Lewis said being sent to the minor early last season helped him get some mechanical things straightened out.
“I knew I wasn’t myself and just needed to correct a few things,” Lewis said. “I just had to get my mind back to how I got there. I was trying to do some things that weren’t right. At the end of the day, when I came back up, I had re-centered and was back to where I was in 2007. I think every young player goes through it. Fortunately, it happened to me early in my career and I had a chance to make it back. And when I did make it back up, I was able to finish with a lot of success in a pretty high profile role.
“Now I feel pretty well armed to deal with anything and everything that comes at me,” Lewis added. “To be 24 and to already have a year-and-a-half’s experience in the Major Leagues is so rare. When I got sent down, they told me I’m still here and I’ll be back before I know it. I was fortunate that they cared enough about me to want to get me right so I can help the team over the long term.”
Lewis credits pitching coach Carl Willis for much of the success the team has enjoyed.
“Carl has been great. He is a great communicator,” Lewis said. “He’s here to help. If there’s something I feel I need to talk about, he’s always there. He does a great job of keeping us loose. And he’s on top of everything we need to know. We go into every series prepared.”
The pitching coach’s message to his staff is simple.
“Believe in your stuff and believe in your ability,” Lewis said. “You look at our staff, and it’s a really talented staff. Up and down, we really feel confident with anybody out there.”
Lewis says he hasn’t changed since getting to the Major Leagues. Success hasn’t altered his life style.
“I played college ball in the Southeast Conference (Vanderbilt), so I was used to a lot of media coverage and great fans,” Lewis said. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is to be yourself. I’ve got a great support system. My family raised me right. I’ve got a unique opportunity and I want to do everything I can to stay here for a long time. I never take anything for granted.
Lewis finished last year with an 0-4 record with a 3.82 ERA. He had 13 saves, striking out 52 in 66 innings pitched. He was the 105th player chosen in the 2005 draft, being taken by the Tribe in the third round out of Vanderbilt. He rose quickly through the minor league system, beginning in Mahoning Valley in ‘05. He pitched in Kinston and Akron in 2006 and Buffalo and Akron in ‘07, before getting the call to Cleveland in July. He walked three and struck out two in his debut against the White Sox, an inning and a third of scoreless relief.