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'I feel like Alex Rodriguez' Indians' Vizquel signs two-year, $15 million extension
Updated: Wednesday February 28, 2001 6:56 PM
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) -- Omar Vizquel already plays like one of the game's premier shortstops. Now, he'll be paid like one. Vizquel, a bargain for the Indians the past few seasons at $3 million per year, agreed Wednesday to a $15 million, two-year contract extension and said he hopes to retire in Cleveland. "I feel like Alex Rodriguez," a smiling Vizquel said as he walked into a news conference at the Indians' training facility. The deal includes a mutual option for 2005 with a $1 million buyout and a $1 million personal services contract. The Indians are hoping to keep Vizquel in their organization in some capacity after he retires. "Not only is Omar a very special player on the field," Indians general manager John Hart said. "He's one of the good guys in the game and this contract gives us the ability to retain him a little deeper into his career." Vizquel's base salary will jump to about $4.5 million in 2002. Hart said the sides began negotiations last October and it was a phone call he got from Vizquel that jump-started the talks recently. "He said, 'John, I've got some ideas' and that helped us get it done," Hart said. Vizquel, who signed a six-year contract in 1995, had grumbled in the past about being underpaid. He arrived at camp four days after the voluntary reporting date, fueling speculation he was upset after seeing Rodriguez and Derek Jeter sign their colossal deals and other lesser shortstops pass him on the payscale. But Vizquel said his tardiness had nothing to do with money and he was confident he and the Indians would work something out. "They didn't have to do this," Vizquel said of getting two more years tacked on to his contract. "But the market situation made me feel like I could talk about my contract and they wanted to listen to me." Vizquel joked that it seemed like long ago when he signed his previous deal. "I think Bob Feller was still pitching when I signed my contract," he said. Vizquel, 33, is entering his seventh season with Cleveland, which got him in a trade from Seattle in 1993. He batted .287 with seven homers and 66 RBIs and had perhaps his finest season defensively. He tied the AL record for the most consecutive errorless games by a shortstop (95), made just three errors in 156 games and won his eighth straight Gold Glove. "We didn't know that Omar was going to turn out to be the complete player that he turned out to be," Hart said. "There was always a question, never defensively, but is the bat going to come? But it's come a long way." Vizquel said he never let his contract affect his play and he was confident that one day he would be rewarded by the Indians. "I knew it was just a matter of time," Vizquel said. "But I never showed signs that I was unsatisfied. I just went out and played ball. I knew if I was patient I would get my part." Vizquel's new deal gives him security and means he will likely end his career with the Indians. He is also one of Cleveland's most popular players, and the signing should help smooth over some of the problems Indians fans had with the team allowing catcher Sandy Alomar to leave and for not re-signing free agent slugger Manny Ramirez. It also assures the Indians of keeping one of baseball's premier shortstops happy. "It was the right thing for the organization to do and it was right for Omar," Hart said. Vizquel isn't sure what he wants to do once he retires. "I have a lot of things in mind," he said. "I want to stay in the game. I would love to stay here and help out. But I don't think that I have any business in the office."
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