Joey Cantillo will not make the 26-man roster when the Guardians break spring training in Goodyear, Ariz. later this month, according to a projection made by MLB.com. The 25-year-old southpaw is trying to convince manager Stephen Vogt, general manager Mike Chernoff and president of baseball operatio ns that he belongs. Cantillo’s best chance to make the team might be in long relief, even though he started each of the four Cactus League games he has played this spring. He is 1-2 with a 7.45 ERA over 9 2/3 innings. His most recent outing was on March 12 against the San Francisco Giants. He struck out nine batters in 3 2/3 innings, but he also gave up four earned runs on four hits. “There were some situations where I could have got ahead (of the batters) a little better and I paid for it with some hard contact,” Cantillo told reporters covering spring training. “When I get ahead, good things happen. I gave up a couple runs today, but from a process standpoint, it’s always good to get swings and misses.” Vogt was encouraged by the nine strikeouts. “I thought Joey showed some good signs,” the second-year manager said. “For Joey, it’s about consistency. He was attacking the zone and at times fell behind. He just has to work on that consistency.’ The starting rotation seems set with Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Luis Ortiz, Ben Lively and Triston McKenzie. The bullpen also seems to be full with Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, Paul Seward, Jakob Junis, Erik Sabrowski, Andrew Walters and closer Emmanuel Clase. Cantillo has been in the Guardians organization since he was acquired from the Padres on Aug. 31, 2020, for starting pitcher Mike Clevinger. The Indians (at the time) acquired first baseman Josh Naylor, pitcher Cal Quantrill, catcher Austin Hedges and infield prospect Gabriel Arias along with Cantillo in the trade. Cantillo made his debut with the Guardians on July 28 of last year. He was 2-4 with a 4.89 ERA. • I haven’t researched the size of all 278 of them, but the player enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame who might have been the smallest in his playing days is 5-foot-9, 120-pound Candy Cummings, a right-handed pitcher/outfielder who played 150 years ago. He is in the Hall of Fame because he is credited with discovering the curveball. Cummings’ real name was William Arthur Cummings. He was born Oct. 18, 1848, in Toledo. He played professionally from 1872-77 and finished with a modest record of 145-94. Cummings got the idea of making a baseball curve one day when he and some friends were throwing clam shells into the ocean when he was 14 years old. He worked four years making a baseball curve. He threw it pitching underhanded. He debuted his new pitch professionally five years later. Candy was a Civil War era nickname given to someone who excelled at what he did. Cummings earned the nickname, and it all started by tossing clam shells into the Atlantic Ocean. “The curveball made the 120-pound Cummings the most dominant pitcher in the country,” David Fleitz wrote in a Society for Baseball Research article. ...read more read less