WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Paul Byrd pitched six innings Thursday in the Indians’ 4-4 exhibition tie against Tampa Bay at Chain of Lakes Park, then deemed himself ready to start the regular season.
The question is will Major League Baseball let him?
Byrd, who has admitted to using HGH for a medical condition and was named in the Mitchell Report, is still awaiting word on a potential penalty. The veteran right-hander met with MLB officials shortly after the postseason, but said he was given no deadline on when a decision would be made.
“You get to a point where you can’t sit there and dwell on it,” said Byrd, who allowed four runs on eight hits (two home runs) through six innings against the Rays. “Whatever happens, happens. I would assume that they would have to give me a decision at some point. I said what I had to say. That’s pretty much all I can do. The ball’s in their court.
“I think Major League Baseball is doing a thorough job. That’s one way to look at it, and that’s a good thing.”
Without any direction from baseball’s powers that be, Byrd, who is in the option season ($7.5 million) of a two-year, $14.25 million contract, is proceeding as usual this spring. He actually considers himself ahead of schedule, owning a 2-0 record and 5.85 ERA in five exhibition starts. He’s allowed 13 earned runs through 20 innings.
“I’m ready to go,” said the 37-year-old Byrd, who bounced back from a dismal debut season with Cleveland in 2006 to win 15 games — the second highest total of his career — and post a 4.59 ERA in 31 starts last year. “If we started the season tomorrow, I’m fine. Usually, one of my pitches is lagging, but all of them are good.
“I’m pretty comfortable. I’m where I need to be, a little farther ahead than normal.”
Nothing has pleased Byrd more than his changeup, a pitch he considers vital to reversing his fortunes against left-handed hitters, who batted .345 off him last year.
“My changeup has been outstanding this spring,” Byrd said. “Hopefully that will help me out with left-handers a little bit.”
“I’ve always liked his changeup,” said Cleveland manager Eric Wedge. “It’s a real good pitch for him. If he feels it’s better, that’s a good thing.
“I really like the way he’s thrown the ball all spring.”
The same was true in the postseason last year, where Byrd experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
He won both of his starts, including a clinching victory over New York in Game 4 of the Division Series at Yankee Stadium. But the Indians fell a win short of reaching the World Series, with Byrd winding up in a negative spotlight when a story implicating him for HGH use broke in the San Francisco Chronicle on the day of Cleveland’s Game 7 ALCS loss to Boston.
With possible ramifications from his use of a banned substance still looming, Byrd has turned to baseball to clear his mind for now.
“I’m ready to pitch in 25- to 85-degree weather,” said Byrd, in joking reference to his performance in the snowed-out home opener last year at Jacobs Field. “Anything out of that range, my body will struggle.
“What you’ve seen from me in the past, is what you’re going to get from me this year. I’m going to throw everything but the kitchen sink up there.”
Provided he gets the chance.
Contact Chris Assenheimer at 329-7136 or cassenheimer@chroniclet.com.

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