GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- When Indians reliever Jeff Manship returned home to Texas over the offseason, he had a big hug waiting for Skip Johnson. The pitching coach for the University of Texas could not have known it at the time, but his suggestion two offseasons ago helped save Manship's career.
"I've got to give a lot of credit to him," Manship said on Sunday morning.
Heading into last season, Manship feared that his future in baseball was in jeopardy. During a winter mound workout, Johnson asked the right-hander to try shifting to the third-base side of the pitching rubber.